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The Door to Talgia.
Epilogue
‘We’ve found it!’ this was the call everyone in the ASSBSEOD (Australia’s Super-Secret Base of Studying and Exploring Otherworldly Dimensions) in 3:00 in the morning. Alfred Red jumped up in the air, smiling widely at a door. It was a covered in spirals, and was glowing slightly, but other than that, it was extremely normal. There was also the slight fact that every bit of it was strapped with chains. Everyone swivelled around in their desk chairs, and stared at him.
‘Wait…’ his partner, Winnie Sanders said, who had just turned from a screen with a picture of a kitten on it. ‘Do you mean…it’s…the wormhole…’
‘Yup!’ Alfred said. He reached out to touch the door. Instantly, he froze. Then, the door blew open. The chains snapped. Alfred’s body warped, and he was sucked through the door.
‘Alfred!’ Winnie yelled. The door slammed shut. And Alfred was gone. Then, the door vanished into the night.
Chapter 1: Escape
Declan Red was obnoxious. it wasn't his snotty nose. it wasn't his piggy eyes. it wasn't even his tendency to take everyone else's lunch (although that could contribute.) no. Declan was obnoxious because of his sneering face, his uncaring smile, his arrogant walk.
'Give that back!' Criss yelled. 'that's for my brother!'
'Nope!' grinned Declan, holding the large chocolate bar above Criss' head. He took a big slobbery bite.
‘You…’ Criss lunged for the Mars Bar. He hit it out of Declan’s hand, and it hit the ground, instantly starting to melt in a chocolaty puddle on the playground slide. Declan stopped, and stared down at the boy 3 Cm shorter than him.
‘Now you’ve done it!’ Declan charged at the smaller boy, and…
‘Now stop right there!’ yelled Mr Jenkins, the PE teacher. He flung his skipping rope expertly to catch the running Declan around the shins. Declan crashed down at a petrified Criss’ feet, who, awoken from his stupor, ran as fast as he could away.
‘Declan Red,’ Mr Jenkins said slowly. ‘Go to the principal’s office. Now.’
‘Inexcusable behaviour…wrong thing to do…poor Criss…suspension for three days.’ This was the string of unrelated words Declan heard as he sat in the uncomfortable chair in front of Miss Zahner, the principal.
‘Yes Miss Zahner,’ Declan droned. He had been in the principal’s office so many times he had broken a school record, at 1,000 visits this year.
‘Now get out!’ Miss Zahner said. Declan obediently got up, and walked out of the door. He shoved Freddy Zean out of the way, and stormed down the corridor, and out of the school.
‘Been suspended again?’ the matron for Declan’s dormitory, Miss Handers said in a bored voice. ‘Well, get to your dormitory.’ Declan trudged up the stairs. He flung himself onto his mattress, and stared up at the ceiling. It was tonight. He was going to run away, far away from this orphanage, this school, these people. Maybe to Queensland. That would be nice. Away from all those accusing stares.
He gathered up all his things, which took approximately 2 minutes, as he had only a second set of clothes, a jumper, an action figure of Hulk, and the last thing his parents – father and half-mother, Declan reminded himself – had given him. A note, saying never come back. Declan turned to the window, and then caught a glimpse of a photo taken when he was a baby. He quickly grabbed it, and looked at it for a while. There he was, crawling around in the dirt. And there was his father. Tall, broad shouldered, with curly red hair like Declan. He was wearing his round green spectacles over his green eyes, and laughing as he chased Declan. That old gold bracelet was on his wrist. The one made to look like a snake. Declan sighed, and put the picture in the bag. Then, he waited. And waited. And waited. He knew his presence at the dinner table wouldn’t be missed. He waited until he heard the feet marching up the stairs, and Miss Handers calling, ‘Lights out! Lights out I tell you!’ Then, he opened his window, and looked down at the ground below.
It was high up, seeing as he was three stories up, but Declan had made an escape plan. He took out his Hulk action figure, and threw his bag down. It landed safely below. He looked out, and reached for a pipe. It just held his weight. Declan slowly inched his way down, until he was close enough to the ground to jump. He landed uncomfortably on his bag, then picked it up, and ran. He ran down the road, and into the park. He spotted a stray dog. Then, he started walking. PE had never been his strong spot. Declan walked onward, crickets chirping, the night air blowing on his face. It was almost peaceful. Then, he nearly ran into the door.
Chapter 2: The Attack of the Cloud
Declan stared at the strange door. It was just there. Nothing was behind it; nothing was in front of it. He could have sworn that it wasn't there before. Just standing. In the middle of a patch of grass with a sign saying, ‘do not place anything on this grass.’ At 7:00 in the evening. It was covered in swirls...and they seemed to be moving.
Declan scoffed. His mind must be playing tricks on him. He turned around…and there it was! In front of him. He looked behind him, but it wasn’t there. He turned again, and started running, only to nearly walk into it again. He grunted in anger. Was someone playing a trick on him? He punched the door.
Immediately, the door flew open. A force, like a black hole but worse, yanked Declan forward, and into the door. The force pulling him in seemed to be pulling and pushing from all directions at once. He screamed at the pain of it. His eyes, which had closed when pulled in, opened slowly, to see he was hurtling through what looked like…well, what looked like nothing. Yes, that was it. Nothing. It was just a plain nothingness. The pain diminished slowly as he continued speeding through the nothing. Declan put his hands in front of his face. He could see them just fine. Then why couldn’t he see anything else? Just then, slammed into what felt like a brick wall, and fell out of an unfamiliar sky, onto the ground of a strange place.
Declan looked around. The sky was cloudless, and sunless. The air was warm and cold at the same time. And everything was different to how he knew it. The trees were floating at different heights all over the plain. Red grass swayed all over the place, making a strange whistling sound. Hills humped up from the ground, shrinking and regrowing in other places, in different colours. Strange animals crept, slithered, walked, crawled, and jumped around him, some with strange wings that never seemed to stop moving, some with more limbs than seemed physically possible, others making loud honking sounds, and others that Declan just couldn’t describe. And the world smelled…different. Strange. Magical. Like jam. He took a step forward, and his leg sunk into a knee deep fluffy white substance. It was rising and falling steadily as if breathing, but seemed to shift as soon as he touched it.
‘Don’t. Move. A muscle.’ Whispered a voice behind him. Declan turned around to find a thing staring at him. He was short, even shorter than Declan. His eyes were changing colour continuously, and his hands were slightly clawed. Its head was covered in long hair, and a beard. And he had scales all over his body.
‘Why not?’ Declan practically shouted back. The fluff shook some more.
‘Shut up!’ came the thing’s strained whisper. ‘Now get off the cloud!’ Declan, staring at the strange old (obviously deranged) man-beast, and smiled. Then, he jumped up and down on the “cloud” and bellowed at the top of his voice, ‘NO!’ Instantly, Declan was jolted off the fluffy object, as it sped right up into the air.
The “cloud” was a cloud. It was large, it was fluffy, it was white. Then its eyes opened, and the ultimate level of cuteness unfolded.
‘Aw!’ Declan said.
‘Don’t say that!’ the creature said. ‘It hates…’ but at that moment, the cloud’s expression darkened. Literally. It turned grey. Rain started pouring from the bottom, and the cloud’s eyes turned red. And for the first time, the clouds mouth opened. Declan screamed as the mouth, ringed with fangs of lighting rained lighting on him and the man-like thing.
‘RUN!’ the creature said, abandoning all whispering voice, and racing with Declan toward a nearby cave. ‘Come into my house!’ Declan ran for his life, as the cloud poured rain down on the ground, shot more lightning bolts, and bellowed its triumph in a voice of thunder. He ran through the entrance to the cave, and fell onto a rock.
Chapter 3: Sir Arkenstien Vrolcroft Dingilius Siritinaglis the 4th
The thing pointed at a large rock. There was a rumbling, and a huge hunch-backed creature stomped to the entrance, heaved the rock over it, and dropped the rock. Declan gasped.
Declan looked around. There was a tapestry on the wall, featuring a bunch of strange gems. A stool stood in a corner, and a hallway leading to what Declan presumed was another room. There was a merry fire, glowing deepest purple but letting off more heat than any fire Declan had ever seen before. Even that one where the accidentally (on purpose) set the school on fire.
‘That’s Bill,’ the thing said. ‘He is a Danggervit, and helps me with everything I do. That’s why I have so many bones around the place.’ He picked up a skull that looked alarmingly like a human skull, and tossed it to Bill. Bill crunched it in his fanged jaws.
‘I don’t know who you are, or where I am, or why I’m here, but I’m only staying here until the cloud goes away, you old man fool!’ Declan said.
‘O yes,’ the thing said. ‘Where are my manners? my name is Sir Arkenstien Vrolcroft Dingilius Siritinaglis the 4th, and this is the region of Talgia!’
Arkenstein lapsed into a long silence. Finally, he spoke.
‘There’s no way out of this place, as far as I know,’ Arkenstein said. ‘None at all.’ Declan put his face in his hands.
‘If you don’t say please,’ Arkenstein said. Declan jerked his head up, and said, ‘PLEASE!’
‘Well?’ Arkenstein said. But just then, there was a loud rapping on the rock.
‘By order of the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude,’ a snarky voice barked from outside, ‘please tell us if you have seen a boy, 158 cm tall, piggy eyes, snotty nose, 12-year-old wearing a red T-Shirt, brown pants, blue boxers, pink socks, white shoes, and holding a bag containing unknown (and possibly dangerous) objects.’
‘Oh, did I forget?’ Arkenstein said, as he shooed a furiously complaining Declan into a small cavity in the wall and dropped a rock in front of it. ‘there’s the High Emperor King Chieftan Cool Dude. He’s the worst thing that happened to this world. Fell out of the sky like you. I brought him in myself. But he became power hungry. Soon, he became ruler of the world. And he rules it with an iron fist. COMING SIRS!!’ Declan saw as Bill lifted the rock away from the entrance. Then, he stared. There were things outside. Strange things. They were like men, but their heads were snakelike. Their hands were three fingered. And they were riding huge winged two-headed dogs with flaming fur.
‘Stop your flattery, and tell us the answer to the question!’ the one with a cobra head on the biggest dog thing sneered. ‘The High Emperor has been too easy on you, but I am not as forgiving. Now, answer!’
