A Measure of Disorder, Book One of the Mother-Earth Series

A Measure of Disorder

Book One of the Mother-Earth Series

by Alan Tucker

 Wattpad Edition

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialog are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

 Copyright ©2010, 2012 by Alan Tucker

 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address MAD Design, Inc., 212 Fair Park Drive, Billings, Montana 59102.

ISBN 978-0-9826864-0-9 (ebook)

For Corey and Rea

All the magic stems from you

This book and its companions are also available at Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and many other ereader sites. Paperback versions are also available.

For maps, news, reviews and other fun stuff, please visit: www.mother-earthseries.com

Acknowledgements

This project has fluttered around in my mind for years and it took the efforts of many people to make it more than a series of disjointed thoughts in my cluttered head.

First, I must thank my family for putting up with a muttering raving lunatic — and those were my good days!

My alpha and beta readers were outstanding and without their support and encouragement, this book would never have happened. Linda, Andrea, Kay, and Logan, your efforts are much appreciated, and especially Mercedes whose unwavering enthusiasm gave me the resolve to finish. I thank you all.

My long-time friend and editor, Stace Johnson needs to be thanked for turning my mess into a nearly error free finished product. For those seeking similar services, he can be found at http://www.lytspeed.com/consulting.htm. Any errors or miscues still hiding in the book should be attributed solely to me!

1

The bus lurched forward after a loud protest from the transmission. “If you can’t find ‘em, grind ‘em!” someone shouted amid laughter and conversational chaos.

Jenni barely managed to keep her head from banging on the seat in front of her. Man, I hate the bus, she thought.

“Good catch,” Sara Wilson said, giggling next to her.

Jenni laughed in return and gave her best friend a playful punch in the shoulder.

Morning sunlight warmed her face, and Jenni heard birds chirping, even over the din inside the bus. Green and full trees lined the streets near the school and the smell of freshly cut grass mingled with diesel fumes. They had less than a month left of eighth grade and everyone was primed for summer vacation.

Jenni bent down and rummaged through her denim book bag. She had packed all the essentials for the field trip: her MP3 player, digital camera and cell phone. She’d also packed some snacks, an extra jacket, her science notebook, a couple of pens, and the lunch her mom had made. A lock of brown hair slipped out of a barrette and into her eyes as she found her bag of red licorice.

She sat up and fought with her always troublesome hair.

“Here, let me,” Sara offered and pulled a small brush out of her purse. Jenni turned her head so Sara could work her magic.

Jenni never knew what to do with her hair. She was trying to grow it out again after cutting it short in frustration a couple of months before. Now it was at that awkward, in between length and impossible to deal with.

Seems like I’m always “in between.” Jenni sighed. Just an average, grade B, nobody. She had tried a few sports and done okay, but not great. She did okay in school, but not great. There was nothing remarkable about her looks. Mousey hair, brown eyes and a small build didn’t stand out in a crowd.

Jenni didn’t want to be average. She wanted to be someone special.

“There,” Sara said with a flair, “how’s that?”

Jenni looked in the pocket mirror Sara produced and smiled at what she saw. Not half bad! Sara was always creative with her hair and clothes. “Thanks. What would I do without you?”

Sara looked up through her wire-frame glasses and put a finger to her cheek, “Hmm, probably die of embarrassment!”

Jenni laughed. “Licorice?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Sara said with a broad grin, showing braces with multicolored rubber bands.

Jenni repacked the candy and pulled out her MP3 player. She and her science class had a date with the National Forest in the mountains outside Boise, Idaho, where they lived. Jenni was just glad not to be stuck in a hot classroom for the day.

Music from her player shoved aside the noise of the bus and she glanced around at her classmates. She’d spent the last two years or more with most of them, but what did she really know about any of them? Carrie played in the band, Marco was good in school, Vic liked soccer — she could go on — but Sara was the only one she really spent time with. The only one she shared secrets with.

Her eyes landed on Brandon Thom, sitting two rows up, with a couple of his jock buddies. Brandon was as close to a Greek god as could be found here on Earth. He was the star player in every sport and had been on the honor roll since preschool. Jenni stared dreamily at his brown hair with blonde highlights as he joked with his friends. His broad shoulders and muscular arms shook with laughter and Jenni let herself wonder what it would feel like to be wrapped up in them.

“Earth to Jenni Kershaw, come in please.” Sara poked her in the ribs. Jenni jumped and blushed brightly. “Out of our league, sister,” Sara sighed, noting the direction of Jenni’s gaze.

“I know, but a girl can dream, can’t she?”

“Most definitely,” Sara responded, “and delicious dreams at that!”

Jenni giggled. “You are so bad!”

The shaggy mop of dark, curly hair belonging to Todd Blakely rose up from the seat behind Jenni and Sara. He sucked some yogurt from a tube and leaned in between them. “You girls got room for me in your group?”

“No!” Jenni and Sara said together.

“Aw, c’mon.”

“Aren’t you working with Denny?” Jenni asked.

“Yeah, but he’s so busy drawing cars all the time —”

The bus turned onto a gravel road, hitting a huge bump and lifting them out of their seats. A massive dollop of Todd’s yogurt landed in the middle of Jenni’s lap.

She looked down in disbelief, and Todd snickered behind her.

“Oops,” he said. Sara put her hand on his forehead and shoved him back in his seat.

“Does anyone have a napkin?” Jenni asked.

“Wardrobe malfunction, Kershaw?” Across the aisle, Alisha Hester, otherwise known as Miss Perfect, laughed with a voice the boys considered angelic. Fingernails on a chalkboard was more pleasant in Jenni’s opinion. Alisha’s tall, slender figure was decked out in designer jeans and an expensive, trendy top that showed enough skin to make guys drool, but stay within the dress code. Her blonde hair and makeup were flawless, as usual, and she wore a small diamond stud in her nose that probably cost more than a year’s worth of Jenni’s allowance. “It’s okay, Jenni. Those bargain rack pants needed a splash of color.”

Misses Not-Quite-Perfect Maggie Worth and Lori Parsons, laughed just long enough not to draw attention from Alisha. The moment of amusement gone, the three returned to their previously scheduled gossip.

Jenni’s attempt to fry the three of them with laser eye-beams failed, as it always did, but it made her feel better to try.

Sara rescued her with a tissue and helped Jenni clean up.

The bus finally bumped to a stop at a small campground. There were ten fire pits spread out in a large semicircle, bordered by a low log fence. The students piled out and stretched their legs, greeted by fresh, crisp air. Pine trees surrounded the campground and filled the foothills rising toward mountains in the west. Birds chirped and sang again after the noise of the bus had startled them quiet.

“Everyone gather ‘round,” their teacher, Ms. Pap, known to everyone outside her classroom as Judy Papplebaum, announced. She wore a thick khaki button up shirt, a pair of faded jeans with some sturdy hiking boots and a wide-brimmed floppy hat. Roger Kain, a student teacher who had been working with their class for the last six weeks, stood next to her. He was tall — at least a couple inches over six feet — with dark hair and a healthy tan. Bright white teeth flashed in a smile that melted many hearts in the class every time they saw it.

“We’re going to hike up that path,” Ms. Pap said, pointing to her left, “about a mile and you can start collecting samples. Everyone ready?”

Nods, smiles, and several grumbles answered her while everyone shouldered their bags and followed up the trail in a line. Two mothers had come along to chaperone, and they fell in at the back, chatting with each other.

Much as she loved her, Jenni was glad her mother hadn’t decided to come. Teresa Osorio, Marco’s mother, seemed pretty cool though, and he didn’t mind having her along. Carrie Minch’s mom, Kathy, was another story. She was a short, heavyset woman who wore a summer dress with a bright floral print and white sandals with two-inch heels. Carrie was clearly embarrassed by her and stayed as far away as possible.

About twenty minutes later, the group crested a short rise and looked out on a small blue lake set in a valley of wildflowers of many colors. The purpose of the field trip was to gather a number of plant samples to identify and report on the following week.

A small stream gurgled nearby, runoff from the lake, which headed in the general direction of the campground. The hills on either side of the valley were covered in pine trees much larger than those closer to the road. Birds and insects chirped, buzzed and flew everywhere.

Ms. Pap and Mr. Kain moved among the students, handing out papers. “This is Lake MacElroy, and these are maps of the area,” Ms. Pap said. “You have an hour or so before we’ll meet for lunch on the east shore of the lake. The spot is marked on your map.” She held one up and pointed to an “X” on the page. “Remember to mark the locations of any samples you take and don’t leave the valley. Any questions?”

Everyone shuffled into groups and fanned out around the lake. Jenni and Sara were joined by a small, shy girl named Tori Griffin, who was their lab partner in class.

They wandered through the bushes and flowers, Jenni snapping pictures with her camera, and Sara and Tori snipping and bagging flowers and small plants. The cloudless day warmed, forcing the girls to remove their jackets and sweaters. Talking and laughing, they eventually made their way to the lunch site marked on the map, stomachs rumbling in anticipation.

Ms. Pap had chosen a spot where the trees were close enough to the lake to provide shade from the last of the morning sun. Fish jumped, snatching bugs, and a chorus of birds sang to them while everyone sat on logs and rocks, eating their lunches. Todd and Denny were the last to find their way there; Todd walked with a half-eaten bologna sandwich and Denny munched on an apple.

“Ah, good, that’s everyone isn’t it, Mr. Kain?” Ms. Pap asked and sat down.

“Yes, ma’am. Everyone accounted for.” Mr. Kain sat down cross-legged and unwrapped a large sub sandwich.

No one talked much except for Mrs. Minch who complained about the bugs. And the sun. And the dirt. She had come early and had already finished her lunch. Carrie sat miserably next to her mother, features downcast while she ate a sandwich. Jenni wondered why in the world Mrs. Minch had come on a nature hike when she obviously didn’t like being outdoors.

Jenni ate some potato chips and turned her attention to the lake. The water was a perfect mirror for the sunlit western side of the valley. She then noticed tendrils of light mist creeping up from the shoreline.

“Hey, let’s count up and see how many more samples we need to get,” Sara said with her mouth full of cookie.

Jenni scooted closer and Tori got out her map, which had their sample location notes. A quick count showed they were only two short of what was required.

“Well, that won’t take long,” Jenni said while trying to stifle a yawn. “Wow, I’m tired all of a sudden.”

“Fresh air and a big lunch I guess,” Sara added with a yawn of her own. Tori nestled down using her pack as a pillow.

Jenni glanced around their picnic site and saw many others had decided to have a quick siesta. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to catch a few Zs,” she said, maneuvering her bag into a comfortable position. As she closed her eyes, she saw more mist, this time curling around the trees behind them. Strange, she thought, as she drifted off.

2

Jenni woke and stretched, feeling refreshed. Around her, others did the same while some continued to nap. She saw wisps of mist dissipating around the picnic area as she sat up. Some of her classmates and Ms. Pap looked perplexed, as if they hadn’t intended to sleep, but had anyway.

Sara and Tori woke and sat up with surprised looks on their faces. Jenni shrugged, “Weird, huh?”

“Very,” Sara said.

“Class!” Ms. Pap announced, checking her watch. “You have some time to finish up before we need to leave, but don’t stray too far. I have a horn,” she said, holding up a canister air horn, “that I’ll sound when it’s time to head back to the bus. Please come straight in when you hear it.”

“Let’s get our last two clippings and maybe we’ll have time to explore a little bit before we have to go,” Jenni said while she stretched once more and picked up her bag.

The three girls headed to the north side of the lake to find their final samples.

Tori stopped and pointed. “Doesn’t that cloud look like a dinosaur?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“Cool!” Sara said. “It really does.”

That’s weird, Jenni thought, noticing more clouds besides Tori’s dinosaur, the sky was clear before. We didn’t sleep that long — did we?

They continued walking along the edge of the lake. As Jenni looked around, everything seemed brighter, the colors more vivid, than before.

“Whoa,” Jenni heard Sara say off to her right. “Guys, come look at this.”

Sara had moved a few yards away from the shore and stood before a large leafy bush. As Jenni and Tori jogged over, Sara pointed to some fruit that dangled from its branches. They were the size of big plums, deep blue in color, and grew in clusters of three or four. Leaning in closer, Jenni saw the skin also had swirls of dark red and maroon.

“Have you ever seen anything like that before?” Sara asked.

Tori shook her head and Jenni answered, “No. Never.”

Jenni took her camera out and snapped a couple of pictures. Sara found her clippers and snipped a branch with a few leaves and the fruit, while Tori made notes on their map about the plant and its location. Sara placed the sample in an empty sandwich bag, like the others they’d collected, and carefully put everything back in her pack.

“I’m sure Ms. Pap will know what it is,” Jenni said. “Let’s go find one more then we can go back and show it to her.”

Sara and Tori nodded and they resumed walking.

Jenni untied the sweater she had around her waist and stopped to put it in her bag. A flash of orange and red caught her eye on the ground and she crept over for a closer look. A flower stood by itself in a patch of dark green grass. It was a vibrant orange with red and pink blotches on the petals and shaped like a daffodil, only bigger than any she’d ever seen. She stared at it for a few seconds, then called Sara and Tori over to look.

“It’s beautiful,” Tori said, wide-eyed.

Jenni brought her camera out again and snapped a shot. “Do you think we should take it? I haven’t seen any others.”

“Me either,” Sara said, shooing a large fly away from her face. “I don’t want to clip it if it’s the only one around.”

The fly buzzed lazily toward the flower. Suddenly, the petals expanded and a small red tendril shot out from the center of the bloom and snatched the fly out of the air. Tendril and fly disappeared into the flower.

Jenni yelped and jumped away from the plant, her friends following suit. The three took a few more steps back and huddled together, staring at the beautiful, seemingly innocent flora.

“You guys saw that, right?” Jenni asked with a tremor in her voice. Sara and Tori both nodded. “Okay, so I’m not insane, but what the heck is going on here?”

A sound blared in the distance from the direction of the picnic site. Ms. Pap was blowing the air horn for everyone to return. The girls took one more look at the fly-eating flower, then grabbed their things and hustled back to the group.

Ms. Pap blew the horn several more times before they made it back. Everyone looked nervous or upset, and many, including Jenni, Sara, and Tori, were out of breath.

“Head count please, Mr. Kain,” Ms. Pap said, wrapping a bandage around the forearm of Deena Martz, another girl from the class. Deena’s hazel eyes were wide with fear, and she was pale beneath her long dark hair. She sniffled a couple of times and took big, shuddering breaths, trying to calm herself down.

“What happened?” Jenni asked, looking at Deena’s arm. The wrap was already seeping blood from a nasty wound.

“Something bit her in the forest behind us,” Ms. Pap answered. Then she said louder to the group, “Everyone pack up, we’re heading back to the bus.”

“Looks like we’re all here,” Mr. Kain reported. “No other injuries.” Jenni thought he was going to say something more, but he didn’t.

Ms. Pap adjusted Deena’s dressing. “Roger, check your cell phone and see if you have coverage; mine doesn’t.”

Mr. Kain pulled his phone from a small pocket on the side of his pack and flipped it open. “No, nothing.”

They helped Deena to her feet, and Ms. Pap folded up the first aid kit and slung her pack over one shoulder. “Let’s get moving — quickly, but don’t run. Also, if you have a cell phone, please check to see if you have any signal. If you do, come see me or Mr. Kain. Head south along the shore here and we’ll cross the stream and get back to the trail.”

Jenni found her phone and turned it on as they followed the edge of the lake. It chirped through its startup and then flashed a “No Signal” message. No one else had anything either.

“Too far up in the mountains,” Sara said as she put away her phone. “We never get anything when we go camping in the summer either.”

“Does the other side of the valley seem farther away than before?” Tori asked, looking across the lake.

It did. Jenni shivered slightly when she gazed across the water. The mountains in the distance looked bigger, menacing in her imagination. Something very strange was going on, and she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The class moved rapidly around the lake, except for Mrs. Minch, who twisted her ankle and nearly fell when the heel of her shoe got caught between some rocks. She refused to walk barefoot, so Mr. Kain had to take her arm and help her along.

They stopped short at the stream.

What had been a small, babbling brook, no more than six feet across, was now more accurately called a river. It was at least forty feet to the other side, though it didn’t look very deep. Because of some rocks and a couple of large tree branches stuck in the middle, it looked passable, but not without some work.

Ms. Pap, still helping Deena, was the last to join them and stare at the transformed waterway. Her mouth fell open in amazement.

Mrs. Minch babbled something about being lost in the wilderness and plopped down on a small boulder by the edge of the river. Carrie sighed and went over to quiet her.

Mr. Kain walked back to where Ms. Pap stood and said, “I don’t understand. There was no other outlet from the lake. This wasn’t here this morning!”

“I know,” Ms. Pap said, worried, “but whatever’s going on, we need to get Deena to a doctor.” She looked around at the class. “Take Brandon and one of the other boys with you, cross the river and find the trail to the campground. The bus driver should be able to reach someone on his radio and call for help. If not, maybe there’s something in the bus we can use as a litter to carry Deena back down there.”

Jenni looked at Deena, whose brow was wet with sweat and she shivered now and then. She certainly didn’t appear up to crossing the river without help.

Mr. Kain nodded and turned to the group. “Brandon, you and Todd are coming with me down to the bus.”

“What about the rest of us?” Mrs. Minch piped up. “What are we supposed to do?”

“Just wait here until we get back. The three of us can go quicker than the whole group and Deena needs attention as soon as possible.” Mr. Kain stepped into the river, testing rocks as he went. Brandon and Todd secured their packs and followed him.

Mrs. Minch took a breath for a retort but Carrie cut her short. “Mom! Would you relax? You’re not helping.” Mrs. Osorio moved over to calm Mrs. Minch and they talked quietly.

Jenni guided Sara a couple steps away from the others and said, “This is crazy. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, but Deena doesn’t look too good. My dad said there aren’t any poisonous snakes up here; what do you think bit her?”

“Maybe there’s worse things out here than snakes … or carnivorous flowers.”

Mr. Kain, Brandon and Todd reached the far side of the river, each dripping to various degrees, but safe. They then headed into the trees.

Ms. Pap helped Deena sit down and pulled a water bottle out of her pack. Deena sipped gratefully and then rested on the sand at the river’s edge. The rest of the group found places to sit and collect their thoughts. Mr. Kain returned to the far side of the river a couple of minutes later and called across.

“The trail is gone!”

Ms. Pap digested this information before replying. “Follow the river down the hillside! You shouldn’t be able to miss the campground!”

Mr. Kain gave her a thumbs up and jogged back to where Brandon and Todd were waiting in the trees. Once again, the three disappeared from view.

Jenni looked back at her friends. Sara had pulled out her MP3 player and was listening to music with her eyes closed. Tori had her back to the group and stared out at the lake. Jenni got up and stepped to where Ms. Pap sat with Deena’s head cradled in her lap.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Jenni asked, crouching near her teacher.

Ms. Pap exhaled and said, “Deena’s resting quietly for now. Why don’t you go around and take an inventory of what we have available from everyone? Food, water, tools — anything else you think useful. I don’t know what’s going on here but we’d best be prepared.”

“We found some fruit earlier — from a bush,” Jenni offered.

Ms. Pap’s eyes widened. “Did you eat any of it?”

“No.”

“Good. Make sure you don’t. Some wild fruits and berries can be poisonous.”

Jenni nodded. “Got it. I’ll go work on a list of supplies,” she said and went back to where her bag lay. She found her notebook and a pen. Turning to a blank page, she drew three columns, and labeled them: Food, Water, and Other. After digging through her bag, she wrote down two cereal bars, one bag of red licorice, one banana and half a bottle of water on her list. Jenni got up and worked her way through the class while they waited for Mr. Kain and the others to return.

They had a decent amount of food and water, Jenni thought, at least enough to last until tomorrow, but she didn’t come up with many other useful items. Matt Durston had a small GPS device that was supposed to work anywhere in the world, but it wasn’t displaying any information. That hadn’t helped Jenni’s anxiety in the least. Charles, Will, Zoe, and several others had portable communication devices of one type or another: mini laptops, video games, cell phones — all of which worked, but had no signals from an outside source. The twins, Nate and Ethan, each had pocket utility knives, which Jenni added to her list. Mrs. Osorio had packed a small camping cookware kit. It folded out into a miniature pot and frying pan, and had a single set of silverware.

Her last stop brought her to Alisha, Maggie, and Lori. They had set themselves up on a fallen tree that had been stripped of its bark, making it a comfortable bench compared to the rocks and other logs that were available. The three girls sat with their heads together, whispering and giggling occasionally.

Jenni steeled herself and stepped up to them. “Alisha, I’m making a list of our food and water and stuff. What do you guys have?”

Alisha glanced up briefly. “Buzz off, Kershaw.” Maggie and Lori tittered.

Jenni suppressed a growl. “Alisha, Ms. Pap asked me to take an inventory of our —”

“I don’t care if she crowned you Queen of the Geeks,” Alisha snapped. “What’s mine is mine. Not yours or anyone else’s. Go away.” Alisha turned away and put her over-priced MP3 player’s buds in her ears.

Jenni didn’t bother asking Maggie or Lori — Alisha had just stated their opinion for them and they were too shallow to form their own. Jenni spun on a heel and walked back to Ms. Pap.

Deena was still sleeping, her head in Ms. Pap’s lap. Jenni sat down quietly next to them. “Okay, I’ve got a list,” she said. “Alisha and her pals wouldn’t tell me what they had though.”

Ms. Pap briefly looked over the items and nodded. “Thank you, Jenni. I’ll have a talk with Alisha later, but this will do for now.” She glanced at her watch. “The boys should be back soon I would think.”

“Okay, but I still don’t understand why the GPSes and stuff don’t work. It doesn’t make sense. I mean, this is what they’re for, right?”

“Yes. My understanding is they should work, even out here. We’re not that far from —”

They noticed movement across the river. Mr. Kain and the boys ran to the bank and picked their way back across to the group. Todd slipped on a mossy rock about halfway and fell into the cold water. Brandon and Mr. Kain grabbed his arms and helped him up. Any other time, Jenni would have laughed at his misfortune — he was soaked head to toe and shivering — but she was too anxious about their predicament.

The three made it across and sat down near Ms. Pap and Deena. Mr. Kain and the boys were breathing hard and had a few cuts and scrapes on their arms and faces.

“It’s gone,” Mr. Kain said, trying to catch his breath. “We followed the river for a few hundred yards. It ends in a waterfall with a drop of at least a couple hundred feet down into a gorge … with another river at the bottom.” He paused and Ms. Pap stared in shock. “We scouted west along the edge of the gorge for at least a quarter-mile and it just keeps going. The bus, the campground, the road — everything’s gone.”

3

Stunned silence reigned. Ms. Pap spoke first with a slight tremble in her voice. “All right. It looks like we might be here for a while, wherever ‘here’ is. We need to take care of the basics: water, food and shelter,” she said, ticking them off with her fingers, “until we can figure out what’s going on. I don’t want to move Deena any more than we have to, so we’ll set up a camp here.” She addressed Mr. Kain. “Roger, have some of the kids group up and bring back some firewood. Others can collect rocks and dig out a small fire pit here near the shoreline. No one goes anywhere alone.”

He nodded and went to assign students to the tasks at hand.

Ms. Pap turned to her left. “Mrs. Osorio?”

“Teresa, please,” she answered.

Ms. Pap smiled briefly. “Teresa, we’re going to need that little cooking kit of yours. We should have enough water to last through tomorrow, but we’ll need to start boiling more right away to keep up with our needs. Would you please take charge of consolidating the water we have and use the empty bottles to collect more to boil?”

“Of course,” Mrs. Osorio said and took Marco to help her round up bottles.

“Why do we need to boil water?” Jenni asked.

“The water from the lake and river may be drinkable or it may not, but we have no way to test it, so we have to assume it’s not safe. That means we have to boil it first.”

“Oh, okay.”

“That reminds me. Jenni, you said you and your friends found some fruit earlier. Would you bring it to me, please? Oh, and something Deena can use for a pillow too, if you can.”

“Sure.” Jenni jumped up and jogged to where Sara was eating the last of a banana and packing up her backpack.

“What’s going on? Are we leaving?” Sara asked.

“No,” Jenni replied, “Mr. Kain said everything’s gone. There’s like a big gorge or something where the campground used to be.” Sara’s eyes grew huge and she stopped chewing her last bite. “Ms. Pap wants to see the fruit we found.”

Sara stared at her blankly. “Oh!” She dug in her pack and handed the sample they had cut to Jenni.

“Thanks.” Jenni took it, along with her own bag, and ran back to Ms. Pap with Sara following close behind.

“I know it’s not a pleasant task,” Ms. Pap was saying to Mrs. Minch, “but it needs to be done.”

“Not a pleasant task, hmph! Come on, Carrie.” Mrs. Minch huffed and turned away, dragging Carrie with her.

“What’s not pleasant?” Sara asked. Mrs. Minch continued to mutter and complain as she stomped off into the trees with Carrie trudging after her.

“We need a place to, um, do our business,” Ms. Pap answered. “Not too far away, but far enough to afford some privacy. And contained, so we don’t risk contaminating our water supply.”

“Oh. So, will boys and girls be like, separate?”

Ms. Pap chuckled. “No, Sara, we’ll be sharing. In the army, they call it a latrine.”

Sara shuddered, and Jenni handed the plum-like berries to Ms. Pap. Jenni then pulled out her extra jacket, and they maneuvered Deena’s head onto it so Ms. Pap could get up and stretch.

They backed away from Deena, and Ms. Pap took the fruit out of the plastic bag for a closer look. The swirled colors were bright and rich in the sunlight. She felt the texture of the leaves. “I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this before. Go ahead and keep it with the rest for now, but don’t eat any.”

Sara took the fruit and sample bag and replaced them in her pack.

Jenni looked around their makeshift camp. Everyone was busy with the projects Ms. Pap had assigned. Except Tori. She was still sitting by the shoreline, staring out at the lake. Jenni frowned, concerned for her.

“What else do we need to do, Ms. Pap?” Sara asked.

Ms. Pap considered. “Well, we still need to address the food situation. From the looks of it, we only have enough to last until tomorrow. If we’re stuck here longer than that, we’ll need something to eat.” She caught the direction of Jenni’s attention. “Why don’t you gather up Tori, and the four of us will scout around and see what we can find?”

Jenni and Sara nodded, and walked to where Tori sat. They approached on both sides and crouched beside her. Tori had her knees tucked under her chin with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. Tears flowed freely from her blue eyes and droplets had darkened her pants. She continued to stare at the water while Jenni and Sara struggled to find something to say.

Tori, surprisingly, was the first to speak. “I’ve thought a lot of times about running away from home.” Jenni and Sara exchanged a look of astonishment. Tori sniffed and blinked more tears away. “But I never had the guts to actually do it.” She paused, looking at Sara and Jenni. “Now all I can think of is how bad I want to go home.”

Jenni reached out and hugged her as she cried quietly. “We’ll figure it out,” Jenni whispered. “Somehow, we’ll figure it out.”

Sara joined in the hug.

Hugs are good, Jenni thought. People really should hug more.

Tori sniffed again and wiped her eyes. “Thanks, you guys. You’re the only friends I have in school.”

Surprised by this admission and Tori’s earlier words — she couldn’t remember Tori saying so much at once all year long — Jenni simply said, “Hey, that’s what friends are for,” and gave her another good squeeze.

“How are we doing over here?” Ms. Pap stood behind them, smiling.

“I think we’re gonna be okay,” Jenni replied and the girls helped each other up.

“Good. I’ve got Charles watching over Deena for now, so let’s see if we can find anything to eat in this place.”

“Sounds good,” Sara said. “I’m starving!”

Jenni laughed. “You just had a banana.”

“So?” Sara said, adjusting her glasses with a smile. “I’m a growing girl.”

* * * *

The four of them spent the better part of an hour hiking around the area within a few hundred yards of the east side of the river. They found a few more bushes with the plum-berries and some trees that bore nuts, but they were too high for any of them to reach. They also saw signs of small animal activity, but nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing to indicate what might have bitten Deena.

Ms. Pap told them the wound hadn’t looked anything like a snake bite — snakes leave punctures in the skin. Whatever it was had taken a two-inch wide, ragged chunk out of Deena’s arm. The bleeding had been hard to control. Deena told her, right before she’d fallen asleep, it looked like a little man with very large ears, but Ms. Pap dismissed it to her being fevered and a bit delirious.

Jenni, Sara, and Tori listened intently, with more than a little fear, to Ms. Pap’s account, but they didn’t see any big-eared little men during their search.

The sun had crossed most of the valley and was nearing the peaks on the west side when the four of them returned to camp. The fire pit was completed and working. Mrs. Osorio’s small pot and frying pan were filled with water and hung over a lively fire from a tripod of blackened tree branches. A hefty pile of deadwood sat off to the side of the pit. Most everyone was seated and resting. Mr. Kain saw them approach and came to meet them.

“Find anything?” he asked, dark eyes flashing with a hopeful smile on his tanned face.

“Maybe,” Ms. Pap answered. “There are some trees with nuts we couldn’t reach. We can try to get some of those tomorrow if we need to. And these fruits the girls found earlier, but I have no idea if they are safe to eat.”

Mr. Kain frowned. “Hmm. Well, everything is set up here. We’re boiling water and Denny and I have been trying to rig up something we can fish with.”

“Excellent. How’s Deena?”

“The same. Mrs. Osorio and Marco have been watching her since they finished with the water.”

“All right, thank you,” Ms. Pap said. “I should probably check the dressing on her wound. How are you holding up, Roger?”

“Me? I’m fine. Just frustrated. This is crazy. I’m supposed to be learning how to teach science, not auditioning for the next season of Survivor,” he said, chuckling nervously.

Ms. Pap smiled. “I think you’d do quite well.” She turned to Jenni and her friends. “Why don’t you girls get some rest and maybe something to eat?”

“Thanks Ms. Pap,” they said in chorus, plopping down where they had earlier.

* * * *

The sun sank behind the western ridge and the temperature dropped noticeably with its absence. By twos and threes, the class crowded around the fire pit. Water boiled. Sweatshirts and jackets were donned, and friends sat a little closer to each other. Some tried to nap when they could get comfortable. Others listened to music or halfheartedly played video games. They moved Deena close to the fire, and she whimpered occasionally in her sleep. Ms. Pap changed the bandage on her arm, but the wound looked worse.

Twilight gave way to darkness and stars filled the sky. Unfamiliar stars. Jenni had received a small telescope one Christmas when she was younger and had spent many evenings in her back yard with it pointed at the sky. She had learned the names of some of the stars and several constellations — the Big Dipper, Orion’s belt, the distinct “W” shape of Cassiopeia — all had been replaced by a much brighter assortment of strange twinkling lights.

“Well, that tears it,” Mr. Kain said, also looking at the stars. “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

“Kansas?” Todd interjected. “We live in Idaho.”

Sara snorted. “Wizard of Oz, you dork.”

Several kids snickered and Todd opened his mouth to retort when Ms. Pap held up a hand. “All right. Enough.” Todd scowled but remained quiet. “We have some decisions to make and I think we should discuss our options, such as they are.

“We have no idea how it happened, but we’re obviously very far from home with no apparent means to get back. We haven’t seen any signs of civilization and the land around us has changed. We need information.”

Mrs. Osorio asked, “What do you propose?”

“I think, in the morning, we should have one or two groups do some extensive scouting and find us a likely direction to travel,” Ms. Pap said, looking around at the class.

“Travel!” Mrs. Minch cracked. “What if whatever brought us here happens again and we’re not around when it does? We may have already missed it by moving here to the river!”

The class exchanged uneasy looks.

“I saw a movie like that once,” one of the twins, Ethan or Nate — Jenni could never tell them apart — said. “These guys got transported back in time —”

“Oh, yeah,” the other twin chimed in. “It was so cool when they —”

“Would you shut up?” Brandon said, glaring at the twins.

Everyone began talking, offering opinions.

“Let’s focus, please.” Ms. Pap regained their attention. “Kathy, while I understand your apprehension about leaving the area, we have other things to consider.” She held out a finger. “One, we have a very sick girl here who’s in desperate need of medical help. Two, we will shortly run out of food, if not water. And three, we are very exposed here if the weather should turn bad, so we need to find some form of shelter. We have little in the way of tools or resources to work with.”

Mrs. Minch sighed and grumbled. “All the more reason to wait back there and hope we get sent back.”

“I suppose the possibility exists, but I’m not willing to gamble all these lives on that chance.” Ms. Pap held the woman’s gaze before Mrs. Minch’s shoulders slumped and she looked away. Next to her, Carrie held her head in her hands.

The fire popped and water bubbled in the pot. Ms. Pap’s eyes searched the class. “Does anyone have anything to say or add?” Frogs by the lakeshore gave the only response in the form of croaks and song.

“Okay. We’ll work out the details in the morning. I think we need to set up watches for tonight. We need to keep the fire burning for heat and protection. Mrs. Minch, would you be willing to take the first?”

Surprised to hear her name, Mrs. Minch looked like she might refuse, but then said, “Sure.”

“Thank you. Teresa, Roger, any preferences?”

They glanced at each other and Mr. Kain nodded to Mrs. Osorio to pick first. “I’ll take the last spot, I guess,” she said. “I’m an early riser anyway.”

“I’ll take third then,” Mr. Kain said.

“Very well, Kathy, if you will wake me up in a couple of hours or so, I’ll relieve you. Also, please keep an eye on Deena and let me know if her condition changes.”

Mrs. Minch nodded with a sullen expression.

“As for the rest of you, get as much sleep as you can.”

The knot in Jenni’s stomach didn’t feel much like sleeping.

4

What little sleep Jenni got was filled with strange dreams she couldn’t quite remember when she woke, but left her feeling uneasy nonetheless. Her family had never camped much and she found herself waking at every little noise or movement from those around her. From the bleary-eyed looks of the others in the morning, no one else had fared much better.

Jenni went to the shoreline and splashed a little water on her face. The bracing cold served to perk her up somewhat. She walked back and sat with the others to nibble on snack food and have a drink. Their food was running out quickly — they needed to find something edible soon or they’d be in bad shape.

Ms. Pap got Deena to sit up for a few minutes and take some water and crackers, but she looked worse. She had thin, black lines crawling down her arm to her wrist and up toward her shoulder. Her whole arm was red, in contrast to the paleness of the rest of her skin. Afterward she lay back down into a fitful slumber.

After everyone had eaten, and taken turns at the latrine, they organized two groups of three people as scout parties. The first group, consisting of Mrs. Osorio, Marco, and Todd, would head up and over the eastern ridge. The second group of Ms. Pap, and Will, and Vic, would go to the northern end of the lake. They already knew a gorge ran to the south, and the western mountains looked too difficult to climb. Mr. Kain and a group, including Jenni, Sara, Brandon, and two of the other boys would try to collect some of the nuts they had seen the day before. Mrs. Minch would stay at the camp with the rest of the students, gather more firewood, and keep the water supply in good shape.

Jenni and her group headed to the nut-bearing trees. They found them after just a few minutes, and stood below, looking up at the leaves and branches that held their objective. Smooth bark, like an aspen tree, only much darker in color, surrounded trunks one to two feet in diameter. They grew straight up and the first branches were at least fifteen feet off the ground.

Brandon and the other boys — Mike and Scott — each tried their hand at climbing, but without much to hold on to, they couldn’t reach the lowest branches. After a few attempts, Mr. Kain had them stop. He looked up at the tree, then back to the students, focusing on Jenni and Sara.

“Have either of you done much tree climbing?” he asked the girls.

They both nodded and Jenni said, “Sara had a tree house in her back yard that we used to play in all the time when we were little.”

“Okay, good,” he said. “Jenni, you’re a little smaller than Sara, do you mind if we try something?”

“Sure, what?”

“Take off your shoes and socks and we’ll give you a boost up the tree as far as we can. You should have better grip with your bare feet.”

Jenni took off her tennis shoes and placed her socks inside.

Mr. Kain turned and stood facing the tree. “Brandon, can you get her onto my shoulders?”

“Sure.”

