The Last Portal

by Robert Cole

Altac saw Chris first. He rode up and in one smooth movement swept him up, like a piece of baggage.

  “I’m very happy to see you,” he remarked in his usual formal manner, as he rode hard toward the main company. “And I do apologise for my lack of manners, but you’re too exposed. You need to be out of danger before all else.”

  Batarr looked positively shell-shocked to see him. Chris could sense his total confusion. Initially, Susie and Joe just stared, not willing to trust their eyes, but as he got closer and became more real, they leapt in the air and came racing over, throwing themselves at him so they all ended up in an ungainly pile on the ground. Susie only stopped squealing when one of the soldiers asked her if she had hurt herself.

  Chris was totally unprepared for this welcome, and soon realised they thought he was dead. Batarr demanded to know every detail of what had happened to him, and was only satisfied when Chris showed him the key and it was still red.

  Apparently, a lot had happened to the company since his unfortunate departure. In all, including the soldiers that were saved by the Wassin, just over one hundred of the original two hundred and fifteen soldiers survived the storm. Batarr had planned to recruit more men at several coastal villages near where they had landed, but when they arrived only smoking ruins and scattered villagers were left. These people told stories of horrible monsters and huge flying creatures that attacked in the middle of the night. Although these stories were obviously exaggerated, it was clear the attack had been swift and deadly. The surviving villagers really had no idea what had happened. Some of these folk readily joined the ranks of the soldiers, fearing a return of the creatures that had attacked them. These new recruits, however, had done little to boost morale. Instead, their hysterical stories fuelled rumours of some unforeseen force that attacked without warning or mercy. Despite repeated questioning by Susie, Batarr refused to be drawn on this subject, but it was obvious he knew more than he was saying.

  The relationship between Joe and Batarr was also very strained. When Joe found out that Chris had fallen overboard, he ordered Batarr to jump in after him. When Batarr refused, he ordered him to stop the boat. When this demand was also ignored, Joe broke into a stream of obscenities lasting some minutes.

  Although Batarr did not understand all the words, he got the general gist. The relationship had been somewhat icy ever since. The long trek of the past few days had done little to mend the rift. Joe had lost a lot of weight. His usual full face had shrunk back to his cheekbones and his skin had become pale and blotchy. Not a good sight, Chris thought. And Joe’s growing exhaustion had done little to ease his temper, which he liberally vented on Batarr and usually within earshot of Batarr’s soldiers.

  Susie explained to Chris that she had tried to reason with Joe, but it always ended up in screaming matches, usually by the campfire, and again in front of an astonished company of soldiers. Chris read a growing sense of confusion and disrespect amongst the soldiers towards Susie and Joe. This had also added to the general low morale amongst the company. Only the Taal, their minds impenetrable as ever, appeared impervious to the events around them.

  The rest of the day was spent battling their way through dense undergrowth and climbing up and down steep slopes of mountains. In places the path became so steep that Batarr and Altac had to dismount their rides and climb on foot. Susie took these opportunities to become very friendly with their mounts. Altac called them Jarwat. They were truly fearsome beasts. With massive heads and shoulders covered in thick hide, they rose nearly three metres off the ground. A single horn protruded up to a metre from their heads. Apparently many a soldier had been impaled on this horn whilst trying to train them. Under Susie's guidance however they became as tame as lambs, meekly following her anywhere without the need for a halter or leash to restrain them. Chris read sheer amazement and disbelief in the minds of the soldiers who witnessed this. In fact, this single act did much to repair the damage Joe had caused by his constant insults and bickering.

  As the sun was setting, the company pitched camp by the river in a small clearing. The weather had closed in and the wind had picked up. Like the rest of the company, Chris felt cold and exhausted, but the long hours of trekking had given him time to think.