‘Nope,’ Arkenstein answered. ‘I haven’t seen no boy, General Rakta. Just that cloud. I see you’ve taken care of it? OK. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be leaving you to your…’
‘We do mind!’ General Rakta. ‘I need to make a search of your house!’
‘I’m afraid that’s impossible,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Bill is in a bloodthirsty mood.’ Bill gave a large belch in the background, and sat down in a corner.
‘We’ll deal with him,’ General Rakta said menacingly, holding up long thin simitar. ‘Remember the first law. Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!’ Arkenstein sighed, and let them in. The guards streamed across the small room, and Declan watched through the crack as they turned over baskets, stomped on the fire, ripped up the tapestry, and generally wrecked everything. Just then, Declan felt something hard dig into his head. He looked round, and saw a shelf. On it was a strange red and white rock. He picked it up, and immediately felt…different. Stronger. More powerful. Even…magical. He slipped it into his pocket. Just then, the snake heads went away.
‘You can come out now,’ Arkenstein whispered. Declan crawled out. Then, Arkenstein noticed the missing rock.
Chapter 4: The Story Stones.
Arkenstein’s face changed so quickly that it seemed that he was a different person. His eyes flashed red, and didn’t change. He seemed to grow taller. His scales stuck up all over his body.
‘WHERE IS THE STONE OF FIRE AND ICE!’ he bellowed, and it seemed that there were two Arkensteins speaking at the same time. ‘GIVE BACK WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN, OR DIE!’ he drew two sharp axes from the wall, and advanced toward Declan.
‘OK, OK, OK!’ Declan whimpered. He drew the stone from his pocket, and lay it down before him, then leapt as far away from Arkenstein as he could. Arkenstein calmed down instantly. His scales came down, and his eyes coloured to a softer shade of blue, as he picked up the stone. Declan saw now that the red part of the stone was shifting constantly, while the white was still.
‘This,’ Arkenstein said, ‘is one of the most important stones in this realm. It is one of the original 10 story stones, the Stone of Fire and Ice, gives you power over flames, or freezes time. The Stone of Nature lets you speak with trees. The Emotion stone, gives you power to control emotions, but only the emotions that the person had already. The Dark Stone helps in the cause of necromancy. The Physic Stone lets you read minds and use telekinesis. The Ocean stone lets you breath underwater, control water, stuff like that. The Future stone lets you see the future. The Vanisher Stone lets you vanish and appear at any place. The Past stone lets you travel back in time. And finally, the Truth Stone, not the most powerful stone, but lets you know whether your opponent is telling the truth. It is rumoured that if one has all the stones, they will have complete power over everything in this land. But there are fakes too. And you always know when you’re holding a fake.’
‘I bet you wouldn’t, but how?’ Declan asked.
‘They tear you apart.’ Arkenstein said. There was a silence.
‘So, this one…’ Declan said.
‘Is real,’ Arkenstein said. Declan stared greedily at the stone.
‘Don’t even think about it,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Anyway, our great High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude has 7 of the stones. And when he has all of the stones, he will destroy the world.’
‘Can’t you call him something else, like HEKCCD?’ Declan said, completely fine that he had partially swore, and not at all miffed that this world would get destroyed. Serves it right for imprisoning him here.
‘No,’ Arkenstein sighed. ‘Rule 5. Always call the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!’
‘Gimme those rules?’ Declan asked. Arkenstein took out a piece of paper from his beard. Declan read.
Rule 1: Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!
Rule 2: Everyone must pay tribute to the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!
Rule 3: No talking unless spoken to in the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude’s company. OR ELSE!!
Rule 4: Everyone must listen to the palace guards (also known as Snakeheads). OR ELSE!!
Rule 5: Always call the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!
Rule 6: Anyone who does not listen to these rules will be henceforth thrown off the bottomless chasm. OR ELSE!!
Rule 7: Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!
‘Rule 7 just repeats rule 1! This guy’s dumb!’ Declan exclaimed.
‘Yes, well that’s the most important rule,’ Arkenstein said. ‘So, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude is 4 stones away from ruling the world. Completely. There will be nothing to come here for. Nothing. We will be enslaved by his tyranny. But now you’ve come, we can go on a quest for the stones!’
‘What!?!’ Declan yelled. ‘I’m not going on a stupid quest to save this world! It’s preposterous! This world has nearly killed me already, I’m not risking my neck for a world I don’t even live in!’
‘If you do, I’ll tell you where the door is,’ Arkenstein said. And with those 10 words, he had convinced Declan.
Chapter 5: Traps Are Made for People to Fall into Them.
Declan trudged through the countryside with Arkenstein ahead of him, slowly approaching the bottom of a large cliff. Arkenstein had quickly packed all his belongings, including the Story Stone of Fire and Ice, in a large backpack which he was now lugging around, picked up a walking stick made of an orange wood, and headed off with Declan in his wake. They were leaving Bill to care for the home.
‘So, where exactly are we going?’ Declan asked for the umpteenth time.
‘To the Mines of Mildiana,’ Arkenstein answered, also for the umpteenth time. ‘The Emotion Stone, is said to be there.’
‘But didn’t you say there were enemies there?’ Declan asked.
‘Yup,’ said Arkenstien matter-of-factly. ‘The dwarves of Mildiana live there. They lay traps at every single turn, bend, corner, hallway, and stairwell in the mines. Of course, most of these have been disabled by unlucky Snakeheads sent by the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude, but there are still some. And there are the actual dwarves.’ Declan, not at all comforted by this speech, continued walking. They were picking their way through a field full of sleeping clouds, and it took all of Declan’s concentration to walk on the thin pathways between clouds. Suddenly, Arkenstein stopped, and Declan ran into him.
‘We’re here,’ he said. ‘The Mines of Mildiana. Dwarf kingdom.’ They were staring at a gaping hole in the cliff they had been headed for. It looked like a crack in the skin of rock. A chasm.
‘Well,’ what are you waiting for?’ Arkenstein said. ‘Come on, let’s go!’ Declan shook himself out of his stupor, and followed Arkenstein into the fissure.
Arkenstein lit a lantern, and walked through the small passageway behind the fissure. Declan followed him. Soon, they started seeing bones. Entire Snakehead skeletons, stuck between axes, dead in pits, Even suffocated in sand. Declan started feeling like they weren’t exactly wanted here. As they passed a particularly grisly scene with two decomposing Snakeheads stuck between pillars of rock, Arkenstein stopped again.
‘No more Snakeheads,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Get ready for traps.’ They walked slowly forward, Arkenstein looking forward at the ground, at the walls, at the ceiling. Then, he stopped.
‘Pit. Right in front of us. Too wide to jump,’ he said.
‘What will we do?’ Declan asked. Then he quickly added, ‘idiot.’
‘Well, traps are made to be fallen into,’ Arkenstein shrugged. ‘I think the Dwarves want us to starve to death, more’s the pain. So…’ and he jumped, straight forward, and disappeared from sight. Moments later, there was a thump, and a cry of pain.
‘It’s safe!’ Arkenstein called up. ‘a bit deep, but it should be fine.’
A bit deep was an understatement, as Declan found out, as he plunged through the darkness. He screamed as fell for a while, before thumping down on something soft and springy.
‘It seems I was a bit wrong in my assumption,’ Arkenstein’s voice came out of the darkness, as he held up the lantern to illuminate their surroundings. ‘The Dwarves don’t want us to starve. The want us to die. Die in a grisly way. If I’m not mistaken, this is the lair of Verdinag.
‘Who’s…’ began Declan asked. But his question was answered, as a loud click-clacking came out of the darkness, and a gigantic spider came out of the darkness, white as marble, eyes red as blood, fangs gleaming and dripping with poison.
‘State your business, or Verdinag will strike!’ a voice cried from the darkness. ‘It will be a painful process where your skin melts off your bones. You don’t want to feel it.’
Chapter 6: the Burndalog
As Declan squinted, he could make out a small, squat figure on the back of the giant albino spider. It had brown dirt coloured skin, grey stone coloured hair, and light brown clothing. Its nose stuck out quite far from its head, and its mouth leered out at them from the darkness.
‘Thank goodness!’ Arkenstein cried from beside Declan. ‘It’s you! I haven’t seen you for years, Drindik!’
‘That’s your own fault!’ Drindik yelled back. ‘How could we let you back when you de—’
‘Nothing about that now!’ Arkenstein quickly said. ‘That was in the past, Drindik, the past! And I only squished 2!’
‘They were the only ones we had!’ raged Drindik. ‘We had to go up to the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude to get another evsanlius, and it took ages to breed. We had to spend 5 years, 5 YEARS, without the help of the evsanlius to give us the life-giving milk! And we lost a lot of our treasure on that day too, seeing as you knocked it down the abyss of death!’
‘Yes, but I apologized,’ said Arkenstein a bit sulkily. ‘And besides, treasure isn’t everything.’ ‘TREASURE ISN’T EVERYTHING?’ Drindik bellowed. ‘TREASURE ISN’T EVERYTHING? TREASURE IS EVERYTHING! TREASURE MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND! WITHOUT TREASURE, WE WOULD ALL DIE! ALTHOUGH YOU WOULDN’T KNOW A THING ABOUT TREASURE, SEEING AS YOU HAVEN’T EARNED A PENNY IN YOUR LIFE!’ Arkenstein seemed to get angry at that.
‘YOU THINK I’M POOR?’ he yelled.
‘YES, I DO THINK YOU’RE POOR!’ Drindik yelled back. ‘AND YOU’RE NOT IN A POSITION TO BE YELLING! I COULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!’ Arkenstein laughed.
‘You and I both know that you wouldn’t,’ he said easily, not yelling anymore.
‘You don’t know what I’m capable of!’ Drindik snarled. And with that, she yelled, ‘Verdinag, pick them up and take them to the Burndalog! Let us see whether these two will be our friends, or enemies.’ Arkenstein groaned and struggled.
‘Not the Burndalog! Anything but the Burndalog!’ he pleaded. For the first time since meeting Arkenstein, Declan thought he detected fear in his voice, and though it seemed that they were headed to a terrible fate, he still enjoyed Arkenstein’s fear as they were carried off by the spider into the darkness.
They travelled over the web for what seemed like hours, but was probably minutes. And all the while, Arkenstein moaned and wailed and pleaded, until even Arkenstein’s fear couldn’t cheer Declan up.