Brandon stepped behind her. Jenni’s heart raced as he held her by the waist and lifted her up. She could feel Sara smiling behind her, and Jenni was glad no one could see her blushing. She wrapped her arms around the trunk, and Mr. Kain guided her feet so she stood on his shoulders.

“Now, I’m going to hold your feet and push you up as high as I can. From there see if you can climb the rest of the way.” He paused and grasped her feet. “Ready?”

Jenni checked her grip and nodded. “Yep.”

“Okay, one, two, three.” Mr. Kain pushed Jenni up to the extent of his arms. She guided herself along with her hands until she stopped rising, then she hugged the trunk hard and placed her feet on either side to get a grip.

Once secure, she looked up and saw she needed to go up a little farther to reach the first of the branches. She made sure not to look down and she tested her feet. They held, and she scrunched and pushed, moving like an inchworm, up the tree to the lowest branch.

“Well done, Jenni!” Mr. Kain praised. “Can you reach any nuts from there?”

Jenni looked around, holding tightly to the trunk. She spied a few clusters of nuts. “Yeah, I think so.”

She hauled herself up some more, reaching the nearest branch. It felt sturdy and she managed to get to a sitting position. She had a scary moment when she accidentally looked down at Sara and the others. Jenni quickly closed her eyes and let the small wave of dizziness pass, then refocused her attention on the nuts. They were long, about three inches, curved like a banana, and dark, almost black. She reached out and plucked four bunches, letting them fall to the ground.

Jenni heard the rustle of activity below as the others scooped the prizes up from the forest floor. She gathered herself and glanced down at them.

“Not anything I’ve ever seen before, but maybe Ms. Pap has,” Mr. Kain said hopefully. “Drop as many more as you can easily reach, Jenni, then we’ll get you down and go back.”

Jenni nodded and pulled more nuts from the tree. She was even able to work her way around to some branches on the other side before her legs and arms started to tire.

“That’s it I think. I’m coming down.”

Even though the bark was smooth, Jenni still scraped the inside of her arms painfully when she slipped on her descent. After what seemed an eternity, Mr. Kain grabbed her feet. He and Brandon then helped her down the rest of the way.

Brandon gave her a half smile and said, “Nice job, Jenni,” setting her on the ground.

Jenni’s face became hot again, this time in front of everyone, but she didn’t care. She smiled and whispered, “Thanks,” to him. Slightly weak in the knees, she sat down and put on her socks and shoes. After she finished, Sara offered a hand up and gave her a wink. Jenni let out a small giggle.

“Okay,” Mr. Kain said. “Let’s head back and see what else needs to be done.”

Movement to her left caught Jenni’s eye. “What was that?”

Everyone stopped to look in the direction she indicated, but nothing appeared. “I thought I saw something by that bush,” Jenni said.

Mr. Kain and the others went over to investigate but didn’t find anything. “I’m sure you’re just tired from the climb, don’t worry about it,” he said.

Jenni shrugged and they hiked back to camp.

They had collected almost half a backpack full of the nuts. Mr. Kain sat down and examined them while the group watched. After being unable to break one open with his hands, he resorted to using a couple of rocks to crack the shell. The meat inside was peanut colored, but had a dark center.

“Will we be able to eat them?” Brandon asked.

“I don’t know,” Mr. Kain sighed. “We’ll wait for Ms. Pap to get back and see what she thinks.”

They spent the next few hours going out in groups to collect firewood and refill bottles from the river to be boiled. Those that stayed in camp rested, or busied themselves with games or music, trying to take their minds off their predicament.

Earlier in the day, Denny had tried to catch fish by using a bobby pin bent into a hook shape. He used one of the utility knives to cut one end off and make it sharp. One of the other girls, Faith, had a knitted sweater he unraveled to use for line, tying it to the end of a sturdy branch. He used a piece of cheese as bait, and cast out into the lake. After a few tries, he managed to get a bite and set the hook. When he tried to pull it in though, the line had snapped and his catch had gotten away. Similar lack of materials foiled other attempts at making nets or snares to catch something to eat.

Jenni and some others built a small lean-to out of branches and jackets to help Deena stay out of the sun in the afternoon. It was warmer than the previous day and she seemed more uncomfortable. They took turns giving her water and adjusting the shelter as the sun made its way across the sky.

Late in the afternoon, they heard a shout from the west. Jenni looked up and saw Mrs. Osorio and Marco, with Todd stumbling along between them. They each had one of his arms over their shoulders and had to drag him toward the camp. Mr. Kain jumped up and ran to meet them along with some of the boys. They took Todd from the Osorios and carried him back to the fire pit where Deena lay.

Todd had a green tinge to his skin, and he sweated profusely. His eyes weren’t focused on anything and sometimes rolled up, back into his head. Someone brought water, but they couldn’t get him to drink.

“What happened?” Mr. Kain asked as Marco and his mother dropped next to the group, exhausted.

“We went over the eastern ridge. We were partway down the other side when we decided to take a break.” Mrs. Osorio paused. “Todd wandered off for a minute, then we heard him cry out. We found him on the ground like this with one of those fruits next to him — he had taken a bite from it.”

Todd moaned, rolled on his side and started coughing. Several drops of blood colored the dirt beneath him. Mr. Kain managed to get him to drink some water, but then Todd rolled back and fell asleep. Mr. Kain checked his pulse, then placed a jacket under his head for a pillow.

He looked up and addressed the students. “No one, I repeat, no one, is to eat or drink anything you find out here until Ms. Pap, or I, say it’s okay. Got it?”

The class gave silent nods in response.

Mr. Kain turned back to Mrs. Osorio and asked quietly, “What did you find?”

“Not much.” She leaned back and took a water bottle with a small smile of thanks. “It looks like we’re at the edge of a mountain range, kind of like back home. We saw big, snow-covered mountains behind us to the west, and to the east were rolling hills and plains as far as we could see.”

“No cities, or towns, or anything,” Marco added.

“Yes, just open space. But, it would be the easiest direction to go from what I could tell.”

Mr. Kain sat back and let the worn out Osorios rest and drink. “Ms. Pap should be back soon. I really don’t like this sitting around and doing nothing,” he said.

A few minutes later, someone spotted the other scouting party. Will, Vic, and Ms. Pap all looked tired, but whole and healthy. The three made their way into camp and everyone shared reports. They had followed a river to the north as far as they could. Tall, snowy mountains surrounded the valley on the north and west, and looked impassable without serious equipment and training. They hadn’t encountered any signs of civilization and only minimal signs of wildlife.

Ms. Pap checked on Todd and shook her head.

Mr. Kain showed the nuts to Ms. Pap, and Jenni watched her study them. Ms. Pap took one that had been opened over to the fire pit and held it close to the flames with her fingertips. After a few seconds, the dark center of the nut melted and dripped onto a rock that bordered the fire. It sizzled and dissolved a hole in the stone.

“Well I’d say that’s a big ‘No’ on the edibility of these,” Ms. Pap stated with wide eyes.

She tossed the remainder of the nut into the fire and sat down, defeated.

“What the hell are we going to do?” Mr. Kain asked her quietly, but Jenni was close enough to hear. He looked at the end of his rope, as did many of them. Jenni shivered in fear.

“I have no idea,” Ms. Pap sighed. “We have two kids that could die without medical attention, no food, and no idea of where we are. I’m at a complete loss.”

Jenni crept back to where Sara and Tori sat, quiet and subdued.

A loud bang, like a firecracker, made her jump and small chunks of burning wood went flying from the fire pit. A couple of kids screamed.

Mr. Kain picked something off his shirt and exclaimed, “The nut! The nut freaking exploded in the fire!” He turned and stomped off toward the latrine.

Jenni closed her eyes and silently prayed to whomever would listen. Somebody please help us. We’re in big trouble here.

5

Sleep hadn’t come any easier that night, even though Jenni and the others were exhausted from their efforts and stresses of the day. The adults had continued their pattern of watches through the night and kept the fire burning. Stomachs growled and grumbled. At least they had water.

Jenni groaned and rolled over, hoping to wake up and find out that everything had been a dream. The rock poking her in the ribs said otherwise, and she opened her eyes to a pink sky with a few wispy clouds. She got up and stumbled down to the shore for a splash of cold water. It helped to clear her thoughts somewhat and alerted her to another need. Sighing, she turned and walked to the latrine.

They couldn’t make a proper one, having no tools to dig with, but the Minches had found an abandoned rabbit hole near the camp. It was sheltered by a couple of small trees, making it somewhat private. They had dug it out some more by hand, then surrounded it with some of the rocks from the river. Most of their supply of tissues sat in a small bag next to the hole. It stank to high heaven after two days of use by nearly thirty people, but it was contained, and down wind from camp.

Jenni plugged her nose, closed her eyes and did the deed.

“What are you?”

Jenni’s eyes flashed open and she found herself staring at the face of a small, pudgy man with large blue eyes and a scruffy blonde beard.

She screamed, and he vanished.

She quickly pulled up her pants as she heard footsteps coming from camp. Her heart pounded while she tried to decide if what she saw was real.

“Jenni, what happened? Are you okay?” Sara asked, out of breath.

Jenni took a second to collect herself and redo her capris. “I’m … I’m fine,” she stammered. “Just thought I saw something, it startled me … probably a rabbit or something.”

Sara looked at her. “You sure?” A couple of others had arrived to see what the commotion was.

“Yeah,” Jenni said, composing herself a bit more. “I’m okay. Just let me, um, finish up here.”

“Sure,” Sara said, and she collected the others. “She’s okay, let’s give her a minute.”

Jenni watched Sara walk back to camp with Tori and Marco, the others who had come running. Sara looked back once and Jenni gave her a thumbs up before returning her attention to the latrine.

She replayed the incident in her mind and realized the little man hadn’t just disappeared as it seemed at first. She looked around — There! That rock wasn’t there before. She took a step closer and knelt down. A blue eye winked open and quickly closed.

Jenni breathed a small sigh of relief — she hadn’t gone completely out of her mind. Curiosity took over. “It’s okay, I see you there. I won’t hurt you,” she said quietly.

“Them gone?” the rock asked.

Jenni checked the camp again. “Yes, we’re alone.”

The image of the rock disappeared, revealing the tiny man again. He stood perhaps a foot and a half tall with a round face, overly large nose, and plump arms that ended in only three fingers and a thumb. His skin had the tan of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors, but with few wrinkles. The wiry blonde hair on his head was covered by a simple beige cap that looked to be finely spun wool. His other clothes were of similar weave, but darker in color, and he had dark leather shoes that reminded her of Indian moccasins.

Jenni thought briefly about the creature Deena had described, but she had mentioned big ears. This fellow’s ears were hardly noticeable under his cap and curly hair. His shy smile also gave no hint of teeth sharp enough to tear flesh.

“Ask again, what are you?” His voice was rough and surprisingly low for someone so small.

“What am I?” Jenni repeated, surprised. “I’m human. What are you?”

“Human,” he said, trying the word out on his tongue. “I Nomenstrastenai.”

“Wow, that’s a mouthful.”

“Why you here?” he then asked, peering at her with his large, inquisitive eyes.

Jenni blew out a breath. “That’s a good question. We have no idea why or how we got here.”

He got a sad look on his face, then said, “You lost. I help.”

Jenni smiled at him. “Thanks, we could use some help. Let’s go introduce you to Ms. Pap and the others.” She stood up and beckoned him forward. He looked warily at the camp for a moment, then followed her.

“Oh, by the way, my name’s Jenni. What’s yours?”

He looked perplexed. “Name?” Then he brightened and pointed at her. “Ah, you Jenni.” He then pointed at himself and said something she had no hope of pronouncing. He saw her disappointed look and stopped to think. Shortly, he said, “I name, Crank.”

“Crank?” Jenni laughed and extended her hand down to him. “Okay, Crank. I’m pleased to meet you.”

He smiled back and held out his hand in similar fashion. She laughed again and took it gently in her own. “C’mon, let’s meet everyone.”

She released his hand and they went to find Ms. Pap.

Most of the class was awake and moving around, trying to get ready for whatever the day held. The sun had crested the eastern ridge and it was already warm. The afternoon promised to be a hot one.

They found Ms. Pap tending to Deena and Todd. Both were still asleep. Jenni crouched next to them with Crank at her side. Ms. Pap had the first aid kit out and was concentrating on Deena’s dressing.

“Ms. Pap,” Jenni said. “I’d like you to meet Crank.”

“What, Jenni?” Ms. Pap looked up and froze, her mouth dropping open.

Crank examined Deena and Todd with great interest. He turned his attention to Ms. Pap and held out his hand as Jenni had shown him before. “I, Crank, pleased to meet you.”

“I found him out there … or, I guess he found me. He says he can help us,” Jenni added.

After a few stunned seconds, Ms. Pap took his hand and found her voice. “Well if you can help us, I’m very pleased to meet you as well.”

Crank indicated Deena and Todd. “These hurt?”

Ms. Pap nodded. “Yes, can you help them?”

Crank moved around to Deena’s side and looked closely at her arm. The black tendrils had multiplied and reached all the way up her shoulder. Ms. Pap leaned over and removed the bandage that covered the wound. It looked bad, seeping blood and pus. The edges were swollen and inflamed with infection. Crank hissed, much like a cat, and backed off a step. “Gobinstratstorai,” he said.

Ms. Pap looked at him. “What does that mean?”

Crank ignored her and opened a small satchel at his side Jenni hadn’t noticed before. He pulled out a tiny glass jar with an opening just big enough for one of his fingers. Crank dipped his finger in, bringing out a small amount of milky white paste, which he carefully applied to Deena’s wound. He had it completely covered after a couple more applications, then he replaced the jar in his bag. Ms. Pap moved to put a new bandage on Deena’s arm but Crank gently restrained her. “Need air,” he said.

Ms. Pap started to protest but relented and put the bandages back in her kit.

Jenni looked up and realized they had attracted a crowd. The whole class was staring in wonder at Crank.

Crank, too, noticed the attention, and held out his hand to the group and said, “I, Crank, pleased to meet you,” with a smile on his face.

Chaos ensued.

Everyone started talking at once. Crank became confused and frightened. He backed up a few steps to stand in front of Jenni, who put a protective arm in front of him.

“All of you please calm down!” Ms. Pap shouted, holding up her arms.

“What is that thing?” Mrs. Minch screeched. “And what was it doing to Deena?”

“This is Crank, and he’s offered to help us,” Ms. Pap answered.

Mrs. Minch laughed. “And you’re just going to take that at face value? He might be the one that bit her in the first place!”

Ms. Pap sighed. “I really doubt that and, at this point, I’m willing to accept help from wherever we can get it.” She turned back to Crank and asked, “Can you do anything for the boy?” pointing to Todd, who lay next to Deena.

Crank looked at him and asked, “What hurt?”

“He ate a poison berry,” Jenni said.

“What ‘poison’?”

“Poison, bad.” Jenni made choking motions and stuck out her tongue.

“Ah, what he eat?” Crank stepped over to Todd’s head and carefully opened his mouth, looking inside. Todd continued to sleep fitfully.

Jenni glanced around and found Sara standing behind her. “Sara, do you still have the fruit sample in your pack?”

Sara continued to stare at Crank, then blinked. “Yes, sorry! One sec.” She quickly retrieved her bag and brought out the plum-berry samples they had collected. Jenni took them and showed Crank.

He looked at them with a puzzled expression. “Tolenton’naie? Tolenton’naie not bad, not poison.” He reached into his satchel again and pulled out a fruit just like the ones in the sample bag. He took a bite, juices running down his bearded chin. “Tolenton’naie good.”

Ms. Pap frowned. “Well this Tolen-whatever is not good for us. Todd ate it and became sick.”

Crank considered this. “Did ask take?”

“What?” Ms. Pap and a few others said at the same time.

Crank put the rest of his Tolenton’naie back in his satchel and beckoned them. “Come, show.” Then he set off to the south along the river.

They all followed him to one of the bushes that bore the mysterious fruit. He walked over and cupped one in his small hand, but did not pick it. “Must ask, take.” He closed his eyes and murmured something. The fruit came off the branch without any apparent effort. “Must ask,” he repeated.

Mr. Kain stepped forward. “Are you trying to say that we have to ask the plant to take the fruit or it becomes poisonous? That’s crazy!”

Jenni knelt next to Crank and held her hand around another of the Tolenton’naie. She closed her eyes and said, “May I please have this fruit?” She felt a tingle and the Tolenton’naie dropped into her hand. Jenni smiled and looked back at the group in astonishment.

“Jenni, wait —” Ms. Pap started.

She took a bite and gasped. It was amazing! The fruit was tender and sweet, and the juice fizzed in her mouth like soda pop. She finished the rest and started to reach for another when she realized she felt full.

“I’m not hungry,” she said aloud in surprise, and smiled at Crank.

The reaction was immediate. Everyone crowded around the bush, asking it to release its fruit — which it did without hesitation. Seconds later, they had all eaten, and felt full and refreshed for the first time in more than a day.

“Hurt ones need Tolenton’naie,” Crank said, and he asked the bush to give its bounty twice more. They made their way back to camp.

Crank stood over Todd and Deena and squeezed the Tolenton’naie juices into their mouths as best he could. The tongues of both sick students came out to lick their lips of the juice, and then they dropped into heavier sleep.

“Take time, better,” Crank stated.

Ms. Pap knelt next to him with tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Crank. This is a miracle.”

Mr. Kain sat down and asked, “How in the world do you know our language?”

Crank’s brow furrowed. “Language? — Ah! Speak, yes?”

Mr. Kain nodded. “Yes, how do you know how to speak like us?”

“I watch and listen.”

“Wait, it was you I saw yesterday in the bushes wasn’t it?” Jenni said to him.

Crank nodded. “Watch and listen. Speak … ah, language … not hard.”

Mr. Kain shook his head in amazement. “You learned our language just from listening to us for a day?”

Crank shrugged, either in modesty or to indicate it wasn’t important, Jenni wasn’t sure which. “Must move,” he said and pointed at Deena. “Surprise one Gobinstratstorai, more come.”

Ms. Pap’s moment of joy turned to concern. “Crank, you’re saying more of the thing that attacked her will come for us?”

Crank nodded. “Soon. Must move.”

6

Ms. Pap regarded their benefactor. “Crank, where can we go? There’s nothing around for miles. We’ve looked.”

Crank paused in thought. He seemed to struggle with something, then made a decision. “My, ah, town … right speak? In that way,” he said, pointing east. “Day walk.”

“The place you live is a day’s walk in that direction?” Ms. Pap asked.

Crank nodded.

“And there are more of your people there?”

“Yes, more Nomenstrastenai there.”

Ms. Pap sighed. “All right, that’s the best idea I’ve heard. We need to figure out a way to move Deena and Todd.”

“Sounds like we need to find something to defend ourselves with too,” Mr. Kain added.

Ms. Pap cringed. “I don’t like the idea of preparing for battle, Roger. They’re just kids.”

“Kids or not, if those things that bit Deena come in force, we’ll need to protect ourselves.”

“Very well. Have Mrs. Osorio and Mrs. Minch work on devising a litter or something to move these two, and you work on defenses.”

Mr. Kain nodded and turned to organize the group.

Ms. Pap then turned to Jenni. “Would you and your friends gather up more fruit for the trip? Don’t go too far from camp.”

Jenni jumped up. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, and, Jenni?”

“Yes?”

“That was a very reckless thing you did back there,” Ms. Pap said sternly. “Eating that fruit could’ve had the same results it did with Todd.”

Jenni blushed. “I know, Ms. Pap. But it just felt … right. I can’t explain it.”

Ms. Pap smiled at her. “I’m just cautioning you to look before you leap.” She made a shooing motion. “Off you go.”

Jenni smiled and ran to get Sara and Tori.

* * * *

They spent the next couple of hours preparing to travel. Jenni, Sara, and Tori gathered enough Tolenton’naie for everyone to have two or three of the fruit. Crank assured them there would be more along the way.

Mr. Kain took several students out in search of suitable branches and small logs to create clubs and staves. Denny said he had an idea for using the nuts Jenni and the others had brought in the day before. Bangs and pops sounded irregularly through the area while he experimented.

The litters to carry the injured proved difficult, though the task became easier when Todd woke up after about an hour. He ate a Tolenton’naie and was still weak, but he could walk with a little help. Deena was still unconscious.

Once they devised a plan, it took quite a while to find two branches of the right size and strength. They then zipped Deena up in Mr. Kain’s jacket without putting her arms in the sleeves. After tying each sleeve to a branch, they used two more jackets at her rear and feet for support. The apparatus was sturdy enough to be dragged by one person, like a litter, or carried by two, like a stretcher. Mike and Scott set to work on the ends of the branches with the utility knives, whittling off the bark to make more comfortable grips.

Last, they buried their latrine and fire pit. They also decided to carry some of the baseball-sized rocks to use for weapons. Thus outfitted, the class walked purposefully to the east.

It was a little past midday and becoming uncomfortably warm. They took turns carrying Deena in the litter. Crank sat on it with her, doing his best to keep her cool with water and Tolenton’naie juice. He didn’t weigh enough to add much burden and, while he could move quickly, the humans’ longer legs allowed for swifter travel over distance.

They found they had to stop every fifteen to twenty minutes to retie the jacket sleeves as they worked themselves loose during travel. All in all though, the device worked well, and they made good time.

The group wound its way through the trees at the southern end of the valley, and met up with the gorge that Mr. Kain and the boys had discovered the first day.

Eventually, the trees thinned and gave way to rolling hills with scrub brush and prairie grasses. With the sun descending behind the mountains, Ms. Pap called a halt.

“Crank, how much farther to your home?” she asked as they set down Deena’s litter and everyone dropped their packs.

Crank checked their surroundings. “Be there when sun get … there.” He pointed to the east, a few degrees above the horizon.

Ms. Pap gauged the angle of his arm and said, “So, mid morning or before.” She nodded. “Very well, thank you, Crank.” She then turned to find Mr. Kain. “Roger, any opinions on where we should set up camp?”

Mr. Kain surveyed the terrain. “I don’t know,” he said. “We might move closer to the gorge so we don’t have to worry about attack from one side at least.” He looked to Crank for his opinion.

Crank nodded. “Yes, closer gorge good.”

“Okay, let’s move a little farther south folks,” Mr. Kain announced.

Groans circulated as they picked up their packs and bags again and headed toward the edge of the gorge. While they were all relatively fit, except for Mrs. Minch, none of them were used to walking ten or twelve miles in an afternoon. Jenni felt her feet blistering in a few places. They were all weary, and no one had slept much since they arrived. Within a few minutes they were near the drop-off to the river below. Once again, they dropped their burdens and plopped heavily to the ground.

Everyone sat quietly, nursing aches and pains. Most partook of more Tolenton’naie, which buoyed their spirits somewhat. At least they weren’t hungry any more.

Jenni saw Mrs. Minch nearby, gingerly rubbing her feet. Carrie’s mom still had the white sandals, although the heel had broken off of one somewhere along the way. Her dress had torn in several places, and her face looked a fright. The makeup she wore had run and smeared from a mixture of tears and sweat. Mrs. Minch muttered a constant stream, too soft for Jenni to hear. Carrie sat with her legs out in front of her, next to her mother, staring into the space across the gorge. Jenni felt sorry for both, in different ways.

Sunlight faded and a few stars appeared. The adults conferred and decided to add students to the watches for the night — the more sets of eyes, the better.  Jenni, Sara, and Tori, along with the twins, Nate and Ethan, were assigned to the second watch with Ms. Pap. Everyone who wasn’t on first watch settled down to rest.

Jenni and Sara lay next to each other, heads on packs.

“He looks like the little garden gnomes my grandpa has in his yard,” Sara whispered. “Except he doesn’t have a pointy hat, and his beard is too short.”

Jenni followed Sara’s gaze across the camp to where Crank sat in quiet conversation with Mr. Kain. Jenni giggled softly. “Yeah, he does, doesn’t he?” Then she sighed. “I hope his people can help us.”

“Me too.”

* * * *

Jenni woke abruptly to the sound of a drum somewhere in the distance.

She sat up quickly and looked around. The sky sparkled with the strange stars they had seen since their arrival. She could make out a few shapes moving about the camp. Ms. Pap came into view and crouched next to her. The drumbeats continued to the west.

“I was just about to come wake you for our watch,” Ms. Pap said. “Then that started up.” She tilted her head in the direction of the noise.

Jenni nodded, fully awake now, and checked on Sara and Tori. They were both up and looking at the mountains west of them.

“What is it?” Sara asked.

“I don’t know,” Ms. Pap answered, “but Mr. Kain is talking to Crank to see what he can tell us.”

The three girls and their teacher quietly walked to where Mr. Kain and Crank stood, trying to calm a frightened Mrs. Minch.

“I can’t take any more of this,” she said in between sobs. “Make it stop.”

“We’re all scared too, Mrs. Minch,” Mr. Kain said, “but we have to get it together and keep moving.” He turned to Ms. Pap. “Crank says they’re preparing to attack. The drum calls their guardian spirits or something,” he said, waving his hand. “I don’t know.”

“Crank, do you know how many of them there are and how far away?” Ms. Pap asked.

Crank shook his head. “Not far, don’t know how many.”

Ms. Pap turned back to Mr. Kain. “What do you think? Should we make a run for Crank’s home? From what he said earlier, it’s another four or five miles I’d guess.”

Mr. Kain sighed. “Risky,” he said, looking around, “but probably better than trying to fight them here in the dark. Crank said they can see pretty well.”

They both looked at Crank, who was peering into the darkness where the drumbeat continued. “What’s your opinion, Crank?” Ms. Pap asked their small friend.

“Hard,” he said. “You not see good, but get closer to help. Move, best.”

“All right,” Ms. Pap said. Almost everyone was awake and had joined them at the edge of camp. “Everyone, quickly, but quietly, gather your things and let’s get moving. Brandon and Matt, you’re first up to carry Deena. Let’s go.”

The students nodded, wide-eyed and frightened, and picked up their belongings. They secured Deena as tightly as possible, then Brandon and Matt headed east at a light jog, with Crank riding along to guide them. The rest of the class followed in their wake, moving as quietly as they could. Mr. Kain, Denny, Mike, and Scott brought up the rear.

The starlight afforded them barely enough light to see. Fortunately the ground was relatively even. Still, several of them tripped and fell from roots or protruding rocks. Those next to the fallen helped them up and continued on. Lori Parsons even lent Jenni a silent hand once during their flight.

They traveled that way for perhaps a half hour, alternating between jogging and walking, and stopped only once to re-secure Deena in the litter and change carriers. In the distance behind them, the drumming ceased.

The group kept moving, even more conscious of the need to keep silent.

A few minutes later, a great howl of many voices erupted in the distance behind them. Jenni and Sara exchanged scared looks and they picked up their pace.

“Sounds like they discovered we snuck out,” Mr. Kain said from behind them. “Keep going everyone, as fast as you can.”

Jenni’s lungs were already on fire, but fear gave her a boost. Some of the others, including Mrs. Minch, were faltering. The group was getting strung out across the terrain.

Too short a time passed before Jenni heard the sounds of pursuit. Barks and howls and yips came closer through the night, each one serving to spur her on just a little faster.

Jenni heard Denny and a few others stop behind her. She did as well to see what they were doing and catch her breath. A quarter moon was rising in the east and provided more light to their surroundings. She didn’t think her heart could beat any harder, but it proved her wrong when she saw what was behind them.

The Gobinstratstorai came in many shapes and sizes. Some were almost as small as Crank, others were as tall as four feet and nearly as wide. They all had in common, however, large, irregular ears that stuck out from their heads, and dark, greenish skin. What little light there was glinted off small spear tips and the occasional axe head. They wore a mixed assortment of cloth rags and animal skins and covered ground fast — most upright, but some on all fours. Jenni stared in fear, estimating their number at more than thirty.

Denny opened his pack and produced a couple of softball-sized wads of notebook paper, tied up with yarn. He gave one to Mr. Kain, then pulled a lighter out of his jeans pocket. He lit the paper at the bottom of the one he still held. It caught, then he whirled it in a big circle over his head. After a few revolutions, he let it fly toward their attackers, now only forty or fifty yards away. The fireball soared through the air and landed in front of the pack, rolling to a stop and burning. The Gobinstratstorai halted in surprise and gathered around the flaming object.

A second later, the nuts Denny had wrapped inside the ball exploded. Hard pieces of shell flew out as shrapnel, and the corrosive fluid sprayed on their pursuers. Two of the ones closest to the blast went down while the rest yelled and ran around in confusion.

Denny lit the ball Mr. Kain held and picked another out of his pack. “Hold it a couple seconds longer,” he said, and Mr. Kain nodded, whirling his bomb.

Mr. Kain’s flew farther than Denny’s had, and exploded just above the heads of the rearmost Gobinstratstorai. Denny’s second attempt hit dead center in the mob and blew up just before it reached the ground. A few more of the Gobinstratstorai dropped, and many others clutched their ears or wounds in pain.

“How many more do you have?” Mr. Kain asked.

“Only two.”

“Save them. Let’s go guys! Move!”

They turned and ran. Jenni heard the leader of the Gobinstratstorai behind them, shouting commands above the din of their barking and screaming.

It wasn’t long before Jenni and the boys caught up to Mrs. Minch, who was struggling for breath and limping.

Mr. Kain grabbed Mike and Scott. “Help her. Everyone else go!”

The boys took Mrs. Minch by the elbows on either side and got her moving again. Jenni and the others continued running east. Jenni had never run so far, or so fast.

Shortly, they closed in on the others, and Jenni saw some lights ahead. Seven or eight large mounds, which she had originally taken for more of the rolling terrain, had small doorways filled with light. Several Crank-sized shapes moved among her classmates arriving ahead of her. Crank’s people were shouting at each other in their language, and Jenni saw Crank in the middle of them — presumably trying to explain the situation.

Jenni, Mr. Kain, and Denny came into the circle of light and collapsed, out of breath. Ms. Pap came to them, still winded herself. “Come … they want us behind here!”

Jenni and the others scooted and crawled to the back side of one of the largest humps and looked for their pursuers. The enraged Gobinstratstorai had reorganized and were closing the gap between them and the trio of Mrs. Minch, Mike, and Scott. Jenni silently urged them on.

She had never been so scared in her life.

Jenni glanced around, dismayed. Crank’s people were all small, like him, and she didn’t see anything resembling weapons, though they all moved with purpose. Several of them moved at the edges of the light, planting short, thin posts in the ground at regular intervals. Crank himself stood near a large wooden box that had a small lever or handle extending from one end.

Mrs. Minch and the boys were nearly to the village, with the Gobinstratstorai only yards behind. A couple threw small spears, landing just short of the fleeing humans.

Just as the three crossed the perimeter marked by the little posts, more spears flew from the Gobinstratstorai horde. Most landed harmlessly in the ground, but four found their mark. Mrs. Minch, Mike, and Scott cried out, and fell in a jumbled heap.

Crank began turning the lever furiously, and the box crackled. The newly planted posts responded in kind, glowing bright blue. Tendrils of energy jumped between them like lightning. The screaming mob of Gobinstratstorai hit the boundary and it repelled them in a flash of blinding light and electricity. More than a dozen were struck down before they could halt their charge. Those that were left howled in impotent rage at the edge of the barrier. Crank continued working the box as though their lives depended on it. Jenni was sure they did.

Slowly, the Gobinstratstorai leader gained control of his troops and moved them off, away from the village. Jenni and the others recovered somewhat from the shock, and Ms. Pap went to check on Mrs. Minch and the two boys.

The spears were small, maybe twice the size of an arrow. Carrie’s mother had one in her lower back and one in her right calf. One stuck from Mike’s left shoulder and another impaled Scott’s right hamstring. They were all bleeding, but conscious. Mrs. Minch sobbed uncontrollably, her breathing uneven. The two boys grimaced in pain, color drained from their faces. Ms. Pap stood unmoving, unsure what to do.

Three of Crank’s people — gnomes as Jenni thought of them now — tended to the injured humans. Jenni turned away as they worked to push the spear in Scott’s leg through, and out the other side. Scott screamed in pain and then, mercifully, passed out. She shuddered at his agony, then went to where Crank was still operating the box.

He looked up at her, and she saw that it was, in fact, a hand crank he turned. He blushed, ashamed, and Jenni became confused. He indicated the box as he continued to work. “I, Crank,” he said, and Jenni saw a tear in his eye.

7

“I don’t understand,” Jenni said.

Another scream split the air, this time from Mike as his attendants removed the spear.

Jenni flinched at the sound, but Crank continued his work without speaking. Finally, he said, “I not good Nomenstrastenai. Not know how to make …” He indicated the box with one hand while still turning the crank with the other.

Jenni sat in silence and waited for him to continue.

“This only job for me.” He let out a long breath but didn’t say any more.

Jenni felt a touch on her arm and turned to see one of the gnome women offering her a small cup. She wore a simple dress of earthy colors. Her light blonde hair curled in ringlets past her shoulders and her large green eyes shone with kindness. Jenni smiled and had a quick flashback to tea parties with her stuffed animals when she was little. The cup was filled with a clear liquid and she drank it down. It tingled on her tongue and filled her with warmth.

She handed the cup back to the woman and nodded her thanks. The woman gave a slight bow and went off to other duties.

Jenni thought about what Crank had told her. He seemed embarrassed about his situation. Surely they had other things to do besides build strange devices to zap bad guys, Jenni thought. And Crank was obviously smart. Heck, he learned how to speak English in like a day!

Her eyes grew heavy and she swayed. She sank to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.

* * * *

Jenni woke and shielded her eyes from the sun. She sat up and looked around. The place was quiet, as if the terrors of the night before were just a dream. A few gnomes went about their daily business.

Eight earthen domes, each thirty feet or so in diameter, dominated the village. There were also five others about half that size she hadn’t noticed before. Each had a small doorway, almost like an igloo, maybe three feet high, with a few steps leading down inside. Prairie grass grew on them, acting as camouflage. One of the smaller domes had a short fenced area in front of the doorway which held a flock of birds. Jenni thought them to be chickens at first, but they were plumper and had an upright, spread tail — like a miniature turkey. They made a light cooing sound. A gnomish girl fed them grain. The function of the rest of the domes remained a mystery.

The small posts that had formed the energy barrier were still in place and, Jenni noticed for the first time, another gnome was standing by the wooden box. He looked older than Crank by his fuller, longer beard and his face was more weathered. He smiled and nodded to Jenni, then turned his attention outward.

She stretched and stood up as Sara came out from behind the nearest dome.

“Hey, Sleepyhead,” Sara said, and smiled.

“Hey.” Jenni smiled in reply. “What’s going on? Was I asleep long?”

Sara shook her head. “Not much longer than the rest of us. They gave us something last night to help us sleep.” Sara indicated one of the larger domes. “Most of them are meeting now to decide what to do with us I guess.”

Jenni looked around. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Back over here. Just resting mostly.” Sara sighed. “Mrs. Minch, Mike and Scott were hurt pretty bad, but they think they’ll pull through.”

Jenni nodded and looked back at the dome where the gnomes were meeting. “I hope Crank isn’t in trouble for bringing us here. He seemed upset last night.”

“Really?” Sara said in surprise. “All I know is we’d probably be dead right now if it wasn’t for him.” Then she added, “I don’t like feeling so helpless.”

Jenni hugged her. “Me either,” she said, then laughed. “Some field trip, huh?”

Sara returned the hug and laughed as well.

The gnomes filed out of the dome, finished with their meeting. They hurried off to other parts of the village. Crank was one of the last to exit, deep in a one-sided conversation with a gnome woman. He looked at his feet as he walked, and nodded frequently at her. The two of them made their way to the energy field box where Jenni and Sara stood.

Like the rest of her people, the woman wore simple clothing. Her blonde hair was graying and done up in a bun. Several strands had come loose and she seemed upset. Her eyes were the same blue as Crank’s, but hard, and she continued to chastise him.

She has to be his mother, Jenni thought.

Her lecture evidently finished, she left him and headed toward the bird pen.

Crank spoke a word to the gnome who had been standing guard at the box. They exchanged a quick bow and the older gnome left his job to Crank.

Jenni knelt next to him, followed by Sara. Jenni tentatively put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s happening?” she asked him.

