 
THE FINAL PROPHECY

Book Three in the Ben Alderman Series

A Children's Fantasy

by

W. D. NEWMAN

SMASHWORDS EDITION

*****

PUBLISHED BY

W. D. Newman on Smashwords

Copyright © 2014 W. D. Newman

All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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

I want to thank Jody Lindke for the cover art for The Final Prophecy. Jody is a freelance illustrator based in Los Angeles, CA and is the first woman ever awarded the Charles Schulz Award by Scripps Howard.

I want to thank Barbara Alsop for proofing my manuscript and making it presentable to the reader. Barbara corrected all of my grammatical errors and misspelled words and that was no small feet feat!

I want to thank my beautiful wife and my two wonderful sons for their patience and support while I wrote this story.

I want to thank YOU, the reader, for downloading this story and going on this adventure with me.
Introduction

Thank you for purchasing The Final Prophecy. This story is book three in the Ben Alderman series. If you have not read the first two books I encourage you to download them and read them first. The Thirteenth Unicorn is the first book in the series and it (the e-book version) is free. The second book, The Black Dragon, is only 99 cents. That's three full-length novels (e-books) for less than three bucks!

All of these stories are fantasy and adventure tales for children. However, they are fun and fast paced reads for adults too. Whether you are nine years old or ninety, I hope that you enjoy them.

Happy Reading!

The gift of youth is ours for just a little while

Fame is capricious and money slips through our fingers

Health is a Godsend subject to recall

Even the benison of love can allude us or it can wither in our hearts

But the blessings of imagination

Ahhhh....

They belong to us forever and ever

~ CBS Radio Mystery Theater, 1974
The Final Prophecy

When witch's reign has ended

And evil ones are gone

When wizard's staff is mended

And Dragon's dead at dawn

When king's mad rule is broken

And gnomes are free at last

When seer's last word is spoken

And sword returns from past

When Fallen One reappears

And sits upon his throne

When wisest one through the years

To Dragon's Cradle comes

When darkest fears seem so real

And no hope can be found

Lowly Chosen One revealed

Will bring the mighty down

Table of Contents

Prologue: Earth, 15th Century

The Dream, Part One

The Dream, Part Two

The Dream, Part Three

1 Springtime

2 An Overnight Trip

3 Bad News

4 An Old Acquaintance

5 Divided

6 Bellator

7 Talisman

8 Foiled Rescue

9 Hard Freeze

10 The Prophecy

11 The Librarian

12 Time Out

13 Spud

14 Gazafar Lodge

15 Salvation or Damnation

16 Crag

17 Ashing or Slumber

18 Down Below

19 Dragon's Cradle

20 The Wisest One

21 An Unexpected Rescue

22 Reunion

23 Eights

24 Jupiter

25 Fool's Mate

26 Lowly One Revealed

27 Angry Dwarves

28 Going Home

29 The Secret Garden

Epilogue: The Secret in the Garden

Books in this Series

Afterword

About the Author

Prologue: Earth, 15th Century

<The Dream, Part One>

There seemed to be no end to the thick green canes around him. He came through the tree over an hour ago and was still struggling to find his way out. He considered using his sword to hack his way through the bamboo, but there was not even enough room among the canes to sit and rest, much less swing a sword, so he forged onward. Soon, however, and much to his relief, he came upon the edge of the canes at a small brown stream. Once across the thin ribbon of water, he sat upon the ground with his back against a tree to rest.

Although he had finally made it out of the river canes, he was still in a forest of tall, stately hardwoods. There was hardly any undergrowth and all around him as far as he could see great trunks of oak, chestnut, hickory, and ash sprang from rich, black earth that was littered with layers of leaves from countless winters past. He needed a new staff for walking but there were no young saplings to be found and there were no low hanging limbs within reach of his sword. With a sigh, he rose to his feet and drew the elfin blade from its scabbard. Gathering his tattered robes in his free hand, he stepped into the cold, slow moving creek to cut down a stalk of the bamboo that grew down to the water's edge.

The moonsilver flashed brilliantly in the sun, slicing neatly and cleanly through the base of the cane. He pulled the cane down and lopped off a piece that was as long as he was tall, then sheathed his sword. The bamboo was both light and sturdy. It would make an excellent staff for walking.

He knew that his best chance of finding anyone would be to follow the creek. The creek would eventually lead to a lake or possibly a larger stream. That, in turn, would likely lead to a river and if there were any towns or farms to be found, they would be located near just such a water source. However, he decided to make for higher ground to see if he might be able to spot signs of habitation such as smoke from kitchen hearths.

As he trekked up the hillside, he removed the floppy gray hat from his head and stuffed it into the pockets beneath his robes. The day was warm and springtime lay across the land like a soft green blanket. Overhead, a cool breeze stirred the sun-kissed tree tops and, here and there, tiny green leaves were being coaxed out of hiding from among branches tinged with bright red buds. Somewhere nearby, a wood thrush greeted the day with his happy song. Tut-tut-oh-layo-leeee, tut-tut-oh-layo-leeee. This place was so much like Camelot when he first found it, wild, pristine, and beautiful beyond description. And, like Camelot, this place stirred something deep in his soul. It was a calling, a need, something he could not identify, but something that drew him nonetheless.

The game in this land was plentiful too. He spied a large herd of deer making their way through the forest and, as he stopped to watch them pass, a multitude of squirrels chattered at him from their lofty perches, while somewhere over the next hill, a flock of turkeys gobbled loudly. At least he would not starve to death in his search for civilization.

When he finally reached the top, he was dismayed to find nothing, but more hills and more trees. South and east of him, the hills shrank and the land became flat, while behind him and to the north, ridges of mountains in various shades of blue rose above the endless sea of trees. Even from this distance he could tell that the mountains were old. Eons of wind and rain had worn away all sharp edges, leaving smooth, round tops and gentle slopes, much unlike the tall, jagged peaks of the Iron Bones on Camelot. Rather than making for flatter land, he picked the next highest point and, after a brief respite, continued west. It took him a couple of hours to reach the next spot, but with persistence and steady plodding he finally made it to the top. His efforts were rewarded with a grand view of a wide valley full of tulip poplars. These were the biggest poplars he had ever seen. The trunks were so large that one could carve out a room within the bole of the tree and have a comfortable dwelling in which to live. As he stood there pondering how much effort it would require to carve such a dwelling, the smell of wood smoke caught his attention and the tree house was quickly forgotten.

He could not see any smoke, but the wind was from the west, so he continued in that direction. However, the hills eventually became too much for him, forcing him to veer southwest in search of an easier route. He stopped once, when the sun was at its highest point, to rest and to eat some of the food he had brought along in his sack. The meal was a simple fare of cold biscuits and hard cheese, but after a long morning of strenuous hiking it was quite tasty.

After eating, he hiked for a few more hours, still trying to navigate west and avoid as many steep slopes as possible. When the shadows grew long he decided to set up camp for the night. The landscape had started to change; the hardwoods giving way to a few tall pines and hemlocks. He crawled beneath the branches of one of the hemlocks and ate some more of his bread and cheese. Tomorrow, he would have to trap some small game or find a stream with some fish to catch, but for now he was tired and needed to rest. He placed his sack under his head, for a pillow, and folded his hands across his chest. Within a few minutes, before the sun had even set, he was snoring loudly.

The next morning he was awakened by the birds. The dim sky was an empty slate of steel gray, poised for the sunrise to paint its horizons with pastel pinks and blues. Every bird in the forest was singing at the top of its lungs, so sleeping in was not an option. He ate the last morsels of food in his sack and then crawled out from beneath the hemlock to greet the day.

The smell of smoke was a little stronger this morning so, with the rising sun to his back, he began another day of walking. Within an hour, he began to hear the sound of moving waters and soon came upon a wide rushing river. The fast moving stream was filled with great boulders and moss covered stones. Thick groves of laurel, their branches laden with fragrant pink blossoms, shaded the banks and speckled trout lurked in the dark pools along river's edge. He thought about trying to catch one of these fish but something else caught his attention and pulled his thoughts away from food; he had stumbled across a trail.

The trail was not a game trail. It was wide and tall, weaving among the laurel and following the river in both directions. After filling his flask with the cold mountain water, he decided to follow the trail downriver. At one point, the trail dipped into a depression between two hills, where a small rivulet of water trickled down to join the river. Here, the ground was moist and the rich black earth of the river valley was mixed with sand and clay. Navigating around this marshy spot, he happened to glance down and there, in the soft damp earth, were footprints.

He knelt to examine the prints. There were three distinct sets and all of them were human. Two sets were leading in the same direction that he was travelling and the third set went the other way. Finally, he was on the verge of finding someone in these wild parts. Strange, though, that all three of the persons who left these tracks were not wearing shoes. He absently scratched at his dirty gray beard as he pondered the implications of this discovery. It could be a poor farm family. Back on Camelot, most farmers were poor and their families often went barefoot in the warmer months, saving their shoes for winter. He shrugged his shoulders and continued on, excited now and anxious to speak to someone who lived here.

He did not have to travel far to find what he was seeking. The trail spilled out of the forest onto a large grassy field with a tall pole erected in the center. On top of this pole sat a wooden fish and, below the pole, dozens of children ran about playing some sort of game. The boys that were playing carried sticks with small nets fashioned on the end. They were using these sticks to catch and throw a ball made of deer hide. The girls, however, did not have sticks and were using their bare hands to catch and throw the ball. Apparently, the object of the game was to knock the wooden fish off the top of the pole and the children, though this was just a game, played with a fierce intensity and determination to win. He watched them for several minutes and listened to their chatter. They spoke a language he did not understand and were unlike any people he had ever seen. Their hair and their eyes were black and their skin was dark, with a reddish tint. They were a very handsome people, but appeared to be somewhat primitive. All of the children were barefoot and dressed in skins.

After a few minutes, one of the players finally knocked the wooden fish off the top of the pole. While the game paused for the fish to be placed back on top of the pole, one of the little boys glanced over at the trail head and saw him standing there. The boy pointed at him and shouted.

"Nunne'hi! Nunne'hi!"

All of the children spun around, their eyes wide with fright. After the rambunctious and noisy game of stickball, the sudden silence seemed eerie and surreal. The wind rustled the grasses and, in the distance, a crow cawed. Suddenly, one of the boys threw down his stick and ran. This broke the paralysis that held the rest of the children and, swift as deer, they fled from him.

The smoke he had smelled since yesterday was rising just over the hill where the children had vanished. The old man watched them disappear over the hill. Should he follow after them, or should he continue on? He didn't know anything about these people or how they would react to a stranger among them. He did not know if they would be civil or savage. If he continued on, it could be days, possibly even months before he met another human being. That thought was more than he could bear, so he hurried after the children.

As he crested the hill, the village came into view. Nestled between the forest on his left and the river on his right was one large building with many smaller ones scattered around it. All of the structures were primitive. The walls were woven together with sticks and plastered with mud and the roofs were covered in bark. The smaller buildings were family dwellings. Some of them were round, some were square. The square huts were larger than the round ones and some of them had lean-to structures connected to them, making them multi-room structures.

A large crowd had already gathered by the big building in the center of the village and more people were coming. The adults were dressed much like the children; in animal skins and hides. Most of the women were wearing wrap-around skirts with poncho-style blouses and were very striking with their long black hair and dark skin. The men had the same dark skin and black hair, but their heads were either shaven or plucked, so that they were bald, except for a single scalp lock on the back of their head. The younger men wore breach cloths and leggings, while the older ones wore tunics. Everyone was talking in hushed tones and pointing at him as he made his way down the hill.

When he made it to the assembly that had gathered by the long building, a tall proud looking man came forward to meet him and the crowd hushed. The man's powerful arms were tattooed with strange symbols and a single eagle feather dangled from his scalp lock. Actually, with his stern gaze and arched nose, this man looked very much like an eagle and appeared to be the principal chief of this tribal village. Everyone waited breathlessly as their chief spoke to the newcomer.

The old man shook his head and the floppy gray hat slid down over his eyes. He pushed the hat back up on top of his head and held his arms out to his side. "I cannot understand you," he complained. "I do not speak you language!"

The chief seemed shocked and a murmur went through the crowd. Another man emerged from the crowd; this one also had the strange tattoos on his arms and he too was wearing a single eagle feather from his scalp lock. There were two chiefs! Both men huddled together and talked in hushed whispers for a several minutes. Finally, the first man approached him once again. This time he rapped his fist against his chest when he spoke.

"Onacona!"

"I'm very sorry, but I have no idea what you are saying!"

He rapped his fist against his chest again and repeated the word, "Onacona!"

"Ah-ha!" the old man replied. "Could that be your name?" He pointed at the tall red man standing before him and repeated the word, "Onacona!"

The red man smiled and nodded. He thumped his chest again, "Onacona!" Then he pointed at the man that was wearing an eagle feather like his; the other chief. "Galegina!"

"Galegina!" the old man repeated.

The two red men laughed and the crowd laughed with them. The tension was broken and the moment of danger had passed. Onacona, still smiling, walked up to the old man and poked his finger into the old man's chest. Although he didn't speak, it was very clear what he was asking.

The old man responded by straightening up and thumping his fist against his own chest. He then cried out with a loud voice, so that everyone could hear him...

"I am..."

"MERLIN! Wake up!" the young page shouted. He shook the old man who was asleep at the table and shouted again, "Master Merlin, sir; Arthur wishes to see you in his quarters at once."

The old man raised his head from the table where he'd been napping and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He fell asleep studying the faded parchment on top of his desk. He had been studying it for several weeks now, although he didn't really need to; he had memorized the words years ago. Nevertheless, the pulling sensation that drew him here, through miles of wilderness and across vast frozen oceans, never entirely went away. Even when the sword left him and chose Arthur as its new master, he still had that faint nagging feeling that his work was not yet complete and, whenever this sensation became too strong to ignore, something always drew him back to the worn and ragged parchment spread before him.

"Tell him I'm on my way," the wizard yawned.

The young page bowed low and backed out of the room.

Merlin rose and slipped into his dark blue robe. The castle's interior hallways were chilly, even in the summertime, and living in civilization these past years had softened him quite a bit. As he padded down the tower stairs in his fine leather slippers, he remembered the dream from which he had just been wakened and thought back to his very first home here on earth; a small wigwam on the banks of the Keowee River. The house was constructed from mud, bark, and sticks and, as primitive as it was, it was one of the coziest homes he had ever owned. Oftentimes his mind wandered back to the days he spent with the Aniyun-wiya and his old friend, their war time chief, Galegina.

"Drat!" he exclaimed. Whenever he let his mind wander like this he tended to forget things. He had forgotten his staff and his poor knees were reminding him very loudly now. He turned around and trudged back up the stairs to his room. "At least I remembered before I got to the bottom," he mumbled as he opened his door and grabbed the gnarled wooden stick leaning against the door jamb.

Merlin had traveled far in his lifetime and had seen more worlds and more strange sights than anyone on Earth. On his home world of Zorn, he had lived in a little stone cottage located in a beautiful valley called Camelot. When the floods came and everyone needed to escape from Zorn, Merlin used an ancient and powerful magic to open a portal to a new world. He named this new world Camelot, in remembrance of his former home.

Once everyone had been relocated to Camelot, Merlin and his fellow wizards used the same magic and opened portals to Faerie, Crag, and Earth. The wizards of Zorn had such high hopes for Camelot, but all of their plans went horribly awry when Mordred, one of their own council members, betrayed them. By sheer luck, Merlin was the only wizard that escaped from Mordred's wicked plans and, in his anger, he banished Mordred to another world and closed the portal, so that Mordred could never return.

With his fellow wizards gone from Camelot, Merlin left for Earth to start a new life and to live out his days in peace. Or so he thought. His first two years on Earth were spent with a primitive race of people who called themselves the Aniyun-wiya. These people believed that Merlin was one of the Nunne'hi; a race of invisible spirit people that lived in houses up on the bald rocks, high in the mountains. Sometimes the Nunne'hi were known to take on human form, in the appearance of an Aniyun-wiya, so that they might communicate with the tribe. The problem with Merlin was that he did not resemble any of the tribe members in any form or fashion and, even if he had, he could not speak their language. The tribe finally decided that Merlin was a very ancient Nunne'hi; one so old that he forgot what the Aniyun-wiya looked like and the language they spoke. Thinking him old and senile, they revered him greatly and took enormous care of him because, after all, he was still a Nunne'hi.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he paused a moment to rub his aching knees and then hurried off into the dim castle corridors. His staff thumped against the tiled floor and echoed loudly off the stone walls as he made his way to Arthur's quarters. His real staff was still on Camelot; hidden away in a cave beneath a sleeping dragon, where he hoped it would remain undiscovered for all eternity. This new staff he carried was nothing more than a walking stick; it had no magical properties and, even if it did, there was only one place on earth that he knew of where there were any magic at all. At any rate, he had carried a staff all his life and it had become an extension of his body. When he arrived at Arthur's quarters, he rapped twice on the great double doors with the knobby end of the wooden stick.

"Enter," a muffled voice from within called out.

Merlin pushed the doors open and stepped into the king's private quarters. The first room was a great library with high vaulted ceilings and polished marble floors. Behind plush sofas, deep shelves filled with books, scrolls, and parchments lined the walls from floor to ceiling. The wizard had instilled a great love of learning in the king and his private library had grown to the point where it would rival the libraries of the finest universities back on Zorn. Near the doorway, two over-stuffed chairs sat before a large fireplace, where bright flames caused the shadows around them to leap about. In one of the chairs sat Arthur, king and protector of the realm. Merlin walked over and sat beside him. They had spent countless hours in the past sitting in these very chairs; discussing politics, science, religion, war, and even love. The king was staring into the fire, a thoughtful expression on his face. Merlin waited patiently for him to speak. However, sitting in the soft luxurious chair, with a gentle fire crackling before him and warming his legs, he began to feel sleep stealing over him again. He stretched out his legs to the fire and, as he nodded off, his chin came to rest upon his chest. Once again he dreamt of his days with the Aniyun-wiya...

<The Dream, Part Two>

The autumn morning dawned cool and crisp. Merlin threw off the warm furs and sat up inside of his cozy wigwam. When he first arrived here, he had stayed in the long building in the center of the village throughout the summer. However, the long building was the council house and meeting place for official tribal business, so the men of the village soon built him his very own lodging. He stepped outside and adjusted his soft leather robes. His thread-bare linens had been discarded last year and some women in the village had stitched together some garments of supple deerskin for him to wear. In addition to the robe, they had made him a long winter coat of wolf skins, a pair of moccasins, and a fur hat fashioned from the head of a wolf. When he was wearing the hat and the coat, he looked so much like one of the gray wolfs that roamed the forest, that people in the village began calling him Agayvli Waya, which means old wolf.

Most of the tribe was down by the water, going through their morning ritual of greeting the day. Galegina came up from the river bank to greet him.

"Agayvli Waya! It is good morning?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Merlin glowered, "I suppose it is a good morning." These cool nights always made his bones ache and Galegina's good mood was not at all contagious this morning.

The chief smiled and clapped Merlin on the back. "Come, we eat. Walk. Talk."

Although these people were living in primal conditions, they were extremely intelligent. Merlin had picked up some of their words, but their language was difficult for his tongue and, much to his dismay, they had no written language at all. However, many of them had been eager to learn his language and their minds were like sponges; absorbing the words and phrases with astonishing speed.

Galegina had, perhaps, one of the sharpest minds Merlin had ever encountered. As their friendship blossomed, it became a ritual for them to breakfast together and then take a stroll through the woods.

"Not long until cold days," the chief commented. "Already, cool nights."

"Yes, not long, indeed," Merlin replied. "We must be leaving soon, before it does get cold. I will not stay another winter here."

"Why is Agayvli Waya eager to go?"

The dry leaves crunched under their feet as they strolled beneath the hardwoods and the musty smells of the fall season filled the forest. Why was he eager to leave? He loved it here. He loved the people here too; they were kind and caring, very much unlike any other humans he had dealt with in his long years on Camelot and Zorn. But something was calling him and, whatever it was; it was growing stronger every day.

"The Aniyun-wiya think I am Nunne'hi. What does Galegina think?"

Galegina paused to reflect upon the question. He had spent much time with Merlin, teaching him the ways of the Aniyun-wiya; how to live off the land and survive in extreme conditions. He had seen him sweat in the mid-day heat of summer and shiver on dark winter nights. He had seen him toil, tire, and sleep. He had seen him bleed. He was not Nunne'hi. He was just an old man.

"Agayvli Waya is not Nunne'hi. Agayvli Waya is like Aniyun-wiya, but different color."

"Ha! Galegina is wise. I am just a man. Just a feeble old man."

"Agayvli Waya not feeble. Agayvli Waya sly, like fox. Still not answer question. Why leave? Seek people of own color?"

"Yes. I mean no!" Merlin scratched absently at the gray whiskers on his chin. "Well, actually, yes and no. I am seeking my own people, but not because of our color. I love the Aniyun-wiya. I would live out the rest of my days here with them, but something calls me. It is something that speaks to my heart, something urgent and very important. Every day, I feel the time is growing shorter and the urge to leave gets stronger."

"Agayvli Waya answer yes and no. I change my answer; Agayvli Waya is like us and not like us."

Merlin raised his bushy eyebrows, waiting for Galegina to elaborate.

"The thing you call a sword is... what is the word you used?"

"Magic?"

"Yes! Big magic. There is no magic in the Aniyun-wiya. Is there more magic in your people?"

"A long, long time ago, there was, but my people were separated from me. The magic in the sword comes from another people; people who are older than these mountains."

"From the elves?"

"No, these people are even older than the elves."

Galegina tried to fathom how someone could be older than people who lived forever. He was fascinated with Merlin's tales of wizards, elves, dwarves, and dragons. He loved the stories about magic too but, most of the time, he thought that Merlin was making them up just to amuse him. However, there was the sword.

When Merlin first arrived at the village, the tribesmen were just as interested in his sword as they were in him. All of their tools, implements, and weapons were crafted from wood and stone. They had never seen steel before and all of the young men wanted to try it out. The problem was that Merlin was the only one who could lift it. Once he laid the sword down, or propped it against a tree, it was absolutely immovable; no one could budge it. The sword, a gift from Marcus, was an ancient blade, even by elfin standards. It was a blade whose lineage dated back to the founding of Faerie. In elfin lore, the blade was forged by the First Elves and presented to Jupiter; the mightiest of the twelve immortals. In the final prophecy of Venus, oracle of Gazafar and another one of the twelve immortals, the sword had an even greater destiny.

"You have been good friend to Aniyun-wiya. We will honor your request. Let us return home and make ready. Tonight, we have great feast. When sun rises, we leave for... what is word for big water?"

"Ocean," Merlin answered, with hope in his eyes.

"Yes, ocean. Galegina has long wished to see this ocean."

"You are coming with me?"

"Yes. Someone needs to look after Agayvli Waya."

Merlin tried to scowl at his friend, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not seem to transition into a foul mood. They were finally leaving and he suddenly felt as light as a feather. He spun around and headed back to the village.

"Well, don't just stand there, smiling like a buffoon," Merlin called over his shoulder. "Let's get back and start packing. We have a lot to do before morning!"

Galegina laughed at the sudden spryness in the old man's step and hurried after him. When they arrived at his house, he called for his son, Amadahy.

"Go. Find Onacona. Bring him and elders to council house. Tell them Agayvli Waya is leaving the Aniyun-wiya. Tell them Galegina is going with him."

The news rapidly spread through the small village. Within an hour, the council house was packed with men of the village, while all of the women and children milled around outside. Agayvli Waya had become part of the tribe and was loved and respected by all. Everyone knew that he wanted to leave, that he had some task he needed to complete, but no one really thought that he would actually follow through with it. Even more shocking, was the news that their war time chief and his son were accompanying Agayvli Waya on his journey. Galegina informed the tribal elders that they were walking to the Tugaloo village first, to find a bride for Amadahy; Aniyun-wiya culture strictly forbade marriage within the same tribe. Amadahy would then return to Keowee with his new bride and would sit in as the war time chief until Galegina returned from his trip to the ocean. The council, though sad to see them depart, was overjoyed for Amadahy and began immediate preparations for a great feast.

The celebration lasted far into the night, yet, the next morning, everyone was up well before dawn. A group of twelve strong braves were selected to accompany the party to Tugaloo. The air was still and cold and there was a light frost on the grasses in the fields. When the sun rose, the party set out from the village in high spirits. Many from the village followed them all the way to the main trail that led to Tugaloo, but once there; they said their farewells and returned to their warm fires.

It took three days to reach their destination. The trip was uneventful and even somewhat pleasant. The forest was still ablaze with autumn colors; the fiery reds and oranges of sweetgums and maples interspersed with the dazzling yellows of beech, hobblebush, and pin cherry. During the day they ate dried jerky while they traveled, but in the evening they feasted on roasted venison. On this short trip from Keowee to Tugaloo, Galegina spent all of his time with Amadahy. It was a long journey to the ocean and he knew that it very well may be spring before he saw his son again.

They came upon the village late in the evening, just before sunset. All of the structures, including the main council building, were ablaze. The bark covered roofs and the wall logs, chinked with mud and moss, sent great billowing clouds of grey smoke into the evening sky. The villagers were running about frantically, beating at the fires with blankets and robes. Though the sun was setting, the day was not completely gone and the light from the fires illuminated the surrounding area enough for them to make out the bodies scattered across the ground. Most of the slain were Aniyun-wiya, but a few appeared to be from another tribe.

After the fires were extinguished, the bodies of the Aniyun-wiya were carried away to be prepared for burial and the bodies of the enemy were stacked in a nearby field to be burned. These warriors from another tribe were fearsome, even in death. They were dressed in long trousers and moccasins, their upper bodies bare and painted with bright colors. Their faces were tattooed with tribal symbols and their long hair was dyed red and tied in a topknot on top of their heads.

"Who are they?" Merlin asked Galegina.

"They are Yeh is-WAH h'reh; the people of the river."

One of the men from the Tugaloo tribe came running up to Galegina. They hastily conversed in their native tongue, the young brave waving his arms wildly and pointing as he spoke. Finally, Galegina turned to Merlin. His face was ashen and his voice conveyed fear, anger, and urgency as he spoke.

"I cannot go to ocean with Agayvli Waya. Yeh is-WAH h'reh leave here, go to Keowee. I am war chief. My people need me now."

"I understand," Merlin replied. "I'll go back with you."

"No, Agayvli Waya must go to ocean. I feel it too, old friend; something strong. Big magic, maybe. Amadahy will go with you. Plenty time to marry when he returns."

Amadahy started to protest, but Galegina cut him off with a sharp glance.

"We go after Yeh is-WAH h-reh tonight with many braves. Be safe, my son, and return home to Keowee. Watch over Agayvli Waya and when you come home, tell me all about ocean."

Galegina embraced his son and then ran to join the large party of braves that were waiting for him. In the flickering firelight, the years appeared to magically fall from his shoulders as he straightened to his full height and raised his spear high above his head. Gone was the smiling, peaceful, slow moving man that Merlin had come to love and in his place stood the fearsome war chief from the Keowee tribe of the Aniyun-wiya. Galegina let out a tremendous war cry and fled into the night with his braves in search of Yeh is-WAH h'reh. It was the last time Merlin ever saw his friend...

"It has left me," Arthur said at last.

The king's deep strong voice startled Merlin from his dream. He sat up and slid his chair back from the fire because his legs had become quite toasty while he slept.

"What has left you, sire?"

"Excalibur," the king replied, nodding toward the sword propped against the mantle.

Merlin glanced over at the shiny sword flickering in the firelight. It was an elfin blade fashioned from the rare and precious moonsilver found only on Faerie. It was forged by the finest elfin smiths and presented as a gift to Jupiter, one of the twelve immortals that founded the twelve great cities of Faerie. The Creator was so pleased with the generosity of the elves and so delighted with their gift that He bestowed a blessing upon Jupiter, who was already the mightiest among his brethren. He proclaimed that with the sword in his possession, Jupiter would be invincible; no man from any world, any race, or any tribe would ever be able to stand against him. However, he also warned Jupiter that should pride take root in his heart, then one day someone meek and lowly would bring about his downfall.

"Hmmm...," said Merlin, scratching absently at his dirty grey beard. "The sword is right there, sire. How is it that it has left you?"

"I cannot pick it up. I cannot move it."

Merlin gasped. "Are you certain?"

"I am positive. I have tried all morning to move it."

Merlin thought back to the day the sword first came to him. All of the immortals have special talents from the Creator. Jupiter's talent was strength and endurance, while Venus's talent was foresight and discernment. Jupiter had always held contempt for the elves, seeing them as a lower race that was unworthy of the Creator's love. He could never understand how his perfect Creator could fashion such imperfect beings and he thought often, in his heart, to destroy the elfin race so that the Creator could start a new and more perfect creation; a race that was worthy of His love. Thankfully, Venus, who loved the elves, saw the darkness growing in Jupiter's heart and stole the sword and hid it away from him. Jupiter, ashamed of losing the sword and not wanting the Creator to know of it, went away quietly with the other immortals when they departed Faerie to return to their homes. Venus, however, was stricken blind by the Creator and commanded to remain on Faerie until his business there was finished. When his brothers had departed, Venus gave the sword to an elf named Marcus and told him that he should be the sword's keeper. Along with the sword, Venus also gave Marcus the gift of foresight so that he might protect the sword and wisely guide it to its final destiny. Centuries later, Marcus relinquished the blade to Merlin.

The wizard slowly rose from his chair and walked over to the blade. With a trembling hand, he reached down and gasped the hilt of the sword. He took a deep breath and lifted the sword from its resting place; it was light as a feather. Arthur looked at him with a stunned expression.

"What does this mean?"

"Oh my," Merlin replied, looking sadly at Arthur. "Oh my, oh my, oh my."

There were two ways the sword could change possession. The first, and most obvious way, was for someone to give the sword away. However, it had to be given freely, without constraint, without doubt, and without regret. The other way for the sword to obtain a new keeper was for the sword to abandon its current keeper and choose a new one for itself. Only the keeper of the sword could wield it; to all others it was completely immovable.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, with growing concern in his voice. "What ill omen is this?"

"I'm afraid it's time. Yes, I'm quite certain, it is most definitely time."

"It is time for what? Speak, Merlin!"

"Time to be going, of course. What time did you think it was?"

"Good heavens!" Arthur exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

"To the Cradle," Merlin called over his shoulder as he hurried out the door. "We must prepare to leave at once so that we may be there before midnight!"

Arthur and six of his trusted knights accompanied Merlin to the stone structure he called the Cradle. They rode all day and into the night, stopping only once to eat a quick bite and water their horses. With the steady clip-clop of the horses hooves and the gentle rocking of the saddle, Merlin once again slipped into the dream that had already visited him twice before on this very day...

<The Dream, Part Three>

Even though they travelled by river for most of the journey, the trip to the ocean took them well over a month. The morning after the attack on the Tugaloo village, the Tugaloo war chief sent a war party of braves down the river to accompany Merlin and Amadahy. The Aniyun-wiya were a peaceful and generous people, but cross one of them or harm one of their loved ones, and they would walk a hundred miles to exact revenge.

They passed by Yeh is-WAH h'reh's village under the cover of darkness and the Aniyun-wiya braves beached their canoes just south of the village. Merlin and Amadahy continued their journey downriver and, within a few minutes, they could hear the sounds of battle traveling across the rippling waters that carried them onward to the sea.

Along their way, there were many places where they had to portage their canoe and cargo; places where the rapids were too dangerous to navigate, places where fallen trees blocked their path, and even a few places where the river was wide and too shallow for their canoe to pass. The further south they travelled, the warmer it became and, as they exited the piedmont area, the rolling foothills gave way to flat land and the scenery changed from red clay and pines to sandy soil and palmettos. Finally, the river emptied into an immense swamp, where large cypress trees, their branches draped with ethereal slips of Spanish moss, sank their roots deep into earth beneath the brackish still waters. The trees reminded Merlin of the Twilight Faerie Oaks back on Camelot. He almost expected the trees to lift their roots from the waters and reveal to them the path they were supposed to follow.

The swamp appeared to have no end, but eventually they found a channel where the water was deeper and they began to follow that. As the trees began to thin, they found themselves being pulled along in a small current. Even though it was mid-autumn, the day had become unbearably hot and they were obliged to lay aside their oars and let the stream carry them wherever it was going. By late afternoon they were in the midst of a vast marsh and the current was now moving them along at a brisk pace. The noisy cry of gulls alerted them to a sandy slip of beach protruding from some sea oats and reed grasses to their left. Hastily, before the current could carry them past it, they snatched their oars and paddled hard for the dry land.

After a several hours in the small dugout canoe, it felt good to stand on firm ground and stretch their legs. They were not at the ocean yet, but they were close. They could smell the sea and hear the waves crashing on a distant beach. Amadahy looked frightened.

"Is that big water we hear?" he asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, that is the ocean," Merlin answered. "Come! Let's drag the boat up to higher ground and we'll strike out on foot from here."

They secured the boat, stuffed their packs with the remaining supplies, and then followed the sound of the surf. Although they were out of the swamp, they had to make their way through a twisted maze of reed covered dunes and several thick stands of prickly bear grass to reach their destination; a wide crescent shaped ribbon of white sand that disappeared in the distant haze. They were here. The big water. The ocean.

Amadahy dropped his pack and stared out at the endless expanse. As the waves rose up from the sea, the water changed from slate to turquoise and then to a frothing white as it curled over and crashed upon the shoreline. Here, in the open, a strong wind blew constantly. At first, after long hours in the hot marsh and swamp where no winds stirred, they found it refreshing. Now, however, it chilled them and they were forced to don their cloaks while they sat upon the warm sands to rest.

"Where does water go?" Amadahy asked.

"What do you mean?" Merlin replied.

"Out there," Amadahy pointed. "Does it go on forever?"

"Oh, no, not forever. There is land on the other side."

"I see no land."

"Well it's there; it's just too far away for you to see it."

"How do you know this?"

Back on Zorn, the wizards were extremely advanced in the study of astronomy and they knew that their world was a round globe, hanging in the nothingness of space. This world would be no different, but how could he possibly explain that concept to Amadahy so that he would understand? He would surely think him crazy.

"This ocean is like a big lake," Merlin explained. "It is so big you cannot see the land on the other side."

"But it is flat. I should be able to see land, unless land on other side is flat too!"

Merlin absently scratched at his beard while he thought for a moment. "Have you ever been on top of the bald rocks high up in the mountains?"

"Yes, many times."

"Could you see the ocean from the top of the bald rocks?"

Amadahy shook his head. "I could not. I see now what you are saying. How many days would it take to cross ocean?"

"I don't know, "Merlin answered. "I don't know how big this ocean is. But I do know it would take many moons."

"Look!" Amadahy cried, pointing out to sea. "A boat!"

Merlin squinted and shaded his eyes against the bright sun. It was indeed a boat and it was heading straight toward them. Suddenly, that same feeling he had the night Garrick beat upon the door of his little stone cottage, back on Camelot, began to stir in his bones again. This encounter was part of his destiny, whatever that may be. He could feel it now as surely as he felt it that fateful night when Zoltan destroyed much of the Twilight with his scorching flames. His pulse quickened. He had an even stronger premonition that things would not bode well for Amadahy if he were here when the strange looking boat arrived.

"Amadahy, you must go now," Merlin cried. "The people on that boat are warriors and they will kill you if stay here."

"Then we both must go."

"No, they would catch us."

"Then I stay and fight!"

"No, you fool. If you stay you will die. I know this. It's magic. Big magic."

Amadahy stared at the approaching boat and then at Merlin. The Aniyun-wiya were not afraid to die; there was great honor in a noble death. His father had tasked him with taking care of Agayvli Waya too, but he would have done that anyway because the old man was well loved by everyone in the tribe. "You will be okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'll be fine, I promise!"

"How you know this for certain?"

"I've already told you, Amadahy, it's magic; very big magic."

Amadahy looked out at the boat again. Merlin could tell that he was wavering, still undecided on what he should do. He tried a different tactic. "Amadahy, wherever these people are from, that is where I must go. You have delivered me to the ocean safely. You have done what you were supposed to do. Go home now and tell Galegina about the big water. Go home and chose your bride. The Aniyun-wiya need you. I will be fine."

"Will we see Agayvli Waya again?"

"No. I don't think we shall meet again, but who knows what tomorrow may bring? Go now! Hurry!"

Amadahy embraced Merlin and squeezed him tightly. "Farewell Agayvli Waya."

The wizard watched Galegina's son disappear into the grass covered dunes that separated the beach from the marsh and then turned his attention back to the oncoming boat. The vessel was long, narrow, and double-ended; having a symmetrical bow and stern. A single mast with a square sail stood in the center of the boat and, down the lengths of both sides, sat men at oars rowing furiously against an unseen rip tide. Merlin counted the number of oars as the ship neared the beach; thirteen on each side, so there were at least twenty-six men on board. Finally, a wave caught the ship and carried it gracefully up onto the sandy shore. The oarsmen stowed away their oars and leapt into the surf. Grabbing the longboat by the sides, they carried it up to higher ground where the waters could not pull it back into the sea.

Once the boat was secure, the men drew weapons from their belts and gathered around Merlin in a circle. These men were like him in color, sporting long hair and beards too, except they were young men and powerfully built. They were dressed in woolen trousers with long tunics cinched at their waists. Their weapons were mainly great axes and broad swords; very similar to the weapons used by men back on Camelot.

One of the men stepped forward and plunged his broad sword into the sand in front of Merlin. This man appeared to be the leader of this band of seafaring warriors. He was taller than the others, with piercing blue eyes that were much like the eyes of the elves of Faerie. His long blonde hair and beard were woven into thick braids and pinned with intricately carved bones. After planting his sword, he crossed his arms and waited to see what Merlin would do. The other men that were gathered around them were smiling and talking in hushed whispers. They were having sport with him!

Of all the things, Merlin thought to himself, to find me, an old man alone in the wilderness, and rather than offer me aid and succor these buffoons try to terrify and bully me? As his anger boiled over, Merlin removed his wolf skin cloak and laid it aside. He walked forward and grasped the hilt of big man's sword. With a vicious jerk, he pulled it from the sand and flung it to the ground. This act of defiance produced an uproar of laughter from the onlookers. Then, as fast as a snake, Merlin reached over his shoulder and drew his elfin blade from the scabbard hanging across his back. The sword flashed brilliantly in the sunshine as the wizard twirled it over his head and plunged it into the sand in front of his antagonist. The men hushed, their mouths agape, as the old man stepped back, crossed his arms, and glared up at their leader.

The big man stared hard at Merlin for several long seconds and then threw his head back and laughed a long hearty laugh. The tension was broken and all of the other men joined in. Merlin, however, did not see anything funny about the whole situation. He stood there, ramrod straight, with his arms crossed and his chin thrust defiantly in the air. When the laughter died, the big man reached down and grabbed the hilt of the elfin blade with his big meaty fist, but to his shock and amazement the blade would not budge. He grabbed the blade with both hands and pulled, but still could not pull it from the sand. He straddled the sword and, with a loud cry, pulled until the veins popped out on his forearms. He pulled on the sword until his face was red and his eyes bulged, but still the sword was stuck fast in the ground where the old man planted it.

The big man wiped the sweat from his brow and stepped back away from the sword. He bent over and retrieved his own sword from the sand and sheathed it in the wood and leather scabbard hanging from his belt. He stared at Merlin with wonder and a little bit of fear too. "Finngerd," he whispered.

Merlin saw the fear and uncertainty in the big man's eyes and it gave him great satisfaction to see him squirm in front of his own men. He stepped forward and placed his hand upon the hilt of the elfin blade. In a flash blade was out of the sand, its point at the base of the big man's throat. No one moved. No one spoke. No one breathed. Merlin locked eyes with the big man for just a second and then sheathed the sword before turning around to retrieve his wolf skin cloak.

"Finngerd!" one of the men cried.

Merlin slipped into his cloak and pulled the furry cap down over his brow. He picked up his sack and walked toward the boat. Now, with the wolf head grinning wickedly from the top of his head, he did not look so much like a helpless old man. The seamen lowered their weapons as he approached and parted to let him pass. They all watched in amazement as he climbed into their ship, sat down upon one of the benches, and then motioned for them to join him.

The men, not sure what to make of this, looked to their leader, who was staring at Merlin with a thoughtful expression.

"Thorfinn?" one of the men whispered, calling him by name.

Thorfinn stood there, fingering the hilt of his sword, trying to sort this out. They had been exploring the coasts of this strange new land for many months now. They were all tired and anxious to return home before winter clogged the northern seas with ice. However, this was the first person they had seen in their journeys and they were hoping to find an easy town for plunder. Was this old man a powerful magician? Or was he some old Norse god, forgotten and lost, but still mighty and powerful? Either way, Thorfinn finally decided, whoever he was, the old man would make a better friend and ally than foe. He held his arms out to his side and shrugged his massive shoulders. Everyone put their weapons away and followed Thorfinn over to their boat, where the old man sat behind the dragon-headed prow as if he owned the ship.

The men split up, half on one side and half on the other, with Thorfinn at the stern. They picked the boat up and, keeping a wary eye on the old man, ran down the beach into the sea. Once the boat was adrift, they climbed aboard and put the oars over the sides to row against the incoming waves. When they were past the breakers, they pulled the oars in and ran the square sail up the mast. Thorfinn left his seat at the stern and joined Merlin at the Prow.

"Hversu ferr?"

"I have no idea what you are saying," Merlin replied.

The big man pointed his finger at himself and said, "Thorfinn." He then pointed at Merlin.

The wizard moaned and shook his head. "Egads, here we go again." He pointed at himself and shouted, "I AM..."

"MERLIN! Wake up, we are here!"

The old wizard jumped and almost fell from his saddle. He realized, with a start, that he had been dreaming a continuation of the same dream he had earlier; one he had dreamed of three times during the same day. It was an omen for sure, but an ill omen or a good omen, he did not yet know. He slid off his horse and looked around. The moon was shining brightly and the knights were busy taking care of the horses and setting up camp. He stretched and rubbed his backside. He would be sore for days from the long hours in the saddle, but he was here and the time of returning was upon them.

"What now?" asked Arthur.

"Follow me inside," Merlin answered. "We have a short time before I leave."

"Leave? But where are you going? We are in the middle of nowhere!"

Instead of answering, Merlin hitched up his robes and disappeared among the stones. Arthur instructed his knights to keep watch outside and then hurried after the wizard into the stone formation.

The Cradle was a circular structure built entirely from stones; huge stones. The outermost circle, about a hundred feet in diameter, was composed of thirty large sandstone obelisks. Each of these stones was around seven feet wide, 4 feet thick, and stood about fourteen feet high. Across the tops of these standing stones were lintel stones, each of which were over ten feet in length and approximately three and a half feet wide and almost three feet thick. They were attached to the standing stones with a method very similar to a woodworking joint called a mortise and tenon. Sixty more rocks with a bluish tint stood just inside the outermost circle. These were around seven feet tall, three to four feet wide, and about two and a half feet thick. The circle of blue rocks was seventy five feet in diameter and had no lintel stones upon them. Within the blue stones, arranged in the shape of a horseshoe and forty five feet in diameter, were five sandstone Trilithons. The Trilithons stood over twenty feet tall and each one contained two upright stones with a lintel stone connecting them across the top. The final and innermost circle, comprised of nineteen blue stones around six to eight feet in height, was also horseshoe shaped. The blue stones in this innermost circle did not have lintel stones on top, but within their midst was a huge grey stone, about sixteen feet long, lying across the ground. This was the birthing stone and this was a Dragon's cradle. There was one just like it on Crag.

Arthur found Merlin standing in the center of the structure.

"What is going on? What is this talk of leaving? And what has happened to my sword?"

Merlin turned and sat down on the birthing stone. "Come," he motioned for Arthur to join him, "we haven't much time."

Arthur sat by the wizard, a worried and puzzled expression on his face.

"Do you remember the day you found the sword?"

Arthur nodded. "It was during the invasion. The sword was standing up, lodged between two stones."

"Yes, I placed it there when I was escaping from the men of the north. Carrying it was slowing me down and I had great need for speed that night."

"If you had not rallied the town's people, none would have survived. So, Excalibur is yours?"

"No, the sword belongs to someone else. I was just a steward of the sword, as you have been."

"I don't understand?"

"The day of the invasion, I left the sword behind without fear of losing it, because only the sword's keeper may wield it. When you returned from battle with the sword, I realized that Excalibur had chosen you as its new keeper. And, now that your kingdom has been established, the sword has come back to me, because it has an even greater task ahead of it."

"What task is that?"

"I don't know!" Merlin laughed. "I haven't a clue! But I do know that it is time for me and the sword to go back."

"Back to where?"

"Home," Merlin replied. "My dear friend, I'm going home. Help me up onto the birthing stone."

Arthur leapt on top of the stone and pulled the old wizard up behind him.

"I hate goodbyes," Merlin grumbled, "so I will say this quickly. You have been a dear friend and I shall miss you."

"And I shall miss you too," Arthur smiled, "but exactly how are you getting home? You speak as if you are leaving this very instant."

"I am," Merlin answered sadly. "Step down now and watch."

Arthur hopped down from the stone and stepped back to see what his old friend would do next. Merlin was very eccentric and was always doing the strangest things. The king had no idea what he was up to now, but he watched with keen interest as Merlin began to chant. At first, nothing happened, but soon a faint glow appeared between the two outermost rings of rocks. As the wizard continued to chant, the glowing air began to sparkle and swirl in a clockwise direction. The chanting became faster and the shorter blue stones began to hum and vibrate. The spinning light between the outer rings illuminated the five tall trilithons of the inner rings. The dark shadows cast by these giant stones converged on top of the birthing stone where Merlin stood and, as the light grew brighter, the shadows grew darker. Finally, Merlin struck the birthing stone with his staff. At once, the spinning lights halted and the shadows on the stone leapt into the air, forming a gaping black hole in front of the wizard. The hole was about six feet in diameter and flat as a blade of grass if viewed from the side. Merlin glanced down at Arthur, who was standing there with his mouth agape.

"Farewell, my king. Live long and rule wisely." Merlin then stepped into the black hole and vanished.

*****

CHAPTER 1

SPRINGTIME

"Check," said Nob, sliding his queen over and lining it up with Gob's king.

Gob quickly moved his king behind one of his pawns.

Nob had him on the run now. He slid his queen all the way over to the edge of the board, so that she was on a diagonal with Gob's king. "Check!"

Gob reached across the board and deftly snatched Nob's queen with his knight.

"No fair!" Nob wailed, yanking on his beard. "I didn't see that knight sitting there!"

"Then you should have been paying more attention," Gob retorted. "I lured you right into that one."

The last time Ben was here, he had introduced the game of chess to Marcus, who in turn introduced it to Amos, who then introduced it to Hob, Gob, and Nob. The game was a huge success with everyone in Camelot and word of it spread rapidly across the land. While most everyone enjoyed the game, the dwarves were absolutely crazy over it. Hob, Gob, and Nob fashioned their very own set. The chessmen were lovingly crafted from stone, with one set of the pieces carved to resemble dwarves and the opposing set carved to resemble elves. Everyone who saw the set wanted one of their own and, before long; the three enterprising dwarves had a thriving business making and selling chess games. They had made so many games over the course of the winter that people began calling the game "Dwarves and Elves" rather than chess.

Hob poked his head through the trap door that led into the loft. "Food's ready. Me an Amos are eating now and, if you two lummoxes don't hurry, I can't promise you there will be any left."

