by Simon Rose
“Wow, you’re right,” said Eric. Then he picked up a small blue crystal sphere. “What’s this?”
Suddenly there was an ear-splitting clap of thunder. Eric followed Jessica outside. A whirlpool of black clouds swirled high in the sky above the castle. Lightning flashed back and forth at the whirlpool’s centre.
“What the heck is that?” cried Jessica, mesmerized.
The crystal sphere in Eric’s palm pulsated with light. “It’s glowing,” he said.
The sphere shone brighter and brighter. Then the air rippled and opened up, revealing a city skyline of towers, pyramids and spires. Strange winged creatures flew above the city. A bolt of lightning struck the slate roof of the workshop, and Eric turned around.
“Eric!” Jessica screamed.
By the time he turned back, the strange city was gone. So was Jessica.
“Jessica! Where are you?”
There was no answer. Eric searched frantically over the cliff edge, but there was no sign of her, only the roar of an engine. The sphere was no longer glowing.
Septimus’ motorcycle screeched to a halt beside Eric. Toby was sitting calmly in the sidecar.
“Jessica . . .” Eric gasped, barely able to speak. “She—she disappeared.”
Toby turned to Septimus and said, “You had better tell him everything.”
Chapter Seven
Septimus’ Secret
“Come inside,” said Septimus as he stepped off the motorcycle and headed for the cottage door. Toby trailed behind.
Eric followed him into the kitchen. He was still clutching the sphere.
“Try to remain calm,” Septimus said. He nodded to Toby.
Toby stood up on his hind legs and began to grow taller. His front and rear paws morphed into clawed and hairy hands and feet. His thick fur turned into an armoured breastplate and a long chain-mail shirt that hung down to his knees. The leather collar around his neck became a decorative band, bedecked with jewels, and thick silver bracelets covered both his wrists.
He stood six feet tall, towering over Eric—a dog’s head on a humanoid body, all covered with black hair. “Greetings, young man. My name is Tobias.”
Eric stared at him open-mouthed.
“Don’t be afraid,” said Septimus. “He won’t bite.”
Tobias shot Septimus a frosty look. He extended his clawed hand, and Eric shook it gingerly.
It was a while before Eric could say anything. “Where’s Jessica?” he finally demanded.
“She is in our world now,” Septimus replied gravely.
“What do you mean, ‘our world’?”
Septimus and Tobias looked at each other.
“Septimus and I are from Koronada,” said Tobias. “Koronada is in another universe.”
“Would you like a glass of water, Eric?” Septimus asked.
Eric nodded slowly as he placed the sphere on the table. Septimus filled a glass with water and handed it to Eric, who drained it in three gulps.
Tobias pointed to the symbol on his breastplate. “This is the emblem of the province of Tekara. Your father and I were once proud to serve Galderon, the guardian of our province. I was Lord Protector.”
“And I was Tekara’s Grand Magus,” said Septimus, “a kind of chief magician and inventor.”
“This is all very confusing.”
“On occasion throughout history, unstable portals have appeared, creating fleeting, temporary doorways between the universes.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes Earth creatures slip into our world through one of the unstable portals,” Tobias replied, “like Jessica did. It happens the other way around, too; hence the legends of strange creatures on Earth. One of my ancestors slipped through a portal into ancient Egypt before the time of the pharaohs, and he was welcomed as a god. They called him Anubis.”
“That’s crazy. How did you get to Earth? What happened?”
“Galderon was once a good leader,” said Septimus. “But he became power hungry after I created a sphere that allowed him to open doorways to other worlds. He declared a war on the other provinces, and appointed himself Emperor of Koronada.”
“Septimus and I joined the Brotherhood of the Fallen in the war against Galderon, so he cast us through a portal,” said Tobias. “We ended up here.”
“And Jessica is there, in that terrible place?”
“I’m afraid so, Eric,” Septimus said. “But we can go back there and help her.”