Crank looked up at her, then cast his eyes back to the outskirts of the village. “Old Ones not happy,” he said after a moment. “They help, but not happy. Must leave.”

“Leave? Where else can we go?”

“Seren’naie,” he replied. “It is big, ah, town. Very far.”

Jenni and Sara exchanged surprised looks.

Crank continued, “Old Ones will talk Ms. Pap later. We leave morning. Hurt ones stay.”

“You’re coming with us?” Jenni said hopefully.

Crank nodded. “Yes, I only one speak your language and know way Seren’naie.” Then he added, “All others too important.”

“You don’t want to go with us, do you?” Jenni asked, thinking Crank didn’t want to leave his home.

“No, not that,” Crank said, shaking his head. He collected his thoughts, all the while maintaining his attention beyond the village, seeking possible danger. “I trouble,” he said finally. “Not good Nomenstrastenai.”

“You said that last night, what do you mean?”

Crank sighed. “All Nomenstrastenai can make, ah, machines, yes?” he indicated the box next to them. “But I not understand machines. I like plants and animals.”

Jenni was still confused. “Okay, so why can’t you just take care of the birds or something?” She pointed to the pen where his mother had gone.

“I can’t, that job for girl.”

Jenni and Sara stared at him, mouths open. Sara spoke first. “You won’t do that because it’s ‘girl’s’ work? You little pig!”

Crank saw the anger on their faces and waved his hands. “No, no!” he apologized. “I happy do that. Old Ones say no.”

Sara sat back and fumed while Jenni said, “So, because you’re a boy, you’re supposed to work with machines. But you don’t understand the machines and this was the only thing you could do?”

Crank nodded. “Yes, this and get water.” He sighed again. “I should be Elvorstrastenai. They can work plants and animals. But I Nomenstrastenai.”

Jenni had a hard time understanding such a rigid system. She had grown up always being told she could be anything. Which, of course, wasn’t entirely true — she wasn’t exactly cut out to be a linebacker in the NFL — but it was the principle of the thing.

“I hear about some Elvorstrastenai in mountains. Was looking for them and found you,” Crank said.

It dawned on Jenni what he was saying. “You ran away from home to find these Elvor-guys. You didn’t tell your mom or the Old Ones you were going, did you?”

Crank blushed and shook his head.

“And now they’re sending you with us as punishment. I’m so sorry, Crank.” She leaned in and hugged him.

He returned it and said, “It okay, I like go with you, Jenni.” He broke away and resumed his watch over the village.

“Well, maybe someone in the big town can help you too,” Jenni offered with a smile.

Crank smiled back. “Maybe. Hope so.”

Jenni glanced at Sara and saw her friend was still steaming mad. Sara always got angry when someone told her she couldn’t do something because she was a girl. Sara had seriously considered trying out for the football team the year before for that very reason. Jenni felt similar, but it didn’t light a fire in her like it did Sara.

Jenni helped her up and said, “Let’s go see what the others are doing. We’ll see you later, Crank.”

Crank nodded and waved as the two girls walked to where the rest of their class sat and waited.

Jenni and Sara passed along what they had learned from Crank — minus the part about him running away. Most were not looking forward to more walking. They spent the rest of the afternoon checking their belongings and nursing various small injuries.

At sundown, the gnomes provided them with bowls of hot stew and some tasty flatbread. Jenni couldn’t tell what was in the stew exactly, but whatever it was, it filled her up and tasted wonderful.

After the meal, Ms. Pap was led off to the meeting mound, along with Crank for translation, to talk to the Old Ones.

Deena had regained consciousness earlier in the day. She managed to sit up to eat some stew with the rest of the group, then after Ms. Pap had gone, they filled her in on the events of the past couple of days.

She was overwhelmed with all the stories, and lay back down to rest after thanking everyone. Mrs. Osorio covered her with a light blanket the gnomes had given them.

“Denny, how did you come up with those bombs?” Sara asked as they sat and waited for Ms. Pap.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I just like to build stuff. When the nut blew up in the fire before it got me to thinking.”

Mr. Kain laughed. “Well, we’re all glad for your thinking.”

Everyone joined in the laughter and Denny blushed a bright shade of pink.

Mr. Kain continued after the laughter died down, “We’re all going to have to do some thinking — things are different here. Way different. So if anyone ever has an idea for something, don’t be afraid to speak up. We’re short on tools and supplies so this,” he said, pointing to his head, “is going to be our best weapon.”

They nodded in understanding.

Ms. Pap came around the corner and joined their circle. “Well, it’s pretty much as Crank explained to Jenni,” she said after she sat and got comfortable. “We leave in the morning to go to this big city of theirs.”

“Did they say how long it would take to get there?” Mrs. Osorio asked.

“They weren’t very clear on that. None of them have been there in a very long time it seems. But the indication I got was a matter of weeks, not days.”

Groans and cries of disbelief sounded from the class.

“Weeks?” Mrs. Osorio said over the noise. “Oh, my.”

“Why can’t we just stay here?” Marco asked.

Ms. Pap replied, “The Old Ones said they don’t have the supplies or resources to feed and care for a group this large.” She paused. “I also got the feeling even if they did, we really wouldn’t be welcome. They are kind enough, but I think they like to keep to themselves.”

“What about my mom?” Carrie asked her.

“Mrs. Minch and the others that can’t travel will stay and be cared for by the village.” Ms. Pap looked at Carrie. “I asked about you, Carrie, but they said you will need to go with us.”

Carrie’s eyes were wide with surprise. “I have to leave while my mom stays here?”

“I’m afraid so,” Ms. Pap said with sadness. “They were quite firm. All those able to travel must go.”

“Wow,” Carrie said quietly. “I see.” She looked down at her hands in her lap and was lost in thought.

Jenni couldn’t imagine having to leave her mom like that. But then, Carrie and her mom don’t seem to get along very well either, she reasoned. Maybe it would be a good thing for her. But I wouldn’t want to be the gnome that broke the news to Mrs. Minch when she woke up!

“Bottom line is,” Ms. Pap continued, “we leave in the morning, with Crank as our guide. I need everyone to make sure all the water bottles we have are full and everything is packed and ready to go. After that, we get as much rest as possible.”

The class let out a collective sigh, then dispersed to ready themselves for the journey ahead.

8

Morning came too quickly for most of them, but they managed to freshen up, eat a bit of breakfast, and get started on their journey.

The small hills quickly turned to gently sloping plains after the group left the village. Green prairie grasses rolled and waved with the breeze as far as they could see. Birds swooped over the grass, snatching bugs as they went, and soared in the bright blue sky.

They kept the gorge close on their right and, as the day wore on, the steep walls diminished. By the time they decided to camp that evening, the gorge had disappeared, leaving a broad and fast flowing river. They found some Tolenton’naie bushes growing along its banks to replenish their supply of the fruit, and, after Crank’s assurance of the water’s safety, they went in shifts into the river for a much-needed bath.

Jenni, Sara, and Tori went with three other girls, Rachael, Bonnie, and Faith, when it was their turn to wash up. Rachael was a pretty blonde-haired girl who was active in the drama club. Bonnie and Faith were both tall and athletic, each playing on the basketball and volleyball teams. Bonnie had long dark hair she wore in a pony tail, and Faith had light brown hair that was curly and cut short. They were nice girls, but Jenni didn’t know them very well.

At least we didn’t get paired up with Alisha and her crew, Jenni thought in relief.

They moved behind some large green bushes that grew along side the river. The girls stripped down and ran the few feet to the water. The frigid cold stole Jenni’s breath, but it did feel good to wash away the days of sweat and grit she had accumulated. They quickly scrubbed, then ran back to the bushes, shivering in the setting sun, and dried off with some blankets the gnomes had provided.

“Ow!” Sara exclaimed as she dressed.

“What happened?”

Sara picked at her teeth and produced something shiny. “Part of my braces came off,” she said. “One of the wires was poking me.”

“Weird,” Jenni replied, relieved it wasn’t something more serious.

They finished dressing and hurried back to join the others for dinner.

Sara spent the rest of the evening pulling metallic bits and pieces out of her mouth.

“I don’t get it,” Sara said later, scraping pieces of cement off her teeth. “I’ve had wires and stuff break before, but all at once?”

Jenni shrugged. “I don’t know but your teeth look amazing. How much longer were you supposed to have the braces?”

“Another year, and then a retainer for another year after that,” Sara replied. “They really look good though?” She flashed a smile at Jenni and struck a pose.

“Unbelievable! Like a freakin’ super model!” Jenni laughed.

Later, Jenni decided to listen to some music before going to sleep and noticed her MP3 player hadn’t lost any charge, even though she’d used it often since they left home several days ago. She turned to ask Sara about it, but saw her friend was fast asleep already. Tori was listening to music with her eyes closed, so Jenni got up and walked quietly to where Ms. Pap and Mr. Kain were talking.

“… And it was the strangest thing,” Ms. Pap was saying, “even though Crank was there to translate for me, I could have sworn I understood some of the words — just here and there — that the Old Ones were saying.”

Mr. Kain gave her a look of surprise.

Ms. Pap shrugged. “I don’t know. This place is getting weirder by the minute.” She then noticed Jenni standing beside her. “Yes, Jenni, what is it?”

Jenni sat next to them and showed her MP3 player to Ms. Pap. “I was just realizing my player is still on full battery. Has anyone else noticed that?”

Ms. Pap frowned and looked at Mr. Kain. He reached in his pack, pulled out his PDA and checked it.

“Wow,” he said. “She’s right. It’s still fully charged and I haven’t turned it off since we got here.”

Ms. Pap sighed. “Well, one more thing to add to the ‘weird’ list.” Then she smiled. “At least you kids will have things to keep you occupied on our trip.”

Jenni giggled. “Are we there yet?”

* * * *

The remaining adults divided up the night into thirds to keep watch, though they felt relatively secure with the river on one side and empty plain on the other. It would have been difficult for anything to sneak up on them. Crank had gone out earlier to scout around and pronounced the area clear.

Jenni slept fitfully. The prairie grasses were more forgiving than the lake shore had been, but she couldn’t seem to get comfortable. She was angry and grateful to see the first rays of the approaching dawn. Angry she hadn’t gotten much sleep, and grateful she didn’t have to fight it anymore. She got up and went to the river to splash water on her face.

Sara was waking up when Jenni returned. Sara blinked her eyes at the brightening sky, and reached for her glasses. She turned to Jenni and said, “Hey, I can see you.”

“Well, of course you can see me, silly.” Jenni laughed. “I’m standing right here.”

“No,” Sara insisted, holding her glasses out for Jenni. “I can see you. Clearly. No glasses.”

Jenni realized what Sara meant and stared. “First you lose the braces, now your eyes are fixed?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a smile, “but I like it.”

They joined the others for breakfast and discovered more accounts of strange things. Two others had their braces fall off, and four who had glasses or contacts no longer needed them. Excited, they ate quickly and set out at a brisk pace, following the river.

Later that morning, Crank was riding piggy back on Jenni’s shoulders when he let out a shrill whistle. Jenni stopped and clapped her hands over her ears.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Sorry,” Crank apologized and pointed at a bird overhead. “Saw Faerstrastenai scout and want to talk.”

“What?” Jenni asked in confusion. She looked up and saw a bird was circling around them, coming lower with each pass. Everyone else eventually stopped to see what the fuss was about.

The bird swooped in toward them. It was shaped and colored like some swallows she had seen but was at least twice the size. As it came closer, Crank held out his arm.

“What are you doing?” Jenni shied away.

“It okay, stand still,” Crank replied and Jenni fought the urge to run.

The bird braked and flapped to land on Crank’s outstretched arm. Jenni turned her head to look and couldn’t believe what she saw.

Smiling down at her, was a tiny man sitting on the back of the bird.

Four or five inches tall, with a shock of unruly brown hair, his chest was bare and his pants were roughly stitched together from rags and other small pieces of cloth. He had a ruddy complexion, but his teeth were bright as he smiled.

“Greetings!” the tiny man said.

“Um, hello,” Jenni replied.

Crank looked at Jenni in surprise. “You understand him?”

“Well, he just said ‘Greetings,’ — wait, why does he speak English?”

“He doesn’t,” Crank said. He turned back to the little man and spoke in his own language, but to Jenni’s surprise, she was able to understand many of the words.

By the looks on their faces, it appeared everyone else had discovered the same thing.

Crank asked a few questions about the land around them and what lay ahead. The bird rider told him the way was clear and should offer them no trouble. Then, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the rider whispered something in the bird’s ear and they took off from Crank’s arm and flew away.

“Okay,” Jenni said after they’d started moving again. “What was that?”

“Faerstrastenai,” Crank said. “Many kinds, but they all take care of Mother.”

“They take care of your mother?” Jenni asked, confused again.

“Not my mother. Mother,” he corrected and spread his arms. “This all Mother,” he said with reverence in his voice.

Jenni thought for a moment, then whispered, “Mother Earth.” Then she said to Crank, “You mean Mother Earth.”

“Yes. Mother.”

9

They traveled for five more days, following the river as it wound its way through the grasslands.

Their inexplicable knowledge of the local language grew daily, until most of them needed little translation to understand anything Crank said.

Some of the boys took to spending time after dinner each evening sparring with each other using their tree branch weapons. Brandon had taken some martial arts classes and led the sessions. Mr. Kain kept an eye on things to make sure no one got seriously injured. Sara and another girl, Kim, sat and watched the first couple of times, then had asked to join in the next night.

Kim was a big, strong girl with shoulder length brown hair. She played softball on a city league team in the summers and was a talented athlete. She beat most of the boys with sheer strength that first night, but Brandon was skilled enough to avoid getting hit and was a match for her physically.

Sara was simply amazing.

She had tried some sports like Jenni had: volleyball, soccer, basketball and such, but had never been anything special, much like Jenni. Sara was only a couple of inches taller than Jenni and no one would have ever called her physically intimidating.

Sara walked over and chose a weapon that was thinner than the rest and held it out in front of her like a sword as she faced her first opponent, Will.

The two were about the same height, but Will’s frame held much more muscle. He had been a wrestler since he was four or five years old, and he was quick. His blonde hair was cut short and his green eyes studied Sara intently as they circled each other. He was the only boy who had given Brandon a challenge.

Jenni had watched, worried for her friend. Her fears quickly changed to wonder as she watched Sara work.

Sara and Will circled exactly three times, then Sara struck. With a flick of her wrists, she batted Will’s club aside, then reversed direction and gave him a solid whack in the ribs. Sara bounced backward briefly, then stepped in low. Will tried to block her, but unbalanced himself. Sara’s branch swiftly zipped up and landed another solid hit, this time on Will’s shoulder near his neck.

Mr. Kain stepped in, preventing further damage.

Sara then proceeded to whip the rest of the boys in similar fashion. Jenni was stunned.

Sara and Brandon faced each other as the last match of the evening. Brandon was much bigger and stronger — and had training on his side as well — none of which seemed to bother Sara as they danced around each other. The two traded feints and parries for what seemed to Jenni like several minutes. Suddenly, Sara flashed inside Brandon’s guard and gave his right hand a sharp smack. He yelped and dropped his tree branch. Sara flicked her weapon higher and stood with the pointed end touching Brandon’s chest. He looked down at it, then gave Sara a cold stare that made Jenni shiver. She could have sworn she heard a low growl escape his throat.

For her part, Sara didn’t retreat and stared right back until Mr. Kain moved in seconds later to call a halt for the night.

Jenni and Sara had lain down to sleep when Jenni whispered to her, “How did you do it? That was incredible!”

Sara shrugged and whispered back, “I don’t really know. Everything just felt right. I don’t even remember half of it to be honest — like I was in some sort of trance or something.”

“I swear you seem taller to me too.”

“Must be my new teeth and eyes.” Sara giggled. “Gives me that super model confidence.”

Jenni snorted. “Yeah, that’s it. Better get your beauty sleep.”

Over the next two nights, Sara continued to dominate the sparring sessions. Her toughest opponent was always Brandon, but she bested him every time.

Jenni noticed changes in him as well. His fingernails were becoming darker, and thick. He also seemed bigger, and Jenni was pretty sure it wasn’t because of his sparkling personality. As Jenni watched them practice, she wondered what she had seen in him before that had excited her so. Every time Sara beat him, he became more irritable and cold. It gave her chills.

As the days passed, she saw the others were changing, too. Most were either getting larger or smaller, and many had lighter or darker skin tones. Ms. Pap looked older — her skin was more wrinkly. Even facial features were becoming different for some. She was sure Todd’s nose and ears were getting bigger, and Mr. Kain’s ears were developing a point on the top.

The only one she didn’t see any changes in was herself. And Crank.

Jenni decided to talk with him that night, their sixth since they’d left his village. She asked him to join her after dinner and the group had set up for the sparring matches. Everyone who wasn’t participating had taken to watching the bouts each night. Jenni led Crank away from them, but still within sight. They sat across from each other in the grass.

“I wanted to ask you something,” she began. “I’ve noticed a lot of changes going on and wanted to see if you had, too.”

Crank smiled. “Changes in your friends you mean? Yes. I have to admit I’m unsure of what is happening, though I have my suspicions.” He stopped and looked thoughtfully at her classmates and teachers.

“Go on,” she encouraged. “I’d like to hear what you think.”

He turned back and said, “I think that Mother is … molding them somehow. There are no humans here, as you’ve seen, so She is changing them to … fit in, I guess.”

“But why would She do that?”

“I don’t know. Mother doesn’t see fit to enlighten me on Her decisions,” he chuckled.

Jenni smiled briefly, then sighed. “I haven’t talked to anyone about it, but I’m wondering: am I changing too and just not noticing it?”

Crank eyed her. “No. I have seen no change in you. Well, except for your ability to speak, but everyone has gained that.” He paused. “I believe my idea to be sound, but I cannot explain you.”

They sat quietly and listened to the weapons practice for a time. Shouts of encouragement for one contestant or another sounded between cracks of wood against wood. Ms. Pap had frowned on the activity at first. She didn’t like the gladiatorial aspect, but Mr. Kain had convinced her of its value — not only in practicing skills they may need, but it gave the group something to focus on besides homesickness.

Jenni turned her attention to Crank again. “Can I ask how old you are?”

“Of course,” he grinned. “This is my sixteenth summer.”

“Wow, so you’re only a couple of years older than me. I turned fourteen in November.”

“I do not know what it is ‘November’, but,” he said, “you would be ready for your final Naming this summer in my village.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, Nomenstrastenai go through several names during our childhood. Then, usually in our fifteenth summer, we receive our final Name. It is based on our function in the village.” He frowned. “Mine translates roughly as: ‘He who operates the water and defenses’. Crank.”

Jenni studied his face. “That must have been hard for you. I can’t imagine being boxed into something like that.”

Crank nodded slowly. “Yes. It was. After a year, I decided I couldn’t take being ‘Crank’ for the rest of my life, so I ran away to try to find some of the Elvorstrastenai. I hoped they might take me in and teach me their ways.” He smiled then and said, “But then I found you instead.”

Jenni returned the smile. “And boy, are we glad you did!” She giggled. “We’d probably have ended up in someone’s cook pot by now if you hadn’t.”

He shared her laugh. “Quite likely.”

They stopped and listened to her classmates again. The match sounded intense. Jenni couldn’t see who was involved though through the crowd.

“I am getting very worried about some of you,” Crank said.

Jenni turned back, surprised. “Why?”

He stopped to collect his thoughts, then said, “I have always been fascinated by plants and animals. I’ve studied them on my own a lot as I’ve gotten older — including other peoples like the Gobinstratstorai.” He paused again then, as if unsure if Jenni would believe him. “I think that some of you are becoming Gobinstratstorai, or their close relatives.”

Jenni’s heart skipped a beat. “You think we’re changing into those things that tried to kill us at your village?”

“Some of you, yes. Todd, certainly. Will and Kim I think, too. Some others maybe.”

Jenni could see sadness and fear in his eyes. Now that he’d said it, she could see it herself — but she still didn’t want to believe it. “What about Brandon?” she asked him.

“His features don’t fit the pattern. I don’t know what he’s turning into, but from what I’ve seen, it won’t be good.”

Jenni sat in silence for a time. “What should we do?” she asked finally.

“Watch them. Beyond that, I don’t see anything else we can do. Hopefully the transformations won’t be complete. I just don’t know.” He nodded toward the group. “Looks like they are finishing up.”

Jenni saw that indeed, everyone was moving back to camp to get some sleep. She reached over and gave him a quick hug and said, “Thank you, Crank.”

Surprised, he asked, “For what?”

“For saving us. For everything. For being a good friend.”

“Thank you for that last as well, Jenni.” He smiled. “Go get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Jenni smiled and walked back to camp.

10

Brandon woke the next morning to raindrops on his face.

Clouds had rolled in during the night and the rain had started at first light. Brandon sat up and combed his fingers through his wavy brown hair. He watched as the others woke to the same wet surprise then he packed his things.

His eyes found Sara across the camp. She had beaten him again last night and his anger rekindled.

He reached into his bag for a Tolenton’naie and ate it. He grabbed two more and ate them as well. The fruit didn’t satisfy him any more. He was always hungry and had a terrible craving for meat. All they had to eat was the fruit and some flat bread the little dwarf people had given them.

Still fuming, he grabbed his pack, slung it over one shoulder and marched out of camp. It didn’t take a genius to figure out which way they were headed. They had been following the river to the southeast for a week. He was pretty sure they weren’t going to do anything different today.

A rabbit darted from his path and dashed away. His eyes tracked the movement immediately. He thought he could hear and feel its racing heartbeat. It excited him.

He looked at his fingernails. They were growing, becoming stronger, like the rest of him. Soon he wouldn’t need a silly tree branch to fight with. His skin felt tough and leathery, like armor almost. It won’t be long before Sara gets hers. It’s just a matter of time.

Brandon had always been the best at everything, without really even trying. Sports, school — everything came easily to him. He enjoyed the praise and attention from friends and family. Then they had arrived here, and he’d been relegated to pack mule most of the time. Now they were following a puny little runt with a beard who wouldn’t last two seconds in a real fight.

Everyone had been so quick to compliment Denny for his stupid nut bombs. Who had carried the injured girl most of the way that night? Me, that’s who. But did I get a “thank you”? No. Of course not. Then his two best friends, Mike and Scott, had been hurt in the attack and had to stay behind. Now I’m stuck with the retard patrol, he steamed.

He grimaced as pain shot through his upper back. He dropped his pack and reached over his shoulder, feeling along his spine below his neck. Several hard spikes poked through his skin, each two or three inches long. That’s interesting. Brandon then heard a pop, and a tearing sound at his feet. He looked down and saw his toes had torn through one of his shoes. Disgusted, he pulled both shoes off his feet, as well as his socks, and tossed them all in the grass. His toenails looked like his fingernails and he could hardly feel the ground beneath his bare feet. He shrugged, hefted his pack, and kept walking.

It rained lightly, on and off, throughout the day. Fortunately, the grass was thick enough that there wasn’t much mud if he stayed away from the river. By evening, the clouds broke up and the rain subsided.

Brandon ate four Tolenton’naie but still didn’t feel full. He needed meat. He had seen rabbits, mice and other small creatures all day, but wasn’t sure he could catch them. Maybe I can try tonight after everyone’s asleep.

Someone decided to build a fire after dinner, and everyone sat near it, chatting or listening to music. After a few minutes, Brandon got up and walked off to find a place to practice. He’d had an idea earlier in the day and was eager to get started.

He found a good spot in short order and began to stretch and limber up. Will, Todd and the others showed up soon after and started their own warm-up routines.

After they were stretched, Brandon announced, “I thought we’d do something different tonight.” The others looked at him expectantly. “I think we should practice without the weapons, hand to hand.”

The boys, and even Kim, all nodded. Sara looked at him skeptically.

Brandon continued, “Will, since you’ve wrestled, why don’t you show us a couple of moves?”

Will agreed and they spent the next few minutes learning some basic holds and throws. Mr. Kain arrived and Brandon saw him raise an eyebrow but he didn’t comment.

When the rest of the class had gathered around, they started with matches. Kim proved to be a natural. She was big, strong and had an attitude. Todd was a good match for her, but when he grabbed her once in a place she didn’t like, she took him by the arm and literally threw him ten feet. Mr. Kain stopped the match. Todd was only bruised, but Kim looked like she’d kill him if he got close to her again.

Brandon beat them all, including Will, before Sara was the only opponent left. Surprisingly, Sara had beaten everyone except Kim and Will. Todd had been a tough opponent for her, but her reflexes proved too fast. Todd tended to lunge and unbalance himself often. Sara had taken advantage of that and had pinned him with his left arm held painfully behind his back.

Brandon stood waiting in the circle. Sara conversed with Jenni off to the side. Brandon figured Jenni was trying to talk her out of fighting. Sara shook her head and turned to face him.

Brandon smiled at her. “You sure you want to do this Wilson? No one would blame you for wanting to quit.” Brandon knew that would only anger her.

“I’m no quitter,” she spat back at him.

Brandon smiled again.

They circled slowly. Eyes fixed on each other.

Brandon had all the advantages in a fight like this and they both knew it. This wasn’t about fairness any more though for Brandon, it was about payback for having embarrassed him the past several nights.

He lunged low, knowing she would avoid it. She danced to the right, then, cat-quick, jumped on his back and tried to apply a sleeper hold with her forearm.

Perfect.

He grabbed the arm around his neck, then spun quickly and dropped. She was beneath him and couldn’t release because of his grip on her arm. She landed heavily with all of his weight on top of her. One of his newly formed spines pierced deeply into her left shoulder.

Sara screamed in pain. Brandon thought it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

Mr. Kain and Ms. Pap rushed in to tend to Sara. Brandon got up, blood dripping from the spine on his back and was greeted with shocked silence. He tried to look concerned for Sara, but inside, he was grinning from ear to ear.

“Someone get the first aid kit — quickly!” Ms. Pap shouted. Several kids jumped up and ran back to camp. She turned back to Sara. “It’s going to be all right. We’ll take care of it.”

Sara nodded and gritted her teeth in pain.

Jenni and Crank dropped down next to her. Jenni held Sara’s hand as Ms. Pap pulled her shirt away to get a better look at the wound. Crank applied some sort of ointment to it and someone rushed in with the first aid kit.

Brandon strode off, out of the clearing and away from camp.

Mr. Kain caught up with him after a few yards. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Walking.”

Mr. Kain spun him around and stared at him. “You did that on purpose back there.”

Brandon stared back. He considered denying it, but decided not to. “Yeah, so what? She deserved it.”

“She deserved it? Because she’s been beating you, she deserved to get injured?”

“Fighting with sticks is one thing. Fighting for real is another. She needed to understand what that’s like.”

“Brandon, you’re what — fourteen? What do you know about fighting for real?” Mr. Kain asked him.

Brandon smirked. “More than you might think. This body I’m building knows how to fight. It knows what it needs. And I know I’m not getting what I need here with you.” He searched Mr. Kain’s eyes. “What’s your body telling you? To follow Ms. Pap? A little dwarf? What do they know? This place is new, and it’s real. I can feel power building in me — and I like it.”

Mr. Kain pursed his lips and let out a breath through his nose. “No more sparring. I won’t put up with that kind of behavior.”

“Fine. We done?”

Mr. Kain nodded. “For now.”

Brandon turned and walked away. He heard Mr. Kain pause, then return to camp. He’s scared of me, Brandon thought, they’re all scared. He felt flushed with power, like he did on the football field after he’d scored the winning touchdown. He smiled. All right — time for some real tests.

Brandon spent most of the night stalking prey. Rabbits, mice, voles — all creatures came under his scrutiny. He caught several, and satisfied his carnivorous cravings. He surprised himself at his own savagery. His first kill was a rabbit. He tore it open with his nails and fed on it immediately, spilling its blood everywhere.

He felt more changes in his body as he hunted.

Brandon found if he could catch the eye of his prey for more than an instant or two, he could hold it with his gaze. The creature became helpless; became his. He reveled in the feeling of control over another life.

He fell asleep in the early hours of the morning amid the carcasses of his kills. He dreamt of his hunt, his first victories.

Later, he dreamt of a fortress carved from a mountain.

It was a maze of towers and walkways, parapets and spires. He approached from the air, gliding in effortlessly on a cool, steady breeze. The rock was nearly black. Stars lit the sky, but the grays and pinks of dawn hinted in the east. Warm light poured out of a single window in one of the tallest towers. In his dream, Brandon swooped toward it.

Suddenly, he was inside, standing with his back to the open window. He was in a large, circular room, perhaps forty feet across. The walls were lined with bookshelves, stuffed full, all the way to the ceiling, fifteen or twenty feet up. Light came from a large glass globe suspended from the ceiling by a silver chain two or three feet long. A huge oval table, made from some kind of dark wood, dominated the middle of the room. A couple dozen high back chairs surrounded it.

Standing beside one of the chairs was a man.

He was a little taller than Brandon, probably about six feet, with straight black hair drawn back in a pony tail. He wore a long dark jacket with tails, trimmed with a burgundy lapel, over a dark silk shirt, unbuttoned at the neck. Matching black pants and shoes completed the outfit. Smooth, tanned skin surrounded gray, almost completely colorless, eyes. Striking eyes that Brandon could almost feel piercing his soul.

“Welcome,” the man said in an accent Brandon couldn’t place. “I’ve been trying to contact you but your … adjustments were not far enough along.” He held out a hand with rings on several fingers, offering one of the chairs. “Please. Sit.”

Brandon hesitated. “Who are you?”

The man clasped his hands in front of him, “I have known many names, but you may call me Mogritas.”

“Never heard of you,” Brandon said warily.

“No, I don’t expect you have,” Mogritas replied with a smile. “Please be at ease. This is still your dream and you can wake up any time you like. I would, however, like to talk with you. Maybe explain some things for you.” He again pointed to the chair.

Brandon shrugged and sat down.

“Would you care for something to drink?” A silver platter holding a decanter and several stemmed glasses appeared on the table.

“No thanks,” Brandon replied, still nervous and suspicious.

“Very well.” Mogritas poured himself a glass and seated himself next to Brandon, turning the chair to face him.

Mogritas took a sip of his drink, then set the glass on the table. “I’m sure you have questions. Please, ask away.” He grinned and held Brandon’s gaze.

Brandon forced himself to look away and studied his hands in his lap. He noticed his fingernails had become even longer and his skin was growing still darker. “What’s happening to me?”

“Yes. You, and your companions, are not from here. This world — many call it ‘Mother’ — is reshaping you into what it sees as your proper form.”

“My ‘proper form’?”

Mogritas nodded. “The inner core of our being, call it a soul if you will, has a shape, a form. Mother is remaking your physical body to match your soul.”

“What am I turning into then?”

“Ah, you, my friend have a soul of great power.” Mogritas turned and a large mirror appeared on the wall in place of a bookcase.

In the mirror, Brandon saw himself not as he was, but as he supposed he would become. He was obsidian black, with a rippling musculature covered by scales. His body didn’t truly seem to fit in the room and he had two enormous wings unfurled on his back. Teeth, like white knives, showed from a slightly open mouth and he sat on all fours. He stared at the image. It radiated strength and power. Brandon liked it.

Mogritas continued. “We have not seen dragons here for over a thousand years. They left in a mass exodus. No one knows why they left or where they went.”

Brandon turned back to him. “How did I get here?”

“That,” Mogritas said after another sip of drink, “is a very interesting question. One I would like to find the answer to.” He leaned forward. “You see, beings from this world were able to travel to your world in the past, with the right set of circumstances. But none ever returned. Your arrival here has opened up the possibility of movement in both directions, rather than just one. I am … intrigued by the notion.” He sat back in his chair again.

Brandon sat quietly and mulled over what he had heard. Mogritas sipped his drink and waited patiently, eyeing him thoughtfully.

“So,” Brandon began, “how long will it take for me to completely change?”

Mogritas smiled. “That is somewhat up to you. The change will happen regardless, but if you embrace it, desire it, it will happen much quicker. Fight it, and it will slow, but not stop completely.”

“I see.”

“Embrace it, and you can begin exploring and exercising your new powers just that much faster. I can teach you much about your capabilities.”

“How do you know all of this?”

Mogritas laughed and indicated the room full of books. “I am a very learned man, Brandon. I have spent a lifetime studying how this world thinks. There is no one more capable to help you reach your full potential.”

Brandon shook his head. “Wait, the world thinks?”

Mogritas’s expression turned serious. “Yes. And it can be quite devious at times. Let me be your guide. Come to me when you are ready, and bring any of your friends that would like to come along. Tell them what you have learned from me tonight.”

“I’ll have to think about it.”

Smiling again, Mogritas said, “I would expect nothing less.”

“I’d like to wake up now.”

“Farewell, Brandon. And thank you for considering my offer …”

The dream images faded and Brandon opened his eyes to a midmorning sky. He lay in blood spattered grass with small bones and fur scattered around. His memories of the hunt came back and filled him with pleasure.

Embrace the change, he thought. Embrace the change.

11

Tori was angry.

She’d spent most of her life trying to blend in, to go unnoticed. This, however, was going a little too far.

She was shrinking.

It had been subtle at first, but now her clothes didn’t fit right and her shoes were a couple of sizes too big. They made blisters on her feet and were difficult to keep on as well. She had always been the smallest one in her family. Being even smaller was the last thing she wanted.

Two nights before, after Brandon had hurt Sara and stomped off, they had all sat down and talked about the changes that were happening to them. Few seemed happy about them, so at least she wasn’t alone in that. Many were having similar problems in fact. Still, it didn’t make her feel any better.

Crank had talked about the world molding them to fit or something. It hadn’t made much sense to Tori. Why would we all be changing so differently? We’re all human so why not change us all into the same thing? She was confused. And frightened.

Brandon hadn’t come back by morning. After some discussion, they had decided to press on without him. He knew the direction they were headed and the group wouldn’t be hard to find if he decided to come back. Crank didn’t believe there was anything dangerous nearby, and there was an ample supply of Tolenton’naie and water available.

They moved away from the river because the rocky ground and some recent mud slides had made the footing treacherous. The fast flowing water could still be heard off to their right as they continued southeast on their journey.

A sound from up above caught Tori’s attention as she trudged along with the rest, trying not to slip out of her shoes. She looked up and saw a hawk, or falcon, lazily pacing them in the slight breeze. Sara and Jenni, marching along side her, saw it too.

“Oh, cool,” Sara said. “I wonder if one of those little guys is riding it — what did you call them, Crank?”

Crank was riding on Jenni’s shoulders as he often did. “Faerstrastenai,” he said, looking in the sky. “Difficult to see from here.” He reached down and covered Jenni’s ears, then whistled loudly.

The bird took no notice and kept riding the air currents. Crank shrugged and removed his hands from Jenni’s ears.

Tori thought about the sound she had heard from the bird before. After a few more steps, she looked up again and made a high pitched “kee-yah” sound.

The response was immediate. The bird swooped down toward her. Surprised at first, she recovered and held her arm out like she had seen Crank do previously.

As it came closer, she could see details. Its belly and underwings were speckled white and brown, while its back and head were a silvery gray. It soared in on wings about two feet across, and landed lightly on Tori’s outstretched arm, talons not quite piercing her skin.

She almost jumped in fear and pain when the bird landed, but managed to keep control. It let out a short screech and looked at Tori with dark eyes. She answered with a quick “kee” before she had time to think. He — Tori knew somehow it was male — had the sharp, curved beak of a predatory bird and appeared completely unconcerned about all the people around.

Tori and her friends stood in amazement, then the bird hopped up Tori’s arm to her shoulder and settled down for a ride.

The bird didn’t weigh more than a pound or two and felt comfortable on her shoulder. Okay, so maybe this stuff isn’t all bad, she thought and smiled.

* * * *

That evening, when they stopped for the day, Tori sat down with Jenni and Sara to eat and rest. The bird, who had not left her shoulder, hopped to the ground next to her. They ate quietly, resting and stretching after their long march.

Marco crept over to her and sat down. “May I look at the bird?” he asked Tori.

“Sure,” Tori said, blushing lightly. She wasn’t used to people asking her permission for anything.

Marco leaned in slowly and examined the small bird of prey. Tori noticed Marco was being examined just as thoroughly.