‘Uh, Arkenidiot?’ Declan asked. ‘What’s the Burndalog?’
‘It’s…’ Arkenstein said shakily, ‘it’s…it’s a feeling. It makes you want to curl up, and never live again. It makes you want to tear yourself to bits. It makes you want to die.’ And at those words, Declan was pleading, and moaning, and thrashing just as hard as Arkenstein, while Drindik looked on and laughed. Soon, they came to the edge of the web, and Verdinag flung them onto the ground. Declan stood up, and looked around. They were in dwarf kingdom.
Everything was stone. Everything was brown or black. It was the calmest place Declan had found in this world. And he liked it. Dwarves swarmed to the two travellers, all chanting, ‘Burndalog! Burndalog!’ They were dragged to the mouth of a large cave.
In the cave, there was a small dwarf.
‘So, who will it be?’ he asked, without turning. Arkenstein cowered, then quickly said, ‘not it!’ Declan groaned inside, muttered, ‘coward!’ and turned to the dwarf. If he knew what he was facing, he would have curled up into a tight ball and never moved again. The dwarf waved his hand, and armour came down from a shelf, and landed on Declan.
‘Hey! What?’ the dwarf ignored him. Next, he held out two weapons, a spear and an axe.
‘Which one?’ the dwarf said. Declan tested the spear, and immediately the dwarf took the axe away.
‘Wait, but!’
‘Get him!’ the dwarf said. A dwarf twice as big as Drindik picked Declan up, and threw him down a slope. Declan tried to stop his downward decent, but he picked up speed, and fell into the arena.
Declan wished he had picked the axe, but he had got the spear. He looked around. There were burning logs everywhere. In the centre was a shining diamond encrusted cup.
‘HELLO! HELLO! CAN YOU HEAR ME!’ boomed a loud voice. ‘IT DOESEN’T MATTER ANYWAY. YOUR GOAL IS TO GET THE CUP. JUST PICK IT UP. BEGINS IN 3, 2, 1.’ Then, out of the blue, completely unanticipated, Declan was hit by a wave of pain. He fell to the ground, screaming, feeling so much remorse about what he had inflicted on others. the spear clattered to the ground next to him. At that moment, he would have loved to just turn back time so he could change his actions. And he knew the only thing that could cause this emotion was one of the story stones. The one he needed to get to save the world. The one he needed so he could get out of this place. Then, Verdinag jumped down from the roof of the cavern, and landed in front of the cup. Declan lay on the ground, and watched through streaming eyes as he saw the giant spider approach, dripping venom on the ground, clicking in triumph.
Chapter 7: Death by Remorse, or Spider.
Verdinag sped through the burning logs, and Declan watched, pain stricken, willing his body to move. Finally, it did, and Declan was able to stand up, and when he did, he was so dizzy from the effort that he promptly fell over again, hitting a burning log, and knocking it in the spider’s path. It screeched, and reared onto its 4 back legs, waving the other 4 in the air.
‘Thank goodness that dwarf gave me this armour,’ Declan thought, as he watched the fire slide off it. The heat was just another pain that was dwarfed by the power of the Emotion Stone. Declan stood up shakily again, and realized that the spider was afraid of fire. It was still reared up, staring down at the fire with its red eyes, transfixed. Declan staggered over to another log, and shoved it over towards Verdinag. The spider screeched. Now two sides were obscured by fire. This time, bare skin touched the log, and Declan felt a jolt of pain. He tried to scream, but realized he was still screaming from before. Falling to his knees, Declan rolled on the ground until the fire went out, and tried to tone out the sound of his own screaming while he crawled to the next log closest to him. The pain generating from the Emotion Stone was getting worse. He shoved it over as well, and it landed just far away enough for Verdinag to be able to leap out of his prison of fire. The albino spider advanced, and Declan, shaking now, stood up, and stumbled towards the cup. Then, he could go on no further. He collapsed, shaking, writhing, and watched as the spider approached him. Then, he heard a voice. Not the dwarf’s voice, a familiar voice.
‘Come on, Declan! Stand up and get to the cup! Death by spider is worse than death by remorse! Move! Your! Butt!’ It was Arkenstein. Declan somehow found the strength in him to stand up. He half ran, half limped towards the cup, the power of the stone growing stronger as he got closer to the cup. Finally, he was right in front of the cup. Verdinag was right behind him. Just as Declan picked up the cup, Verdinag pounced, and the world went black around Declan.
Declan woke up in a stone hut, on a stone bed, with his body aching all over, and feeling as though he wanted to lie somewhere more comfortable. The remorse was gone, but Declan could still feel the aftereffects. The stone hadn’t so much tortured him, as shown him what it felt like to be bullied. It had made him see things from the bullied people’s side. He felt tired. Then, he was knocked of the bed as 50 Kg of Arkenstein bowled him over.
‘You feeling alright?’ Arkenstein asked anxiously, completely ignoring the fact he had just knocked Declan off a hard stone bed onto an even harder stone floor.
‘Yeah, I’m alright,’ Declan said, standing up, and rubbing his ribs. ‘How about you?’ Arkenstein stared in astonishment at Declan.
‘What?’ Declan asked.
‘It’s just…’ Arkenstein said. ‘Who are you and what did you do with the real Declan? That is the first time I have heard you ask me how I felt! This is a breakthrough! Life is great! And you got the cup!’ Declan smiled.
‘Well, so know what does that mean?’ Declan asked.
‘It means we are officially honorary dwarves!’ Arkenstein said joyously. ‘Of course, I was already one, but was expelled after the whole treasure incident.’
‘And the Emotion Stone?’ Declan asked.
‘I’ve talked to the dwarves about it,’ Arkenstein said, ‘and they’ve upped security around it. The High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude won’t be able to get this stone. They’ve reset the traps, you see.’ Suddenly, there was a BOOM! Drindik came running in, all anger at Arkenstein apparently forgotten, as she yelled, ‘the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude has breached the net! Prepare for battle!’
‘What? so soon?’ Arkenstein exclaimed. ‘But how?’
‘the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude must have had spies tailing you. And they have come with what seems the entire army.’ Arkenstein gasped.
‘With…with the racadumins?’ he stuttered. ‘And the wandering granderishes? And the ice-breathing Ikalots?’ Drindik nodded grimly.
‘We have to go!’ Arkenstein yelled. ‘Declan, grab your stuff! HURRY UP!’ Declan (for once not arguing) jumped up from the floor, grabbed his bag, and the three of them ran out of the door, to come face to face with a white and red bellowing creature. It had tusks longer than Declan’s arm, and lumbered across the space between them in seconds. A snakehead sat astride it, shouting,
‘General Rakta! I’ve found them! I’ve found the ones who dare defy the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. I’ve found the ones who want to take the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude’s power, and rule this empire for themselves. I’ve found the ones who are collecting the last Story Stones!’ Arkenstein grabbed for his bag, for the stone, but the ice-breathing flamendron pushed its tusks right up to Declan’s chest, and Arkenstein froze as if he had been hit by the freezing power of the stone. Then, General Rakta came around the corner, with a bundle of chains in his hands.
Chapter 8: The High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude.
Declan trudged along the steep road, his wrists wrapped in chains, with Arkenstein behind him, and the entire Dwarf population in front. Drindik was bellowing curses at the top of her voice.
‘Cowards! Scum! Sissies in scales! No ones! Come and fight me fair and square, and see who wins! Pathetic creatures of the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Du…’ there was a thump as a snakehead slammed his fist into Drindik’s face, and Drindik fell to the floor, unconscious. A dwarf quickly picked her up, and they continued on.
Declan glanced back at Arkenstein. He was (mostly) unharmed, (he claimed) but seemed shaken. As soon as the snakeheads had got them, they had searched them, and found the Story Stone of Fire and Ice. There had been a huge cheer, and Arkenstein had been pounded. Now, he was limping along, head held high, and trying not to wince every time he took a step.
Just then, the party stopped. Declan looked around. There didn’t seem to be anything around. General Rakta rapped sharply on what seemed to be air, but clearly wasn’t, 3 times, then 3 more times, but softer. Then, he bellowed, ‘Hail the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude!’ immediately, a castle materialized in front of Declan’s amazed eyes. They were standing in front of a large orange wood door. It opened, and two apelike things beckoned them inside, sneering with yellowed teeth at the prisoners. Everyone trudged inside, and the doors slammed behind them, like jaws. (It probably helped that the edges of the door were jagged, and fit together just like…you guessed it. Pointy, sharp, teeth!)
Declan couldn’t help admiring the enemy’s palace. The ceiling soared up high, high into the air. The gold walls glistened with diamonds (courtesy of the Dwarves), and the floor was made of amethyst. There were plants growing in quite a few places, out of the wall, through the floor, down from the ceiling. This somehow made the place look more magnificent. They walked through room after room, each filled with treasure, weapons, armour, and large hippos (Yes! Large hippos!). Declan had a nagging feeling that he knew someone who liked large hippos. But he couldn’t remember who.
Finally, they went to a room larger than the others. There was a ring of lava encircling a ring of gold encircling a ring of water encircling a ring of diamond, encircling a ring of amethyst. And in the centre was a throne. There was someone on the throne. He was tall. He wore a long red fur-lined cloak, and a bronze crown sat on his head. A bracelet glimmered on his wrist. It looked like a snake bitting its tail. Declan had a feeling he had seen that bracelet before. the man’s face was in shadow, but Declan was sure it was a man, not a creature.
The snakeheads all raised their fists in the air.
‘All bow before the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude!’ the snakeheads forced everyone to the ground. Then, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude stood up, and Declan was hit by a revelation. Declan looked closer. It couldn’t be. Could it?
He had the same curly red hair. The same broad shoulders. The same green spectacles over his green eyes. But it couldn’t be his father. His father wasn’t in this place! And his father didn’t have a grave face, it was always laughing. Declan, trembling, brought out the picture he had of his father. And then he realized fully for the first time, that he was now facing his father, and that his father was an evil tyrant! That’s not something you experience every day. And here was his father, glaring down at him, not a glimpse of recognition in his face. His father’s face was stern, and hard as a rock. Declan stared up into his dad’s eyes, and a tear fell from his eyes and landed in the lava.
‘Dad?’ Declan whispered.