“How?”
Septimus pointed at the sphere on the table. “With that. Tobias and I couldn’t get it to work for us, but it opened a portal for you. Maybe you’ll be able to do it.”
“What did you do to get the sphere to work?” Tobias said.
“I didn’t do anything,” Eric replied. “It just kind of happened, then she was gone.”
“You must remember,” said Tobias. “We may already be too late.”
“What do you mean?” Eric asked.
“The dream you had, with the fire creature. It was a projection of Galderon himself,” Septimus explained. “Like the energy flashes above the castle. Galderon is learning how to manipulate the sphere I made for him. That was my mistake. The power of the sphere turned him into a monster.”
“And he’s trying to invade Earth?”
“He wants to take over everything, every universe,” said Tobias. “So far he has not succeeded.”
“We need to move quickly,” Septimus said as he picked up the sphere from the table. “Jessica is in danger in Koronada. We have to act fast. I know what to do.”
Tobias turned back into Toby the dog and ran outside to the motorcycle. Eric clambered into the sidecar behind Toby. Septimus drove the motorcycle across the back lawn and stopped beside the greenhouse.
“What are you doing?” said Eric.
“You’ll see,” said Septimus.
He turned off the engine and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
“Wait here,” he said to Eric and Toby.
He climbed off the motorcycle and walked across to the edge of the cliff. In the sky, bolts of lightning flashed in a black whirlpool of clouds. Septimus held the sheet of paper out and studied it closely.
“Just doing a final check,” he said, walking back. “Tobias and I first arrived here at Ivy Cottage years ago. The place had been empty for a long time. Ivy Cottage is at the centre of the Mystic Triangle. So we knew the portal would be right here.
“We could see through this portal into Koronada, but neither Tobias nor I have been able to pass through it until now.” Septimus nodded at Eric. “But that’s about to change.”
The storm was growing worse. In a field at the edge of the village, a bolt of lightning hit a tree, setting it alight.
Septimus handed Eric the sphere.
“What do I do?”
“Just hold tight. The sphere should do the rest.”
The sphere began to glow brightly and pulsate in Eric’s hand. Directly in front of him, the air began to shimmer.
“There it is!” said Toby. “We must hurry.”
“Hold on tight,” Septimus said. He started the motorcycle and twisted the throttle as far as it would go. The motorcycle and sidecar roared across the lawn toward the cliff, and flew into the air. Eric screamed as they dropped into the ravine like a stone. Then suddenly the portal opened and the ravine vanished before their eyes.
Chapter Eight
The Malkonor Strikes
Eric was still screaming when the motorcycle hit the ground with a thud. They were in the middle of a thick forest. Eric pulled off his helmet and tossed it to the ground, then scrambled out of the sidecar. Toby transformed back into Tobias.
“Is anyone hurt?” Tobias asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” replied Septimus,
rubbing his head. “Just a little sore.”
“We are home,” Tobias said with a smile. “Welcome to Koronada.”
“We need to get away from here,” said Septimus, “in case our arrival has been noticed. Galderon’s agents are everywhere.”
“Garoda is not too far from here,” said Tobias. “We should head there to find out if anyone has seen Jessica.”
“Let’s hide the motorcycle first,” Septimus said.
They pushed the motorcycle into a thicket and covered everything with branches.
“Put the sphere in your pocket, Eric,” said Septimus, “and don’t show it to anyone.”
Spread along a coastline, beside a shimmering blue sea, was the city Eric had glimpsed in the portal back on Earth, right before Jessica disappeared. Stepped pyramids and spires dominated the skyline. Many of the buildings were severely damaged and others were little more than ruins.
Suddenly there was a loud screech and Eric looked up. Large, dark-grey creatures with bat-like wings soared in the sky above.
“Scarans,” Tobias muttered.
“What?” said Eric.