“He’s amazing,” Marco breathed. “He looks like a species of falcon called a Merlin we have in the U.S. — but here? Who knows?” Marco laughed.

“Thank you,” Tori replied.

“Have you named him?”

Tori hadn’t given thought to a name. She looked at the falcon, who cocked his head to gaze up at her. “What kind did you say … Merlin?” Tori asked.

“Yeah, that’s what he looks like to me anyway.”

“Well, I think that’s a perfect name: Merlin,” she declared, still watching the bird. “What do you think, Merlin?”

The newly named falcon let out a peep that sounded approving. Tori giggled. “Okay, Merlin it is!”

Ms. Pap came over then and sat by Sara. Merlin chose that moment to chirp again at Tori and take off, flying to the northeast.

“Oh, I hope I didn’t scare him,” Ms. Pap said. “I just came to check on Sara’s dressing.”

“It’s okay,” Tori answered. “He’s just going off to hunt.”

They looked at her and Jenni asked, “How do you know?”

Tori thought about it and said, “I don’t know, I just do. He’ll be back after he’s had something to eat.” It seemed as natural as breathing. “I sort of got a picture in my head when he left — I don’t know.”

Marco smiled. “That’s fantastic, Tori!”

Tori grinned back. “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” They shared a laugh.

Marco looked into the distance where Merlin had flown. “I hope whatever I’m becoming can communicate with animals like that. That would be a dream come true!”

Tori looked at Marco and saw some of the changes in him. His weren’t as dramatic as many of them, but his ears were definitely coming to a point at the top and his eyes were larger and brighter than before. He was about the same size but leaner, and his facial features were sharper. Though, that could be from all the exercise we’ve had the past week as much as anything, Tori thought. They had all “beefed up” from their exertions and were certainly more fit than when they arrived.

Ms. Pap sat back after checking Sara’s shoulder. “It’s healing incredibly fast,” she pronounced. “I expect we can take the bandages off tomorrow or the next day. Unbelievable.”

Sara pulled her sleeve down and smiled. “Thanks, Ms. Pap.”

Sara was larger and more muscular, but not bulky like a body builder. She was graceful. Her skin had developed a sheen to it as well — metallic almost, like copper. Sara carried her tree branch across her back, held by the straps of her backpack. She looked dangerous and pretty at the same time. It fits her well, Tori thought, even though it was so much different from the girl with glasses and braces she knew before.

Ms. Pap got up slowly. “All right, I’d best see to the others,” she said. Marco helped her up, then left to go find his mother.

“What do you think Ms. Pap’s turning into?” Sara asked after their teacher had gone.

“I don’t know,” Jenni said, “but I’m worried about her. She looks older — so wrinkly — and she’s having a hard time moving around.”

“Yeah,” Sara agreed, “but her skin is really tough, hard almost, not like an old person’s.” She stood up and stretched. “I’m going to go find a place to limber up; my shoulder is really stiff. Anyone want to come?”

“Sure,” Jenni said.

“I’m good,” Tori replied. “Think I’ll just rest and wait for Merlin to get back.”

“Okay, we won’t be long,” Sara said and the two girls walked toward the river.

A little while after sundown, and Sara and Jenni had returned, Merlin landed next to where Tori lay under her jacket, head resting on her pack. He seemed quite satisfied and Tori saw blood and bits of fur on his beak.

“Ugh,” she said, disgusted. “Go wash yourself off.”

Merlin gave her a clipped chirp and took off toward the river. He flew back a couple of minutes later, landed and shook his feathers free of a lot of water.

The three girls shrieked at their surprise shower, then laughed and giggled.

“Oh, thanks a lot!” Tori said to Merlin with laughter. “Think you’re a comedian, huh?”

Merlin turned his head so she could see his clean beak and gave her a “kee-yah” for good measure.

Tori giggled again and lay back down to go to sleep.

* * * *

She dreamed of flying.

Tori rode astride Merlin’s back with her knees hooked at his shoulder joints and arms wrapped around his neck. She felt his joy riding thermals and drifting, wings outstretched, with the breezes. She felt the thrill of diving headlong to the ground in pursuit of a meal.

He showed her all these things and more.

The life she could have, would have, once she completed her transformation.

Tori had never felt more alive.

12

Marco walked along side his mother the next morning, deep in thought.

“Peso for your thoughts,” she said.

Marco glanced at his mother. “It’s a penny, Mom, not a peso.”

“I know, but a peso is worth a little more,” she said with a wink. “What’s on your mind, Marco?”

Marco sighed. “What do you suppose Dad is doing right now?”

It was his mother’s turn to sigh. “Probably reading the paper and complaining about how much money the Yankees are spending on players this season.” She chuckled a moment, then stopped. “I miss them too.”

Marco’s family had always been close. He had an older sister in high school, and a younger brother in fifth grade. Weekday mornings were always a rush to get everyone ready for the day. Saturdays were the best. They would all get up and help make breakfast: sausage and eggs with diced peppers, and homemade sopapillas with butter and honey. Marco’s mouth watered at the thought. His mom made the best sopapillas.

“Do you think we’ll ever get back?” Marco asked her.

“I don’t know,” she said with a catch in her throat. Marco saw a tear run down her cheek.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

She wiped away the tear, only to have more fall. “It’s all right. We’re all scared and worried.” She sniffed and took a long breath. “I just hope whoever we’re going to see in this Seren-place can help us.”

They walked on in silence. The sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky.

Marco thought about the changes happening in him and everyone else. Crank had said Marco was becoming Elvorstrastenai. Marco felt deep down Crank was right, but what it actually meant, Marco had no idea. Whatever he was, he just hoped he’d be able to work with animals. He’d wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as he could remember.

He smiled as he recalled watching the small falcon swoop down from the sky to Tori’s arm the day before. What a rush that must have been! Tori was getting smaller all the time. Marco assumed she’d eventually be small enough to ride Merlin like the little fellow Crank had talked to their first day out.

Marco studied his mother while they walked. Her hair had certainly become lighter — it was almost red — much changed from the jet black of before. Her skin was lighter as well; she almost glowed with her own light. Her eyes had an extra shine to them too. Crank couldn’t guess what she was becoming.

Others had Marco worried. Todd, Kim, and Will were becoming more, well, beastly, each day. Kim was huge and threatened to burst out of her clothes at any moment. Luckily, several others were shrinking at the same time so some garment swapping had taken place. Todd’s arms and legs were longer and his facial features were all more pronounced. Will was obviously becoming one of the Gobinstratstorai that had attacked them before. Attitudes were becoming equally beastly. Marco wondered how long they’d be able to travel together without fights breaking out.

Alisha and her pals didn’t talk to anyone but themselves. Zoe had joined their ranks to make it a quartet. Maggie was likely turning into one of the Faerstrastenai, like Tori. Lori and Zoe were more difficult to figure. Though, now that he thought about it, Marco noticed similarities between Zoe and his mother. Alisha was certainly changing, but it only seemed to make her more of what she was before: beautiful, stuck up, and manipulative. Marco didn’t know what to make of it and just tried to stay away from them.

Denny was becoming one of Crank’s people, which made sense to Marco considering Denny’s love of machines. The twins, Nate and Ethan, were shrinking rapidly, along with Vic, Rachael, and Faith, likely all turning into Faerstrastenai. And Carrie looked to be Elvorstrastenai like Marco himself.

Charles, Bonnie, and Matt had stayed the same size, but were having coloration changes that had stumped Crank. Mr. Kain had some Elvorstrastenai features, like the pointed ears, but Marco felt he was something slightly different.

No one knew what had become of Brandon, but Marco was glad he had chosen to stay away. Marco shuddered remembering the sound Brandon’s spike had made when it had pierced Sara’s shoulder.

Fortunately, Sara had recovered quickly. Amazingly so. Marco thought of her as some sort of Amazon woman. Crank didn’t know what she was and hadn’t understood the term ‘Amazon’ when Marco had mentioned it a couple of days before. It certainly fit, in Marco’s mind, considering her physique and the fighting ability she had displayed.

Saddest of all to Marco, was watching Ms. Pap wither before their eyes. She was in good spirits, but her skin was getting more wrinkled and her arms and legs were gnarled and difficult for her to use. She was determined to soldier on, wanting to reach help, and hopefully answers, but it was becoming harder for her with each passing day.

Possibly the strangest of all of them, however, was Jenni. She had shown no changes whatsoever. None. Marco could tell she was getting self-conscious about it, and he noticed jealousy rising in some of his classmates.

Marco wiped sweat off his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. He checked his mother, still striding beside him. She was focused on their path, such as it was, and not bothered by the heat in the least. He smiled and asked, “Hot enough for you?”

She turned to him and frowned slightly. “What?” She noticed the sweat on his face. “Are you okay?” She stopped abruptly and felt his forehead. “Do you have a fever?”

Marco laughed and moved her hand away. “No, Mom, I’m fine. It’s just hot out here.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

* * * *

By the time they camped that evening, they could see the edges of an enormous forest in the distance. The river they followed headed straight into the heart of it. Crank called it the Lodir’naie and thought they would reach the edge some time in the afternoon of the next day.

“We will have to ask permission to pass through,” Crank said when they sat down to eat. “But I don’t think we will have any trouble.”

“Permission from who?” Jenni asked.

“The guardians of the Lodir’naie. Faerstrastenai mostly, though there may be others. I don’t really know.”

“Where will we go from there?” Marco asked him.

“We’ll keep following this river, which eventually empties into the Baer’naie river. Then we follow it south to Seren’naie.”

Marco’s mother looked to Crank. “Do you know how long it will take?”

He shook his head. “I have never been this far from home. I know the Lodir’naie                is vast and we will have to travel through a good portion of it to reach Seren’naie. I don’t know how difficult it will be to move through the forest. It will certainly be slower going than out here on the plain.”

She nodded and said, “Thank you, Crank, for all you’ve done for us. I’m sure it was hard for you to leave your home to help us on this journey.”

Crank blushed lightly. “As I have told Jenni, I am happy to help you. My hope is much the same as yours really. I want to find someone in Seren’naie to teach me, and allow me to work with plants and animals.”

“You and Marco have a lot in common then, it sounds to me,” she said with a smile.

13

Alisha ate her fruit with a sullen stare. She was sick of this. Sick of eating the same thing every day, sick of walking mile after mile going nowhere, sick of bathing in a dirty river like a peasant, and sick of being treated like baggage. No, she thought, worse than baggage — at least baggage was carried!

Maggie and Lori, and lately Zoe too, had tried to help Alisha out of her funk, but they were dealing with their own problems. Maggie was only about two feet tall and had trouble arranging clothing to keep herself covered most of the time. Lori and Zoe were, well, odd. They hadn’t changed in size, but Zoe had turned red and orange and was always cold. Lori had lost all color whatsoever. Her eyes were almost clear. Very creepy.

Todd and Will fell all over themselves, wanting to do things for Alisha — which she liked — but their looks disgusted her, and became worse daily.

She finished her meal — if you could call it that — and watched the clouds color with the setting sun. Things had been somewhat interesting when Brandon had been around. She had enjoyed watching the sparring matches. She frowned though as she thought of Sara always winning in the end. Still, it was better than being bored all the time.

Maybe Mr. Kain would let the boys practice again now that Brandon’s gone. Alisha warmed to the idea and stood up.

“Did you need something, Alisha?” Will gushed and stuck his deformed face in hers.

She managed a smile — quite an effort under the circumstances. “No, Will,” she said and pushed him away. “I’ll just be a minute.”

Will sat back down, disappointed, and she made her way over to Mr. Kain.

He was talking with Ms. Pap in low tones, away from the group. Mr. Kain had always been handsome, and his changes only enhanced his looks in Alisha’s eyes. His darker skin and subtly pointed ears gave him an exotic look she found intriguing. His eyes, however, disconcerted her. They were a dark yellow and the pupils weren’t round anymore, but diamond shaped.

Alisha was sure she had caught Mr. Kain staring at her in class more than once, but that was no surprise really. She was used to it.

“Mr. Kain,” she purred, “can I talk to you for a minute?”

The adults broke off their conversation and looked up. Ms. Pap was hideous and Alisha had to look away from her, focusing solely on Mr. Kain.

“Sure, Alisha. What is it?”

“I, well all of us really, were wondering if you would let the boys go back to practicing with their sticks. It was fun to watch and we’ve been so bored the past few days.” She looked squarely in his eyes and felt a warm tingle throughout her body.

“Alisha, I …” He paused and she continued to focus on him. “I … I think that would be a great idea,” he finished.

“What?” Ms. Pap sat up and looked at him in surprise.

Alisha kept Mr. Kain’s gaze in hers, and said, “Well, Brandon’s gone and he was the one who really caused any trouble, Ms. Pap.”

Mr. Kain nodded. “That’s true.”

Alisha felt an almost physical connection between them, a bond she gained more control over each passing second. It felt good. Really good.

“So,” Alisha prompted, “what do you say?”

Perplexed, Ms. Pap sighed. “Well as long as no one else gets hurt, Roger … I guess it would be okay. Everyone could certainly use a distraction.”

“Wonderful!” Alisha smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Kain.” She broke eye contact and walked back to her group.

Mr. Kain blinked and stared after her. “Y … you’re welcome, Alisha.”

Delicious!

“Will,” she announced, “I’ve convinced Mr. Kain to let you boys practice again. Go tell Todd and the others so you can get started.”

Will beamed at the news. “Cool!” he said and went to find Todd.

Alisha sat and thought about what she’d experienced. Boys had always been easy to manipulate, but this was different. She had power over Mr. Kain. She felt like she could’ve told him to go jump in the river and he would’ve done it gladly. As she pondered it, she could still feel the connection to him in the back of her mind, an awareness of where he was and even what he was feeling. She was definitely going to have to experiment some more with this!

* * * *

In the end, there were only three contestants for the matches. Vic and the twins were too small and Sara decided not to participate. Alisha was mildly disappointed at that. She didn’t think Sara would stand a chance anymore against the wiry strength of Todd, and certainly not against Kim’s bulk. Kim stood close to seven feet and was strong as an ox. Alisha thought Kim looked ridiculous in the patched-together clothes she wore. Kim had two jackets tied together as a top and one of the bigger boys had given her some sweat shorts which were stretched to their limit. Once Kim had a club in her hand, however, she was all business, defeating both Will and Todd handily. Todd, with his longer reach, eventually wore Will down in their bout.

The three walked away with nothing more than a few bumps and bruises and everyone had a good time. Alisha felt Mr. Kain’s eyes on her several times throughout the evening. Occasionally, she rewarded him with a small smile and felt some of the thrill he experienced through the bond they shared.

Alisha settled down for the night, thinking of more ways to take advantage of her newfound power.

14

Jenni woke with a fresh sense of purpose. The idea of a change of scenery from the rolling grasslands had sparked them all, and they made good time moving toward the massive forest.

Crank rode on her shoulders, as he often did. Sara walked on her right, with Tori riding awkwardly on her backpack. Tori had shrunk rapidly the last few days, since the appearance of Merlin, but she wasn’t small enough to ride him yet. Jenni and Sara had taken Tori’s T-shirt apart with one of the utility knives a few nights before to make something for her to wear. They had managed a tube top and long skirt affair that Tori could adjust each day as she got smaller. Merlin flew and swooped above them, periodically diving to snatch up a mouse or small snake.

Sara towered over Jenni’s five foot one frame by nearly another foot. She had a dancer’s grace and a body builder’s power. Her coppery skin glinted in the sunlight. She was still Sara on the inside, but Jenni was still startled by her friend’s appearance. Everyone had changed so much over the last couple of weeks it was astonishing.

Except her. She remained plain old Jenni.

It bothered and upset her. What’s wrong with me? Why hadn’t she changed too? She had always wanted to be special, unique. Sometimes she found it funny that here, she had become special simply by remaining the same while everyone around her changed. Laughing kept her from crying.

They crested a small hill and the endless forest stretched before them. The trees most closely resembled oaks, with broad, green leaves and solid trunks. They grew smaller near the edge, perhaps twenty to thirty feet in height. Deeper in the forest, they were massive. A variety of birds flew among and over them, creating a cacophony of noise.

They stopped at the base of the first few trees and Jenni lowered Crank to the ground. He had warned them not to step into Lodir’naie uninvited. Most took their packs off or sat down to rest while Crank surveyed the scene.

They waited quietly for nearly an hour before three birds approached and landed in the lowest branches of the closest tree. Each bore a small rider, and each rider carried a tiny spear and miniature bow and arrows. They did not appear hostile, but looked ready to defend themselves despite their small stature.

Crank bowed before them and said, “Guardians of the Lodir’naie, we seek passage through the great forest on our way to Seren’naie.”

The rider in the middle addressed him. “Greetings, Builder.” Jenni was surprised his voice carried well enough for them to hear over the birds and sounds of the river. “Lodir’naie hears and acknowledges your request, however, we cannot allow your party passage.”

Crank blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Why can’t we pass?”

“There are festri’i present. We cannot allow them into Lodir’naie.”

Crank’s eyes widened. “Festri’i. Fire spirits?”

The rider nodded.

“But that’s not possible. These beings are all flesh and blood,” Crank said, indicating Jenni and the class.

“They are unusual to be sure; nevertheless, they are with you.”

Crank appeared at a loss. He turned, bowing to the riders again, and said, “Please allow us time to discuss the matter amongst ourselves.”

“Of course. We will wait here.”

Crank walked back and everyone gathered around. “I don’t understand this. Festri’i and their kind are beings of the elements, they don’t have any physical form except through the element they control.”

Ms. Pap sat next to Crank. “So they claim some of these fire spirits are among us and they won’t allow us inside? What would happen if we ignored them and went in without permission?”

Crank shook his head. “Lodir’naie can defend itself with the Faerstrastenai,” he said, gesturing at the birds and riders, “among other things. We will have many days of travel through the forest. I wouldn’t want to fight the entire way.”

“Can we go around?” Ms. Pap asked.

“Yes, but it would add many days to our journey. We’d also have to backtrack several days to find a suitable place to cross the river so we could continue south.”

Jenni looked at the river. It was about fifty yards wide and ran fast and high with snow melt from the mountains. It certainly didn’t look crossable.

“So,” Ms. Pap continued, “we either figure out who or what these fire spirits are and leave them here while the rest of us keep going, or we add possibly weeks to our trip.”

Crank nodded again, his features downcast.

Merlin landed in the tree next to the Faerstrastenai riders and screeched a warning.

Drumbeats thudded behind them.

Heads snapped around to the sound that had caused nightmares for many since they’d first heard it.

A large band of Gobinstratstorai crested the last hill of the grasslands about a hundred yards away. They raised their spears and hollered battle cries along with the pounding of drums. The birds in the forest fell silent.

“Well,” Sara said, drawing her tree branch, “this doesn’t look good.”

“Crank,” Jenni asked quickly, “will the forest help us?”

He eyed the horde in the distance. “Not unless the Gobinstratstorai enter the forest. And if we went in without permission, we’d be fighting both.”

“What are we going to do?”

“The best we can,” Ms. Pap answered.

Mr. Kain pointed to the river. “Everyone get closer to the water and the trees. We need to make as small a front as possible.” They all grabbed their things and moved. “Sara, Kim, Todd, and Will up front with me. Denny, get your last two bombs.”

They all got into position and waited. The Gobinstratstorai were still at the top of the rise, working themselves into a frenzy. Jenni recognized the commander from the band that had attacked them before.

He had found some friends along the way.

They numbered fifty or sixty and had added several large cousins that looked like Kim, only bigger. They wielded clubs the size of tree trunks. One swung his so wildly he hit one of his smaller companions and sent him flying twenty feet through the air. He landed heavily and remained motionless in the grass. It only served to feed the frenzy.

Jenni’s heart clenched in fear.

The late afternoon sun blazed full in her face. The Gobinstratstorai shouted and raved for several minutes while Jenni and the others waited helplessly. Then the mob’s long shadows advanced down the hill. Sara shifted her weight on the balls of her feet and held her branch in front of her with both hands. The others readied their weapons.

Another, much larger, shadow passed over the field in front of them.

Jenni first thought it was an airplane. Then she heard a deafening roar which quieted the Gobinstratstorai, and stopped them in their tracks.

A big black shape landed, with a dull thump that shook the ground, in between the class and their attackers. It might have been a single engine airplane, but its wings moved, and its landing gear were talons that dug deep furrows in the grass covered soil.

It faced the Gobinstratstorai and roared again. This time, a thick, dark liquid erupted from its mouth in a great cone spray.

The front wave of attackers went down, screaming in pain. Fifteen or twenty fell, writhing and smoking in the prairie grass.

The rest of the Gobinstratstorai beat a hasty retreat up the hill, keeping a watchful eye on the beast that had intervened in their sport.

At the top of the slope, the mob gathered around their leader and waited to see what would happen next.

Those caught in the spray of the animal’s attack soon stilled and were quiet.

Silence reigned and Jenni’s ears pulsed in time with her heartbeat.

Jet black spines twisted and scales rippled as muscles underneath moved the beast around to face Jenni and the others. Its wings furled, and a head the size of a refrigerator regarded them. It had spiny ruffles on either cheek and intelligent, orange eyes with vertical slits for pupils.

Its mouth split open in what might have been a smile, showing rows of shiny white, flesh-rending teeth, six inches or more in length. Jenni cringed in fright at the dragon in front of them.

A deep rumble issued from the creature’s throat that sounded like laughter and it said, “Hey, everybody. Did you miss me?”

15

Jenni held her breath in surprise.

Ms. Pap recovered enough to speak. “Brandon?”

“The one and only,” the beast replied. He shuffled from side to side and unfurled his wings to display them. “What do you think? Pretty cool, huh?”

“Amazing,” Ms. Pap said. “Are you okay?”

“Okay?” Brandon chuckled. “Okay? I’m flippin’ fantastic!”

“We’re glad to hear that,” Ms. Pap replied cautiously. “Thank you for your help.”

Brandon eyed her for a second and folded his wings again. “Yeah, about that,” he said. “See, here’s the deal. I’ve found someone who can help me. Really help me — learn about myself I mean. I just came back to see if anyone wanted to go meet him with me.”

“I see,” Ms. Pap said. “Who is helping you?”

“Someone who actually knows what’s going on in this place. He calls himself Mogritas.”

The Faerstrastenai behind them in the tree hissed. Crank inhaled sharply.

“So, anyway,” Brandon continued, “anybody who’s tired of following the runt to some mystical fairy town can come with me and get some real answers to what’s going on around here.”

After a breathless moment, Alisha stepped forward and walked to Brandon’s side. She was quickly followed by Maggie, Lori and Zoe. Todd and Will joined them, along with Vic, and lastly, Kim sighed and moved to him.

“Okay,” Brandon gloated. “Anyone else?”

“Mr. Kain,” Alisha said to everyone’s surprise, “you should really come with us.”

Jenni almost laughed at the absurdity. Brandon huffed and glared at Alisha, which she ignored, her attention focused on Mr. Kain.

Then, to the shock of all of them except Alisha, Mr. Kain shuffled toward her.

“Roger?” Ms. Pap asked, dumbfounded.

“I’m sorry, Judy,” Mr. Kain said woodenly. Alisha smiled.

“All right then,” Brandon interjected, “if that’s everyone, we need to get going. Climb on and grab hold.”

Jenni shook herself. This can’t be happening! “So, you’re just leaving us here? That’s it?”

Brandon looked at her and smiled as Kim, Alisha, and the others crawled onto his back and seated themselves. “Yep,” he said, “that’s pretty much it. I’m just not interested in trudging along, following the advice of a dwarf whose people didn’t even want him in the first place. Good luck finding your fairyville.”

Brandon stretched his wings. With a heavy grunt, he leapt into the air, furiously flapping to gain altitude with the added weight. He circled twice, then headed off across the forest to the east with a roar.

Jenni couldn’t believe it.

The setting sun cast an orange glow on the grass in front of them. Crank managed to bring himself to his senses and turned to the bird riders, still watching from the tree. “I ask again, may we pass through Lodir’naie?”

The middle rider seemed saddened, but still shook his head. “You still travel with a festri’i.”

Sara sighed in exasperation. “What can we do? Pretty soon those guys,” she said, pointing at the Gobinstratstorai, who still stood on the hill, “are going to figure out that our protection is gone and come after us again.” As she said it, the drums began to beat.

Sara took up a defensive stance in front of them and Denny picked up his two remaining bombs.

They watched in fear and the fading light as the Gobinstratstorai worked themselves up for a second charge. It didn’t take them long, their confidence boosted by the departure of the dragon.

“Get behind me!” Sara shouted, and they did their best to wedge themselves between the forest and the river.

Denny pulled out his lighter and took a practice swing with one of the bombs. He was less than half his former height and the bomb bounced on the ground his first swing. He wasn’t tall enough anymore to use the full length of string.

Mrs. Osorio reached out to him. “Let me,” she said.

Denny sighed and gave her the lighter and the bombs. She moved just behind and to the right of Sara and took a couple of swings to gauge the weight of the bomb.

“Wait about ten seconds to throw after you light it,” Denny instructed.

Mrs. Osorio nodded and sparked the lighter to life.

The Gobinstratstorai charged down the hillside, yelling and waving their weapons. A line of spearmen stopped about thirty yards away and hurled a volley of small, lethal shafts.

Sara was a blur of motion, dancing with her tree branch from side to side, parrying the spears away. One landed near Jenni. She picked it up and held it in front of her.

“It’s me,” Mrs. Osorio said, staring into the flame of the lighter.

A second wave of spears hurtled toward them. Sara flashed her branch faster than Jenni’s eyes could follow, deflecting the spears away from her friends.

One slipped past her to Jenni’s left, and struck Charles square in the chest.

He yelled and tumbled backward into the river before Jenni could grab him. The raging waters washed him out of sight.

“It’s me!” Mrs. Osorio said again. “I’m the fire spirit. Get back, I know what to do!”

Marco’s mother lit both of the bombs and strode forward, twirling them, one in each hand.

“Mom, no!” Marco shouted.

“Stay back, Marco,” she yelled over her shoulder. “All of you, get out of here!”

Sara took a couple of steps with her and knocked aside two more spears. The Gobinstratstorai had stopped their charge to throw their weapons. Now they watched uncertain, as the two balls were fully ablaze and spinning furiously.

Mrs. Osorio flung the bombs high in the air. The Gobinstratstorai watched the two fireballs arc toward them and backed up to let them fall in front of their line.

Jenni saw Marco’s mother reach out with her arms and draw lines of fire to herself through the air, screaming in rage.

The bombs exploded at the feet of the horde and Marco’s mother burst into flame.

She motioned with both arms and fire swept out in sheets away from her, catching the prairie grass as it went.

Jenni lost sight of Mrs. Osorio in the flames while the grass fires attempted to encircle the Gobinstratstorai.

Someone grabbed her arm. She turned and saw Sara pulling her toward the trees.

“C’mon, Jenni!” Sara shouted at her.

Jenni ran.

Carrie and Matt were on either side of Ms. Pap, helping her move faster. Sara let go of Jenni and caught hold of Marco, dragging him back with the group.

He yelled and fought Sara, but she was stronger and pulled him along.

They passed unmolested under the tree which held the three bird riders, then farther into the forest along the river. Behind her, Jenni could hear the screams and shouts of their unlucky attackers, who had the tables turned on them once again.

Sara nearly carried Marco, lost in his grief.

They kept running.

Some time later, someone in the front of the group stumbled and fell in the dim light, and they stopped to check their surroundings.

The canopy of leaves and branches above them almost entirely blocked the sky. Only over the river to their right, could they see stars.

“We should be safe here,” Crank stated, winded from their flight. “The Gobinstratstorai won’t be able to pursue us into Lodir’naie. If any are left from Mrs. Osorio’s attack.”

Marco fell to the ground and sobbed. Rachael and Carrie went to try to comfort him.

“All right, let’s try to get some rest,” Ms. Pap said, sorrow evident in her voice.

Everyone dropped their belongings and sank to the ground.

Jenni noticed she still held the small spear in her hand. She stabbed it into the ground, fell upon her bag, and cried.

16

Lodir’naie in the daylight was a sight to behold.

Every shade of green imaginable competed for dominance in the landscape. Rays of sunlight speared through the natural ceiling of branches and leaves. Trees towered above them, many reaching a hundred feet or more into the sky. Next to them the river continued on its southeasterly journey, running fast and muddy.

The place teemed with life. Birds of every sort chattered and sang to each other from different levels in the trees. Insects buzzed and chirped. Frogs croaked along the river bank. Rabbits, squirrels and other small creatures ran from tree to tree, and signs of bigger game were evident as well. Occasionally, Jenni saw Faerstrastenai wardens flying through the forest on their bird mounts.

The life the forest exuded was a sharp contrast to the emptiness of their hearts.

They had seen no signs of pursuit, or Mrs. Osorio, so they spent the next day resting, and tried to pick up the pieces.

The group was down to fourteen, including Crank.

Over half their original party from the field trip had been left behind, lost, or had gone off on their own.

Marco stared into the distance and was unresponsive for the most part. Carrie stayed with him, offering what comfort she could.

Jenni and Sara scouted around in the morning and resupplied the group with Tolenton’naie and some tasty nuts that Crank pointed out.

The three of them sat down midday for a snack at the base of a modest-sized oak tree, facing the river.

Jenni didn’t have much of an appetite, but knew she needed to keep up her strength. “Crank, I still can’t understand what happened yesterday.”

“What do you mean, Jenni?”

“Well, first, what happened to Mrs. Osorio?”

Crank paused. “The possibility hadn’t occurred to me, but it seems some of your friends are becoming elemental spirits. Fire spirits are called festri’i and it’s these spirits that the guardians of the forest won’t allow within. Water, earth and air have spirits as well.”

“So Mrs. Osorio turned into one of these fire spirits?” Jenni hesitated. “Did she die then?”

“I don’t know. It is possible her essence survived as the spirit, but elemental spirits don’t have physical bodies. They can … manifest using the element they control, but I don’t know how intelligent they are, or if they have a soul.” Crank sighed. “It’s my hope we can find answers in Seren’naie to all these questions.”

“So, maybe some of us that you haven’t been able to guess at, like Bonnie and Matt, are turning into other spirits?”

Crank nodded. “That appears likely.”

Sara asked, “Do you think that’s what’s happening to Jenni?”

Crank looked Jenni over. “I still don’t see any change in her at all, unlike all the others. The only thing we can be certain of at this point is she isn’t festri’i or the guardians would not have let her pass.”

Jenni breathed a small sigh of relief — she didn’t like the thought of burning alive. Then she had another thought. “How did we pass? Last I heard they’d said ‘no’.”

“Once Marco’s mother separated herself from the group, I asked again, and our passage was granted.” Crank smiled. “You were too busy dodging spears to hear me I guess.”

The girls laughed softly, then Jenni said, “That was all Sara’s doing … you were amazing, girlfriend!”

Sara blushed, which made an interesting color on her coppery skin, then she frowned. “I couldn’t stop all of them though.”

Jenni closed her eyes and thought about Charles. In her mind, she watched again as he fell helplessly into the river, just out of her reach. She shuddered. “It was my fault. I didn’t grab him in time.”

Crank put a hand on each of their shoulders. “No blame is to be had for either of you. While we certainly grieve for those we’ve lost, what happens, happens because it is Mother’s will.”

Jenni put her hand over Crank’s. “Thank you, Crank, but I don’t think that’s true. I want to believe I’m still in control of my life; that my decisions matter.”

Crank nodded. “You are and they do. What I believe, is things that happen out of our control, happen for a reason. Even if we can’t always understand what that reason might be.”

“But —”

Crank held up a hand. “Just hear me out.” He turned to Sara. “Do you think you could have moved or reacted any faster than you did to stop all of those spears?”

Sara thought about it. “No,” she said, “I honestly don’t know how I stopped the ones I did.”

“And, Jenni,” Crank said, turning back to her, “do you believe you could have moved any quicker to keep Charles from falling, and —” he held up a finger to keep her from responding, “even if you had, that we could have saved him from so serious an injury? Our supplies and healing knowledge are very limited.”

Jenni sighed and had to admit he was right, even though it pained her. “I guess … but I still feel bad, like it was my fault.”

“I understand. I grieve for him also. But I ask you, please do not blame yourself for his passing.”

Jenni nodded and the three fell silent, lost in their own thoughts, listening to the sounds of the forest.

Later, Sara asked, “Who was Brandon talking about? The person he said was helping him: Mog-something.”

“Mogritas.” Crank spat on the ground. “He is an enemy of Mother.”

“How did Brandon find him?” Jenni asked. “He was only away from us for a few days.”

Crank considered. “I’ve heard it said Mogritas can enter one’s dreams. Perhaps that was it. He is very powerful.”

“Powerful and bad,” Sara said.

“Yes,” Crank agreed. “He is the darkness to Mother’s light.”

Jenni shivered. “And now Brandon and the others are going to join with him.”

“It appears so.”

“And Brandon’s a dragon,” Sara added.

Crank sighed. “Yes. Again, I didn’t see because there have been no dragons for hundreds of years. They are mostly stuff of stories and legends now.” He chuckled, trying to relieve some tension. “You and your friends are certainly making things interesting around here,” he said, grinning at Jenni and Sara.

They smiled back at him and Jenni offered, “Well, you were off looking for adventure when you saw us … I’d say you found it!”

“Be careful what you wish for …” Sara added.

They shared a laugh and later walked back to where the others were resting.

* * * *

That evening, the group sat together to discuss their situation. Ms. Pap’s eyes seemed brighter and livelier somehow, even as her skin appeared more gray and inflexible.

They were certainly a strange looking bunch, Jenni decided, glancing around the circle at her friends and classmates. Only about half of them were still human-sized, and many of those would not have passed for human except on Halloween.

Nate, Ethan, and Rachael were only about a foot tall and all three of them had sprouted tiny, clear wings from their backs. Crank had told them about a type of Faerstrastenai that were extremely small, but could fly on their own.

Tori, who was now about six inches tall, and Faith, were becoming the Faerstrastenai they had encountered a few times already. Faith was larger, maybe ten inches, and had a slightly green cast to her skin and hair. She was not handling her transformation well, unlike Tori, who, after finding Merlin, had embraced it wholeheartedly.

Denny was the last of the “little people” and was only a few inches taller than Crank. Denny was not happy with his new stature — he played lots of sports when he wasn’t working on go-karts and such things. Jenni hoped he could find something to take his mind off it when they got to the city.

Bonnie and Matt were blue and brown versions of themselves, respectively. Bonnie was always thirsty and spent more and more time near the river. Matt, on the other hand, attracted dirt and dust much like Pigpen from the Charlie Brown cartoons. He wasn’t offensive to be around, just, well, dirty.

Carrie and Marco sat next to each other, holding hands. Carrie had lost weight and looked quite elegant to Jenni’s eye. Marco’s large, normally expressive eyes still held a blank stare much of the time, but Carrie’s presence seemed to be helping him.

Sara and Crank sat next to Jenni, completing the circle. Jenni already thought of Crank as one of her best friends, even though she had known him for a short time.

Ms. Pap lightly cleared her throat and began, “So much has changed for all of us, with still more to come I fear. I wanted all of you to know, first off, how proud I am of what you have accomplished since we began this strange journey, hiking around a lake, looking for plant samples.” She smiled and a couple of them chuckled.

Then she sighed and continued, “We’ve all suffered losses, some more than others.” She glanced at Marco beside her and placed a gnarled hand on his shoulder. “And, I’m sad to say, those losses aren’t over.”

They all looked at Ms. Pap questioningly. “What do you mean?” Jenni asked in the silence.

“Ever since we came within sight of this forest, I’ve been hearing … whispers, for lack of a better word.” She paused. “I think I know what I’m turning into and I won’t be able to continue on with you much longer.”

Jenni heard several gasps of surprise around the circle. Next to her, Crank was nodding slowly.

“You will be part of Lodir’naie,” Crank said.

Ms. Pap nodded. “Yes. I believe the voices I’m hearing are from the forest and I’ll join it soon.”

Many started talking at once.

“Wait,” Jenni said in the clamor. “You think you’re turning into a tree? That’s crazy!”