Nob jumped up, knocking over the set and scattering the pieces. Gob grabbed him by the back of his tunic and tried to scramble over him to be the first one down the ladder. Hob barely got out the way before they both came tumbling down.

Since the three dwarves had completed the barn for Amos's horse, Old Dan, they spent much of their time visiting with Amos. The shape shifter's cabin was very small, so the dwarves had constructed a very comfortable living quarters in the loft of the barn, where they would have a place to sleep whenever they visited. The barn was located directly in front of the cabin with a small yard and a well between them. Amos had brought the table and benches outside and was drawing a cold bucket of water from the well when the dwarves raced out of the barn to get a seat at the table.

There is an old saying in Camelot; the sun and moon will always rise and a dwarf will always be hungry. Amos's three friends never ceased to amaze him with their insatiable appetite. They sat on the bench across the table from him, their feet dangling above the ground, watching him ladle out the thick brown stew into their bowls. Although the friendly giant was three times bigger than the dwarves, anyone one of them could eat three times more food than he at a single sitting.

"Louise stopped by early this morning, while you guys were sleeping," said Amos.

"Why didn't you wake us?" asked Gob.

Nob swallowed a big mouthful of stew and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Were Ben and Casey with her?"

"Yeah," said Hob, "we haven't seen them since Christmas. You should have woken us!"

"She didn't want me to wake you because she is coming back tomorrow and Ben and Casey will be coming with her."

"Oh, I can't wait to show Ben our chess set!" said Hob. We've got one back at our cabin that we made just for him. Do you think they will have time to come visit with us at our cabin?"

"I don't know," Amos replied. "That's a long walk over a lot of rugged terrain."

"Use your wagon!" Nob suggested. "It'll take longer to get there, but it will be a nice ride and the weather is perfect!"

The weather was indeed perfect. After a long and bitterly cold winter, spring was finally emerging. The trail that wound its way through the pines, down to the fairy glen, was lined on both sides with a thick covering of fringed phacelia. Thousands of feathery white blossoms dusted the fresh green carpet and, along the way, clumps of trillium and wild geraniums accented the fluffy white blooms with vibrant tufts of yellows and purples.

"I suppose we could. A nice ride would be good for Old Dan too."

"What time will they be here?"

"Louise wasn't sure. Ben's whole family is coming to visit, so Louise will have to find a time when she can slip out with the kids, unnoticed."

"Well," Hob commented, reaching for the pot of stew, "she is very sly and very resourceful. I'm sure she will not have any trouble."

"Is there enough for everyone to have seconds?" asked Gob, who was also reaching for the pot. Amos managed to snatch it up before the two dwarves could begin fighting over it.

"There is enough for seconds and thirds. Then, we will clean up and get ready for tomorrow. We need to grease the axels on the wagon and oil the tack. Dan needs a good brushing and he needs to have his feet trimmed too. If you guys will take care of the wagon and the tack, I'll take care of Dan."

"What about those seconds?" Nob asked.

"And thirds?" Gob added.

Amos laughed and filled their bowls again. Now, he was looking forward to tomorrow. It would be very pleasant to take a leisurely ride through the meadows to the dwarves' cabin. If they left early in the morning, they could ride around the hills that extended out into the prairie and camp somewhere on the other side of the pine forest in which he lived. The following day would be a shorter ride to the cabin and they could even go from there to the Twilight to visit their elfin friends. Hob, Gob, and Nob could take their magical boat downriver and, if he has Merlin's staff with him, Ben could open a portal to the Twilight for everyone else. If Ben didn't bring the staff, then Louise could ride in the boat with the three dwarves and he and the two kids could cut across the country side to meet them there. Marcus would loan them one of the swan boats for the journey back.

When everyone finished eating, the three dwarves set about greasing the wagon and oiling the tack, while Amos led Dan out into the yard to give him a thorough brushing. Dan was shedding his winter coat and as Amos brushed him, thick clumps of long brown hair fell to the ground around his hooves. In the barn, the dwarves were singing a song as they worked. Amos listened for a moment and then tip toed over to the barn door to spy on his friends. He had to hold his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. The song went something like this...

Tighten the spoke

And oil the yoke

Mend all the wheels if they are broke

We work all day and never play

Cause Amos always gets his way

Cook all the geese

Give us a piece

That's how we get the axle grease

We toil and sweat and pay our debt

And Amos hasn't thanked us yet

Unable to take it any longer and feeling very mischievous, he leapt into the barn and hollered "BOO!" When he hollered, Gob threw his arms up into the air and screamed. The loud noise and sudden commotion caused Nob to jump. When Nob jumped, he bumped into the wagon and knocked over the container of oil that he had placed on the edge of the wagon bed. The oil splashed all over Hob, who was applying grease to one of the axles. Startled, Hob rose up rather quickly and banged his head on the bottom of the wagon. Now dazed, the poor dwarf stumbled around and managed to step into the bucket of grease that he had been using. This caused him to lose his balance and fall over backwards. When he hit the ground, his feet flew up in the air and the bucket came off of his foot. Amos gasped as the bucket soared high into the air, flipping end over end, and then came straight down on top of Hob's head.

Shocked, everyone watched as Hob slowly lifted the bucket off his head. His poor beautiful beard was dripping in oil and his hair, now coated with thick gooey grease, was sticking up in all directions. Gob tried very hard not to laugh, but Nob snorted and that caused them both to burst into uncontrollable howls of laughter.

Seeing that Hob was okay, except for maybe his pride, Amos kicked up his heels and added another verse to the song the three dwarfs had been singing. He danced a jig around Hob as he sang in his deep booming voice...

Eat all the stew

And biscuits too

Leave the dishes for me to do

You eat your weight from off your plate

Your appetite will never sate

"Confound all of you!" Hob screeched. "Do you know how many baths I will have to take to get this oil and grease out of my hair?"

For some reason, this only made Nob and Gob laugh even harder. Amos, however, wiped the tears from his eyes and took his friend by the shoulder. "Come now, Hob. That was a horrible trick I played upon you and I am truly sorry. Nob, go into the loft and fetch some clean clothes. Let's all take a walk down to the fairy glen. Hob can clean off in the fountain. I have some good lye soap and a stout brush that should take that oil right out."

"You owe me big, Amos," Hob muttered. "I wasn't due for another bath for two more weeks!"

"Well, since we are having guests tomorrow, why don't we all clean up? As a matter of fact, you three head on down to the fountain and I'll finish up with Dan. When you get back, I'll go down and clean up a little myself."

The dwarves grumbled and complained about having to take an early bath, even though they all agreed that it was a good idea. As they trudged off toward the fairy glen, Amos retrieved the hoof pick, knife, nippers, and rasp from the tack box and set to work on Dan's feet. By the time the dwarves returned, Dan's fur was sleek and his hooves were shiny and neatly trimmed. Amos put him up in the barn with fresh hay and water, and then cleaned up the fur and clippings in his yard.

"Did you wash behind your ears?" Amos teased.

Hob glared up at him as he marched into the barn and scurried up the ladder into the loft.

"He needs a nap," said Gob. "He's as ornery as cave troll."

"I think I'll join him," Nob remarked. "I could use forty winks or so myself."

"Why don't both of you go up and take a nap. As a matter of fact, when I get back, I might take one myself."

Down at the glen, hundreds of fairies were flitting about like humming birds. During the winter months, like all of the flowers that bloomed in the field, the fairies disappeared. Amos was not sure where they went. Actually, he wasn't even sure they went anywhere at all; maybe they slept through the cold and dreary months as many of the flowers did. Now that spring was upon them, they were busy collecting soft green leaves and brightly colored flowers. They used these materials to make the nests that they slept in, high in the willow tree at the edge of the field. Through some magic, as long as the fairies occupied their homes, the tiny nests stayed soft and green, the flower petals fresh and vibrant, all the way up to the first frost. However, as the seasons changed and the cool pastel colors of spring were replaced with the warm bright colors of summer, they would often alter the composition of their tiny homes to match the colors of the field.

Amos stretched and the air around him shimmered. He transformed into a bear and then ambled over to stand in the fountain's spray as it splashed off the red granite. The water was freezing. He wondered if his three friends had really bathed or did they just pretend that they had. He was having second thoughts himself, but his fur was becoming saturated, so he eased into the stone basin and began to roll around in the ice cold water. Once he was satisfied that he was clean, he climbed out and shook himself dry from the tip of his snout to the end of his stubby bear tail. The sun was warming him already and now he understood why the dwarves were so ready for a nap. Instead of changing back, he found a clean grassy spot where he could stretch out and take a short snooze. After all, he wasn't completely dry just yet and a half hour lying in the late afternoon sun should do the trick.

It was almost dark when Amos finally did wake. The fairies were all asleep in the willow tree, their little nests glowing faintly among the branches. He had overslept and the fact that Hob, Gob, and Nob had not come down to the fairy glen to check on him could only mean one of two things; either they were still asleep or they were busy eating all of his food while he was away from the cabin. As much time as the dwarves were spending with him, he was going to have to build a proper larder; one with a good stout lock on it too. He transformed back and began the return hike to his cabin. Even though the sky was not yet dark with night, hundreds of stars shone brightly above him. With the day drawing to a close, he realized that Louise, Ben, and Casey would be here soon. Excited, he quickened his pace.

*****
CHAPTER 2

AN OVERNIGHT TRIP

The chickens scampered out of the way as Louise pulled her old Galaxy under the shade of the magnolia tree in the side yard. Charles and Carol had gone into town to eat lunch at the Siesta Grill and would not be back for at least an hour. George, who was anxious to begin his spring plowing, needed some new points for his cultivator. He left earlier for Bingham's Tractor Supply in Seneca and would not be back for several hours. They had been hoping to sneak out earlier, but this was the very first chance they had to enter the bamboo unnoticed. Ben got the cooler off the back seat and Casey grabbed the three large white paper bags off the front seat.

"Boy, they are gonna be surprised," said Ben.

"I don't know," said Louise. "You may be starting something you'll regret. You know how Hob, Gob, and Nob are."

"Yeah, but I can't wait to see their faces."

"Do you think we have enough for Amos," asked Casey.

"Dear, it's not Amos I'm worried about. Come, let's hurry up and get there before this stuff gets cold."

"Oh, wait! Let me grab the staff!" Ben exclaimed. He set the cooler down and ran into the house. A moment later, he came bounding down the steps with a gnarled and twisted stick that was longer than he was tall. The stick was the staff of Merlin, the famous wizard who had created the magical trees that acted as portals, connecting Earth and Faerie to Camelot. The staff came into Ben's possession over the Christmas holidays. Venus, one of the twelve immortals, repaired the staff after Hob had broken it and then gave it to Ben. Since a big stick with a large green jewel fastened on the end would be very difficult to conceal at home, Louise wrapped it and "gave" it to Ben as "hiking staff" for a Christmas present. No one ever suspected that the green jewel on the end of the staff was a real emerald. Marcus, the elfin ruler known to all as The Keeper, had also placed an enchantment on the staff. He bound a spell within the emerald, or spell catcher as they were called in Camelot, which would allow Ben to teleport from anywhere, straight to Castle Twilight.

Ben gave the staff to Louise and then picked up the cooler. Getting through the bamboo was already difficult. Getting through the bamboo with a cooler was almost impossible, but they finally made it. The Merlin tree hadn't changed any; it still looked old, twisted, and very much dead. Casey followed her Grandma through the opening in the tree and Ben watched in amazement as they disappeared into thin air. He was so excited that he hurried through the tree with the cooler and ran straight into Casey, who was standing in front of the opening on the other side. Casey was excited too and no cross words were exchanged between them. Louise smiled. It was going to be a nice, enjoyable visit.

Unfortunately, they once more had a difficult time getting through the bamboo with the cooler. Louise told them they were not even going to attempt to bring the cooler back; they'd just let Amos keep it. When they were finally out of the bamboo, Ben sat the cooler down and shaded his eyes from the bright noon time sunshine. The golden meadow was tinged with new green growth and birds were busy flying about, gathering grasses with which to build their nests. A cool breeze brushed the tops of the grasses and sent ripples across the prairie, causing it to look more like a vast expanse of water rather than earth. A pathway wound up the knoll in front of them and disappeared into the tall pines that crowned the hill top. Just inside those pines was where Amos lived and Hob, Gob, and Nob were there visiting too!

"Come on," said Ben. "Let's hurry and get there!"

"Race you!" Casey challenged.

"Yeah, like that would be fair. I'm carrying the cooler and you're only carrying three small paper bags."

"These bags are huge," Casey countered.

"Well, they're not heavy," Ben pointed out. "I'll race you on the way back though."

"Deal!"

Since his last visit here, Ben had taken an interest in running and was actually becoming quite good at it. Casey was still a little faster, but when she won races now, it was only by a slight margin. When they entered the pines at the top of the hill, they spied Amos and the three dwarves in the small yard in front of the cabin. Dan was harnessed and hooked to a long buckboard wagon. Amos was going over all of the fittings and the three dwarves were busy checking the wagon and loading it down with packs and barrels.

"Look at the barn!" Casey exclaimed. "It's beautiful!"

"Yes, the dwarves are fine craftsman of stone and wood too," Louise agreed. "They have the most comfortable lodging above the barn. It's even nicer than Amos's cabin."

"I can't wait to see it."

"I'm sure the dwarves can't wait to show it to you," Louise smiled.

"HELLOOOOO-OOOOO!" Ben hollered as he started down the path to the cabin.

Amos turned and waved both arms over his head. Hob, Gob, and Nob put aside whatever they were doing with the wagon and lined up beside Amos to greet their dear friends Louise and Casey, and their hero Ben. Ever since Ben had defeated the witch, there was no end to the admiration the three dwarves had for him. And although he was not directly responsible for slaying Zoltan, the evil black dragon from Crag, he had stood and faced the dragon alone and that, in the eyes of dwarves who feared nothing more than dragons, made Ben larger than life.

Ben set the cooler down and Casey set the paper bags on top of it. They both hugged Amos at the same time and then greeted Hob, Gob, and Nob. After all the hugs, bows, handshakes and "at your services" were exchanged, Hob pointed at the green Coleman ice chest with the three white paper bags on top of it.

"What's that?"

"That," said Ben, "is some of the best food and drink you will ever taste."

"Oh really," said Nob. "What is it?"

"It does smell strangely delicious," Gob noted.

"And it is mealtime too," Hob added. "Can we eat now?"

"Absolutely," said Louise. "We need to eat while it is still warm. Let's go in and sit at the table."

The dwarves hurried inside the cabin and lined up across the bench on one side, while Amos sat on the other side with Louise and Casey. Ben stood at the end of the table with the cooler and paper bags.

"Do we need plates, cups, and utensils?" asked Amos.

"Nope," Ben answered, opening the cooler first. Everything we've brought, you can eat with your hands and the drinks are already in containers. He pulled ice cold cans of Coke from the cooler and showed everyone how to open the cans with the pull tabs on top.

"It fizzles!" said Gob. "What manner of drink is this?"

"It's called a soda," said Casey. "They are delicious."

Amos and the three dwarves cautiously sipped from the cans.

"Hey!" Hob cried. "This is pretty good!"

"It tickles my nose," said Nob, "but the flavor is like nothing I've ever tasted.

"Wait to you see what he has in the bags," said Louise.

Ben opened the bags. The first bag had eleven Big Macs inside of it. He gave Amos and each of the dwarfs two Big Macs, leaving one for him, Casey, and Louise. The second bag had seven large, super-sized French fries in it; one apiece for everyone. In the bottom of the bag were dozens of ketchup packets. Ben dumped these onto the middle of the table while the dwarves watched with keen interest. The third bag had fourteen hot apple pies. The pies were two for one dollar, so they went ahead and bought two for everyone.

"My mouth is watering!" said Nob. "What is this food called?"

"All of this food comes from a place called McDonalds," said Ben. "These are hamburgers and they are called Big Macs. Unwrap them like this and use the paper for your plate.

"What are those?" asked Gob, pointing at the fries.

"This," said Ben, picking up one of the fries, "is called a French fry. They are made from potatoes. And this is a packet of ketchup. It's made from tomatoes. Open the packets like this and squirt it on your paper beside you Big Mac. Go ahead and open several packets."

Everyone watched Ben and then opened several ketchup packets and squirted them onto the paper wrapper in front of them.

"Now what?" asked Hob.

"Take a French fry, dip it in the ketchup, and eat it!" Casey laughed.

"Oh my," said Hob. "Oh my, oh my, oh my. This is good! This is really good!"

"Wait until you taste your Big Macs," said Louise, with a smile.

"And your apple pies," Casey added.

The lunch was a huge success and Amos and the dwarves all agreed it was the tastiest food they had ever eaten. The dwarves were especially fond of the sodas and made Louise promise to bring more the next time she came back. After eating, Ben and Casey went out to tour the barn. The bottom floor of the barn had a tack room, a feed room, a stall, and a wide open area to store the hay gathered in from the prairie. The second floor of the barn was where the dwarves stayed when they were visiting with Amos. You had to climb a ladder through a trap door in the floor to get there, but once inside you would never know you were in a barn. The area was one large room. On one side there were six beds lined up against the wall in a neat row. To the right of each bed sat a small nightstand with a tiny oil lamp on top and at the foot of each bed was a sturdy trunk.

"How come there are six beds?" Casey asked.

"We have one for you, one for Ben, and one for Louise," Hob replied. "You are welcome to stay here anytime, but since we spend a good deal of time here ourselves; we decided that it would be best if each of you had your own bed."

Against the back wall of the barn was a huge fireplace and in front of the fireplace were seven rocking chairs. One of the chairs was huge.

"Let me guess," said Ben, pointing at the oversized rocker. "Amos?"

"Yes," Hob nodded, "although he doesn't come up here often. We didn't make the trap door as large as we should have."

"This is a really cool place, guys, but how do you get the firewood up here? You don't bring that up the ladder, do you?"

"Ha!" said Nob. "There's a secret door on this rear wall. See if you can find it."

"I think I'll pass," said Ben. "The last time I tried to figure out one of your so called secrets it almost made me sick."

"Oh yeah! The round room," Gob laughed. "Well, there's nothing like that here; watch." The dwarf walked over and pushed on one of the small stones above the mantle. A door in the wall to the right of the fireplace popped open, revealing an elevator suspended from large beams protruding from the rear of the barn.

"Remember the elevators in the old slave mines? They are quite handy!"

"Awesome," said Ben. "Can we ride it?"

"Maybe when we get back," Hob answered. "We were hoping you would get here earlier this morning and then we could have left right after breakfast."

"Where are you guys going," asked Casey.

"We are going to our cabin," said Nob, "and you are going with us. That's why we are hitching up the wagon and loading it with some supplies. We have a surprise back at our cabin for you guys."

"Does Grandma know this?"

"She probably does by now. I'm sure Amos has told her. As a matter of fact, let's get our cloaks and bedrolls and get back down there. Dan is hitched and ready to go, I'm certain."

"We didn't bring anything for an overnight trip."

"We've got all of that taken care of," said Hob. "Look at the trunks at the end of the beds. Your names are on the lids and inside of them are all kinds of goodies."

"What kind of goodies?" Ben asked.

"Things you might need whenever you are staying here. Grab the cloak and bedroll. This is a short trip and that's all we'll need. Be sure to grab Louise's too."

An hour later, they were rolling across the meadows. Dan was in fine spirits and seemed to enjoy the opportunity to be out stretching his powerful muscles. Amos guided the big draft horse through the tall prairie grasses and conversed quietly with Louise, who sat up front with him, while Ben and Casey sat in the back of the wagon with the three Dwarves. With all of the creaking and squeaking coming from the buckboard, Amos and Louise could not hear what the children and dwarves were talking about behind them, but they soon found out.

Yankee Doodle went to town  
A-riding on a pony  
He stuck a feather in his hat  
And called it macaroni

Yankee Doodle, keep it up  
Yankee Doodle dandy  
Mind the music and the step  
and with the girls be handy!

"Oh no!" Amos cried, handing the reins to Louise and turning around to speak directly to Ben and Casey. "Please do not teach those dwarves any new songs. Do you have any idea how long I have had to listen to them singing Jingle Bells?"

Ben and Casey tried not to laugh. They tried really hard to keep a straight face, because Amos was so serious, but Hob burst out with the second verse and Gob and Nob joined in, singing even louder than before.

Father and I went down to camp  
Along with Captain Gooding  
And there we saw the men and boys  
As thick as hasty pudding.

Yankee Doodle, keep it up...

Amos took the reins from Louise. "How many verses are in that song?"

"Actually, there are quite a few verses, but I doubt the kids know them all."

"Oh well, it started out as a nice ride."

*****
CHAPTER 3

BAD NEWS

By late evening, they were already around the tip of the hills that extended out into the prairie and were driving straight toward the dwarves' cabin. Amos pulled back on the reins and drew the wagon to a stop. Although the sun had set, the western sky was still lit with bright reds and oranges and there was plenty of light to see by.

"We'll camp here tonight; it's as good of a place as any," said Amos.

"Where are we sleeping?" asked Louise. "I didn't see any cots or mattresses loaded onto this wagon."

"You and the kids will sleep under the wagon and the rest of us will sleep out in the open."

Louise arched her eyebrows and planted her hands on her hips.

"Oh no," Ben thought, "Amos is in trouble!"

"Let me take care of Dan first," Amos chuckled, "and then I'll show you. Hob, Gob, and Nob – you three guys start cutting some tall grasses and spread them beneath the wagon. Spread them nice and thick."

The big man unhooked the equally big horse from the wagon and began removing the tack. If you ever saw Amos standing beside a normal horse, you'd be struck by the sheer size of the man. Likewise, if you ever saw Old Dan standing beside a normal man, you'd be struck by the sheer size of the horse. However, when the two of them were standing together, as they were now, they looked like any other normal sized man and horse. They were a perfect match for each other.

After the tack was removed and stowed away in the wagon, Amos took a piece of burlap and rubbed Old Dan down. When the sweaty horse was dry, he brushed him until his coat was once more sleek and shiny, and then led him out into the meadow where he could graze on the tender spring growth.

Back at the wagon, the three dwarves had quickly amassed a large pile of grasses and were spreading them beneath the wagon as Amos had instructed.

"Perfect!" said Amos. "That should make a nice, soft mattress. Let's get the bed rolls and spread them out over the top of the grass."

"Why are we sleeping under the wagon?" asked Ben.

"It will keep you dry when the dew falls," answered Gob.

"Oh, cool. What about you guys?"

"We'll be fine. We are used to sleeping outdoors and a little dew won't hurt us."

Before retiring for the night, they cleared a spot by the wagon and built a small fire with some dry sticks they found in the trees at the edge of the field. Hob produced a pan from the back of the wagon and warmed some biscuits over the flames. Once the biscuits were piping hot, he cut thick slices from a wedge of cheese he had brought along and placed the cheese inside of the biscuits. It was a simple meal, but Ben had brought enough sodas so that everyone could have two and, with the cold colas, the cheese biscuits were delicious.

The next morning, everyone awoke to the smell of salted pork sizzling in the frying pan. Hob heated some more biscuits while Gob sliced some more cheese and, in very short order, everyone was enjoying a delicious breakfast.

"How did you sleep last night, Louise?" asked Amos.

"Actually, I slept rather well! I feel very refreshed this morning."

"Me too," Casey added. "I can't get over how nice it is this morning."

"Ah, yes," said Nob. "Another beautiful day for travel, but we are not that far from our cabin now, so we should be able to enjoy our noon day meal at a proper table."

Amos stood and brushed the biscuit crumbs from his furs. "You guys get everything packed up while I fetch Old Dan." The big man stretched and yawned. They were right; it was a beautiful day. The sun was up above the horizon, shining warmly in a cloud-free powder blue sky. The light grey mist that hung over the prairie was beginning to burn off and hundreds of birds were greeting the day with songs of praise. Amos walked out into the fields and whistled. In a flash he heard the thunder of Old Dan's hooves and, presently, the big horse came charging out of the mists to answer the call of his master. Nothing lifts your spirits like a fine spring day and apparently Old Dan was feeling it too. He pranced around Amos, his tail sticking up in the air, shaking his head and snorting. He was ready to go.

Within an hour they were traveling once again. Ben taught the dwarves some more verses of Yankee Doodle and even Amos sang along with them.

Brother Ephraim sold his Cow

And bought him a Commission;

And then he went to Canada

To fight for the Nation;

Yankee Doodle came to town,

For to buy a firelock,

We will tar and feather him,

And so we will John Hancock

But when Ephraim he came home

He proved an arrant Coward,

He wouldn't fight the Frenchmen there

For fear of being devour'd.

Rocking back and forth in the wagon, with their bellies full and the warm sunshine caressing their faces, the dwarves soon gave up on the song and stretched out to take a mid-morning nap. Ben and Casey moved to the rear of the wagon and sat on the edge, with their feet dangling out of the back.

"Hey, what's that?" said Ben, shading his eyes against the bright noon sunshine.

"What?" asked Casey. "I don't see anything."

"Look there!" Ben responded, pointing back toward the way they had just come. There were three black specks in the distance and they were getting larger.

"It looks like riders," said Casey. "You'd better let Amos and Grandma know."

Ben hopped up and, careful not to step on the sleeping dwarves, moved to the front of the wagon.

"Hey, Amos, I think there are some riders coming up on our rear."

The big man pulled on the reins and brought the wagon to a stop. Hob sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Are we there?" he asked.

"No," Amos answered. "There are riders coming up behind us."

"They're coming fast," Louise remarked.

Hob kicked Gob and Nob. "Get up, we got company!"

Amos got down and walked to the rear of the wagon. Ben and Casey climbed onto the seat with Louise, while the three dwarves stood side-by-side with their short swords drawn. The riders were coming extremely fast. They would be at the wagon in just a few more seconds.

"They're elfin horses," said Amos.

"What do you think they want?" asked Hob. "They are riding those horses as if a dragon were on their tails."

"I don't know," Amos answered, "but I have a bad feeling about this."

"Are you sure they are elfin horses?" asked Louise.

"I'm positive. They are black as night and no horses, in heaven or on earth, can fly as swiftly as those. Look! They are upon us now!"

As the horses thundered up to the wagon, the elves pulled back hard on the reins, causing their mounts to sit back on their haunches. The great steeds plowed up the rich black earth with their hooves as they came to a stop. The lead elf hopped off his horse and draped the reins across the horse's neck. He motioned for the other two to remain in their saddles and then turned to Amos. When the big man recognized the elf, he gasped.

"Garrick? What are you doing here?"

"It is my brother Marcus, the Keeper."

"What of him? Is he well?"

"Three days ago he was captured while visiting his ancestral home on Faerie. He is being held for ransom somewhere in the great city of Jupiter."

"Captured? By who?"

"By none other than the city's namesake."

Amos paled. "Jupiter has returned?"

"Jupiter is the name given him by the Creator. He goes by another name now. He calls himself Bellator."

"You said Marcus was being held for ransom," said Louise. "What is Bellator holding him ransom for?" She had climbed down from the wagon and was now standing beside Amos with Ben and Casey. Hob, Gob, and Nob had sheathed their swords but remained standing in the back of the wagon. This was grim news indeed for the three dwarves for they had come to love Marcus as a brother.

"The sword, Excalibur" Garrick answered, studying Louise and the two children. "Are you, by chance, the Louise that Marcus has so fondly spoken of?"

"Yes," Louise answered, "and you are?"

"I'm sorry," Amos apologized. "This is Marcus's brother, Garrick. You have never met, because Garrick lives in Faerie and rarely comes to Camelot."

"I'm very pleased to meet you," said Louise, "but please tell us more about what has befallen Marcus."

"It is a long story and you shall hear it in full when we get to the castle, but first, tell me; is this Ben Alderman?"

"Yes, this is Ben and NO; he is not any kind of chosen one!"

Garrick studied Ben for a moment longer and then turned his attention back to Amos. "Finding all of you here together is the first good fortune we've had since this whole business began, but how shall we get all of you to the castle in a timely manner?"

"I have Merlin's staff," said Ben. "I can have us all there in an instant."

"Marcus had told me of the staff. That is the second piece of good fortune. Perhaps our luck is changing for the better. What of your horse and wagon?"

Amos turned to the three dwarves. "Would you guys mind taking the wagon on to your cabin? Put everything inside and just turn Dan loose. There's plenty of water and grazing for him there and he should be fine until we return."

"We don't mind at all," Hob answered, "but we are coming too! We'll take our boat down the West River and meet you at Castle Twilight later this afternoon."

Ben grabbed the staff from the wagon while Hob climbed into the driver's seat. Nob and Gob scrambled into the seat with him and the three dwarves at once began fighting over the reins and arguing over who would drive the wagon.

"Rock, paper, scissors," Ben yelled to his three friends. It was another thing Ben had taught them and they used it quite often to settle disputes among themselves. Especially important disputes, such as who would get the last piece of pie or, as in this case, who would get to hold the reins for the remainder of the trip. The dwarves pumped their fists three times and played their hand. Gob threw a rock, Hob threw scissors, and Nob threw paper. A tie! They rapidly pumped their fists three more times. This time Gob and Nob threw scissors and Hob threw a rock.

"Rock crushes scissors, I win!" Hob exclaimed. He grabbed the reins, clucked to Old Dan, and they were off. In just a few minutes they were all three singing another verse of Yankee Doodle.

"They are like children," Garrick marveled.

"They are worse than children," Amos replied.

"We will see you off safely before we head back. Our horses are tired, but we will still arrive at the Twilight before the dwarves." Everyone turned their eyes on Ben.

"Okay," said Ben, clearing his throat. "Marcus said that all I have to do is hold the staff and then say the name of your forest. He said that would transport me and anyone touching the staff, straight there, so gather round and grab hold."

Louise, Casey, and Amos moved in close to Ben and placed their hand on the staff. Amos squeezed Ben's shoulder and Louise nodded. Ben took a deep breath and spoke the word that Marcus told him to use.

"Twilight!"

Nothing happened. They should be in the Twilight forest now or maybe in the castle, but they were still in the meadow.

"Look," said Garrick, pointing behind them.

Everyone let go of the staff and turned around. There, a few feet behind them and suspended a few inches above the ground, was a large vertical black hole. It was a pathway just like the one the elves had created with the unicorn horns they had recovered from Stone Dog.

"Did Marcus say anything about a tunnel?" asked Louise.

"No," Ben answered. "He said the spell he cast into the spell catcher would send us straight to the Twilight."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive! At least I think I am."

"Come on Ben, think harder!" said Casey.

"Great day, I was positive at first, but now I'm not so sure."  
"Do you think that pathway leads to the Twilight?" asked Amos.

"Where else would it go?" Ben replied.

"Well, we are not going to step in there to find out," said Louise. "I suggest that one of the elves catch up with the dwarves and send them back to pick us up. We can go down the river with them in their boat and get there tonight."

"Their boat is not big enough for all of us," Ben pointed out.

"I could transform and run across country," said Amos. "I've done it before and you three could ride Old Dan."

"Absolutely not!" said Louise. "I meant it when I said I'd never ride another horse. Dan is not an elfin horse and a fall from him would probably kill me!"

"You can ride my horse," Garrick offered. "He will not let you fall."

Before anyone could speak again, Ben took the staff and darted into the pathway. Shocked, everyone stared at the black hole where he had just vanished and waited breathlessly to see what would happen next.

*****
CHAPTER 4

AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE

"Whoa!" Hob shouted, pulling tightly on the reins. As the wagon rolled to a stop beside their cabin, the stout dwarf pulled the brake lever back and locked it into place. Getting Dan unhitched was no small task and it took all three of them to do it. Once they had him free from the harness, Hob led him to the rear of the wagon where Gob and Nob had climbed up so that they could reach the bridle. However, once Dan was free, they could not figure out how to rub him down and brush him.

"Ah, he'll be fine," said Gob. "It was a short jaunt from where we camped."

"Yes," Nob agreed. "He didn't even break a sweat this morning. A roll in the meadow and he'll feel good as new."

"You two quit goofing off and get the wagon unloaded," Hob called over his shoulder. "I'm going to put the tack up and start packing a few things to take with us on the boat."

After everything was stowed away, and a quick noon day meal with seconds and thirds, the three dwarves picked up their packs and started down the path to the lake below their cabin. A soft warm breeze stirred the tops of the pines that grew on the hillside and their fragrant scent spiced the air with a pleasant aroma. Somewhere among those branches above them, a mocking bird was busily going through his entire repertoire of songs. The dwarves, however, did not take notice of his happy music. They had much on their minds and were in a very somber mood.

"What do you think about this business with Marcus?" asked Gob.

"I don't know what to think," Nob answered. "The whole business is rather frightening."

"I agree," Hob added. "Did you notice the fear in Amos's voice at the mention of Jupiter?"

"You mean Bellator," Gob corrected.

"Bellator, schmellator," Hob retorted. "Anyone who can frighten Amos scares the daylights out of me."

""It's not just Amos," said Nob. "Think about it. This Bellator has captured Marcus; the most powerful elf on Faerie and Camelot!"

"Yes, and he captured him ON Faerie," said Hob. "If Marcus wasn't safe on Faerie, and if the elves cannot rescue him, then what are we to do?"

"Garrick did show an interest in Ben," Gob pointed out.

"I saw that. I'm glad Ben is here, too. If anyone can save Marcus, it will be Ben."

Gob and Nob mumbled their agreement and they finished the walk to the water in a brooding silence. Down at the lake, their boat was hidden on a small crescent beach of sand that was tucked away neatly between some large rocks. The boat was an elfin boat from an age that had long ago passed away. Their elfin friend Gabriel had officially given them the boat and, although the vessel was very old, it held two enchantments that were still strong and considerably powerful.

The first enchantment would not allow the boat to sink. As a matter of fact, once afloat on the water, the boat could not even be capsized. That was the only reason the dwarves even used it, because, as everyone knows, dwarves cannot swim and tend to sink in deep waters.

The second enchantment was one of great convenience to the three dwarves. The boat could be paddled anywhere, even down the West river into which the lake emptied, but when the boat was turned toward home, it always returned to this sandy beach and it always returned under its own power. Often times the dwarves would paddle across the lake and then ride the current downstream to visit their friends in the Twilight. They would also use the boat to ferry supplies from River Town to their cabin. However, no matter where they went, as soon as they turned the prow toward home the boat would always return under its own power.

"Is everything stowed away?" asked Hob.

"We're all set," Nob answered.

Hob gave the boat a gentle shove and, with help from his two friends, managed to climb aboard without wetting his boots. Gob and Nob dipped the oars into the water and began paddling toward the other end of the lake. They would be entering the river soon and, since there were very few rapids, much of the ride ahead of them would be nothing more than a slow and lazy pace, drifting along with the current.

When they neared the center of the lake, the water on the port side started to bubble and froth. Very quickly, the lake around them became turbulent; swirling, splashing, and crashing against the boat. Gob and Nob pulled the oars in and grabbed onto the sides as the boat began to pitch and roll. Then, as suddenly as it started, the commotion ceased and the waters once more became calm.

"What was that all about?" whispered Nob.

"I haven't a clue," Hob whispered back, "but let's wait a moment before we disturb the water again."

"I agree. Let's just sit quietly for a few minutes. Gob, are you okay?"

Gob was still gripping the sides of the boat, his knuckles white with exertion and his face white with fear. Last summer he had fallen from this very same boat and had almost drowned. If Ben had not been there to save him, he would have perished.

"Maybe we had better go ahead and tie off now," Hob suggested. Every time they traveled the river, they always tied a rope around their waists, linking themselves together in case one of them fell out of the boat.

"Good idea," said Gob, snapping out of his fear induced stupor. He let loose of the sides and began searching for the rope with Hob and Nob.

"Ah ha!" Hob cried, holding the rope up. "Found it!"

At that moment a plume of water shot up beneath the boat, pitching the stern, where Hob was standing, up into the air. Gob and Nob watched in horror as Hob sailed over them, still clutching their safety rope tightly in his hands. When he hit the water, it once more started to bubble and froth.

As Hob thrashed about, trying desperately to keep from sinking, Gob and Nob grabbed the oars and plunged them into the water. They paddled madly, but the boat would not move. Their friend was only a few feet away from them and he was still holding their rope. There was nothing they could do to save him.

"Hob," Gob cried. "Try to swim towards us!"

"Swim, Hob!" Nob joined in. "Swim!"

Suddenly, Hob quit thrashing and became very still. Suspended, somehow, in the lake with the water lapping about his shoulders, his eyes grew wide and a look of sheer terror came over his face.

"Throw us the end of your rope," Nob shouted. "Hurry!"

Before Nob's request even registered in Hob's brain, the terrified dwarf was suddenly yanked beneath the surface of the water.

Stunned, the two dwarves in the boat stared at the widening rings on the surface of the lake where their friend had just vanished. The water in the area from where the rings were emanating began to vibrate and then slowly, ever so slowly, something began to rise out of the water.

"It's Hob!" Gob whispered.

Nob watched in horrid fascination as the top of his friend's head emerged from the murky green waters. Up, up he came, first his head, then his shoulders. Something below the surface was raising him upwards and out of the water. Finally, when the dwarf was up high enough so that the water was around his knees, a lattice-work structure of bones began to rise up out of the water around him. Hob looked down at the bones and began to scream.

"HELP! Get me out! Get me out of here! HELP!"

"Quick, throw us the rope!" Gob yelled.

Although his hands were shaking badly, Hob managed to grasp the end of the rope with one hand and then tossed the loops that he was holding with his other hand. The rope sailed across the water, uncoiling as it approached the elfin boat. Gob and Nob reached out to catch it, but just before it reached them a thin tendril of water shot out from the surface of the lake and caught the rope in midflight. The wispy strand wrapped around the cord and held it there, suspended in the air above the surface of the water. Slowly, more water began to rise from the lake and the thin tendril began to thicken and take shape. The curls that wrapped around the rope, though still made of water, formed into a hand with fingers. Below the hand, an arm had formed and was connected to a larger blob of water that was still thickening and transforming. The water continued to shift and morph and, in a few short seconds, a beautiful water nymph floated before them. The creature stared at Gob and Nob for a moment then slowly turned until she was facing Hob.

"You!" she exclaimed with a watery hiss. "I know you!" The nymph was beautiful to look upon and her voice sounded like a sweet gurgling brook, but Hob could only think of one thing; bones. Bones for her boat. The terrified dwarf promptly fainted.

"Hey," Gob called. "We know you too! Hob told us all about you."

"Give him back to us," Nob demanded.

The nymph laughed long and hard, but then suddenly stopped as an idea occurred to her. For a moment, she studied the two dwarves closely and then released the rope. The water that had formed her arm and hand lost its shape and, with the rope, came splashing down into the lake. She glided over to the elfin boat and grasped the side as she rose up higher out of the water. Gob and Nob shrank away from her, fearful of being plucked away from their own boat and being placed into hers, along with Hob. If she ever got all three of them into the water, then all was lost.

"Your friend's name I know," said the nymph, "but yours I do not. Tell me your names and perhaps we may work out some sort of a deal?"

"We do not know your name," said Nob, getting his courage up. "Why should we tell you ours?"

Gob quickly kicked him in the shin to silence him. "Excuse my friend, he has no manners. I am called Gob and my impolite friend is called Nob and, although we have heard of you, we do not know your name. Pray, tell us, and speak of this deal you have in mind."

"A dwarf with manners?" the nymph replied. "These are strange times indeed. I have been known by many names, but you may call me Arinya. I will not use your friend's bones for my boat just yet. For now, though, he is my prisoner and I will hold him for ransom."

"Ransom?" asked Nob, who was still rubbing his shin. "Ransom for what?"

"Ah, not yet," Arinya replied. "I will allow you to pull your friend back into your boat, but then you must follow me to the small island on the east end of this lake. When you are safely standing upon the Island, I will state my terms."

"And what if we refuse to follow you?"

"Then I shall have the bones and sinews of three plump dwarves to increase my boat. Do you think for a moment you are safe in your elfin craft?"

The water around them began to roll and crash against the sides of their boat. Gob and Nob crouched low and grabbed onto the sides to keep from being tossed overboard.

"STOP!" Gob yelled. "Stop! We will hear your terms!"

Arinya smiled. The water began to calm at once and the bone boat floated slowly to the starboard side of the elfin boat. When the two boats bumped into each other, Hob woke from his faint with a start. He sat up in the midst of the bones and began thrashing and screaming, while Gob and Nob frantically tried to grab him. When the bone boat began to sink, Hob finally gathered his wits about him and managed to scramble aboard the elfin boat with his two friends.

"Grab the oars and paddle," Hob shouted. "Quickly!"

"Calm down," said Gob. "Arinya tossed you into the water once, she can certainly do it again."

"Arinya," Hob repeated, with a confused expression. "Who is Arinya?"

"The water nymph that gave you and Gabriel passage across the underground lake in Kahzidar," Nob answered. "She is right behind you."

Hob spun around and brandished the oar in front of him, like a weapon. Arinya laughed.

"We have to follow her or she will toss us all into the water," Gob explained.

"And use us to increase the size of her boat," Nob added.

"I will speak to you again, when you are on the island," said Arinya to the three dwarves. "Do not delay. Do not attempt to escape. I hear and know everything that happens on these waters and there will be no second chances." With that, Arinya sank down and became one with the shiny green surface of the lake. She was gone, but then again, being a spirit that now inhabited Long Lake, she was everywhere that there was water.

"If we turned the boat back toward the shore," Hob whispered, "do you think she would be able to stop it?"

"She wouldn't have to stop it," Gob answered. "She would only have to bump it hard enough to knock us overboard."

"We could lash ourselves in the boat," Hob countered.

"No, that wouldn't work either," said Nob. "She may not be able to stop the boat once it has started back toward the shore and she may not be able to capsize the boat either, but she could certainly snatch us out of the boat whether we were tied down or not."

"Then what are we to do?" There was growing panic in Hob's voice.

"We must go to this island and hear her deal," said Gob.

"You know what kind of deal she will offer. It will be like the one she had with Ringwald Stonebreaker. She will probably offer to spare our lives and allow us use of the lake if we bring her a steady supply of victims!"

"No, that doesn't make sense. We could simply agree to that and there would be nothing in place to make us hold up our end of the bargain. We would just simply quit using the lake. She is after something else."

"Gob is right," said Nob. "There is nothing for us to do but hear her offer. She warned us not to delay too, so we'd better start paddling."

"Yes, I suppose you are right," said Hob. The poor dwarf's shoulders sagged in defeat. The shoreline was so close. So very close. "Let's start paddling."

*****
CHAPTER 5

DIVIDED

Ben leapt into the black hole and skidded to a stop as the darkness engulfed him. It was hard to judge distances in here, where ever here was, but up ahead he could see a round opening of light that marked the exit. He turned around and looked through the hole at the brightly lit meadow where he had just been standing a moment ago. Amos was restraining Louise and Casey, his big ham fists wrapped tightly about their arms, while the elves stood behind them, watching and waiting to see what would happen next. Marcus had told him that the staff would transport him, and anyone touching it, straight to the Twilight. A moment ago, he was confused, but now he remembered that conversation very well and he distinctly remembered Marcus telling him that all he had to do was say the word Twilight, while he was holding the staff, to invoke the magic. Marcus never said anything about a pathway, yet here he was standing within one. It was very strange inside of the pathway too. If not for the two openings, his senses would be completely deprived. The darkness all around him was complete and total. There were no odors, it was neither warm nor cool, and the silence was deafening. He hurried across the black expanse to the exit. He could see elves gathering about the opening and Gabriel was there among them. When he stepped out into courtyard of Castle Twilight, the black hole snapped shut behind him.

"Ben!" Gabriel exclaimed, with a puzzled expression. "How is it that you are here?"

"I used the staff, just like Marcus told me."

"You came through a pathway, Ben. The enchantment laid upon the staff was not one to create a pathway. Did you come here from your world?"

"No, we're up here for spring break. Me, Casey, and Grandma came through the Merlin tree to visit Amos. Hob, Gob, and Nob were there too. Hob had a surprise for us back at their cabin and we were all riding in Amos' wagon to the cabin when Garrick and two other elves rode up on us. Garrick told us all about what happened to Marcus and I tried to use my staff to bring us here."

"Why did the others not come with you?"

"We decided that Hob, Gob, and Nob would take the wagon to their cabin and, once Dan was taken care of, they would ride their boat down the river and meet us all here. They should be getting here late this afternoon. Anyhow, they had already left and when I tried to use the staff, a pathway opened. None of us were expecting that to happen and Grandma didn't want us to use it. Grandma also refused to ride a horse and wanted one of the elves to ride after the dwarves to get them to bring the wagon back. I know what I did was foolish, but I felt like we needed to get here as quickly as possible."

"Well, you are here and the pathway is closed, so the others will have to find their way as best they are able. I'm sure they are worried about you too and will make haste to get here."

"Grandma is probably worried sick. Could you send another rider out to meet them and let them know I am okay? Do you have a wagon that you could send to pick them up?"

"If Louise has said that she is not going to ride a horse, then rest assured she is not going to ride a horse. I believe she will send Amos to retrieve the wagon and, if he can catch the dwarves before they depart on the river, they will all continue here in the wagon. I'll dispatch a rider to the dwarves' cabin. He can track them from there and let them know that you are okay when he finds them."

Gabriel nodded to one of the elves standing nearby. The elf turned and sped toward the stables.

"How long do you think it will take them to get here?" Ben asked.

"It's hard to tell. I'm not exactly sure where they are; that's why I'm sending a rider out to the cabin. However, I do know they will not be here before dark. It may even be morning before we see them. Let's go inside where you may be comfortable. Are you hungry or thirsty?"

Ben shook his head. "Maybe I should try to re-open the pathway?"

"No, I agree with Louise on that account. It is too dangerous."

*****

"BEN!" Casey Screamed. They had all been watching the black hole intently, holding their breath, waiting for Ben to pop back out and tell them everything was okay. When the hole suddenly winked out and vanished, there were several long seconds of stunned silence and then Casey screamed again.

The second time Casey screamed, Louise felt the earth tilt beneath her and was dimly aware of Amos trying to catch her as she was falling. As the ground came rushing up to meet her, everything went dark. When she regained consciousness, she was lying on the ground and staring up at an empty blue sky. Casey was sitting on the ground beside her, holding her hand, and Amos was dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth. Who are those three elves, she wondered, and what am I doing lying here in the meadow? She heard Casey's voice calling to her, but it sounded faint and far way.

"Grandma," Casey cried, "please wake up."

Then slowly it came back to her; the wagon trip, the elfin riders, Marcus, the black hole, and... Ben. She sat up and looked around.

"How long have I been out?"

"A good ten minutes or more," Casey answered. "You scared me, Grandma."

"I'm sorry, dear." Louise patted Casey on the hand and turned to Amos. "Ben?" she asked.

Amos shook his head.

"What are we to do?"

Garrick knelt down and took Louise's other hand. "Let's wait here a while longer. We can only assume the pathway opened to Castle Twilight and when Ben stepped out, it closed. He is probably talking to Gabriel, even now, as we speak. If the pathway does not reopen soon, then we will have no choice but to continue to Castle Twilight and hope that we find Ben waiting there for us when we arrive."

"Thirty minutes," said Louise, looking at her watch. "I will wait thirty minutes and not a moment longer."

Thirty minutes passed excruciatingly slow and the pathway did not reopen. Garrick sent one of the riders back to the Twilight, in case Ben was there, to let him know that they were on the way, while Amos transformed into a bear and loped off after the dwarves. The current plan was for Amos to return with the wagon and then they would make the painfully slow trip to the castle, where they hoped to find Ben waiting for them, safe and sound. They also decided that it would be best for the dwarves to make the journey in their boat, as planned, because that would put them at the Twilight much sooner than the wagon. Garrick stayed with Louise and Casey, while Roland, the other elf, accompanied Amos to the cabin.