  He had assumed that Kaloc was the Guardian Batarr had lost contact with just before they had started their journey. The news of his continued existence should have sparked some type of reaction from him, yet there was nothing - even though Altac got quite excited. Then there was the matter of the second key. Chris had decided to raise both these issues as soon as he could catch Batarr alone. This, however, proved difficult, as he rode amongst his troops until late, ordering a final sweep of the forest. Chris finally managed to catch him later that evening, when most of the company had already turned in for the night.

  He found Batarr pacing slowly in front of the fire, a hot drink warming his hands. Chris could feel he was struggling with some problem, and hesitated before interrupting. However, Batarr saw Chris and beckoned him to sit down. In the firelight, Batarr cut a dishevelled figure. Unshaven and gaunt, with rings of exhaustion circling his eyes, he appeared to have aged enormously in only the few weeks Chris had known him. Although Chris could not read his thoughts, he could feel the anxiety radiating from him.

  “I’m very relieved to see you again.” He turned toward Chris and smiled briefly when Chris made eye contact. “An amazing turn of events. The Nethral are very reclusive. You should feel very privileged at being given the opportunity to see their world.”

  “I do.” Chris nodded. “They were cool.”

  Batarr smiled at Chris for a moment, then his expression became very serious. “In a few days we will reach Mount Caporel. Your key should start feeling warm as we near the portal.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” Chris shrugged, watching Batarr pace slowly in front of him. “I heard you have a second key?”

  Batarr paused directly in front of the fire and took a sip of his drink. “That’s right. It belonged to another Guardian, who was killed by Zelnoff.”

  With the fire behind Batarr, Chris could only see his silhouette, but he got the impression the mention of the key was an unwelcome topic. “How’d you get it?” he asked.

  “The Guardian who had this key felt he had been discovered and gave it to me for safekeeping. His fears unfortunately proved correct. Within a few days, Zelnoff’s forces overran him.”

  “Are you sure they killed him?”

  “He was killed,” Batarr said flatly, leaving no room for further questioning.

  “Then who’s Kaloc?”

  There was a pause while Batarr took another sip of his drink. Chris tried hard to absorb some impression or emotion, something that would reveal his state of mind, but there was nothing. It was as though an impenetrable mental wall had been thrown up.

  “Kaloc was one of the first Guardians to fall under Zelnoff’s spell,” Batarr replied, after another sip. “He now commands many of Zelnoff’s forces.”

  “But the Nethral...”

  “The Nethral are ill-informed,” Batarr cut him off irritably. “They don’t really know what’s happening on the surface.”

  “So Kaloc could be behind these night attacks on the villagers?”

  “Yes, it’s very likely.”

  “Umm… so do you think this Kaloc, or Zelnoff, knows we’re coming?”

  “It’s possible,” he said, after a few seconds pause. “Either way, we don’t have much time. We need to locate the portal and find Zelnoff quickly. Otherwise, what little advantage we have, will be lost.”

  “But don’t we need more men?”

  “To locate the portal we only require a small force. Any more will attract too much attention.”

  “But what happens if we’re discovered?”

  “If we are discovered,” Batarr said, “we won’t have a chance anyway. Only a very large army will have any chance of attacking Zelnoff, and they would be detected long before they got anywhere near his base. We’re not dea
ling with a local military commander here. We’re dealing with a creature who has already crossed dimensions and conquered many planets. He won’t be approached easily and, once detected, escape would probably be impossible anyway. No… as small a party as possible is needed to find his exact position. There is a much larger force, not far from here, waiting for me to relay the exact location of Zelnoff’s base.”

  Chris raised his head. “You have more soldiers?”

  “Yes, a substantial force.”

  “That’s fantastic. How many?”

  “Enough to give Zelnoff a sizeable headache,” Batarr reflected. “And, if we are lucky and surprise him, we may even capture or kill him.”

  His tone sounded almost confident and Chris felt his own spirits lift. “So all you want us to do is find the portal?”

  Batarr sat down on a log next to Chris and put down his drink. “We have two keys, so we will split up into two small groups of five,” he continued. “A Caan will accompany each group. Whichever group finds the portal first can then send a message to the other group. You and I will be in one group, and Susie and Joe will join the other.”