Ms. Pap held up her hand and waited until they had quieted down. “Why, Jenni?” she asked. “Why is that any crazier than what we’ve already experienced here?”

Jenni started to protest again, but Crank put a hand on her arm. “Jenni,” he said calmly, “she isn’t just turning into a tree, she is becoming part of Lodir’naie. The word, Lodir’naie, in our ancient language means ‘Mother’s mind’. This forest is much more than just a collection of trees. It has a consciousness, a will of its own.”

They took some time to get used to that idea. A thinking forest.

Marco, surprisingly, was the first to speak. “You’re okay with this, Ms. Pap,” he said not as a question, but a statement of fact.

“Yes,” she answered him. “I am sad to be leaving you all, but I know in my heart you will thrive and prosper as you are meant to, in your own ways.” She looked up and around at the trees that sheltered them. “There are eons of knowledge locked away in this forest. I will become a part of, and share in, that knowledge.” She turned her attention back to the group. “You know, teachers are always thought of as dispensers of knowledge. But, in my experience, the best ones are those who continually collect knowledge.”

They fell silent. Jenni went to embrace her teacher in a fierce hug. The rest of them joined in and they sat, holding each other, as darkness descended on the forest.

* * * *

The next morning, they woke to find a tree about ten feet in height, in the middle of their camp. The remnants of Ms. Pap’s clothes were strewn about its base. Jenni shed a few tears and gave the tree one last hug.

Each of them spent a moment to say goodbye in their own way. Faith was one of the last to approach. She reached up and touched the bark with her tiny hand and a look of surprise flashed across her face. It soon turned to a smile.

“Guys!” Faith exclaimed. “I can hear her!”

Everyone crowded around.

“It’s hard to make out.” Faith closed her eyes and concentrated. “Like a whole room full of people all talking at once. But I can pick out Ms. Pap’s voice in there.” Faith paused, listening. “She says again how proud she is of us … and to listen to Crank’s advice.”

Jenni saw Crank color at the mention of his name.

Faith continued, “She wants us to know she’s happy and we should follow our hearts.” She shook her head. “It’s all too jumbled, I can’t pick out anything else,” she said sadly.

They broke up to collect their things. They picked up Ms. Pap’s backpack and the scraps of cloth, not wanting anything to go to waste.

They were ready to head out when Merlin flew in and landed next to Tori. She grunted in disgust and pointed her tiny arm at the river.

“Go take a bath, Merlin, you’re filthy!”

The falcon chirped at her and dutifully hopped toward the water.

Everyone laughed and walked east, heading deeper into the forest.

17

It was strange traveling without any adults around. They didn’t do anything different from before, but it felt different. The thought would occur to Jenni sometimes, as they picked their way through the trees, that they were completely on their own. She would feel her blood rush, and everything around her seemed more alive. Excitement would force a grin on her face. They could do anything they wanted, but they had a purpose. It was all very grown up.

One afternoon, three days after leaving Ms. Pap, they found a large sand bar near the bank of the river. The sand was warm and soft and felt wonderful to lie on, so they decided to stop early and make their camp. After more than two weeks of sleeping on hard ground, with rocks and twigs interrupting their sleep, the thought of a bed of smooth sand sounded heavenly.

They collected nuts and Tolenton’naie — their usual fare for dinner. Then Jenni and most of the others spent the afternoon lounging on the sand, soaking up the sunshine.

The day before Merlin had decided Tori was small enough to be carried, so they had started flying lessons of a sort. Jenni watched the two of them pass by, and one of them made a loud squeak — either Tori because she was losing her balance, or Merlin because Tori had pulled too hard on his neck feathers — it was impossible to tell which. Tori was having the time of her life. Jenni wasn’t so sure about Merlin, but he was a patient teacher and the two had been inseparable.

They relaxed and did their best to forget their losses and difficulties. They hadn’t seen the need to post watches as they felt protected in the forest. Crank had pointed out one or two Faerstrastenai guardians were always nearby. Jenni figured the guardians were there to make sure she and her friends behaved as much as to offer protection, but the result was the same. They felt safe.

* * * *

After the best night of sleep she had experienced, morning acquainted Jenni with the drawback of sleeping on fine sand: it got everywhere.

Even so, it had been worth the trouble as she felt more rested and vigorous than she had since their arrival.

Everyone worked to shake out their clothing, until a shout from Denny grabbed their attention. Jenni and Sara ran to the other end of the sand bar to see what the trouble was.

Denny stood over a shirt and pants laid out neatly in the sand. Jenni realized they were Matt’s. Matt himself was nowhere to be found.

They spent several minutes shouting his name into the forest with no response.

Perplexed, Jenni bent down to retrieve Matt’s clothing. She shook out the shirt and jeans and was folding them up when she noticed movement at her feet. Startled, she jumped back and looked closer at the sand. It shifted and moved, like something was sliding just under the surface, but nothing showed itself.

“Hey guys,” Jenni called out. “Come look at this!”

The others rushed back to her and also watched the sand.

The movement stopped briefly, then began again, only instead of swirling around, the sand came together and formed a growing mound. They backed away a step or two and it continued to get bigger, passing three feet at the base and a foot and a half high.

Crank looked thoughtfully at the mound and said, “Taebri’i.” The mound stopped growing and tried forming different shapes.

“What is it, Crank?” Jenni asked him.

“Earth spirit,” he replied. “I think Matt completed his transformation and became a taebri’i, an earth spirit.”

They all stared in fascination as the sand kept trying to make a coherent shape, but fell in on itself every few seconds.

Sara asked, “What’s he doing then?”

“Probably learning about his new abilities. I suspect it’s not something he would know how to do right away, much like Tori has to practice riding Merlin.”

Denny picked up Matt’s pack, which was still laying nearby, and began passing out items to the group to carry. Once it was empty, he knelt down by the mound and held the pack open. After a moment’s hesitation, the sand started pouring into the pack. Denny looked up and laughed. “Amazing!”

“Who’s going to carry it?” Marco asked. “And how can we fit a ‘Matt’ amount of sand in his pack?”

The pack filled about half way, then the sand stopped flowing. Denny shrugged and zipped it up. Sara sighed and handed one of the smaller bags she had been carrying to Jenni. Sara then hoisted Matt’s pack of sand onto one shoulder. “It’s not bad,” she announced. “Ten pounds maybe.”

Jenni shook her head. So, now one of our friends is a bag of sand. What’s next?

Everyone packed up and they set off again. Clouds were rolling in from the west and it looked like they’d see rain later in the day.

* * * *

The rain materialized, but only in short spatters and didn’t hinder their progress. That evening, after they’d eaten, they sat under a monstrous tree and let its leaves protect them from the sporadic rain showers.

Sara set Matt’s pack down and opened the top. She shrugged when Jenni looked at her questioningly. “In case he wants to ‘stretch his legs’ — I don’t know!”

Jenni turned to Crank and asked what was on all their minds. “Do you think it’s still … well, Matt?”

“I really don’t know much about elemental spirits,” he answered. “There seems to be some form of intelligence that drives them, but do they have personality? I have no idea.”

Jenni glanced in the bag. “Is he even still in there?”

The sand in the bag shifted and a finger sized column climbed over the top, then fell back down inside.

“Well, I guess that answers that question!” Sara laughed.

Jenni giggled. “Okay, Matt, you made your point.”

She and the others settled down with their music, video games and other distractions and made ready to sleep.

The rain increased as the night wore on. By morning, they were soaked through, even under the cover of the trees. Water filtered down through the branches and leaves and hit them in dribbles and splashes. They got up early, eager to be moving since sleep was out of the question.

Jenni took some of their water bottles to the river to refill them while the others packed up. Out from under the trees, the rain was steady. It chilled her, but summer was approaching and she knew it would warm up quickly in spite of the cloud cover. The birds and other creatures that usually made the forest a riot of sound were all quiet, waiting out the rain.

Jenni was filling the last bottle when she looked up and saw a figure in the water a few feet away.

She squeaked and fell back on the bank, dropping the bottle in the river. Composing herself, she realized the figure wasn’t in the water, but rather was water. The river itself had risen up into a roughly human shape, about four feet tall, and stood — if water could stand — regarding her passively.

The bottle Jenni had dropped drifted near it. Part of the form reached out to corral the bottle and hold it. Then it slowly moved forward and presented the bottle to Jenni.

Wide-eyed, Jenni took the bottle from the watery apparition. There were no facial features, just the shape of a head and shoulders that flowed into a torso and down into the river. It was in constant motion, like the river itself, but the form kept relatively steady.

Sara, Bonnie and several others came running from camp.

“What’s going on, Jenni?” Sara asked hurriedly. “We heard you and —” Sara saw the object of Jenni’s attention and stared.

“I think it’s okay,” Jenni said, still watching the form in front of her.

“What is it?” Sara asked.

Bonnie gasped. “It’s Charles.”

“What?” Jenni asked, startled. “How do you know?”

“He’s … talking to me. I mean, I can hear him, faintly, in my head. It’s him.”

Jenni thought back again to their battle outside the forest. “But he got hit with a spear and fell in the river. How can this be him?”

“He is undei’i.” Crank had joined them as well. “Like Matt and Marco’s mother, but Charles has become a water spirit.” He turned to Bonnie and said, “I think you will be also, Bonnie. That’s why he can speak with you.”

“Yeah, Charles is kinda explaining that to me too,” she said, her voice a little shaky.

Sara put a hand on Bonnie’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

Bonnie nodded. “I know.” She held Sara’s hand briefly. “Everything he’s saying feels right, it’s just a little scary.”

Jenni took Sara’s arm. “Let’s give them a minute guys.” Jenni led them back to camp.

They finished packing their things, cleaned up the area, and slowly made their way back to where Bonnie and Charles still stood, conversing.

Bonnie turned on hearing their approach and gave them a faint smile. “Charles has an idea for how we can move quicker. We need to find a good sized log.”

They looked at each other, then Marco said, “I think I remember seeing one a little ways back, c’mon.”

They followed Marco through the trees to the west for several minutes, stopping occasionally to look for some landmark he remembered. Then Faith said, “Wait, let me try something.” She placed her hands on one of the larger trees near them and closed her eyes.

“That way,” she said a minute or two later, pointing. “Not far.”

They moved farther from the river and spotted it after a few more minutes of searching. A tree had fallen years before. Its bark had been mostly stripped away and it had broken into several sections. One was about ten feet long and two feet or so in diameter. Bonnie nodded and agreed that it should work according to what Charles had told her.

Sara went to one end and bent down to pick it up.

“Wait!” Tori shouted.

Sara stopped and raised her eyebrows. Tori ran to the other end of the log and crawled inside.

Merlin perched himself on top of the fallen tree and screeched twice. Jenni heard Tori answer faintly from inside the log. Shortly thereafter, two squirrels scrambled out from the end Tori had entered, chattered at the crowd, and ran off into the forest. Tori crawled out a moment later and climbed onto Merlin, who had hopped down to meet her.

“Okay,” she said to Sara, “it’s clear now.”

Sara laughed and shook her head.

It took help from all of them, but they got the log pried up from the ground where it had rested for so long. Half an hour later, they had it sitting on the river bank, and Charles reformed himself to meet them. The rain had let up and the sky was brighter.

“Basically,” Bonnie said, “you’re going to tie the packs to branches and then sit on the log and ride down the river.”

“Won’t it roll over?” Carrie asked.

“No, Charles and I will be guiding it to keep it steady,” Bonnie answered.

“Charles and you?” Jenni asked uncertainly.

“Yeah,” Bonnie said and sighed. “He’s going to help me finish my change, and then we can go.”

Jenni gave her a hug. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Yeah, I do.” Bonnie returned the hug and said, “I’ve been feeling myself drawn to the water more and more the past few days, but I’ve been too scared to go in. But now Charles can help me through it.”

They all hugged Bonnie and thanked her. Crank, Denny, and Marco tied their belongings to the larger branches that protruded from the log. Bags that held electronics and other things that couldn’t get wet, they tied up as high as they could.

Bonnie looked back once, then waded into the river to meet Charles. She dove under and Charles vanished with her.

Once all the packs were secure, they rested and snacked while they waited for Charles and Bonnie to return. A short time later, a form rose from the river near them, and then a second, less defined one, hesitantly came up next to the first.

“Ready?” Jenni asked.

Charles gave her what she took to be a nod, and they pushed the log into the river. Sara helped the smaller ones on while Marco, Carrie, and Jenni climbed aboard themselves. The twins and Rachael could flap their tiny wings, but still couldn’t fly. They sat near the back with Faith and Denny. Crank took up position in the front. Once the log was moving freely in the river, Charles and Bonnie held it steady, and Sara hauled herself on. Tori scouted ahead on Merlin.

“Okay,” Sara called out. “I guess we’re ready!”

They started moving at once, slowly at first, but gradually picking up speed as Charles and Bonnie maneuvered them into the middle of the river. Jenni’s legs dangled in the water up to her knees, but it wasn’t unpleasantly cold. The log remained remarkably stable and they sped down river in search of Seren’naie.

18

Brandon’s strength was failing.

He had flown nearly two days straight. He hadn’t known how far it was to Mogritas’s castle, and he’d underestimated how hard it would be to carry so many people. They flew directly over the forest, and Brandon couldn’t land because they didn’t have permission — at least that was what Alisha and the others had said.

He’d flown extremely high and glided on strong air currents and thermals, trying to conserve his energy. It had helped, and they’d sighted the mountain range a couple of hours before. Adrenaline had spurred him on, but it was fading fast.

His sharp eyes scanned the mountains. He had only seen the fortress at night in his dream, but he was sure he could find it. If he could stay aloft long enough.

He spied it at last, carved out of one of the largest peaks, about halfway to the top. It was even more impressive in the late afternoon sun. He gauged his altitude and the distance to the castle and began a slow decent, hoping he could make it. They passed over the last of the forest and into the mountain range itself.

Mogritas’s home was much as he remembered it from his dream. The rock of the mountain was a dark gray, the fortress carved directly from it as much as built out of it. There were countless towers and spires, many with open air walkways joining them. He saw one tower, bigger than most, that had a flat roof instead of a pointed one, and he angled for it.

As he got closer, he saw figures around the edges of the roof; evidently they were expected.

“Hang on!” he called back to his passengers. “This may not be the smoothest landing ever!”

He came in too fast and braked too late. Brandon landed heavily on the stone roof of the tower, shaking the whole thing slightly. He heard screams and shouts as his riders were jarred loose and landed awkwardly themselves.

He collapsed, exhausted, with the sun setting in the west.

“Welcome back, Brandon,” a familiar voice said near his ear. “I’m glad you found me … and you brought some friends with you.”

Brandon opened an eye half way and saw Mogritas standing very close. He looked much as he had in the dream, wearing the same dark clothing and his hair neatly pulled back in a pony tail. His gray eyes were even more intimidating in person. The smile on Mogritas’s face did not reach them.

“I’ll make my own introductions my friend, you lie here and rest. I instructed my servants to bring you some food, they should be arriving shortly.” Just as Mogritas finished stating it, a door opened to Brandon’s right and several large figures emerged carrying three freshly killed deer. The smell hit Brandon’s nostrils and set his blood on fire.

He pounced on them, nearly taking the arm of one of the servants along with the first of the deer. He was so ravenous he couldn’t help himself. He ignored everything else around him until he had consumed the carcasses, bones and all.

Night had descended and the top of the tower had been vacated, leaving him alone to his feast. His face and head were covered in blood and he groaned in pleasure. He hadn’t felt truly full in days! His eyes drooped and he fell asleep almost instantly.

* * * *

Alisha watched in fear as the tower roof rushed to meet them. She may have screamed.

The impact broke her grip and she flew across the roof to land at the feet of an enormous armored guard. Pain flashed in her ankle and up her left arm to the shoulder. She groaned and rolled on to her right side.

Everyone else had fallen off too, and were scattered around the roof. Slowly, each of them moved, trying to regain their feet. At least Brandon didn’t bring us all this way just to kill us with his clumsy landing.

A trim, distinguished looking gentleman stood next to Brandon’s head, talking softly to him. The man was dapperly dressed, in all black, and his clothes fit perfectly. Must be Mogritas that Brandon told us about on the trip. Alisha got herself to a sitting position and gingerly rubbed her ankle and shoulder.

Across the roof, a door opened and more guards came out, carrying some dead animals. Brandon roared at the site of them and attacked the first one, knocking over the guards and almost making a meal of one, along with the carcass. Bones cracked noisily as his teeth crushed them, and blood sprayed everywhere. Alisha swallowed and averted her eyes from the gruesome scene.

The guard behind Alisha took her by the uninjured arm and helped her to stand. Then he guided her to where Mogritas was talking with her companions.

“Let’s leave Brandon to his meal,” he was saying, “and go down for proper introductions.”

Alisha thought he sounded European, and his skin was nicely tanned and remarkably free of wrinkles for someone as old as Brandon had described. His movements were smooth and effortless, and the guards all obeyed his commands without hesitation. I’ll definitely want to stay on this guy’s good side, she thought.

They were escorted down three flights of stairs and then across a ten foot wide stone bridge, leading to a smaller tower with a pinnacled roof several stories higher. Alisha looked down and her knees went weak. The bridge was twenty stories above the ground with no railing. Directly below was a large courtyard and past that, the mountain fell away into the foothills. She could see the edge of the forest in the distance. She would have fallen if not for the solid grip of the guard on her arm.

Once inside again, the group separated. Alisha, along with, Kim, Todd, and Will, followed Mogritas up a flight of stairs that wound around the inside of the tower. Vic, Maggie, Lori, Zoe, and Mr. Kain were escorted down the same staircase, out of sight.

Alisha and her group were shown into a large room filled with comfortable looking chairs and small tables set on an array of finely woven rugs. The walls were covered with an assortment of tapestries, bookshelves and curio cabinets. Several lanterns lit the room in warm yellow light. The guards indicated chairs for each of them, then moved to stand quietly by the doorway.

Mogritas glided to one of the cabinets and poured himself a drink. After taking a sip, he turned his attention to Alisha and her classmates. “First of all,” he began, “I would like to welcome you all into my home.”

They nodded and quietly expressed their thanks.

“I imagine you have many questions.”

They looked at each other, then Alisha asked, “Where did you take the others?”

Mogritas smiled at her. “Accommodations are being prepared for all of you. They had some different needs than the four of you and are being taken to places that will best suit them.”

“What do we do now?” Kim asked.

He turned and flashed her the same smile he had given Alisha. “You can do whatever you’d like. I am offering you a place to stay: a roof over your heads, food and drink. I can also provide education about your new forms and abilities. In time, if you decide to stay and become part of this community, I would be most pleased. I think that we can learn much from each other.

“But, in the meantime, I’m sure you are all tired and hungry after your long trip.” They nodded. “My servants will escort you to your quarters where you should find a meal and comfortable arrangements.” He gave the guards a look and they moved behind the chairs where Alisha and the others sat.

Kim, Todd, and Will got up and were taken out and up the stairs. Alisha moved to stand as well but a firm hand on her shoulder kept her seated.

“A moment Miss … Alisha, is it? If you please.” Mogritas stood in front of her.

She looked into his eyes, colorless gray and seemingly devoid of emotion. “Yes?” she replied. “What do you want?”

He smiled again. Alisha could see it was a very practiced expression. She didn’t think there was any humor in it. “I need you to release the hold you have on your instructor, Mr. Kain, I believe.”

“Why?”

The smile faded slightly. “I want to ask him some questions and I need to be sure the answers are coming from him and not from you.”

Alisha cocked an eyebrow. “What kind of questions?”

Mogritas set his drink on the table next to her and pulled a chair closer, to sit in front of her. “Young lady, let me be frank with you. I feel we are kindred spirits, you and I. Both seeking to … mold the world into a better place … for ourselves, yes?”

Alisha nodded uncertainly.

“That said, I believe Mr. Kain has knowledge I am interested in. It is possible he may not be willing to part with this knowledge without some … persuasion. The link between the two of you can be quite intimate, I believe, and you may not want to experience the results of the persuasive methods at my disposal.”

Alisha thought this over, then asked, “How do you know so much about me?”

He chuckled. “My dear, knowledge is power. I am a very powerful man. I make it my business to know everything I can about everyone who works for, or with me.”

Alisha’s blood grew warm. Here was someone who could make my life much easier, she thought, to have control over someone like him would be … intoxicating. She gathered her power and met his eyes again.

As she did, his face changed. His eyes remained locked with hers, but his tanned skin became jet black fur. His nose turned dark and triangular in shape; his mouth expanded and menacing fangs grew from his upper jaw. The head of a black panther was inches from her face and she couldn’t break her eyes away.

He growled at her, deep in his throat and said quietly, “Don’t ever try to use your powers on me, little temptress. I will tear you apart faster than Brandon took those deer on the roof. This is your one and only warning. Do I make myself clear?”

Alisha’s heart pounded in her chest and she squeaked, “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Suddenly, Mogritas shifted back to the suave, tan-skinned man he had been previously. He smiled as if nothing had happened. “Now, please release Mr. Kain so that I may interview him privately.”

Alisha concentrated and found the bond with her teacher. It took a bit of effort, but she managed to break the connection. No trace of Mr. Kain remained in her mind. “Done,” she said.

“Excellent.” Mogritas stood up and replaced the chair he had moved. “I hope you find your accommodations to your liking, if you need anything, just ask one of my servants to fetch it for you.”

The guard helped her up from the chair and guided her up the stairs. They went up two flights and turned into a hallway with several doors. More guards stood at attention at various points in the hall. Her escort took her to a door in the middle on the right and opened it.

Her quarters turned out to be a suite of two rooms: a living area and a bed and bath. The guard nodded once to her then exited and shut the door.

A table in the center of the living room held a tray with an assortment of fruit, bread, and cold cut meat. Around the table was an overstuffed couch and two chairs. Decorative tapestries hung on the walls and two lanterns lit the room adequately. A doorway to her right led to the bedroom.

She passed by the food, her fright from Mogritas having erased any appetite she had, and entered the bedroom. Inside was a small wash area and toilet, but dominating the room was a four poster feather bed. Nothing had ever looked so appealing.

Alisha washed her face quickly, then got out of her filthy clothes and put on a nightgown she found hanging on a hook behind the door. She pulled the covers back from the bed and slipped between the smooth sheets. After more than two weeks of sleeping on hard ground, Alisha thrilled at the feel of the soft bed. The pillow nuzzled her face and she quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

19

Brandon opened his eyes to bright sunshine. He winced and shut them, watching red spots float slowly around the inside of his eyelids. Cautiously, he opened them again, adjusting to the light.

It took him a moment to remember where he was. The tower roof was empty, except for himself and three fresh deer carcasses. His stomach growled. How can I be hungry again already? His muscles and bones protested, but he dragged himself over to the deer and began to feed.

Mogritas must have known I’d need to eat again. He went slower this time, taking the time to remove the meat from the bones, not just wolf down the whole thing. He checked his surroundings as he chewed. The tower seemed smaller than when he landed.

High in the sky, the sun made the stone beneath him toasty. Brandon finished two of the deer, then laid his head down. Just a little more rest, he decided.

* * * *

He woke again to the warm sun. He felt much better and worked to stretch the kinks out of his legs and wings.

The sun hadn’t moved much, but he saw the deer were gone and the mess he’d made had been cleaned up. He paced around the roof to limber himself.

A few minutes later, the door leading into the tower opened and a dark clad figure stepped into the light.

Mogritas was dressed as he always was, in his burgundy lapeled black jacket and black pants. Brandon crossed over in a couple of strides and greeted him.

“Thank you for the deer. I couldn’t believe how hungry I was!”

Mogritas smiled in greeting. “Of course, my boy. Think nothing of it. You pushed yourself very hard to get everyone here safely, and job well done.”

“Everyone’s okay then?” Brandon asked. “No one was hurt from my landing?”

“They are all just fine. They asked after you as well and I assured them you just needed rest.”

“How did you get everything cleaned up so quickly?”

Mogritas chuckled. “It took my servants some time. They were fearful of cleaning around you, but they got the job done.”

“Some time?” Brandon said. “I wasn’t out that long was I?”

“You’ve been here almost three days, my friend.”

Three days! “Wow! No wonder I was hungry again when I woke up before.”

“Indeed,” Mogritas agreed. “Now, if you’re up for it, I’d like to show you something.”

“Sure.” Brandon held out a leg so Mogritas could climb on his back. “Where we goin’?”

Mogritas, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a huge eagle. The feathers were black, instead of brown, and his wingspan must have been at least twelve feet. “Follow me,” he said, and winked at Brandon with a gray eye that remained unchanged from his metamorphosis.

Mogritas jumped and took off, flying toward the mountains behind his fortress. Still startled by the change, Brandon took a second before following. He leapt up and flapped his enormous wings. Mogritas circled lazily and waited for Brandon to catch up.

It was only a short flight before they rounded a cliff face and landed in the mouth of a large cave. Mogritas shifted back to his normal form and walked inside.

The entrance was more than big enough to accommodate Brandon’s bulk, and the interior expanded even farther.

The walls were composed of more of the dark granite of the mountains and were smooth — whether from time or construction, Brandon couldn’t tell. He judged the size of the cavern to be about a football field. To his left, a shallow pit had been dug or carved, perhaps twenty feet in diameter. It was the only feature to the large cave, the rest of the floor being as smooth as the walls.

Brandon lumbered over to the pit and looked inside. It was only a couple of feet deep. The bottom held mostly dirt, but he could see a few remnants of bone here and there.

“Something used to live here I guess?” Brandon asked.

“Your ancestors,” Mogritas answered from behind him. “Or rather those who would have been your ancestors, had you been born in this world. This cave was home to a dragon, ages ago. There are many more in this mountain range, but this is the largest I’ve discovered.”

“How did they get everything so smooth?” Brandon asked.

“Taebri’i, earth spirits, I suspect. Some dragons had means to communicate with the elemental spirits. The taebri’i could have shaped the caverns to their liking.”

Brandon nodded and continued to investigate the cave.

“Big as it is, my home doesn’t have any place large enough to shelter you in poor weather. I thought you might like to claim this as your own. If you need anything, I can have my servants prepare it for you.”

Brandon nodded again. “Sure, that sounds good. I can’t think of anything right now.” He chuckled. “Can’t exactly use a couch or a bed.”

“Excellent,” Mogritas said. “The foothills below support large herds of deer and other grazers for you to hunt. I expect also you will want to retrieve your other friends from the Nomenstrastenai village — in a few days, once you’ve regained your full strength.”

Brandon turned back to Mogritas in surprise. He hadn’t thought about Mike or Scott in days. He was suddenly ashamed. So much had happened over the last couple of weeks! Of course he would have to go back and get his friends. Brandon wondered what they had become. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “I guess I’d better go hunt up some more food.”

Mogritas smiled. “There is a small river leading from the mountains to the forest where you can drink as well.” He shifted shape once again into the big, dark eagle. “I’ll leave you to your preparations. Again, let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Brandon said. Mogritas inclined his bird head and flew out the cave mouth, back toward the castle.

Brandon thought about going to hunt when a yawn escaped his jaws. Maybe just another quick nap.

* * * *

He slept, hunted and ate for the next several days. He also spent time exploring the mountain range. He found several more dragon caves, as Mogritas had indicated. They were all the same design, perfectly Spartan, except for a shallow pit, off to one side or the other. Brandon still couldn’t figure out what the pit was for, but it was obviously important to the dragons, since they all seemed to need one.

Brandon’s cave was indeed the largest. In fact, it was at least twice as big as the next largest he found. Whatever dragon lived in mine must have been a real monster! Brandon felt a surge of pride and he fancied he was living in the cave of the king of dragons.

It had taken him a few tries to get the hang of snatching a deer while in flight. He was glad no one was around to see his first few failures. His left wing was still bruised from a crash after misjudging his angle of descent. After some practice, however, he got good at “swoop and snatch”, as he thought of it.

The day after he’d injured his wing, he made an interesting discovery. A portion of the wall at the back of his cave didn’t feel right somehow, and he couldn’t figure out what bothered him about it. He put his front foot up to touch it, and it promptly went right through. The cave wall was an illusion!

Brandon cautiously poked his head through and found a passageway leading deeper into the mountain for fifty or sixty yards. It opened up into another cavern, even larger than his living area.

He let his eyes adjust — he saw well with little light — and gasped at the contents of the huge room.

Books and stone tablets lay everywhere, some in neat orderly stacks, others seemingly thrown about at random. Brandon looked at a couple of tablets lying near his feet, but couldn’t decipher the writing on them.

In stories, dragons always had treasure troves of gold and jewels. This, however, appeared to be a treasure of knowledge.

Brandon decided to keep his library a secret for the time being. He liked the idea of having something that was his and no one else’s in this world.

The next day, his wing felt well enough to fly again and he resumed his hunting and exploration. He didn’t spend much time in the library since he couldn’t read any of the texts, but it thrilled him to know it was there.

He didn’t need to drink often, but found it annoying to have to fly down to the river every time he was thirsty. Brandon thought it might be handy to have a big basin or tub to keep water in his cave. He would have to ask Mogritas about that.

A few days later, he decided he was ready to make the trip back to Crank’s village to get Mike and Scott. His injured wing didn’t bother him anymore, and he felt stronger and was much better at flying than before.

He also realized he had grown since he’d brought the others to Mogritas. He figured he was about the size of a small passenger plane — one of those commuters that could carry eight or ten people — which was appropriate, considering what he was heading off to do.

He started early in the morning, flying to Mogritas’s castle first to ask about his water tub. He had also thought to tell Mogritas about his library, but when the guard who met him on top of the tower informed him Lord Mogritas was unavailable, Brandon decided not to say anything. The guard assured him he would let the Lord know of his whereabouts and would see about something to hold water in his cave.

Brandon thanked the guard and took off to the west, flying high.

Mike and Scott were going to be in for a big surprise when they saw him!

20

Jenni and the others had been floating down the river for nearly a week, the miles breezing by. Crank was confident the junction to the Baer’naie was close.

Rachael and the twins, Nate and Ethan, were only two or three inches tall, and their wings had grown enough to allow them to fly. The three of them buzzed around the log, flitting here and there, as it was guided down river by Charles and Bonnie. At night, they seemed to glow on their own, like fireflies. If she’d had her blonde hair done up in a bun, Jenni thought Rachael would have been a perfect match for Tinker Bell, minus the wand and sparkles.

Matt had gained enough control that he didn’t need the bag of sand any more. He could inhabit any rock or stone and shape it into anything he wished. He had taken a large stone from the river bank and wrapped it around one of the bigger branches on the log. Jenni thought he looked like a rock doughnut.

Faith had talked with the forest the day before to find another suitable fallen tree to replace their first log raft. It had become waterlogged after a few days and was too difficult for Charles and Bonnie to keep afloat. Faith got directions from the trees to another log which they wrestled to the river.

Carrie and Marco spent most of the time together. Jenni was happy for them, especially Carrie. She had been so much more alive and confident the past couple of weeks. Jenni could see that Mrs. Minch had been a real drain on her daughter. Carrie had never acted happy around her mother.

Jenni wondered sometimes how Mrs. Minch, Deena, and the two boys, Mike and Scott, were doing. Had they changed too? She was sure Crank’s people were taking good care of them though.

Crank and Denny were nearly inseparable. Denny was full of questions about the Nomenstrastenai and their ways. Jenni felt twinges of jealousy sometimes since Crank wasn’t spending as much time with her, but she was happy for Denny to have someone who could teach him about his new form.

Jenni smiled as she watched Sara, sitting on the log in front of her, bob her head to the beat of a song blasting through her MP3 player. Jenni decided to listen to some music too, but then Tori and Merlin landed on the branch behind her.

Merlin screeched in Jenni’s ear and she missed what Tori said. “Ow!” Jenni cried and stuck a finger in her ear.

Tori gave Merlin a playful thump on the head from her seat on his shoulders. “Quit that!” Merlin responded with a quieter peep. “I keep telling him he doesn’t have to announce his arrival to the world every time he lands, but he won’t listen.”

Jenni laughed. “It’s okay, what’s up?”

“We’re coming up on the other river. Maybe half a mile or so.”

“Cool,” Jenni said. “Let Crank know. I don’t know if we need to do anything special or not.”

“Okay, will do. C’mon, Loudmouth.” Merlin eyed Tori, looking as if he was trying to decide if she might make a good meal, then he hopped up and flapped toward the front of the log.

Jenni tapped Sara on the shoulder and she fumbled with her MP3 player as she turned around.

“What’s goin’ on?” Sara asked.

“Tori says we’re almost to the new river.”

Sara nodded. “Oh, okay. I guess we should check to make sure everything is tied tight. Water might be rough.”

“Good idea,” Jenni said and she turned to check the bags and packs in her vicinity. Sara packed up her music and let Carrie and Marco, seated in front of her, know what was happening.

One of the twins buzzed by Jenni and she got his attention to let him know the situation and to pass the word on. He nodded and sped away.

The river they were on had grown large, maybe a hundred yards from bank to bank. The water had cleared a lot over the past few days as the run off from the mountains eased and the silt and dirt settled into the riverbed. They floated straight down the middle and never could have managed it without the help from Charles and Bonnie. They kept the log steady and Jenni never felt in danger of tipping over.

 Soon after, they came around a slow bend and the forest opened up to reveal the Baer’naie river. Big and powerful, it was possibly three times the size of the one they were leaving. The waters appeared to be relatively calm though, and Jenni didn’t think they’d have much trouble.

They passed smoothly into the main channel, heading south now, rather than east. Crank hadn’t been sure, but guessed they’d have about two more weeks of travel at their current pace to reach Seren’naie.

Peering around Sara toward the front, Jenni saw a disturbance in the water ahead of them. The river was churning in a wide area, creating bubbles and froth. They were headed directly for it.

She tapped Sara on the shoulder again. “What’s that?”

Sara looked up and shrugged. “Beats me.” She called ahead, “Crank, do you see that up there?”

Jenni watched Crank turn from his conversation with Denny and examine the river ahead. He called down to the water, presumably to ask something of Charles or Bonnie, but Jenni couldn’t hear.

They were nearly on top of it when the water boiled more furiously and a geyser fountained in front of them. An appendage separated from the tower of water, rising ten feet or more, and lunged toward the log. Jenni heard Carrie scream in front of her and Sara.

A ball of water, three feet across, exploded from the river and flew backward, splashing behind them. The log began to pitch and roll.

Jenni grabbed onto the branch behind her, trying to keep her seat. She saw Marco and either Crank or Denny fall into the river.

The plume of water reached out and swatted the river on the other side of the log, sending another ball flying behind them. What little stability they had vanished and they were all cast into the churning water.

Jenni yelped and barely managed to snatch a breath before going under.

She popped up a few feet away to see the watery behemoth pick up their log and tear it to pieces. Huge splinters went flying in every direction, along with all of their backpacks and supplies.

Beneath the giant, the river started to swirl, creating a whirlpool which got wider by the second. Jenni could already feel its pull.

She saw several other heads bobbing in the river, and found Sara fighting to hold onto a chunk of their former transportation. Jenni yelled at her over the roar of the angry water, “Try to swim to the near bank! That way!” Jenni pointed to the west.

Sara nodded and stroked in the direction Jenni had chosen, stopping briefly to help a couple of the others.

The tower of water receded and added its strength to the growing whirlpool.

Rachael buzzed by Jenni’s head, a look of panic on her tiny face.

Jenni pointed west again. “Tell everyone to swim that way! Try to stay together!”

Rachael nodded and zipped away.

The pull of the whirlpool grew increasingly strong and Jenni realized she would have to swim around it to get to the west bank. She couldn’t see anyone else and hoped they’d all gotten the message.

She struck out down river attempting to maneuver around the furious cyclone.

A sharp tug on her right leg pulled her under.

She gulped a mouthful of air before going down. Jenni opened her eyes, trying to see what held her, but the cloudy water obscured her vision. The whirlpool spun fast and deep and she moved inexorably towards it. She kicked in desperation, to no avail.

Her lungs burned. Then Jenni saw another form in the water — it was Crank! An unseen force dragged him downward as well.

Jenni’s body tingled with a rush of anger and energy.

She felt pressure around both feet — her shoes suddenly gave way and she was free. She kicked and rushed a few yards closer to Crank.