Chapter 9: Things Don’t Always Turn Out the Way You Want It To.
‘So,’ Declan’s Dad (or the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude) growled, ‘Arkenstein. You’ve joined up with a band of ragamuffins in order to oppose my kingdom?’
‘Huh? Oh, yes!’ Arkenstein said. ‘Yeah, well you seem to be trying to destroy the world. I do not agree with world destroying, Alfred.’ That actually confirmed it.
‘Um, Arkenstein,’ Declan whispered.
‘Not now,’ Arkenstein said, staring up at the High Emperor blah, blah, blah. ‘I’m having a very serious staring contest.’
‘Arkenstein!’ Declan muttered. ‘He’s, my father!’
‘Oh yes! He is!’ Arkenstein said in excitement. ‘What a breakthrough!’
‘My dad is the one who wants to destroy the world!’ Declan his strained voice nearly breaking.
‘Yeah,’ Arkenstein said thoughtfully.
‘What are we going to do?’ Declan whispered.
‘Convince him not to.’ Arkenstein said. There was a long silence in which the High Emperor blah, blah, blah glared down at them. Finally, he said, ‘What did the traitor say?’ a snakehead said, ‘You! Traitor! What did you say?’
‘Oh, I was just talking to this young fella Declan about burritos. Do they really contain tomitas?’
‘No, tomatoes,’ Declan said, going along with the act, and wondering how Arkenstein knew about burritos.
Poppycock and fried bananas!’ the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude (actually, from now on, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude shall be known as Declan’s dad) said scornfully. ‘What are you plotting now?’
‘Um, High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude,’ General Rakta said.
‘Yes?’ Declan’s dad said impatiently. In answer, General Rakta held up two stones. One was red and blue. The other was a stormy shade of grey. Declan’s dad gasped.
‘Any minute now,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Just say something!’ But Declan was frozen to the spot.
Declan’s dad grabbed the stones, and pressed a secret button on his staff. It opened, and 8 more stones rolled out.
‘He got another one!’ Arkenstein said. ‘The tree-dwellers of the Randuin Forest must have given up the stone of nature! Do something Declan!’ Declan’s dad brought out a podium.
‘Scum! Worthless creatures of muck!’ he shouted. ‘Today, you shall witness my rise to power before you die!’ Everyone groaned. Declan’s dad placed an emerald green stone in the podium. It glowed brightly. Next came the stormy grey stone. It too glowed brightly. Then the red and white stone, a purple one, a deep impenetrable black one, an ocean-blue one, a stone that didn’t really have a colour, and was continually fading in and out of focus, a stone with images too fast for you to see, a stone the colour of old wood, and finally, a stone that looked just ordinary, all glowing brightly.
‘Come on!’ Arkenstein said. ‘Do it!’ But Declan couldn’t. He just couldn’t! But he had to, otherwise, his friends would be killed. It was strange to think about them as his friends, but he realized, he did think of Arkenstein as a friend. Just as he cleared his throat, it suddenly got blocked. Why was this so hard?
Declna’s dad grabbed his staff, and waved it over the podium.
‘Inda tafta frandik doot!’ he chanted. ‘Granda dakla dundi frot! Ransing endolk whipliy quik! Abnik jiqua vindic rans!’ the world turned bright as there was a blinding flash. When Declan could see again, his dad was smiling evilly, holding his staff high in the air. On the tip, the 10 stones gleamed.
‘Now, you shall face my wrath!’ he laughed. He pointed the staff at the dwarfs.
‘Wait!’ came a voice. Declan’s dad looked around to see his son clearly for the first time. He stared. Then, he fell to his knees.
Chapter 10: Time to Face Your Doom…or not.
‘Hello dad,’ Declan whispered. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I could ask you the same thing!’ Declan’s dad AKA High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude AKA Albert Red spluttered. ‘You shouldn’t be here! You should be in the orphanage where you’re safe!’
‘Safe? SAFE?!?!’ Declan shouted. ‘I SPENT YEARS, YEARS, THINKING YOU HATED ME! YEARS OF PAIN, YEARS OF KNOWING YOU GAVE ME AWAY! I WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER WITH YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE CAN BECOME WITHOUT CARE AND LOVE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN?!?’ Years of feeling worthless, thinking his parents didn’t love him, pouring out his pain on everyone else, and now here was his dad, saying he gave him away to protect him? Said dad was spluttering on the throne.
‘DO YOU THINK I DON’T UNDERSTAND?’ he finally shouted back. He hit the staff against the floor, and there was a minor earthquake. ‘TIME AND TIME AGAIN I REGRETED MARRYING THAT…THAT WOMAN AND GIVING YOU TO THE ORPHANAGE! I SEARCHED FOR AGES FOR YOU, BUT I NEVER COULD FIND YOU! AND BEING STUCK IN THIS PLACE FOR AGES! ISOLATED FROM ALL HUMANITY? I’M SURE THAT IF YOU WERE IN MY SITUATION, YOU’D WANT TO DESTROY THE PLACE THAT TOOK SO MUCH FROM YOU!’ Declan stared. His father’s situation seemed quite dilemma.
‘I know what it feels like to be isolated,’ he finally said. ‘But I’m sure destroying everything isn’t the answer. Look at this world. Look at these people. Do they deserve to get destroyed? Do they deserve this? I know that this world has taken so much away from you. I know what it feels like. But destruction isn’t the answer! Please change your mind. Please don’t destroy the world.’ Declan stepped back. He felt…different somehow. That must have been the first time that he had ever tried to save anyone. It felt good.
Albert sat on his throne, staring down at his son. He considered for a long time. Finally, he sighed.
‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘Destroying everything won’t help in the slightest. I don’t know what I was thinking. And he let the staff clatter to the ground.
‘Guards!’ Declan’s dad bellowed. ‘Release the prisoners! Release everyone captured in these dungeons! Release them all!’
There was a storm of confused shouting, and a lot of people nearly got trampled. But in the end, everyone was freed. There were some of Albert’s men who didn’t want to turn from their evil ways, and these few trooped out of the castle, muttering things about how they were going to destroy the world anyway.
Creature after creature came trooping out of the dungeons. There were the old slumbers, the black brandoins, the dwarves of Mildiana, the tree-dwellers of Randuin Forest, the mesmerists of the sky city of Falinador, the seafolk of the endless sea, the no-ones from the plain of tomorrow, the wanderers of the Windy Ridges. Everyone was thanking Declan, slapping him on the back, shaking his hand, and giving him hugs. So, this is what it feels like to be popular, Declan thought, as a particularly misty no-one tried to give him a fist bump, and went right through him.
‘You’re famous!’ Arkenstein said happily, as he walked by with a large meatloaf in hand (the wanderers were famous cooks, and they had provided a feast for this occasion). ‘The seas will be drumming out your story on the seashore for sure!’
‘Yes, I’m so happy that I’m famous and all that,’ Declan said, pushing his way through the crowd to a shadowy corner, ‘but I want to know where the door is. You told me that you would show me after I helped you. And I can bring my father home, and we can all…’ he stopped at the look on Arkenstein’s face.
‘Um, I did say that didn’t I?’ He said in a very false jolly voice. ‘Um, yes about that…’
‘You lied?’ Declan asked incredulously.
‘I might have tweaked the truth a little,’ Arkenstein said guiltily. ‘Many have spotted the door, but it never stays in the same place for long. So, you’re probably…’ He gasped.
‘What?’ Declan asked. In answer, Arkenstein pointed. Declan turned around, and gasped too. It was the door. The very same door that had brought them into Talgia!
‘Dad!’ Declan shouted. ‘Dad! We can go home now! Come here!’ Albert came bustling up, and his jaw dropped open.
‘I expect you’ll be going now then?’ Arkenstein asked tentatively. Declan hesitated. For some strange reason, Declan felt like he wanted to stay. Here, he belonged. Here, he was admired. Loved. Over in Earth…not so much.
‘Um, yeah. I guess so,’ Declan said. There was an awkward silence. Then, Arkenstein brought out his strong orange wood staff.
‘Take this, as thanks for saving the world and all that mosh,’ he said gravely, handing the staff to Declan. Ignoring Declan’s stuttered thanks he burst into tears on a nearby slumber, and it jumped away quickly, white fur drenched. Drindik stepped up next.
‘We give you this diamond in thanks for saving us from near death,’ she said, handing Declan a huge diamond.
‘Even though you put us into that situation in the first place,’ Declan heard Drindik mutter as she strode swiftly away again.
‘Declan. Let’s go now,’ Declan’s dad said, putting a hand on Declan’s shoulder.
‘Well,’ Declan said, ‘I hope to see you again!’ and he and his father stepped to the door, and pushed. And they were sucked, back into the door, back through the vortex of nothing, and back to the real world.
Epilogue.
Criss walked through the gates of the university fence, and it clanged behind him. His newly earned PHD in Physics was bouncing along in his bag. Life was great, and even better, Declan wasn’t there to bully him. He thought back to that encounter a long time ago, when they were still kids. Declan had approached him right after he had taken his Mars bar. Declan walked up to him, cornered him in an alleyway.
‘You know about yesterday?’ he asked. Almost sheepish.
‘Yeah?’ Criss asked. At the time, he had been formulating the best way to get out of the alley. He was just going to put his plan into action, when…
‘Look, about the Mars bar…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I know that I’ve been a jerk, but can you please forgive me?’ Criss stared, open-mouthed, eyes wide, feet ready to spring onto the trashcan right next to Declan and run.
‘It’s…it’s ok,’ he finally said. ‘And you were being a jerk.’ The two boys had laughed, and from that day on, they had been friends. Now, Criss was heading off to see something that Declan had said he would show Criss. He travelled up the familiar path, to the park in the intersection. Declan was waiting there.
‘It has taken me months to track it down,’ Declan said, ‘but I’m sure it’s here.’
‘What’s here?’ Criss asked.
‘You’ll see,’ Declan said. They walked toward the centre of the park. Then, Criss almost crashed into a door that he had nearly run into. Criss stared at the strange door. It was just there. Nothing was behind it; nothing was in front of it. He could have sworn that it wasn't there before. Just standing. In the middle of a patch of grass.
‘Come on,’ Declan urged. ‘Touch it!’ Criss reached out, and touched the door. And they were sucked into the land of Talgia.