  “Oh no, come on… you want to separate us again, I’ve only just found you.”

  “I need a Mytar in each group, and besides, we can’t risk travelling this route any longer. It’s too exposed. Tomorrow we must leave the main company and make our own way to Mount Caporel. The rest of the company will continue on to join the main force.”

  Chris was about to hurl forth a torrent of objections and complaints, but the words wouldn’t come. He had seen too much, experienced too much, knew too much, to doubt Batarr’s reasoning or motives. There was nothing he could say that wouldn’t sound like some childish tantrum. He only wished he had never decided to question Batarr. At least then he would have had the benefit of a good night’s sleep.

  Batarr drained his cup. In the flames of the fire, his grey features looked almost rosy. “You have already achieved much, Mytar. More than I would have ever expected, and you are still growing stronger.” He leaned over and put an arm around Chris’s shoulder. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow this will not feel like such an impossible task.”

  Chris looked up into Batarr eyes. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t believe him.

  When Chris woke up the sun was well over the horizon. The air was still but cold, and patches of frost lay on the ground in places the sun hadn’t penetrated. He hadn’t slept well. There had been many strange sounds in the night, and among them he had clearly recognised the Prower. Not far away, he could hear Joe’s nearly hysterical voice ripping into Batarr yet again. He guessed Batarr had told Joe and Susie of his plans. Joe, to put it mildly, was not taking the news well.

  “I used to think I was badly treated on Earth,” Joe was saying. “But compared to this…” He waved his hand toward the camp. “And you,” he pointed rudely at Batarr, “forced marches, hardly any food… Prisoners in jails get better treatment.”

  Batarr looked unimpressed and stood impassively listening to Joe’s ranting’s.

  Susie smiled briefly at Chris when he approached.

  “Just take me home. I don’t belong here.” Joe pointed to his feet. “I’ve got blisters. My feet are bleeding. I need a doctor.”

  “We have some herbs that will help your blisters,” Batarr suggested.

  Joe’s face went red. “Don’t you understand? This has all been a big mistake. I don’t have any special powers.”

  Batarr remained impassive.

  Joe turned to Chris when he caught sight of him. “Have you heard of his latest grand plan?”

  Chris was in no mood to join in the insults. “I think it’s a good idea,” he said bluntly. “This route is bound to be watched. We need to split into smaller groups.”

  With this reply, a fresh flush of red appeared on Joe’s cheeks. “You sound like him,” he spluttered.

  “The sooner we reach the portal, the sooner we can get home,” Chris replied. He turned to Batarr. “Once we find the portal you can send us home?”

  Batarr raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I don’t see why not.”

  Joe looked from Chris to Batarr and back again, not knowing whether to believe either of them.

  “Whichever group finds the portal first will immediately notify the other,” Batarr said, assuming the discussion was now over.

  “But we might get lost,” Joe said.

  “You won’t get lost. Sasli will be with you. If you have any problems, Sasli will find us.”

  “But won’t the portal be guarded?” Joe continued, in voice that was quickly deteriorating into a whine. “I mean Zelnoff’s not going to just let us wander in there.”

  “You only need to find the approximate location. Any sign of danger and you should return straight away, or send Sasli to find us.”

  Joe grunted, but it was clear he couldn’t think of any further objections.

  “Maybe the two groups can travel together and split up when we get closer to Mount Caporel?” Susie suggested.

  Batarr considered Susie’s suggestion for a moment. “I have no objections, as long as it is understood that we split up when the keys start to become warm.”

  After some further debate between Batarr and Altac, it was decided to take an alternative route through the region known as the Murtral. This region was the main catchment basin for Mt Caporel and the surrounding mountains. Consequently, the area was streaked with tumbling waterfalls and fast-flowing rivers that spawned some of the densest sub-tropical rainforest on the planet. The perfect cover, Altac had argued, to approach Mt. Caporel undetected.