Jenni stroked powerfully with her arms and legs, gliding quickly through the water. She grabbed Crank’s arm and pulled him away from the deadly whirlpool. His eyes were wide with fright. She pushed hard toward the surface and they broke through, Crank gasping for air.

The two of them swam away toward the western bank, the river churning angrily behind them. They caught up to some of the others and everyone swam raggedly for the shoreline.

Finally, they crawled onto the mud and sand of the bank, exhausted. Jenni saw Sara helping Denny, and Carrie and Marco were lying next to each other. Tori and Merlin landed nearby, and soon after, she saw the twins and Rachael fly in. There was no sign of Matt or Faith.

Jenni called to the others. “Did anyone see Faith? Or Matt?”

Everyone looked around and shook their heads. Just then, a rush of water from the river boiled up toward them. On top of it, Jenni could see a small, limp form. Faith! The water gently deposited her on the bank and slid away. Jenni knelt down and Faith rolled over and coughed, spitting out water. After retching a couple more times, Faith looked up at Jenni and nodded that she was going to be okay.

“Charles or Bonnie must have found her,” Crank said, following up with a cough of his own.

“What was that out there?” Sara asked.

“Undei’i, a water spirit, like Charles and Bonnie, I would guess anyway,” Crank answered.

“But it was huge!” Jenni said in shock.

Crank nodded. “Spirits vary in power and ability. There may have been more than one out there too.”

“But why did they attack us?”

Crank shook his head. “I don’t know.” He turned back to Jenni and said, “You saved my life, Jenni. Thank you.”

Jenni smiled at him and blushed. “Well, what would we do without our guide?”

“How did you manage to get free?” he asked her.

Jenni shrugged. “I’m not sure. I felt something on my feet, then I think my shoes came off. I guess whatever it was lost its grip.” She looked at her feet. Her shoes were indeed missing. Additionally, the bottom portions of her socks were shredded. Only the elastic around her ankles was still intact.

Crank examined her feet. “Strange,” he said. “Your socks have been torn apart, but there are no scratches on your feet at all.”

They were startled by a mound of sand and mud forming up in front of them. It created an arm and waved at them. They relaxed, realizing it was only Matt and he was safe.

“Matt, do you know if Charles and Bonnie are okay?” Jenni asked.

Matt’s form moved but Jenni had no idea what he was trying to say.

“Oh my gosh!” Denny blurted out. “We’ve all been so dumb!”

Denny hunted around for a moment, then grabbed a stick and walked over to Matt. “Matt, can you take this and write in the sand?”

Matt took the stick from Denny in a muddy appendage and bent closer to the ground. Understanding dawned on Jenni what Denny wanted. Maybe now they could talk with Matt!

Matt made a few rough scratches in the sandy shore, then stopped and dropped the stick.

“Maybe it’s too hard for him to control his movements,” Crank offered.

The sand in front of Matt smoothed out magically, then letters and symbols began to appear.

They scrambled around to see what Matt was writing.

“C & B OK,” it began. “Find packs & bring back.”

Jenni looked at Matt’s “head” and asked, “So, Charles and Bonnie are all right, and they went to find our backpacks and bags in the river?”

Matt did his best to nod.

“That’s fantastic, Matt!” Jenni said and tried to hug the dirt mound.

They laughed and congratulated Matt, and Denny too for his idea.

“Matt,” Crank then asked, “you can communicate with Charles and Bonnie?”

Matt nodded again and indicated the ground. “Hard but can most time.” Then, “C coming.”

They turned back to the river to see a waterlogged bag flowing toward them. A wave of water deposited it onto the bank.

“Charles,” Jenni said, excitedly, “Matt can talk to us by writing in the sand and can translate for you guys too!”

The water frothed and churned in what Jenni took to be happiness.

“Hopefully they can give us a better idea of what happened out there,” Marco said.

* * * *

They rested on the river bank for a couple of hours while Charles and Bonnie did their best to retrieve their belongings and supplies. One of the bags of extra clothing had Tori’s old socks and tennis shoes, which were a close enough fit for Jenni to use. They set everything out on rocks along the shore to dry in the sun. All their electronics were completely soaked, and probably useless, but they set them out to dry too, in the hope that some of them might still work.

Eventually, Charles and Bonnie returned and indicated they had found all they could. Marco and Carrie had gone into the forest and collected more Tolenton’naie for everyone, so they sat to have a snack and decide how to proceed.

“Matt,” Jenni began, “do Charles or Bonnie know what happened?”

Matt had placed himself in a stone he found at the river’s edge and shaped it into a gingerbread man about a foot tall. There was a pause, then words appeared in the sand.

“1 big water & some little. Angry. Not know why.”

Jenni turned to Crank. “Can you think of any reason why the spirits would be mad at us?”

“The water spirits were mad?” Crank shook his head. “No, but as I’ve said before, I don’t know much about elemental spirits.” Then he asked Matt, “I assume Charles and Bonnie tried to talk to them — explain what we were doing?”

“Y” was drawn in the sand.

“Does that symbol mean ‘yes’?” Crank asked.

Jenni nodded, then a thought occurred to her. “Wait, Crank, you can’t read what Matt is writing?”

Crank shook his head again. “You speak in my language — at least that’s what I hear — but I assume he’s writing in yours. It just looks like random lines to me.”

“Okay,” Sara said. “So, we have a river full of angry water spirits. We obviously can’t fight them. Do we have to walk the rest of the way?” She looked around at everyone, hoping for ideas.

No one seemed to have anything to offer. Then Matt drew again. “Walk 1 or 2 days. C & B will see if follow.”

Jenni read this and asked, “So Charles and Bonnie will check to see if these spirits follow us for a day or two?” Matt inclined his head. “Maybe then we can get back in the river and keep going that way?” Jenni finished.

“Y” Matt wrote again.

“Everybody okay with that?” Jenni asked, glancing around.

“Doesn’t look like we have many choices,” Marco said.

“So, we’ll stay here and let our stuff dry out, then start walking south tomorrow?” Jenni asked the group.

“Sounds like a plan,” Sara said.

21

They walked for the next two days, checking in periodically with Charles and Bonnie to see what was going on in the river. It didn’t appear they were being followed, but they wanted to be extra sure before they put themselves at risk in the water again.

Amazingly, three of the MP3 players still worked after they had dried everything out, and one of the portable video games had been packed in a semi-waterproof case and had survived as well. They took turns with the devices to pass the time when they weren’t busy with the typical day-to-day activities of gathering food, unpacking and packing a campsite, or mending clothing. They kept all the non-working equipment “just in case.” They really didn’t have a way to dispose of it anyway. No one wanted to chance angering the forest, or any other spirits, by being a litterbug.

The evening of that second day, they stopped to make camp and resupply. Marco, Carrie and Faith went to gather food for supper and Jenni and Sara took the water bottles to the river to refill them. The river water wasn’t clear, but Charles and Bonnie had a way of filtering out everything, leaving them with pure, clean water.

Denny said he had an idea, but wanted time with Matt to figure some things out. After dinner, the two of them moved away from camp to work, and the others rested, listened to music or played games.

Jenni slept fitfully that night, having strange dreams she couldn’t quite remember after she woke. She sat up to look for her water bottle and found herself staring at a boat.

Denny and Matt had been busy during the night. Denny lay, still asleep, next to the contraption he and Matt had created. It was about fifteen feet long and maybe six feet across at the middle. Long, narrow pontoons, supported by three struts, jutted from each side. The boat had a deep keel, and a deck with a two foot high rail surrounding it. A rudder and steering arm were attached at the stern, and lastly, there was a very small cabin at the bow. All of it fashioned from rock and stone.

“Wow,” was all Jenni could say.

The others woke up and gaped in awe and admiration of Denny and Matt’s handiwork. Denny beamed with pride at their accomplishment.

“It’s all made of rock!” Sara exclaimed. “Will it float?”

Denny nodded. “Most big ships are made of metal,” he explained, “and the air that’s trapped in the pontoons and in the belly of the boat will help keep it up also.”

Excited, they packed up quickly and Denny told them to climb aboard.

“How do we get it in the water?” Marco asked after they were all standing on the deck.

“Matt will take care of that,” Denny said, and as he did, the boat slowly slid down the bank toward the river. They braced themselves, gripping the railing as the boat entered the water.

Charles and Bonnie popped up from the river and seemed excited by the craft too.

The current started to carry them down river and the boat rocked back and forth unsteadily. Denny surveyed the sides and called out, “Matt, you need to lower the pontoons, we’re sitting higher in the water than I thought.”

Jenni snuck a peek over the side and watched the stone supports for the pontoon change shape, lowering it to the water level. The ride immediately stabilized.

Denny continued to scurry about, checking this and that. At last, he seemed satisfied and took a seat near the back with a big smile on his round face.

Everyone gave a cheer and hugged him or clapped him on the back.

“Don’t forget Matt,” Jenni said.

They all laughed and said a thank you to Matt. On the deck, in the middle of them, an engraved smiley face appeared, which made them laugh even more.

Carrie spoke up after their laughter died down. “Denny, what made you think of this?”

Denny blushed. “Well, lots of things really. The logs floated okay and they worked because Charles and Bonnie steadied them in the river so they didn’t roll over. After talking with Matt yesterday, I figured if we had something that was stable by itself, then Charles and Bonnie could spend their energy moving us faster instead of keeping us upright.”

Jenni noticed the breeze had picked up, and she realized it was from their speed. The boat was moving faster down river than the current was carrying them.

“So Charles and Bonnie are pushing us along?” Jenni asked him.

Denny nodded. “Yep, and Matt is steering with the rudder and communication from Charles and Bonnie if there are any obstacles in the river ahead.”

Crank patted Denny on the shoulder. “You are truly Nomenstrastenai. This is a marvel to behold.”

Denny blushed again at the praise.

“What’s the little room up front for?” Sara asked.

Denny smiled. “Outhouse.”

They looked at him in disbelief.

“It is!” he assured them. “This way, we can spend even more time on the river. We won’t have to take bathroom breaks every couple of hours like before.”

Sara laughed. “Denny you’re amazing!”

They made fantastic time and only one problem surfaced. During the heat of the day, the stone became uncomfortably warm from exposure to the hot sun. They pulled over to the river bank around noon and picked up a supply of stones. Matt, with Denny’s guidance, shaped an arched canopy over most of the deck of the boat, providing them with shade. After adjusting the pontoons to compensate for the added weight, they were off again.

Jenni checked with Charles and Bonnie often to make sure they weren’t getting tired, but the two seemed to have endless energy — much like the never ending batteries of the games and MP3 players. Jenni had no idea what energy source they tapped into, but she was glad for whatever it was.

By the end of the day, they had passed another large river which emptied into the Baer’naie. The Baer’naie itself was a half mile wide or more, and getting bigger and stronger all the time.

They stopped briefly to gather food and refill their water bottles in the evening, then decided to sleep on the boat that night. Matt, Charles and Bonnie all assured them they were doing fine and would just let the current carry them through the darkness.

Jenni dreamed of flying.

She had grown large, leathery wings out of her back and glided over the river and the forest, under the clear starlight of the night. The air was cool and felt good against her skin after days of harsh sunlight had burnt and dried it.

She flapped occasionally, to keep her altitude, but mostly just let the air currents carry her where they would. She felt completely free.

Dawn came too soon for her that morning and she scrunched her eyes tightly closed in defiance.

She was lying on her stomach and noticed the morning breeze was chilly on her back. Grumbling, she reached behind her and discovered her shirt was ripped open.

Perplexed, she sat up, holding the remains of her T-shirt tightly to her, and scooted over to where their packs lay. She found one with extra clothing and rifled through it until she found another shirt that would fit. She quickly changed and held her old shirt up for a look.

Two holes had been torn open in the back. She flashed back to her dream and realized, that’s where my wings were! What’s going on?

Confused and a little scared, she stuffed her old shirt in the clothing pack and nibbled on some Tolenton’naie fruit for breakfast.

Jenni thought back to their fight against the water spirits. She remembered running out of breath, then she’d seen Crank in trouble and needed to help him. She had suddenly been able to swim much faster than normal, and I didn’t feel out of breath anymore, she realized with a start.

“Morning, Sunshine!” Sara sat down next to Jenni with a smile. She noticed the look on Jenni’s face then and asked, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I … I’m not sure,” Jenni said. “I think I’m starting to change into something, but I don’t know what.”

“You don’t look any different to me,” Sara said softly.

They called Crank over and Jenni relayed her experiences in the water and her dream.

“Mysteries upon mysteries.” Crank shook his head. “I don’t know Jenni, I wish I could help you.” He paused then, and added, “I do know one thing though.”

Jenni looked at him. “What’s that?”

Crank smiled. “That I’m awfully glad for whatever you’re becoming — otherwise, I’d be fish food right about now.”

Sara laughed at this and Jenni smiled too. She gave Crank a big hug and said, “I’m glad too.”

* * * *

That afternoon they exited the Lodir’naie forest. They had been staying close to the western bank of the river and noticed the trees were thinning, and then were gone all together. Grasslands dominated the horizon as far as they could see.

Merlin landed on the edge of the boat’s canopy with a screech and Tori told them she had seen what looked like buildings down river on the eastern side. They changed course and headed across the mighty river.

Several minutes later, they could see land again on the horizon, and something large and tall, gleaming brightly in the afternoon sun.

Crank confirmed it. Seren’naie.

22

As they approached, Jenni began to make out details of Seren’naie.

The city looked to be set up in a circle, five or six miles across. Distances were hard to judge. What wasn’t hard to judge, however, was its beauty. All the buildings around the outer edge were made of stone and were mostly one or two stories tall. The structures in the center though, took Jenni’s breath away.

Towers and spires made largely of glass or crystal stood twenty to thirty stories tall and blazed in the setting sunlight. Many had large balconies or platforms and, when Jenni squinted, she could make out tiny figures walking around on them.

Crank spotted the mouth of a large canal that looked like it went straight into Seren’naie. Matt must have seen it too because the boat angled straight toward it. The canal was lined with the same stone most of the buildings were composed of, and was probably fifty yards wide. They glided smoothly from the river into the canal, and the city stood directly before them.

Ahead of them, the canal branched out to either side, creating a massive moat around the whole of Seren’naie. A tall archway, with circular guard towers, marked the entrance to the city. Wide, paved streets ran along both sides of the canal and were busy with foot traffic.

Jenni noticed too, the buildings on the right side differed from those on the left. The ones on the right had many more open windows, of various sizes, and she could see tiny creatures flying in and out of them frequently. The buildings on the left seemed more accommodating for people her size, with normal doorways and fewer windows.

Motion near the archway caught her eye, and she saw two figures emerge from the towers on both sides. She panicked for a moment when she saw two of them were the larger type of Gobinstratstorai that had attacked them outside of Lodir’naie.

Along side them stood more human-looking guards that seemed familiar. Jenni glanced at Sara next to her and realized the similarity. The guards were tall and muscular, but carried a sense of grace and beauty. They also had a metallic sheen to their skin, though instead of copper, theirs was golden. All of them carried a long spear in one hand and had swords at their hips.

“Halt and identify!” the gold-skinned guard on their left called out.

Crank gave some quick instructions to Matt and the boat slowed and drifted toward the left canal wall. The deck was about level with the top of the stone railing that separated the canal from the street.

“We’ve come from the north, seeking the knowledge and wisdom of Seren’naie,” Crank replied to the guard.

Jenni watched the guards from the far side of the canal disappear into their tower. Shortly thereafter, they reappeared at the top and hustled across the archway, entering the tower on their side.

The guard that had called for them to halt looked skeptical. “Do you have a patron?” he asked.

“We were not aware that we needed one to enter the city,” Crank said. Jenni thought he looked a little nervous. Surely, they hadn’t come all this way only to be turned away at the gate!

“It’s not required, but it would have helped us point you in the right direction.”

The two guards from the right side emerged to stand next to the others. Jenni saw the golden skinned one was a woman. Jenni watched her scan their boat and its occupants and her eyes widened in surprised when she came to Sara.

“Greetings, Little Sister,” the female guard said to Sara. “I was not aware any of our number were outside the city at this time.”

“Um,” Sara stammered, “I’m from out of town.” Sara turned to Jenni, silently pleading for help.

Jenni stepped up and said, “We’re from a very long way away. It might help if we could speak to a scientist or someone like that.” Jenni smiled at the guard, hoping this wouldn’t turn into a confrontation.

The female guard looked them over again and came to a decision. She handed her long spear to one of the Gobinstratstorai guards and stepped forward. “I am Captain Herina of the Saromstrastenai.” Herina stamped her left foot, crossed her arms over her chest and gave a slight nod to them.

“Hi,” Sara said unimaginatively.

“I’m Jenni, of … Earth, and these are my friends. We’re really hoping someone here can help us.”

Captain Herina nodded. “Very well,” she said, dismissing the other guards, “but let’s get you settled somewhere first. I assume you will want to stay together?”

Jenni sighed in relief. “Yes, please.”

The Captain nodded again. “And did you want to keep your spirits with you or should we find a place to store them?”

Jenni had no idea what Herina meant and looked to Crank for help.

“We’ll keep them with us,” he answered.

“All right,” Herina said. “Please gather your things and I can help you out of your water craft.”

Jenni and the others hustled back to pick up their packs and bags, talking excitedly with one another. They shouldered their belongings and made ready to leave.

“Wait,” Jenni said. “Crank, what did she mean by ‘our spirits’?”

Crank adjusted his bag and said, “I assume she was referring to Matt, Charles, and Bonnie.”

“What, like we own them or something?”

Crank shrugged. “I guess. I just figured it was best to stick together.”

“Definitely,” Jenni agreed. “But how do we take them with us?” A piece of the canopy dropped near her feet. It had a smiley face on it.

Denny laughed and picked it up. “Well that takes care of Matt, I guess. What about the other two?”

“Would they fit in a bottle?” Carrie asked.

“Good idea,” Jenni said. “Let’s find out.”

Jenni grabbed two of their larger bottles and emptied them over the side of the boat. Then she called down to the water, “Charles … Bonnie? Are you guys there?”

Two people-sized pillars emerged from the canal.

Jenni smiled at them. “Great! We’re leaving the boat and going into the city, can you fit in these?” She waved the empty bottles in her hands.

Charles and Bonnie swirled and frothed.

“Okay, I don’t know if that’s yes or no, but here goes.” She leaned over as far as she could and held the bottles out. Water flowed into each and the forms dropped away.

Jenni capped the bottles and put them in one of the bags she carried. “All right, I guess we’re good to go.”

Matt created a stone plank from the boat to the street, and they stepped from it with a helping hand from Captain Herina. It felt good to be on solid ground after almost two straight days on the water.

“What about the boat?” Denny asked.

Jenni looked to Captain Herina.

The Captain eyed the stone craft uncertainly. “Let me see what I can do.”

“Thank you,” Jenni said.

Captain Herina indicated the street. “If you will follow me, I’ll get you set up in a guest house not far from here.”

They walked about three blocks and turned to the left down a smaller side street. The sun was setting and street lamps flickered on, keeping everything well lit. The streets had a gentle curve to them, echoing the circular shape of the moat surrounding the city.

The Captain turned to a door of a two story building, not far from the canal, and pulled a thin chain dangling from the left side. The tinkle of a small bell sounded from somewhere within. Shortly thereafter, the door opened and an Elvorstrastenai woman stood before them.

She was dressed in simple, functional clothes of tans and browns and wore a white apron over them. She had blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and softly pointed ears, just like Marco and Carrie. She was only an inch or two taller than Jenni.

The woman glanced at Captain Herina, then surveyed Jenni and her friends. Jenni was sure they made an odd-looking bunch.

“What can I do for you, Captain?” the woman asked.

“Good evening, Matron,” Captain Herina began. “We have some new visitors to Seren’naie, and I wondered if you have room to put them up for a while?”

The woman looked at Jenni and the others again before answering. “I generally don’t receive any of the small folk, but if it is their desire to stay together, I suppose I can make do.” She opened the door fully and stepped aside.

Captain Herina turned back to them. “I will alert the Mayor and the Council of your presence and desires. You should be hearing from someone soon.” She saluted them again as she had at the tower and strode purposefully down the street.

Jenni shrugged. “I guess this is home sweet home for now.”

“Whatever,” Sara said. “I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving,” Jenni replied with a laugh.

Merlin swooped down and landed on Jenni’s shoulder. Tori thankfully bopped him on the head before he could screech in her ear. He gave Tori a dirty look, but kept quiet. His talons didn’t dig into her skin … much.

Rachael and the twins buzzed into the room, investigating every little thing. It was a sitting room, decorated with some painted artwork and several vases of fresh flowers. A bookshelf stood on the wall to their left and a stone-mantled fireplace dominated the center of the back wall. No fire was lit as the temperature outside was borderline hot. Inside the house, however, it was very pleasant. A big picture window gave a view of the street and several functional, but decorative, chairs and couches were scattered around the room.

Once they were all inside and closed the door behind them, the woman addressed the group. “I am Guest Matron Zalandra, and this is my home. Breakfast is served an hour after dawn, and dinner is served an hour after sundown. You are on your own for a midday meal. As I told the Captain, I do not normally serve small folk, they generally prefer to stay in their own section of the city, so please don’t expect special accommodations.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jenni and the rest replied. The tone of the Matron’s voice allowed no other response.

“Good. Please follow me. Dinner will be served in an hour.”

She showed them upstairs to a hallway with two rooms on each side. Each had two single-person beds, a small table and two chairs. Wood was used, but only sparingly. Almost everything was formed from rock and stone. There was a small washroom at the end of the hall.

Jenni and Sara took the first room on the left, Marco, Denny, and Crank took the first on the right. Carrie and Faith took the one next to Jenni and Sara. Rachael and the twins just zoomed around everywhere.

Matron Zalandra eyed Merlin on Jenni’s shoulder and spoke to Tori. “Any droppings and he stays outside. Understood?”

Tori nodded and Merlin peeped.

“Very well, I will see about dinner,” she stated and headed back down the stairs.

Everyone went to their rooms and dumped their bags and packs on the floor. Sara propped her tree branch sword in the corner and flopped down on one of the beds.

“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” she sighed.

Jenni laughed as she pulled out Charles and Bonnie’s bottles, uncapped them and set them on the table. “We should label you two somehow,” she said. “Don’t want someone drinking you on accident.”

The water in both bottles bubbled briefly.

Jenni searched through a pack that contained clothing scraps and found two she thought would be suitable.

“Okay, which one of you is Charles?” she asked.

The bottle on the right bubbled.

Jenni smiled and tied a red piece of cloth around the neck of the bottle. “All right, red for Charles,” she said, then tied a green piece around the other, “and green for Bonnie.”

Both bottles bubbled their approval.

Merlin hopped from her shoulder to the back of a chair and Tori climbed down onto the table. Jenni then grabbed a few more clothing scraps out of the pack and handed them to Tori.

“Will these do for a bed?” she asked.

Tori nodded. “Oh yeah, that’ll be fine,” she said, smiling at Jenni. “I think Merlin and I will just stay up here for dinner if that’s okay. Might be better that way.”

Jenni giggled. “You’re probably right. I’ll save you some and bring it up.”

Jenni went downstairs and found the dining room around the corner from the staircase. Marco, Carrie, Denny, and Crank met her there. Sara had fallen asleep once she hit the bed.

Dinner was served by Matron Zalandra herself, and consisted of a vegetable soup, warm bread and a slice of meat. Jenni wasn’t sure what the meat was; it was a little gamey for her taste, but she thought Sara would probably like it. The soup and bread were good and she had second helpings of both. Tolenton’naie was tasty and filling, but it was nice to have some variety.

Marco tried to ask some questions about the city, but didn’t have much luck getting information out of Matron Zalandra.

“The Captain will report to the proper authorities. Best thing to do will be to sit tight and wait for your summons,” she said, and that seemed to be the end of that.

They finished the dinner quietly, and Jenni asked if she could take a plate upstairs. Matron Zalandra scowled, but allowed it as long as she brought the plate back straight away. Jenni assured her she would, and hurried up to deliver the food.

Sara did indeed like the meat and grumbled that there wasn’t more before she laid down and fell asleep again. Merlin picked at the left over scraps, and Tori enjoyed the bread and had some Tolenton’naie they still had in their bags.

Jenni returned the plate and thanked Matron Zalandra before going up to get some sleep. The bed was soft and warm and Jenni had no trouble closing her eyes.

23

Brandon surveyed the ground far below and saw he was leaving the Lodir’naie forest behind. He began a slow descent to the west, following the same river they had when they left Crank’s village.

This flight had proved smoother and easier than his first trip. He had stopped briefly to the north of the forest to hunt and rest the previous day. He flew much faster now than he had before.

A few hours later, he was within sight of the western mountain range where he and the class had first arrived. Crank’s village was just a few miles east of those mountains. That time seemed long ago to Brandon, even though it had been only a few weeks. So much had changed in such a short span.

The afternoon sun was bright in his eyes, but a dark spot on the ground ahead drew his attention. He focused on it and realized it was smoke, and it was coming from the village.

He angled north, intending to circle the area and have a good look before landing.

Brandon glided in and details became visible. Several plumes of smoke rose from the earthen mounds of the small community. The fires had burnt themselves out for the most part. He banked left and looked for movement. He saw a few charred bodies but the area seemed deserted.

Worried for his friends, Brandon didn’t waste any more time aloft. He landed heavily near where the box had been that powered the village’s defenses. In its place was a small crater and the grass surrounding it was charred black.

The smell of smoke and burnt flesh assaulted his nostrils and he snorted reflexively. The bodies he could see were all too small to be his friends, so he investigated further.

Using his large, taloned arms, he dug through the ruined mounds, searching for anything that might give him an idea of what had happened to his friends. He found a few more small bodies, along with furniture and tools, but no evidence of Mike or Scott. He called their names several times with no response.

Growing frustrated, he widened his search, and noticed a large number of tracks headed away from the village to the northwest. The tracks were too big to be village residents, probably the attackers heading home after their victory, he guessed.

It was growing dark, but he didn’t want to chance losing this one lead. Brandon leapt up and his wings churned the air. He followed the tracks toward the mountains.

He passed over the lake where they had arrived, and picked up the trail again off the northern shore. Soon after, he saw the lights of a few campfires in a clearing of trees.

Brandon judged there to be twenty or twenty-five Gobinstratstorai in the camp. He could have killed them all easily, but he needed information.

He banked and dove, breaking his speed at the last second with several strong strokes from his wings, and landed at the edge of the clearing.

The blasts of air knocked over those closest to him and sent the others scurrying for cover. He allowed them time to recover before speaking. “I’m not here to attack you, I just need to ask you some questions.”

The Gobinstratstorai looked at him warily, but eventually crawled out of their hiding places to stand uneasily before him. Nearly all were the smaller versions, standing four to five feet in height. Only a couple were the larger, more muscular types, like Kim. They wore dirty brown clothing of rough linen. Except for one in the back he noticed with a torn and slightly faded floral print dress.

Brandon pointed with a claw to the figure in the dress. “You, where did you get that?”

She stepped forward and faced him with a scowl. “That’s none of your business!”

The voice was gravelly, but still familiar. “Mrs. Minch?” Brandon asked astounded. “Is that you?”

Her eyes narrowed and glared at him. “How do you know me? Who are you?”

Brandon laughed, he couldn’t help himself, and she glared even more. “It’s Brandon, Mrs. Minch. I’m Brandon.”

One of the large Gobinstratstorai to his right gasped. “Brandon?” it said in a deeper version of Mike’s voice.

Brandon laughed again and reunions began all around. One of the smaller Gobinstratstorai turned out to be Scott. He had found his friends, not as he’d expected, but he’d found them nonetheless.

Slowly, as night descended, they caught each other up on the events of the past few weeks.

The Nomenstrastenai of Crank’s home had taken care of the four of them — Mike, Scott, Mrs. Minch, and Deena — and nursed their wounds for several days after Brandon and the others had left for Seren’naie. Then the changes began to occur in the four of them, and the villagers got worried. They were kept sedated. They woke only to be fed and sedated again.

As the changes continued, the three — Mike, Scott, and Mrs. Minch — found themselves bound hand and foot when they woke for feedings. Deena was left alone since she was becoming Faerstrastenai, and the residents didn’t see her as a threat. Mrs. Minch became increasingly angry because of their condition — she blamed the transformations on the villagers — and they had forced Carrie to go with the main group instead of staying with her. Mike and Scott didn’t know what to make of the changes and were fearful of them, as well as what the Nomenstrastenai might do to them.

Days passed. Deena shrank to a tiny size and grew small wings. They only saw her occasionally after her wings were strong enough to allow her to fly.

Mrs. Minch had begun to hear whispers, she said, about that time. Eventually, she realized they were coming from invisible creatures in and around the village. Spirits, they called themselves, and they were trapped by the Nomenstrastenai and forced to do their bidding. One in particular was a spirit of fire, held inside the box that powered the defense field.

Then, the remains of the Gobinstratstorai group that had attacked the class outside of Lodir’naie returned, licking their wounds. On their way past, they scouted the village and saw three of their brethren — Mike, Scott, and Mrs. Minch, whose transformations were complete — were being held captive by the Nomenstrastenai. This infuriated them and they laid siege to the small community.

Crank’s people were beside themselves by this point, arguing about what to do with the three of them, and how to handle the group of angry Gobinstratstorai outside their homes. They had stopped trying to keep the three sedated and Mrs. Minch used the time to learn more from the spirits, including how to undo the bindings that kept the spirits under the control of the village.

Two nights ago, she had successfully released the spirit trapped in the defense mechanism. It had exploded in fiery wrath, and the Gobinstratstorai had seen their opportunity for revenge. Brandon had seen the deadly aftermath.

“And good riddance I say.” Mrs. Minch spat. “They shouldn’t have separated Carrie from me. Now I may never find her!”

Brandon tried to calm her down. “Well, we know where they were headed, and I bet Mogritas can help.” Brandon then relayed his story.

“This is all so crazy,” Scott said afterward.

Brandon sighed. “I’m going to go hunt and get some rest. I’ll come back in the morning and we can be on our way.”

The Gobinstratstorai leader stepped up to him and spoke. “Great One, please don’t take our Strodin’i away from us.”

“Your what?”

“Our Strodin’i. One who talks to spirits. Our clan has not had one in generations. With her, we can become powerful again.” His eyes gleamed.

“Well, the way I see it,” Brandon replied, “it’s pretty much up to her — but enough for now, we’ll talk more tomorrow, I’m tired and hungry.” With that, Brandon leapt into the air and flew away from the camp.

* * * *

Brandon had found a small herd of deer not far off and had eaten well. He slept longer than he’d intended and didn’t wake until midmorning.

He flew back to the camp and found everyone waiting for him.

“Sorry I’m late,” Brandon said sheepishly. “I slept in.”

Mrs. Minch looked up at him with her large ears and greenish skin. “The clan wants to go with us. I am evidently very important to them.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Brandon asked.

She let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t care. I just want someplace with a real bed and a good hot meal. And a bath.” She wrinkled her nose as she said the last.

“Okay.” Brandon turned to the clan leader. “I can’t carry all of you — three more at most, besides my friends. So decide who will ride and the rest can start walking.”

The Gobinstratstorai talked amongst themselves briefly, then the leader and two others stepped forward.

“All right,” Brandon announced. “Let’s get moving. Climb aboard.” He bent down to allow them to get on.

Once everyone was settled, he yelled, “Hang on!” and heaved himself up, flapping his wings as hard as possible. Once he had altitude, he relaxed and found a good air current to ride with little effort.

Funny as it seemed, he was looking forward to getting back to his cave. He wanted to show Mogritas his discovery of the library. Brandon was sure Mogritas would be able to read what was there. Maybe he could find out more about the dragons and their abilities. The illusory wall in his cave fascinated him — did a dragon make it? Would he be able to perform magic like that? These thoughts filled his head as he carried his passengers east, back to the castle, and home.

24

Alisha was so bored!

She had spent a couple of days in her quarters resting, but that had quickly grown tedious. She had listened to every song in her considerable play list on her MP3 player, and had done and redone her hair as many times as she could stand. Meals had been brought to her rooms, and they were good, though she really only picked at them in boredom. Finally, she had decided to go out and explore, since she’d evidently been forgotten.

The castle was enormous. Mazes of passageways led to countless towers and other buildings. She had gotten lost frequently and had to be escorted back to her quarters by some servant or guard. Still, she had continued her explorations, having nothing else to pass the time.

She hadn’t seen any of her companions in days, weeks possibly — she had lost track — when she’d stumbled upon a huge greenhouse. The roof was made of glass or some kind of crystal, and was filled with all kinds of fruit and vegetable plants. Inside it was warm and humid.

Alisha was turning to leave when she saw a small, familiar figure to her right.

“Maggie?” she asked tentatively.

The Faerstrastenai looked up and saw Alisha, a smile spreading across her face. “Alisha! Where have you been?”

Alisha walked over, not wanting to appear too happy to see her, though she was thrilled to find someone she could actually talk to. “Stuck in my room for days on end. What are you doing?”

Maggie indicated the plant in front of her. “Turns out I can talk to plants … sort of. It’s weird, but anyway, I can help them grow, so they put me to work here in the gardens.”

“Talk to plants, huh?” Alisha was unimpressed, what a worthless ability! “Have you seen any of the others?”

Maggie didn’t seem to notice Alisha’s disdain; she never had. “Oh, yeah,” she replied. “Um, let’s see… Vic is out somewhere helping with the herds of goats I think.” Maggie blushed. “He’s actually kinda cute now, I was thinking of asking him out, seeing we’re the same size and all —”

Alisha cut Maggie off before she could get going. “Have you seen anyone else?”

Maggie took the interruption in stride. “Hm … Yeah, Will, Todd and Kim went off with the guards to do … well, you know, guard stuff.”

That made sense, Alisha supposed. “What about Lori, or Zoe?”

Maggie paused again, thinking. “No, I haven’t seen them since we got here. Brandon either, or Mr. Kain. I wonder what happened to them?”

Maggie had never really paid attention to the world around her. All the changes haven’t affected her personality, or her brain, Alisha thought.

“I don’t know,” Alisha replied. “Brandon was probably too big to fit inside the castle anywhere. But I’d like to know what happened to Lori and Zoe.” Mr. Kain too, for that matter. “Where do you sleep?” Alisha asked.

“Oh, there’s a tree there in the middle of the greenhouse that we all sleep in. We spend most of our time here — it’s kinda hard to go very far with these tiny legs,” Maggie said, blushing.

“I see,” Alisha said and smiled. “Well, I’ll try to find my way back down here so we can visit more some time.”

Maggie beamed. “That would be great!”

Alisha had left then to continue her wanderings. Mogritas, it seemed, had put most of them to work in one fashion or another. Alisha grew more determined to find Lori, Zoe and Mr. Kain.

She thought she had explored most of the fortress, but thinking further in her rooms that night, she admitted she had avoided places with lots of guards. Assuming Mogritas was keeping Mr. Kain, at least, under guard, areas where guards hung out were likely candidates for finding him. She couldn’t think of any reason to keep Lori or Zoe under guard, but since she hadn’t found them anywhere else, it seemed the only possibility.

The next morning Alisha ate the breakfast that had been left in her room before she got up — she still wondered how they slipped in and out so quietly. Then she wrapped some food up in a napkin and put it, and a bottle of water, in a shoulder bag. She wanted to be prepared for an extended outing.

She traveled down what were now familiar passageways to what she considered the ground floor, ground being relative since they were hundreds of feet above the valley. No one challenged her; most of the servants were accustomed to her presence in the castle halls.

Alisha stepped into a large courtyard. Gobinstratstorai were everywhere: sparring, doing calisthenics, practicing with bows and arrows, and other martial activities. It looked like an army readying for war more than castle guards training to keep themselves fit. Alisha was staggered by the number of troops. She estimated there were five hundred or more. Certainly more than was necessary to keep an eye on the fortress, even as big as it was.

She saw a group to her left that were practicing hand to hand combat and she heard a familiar voice. Will was instructing them in wrestling techniques. Alisha watched Will demonstrate a hold, then his students paired up and tried it. Will walked around to each, making corrections and suggestions as they practiced.