Epilogue
‘We’ve found it!’ this was the call everyone in the ASSBSEOD (Australia’s Super-Secret Base of Studying and Exploring Otherworldly Dimensions) in 3:00 in the morning. Alfred Red jumped up in the air, smiling widely at a door. It was a covered in spirals, and was glowing slightly, but other than that, it was extremely normal. There was also the slight fact that every bit of it was strapped with chains. Everyone swivelled around in their desk chairs, and stared at him.
‘Wait…’ his partner, Winnie Sanders said, who had just turned from a screen with a picture of a kitten on it. ‘Do you mean…it’s…the wormhole…’
‘Yup!’ Alfred said. He reached out to touch the door. Instantly, he froze. Then, the door blew open. The chains snapped. Alfred’s body warped, and he was sucked through the door.
‘Alfred!’ Winnie yelled. The door slammed shut. And Alfred was gone. Then, the door vanished into the night.
Chapter 1: Escape
Declan Red was obnoxious. it wasn't his snotty nose. it wasn't his piggy eyes. it wasn't even his tendency to take everyone else's lunch (although that could contribute.) no. Declan was obnoxious because of his sneering face, his uncaring smile, his arrogant walk.
'Give that back!' Criss yelled. 'that's for my brother!'
'Nope!' grinned Declan, holding the large chocolate bar above Criss' head. He took a big slobbery bite.
‘You…’ Criss lunged for the Mars Bar. He hit it out of Declan’s hand, and it hit the ground, instantly starting to melt in a chocolaty puddle on the playground slide. Declan stopped, and stared down at the boy 3 Cm shorter than him.
‘Now you’ve done it!’ Declan charged at the smaller boy, and…
‘Now stop right there!’ yelled Mr Jenkins, the PE teacher. He flung his skipping rope expertly to catch the running Declan around the shins. Declan crashed down at a petrified Criss’ feet, who, awoken from his stupor, ran as fast as he could away.
‘Declan Red,’ Mr Jenkins said slowly. ‘Go to the principal’s office. Now.’
‘Inexcusable behaviour…wrong thing to do…poor Criss…suspension for three days.’ This was the string of unrelated words Declan heard as he sat in the uncomfortable chair in front of Miss Zahner, the principal.
‘Yes Miss Zahner,’ Declan droned. He had been in the principal’s office so many times he had broken a school record, at 1,000 visits this year.
‘Now get out!’ Miss Zahner said. Declan obediently got up, and walked out of the door. He shoved Freddy Zean out of the way, and stormed down the corridor, and out of the school.
‘Been suspended again?’ the matron for Declan’s dormitory, Miss Handers said in a bored voice. ‘Well, get to your dormitory.’ Declan trudged up the stairs. He flung himself onto his mattress, and stared up at the ceiling. It was tonight. He was going to run away, far away from this orphanage, this school, these people. Maybe to Queensland. That would be nice. Away from all those accusing stares.
He gathered up all his things, which took approximately 2 minutes, as he had only a second set of clothes, a jumper, an action figure of Hulk, and the last thing his parents – father and half-mother, Declan reminded himself – had given him. A note, saying never come back. Declan turned to the window, and then caught a glimpse of a photo taken when he was a baby. He quickly grabbed it, and looked at it for a while. There he was, crawling around in the dirt. And there was his father. Tall, broad shouldered, with curly red hair like Declan. He was wearing his round green spectacles over his green eyes, and laughing as he chased Declan. That old gold bracelet was on his wrist. The one made to look like a snake. Declan sighed, and put the picture in the bag. Then, he waited. And waited. And waited. He knew his presence at the dinner table wouldn’t be missed. He waited until he heard the feet marching up the stairs, and Miss Handers calling, ‘Lights out! Lights out I tell you!’ Then, he opened his window, and looked down at the ground below.
It was high up, seeing as he was three stories up, but Declan had made an escape plan. He took out his Hulk action figure, and threw his bag down. It landed safely below. He looked out, and reached for a pipe. It just held his weight. Declan slowly inched his way down, until he was close enough to the ground to jump. He landed uncomfortably on his bag, then picked it up, and ran. He ran down the road, and into the park. He spotted a stray dog. Then, he started walking. PE had never been his strong spot. Declan walked onward, crickets chirping, the night air blowing on his face. It was almost peaceful. Then, he nearly ran into the door.
Chapter 2: The Attack of the Cloud
Declan stared at the strange door. It was just there. Nothing was behind it; nothing was in front of it. He could have sworn that it wasn't there before. Just standing. In the middle of a patch of grass with a sign saying, ‘do not place anything on this grass.’ At 7:00 in the evening. It was covered in swirls...and they seemed to be moving.
Declan scoffed. His mind must be playing tricks on him. He turned around…and there it was! In front of him. He looked behind him, but it wasn’t there. He turned again, and started running, only to nearly walk into it again. He grunted in anger. Was someone playing a trick on him? He punched the door.
Immediately, the door flew open. A force, like a black hole but worse, yanked Declan forward, and into the door. The force pulling him in seemed to be pulling and pushing from all directions at once. He screamed at the pain of it. His eyes, which had closed when pulled in, opened slowly, to see he was hurtling through what looked like…well, what looked like nothing. Yes, that was it. Nothing. It was just a plain nothingness. The pain diminished slowly as he continued speeding through the nothing. Declan put his hands in front of his face. He could see them just fine. Then why couldn’t he see anything else? Just then, slammed into what felt like a brick wall, and fell out of an unfamiliar sky, onto the ground of a strange place.
Declan looked around. The sky was cloudless, and sunless. The air was warm and cold at the same time. And everything was different to how he knew it. The trees were floating at different heights all over the plain. Red grass swayed all over the place, making a strange whistling sound. Hills humped up from the ground, shrinking and regrowing in other places, in different colours. Strange animals crept, slithered, walked, crawled, and jumped around him, some with strange wings that never seemed to stop moving, some with more limbs than seemed physically possible, others making loud honking sounds, and others that Declan just couldn’t describe. And the world smelled…different. Strange. Magical. Like jam. He took a step forward, and his leg sunk into a knee deep fluffy white substance. It was rising and falling steadily as if breathing, but seemed to shift as soon as he touched it.
‘Don’t. Move. A muscle.’ Whispered a voice behind him. Declan turned around to find a thing staring at him. He was short, even shorter than Declan. His eyes were changing colour continuously, and his hands were slightly clawed. Its head was covered in long hair, and a beard. And he had scales all over his body.
‘Why not?’ Declan practically shouted back. The fluff shook some more.
‘Shut up!’ came the thing’s strained whisper. ‘Now get off the cloud!’ Declan, staring at the strange old (obviously deranged) man-beast, and smiled. Then, he jumped up and down on the “cloud” and bellowed at the top of his voice, ‘NO!’ Instantly, Declan was jolted off the fluffy object, as it sped right up into the air.
The “cloud” was a cloud. It was large, it was fluffy, it was white. Then its eyes opened, and the ultimate level of cuteness unfolded.
‘Aw!’ Declan said.
‘Don’t say that!’ the creature said. ‘It hates…’ but at that moment, the cloud’s expression darkened. Literally. It turned grey. Rain started pouring from the bottom, and the cloud’s eyes turned red. And for the first time, the clouds mouth opened. Declan screamed as the mouth, ringed with fangs of lighting rained lighting on him and the man-like thing.
‘RUN!’ the creature said, abandoning all whispering voice, and racing with Declan toward a nearby cave. ‘Come into my house!’ Declan ran for his life, as the cloud poured rain down on the ground, shot more lightning bolts, and bellowed its triumph in a voice of thunder. He ran through the entrance to the cave, and fell onto a rock.
Chapter 3: Sir Arkenstien Vrolcroft Dingilius Siritinaglis the 4th
The thing pointed at a large rock. There was a rumbling, and a huge hunch-backed creature stomped to the entrance, heaved the rock over it, and dropped the rock. Declan gasped.
Declan looked around. There was a tapestry on the wall, featuring a bunch of strange gems. A stool stood in a corner, and a hallway leading to what Declan presumed was another room. There was a merry fire, glowing deepest purple but letting off more heat than any fire Declan had ever seen before. Even that one where the accidentally (on purpose) set the school on fire.
‘That’s Bill,’ the thing said. ‘He is a Danggervit, and helps me with everything I do. That’s why I have so many bones around the place.’ He picked up a skull that looked alarmingly like a human skull, and tossed it to Bill. Bill crunched it in his fanged jaws.
‘I don’t know who you are, or where I am, or why I’m here, but I’m only staying here until the cloud goes away, you old man fool!’ Declan said.
‘O yes,’ the thing said. ‘Where are my manners? my name is Sir Arkenstien Vrolcroft Dingilius Siritinaglis the 4th, and this is the region of Talgia!’
Arkenstein lapsed into a long silence. Finally, he spoke.
‘There’s no way out of this place, as far as I know,’ Arkenstein said. ‘None at all.’ Declan put his face in his hands.
‘If you don’t say please,’ Arkenstein said. Declan jerked his head up, and said, ‘PLEASE!’
‘Well?’ Arkenstein said. But just then, there was a loud rapping on the rock.
‘By order of the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude,’ a snarky voice barked from outside, ‘please tell us if you have seen a boy, 158 cm tall, piggy eyes, snotty nose, 12-year-old wearing a red T-Shirt, brown pants, blue boxers, pink socks, white shoes, and holding a bag containing unknown (and possibly dangerous) objects.’
‘Oh, did I forget?’ Arkenstein said, as he shooed a furiously complaining Declan into a small cavity in the wall and dropped a rock in front of it. ‘there’s the High Emperor King Chieftan Cool Dude. He’s the worst thing that happened to this world. Fell out of the sky like you. I brought him in myself. But he became power hungry. Soon, he became ruler of the world. And he rules it with an iron fist. COMING SIRS!!’ Declan saw as Bill lifted the rock away from the entrance. Then, he stared. There were things outside. Strange things. They were like men, but their heads were snakelike. Their hands were three fingered. And they were riding huge winged two-headed dogs with flaming fur.
‘Stop your flattery, and tell us the answer to the question!’ the one with a cobra head on the biggest dog thing sneered. ‘The High Emperor has been too easy on you, but I am not as forgiving. Now, answer!’