When they arrived at the cabin they found the wagon parked on the side. It had been unloaded and all of the tack had been put away. Dan was nowhere to be found and the dwarves were gone too.

"I'll find your horse," said Roland, "while you ready the wagon."

"Thank you," Amos replied. "I'm going to run down to the lake to make sure that the dwarves have left safely. I'll be right back."

Roland nodded and whirled his horse around. He sped off into the meadow, in search of the big draft horse, and Amos hurried down the path to the lake. When he got to the hidden beach, where the dwarves kept their elfin boat, he could see their tracks and the marks in the sand where they shoved the boat into the water. He scanned the lake for any sign of them and found none. If they were already on the river, they were making excellent time. He hurried back to the cabin where he found Roland waiting for him with Old Dan.

"I didn't expect you back that soon!" Amos exclaimed.

"He was not far from here and came running to meet us when my horse called to him. Any sign of the dwarves?"

"The boat is gone and there is no sign of them on the lake. They are well on their way to the Twilight. Help me grab the tack, some blankets, and a few things to eat and we'll be on our way as well."

After Dan was hitched and the wagon loaded, Amos climbed aboard and snapped the reins, while Roland sped off to let the others know that he was coming.

*****

Gob and Nob paddled the boat, while Hob sat at the stern and fretted. The island to which they were headed was in the opposite direction of the river. It was just around a point of land that jutted out from the shoreline and obstructed it from view from the banks near their cabin. It was a small island, so small in fact that, if not for the small clump of trees and bushes growing in the center, you could easily toss a rock all the way across. They paddled the boat up to the tiny beach that surrounded the island and hopped out to pull it ashore. No sooner had they pulled the boat from the water and Arinya was calling to them.

"I heard your whispers when I left you. Remember, I hear everything that happens on these waters."

"Well, whether by choice or not, we are here as you requested," said Gob. "What is this deal you have to offer us?"

Arinya glided through the water until she was at the shoreline. The three dwarves, although standing on dry land, backed up a few paces. They did not know how far her reach extended and they did not want to take any chances.

"When I was in Kahzidar, I had a perfect arrangement with Ringwald Stonebreaker."

"You see!" Hob screeched. "I told you that would be the deal she would offer! And now we are stuck on this island!"

Gob grabbed him by the beard while Nob delivered three well aimed kicks to his shins. As soon as they calmed him down and made him promise to be quiet, they returned their attention to Arinya.

"As you were saying," said Nob.

"As I was saying, I had a perfect arrangement with Ringwald. I guarded the Black Hills entrance to his kingdom and, in return, he provided me with bones for my boat. Gnome bones are superior quality for boats as they are light and buoyant. Dwarf bones, however, are dense and heavy. They are usable, but they make better anchors and of anchors I have no use."

"We will not bring you ANY victims for your smelly boat," Hob yelled.

"Hob," Gob whispered fiercely, "we need to hear her out, so SHUT UP!"

"Then she needs to quit beating around the bush and tell us what she wants!" Hob shot back.

"I want one thing and one thing only; Ben Alderman."

The three dwarves stood there in stunned silence. Finally, Nob spoke up.

"Ben is our friend. How do you know him and what do you want with him?"

"Ben is the one who orchestrated the coup that toppled Ringwald's reign. For several weeks after Ringwald was destroyed, I had no contact with anyone and then one day a large group of gnomes show up and start draining my lake. I managed to catch one of the gnomes who slipped and fell into my waters. I made him talk and oh, the things he told me."

"So, what do you want with Ben?" Nob persisted.

"I want to make him pay," Arinya answered. "Now that Ringwald and the dragon are gone, the gnomes are reopening the Black Hills section of Kahzidar. They have drained my beautiful lake and forced me to seek a new home."

"If we refuse?" asked Gob.

"Then you will remain on this island until you die of starvation. It is a painful death, especially for a dwarf, or so I have heard. The hunger pains are quite intense, but I understand your race is hardy and it will take several weeks for you to die, several long, slow, agonizingly painful weeks."

All three dwarves paled. Hob began rubbing his stomach. He could use a good meal right now.

"And if we agree to your terms, how will you enforce them? What is to make us hold up our end of the bargain?"

"Do you think I will let all of you go?" Arinya laughed. "No, that one," she said, pointing to Hob, "will remain behind. I will let you two leave and bring Ben back to me. If you do not return with him, this one named Hob will die."

"How long will you give us to return with Ben?" Gob asked.

"I'm in no hurry," Arinya answered. "How long does it take for a dwarf to starve? That is how long you have to bring the child to me."

"Let us withdraw into the woods where we may speak privately."

Arinya nodded and the three dwarves walked to the center of the small island to confer.

"We cannot bring Ben to her," Hob whispered. "He is our friend and has saved our lives more than once."

"Agreed," Gob whispered back. "But if we do not convince her that we will agree to her terms, then we will die a slow and painful death."

"What do you suggest," asked Nob.

"I suggest that we agree to her terms. We shall have to leave you here, Hob, but you will not starve anytime soon, because there are enough supplies in our boat to sustain you for a while. When Nob and I reach the Twilight, we will come back on land and rescue you."

"That sounds well and good," Hob replied, "but how do you plan to rescue me?"

"I don't know yet, but I'm sure that between Ben, Casey, Louise, Amos, and Gabriel we can think of something."

"I don't like it," said Hob, "but it is really the only option we have."

Gob and Nob nodded in agreement.

"Then let's get it over with," said Hob.

The three dwarves walked back down to the water where Arinya was waiting for them.

"We agree to your terms," Gob announced.

*****
CHAPTER 6

BELLATOR

Warm winds, coming off the hills to the north, brought with them the smell of lavender. No matter where you were in Faerie, there was always a pleasant fragrance in the air and each of the twelve major cities had their own distinct aroma. The calm, relaxing scent of lavender meant that they were nearing Jupiter. Since the capture at the capitol city of Venus, Bellator had been moving at a relentless clip to make it to his namesake city. They had travelled all day and through the night. It was a welcome site when they crested the final hill and the great metropolis sprang up before them. However, Jupiter was not as Bellator remembered it. The soaring white structures with the blue slate roofs were unchanged, but thick stone battlements had been raised around the perimeter of the buildings. Marcus knew that Bellator would return one day. Venus foretold of it in his mystical final prophecy. Marcus also knew that Bellator was too prideful to rule from the capital city and that, upon his return, he would establish his throne in the city he had helped build over a millennium ago. The elves had not been idle during that millennium; the ramparts were thick enough for twelve horsemen to ride abreast and stood fifty feet above the cobbled streets. All of the trees and shrubs had been removed from around the outside perimeter so that no one could approach undetected. A solitary horn blared from the south watch tower. They had been spotted.

"They think to keep me out with walls?" Bellator asked with amusement.

Marcus studied the immortal standing at his side. At nine feet, Bellator was two feet taller than Venus. The thick shock of dark hair that hung about his massive shoulders framed a handsome face with black soulless eyes that never blinked.

"We know that we can never defeat you," Marcus answered. "Of the twelve, you are truly the greatest. Therefore, you will find no armies here to stand before you; only walls."

"Come then, let us see; how strong are the gates of Jupiter."

They walked the rest of the distance to the city unchallenged. The horn had died away and an almost tranquil silence greeted them at the entrance, where they found the gates shut tight against them. The massive doors were fashioned from moonsilver; the strongest and most precious metal in all of Faerie. Bellator placed his palm against the double gated entrance and stood there quietly for several seconds, with his head cocked to the side as if he were listening for something. Then, with astonishing speed, he punched the fortified gates with his other hand. His huge fist crumpled the gates and tore them loose from the hinges that were buried deep within the stone jambs. The mangled gates flipped end over end as they tumbled down the main road leading into the city and crashed into a tall building at the end of the street. The building teetered on its crumbling foundation and then came crashing to the ground in a cascade of white stones and blue tiles. Bellator waited patiently for the dust to settle and Marcus stood quietly beside him. At last, Bellator spoke.

"Where is everyone?"

"They have fled to the hills and to other towns and cities. The horn was the final signal for the last few remaining here to leave. You have no one here, but me, to do your bidding."

"That will change when Garrick arrives."

"Perhaps."

Bellator glanced down at Marcus, a faint trace of annoyance on his face. He started to reply and then stopped and studied the Keeper's face.

Marcus could feel him probing his mind, seeking, searching, and looking for something. Did he know of the prophecy? What of Ben? Did he know of Camelot? He suspected that he did not, but nonetheless, he threw up a dark impenetrable wall in his mind to keep the Immortal out. This was the real reason the city was evacuated; to keep Ben a secret. The walls around the city were part of the plan for keeping Ben hidden from Bellator too. They were not built to keep the immortal out, but rather to keep everyone who might know something about Ben or Camelot away from him. Marcus could literally feel him on the other side of the barrier in his mind, pushing, trying to penetrate, and trying to seek out his innermost thoughts. Although he was no match for Bellator in physical strength, he was his equal when it came to the powers of the mind and they had to keep Ben, the prophecy, and Camelot secret at all costs; at least until the appointed time.

Finally, Bellator withdrew from his mind and marched off down the street, looking neither left nor right. Marcus hastily followed him through the twisting avenues as he made his way unerringly to the Council House in the center of the city. Each city had a Council House located in the center and all roads within the city eventually led to the Council House. The Council House was also the most magnificent building in each city and the personality and characteristics of the city's founder were reflected in the architecture and style of the building. The Council House of Jupiter was enormous. A long flight of steps led up to a deep circular veranda that ran the perimeter of the entire structure. The fluted columns that framed the veranda and supported the domed roof were like ghostly redwoods; thick and tall, soaring up to dizzying heights. The ceiling of the dome had scenes from bygone years painted with vibrant colors and astounding detail. The actual building, which sat beneath the dome, had no roof; only walls, so that no matter where you were within the building, you could admire the mural and breathe the fresh air of Faerie. You could also enjoy the sweet aroma of lavender, borne on the gentle breezes that constantly blew through the city. The scented air had a calming and soothing effect on all who breathed it. Marcus often wondered if the Creator, in his wisdom, gave lavender to Jupiter because of Bellator's warrior-like spirit. Whatever the case, it was one more advantage, however small, that they had in their corner and right now they needed every edge possible.

Bellator climbed the steps to the main entrance. He instructed Marcus to wait for him by the door as he disappeared into the building. A few minutes later he returned, carrying with him a great white throne that he positioned at the top of the stairs, facing out, so that he could look over the main roads that led to the inner city. He had fashioned the throne shortly after the founding of the city, but he never got the chance to use it. The Creator rebuked him for his pride and forbade him to sit upon it. The Creator also decided to leave the throne enshrined at the Council House as a reminder to the elves of the folly of pride.

"What now?" Marcus asked, as Bellator took his seat upon the throne.

"Now, we wait for Garrick to meet us," Bellator answered.

"Garrick is not bringing the sword, Venus hid it away..."

"Venus gave it to you," Bellator interrupted. "I caught a glimpse into his thoughts when his guard was down and I saw Excalibur hidden deep in his memories. It was difficult, but I got the truth from him. He resisted for many years and fought valiantly, but I won in the end. I always win, do I not?"

This news of an attack on Venus shocked him, but Marcus was able to maintain his composure. "Yes," he answered, "you always win." The Keeper's mind was racing. Venus knew of Ben. He had even met Ben before he left Faerie to join the other Immortals. Had Bellator been able to pull that bit of information from his mind as well? Did he know of the final prophecy? If he did, he was doing a good job of concealing it. Marcus had no choice, but to assume that he did not know and to play along with whatever game the Immortal was playing. Like dragons, the future where Immortals were concerned was hidden from him. There were bits and pieces that occasionally came through, but they were quick flashes of the future, displayed for a fraction of a second and then snatched away. It was like being in a dark room on a stormy night; you can't see anything until the lightning flashes and, when it does, you see everything in stark relief against the darkness for a split second and then it's gone again. The future was difficult to discern when all of the possible paths were revealed in great detail, but it was impossible to discern with tiny bits and pieces. Not only was it impossible, it was also very dangerous. He felt the push against the wall in his mind again. This time it was a soft probe; a single light touch. Bellator was checking to see if the barrier was still in place. After he withdrew, he spoke again.

"Your brother loves you and will do anything to save your life. He will find the sword and he will bring it to me."

"You are making the assumption that my brother will be able to find the sword. If I was entrusted by Venus to guard the sword, do you think I would tell anyone, even my own brother, where I hid it?"

"No, I do not suspect you have told anyone. But I have faith in your brother's ability."

"As do I," Marcus answered quietly.

Bellator turned and looked long at the Keeper. Marcus returned the stare for few seconds and then finally bowed his head in submission and humbly stepped back away from the Immortal. He did not think Bellator would kill him until he had retrieved the sword, but there was no sense in taking chances. His main role, as he saw it, was to keep Bellator alone and pacified until the others were able to retrieve Ben and deliver him here for the final showdown. The sword was long gone from Faerie and Camelot. Merlin had taken it to Earth with him centuries ago. Somehow, according to the prophecy, the sword would return. Also, if he interpreted the prophecy correctly, Merlin had a role to play in this as well, but he could not understand how, for Merlin was surely dead.

"You may go now, but do not attempt to leave the city. Although you can keep me from your thoughts, you cannot hide from me or shut me out entirely. I expect that Garrick will seek you out when he returns. Bring him straight to me as soon as he arrives."

Marcus nodded. "Before I go, is there anything else you need?"

For a moment, Bellator looked puzzled. Then it dawned on him what Marcus was asking.

"I require no refreshment or rest. I will be sitting here when Garrick arrives. Bring him to me as instructed, whether he has the sword or not."

Marcus bowed and left the Council House. He made his way to the south tower, where the watchers had sounded the alarm by trumpeting their arrival. However, the watchers were not left in the tower for the purpose of sounding an alarm. What good was an alarm to an empty city? No, the alarm was just a cover up. The watchers were really in place to take care of the city's messengers and the south tower was chosen because of its strategic location. In order for Marcus to communicate with Garrick, he had to be as far away from Bellator as possible, because the greater the distance between him and the Immortal, the weaker the link between their minds. The south tower was the furthest structure from the Council House and everything, so far, was going according to plan.

Marcus flew up the stairs to the top level of the tower. Inside, in the center of the room, was a large planter with a columnar trellis that spiraled to the ceiling. A thick wooden vine climbed to the top of the trellis and arched over, spilling down to the ground like a weeping willow. The drooping limbs were laden with fragrant blooms of red and orange and, darting about the room, going from bloom to bloom, were dozens of brightly colored honey birds. Marcus crossed the room and sat at a small writing desk that was tucked into a corner by the window overlooking the main road. He retrieved a tiny quill and a small bottle of ink from the desk drawer. When he removed the stopper from the bottle, the fragrant aroma of honeysuckles quickly filled the air. He held out his finger and whistled quietly. The bird nearest him, a shimmering green bird with blue wings and a yellow breast darted over and lit upon his finger. Marcus gently grasped the bird with his other hand and laid it down upon its back next to the inkwell. The bird closed its eyes and made a soft purring noise that sounded much like a cat. The Keeper grasped one tiny wing and spread it out beside the bird. The feathers underneath the wing were thin and white, much like a piece of paper. Marcus dipped the quill into the bottle of ink and began to scribble marks across the bird's wing. He would make a mark and move the wing, make another mark and move the wing. After several marks were applied, he would put the quill down and blow on the wing to dry the ink and then spread it out and make more marks. When he was finished, and the ink was dry, he examined the inside of the wing to make sure that the message was unreadable. When he was satisfied that it could not be read or deciphered upon close inspection, he picked the bird up and opened his palm. The tiny creature flew up into the rafters and the sweet aroma of apple blossoms filled the air. The honey bird lingered overhead for a brief moment and then zipped down to hover in front of the Keeper. As the tiny wings beat a rapid cadence, the marks on the underside of the wings formed a miniature message that was perfectly legible as long as the bird was in flight.

Marcus examined the message and, once satisfied with its content, opened the window beside the desk. He watched as the bird darted through the opening and disappeared in a brilliant flash of green and yellow. The ink on the bird's wing was harmless and would vanish within a day or two. The ink was also scented with the aroma of the place where the bird was supposed to go. Plum blossoms was the aroma associated with the Merlin tree which was located about a half day's ride from the lodge below Mount Gazafar; the last home of Venus and the mountain that overlooked the capital city. A mobile garrison had been erected near the tree and there were a battalion of elves stationed there that could ride into war at a moment's notice. This message, however, was not stopping at the garrison. This message was going to Camelot. Things were in motion now. A showdown was coming.

*****
CHAPTER 7

TALISMAN

The ride to the castle in the slow-moving buckboard seemed to take forever. Even the elves, who never rushed about unless it was a dire emergency, seemed to be impatient to get back to the castle. Their horses could sense the anxiousness in their riders and they chomped at the bits, eager to gallop across the rolling green hills that stretched out before them. It was late evening when the Twilight finally came into view. They could see the sunlight glistening on the river as it entered the mysterious dark forest. Above the trees, the towers and spires of Castle Twilight rose gracefully into an evening sky that was just beginning to turn red on the western horizon.

"Oh, I do hope Ben is here," said Louise, wringing her hands.

"I'm sure he is," Amos assured her.

"What about Hob, Gob, and Nob?" Casey asked. "Have they had enough time to make it here by boat?"

"Absolutely," Amos replied. "They had already left when I made it to the lake and I could not spot their boat anywhere on the water. That means they had already hit the river before we had even hitched Old Dan back up to the wagon. They are probably eating the poor elves out of house and home as we speak."

Casey smiled at Amos's jest, but could not muster a laugh. She knew he was just trying to cheer her up and reassure her that everything was okay, but it seemed like every time they came to Camelot something bad happened. She felt like she hadn't had the opportunity to visit at all and already she wanted to go home. She fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. Marcus had given her this as a gift and every one of the little charms did something unique. However, the only one she knew about was the tiny arrow. It was supposed to always point toward the Twilight. Curious, she held her arm up and rotated the bracelet until the little arrow was dangling below her wrist. The tiny arrow began to turn in a circle, like a compass needle that cannot find north. It pointed left and then right. It made a couple of slow circles and then suddenly snapped around and pointed straight toward the forest ahead of them. Casey moved her arm and as she moved it the arrow turned, continuing to point toward the forest. She looked at the other charms. If only Marcus would have told her what they did. Maybe there was one on here that could help them? Garrick called out to them from up ahead and interrupted her thoughts.

"Roland and I will ride on ahead and let everyone know you are here. The trees will let you pass and will guide you to the entrance." Amos nodded. The two elves gave rein to their horses and sped away toward the wooded area.

When the wagon rolled up to the edge of the woods, the Faerie Oaks raised their limbs and pulled back their roots, revealing a sandy road that wound its way through the forest. Amos clucked to Old Dan and everyone watched in fascination as the wagon entered the forest. Ahead of them, the trees were moving; slowly, methodically, almost hypnotically. The limbs were pulled back, raised up, and lowered to guide them along, while behind them the limbs and roots snapped back into place to conceal the road and bar the pathway to intruders and unwelcomed guests. The trees led them unerringly to the castle's east entrance. The gates were open and Roland was there waiting for them.

"Where's Ben?" Louise cried. She didn't see him anywhere and a lump of fear began to rise in her throat. Amos drove the wagon into the courtyard a pulled back on the reins as Roland walked up to help them down. "Where's Ben?" Louise cried again. "Is he here?"

"Yes, Ben is here," Rowland replied. He is with Gabriel."

"Is he okay?" asked Casey.

"He is fine. He and Gabriel are waiting for you now. Come, someone will attend to your horse and wagon."

"What about the dwarves?" asked Amos.

"The dwarves have not yet arrived. We've sent riders and boats up the river to see if we can discover what has delayed them. If our scouts have to make the trip all the way to Long Lake, they will not return to the Twilight until tomorrow morning."

"Something has gone wrong," said Amos. "They've had plenty of time to get here. Where is Garrick?"

"Garrick has returned to Faerie. We have elves stationed near the lodge below Mount Gazafar. They received a message from Marcus earlier and Garrick has gone back to let him know that Ben is here in Camelot. We will meet them at the lodge, once our plans are finalized."

They followed Rowland into the castle. The last time they were in the castle keep, they were celebrating Christmas with the elves. It was hard to believe that was only three months ago. Now, the hearths were bare and the great hall was empty and silent. Rowland led them to the Keeper's study where they found Ben and Gabriel seated at a table and playing a game of chess.

"Ben!" Louise cried. "I have a half a mind to bend you over my knee and wail the living daylights out you young man! Come here and give me a hug, I'm so glad you are okay!"

Red faced, Ben stood while his grandma examined him and made a big fuss over him. He could feel his ears turning red too. Gabriel cleared away the chess set and invited them all to sit at the table. He spoke briefly to Rowland, who nodded and then hurried away. After Rowland was gone, Gabriel joined them at the table.

"It is good to see you, my friends, but I wish it were under different circumstances. Rowland has told you about Marcus, but it seems we have a couple of mysteries on our hands that we must attend to first. The first mystery is what has become of our good dwarves? Apparently, they should have been here by now and, as much as I am worried for their safety, I am sad to say there is nothing we can do until our scouts get back with their report. Until then, let's look into the matter of the second mystery; Merlin's staff. It seems that Ben here was able to open a pathway with the staff."

"Wasn't that the enchantment that Marcus placed on it?" asked Louise.

"Not at all. The enchantment Marcus used was quite different. Pathways require a magic beyond a simple spell, although the spell that Marcus used was anything but simple. No, without the aid of a powerful talisman, such as a unicorn horn, pathways are beyond our spell casting abilities."

"Is the staff a magical talisman?" asked Ben.

"Perhaps," Gabriel answered, "but I do not think Marcus would cast such a spell without telling anyone about it."

"He wouldn't tell me anything about the other charms on my bracelet," said Casey.

"You are correct," the elf conceded. "Marcus often has needed to conceal things that he has foreseen, so that he does not influence the paths that people choose and thereby create less desirable outcomes than lady fate has already designed." Gabriel turned to Ben and laid his hand upon his shoulder. "Tell me everything that happened before the portal opened. Tell me everything you did and everything you said. Do not leave out anything, no matter how trivial it may seem to you."

Ben recounted the events leading up to the discovery of the open portal several times. With input from the others, he eventually constructed a story that everyone agreed upon, but there was nothing remarkable or out of the ordinary that should have triggered the portal to open.

"Let's try something," Gabriel suggested. The elf retrieved the staff from beside the door and handed it to Ben.

"What do you want me to do?" Ben asked, sliding his chair back and rising to his feet. Louise rose also and moved over to stand beside him. She loved the elves and she trusted them too. She knew they would never do anything to harm Ben, but she did not like all of the talk about prophecies and about Ben being the chosen one, whatever that meant.

"Speak the words; east gate."

"That's all?"

Gabriel nodded.

Ben shrugged. "East gate," he said. Nothing happened.

"Now," said Gabriel, "concentrate on the east gate. Picture it in your mind and speak the words like a command. Say the words as if speaking them would take you there."

Ben closed his eyes and concentrated on the east gate of the castle. He pictured the gates in his mind and wished with all of his might to go there. He tightened his grip on the staff and spoke again, "east gate."

"Look!" Casey cried. Louise gasped and Ben slowly opened his eyes. In the corner of the room, hovering a few inches over the floor was a large black hole. It was a portal. A wizard's pathway and he had summoned it, just as he had done earlier today when they were traveling to the dwarves' cabin.

"Do you think it goes to the gate?" Ben asked.

"I believe it does, but there is only one way to find out. We need to..."

"Gabriel," Louise interrupted, "Ben is not going in there."

"Yes I am, Grandma. I'll be okay. If I can use the staff to open pathways, this will be an incredible advantage for the elves. We can use it to rescue Marcus."

"He's right, Louise," said Amos. "I'll go through the pathway with him."

"Why don't you just run outside and see if another portal is open near the gate," Casey suggested. "It would only take a moment."

Gabriel banged his palm against his forehead. "Good heavens, why didn't I think of that?" he exclaimed. He called over his shoulder, as he darted out into the hallway, "Thank you Casey, I'll be right back."

The elf was gone for scarcely a minute before he burst back into the study. "It's there; right beside the gate!"

"Come on," said Amos, "I'll go through first. Louise and Casey, you go with Gabriel and meet us at the other end."

Gabriel raced out the door with Louise and Casey right behind him.

"Are you ready?" Amos asked Ben.

"Let's go," Ben replied. Amos nodded and disappeared into the dark hole. Once inside, he could see though the opening near the castle gate and he could even see Louise, Casey, and Gabriel waiting anxiously for them to come through. As soon as Ben entered, Amos grabbed him by the hand and practically dragged him across the dark expanse. When they stepped out into the courtyard, the black hole winked shut.

"This is amazing," Gabriel marveled. "We must get word to Garrick and then to Marcus. If we use this wisely, it may just give us the edge we need to defeat Bellator."

At that time, two riders came thundering through the gates, the great horses narrowly missing them as they sped by. Gabriel called out to the riders and they pulled back hard on the reins. One of them leapt from his horse and raced toward the south gate tower, while the other one wheeled his horse around and rode back to speak to Gabriel. These riders were Mandril and Avery; two scouts he had sent out to find the dwarves. Their horses had been ridden hard and were in a lather. They were back much sooner than expected too and Gabriel feared their news.

"Mandril, what have you discovered? What is going on?"

"The dwarves are coming down the river in their boat. Avery is going to the south tower to raise the portcullis, so that they may enter the courtyard."

"Are they okay?" asked Amos. "What took them so long?"

"They are okay for now, but they are not together. Gob and Nob are the only ones on the boat."

"Where is Hob?"

"Hob is still at Long Lake. You must hear their story firsthand."

"Is he okay?" asked Gabriel.

"Yes, for now he is safe."

Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief. He and Hob had become fast friends. They had accompanied Ben in his hunt for the witch and had been captured by Ringwald Stonebreaker when Zoltan, the black dragon from Crag, had forced them underground. They had shared many adventures together and he was extremely fond of the gruff and ill-tempered dwarf.

"Go to the kitchens and get the dwarves some refreshments," said Gabriel. "Leave them in the Keeper's study. They will be hungry, I'm sure."

Mandril bowed and then sped off to the kitchens, while Gabriel made his way to the docks. The south gate entrance was open now and a black swan boat was just coming though. Following along behind the swan boat were Gob and Nob. They were riding in the elfin boat that Gabriel had given to them last summer. Both vessels glided over the water to the river's edge and came to rest against the dock. Gabriel helped Gob and Nob out of their boat and both dwarfs began talking at once. Gabriel couldn't make out a word they were saying and neither one would hush to let the other speak. In just a few seconds, they were yanking on each other's beard and kicking each other in the shins.

"HEY," Ben yelled. "Stop it!"

The two dwarves froze at the sound of Ben's voice.

"Ben!" said Gob. "Thank goodness you are okay! You gave us all quite a scare."

"Yes," Nob agreed. "So glad to see you are alright, but of course I knew you would be."

"Listen," said Ben, "we need to know what has happened to Hob. Rock, paper, scissors to see who gets to tell the story."

Gob and Nob straightened themselves up and squared off with their fists out in front of them.

"Ready?" asked Gob.

"Ready," said Nob.

"One, two, three," Gob counted, as the two dwarves pumped their fists. Gob threw a rock and Nob threw a scissors.

"Drat!" said Nob. "You win, go ahead."

Gob cleared his throat. "Hob is stranded on a tiny island in Long Lake. He is being held prisoner there by Arinya."

"Who is Arinya?" asked Gabriel.

"Arinya is the water nymph that gave you and Hob passage across the lake in Kahzidar," Nob blurted. Gob delivered a quick and well-aimed kick to his shin.

"I'm telling this story!"

"How did Arinya manage to get out of Kahzidar?" Gabriel asked. "Nymphs are bound to the water they inhabit. She should not have been able to leave there." He did not like the sound of this. He remembered all too well the grisly ride in her boat of bones. He remembered the grinning skulls with the eerie green lights that shone from their empty sockets. Even worse, he remembered the screams of the terrified gnomes when Ringwald had them thrown in the lake.

"After Ringwald was overthrown and the dragon defeated, the gnomes drained the lake to open up the Black Hills section of the mines. Arinya somehow found her way to Long Lake and has taken up residence there."

"That is ill news indeed," said Gabriel. "And what of Hob? Is he well? What does she want with him?"

Gob glanced at Ben and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Let's all go inside where we can sit down and talk."

*****
CHAPTER 8

FOILED RESCUE

After the two dwarfs had polished off all of the food that Rowland had placed in the Keeper's study, they recounted their story about their run in with Arinya. They told all about her plans and the deal they had to strike with her in order to go free.

"You know we'd never betray you, Ben," said Gob. "I even had my fingers crossed when I made the deal."

"I had my fingers AND toes crossed," Nob added. "I hope you understand."

"You guys did the only thing you could do and of course I understand. I would have done the same thing myself. And now, with what we've discovered I can do with the staff, rescuing Hob should be a snap."

"Hey, you're right!" Gob exclaimed. "You can open a tunnel to the island and Hob can walk right off! Arinya won't be able to stop him either."

"We'll never be able to use the lake again," said Nob.

"The river will never be safe either," Gabriel added. "We not only need to rescue Hob, but we need to deal with Arinya too."

"First things first," said Amos. "Have you ever been to this island?"

"No," Ben answered.

"It's not even visible from the shoreline near the cabin," said Nob. "There's a point of land that juts out into the lake and the island is just beyond that. It's in the opposite direction from the river too, so we very seldom go near it."

Amos turned to Gabriel. "Can he open a portal to a place without having ever seen it?"

"No, he has to be able to see the place or visualize it in his mind."

"Then we'll have to go to the cabin and walk along the shoreline until we can see the island. Ben, are you ready?"

Ben nodded. "Grandma, you and Casey wait here and rest. We'll be right back."

"No, I'm going too," said Casey.

"And so am I," Louise added.

Amos started to speak and Louise shushed him.

"Okay," said Ben. "I visualize the dwarves' cabin and then what do I need to say?"

"It's not important what you say," Gabriel answered. "The important part is the concentration and the visualization. Speaking just sets the magic into motion."

"So I could say anything, as long as I'm thinking and concentrating about where I want to go?"

Gabriel nodded.

"Cool!" Ben pushed his glasses up on his nose and thought for a moment. "Okay, I got it."

"Hurry up," Casey complained.

Ben shot his sister an annoyed glance. He tightened his grip on the staff and closed his eyes. A mental picture of the dwarves' cabin began to form in his mind. Once the image was complete, he spoke a command... "ALAKAZAM!"

A black hole immediately popped open in the corner of the room.

"Alakazam," Nob whispered, while poking Gob in the ribs. "Did you hear that? He really is a wizard!"

Ben beamed from ear to ear.

"Alakazam?" said Louise, raising her eyebrows.

"That was really corny, Ben," Casey added.

"Corny or not, let's go."

Amos was the last one to step out of the pathway and as soon as he was out, the black hole winked shut. They were in front of the cabin, but it was too late to rescue Hob today. The sun had already set and darkness was upon them.

"Will he be okay to spend the night on the island tonight?" asked Louise.

"He should be fine," Gob answered. "We left him with blankets and plenty of food. Even though the island is small, he should be able to find enough dry wood to build a fire too. Let's all go inside and get a good night's sleep and we'll get him off the island in the morning."

Everyone agreed that was a good plan and retired to the dwarves' cabin for the night. In the morning, after a big breakfast of course, Gob and Nob led Ben, Casey, and Gabriel down to the lake. Louise stayed behind with Amos to clean up the breakfast dishes and straighten up the cabin. If all went according to plan, everyone should be back to the cabin fairly soon. Nob said it would be about an hour hike to the place where they could see the island and, once they rescued Hob, Ben could open a pathway back to the cabin.

It actually took them a little longer than an hour to reach their destination. There were no paths or trails and the two dwarves had to use their short swords on several occasions to clear some of the dense undergrowth that surrounded the lake. When they finally reached the lakeshore, they immediately spied the tiny island; a small blob of land about a hundred yards out, with a few scraggly shrubs and a dense copse of pin oaks and cottonwoods.

"Don't get near the water," Gabriel warned. "This nymph is extremely dangerous."

"What do I need to do?" Ben asked.

"Just look at the island and focus on it. Concentrate on it very hard and speak a word to invoke the magic, just like you did back at the castle."

Ben nodded. He gripped the staff tightly and stared at the island, trying to blank everything out of his mind except for the small parcel of land where his friend was being held captive. With his gaze locked on his destination, and as Gabriel had directed him, he spoke to invoke the magic, "Hocus-Pocus!"

The black hole popped up in front of them.

Casey was standing a little off to the side, where the black hole did not obstruct her view of the island. Excitedly she called to Ben, "You did it! I can see the opening to the pathway on the island from here! Seriously, Ben, you've got to come up with some cooler words to use. Alakazam and hocus-pocus?"

"I don't know," Ben responded. "I kinda like them and no one here has ever heard those words before."

"Casey, you and the two dwarves wait here," Gabriel interrupted. "I'll go through with Ben to get Hob and we'll be right back."

"No argument from us," said Gob.

"Yes, you're quite right," Nob added, "Someone needs to stay here and protect Casey." Neither dwarf wanted to get near Arinya and anywhere on the small island was too close to the water for them. Ben winked at his sister and then followed Gabriel into the black hole. If he had met Arinya, he would not have regarded the dwarves' decision to remain behind so lightly.

Inside the dark void, Ben could see out through the opening onto the small island where, just outside the opening and trying to peer inside, stood Hob. They hurried across the black expanse and stepped out into the bright sunshine.

"Gabriel!" Hob exclaimed. The excited dwarf spun around and ran back up to the top of the small beach. "Thank goodness you are here," he called over his shoulder, as he hurriedly began stuffing his belongings into his pack. "I am so ready to get off of this forsaken island. I haven't had a proper meal in almost a whole day! By the way, do you know who put me here?"

"Yes, I have heard. We will need to take care of her eventually, but right now Ben and I just need to get you out of here and back to Castle Twilight as quickly as possible."

"Ben?" asked Hob, turning around. He spied Ben, standing just behind Gabriel, and his face paled. "Ben? What are you doing here?"

"How do you think this pathway got here?" Ben replied.

"I know, but you need to get off this island at once; it is you that Arinya wants!"

"We know. Gob and Nob told us all about her plans. Come on, let's get moving."

"YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"

Arinya had materialized in the water at the edge of the shoreline. The island was so small that the opening to the pathway was close enough to the water for her to reach it. She had formed two long thick tendrils of water with her arms. These undulating barriers snaked completely around the black hole, cutting off their escape.

"Oh no," Hob cried. "Oh no!"

Arinya laughed. Gone from her voice were the soothing sounds of gurgling brooks and gentle waterfalls. Her laughter sounded of rushing rivers that would dash you to pieces upon jagged rocks. It sounded of dangerous riptides and undercurrents that would pull you down to the darkest depths. It sounded of ferocious storms with crashing surfs that beat upon lonely beaches. It sounded... horrifying.

"Let us pass," Gabriel commanded.

The nymph hushed her laughter and glared at the elf. "Who are you, sunlighter, to command anything of me? I could leave you here until the sun bleaches your bones. It takes a long time for a dwarf to starve to death, but I am very curious to know how long it would take one of the fair folk to wither away. Nevertheless, I will let you and the dwarf pass, but the child will remain behind."

Gabriel turned to Ben. "Close the portal. We do not want Casey or one of the other two dwarfs coming through."

"How do I close it? It just snapped shut on its own before."

"You're holding on to it this time. Let it go."

"How?"

"In your mind; just let it go."

Ben thought about it for a moment and realized that, subconsciously, he was still focused on the pathway. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he let it out, he relaxed and the hole immediately snapped shut. Arinya pulled her long watery tendrils back into the lake and waited to see what they would do next.

"Can you open the pathway in a spot near the center of the island where she can't reach?" asked Hob.

"I don't think I have any control over where the hole appears," Ben replied, turning to Gabriel. "Do I?"

Gabriel shook his head. "The hole will appear nearby, but it will always appear in the closest open area."

"Hob, do you have your axe?"

"No, I don't. I only have my short sword."

"Well, could we use that?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I believe we'd starve to death before we could hack down a tree with that."

"Let's move to the middle of the island anyway," said Gabriel. "If she could reach us she would have grabbed us by now, but I don't want her to hear our conversations and we need to come up with a plan."

Hob did use his sword to hack away the brush so they could get deeper into the thick grove of trees that were concentrated in the interior part of the island. Once there, they sat upon the ground in the cool shade of the cottonwoods to rack their brains. Ben pushed his glasses up on his nose and absently scratched at his chin, while Gabriel reclined on his back and stared up at the velvety green leaves that were fluttering in the breeze. At least it was cool here.

"What's that buzzing sound?" Ben asked.

"Look," said Hob, "it's a humming bird!"

Gabriel leapt to his feet. The tiny bird zipped over to him and hovered in front of his face for a few seconds, then disappeared through the tree tops in a flash of green and yellow feathers.

"What was that all about?" asked Hob. "That little bird was staring you in the face!"

"That little bird," Gabriel replied, "was not a humming bird, it was a honey bird and it was delivering a message."

"Huh?" said Ben.

"That was a messenger bird from Faerie. They are called honey birds and they are used there to deliver short messages between cities."

"Awesome! How does it work?"

"The message is written on the underside of the birds wings. It is a written language that is taught only to the handlers of the honey birds."

"Are you a handler?"

"No."

"Then how could you read the message?"

Gabriel smiled at Ben's inquisitiveness, but Hob interrupted him before he could answer.

"Ahem," the dwarf said, clearing his throat rather loudly. Although dwarves have an insatiable curiosity, they also have a considerable lack of patience and Hob did not share Ben's interest or enthusiasm about the whole secret message process; he only wanted to know the content of the message. "Perhaps you could tell us who sent the message and what did it say?"

"Yes, but let me answer Ben's question first; it will only take a moment."

"Well, please hurry," Hob replied, yanking on his beard. "I am practically starving to death and if I see another honey bird I may very well eat it; feathers and all!"

"The written language," Gabriel continued, "was designed so that when the bird is in flight, the movement of it wings will transform the writings into a common written language that all can read."

"Does the ink not harm the bird?"

"BLAST THE BIRD," Hob screeched, "WHAT DID THE MESSAGE SAY?"

"Quiet!" Gabriel hissed. "We came into the trees to keep Arinya from hearing our conversations. If you are going to scream so loudly that she can hear you, then go and stand by the water to do so."

Hob clamped his hand over his mouth. "I'm so sorry," he mumbled, "I'm not thinking clearly. Please tell us the message."

"I am sorry too, my friend. I did not mean to snap at you. The message was from Marcus. I'm not sure how he was able to get the honey bird to deliver it to us here and I'm not exactly sure what the message meant."

"What did it say," asked Ben. He was beginning to grow impatient now too.

"It was just two words; give snowflake."

"Give snowflake?" Hob repeated. "Give snowflake? Great bouncing boulders what does he mean by that? Give snowflake! It's spring time and he sends us a message that says give snowflake?" The dwarf's voice was growing louder and beginning to rise. Gabriel hushed him once more and reminded him to keep his voice down.

"Let's think about this," said Ben. "One, there is not enough room on the birds wing to write out any kind of detailed message, so we have to assume that what he did write was absolutely the best clue possible for whatever he is trying to tell us. Two, if the message came from Marcus he must have seen something in the future; something that has to do with our predicament here. I mean, how else would he even know we were here? Therefore, those two words have to be a clue as to how we can get off this island. We just have to figure it out."

"Give snowflake," Hob muttered again. "What kind of clue is that?"

"I've got it!" Ben cried.

Gabriel held his finger up to his lips to remind Ben to keep his voice down. "What is it?" he whispered.

"Casey's charm bracelet! The gift Marcus gave her at Christmas; one of the charms on the bracelet is a snowflake!"

*****
CHAPTER 9

HARD FREEZE

"Excellent!" said Gabriel. "That has to be it."

Ben beamed while Hob congratulated him with a pat on the back. "So, what is Casey supposed to do with the charm?" he asked, "and what do you think the charm will do to get us out of here?"

"I don't know for sure, but Marcus's instructions were to give it, so we have to assume that he means for us to give the charm to Arinya."

"Just how do you suppose we are going to pull that off?" asked Hob.

"I have an idea," said Gabriel. "Arinya is very proud and sure of herself. She thinks she is invincible now that she has claimed Long Lake for her new home and, in her pride, I'm certain that she would rise to any challenge we present to her."

"Pride goeth before a fall," Ben quoted.

"Very wise words and very true," said Gabriel. "And that's exactly what I'm counting on."

"So, what's your plan?"

"Follow me and play along. You'll see."

Arinya was waiting for them when they returned to the beach. She flowed to the edge of the shore and rose up out of the water until she appeared to be standing on the surface of the lake. Her boat was nowhere to be seen and without the ghastly craft she did not appear quite as menacing. "Have you decided to accept my offer?" she asked. "If so, I must say I am somewhat disappointed. I expected you to hold out longer than this."

"We have dealt with you once before," Gabriel replied. "We held up our end the bargain and you honored yours. Will you deal with us again?"

"The boy is not negotiable. There are no deals to be made. I WILL have him."

"We will not give him to you, but we will leave him here on the island if you will let us return to our friends on the shore."

"That is the offer I made to you earlier. What is this deal you speak of?"

"We will agree to the offer you made us if you will bring the boy a trinket from his sister. It is a little thing that will bring him a small measure of comfort when we leave here."

Arinya's liquid green eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I don't like it," she gurgled. "You sunlighters are full of trickery; always twisting your words and speaking half-truths to advance your causes. You are up to something. The deal is now off." The nymph turned away from them and began to slowly sink back into the green lake waters. Before she disappeared, Gabriel called out to her.

"Wait! There is no deception here. Rest assured, we will come back and rescue him. When we return we will bring large boats that you cannot topple and we will bring many of them; hundreds of them, if necessary. You may be able to hinder one or two of them, but not all of them. We will take him from this island and there will be nothing you can do to stop us."

Arinya shot up out of the water and loomed as far over the land as she was able. "There are no boats that I cannot topple," she screamed. "I draw my strength from these waters and Long Lake is both vast and deep. I will get this trinket for you and when you return with your little boats you will see my true power."

*****

"Look!" Casey cried. "They are coming out of the woods now."

"There's that nasty nymph too," said Gob. "It looks like Gabriel is talking to her."

"I wonder what's happening," Nob mused. "Why doesn't Ben just open another pathway and come back?"

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Gob answered. "However, whatever is taking place over there can't be good; Arinya looks really angry."

"She just left them," Casey cried. "Open the pathway, Ben, hurry!"

Gob and Nob held their breath, waiting anxiously to see what Ben would do. He did not re-open the pathway and, much to their horror, Arinya suddenly materialized in the water before them. Gob grabbed Casey and pulled her back, while Nob promptly fainted.

Arinya hovered in the water, leering at them. She was obviously delighted with the fear she instilled in the trembling dwarf. However, Gob finally mustered his courage. Taking a deep breath and swallowing the lump that was rising in his throat, the fearful dwarf stepped forward and addressed the nymph. "Why are our friends not returning? What have you done?"

"I have done nothing, yet. I cannot reach them where they stand, but I can easily reach the doorway through which they came. I will not let them leave. Not just yet. You two dwarves broke your deal with me. You brought the child, but you had no intentions of giving him to me; you only brought him along to rescue your friend."

"Let them go," said Casey. "They haven't done anything to you."

"Ah, you must be the boy's sister. I will allow the sunlighter and the dwarf to return, but the boy shall remain behind. This is the deal I have made with the sunlighter."

"Gabriel would not make that deal with you!"

"Oh, but he has! He thinks to return with boats to rescue the boy, but this is my lake and no one may travel upon it without my leave. I will crash their boats into one another and destroy them. I will flip them over and then I will pull every last sunlighter to the bottom of the lake. I can hardly wait."

"Then let them pass," said Gob.

"Not yet. The sunlighter has asked for a trinket to comfort the child until he returns. His plans to rescue the boy amuse me, but his arrogance angers me to no end. I will humor him this once and only so that he may return and attempt a rescue. That bracelet you are wearing," Arinya pointed. "Is there a snowflake on it?"

Casey didn't have to look to know that there was indeed a snowflake charm on her bracelet. Although she only knew what one of the charms actually did, she had spent long hours looking at the other charms, often wondering what secret powers they might hold. She also knew that Ben would not ask for a charm from her bracelet to comfort him. That was so lame. They knew something and they had a plan. Maybe Gabriel knew how to use the charm?

"Yes, there is a snowflake on my bracelet."

"Give it to me. Give it to me and I will deliver it to the boy and then I shall allow the sunlighter and the dwarf to leave the island."

Casey grasped the tiny delicate flake between her thumb and finger and the charm instantly fell away from the bracelet. She held the shiny flake up for Arinya to see. "I will not come to the water," she told the nymph. You will have to catch it."

The tiny silver flake sparkled and glistened in the sunlight as it flipped end over end, straight into Arinya's outstretched palm.

*****

"Now!" Gabriel cried.

Ben held up the staff and yelled, "Shazam!"

The entrance to the pathway popped up near the shoreline and the three castaways scrambled into the black hole. They sprinted across the black expanse and leapt through the opening onto the banks of the mainland. Nob had recovered from his fainting spell and Gob was dabbing his forehead with a wet rag. Casey was down at the edge of the water poking at something with a long stick.

"Casey!" Ben yelled. "Get away from the water!"

"It's okay, Ben. She's frozen solid."

"This is our chance to get her out of the lake," said Gabriel. "Ben, open a pathway to the cabin. You and Casey go through to the cabin with Hob and find a container that will hold her when she thaws. Wait for us by the opening. Gob and Nob, help me get her out of the water, quickly now, before she melts."

The nymph was not as big they had thought, but it was still difficult to fish her out of the lake. The ice was very slippery and already starting to melt. Once they got her onto dry land they hurried through the pathway to the cabin, where everyone was in the yard waiting for them. Ben let the pathway close and directed Gabriel and the two dwarves over to a nearby rain barrel that Hob had just emptied. They eased the frozen nymph into the barrel and then carried the barrel up onto the cabin's porch.

"Set it on the end of the porch where the sun will shine upon her. Make sure the spigot is hanging over the edge," said Gabriel.

"Why is that?" asked Hob. "What are we going to do? Let her melt and then run her out on dry land?"

"No," Gabriel answered. "But as she melts, we are going to divide her into smaller containers."

"How come?" asked Ben. With the nymph frozen solid, he was able to take a really close look at her. It was hard to believe that such a beautiful creature could be so wicked.

"Two reasons. She gets her strength from the water that she inhabits; the greater the body of water, the greater her strength. There is no way we could have rescued you from that island with boats and she knew it. Long Lake is so much larger and deeper than the lake in Kahzidar that she would have been practically invincible. So, the first reason we are doing this is to weaken her further. The second reason is that we are taking her with us and this will make it easy to transport her."

"What are you going to do with her?" asked Louise.

"Nymphs are not evil creatures by nature. Something made her this way. I hope that once Marcus is rescued and Bellator has been defeated that we can find a new home for her in Faerie and rehabilitate her. Anyhow, that is the plan."