After a few minutes, he called for a break and his charges went to a basin nearby to get a drink and cool off. Alisha caught Will’s attention and beckoned him over.

“Hey Alisha, what’s up?” Will smiled at her with a mouthful of sharp teeth. His large nose and ears did little, however, to make him look menacing.

“Not much,” she replied, smiling back. “Just out getting some fresh air, and thought I’d see what you guys were up to.”

“Well, Mogritas’s guards never really trained in hand to hand or wrestling, so the captain decided to have me teach some of them what I know,” Will explained. “It seems to be going pretty well. They learn fast.”

“I see,” Alisha said and smiled again, this time adding some of her power to it. “Have you seen Lori or Zoe lately? I’ve been looking for them.”

Will paused, then said, “They were taken to detention, um … basically the dungeon.”

Alisha frowned. “How come?”

“Mogritas said they might be dangerous.”

Alisha focused on his eyes. “Can you take me there?”

Will looked as if he wanted to tell her ‘no’ but hesitated. Then he said, “Sure, why not? Just let me take care of these guys, one sec.”

Will turned away and gathered his students, talking briefly with them. Shortly, they nodded and saluted him with their right fist over their hearts and collected their things. Will jogged back over to Alisha.

“Okay, I sent them over to archery practice. I’ll take you down to see Lori and Zoe.”

“Thank you,” Alisha said softly. “You’re such a gentleman.”

Will colored from the attention and led her to the south, around the edge of the huge practice grounds. They were largely ignored except for a few comradely greetings to Will as they moved through the training troops.

They came to an archway, flanked by guards. Will waved at them and they passed through into a dark hallway. Will led her slowly while their eyes adjusted. There were several doorways on either side of the hall, and at the end was a formidable metal and stone door. This too had guards, looking bored with their unglamorous duty.

The guard on the left challenged Will. “Where are you taking her?”

“Down to see a couple of the guests,” Will answered.

“Does Lord Mogritas know?”

“No,” Will replied, “but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” Then he added, “What’s she going to do?” indicating Alisha.

Alisha flashed her brightest smile at the guard and did her best to add some power to it while still maintaining her hold on Will.

The guard hesitated, then relented. “All right, but just a few minutes, no more.”

“Yep, we’ll be quick,” Will promised. “I have to get back to training anyway.”

The guard nodded and pulled a set of keys from his belt and unlocked the massive door. He pushed it open with some effort, enough for Will and Alisha to pass through. Torches placed in brackets every twenty feet or so lit the hallway well enough to see. A staircase descended about fifty feet from the door, which the guard had closed. No other exits were visible.

Alisha shuddered at the thought of being locked in, but she took a bit of strength from Will and forced herself to relax. They moved carefully down the stairs, Alisha thought perhaps three floors worth, and came to another door. This one was barred on their side and not guarded. Will grunted as he pushed the bar up, then opened the door for Alisha.

Another hallway and more torches greeted them, but this time several doors lined the hall on both sides. The smell of unwashed bodies assaulted her nose and she paused to catch her breath.

Will brushed past her. “This way,” he said.

Alisha followed him halfway down the hall to one of the doors on the left.

A small, barred window was placed just above her eye level in the door. She rose up on her tiptoes and peered inside. Hanging from a chain attached to the ceiling, was a glass or crystal globe, maybe a foot in diameter. Within the globe, was a cloth wick, immersed in oil. The wick was lit by a small flame. Alisha could see nothing else in the cell.

She turned to look at Will questioningly. “I don’t see anything.”

“Yeah, not much to see, I know.” Will shook his head. “That’s Zoe, or what’s left of her anyway.”

Alisha looked back in the room and gasped in surprise.

Will continued, “She turned into a festri’i, one of those fire spirit things that the guys at the forest were talking about. Mogritas keeps her here so she won’t harm anyone.”

Alisha lowered herself and turned back to Will. “Why would she hurt anyone?”

Will shrugged. “I guess it’s just their nature to burn things, they don’t have any control over it. That’s what Mogritas told us anyway.”

Alisha looked him in the eyes. “Us, who?”

“Me, Todd, and Kim. He explained it to us when he asked us to join the guard force.”

Alisha fumed at this. They get explanations while I sit in my room by myself. Will got a look of concern on his face and she did her best to calm down. “So where is Lori?” she asked him.

He led her to the next cell. The door was different from the others. Instead of bars in the small window, it was covered with transparent crystal. It had also been mortared shut. Alisha got up on her toes again and looked in the window. The room inside was completely bare.

Will explained as she examined the cell. “Lori turned into an air spirit — venti’i, Mogritas called it. He says she’s still in there, but we can’t see her because she’s just air.”

Alisha was shocked. Transformations into other people or even beasts she could sort of understand, but changing into fire, and air?

She collected herself again and asked Will, “So, we can’t even talk to them?”

Will shook his head. “No, Mogritas said there used to be people who could communicate with the spirits, but they all died out over the years.”

“Mogritas is a liar.”

Startled, Alisha turned at the voice from behind her. Mr. Kain looked at them from the window of the cell door across from Lori’s. Dark circles shadowed his eyes and his face was gaunt.

Mr. Kain continued, “I wondered what had happened to you Alisha. I’m glad to see you are doing well,” he said, sneering at her.

“What did they do to you?” Alisha asked, still trying to gather her thoughts.

Mr. Kain laughed, but it ended in a cough. “Well, when they aren’t busy neglecting me, Mogritas asks me questions about Earth and how we arrived here.” He coughed again. “He seems to think I know how it happened or that I did it somehow. He’s crazy Alisha, don’t trust him.”

“You’re just mad he didn’t think you were as important as the rest of us to ask you to join him,” Will snarled at him.

Will’s reaction surprised her further, and she could feel it was real. Will felt loyalty to Mogritas — gratitude. Alisha could understand obeying him out of fear, but Will seemed to genuinely like Mogritas, even admire him.

“Oh he wants me to join him,” Mr. Kain said, “but he knows I see through his pretty words to the beast inside. He’s evil. And thank you, Alisha, for dragging me into this,” he finished sarcastically.

Alisha’s face grew hot. “You wanted to be with me. Everyone does.”

“Jealousy is the ugliest of beasts.”

They jumped at the new voice. Mogritas had silently moved into the hall behind them, blocking the exit. Will gaped, then snapped a salute, fist across his heart.

“Will, I’m disappointed at this breach in protocol,” Mogritas said calmly.

Will looked down, ashamed. “I’m sorry sir, it won’t happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t,” he said icily.

Alisha stepped forward. “It’s my fault, I asked him to show me where Lori and Zoe were.”

Mogritas turned his gaze to her. “Yes, I have no doubt of that. And that’s why I won’t punish Will for his actions, for I know they are not truly his own.”

Alisha colored, embarrassed. She concentrated and disconnected herself from Will.

He blinked and looked around. “How did I get down here?”

Mogritas placed a hand on Will’s shoulder. “It’s no trouble my boy,” he said, smiling. “Why don’t you run along and get back to your training?”

Will saluted him again. “Yes, sir!” He hurried down the hallway and up the stairs.

Mogritas turned to Alisha. “As for you young lady, I suppose I have not been paying enough attention to you. You have ambitions and desires, and I have been neglecting them.”

Alisha simply stared at him, unwilling to say anything that might endanger herself.

“Mr. Kain here seeks to turn you against me. Personally, I think he is jealous of you, Alisha, and your power over him. He is upset that you discovered his secret desires about you.”

Mr. Kain kicked his cell door violently. “That’s a lie!”

Mogritas shook his head. “It’s a pity, really. You understand, my dear, why I cannot allow him to roam the castle … like you? He would be a hazard, not only to himself, but to the people who live here under my protection.”

Mr. Kain pursed his lips and fumed behind the bars of the window.

Alisha knew Mogritas was probably not telling the whole truth, but who ever did? She was never completely honest with her friends — telling them their hair or clothes looked good when, really, they were terrible. It was only common courtesy to keep them from embarrassment.

“Of course,” she said, not looking at Mr. Kain. “I understand.”

“Excellent.” Mogritas’s expression brightened. “Now, let’s go back and I can explain about your friends, Lori and Zoe.”

He led her back down the hall and they climbed the stairs after closing and barring the door behind them. Alisha thought she heard a sob from the hallway as the door shut, but she wasn’t sure.

Alisha and Mogritas stepped into the bright sunshine and she shielded her eyes in pain. As she blinked the last of her tears away, a guard rushed up and saluted Mogritas.

“Yes, what is it?”

“My Lord, the dragon has returned with more Gobinstratstorai.”

“Very good, I will see him straight away.”

The guard saluted again and hurried off the other direction.

“Come along, my dear. This could be interesting,” Mogritas said with a grin.

25

Brandon flew in and landed on the same large tower as before, only smoother this time. His passengers climbed down stretching and groaning. A guard appeared shortly thereafter and Brandon asked to see Mogritas. The guard scurried off, leaving them to catch their breath and rest.

Maybe fifteen minutes later, Mogritas came through the doorway, with Alisha in tow. Brandon hadn’t seen her for at least a couple of weeks, and had to admit she looked as beautiful as ever.

“Welcome back my boy!” Mogritas greeted him. “You found your friends?”

Brandon nodded. “Yes, and some others too. This is Mike, and Scott,” he said, indicating each in turn. “And this is Mrs. Minch.”

Carrie’s mother stepped forward and offered her hand. Mogritas took it in his and bowed his head slightly. “I am honored, Mrs. Minch.” Alisha stood at his side, speechless in surprise.

Mrs. Minch blushed at the attention. “Thank you,” she said.

The Gobinstratstorai chief, whose name Brandon had learned was Kordrikim — at least that was the short version — stepped forward protectively.

Brandon introduced him to Mogritas and explained what had happened before his arrival at the Nomenstrastenai village. After Brandon finished, Mogritas turned back to Carrie’s mother and said, “Well, Mrs. Minch, you appear to be a rare flower indeed!”

She blushed again. “Please, call me Kathy.”

Mogritas smiled. “Very well, Kathy, I’m sure you all must be tired and hungry from your ordeals. Please allow my servants to find you some place to rest and eat. We can get to know each other after you’ve had a chance to freshen up.”

Mrs. Minch sighed. “A hot bath would be wonderful.”

“Consider it done.” Mogritas turned and waved at one of the guards who stood by the door. He left and moments later a host of servants piled through the door to take the newcomers away.

Alisha stepped up to Brandon during the commotion. “I’m glad you were able to find Mike and Scott,” she said. “I can’t believe what happened with Carrie’s mom!”

“It was kind of a surprise,” Brandon admitted.

Once everyone had been tended to and ushered away, Mogritas came back to the two of them.

“Well, that is certainly exciting,” he said. “I have not heard of a Strodin’i in the world for many years.”

Brandon chuckled. “The chief definitely didn’t want to give her up. The rest of his clan are on their way here too.” He hesitated, then said, “I have something else I’d like to show you, if you have the time that is.”

Mogritas’s gray eyes stared through Brandon and seemed to understand his desire for privacy. “Of course my boy! Alisha, would you be available to dine with me this evening? Then we can continue our discussion at length.”

Alisha looked at him uncertainly. “Um, sure. I guess so.”

“Splendid! Can you find your way back to your quarters? I’ll have someone fetch you for dinner.”

Alisha nodded and said quietly, “Of course.” Then she turned and exited through the door to the stairs.

Mogritas smiled. “Lovely girl. Now, what did you want to show me?”

Brandon saw that something odd was going on with Alisha, but he was too excited to show Mogritas his discovery to give it much thought. “It’s in my cave.”

“Very well,” Mogritas said and shifted form. “Lead the way.”

Brandon jumped from the roof and they made the short flight to his cave. It was just as he’d left it, and the illusory wall looked the same as before.

Brandon led him back to the spot and explained his odd feelings and subsequent discovery. Mogritas gasped as they stepped through into the dark corridor.

“Amazing!” Mogritas said. “I knew the dragons were capable of different magics than others, but I had no idea of the complexity of illusion!”

Brandon laughed. “That’s only part of it.” He led Mogritas down the tunnel to the library cavern.

Mogritas stopped short when they entered the huge room. He bent down and scooped up one of the smaller stone tablets that lay strewn about.

“So,” Brandon said, beaming with pride, “what do you think? Can you read them?”

Mogritas fondled the tablet lovingly, apparently he could see in the dark as well as Brandon. “Oh, yes,” he replied. “I can read them.” He set the tablet down carefully and walked to one of the stacks of books. “These will hold the key I’ve been looking for, I’m sure of it. You’ve done very well, Brandon, very well indeed.”

Brandon smiled broadly at the praise. “Do you think I’ll be able to learn to do magic like the dragons did?”

“Most assuredly,” Mogritas said, scanning the titles inscribed on the book spines. “All that and more, I have no doubt. First we’ll need to record and catalog as much of this as possible. The dragons must have had servants to take care of this.” He held up a book. “Pen and ink are not very useful to claws and talons.”

Brandon hadn’t thought of that before. “Maybe the stone tablets were written by the dragons, and the books were made by others.”

“Very possible. Do I have your permission to come and go with some of these?” Mogritas asked him.

Brandon was surprised and pleased he would even ask. “Of course! I’m excited to know what might be in them. I want to know how the dragons lived and what they could do. I feel so lost sometimes.”

“I understand my boy, truly. You and I are kindred spirits, of a sort. I, too, am the only one of my kind.”

Brandon’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re the only one who can change forms like that?”

Mogritas nodded. “So maybe I can do us both a favor by learning what is hidden in these texts. Find some history and a sense of family for each of us.”

Brandon grinned. “Awesome!”

Mogritas smiled back. “Indeed.”

* * * *

Days passed and Mogritas came and went with frequency, carrying books and tablets back and forth. Occasionally, Mogritas would stop and share some tidbit of dragon lore with him, and Brandon grew more excited the library would hold many answers for him. He also grew more sure he had made the right decision, not only in allowing Mogritas access to the library, but also in coming to the fortress instead of following Crank and the others to Seren’naie. How could he have a better teacher about being a dragon than the dragons themselves? And he would never have found the library if it hadn’t been for Mogritas and his generosity.

Brandon returned to the fortress a few times to spend time with Mike and Scott, but soon found they had all gone through too many changes — himself especially — to be as close as they were. They couldn’t do the same things they had before, like play football or other sports.

Brandon became restless and bored. Mogritas’s people had created a large water basin for him which he carried to his cave. It had a smaller bucket he could hold with his back feet and drag through the river to fill up, then fly back and dump into the basin. It took about six trips to fill the first time, but then he always had some water to drink and it was easy to fly down for a bucketful to replenish it. Once that project was completed, however, he found he had very little to occupy his time.

Mogritas came one day, ferrying books, and stopped to talk to Brandon about something he’d found.

“I think I understand how the dragons created their illusions, Brandon,” he told him. “It seems very similar to the Nomenstrastenai ability to camouflage themselves when frightened, but on a more conscious level.”

Mogritas outlined some mental exercises for Brandon to practice and he was eager to give them a try.

“I will caution you, however,” Mogritas said, “not all dragons were able to do this from what I can determine, so it may take a great deal of time to master, or you may not be able to perform the magic at all.”

“I understand, but I’ve been looking for something to do and this will work perfectly,” Brandon replied enthusiastically.

Mogritas smiled and said, “Excellent. I will keep you apprised of any more findings, and you keep me informed of your progress.” He then went down the tunnel to exchange the books he brought with him for new ones.

Brandon sat in a corner to begin his exercises. Most of them were designed to enhance his concentration, and he also needed to develop the ability to put himself in a trancelike state. He focused himself so completely, he didn’t even notice when Mogritas left the cave later in the day.

26

Jenni was all alone in the guest house.

Over the past several days, one or two at a time, all her friends had been taken away by different officials.

Sara had been the first to go. Captain Herina herself had come and taken Sara to meet more of the Saromstrastenai and start her “training,” whatever that was to be. Sara had sent a short note a couple of days ago, telling Jenni she was doing well, but they were working her so hard that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and there hadn’t been any time to come visit. Hopefully she could soon.

The day after Sara left the guest house, some Elvorstrastenai came in the morning to collect Marco and Carrie. Then in the afternoon, a Faerstrastenai, riding a wolf, came for Tori and Faith, and gave instructions to Rachael and the twins, who flew off as well.

Two days later, a Nomenstrastenai arrived to talk to Crank and Denny. They visited in the sitting room for most of the morning before coming up to get their things and leave the house. The next day, Denny came back to get Matt, Charles, and Bonnie. He said the Nomenstrastenai were very curious about their ability to communicate with the spirits.

That had left Jenni alone with Matron Zalandra, and she wasn’t very good company.

After a couple of days being cooped up in the guest house with nothing to do, waiting for a summons that didn’t appear to be coming, Jenni decided to explore the city on her own.

She discovered Seren’naie was indeed circular in shape. Basically, it was like a doughnut, with the hole being filled by the amazing stone and crystal spires. The outer ring was divided neatly by canals into four equal sections. The northern area, where the guest house was located, was occupied by the Elvorstrastenai. The east and west sections were used by the Faerstrastenai and Nomenstrastenai, respectively. Gobinstratstorai inhabited the southern portion. Only rarely did she see someone of a different race in another section of the city.

Wide, arched bridges made of stone, like most everything else, crossed the midpoints of the canals dividing each section. The center hub was also surrounded by a canal, spanned by a bridge at each cardinal point. Water from the river flowed into the canals from the northwest, where they had entered on their boat. An exiting canal ran to the southwest, back to the river, making sure the water in the city didn’t stagnate and stayed at a constant level.

Each quarter of the city had its own markets and industry, but the real activity took place in the middle, where everyone mixed. She learned that a council, composed of members from all the races, governed Seren’naie. They met and did business in one of the central towers. Other buildings were places of learning — many citizens devoted their time and energy to creating music and other works of art.

Jenni was unable to read any of the signs or placards on the buildings, so she didn’t go into many. She just wandered the streets, marveling at the architecture and engineering needed to create such structures in a world without machinery as she knew it.

She got hungry on the first day of her explorations and found a street vendor with some delicious-looking glazed fruit. She realized, however, she had no way to pay for anything, and tried to explain it to the vendor. He seemed unable to grasp the concept of money, and simply gave her the meal. She thanked him and wondered how a world could exist without some sort of currency. It was something she would have to ask — if she ever got the chance to meet and talk with anyone at length anyway.

After dinner on the second day of her jaunts about the city, she sat in her room at the guest house, organizing all the extra supplies that the others had left in her care, when there was a knock at her door.

She opened it to find Crank looking up at her. Jenni squealed with delight and dropped to her knees, hugging him fiercely. Crank laughed and hugged her back.

“Oh my gosh it’s so good to see you!” Jenni said after they broke their embrace.

“And you Jenni, I have missed you,” Crank said, but Jenni sensed something was wrong.

“You seem sad, what happened?”

Crank sighed and sat on the floor with her. “The Nomenstrastenai don’t have a place for me here any more than they did at home.”

Jenni was upset and disappointed for him. “What about the Elvorstrastenai? Can’t they help you learn about animals and plants?”

Crank shook his head. “I asked, but everywhere I went, the answer was ‘That’s just not done’ or something to that effect.” He sighed and said, “I thought things would be different here.”

Jenni wrapped her arms around him again and they sat together for a while.

All the marvels she had witnessed in her travels in this world seemed tainted by this rigid system of duties and jobs. Surely, Crank couldn’t be the only person who didn’t fit neatly into the role he was given.

He parted from her and said, “I don’t know where else to go, or what to do.”

“Well, you’re not leaving me again, that’s for sure!” Jenni was determined to help her friend somehow. “We’ll figure out something, together.”

He smiled and blushed. “I’ve missed you, Jenni.”

She hugged him again. “I’ve missed you, too.” Jenni gave him a final squeeze and said, “Now, help me sort through all this junk we have.” She waved her arms around the room filled with clothing and electronics and giggled.

Crank laughed. “Okay, I can do that.”

* * * *

The next morning, after breakfast, a tall Elvorstrastenai man walked into the sitting room of the guest house. He had blonde hair and green eyes and wore a gray shirt and pants, with a light jacket that was dark maroon. The jacket had some sort of badge embroidered on the lapel. He looked at Crank, then Jenni and asked, “Are you the one known as Jenni?”

Jenni nodded.

“If you would please come with me,” he said and waved toward the door.

“What about my things? Should I take them?”

He shook his head. “Matron Zalandra will see to them if it becomes necessary.” He turned and opened the door.

Jenni took Crank’s hand. “C’mon, let’s go then.”

The Elvorstrastenai looked back. “The summons was only for you, Jenni.”

Jenni straightened. “Well either he comes with me, or I’m not going.” Crank stared at her in surprise.

The official pursed his lips and then relented. “Very well, follow me please.”

They exited onto the street and their guide led them to the center of the city.

Jenni lifted Crank onto her shoulders so he wouldn’t have to run to keep up. He patted her hand in thanks.

Soon they found themselves at the heart of Seren’naie. A huge domed building loomed before them with a crystal tower jutting from the top at least thirty stories high. Jenni could see figures throughout the tower, moving like ants in an ant farm at various tasks.

They climbed a set of stone steps into the dome. It looked like a football stadium from the outside, and the inside continued the theme. People of all shapes and sizes wandered around the outer ring. Farther in, Jenni could see a large open area, sunk into the floor, with seating for hundreds, if not thousands, surrounding a stage in the middle. The roof transitioned from stone to crystal so sunlight illuminated the stadium and stage. The very center of the roof held a large circular section of stone again, probably the width of the tower that rose from the top of the structure. Jenni could see several walkways extending from areas around the dome toward the central stone at the peak of the roof.

Their guide, evidently used to the reaction the building produced, was courteous enough to give them time to gawk for a minute, then showed them over to a platform at the edge of the dome.

He stepped on and beckoned them to follow. “Be sure to hold onto the railing,” he said.

A moment later, the platform smoothly slid up the curved wall of the dome.

Crank panicked for a second and almost let go, but Jenni held his other hand to steady him.

They reached one of the walkways Jenni had seen before and the platform stopped. They stepped off and the guide strode purposefully toward the center, which, Jenni could now see, extended down from the roof several feet. She had a mild sense of vertigo looking down and quickly refocused her vision on the stone circle in front of her.

She held tightly onto Crank’s hand and said, “Keep your eyes forward, don’t look down.”

Crank nodded quickly. “You won’t have to tell me that twice.”

The summer sun shined brightly through the crystal roof, but, strangely, the interior was not hot. Jenni wondered again at the construction prowess needed to create such a building.

They reached the end and walked through a doorway. The center section was hollow, fifty or sixty feet across, and held four more platforms in the middle. Each platform was connected somehow to a single stone shaft, about two feet thick, rising up into the tower above.

Their guide stepped onto one of the platforms and Jenni and Crank did likewise, knowing more what to expect.

Each floor and ceiling was made of a darker crystal or stone, which helped with some of the feelings of vertigo once they had climbed a few floors. The outer walls, however, were completely transparent. Jenni got brief glimpses of the city and surrounding countryside as they glided through each floor.

They didn’t stop until they had almost reached the top. Their guide motioned for them to step off and said, “Wait here please, he will be down shortly.” Then he rode the platform down, leaving Jenni and Crank alone with an amazing view.

This floor of the tower was open across the entire width. There was a large oval table in front of them. Chairs surrounded it, made of a dark wood, unusual since they were not made of stone. Jenni approached and saw the table was formed from a monstrous piece of agate, polished to a high sheen. Swirls of different colors of brown and some clear crystal formations appeared within. It was probably fifteen feet long and Jenni had never seen anything like it.

Looking out the window/walls — Jenni wasn’t sure what to call them — she felt like she could see the whole world. To the north, lay the enormous Lodir’naie forest. She thought briefly with sadness of Ms. Pap, now a part of that fantastic entity. The mile-wide Baer’naie river flowed out of the forest and ran to the west of the city, heading south, presumably to an ocean somewhere. To the east, Jenni could see a vast plain, some of which near the city had been cultivated and she could also see herds of grazing animals wandering through the rich grasses.

Crank touched her hand and Jenni turned to see another figure standing in the room with them.

He was of Elvorstrastenai stock, but looked much older than any other she’d seen. His long hair had gone silvery gray, almost white, and he had a closely cropped beard of white whiskers. His eyes were a piercing orange-yellow, where most she had seen had been green or brown. He wore robes that were gray in color, like that of their guide, and were trimmed with maroon embroidery on the lapels and around the cuffs of the sleeves. His hands were clasped in front of him, hidden by his sleeves, and he wore a simple smile that seemed open and honest. Jenni hoped her first impressions were right, at least.

She smiled back and flushed with embarrassment, though she didn’t really know why.

“Greetings, Jenni,” he said and stepped forward to offer his hand. “I am called Ba’ize.”

Jenni met him and shook his hand automatically before remembering it was not a customary greeting on Mother. He must have seen the confusion on her face and continued. “I was briefed on some of your customs. Please, let’s sit and visit.” He indicated the chairs around the big table. Jenni took the one closest to her and Crank climbed up on one to her right. Ba’ize pulled the one to her left out slightly and sat.

“Are you hungry or thirsty?” Jenni and Crank both shook their heads. “Very well, then. Please, tell me about yourselves.”

Jenni let out a breath and laughed. “Wow, where do I start?”

Ba’ize smiled and chuckled with her. “The beginning is usually best.”

So, Jenni told their tale, with help from Crank. She spoke of the field trip, their uncertainties and fears, and the hardships that befell them in their first few days. She told of their first meeting with Crank and their subsequent flight to his village. She related the need to leave some of their group behind to be cared for by Crank’s people, and wondered again what had happened to Deena and the others.

Jenni talked about the changes that occurred to them, how Brandon had disappeared, and reappeared at their time of greatest need — only to take several of their number and fly off again. She told of the bravery of Mrs. Osorio and her sacrifice so the rest might flee into the forest. And she tearfully spoke of Ms. Pap and her final transformation into a tree of the Lodir’naie.

She described their passage through the forest, their discovery of Matt’s change, and reunion with Charles. Jenni talked briefly about their fight in the river with the water spirits, and finally about how they had built the boat which brought them to Seren’naie.

Some time during her story, Ba’ize called down for refreshments, and they ate and drank between the last few passages of Jenni’s tale.

Ba’ize chewed thoughtfully on a piece of bread, then said, “So, as I understand it, all of you that came through from Earth have undergone transformations, except you, Jenni. Is that correct?”

She nodded. “Well, I don’t know about Deena, and the others we left in Crank’s village, but yes, that’s right.”

Crank touched her arm. “Jenni, you should tell him about your experience in the river, and your dream.”

Ba’ize looked at her expectantly.

Jenni sighed. She hadn’t wanted to say anything since the experiences hadn’t seemed real to her — not like the changes in everyone else. She felt though, that she could trust Ba’ize. He had been patient and understanding through her telling of their story, grandfatherly almost. So, she recounted their struggle in the river and how she had saved Crank from drowning. She described what she felt when she saw him being dragged under, and how quickly she had moved to save him. She also told of her flying dream and how she found her shirt torn open when she woke.

Ba’ize studied her for a time and took a sip of some fruit juice. “Jenni, I’d like to try something if you don’t mind.”

“Okay, I guess.”

Ba’ize got up and walked to the elevator shaft. “Come stand over here, please.”

Jenni got up and went to him. Ba’ize guided her by the shoulders and maneuvered her so her back was to the open shaft.

Then he pushed her.

Jenni screamed and lost her balance, arms windmilling. She reached out for Ba’ize, but he stepped back and she grasped at air.

Crank jumped up and yelled, but Ba’ize held him back.

Jenni felt a rush of energy and heard a ripping sound from behind her. Her back muscles strained with effort, and she realized she wasn’t falling.

Crank’s mouth fell open in astonishment and Ba’ize had a surprised, but thoughtful look on his face.

Jenni looked behind her and saw she had grown leathery wings, five or six feet long, that were flapping to keep her aloft in the elevator shaft.

She stopped flapping momentarily, in her surprise, and fell a couple of feet before regaining her composure. She propelled herself forward awkwardly and landed on the floor next to Crank and Ba’ize.

Almost immediately, she felt the wings being absorbed back into her body, and she stood there much as she had moments before.

She looked at him, suddenly angry and afraid. “You could have killed me!”

“Nonsense,” Ba’ize replied. “The venti’i that operate the lift won’t let anyone fall farther than the next floor. You were in no danger, but you didn’t know it. Thus, your body reacted to save itself.”

Jenni thought about what he said and caught her breath. “So, what am I?”

“Let’s sit back down,” Ba’ize suggested.

Jenni’s legs were wobbly. Sitting sounded like a good idea. Crank took her hand and helped her to her chair.

Ba’ize took a breath and held it, then began, “First of all, let me say that everything we talk about from here on out should only be discussed amongst the three of us, and only within these chambers, or my apartment above.” He held up a hand to halt Jenni’s question. “I will explain momentarily.” He took another sip of juice.

“Jenni, you are a shapeshifter.”

Next to her, Crank hissed briefly.

Jenni shook her head. “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”

“It means that, in theory, you can take the form of, well, anything,” Ba’ize said.

Jenni was stunned. Anything? “But I haven’t seen anyone else who could do that, I don’t think anyway.”

“No, I don’t expect you have. You see there has only been one other being with that ability in history.” Ba’ize paused. “His name is Mogritas.”

27

Mogritas? The name sounded familiar but Jenni couldn’t place it. Then she remembered: that was who Brandon said was helping him when he’d flown off with Alisha and the others outside Lodir’naie.

“But what does that mean?” she asked again.

Ba’ize sighed. “Unfortunately, it means that people will fear you.” He indicated Crank. “Even your friend here reacted involuntarily when I mentioned it.”

Jenni looked at Crank, who blushed, ashamed. “I’m sorry, Jenni. Mogritas is the embodiment of evil. We spoke about him in the forest after Mrs. Osorio saved us from the Gobinstratstorai.”

Yes, Jenni remembered, Crank had called him the darkness to Mother’s light.

“And this is the reaction from a close friend. Imagine how others who don’t know you would react if they found out,” Ba’ize said softly.

“But I still don’t get it. I have this ability, it doesn’t make me evil … does it?” Jenni suddenly feared she might lose control of herself — maybe even hurt her friends!

“No, of course not,” Ba’ize assured her. “But, because the only example we have of someone with these powers stands against everything that Mother stands for, people will jump to conclusions.

“Also, the nature of the ability tends to make people suspicious,” Ba’ize said.

Jenni had seen movies and television shows featuring someone who could “shapeshift” as the villain. Was that your friend, or the bad guy posing as your friend? She, of course, didn’t have any control over what she did, but no one else would know that. They would only know her as someone to be feared.

“I think I understand,” she said.

They were quiet for a time, while Jenni tried to absorb what she had learned. Then she asked, “So, how come you aren’t scared of me?”

Ba’ize smiled and said, “Because I tend to see beyond these outer shells,” he said, plucking at his robes, “to the person beneath. I see Mother in you, Jenni. And I see Her hand in bringing you and your friends here.”

Jenni thought about that. “But if Mother brought us here, why would She bring people that would turn against Her, like Brandon and Alisha?”

Ba’ize sat back and took another bite of bread. “The thing most people don’t understand about Mother is She is ultimately about balance. Not necessarily about good, or law, or order. So, in bringing you here, She had to bring forces to balance that action.”

“That is contrary to the teachings I received as a boy,” Crank said.

Ba’ize nodded. “I understand that. Good and evil are much easier concepts to grasp than balance. Good and evil exist, mind you, but Mother recognizes one cannot survive without the other. Their very existence becomes meaningless without the counterpart.

“And that’s another reason why what we discuss here, stays right here,” Ba’ize said, smiling.

Crank nodded slowly, struggling with ideas in his mind. Jenni trusted Crank more than anyone in her life besides Sara, and knew he would get it all sorted out.

For her part, what Ba’ize had said just felt right. She couldn’t really explain it, but she knew this person could teach her what she needed to know.

Another thought occurred to her. “So, what am I here for?”

“That, young lady, remains to be determined. In the meantime, we need to do what we can to teach you control and command of your ability. Though I have no first hand experience with it, I believe I can help you.”

Jenni nodded. “I would like that very much.”

“Good! That’s settled then. I’ll have Rodrin see to getting you some quarters in the hub, something much closer than the guest house you were in.”

Crank cleared his throat. “Excuse me sir, but, what shall I do?”

Ba’ize looked at him in surprise. “Do? Don’t you want to stay with Jenni?”

It was Crank’s turn to be surprised. “Of course! I just thought …”

“You just thought that since the Nomenstrastenai, and the Elvorstrastenai , didn’t accept you that you’d have to leave the city?” Ba’ize grinned. “Nonsense!” He crooked his finger to beckon them closer. “Let me tell you a secret. Most people don’t realize this, but Mother has been out of balance on the side of order and law for a very long time … I expect we are in for a big dose of chaos and disorder very soon, and you two are part of it,” he said with a wink.

* * * *

Rodrin turned out to be the guide that had brought them to Ba’ize. He found them what Jenni thought to be lavish quarters in a tower very close to the Seat of Governance building — as they discovered the large dome was called.

Jenni and Crank each had a bedroom, and shared a living area and a small kitchen. It was on the fifth floor and had a balcony with a beautiful view of Lodir’naie in between a couple of other towers.

Rodrin also had all of their belongings delivered from the guest house. Everything ended up piled in the living area since Jenni wasn’t sure what to do with it all. She and Crank had sorted and organized it somewhat in the various packs and bags, but they hadn’t thrown out much, not knowing what might prove useful later on.

Jenni rummaged through a bag of extra clothing, looking for another shirt. She had ruined the one she had on during Ba’ize’s demonstration of her ability. She found another that worked, but it was too big. I’m going to go through a fortune in clothes before this is done. That reminded her of her questions about money, so she asked Crank about it.

He didn’t understand the idea of money either, but explained that everyone had tasks to perform. Some built machines, some grew food, some cooked, and so on. Everyone benefitted from everyone else’s labors. When Jenni asked him what they did when someone decided they didn’t want to work, he gave her a blank stare. The concept of laziness was completely foreign to him.

What an amazing society! Jenni wondered though what she was expected to produce. She had no skills to speak of that anyone here would find useful. As she thought further, she realized the fragility of a society like this. If just a few people decided to stop doing their jobs, the whole thing could come crashing down. It was too dependent on the good nature of its citizens. She began to understand some of what Ba’ize had been talking about earlier.

They found they had been supplied with a few plates, bowls and eating utensils. Jenni also discovered they had running water. She had no idea how it worked — something else to ask about. They ventured out and found a market a couple of streets away from their building and picked up some bread, fruit and vegetables. Jenni longed for a cheeseburger, but the only thing she knew how to cook was macaroni and cheese from a box. Crank was no culinary expert either.

They took their groceries back to the apartment and had a pleasant, if simple, dinner. They chatted about many things during the evening, then retired to their rooms for some much needed sleep after an eventful day.

* * * *

They spent the next couple of weeks in either their apartment or Ba’ize’s offices.

Jenni was given mental agility and focusing exercises to work on while Ba’ize performed his normal daily tasks. Crank became a kind of second assistant, running errands for Ba’ize, when Rodrin was busy with other duties, and tidying up the work areas.

Crank became familiar with the city and contacted the others to let them know where he and Jenni were. He explained they worked in a government office and left it at that.

Jenni practiced diligently, even though the exercises were exceedingly frustrating at times and made little sense. Ba’ize took time when he could to explain their purpose.

“Do you remember your first day when you made wings to fly?” he asked her.

“Of course,” Jenni replied.

“What happened to them when you were back on solid ground?”

“They disappeared.”

“Exactly. You did not need them anymore and lost the concentration — the will — to keep them. Any form you take will require an effort of will to keep. As you practice, that effort will become easier and easier to maintain. But first, we must discipline your mind.”

Jenni had nodded then in understanding and continued to practice. She had started by simply extending the nail of her index finger into a sharp claw and timing herself to see how long she could hold the shape before losing her concentration.