“Scarans,” Tobias repeated. “One of the many creatures that now serve Galderon. Come, we need to reach the city as quickly as we can.”
The three travellers followed a deserted road that led to the open gates of Garoda. It looked like a medieval city, with crowds milling about. Some of the creatures resembled humans, but on closer inspection Eric saw that they were very different. Some had oddly shaped ears; others had strange skulls; many had small antennae, short horns or blue, green or purple skin. There were other beings, half-human, half-beast like Tobias—reptiles, lions, tigers, bears, rhinos. Some were old and some were young. Some wore armoured breastplates emblazoned with a variety of crests, and carried swords. Others wore thigh-length tunics, narrow leggings and lightweight leather boots. Pouches hung from belts around their waists. The children wore sandals, and the females’ dresses hung down to their ankles. Some had veils or other head coverings, while others wore their hair loose or tightly braided. A handful were dressed in bright colours.
There were many animals too. They were a little like horses, or cows, or sheep or goats, but not quite. They drank from the river near an enormous waterwheel.
The streets were paved with large stone slabs, and the buildings that were still intact had white plastered walls. The writing on the shop signs was just like the inscriptions Eric had seen in Septimus’ workshop.
“Is that Celtic writing?” Eric asked.
“It certainly is,” said Septimus with a smile.
They walked along the riverbank until they reached the harbour. The remains of huge monuments barely jutted above the surface of the water, like bizarrely shaped islands. A handful of small boats drifted between them. Rubble from half-crumbled buildings littered the edge of the harbour.
“What happened here?” Eric asked.
“Galderon’s revenge,” replied Tobias. “The siege of Garoda lasted for many months. Septimus and I were able to watch some of the events from Earth, using the sphere. The harbour was the pride of the city, surrounded by beautiful buildings, historic palaces and the tombs and mausoleums of the guardians. Now all that is gone. My wife and children were caught up in the fighting. I still do not know if they survived.”
“I hope they did,” Eric said.
“You two carry on,” said Tobias. “I need to find the Brotherhood. They will have news of the war.”
“And Jessica,” Septimus added.
“Take this,” said Tobias, handing Septimus a small leather purse. “The two of you need to change into Garodan clothes. There should be enough coins in here to buy some clothing and a meal. Meet me at the marketplace at sundown.”
Tobias disappeared into the crowd.
Septimus led Eric to a small shop in a narrow alley. They bought some clothes, changed, and decided to look for an inn where they could have something to eat. They’d only taken a few steps out of the alley when Eric nearly bumped into a watch with bright-red skin.
“A malkonor,” said Septimus, pulling Eric away. “I was hoping word of our arrival wouldn’t have spread so quickly.”
“You must come with me—and the boy, too,” said the red-skinned creature, holding up his hand. His eyes were yellow, with thin black pupils. “Galderon has summoned you.”
The creature grew, his flesh turning reptilian, with shiny red scales. At the same time, his face stretched into a crocodile snout, dripping with green saliva. His long forked tongue flickered between his teeth. His fingers and toes grew long claws, and two short horns appeared on his head. The malkonor grew ten feet tall, a ridge of spikes rose along his spine and he sprouted a tail with a bony club at its end. He raised his tail and brought the club crashing to the ground.
“You can come with me willingly . . . or not,” snarled the malkonor, narrowing his eyes. He took a step forward, and wisps of grey smoke seeped out from his nostrils.
“Get behind me,” said Septimus.
“What?” Eric stammered, scarcely able to take his eyes off the malkonor. His pulse raced.
“Quick!” Septimus snapped.
Eric jumped behind him. Before Septimus could do anything, the malkonor opened his jaws. With a thunderous roar he shot a blast of fire, and Septimus disappeared in a ball of flame.
“Stay exactly where you are, boy,” the malkonor ordered, licking his lips.
Eric turned and ran. He raced back down the alley, through a busy street and into another alley. But two men, one with long dark hair and a beard, the other one bald, blocked his exit.