  An hour later, at the junction of two valleys, a party of ten, consisting of two Caan, the Mytar, Batarr, Altac and three Taal, separated from the main company. The going was hard. The valley they had taken climbed steeply between two snow-capped peaks. Along its length, a torrent of foaming water spilled down moss-covered boulders and over cliffs carved from basalt lava flows. These obstacles had to be negotiated by beating a path through the surrounding undergrowth, thick with strangler vines and prickly bushes. The Taal led the way, cutting a path with huge hatchets. Despite the cold weather, their bodies were soon covered in sweat from their exertions.

  Chris walked alongside Susie who, in contrast to Joe, seemed as though she was almost enjoying herself.

  As they climbed a rock outcrop, Susie suddenly stopped and bent over. “What have you found?” Chris asked, peering over her shoulder.

  Susie had picked up what Chris would have called a rabbit on Earth. “It’s what Altac calls an ilper,” she replied, stroking its fur.

  “Is it sick?”

  “No, it’s quite healthy, just startled by all this activity.” She placed the ilper down and it ran into a nearby bush.

  “So, the animals around here must be pretty tame.”

  She shook her head. “Quite the opposite.”

  Then he realised; Susie’s powers, like his own, were still growing. “Can you control animals?”

  She stood up and flicked some strands of hair from her face. “No, not really, but I am beginning to understand their thoughts... maybe even communicate with them. It’s really cool.” She flashed a smile at him, then ran over to a nearby tree and placed both hands on it. “This tree is about eighty years old. It has borers and some kind of grub eating its leaves.” She moved her hands to different parts of the trunk, closing her eyes in concentration. “I can even tell what animals live in it and what animals regularly visit it. I’m starting to sense all the life of this planet.”

  “Wow, that’s cool,” Chris agreed, viewing Susie with a new sense of awe.

  “But I can’t do what you can do. I can’t read people’s thoughts, or travel in my mind to distant places.”

  “But between us,” Chris added with a smile, “we can eavesdrop on just about all the life of this planet.”

  She beamed broadly back at him.

  “Have you told Joe?” Chris asked.

  Susie paused thoug
htfully. “I think this is the last thing he would want to hear.”

  “Hmm… How about Batarr?”

  She shook her head. “I was going to a number of times, but... well I felt there was something not quite right about telling him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Something about his mood.”

  “Can you sense feelings?”

  “Sometimes...although it’s more that he just seems pre-occupied.”

  Chris nodded. “Then don’t tell him for now.”

  When the red ball of the sun had reached its highest point in the sky, the company paused for lunch. They were perched above a cliff that provided spectacular views right down the valley. Above them, a grey mist, like a huge blanket, was rolling down the valley, engulfing all in its path. By the time lunch was over, the first tentacles of mist were creeping across the sun, diffusing the light into deep-reds and purples. A cold, white dampness started to descend, reducing the visibility to little more than a handful of metres.

  By late afternoon, the dwindling light, exhaustion, and many bitter complaints from Joe forced Batarr to call a halt for the night. After devouring their food, the Mytar collapsed into their makeshift beds, too exhausted even to talk.

 

  The next day the company broke camp at first light. The mist had not lifted but at least it was slightly warmer than the previous morning. With sinking spirits, they trudged on. Joe had ceased to talk to Chris or Susie, preferring his own sullen silence. Altac, however, chattered on happily. It turned out he was something of a herbalist in his spare time. Periodically, he pointed out plants that could cure various ailments and explained the ways important ingredients were extracted. These conversations did wonders to lift Chris and Susie’s spirits as Batarr had also fallen silent, preferring only to sing to Sasli in low tones that Susie could not overhear.

  It was late afternoon on the second day when Chris noticed the key was changing. Although not warm, it no longer felt cold in his pocket.

  “I think we’re near the portal,” he whispered to Joe and Susie as he brought out the key and examined it. “Who has the second key?”

  “Batarr won’t let it out of his sight,” Joe whispered.