"Good," said Ben. "Now that I've seen her up close, I've got a feeling about her that I just can't explain. I don't want any harm to come to her."

"Well," said Hob, "I think we should put her in a kettle, light a fire underneath it, and let her boil until every last drop has evaporated into nothingness."

"We can't do that," said Amos, "but we do need to get her melted as soon as possible." The big man shaded his eyes and glanced up at the sun. "It's going to be a hot day today, but that's a lot of ice and it will take a while to melt down. Is there anything we can do to speed it up?"

"I've got an idea," said Casey. "Build a fire like Hob suggested and when it burns down, rake the coals into a frying pan and then hold the pan on top of her head. That won't hurt her, will it?"

"That's a great idea!" exclaimed Gabriel. "It won't hurt her at all and it will definitely speed things up a bit. Let's do this. Hob, Gob, and Nob; you three get a fire going out here in the yard. Amos, you get a frying pan and take charge of holding the hot coals over her head. Ben and I will go back to Castle Twilight to retrieve some water bags in which we can carry her. Louise and Casey come with us. When we all get back to the castle, we need to immediately begin plans for helping Marcus."

Louise and Casey remained at the castle while Gabriel and Ben collected three large animal skins in which to collect the melting nymph. By the time they arrived back at the dwarves' cabin, they discovered that Casey's idea of using a frying pan full of hot coals was working better than expected; Arinya was half melted. Gabriel hurriedly uncorked one of the skins and opened the spigot. Within a couple of hours, the nymph was completely melted and neatly divided among the three water skins.

"Are you sure she is okay?" asked Ben. "I haven't seen the skins move at all."

"I've been watching the water closely," Amos added. "I haven't seen any movement in the water either. I don't think she is alive."

"Trust, me," said Gabriel, "she is very much alive. She wants us to think she is dead so that we'll pour her out and then she can escape."

"Escape to where? There is nowhere for her to go. Doesn't she need water to survive?"

"Yes, but unless we pour her out in a desert she will trickle along the ground until she finds water."

"But I thought she was bound to the water she inhabits," said Hob.

"She is," Gabriel answered, "but she does not inhabit any specific body of water at the moment. We removed her from the lake and that broke the magic that bound her there. Once she relocates to a new place, the magic that makes her what she is will bind her there until she is displaced again. Let's get back to the castle. Louise and Casey are waiting on us."

Gabriel picked up one of the water skins and slung it across his shoulders. All three dwarves refused to touch them, so Amos grabbed the second skin and Ben grabbed the last one.

Back at the castle, Louise and Casey had been busy in the kitchens and, with some help from the elfin cooks, had spread a big feast in the great hall. When the others returned from the cabin, the smell of roasted pork and fresh baked bread greeted them at the doors. Hob took one sniff of the tantalizing aromas and a crazy dazed expression fell across his face. Gob and Nob immediately started for the tables, for they were hungry too, but Hob bowled them over in a mad dash to the food. However, his two friends quickly recovered and, before the others could set down the water skins, all three of the dwarves were shoveling food into their mouths as if it were their very last meal.

"I know how we can rescue Marcus," said Amos, watching the hungry dwarves plow through the food.

"How is that?" Gabriel asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Lock those three up without food for a couple of days and then throw some gravy on Bellator."

Gabriel and Ben laughed. "You might be on to something there, Amos," the elf remarked. "I think I'd rather face Bellator than to be around those three after they had been without food for a couple of days."

The meal was both refreshing and filling. After seconds and thirds, everyone retired to the Keeper's study with Gabriel to discuss the situation with Marcus and Bellator. Gabriel retrieved an ornate golden box from a nearby shelf and removed the lid. Inside of the box was a small slip of parchment, neatly framed in a wooden case and protected with a glass covering. The elf reverently lifted the case from the box and laid it on the table for all to see.

"Behold, the final prophecy of Venus."

*****
CHAPTER 10

THE PROPHECY

"Before we confront Bellator," Gabriel began, "before we even begin planning the confrontation, we must consider the prophecy. I will read it now...

When witch's reign has ended

And evil ones are gone

When wizard's staff is mended

And Dragon's dead at dawn

When king's mad rule is broken

And gnomes are free at last

When seer's last word is spoken

And sword returns from past

When Fallen One reappears

And sits upon his throne

When wisest one through the years

To Dragon's Cradle comes

When darkest fears seem so real

And no hope can be found

Lowly Chosen One revealed

Will bring the mighty down."

When Gabriel finished reading, the room was quiet, everyone absorbed in their own thoughts. Louise finally broke the silence with a question directed to Gabriel. "You think Ben is this lowly chosen one, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I do," Gabriel answered, "and so does Marcus. I think it is obviously apparent. Whether through direct actions of his own doings or indirect actions of others that he has set into motion, Ben has been responsible for every fulfillment of the prophecy. Let's look at each one of them...

When witch's reign has ended

And evil ones are gone

"Ben brought about the downfall of the witch and the defeat of the snaker invasion.

When wizard's staff is mended

And Dragon's dead at dawn

"Venus mended Merlin's broken staff and gave it to Ben. Actually, now that I think about it, Venus may have been the one who placed the enchantment on the staff that allows Ben to travel about with pathways like the wizards of old."

"Ben didn't kill the dragon," Louise pointed out.

"No, not directly, but he faced the dragon and because of the kindness he showed to another he was indirectly responsible for the destruction of Zoltan. Moving on...

When king's mad rule is broken

And gnomes are free at last

"I'm sure that Ringwald Stonebreaker and the events that took place in Kahzidar are still fresh in everyone's memory, so there's no need to elaborate here. The next part...

When seer's last word is spoken

And sword returns from past

"After meeting with Ben on Mount Gazafar, Venus left Faerie and returned to his brothers. The sword that returns from the past is a reference to Bellator's sword, Excalibur."

"Where is the sword?" asked Casey.

"The sword left Camelot centuries ago. Marcus was Keeper of the sword and he gave it to Merlin when the wizard left for Earth. Although we have no idea where it is, according to the prophecy it will reappear. We must keep it from Bellator at all costs, for with it in his possession all will be lost. Speaking of Bellator...

When Fallen One reappears

And sits upon his throne

"The fallen one is Bellator and he is waiting for us to bring Excalibur to him. Do you care to guess where he waits?"

"We know he is in Jupiter with Marcus," said Amos.

"Yes, that is correct. He is in Jupiter and even now he is sitting on the very throne that the Creator forbade him to touch. The next verse is the only one in the prophecy that is truly perplexing...

When wisest one through the years

To Dragon's Cradle comes

"The wisest one? Who is the wisest one? I have thought long upon this matter and the Keeper and I have discussed it at great length. We thought it might be Merlin, but how? Merlin has been dead for centuries. If not Merlin, the only other person we could think of is Venus, but either way it is moot point because we do not know anything of the Dragon's Cradle."

"Did you say Dragon's cradle?" Hob called from across the room. The three dwarves had quietly left the conversation and were sitting in a corner by the empty hearth. Before retiring to the Keeper's study, Gob and Nob had pilfered some desserts from the tables. They had stashed away several pies and cakes in their sacks and were quietly consuming them while the others talked.

"Yes," Gabriel replied. "Do you know of it?"

"Of course," Hob answered, rising to his feet and brushing the crumbs from his beard. "Every dwarf has heard of it, though none living have ever seen it."

"It's on Crag," said Nob. The pies and cakes were gone and the conversation had taken an interesting turn, so all three dwarves gathered around the table to join the others.

"What exactly is it?" asked Gabriel.

"It's the place where dragons are born. Actually, it's more than just a place. It's a structure made from stones; gigantic stones, rectangular in shape, standing up on their ends and arranged in circles. The birthing stone is located in the center of the innermost circle. It is the largest stone in the whole structure and it lays flat upon the ground."

"Why is it called a birthing stone?"

"When a dragon's time is upon her, she will fly to the Dragon's Cradle so that her offspring may be born upon the birthing stone. If the newborn dragon does not draw its first breath upon the stone, it will be devoid of magic, completely powerless, and it will die."

"I thought dragons hatched from eggs," Casey remarked.

"No," Nob answered, scratching his head. "Everyone knows dragons are born live."

"I hate to rain on your party," said Louise to Gabriel, "but that part of the prophecy has not been fulfilled and it doesn't have anything to do with Ben."

"Maybe it does," said Gabriel. "Maybe we are supposed to go to Crag and find this Dragon's Cradle. Merlin was obsessed with this prophecy and studied it often. I would venture to guess that he has safely hidden the sword and we will probably find a clue there that will lead us to it. Who knows, maybe Venus, when he left Camelot, fetched the sword from Earth and hid it away on Crag before he returned home to the other Immortals. Or maybe Merlin, before he died, figured out a way to spirit the sword away. Maybe he even figured out how to create a pathway and hid the sword at the Dragon's Cradle himself? There are many possibilities and, unfortunately, we do not have the Keeper's foresight to aid us, but while I don't know what we will find there, I am certain we are supposed to go there."

"Even so, I still do not see what that has to do with Ben." Louise had now taken a defensive posture, with her sleeves pushed up and her hands planted firmly on her hips. Ben could tell that she was getting ready to dig in and object to anything Gabriel suggested.

"Grandma, let's hear him out."

Gabriel leaned back in his chair and smiled at Ben. He closed his eyes for a moment and then continued. "You know, the more I think about it, the more certain I am that that the magic residing in Merlin's staff was placed there by Venus. I believe that for two very simple reasons. One; Venus repaired the staff and gave it to Ben. Two; if Merlin or Marcus had the ability to travel between worlds they would have opened a pathway to Zorn to save the council of Wizards. Venus would have certainly had that ability and the power to bestow it upon another as well. Now, we have to ask ourselves, why did Venus do that? What were his intentions? Given the recent fulfillment of all parts of his prophecy that we have covered so far, it only makes sense that Ben, to whom he gave this power, now has the ability to provide us with a means of reaching the Dragon's Cradle; a pathway to Crag."

"You think I can open a pathway to another world? Like back to Grandma and Grandpa's house?"

"That's exactly what I think. Why don't we find out? It will only take a minute."

"We can't open pathway back to the farm," Louise objected. "Someone might see it."

"Hey, I know!" cried Casey. "No one is at our house, so try opening a pathway to our living room."

"Good idea," said Ben, rising from the table and retrieving the staff from the corner near the door. "Everyone stand back. When we were stranded on that island, we found out that these holes will only open in a clear area."

Everyone crowded behind Ben, while Amos pulled the table and chairs back to add a little extra room. Ben gripped the staff and closed his eyes. He imagined the living room inside of their home back in Atlanta, Georgia. He pictured the comfortably worn sofa and matching loveseat. He pictured the coffee table, scattered with Better Homes and Gardens and Women's Day magazines. Finally, he pictured the leather recliner and the little side table where his dad kept his laptop and reading glasses. Once the image was firmly fixed in his mind, he spoke his command, "Open Sesame!"

The black hole popped open in the area they had just cleared.

"Come on," Ben said to his sister. "I need you to disarm the alarm system while I grab something from the kitchen."

"Should I come too?" Louise asked.

"No, we'll only be a minute, Grandma."

"Pssst," said Hob, motioning for Ben to lean in closer, so that he could hear him whisper. "Do you have any sodas at your home?"

Ben smiled. "I'm bringing you something way better than sodas," he whispered back.

In a few short minutes, Ben and Casey reemerged from the pathway and the black hole snapped shut behind them. Casey was carrying a plastic bag with a large flat box inside of it and Ben was grinning from ear to ear.

"It worked!" he cried. "We were actually at home!"

"I knew you could do it," said Gabriel. "I knew it."

"Hey, um... what's in the bag?" asked Hob. The dwarf could see a white and green package poking out the top of the bag, but he could not tell what might be in it. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious.

"Krispy Kreme donuts," answered Casey. "We were supposed to bring them with us when we drove up from Atlanta, but we forgot and left at them at home on the table."

"Won't your parents miss them when they get back home?" asked Louise.

"After a week away? I don't think so. We've got a dozen here, so that will be one and a half donuts a piece."

The donuts were a tremendous hit. Everyone raved about them and the three dwarves wanted to know how to make them. When Casey explained that they were purchased at a place that made them fresh every day, the dwarves produced several sacks of gold from their belts and begged Ben to open a pathway to the place where the donuts were made so they could buy some more. After Ben promised to get them some later, the dwarves quieted down and Gabriel picked up where he left off.

"That Ben can open pathways between worlds is an exciting discovery, but we have yet another riddle to solve."

"What riddle is that?" asked Amos.

"How can Ben open a pathway to Crag without ever having been to Crag? For that matter, how do you dwarves know what the Dragon's Cradle looks like if no living dwarf has ever seen it?"

"To be perfectly honest," answered Nob, "we are not certain how it looks. The tale of the Dragon's Cradle and what it looks like has been passed down through many generations, so I don't know how accurate the description we gave you really is."

"Do you have any maps, drawings, or paintings of Crag in your archives at Dwarvenhall? Something with enough detail that Ben might be able to use it to open a pathway there?"

"I'm not sure, but we might. The only way to find out would be to go and see."

"Before we trek all the way to Dwarvenhall," Amos interrupted, "don't you think we should find out if Ben can open a pathway to a place he's never been?"

"You're absolutely right," said Gabriel, rising from his seat. The elf walked over to the bookcase where he had retrieved the case containing the prophecy and ran his fingers across the books on the top shelf. He pulled a fat black leather bound book from the middle and began flipping through the pages. "We need a map and a drawing of a place that Ben has never visited. It would be good if we could perform such a test from here to somewhere in Faerie, but I do not want to risk being discovered by Bellator until the appointed time. Therefore, we will try this."

"What is it?" asked Louise, looking at the open book that Gabriel had laid upon the table. Across both pages was a neatly drawn and very detailed map. There were hills, mountains, valleys, swamps, roads, rivers, forests, fields, and villages, all carefully drawn with excruciating detail and meticulously labeled in tiny elegant elfin script.

"Wow," said Ben, "what a cool map! Look, there's Castle Twilight!"

In the center of the page on the left side, where Ben was pointing, was a miniature replica of Castle Twilight. The drawing was exact, all the way down to the portcullis on the river gates and the mysterious Faerie Oaks that surrounded the castle.

"Where are we going?" asked Hob. All dwarves have a love of maps and are skilled beyond measure in the art of topography. However, the craftsmanship of this map that Gabriel had produced would rival any dwarven map and all three dwarfs crowded around the table to admire it.

"Here," Gabriel answered, pointing to a place in the upper right corner of the opposite page.

"The West Gate?"

"Yes. If he is able to do this, then why not open the pathway to the very place that we need to go?"

"That makes sense, but is this enough detail for him to go on?"

"No, and that's where we need your help. While Ben is studying the map and familiarizing himself with all of the landmarks and directions, I want you three to take this piece of parchment and create a very detailed drawing of the West Gate and the area around it. Here's a quill and a bottle of ink."

While the others waited, Nob took the quill and, with input from Hob and Gob, began to put an image to paper. Soon, after much squabbling about the proportions of the gate, Nob laid the quill down and announced that they were finished.

"Let's see what you have," said Gabriel. "Amos, come look at this with me. You have seen the West Gate. Tell me what you think."

The big man loomed over the table to examine the picture. "Wow, that is very good, guys! I did not know you had any talents other than eating."

"Ha-ha-ha," Hob replied. "Very funny. So, when are we leaving?"

"Right now," Gabriel answered.

*****
CHAPTER 11

THE LIBRARIAN

"Are we all going?" asked Nob. "The Librarian of the archives is a rather strange character."

"He's a bloody frightening character," said Gob with a shiver. "I don't think he would be very agreeable with the whole lot of us traipsing through his rooms."

"Let's do this," said Gabriel. "Amos, if you will, take Louise and Casey through the Merlin tree to Faerie. Gob and Nob will go with you. We've setup a garrison with stables near the tree. Jonah is running the post and, once you arrive there, he will outfit you with horses and escort you to the lodge at the base of Mount Gazafar. That will be the location from which we will plan this entire operation. Hob, Ben, and I will go to Dwarvenhall to search the archives. If we find a depiction of this Dragon's Cradle or any other structure on Crag that we can use as a point of reference, we will try to convince the Librarian to part with it. If he cannot be persuaded as such, then we will have to either sneak the illustrations past him or make a copy of it to take along with us."

"Wait a minute," said Casey, reaching into her pocket. "I've got my cell phone with me. Why don't you take it with you?"

"What's a cell phone?" asked Gob.

"For Pete's sake, who are we going to call here," Ben asked, ignoring the inquisitive dwarves who were crowding around Casey to see her phone.

"You obviously can't call anyone, Ben. Don't be such a smart-aleck."

"Then why do we need to take your phone with us?"

"If you find a drawing and you can't take it with you, then you can snap a picture of it."

"Oh, I see. That's actually a pretty good idea," Ben admitted.

"What does it mean to snap a picture?" asked Nob.

"Yes, please show us," Hob added.

"Okay, but real quick," said Casey. "Everyone stand together in front of the mantel. You three dwarfs stand side-by-side. Amos, you and Gabriel stand behind them. Grandma, are you and Ben getting in the picture?"

"No," said Louise. "I don't know how I could ever explain a picture like that if it ever got out."

"I'll delete it right after I take it."

"No, but thanks anyway. Go ahead and take theirs and let's get moving."

Somehow, Casey got the three dwarfs, the elf, and the shape shifting giant posed in front of the mantle. She thought getting the three dwarves to sit still for a few seconds would be nearly impossible, but when she said 'say cheese', all three of them quieted down and stood still to see what she would say next; they were hoping to hear 'ham' and 'biscuits'. Casey quickly took their picture, before they realized she was not talking about food and then pulled the photo up on her display screen to show them. They were all amazed.

"Is this a sample of the magic from your world that you call technology?" asked Gabriel.

"Yeah," Ben answered. "I guess we kinda take it for granted, because it is some pretty cool stuff when you think about it. Hey Grandma, why aren't you fussing about me going to Dwarvenhall without you? That's not like you. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling just fine," Louise answered. "Dwarvenhall is a safe place and you are in good hands with Gabriel and Hob. When we get to Faerie though, I am not letting you two out of my sight! Now, see if you can open the pathway. We will wait here until you are safely on your way."

Ben had the map fixed firmly in his mind. He studied the sketch of the West Gate that Nob had completed with help from his friends. It really was a great illustration and the detail was astounding. Especially for being completed in such a short span of time. Since the drawing was done in ink, Hob pointed to various parts of the picture and described things that could not be portrayed in ink alone. He went into great detail about the texture of the large timbers from which the West Gate was built and the colors of the rock cliff where the Gate was hung. He described the grasses, the brush, and the small bushes that grew around the edges of the gate. He even described the noises and aromas that drifted up to the gate from the small town of Mountain Rest in the valley below.

"I think I've got it, Hob. Everyone stand back and make room for the opening."

Once everyone was clear and the end of the study was open, Ben grasped the staff tightly and cried out, "Scooby Doo!" The black hole popped open at the end of the room and hovered there, waiting for them to enter.

"We will meet you in Faerie when we have found what we are searching for," said Gabriel. "I do not expect this to be a quick trip for I have heard the archives at Dwarvenhall are vast. It may even take us a week to locate something that will serve our purpose."

"Well," said Louise, "I will give you three days. If you haven't found anything by then, Ben can open a pathway back to the castle and you can come back through to send a messenger to Faerie to let us know that everything is okay. You can also let us know how much longer you expect to take to finish the task."

"Fair enough. If you do not see us in three days' time, I will send word of our progress."

Ben hugged his grandma and he even hugged his sister too. Then he turned to Gabriel and Hob, who were waiting by the opening. "Hey, déjà vu," he cried.

"Déjà vu," Gabriel inquired?

"Yes. It a word that's used to describe a feeling that you've already done something that you're about to do. Me, you and Hob going on another adventure together; since the three of us went to the Great Oak Forest a few months ago, what's happening right now feels like it has already happened some time ago in the past. Déjà vu."

"Ah, you are right," Gabriel agreed. "It does seem that we've been here before. At least this time there will be no snakers to sneak past. Come, let's be off."

Louise watched Ben follow his friends into the dark opening. She waited patiently until the black hole snapped shut and then turned to Amos, "Lead the way. We might as well get this horse ride over with; my backside is aching just thinking about it."

*****

Hob stepped out of the pathway with Gabriel and Ben right behind him. The massive West Gate loomed before them.

"You did it," Hob cried, "we're here!"

The gates were just as Nob had drawn them. Their broad timbers, rubbed black with pitch and bound together with thick bands of rusty iron, stood fifteen feet tall and spanned twenty feet across the sheer rock face of the mountain. Hob hurried over to the left of the gates and pressed his hand to a spot on the mountain's rocky side. A thin line immediately became visible on the stone surface and the shape of an arched doorway appeared before them.

"A hidden side gate," Gabriel remarked.

"No," Hob replied. "Believe it or not, this is the West Gate."

"Then what the heck is that?" asked Ben, pointing at the massive timbers.

"That," Hob answered, rather proudly, "is a decoy."

"Oh brother, that's a little over-kill, don't you think?"

"Not really," said Hob, giving the door a gentle shove. "There has not always been peace between Dwarvenhall and people of Mountain Rest." The door swung inward, revealing a dark tunnel that led downward into the mountain. Almost immediately, a drum began to sound from depths below. "There. The alarm has been activated and we must now sit here and wait. Guards will be here shortly to see who has opened the gate."

Within a few short hours, they were standing before the Librarian. Hob was trying to explain to him what they were searching for, while Gabriel and Ben stood quietly to the side. Having now seen the Librarian, Ben could understand why the three dwarfs were hesitant to come here; he was gruff, ill-mannered, and very frightening to look upon. He was also larger than most dwarves and although dwarves, as a general rule, are not very handsome, he was perhaps the ugliest dwarf Ben had ever seen. The poor creature's face and hands were covered with warts and a perpetual scowl just made his visage even scarier. Ben suddenly understood why he was the Librarian, squirreled away in the deepest and darkest parts of Dwarvenhall. Down here there was no one to look at him. There were no stares, no whispers, and no finger pointing. Down here were books, and scrolls, and great tomes full of rich history, knowledge, stories, and adventures. The archives offered him peace. It was a place of comfort, a place of escape. Ben was able to empathize with the Librarian, because he often felt like an outcast at school and he too found comfort and escape in books. His fears quickly turned to pity as he listened to Hob describe the items they were seeking.

"All we need is a sketch. You've got to have something like that in here somewhere, this place is huge!"

"I've been Librarian for thirty years and I'm telling you there are not any paintings, drawings, or sketches of the Dragon's Cradle anywhere in my archives."

"Maybe we don't need a sketch of the Dragon's Cradle," said Ben.

The Librarian glared at Ben. He was not at all happy about Hob bringing an elf and a human into his archives. Hob hadn't introduced them yet and the Librarian certainly didn't seem to care. He crossed his arms and continued to stare at Ben, but Ben was having none of it. His fears were gone and no matter how hard he tried, the Librarian was not going to be able to frighten or intimidate him.

"Before we go any further," Ben added, "some introductions are in order. My name is Ben and this gentleman here is Gabriel. We are very pleased to make your acquaintance." Ben bowed low and Gabriel followed his lead.

"Hmph!" the Librarian replied. "Doesn't matter if you need it or not – we ain't got it!"

"I bet you have maps though. I have heard that dwarven maps are the finest maps made. Surely there are some maps of your kingdom back on Crag and I'll bet that the Dragon's Cradle is on at least one or two of those maps."

Now Ben had the Librarian's attention. Dwarven maps were indeed the finest maps in all of Camelot and the Librarian was especially fond of them. His archives boasted a large collection of maps from Crag and he knew them all by heart.

"You're right on that account." The Librarian uncrossed his arms and started rubbing his big warty hands together. There was a faint trace of excitement in his voice. "I do have maps. I have maps of plenty too and a large portion of them from our very own homeland, no less."

"What about the Dragon's Cradle? Is it on any of the maps? I really wish I could see them. I've never seen a dwarven map, only an elfin map."

"An elfin map?" the Librarian yelled. "A bloody elfin map? Ah, you've gone and pierced my poor old heart with such heresy. If you want to see a real map, l can show you what one looks like. A bloody elfin map; no wonder you're lost! By the way, my name is Tor, but everyone calls me Spud. I believe this is your customary form of greeting." Spud stuck out his big warty hand for Ben to shake.

Ben did not hesitate. He thrust his hand forward and it was swallowed up in Spud's huge meaty fist. When Ben took his hand to shake it, the Librarian gasped.

"I've heard great things about you, Ben. Rumors have even managed to trickle their way down to my tunnels, but I scarcely believed them. You see, most people, dwarves included, do not even like to look upon me, and much less touch me. I can see now that your heart is indeed good and I believe all of the good things I have heard of you. I will help you in your quest. Come, follow me."

The archives were a labyrinth of narrow caverns with high ceilings that were hidden in the darkness above their heads. The shelves were carved into the stone walls and a narrow railway ran up and down the dimly lit corridors. Spud led them to an old hand car that was parked in what appeared to be the main hallway. Once everyone was on board, he began pumping the handles and the car gradually began inching forward along the tracks. Slowly, the car gained momentum. The handles flew up and down as they sped along the tracks, with the offshoot hallways flickering past them in a blur. They traveled like this for several minutes and Ben began to wonder just how big these archives really were. Finally, Spud pulled back on a long level and applied the brakes. Sparks flew from the wheels as they skidded to a halt in front of the entrance to another corridor on their right. A sign, carved into a low arched entrance, simply read "CRAG". Beneath the sign sat another rail car on another set of tracks.

"All aboard," called Spud, hopping off the first car and climbing onto the second one. "We are almost there."

Everyone hopped on board with the Librarian and once again he began pumping away at the handles. There were no offshoots on these side tunnels, but there were ladders fastened to the walls between the shelves. In a few short minutes, Spud pulled back on the brake lever, bringing the rail car to a screeching halt in front of one of the ladders. "What kind of map are you looking for?" he asked Ben. "There are several that show the location of the Dragon's Cradle. Will just one suffice?"

"Actually," Ben replied, "that depends. We're still looking for a painting or a drawing, but if you don't have one of the Dragon's Cradle, would you have one of something located near the Cradle; some kind of drawing of a landmark that might still exist on Crag and that would also be shown on the same map as the Cradle?"

"Ah-ha! You are in luck! There are many paintings and drawings of the Great Cathedral."

"What's that?"

"Oh my," Hob cried. "The Great Cathedral is the center of Haven. It is a vast cavern located in the halls beneath Fire Mountain, where the female dragons go and sing their songs to attract a mate."

"You know the story?" Spud asked Hob.

"Oh, yes. The female sings her song and the males that hear it are irresistibly drawn to her. They will fight to the death to be her mate. The Great Cathedral is unique because it has giant crystal stalactites that hang from the ceiling. These crystals also protrude through the top of the mountain and at night time, when the male dragons fight, the light from their fires illuminate these crystals and the stone walls of the cavern appear to burn with orange and yellow flames. That, along with the sound of the female's song, which vibrates through the crystals and is amplified in the vast openness of the chamber, can render you senseless if you are unfortunate enough to be caught there during such a ritual."

"And you have this on a map?" asked Gabriel. "A map that we could follow from the Cathedral to the Cradle?"

"I have a map that shows Fire Mountain and the Cradle. You will need another map to find your way about the halls beneath the mountain. You speak as if you are going there."

"We are," said Hob.

Gabriel tried to hush him, but it was too late; Spud had heard him.

"How is that possible? Merlin destroyed the tree to Crag after the evacuation. No one knows the way back."

"No one has known of a way back until now," said Gabriel. "Bring us these maps and drawings that you speak of and then we'll tell you more."

Spud studied them with a wary eye. For a moment, Ben was afraid that he would think them crazy, but finally his curiosity got the best of him. "Wait here by the car. It's easy to get lost in these halls and it will only take me a moment to retrieve them."

When he returned, everyone was expecting him to have his arms full of scrolls, but he was carrying only two scroll cases and a large flat wooden container. He carefully placed these items on the rail car and climbed aboard with the others.

"We'll take these back to the lobby area. There are tables, chairs, and better lighting to see by."

"Will there be others there?" asked Gabriel.

"No," Spud answered rather sadly. "No one ever comes to the archives."

*****
CHAPTER 12

TIME OUT

When they stepped through the Merlin tree, they immediately knew they were in Faerie. The dazzling sunshine warmed their skin while, at the same time, a soft breeze refreshed them. The bright colored flowers that spotted the grassy hillsides swayed in the wind, teasing the industrious little honey bees that were hard at work, zipping from bloom to bloom. In this land of perfection, the gnarled and twisted Merlin tree looked very strange and out of place. The last time they were here, these fields were empty and there were no signs of civilization anywhere nearby. Now, however, the place was teeming with activity. Two rows of large square tents had been erected with a wide grassy avenue between them. At the end of this tent-lined street stood another tent that was much larger than all of the others.

Elves had always used tents. In Camelot, before the construction of Castle Twilight, they had lived in a city of tents; tents all shapes, sizes, and colors. The tents that formed this garrison, however, were not like any of the tents that were used in the days before the dragon had wakened. The tents of those days were brightly colored with various designs. These tents were plain and utilitarian, but the remarkable thing about them was that they seemed to reflect their surroundings. The material appeared to blend into the grassy fields, making the tents very hard to detect from a distance. The grasses and flowers on the tent's design even seemed to sway in the breezes.

"Where do you think we should go?" asked Casey.

"I would guess the large tent at the end of the street," Louise answered.

"Follow me," said Nob, yanking on his beard. "We're not going to get anywhere standing around here wagging our tongues." The dwarves had grown accustomed to being in the Twilight and felt at home there among their elfin friends, but coming to Faerie, for some reason, still set them on edge. Nob started down the street with Gob and Amos right behind him. Louise and Casey followed along, but they never made it to the large tent; halfway down the street they were halted by an elf they did not know.

"It is not often we see a dwarf in Faerie and today I find two strolling down the street of our very new and very secret garrison. Could it be that you are part of the renowned trio of Hob, Gob and Nob?"

"At your service," said Gob with a bow. "I am Gob and this is Nob. Hob is away to Dwarvenhall with Gabriel and Ben."

"Ben Alderman is here?"

"Yes. This is his grandmother, Louise, and his sister Casey."

"And this giant tree trunk standing behind us," said Nob, hitching his thumb over his shoulder, is Amos. He's a shape shifter."

"I see," the elf replied, looking up at the fur clad giant standing behind the two dwarves. "It seems the appearance of Ben Alderman is always a herald for ill times.

"It could be," Amos said quietly, "those ill times are a herald for Ben Alderman. He has saved many people, elves included."

"True," the elf conceded. "I cannot argue that and we are certainly forever in his debt. I suppose I should take you to Jonah and let him decide what to do with you."

"That is exactly who we came to see," said Louise. She was beginning to get angry with the elf for his lack of manners and inhospitality. "Gabriel sent us here to meet with Jonah, so take us to him at once."

The elf raised an eyebrow, but when Louise pushed her sleeves up and planted her hands on her hips he reconsidered whatever objections had been forming in his mind. "Very well, follow me."

As it turned out, the large tent at the end of the street was serving as the stables for the horses. The smaller tents were the barracks where the elves were housed and the last one on the right was apparently the officer's quarters. The elf held the tent flap aside and motioned for them to enter.

Comfortable chairs and sofas lined the perimeter of the tent and in one corner sat a large pot with a beautiful flowering vine that snaked its way up the tent poles. Sunlight streamed in through a small window near the plant and dozens of tiny honey birds zipped from bloom to bloom to drink the sweet nectar. In the center of the tent, Jonah was leaning over a large table that was covered with various assortments of maps.

"Jonah?" said Louise.

The elf was so engrossed in his thoughts he did not hearthem enter the tent. He looked up and when he recognized them, all of the worry that was etched on his face evaporated.

"Louise!" The elf hurried around the table to embrace them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were just visiting, but it seems lately that every time we come here we get caught up in something sinister and dangerous. It would be nice to come here for a pleasant trip and then return home no worse for the wear."

"I agree, but circumstances dictate otherwise. Has Gabriel sent you? Where is Ben? For that matter, where are Gabriel and Hob?"

"They are off to the archives of Dwarvenhall," Nob answered, "looking for some pictures of the Dragon's Cradle."

"Ah, the prophecy. You know of this Dragon's Cradle?"

"Oh yes, but we've never seen it. It's back on Crag."

"But we think Ben can take us there," said Gob. "At least, Gabriel believes that he can."

"Hey," Louise cried. "You don't think they will try to go to Crag before they come here, do you?"

"Oh no, I hope not," Nob replied. "Gob and I are looking forward to visiting Haven; our ancestral home on Crag. Hob knows that too, so he'd better not go without us."

"There's nothing that be done for it now," said Amos. "If they do go, Ben will be in safe hands with Gabriel and Hob."

"Amos is right," said Jonah. "Let's all sit down and be comfortable. We have much to discuss."

Once they were seated at the table, Casey noticed that everyone became still and silent. She looked at Jonah, who was sitting in front her. The elf was looking across the table at Louise. He wasn't blinking and his mouth was open. Casey, thinking some wrong with her grandma, turned to see what Jonah was gawking at. Her grandma was sitting beside her, gripping the sides of her chair as if she were getting ready to scoot herself closer to the table, but she was not moving either. Gob and Nob were perfectly still too. They were not even twitching, which was highly unusual for the two dwarves; the only time they were ever still was when they were sleeping. Lastly, she glanced over at Amos. The friendly giant was as still as a statue, but what Casey saw behind him, in the corner of the tent, made her cry out and jump up from the table.

All around the flowering vine, small brightly colored honey birds were frozen in mid-flight. Their tiny wings, which beat so fast in flight that they were practically indiscernible, were now clearly visible on the stationary birds.

"Grandma?" Casey whispered. "Grandma, are you alright?" She reached out to touch Louise and a deep gentle voice spoke to her from behind.

"Do not touch her, child. She and the others are unharmed."

Casey spun around and a bright light flared up in front of her, temporarily blinding her. The darkness quickly receded from her vision and as her sight returned to normal she spied an angel standing quietly by the tent door. At least, to Casey the man looked like an angel. The white robed creature was every bit as large as Amos. Thick golden curls, a strong jaw line and high cheek bones framed a pair of eyes that were indigo blue and flecked with silver. Casey fell to her knees and covered her head. She did not feel in danger from this being, but she was terrified nonetheless.

"Rise dear one. You are wise to fear me, but there is no need. I am here to help you."

Casey climbed back into her chair. She didn't trust her legs to support her just yet. "Who are you?" she asked with a trembling voice.

"I think you know, do you not?"

"Venus?"

The creature smiled and Casey felt all of the worry, fear and stress melt away from her. "Are you here to help us defeat Bellator?"

"Bellator? No, I have no power over Jupiter, but I am here to give you a piece of information that may aid you in your quest."

"Shouldn't you be giving that information to Ben? Isn't he the chosen one?"

"Perhaps, but the information I have is for you and only you."

"Why me?" Casey asked. She didn't like the direction the conversation was heading and she could feel the panic slowly building in her chest. "If not Ben, then why not Gabriel or Jonah?"

"The information I have would be of no use to them; it is about your bracelet. That's why I've come to you; there is something you must know about one of the charms."

Casey glanced down at the charms dangling from the bracelet Marcus had given her back in December. He wouldn't tell her what the charms did. He said it could alter the future if she knew. That was only a few months ago, but it seemed like eons. So far she had only used one of the charms and that had saved Hob's life. Actually, capturing Arinya and removing her from Long Lake had probably saved countless lives. Casey's curiosity briefly overcame her fears. "Do you know what these charms do?"

Venus nodded.

"Why are you going to tell me? Marcus didn't think I should know."

"Yes, Marcus is wise, even wiser than some of the immortals. He has the gift of foresight and sees all of the many paths that fates may travel to their final destiny. He also understands that foreknowledge of these paths may alter their courses, thus altering the outcomes. He was right in withholding that information from you."

"Then why tell me now?"

"I am going to tell you what one of the charms will do. That is all. I will not tell you when to use it or how to use it. I will not even instruct you that you should use it, but we are dealing with powers beyond the comprehension of anyone on Faerie, Camelot, and Earth, and this bit of knowledge may tip the scales in your favor. However, as Marcus feared, this knowledge may also lead to the destruction of you and your loved ones. It could even lead to the destruction of all three worlds. The choice to know is yours, Casey. Choose wisely."

Casey bit her lip. Why her? Why now? No wonder Ben was the chosen one; this was exactly the kind of thing that he could puzzle out. She could just picture him pushing his glasses up on his nose, cupping his chin in his hand and scrunching up his brow as he worked the problem out in his head. What would Ben do? Marcus didn't want to tell her this information and even Venus agreed that it could lead to their downfall, but why would he offer to tell her anything unless he knew it could help them. He even admitted that it could help them. It must help them, otherwise why would he appear to her? Finally, she made up her mind. "Tell me," she whispered.

"There is a charm on your bracelet that looks like a sundial."

Casey knew the charm he was talking about. It was a small disc with a triangle protruding from the top. Around the edges of the disc were strange markings and tiny runes. She flipped the bracelet around until she found the charm and rolled it between her fingers while she waited for Venus to continue.

"A sundial marks the passage of time. The charm you hold between your fingers has the power to slow the passage of time."

"I don't understand."

"Look around you," Venus instructed. "Time has slowed for everyone, but for you and me it progresses at its usual pace."

"This is something you did?"

Venus nodded.

"And this is something my charm can do?"

Again, the immortal nodded.

"How do I get it to work?"

"The triangle that rises from the disc is called a gnomon. Pinch the gnomon between your thumb and index finger and speak the word cease."

"That's it?" Casey asked, rather incredulously. "I thought it would be something really complex."

"Often times, the most powerful spells are the easiest to cast."

Casey thought for a moment. A charm that stopped time could be invaluable in the fight against Bellator. If they couldn't use it to actually defeat him, then they should at least be able to use it to rescue Marcus. Her mind was racing with the possibilities when she noticed that Venus was becoming translucent and beginning to fade away. "Hey," Casey cried. "Where are you going?"

"I cannot remain in Faerie overly long for fear that Jupiter will sense my presence. I've already stayed longer than is safe and I must be leaving. Farewell child."

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Casey. "Hey wait! If I ever decide to use this charm, how do I get time to start back?"

Venus actually laughed. "Where you come from, the passage of time is marked in something called minutes. The spell will last for several of those minutes, but only the Creator has the power to stop time. It is the second most powerful force in all of His creation."

"What's the most powerful force?"

Venus winked out of existence but, a second before time resumed its steady march, Casey heard his voice whisper a single word...

"Love."

*****
CHAPTER 13

SPUD

Spud had been the librarian of the archives for most of his life and was very much at home in the dim corridors and hallways. However, since the lighting was better in the lobby and the chairs were quite comfortable too, he led his guests there to view the maps. "Let's start with this one," he said, unrolling a scroll across a table while the others scooted their chairs up close to see.

"Which one is this?" asked Gabriel.

"This is the upper level of Haven. It shows the Great Cathedral and the four main halls."

"Wow," Ben exclaimed, marveling at the exquisitely detailed map and its colorful illustrations. "No offense, Gabriel, but these dwarven maps are much better than the elfin maps I've seen."

Spud and Hob beamed at Ben. Gabriel smiled and nodded his agreement. The dwarven maps were of superior quality and beauty, but by pointing it out proclaiming it out loud, Ben had just softened another spot in Spud's stony heart and elevated his admiration in Hob's eyes to a whole new level.

"The Great Cathedral," Spud continued, "is the center of Haven. There are four main hallways that branch out from the Cathedral to each of the four points of the compass; North, South, East and West. If you are able to get to the Cathedral, you will go down the West Hall and then navigate your way to the door at the base of Fire Mountain."

"How will we know which one is the West Hall?" asked Gabriel.

"It will be written over the entrance way." Spud turned to Hob. "It's written in the primary runes. Can you read it?"

Hob yanked on his beard and stammered.

"Don't be embarrassed, there are very few remaining today that can decipher any of the old runes. Look here." Spud pointed to a round structure in the center of the map. "There are only four entrances into the Cathedral and they are labeled on this map. This one here is the way into the West Hall. Remember this rune."

While the others studied the rune, Ben took Casey's cell phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture.

"What is that?" Spud asked.

Ben thought about taking a picture of the Librarian, but the phone's battery was down to sixty-five percent and he wasn't sure how Spud would react to seeing an image of his homely mug. Hob must have had the same thought, for he spoke up and turned the subject back to the map.

"It's a bit of magic that will help him remember what the rune looks like," Hob replied. "Where do we go once we enter the West Hall?"

Spud's curiosity instantly evaporated at the mention of the word magic and, after casting a wary glance at Ben, he turned his attention back to the map. "At the end of each of the four main hallways, there should be a grand staircase. These stairs spiral downwards to the next level and the halls will get longer as you descend deeper. Each time you get off the stairs, turn left and follow the hall to the next set of stairs. When you get to the fourteenth level, take the twenty-third passage on your left."

"Twenty-third," Amos exclaimed! "How long are these hallways?"

"The upper halls are not very long and the West Hall is the shortest of the four. The Great Cathedral is in the uppermost level, but the hall at the fourteenth level is quite long indeed."

"This map only shows the top level," Gabriel pointed out. "What about the fourteenth level? Do you have a map for those halls as well?"

"I only brought this map so that you could see how Haven is laid out and to show you the rune that marks the West Hall. From there, no map is needed. Go to the end of the hall and down a level. Do this fourteen times and then take the twenty-third passageway on your left. That passage will lead you straight to one of the gates at the base of Fire Mountain. Can you remember that?"

"Are you kidding?" said Hob, yanking on his beard again.

"Don't worry," said Ben, "I've got it." While Spud was giving directions, Ben was hastily taking notes on Casey's cell phone. He saved the note and clicked the phone off to save the battery.

Spud rolled the map up and carefully slid it back into its case. "I'd let you take this with you, but it would be of no use to you once hit the staircase."

"That's fine," said Gabriel. "Let's see the other map."

The other map was a topographical map of the terrain surrounding Fire Mountain. Fire Mountain, where the Great Cathedral was located, was the largest mountain on the map. A red female dragon was perched atop the mountain and two drakes were locked in combat above her. The dragons were drawn and painted with such precise attention to detail that they looked as if they would fly off the parchment at any moment. Ben felt the gooseflesh rise along his arms and swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat; his terrifying encounter with Zoltan was still very fresh in his memory.

"Here's the gate where you will come out," Spud continued, pointing at a small door at the base of the mountain. The door, Spud informed them, was called Giant's Gate and, just beyond the door, the map showed the beginning of a large forest that sprawled across a great expanse of hills and dells. "This forest," said Spud, planting a fat warty finger on the map, "is called The Dwelling."

"What dwells there?" asked Ben.

"Giants," Spud replied, with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"There are giants on Crag? Giants, dwarves, and dragons?"

"No," said Hob, "only dragons. All dwarves evacuated with Merlin centuries ago. The only giants in the forest are the Dragon Spires."

Ben looked as confused as ever.

"Trees!" Spud exclaimed. "The biggest trees you will ever see. They are three times higher than the tallest tower at Castle Twilight and they are so large at the base that two of them would completely fill the courtyard."

"Wow," said Ben. "I can't wait to see them. They sound a lot like the giant redwoods we have back on earth. Why are they called Dragon Spires?"

"They are named such because, during the daytime, many dragons roost in the tops of these trees."

"And we are going to have to travel through this forest, aren't we?" asked Gabriel.

Spud nodded. "I'm afraid so. The Dragon's Cradle is just west of the forest." The Librarian drew his finger across the map to a circular structure located on the edge of the forest. Something about the structure looked strangely familiar to Ben, but he could not quite put his finger on it.

"How will we navigate such a large Forest?"

"Crag's sun is much brighter than Camelot's. That's why dragons roost during the daylight hours and hunt at night. During the daytime they can see, but it's very painful for them to keep their eyes open for extended periods of time. However, at nighttime they can spot a mouse moving in the grasses from a very great distance. Therefore, you will have to travel during the daylight hours, while they are sleeping, and at nightfall you will have to bed down tight and out of sight."

"How many dragons are in the forest?" asked Ben. He was suddenly regretting having to go there.

"The forest is very large and dragons are very territorial. Their territories cover large areas, so there is a good chance you will not even encounter one. As long as you travel by day, and do so quietly, you should be fine."

"To have never seen one, you sure seem to know a lot about dragons," Hob remarked.

"I've had a lot of time to read about them."

"Excuse me," Gabriel interrupted, "but you still haven't told us how to navigate the forest."

"Ah, yes. Getting back to your question; when you reach the gate at the base of Fire Mountain, if it is early morning, you may continue on your way. Otherwise, wait until the following day to leave. It's a two day journey from the gate to the Cradle and you will need to stop at the midway point to shelter for the night."

"Very well," said Gabriel, "but, HOW DO WE GET THERE?"

"I was just coming to that. My, but you elves are an impatient lot! The midway point is Old Grand Sire; the oldest and tallest dragon spire in the forest. To get there, when you leave Fire Mountain, travel in a southwesterly direction. You will descend into a valley and when you climb out of the valley, there should be a ridgeline that is bare of trees. Here it is on the map. It's called Dragon's Perch. Barring any problems, you should arrive there around midday and, from there, you should be able to see Old Grand Sire."

"When we get to Old Grand Sire, will there be a place to hide?"

"Oh yes! Old Grand Sire is hollow and there is a small crack at the base of the trunk where you may slip inside. It will be the safest place on Crag outside of Haven."

"In the morning, do we continue southwest?"

"Actually, in the early morning hours Old Grand Sire's shadow will point toward the Cradle. You will reach the cradle in the late evening and you will be in the open with no place to hide. I cannot advise you from there. If a female comes to the birthing stone while you are there, you will not escape her." Spud rolled the map up and handed it to Hob. "If you'd like, you may take this one with you. It is a copy of the original."

"I don't think we need it," said Gabriel, "but without a compass, how are we to know the precise direction of southwest."

"There will be a compass star carved into the threshold of the gate, just like this one on this map. You only have to look at that to determine the direction in which you need to travel. However, if you take the map you may lay it upon the threshold and align the points of the compass star on the map with the points of the compass star on the threshold. That will show you the position of everything on the map in relation to the gate."

"And if we discover that through the centuries the compass star has eroded away, then what are we to do?"

"Use the moss."

"Moss?"

"Yes, moss. Moss grows on the northeast sides of the dragon spires. The southwest sides of the trees will be the cleanest sides. It's not as accurate as a compass, but it will get you there."

"Well, I think we have everything we need to know," said Ben. "Let's see that picture of the Cathedral."

"Not yet," said Spud. "I've been very patient with all of you and I have been very accommodating to your requests. I've held up my end of the bargain and provided you with the maps that you requested; now you must hold up your end of the bargain. I have questions and, before we go any further, I want answers."

"You are quite right," Gabriel agreed, with a bow. "You have been most helpful and we are very much in your debt. As a matter of fact, if things go as planned, all of Camelot will be very indebted to you. However, dwarves are known to get a little long winded and we have a great need for haste. You may ask us three questions and we will answer as we are able."

While it was true that they had a great need for haste, the real reason Gabriel wanted to limit the questions was to keep Spud from wanting to tag along. The more questions the Librarian asked and the more time he had to think about it, the more likely he would be to ask to go with them. Dwarves did not move about quietly and they had an even greater need for stealth once they arrived on Crag. Moving about quietly with Hob would be difficult enough, but sneaking around with two dwarves would be impossible.