‘Nope,’ Arkenstein answered. ‘I haven’t seen no boy, General Rakta. Just that cloud. I see you’ve taken care of it? OK. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be leaving you to your…’
‘We do mind!’ General Rakta. ‘I need to make a search of your house!’
‘I’m afraid that’s impossible,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Bill is in a bloodthirsty mood.’ Bill gave a large belch in the background, and sat down in a corner.
‘We’ll deal with him,’ General Rakta said menacingly, holding up long thin simitar. ‘Remember the first law. Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!’ Arkenstein sighed, and let them in. The guards streamed across the small room, and Declan watched through the crack as they turned over baskets, stomped on the fire, ripped up the tapestry, and generally wrecked everything. Just then, Declan felt something hard dig into his head. He looked round, and saw a shelf. On it was a strange red and white rock. He picked it up, and immediately felt…different. Stronger. More powerful. Even…magical. He slipped it into his pocket. Just then, the snake heads went away.
‘You can come out now,’ Arkenstein whispered. Declan crawled out. Then, Arkenstein noticed the missing rock.
Chapter 4: The Story Stones.
Arkenstein’s face changed so quickly that it seemed that he was a different person. His eyes flashed red, and didn’t change. He seemed to grow taller. His scales stuck up all over his body.
‘WHERE IS THE STONE OF FIRE AND ICE!’ he bellowed, and it seemed that there were two Arkensteins speaking at the same time. ‘GIVE BACK WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN, OR DIE!’ he drew two sharp axes from the wall, and advanced toward Declan.
‘OK, OK, OK!’ Declan whimpered. He drew the stone from his pocket, and lay it down before him, then leapt as far away from Arkenstein as he could. Arkenstein calmed down instantly. His scales came down, and his eyes coloured to a softer shade of blue, as he picked up the stone. Declan saw now that the red part of the stone was shifting constantly, while the white was still.
‘This,’ Arkenstein said, ‘is one of the most important stones in this realm. It is one of the original 10 story stones, the Stone of Fire and Ice, gives you power over flames, or freezes time. The Stone of Nature lets you speak with trees. The Emotion stone, gives you power to control emotions, but only the emotions that the person had already. The Dark Stone helps in the cause of necromancy. The Physic Stone lets you read minds and use telekinesis. The Ocean stone lets you breath underwater, control water, stuff like that. The Future stone lets you see the future. The Vanisher Stone lets you vanish and appear at any place. The Past stone lets you travel back in time. And finally, the Truth Stone, not the most powerful stone, but lets you know whether your opponent is telling the truth. It is rumoured that if one has all the stones, they will have complete power over everything in this land. But there are fakes too. And you always know when you’re holding a fake.’
‘I bet you wouldn’t, but how?’ Declan asked.
‘They tear you apart.’ Arkenstein said. There was a silence.
‘So, this one…’ Declan said.
‘Is real,’ Arkenstein said. Declan stared greedily at the stone.
‘Don’t even think about it,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Anyway, our great High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude has 7 of the stones. And when he has all of the stones, he will destroy the world.’
‘Can’t you call him something else, like HEKCCD?’ Declan said, completely fine that he had partially swore, and not at all miffed that this world would get destroyed. Serves it right for imprisoning him here.
‘No,’ Arkenstein sighed. ‘Rule 5. Always call the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!’
‘Gimme those rules?’ Declan asked. Arkenstein took out a piece of paper from his beard. Declan read.
Rule 1: Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!
Rule 2: Everyone must pay tribute to the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!
Rule 3: No talking unless spoken to in the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude’s company. OR ELSE!!
Rule 4: Everyone must listen to the palace guards (also known as Snakeheads). OR ELSE!!
Rule 5: Always call the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!
Rule 6: Anyone who does not listen to these rules will be henceforth thrown off the bottomless chasm. OR ELSE!!
Rule 7: Obey the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. OR ELSE!!
‘Rule 7 just repeats rule 1! This guy’s dumb!’ Declan exclaimed.
‘Yes, well that’s the most important rule,’ Arkenstein said. ‘So, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude is 4 stones away from ruling the world. Completely. There will be nothing to come here for. Nothing. We will be enslaved by his tyranny. But now you’ve come, we can go on a quest for the stones!’
‘What!?!’ Declan yelled. ‘I’m not going on a stupid quest to save this world! It’s preposterous! This world has nearly killed me already, I’m not risking my neck for a world I don’t even live in!’
‘If you do, I’ll tell you where the door is,’ Arkenstein said. And with those 10 words, he had convinced Declan.
Chapter 5: Traps Are Made for People to Fall into Them.
Declan trudged through the countryside with Arkenstein ahead of him, slowly approaching the bottom of a large cliff. Arkenstein had quickly packed all his belongings, including the Story Stone of Fire and Ice, in a large backpack which he was now lugging around, picked up a walking stick made of an orange wood, and headed off with Declan in his wake. They were leaving Bill to care for the home.
‘So, where exactly are we going?’ Declan asked for the umpteenth time.
‘To the Mines of Mildiana,’ Arkenstein answered, also for the umpteenth time. ‘The Emotion Stone, is said to be there.’
‘But didn’t you say there were enemies there?’ Declan asked.
‘Yup,’ said Arkenstien matter-of-factly. ‘The dwarves of Mildiana live there. They lay traps at every single turn, bend, corner, hallway, and stairwell in the mines. Of course, most of these have been disabled by unlucky Snakeheads sent by the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude, but there are still some. And there are the actual dwarves.’ Declan, not at all comforted by this speech, continued walking. They were picking their way through a field full of sleeping clouds, and it took all of Declan’s concentration to walk on the thin pathways between clouds. Suddenly, Arkenstein stopped, and Declan ran into him.
‘We’re here,’ he said. ‘The Mines of Mildiana. Dwarf kingdom.’ They were staring at a gaping hole in the cliff they had been headed for. It looked like a crack in the skin of rock. A chasm.
‘Well,’ what are you waiting for?’ Arkenstein said. ‘Come on, let’s go!’ Declan shook himself out of his stupor, and followed Arkenstein into the fissure.
Arkenstein lit a lantern, and walked through the small passageway behind the fissure. Declan followed him. Soon, they started seeing bones. Entire Snakehead skeletons, stuck between axes, dead in pits, Even suffocated in sand. Declan started feeling like they weren’t exactly wanted here. As they passed a particularly grisly scene with two decomposing Snakeheads stuck between pillars of rock, Arkenstein stopped again.
‘No more Snakeheads,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Get ready for traps.’ They walked slowly forward, Arkenstein looking forward at the ground, at the walls, at the ceiling. Then, he stopped.
‘Pit. Right in front of us. Too wide to jump,’ he said.
‘What will we do?’ Declan asked. Then he quickly added, ‘idiot.’
‘Well, traps are made to be fallen into,’ Arkenstein shrugged. ‘I think the Dwarves want us to starve to death, more’s the pain. So…’ and he jumped, straight forward, and disappeared from sight. Moments later, there was a thump, and a cry of pain.
‘It’s safe!’ Arkenstein called up. ‘a bit deep, but it should be fine.’
A bit deep was an understatement, as Declan found out, as he plunged through the darkness. He screamed as fell for a while, before thumping down on something soft and springy.
‘It seems I was a bit wrong in my assumption,’ Arkenstein’s voice came out of the darkness, as he held up the lantern to illuminate their surroundings. ‘The Dwarves don’t want us to starve. The want us to die. Die in a grisly way. If I’m not mistaken, this is the lair of Verdinag.
‘Who’s…’ began Declan asked. But his question was answered, as a loud click-clacking came out of the darkness, and a gigantic spider came out of the darkness, white as marble, eyes red as blood, fangs gleaming and dripping with poison.
‘State your business, or Verdinag will strike!’ a voice cried from the darkness. ‘It will be a painful process where your skin melts off your bones. You don’t want to feel it.’
Chapter 6: the Burndalog
As Declan squinted, he could make out a small, squat figure on the back of the giant albino spider. It had brown dirt coloured skin, grey stone coloured hair, and light brown clothing. Its nose stuck out quite far from its head, and its mouth leered out at them from the darkness.
‘Thank goodness!’ Arkenstein cried from beside Declan. ‘It’s you! I haven’t seen you for years, Drindik!’
‘That’s your own fault!’ Drindik yelled back. ‘How could we let you back when you de—’
‘Nothing about that now!’ Arkenstein quickly said. ‘That was in the past, Drindik, the past! And I only squished 2!’
‘They were the only ones we had!’ raged Drindik. ‘We had to go up to the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude to get another evsanlius, and it took ages to breed. We had to spend 5 years, 5 YEARS, without the help of the evsanlius to give us the life-giving milk! And we lost a lot of our treasure on that day too, seeing as you knocked it down the abyss of death!’
‘Yes, but I apologized,’ said Arkenstein a bit sulkily. ‘And besides, treasure isn’t everything.’ ‘TREASURE ISN’T EVERYTHING?’ Drindik bellowed. ‘TREASURE ISN’T EVERYTHING? TREASURE IS EVERYTHING! TREASURE MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND! WITHOUT TREASURE, WE WOULD ALL DIE! ALTHOUGH YOU WOULDN’T KNOW A THING ABOUT TREASURE, SEEING AS YOU HAVEN’T EARNED A PENNY IN YOUR LIFE!’ Arkenstein seemed to get angry at that.
‘YOU THINK I’M POOR?’ he yelled.
‘YES, I DO THINK YOU’RE POOR!’ Drindik yelled back. ‘AND YOU’RE NOT IN A POSITION TO BE YELLING! I COULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!’ Arkenstein laughed.
‘You and I both know that you wouldn’t,’ he said easily, not yelling anymore.
‘You don’t know what I’m capable of!’ Drindik snarled. And with that, she yelled, ‘Verdinag, pick them up and take them to the Burndalog! Let us see whether these two will be our friends, or enemies.’ Arkenstein groaned and struggled.
‘Not the Burndalog! Anything but the Burndalog!’ he pleaded. For the first time since meeting Arkenstein, Declan thought he detected fear in his voice, and though it seemed that they were headed to a terrible fate, he still enjoyed Arkenstein’s fear as they were carried off by the spider into the darkness.
They travelled over the web for what seemed like hours, but was probably minutes. And all the while, Arkenstein moaned and wailed and pleaded, until even Arkenstein’s fear couldn’t cheer Declan up.