  They pushed their way past the Taal and caught up to Batarr, who was singing quietly to Sasli.

  “Are you sure?” Batarr queried when Chris told him.

  “I think so. Give me the other key and I’ll check.”

  Batarr reached into his robe and pulled out the second key. In Chris’s hands, it immediately changed to red but, more importantly, there was a subtle increase in temperature.

  “Yep, this key too.” He smiled back at Batarr.

  Batarr returned his smile with a broad grin of his own. “It’s here, we’re close.” He focused back on Chris. “There’s no time to lose.” He took a key from Chris and handed it to Susie. “You must lead the second group. Each group will have a Caan. The first group that finds the portal can use the Caan to tell the other.”

  Chris was amazed at the burst of enthusiasm from Batarr. He seemed surprisingly excited for someone who was about to walk into Zelnoff’s stronghold. “What about Zelnoff’s soldiers?”

  “We will have to be very careful, of course,” Batarr added, in a more subdued tone. “But we may be on the verge of discovering Zelnoff’s hiding place and that’s something no one has done before.”

  Altac, who had been listening from a short distance away, came forward and whispered into Batarr’s ear. Batarr nodded for a moment then announced, “we won’t split up just yet.”

  When the company began moving forward again, Joe drew alongside Chris. “I wonder what that was about?”

  “I think I know,” Susie said. “I didn’t sleep well last night. There were a lot of strange sounds coming from the forest.”

  “Howls?” Chris asked.

  “Yeah, and twice the Taal fired their weapons into the trees but missed whatever they were aiming at.”

  “Maybe the Taal are just getting jumpy,” Joe suggested.

  Chris shook his head. “I can’t imagine a Taal firing randomly into the forest because he was jumpy.”

  “I think they were Prower,” Susie said, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Today, when I passed by some trees I put my hands on their trunks. There were large creatures in their upper branches. I think we’re being followed.”

  “I’ve also felt something,” Chris added. “I think we’re being watched.”

  “Oh, give us a break,” Joe said. “Neither of you has seen anything. You both just think you can feel things that aren’t even there.”

  There was a thinly concealed contempt in Joe’s voice that made Chris turn to study him. “Don’t you believe us?”

  Joe’s mouth curled into a sneer. “Nah… You might have Batarr fooled but I don’t believe any of it.”

  “Well, how to you explain the fact that I can understand Sasli?” Susie asked; stopping and glaring down at Joe.

  The corners of Joe’s mouth sank, but he said nothing. Chris knew Joe believed them. That wasn’t the issue. “Look, you’re just a late developer,” Chris said.

  “What?”

  “Your powers.”

  “Oh…you think so?” Joe shook his head miserably, then turned and walked off.

  Chris was considering whether to follow him when Batarr reappeared. “There’s only about an hour of light left, so we will pitch camp for the night and make a fresh start in the morning.”

  This was excellent news. An hour of daylight left and they didn’t have to spend it plodding up a mountain! Chris and Susie slipped away as soon as the Taal turned their backs and found a stream with a large pool, a little distance from the camp.

  Susie dipped her hand in the water. “There’s some big fish in here.”

  “Maybe we should get some for dinner,” Chris suggested. “You try and be their friend, and I’ll grab them when they come close.”

  She grinned at him. “Ha, ha. I’m not about to kill anything. I think I’ll become vegetarian when I get back home.”

  Chris pulled a face. “But don’t vegetables have feelings too? Won’t they get upset if you eat them?”

  She ignored his comment and placed her hand on a nearby tree. “Um...” She frowned. “There’s some type of creature sitting high up in this tree.”

  They both looked up, but the trunk disappeared into an impossibly thick canopy above their heads.

  “Are you sure?”

  She walked over to several other trees and placed her hands on them, then nodded. “And they’re in these trees as well.”

  Chris sent his senses out to probe the surrounding forest. There was also a humanoid presence, and it was close.

  “Come on,” he said, lowering his voice. “Let’s get back.”