"Alright," said Spud, "first question; how are you getting there?"

"This staff," said Ben, holding out the twisted stick for Spud to see, "is Merlin's staff. It was given to me by Venus. I have discovered that I can use the staff to open pathways to other places, just like Merlin once did."

"Are you a wizard?"

"Goodness no! Using the staff to open a pathway is the only magic that I can do. The magic is actually in the staff, but for some reason it only works for me. We think it's an enchantment Venus placed on the staff before he gave it to me."

Spud mulled that bit of information over in his mind and stroked his beard while he pondered his next question. Hob was growing impatient and was just about ready to tell him to hurry along, when, finally, Spud thumped his fist into his palm and cried, "Second question."

"Actually," Hob interrupted, "this will be your third question."

"Huh?" said Spud. "Nonsense, I've only asked one question!"

"You asked how we would get there, and then you asked if Ben was a wizard. That's two questions and this will be your third."

"We won't count the second question," said Ben. "Please continue."

"Second question," Spud repeated, glaring at Hob. "Why are you going to Crag?"

"I'll answer this one," said Gabriel. "Are you familiar with the Final Prophecy of Venus?"

"I knew it!" Spud shouted, thumping his fist upon the table. "Ben is the chosen one! This is so exciting! I have watched the prophecy literally unfolding and being fulfilled and now I am sitting at the same table with the chosen one!"

"Okay, NOW you only have one question left," said Hob, with a quick yank on his beard. "Ask it and then show us the painting."

"Hmmmm," Spud mused. "Let me think. According to the Prophecy, you'd be going to the Dragon's Cradle to meet the wisest one. Now, who that might be, I don't know and I don't think you know either or you would have told me, so I won't use my question there." The Librarian drummed his fingers on the table. "Think, Spud, Think! The chosen one is supposed to bring the mighty one down and since you are in a hurry to get to the Dragon's Cradle, then you must know who this mighty one is. That's it! Right there! That is my third and final question; who is the mighty one that is mentioned in the Final Prophecy? Is it the one that Ben is supposed to bring down? It's an immortal, isn't it? It's Jupiter. Gods help us, Jupiter has come back. Please tell me I'm wrong."

"It is Jupiter," Gabriel confirmed. "Only, he goes by a new name now. He calls himself Bellator."

"Bellator-Schmellator! We must begin evacuation of Dwarvenhall at once! Ben, can you anchor the pathway with a tree, like Merlin used to do?"

"I don't know, I've never tried it before."

"Hold on now, Spud," said Gabriel. "Where in heavens name would you evacuate to?

"Why, to Crag, of course! Where else?"

*****
CHAPTER 14

GAZAFAR LODGE

"Casey? Casey, are you feeling ill?" Jonah asked. As soon as everyone sat down at the table, Casey turned pale and, though she tried to hide it, her eyes betrayed the fear and uncertainty that was brewing inside of her. She reached up to brush a strand of hair from her face and her hand was shaking too.

"Casey," said Louise, jumping up from her chair. She was suddenly alarmed by her granddaughter's appearance and rushed to place her hand on her forehead. "If you're running a fever, dear, we are going home as soon as Ben gets back."

"I'm okay, Grandma, I'm just a little light-headed. I think I need something to eat; that's all."

Jonah nodded to one of the elves standing by the door and the elf disappeared through the tent flaps. A moment later, he returned with several more elves, each bearing a tray that was laden with food and drink; one tray for each guest.

"I am sorry we do not have finer foods to offer you," Jonah apologized, "but this is an outpost and I'm afraid that all we have here are military rations."

The dwarves, as only dwarves can do, began attacking their military rations with military precision. In a few minutes, their plates were empty. Casey was not really hungry, but she had to eat something and act normal so that her grandma would quit making a fuss over her. She had to have time to think too. Was she even supposed to tell anyone about her secret visitor? It seemed to her that if Venus wanted the others to know then he would have appeared to all of them. Why would he appear only to her? Was there a spy in this camp? If there was, wouldn't Jonah need to know? For that matter, could Jonah be the spy? Casey immediately dismissed the notion. Jonah was a friend and she was embarrassed that thought even entered her mind. She would think it over, but she would need to decide soon, because deep down inside of her, she felt that time was running out; not just for Marcus, but for all of them.

When everyone had finished eating, and the trays were cleared away, Jonah stood to address the newcomers and to fill them in on the situation in Faerie.

"If you have spoken to Gabriel, then I'm sure he has informed you about Marcus's captivity. Jupiter, the immortal who now goes by Bellator, has taken Marcus to his namesake city. He sits on the white throne now, waiting for us to bring him Excalibur. The Final Prophecy is happening now."

"Before coming here," said Amos, "we went over the prophecy with Gabriel. As we said earlier, he, Ben, and Hob are searching the archives at Dwarvenhall to locate a picture of the Dragon's Cradle."

"Do you really think Ben can open a pathway to Crag?"

"We do!" Gob proclaimed. "He opened one from Camelot to Atlanta Georgia!"

"This is exciting news indeed," said Jonah. "I feel certain now that Venus has given this power of travel between worlds to Ben so that we can speak to the wisest one. Whoever that may be, I believe he or she holds the key to defeating Bellator."

"Who do you think it is?" asked Louise.

"I believe it is Venus," Jonah replied, without hesitation. "In all of Faerie, there is none wiser than Marcus and his wisdom and foresight are gifts from Venus. I believe that Venus will not meet us here for fear of Bellator sensing his presence. He gave us the prophecy so that we would know when the time was right for us to travel to Crag to meet with him. Once there, he will tell us specifically how we may overcome Bellator. That is what I believe."

Casey could not stand it any longer. She had to tell someone. When the trays of uneaten food had been cleared away, the elves guarding the door were dismissed. The six of them were alone now; her, Louise, Amos, Gob, Nob, and Jonah. As busy and as hectic as things were, she might never have this opportunity again. She cleared her throat and spoke quietly, so quietly, in fact, that no one heard her. She repeated herself, a little louder, "Venus is not the wisest one."

This time everyone heard her and after a few moments of awkward silence, Louise reached to feel her forehead again, as if a sudden fever may have beset her since the last time she checked. Casey brushed her grandma's hand away.

"I'm okay, Grandma, really."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay, sweetheart," Louise replied, "but where did that remark come from? Don't you think Jonah would know best about to whom the prophecy is referring?"

"Actually, she is correct," said Jonah. "Venus is not the wisest one. The Creator is wiser, but I sense that is not what she is talking about."

"No," Casey answered. "I'm talking specifically about the wisest one mentioned in the prophecy. Venus is not the one, it is someone else."

"Who do you believe it to be?"

"I don't know, but I know it's not Venus."

"How?" asked Louise. "How do you know this?"

Casey looked around the table. All eyes were on her and, except for the buzz of the hummingbird wings, the tent was silent. Maybe she should have kept quiet. Maybe she should have waited until Ben, Gabriel, and Hob were back, but it was too late now. The proverbial cat was out of the bag. She swallowed the lump in her throat and dived into her story, "Venus spoke to me."

The silence that followed her startling declaration was even longer this time.

Louise's hand twitched and she began to wring her palms, her face plainly etched with worry. "When exactly did Venus speak to you? I've been with you since we left home, dear."

"It was just a few moments ago."

Amos casted a worried glance at Jonah, while Gob and Nob stared uncomfortably at the ground and shuffled their feet. Casey jumped up from her chair and the two dwarves yanked on their beards.

"You've got to believe me, why would I make this up? Right when we all sat down at the table everything froze. Even the birds quit moving! And that's when he appeared to me."

Jonah studied Casey with a thoughtful expression, as if seeing her for the very first time. "Can you tell us what he said to you?"

Casey told them everything. Everything except for the very last thing the immortal had told her about love. True or not, that particular piece of information just didn't seem relevant to their plight and the statement still had her puzzled.

"What are we going to do," asked Amos.

"For now, nothing," Jonah answered. "It is good information to know, but we will not act upon it without discussing with Gabriel. We may even send word of this to Marcus to see what he thinks, but for now, we are going to proceed with our original plan."

"Which is?" Louise prompted.

"You, Casey, and Amos will ride ahead to the lodge at Gazafar. You will be more comfortable there and safer too. Gob and Nob will wait here with me for the others to return from Dwarvenhall. When they do return, I will send them on to the lodge to meet with you. I do not know when, where, or how we will formulate a rescue, but that is our strategy for now."

At that moment, one of the brightly colored honey birds darted through the window and zipped across the tent to hover over the table in front of Jonah. There were two words in this message from Marcus. One encrypted word was written on each wing and the tiny bird lingered just long enough for the elf to read the message aloud.

"Arinya, Gazafar," Jonah mused. "What could that mean?"

"Oh my," Amos exclaimed. "We forgot all about Arinya!"

"Who is Arinya?"

"Arinya is the dreadful water nymph that used to guard the Black Hills entrance to Kahzidar," Gob answered with a shudder. "When Ringwald was overthrown, the lake she inhabited was drained and she somehow found her way to Long Lake, where we live, and captured Hob."

"She was holding him ransom in exchange for Ben," Nob interjected.

"To make a long story short," said Amos, knowing how much dwarves loved to talk, "Marcus sent one of the honey birds to Casey with a clue as to how to escape from her."

"Casey froze her!" said Nob, jumping back into the conversation.

"And then we melted her down and put her into three different flasks," Gob added

Jonah looked across the table at Amos and the big man shrugged sheepishly. "The message Marcus sent was Give Snowflake. Ben figured it out and Casey tricked Arinya into taking the snowflake charm from her bracelet. As soon as the nymph touched the charm, she was instantly frozen."

"How, pray tell, did you get her into a water flask?"

"We fished her out of the lake and put her in a rain barrel on the dwarves' porch. As she melted into the barrel, we drained her into the flasks."

Jonah shook his head. "Very resourceful. I can't imagine why Marcus wants you to take her to Gazafar, but I'll ready a pack horse to carry the three flasks. I need to send a pack horse anyway so they can send us back some much needed supplies. We are using the Gazafar Lodge as a central distribution site to supply these mobile garrisons we have in the fields."

"What's the purpose of these garrisons? You can't defeat Bellator, so you're not going to fight him, are you?"

"Fighting will be an absolute last resort. It will mean certain death for all of the elves, but we would rather die than allow him to recover Excalibur and subject us all to his rule. He knows that too, and I believe he wants the war. It's his nature. It's what he does best."

"I see. By dividing your forces you prevent him from winning with a single battle and, if it does come to war, having to fight multiple battles will buy us time until..." Amos caught himself and managed to hush before he completed his thought about the final confrontation with Bellator and the chosen one. He glanced at Louise and he could tell by the expression on her face that she knew what he was about to say. "Louise, I'm sorry, I..."

"Forget about it, Amos. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. I guess we need to get started to Gazafar, though. I'd like to get there and rest until Ben returns."

"Come," said Jonah, rising from the table. "I will accompany you to the stables and see you on your way."

None of the elfin horses were large enough for Amos to ride, so the big man transformed into a bear for the journey. Although Louise never failed to complain about riding horses, she was actually becoming a fairly decent rider. This time, however, she chose instead to ride upon the back of the bear rather than one of the swift black elfin steeds. She invited Casey to ride with her, but Casey opted for a horse instead.

Jonah helped Casey into the saddle and then secured the three water flasks to the extra mount they were sending along for a pack horse. Gob and Nob waved goodbye to them as they pulled out of the garrison and headed across the open fields. Even though they were riding forward, to a confrontation from which they may not return, just being in Faerie lifted their spirits tremendously. Here, the air was clean and fresh. Small white clouds floated lazily overhead and the bright yellow sun warmed the winds that blew across the grasses. Beneath this warm sunshine, the steady plop-plop-plop of the horses' tread and the creaking of the saddles caused Casey's eyelids to grow heavy and, before long, she was sound asleep.

After a long nap upon the horse's back, the remainder of the trip was pleasant and uneventful. Amos, in the form of a bear, was unable to speak with them, but Casey and Louise talked long about many things. Casey told her Grandma about her friends in school and about her new boyfriend, Tom Bartley. She asked about Joey and was happy to learn that he was doing well. No matter how tender and sweet the memories, long distance relationships rarely work out for the young at heart. Casey did think of Joey often, but the two of them had grown apart since Christmas and he had found a new girlfriend too. Maybe she would get to see him before they returned home. As she tried to imagine what that meeting might be like, Louise interrupted her thoughts with talk about her goats. George had bought her a cheese making kit for Christmas and Louise had immediately fallen in love with the hobby. She was explaining the difference between hard cheeses and soft cheeses when they crested a hill and the lodge came into view. They came to a halt and Louise climbed down so that Amos could transform.

"Where is everyone?" the big man mumbled, while rubbing his back. After learning from Jonah that Gazafar Lodge was a distribution center for the mobile garrisons, he expected the place to be buzzing with activity. It appeared just as deserted as it was the last time he was here.

"Do you think everything's okay?" asked Louise.

"I don't know, but I'm going to check it out. You two wait here. If everything is okay I'll come out and signal for you with my right hand. If I wave with my right hand, that means come on to the lodge. If I wave with my left hand, that means make a beeline back to the garrison. I'll take the water flasks with me and Louise can ride the pack horse. Remember, if I wave with my left hand turn around and ride back hard to the garrison. Tell Jonah something is amiss at the lodge and let him decide what to do next."

Louise and Casey nodded. Amos took the three water flasks down from the pack horse and slung them across his shoulder. Although the flask were large and quite heavy, the big man did not seem to notice them. After he adjusted them so that they sat comfortably across his back, he helped Louise up into the saddle.

"I see that you have a watch like Ben," said Amos, nodding at Louise's wrist. Ben had taught Amos how to tell time on his wrist watch. Since then, he was always asking the time, so Louise, unable to find a wrist watch that would fit around his gigantic wrists, found a pocket watch at the flea market and bought it for him. The watch was the color of silver and had a gold embossed bear on the lid. It was a perfect gift for Amos and the big man cherished it greatly. "If I don't come out within half an hour, ride back to the garrison. Keep your eyes and your ears open, okay?"

"We will," said Louise. "You keep your eyes and ears open too, you hear me?"

Amos smiled and then turned and trotted across the open expanse toward the lodge. Louise and Casey watched him all the way to the courtyard gates. When he arrived at the entrance he turned and glanced back at them for a brief second before disappearing inside. A cloud passed over the sun, blocking its warmth, and a chill ran up Casey's spine. Suddenly, Faerie did not seem like such a pleasant place after all.

*****
CHAPTER 15

SALVATION OR DAMNATION

Marcus sat at the window of the tower staring out across the green expanse of fields that surrounded Jupiter. It would be impossible for an army to approach this city undetected, but their hopes were not founded on the strength of soldiers. Movement caught the Keeper's eye and he glanced to the left. An arrow hawk was speeding through the air, flying low to the ground and heading straight toward the tower. Marcus watched the bird adjust its trajectory as it neared the tower. It was heading straight toward the window. Arrow hawks were small birds of prey and the fastest birds in all of Faerie. They were used to carry messages that were too lengthy for the tiny wings of honey birds. The Keeper rose from his chair as the bird lit upon the window sill.

Attached to the leg of the hawk was a small tube made from soft leather and inside this leather container was a tightly rolled piece of parchment. Marcus removed the parchment and carefully unrolled it. It was from Jonah...

G-l, B-n, and H-b seek the Dragon's Cradle. G-b and N-b wait with me for their return. A-s, L-e, and C-y-e have just left for the lodge. I will send the others to join them when they return. There is something more you must know. First, B-n has mastered the staff. He can travel anywhere, even as M-n once did. Second, and maybe more importantly, C-y was visited by the O-e. He told her what the sundial charm would do and how to use it. He did not tell her to use it, only that it may be helpful. If you have any insight with regards to the staff or charm, please send instructions. If we do not hear back from you by the time we are all reunited, we will proceed as we are best able.

J-h.

"And so, it has begun," Marcus whispered. Ben was here, but he expected that. Ben was the chosen one, destined to a final showdown with Bellator. But what of Venus visiting Casey and telling her about one of the charms? He had always thought Venus to be the wisest one referred to in the prophecy and that they were to meet him at the Dragon's Cradle to seek counsel. A meeting here in Faerie would be too risky. Bellator would surely sense his brother's presence. Marcus's thoughts turned to the sundial charm. That particular charm slowed time. Maybe that's what Venus did? Maybe he slowed time for everyone except him and Casey? That would allow him to make a very brief visit undetected. Ever since Bellator had captured him, the immortal had been focused on getting inside of the Keeper's mind. If Venus slowed time and appeared for only a very brief period, then it would be highly unlikely that Bellator would have ever noticed. However, if that were true, then it could only mean one thing; Venus was not the wisest one referred to in his own final prophecy. Who could it be? The future where immortals were concerned, like dragons, was hidden from him. Now that Venus had entered the picture he could no longer discern the paths that lay before Casey and those around her. He was uncertain and confused. It was a feeling he was not accustomed to and it made his mind a fertile ground for the seeds of fear that were sown there when Bellator captured him. He would have to think long and hard before he acted. He retrieved his ink and quill and then hastily scribbled a quick note on the back of the parchment.

Let me know when B- returns. What he discovers may determine our next course of action.

He blew on the ink until it dried and then rolled the parchment up and slid it back into the small container on the falcon's leg.

"Fly," he commanded the bird.

The small bird hopped to the edge of the window sill and dove out of the tower. With its small wings folded against its sides it plummeted like a stone and then, at the last moment, spread its wings and sped across the ground towards the garrison where Jonah was stationed. In a few seconds it was gone. Jonah would receive the message shortly, but there would be no further communication until Gabriel, Ben, and Hob returned from their quest. Evidently, they knew, or at least they thought they knew, where the Dragon's Cradle was located. That was one piece of the prophecy that had puzzled everyone down through the ages. What was a Dragon's Cradle? No one knew, but Ben was on his way there and that thought seemed to comfort him. There was goodness in Ben's heart and everything he had been a part of had turned out for the greater good for all of those involved. This time would be no different.

Marcus left the window and pulled the table to the center of the room. He then crawled up on the table and laid down upon his back with his hands folded across his chest. As he stared up into the rafters, his breaths became further and further apart. As his breathing slowed, so did his heart rate and before long, his breaths and his pulse were imperceptible.

Elves, although they do require rest and nourishment, do not require sleep. When they are resting, they are fully awake and completely aware of their surroundings, yet their vital functions slow down to a level that is almost undetectable. However, during this resting state their brain activity increases and they are able to experience a lucid dream in tandem with their reality. In this dream state they are able to harness creative and mental powers far beyond what is available to them during their waking hours. They are also able to enter this resting state at will and come out of it in an instant. Marcus had gone for many days now without rest and he badly needed the rest to clear his mind and help him organize his thoughts.

After a brief repose, Marcus rose from the table. He was not completely back to normal, but close enough so that he could maintain the mental wall that he had erected in his mind to keep Bellator from learning his secrets and plans. Louise had once told him about a saying they had from her world. The saying went something like this; keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer. It was wise advice and now was the time to make use of it. Bellator, confident in his strength and certain of his invincibility, would sit on the white throne until the sword Excalibur was brought to him. He could sit there for weeks without moving, without even blinking. What was time to an immortal? What was one hundred years in the span of an eternity? Marcus pondered this as he descended the tower stairs. It was less than a single drop of water in a vast ocean, he realized, but as long as he had nourishment, rest, and safety from bodily harm, he was immortal too and could wait just as long as Bellator.

As he climbed the stairs to the capitol building, he found Bellator exactly as he expected he would; sitting on the white throne and staring straight ahead without the faintest glimmer of emotion on his face. The immortal did not even look down to acknowledge his presence. Marcus studied his chiseled features. The stony expression and the flat black eyes never failed to unnerve him. Here was a being so consumed by hatred that the raw emotion of his anger and malice no longer even registered on his countenance. Either that, or there were no feelings at all behind those soulless eyes; just a dark void that harbored a purpose born of jealousy, nurtured by hatred, and suffocated by eons of neglect from his one true love; the Creator. Marcus was not sure which one frightened him the most.

"Bellator," the Keeper called to him.

The immortal finally glanced down at Marcus. "If you have need for nourishment, I am quite sure you may find it on your own. I gave you permission to go anywhere within the city walls."

"I do not require nourishment, but I do require knowledge."

This did not elicit a response from Bellator. The immortal simply continued to stare at the elf.

"I wish to know your plans once you have the sword," Marcus continued. "You do not need the sword to defeat us. You do not need the sword to defeat anyone. I have thought long on this and the only reason for staying your hand is to use the elves to find Excalibur and bring it to you. If we cannot produce the sword, you will eventually kill us all. If we do produce the sword, you will kill us as soon as you have it in your possession. So then, tell me why you want the sword and let us choose the time that we shall die."

"The sword was stolen from me," Bellator answered. "It is mine and that is reason enough to want it back, but if you must know, I have no plans to destroy the elfin race, or any race for that matter. I will only destroy you if the sword is not returned to me and that is exactly why it will be returned. You are revered and greatly loved among your people. They will not fail to bring me the sword in exchange for your safe return."

"Then you do not know us as you think you do. Still, you have not answered my question. Why do you want the sword?"

"I do not have to answer your questions elf, but I will humor you this once. I want the sword because the Creator Himself has blessed it. I want the sword because, with the Creator's blessing, I will never be defeated. I want the sword because, with it, I will be invincible and the Creator will no longer be able to ignore me. I will stand by His side and He will see my brothers bow before me and all of the elves shall worship me and serve me."

"Blasphemy!" Marcus cried. "The Creator will strike you down for such heresy!"

"The Creator does not speak to me anymore," Bellator replied. Briefly, a shadow of grief crossed the immortal's face and then quickly vanished.

"You cannot and will not prevail."

"I can and I shall. Who is there among you to stop me? A chosen one perhaps?"

Marcus paled. Did he slip up and let his guard down? How could Bellator possibly know that? The immortal smiled down at him. There was no humor or warmth behind that smile, only madness or evil. Or maybe both.

"Yes," said Bellator, "I know of my brother's prophecy. I have been away, but I have not been idle. His rantings mean nothing to me because, by the Creator's own mouth, with the sword I shall never be defeated. If this chosen one exists, I shall grind his bones beneath the heel of my boot."

Marcus turned to leave, and Bellator started laughing.

"I do not need to see your mind to see your plans, Keeper."

Marcus paused on the capitol steps.

"It is written plainly upon your face," Bellator continued. "You think the chosen one and the sword will come together to fulfill my brother's ridiculous prophecy, but the truth is that Excalibur is trying to return to its rightful owner. Go back to your tower and think long on that. The sword chooses its keeper, always selecting the person that will keep it safe for my return or selecting the person that will bring it closer to my grasp."

Marcus whirled around to face the immortal. "The sword was given to me and I, in turn, gave it to another. I have not seen the sword for hundreds of years, but know this; Excalibur did not choose its keeper; I chose."

"Ha! Did you really choose of your own free will? Do you think the sword had no influence on your choice? Well, I say to you, know this; you chose NOTHING! Excalibur is finding its way home to me and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

"Are you finished?"

"Finished? I haven't even started. Be gone from me, and do not return unless I summon you. I've grown weary of your presence and if you linger any longer I may rethink my decision to spare the elves."

Marcus returned to the tower. What if Bellator was telling the truth? What if the sword was trying to make its way back to him? If that were the case, then bringing it back would be madness. But what of Venus's prophecy? The prophecy never directly linked the sword with the chosen one, it was just always assumed by everyone who studied the prophecy that the chosen one would use the infamous sword to defeat Bellator. At any rate, there was no need to worry about it just yet; the sword had not yet surfaced and the wisest one was yet to be revealed. Maybe the wisest one would direct Ben to the location of the sword? If not, surely he or she would be able to provide counsel to help Ben defeat Bellator. The Keeper closed his eyes and quietly recited the last verse of the prophecy.

"Lowly chosen one revealed, will bring the mighty down."

Bring the mighty down. That statement did not actually identify anyone. Once again, it was an assumption made by all who studied the prophecy that the mighty referred to Bellator, when in fact, it could refer to anyone. It could even refer to the elfin race! Marcus thought back to his conversation with Bellator a few minutes ago. Maybe the sword WAS making its way back to its owner, and Ben, the chosen one, would deliver it right into his hands. Once Bellator had the sword, the mighty elfin kingdom of Faerie would be under his dominion and rule. The mighty would indeed be brought down. A horrible thought occurred to Marcus. Maybe the prophecy was not meant to offer hope of a sure salvation, but maybe it was intended as a warning for an eternal damnation!

Quickly, he took a seat at the table and called to the honey birds. One of little birds flitted over and alit on the Keeper's outstretched finger. Marcus gently laid the bird on its back and spread its wings. He took the quill and the apple blossom scented ink and hastily scribbled two encoded words, one word upon the underside of each wing. He blew on the ink until it dried and then released the bird into the air. The honey bird hovered in front of him long enough for him to read the message he had just scribbled and then darted through the window, en route to the garrison at the Merlin tree. The message Jonah would receive simply read, "DO NOTHING."

*****
CHAPTER 16

CRAG

"We can't evacuate to Crag," Hob exclaimed. "Remember why we left? It's a place where DRAGONS live! The poor dwarf was really yanking on his beard now and began to hop impatiently from foot to foot.

"Hob is right," said Gabriel. "Why return Crag and the bondage of dragons?"

"Bondage?" Spud repeated incredulously. "Bondage? Bondage is what we all will know if we remain here. What would be so different from living in Camelot if we dwarves returned to Crag? We live underground here and there are many of us that rarely venture above ground. At least on Crag we know our enemy and, unpleasant and dangerous as it may be, we know that we can co-exist and survive with dragons. That will not be true with Jupiter or Bellator or whatever he is calling himself."

"Forget about the dragons. You read the prophecy and know the outcome. The chosen one is here, the time is at hand. Bellator will be vanquished, the dragons will not."

"Yes, yes, but at what cost?"

"What do you mean?"

"At what cost?! The prophecy says the chosen one will win, but at what cost? You really don't think he is just going to walk right up to Bellator and slay him without consequence, do you? That's why we must evacuate. The prophecy tells us the outcome, but it does not tell us the price that must be paid for that outcome. It is only common sense; the greater the victory, the greater the price to be paid for that victory."

"So, you would abandon Camelot in its hour of need?" asked Hob. There was anger in the dwarf's voice now. Real anger. "I've seen Ben stand toe-to-toe with the biggest and meanest dragon that ever came out of Crag and he did it to save Camelot; a world that is not his own. He could have very easily turned tail and ran, but he stayed and fought. I will not be leaving Camelot and neither will you or any other dwarf. It will not be said that we were cowards. If there is blood to be spilt, then we shall water the soil of Camelot and Faerie along with our elfin brothers. We will bow to no one. We will run from no one. Our days of living in fear and darkness ended when we abandoned Crag. I will not return to those days here, there, or anywhere."

Spud hung his head in shame, but Ben came to his rescue.

"It's okay, Spud. I'm afraid too and I've thought about running away many times. I still do. There's no shame in being scared. Being brave isn't acting without fear, but acting in spite of fear. My grandpa told me that."

"Your grandpa sounds like a very wise man."

"He is. I wish he was here now, but he's not, so we'll have to just follow his advice, be brave and act now. May we see the picture?"

Spud laid the wooden box he had retrieved from the archives on top of the table and gently removed the lid to reveal a stunning painting inside. The painting was of a vast chamber with giant crystals suspended from the ceiling. Shafts of sunlight streamed through the crystals, illuminating the cavern in great detail. The painting was so realistic that Ben swore he could see dust motes in the beams of light that fell from the ceiling. He studied the picture for several minutes and then snapped a quick picture of it with Casey's cell phone.

"I think I've got it," he said at last. "Let's go."

"Open the pathway to the Merlin Tree on Faerie," Gabriel instructed. "We'll meet up with the others, get a few supplies, and make plans for the trip."

"Let's go to Crag now," said Ben.

"Oh, no. Louise would have our head on a stick if we pulled that stunt. Besides, we need the supplies and Amos will probably want to go too."

"If we go back, Grandma is going to want to go with us to Crag and I don't want her to go. It's too dangerous and it sounds like we have a long and difficult hike once we get there. As far as Amos goes, it would be nice to have him with us, but he could do nothing to save us from a dragon."

Hob glanced at Gabriel. "He's right, you know. If we go back, Louise is going to want to go with us so that she can look after him. And then Amos will want to go so that he can look after Louise. Casey will not want to be left behind and Gob and Nob will want to go along just to see Crag. We need speed and stealth, neither of which we'll have if we return to Faerie before leaving for Crag."

Gabriel mulled it over. If they went through with this, he'd almost rather face Bellator than Louise upon returning, but Hob was right.

"What about the supplies we need?"

"Food and water?" asked Hob, hoisting his pack over his shoulder. "I never go anywhere without a few snacks. It's a short journey and I have food and water enough for the three of us, if we use it sparingly."

"I have a feeling I shall regret this later on, but it does seem to be the logical choice. Open the pathway to Crag, Ben. The Great Cathedral will be our next stop."

Ben picked up the staff and walked to an open area where there were no tables or chairs. He closed his eyes and pictured the map of Fire Mountain and the surrounding area. Once he had that firmly fixed in his mind, he pictured the painting of the Great Cathedral and the map of the top level of Haven. When he could see it clearly in his mind's eye, he took a deep breath and cried, "yabba-dabba-doo!"

The black hole popped up in front of him and hovered there.

"I'll go first," said Hob. The dwarf was clearly excited and anxious to be off. Before anyone could respond, he disappeared into the hole.

"Ah!" Gabriel cried. "We should have all gone together. Quickly, Ben, follow me!"

The elf darted into the black hole after the dwarf. Before leaving, Ben turned to thank Spud for his help, but the Librarian was nowhere to be found. Maybe he decided that returning to Crag would not be such a good choice after all. Maybe he hadn't found the courage to act. Ben shrugged his shoulders and stepped into the opening.

The silence following their departure settled back onto the lobby area like an old familiar blanket. The maps and picture were gone from the table and from somewhere deep inside the archives, the faint sounds of a railcar faded away into the distance.

Once inside the pathway, Ben was alarmed by the darkness. At first, he could not see the exit, but as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed a very faint green light illuminating the opening across the void. Hurriedly, he made his way toward the light and stepped through the portal. The light was coming from Hob and Gabriel's hands.

"It's nighttime here," said Hob, handing Ben a rock. "Otherwise, sunlight would be streaming through the crystal shafts and lighting the whole cavern."

"A rockbuster," Ben exclaimed, fondly remembering the little gnome he had befriended during his Christmas break. "I never thought I'd see one of these again. Where did you get it?"

"Ahem, I ummm, I found them," Hob stuttered.

"Where?"

"On top of the tower," said Gabriel, "right after..."

"Oh. I see," said Ben. During Ringwald Stonebreaker's reign of terror, rockbusters were used in the slave mines to blast open new tunnels. Whenever one of the rocks was heated with a flame, it would explode with tremendous force. However, whenever the rock was wet, it would glow with a strange green light. The wetter the rock, the brighter the light. Mueller, the lonely gnome that he had befriended, was an escaped slave and used the rockbusters to light his way in the dark tunnels of Kahzidar. He was carrying a bag of rockbusters when he was eaten by Zoltan, a black dragon from Crag. The fire in the Zoltan's belly had ignited the rockbusters, and the explosion from deep within the dragon's bowels ended its violent rampage on the Twilight. It also saved Ben from becoming the dragon's next meal. Mueller sacrificed his life to save Ben. It was the ultimate act of courage.

"We need to save our water, so spit on it to get it glowing," Hob instructed.

Once Ben had his rockbuster glowing, he held it up to add to the light coming from Hob and Gabriel's hands. The rockbusters lit the area around them, but the walls of the cavern were lost in a darkness their light could not penetrate. If not for the faint glimmers of green that were being reflected back from the crystal shafts above them, the ceiling would have been hidden from them too.

"Where to?" Ben asked.

"Let's walk until we come to a wall," Hob answered. "Then we will follow the wall until we find a hall."

"Lead the way," said Gabriel. "This is your kingdom."

Hob picked a direction and struck out across the room. They had no way of knowing exactly where the portal opened, only that Ben had focused on opening it somewhere near the center of the chamber. Eventually, they came to a wall. Hob turned right and Gabriel and Ben followed along behind him. When they came to the first hall, Gabriel held the rock up high to illuminate the rune over the doorway.

"I don't think this is it," said Hob, staring up at the rune.

Ben dug Casey's cell phone out of his pocket and powered it on. He went into the photo album and flipped to the picture of the rune he had taken back at the archives. "That's not it," he confirmed. "Look, here's what we're looking for."

Gabriel and Hob looked at the picture of the rune on the phone and compared it to the one over the door.

"You're right," said Gabriel. "That's not the rune for the west hall."

"Blast it," Hob cried. "We didn't look at any of the other runes. There were only four too! If that is the rune for the north hall we will need to go back in the direction we just came from or we could end up having to walk all the way around this place. But if it's the rune for the south hall we will need to continue in the direction we are going now."

"And if it's the rune for the east hall then it doesn't matter which way we go," said Ben.

"Well, there's nothing to be done for it now," said Gabriel. "Let's continue in the direction we are going."

Ben checked his watch before they started following the wall again. It took them fifteen minutes to reach the next hall and, fortunately, the rune above the doorway matched the one on Casey's phone.

"This is it!" Hob cried. "To the grand stairway."

The grand stairway was truly grand, spiraling downward and forming a circle with a radius of at least forty feet. The steps appeared brightly polished and strangely free of dust and debris. Beneath the green glow of the rockbusters, Ben could see thin ribbons of silver that coursed through the marble treads. On the far edge of the steps, fluted balusters were carved into the stone walls and heavily gilded with what appeared to be gold.

"It's beautiful here," Ben remarked.

"Yes, it is," Hob agreed, "and when this is all over, I want you to bring me, Gob, and Nob back so that we may properly explore this place. We'll even bring old Spud along."

Ben smiled at Hob's jovial mood. "I imagine there are many dwarves that would love to see the home of their ancestors."

"Hey!" Hob cried. "We could charge an admission fee! We'd make a fortune!"

"That would not be an honorable thing to do," said Gabriel. "Besides, you have already made a fortune selling chess sets."

"Well, maybe we'd give all dwarves a discounted rate," Hob grumbled, "but we charge elves full price!"

Ben and Gabriel laughed and Hob could not hold on to a disgruntled mood with their merriment. Soon, the dwarf was teaching Gabriel the verses to Yankee Doodle and the trio passed the remainder of the journey in song.

The trip to the gate took all of three hours and Ben was weary when they finally reached it. Gabriel pushed on the stone door and after a millennium being shut, it still swung open quietly and effortlessly. All three of them crowded into the doorway to peer out into the night. The stars glittered brightly overhead, but it was too dark to make out anything about the landscape.

"You know," said Hob, "we didn't even consider what season it may have been here. None of us are dressed for cold weather and if it had been winter time, we would have had to return for coats and such."

"Are the winters cold on Crag?" asked Gabriel.

"I have heard they are bitterly cold."

"Then we are fortunate indeed."

"I wonder how far off morning is," said Ben.

"I don't know," Gabriel answered, "But why don't we eat a bite and then you and Hob bed down for some sleep. I'll stand guard and wake you at sunup."

After a quick bite of hard biscuits and cold cheese, Hob produced two blankets from his pack and tossed one to Ben. In a few short minutes the dwarf was snoring so loudly that Gabriel, fearing a dragon might hear them, pulled the door almost shut. Ben did not think he would ever be able to sleep with the buzz-saw sounds coming from beneath Hob's blanket, but before he could rehash the day's events he fell into a deep and peaceful slumber.

"Hob, Ben, wake up. It is morning."

Ben sat up and rubbed his eyes. He was stiff from sleeping on the hard floor, but at least he was rested. Hob rummaged around in his pack and produced the same fare that they had eaten for supper; cold biscuits and hard cheese. He also pulled out an apple, which they divided into three parts. After breakfast, they washed the meal down, using as little water as possible from their flasks, and Hob stowed the blankets away in his pack.

"Are we ready to go?" Gabriel asked.

"Let's get moving," Hob answered. "Remember, to keep it down and move about as quietly as possible. We don't want to wake another sleeping dragon."

Gabriel shook his head.

"What's wrong," Ben asked.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when a dwarf would ask me to move about quietly."

*****
CHAPTER 17

ASHING OR SLUMBER

"Hob, this is your homeland," said Gabriel, stepping aside and motioning toward the door. "You are the only living dwarf to walk the halls of Haven and you should be first to see the outside world."

Hob slowly walked over to the gate and reverently placed his hand on the door. With a gentle push, the door once again swung outward and bright sunlight filled the tunnel. The dwarf stepped out onto the rocky soil of Crag and took a deep breath. A faint tingling sensation traveled down his spine. This was not some strange foreign land. This was home. He was home.

"Are we in the right place?" Ben asked, shading his eyes and studying the strange landscape that lay before them.

"This is not as Spud described it," said Gabriel. "But it has been many centuries since the evacuation. Things change."

"But an entire forest?" asked Ben. "And everything in it?"

As far as they could see, the hills were littered with giant logs and tall stumps. Everything was blackened and burnt as if a great fire had roared through the forest and consumed everything in its path. The strangest thing was the total absence of color from the landscape. There was nothing green and living anywhere to be found; even the soil and rocks were varying shades of gray. After a forest fire, new growth usually appears fairly quick.

"Maybe the fire was recent," Hob suggested.

"No," said Gabriel. "As black as everything is, there would still be smoke somewhere. I cannot detect even a hint of smoke."

"This is another fine mess we are in. How will we find old Grand Sire now?"

"It's The Ashing," came a voice from the tunnel behind them.

Gabriel spun around and pushed Ben behind him. The elf's hand blurred over his belt as he crouched low and brought the long knife up in front of him. Hob's axe materialized in his hands. The dwarf raised the axe over his head, ready to let it fly, and then he paused.

"Spud?" Hob called into the tunnel. "How did you get here?"

"Oh no," said Ben. "I forgot to close the portal."

"Yes, and I'm glad you did," said the Librarian, walking out of the tunnel and squinting at them in the bright Crag sunshine. Spud was one of the dwarfs who rarely ventured outside and the light was very painful to his eyes. "At first, the thought of coming here terrified me and I fled when I saw the portal open. I was afraid you would ask me to come with you. And then I started thinking about what an amazing opportunity I was missing! I had a chance to see the very thing I have only been able to read about! I had a chance to see our ancestral home and I blew it!"

"What do you know about this?" asked Gabriel, nodding toward the devastated forest. "You said it was The Ashing. What does that mean?"

"It's either The Ashing or The Slumber or a time between the two. They overlap, you know."

"No, we don't know," said Ben. "Please explain."

"I have heard these stories," said Hob. "It is the cycle of the dragon. I'll let Spud explain it to you. He is apparently well learned in the history of Crag, where I have only heard stories told round the fireside."

"Our lives are measured by years that are made up of four seasons; spring, summer, winter, and fall. A dragon's life is measured in events that are made up of three cycles, each cycle lasting about one thousand years."

"So a dragon that has lived through three events would be nine thousand years old?" asked Ben.

"You are absolutely correct," said Spud. "It appears that we have arrived here during the cycle called The Ashing, but we could be in the cycle called The Slumber or somewhere in between. The other cycle is called The Awakening."

"Tell us more."

Spud smiled. No one had ever been interested in anything he had to say until Ben came along. He was beginning to see why Hob thought so highly of the young child. He was also beginning to see the qualities that set him apart from others and identified him as the chosen one in the Final Prophecy. "The Slumber cycle," he continued, "would be the best time to be here. It is the period of time when dragons go into their one thousand year sleep. If they are in The Slumber, then we may walk to the Dragon's Cradle without fear."

"They hibernate!" said Ben. "How cool."

"However, if we are in The Ashing, then depending on how far we are into the cycle it could be the most dangerous time to be here. During The Awakening, dragons eat, fight, and mate. After a thousand years the food supply dwindles to the point that the surviving dragons have nothing left to sustain them. Their hunger can no longer be sated and a madness comes upon them. They are driven to burn plants and trees and they eat the ashes to quell their hunger pains. This keeps them alive, but eating the ashes also bring on the next cycle; The Slumber. During this cycle, they go into a deep sleep that lasts for about one thousand years. During this dormant time, life slowly returns to Crag. Trees and grasses begin to grow and the landscape once more turns green. Birds, and other animals that survived The Awakening and The Ashing begin to multiply and balance is restored. Then, after the thousand year sleep, the dragons start to waken and the cycles begin anew."

"How do we know for sure which cycle we are in?" asked Gabriel.

"If we see a dragon, then we know that we are in The Ashing."

"Great," said Hob. "You are a lot of help and comfort! And what do you mean by 'we'? You're not going with us, you are going back at once!"

"How do you even know which way to go?" asked Spud. You have no map and there is certainly no moss growing on the stumps out there."

Hob turned to Ben, but Ben just shrugged his shoulders.

"Not to worry, I brought the map. Let's clear away this dirt and find the compass star."

All four of them pitched in and, in a few minutes, they had the rocks and dirt cleared away from the stone slab that formed a small patio in front of the doorway. Fortunately, everything was extremely dry and they were able to brush the dirt away cleanly, revealing the compass star that was carved into the stone. Spud unrolled the map and laid it down on the ground. He then turned the map so that the compass star on the map lined up with the compass star on the stone.

"We could have just used the stone to see which direction to go," Ben pointed out.

"Yes, that would have given you your compass points, but with the map we know exactly in which direction to strike out," Spud answered. The Librarian stood and pointed. "Dragon's Perch is that way. With the forest gone, you can actually see it."

"Where," asked Gabriel, shading his eyes and scanning the horizon. "Ah, I believe I see it. There is a place on the horizon that is bare of stumps. Is that it?"

"That's it," Spud confirmed.

"If Grand Sire is no longer standing, how will we find our way to the Cradle?" asked Hob.

"According to the map, there was once a great river that cut through the forest south of here. If you stray too far south, you will come to that river, or a dry river bed. Follow it until you come to the meadows, and then turn northwest, following the old tree line until you get to the Cradle."

"What if we stray too far north?"

"That would be unfortunate. You would still hit the meadows, but you would not know which way to turn. Here is what I would advise. Go to Dragon's Perch as planned. If you can see the stump of Old Grand Sire, then stick to your original plan. If not, turn left and follow the ridge line all the way to the river and go from there."

"I noticed you are no longer saying 'we'," Hob pointed out. "Have you changed your mind about coming with us?"

"I am not going with you to the Cradle, but I am not going back to Dwarvenhall just yet either. There are archives here in the Haven that I wish to explore."

"How long will this take if we have to go by way of the river," asked Ben.

"It will add an extra day to your journey," Spud replied.

"Then you have two days to explore. That should give you plenty of time. I'll leave the portal open and when you are finished, return to the archives at Dwarvenhall and wait for us there. We will meet you in the lobby area, to be certain you got back safely, before continuing on to Faerie."

"Two days should be ample time, but listen. When this is all over, I want you to make me a promise, Ben. I need a favor from you."

"I'll be happy to do you a favor, if I am able. What is it you want?"

"I want to come back here to explore. You, me, and Hob. Gabriel can come too if he wants."

"Sure! That would be fun. When this ordeal is all over, we'll get together and plan a regular expedition. Gob and Nob will want to come too and I'm sure Casey would like to come."

"Excellent! I'll see all of you in two days. Three tops."

Spud waved goodbye and disappeared back into Fire Mountain to search for the ancient archives.

"Let's get moving," said Hob. "Keep quiet, keep low, and keep your eyes open. We still don't know what cycle the dragons are in and I prefer not to be eaten."

"Wait," said Gabriel. "Let's traverse the landscape like this. I'll go first. I'll travel a short distance and if I am able to do so without incidence we'll pause for a moment to make sure the way is still clear. If everything is quiet, then you two move quickly to join me. At that point we'll repeat the process all over."

"So, every time we move, we wait, watch, and listen," said Ben.

"That's it," Gabriel confirmed. After scanning the skies and the mountain side above them, the elf darted down hillside toward the valley below. About one hundred yards into the decimated forest, he hunkered down beside one of the giant dragon spires that had been toppled over and waited. After a few minutes of stillness and silence, the elf motioned for Ben and Hob to follow.

The party proceeded like this until they reached Dragon's Perch around noon. They found an outcropping of rock below the summit of the perch that provided reasonable shelter from both the midday sun and any dragons that might pass them by. Hob was famished and insisted on eating before they traveled any further. After a quick bite of dried meat and some more cheese, Gabriel left them under the outcropping and climbed to the top of the perch to see if Old Grand Sire was visible. He returned very quickly.

"We are in luck, Old Grand Sire still stands."

"Alive?" asked Hob.

"No, it is burnt like all the others. The top is broken out too, but the trunk is enormous. I should like to have seen these trees when they were alive. It would have been truly wondrous to walk beneath them."

"We need to get moving again. It makes me really nervous being out in the open like this."

"We can rest safely inside of Old Grand Sire and we can rest safely at the Cradle too," said Ben.

"How do you figure that?" asked Hob. "I thought Spud said we'd be out in the open at the Cradle."

"Yes, but while we don't know which cycle the dragons are in, we do know which one they are not in. They are not in The Awakening and that means that there will be no mating or birthing, therefore no dragons visiting the birthing stone."

"I hadn't thought of that," said Hob, scratching his head. "But that's a good point and it makes me feel a little better."

"The tree stumps are denser on the other side of the ridge," said Gabriel. "We should be able to walk together for the rest of the journey. Come, follow me."

They paused on top of the ridge just long enough for Gabriel to point out Old Grand Sire. There was no mistaking the tree. With even half of it destroyed, it was larger than any tree Ben had ever seen and much larger than the burned and broken dragon spires that surrounded it. Although the forest did not provide them cover, in its current state they would not lose line-of-sight with the tree and, therefore, not get lost. This also allowed them to travel in a straight line and they were able to make it the tree well before dark.

"Wow!" Ben exclaimed. "This tree is ginormous!"

The roots of Old Grand Sire towered above their heads, forming little box canyons all the way around the tree. They found the crack that Spud had told them about and slipped through the opening. It was too dark to see anything and too risky to light a fire, so Ben used the flashlight on Casey's cell phone to explore their surroundings. The tree had been used often as a hiding place and the cavity inside of it had been carved into a comfortable room. The room itself was round, about forty feet across, and had a dome shaped ceiling. The dirt floor had been leveled and tight fitting flagstones had been laid down to form a stone floor. Unlike Haven, the inside of Old Grand Sire was not free of dust, dirt, and debris. Dragon flames had found their way inside the tree and everything was scorched an angry black.

"I guess this will have to do," said Ben, snapping off the light. He heard Hob spit in the darkness and a faint green light leapt from the dwarf's hand. "Oh, I forgot all about the rockbusters."

"Let's just use one," said Hob. "It's faint enough that it should not be visible from outside yet it will keep us from spending the entire night in total darkness."

"I'll keep watch again," said Gabriel.

"Don't you need rest too?" asked Ben.

"Not yet," the elf smiled. "But you and Hob do. Tomorrow we shall find this Dragon's Cradle and hopefully the wisest one as well. Then, the only piece of the puzzle that is still missing is the sword, Excalibur. The wisest one will probably tell us where to find the sword. Once we know that, we'll return to Faerie and send word to Marcus.

"Am I supposed to use this sword against Bellator," Ben asked.