‘Uh, Arkenidiot?’ Declan asked. ‘What’s the Burndalog?’
‘It’s…’ Arkenstein said shakily, ‘it’s…it’s a feeling. It makes you want to curl up, and never live again. It makes you want to tear yourself to bits. It makes you want to die.’ And at those words, Declan was pleading, and moaning, and thrashing just as hard as Arkenstein, while Drindik looked on and laughed. Soon, they came to the edge of the web, and Verdinag flung them onto the ground. Declan stood up, and looked around. They were in dwarf kingdom.
Everything was stone. Everything was brown or black. It was the calmest place Declan had found in this world. And he liked it. Dwarves swarmed to the two travellers, all chanting, ‘Burndalog! Burndalog!’ They were dragged to the mouth of a large cave.
In the cave, there was a small dwarf.
‘So, who will it be?’ he asked, without turning. Arkenstein cowered, then quickly said, ‘not it!’ Declan groaned inside, muttered, ‘coward!’ and turned to the dwarf. If he knew what he was facing, he would have curled up into a tight ball and never moved again. The dwarf waved his hand, and armour came down from a shelf, and landed on Declan.
‘Hey! What?’ the dwarf ignored him. Next, he held out two weapons, a spear and an axe.
‘Which one?’ the dwarf said. Declan tested the spear, and immediately the dwarf took the axe away.
‘Wait, but!’
‘Get him!’ the dwarf said. A dwarf twice as big as Drindik picked Declan up, and threw him down a slope. Declan tried to stop his downward decent, but he picked up speed, and fell into the arena.
Declan wished he had picked the axe, but he had got the spear. He looked around. There were burning logs everywhere. In the centre was a shining diamond encrusted cup.
‘HELLO! HELLO! CAN YOU HEAR ME!’ boomed a loud voice. ‘IT DOESEN’T MATTER ANYWAY. YOUR GOAL IS TO GET THE CUP. JUST PICK IT UP. BEGINS IN 3, 2, 1.’ Then, out of the blue, completely unanticipated, Declan was hit by a wave of pain. He fell to the ground, screaming, feeling so much remorse about what he had inflicted on others. the spear clattered to the ground next to him. At that moment, he would have loved to just turn back time so he could change his actions. And he knew the only thing that could cause this emotion was one of the story stones. The one he needed to get to save the world. The one he needed so he could get out of this place. Then, Verdinag jumped down from the roof of the cavern, and landed in front of the cup. Declan lay on the ground, and watched through streaming eyes as he saw the giant spider approach, dripping venom on the ground, clicking in triumph.
Chapter 7: Death by Remorse, or Spider.
Verdinag sped through the burning logs, and Declan watched, pain stricken, willing his body to move. Finally, it did, and Declan was able to stand up, and when he did, he was so dizzy from the effort that he promptly fell over again, hitting a burning log, and knocking it in the spider’s path. It screeched, and reared onto its 4 back legs, waving the other 4 in the air.
‘Thank goodness that dwarf gave me this armour,’ Declan thought, as he watched the fire slide off it. The heat was just another pain that was dwarfed by the power of the Emotion Stone. Declan stood up shakily again, and realized that the spider was afraid of fire. It was still reared up, staring down at the fire with its red eyes, transfixed. Declan staggered over to another log, and shoved it over towards Verdinag. The spider screeched. Now two sides were obscured by fire. This time, bare skin touched the log, and Declan felt a jolt of pain. He tried to scream, but realized he was still screaming from before. Falling to his knees, Declan rolled on the ground until the fire went out, and tried to tone out the sound of his own screaming while he crawled to the next log closest to him. The pain generating from the Emotion Stone was getting worse. He shoved it over as well, and it landed just far away enough for Verdinag to be able to leap out of his prison of fire. The albino spider advanced, and Declan, shaking now, stood up, and stumbled towards the cup. Then, he could go on no further. He collapsed, shaking, writhing, and watched as the spider approached him. Then, he heard a voice. Not the dwarf’s voice, a familiar voice.
‘Come on, Declan! Stand up and get to the cup! Death by spider is worse than death by remorse! Move! Your! Butt!’ It was Arkenstein. Declan somehow found the strength in him to stand up. He half ran, half limped towards the cup, the power of the stone growing stronger as he got closer to the cup. Finally, he was right in front of the cup. Verdinag was right behind him. Just as Declan picked up the cup, Verdinag pounced, and the world went black around Declan.
Declan woke up in a stone hut, on a stone bed, with his body aching all over, and feeling as though he wanted to lie somewhere more comfortable. The remorse was gone, but Declan could still feel the aftereffects. The stone hadn’t so much tortured him, as shown him what it felt like to be bullied. It had made him see things from the bullied people’s side. He felt tired. Then, he was knocked of the bed as 50 Kg of Arkenstein bowled him over.
‘You feeling alright?’ Arkenstein asked anxiously, completely ignoring the fact he had just knocked Declan off a hard stone bed onto an even harder stone floor.
‘Yeah, I’m alright,’ Declan said, standing up, and rubbing his ribs. ‘How about you?’ Arkenstein stared in astonishment at Declan.
‘What?’ Declan asked.
‘It’s just…’ Arkenstein said. ‘Who are you and what did you do with the real Declan? That is the first time I have heard you ask me how I felt! This is a breakthrough! Life is great! And you got the cup!’ Declan smiled.
‘Well, so know what does that mean?’ Declan asked.
‘It means we are officially honorary dwarves!’ Arkenstein said joyously. ‘Of course, I was already one, but was expelled after the whole treasure incident.’
‘And the Emotion Stone?’ Declan asked.
‘I’ve talked to the dwarves about it,’ Arkenstein said, ‘and they’ve upped security around it. The High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude won’t be able to get this stone. They’ve reset the traps, you see.’ Suddenly, there was a BOOM! Drindik came running in, all anger at Arkenstein apparently forgotten, as she yelled, ‘the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude has breached the net! Prepare for battle!’
‘What? so soon?’ Arkenstein exclaimed. ‘But how?’
‘the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude must have had spies tailing you. And they have come with what seems the entire army.’ Arkenstein gasped.
‘With…with the racadumins?’ he stuttered. ‘And the wandering granderishes? And the ice-breathing Ikalots?’ Drindik nodded grimly.
‘We have to go!’ Arkenstein yelled. ‘Declan, grab your stuff! HURRY UP!’ Declan (for once not arguing) jumped up from the floor, grabbed his bag, and the three of them ran out of the door, to come face to face with a white and red bellowing creature. It had tusks longer than Declan’s arm, and lumbered across the space between them in seconds. A snakehead sat astride it, shouting,
‘General Rakta! I’ve found them! I’ve found the ones who dare defy the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude. I’ve found the ones who want to take the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude’s power, and rule this empire for themselves. I’ve found the ones who are collecting the last Story Stones!’ Arkenstein grabbed for his bag, for the stone, but the ice-breathing flamendron pushed its tusks right up to Declan’s chest, and Arkenstein froze as if he had been hit by the freezing power of the stone. Then, General Rakta came around the corner, with a bundle of chains in his hands.
Chapter 8: The High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude.
Declan trudged along the steep road, his wrists wrapped in chains, with Arkenstein behind him, and the entire Dwarf population in front. Drindik was bellowing curses at the top of her voice.
‘Cowards! Scum! Sissies in scales! No ones! Come and fight me fair and square, and see who wins! Pathetic creatures of the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Du…’ there was a thump as a snakehead slammed his fist into Drindik’s face, and Drindik fell to the floor, unconscious. A dwarf quickly picked her up, and they continued on.
Declan glanced back at Arkenstein. He was (mostly) unharmed, (he claimed) but seemed shaken. As soon as the snakeheads had got them, they had searched them, and found the Story Stone of Fire and Ice. There had been a huge cheer, and Arkenstein had been pounded. Now, he was limping along, head held high, and trying not to wince every time he took a step.
Just then, the party stopped. Declan looked around. There didn’t seem to be anything around. General Rakta rapped sharply on what seemed to be air, but clearly wasn’t, 3 times, then 3 more times, but softer. Then, he bellowed, ‘Hail the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude!’ immediately, a castle materialized in front of Declan’s amazed eyes. They were standing in front of a large orange wood door. It opened, and two apelike things beckoned them inside, sneering with yellowed teeth at the prisoners. Everyone trudged inside, and the doors slammed behind them, like jaws. (It probably helped that the edges of the door were jagged, and fit together just like…you guessed it. Pointy, sharp, teeth!)
Declan couldn’t help admiring the enemy’s palace. The ceiling soared up high, high into the air. The gold walls glistened with diamonds (courtesy of the Dwarves), and the floor was made of amethyst. There were plants growing in quite a few places, out of the wall, through the floor, down from the ceiling. This somehow made the place look more magnificent. They walked through room after room, each filled with treasure, weapons, armour, and large hippos (Yes! Large hippos!). Declan had a nagging feeling that he knew someone who liked large hippos. But he couldn’t remember who.
Finally, they went to a room larger than the others. There was a ring of lava encircling a ring of gold encircling a ring of water encircling a ring of diamond, encircling a ring of amethyst. And in the centre was a throne. There was someone on the throne. He was tall. He wore a long red fur-lined cloak, and a bronze crown sat on his head. A bracelet glimmered on his wrist. It looked like a snake bitting its tail. Declan had a feeling he had seen that bracelet before. the man’s face was in shadow, but Declan was sure it was a man, not a creature.
The snakeheads all raised their fists in the air.
‘All bow before the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude!’ the snakeheads forced everyone to the ground. Then, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude stood up, and Declan was hit by a revelation. Declan looked closer. It couldn’t be. Could it?
He had the same curly red hair. The same broad shoulders. The same green spectacles over his green eyes. But it couldn’t be his father. His father wasn’t in this place! And his father didn’t have a grave face, it was always laughing. Declan, trembling, brought out the picture he had of his father. And then he realized fully for the first time, that he was now facing his father, and that his father was an evil tyrant! That’s not something you experience every day. And here was his father, glaring down at him, not a glimpse of recognition in his face. His father’s face was stern, and hard as a rock. Declan stared up into his dad’s eyes, and a tear fell from his eyes and landed in the lava.
‘Dad?’ Declan whispered.
Chapter 9: Things Don’t Always Turn Out the Way You Want It To.