  Susie didn’t need any encouragement. Together they turned and ran back the way they came. They had not gone far, however, before they found their path blocked by three large gorilla-like creatures dressed in the same metal chest plates and thick hides as Batarr’s soldiers. Chris immediately recognised them as the same species he had seen with Zelnoff in his vision.

  Both parties stared at each other. Chris read that these soldiers had been searching for them. Instinctively he dived for cover, dragging Susie behind him. A blue beam of light struck the tree next to one of the soldiers, igniting it in a shower of sparks and flame. The soldiers swung around and started returning fire. There were more shouts, explosions, beams from weapon fire. More trees exploded as the forest lit up like some macabre light show.

  Chris and Susie ran for their lives, clambering and clawing their way back to the stream, then straight through it, barely noticing the icy water. When they reached the opposite bank they crashed through the undergrowth and ran until their legs and lungs could carry them no further. Finally, wet and exhausted, they dropped behind a large rotting log, too frightened to move.

  The weapons fire didn’t last long. The forest quickly reverted to sile
nce with only the smell of smoke and the distant glow of fires remaining. Chris tentatively stuck his head out over the top of the log. There was no movement, nothing to indicate what had just happened.

  “We have to find Joe,” Susie whispered, also peering over the log.

  Chris looked across at her. She was shivering uncontrollably. Her wet hair hung around her face like many loose springs and she had her arms wrapped around herself in a futile attempt to keep warm. “Yeah,” he agreed, feeling rather frightened at the prospect. “We’ll have to go back.”

  He settled back and pulled out his key. It was glowing. A shiver of fear and cold shook his body violently.

  “What does that mean?” Susie asked, crawling up next to him.

  “I think it glows when I’m in danger,” he replied, instinctively dropping his voice to a whisper.

  Susie pulled out her key. It, too, was glowing.

  Chris peered over the log again into the gathering twilight, trying to identify any possible danger. A short distance away there was some movement. Someone was creeping through the undergrowth towards them. In the dimming light, however, he couldn’t tell who it was. Further away there were other noises. Zelnoff’s soldiers appeared, spread out in a search pattern as they swept toward them. The figure crept closer. It was Batarr. Chris, feeling greatly relieved, signalled to him. He waved back and crept toward them.

  “What’s happened?” Chris whispered, when Batarr was within earshot.

  At first Batarr didn’t answer, but kept watching the soldiers. “You have done very well, Mytar,” he said finally.

  His voice was strange, almost mechanical and they were the last words Chris expected, given the situation.

  Chris glanced at Susie. She, too, looked puzzled. He tried to sense something of Batarr’s mood but was met with a huge confusion of feelings, anger, power, fear, vengeance. They were all there, swirling around in a vortex of emotion. “What do you mean?” he asked finally.

  “We wouldn’t have been able to find Kaloc and the portal without you.”

  Chris felt Susie grip him on the arm and pull him back. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “You mean Zelnoff, don’t you?”

  Both keys were now glowing strongly, illuminating the whole area. Susie saw it too, but Batarr didn’t react. Chris suddenly felt a surge of power building inside Batarr. He stared at Chris, fixing him in a grip he couldn’t break.

  “Hey, Batarr!” Joe’s voice called.

  Batarr turned toward the voice. What looked like the stump of a tree was pointing a crystal weapon directly at him. The weapon fired. A blue flash of light exploded next to Batarr. The tree stump swore, then fired again and again. Each time Batarr was just quick enough to avoid being struck. The advancing soldiers also saw Batarr and opened fire, driving him to cover amongst a thicket of trees.

  Then everything changed. The closest soldier stopped firing, paused for a moment, as though he was thinking, then turned and shot the soldier next to him in the chest. At such a close range the soldier was thrown into the air. This immediately stalled the attack as the soldiers looked blankly at the soldier who had killed his comrade. This soldier took aim at another soldier and shot him in the head, killing him instantly. He was then shot from behind. The soldier who had shot him was also killed. Soon the attack descended into a slaughter as everyone began shooting each other until there was only one soldier left. He then promptly shot himself.