"I believe so," Gabriel answered, "but who knows? Prophecies are like the oracles who give them; mysterious and evasive in their meanings. Sometimes I wonder if we would be better off without these prophecies."

"How so?"

At that moment, a tremendous roar split the air and dragon fire illuminated the night with dark oranges and bright yellows that flickered and danced on the dome shaped walls of their hiding place. Old Grand Sire shook violently as the dragon alit on the burning trunk and began to eat.

"Oh, no," Hob whispered in terror. "It's The Ashing."

*****
CHAPTER 18

DOWN BELOW

Just inside the small courtyard, the Faerie Oak appeared to be sleeping. All of its branches drooped and sagged. Not a single leaf stirred upon the tree. Amos knew better and gave the tree a wide berth as he skirted around the edges of the courtyard to get to the front door of the lodge. According to Jonah, this was now a distribution center for supplies to all of the mobile garrisons, but the place seemed utterly deserted. As he reached for the handle, the door suddenly flew open. This startled Amos so much that he almost transformed on the spot, but he kept his composure and it was a good thing that he had. Standing there at the door to greet him was a dwarf he had never met before. This fellow was a young chap, his beard just barely reaching midway to his belt. His rosy cheeks underscored a pair of merry blue eyes and there was no fear in those eyes when he looked upon Amos; a giant hairy man, robed in furs, looming at the door step. The dwarf simply bowed low at the waist and greeted him.

"Welcome and do come in, Torac at your service."

"Amos, at your service," the big man replied with an awkward attempt at a bow. "Where is everyone and what is a dwarf doing here in Faerie, much less answering the door of the lodge of Gazafar?"

"There are no others, it's just me. I'm up above and down below, round-about and to-and-fro, but you have others with you. Where are they?"

"They are waiting for me outside the gates. How did you know there were others with me?"

"A little bird told me, of course."

"Hmmm. You're a very peculiar chap and I sense there is something very strange going on here."

"You are quite right on that account," Torac replied with a smile. "Go and fetch the others and I will wait for you here. I see there is much to tell you."

Amos walked back through the gate into the meadow. He almost used his left hand to signal for them to come forward, but he remembered their arrangement just in time. He raised his right hand instead, high into the air, and waved for them to join him. Louise and Casey waved back to him and started across the meadow toward the lodge. When they got to the gate they besieged him with questions.

"What's going on, Amos?"

"What did you find out?"

"Is everything okay?"

The big man held his palms up to quieten them. "Everything is fine, I think," he replied. "Come inside and we'll all find out together what is going on here."

"What about my horse?" Casey asked.

Amos paused and thought back to his last visit here. "Let me see him," he said, reaching for the reins. He led the horse over to the Faerie Oak. The big tree, which seemed to be sleeping, suddenly snatched the reins from Amos.

"Amos!" Casey cried.

Amos held up his hand. "Wait. Watch."

The leaves of the Faerie Oak rustled as the tree gently removed the saddle and bridle and deposited them on the ground. The horse shook its head and neighed a friendly greeting to the tree before bolting through the gates to graze on the tender green grasses in the meadows below the lodge.

"How will we get the horse back if we need it?"

"The tree will call to it somehow and it will return here. Come, we have a mysterious host waiting for us and I am most curious to hear his story."

Torac was waiting for them by the door and after a quick introduction, he motioned for his guests to follow him down the hallway. He led them to a room with a cozy fireplace. It looked to be a small, private study of sorts. A bookcase lined the wall opposite the fireplace and a couple of comfortable looking chairs faced the hearth, where embers from a low fire glowed bright and orange among the ashes. Torac walked over to the mantle and pressed one of the rocks below the thick hand hewn beam. There was an audible click and the entire rock wall, fireplace and all, pivoted to reveal a set of stairs leading downwards.

"What is this?" Amos asked.

"This," Torac replied, retrieving a torch from the wall and lighting it from the small fire on the hearth, "is down below. Hurry now, let's go!"

They followed the young dwarf down a steep flight of winding stairs. At the bottom, the stairs deposited them on top of a long platform overlooking a vast storage room, where rows of crates formed a maze of narrow passageways.

"It's a warehouse!" Louise exclaimed.

"Yes, and a fine one at that," said Torac.

"The elves have been working on this secret underground network for centuries now. With events in the final prophecy coming to pass, they hired some of the finest craftsmen, masons, and architects in Dwarvenhall to help them finish the project. All of the construction is complete, but they have kept some of us in their employ to manage the distribution lines and supplies."

"Where do the supplies come from?"

"All twelve of the cities on Faerie have places where food supplies are stored; things such as grains, rice, nuts, flour, salt, dried fruits and meats. There are armories too, full of bows, arrows, knives, swords, and spears, not to mention clothing and medicines. Everything that would be needed in preparation for the dark days ahead has been stored away. Those dark days are on us and what you see here is just a small part of the network. There are tunnels that lead from each city to this central location. These are not small tunnels either, they are wide tunnels designed to move a lot of people very quickly."

"Why people?" asked Casey.

"Because, they are not only supply routes, they are also escape routes. Most of Faerie's population has been evacuated to Camelot. Only the armies remain and, for now, they are hidden away at remote locations until they are needed."

"This is amazing," Amos marveled. "Although it doesn't surprise me. Castle Twilight was raised with astonishing speed."

"The elves lack our building skills," said Torac, "but what they lack in skill, they make up for in endurance. Don't tell anyone I said this, but they are tougher than us dwarves! They are absolutely tireless and able to work for hours and hours on end without pause or rest."

"Hey, if this network has tunnels to each city, then we should be able to approach Jupiter completely undetected if we travel below. This would give us a perfect means to slip into the city and rescue Marcus."

"That's a distinct possibility and certainly one that I'm sure will be discussed when the others get here."

"You know about the rest of our party?" asked Louise.

"Yes, shortly after you left the garrison, Jonah sent word by way of an arrow hawk. I am to make you comfortable until the others arrive, so follow me and I'll show you your quarters and get you some hot food."

Amos, Louise, and Casey followed Torac back up the stairs to lodge above. In the kitchen, Torac whipped up a pot of stew and baked a fresh loaf of bread to go with it. As they sat around the table eating, Amos plied the dwarf with more questions.

"You are the only person we have seen here, surely there are more. I mean, how can one person manage all of this? Where are the others? How does this operation run?"

"It runs like clockwork," Torac beamed, "but here is how we are set up. Beneath each city is a staging area. When the cities were evacuated, all of the supplies were moved to the staging areas below each city. There is exactly one dwarf that manages each staging area so, to answer your question, there are twelve others that help me run this whole operation. I maintain a schedule and a master inventory list here. When supplies are due to be shipped, I have them ready on the floor below. If I'm running low on anything, I'll send an arrow hawk down the tunnel with a list of what I need. Then I'll hitch up the wagon and drive to the staging area and the supplies will be pulled from inventory and waiting for me when I get there. If it's a big load, the dwarf at the staging area will help me load my wagon and I'll help him load his wagon. Then, both of us will drive back here and unload both of our wagons down below. After everything is squared away we'll visit for a spell and then he drives back."

"How many arrow hawks do you have on hand?" Amos asked.

"We have twelve; one hawk per city."

"So you could send a message to all twelve dwarves at once if you needed too?"

"Yes, but I can't imagine why I would ever send out all twelve hawks at once. I only have one wagon!"

"It is a very efficient operation," said Louise. "How do you move the supplies from down below to the armies in the fields? You don't move them upstairs by yourself, do you?"

"Good gracious no! We dwarves are stout, but we do have our limits! The shipments go out on a regular schedule. Whichever garrison is due for supplies will send a small company of elves to retrieve the supplies."

"What do you feed the horses down there?" Casey asked. "That seems cruel to keep an animal underground."

"Ah, you have just hit on the worst part of this job," Torac moaned. "We have ponies here, not horses. Our ponies are rotated out every week. There is a passageway that leads to a cave on Gazafar. That is how we get them in and out of the tunnels. While they are not being used, they are kept in stables and pens. Most of our time is spent caring for them; making sure they have fresh water and plenty of hay, making sure their pens are clean and their stalls are mucked out. I wish we could have two dwarves stationed at each site; one to manage the supplies and one to manage the ponies, but alas, the elves think two dwarves would be too noisy for such a covert operation."

"They are probably right on that account," Amos laughed.

"Hey! I am scheduled to pick up a load tomorrow morning. Would all of you like to go with me?"

Amos looked at Louise and raised his bushy eyebrows.

"We're not expecting anyone back tomorrow, so we might as well. I think it'd be fun. What about you Casey?"

"Well, I don't want to sit around here all day with nothing to do, so I'm definitely up for it."

Louise turned to Torac. "We'd be delighted to go with you. We can help load the wagons too and we'd might as well help you with the ponies while we're here."

"Splendid!" Torac cried. "Now, if everyone is finished eating, I'll show you where to bed down for the night. I think you'll find the accommodations quite comfortable."

The next morning, Torac roused everyone at the crack of dawn. Louise and Amos were early risers anyway, but Casey struggled to get going. After a hearty breakfast, one that Hob, Gob, and Nob would have been proud of, they followed Torac down to the warehouse area. The dwarf confidently navigated his way through the crates until he came to an open area near the far walls, where a low-slung buckboard wagon was parked. Just beyond the wagon was a short passage that led to another open area. This room was closed off with a swinging gate and, like the warehouse, was well lit with torches. In the center of the room, three shaggy ponies were gathered around a pile of sweet smelling hay. The dwarf whistled and all three ponies came running to the gate.

"This is Toby, Champ, and Chief," said Torac, introducing the three ponies as if they were fellow dwarves. The three ponies were exactly identical, so much so that it was impossible for Louise, Casey, or Amos to tell them apart. The dwarf slipped a halter on the two ponies he identified as Champ and Chief and led them through the gate into the passageway. Toby tossed his head and ran back to the pile of hay to continue munching.

"Why do you have three horses down here, if you only use two to pull the wagon," Casey asked.

"Sometimes I have to make a trip to one of the staging areas when a wagon is not needed and I always want to keep two fresh horses on hand for the wagon. You know, in case an emergency need arises and I can't fill an order from our stockpile here."

Torac hitched Champ and Chief into the harnesses and climbed aboard. Louise and Casey sat on the front seat with the dwarf and Amos sat cross-legged in the wagon bed, directly behind them.

"Are we getting a big load?" Amos asked. "Because if we are, there will not be room for me to ride back!"

"No, no, we are just getting a barrel of barley for the lodge. We're running low and I always feed the supply runners when they come in to pick up a load. This will be a very quick trip."

"To which staging area are we driving? Jupiter?"

"No, this time we are going to Venus. It's the closest one and I've been given specific instructions to stay away from the staging area below Jupiter. We do not want Bellator to find out about these tunnels. They may very well be the only element of surprise we have against him." Torac picked up the reins and clucked to the ponies. He drove them around the crates and into a large tunnel that slopped gently downward.

"Why are we going down even deeper?" Louise asked.

"If you remember, the lodge is at a much higher elevation than the cities. This tunnel gradually goes deeper and deeper, with many switchbacks, until we get to the hub."

"The hub?"

"Yes, the hub is where all of the tunnels from the cities converge. We'll reach the hub in about an hour and from there it will take us another hour to reach Venus."

The lanterns hanging from the pole attached to the side of the wagon swung back and forth as the ponies plodded on their way. These were elfin lanterns and they lit the dark tunnels with a bright cheerful light that looked much like silvery moonbeams. Torac talked nonstop until they reached the midway point.

"So, this is the hub," Amos mused. The room was almost as enormous as the warehouse below the lodge. It was round, like a wheel, and like spokes from a wheel, twelve passageways branched off in different directions. "Which way is Jupiter?"

"That one," Torac answered, pointing toward one of the tunnels. Carved into the stone over the entrance of the tunnel was a great throne. Also carved into the stone and embedded in the seat of the throne was the sword of legend; Excalibur.

*****
CHAPTER 19

DRAGON'S CRADLE

The dragon ate upon the tree for about an hour. Once it had its fill of ashes, it flew off into the night, but its fires lingered until dawn. No one slept that night and they were all extremely tired. Hob was not even enthusiastic about breakfast and solemnly chewed his biscuits with a worried expression.

"You didn't get to answer my question," said Ben, breaking the silence with a question to Gabriel.

"Oh? What question?"

"You said that you sometimes felt that we'd be better off without prophecies and I asked you how so?"

"Ah, yes," said Gabriel. "I remember. It was dark talk for a dark night, nothing more."

"Please, tell me what you meant," Ben persisted.

Gabriel paused a moment to reflect and then looked over at Ben. "What choices would we make without foreknowledge of certain events? What would the outcome of our decisions be? These prophecies make me feel as if our destinies are pre-determined, regardless of the choices we make, and that does not sit well with me."

"That's interesting. We think about the same things in my world too."

"You have prophecies in your world?"

"Oh yes, many prophecies from many different people, from many different beliefs."

"Do they all come true?"

"That's a tough one to answer," Ben replied, standing up and stretching. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and cupped his chin in his hand while he pondered the question. "I think most prophecies are vague and mysterious so that they are open to interpretation. One person may think a prophecy has been fulfilled because it means one thing to him, whereas another person may think the very same prophecy has not been fulfilled because he thinks it means something entirely different. But as far as the prophecies associated with my beliefs; I am pretty sure they do come true, but I don't think all of them have been fulfilled yet."

"You have a final prophecy in your world?"

"Sorta." Ben dug Casey's cell phone out of his pocket and turned it on. The battery was down to forty percent now, but this wouldn't take long. "We have this book called the Bible. It is a collection of writings and each writing within the Bible is called a book. Casey has a copy of it here on her phone. The last book in the Bible is called Revelations. This book contains prophecies about the end of times. I guess you could say it is our final prophecy. Anyhow, let me read you some of it so that you can see what I'm talking about."

Ben brought the app up and flipped his thumb to scroll the display to the book of Revelations. He flipped his thumb on the chapter dial and flipped it again on the verse dial so that he would select something totally random. "Okay, listen to this. This is chapter twelve, verse three..."

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

"What does it mean?" asked Gabriel.

"I really don't know," Ben answered. "I think different people interpret it to mean different things."

"I know exactly what it means," said Hob, slinging his pack across his shoulder. "It means all dragons are evil. Let's get moving, please. I want to get to the Cradle and back before nightfall. After what happened last night, I will NOT be sleeping out in the open."

Gabriel crept out into the bright morning sunshine and scanned the surrounding area. There were no signs of dragons anywhere that he could sense. At least now they knew for sure that it was the time of The Ashing here on Crag, although they did not know how far they were into the thousand year period. From the looks of things, they must be nearing The Slumber because nothing green or living could be detected anywhere in this barren landscape.

"Come on out, the way is clear."

Ben and Hob came out of Old Grand Sire. Hob looked around nervously while Ben walked around to the west side of the tree. Fortunately, the tree trunk was still plenty tall enough to cast a long dark shadow on the ground.

"Well, at least we will not have to travel to the river and add an extra day to our journey," said Ben, pointing to the shadow.

"We know the direction we need to take," said Hob, "but men and dwarves alike tend to move in a circle when traveling a long distance without any navigational aids."

"We could use line-of-sight on distant objects," said Ben. It was a trick he had learned in cub scouts when he was younger. "You pick an object in the distance, in the direction you are traveling, and walk to that object. When you get there, you push a sharp stick in the ground so that the object you sighted on falls between the stick and an object back at the original starting point. This gives you another straight line of travel. Then, all you do is pick another distant object along that line and repeat the process all over."

"That won't be necessary," said Gabriel. "I can keep us in a reasonably straight line while we are moving. Come, follow me. Let's get to the Cradle as quickly as possible, because I am in total agreement with Hob; I do not want to spend the night out in the open here."

Once again, the trio moved slowly and cautiously with Gabriel going first and choosing their route. However, when the sun reached its zenith Gabriel began to pick up the pace. They had to make it to the Cradle before dark. While they would not be sheltered as they were inside of Old Grand Sire, they would at least be able to stay the night in a place no dragon would frequent for a thousand years. No one spoke during the next few hours. Hob did not even ask to stop and eat. Everyone was on edge and their nerves were strung as taunt as bowstrings. When the sun began to set on the western horizon, Ben finally spoke.

"Gabriel, how much farther?"

The elf stopped and waited for Hob to catch up with them. They watched in dismay as the pale blues and evening pinks began to fade from the sky. "I think we are almost out of the forest. There appears to be a break in the tree stumps ahead, but I am not positive. I would climb one of these broken trees to see, if I weren't afraid of catching the eye of some nearby dragon. The only thing we can do is keep moving."

Gabriel was correct, but by the time they exited the forest, the sky above them was a dark veil of purple-black, pierced by a million glittering white stars. If Crag had a moon, it was not out tonight, but the stars lit the terrain as well as any full moon back on earth. Even Ben could see the structure in the distance. It stood on a small rise, forming a jet black silhouette against the star lit sky. Hurriedly they made their way across the open area between the forest and the outer circle of stones. They walked deeper into the strange maze-like configuration until they found some upright stones that were massive in size and capped on top with slabs of equally great size. Although this only offered them shelter on two sides, it hid them from above and gave them a small sense of security.

Hob pulled the blankets from his pack and tossed one to Ben. He dumped the rest of their food onto his blanket. Two biscuits, a small wedge of cheese, and a little bit of dried jerky. After missing lunch, he was hungry too. Especially after marching all day. "I'm afraid I did not have as much food in my pack as I thought," he said rather sadly. "It's not much, but it will have to do."

"You and Ben eat it," said Gabriel with a smile. "I really don't think my stomach could handle another one of your biscuits anyway."

"Hmph!" Hob replied. However, he didn't object and immediately divided the small pile of food into two even smaller piles. "You can eat it all now or save a couple of mouthfuls for breakfast. We still have a two day march to get back to Fire Mountain."

"No we don't," said Ben. "Once we've found what we are looking for, and are ready to return home, I will open a pathway to Castle Twilight."

"Hey!" Hob exclaimed excitedly. "I never thought of that! We could be eating a piping hot breakfast tomorrow morning. As a matter of fact, you could open the pathway straight to the kitchens at Castle Twilight. Now that I'm thinking about it, why don't you open a pathway to the kitchens right now? I'll just pop through and grab us all something hot to eat."

"We can't do that," Gabriel laughed quietly. "It requires magic to open the portal and if a dragon is nearby, there is a very good chance it would detect that magic and come to investigate. I'm afraid tonight's meal is what you have before you, but if we find what we are looking for when the sun rises, I will cook your breakfast myself when we get back to the Twilight."

Ben and Hob decided to eat everything and get a good night's rest; one without hunger. They wanted to be fresh and alert tomorrow morning. None of them had a clue what they were looking for. They knew they had to be here, at the Dragon's Cradle, but they didn't know when they were supposed to be here. Maybe they had missed the appointed time when the wisest one was supposed to arrive? Maybe the appointed time was days away? Maybe it was even weeks or months from now? These thoughts ran through all of their minds as they prepared to spend another night on Crag. Ben and Hob curled up in their blankets, while Gabriel propped his back against one of the giant stones that sheltered them to wait for morning.

When dawn finally broke, it was strangely quiet. There were no birdsongs to greet the day, no leaves or grasses for the winds to rustle. Even the winds were quiet. Gabriel roused his two companions. The sun had not risen above the horizon yet, but it was bright enough to see clearly. Hob checked his pack one last time, hoping he might have overlooked some tidbit of food. Once he was sure it was empty of edibles, he stuffed the blankets into the pack and gave his beard a good hard yank.

"I sure hope this person we're waiting on shows up soon," the grumpy dwarf complained. "Last night's meal wasn't enough to feed a fairy and I'm practically starving."

"Let's have a look around," said Gabriel. "There may be a clue lying about somewhere that will speed us on our way or tell us what to do next."

"Hey guys," said Ben. "I think I know this place."

Gabriel and Hob looked at him funny.

"What do you mean?" asked Hob. "You couldn't possibly know this place."

"Well, maybe not this particular place, but reminds me of another place, back on earth, that is very much like this. Can we walk out into the field and look at it from the outside?"

"Yes," Gabriel answered, "but let's wait until the sun is up and shining brightly. There will be less chance of being spotted by a dragon during the daylight."

Ben and Gabriel waited two hours. They would have waited a little longer, but neither could endure Hob's complaints about being hungry for another minute. Actually, the dwarf's stomach was beginning to rumble so loudly they were becoming concerned that any nearby dragons might hear it, so they decided to go ahead and walk out into the open field to give Ben a better view of the Cradle. In the daylight and standing back far enough to take it all in, Ben had only to look at the Cradle once to know why it had seemed so familiar.

"Holy cow! I knew I had seen this before!"

"What?" Hob exclaimed. The poor dwarf began yanking on his beard again. "Are you going to tell us or not?"

"Stonehenge," Ben answered. "There is a place like this on Earth and it is called Stonehenge. It is not in great shape like this one, but it is the same structure."

"Are you certain," asked Gabriel.

"I'm positive."

"What do you think it means?"

Ben looked up at the elf. "I think I'm supposed to open a pathway from here to Stonehenge. I don't know why, but it's just a feeling I have. A real strong feeling."

"Can you do that?"

"I've never been to Stonehenge, but I know where it's at and I've seen tons of pictures of it. I opened a pathway from Camelot to Crag using one map and one drawing, so I should be able to open a pathway from here to Stonehenge. It's one of the most photographed places on earth."

"What does that mean?" asked Hob.

"Pictures," Ben answered. "Like the ones I showed you on Casey's cell phone. There are thousands of pictures of Stonehenge."

"Well, open the pathway and let's see what happens!"

Ben glanced at Gabriel and the elf nodded.

"Okay, but let's go into the center of the circle before we open it. I don't like being out in the open like this."

The three hurried back to the Cradle and made their way to the birthing stone.

"The stone is supposed to be magic," said Hob. "Why don't you crawl up on top of it and open the pathway from there."

"Do you think I'm supposed too?" asked Ben.

"How the heck should I know? Just seems the proper thing to do since we're here."

"Hob may be right," said Gabriel. "Here, let me help you up."

The elf hoisted Ben up onto the birthing stone and handed him the staff.

"Here goes," said Ben, holding the staff up. "Stand back a little."

Gabriel and Hob backed away from the birthing stone. Once Ben felt they were safely out of the way, he closed his eyes and began to form a mental picture Stonehenge. It wasn't difficult, because he had really seen hundreds of pictures of the place. He was having trouble coming up with new words though and it took him a minute to come up with something new to say. He gripped the staff tightly and cried out, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers!"

The pathway opening materialized at the other end of the birthing stone, an impenetrable black hole that the rebuked the bright Crag sunshine and gave no hint of what lay within. Gabriel leapt up on top of the stone and pulled Hob up behind him.

"What do we do now?" Hob asked. "Do we go in?"

Ben never got a chance to answer.

*****
CHAPTER 20

THE WISEST ONE

Something exploded out of the tunnel with astonishing speed; a dark blur that tumbled over the edge of the birthing stone and rolled across the ground to collapse in a heap in the center of the Cradle. Hob pulled his axe and Gabriel drew his knife.

"Keep the pathway open," Gabriel whispered.

"What are you going to do?" asked Hob. Gabriel winced. It was no use whispering with a dwarf.

"I'm going down to have a closer look. We need to find out what just came out of that black hole."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you two wait here. I can get back up onto this rock much faster than either of you and we may need to flee this place in a hurry."

"Do you think it's the wisest one?" asked Ben. His heart was pounding in his chest. Whatever came out of the pathway had really given him a scare.

"I don't know," Gabriel answered, "but we shall soon find out."

The elf dropped to the ground and cautiously made his way over to the figure that was lying in a crumpled heap. It appeared to be a man, small in stature. He was wearing a dark blue hooded robe and the hood was covering his head. Gabriel paused. Something about the little man looked strangely familiar. Suddenly, the blue robed figure rolled over and sat up, with his back to the elf. He looked around frantically, as if he'd lost something, and began crawling around on the ground and crying with a loud voice, "Where is it? Where is it? Keep the pathway open, we must find it!"

That voice! Gabriel had heard that voice before. He knew that voice, but how could it be?

"Is this what he's looking for?" asked Ben from atop the birthing stone.

Gabriel turned around. Ben was holding up a sword. An elfin sword! The moonsilver flashed brilliantly as Ben waved it over his head. That wasn't just any elfin sword. Gabriel had seen that sword many times; there was no mistaking it. It had returned from the past, just as the prophecy had foretold. Excalibur was back. But if that was Excalibur, then who had brought it back? Gabriel turned back to the blue robed figure that came from the pathway. The man was standing now, looking at them from beneath the dark shadows of the hood that hid his face. Slowly, he reached up and pulled the hood from off his head. Gabriel looked upon the gray whiskers and wizened face, and then fell to his knees in shock. It WAS him!

The old man hurried over to steady the elf and helped him to his feet.

"Merlin?" Gabriel whispered. "How is this possible?"

"Yes, it is I," the wizard answered with a mischievous grin, "and there will be time for answers later." The wizard walked past the astonished elf to glare up at Ben, who was still standing atop the birthing stone. He was holding Excalibur in one hand and the staff in the other hand.

"Here," said Ben, handing the sword down to the wizard.

"No, the sword is no longer mine to keep. It seems that Excalibur has chosen a new master, but I was expecting that to happen. That staff, however, is mine and I WILL be taking it back." Merlin stretched out his hand. The staff flew from Ben's grasp and smacked into the wizard's palm with a loud thump. Merlin banged the ground with the end of the staff and the black hole snapped shut. "Ah, there is much magic here! I have not felt such magic in many long years, how I have missed it!"

"Merlin," said Gabriel, regaining his composure, "how is it you are here? You should be dead!"

The wizard cradled the staff in the crook of his arm as he pulled a floppy blue hat from his robe and pulled it down over his head. "How are you, Merlin?" he replied in a mocking tone. "How have you been doing? It's so good to see you! Those are things I would have expected to hear from a close friend, but nooooooo... instead of a warm welcome I hear, you should be dead!"

"Forgive me, please," Gabriel pleaded. "I'm delighted to see you, just shocked, that is all. Please, tell us how it is you are here."

"Have you been spending too much time with dwarves or have all elves become rude since I left Camelot?"

Gabriel stared at Merlin with a puzzled expression.

"Introductions!" the wizard cried. "Introductions first! Then food. Then answers."

"Ah yes, please for..."

"You're forgiven! You're forgiven! Now, tell me. Who is this young man that was in possession of my staff and who is now in possession of the sword? Is this the chosen one?"

Ben hopped down from the birthing stone and Gabriel helped Hob to the ground.

"We'll start with Hob," said Gabriel. "This is Hob, of Long Lake. He is a friend to elves and a dear friend of mine. We have adventured much together."

Hob bowed low, but unsure of the proper greeting to a wizard, remained quiet and tried to appear respectful.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Merlin. "Is he addled? Can he speak?"

"I'm sure he is just overwhelmed being in the presence of one so great and famous," Gabriel answered, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Hmph," Merlin replied, blowing the gray whiskers hanging over his lips in all directions.

"But be warned though, once he starts talking, you may never shut him up."

Hob yanked on his beard while Gabriel and Ben smirked at his discomfort. It was good natured fun and Hob knew it, but he wished that Gabriel would move on and introduce Ben. He WAS a bit overwhelmed. This was Merlin standing here before him!

Gabriel sensed his friend's unease and directed Merlin's attention to Ben. "This is Ben Alderman, from Atlanta, Georgia. He is the chosen one."

"Atlanta Georgia?" I don't think I've ever heard of that place. Is it new? Where is it located?"

"It's a place on earth," Ben answered. "A great city, not too far from the Merlin tree."

"The trees still exist?"

"Oh yes. There is one on earth, one on Faerie, and two on Camelot."

"And the Twilight?"

"Still there," said Gabriel, "but there is a castle in the forest now."

Merlin raised his bushy eyebrows.

"It's a long story," Gabriel laughed.

"And one I should like to hear. How is Marcus?"

Gabriel paled. "He is well, but is being held for ransom in the city of Jupiter."

"And Jupiter, the immortal, is sitting on the throne?"

"Yes, but he goes by Bellator now."

"I wish it were someone else, but I knew it would be him the prophecy spoke of. Well, there's nothing for it now, but to let the events play out. Tell me one thing more. How long have I been gone from Camelot?"

"It's been over six hundred years, my friend."

This time, Merlin paled. He was hoping to see his old friend Galegina, of the Aniyun-wiya, but they would all be dead, their bodies long ago turned to dust.

"So, you see now why I was so shocked to see you," Gabriel continued. "I can still hardly believe that you are here. How did you do it?"

"It is a long story," Merlin replied, "so I will give you the short version for now. When I left Camelot I found a race of people on earth who called themselves the Aniyun-wiya."

"Those are Indians!" Ben cried. "You got to live with the Cherokee Indians?"

"You know of the Aniyun-wiya?"

"Yes, we're learning about them in our history class at school."

"So, they are all gone from the Earth?"

"No, they're still around." Ben had once read a book called Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. In that book he read about The Trail of Tears and about all of the deaths and hardships the Indians had suffered on the long march to their reservations. He suddenly regretted opening his mouth and he hoped that Merlin would not ask him any more questions about the Cherokee. Thankfully, Merlin regarded him for a moment with those deep black eyes and then continued with his story.

"They were a kind and generous people and they took me in. I would have lived out my days with them, but something kept calling me to move on. As much as I hated to do so, I finally left them and made my way to a great ocean, where I was found by a group of sea faring men from the frozen north. These people also took me in, more so out of fear and respect than love and kindness. Like the islands they called home, these men of the north were cold and hard. They were always warring with other villages and they always took me along with them on their excursions. They thought I brought them luck. Eventually, during one of their scouting missions to the mainland, I was able to escape from them. I fled to the town that they were planning to attack and warned the townspeople so that they were not caught unawares. We were ready for them when they came and we drove them back to the sea. During the battle, Excalibur chose a new master; a young man named Arthur. With Excalibur in his hands, Arthur was able to rally the townspeople around him. He gave them hope and set their spirits on fire. That night, when the battle was over, a new kingdom was birthed and that kingdom was called Camelot."

"Holy cow," Ben exclaimed, interrupting the wizard once more. "King Arthur and Camelot were real? And you are the wizard Merlin from all of the stories I have read?"

"You have heard of Arthur and Camelot?"

"Are you kidding? It's one of the most famous stories in the world, but no one believes them to be true."

"Well, I do not know what stories you have heard, but I should like to hear them myself one day. Arthur was a real person. Camelot was a real place. And I am a real wizard."

"So, to get here, you just used magic to go forward in time?"

"No, heavens no. That is not possible."

"Then how did you do it?"

"There is a Dragon's Cradle on earth. One that is much older than this one. I suspect at one time Earth was a place much like Camelot; young and full of magic. I also believe there were dragons there too, but that is another story. I finally figured out that I was the wisest one mentioned in the final prophecy and that my task was to bring Excalibur back at the appropriate time. When Excalibur abandoned Arthur and returned to me, I knew that the appointed time was upon me, so I opened a pathway from the Cradle on Earth to the Cradle here on Crag, stepped into the pathway, and let it close."

"You stayed inside?" asked Hob, curiosity overcoming his awe.

"Ah ha!" Merlin cried, with a loud voice that made them all jump.

"What is it?" said Gabriel, reaching once again for his knife.

"The dwarf does speak!"

Gabriel sheathed his blade and winked at Ben, while Hob gave his beard a good sharp tug.

"Yes," Merlin answered, "I stayed inside."

"For six hundred years?" said Hob, incredulously. "I'd say the sword was a bit premature in its timing!"

"Six hundred years or six minutes, it matters not inside of a pathway."

"There's no passage of time in a pathway!" said Ben.

"Give the boy a prize," said Merlin, "he is exactly right. A pathway is not a place where time is observed; it is an in-between place that links two time frames together."

"So, even though you have been in there for six hundred years, it seemed to you that I opened the pathway just as soon as you closed it."

"This child really is smart!"

Ben's ears began to turn red. He couldn't tell if Merlin was paying him a compliment or poking fun at him. Just when he was sure his ears were seconds away from bursting into flames, Hob diverted the wizard's attention away from him.

"Merlin, sir," the dwarf stammered. "May I ask a favor of you, before we return to Camelot?"

"Ask away! I am in a merry spirit today and if it is within my power to do any of you a favor, I will be delighted to do so."

"It is the time of The Ashing here on Crag. Dragons are starving and feeding on ash to quell their hunger pains. The ash that they eat will bring on The Slumber; a great sleep that will last for a thousand years. Now that I have seen my home, my ancestral home, I feel a longing to return here. I want to explore this place and learn more about where I came from. I'm sure that my kin would love to see the Haven as well and many of them would probably relocate there. My favor that I ask of you is this; will you create another tree? One located deep inside the Haven where no dragon may ever reach it and place its counterpart in Dwarvenhall?"

"That's a great idea, Hob," said Ben. "And I know just where to put the tree in Dwarvenhall; in the lobby of the Archives! That way, Spud would have lots of visitors coming to the Archives. He could be appointed guardian of the tree, or something like that."

"When this is all over," said Merlin to Hob, "if you can show me a secure place in the Haven, and convince me that no dragon may find it, I will conjure your tree. I understand the longing in one's heart when away from home for too long." The wizard smiled at the dwarf. "Fortunately, it is a pain that is easily cured."

At that moment, a loud shriek pierced the air, forcing them to cover their ears. A red dragon dove from the skies and crashed into the center of the stone structure. Luckily for everyone the dragon targeted Gabriel first, because the elf was the largest of the four and the dragon was ravenously hungry. The elf's razor sharp senses, combined with lightning fast reflexes and speed saved his life. He leapt aside as the dragon's snout snapped shut, barely missing him. The dragon roared and spun around, searching for the elf, and came face to face with Merlin.

The wizard pointed his staff at the dragon and a brilliant green light burst from the spell catcher on the end of the staff. The dragon's shiny red scales began to turn gray and the creature collapsed to the ground in a tangled heap of claws and fangs. Merlin walked up to the dragon and rapped the staff upon its head. The dragon had turned to stone.

"Let me guess," said Gabriel. "Another sleep spell?"

"Why not," Merlin answered. "It worked once before."

"Are you leaving your staff here to keep it asleep?"

"Heavens no, the dragon may wake up when we leave or it may just stay in the slumber for the duration of the cycle. We are finished here. Where to now?"

"The Gazafar Lodge," Gabriel answered.

*****
CHAPTER 21

AN UNEXPECTED RESCUE

"Hey, look at this!" Casey cried. She was holding her arm up in the air and the charm bracelet that Marcus had given her hung loosely from her wrist. The charm dangling at the bottom of the bracelet was the small arrow that was supposed to point the way to the Twilight. However, the little silver arrow was pointing toward the tunnel that lead to Jupiter and no matter which way Casey moved her arm, the charm would rotate until it was fixed once more upon the tunnel entrance. "What do you think it means?"

"That's supposed to point to the Twilight, isn't it?" asked Louise.

"Yes, but it's pointing that way, toward the city where Marcus is held captive."

"Do you think, since we are not in Camelot, that it is pointing at the closest thing to the Twilight? I mean, the magic of the forest is bound up in the Keeper. Maybe, since the magical forest is not in this world, but the Keeper is, then the charm is detecting the same magic in Marcus that exists in the Twilight forest back on Camelot?"

"Grandma, as crazy as that sounds, it's the only thing that makes sense and that means that this charm could help us find Marcus and rescue him."

At that point, Amos, who had been strangely quiet on the matter, climbed down from the wagon and a small sack fell from beneath his furs. The rope harness that Louise used to ride upon him when he was travelling as a bear spilled out of the sack when it hit the ground. Amos snatched it up, but not before Louise had seen it.

"What are you doing with the harness?" asked Louise. "I'm perfectly comfortable riding in the wagon."

"The harness is not for you, Louise."

"I don't understand."

"He's not coming with us," said Casey. "Are you, Amos?"

"No, child, there has been a change of plans."

"By whose order?" Louise demanded. "And what exactly are these new plans? I didn't realize we had even made any plans to change!"

"I've thought about this all night," Amos replied. "And now that I've seen what the charm on Casey's bracelet will do, I've made up my mind. I'm going to rescue Marcus."

"You can't be serious, you'll both be killed when you try to escape."

"I don't think so. I think if I travel within the city as a bear that Bellator will take no notice of me. My thoughts will be hidden from him too. My only concern was how to locate Marcus once I got to the city, but if Casey will let me borrow her charm I will be able to find him readily. He will know it is me when he sees me, especially if I have one of the charms tied around my paw. We'll return to the lodge through the tunnels, but I need for you to return there now and wait for us. Also, send word by way of arrow hawks to the other cities and tell your friends to stay out of the tunnels until further notice."

"Amos," said Torac, "I don't think it is wise. We should wait for the others to return and plan this rescue. You are acting rashly."

"Gabriel said they could be at the Archives for a couple of weeks. And even if they find what they are looking for, then they have to travel to Crag, if it is even possible, to search for this wisest one. Ben is not going to Crag without me and we all need Marcus's guidance until things fall into place for the final showdown."

"But the prophecy says..."

"I'm sorry, Torac, but my faith is not in elfin prophecies. My faith is in friendship and Marcus is my friend. I am going after him." The big man turned to Casey. "May I borrow your charm? I will return it to you when I come back with Marcus."

Casey looked at her grandma and Louise simply nodded. She unhooked the charm from her bracelet and handed it to Amos. "How do you plan to use it?"

Amos used his knife to cut a long thin ribbon of leather from the inside of his tunic. He threaded the charm onto the newly made string and knotted the two ends together to keep the charm from sliding off. "Once I am a bear, I'll carry this in my mouth. When I need to check my direction, I can easily hook the string with my claws and hold it up in front on me. It won't be difficult at all. However, I will need someone to place the harness on me once I transform."

"Marcus will not need the harness" said Louise. "He's an elf."

Amos scratched his head. "I hadn't thought of that, but you are right. He will not have any problem staying on, no matter how fast I run."

"What if Bellator follows you into the tunnel and chases you back to the lodge?"

"If Bellator finds the tunnel and pursues us, I will lead him down another tunnel when we reach this hub. I will lead him away from the lodge, but I am counting on getting out of there quickly; once he realizes Marcus has left the city, we'll be speeding along underground while he is searching above."

Louise took the sack and rope harness from him. "I'll keep this safe until you return. Be careful and take care of yourself."

Amos gave Louise and Casey a brief hug and then stepped away from the wagon. He placed the leather string with the silver arrow between his teeth and transformed.

"Great clouds of blue gnats," Torac exclaimed. "He's turned into a bear!"

Casey laughed at Torac's surprise as Amos tossed his head and lumbered off into the tunnel that was marked with the sword and throne carving over its entrance.

"A bloody bear! I didn't understand what he meant when he was talking about going about as a bear. I thought maybe, with all of the furs he wears, that he was thinking Bellator would think him to be a bear, but he actually changed into one!"

"Yes," said Louise, "Amos is a shape shifter. It's not a bad idea, really. If anyone can get into the castle undetected and rescue Marcus, it would be Amos. And he's right, you know; we need Marcus on our side. We need his wisdom and guidance."

"What do we do now?"

"We do what Amos told us to do. We go back to the lodge and send out the arrow hawks. Then we wait."

Torac shook his head in amazement. A shape-shifter! A real, live shape-shifter! He clucked to the ponies and snapped the reins. Champ and Chief, completely unimpressed with the transformation they had just witnessed, leaned into their harnesses and brought the wagon around. Louise, Casey, and Torac were each lost in their own their own thoughts as the two horses plodded back up the stone passageway to the distribution center below the lodge.

*****

Amos lumbered down the dark tunnels. It would have been pitch black down here, but for the moonbeam lichen growing on the tunnel walls. This lichen was native to the mountain caverns where Dwarvenhall was founded. It thrived in the cool darkness, attaching itself to the stone walls and spreading rapidly. It gave off a faint glow that provided just enough light to make your way around without a torch. The light was a silvery light, much like that of a full winter moon; dim enough so as not to disturb the night, but bright enough to cast shadows upon the ground. Amos walked at a brisk pace, but did not run. Torac needed enough time to send out the arrow hawks to the other cities and he needed to conserve his energy in case he and Marcus had to rapidly flee from Jupiter. From the lodge, the city was a good day's march over hill and dale, but the tunnels the elves and dwarves had built were straight and made for easy travel. Amos arrived at the city in about four hours.

The tunnel came to a dead-end at a set of stairs. No warehouse was built beneath Jupiter, because the elves knew from the prophecy that Bellator would come here and reclaim the throne. The elves were well prepared; except for Bellator and Marcus, the city above was completely deserted. Amos huffed a sigh of relief. He was worried that he would find a ladder as the only means of leaving the tunnel and would have to briefly transform in order to climb the ladder. His luck held out, because at the top of the stairs, the door was not only unlocked; it was ajar. He nudged the door open with his long snout and entered the room.

This was a storage room, a larder in fact, and there were still many food items stored here. Immortals are able to eat, but do not require food for nourishment, so there was no better hiding place for the entrance to the tunnel than right here, in a food pantry. Amos sat down upon his haunches and hooked his claws in the leather string that was dangling from his teeth. He held the string up in front him and watched as the silver arrow spun around a couple of times and then fixed itself in a specific direction. Amos took the string between his teeth again and made his way out into the streets.

Jupiter was not the capital city of Faerie, but it was the largest. The winds whistled through the deserted alleys and a loose shutter banged noisily against a window somewhere above him. Amos set off down one of the lanes, moving in the general direction the arrow had pointed. Every so often he would check the arrow again and continue on his way. Eventually, a tower came into view, rising high above the rooftops around him. The arrow pointed straight toward the tower and Amos knew instinctively that Marcus was there. Not wanting to draw attention, in case Bellator were somehow watching, he lumbered about like any wild bear might, sniffing around as if searching for food, but gradually making his way toward the tower. Finally, at the base of the tower, he slipped inside the arched entranceway and began the climb up the spiraling staircase. At the top of the stairs, another door, but this one was closed and locked tight. Amos sniffed around the foot of the door. This was it. Marcus was inside. He scratched at the handle and rattled the door in its jamb and then waited. He heard a chair slide across the floor on the other side and then footsteps. There was a slight pause and then the door flew open.

Marcus looked down at the bear with a mixture of shock and surprise on his face. The bear held its paw up to its snout, as if it were telling Marcus to be quiet. Hanging from the bear's mouth was a leather string with a silver arrow. It was a charm from Casey's bracelet!

"Amos?" Marcuse whispered.

The bear tossed its head as if nodding yes.

"What are you doing here?"

The bear turned and started down the stairs. It paused once and glanced over its shoulder to see if the elf was going to follow and then continued on its way.

Marcus closed the door behind him and hurried after the bear. It was Amos, he was sure of it. Maybe Bellator would be unable to detect the presence of Amos in the form of a bear? The charm that Amos was carrying indicated that Casey and Ben were here. Things were moving along quickly now, but to what end?

The elf followed the bear through the winding streets, moving furtively from shadow to shadow. When they rounded the last curve, the larder came into view and there, standing in front of the entrance waiting for them, was Bellator. Amos immediately transformed back into human form to stand at Marcus's side. Bellator ignored Amos and fixed the Keeper with those dead, flat, black eyes.

"Going somewhere?"

"You apparently know the answer to that one," Marcus replied. "Are you here to stop us?"

"Not at all. I was actually coming to tell you that you are free to go."

"I don't understand."

"Excalibur is back in Faerie. I can sense it now. I am closer to it now than I have been in many ages."

"What makes you think the sword will be brought to you? Do you think we could not hide it from you once more?"

"Events have been set into motion. Excalibur is returning to its true master and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. Do you think I do not know of my brother's prophecy? Do you think I am the mighty one that will be brought down by some chosen one? You have it all wrong. I am the chosen one! I AM THE CHOSEN ONE!"

"Then who is the mighty one?" Marcus asked.

Bellator stared at Marcus with those dead, emotionless eyes. "I will be waiting upon my throne," he whispered. "I am the chosen one."

Marcus and Amos watched as the immortal turned and disappeared into an alleyway.

"What was that all about?" asked Amos.

"Those are the ranting and ravings of pride, nothing more."

Amos shook his head. "Pride proceeds the fall."

"But whose fall? I'm afraid there is more to this prophecy than we thought."

"What do you mean?"

"I firmly believe that Ben is the chosen one, but what if Bellator is not the mighty one?"

"I don't understand. Who would be, if not him?"

"What if the mighty one did not refer to a person, but a race of people?"

"I still don't follow," said Amos, scratching his head.

"What if the elfin race were the mighty one? Bellator hates the elves and wants us destroyed. What if Ben, the chosen one, delivered the sword to Bellator and as a result of that the elfin race was wiped from Faerie?"

Amos paled. "What are we to do? Is there no hope?"

"No, there is always hope. And if the sword is indeed in Faerie, that means Ben has found it and has probably spoken to the wisest one as well. Perhaps this wisest one will have wisdom enough to give us good counsel."

"Who do you think it is? Do you think it is Venus?"

"At one time I did, but now I am no longer certain. Lately, I am finding that I am not certain of anything where this final prophecy is concerned, except that we all are in grave danger. Did you come through the tunnels?"

"Yes."

"Then let us return that way. It is quicker than traveling above ground and there are no horses in the city upon which to ride."

"Have you ever ridden a bear," asked Amos, with a grin.

In spite of the circumstances, Amos was able to elicit a smile from the keeper.

"Apparently there is no indignity I will not suffer, but at least in the tunnels no one would be able to see me riding a bear. Let's be off."

*****
CHAPTER 22

REUNION

Merlin rapped his staff on the ground and spoke a quiet word under his breath. The black hole popped open, beckoning them to abandon the place of dust and ashes for the lush greenness that was Faerie. Although Hob wanted to stay and explore his home world, he also found himself anxious to return to the quiet and peaceful forests, the green valleys and blue mountains of Camelot. He poked Ben in the ribs and tried to whisper quietly to him.

"I think you do it much better."

"Huh?" Ben replied.

"The magic," Hob answered, nodding toward the wizard.

"Oh. How so?"

"The magic words you use, like hocus-pocus, shazam, and abracadabra."

"Don't forget Scooby Doo."

"Oh yeah, that was my favorite one."

"Thank you Hob, but the magic was in the staff, not in me. However, Merlin is the real thing; a wizard." Ben smiled at the thought of that. First Dwarves. Then Elves. Now Wizards. Now all he needed to find were some hobbits!

"Are you two coming with us or are you planning on hanging around until our dragon friend wakes up?" Merlin yelled. After screeching at them, and the sleeping dragon behind them, the wizard promptly hitched up his robes and stepped into the black hole, with Gabriel following close behind him. Ben and Hob scrambled after them and the black hole snapped shut, leaving Crag and its ashes to the drowsy dragons.

"This place hasn't changed much at all," said Merlin, looking around the small courtyard. "Even that old tree is still here!" The wizard poked at one of the drooping limbs with his staff and the limb tried to grab it. "HA! I'm STILL faster than you!"

"Merlin," said Gabriel, "I really wouldn't do that. That Faerie Oak has been the sentry tree at the lodge here for centuries now and it is one of the oldest Faerie Oaks in the entire region. It may have slowed down over the years, but it has become a little temperamental too."