‘So,’ Declan’s Dad (or the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude) growled, ‘Arkenstein. You’ve joined up with a band of ragamuffins in order to oppose my kingdom?’
‘Huh? Oh, yes!’ Arkenstein said. ‘Yeah, well you seem to be trying to destroy the world. I do not agree with world destroying, Alfred.’ That actually confirmed it.
‘Um, Arkenstein,’ Declan whispered.
‘Not now,’ Arkenstein said, staring up at the High Emperor blah, blah, blah. ‘I’m having a very serious staring contest.’
‘Arkenstein!’ Declan muttered. ‘He’s, my father!’
‘Oh yes! He is!’ Arkenstein said in excitement. ‘What a breakthrough!’
‘My dad is the one who wants to destroy the world!’ Declan his strained voice nearly breaking.
‘Yeah,’ Arkenstein said thoughtfully.
‘What are we going to do?’ Declan whispered.
‘Convince him not to.’ Arkenstein said. There was a long silence in which the High Emperor blah, blah, blah glared down at them. Finally, he said, ‘What did the traitor say?’ a snakehead said, ‘You! Traitor! What did you say?’
‘Oh, I was just talking to this young fella Declan about burritos. Do they really contain tomitas?’
‘No, tomatoes,’ Declan said, going along with the act, and wondering how Arkenstein knew about burritos.
Poppycock and fried bananas!’ the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude (actually, from now on, the High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude shall be known as Declan’s dad) said scornfully. ‘What are you plotting now?’
‘Um, High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude,’ General Rakta said.
‘Yes?’ Declan’s dad said impatiently. In answer, General Rakta held up two stones. One was red and blue. The other was a stormy shade of grey. Declan’s dad gasped.
‘Any minute now,’ Arkenstein said. ‘Just say something!’ But Declan was frozen to the spot.
Declan’s dad grabbed the stones, and pressed a secret button on his staff. It opened, and 8 more stones rolled out.
‘He got another one!’ Arkenstein said. ‘The tree-dwellers of the Randuin Forest must have given up the stone of nature! Do something Declan!’ Declan’s dad brought out a podium.
‘Scum! Worthless creatures of muck!’ he shouted. ‘Today, you shall witness my rise to power before you die!’ Everyone groaned. Declan’s dad placed an emerald green stone in the podium. It glowed brightly. Next came the stormy grey stone. It too glowed brightly. Then the red and white stone, a purple one, a deep impenetrable black one, an ocean-blue one, a stone that didn’t really have a colour, and was continually fading in and out of focus, a stone with images too fast for you to see, a stone the colour of old wood, and finally, a stone that looked just ordinary, all glowing brightly.
‘Come on!’ Arkenstein said. ‘Do it!’ But Declan couldn’t. He just couldn’t! But he had to, otherwise, his friends would be killed. It was strange to think about them as his friends, but he realized, he did think of Arkenstein as a friend. Just as he cleared his throat, it suddenly got blocked. Why was this so hard?
Declna’s dad grabbed his staff, and waved it over the podium.
‘Inda tafta frandik doot!’ he chanted. ‘Granda dakla dundi frot! Ransing endolk whipliy quik! Abnik jiqua vindic rans!’ the world turned bright as there was a blinding flash. When Declan could see again, his dad was smiling evilly, holding his staff high in the air. On the tip, the 10 stones gleamed.
‘Now, you shall face my wrath!’ he laughed. He pointed the staff at the dwarfs.
‘Wait!’ came a voice. Declan’s dad looked around to see his son clearly for the first time. He stared. Then, he fell to his knees.
Chapter 10: Time to Face Your Doom…or not.
‘Hello dad,’ Declan whispered. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I could ask you the same thing!’ Declan’s dad AKA High Emperor King Chieftain Cool Dude AKA Albert Red spluttered. ‘You shouldn’t be here! You should be in the orphanage where you’re safe!’
‘Safe? SAFE?!?!’ Declan shouted. ‘I SPENT YEARS, YEARS, THINKING YOU HATED ME! YEARS OF PAIN, YEARS OF KNOWING YOU GAVE ME AWAY! I WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER WITH YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE CAN BECOME WITHOUT CARE AND LOVE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN?!?’ Years of feeling worthless, thinking his parents didn’t love him, pouring out his pain on everyone else, and now here was his dad, saying he gave him away to protect him? Said dad was spluttering on the throne.
‘DO YOU THINK I DON’T UNDERSTAND?’ he finally shouted back. He hit the staff against the floor, and there was a minor earthquake. ‘TIME AND TIME AGAIN I REGRETED MARRYING THAT…THAT WOMAN AND GIVING YOU TO THE ORPHANAGE! I SEARCHED FOR AGES FOR YOU, BUT I NEVER COULD FIND YOU! AND BEING STUCK IN THIS PLACE FOR AGES! ISOLATED FROM ALL HUMANITY? I’M SURE THAT IF YOU WERE IN MY SITUATION, YOU’D WANT TO DESTROY THE PLACE THAT TOOK SO MUCH FROM YOU!’ Declan stared. His father’s situation seemed quite dilemma.
‘I know what it feels like to be isolated,’ he finally said. ‘But I’m sure destroying everything isn’t the answer. Look at this world. Look at these people. Do they deserve to get destroyed? Do they deserve this? I know that this world has taken so much away from you. I know what it feels like. But destruction isn’t the answer! Please change your mind. Please don’t destroy the world.’ Declan stepped back. He felt…different somehow. That must have been the first time that he had ever tried to save anyone. It felt good.
Albert sat on his throne, staring down at his son. He considered for a long time. Finally, he sighed.
‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘Destroying everything won’t help in the slightest. I don’t know what I was thinking. And he let the staff clatter to the ground.
‘Guards!’ Declan’s dad bellowed. ‘Release the prisoners! Release everyone captured in these dungeons! Release them all!’
There was a storm of confused shouting, and a lot of people nearly got trampled. But in the end, everyone was freed. There were some of Albert’s men who didn’t want to turn from their evil ways, and these few trooped out of the castle, muttering things about how they were going to destroy the world anyway.
Creature after creature came trooping out of the dungeons. There were the old slumbers, the black brandoins, the dwarves of Mildiana, the tree-dwellers of Randuin Forest, the mesmerists of the sky city of Falinador, the seafolk of the endless sea, the no-ones from the plain of tomorrow, the wanderers of the Windy Ridges. Everyone was thanking Declan, slapping him on the back, shaking his hand, and giving him hugs. So, this is what it feels like to be popular, Declan thought, as a particularly misty no-one tried to give him a fist bump, and went right through him.
‘You’re famous!’ Arkenstein said happily, as he walked by with a large meatloaf in hand (the wanderers were famous cooks, and they had provided a feast for this occasion). ‘The seas will be drumming out your story on the seashore for sure!’
‘Yes, I’m so happy that I’m famous and all that,’ Declan said, pushing his way through the crowd to a shadowy corner, ‘but I want to know where the door is. You told me that you would show me after I helped you. And I can bring my father home, and we can all…’ he stopped at the look on Arkenstein’s face.
‘Um, I did say that didn’t I?’ He said in a very false jolly voice. ‘Um, yes about that…’
‘You lied?’ Declan asked incredulously.
‘I might have tweaked the truth a little,’ Arkenstein said guiltily. ‘Many have spotted the door, but it never stays in the same place for long. So, you’re probably…’ He gasped.
‘What?’ Declan asked. In answer, Arkenstein pointed. Declan turned around, and gasped too. It was the door. The very same door that had brought them into Talgia!
‘Dad!’ Declan shouted. ‘Dad! We can go home now! Come here!’ Albert came bustling up, and his jaw dropped open.
‘I expect you’ll be going now then?’ Arkenstein asked tentatively. Declan hesitated. For some strange reason, Declan felt like he wanted to stay. Here, he belonged. Here, he was admired. Loved. Over in Earth…not so much.
‘Um, yeah. I guess so,’ Declan said. There was an awkward silence. Then, Arkenstein brought out his strong orange wood staff.
‘Take this, as thanks for saving the world and all that mosh,’ he said gravely, handing the staff to Declan. Ignoring Declan’s stuttered thanks he burst into tears on a nearby slumber, and it jumped away quickly, white fur drenched. Drindik stepped up next.
‘We give you this diamond in thanks for saving us from near death,’ she said, handing Declan a huge diamond.
‘Even though you put us into that situation in the first place,’ Declan heard Drindik mutter as she strode swiftly away again.
‘Declan. Let’s go now,’ Declan’s dad said, putting a hand on Declan’s shoulder.
‘Well,’ Declan said, ‘I hope to see you again!’ and he and his father stepped to the door, and pushed. And they were sucked, back into the door, back through the vortex of nothing, and back to the real world.
Epilogue.
Criss walked through the gates of the university fence, and it clanged behind him. His newly earned PHD in Physics was bouncing along in his bag. Life was great, and even better, Declan wasn’t there to bully him. He thought back to that encounter a long time ago, when they were still kids. Declan had approached him right after he had taken his Mars bar. Declan walked up to him, cornered him in an alleyway.
‘You know about yesterday?’ he asked. Almost sheepish.
‘Yeah?’ Criss asked. At the time, he had been formulating the best way to get out of the alley. He was just going to put his plan into action, when…
‘Look, about the Mars bar…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I know that I’ve been a jerk, but can you please forgive me?’ Criss stared, open-mouthed, eyes wide, feet ready to spring onto the trashcan right next to Declan and run.
‘It’s…it’s ok,’ he finally said. ‘And you were being a jerk.’ The two boys had laughed, and from that day on, they had been friends. Now, Criss was heading off to see something that Declan had said he would show Criss. He travelled up the familiar path, to the park in the intersection. Declan was waiting there.
‘It has taken me months to track it down,’ Declan said, ‘but I’m sure it’s here.’
‘What’s here?’ Criss asked.
‘You’ll see,’ Declan said. They walked toward the centre of the park. Then, Criss almost crashed into a door that he had nearly run into. Criss stared at the strange door. It was just there. Nothing was behind it; nothing was in front of it. He could have sworn that it wasn't there before. Just standing. In the middle of a patch of grass.
‘Come on,’ Declan urged. ‘Touch it!’ Criss reached out, and touched the door. And they were sucked into the land of Talgia.