“Don’t worry,” said the bearded man, edging closer, “we’re not going to hurt you.”
“We’re going to help you,” the bald man added, taking a step forward. “Come with us.”
Eric panicked. He turned and ran back down the alley, into a courtyard, and right into a stack of wooden crates. The men were right behind him.
“Quiet!” hissed the bearded man, placing his hand over Eric’s mouth and pinning his arm to a wall. “They’ll hear you.”
The bald man grabbed Eric’s other arm. Eric could hardly breathe, his eyes wide with fear. A stunning woman with pure white hair that hung down to her waist came out of a doorway. She wore a purple robe with a golden sash.
“Leave him to me,” she said, reaching out to Eric and touching his forehead. Eric was mesmerized by her purple eyes.
The woman gently passed her hand down Eric’s face.
“Sleep,” she said softly. “Sleep.”
The last thing Eric saw was her beautiful face. Then everything went dark.
Chapter Nine
Reunion
“Eric, are you okay?”
“Jessica?” said Eric, slowly opening his eyes.
They were on the coast, at the edge of a forest. The waves were lapping up against the sandy driftwood-strewn beach. It was still light but darkness was falling. There were two full moons in the sky just above the horizon, one slightly larger than the other.
“There was a ball of flame . . .”
“It’s okay, Eric. Kilaya’s told me everything.”
The woman with the purple eyes came up to him.
“Eric, this is Kilaya,” said Jessica.
“Where are we?” asked Eric. “What did you do to me?”
“We’re your friends, Eric. We’re here to help you. I’m sorry I had to put you to sleep back there in the alley.”
“My dad . . . Septimus, is he . . . dead?”
“We think so,” said Kilaya. “Malkonors have no pity. There’s nothing you could have done to help him.”
Eric sighed. I wish I’d known him better.
“I’m so sorry, Eric,” said Kilaya, placing a reassuring hand on his forearm.
Jessica gave him a hug. “He was a good m
an. Everyone in the village liked him, even if they thought he was a little crazy.”
“Does Tobias know? He was going to meet me and Septimus at the marketplace.”
“He’s coming here tomorrow,” Kilaya said. “We’ll tell him then.”
“My mom will want to know about it too.” Then Eric remembered the sphere, and patted his pocket. It’s gone! Without it he couldn’t get back to Earth.
“It’s all right, Eric,” said Kilaya. “Jessica has the sphere.”
How did she know what I was thinking?
“Why don’t the two of you go over to the fire? It’s getting a little cool. I’ll bring you dinner.”
The camp was in a small clearing in the middle of a thick grove of trees. Several campfires were lit, and Eric recognized many of the different races he’d seen in Garoda. There were dozens of canopies supported by poles and broken branches, and small tents were scattered about the clearing. One large dark-green tent stood at a far edge.
Eric and Jessica sat down by one of the fires. Kilaya handed each of them some bread and a bowl of hot soup with chunks of meat.
“What’s in this?” Eric asked.
“Don’t worry,” said Jessica, “it tastes just like chicken.”
The two men who had captured Eric approached the campfire.
“Eric,” said Kilaya, “this is Alcamarus, and his brother, Soldor.”
They had swords and long-bladed knives sheathed at their belts. Their armoured breastplates were similar to Tobias’, but displayed a
different symbol.
“Alcamarus is one of our leaders,” Kilaya said. “He and Soldor command our army.”
Eric stood up and shook their hands. Alcamarus had shoulder length black hair, a neatly trimmed beard and a friendly face. Soldor was completely bald and looked far more menacing. He had a deep scar running down the right side of his face and was missing part of his ear.
“I’m sorry if we scared you in the alley,” said Alcamarus, smiling.
“It was necessary,” Soldor added.
“We’re the Brotherhood of the Fallen,” said Alcamarus. “We’re the only ones still resisting Galderon’s rule.”