The wizard turned his back on the tree to glare at Gabriel. His floppy hat slid down over his eyes and when he pushed it back on top of his head the tree limb he had poked with his staff whipped out and snatched the hat from his head. Merlin whirled around and tried to grab his hat, but the tree dangled it above him, just out of his reach. "Give me back my hat," the wizard yelled, leaping up into the air and trying to grab it from the tree. Each time he jumped, as soon as his fingers touched the hat, the tree would snatch it from his grasp. "Give it back, or so help me I'll whittle you down to a toothpick and use you to clean the tobacco from my pipe!"

The tree immediately dropped the hat and although it became still once again, Ben could see it quaking just a little. However, he couldn't tell if the tree was quaking in fear or quaking in laughter.

Merlin retrieved his hat from the ground, dusted it off, and pulled it down onto his head. He gave the tree one last angry glance and then turned to Hob. "You don't happen to have any good pipe tobacco, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Hob answered.

"Then perhaps, after we eat, you would kind enough to share some?"

"Absolutely. Now that you mention it, I'm starving! What do you have to eat around here, Gabriel?"

"I'm sure we can round something up. Let's find Torac. He may be down below."

"Below what?" asked Merlin. The wizard's hat would not stay on top of his head and had slid down over his eyes once more.

"If you can keep your hat out of your eyes, then you shall see," Gabriel replied with a smile. "Follow me."

The lodge was not deserted at all. In fact, Ben was delighted to find Louise and Casey there waiting for them, along with another dwarf named Torac. Hob and Torac seemed well acquainted and conversed quietly with each other, while Gabriel introduced Merlin to Ben's grandma and sister.

"It's been over six hundred years since you left Camelot," said Louise. "How is it that you are here?"

"That is a long story," Merlin replied. "One that I have told once and will tell once more, but not now."

Louise wasn't sure what to think of the eccentric old man who was supposed to be a powerful wizard, and if Gabriel had not been there to confirm his identity, she would never have believed him to be who he claimed to be. But Gabriel had introduced him and after the introductions, Torac led them to the kitchens and served them all a spread of food that would make any dwarf proud. While they were eating, it dawned on Ben that someone was missing.

"Hey, where is Amos? I thought he was supposed to come here with you."

Hob put his knife and fork down and wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "Where are Gob and Nob? They should be here too!"

"Gob and Nob," Gabriel answered, "stayed at the garrison. They were waiting there for us to return from the archives in Dwarvenhall so that they could go to Crag with us. When we left Crag we should have gone there first to pick them up, but I am curious, like Ben, to know where Amos is."

"You've been to Crag?" Louise asked, sliding her chair back from the table. "It all makes sense now. Merlin is the wisest one and you went to the Dragon's Cradle on Crag to find him. Ben Alderman, of all the sugar-cured, tenderized, hickory-smoked ham hocks, you are the pinto beans! How could you deceive me like that?"

Hob turned and stared at Ben's ears. Yep, poor old Ben was in a pickle; his ears were practically glowing. Gabriel was remaining tight-lipped too, so there was no help coming from that end of the table.

"Ummm, Louise, it really wasn't dangerous," Hob offered.

"When I want your opinion, Mr. Hob, I will ask for it."

Oh no, Ben thought, she is really coming unglued. "Grandma, what Hob is saying is true. It happened to be the time of The Ashing, so most dragons were asleep."

"Ben, I don't care if every dragon on Crag was dead, you went there knowing that I would not approve of it. That's as bad as a lie."

That last comment stung. It was really an accusation and Ben felt a tiny seed of resentment take root. As Louise continued to chide him that seed ignited into a spark of anger. Louise prattled on, her words fanning the spark until it finally burst into a flaming inferno of rage. Ben had had enough. He jumped up from the table with his fists clenched, but rather than lash out at his grandma he fled from the room. Casey shot her grandma a look of disappointment and then chased after her brother.

Merlin rose from the table and broke the awkward silence that hung in the air. "Let's go have that smoke."

"Great idea," said Hob, jumping up and hurrying after the wizard.

"Wait for me," cried Torac.

In a moment, Louise was all alone at the table with Gabriel. "Oh no," she said. "What have I done?"

"Nothing that cannot be undone," Gabriel answered. "Ben is no longer a child, Louise. What he did, he chose to do more so to protect you than anything else. He knew that you would try to go to Crag with him and he didn't want anything to happen to you."

Louise dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm an old fool. What should I do?"

"Go to him," Gabriel said with a smile. "Your heart will guide you."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Louise got up from the table and went in search of her grandchildren. She found them sitting on the steps leading up to the porch in the small courtyard. She came up behind them and placed her hands upon their shoulders to push them apart so that she could sit between them. "Ben," she began. "I owe you an apology. I was angry because you could have been hurt, or even killed, but I know why you did what you did and I was wrong to react the way I did. You'll be thirteen years old soon, so I guess I need to quit treating you like a little boy. It's hard for me to do that, because I love you and I want to look after you. You understand, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, and I'm sorry I got so angry, but Grandma, you need to understand something too."

"What is it, dear?"

"Things are coming to a head. Everything in the prophecy has been fulfilled now except for the part about the chosen one bringing the mighty down. I have the sword now; the sword from the past. That's why we were supposed to meet Merlin, the wisest one, at the Dragon's Cradle; he had the sword."

"Ben, do you believe you are supposed to use the sword to kill Bellator?"

"No, not really. I believe I am supposed to face Bellator and I believe the sword will play an important role in the outcome of things, but I don't think I will actually have to fight him. I mean, how could I? But things have always worked out for the best and I have faith that they will work out this time as well. You need to have a little faith too, Grandma."

Louise turned to look at Casey. "You're being awful quiet. How do you feel about all of this?"

"Ben is right. He didn't have to fight the witch, the gnome king, or the dragon and they were all defeated. I think this will be no different. I believe in him and, like he said, I think things will turn out for the best."

Louise shook her head in amazement. "I never dreamed my two grandchildren would be telling me to have faith and that things would turn out for the best, but I guess you two are growing up. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll make a deal with you."

"What kind of deal?" asked Ben.

"I'll try my best not to treat you like a child if you will not treat me like a doddering old woman. Deal?"

"Deal!" Ben said, with a grin.

"Good. Let's find the others now and decide where to go and what to do. I imagine Torac has caught them up on Amos's plan to rescue Marcus."

The wizard and the two dwarves were found on the patio behind lodge. Gabriel was there with them, talking quietly with Merlin, while Hob and Torac puffed on their pipes and argued furiously over who could blow the best smoke rings.

"Has Torac brought you up-to-date on Amos?" Louise asked.

"Not yet," Gabriel answered, "but now that you are here, why don't you tell us? He's not in any trouble or danger, is he?"

"I don't know. He could be. You obviously know about the tunnels."

Gabriel nodded and then briefly told Merlin of the tunnels that connect the cities of Faerie. When he was finished, he nodded to Louise to continue.

"We were going to accompany Torac on a trip to pick up supplies from one of the cities, but when we got to the hub Amos got out of the wagon and informed us that he was going to rescue Marcus. That caught us all by surprise and Torac tried to convince him to wait, but you know how stubborn he can be. Anyhow, we gave him Casey's charm so that he could find Marcus..."

"Casey had a charm to locate the keeper?" Gabriel interrupted.

"No," said Casey. "It was the little arrow charm that was supposed to point the way to the Twilight. I noticed that it was pointing down the tunnel that led to Jupiter and we figured since we weren't on Camelot that it must be pointing at the keeper. Amos placed it on a string and held it between his teeth when he transformed."

"Transformed into what?" asked Merlin, with a puzzled expression.

"A bear, of course. What else would you expect him to change into?"

Merlin scratched his head and Louise had to explain that Amos was a shape shifter before she could continue with her story.

"Anyhow, Amos instructed us to send word to the dwarves manning the supply rooms at the other cities to stay out of the tunnels. He told us to wait at the lodge for him and then he changed into a bear and lumbered off down the tunnel toward Jupiter. We've been waiting on pins and needles ever since he left."

"How long ago was that?"

"It was yesterday afternoon. Torac said he's had time to get there and back, so we're thinking that maybe Marcus is locked up somewhere and he's having a hard time getting him out."

"It would not be like Bellator to lock up the keeper or anyone. He would simply tell them to stay put and then kill them if they did not comply."

"Then what do you think is taking so long?"

"Maybe they couldn't return by way of tunnels?" Hob offered. "Maybe they are making their way overland?"

"Or maybe Amos has been captured," Ben offered. "I don't think we should wait too long. If they are not back by this evening, I think we should strike out for Jupiter at first light."

Louise looked at her grandson. Suddenly, he did not seem like a twelve year old child any longer. There was wisdom in his eyes that was way beyond his years. It made her heart swell with pride, but it ached too in knowing that his childhood innocence was being stolen away with the heavy burdens and responsibilities laid upon him. She wanted to reach out and sweep him up in her arms, but she knew she that she couldn't. Ben was growing up.

"Ben is right," said Gabriel. "We will wait until morning and if we have not heard from them, we will leave for Jupiter."

"What are our plans?" asked Merlin. "Are we to ride up to the front gate and knock? Are we to ask Bellator, most feared of all the immortals, to give us back our friends? What of the sword? Are you sure that young Ben here is the chosen one, because if he is not then we will be delivering the thing that Bellator wants more than anything right into his hands. And if Bellator gets his hands on Excalibur, all is lost."

"We have no plans as of yet," a big voice boomed behind them, "but it is now time to make them."

"Amos!" Louise cried. "Thank goodness you are okay."

Grinning ear to ear, Amos moved out of the doorway and Marcus stepped out onto the patio. The keeper's eyes fell upon the wizard and he froze, his mouth open and moving, but nothing coming out. The wizard laid his staff aside and took the keeper by the arms.

"Merlin? Is it really you?"

"Yes, old friend, it is I."

*****
CHAPTER 23

EIGHTS

Marcus and Merlin stayed up far into the night, getting reacquainted. Now that the keeper was safe and Bellator did not pose an immediate threat to anyone, they decided to hold council in the morning to decide upon a course of action. Gabriel brewed everyone a special tea to help them sleep while Torac prepared their beds. After a light supper, they all decided to turn in for the night so they would be well rested tomorrow.

The following morning, the dwarves were up before sunrise to prepare a hearty breakfast. After retiring to bed with only a small supper to sustain them through the night, they found themselves ravenous upon awakening. The succulent aromas wafting through the lodge brought the others to the kitchens, where they found Hob standing before the wood fire stove with two great frying pans. One was full of scrambled eggs and the other was full of crispy strips of bacon. While Hob was busy dodging the popping grease, Torac was pulling two big loaves of freshly baked bread from the small brick oven that stood in the corner of the kitchen.

"Early to bed and early to rise, bacon and eggs and blueberry pies," Hob sang out.

"Biscuits and gravy and sugar cured ham, flapjacks with syrup and blackberry jam," Torac sang back. Amos started to throw in a verse, but then he remembered the last time he sang with the dwarves and the image of Hob with a bucket of grease on his head brought on such a fit of laughter that everyone began to wonder if something was wrong with the big man. Although the others were puzzled, Hob knew exactly why Amos was laughing and his ears turned even redder than Ben's. Hob was also fortunate that Gob and Nob were not present, because their ribbing would have been merciless. However, Amos spared the poor dwarf any further embarrassment and simply said that he had remembered something funny.

After breakfast, everyone retired to the small yard between the back of the lodge and the foot of the mountain, where a white canopy had been erected to provide shade from the climbing sun. Beneath the canopy; a round table surrounded by eight chairs and in these chairs sat Louise, Casey, Ben, Amos, Hob, Gabriel, Marcus, and Merlin. Torac was not present. The edges of the canopy fluttered softly in the warm spring breeze while everyone waited for Marcus to speak.

"Torac is sending instructions to the dwarves maintaining the supply rooms at the other cities to return home. Everything in the final prophecy of Venus has been fulfilled except for the last part and that is why we are gathered here today. Gob and Nob are not here with us either, and I do not believe that is a chance coincidence, for now there are eight of us seated around this table. Eight. It is a number that represents balance. It is number that is a great equalizer with the ability to create as easily as it destroys. It is the number of good judgment, power, and strength; a number that will not shy away from confrontation. It is the number of this council; the council that will decide when and how to move against Bellator. Before we begin, let's examine the prophecy once more, especially the last part. Merlin, will you recite each stanza for us?"

The wizard removed his floppy hat and his thin white hair rippled in the gentle spring breezes that found their way beneath the canopy. He cleared his throat, closed his eyes, and recited the first verse, "When witch's reign has ended and evil ones are gone."

"The wicked witch of Stone Dog," Marcus began, "had killed twelve unicorns. She only needed one more unicorn and she would have been able to free Mordred from his imprisonment on Pluton."

"Mordred lives?" Merlin cried, with shock. "How is it possible?"

"Yes, through some nameless dark arts, Mordred lives and if he had escaped, Camelot would have fallen. Ben was directly responsible for the downfall of the witch and because of her downfall, the invasion of the snakers, or the evil ones, was crushed. Verse one fulfilled. Next verse."

Again, Merlin closed his eyes. In his mind's eye, he could see the dirty faded parchment he had carried with him for so many years. He knew every word by heart. "When wizard's staff is mended and Dragon's dead at dawn."

"This prophecy," said Marcus, "was foretold before your staff was ever broken."

"Yes, and only after my encounter with Zoltan did this verse become clear to me. One day, someone would find my staff and break it, releasing the spell that kept Zoltan asleep."

"Ummm, next verse," said Hob, yanking on his beard. Marcus smiled at the fretful dwarf and nodded for Merlin to continue.

"When king's mad rule is broken and gnomes are free at last."

"This verse and the preceding verse were fulfilled this past winter during the Christmas season."

"Christmas?" said Merlin. "How is it Camelot knows of Christmas?"

"It's a time that whole world rejoices," Ben answered. "I shared the story and the holiday customs with them."

"Yes, it was a merry celebration, made even more joyous with the downfall of Zoltan and the ousting of Ringwald Stonebreaker."

"And Ben did all of that?" Merlin asked, raising his bushy eyebrows and looking at Ben as if truly seeing him for the first time.

"Whether directly, or indirectly," Marcus answered, "yes; Ben is responsible for the fulfillment of both verses. Continue with the next verse."

"When seer's last word is spoken and sword returns from past."

"Venus was the one who mended your broken staff. He gave the staff to Ben before he left Faerie and returned to his brothers. The sword from the past would be Excalibur. For us, the sword has been gone for over a thousand years, but for the sword, it has only been gone for however many years you were upon Earth. So, you see; we did not find it, it returned here from the past, with you, through the pathway and therefore that verse is fulfilled."

Merlin nodded and recited the next verse. "When Fallen One reappears and sits upon his throne."

"I have seen Bellator sitting upon the white throne with my own eyes. Next verse."

"When wisest one through the years to Dragon's Cradle comes."

"This verse needs no explanation and no one can argue it has not been fulfilled. Continue."

"When darkest fears seem so real and no hope can be found."

"Go ahead and recite the last verse," Marcus instructed. "It is the one we must discuss."

"Lowly Chosen One revealed will bring the mighty down."

Everyone sat quietly and pondered the meaning of the last verse. Louise thought the purpose of this council was to decide what part Ben would play in bringing about the downfall of Bellator. She was not prepared for what Marcus presented next.

"I think it is clear to all present that Ben is the lowly chosen one, but it is not clear who the mighty are."

"It's Bellator, of course," said Louise. "Who else could it be?"

"Who, indeed?" Marcus replied. "But what if the mighty is not Bellator? What if the mighty is the..."

"The elves," Merlin cried, standing up and slamming his fist upon the table. Even Amos jumped at the wizard's outburst.

"That is precisely a possibility that troubles me."

"I have thought of it myself," said Gabriel.

"That's ridiculous," cried Louise. "Why would Ben do anything to harm the elves? How could Ben do anything to harm the elves?"

"If Ben delivered the sword to Bellator, thinking to defeat him with it, then that act would bring about the downfall of the Faerie. Bellator wants nothing more than to do away with all elves, but he dare not try it without the sword, because the other immortals would stop him."

"But with the sword in his possession," said Marcus, "the other immortals would not be able to stand against him. With the sword in his hands, the only other person mightier is the Creator."

"Would the Creator not save the elves?" asked Casey.

"No, and I would not ask it of Him."

"I don't understand. Why not?"

"It's hard to explain, but the Creator loved us enough to give us free will and He loves us enough to let us choose our own destinies, even if it's not what might be in our best interest."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked Amos. "Should we hide the sword?"

"I don't think that's necessary," said Ben. He had been quiet during the discussion, mulling things over in his mind, and this just didn't make sense. "If you think Bellator wouldn't try to wipe out the elves without the sword, then why have you evacuated all of the cities? The only logical explanation is that you're not one hundred percent sure that he wouldn't try to kill all the elves without the sword and, if that's true, that means you're not one hundred percent sure that the other immortals could stop him if he tried."

Everyone looked from Ben to Marcus to see how the keeper would respond to these accusations. What Ben said did make sense. Even Merlin looked puzzled now.

"What you say is true," Marcus finally admitted, "but it does not change the possibility that the elfin nation could be the mighty referenced in the last verse of the prophecy, nor does it change the possibility that sword is making its way back to its rightful owner. If there is any truth to this speculation, and that's all it is; speculation, then it is all the more imperative that we keep the sword from him. If he's insane enough to attack the elfin nation without the sword, and risk the wrath of the other immortals, then we have to consider the possibility that he might succeed if such events are set into motion."

"But don't you see, Marcus? If Bellator was not afraid of the other immortals, he would not be sitting on the throne and waiting for the sword to come to him. He is afraid, though, and that's why he waits, but he's excited too!"

"Excited?" asked Merlin. "How in blue blazes do you figure that?"

"Because he believes the very same thing about the prophecy as you. He believes that the mighty is not him, but the elfin nation. He believes that I'm the chosen one and that I will bring about the downfall of Faerie by trying to defeat him with the very sword he needs to become invincible. He believes that he will take the sword from me and lay waste to Faerie and any of the immortals who try to stop him."

"Ahem," said Hob, clearing his throat. "I have an idea."

"Well, let's hear it," said Ben.

"Bellator is a warrior and often there is a code of honor among warriors. In my experience, the greater the warrior, the greater his sense of honor. Is Bellator honorable?"

"How so?" asked Marcus.

"Is he honorable? Will he keep his word? Can we bargain with him and, if he is agreeable to the terms of our conditions, will he abide by the established rules and guidelines?"

"He cannot go against his word, if that is what you are asking."

"Then challenge him, not with a sword, but with a game of swords. Challenge him to a game of Elves and Dwarves."

"You mean chess!" said Ben.

"Absolutely. Tell him Ben is the chosen one. He will see that Ben carries the sword and will know by that very fact that Ben is the sword's current master. He also has to know that as long as Ben is carrying the sword, then the only way for the sword to return to him is for Ben to give it to him of his own free will."

"But I thought the sword can choose its own master," said Louise.

"It can," Merlin answered, "but only when it is not in the physical possession of its current master. As long as Ben wears the sword, Bellator cannot take it from him."

"Then how in the world does he even plan to get the sword back?" asked Casey.

"We don't know," Marcus replied, "and that is what troubles me."

"That doesn't matter," said Ben, rather excitedly. "I'll challenge him to a chess game, or a game of Elves and Dwarves. I'll tell him it's a war strategy game and he'll feel confident of winning. The terms of the game will go as follows; if he wins, I will return Excalibur to him. If I win, he will leave Faerie without his sword and will never return."

"Do you think he'll fall for that?" asked Amos.

"I think he'll definitely fall for it. He'll perceive it to be an easy victory," said Ben. "Playing a war strategy game with a child? He will probably laugh when we make the challenge."

"More importantly than that, do you think you can win?" asked Gabriel.

"Look at it this way; beating him in a physical fight with swords is impossible, but beating him in mental game of swords is something I might just be able to pull off."

"Is there a game board with pieces here at the lodge?"

"Are you kidding," Hob asked incredulously. "There is a game board with playing pieces at every place frequented by dwarves in Camelot AND Faerie. As a matter of fact, I happen to know that Torac owns one of the finest sets that Gob, Nob, and I ever crafted."

"Well, given the circumstances, I think that is the best strategy we have at our disposal," said Marcus, rising from the table. "The morning has yet to grow old and it is a beautiful day for travel. We are rested and fed, so if there are no objections we'll leave for Jupiter immediately."

"Are we going through the tunnels?" asked Amos.

"No. If this is our last day on Faerie I do not wish to spend it traveling below the ground, but rather in the open where I can feel the warm sunshine upon my face and enjoy the pleasing sights and scents of a beautiful spring day."

"Are we to walk to Jupiter?"

"No, we shall ride. Just before breakfast, the sentry tree put out a call for seven horses. We will ride, but it will be a leisurely ride."

Marcus walked out from under the canopy and surveyed the small yard. Along the edges, Dutch crocuses mingled with snowdrops to form a purple border peppered with white. Beneath the dappled shade of a dogwood in full bloom, a pair of red breasted robins hopped about in search of earthworms. The keeper watched the two birds for a moment and a strange peace settled over the eight. Whether that peace came from the beauty of springtime in Faerie, or whether it was a blessing from the Creator, no one knew and no one commented upon it, for to try to put words to such a feeling would have only distracted from it. Finally, Marcus broke the silence.

"Let's be off."

*****
CHAPTER 24

JUPITER

Luckily, there was a shipment of new tack down below the lodge that was not scheduled to be picked up for several days yet. After today, regardless of the outcome of events, that tack would no longer be needed by any riders at any outpost. Amos, Gabriel, and Marcus saddled the horses. Ben and Casey were able to mount without assistance, but Amos had to boost Louise, Merlin, and Hob up into their saddles. Unfortunately for Amos, Old Dan was still back on Camelot and none of the Faerie horses were big enough to carry him. He ambled over to the horse Casey was sitting upon. So tall was the big man, that standing on the ground beside the horse, he was able to look Casey straight in the eye. He reach beneath his furs and pulled out a leather string.

"I believe this is yours," he said.

Casey took the charm off the string and attached it back to her bracelet. She held her arm up and the tiny arrow rotated until it was pointing at Marcus. She smiled at Amos. "Thanks."

"No, thank you; I could never have found him in such a large city without it."

"Is everyone ready?" Marcus called.

"One moment," said Amos. "What am I to do with Arinya?"

"Bring her. Divide the three flasks among my horse, Gabriel's and Merlin's. I think I will place her in the lake that lies at the foot of the steps where Bellator has placed his throne. That way, if things do not go as planned, she will be his problem and not ours. However, if things do work out for the best, it will be a great place for her rehabilitation."

Amos hung the water skins from the saddle horns.

"Come, now, let's be off!" The Keeper's horse wheeled, chomping at the bits, but Marcus held the reigns tightly and forced the spirited animal to walk. Gabriel followed behind the keeper, then Merlin, then Hob, and then Louise and Ben. Amos tousled Casey's hair before her horse fell in behind Ben's. He watched them move through the gates in single file and when Casey's horse was out of the small courtyard, he transformed and trailed along after them.

The day was indeed beautiful and for some strange reason, everyone was in high spirits. Merlin rode with Marcus and Gabriel, who were leading the way to the city. The three talked quietly and laughed a lot, but occasionally their talk would turn to serious matters and Merlin would cast dark furtive glances over his shoulder at Ben. Amos walked along beside Hob's horse, behind the wizard and elves, but it was Hob who was doing all of the talking. The dwarf prattled on about whatever popped into his mind and Amos, in the shape of a bear, would simply nod his great shaggy head and snort whenever the dwarf looked to him for confirmation and agreement on the topic of their discourse. Louise rode in the rear with her two grandchildren and reminisced of her childhood days on the farm. They were happy days. They were simple days. They were bygone days.

By noon time they were close to the city, but Hob insisted on stopping and having a proper lunch. Since they were in no hurry, they unsaddled their horses to let them graze while they rested and ate their cold biscuits and ham; leftovers from the morning's feast. Soon after eating, they saddled their horses and continued on their way. It was late afternoon when they crested a hill and came upon Jupiter, a vast city fortress that stretched across the valley flatlands.

"We are here," said Marcus.

"The entire city is empty?" asked Ben. It didn't seem possible that such a large sprawling metropolis could be empty. It was kind of eerie.

"Not entirely empty," Marcus replied. "Bellator waits for us on the white throne."

"Let's be off," said Merlin. "I wish to get this over with as quickly as possible."

"Wait," said Casey. "Merlin, no one has asked you this, and it has really been bugging me, but can't you do something? I mean, you're supposed to be some great and powerful wizard! Don't you have a spell or something you can use against Bellator? Even a sleep spell, like you used against Zoltan."

Merlin laughed. "Child, we are dealing with an immortal. Actually, we are dealing with the most powerful immortal of the twelve. To him, my most powerful magic is nothing but parlor tricks. I've done my part. I've kept Excalibur safe and have returned him at the appointed time. My part in this is over, but who knows what part any of us will play in the scenes that are yet to unfold?"

The wizard smiled at Casey and his black eyes glittered knowingly. He knew something. He knew something and he was not telling her. She didn't know if she should feel relieved or worried, but she didn't have time to contemplate it any further for Marcus clucked to his horse and they began their slow descent into the valley.

The gates to the walled city were gone. Marcus briefly told the others how Bellator had smashed them with a single blow. Amos had transformed back into human form and shook his head in amazement. He had seen the gates once before. How any one person could topple them with a single blow was beyond anything he could imagine.

"Let's loose the horses here and turn them out into the fields," said Marcus. "It is not terribly far from here to the city's capitol building and we will have no further need of them."

After the saddles and bridles were removed, Ben watched the great black horses race across the grassy fields. Whether they ran for joy or whether they sensed the danger that lay within the city, he did not know, but he envied them. Their lot in life was simple; carry a rider from point A to point B. They were loved and well cared for. They had no worries, no responsibilities, and no heavy burdens to keep them awake at nights. The same thoughts must have crossed everyone's mind, because all of them stood and watched the horses until they were out of sight. When they could see them no longer, Marcus turned and started walking down the main thoroughfare. Everyone silently fell in behind him and began the slow, quiet march to the capitol building in single file.

Bellator was sitting on the throne as expected. The immortal did not rise when they approached nor did he speak when they assembled at the foot of the stairs before him. In an act of tactful diplomacy, Marcus came forward and respectfully bowed before addressing him.

"We have brought the sword as you have requested."

"Bring it to me."

"No. We will not."

Bellator rose from the throne. "Then I shall take it."

Marcus looked tiny and frail standing before the immortal, yet he did not yield. "No, you shall not. The sword's master must freely give the sword to you, otherwise you will never possess it. You of all people know that."

"I also know that if sword is laid aside, it may choose a new master. Excalibur's current master does not have to present it to me, they only have to lay it aside and the sword will choose me for its new master."

"How can you be certain? If he lays the sword aside, we have nothing to bargain with and you may kill us without regard, but how can you be certain the sword will choose you? Are you willing to gamble that after all of these years?"

Bellator mulled these thoughts over in his mind. The surest way to obtain the sword was for the current master to give it to him. Once he had the sword in his possession, he would perform a binding spell, so that it would never have another master. But if the sword did not choose him, he could end up waiting years, even centuries, before the sword finally made its choice. Of course, he could just kill them all and wait. After all, he had an eternity, but being so close to the sword, knowing that it was just within his grasp was more than he could bear. "Who has the sword?" he asked, at last.

Marcus turned and motioned for Ben to come forward. Ben walked up the steps and the others followed right behind him. The tension was thick and the atmosphere explosive. One wrong move and things would go from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. Gabriel's hand rested upon the hilt of his knife, while the spell catcher on the end of Merlin's staff glowed faintly. Amos was on the verge of transforming, the air around him shimmering brightly, while Hob was sizing up Bellator's knee caps for a strike with his axe.

"I am the master of the sword," said Ben. He tried to sound brave, but his voice cracked. He swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat as Bellator looked down at him.

"Will you not give me what is rightfully mine?" the immortal asked. Bellator's eyes were black, like those of a shark and, like a deadly shark, there were no emotions to be detected either in his voice or upon his face.

Ben shook his head. At the moment, his voice had left him.

"I am not accustomed to making bargains, but if you will give me the sword, I will grant you any wish that is within my power."

Ah-ha! Ben thought. Here's an opportunity we had not thought of. He cleared his throat and found his voice. There was now a dim glimmer of hope, but hope none-the-less. "I will give you Excalibur in exchange for this," Ben said. "You will vow to never harm any living creature, here or anywhere, for all eternity. You will leave Faerie, and never return to this world or any other world that is inhabited by any form of life. That is my wish and the terms for any agreement that may be made between us."

Bellator did not even hesitate. "No deal," he replied. "I could kill you where stand and if the sword did not chose me for its new master, then I would simply sit here until it chose someone that would be willing to bargain with me. I will sit here until your bones turn to dust and blow away in the wind before I agree to those terms."

Ben's heart sank. He had thought for a second that they had found a way out. A way without confrontation, without risks, and without danger. They were going to have to proceed with their original plans. He mustered up his courage and threw down the gauntlet. "Then, would you be agreeable to a contest?" he asked. "A contest between you and me."

"Go on," Bellator prompted.

"It's really simple. If you win, I will freely give you the sword. No strings attached. If I win, you must agree to the terms I put forth earlier. You must vow to never harm any living creature and you must leave and promise to never return to Faerie or any other world that elves, dwarves, and men inhabit."

"You have piqued my interest, but in what contest could a child, such as you, possibly compete with me? I am the strongest of all the immortals. There is none stronger, save the Creator and I was here when he laid the foundations of this world, so there is none wiser, save Him. Tell me, you weak and pitiful mortal child, in what contest would you dare to challenge me, much less, ever hope to win?"

"It is a game," Ben answered. "It is a game of war and strategy. I will pit my tactical skills against yours if you will agree to abide by the rules of the game and honor conditions set forth for the outcome."

"I am bound by my word and I know that elves, as lowly as they may be, are bound by their word as well. However, from what I have seen of humans there is no honor among you. You are a people even lower than the elves. You lie, cheat, and steal. How can I know that you will keep your word and give the sword to me when I win?"

"You don't know," Ben replied. "You're just going to have to trust me on that one."

"Not good enough," Bellator replied. "But here is something you did not know about Excalibur. It is true that if you die while the sword is in your possession, the sword will chose its next master and no one but the person the sword has predestined shall wield it. But if you lay the sword aside and die when the sword is not in your possession, then the sword is truly without a master and the next person who picks it up may claim it as their own. Therefore, lay Excalibur aside while we compete in this game and I will know your intentions to be honorable."

Ben turned to look at the Keeper. Marcus seemed just as shocked by the news as Ben was.

"May I talk it over with my friends?" Ben asked.

"There is nothing to discuss, unless it be treachery. It is either yes or no."

"How can I trust you? I mean, how can I know that you won't just kill me and then claim the sword for your own?"

"You don't know," said Bellator, with a mocking smile. "You're just going to have to trust me on that one."

"Okay," Ben replied, after a moment's thought. "We need a table and two chairs. We'll set them up at the foot of the stairs and, before we start the game, I'll place the sword over there by the lake. Fair enough?"

Rather than acknowledge Ben, Bellator turned and went inside the building. A moment later he emerged carrying a table under one arm and a chair beneath the other. He set the table and chair at the foot of the stairs and then brought the white throne down for himself to sit on. The throne was probably the only chair in all of Jupiter that would accommodate his great size. Ben motioned for Hob to bring over the game board and pieces.

"Set the game up for me while I place the sword."

Hob kept a wary eye on the immortal while he laid out the game board and set to work placing the pieces. Ben walked over to the edge of the water. At first he thought it rather odd that such a large lake was located in the middle of a city, but now that he had paused a moment to take in his surroundings, he realized that the lake was part of a park. There were trees, flowering shrubs, and flowers of every color along the shorelines. It was quite beautiful. He pulled the sword from the scabbard hanging at his side. The moonsilver blade caught the rays of the evening sun as Ben raised it above his head and then plunged it into the soft yielding earth. He waited for Hob to finish placing the pieces and then motioned for everyone to join him.

"Wait here, by the sword, while we are playing. I don't need any distractions, so it will be best if I cannot see you. Keep it quiet too. That means absolutely no whispering, Hob."

The dwarf yanked furiously on his beard. "You can do this Ben, I know you can. You are the best player in all of Camelot, better than Marcus even."

The keeper smiled and nodded. "Hob is right. Your skill in this game is unmatched and I believe that if anyone can defeat Bellator, it is you."

"I too believe in you Ben," said Gabriel, "but what shall we do if you lose? Are we to give the sword to him as you agreed upon? To do so would mean certain death for everyone."

"If I lose," Ben whispered, "I will have to give the sword to him or he will simply kill me and try to take it anyway. We obviously can't let him have the sword, so if I do lose, I will try to stab him with it when I present it to him."

*****
CHAPTER 25

FOOL'S MATE

Ben couldn't believe the words that just came out of his mouth. Apparently, neither could anyone else, for they all just stared at him. Everyone's face registered a different emotion. There was shock, surprise, sadness, grief, determination, hope, and faith.

"Whoever wields the sword is undefeatable, right?" Ben tried to sound confident and brave. He hoped his voice didn't sound as squeaky to the others as it did to him. He was trying his best to reassure them.

"Ben," said Marcus. "Do you remember the potion I gave you to make you run faster when you were facing Zoltan?"

Ben thought back to that horrible day when he dropped the flask and spilled its contents just before the dragon arrived. He nodded. A shiver went up his spine and goose flesh prickled his arms. That was the most terrifying experience in his entire life and now he was about to face someone far WORSE than Zoltan. He didn't know what strategy the keeper had in mind by telling him this, but it was not helping. He could feel the panic building inside of him and fervently wished that he had his inhaler. Marcus sensed his unease and quickly continued.

"You were able to run as fast as your sister then, simply because you believed that you could."

"What are you trying to tell me, Marcus?"

"That potion was nothing but water. You did everything on your own."

"What he is trying to tell you, dear," said Louise, "is to believe in yourself as we do."

"Grandma's right, Ben," said Casey. "We all believe in you."

"But a little magic never hurts," Merlin whispered. As fast as a snake, the wizard reached out and tapped Ben on his forehead with the end of his staff. The spell catcher winked green for a brief instant and Ben felt a calmness descend upon him. It was like pulling a warm goose down blanket up around your shoulders on a cold winter night. It was like falling into a cool lake on a hot summer day. It was like hot chocolate and iced tea, all at the same time; refreshing, comforting, relaxing. For the first time since this ordeal began, Ben felt calm.

"Wow. Thank you, Merlin."

The old wizard smiled. "Great magic is not needed to accomplish great things, only great people. Now, go kick his immortal..."

"Merlin!" Louise scolded.

Startled by her outburst, the old wizard jumped. His hat slid down over his eyes and he fumbled blindly with his staff, accidentally knocking poor Hob on the head with the spell catcher. While Amos steadied the wizard, Hob thought to aim a quick kick to his skinny little shins for being so clumsy, but thought better of it. Instead, he rubbed his sore head, while Amos spoke a final word of encouragement. "Go beat him. We know you can do it."

Ben joined Bellator at the table. "Since you do not like elves, you will play the dwarves and I will play the elves."

"I have no care for the dwarves either, but at least they know their place."

"What do you mean by that?"

"They are a lowly race and they know it."

"Does the Creator not love them too?"

"Yes, the Creator loves even them, but they are not his chosen people."

"You know, I feel sorry for you. Nobody likes you, because you don't like anybody. Someone who is immortal and who has been in the presence of the Creator should know that in order to receive love, you have to give it. It's like a basic instinct."

Bellator sat across the table in stony silence, staring unblinkingly, until at last Ben shrugged and continued on.

"First, I'm going to explain the layout of the board. As you can see, the board is divided into squares eight wide and eight deep. The rows of squares going left and right are called ranks and they are numbered one through eight, starting on the elf side. The rows of squares going forwards and backwards are called files and they are identified left to right with the letters a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h. Got it?"

"What is the object of this game?"

"I'm getting there. It won't do you any good to know the object of the game if you don't know how to play it. Now, let's go over the pieces and how they move about on the board. These men on the front rows are called pawns. They represent your infantry and can only move forward one space at a time. The exception to this is on their first move and then they may move two spaces. They cannot capture an opponent's player with a forward move. The only way they can capture an opponent's player is by moving diagonally to the left or right and the only time they can move diagonally is when they are capturing an opponent's player. They can never move backwards and they can never jump over other players. Do you understand?"

Bellator picked up one of his pawns. The pieces were intricately carved from wood and painted with exquisite detail. The dwarven pawns were clad in full battle armor with iron caps upon their heads. In their left hands were round, brightly colored shields and in the right hands were long handled halberds with broad curving blades. The elfin pawns, although lacking armor, looked just as fierce. They were all posed in an offensive stance, some with long swords and some with pikes. Bellator sat the pawn down. "What happens when you capture a player?"

"You take the player that you captured off the board. Since you are so anxious to know, the object of the game is to capture the King, but we'll get to that in a minute."

Bellator nodded. "Continue."

"These men on the outside of the back row are called rooks, or castles. They may only move in a straight line, forwards or backwards, left or right, but never diagonal. They can move as many spaces as they want to, but they cannot jump over other players. They may capture an opponent's player when they are able to move onto his square."

The elfin rooks looked like the main tower at Castle Twilight, while the dwarven rooks were carved to resemble the Iron Bone Mountains. One fortress was tall, the other was deep, and both were impenetrable.

"These next pieces," Ben continued, "are called knights. They are the only piece that can jump over other pieces. They can move in any direction and their move is two spaces forwards, backwards, left, or right, and then one space to the side in either direction."

The knights for the elves were fashioned after their magnificent black horses, while the knights for the dwarves were fashioned after their beloved shaggy mountain ponies.

"A very valuable offensive piece," Bellator commented.

"Um, yeah," Ben answered. He was beginning to wonder if this was such a great idea after all. Bellator almost seemed bored with the whole game and Ben was starting to get the feeling that he was explaining the game to a grand master player rather than a beginner. He swallowed the lump in his throat and forged ahead. "Next are the bishops. These players move like the rooks, except they can only move diagonally. And, finally, we have the king and queen. The queen can move like the rook and like the bishop too. The king moves like the queen, except the king can only move one space at a time. When you move a piece into a position where that piece can capture your opponent's king on its next move, you have to say "check" so that your opponent can make a move to save their king. If you move your piece into a position where your opponent cannot make a move to save their king, you say checkmate and the game is over. That is a basic game. So, if I want to move my knight in the g file to the h file in the sixth rank I would do this..." Ben picked the piece up and moved it to the appropriate spot. "Knight from g to h6. Simple, huh?"

"Very intriguing," said Bellator. "Let us begin the game."

Ben moved his knight back into position. "Okay. Normally white goes first in chess, but with elves and dwarves the rules call for a quick game of rock, paper, and scissors to decide who goes first. This is a simple game, played with your hands and fingers. To play, we smack our fist into our palm three times and on the third time we play a rock, a piece of paper, or a pair of scissors."

"What are scissors?" asked Bellator.

"Scissors are like a pair of really sharp knives that are connected together in such a manner that will allow them to cut paper neatly and cleanly. To play scissors, you will thrust out two finders; like this..." Ben thumped his fist into his palm three times. On the third strike he thrust out two fingers. "See?"

"Hmmm," Bellator rumbled. "This seems a silly game for children. Show me how to play rock and paper and then explain the rules. I am anxious to be done with this nonsense."

Ben showed the immortal how to play the rock and how to play paper. Then, he went on to explain how the game worked. On the very first round, Ben threw a rock and Bellator threw paper. Paper covers rock and Bellator won the right to move first. Once more, Ben began to fret. The first move was a great advantage against a worthy opponent. This was it. This was the show down between the lowly one and the mighty.

"Okay," said Ben. "It's your move."

Bellator studied the board for a long time. Finally, he reached for the pawn in front of the bishop next to his king.

"Wait!" Ben cried. "One other thing I forgot to mention. When you move a piece, once you take your hand off of that piece then your move is over and you cannot go back and change it."

Bellator stared across the game board at Ben as he slid the pawn forward one space.

Ben was taken aback by this novice move. It was a weak move, doing little to influence the center of the board and weakening the king's defenses on the e1 to h4 diagonal.

"Your move," said Bellator, removing his hand from the piece and continuing to stare at Ben.

Ben wasn't sure if the Immortal was trying to intimidate him, but it wasn't working. He knew his next move and he did not hesitate. Quickly, he reached for the pawn in front of his queen and moved it forward two spaces. This move gave him a great deal of influence in the center of the board. This move would help him position both his bishop and queen and potentially allow him to take advantage of Bellator's weakened king. Already, after only two moves, Bellator had lost the slight advantage that going first had given him and Ben had better positioning on the board. Ben wiped his palms on his shirt. They were beginning to sweat. He turned and looked at his family and friends behind him. They could not see the game pieces from where they were standing and had no way of knowing how the game was progressing. Louise smiled at him and Marcus gave him a nod of encouragement. Ben turned back to Bellator and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Your move."

Once again, Bellator studied the game board for several long minutes, before taking the pawn in front of his knight and moving it forward two spaces. He held his huge finger on top of the pawn while he contemplated the move a moment longer. Finally, satisfied with his strategy, he removed his finger from the pawn. It was now Ben's turn. "Your move," said Bellator.

Ben tried to keep a poker face. Bellator had just made a huge blunder. Moving that pawn did nothing to improve his position on the board and it critically weakened the already dangerous e1 to h4 diagonal. He stared at the board for just a moment longer and then it suddenly leapt out at him. This was only his second move, but he could put the immortal in checkmate right now and end the game. Bellator must have spotted his mistake too, for abruptly he rose from his chair and glared down at Ben.

Ben slowly rose from his chair, so that he was standing too. "You are bound by your word," he reminded Bellator. The immortal did not respond, but continued to glare at him. For the first time, Ben thought he saw a flicker of emotion register on Bellator's face and it chilled him to the bone. It was the same look he had witnessed on the scarred face of Ringwald Stonebreaker, the mad gnome king. It was a look of hatred and malice, an emotion bred in the dark recesses of the heart and nurtured with long years of jealousy and rage.

"Make your move," Bellator whispered.

Ben turned once more to look at his family and friends. They knew something was up. Amos was on the verge of transforming; the air around him shimmering brightly. Hob was hefting his axe and the spell catcher on the end of Merlin's staff was now glowing a brilliant green. Marcus appeared to be calm, but Ben could tell that Gabriel was wound up tight as a spring. He glanced at his grandma and sister. Louise was pitiful, standing there, wringing her hands with worry. Casey was no better. She was nervously fretting and absently fidgeting with her bracelet. Ben turned back to the game board. Slowly reached for his queen. He could literally feel the tension in the air as he slid the queen to the h4 position. He took his hand off the queen and looked up at Bellator.

"Checkmate."

*****
CHAPTER 26

LOWLY ONE REVEALED

Casey knew that something was wrong. Bellator was looming over her brother and glaring down at him. She watched as Ben slowly got out of his chair and turned to look at them. Casey could see the fear and worry in his eyes and her heart went out to him. Nervously, she played with her bracelet, spinning it round and round her wrist, counting the charms as if it were a rosary. Just as Ben turned back to the game, her finger came to rest on the sundial charm and she paused. Ben reached for one of his game pieces. She wasn't sure, but it looked like his queen. It was the queen. Casey held her breath as he slid the queen into position. Everything was so deathly quiet that she was amazed she could hear anything over her heartbeat, which was thudding loudly in her ears. But she did hear Ben. She heard him loud and clear, just as if she were standing there beside him; he said checkmate. He said CHECKMATE! Just as quick as it had started, the game was over and he had won! Ben had defeated the immortal, but before Casey's emotions could register any joy, before anyone had time to even contemplate a celebration, Bellator bellowed like a mad bull.

The sound was both ear-splitting and terrifying. It was a sound that penetrated your flesh and shook the very marrow of your bones. Bellator brought his huge fist down on top of the table, instantly shattering it into a million splinters. Game pieces of elves and dwarves flew through the air and rained down upon the ground around them. Ben stood there, rooted to the ground in fear, and Casey watched helplessly as the immortal raised his hand to strike her brother. Then something inside of her snapped. Her finger was still on the sundial charm. Without thinking, she pinched the gnomon and screamed out loudly, "FREEZE!"

Time froze. She looked at her grandma and friends. Amos was already halfway through his transformation into a bear. It was strange seeing him frozen in the middle of a transformation like this. It reminded her of the time that he was bitten by the cave troll and the poison from the troll's bite prevented him from completing the transformation back into human form. That was a horrible predicament, but this one was worse. Much worse. Quickly she looked away. She had to think of something fast, because the charm would only work for a short time. However, she did not have time to think at all; Bellator's hand had started moving again, slowly at first, but getting faster and faster. Casey sprang into action.

She sprinted across the open space between her and Ben. The immortal had raised his hand as high as he could. The charm had worn off completely now. Bellator's hand was now poised for a strike. It hovered above Ben's head for just a moment. Casey dug deep and with a final burst of speed shoved her brother out of the way as the immortal struck.

Louise screamed.

A green bolt of lightning leapt from the spell catcher on the end of Merlin's staff and struck the immortal in the chest. It only slowed him for a second, but that was all that was needed. Gabriel, without thought, snatched Excalibur from the ground and hurled it at Bellator. The moonsilver flashed in the evening sun as the sword flipped end over end and buried itself deep into the immortal's chest. The sword had finally found its way back to its true master.

Bellator grabbed the hilt of the sword that was protruding from his chest, but he was unable to pull it out. The immortal's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief, but there was something else registering on his face too. It was an emotion that was totally alien to him. It was fear. For the first time in his existence he felt fear and as the life ebbed from his limbs, he realized this paralyzing emotion was something that all living things experienced; the fear of dying. The fear of the unknown and what awaits for us after death. He also realized that he was responsible for instilling this horrible feeling upon others and a pang of regret pierced his heart as keenly as the sword. He sank to his knees and then collapsed onto his side, right next to Casey.

Ben was shoved violently aside as Bellator struck. For a brief moment, as he rolled across the ground, he thought that his little gnome friend Mueller had returned from the grave to once more push him out of harm's way, but he was wrong. He quickly bounced back onto his feet, ready to flee from Bellator, but to his great surprise the immortal was laying on his side and Ben could see the sword sticking out from between his shoulder blades. It was Excalibur, but who had used it? He was master of the sword, so no one should have been able to even pick it up. Then his grandma started screaming and Amos grabbed her as she collapsed. Ben started to tell her that everything was okay and that he was unharmed, but then he noticed that Casey was not standing there with them. Panic began to build from deep within his chest and he felt the icy hands of fear squeeze his lungs. Who had shoved him aside?

Slowly, he approached Bellator and as he drew closer he spied his sister laying in a crumpled heap beside the immortal. There was so much blood! The ground tilted and Ben feared for a moment that he was going to pass out. He fought back the panic and ran to his sister's side. She was still alive, but just barely. Thankfully, Louise was still unconscious and Amos was tending to her. Merlin, Marcus, and Gabriel rushed over to help.

"Merlin, do something!" Ben cried.

The old wizard sadly shook his head. "I can ease her pain, but this is beyond my power, child. I am so sorry."

Ben wept. He knelt down beside her and gently clasped her hand. "Marcus? Is there anything you can do?"

"Perhaps," the keeper replied. "There is a charm on her bracelet that is shaped like a heart and it has the power of healing. Her injuries are severe and she may be too far gone, but it is worth a try."

Ben wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve. He gently twisted the bracelet until he found the tiny silver heart. "How do I use it?" he asked.

"Pull the charm off the bracelet and place it upon her forehead, then tell her that you love her."