  Batarr turned his attention back to the tree stump. Chris could feel the power radiating from him. The tree turned into Joe. His face was bright red, eyes wide with horror. Slowly, as though wrestling with himself, he started to point the weapon toward Chris and Susie. Chris threw all his mental strength at Joe, trying to break Batarr’s hold. The weapon stopped rotating toward them. Joe’s grip on the trigger loosened. The weapon dropped to the ground.

  Batarr fixed his attention back on Chris. He felt the images flood into his mind, self-mutilation; the urge to strangle Susie and kill Joe. Image after image flooded his consciousness. But Batarr himself had taught Chris how to block out these images. He removed himself behind a mental wall and imagined himself building up the wall brick by brick. And with each brick the images weakened, fading until they had no more impact than images in a cinema, then a T.V. Then, in an instant, they were gone.

  He looked toward Batarr and found that his attention was focused on a tall, bald man carrying a staff who was striding quickly toward him. Chris immediately recognised Zelnoff. His heart sank. Against two beings with these powers, he stood no chance, yet Chris could detect no enhancement of their powers. Instead, they appeared to be locked in a battle of wills against each other. Zelnoff was trying to destroy Batarr. This was their chance. He grabbed Susie by the arm and signalled Joe; together all three fled.

  This time, they only stopped briefly to re-gain their breath before plunging ahead again. When they finally stopped the sun had completely set, and the asteroid belt and both moons were visible in the night sky, bathing the land in shades of silver and greys. Near complete exhaustion, they stopped in a small clearing, ringed by tall trees.

  “I think…I think...we’ve lost them,” Joe panted, his eyes straining through the gloom.

  “So you do have powers.” Susie slapped Joe on the back.

  “I can be anything I want,” he grinned back, “I just have to think of it.”

  “How did you find out?” she asked.

  “Arr…well…” he paused thoughtfully, “I was with Altac and the others when I heard the soldiers approach,” Joe began, for the first time a clear note of excitement in his voice. “I looked around for a place to hide, but couldn’t find anything. I think… I wished I was a rock, or a tree, or something. Anything so they couldn’t see me and they just walked straight past. They must have seen me, but hadn’t recognised me. I realised this must be my power. That’s when I saw the battle.” He paused for a moment. “I think Sasli escaped, but the other Caan was killed. Altac was also wounded. I think they captured him. Batarr did what you just saw him do. He made the soldiers fire on each other and then he escaped. I picked up a weapon from one of the dead soldiers and followed him.”

  “But how did you know he was trying to hurt us?” Susie asked.

  “I didn’t. But I remembered Chris saying the key glowed whenever there was danger. When I saw that, I figured Batarr was going to do something pretty nasty.”

  “I don’t understand any of this,” Chris admitted. “Why would Batarr suddenly turn on us like that, and why did he say he had found Kaloc? I thought we were after Zelnoff?”

  Susie had been touching the trunks of the nearby trees. “We haven’t escaped,” she announced. “I think the Prower have been following us in the trees.”

  At that moment, several dark shapes leapt down from the trees. They immediately began howling and were answered by a series of more distant howls.

  Chris pulled out his key. This time there was no glow.

  Susie, despite warnings from Chris and Joe, moved closer to the shapes. They backed away, growling threateningly. “They’ve been told to guard us,” she said. “They’re waiting for someone. Someone who’s their friend and wants very much to meet us.”

  As she spoke, more Prower arrived, quickly encircling them. By this time it was almost completely dark, but Chris sensed the approach of someone powerful. Suddenly some type of light illuminated the whole area. Zelnoff was standing in front of them, flanked by many soldiers. He was holding up a staff with a large blue crystal at its apex, which emitted a powerful light that flooded the whole area.

  “Mytar,” he smiled warmly. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”

  Chapter 7: Strange Happenings