"That's it?"

Marcus nodded. "Hurry now, she doesn't have long."

As Ben was removing the charm, Bellator spoke. He was still alive, but just barely. His voice was no longer strong and booming. It was no longer full of confidence and pride. It was just a whisper. A weak whisper, laced with fear and uncertainty, but they all were able to hear him clearly.

"I only wanted Him to love me."

Marcus knelt beside the fallen immortal. "Who?" he asked.

"The Creator."

"The Creator did love you. He never stopped loving you and loves you still."

Bellator closed his eyes and shook his head. "He doesn't speak to me anymore."

"Look at what you have become! You grew to hate the things He created and loved. Do you really think He does not have the capacity to love all of His creation?"

A tear slid down the immortal's cheek and he reached out toward Casey, but could not reach her. Casey, still alive and still conscious, remembered her conversation with Venus. She mustered what strength she had left and stretched out her arm to place a trembling hand into Bellator's.

Oh no, Ben thought. His sister was having trouble breathing now, her breaths coming in quick, short gasps. Stories are not supposed to end like this. They are supposed to have happy endings, where the good guys win and everyone lives! Frantically he removed the charm and reached to place it on her head, but Casey stopped him.

"No," she whispered.

"What do you mean, NO?" Ben cried. "We have to do this now, Casey, you're in bad shape."

"No," she repeated.

"Listen, you're badly hurt and you're not thinking clearly. If you don't let me do this you might die." The tears were flowing freely now. Ben was thankful that his grandma had not yet woken up. He couldn't think clearly either and if Louise were to see her granddaughter up close, her reaction would send everyone over the edge. "Casey," he continued, "think about what it would do to Mom and Dad if you died! It would crush them." Ben gently took her hand from Bellator's and held it in his own. "It would crush me," he cried.

"Listen to me, Ben," Casey whispered. "Use the charm on Bellator."

"What?"

"Use the charm on Bellator and heal him. Trust me, please."

Ben looked up at Merlin. The wizard shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He did not know what advice to offer, but he knew that the prophecy was still unfolding, so he remained quiet and watched. Ben turned to Marcus, but the keeper appeared to be deep in thought and simply stared, not at Ben, but past him as if he were struggling to put together pieces of a puzzle that did not quite fit. Finally, Gabriel spoke up.

"Do it."

Ben looked down at Casey. Feebly, she squeezed his hand and nodded. She even tried to smile. Ben choked back a sob that threatened to rack his body and turned to Bellator. He could not believe that he was even contemplating this, but somehow, as illogical as this seemed, it just felt right. It felt like this act of love and forgiveness was a crucial pivotal point on the outcome of the final prophecy of Venus. Slowly he placed the heart on Bellator's forehead. "I forgive you," he said, "and I love you."

Gabriel reached down and grabbed the hilt of the sword. With a soft tug, it slid free from Bellator's chest and the tiny silver heart on the immortal's forehead flashed brightly and then vanished. A soft glow enveloped Bellator and the gaping wound on his chest began to heal. The flesh below his sternum, where the sword had entered, knitted together to form a bright pink scar about four inches long. It would be a scar the immortal bore for all eternity, but the charm had healed his heart completely and Ben and Casey's unselfish act of love and forgiveness had cleansed his heart of all wickedness. Bellator climbed to his feet and then stooped to lift Casey from off the ground. Gently, he cradled her in his arms and wept. As his tears washed over her, the same soft light that had bathed his body with healing, began to emanate from hers. Everyone watched in amazement as her bruised and broken body began to heal. Her pale skin began pinking with new life and her breaths evened out into the long steady draws of one who is sleeping soundly. At last, she opened her eyes and smiled.

"It's finished," she said. Bellator hugged her close and carefully placed her on her feet.

"Casey!" Ben cried, throwing his arms around her. "You're okay! How did you do it? How did you know you'd be alright?"

"I didn't know for certain," Casey answered, "but something that Venus said came back to me and made everything crystal clear. I didn't know that I would be healed, but I knew what I had to do."

"I'm not sure now," said Marcus, "who the chosen one really is. I thought all along that it was Ben and maybe it was, but now, I think it could very well have been Casey."

"It couldn't be me," said Casey. "Look at all of the things Ben fulfilled. I haven't done anything."

"The prophecy doesn't say that chosen one actually brings those things about, only that they do occur. I think everything that happened according to the prophecy, was prophesied to herald the coming of the chosen one. The only thing the prophecy states that the chosen one will actually accomplish is bringing the mighty down. Both of you were instrumental in that."

"Maybe both of us were the chosen one," Ben offered.

"Perhaps," said Marcus. "It is of no matter now. It's over."

"No, it's not over just yet," said Bellator. When Gabriel had pulled the sword from the immortal's chest he had cast it aside. Now, Bellator stood behind them with Excalibur in his hand. Had everything that had just happened been for show? Had Bellator played them all for fools? The immortal walked past them and into the park. At the edge of the lake, he flung the sword far out into the middle. Everyone watched as Excalibur splashed into the lake and vanished beneath the dark green waters.

"Now it's over. May that sword never see the light of day."

The air beside Bellator began to shimmer and glow and then suddenly, someone materialized at his side. It was Venus!

"Welcome back, brother," said the golden haired immortal, "we have missed you."

For the first time since the creation of the elves, Bellator smiled. The two immortals embraced and clapped each other on the back.

"Are you ready to leave?" asked Venus. "The Creator is waiting to see you."

"He will see me?"

"Not only will He see you, but at His request, we are having a great celebration in honor of your return."

Bellator turned back to Marcus. "Before I leave, I make this pledge to you. Never again shall I harm any living creature, but I will be protector of all living things great and small. Never again shall I be proud and boastful, but I will humble and meek in spirit. And, lastly, never again shall I be called Bellator. My name is Jupiter."

"It is indeed a joyous day in Faerie," Marcus replied. "Farewell, and I hope that we will soon meet again."

Casey watched as the two immortals became translucent and began to fade. It was over. The final prophecy of Venus had come to pass and everything had worked out to a happy storybook ending. No one had been killed and, in the end, no one had even been harmed. Venus and Jupiter faded away until only the outline of their bodies was visible and then, like a soap bubble that suddenly pops, they vanished completely. Casey started to speak, but she heard a voice inside her head; it was Venus...

"Well done, Casey. Well done."

*****
CHAPTER 27

ANGRY DWARVES

"Hey, where's Grandma," said Ben, looking around. Amos was not among them either.

"Over here," the big man called. He was still kneeling beside Louise, who had not yet wakened from her faint. Everyone rushed over to check on her.

"Is she okay?" asked Casey.

"I think so," Amos answered. "She saw Bellator strike you and it was too much shock for her system to take in. She thought you were killed and her body just shut down on her. To be honest, I don't see how anyone could have survived that blow. How is it that you are okay and unharmed? Is it wizardry?"

"No," Merlin answered, "there is no wizardry or magic behind her healing. It was divine intervention, plain and simple. By all rights she should be dead."

"Can you do something for Grandma," Ben asked the wizard.

Merlin stooped over and peered at Louise's face. "Yes, yes, I do believe I can do something about this. Gabriel, has your flask any water in it?"

"A little, why?"

"Let me have it! Hurry, now!"

Gabriel pulled the flask from his belt and handed it to the wizard. Merlin snatched the flask and hastily screwed the lid off. He then poured the lid full of water, handed the flask back to Gabriel, and knelt down beside Louise, being very careful not to spill any of the water. As he hovered over her, he closed his eyes and waved his hand above the lid, while chanting in some strange tongue that no one understood.

"What's he doing?" Ben whispered to Gabriel.

"I hope not, but I think he is up to mischief," Gabriel responded. "We shall see."

Merlin continued to chant, his voice growing louder and louder. He began to sway back and forth as he continued to wave his hand over the lid of water. Then suddenly his body went stiff and rigid, and his chanting ceased. "It is ready," he cried with a loud voice and with that proclamation he took the lid of water and tossed it into Louise's face.

Louise bolted upright, coughing and sputtering. "What? What happened? What happened?"

Merlin cackled with laughter and slapped his knee. "Ha-ha-he-heeeeee! I really had all of you going, didn't I? That was great, you all thought I was doing some big magic, ha-ha-he-heeeeee! I fooled you all!"

Marcus smiled at the wizard's antics, but shook his head in disapproval. "You didn't fool anyone for even a second, old man, but Louise thinks her grandchild was just killed. Show her some compassion, respect, and concern."

Merlin pulled the floppy hat off his head and mumbled an apology, while Amos tried to calm Louise down and assure her that everything was okay. "Louise, calm down, Casey is unharmed."

"Casey!" she sobbed. "Oh no, Amos, she's gone!"

"No she isn't, she's right here. Look, Louise, she's unharmed."

Louise still did not hear him and continued to weep. Casey came over and sat down beside her.

"Grandma, I'm right here. Look at me, I'm fine."

Louise sniffed and wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve. She stared at her granddaughter and blinked several times, as if her eyes were deceiving her and by blinking she could vanquish the specter before her. No, there wasn't anything wrong with her eyes. Maybe she was losing her mind. "Is this a cruel trick?" she finally asked with a weak and trembling voice. She was totally devastated and almost too afraid to hope. "How can you be okay? I saw him hit you!"

"It's not a trick, Grandma, it's really me and I'm really okay. He did hit me and it almost killed me, but I believe the Creator healed me. I'm perfectly well now. Actually, I've never felt better in my life."

Louise threw her arms around Casey and sobbed, but this time it was tears of joy that streamed down her cheeks. When the tears finally ceased, Amos helped her to her feet, but when she saw Ben the tears started flowing again. She hugged both of her grandchildren tightly and wept over them. This was the closest she had ever come to tragically losing someone that meant more to her than life. The prophecy of Venus was not the only thing that was final. This was the final time she would ever venture through the Merlin tree. It was the final time she would ever take a chance on her grandchildren's safety by allowing them to come here. She resolved in her heart to say her goodbyes and, when she returned home, she would ask George to cut down the Merlin tree. Cut it down, burn it, pull it up with the tractor; whatever it took, the tree must be destroyed, but before she could contemplate that any further, she had to know what had transpired after she fainted. "What exactly happened?" she asked. "Where is Bellator and how was he vanquished?"

"I think Casey will have to explain part of that story," said Marcus. "One second she was with us and the next second she was where Ben had just been standing."

"Someone pushed me out of the way!" Ben exclaimed. "I know it was you, but how did you get over to me so fast?"

"I used one of my charms," Casey answered. "It was the charm shaped like a sundial. Venus told me that it would stop time for a few seconds. When Bellator raised his hand to strike Ben, I invoked the charm and then ran over to push him out of the way. The charm didn't last long at all, only long enough for me save Ben."

"When Bellator struck you," said Merlin, "I blasted him with the spellcatcher. I knew it wouldn't hurt him, but I think it stunned him for a split second and that was all that was needed for Gabriel to fling the sword at him."

"Hey," said Ben. "How did you manage that? I was the master of the sword. No one else should have been able to move it!"

"The sword sometimes chooses its master, Ben. Excalibur was always seeking to return to Bellator; its true master. You had a predestined confrontation with Bellator, so the sword chose you so that it could get a little bit closer. You had no intentions of giving the sword back to Bellator, but after he struck Casey I had every intention of giving it back to him, only not like he expected."

"The sword couldn't tell that you were wanting to harm Bellator?"

"No. It all happened so fast. I don't even remember thinking, I just acted. It never even crossed my mind that I might not be able to move the sword. It was the closest weapon to me, so I grabbed it. Maybe the sword thought that Bellator would catch it and maybe he would have caught it had Merlin not hit him with the spell catcher. Who knows?"

"Okay," said Louise, "this might make sense to all of you, but I'm having to fill in the gaps here. Was Bellator killed with his own sword?"

"No," Marcus answered. "He would have died, but Casey saved him."

"Casey? How? Never mind how, Casey, why would you save him, after what he did to you?" Louise hastily looked around with a frightened expression on her face. "If you saved him, where is he? Is he coming back? Does he have the sword now?"

"No, he is not coming back," said Gabriel, "and he does not have the sword. Casey showed him undeserved mercy through personal sacrifice. She gave her life for him. It's the greatest act of love one can bestow on another and it shook him to his core to have a mortal do that for him; a mortal enemy, no less. In shame and humility, he flung Excalibur into the lake and reclaimed his true name. He also resolved to never harm another living creature."

"Then where is he?"

"Home. He has gone home to the Creator. Venus came back to get him. It's all over, Louise. We can all return home now."

Home. Louise thought on that word and the real meaning behind it. It wasn't a place, it was a feeling; a state of mind. Actually, it was more of a state of the heart. The house and farm where they lived; that was a place. The joy and happiness that they experienced and shared there made it a home. Yes, home was not a place, because no matter where they laid their head at night, home existed in their hearts. Never-the-less, Louise was ready to get back to the farm and to all of the people that made the farm her home. "If everything is truly over, may we leave now? I'm exhausted and ready to get home. We'll visit some other time."

"Certainly," said Marcus. "If you feel like riding, we can leave immediately."

"No need for that," said Merlin, rapping his staff on the ground. A black hole popped open in front of them.

Louise stared at the black hole for a moment and then placed her hands on her hips and glared at Merlin. "We rode horses for several hours to get here and you could have just opened a pathway for us? Why in heaven's name didn't you?"

"Old woman, I've been stuck in one of those tunnels for centuries and I wanted to have a nice, leisurely ride, so there!"

"Old woman, is it? If I had my pocketbook with me I'd wallop you across the top of your beany little head, you spindly legged old geezer!"

"Spindly legs!" Merlin cried. "Now you've gone too far!"

Amos and Marcus quickly separated the two before things could escalate any further. Merlin might be a great and powerful wizard, but he had no idea who he was messing with. Once Louise got her dander up, even Amos gave her a wide berth.

"One thing we must do before we leave," said Marcus. "Amos, do you have the flasks with you?"

"Oh yeah, I'd almost forgot!" Amos replied. "They are over here."

"Help me empty them into the lake."

"Here? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am certain."

After the three flasks were emptied, the water began to bubble and swirl, then suddenly it exploded into a geyser of white, frothing foam. As the column of water that shot up from the lake rained back down, Arinya began to rise up from the surface. When the water nymph spotted Ben, even though she had never met him, she instinctively knew who he was. With an angry cry, she lunged at him, but he and the others were too far from the lake for her to reach.

Marcus walked down to the edge of the water and Arinya leapt at him. She tried to grab him but some unseen force kept her from touching the elf. She tried to knock him over, but that same force deflected her water at every turn. When she finally realized that she couldn't even get him wet, she crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Where have you brought me?"

"You are in Faerie, in the beautiful city of Jupiter."

"Why have you brought me here? Am I now your prisoner?"

"No, you are not a prisoner here. I only ask that you stay with us for a little while, a year perhaps. At the end of the year, if you wish to leave, we will take you wherever you wish to go, but I cannot imagine a beautiful creature such as yourself wishing to live anywhere else. Think about it, Arinya. You have been moved from the dark cold waters of the gnome mines to Long Lake. Was that not better than the mines? And now I have brought you from Long Lake to Faerie. Look around you! Is this not better than Long Lake?"

"The water is different here, I'll admit. It feels cleaner, purer. I actually feel more alive in these waters than I can ever remember. What is the catch? What do you want from me?"

"Two things. First, you must never harm any living creature ever again. This is a new beginning for you. This will be your home and there will be many that come to visit you, for we have not had a water nymph in Faerie for many ages. Secondly, there is a sword at the bottom of this lake. You must guard this sword and make certain than no one ever gets it. That is all."

"One year?"

"One year. Will you do it? Will you be the Lady of our fair lake? Will you be the guardian of the sword at the bottom of the lake?"

Arinya considered her options. The waters in Faerie were amazing and the lake was indeed quite beautiful. It was only for one year too. She finally decided that it would be nice to relax here for a year. At the end of the year, she could re-evaluate her options. "I agree to your terms. I will stay for one year. I will harm no one and I will guard the sword at the bottom of the lake. No one shall touch it while I inhabit these waters."

"Excellent!" Marcus exclaimed. "I'll return here to visit with you often. I have many questions to ask you and I look forward to getting to know you."

"We shall see," Arinya replied. The water nymph slowly sank into the water and vanished.

"Thank goodness that is over," said Hob. "I am anxious to be leaving. I have such stories to tell Gob and Nob. If I did not have witnesses to back up my story, I doubt they would believe any of the things I've seen."

"Let's be off, then," said Gabriel, with a smile. "I wish to see their faces when you tell them of your adventures in Crag."

When they arrived at the lodge, Marcus instructed Torac to send arrow hawks to every supply center in all of the cities with news of the day's events. Each dwarf that manned a supply center would send out arrow hawks to the remote garrisons that belonged to the city where the supply center was located. It was an announcement of victory and a call to return home. Once Torac took his leave, Merlin opened a pathway to the garrison where Jonah was stationed.

The pathway opened up near the Merlin tree. They found the garrison minimally staffed and the stables empty, as most of the elves were out on training maneuvers. Since Jonah was in charge of the garrison, they found him in the commander's tent along with Gob and Nob. The two dwarfs were sitting at the table and arguing, between bites of food, about the dragon's cycle on Crag.

"I'm telling you for the last time, you bearded bonehead, it's the time of the Awakening," said Nob. The dwarf was waving a fat turkey leg over his head as he spoke.

"And I'm telling you for the tenth time, you prune faced fathead, it's the time of the Slumber," Gob responded.

Neither dwarf saw them enter the tent, but Jonah did. "You're back!" he cried, jumping up from the table. He ran to embrace them and then he spied Merlin among them. He froze and his jaw dropped to the floor. Gabriel and Marcus laughed.

"Your eyes do not deceive you, Jonah, it is indeed our friend of old; Merlin."

Jonah ran to the old man and grabbed him by the arms. "Is it really you?"

"Oh no, we're not going to have one of those sappy elf moments here, are we?" Merlin grumbled.

Jonah threw his arms around the old man and lifted him off the ground in a great bear hug. He spun around with him and then sat him back down. "It is you! By all that is good in Faerie and Camelot, it is you, but how? How is it possible? Where did you come from?"

"We have been to Crag," said Hob. "Merlin here is the wisest one from the prophecy."

The wizard doffed his hat and, with a grand flourish of his robes, bowed low at the waist.

"Good grief," Louise grumbled.

Merlin yanked his floppy hat back onto his head and shot Louise a look of annoyance.

"You've been on Crag this whole time?" Jonah continued. "I don't understand."

"I've been inside of a pathway this whole time," Merlin answered. "It was a pathway from the Dragon's Cradle on earth to the Dragon's Cradle on Crag. I entered the pathway from the earth Cradle and then closed it while I was inside."

"How did you survive through all of those centuries?"

"There is no passage of time inside a pathway. As far as I could tell, I was only in there for a brief moment."

"Then how did you know when to come out?"

"I didn't. Ben had my staff and with it he had the ability to open a pathway. When he saw the Dragon's Cradle on Crag, he recognized it as a structure that also existed on earth. He knew instinctively to open the pathway to the one on earth and that is how I was able to get out. It was all part of the prophecy."

"You went to Crag without us?" Gob cried.

"What about Bellator?" asked Jonah, completely ignoring Gob. "What do we do now?"

"Bellator has been dealt with," said Marcus. "It's finished."

"I think they went to Crag without us," said Gob, poking Nob in the ribs. "HEY! Did you guys go to Crag? You know that Nob and I wanted to go along!"

"So, it's over?" asked Jonah, still ignoring the angry dwarf. "He's dead?"

"No," Marcus answered, "not dead, just gone. Gone forever. It's a long story and a little later we shall tell it in its entirety, but for now, suffice it to say that everything worked out just perfectly."

"SOMEBODY ANSWER ME," Gob hollered. The poor dwarf was red in the face and yanking furiously on his beard. "DID YOU GO TO CRAG WITHOUT US?"

*****
CHAPTER 28

GOING HOME

"You mean to tell me, after all we've been through together, that you went to Crag without us? You know how badly we wanted to go!"

"I'm angry too," said Nob. "It's our ancestral home, Hob, how could you do that to us?"

Ben quickly came to the poor dwarf's rescue. "It wasn't Hob's fault, guys. The Librarian found the stuff we needed rather quickly, so I made the decision to go ahead and leave for Crag, straight from the Archives."

"Ben," said Louise, "I can't say that I'm very happy about that either. I believe I am going to have to side with Gob and Nob on this one. You should have come back here first as we had planned. If something would have happened to you on Crag, we would have never known about it."

"Grandma, I didn't come back because I didn't want to endanger you and Casey. Both of you would have wanted to come and if you had gone with us, then Amos would have wanted to go too, so that he could look after all of us."

"You could have come back for us, though," Gob insisted,

"No, Gob, I couldn't and here's why. We needed to move about as quickly and as quietly as possible. The more people that accompanied us, the more likely we were to be noticed by any dragons that may have been in the area and, no offence guys, but you three are not exactly the quietest travelling companions to have along on a stealth mission. It was noisy enough having just Hob along with us. I can't imagine how noisy it would have been to have all three of you there."

"Well, you're going to have to give us a full account," said Nob. "We want to hear every detail, starting with which dragon cycle was in season; by my calculations, Crag should be in the Awakening."

"No. No. No," Gob responded, stomping his foot to emphasize each word. "My calculations are correct and I tell you it is the time of the Slumber!"

"You're both wrong," said Merlin, jumping into the fray. "It is the start of the Ashing cycle on Crag. Everything is burnt to a crisp and most of the dragons are already asleep."

"Did you by any chance get to see one?"

"Oh yes. We spent the night on Crag inside of Old Grand Sire and while we were inside the tree, a dragon ate ashes from the tree for over an hour. And then, right before we left, a red dragon actually attacked us at the Cradle. It was probably the very same dragon that had been eating on Old Grand Sire."

"How did you escape?" asked Amos.

"Sleep spell," Merlin answered. "Same one I used on Zoltan. Since the dragon was so close to the slumber anyway, it did not require very powerful magic to put it under; all it needed was a nudge."

"What about Haven?" asked Nob. "Did you get to see Haven?"

"Ah, yes," Hob replied with much excitement. "I have stood in the Great Cathedral and walked the halls of Haven and it was magnificent."

"Oh, I do wish we could see it," said Nob.

"And you shall," Merlin declared, rapping his staff upon the ground. "Since Crag is entering the Slumber cycle for the dragons, there will be one thousand years of peace; one thousand years for Crag to heal and re-grow. I promised Spud, if we could find a safe place to put it, that I would re-establish a Merlin tree within Haven. It needs to be a place that dragons cannot reach, a place that is hidden and secret. The dwarves that return to Crag will need to guard the tree as well. They must be ever diligent and alert. They must never leave the tree unguarded, even for a moment."

"Merlin," Gob cried, "If you do this for us, we shall erect a statue of you in the Great Cathedral."

"Yes," Nob agreed. "I can see it now! It will be bigger than life; a statue of Merlin battling Zoltan, son of Zog. It will be wizard against dragon and it will be so terrifying to look upon that it will strike fear in the hearts of any dragons who chance to see it!"

"I like it!" Merlin cried, standing straight and puffing out his skinny chest. He tried to look fearsome, as any dragon slayer should, but his floppy hat slid down over his eyes. He pushed the hat back onto his head and grabbed his staff. "Well, what are we waiting on? Let's get started! We'll have to go to Dwarvenhall first and figure out where to place the tree there. It needs to be in a secure place and it will need to be guarded there as well. I've got some ideas for the statue too, I'll have to get some pen and paper so that I can draw you a sketch. How big can we make this statue?"

"Hold on a cotton-picking minute," Louise cried. "Before you go traipsing off, do you think you could open a pathway to the dwarves' cabin on Long Lake? Back on Camelot? We're anxious to get home too, but I do not wish to ride any horses to get there and it's much too far to walk."

"Louise," said Amos, "we left the wagon and Old Dan at Castle Twilight. You three go on to the cabin and wait for me there. I'll go through the Merlin tree, back to the castle, and then I'll meet you at the cabin with the wagon." The big man turned to the wizard. "Can you open the pathway for them?"

"Long Lake I know of, but the location of the cabin I do not. I could open a pathway to any spot on Long Lake that I am familiar with, but it may not be anywhere near the cabin you wish to reach."

"Maybe I can do it," said Ben. "Let me use the staff one last time and I'll see if I can open the pathway."

"A staff to a wizard is like a hammer to a carpenter, lad. It is nothing more than a tool that the craftsman uses to practice his art. However, I think that Venus instilled a magic in this staff that allowed you to use it so that his prophecy would play out as foretold. That magic is no longer there, otherwise I'd feel it."

"So you're saying that Ben can't do it?" asked Louise.

Merlin shook his head. "Whatever magic that was in the staff, or the spell catcher more likely, is now gone. The boy will not be able to open a pathway."

"Let him try," said Hob. "He can do anything!"

Merlin shrugged his shoulders and handed the staff to Ben. Ben took the staff and walked away from everyone so that there would be room for the black hole to open. He thought about the cabin on Camelot and the beautiful lake in the valley below it. He held the staff up and cried with a loud voice, "Shamalamadingdong."

The black hole popped open instantly.

"I KNEW IT!" Hob yelled. "I told you, Ben can do anything!"

Merlin scratched absently at his dirty gray whiskers, while he studied Ben with a puzzled expression. "I believe that there is more to you, Ben Alderman, than meets the eye. Come, I will accompany you through the pathway to make certain you all get out safely, before I close it. I also want to see the location of this cabin."

Louise, Ben, Casey, said their goodbyes to everyone and then followed Merlin into the black hole. Although the wizard could not hear him, Hob yelled into the hole after him, "Hurry back, Merlin! There will be many at Dwarvenhall that will make the pilgrimage home to Crag."

They stepped out of the pathway into the front yard of the dwarves' cabin. Merlin bade them all a hasty farewell and then hopped back into the black hole. In a moment, the hole winked shut and they found themselves standing quietly in the stillness of the warm spring afternoon. A soft breeze blew through the pine trees near the cabin and, somewhere in the distance, a mocking bird was singing loudly. Louise finally spoke and broke the quietness.

"Let's go inside and get comfortable. Hopefully Amos will be here before nightfall."

It was just getting dark when Amos finally pulled in. Louise and the kids heard the old wagon creaking and groaning as Old Dan plodded up to the front porch and they all hurried out to greet them. Ben and Casey helped Amos unhitch Old Dan and, while Amos rubbed the horse down and gave him a good brushing, the two kids put away the tack. After a tasty supper, they turned in for the night and slept soundly all night and most of the morning too. In was lunch time when they finally awoke.

"I just realized why it's so quiet," said Ben, with a big yawn.

"Yeah?" said Louise. "Why so?"

"Hob, Gob, and Nob are not with us. It's very quiet with them gone, almost too quiet."

"I know what you mean," said Casey. "It's almost lonely with them not here."

"Enjoy it while you can," said Amos. "I, for one, am thankful I do not have to listen to that dreadful song again. What was the name of it?"

"Yankee Doodle went to town," Ben began to sing. Casey joined in with him.

"A riding on a pony."

Louise came in on the next verse and all three of them sang at the top of their lungs.

"Stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni!"

Amos could not help, but laugh. He threw back his head and laughed a long hearty laugh. It was infectious too, because the others started laughing and they all laughed until tears streamed down their cheeks and their sides began to ache.

It was late afternoon before they started the journey back to Amos' home. The ride back to his cabin went by quickly, for they decided to ride through the night with only a couple of quick stops to rest and eat a bite. When they pulled the wagon into the clearing between the cabin and barn, the stars were shining brightly overhead and a bright silver moon was peeking over the horizon in the meadow below.

"Whoa," Amos called to the horse as he pulled back on the reins. He helped Louise down and unhitched the wagon. "You three go into the house and get a fire laid for supper, while I take care Old Dan."

After he had put away the tack, Amos rubbed Old Dan down and fed him some oats. Once the big horse was taken care of, he rolled the wagon into the barn and then joined the others inside the cozy little cabin. Not only had Louise laid a fire, she had a kettle full of potatoes and salted beef stewing over the flames. It was a simple meal, but nonetheless, delicious. After the dishes were cleaned and put away, Louise called Amos outside to speak to him alone.

"Amos, there is something I must tell you."

"You're not coming back, are you?"

Louise faltered for a moment. "How did you know that? Are you a mind reader as well as a shape shifter?"

"I do not have to read your mind, Louise, it is written all over your face. You almost lost your grandchild today and it has badly shaken you."

"But, Amos..."

"You don't have to explain, I understand."

"No, I do have to explain, please."

The big man smiled and waited patiently for her to form her thoughts.

Finally, Louise reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny box. She held the box tightly for a moment and then handed it to Amos.

"What is this?"

"It was my gift from Marcus this past Christmas. It is a berry from the healing bush in Faerie."

"I remember. It is a great gift and you should keep it."

"No. I want you to have it. I would have used it on Casey today had I not lost my wits and fainted. I can't take care of them, Amos. I can't protect them like I should. If the Creator had not healed Casey after Bellator struck her, she would be lost to me forever. That is why I am not coming back to Camelot. I have to make certain the kids can't come back either, so I'm going to destroy the Merlin tree when we go back."

"I understand your feelings, Louise, truly I do, but why give away such a great and powerful gift? That berry could save your life one day, or your husband's life! Please keep it."

"Amos, besides my husband George, you are the greatest friend I have ever had and I want you to have this berry. It would be a great comfort to me knowing that you had this with you. Besides, I don't need it, because in our world we have medicines and remedies for every malady you can imagine. Heck, we've even got this newfangled thing called Obama Care."

"It sounds like great magic," Amos remarked with awe.

Louise smiled and wiped a tear from her eye before it could escape down her cheek. "I'm really going to miss you."

The big man was unable to speak, so he wrapped his arms around her and quietly wept.

*****
CHAPTER 29

THE SECRET GARDEN

Once they had composed themselves, Louise called the children outside.

"Come on, guys, we're leaving now."

"You don't want to get a good night's rest and leave in the morning?" asked Ben.

"No, I want to get home and shower. After that, I might lay down for a quick nap before everyone gets back."

"Oh my," said Casey. "A hot shower is exactly what I need too."

"Good grief," said Ben. "We haven't been here that long!"

Amos laughed and tousled Ben's hair. "Come on, I'll walk you down to the bamboo."

Down at the bamboo patch, Louise tried to maintain her composure while everyone said their goodbyes. Amos gave her a quick hug and a smile and then picked Casey up in one of his famous bear hugs.

"You have grown into a fine young woman, Casey Alderman. You are braver and stronger than you know. Watch after your little brother, okay? Keep him out of mischief if you can."

Casey squeezed his neck as he sat her down. "That is impossible," she replied with a grin.

Amos leaned over Ben and stuck out his hand for Ben to shake. Ben's hand was swallowed up in the giant's ham fist, but Amos shook it solemnly.

"Ben, you have done great things in Camelot, Faerie, and Crag. I know you'll do great things in your home world one day and I wish that I could hear of them."

"Thanks, but I doubt I'll ever do anything spectacular back home. I'm just an average kid."

"You are anything, but average."

"Hey, I'll try to come see you again before we leave, but if I can't make it, we'll be back up for Labor Day and I'll see you then, for sure. That's about three months from now."

"I'll be counting the days."

"Come on, children," Louise called. "Let's be off."

Ben and Casey entered the bamboo first and Louise was close behind them. Before she got too deep into the patch, she turned to have one last look at Amos, but the big man was gone. The warm spring winds stirred the green grasses where he had just been standing. He was gone and the loneliness that descended upon her was crushing. She bit her lip and fought back her tears, then proceeded to the center of the patch, where Ben and Casey were waiting for her beside the tree.

"We thought you got stuck," said Ben.

"No, just got something in my eye, that's all. Hurry now, through the tree."

For the remainder of the week, Louise made sure that someone was always around so that the kids would not have the opportunity to return to the Merlin tree. When Saturday finally rolled around and it was time for them to return to Atlanta, Louise started to feel a great weight lifting from her shoulders. The kids were going home and when they came back for Labor Day, everything would be taken care of. The only danger they would find at the Alderman farm would be from eating too much barbeque. After everyone had packed, Charles and Carol loaded the car while Ben and Casey said their goodbyes.

"I guess we'll have to wait until Labor Day," Ben whispered to her. "When you see Amos again, tell him to make sure that Hob, Gob, and Nob know that I want that chess set they made for me, okay?"

"I will, hon. You and Casey behave this summer and we'll have a big barbeque when you come back, okay?"

"We will. Love you, Grandma! Love you, Grandpa!"

George and Louise waved as the car slowly make its way down the driveway. When it disappeared into the trees, Louise turned to George and took him by the hand.

"Come with me, dear, I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"You're going to think this is silly, but I have my mind made up."

"Oh Lord, that usually means work for me. What is it, sweetheart?"

"I would like to have a pathway cut into the bamboo patch. I want the pathway lined on each side with big rocks and I want the ground between the rocks covered with crushed gravel, so that it won't get muddy when it rains."

"Why on earth do you want that?" George asked incredulously. Two words that came out of Louise's mouth stuck in George's head; big rocks. That meant big back ache.

"You didn't let me finish," Louise scolded.

"There's more?"

Louise swatted him playfully on the arm. "The center of the patch is clear and open, except for one old dead tree. I'd like for you to pull that tree up with the tractor and burn it. Once it's gone, I'd like to put a garden bench inside of the bamboo patch, or maybe a swing. It would be like a secret garden. You know, a quiet, cool place to sit in the heat of the day and relax. It would be a good place to read a book too!"

"We have a porch swing," said George. "We have two rockers on the porch too! What's wrong with those?"

"Listen George, I really want this. Either you do it for me, or give me the keys to the tractor and I'll do it myself."

It was playing dirty, but Louise knew that she had him now. George would never let her drive his tractor; that was his pride and joy. It was a symbol of his manliness and the thought of letting a woman, even though it be his wife, actually operate his tractor was more than he could bear.

"When do you want it done?"

"There's no time like the present."

George mumbled something as he fished around in his overalls for his keys. "I'll have to cut the path into the bamboo with my chainsaw. We'll drag the canes out into the field and start a burn pile. Once I get the path cut, I'll use the root rake on my tractor to get the roots and stumps out of the ground. Then I'll cut the ground with a plow and rake it smooth. Pulling the tree out will be the last thing to do."

"How long will it take you?"

"It won't all get done today, I can tell you that!"

"Well, go get your chainsaw and I'll help you by pulling the canes out as you cut them down."

Once the road into the bamboo was cut, Louise kept after George until he had the tree down. Each time he worked on the project, she helped him with it too. Not so much because she wanted to get finished faster, but more so because she wanted to be sure that George did not go near the tree until he had a chain around it with the end fastened to his tractor. When the fateful day arrived, the tree came up out of the ground without a struggle. As a matter of fact, the tractor pulled it over with no resistance at all, for the tree had no roots; it was simply sitting on top of the ground. Louise wondered if they stood it up somewhere else if it would still work. She was almost tempted to try it, but the memory of Bellator striking Casey hardened her resolve and she let George drag the tree to the burn pile. He used the front end loader on his tractor to set the dead tree on top of the canes they had cut to clear the road.

"When can we burn it?" Louise asked.

"The tree would probably burn now, but if we wait a couple of weeks to let that cane dry out it will all burn up nicely. I need to clear a fence line on the backside of the farm and I can add that to the pile too. Maybe we can roast some weenies?"

Two weeks went by quickly and the burn pile grew as George cleared the fence lines. When he was finished with the fence, the brush he had accumulated was dry enough to burn. He waited for a quiet, windless day and he plowed a circle around the pile to prevent the fire from spreading after he lit it. Louise joined him to watch the fire burn. By evening time there was nothing left of the brush pile, but a heaping mound of ashes and embers. The Merlin tree was gone.

Now that the tree was gone, Louise was not rushed to finish her secret garden, but she needed to finish it and she needed to show George her appreciation for doing this for her. The garden actually turned out nicer than she expected. George had lined the pathway into the bamboo with large quartz fieldstones from the pastures. He even used the stones to create a large circle in the center of the bamboo patch where the Merlin tree once stood. He then hauled in three truckloads of pea gravel to cover the ground between the stones and bought not one, but two park benches to place inside the circle. The secret garden was finished.

Spring turned into summer and summer progressed from warm June to hot July and then to an even hotter August. Louise had lost interest in the garden and the bamboo was determined to reclaim the ground that George had cleared for the road. Nothing seemed to deter the stuff. George would kick over the tender green stalks that poked through the gravel and in a week they would be back, taller than ever. Finally, he gave up on it altogether and by the end of August you could not even tell that a road into the bamboo patch ever existed.

By the time Labor Day weekend arrived, Louise had completely forgotten about the garden and was eagerly looking forward to seeing her grandchildren. It was Saturday morning and they were expected here at any moment. When she finally heard the car horn blowing, she and George ran outside to greet them.

"Great day," George exclaimed, when they piled out of the car. "Come here, Ben, and stand by me." George gave him a quick hug and then made him turn around and stand up straight. "I swear he's grown four inches this summer! What have you guys been feeding him? Gorilla milk?"

Ben blushed, but it was true. This summer he had a growth spurt that put him at the same height as his sister. He could outrun her now too!

"And look at you, Casey," George exclaimed. "I didn't think you could possibly get any prettier, but dog-gone-it you have! I bet Charles had to put up a fence to keep the boys away."

"Hey, Grandpa," said Casey, throwing her arms around George's neck and squeezing. "I've missed you guys."

"We've missed you too," said Louise. "George, will you help Charles and Carol unload the car? I've got to show Ben and Casey my new baby goats."

"We can get it, Dad," said Charles, "but if you could fix me and Carol a tall glass of tea while we unload, that would be great."

"Two glasses of ice cold tea, coming right up," said George, heading for the porch.

While their parents unloaded the suitcases from the trunk, Ben and Casey followed their grandma up to the goat house. Inside the cool barn, nestled in a fresh bed of shavings, were two little white goats and one brown one. Ben and Casey ran into the stall to pet them.

"Grandma, they are so precious!" Casey cried with delight.

"Hey, how are Tink and Arnold doing?" asked Ben.

"Oh, they are doing fine," said Louise, "but that's not why I called you up here. I needed to tell you something."

"Is everything okay in Camelot? It's not Amos, is it?" Ben could tell that something was troubling his grandma and the only thing she would want to discuss in private with him and Casey would have something to do with Camelot.

"No, dear, nothing is wrong with Amos that I know of, but this is about Camelot."

"Well, how is he doing?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since the last time you were here."

"Oh no!" Casey cried. "Has he disappeared? What do you think has happened to him?"

"Have you talked to Hob, Gob, or Nob?" Ben asked. "If anyone would know where he is, it would be them."

"We have to go look for him Grandma," said Casey, gently setting down the baby goat and brushing the shavings from her jeans. "We'll tell everyone that we are going for a walk with you and we'll go into the bamboo from the back side. No one will ever know about it."

"No, kids, you don't understand. I haven't seen Amos because I haven't been back to Camelot."

"I don't understand," said Ben. "Why haven't you been back to visit? He's probably worried to death that something has happened to you."

A tear slid down Louise's cheek. She tried to wipe it away, but Casey saw it and ran to her.

"Grandma, what's wrong?"

"Amos knew that we were not coming back. I told him."

"But why? You are such good friends, why would you say that to him?"

"Because you almost died the last time we were there, Casey. Each and every time we have gone to Camelot, our visit has been fraught with danger and the last time I very nearly lost you. I couldn't take that chance again. I wouldn't take that chance again."

"But Grandma, they are our friends," Ben protested. "We can't just abandon them. Let's do this. Let's at least go visit Amos. We won't go anywhere else. As a matter of fact, if anything comes up that even remotely resembles anything of an adventure, we'll leave for home at once, I promise."

"Ben, we can't go back."

"Sure we can. We'll do like Casey said and go into the bamboo from the back side. As a matter of fact, Mom and Dad are probably inside drinking their tea and talking to Grandpa. We could leave right now and they would never know."

"Ben, you still don't understand. We can't go back, because the Merlin tree is gone."

Ben and Casey stood there in the cool dim stall, staring at their grandma. Outside, a goat bleated and broke the silence that hung heavy in the barn. Ben couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"What? What do you mean, gone?" He ran to the barn door and threw it open. Down at the foot of the hill he could see the green bushy tops of the bamboo patch peeking over the roof of his grandparent's house. He turned back to his grandma. "The bamboo is still there. What happened to the tree? Did someone steal it? Did Grandpa find it?"

Louise shook her head and then burst into an uncontrollable fit of weeping. Ben and Casey put their arms around her and tried to comfort her. Finally, she choked back the tears and tried to speak.

"I had George pull the tree up and burn it. I'm so sorry children, but I couldn't take a chance at either of you getting hurt again. I'm so very sorry." Again she started weeping. Sobs racked her poor body and Ben and Casey, though shocked by this unexpected news, completely understood why she destroyed the tree. They understood because, even though they were still children, they had grown up over the past year and they now possessed a wisdom far beyond their years. They had discovered that there were multiple universes out there and each universe had multiple worlds within them. They had even visited a few of those worlds. Ben and Casey didn't know how many were out there, but they knew this; there was one power that existed in ALL of them. There was nothing magical about this power, yet it was the most magical power that existed anywhere. It was a power that was unstoppable. It was a force of nature that could not be denied, a force that would not be denied. It was the most powerful force in the universe. In any universe...

It was love.

*****
Epilogue: The Secret in the Garden

The Labor Day picnic was over and the barbeque was a huge success. Grandma had fixed baked beans, coleslaw, and roasted corn on the cob. There were homemade yeast rolls too and fried apple pies for desert. While everyone found a comfortable spot to relax and let their dinner digest, Ben decided to step outside and stretch his legs. He asked Casey if she wanted to go, but she was busy texting one of her friends on her cell phone.

Although it was September and the first day of autumn was less than three weeks away, it still felt like August in sunny South Carolina. There would not be any cool fall weather here until October and even then, the days were usually warm and only the nights were cool. Ben walked around to the back of the house and stared at the bamboo patch. It was hard to believe a year had gone by since he first visited Camelot. Grandma had told him and Casey all about Grandpa building her secret garden. Ben had to admit it was a very clever plan, but there was no longer any sign of a road into the bamboo patch. It looked exactly as Ben remembered it. Curious, he approached the patch.

He walked along the edge of the bamboo until he came to a section where he could see a light tan colored gravel among the canes. He glanced over his shoulder. Everyone was still inside and the blinds in the kitchen window appeared to be closed. He hadn't been in the patch since his grandma told him the tree was destroyed. There was no need to go there. There was nothing of any interest inside the bamboo now. Still, something drew him inside.

As he twisted his way through the canes, he found it difficult as ever to get to the center, but he finally made it. In here, large field stones formed a circle about twelve feet in diameter. The ground within the circle was covered with the same tan colored gravel that had once formed the road, only here inside the circle there were no canes growing.

The park benches were still here and looked strangely out of place. They were on opposite sides of the circle, facing each other. Ben walked over and sat in one. It was kind of a neat place after all. The bamboo offered a shady escape from the hot sun. It was quiet in here and very private too. Ben leaned forward and looked at the ground in the center of the circle, where the Merlin tree had once stood. What was that poking up through the gravel?

He rose from the bench and stepped to the center of the circle, where he could have a closer look. Kneeling down, he pushed his glasses up onto his nose and examined the small sapling that had pushed its way up through the rocks. It was a skinny little tree, not more than eight or nine inches tall. At the top, it split in half, forming two tiny branches that looked like short, stubby arms. Could it be? There were tender green leaves on both branches and, strangely enough, a small pile of leaves on the ground around the tree. Ben picked up one of the leaves and examined it. He didn't recognize it at all. He slipped the leaf into his shirt pocket so he could look it up online later on. Somehow, he didn't think he'd be able to find it.

As he started to rise, a slight movement caught his eye. It was the tree! It was a little bit taller now and the leaves had a tint of red around the edges! Great day, it was a Merlin tree! Grandma had told them the tree did not have any roots when Grandpa pulled it over with the tractor. Maybe it didn't have any roots like the trees we're familiar with. Maybe it only had a single tap root that snapped off when the tractor pulled it over and maybe now that tap root was sprouting up a new tree.

Ben heard the screen door slam and quickly rose to his feet. He didn't want anyone to see him coming out of the bamboo. He didn't want anyone to know about this new little tree. How long would it be before it was large enough to crack open the doorway back to Camelot? How long would it be before he could see Amos, Hob, Gob, and Nob again? He remembered the wagon ride and singing Yankee Doodle with the three dwarfs and it made him smile.

"I'm coming back, guys," he whispered. "I'm coming back."

THE END

*****
BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

THE THIRTEENTH UNICORN

Book #1 in the Ben Alderman Series

While spending the summer with their grandparents on a remote farm in South Carolina, Ben Alderman and his sister Casey uncover a hidden world of magic; a world their grandmother is secretly visiting. It is a world where elves and dwarves are locked in mortal combat against a witch who is trying to free the last surviving wizard from exile. The witch has been defeated once before but with the combined power of the wizard, no one will be able to stand against them. Much to Ben's dismay, he learns that he is the one foretold in the ancient elfin prophecies to bring about the downfall of the witch and save this exciting new world from destruction.

THE BLACK DRAGON

Book #2 in the Ben Alderman Series

With the witch defeated, the elves begin preparations to once again take up their vigil, guarding a black dragon from Crag named Zoltan. Merlin's last enchantment has kept the dragon asleep for centuries, but when Gabriel brings Hob along to inspect the dragon, the bumbling dwarf finds Merlin's staff and accidentally breaks the enchantment. Gabriel and Hob escape from the dragon into a cave that leads them into Kahzidar; the dreaded gnome mines, where they are captured by the mad gnome king Ringwald Stonebreaker. Ben, Casey, and their Grandma must join forces once again with Amos, the shape shifter, to save Camelot from the dragon that's bent on destroying it. But first, they must rescue their friends from Kahzidar

THE FINAL PROPHECY

Book #3 in the Ben Alderman Series

It's spring break and a visit to the Alderman farm leads to another exciting adventure in Camelot. Marcus, the elfin mage known as the Keeper, has been captured by Bellator, the mightiest of the twelve Immortals. Bellator is holding Marcus for ransom until Excalibur, the sword blessed by the Creator, is returned to him, but no one knows where the sword is located. Was the final prophecy of Venus given to provide hope in times of darkness or was it intended as a warning? Is Ben really the chosen one? Will he save Camelot... or destroy it?
AFTERWORD

I hope you have enjoyed reading about the adventures of Ben and Casey as much as I have enjoyed writing about them. If you did, please send me an email and let me know! My email address is dale339@bellsouth.net and I answer every email. Also, if you'd like to help me out, here are some things you can do:

  1. Be sure to rate the books and leave a review. Reviews help other readers decide whether or not to give a book a chance.

  2. If you have an account on www.goodreads.com, look up W. D. Newman and become a fan; it's a great promotion tool for authors.

  3. If you have a Facebook account, look up The Thirteenth Unicorn and "like" the page.

  4. Lastly, and most importantly, tell your friends about the books! Nothing encourages an author more than a lot of happy readers.

For my next project, who knows? I only know that I am going to continue to write children's stories; stories that are clean, decent and fun.

I think the next one will be an adventure story.

Or maybe a scary story.

Or maybe a mystery.

Or maybe...


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

W. D. Newman is the penname for William Dale Porter. Dale and family live on a farm that is located in a small valley in the beautiful lake and mountain county of Pickens, South Carolina.