Ba’ize had also given her some block puzzles, made of smooth stone, to sharpen her thinking skills and her spatial awareness. She would sit, sometimes for hours, working the puzzles as quickly as she possibly could, then pull them apart and start over again.

Denny and a group of other Nomenstrastenai came to meet with Ba’ize at the end of their first week with him. Ba’ize asked Jenni and Crank to sit quietly in some chairs along the wall during the meeting.

Denny was there to demonstrate, along with Matt, their ability to communicate with the elemental spirits. They showed Ba’ize how Matt could form words in stone in response to Denny’s questions, and question Denny back in return. Charles was there too, still in his bottle adorned with the red cloth that Jenni had given him. They talked with Charles through Matt, in addition to Charles’s own bubbling responses. Ba’ize sat quietly through the demonstration, only asking one or two questions.

The Nomenstrastenai seemed nervous throughout.

Once the show was complete, Denny and all but two of the delegation boarded the lift and left the office. Denny gave Jenni and Crank a small smile and wave as he and the others disappeared down the shaft.

Ba’ize sat back down at the conference table with the two Nomenstrastenai that had remained.

“We seem to have a problem,” Ba’ize said into the tension-filled room.

“We don’t know that all the elemental spirits are capable of independent thought!” the older looking of the two gnomes blurted out.

“Have you tried communicating with any that aren’t part of the group that arrived here from Earth?” Ba’ize asked.

The second gnome replied, “Yes, and so far all the tests have been positive.”

Ba’ize sat back in his chair and folded his arms. He stared at the older gnome for several seconds.

The gnome lost the contest and spoke first. “Your Honor, think of the implications!”

“I have, First Seat. I am also aware the bindings on the spirits throughout the city are fading. We lost several undei’i a few weeks ago that had performed canal filtration, did we not?”

The older gnome averted his eyes and nodded.

Ba’ize continued, “It seems to me we will be faced with the task of operating the city without spirits fairly soon, one way or another. Personally, I’d like that to be on our terms, rather than face their complete abandonment of tasks, or worse, an outright revolt!”

First Seat’s face reddened. “Madness! They wouldn’t do such a thing!”

“On the contrary, I think the attack on the youngsters in the river north of here indicates otherwise,” Ba’ize countered. “In fact, it would not surprise me if those undei’i were the very same that escaped their bindings in the canals.”

Ba’ize studied the two of them, but no more outbursts followed. “I would ask you to make your findings known to the rest of the Council, and keep me informed of any further discoveries. I would like to make a proposal at the next Council session.”

First Seat grumbled but nodded his assent.

“Second Seat,” Ba’ize addressed the other gnome, “are we in agreement?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Second Seat said, bowing his head in respect.

“Good. That will be all gentlemen.” The three rose from the table and the two Nomenstrastenai stepped onto a lift platform and descended from sight.

Ba’ize stood in silent contemplation briefly, then turned to Jenni and Crank. “So, what do you think?”

Jenni and Crank looked at each other in surprise, then Jenni said, “I don’t really understand what’s going on.”

Ba’ize sighed and chuckled. “I suppose some history is in order.” He sat down again and beckoned them over. “Many of the basic functions of Seren’naie are handled by elemental spirits.” He indicated the elevator. “Lifts, drinking water, waste removal, and countless other things are all taken care of by these spirits. The city itself was built by them nearly a thousand years ago, under the direction of Strodin’i. These people had the power to control and bind spirits to perform tasks.

“But,” Ba’ize continued, “no one has been born with the ability of a Strodin’i in many, many years. Now the bindings that were placed on all the spirits to operate the city are becoming weak. Soon they will break and the spirits will be free.”

“But why would you enslave these spirits in the first place?” Jenni asked him.

“Why indeed?” Ba’ize sighed. “People were unaware that the elemental spirits were capable of thought or had desires of their own. No one has been able to communicate with them for a very long time. We were ignorant.”

Jenni thought about this. “But what about the Strodin’i? They must have known.”

Ba’ize nodded. “I suspect they did, but they kept that secret to themselves. Most Strodin’i were Gobinstratstorai. They have always been more willing to subjugate others for their benefit than the other races.”

Crank spoke up. “We have a few spirits in my village. What of those?”

Ba’ize nodded again. “Eventually, we will need to carry any reforms we can make here out to the rest of Mother. Your village is by no means unique. Most communities have bound spirits to aid them in everyday tasks. They have been part of our lives for so long they are taken completely for granted.”

Jenni came to a realization. “And you wouldn’t have known of their ability to think and communicate if we hadn’t shown up?”

“Probably not,” Ba’ize agreed. “A few of us have been aware of the failing bindings for a while now, which has been a big concern, but this adds a whole new level of complexity to the problem.” He shook his head slowly. “I shudder to think just how angry they must be at us for keeping them prisoners for so long.” He slumped a bit in his chair and sighed.

* * * *

One evening, during the next week of Jenni’s training, there was a knock at the door of their apartment. Jenni opened it to see one of the city guard standing before her. Then it dawned on Jenni just who it was.

“Sara!” Jenni leaped up and gave her friend a tremendous hug.

Sara laughed. “Hey, take it easy, you’ll dent my armor!”

They spent the next few hours catching up. Sara had been kept busy, seemingly night and day, training with weapons, armor, and any number of other things that a sword-bearing city guard needed to know.

The Saromstrastenai people Sara was now a part of were a rare breed. There were perhaps two hundred of them left, and all were involved in the defense and guarding of Seren’naie.

Sara had been given a set of armor and a sword and dirk. The armor was made mostly of bronze with copper trim and was looked impressive to Jenni. It consisted of a breast plate, bracers for her wrists, as well as guards for her thighs and shins. Underneath she wore a suit of thick, but supple, leather. They fought more with grace and agility than brute strength and didn’t like to weigh themselves down with heavy armor. Her sword was razor sharp and about four feet long from hilt to tip. Sara joked that it had been hard to give up her tree branch for it. The dirk matched the sword in style and had a blade roughly a foot long.

Jenni could see Sara had gained even more muscle tone and strength through her rigorous training. She looked incredible — Jenni was so proud of her!

Her pride in her friend made it even harder to keep her secret of her own training and ability. She had never kept a secret from Sara before, but Ba’ize had stressed the importance of not talking to anyone about it. If word got out somehow, it could cause a panic. Jenni only had to think of Crank’s first reaction to steel herself to the task.

Crank retired to his room early, leaving Jenni and Sara alone in the living room. The two of them laughed and cried and giggled long into the night. Reluctantly, Sara said she had to go back to her barracks, but promised they could get together more often now her initial training had finished.

Jenni hugged her friend again and they arranged to meet for dinner two or three times each week to stay in touch.

As she watched Sara stride down the hallway to the lift, Jenni could hardly believe all the things that had happened to them in the past — what, two months or so? It was simply amazing. She thought of how her summers had been filled in years past: slumber parties, swimming and television had dominated her life. She laughed to herself, now I spend most of my time with a gnome in a crystal tower, and I’m learning how to reshape myself into anything I want! How silly I was to be worried about a little thing like high school!

28

Alisha sat down at the table suspiciously.

Mogritas had pulled out all the stops for this dinner. Servants were everywhere and the table was full of different dishes. The only diners, however, were her, Mogritas, and Mrs. Minch, who seemed impressed at the display.

Alisha was impressed as well, but she knew it meant only one thing: Mogritas wanted something.

She and Mogritas had dined several times since the incident in the dungeon. Each time it had been a simple affair for just the two of them. The first occasion, he explained to her about Lori and Zoe and what had happened to them, and the need to keep them contained. Alisha thought most of what he’d said was true, but she was sure she wasn’t getting the whole story.

Subsequent dinners had been filled with small talk, mostly about Earth and what it was like. Alisha explained how rich her parents were, and Mogritas was suitably impressed. He asked her all kinds of questions about computers, technology, and even things like pollution and government. Alisha would quickly bore of it, but Mogritas was always eager to learn more.

Tonight though, was different. Alisha suspected it was more for Mrs. Minch’s benefit than hers, and it looked to be having the desired effect.

“Good evening,” Mogritas said with a broad smile as he sat at the head of the table. “I hope you are finding everything to your liking.”

“It’s wonderful,” Mrs. Minch replied. “You have been such an excellent host since I arrived. So much better than those filthy Nomen-whatever!”

Mogritas nodded his thanks. “And you, Alisha, how are you tonight?”

Alisha smiled thinly back at him. “Just fine, thank you. This is quite a spread.”

“Nothing but the best for you lovely ladies.”

Mrs. Minch actually blushed at this and Alisha had a hard time hiding a smile. With her green skin, enormous ears and bulbous nose, Mrs. Minch was far from “lovely”, but she seemed to eat up the attention as much as the food on her plate. She even still wore the ridiculous flower print dress she’d had since they left Earth. It had, at least, been cleaned and mended.

They ate quietly, exchanging in occasional small talk until the desserts were brought out. They were small cakes with tiny sculptured confections, made from a hardened syrup, for decoration. They were incredibly sweet and the cake was rich and moist.

“I do have some interesting news,” Mogritas announced. “My sources in Seren’naie have informed me that your daughter, Carrie, did arrive there safely and is being held in the Elvorstrastenai quarter of the city.”

Mrs. Minch gasped. “Oh! I’m so glad to hear she’s okay. Can we go see her? Or bring her here?”

Mogritas frowned slightly. “Unfortunately, that will be difficult. I’m afraid I’m not on very good terms with the leadership of the city and it’s my understanding she is not allowed to leave.”

Mrs. Minch glowered. “They won’t keep me from my daughter, they have no right!”

“Agreed,” Mogritas said smoothly, “which is why I sent my personal guard on a march south to the city this morning. Rest assured Kathy, this act will not go unpunished.”

Mrs. Minch’s eyes flooded with relief. “Oh, thank you, you dear, sweet man! How can I ever repay you?”

Mogritas smiled again. “Actually, there is something I could use your help with.”

Ah, here it comes, Alisha thought.

“I have come across some texts written by a Strodin’i that was employed by dragons, centuries ago. In them, he describes the method for creating a doorway to another world by using elemental spirits. I believe the other world he refers to is Earth.”

Mrs. Minch’s mouth dropped open and Alisha blurted out, “What! You mean we can go back home?”

Mogritas nodded. “I believe it is possible. Mrs. Minch here should be capable of guiding the spirits through the task.”

Alisha was stunned. She had given up all hope of going home.

“What about Carrie?” Mrs. Minch asked. “We’ll have to get her first — I won’t go back without her.”

Mogritas sighed. “That, unfortunately, poses part of the problem, and why I’m asking for help from the two of you.” He pushed his dish aside and it was immediately removed by one of the servants. “Formidable as it is, I don’t believe my guard force will be sufficient to secure the release of your daughter, should it come to a matter of arms — which I believe to be inevitable. We need an additional advantage.”

Alisha was lost. What advantage?

“Assuming you can get the spirits to create the doorway, Kathy, I would ask the two of you, as well as a select group of others, to go to Earth and retrieve some items to use as weapons against Seren’naie.”

Alisha could see Mrs. Minch was also confused. “So you want us to get you, what, guns? Bombs?” Carrie’s mother asked him.

Mogritas shook his head. “No, no. Though those things could possibly help, none of us are versed in their operation or maintenance. Not to mention the possibility they may not even work here. No, I’m looking for something simpler, more foolproof.” Mogritas sat back and continued, “From my conversations with Mr. Kain, and you, Alisha, I’ve learned the creation of all the marvels you describe doesn’t come without cost. In many cases, hazardous, and even deadly, materials result from the manufacture of fuel or power. It is a supply of these poisonous materials I seek.”

Alisha stared at him and struggled to make sense of what he’d said. “So, you want us to go and bring you back some toxic waste? Is that what you’re saying? That’s crazy!”

“I realize it sounds absurd, but I’ve thought this through quite carefully. While the superior weaponry of your world could be of great benefit, it is too complicated to be trusted to work properly here. Your music devices continue to operate, even though you admit they shouldn’t because the, what did you call them…?”

“Batteries,” Alisha said.

“Yes, batteries. These batteries are being powered by something in this world, keeping them from being used up. What if that source of power acted differently with a weapon once it was here? Might it detonate prematurely? That’s not a chance I’m willing to take. But, these hazardous substances don’t have moving parts or power sources. They are simply poisons; toxins that don’t exist here, that can be employed as a threat — leverage, to get Carrie back.”

Alisha and Mrs. Minch sat silently, looking at each other and mulling over what Mogritas had told them. What he said about the weapons did make sense, Alisha decided, and none of them were in the army or anything to even know how to use them anyway. But toxic waste?

“Why would you want to bring that stuff here?” Alisha said at last. “Won’t it be just as bad for the environment here as it is at home?”

Mogritas smiled again. “Of course. I want to avoid using it, if at all possible, but, we must have something that can tip the balance in our favor.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Mrs. Minch said. “We go back, find some hazardous stuff and bring it here so we can get Carrie back, then we are free to go back to Earth?”

Mogritas nodded. “Kathy, you are a delight! To boil everything down so simply and succinctly — yes, that’s it exactly. I see no other reliable way to retrieve your daughter. In addition, you will be doing your own world a service by ridding it of a quantity of this waste material and bringing it here. What could be wrong with that?”

Alisha doubted Mogritas’s sincerity about his unwillingness to use the dangerous chemicals, but what would it matter once they were back home? This whole place could be used as a toxic waste dump for all she cared.

“How can you be sure the people in the city won’t release Carrie?” Mrs. Minch asked.

Mogritas wore a sad expression. “The Nomenstrastenai in that village had you bound and drugged without a thought. Seren’naie will act no different I’m afraid.”

Mrs. Minch nodded to herself, then looked to Mogritas with determination in her eyes. “All right, what do we need to do?”

29

Jenni groaned in frustration. “I can’t do it!”

She had been making excellent progress in the past few days. She could reshape portions of herself much easier and even make them stay with minimal effort. The next step Ba’ize wanted her to try was to transform into things bigger or smaller than herself.

The theory, as Ba’ize had explained it, was that Jenni had a certain amount of stuff — she remembered Ms. Pap using the term “mass” — and her mass couldn’t be destroyed, but it could be altered. So if, for instance, she wanted to change into a mouse, she couldn’t just get rid of the extra mass, but she could change it into, say, air, that remained connected to herself.

It had taken a lot of time and concentration, but she had begun to get the hang of it and could make herself much smaller by displacing an amount of her mass into the air around her. She had even made herself into a presentable copy of Crank one day that had fooled Ba’ize momentarily. Jenni had been proud of herself for that one.

Becoming something bigger, with more mass than she had, was, in theory, the same only in reverse. Ba’ize had said she should be able to pull mass from things around her and temporarily add it to herself to form something larger. The problem was that it felt different to Jenni. The air and such that she “created” when she got smaller still felt like her, and she could manipulate it. Other things outside herself didn’t feel the same way and she just couldn’t figure out how to reach out and change them.

When she created wings, she pulled the mass from her own body. To change into an elephant, however, with its full weight and strength, was beyond her.

“Let’s take a break,” Ba’ize offered.

“You’re disappointed in me,” Jenni said dejectedly.

“Not at all,” Ba’ize replied. “If anything I am disappointed in myself. I do not have the experience necessary to teach you more about your ability. I know only from ancient texts what I’ve described is possible, but they don’t explain how it is done.”

Jenni sighed and let her gaze wander outside. Some large clouds were gathering and it looked like they were in for a storm later. Crank was off running errands for Ba’ize and Jenni hoped he could finish before the storm arrived. Just then, Rodrin rose up into the room.

“Excuse me, sir,” he apologized, “but I have a couple of people you two should probably see.”

Ba’ize nodded to Rodrin. “Of course, please bring them up.”

Rodrin lowered himself down and returned shortly with a small Nomenstrastenai girl, and a tiny flying Faerstrastenai that immediately sped over to Jenni and landed on her shoulder, hugging her neck.

“Oh, Jenni! I’m so glad to see you!” the Faerstrastenai said in a soft voice that sounded familiar.

Jenni let the hug continue for a few seconds, then offered her hand to step onto so she could see the Faerstrastenai face to face. She apologized and buzzed to Jenni’s hand. Jenni thought first of Rachael, but her features and hair were different.

“Deena!” Jenni exclaimed. “Oh my gosh! I wish I could hug you back!”

Deena laughed. “Me too!”

“Deena, this is Ba’ize. He’s the Mayor of Seren’naie.”

Deena performed a curtsey midair and Ba’ize smiled. “A pleasure to meet you Deena,” he said. “And who has come along with you?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Deena ushered the girl forward. “This is Feeder, she’s from Crank’s village.”

The girl sniffled and bowed to both Ba’ize and Jenni. As she straightened, Jenni saw tears in her eyes. She had blonde hair, like Crank, and wore a simple tan dress, typical of her people, but it was soiled and torn. She also looked incredibly tired. Jenni then recalled this was the girl she had seen tending the tamed birds in the village while they were there.

Jenni looked back to Deena. “What’s happened? How did you get here?”

Deena proceeded to tell the story of the transformations of Mrs. Minch, Mike, and Scott and the subsequent attack on the village. The Gobinstratstorai had arrived and camped around the village for two or three days, then somehow managed to destroy the defense mechanism that protected the Nomenstrastenai. Deena and Feeder had been able to slip out during the battle and hide. The next day when they had seen the devastation of the village, the two had decided to follow the trail of Ms. Pap and the class, and make their way to Seren’naie, not knowing where else to go.

Feeder began to cry and Jenni sat on the floor, holding her. Ba’ize sat in a chair, trying to make sense of their story.

A few minutes later, Crank arrived back from his errands, and the painful tale was relayed to him. Feeder ran to him and Crank absently comforted her while he sat in shock at the realization that his mother and father were dead.

“It’s all our fault,” Jenni said later. “If we weren’t here, none of this would have happened.”

Ba’ize shook his head. “Many events are unfolding that none of us can control Jenni. You must remember that. The attack on their village was no more your fault than those storm clouds outside. The only thing we can do is pick up the pieces and help those that we can.”

Jenni nodded, though still saddened by this turn of events. Crank’s people had helped them, and even though they had turned the rest of them out, the village had nursed Deena and the others back to health — only to be set upon by the same enemies that had chased Jenni and the others to the forest. Jenni understood what Ba’ize had said, but she couldn’t help but feel responsible for what had happened.

* * * *

Rodrin offered to find the newcomers quarters, but Feeder refused to leave Crank’s side, so Jenni decided the two of them should stay with her and Crank for the time being. They ate dinner in the apartment while a thunderstorm raged outside, and Jenni told Deena the story of all that had happened since they had parted ways.

Crank had finally gotten the distraught Feeder to sleep in his bed, and he brought a blanket into the living area and sat on one of the chairs. His eyes were red from crying.

Jenni moved over next to him and sat on the floor. She took his hand and held it. “Are you going to be okay?”

Crank nodded slowly. “All the time I’ve been gone, I never thought about going back. But, now that everyone is gone, going back is all I can think about.”

Jenni hugged him then and said, “I miss my mom and dad so much. I’ve been so busy training and practicing I haven’t had much time to think about home … but it’s hard. I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again.”

Crank returned her hug and they sat quietly together. Deena came over and kissed each of them lightly on the cheek and said her good nights. Lightning flashed occasionally through the crystal doorway leading to their balcony. The rain had let up, but thunder continued to crash.

Jenni squeezed Crank one last time and stood up. She picked up her MP3 player and clipped it to her waist, thinking maybe some music would help her sleep and forget.

As she crossed the room to her door, lightning flashed blindingly outside on the balcony, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder. Jenni held her head in her hands and fell to the floor. Her ears rang and she tried to blink the flash spots from her eyes.

Crank staggered over to check on her. Jenni nodded to him, but if he said something, she didn’t hear it. She looked up and, outside on the balcony railing, a single flame blazed in a small pit created by the lightning strike.

Feeder came into the room, frightened awake by the noise, and Crank went to see if she was all right. Deena flew to her as well after seeing Jenni was okay. Once most of the spots were gone from Jenni’s vision, she got up and walked to the crystal doors. Opening them, she was met with a gust of wind and spattering of raindrops.

Stone chips littered the floor of the balcony and were sharp on her bare feet. She bent down to pull one from her foot when the small flame leapt the distance from the railing, straight to the MP3 player at her hip. Jenni yelped in surprise.

“Jenni, what’s wrong?” Crank shouted from inside.

The flame was gone and Jenni hadn’t felt any pain. “Nothing,” she called back. “I’m okay, just got startled.”

Jenni brushed another chip from her foot and stepped back inside, closing the door. She turned on her MP3 player and put a bud to her ear. She thumbed the dial to select a song and was rewarded with a burst of static.

“Perfect,” Jenni said in disgust and reached up to pull out the bud when she heard a voice through the static.

“Jenni! Can you hear me?” It was hard to make out through all the white noise, but it sounded female.

Jenni looked around the room before answering. “Yes,” she said. “I can hear you.”

The others looked at her from the couch questioningly.

Jenni shrugged and the voice continued. “Oh, thank goodness! I thought I’d never find you! This is Teresa Osorio, Marco’s mom.”

Jenni’s heart skipped a beat and she stammered. “Mrs. Osorio! How?”

Crank’s eyes lit up and he ran over to Jenni. She handed him the other earbud so he could listen too.

“It’s a long story,” they heard amidst the static. “I’m so glad this works so I can talk to you! I’ve been so lonely and worried about all of you — is Marco okay?”

“Yes, yes, he’s fine. He and Carrie are living in the Elvorstrastenai section of the city. We haven’t seen them for a while but I’m sure they’re fine.”

“Oh, I’m so happy to hear that,” Mrs. Osorio said. “How long has it been?”

Jenni was puzzled. “You mean since we saw you? Um, at least a month I think, maybe more, I’ve kind of lost track of the days.”

“That long?” she said through the crackle of interference. “This has all been so strange.”

Mrs. Osorio did her best to explain what had happened to her since the battle outside the forest. She didn’t understand much of it, and she saw the world differently as a fire spirit. Time passed in fits and starts for her.

She had existed for a time in the fires burning the prairie grass after she’d driven the Gobinstratstorai back from the forest. It took her a while to come to grips with what she was. The fires were dying out, and she wasn’t sure what to do when a storm passed overhead and she rode a stroke of lightning into the sky.

She drifted for a long time then, living in the electricity of the storm clouds. She met a few more festri’i, but they were difficult to communicate with — their attention spans were extremely short and they didn’t stay in one place long.

Eventually, she got her bearings and then jumped from cloud to cloud, storm to storm, in search of Seren’naie. Once her storm arrived, the concentration of electronics in Jenni and Crank’s apartment had drawn her attention and she had directed a bolt at their balcony.

“I’m so sorry if I scared you,” Mrs. Osorio apologized.

Jenni laughed. “It’s okay, we’re happy to have you back. And I’m sure Marco will be thrilled too.” Jenni looked outside and saw the storm had passed and starlight dominated the sky. “Can you wait ‘til morning for us to find him?” Jenni asked.

Another burst of static blended with laughter from Mrs. Osorio. “I’ve waited this long, I suppose one more night won’t matter … but please, don’t turn off your player.”

Jenni smiled. “No way! I wouldn’t want to risk losing you again.”

Jenni’s eyes drooped and she suddenly felt very tired. Her excitement from the storm and the events of the day faded. She yawned a good night to the others and made her way to her room and sleep.

30

They located Marco and Carrie the next morning, with Rodrin’s help, and reunited mother and son.

Jenni could tell Marco was conflicted. While he was overjoyed his mother was here and alive, not having someone to hold was frustrating. It was like talking on the phone with a loved one but never seeing them in person.

Jenni and Crank also relayed Deena’s story of Carrie’s mother and the others they left in Crank’s village. Deena had guessed Mrs. Minch, Mike, and Scott had survived the attack, but they had not seen any sign of the three when they made a quick investigation of the village the next morning.

Carrie didn’t seem troubled by the news, but Jenni knew Carrie was good at hiding her feelings. Mrs. Minch wasn’t the nicest person, but she was still Carrie’s mother, and Jenni was sure the news affected her.

They sat at the conference table in Ba’ize’s office, snacking on bread, fruit and cheese. Deena and Feeder had stayed behind in the apartment to catch up on their rest. Mrs. Osorio, still in Jenni’s MP3 player, was placed on the table, and they had connected a set of small speakers that still functioned after their episode in the river.

Marco and Carrie had been getting training of their own over the past few weeks. Marco’s aptitude with animals proved true, and he had been learning how to work with the herd animals that grazed outside the city. Carrie’s musical talents were discovered as well, and she had worked with several instructors, learning some local instruments. They both appeared vibrant and happy with their new lives. Mrs. Osorio told both of them how proud she was.

Jenni turned to see Rodrin on the lift, accompanied by Denny. Jenni waved and Denny gave them a big smile back.

“Well, this is turning out to be quite the reunion!” Jenni laughed.

“Hello, Mrs. Osorio,” Denny said as he climbed into one of the chairs. “I’m happy to, well … see you again.” He laughed.

“And you, Denny,” she replied. “Are you doing well?”

Denny nodded. “Pretty good, being so short is still frustrating sometimes, but I’ve learned so much since I got here!”

“I’m very happy for you!”

“Rodrin told me you were here,” Denny continued, “and I’m hoping you can help us with something.”

“Of course, what is it?” Mrs. Osorio asked.

“We had a venti’i, an air spirit, show up a couple of days ago and I think it wants to talk to us, but we can’t figure out how. Neither Matt, nor Charles or Bonnie, can talk to air or fire spirits. When Rodrin told me about you being inside Jenni’s MP3 player, I thought we might try it.”

“You want me to talk to it?” Mrs. Osorio offered.

Denny nodded again. “Yes, if you can. Earth and water can communicate, so I’m hoping that fire and air can.” Denny looked around the room. “I tried to get it to follow me, but I’m not sure if it got the message.”

Silence followed for a few seconds, then a short burst of static sounded from the speakers, “Yes, it … she, rather, is here.” Mrs. Osorio paused. “It’s Lori!”

Stunned silence was followed by a jumble of voices. They laughed and settled down to listen to Lori’s story, as translated by Mrs. Osorio.

Lori told of her group’s flight from the forest on Brandon’s back, and her subsequent imprisonment, along with Zoe and Mr. Kain. She wasn’t fed for the next few days. Mogritas evidently knew what she and Zoe would turn into, and had wanted speed up the process. Although torturous, it had worked, and she had found herself waking one day to the realization that she no longer had a body.

She spent the next several agonizing days figuring out what she was and what she could do, all alone in her stone cell. The edges around the door were sealed and her window was filled with crystal, rather than stone bars like the others. Trapped, she spent a long time despairing about her condition.

Lori found herself able to communicate intermittently with Zoe, but because of the thick stone walls, or just their lack of ability, they couldn’t convey much information to each other.

Lori had watched and listened also as Mr. Kain had been interrogated by Mogritas several times. The sessions lasted sometimes for hours, with Mogritas asking the same questions over and over. He was very interested in Earth and how they had arrived. Mogritas seemed to think Mr. Kain had something to do with their arrival on Mother. Mr. Kain, of course, had no idea, but it didn’t stop Mogritas from asking the questions.

Then, some time later, Alisha had come to the dungeon with Will, wanting to see what had happened to Lori and Zoe. Lori told Jenni and the others of her desperate attempts to make herself known, only to meet with utter failure. Mr. Kain had woken up and argued with Alisha, trying to get her to understand the true nature of Brandon’s “benefactor.” Then, Mogritas had arrived and, after a brief discussion, had escorted Alisha away. It was the last Lori had seen any of them.

Days passed and Mr. Kain had started talking — mostly to himself, but sometimes to Lori and Zoe. He spoke of different ways they might escape. He talked about the properties of solids, stone in particular. He said that most stone was porous to some extent, and if water could eventually pass through, then so could air. Lori had all but given up, but she decided since all she had was time, she may as well give it a try.

Lori lost track of time as she probed the stone walls of her cell for the slightest imperfections and inconsistencies. Finally, she managed to push enough of the air from her cell out into the hallway that she could slip out. She had never felt so free! She stopped to spend a few minutes with Zoe, but hadn’t seen a way to break her free. Then she did her best to thank Mr. Kain — he did notice the breeze of her passage and smiled. Then she sped out of the fortress.

She wandered air currents and clouds for quite a while, unsure of where to go. Then she spotted a large group of Gobinstratstorai, heading south along the edge of the forest. She flew closer and saw they were Mogritas’s guards, and were carrying many weapons and supplies. After eavesdropping on conversations among the soldiers, she discovered they were headed for Seren’naie. Following the path they planned to take, along the edges of Lodir’naie, first south, then west, she had arrived a couple of days before.

Lori had wandered the city for a time, then found the workshop where Denny and the other Nomenstrastenai were working with other elemental spirits. It had taken some effort to get their attention, but Denny had finally noticed her, and they had tried to communicate.

She’d started to lose hope after Matt, Charles and Bonnie had been unable to understand her and vice versa. Then Rodrin had arrived this morning with the news of Mrs. Osorio. Lori was ecstatic to be able, finally, to talk to someone!

Ba’ize had come down from his quarters midway through Lori’s story and had listened with rapt attention. He frowned when she had described Mogritas’s army of guards marching south and had sent Rodrin away on an errand and had bade Lori to continue.

“Jenni,” Mrs. Osorio’s voice crackled over the speakers, “Lori also says she is sorry for the way she treated you and Sara in the past. She sees now that Alisha is just a stuck up princess and not worthy of her friendship.”

Jenni felt tears well up in her eyes and tried to will them away. “It’s okay, Lori. I can’t imagine the torture you’ve been through the past few weeks … being locked up like that with no one to talk to. No one deserves to be treated like that.”

Jenni felt a breeze around her face and she smiled.

“What are we going to do?” Marco asked.

They looked at each other, searching for ideas.

“I don’t know,” Jenni said to break the silence, “but we need to do something. Mr. Kain and Zoe are still there as prisoners. We have to help them.”

“We’re just kids,” Carrie said. “What can we do?”

“Nonsense!” Ba’ize interrupted. “I see a group of capable young people who are going to be part of some big changes in this world.”

Carrie blushed at the praise and Jenni looked to Ba’ize for help. “Still, Mogritas’s castle is a long ways away, and we don’t know how to get in, or where Mr. Kain is … “ Jenni trailed off, despairing of their situation.

Ba’ize held up a hand. “First of all, you have someone here who can guide you, if she’s willing to help.”

Mrs. Osorio said, “Lori says she can lead you back there … and it looks like I’ll be going too.”

“Why, Mom?” Marco asked.

“Well, from what I’ve heard, I’m the only way you’ll be able to communicate with Lori. And, I come with my own carrying case,” she joked.

They all had a laugh and then Rodrin returned with two others on the lift. Jenni squealed on seeing Sara and ran to give her a hug. Sara was accompanied by Captain Herina. She stepped to Ba’ize and crossed her arms over her chest in salute.

“Reporting as requested, Your Honor,” Captain Herina said somberly.

Ba’ize nodded. “Thank you, Captain. We have a couple of matters to bring to your attention. First, we’ve just received a report of an army headed our way from Mogritas’s keep. Have you heard anything from our scouts that would confirm this?”

Captain Herina’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “No, Your Honor. I’ll look into it immediately. Do you happen to know the current whereabouts of this army?”

Ba’ize spoke to the air around them. “Lori, would you be able to show us on a map where they might be?”

The speakers on the table popped. “Yes, she thinks she can,” Mrs. Osorio answered.

“What manner of magic is this, Your Honor?”

Ba’ize smiled. “Elemental spirits, Captain. Our new friends are proving to be full of surprises.” He turned to his aide. “Rodrin, would you be so kind as to bring us a map of southern Lodir’naie?”

Rodrin nodded and took the lift down.

“Our other concern is a rescue mission we could use your expertise in planning,” Ba’ize said.

The captain’s eyes registered surprise again. “Of course, Your Honor, anything I can do to help.”

“How quickly can you mobilize the guard force if the city is threatened?” Ba’ize asked her.

“The guard can be fully mustered in less than two hours, Your Honor. We drill on that regularly.”

“Excellent,” Ba’ize said. “We should have much more warning than that, but it’s good to know you are prepared.”

Rodrin returned with a couple of rolled parchments under one arm. He passed them to Ba’ize, who checked the ends, then spread one out on the table. The map was artfully drawn, with Seren’naie and the Baer’naie river on the left side, and the southern edge of the forest across the middle. Jenni saw a mountain range inscribed on the far right.

Ba’ize placed a finger on Seren’naie. “I’ll move my finger slowly east on the map. Just say something when I’m close to where you think the army is.”

He dragged his finger along the southern edge of the forest and crossed another river marked near the center of the map. Shortly before he reached the eastern mountain range, Mrs. Osorio spoke. “Stop. Move back slightly. Good. That’s her best guess.”

Ba’ize looked to Captain Herina, who nodded. “I’ll have the Faerstrastenai scouts check the area as soon as we’re finished here, Your Honor. But it will take two or three days for them to report back.”

“Thank you, Captain. As you know, we have an important Council meeting in a few days; it would be most helpful to have some information before then.”

“Of course, Your Honor.” Captain Herina indicated the map. “If they are indeed in that area, we should have two weeks, maybe more, before they reach the city.”

“Very good,” Ba’ize replied. “Now, to our other problem. We have also learned that Mogritas is holding at least two of our friends’ compatriots prisoner in his fortress. We would like to attempt a rescue. What suggestions would you have?”

Captain Herina sighed. “That won’t be easy, Your Honor. His castle was constructed before Seren’naie, and is thought to be impregnable, as I’m sure you are aware.”

Ba’ize nodded. “Please continue.”

“Well, it was built high up on a cliff face and is unapproachable from the ground. I would assume there are tunnels allowing access from the mountain below, but you might search around for weeks and still never find them. The only way I can think of to get in undetected would be by air, at night. Even then, it would be risky. The team would have to be very small and well trained.” She shook her head. “We have a few rocs trained in troop transport, but they can only carry one at a time and without armor.”

“Rocs?” Jenni asked. “What are those?”

Ba’ize answered, “Very large eagles. Some are big enough to carry a grown Gobinstratstorai or Saromstrastenai.”

Captain Herina nodded. “Yes, and I have a couple of guards I could recommend for such a duty, but, frankly, Your Honor, I will need them here to prepare a defense of the city if this approaching army intends to attack.”

“Yes, Captain,” Ba’ize agreed. “I wouldn’t want to pull any of your forces away from the city for this mission. Your observations of the situation have confirmed my own and I appreciate your advice. I’ll leave you to your preparations and please keep me posted on the findings of your scouts.”

Captain Herina saluted. “Of course, Your Honor.” She glanced at Sara and the two turned to go.

“Ah, Captain, one more thing. If you wouldn’t mind leaving your assistant here for a while, I’ll send her back with any other information we might uncover in our discussions.”

The captain inclined her head. “Certainly, Your Honor.” Then she turned and rode the lift down and out of view.

“It sounds kinda hopeless,” Jenni said with a frown.

“Not necessarily,” Ba’ize said with a finger to his lips in thought. “Jenni, I think it’s time to show your friends what we’ve been working on.”

Jenni looked at him in surprise. “Are you sure?”

Ba’ize nodded. “Events seem to be moving quickly, now is the time for action rather than caution,” he said with a smile.

Everyone’s eyes were on her, waiting. Jenni calmed herself and took off her light jacket. They had cut and hemmed holes in the back of her shirt to keep from destroying too many garments. She concentrated and made the necessary adjustments in her body.

A collective gasp issued from the group as two large, leathery wings emerged from her back. She opened her eyes and flapped her wings experimentally.

“Jenni, that’s amazing!” Sara shouted.

Jenni turned to her best friend and apologized. “I wanted to tell you before, but Ba’ize said it would be dangerous if anyone knew.”

Sara looked puzzled. “Why would it be dangerous?”

Ba’ize stepped to her side and addressed the whole group, explaining Jenni’s similarity to Mogritas, and how it could cause a panic among the citizens of Seren’naie if they knew of her ability.

“So,” Sara said after Ba’ize had finished, “how do we rescue Mr. Kain and Zoe?”

Ba’ize smiled and placed a hand on Sara’s shoulder. “‘We’ will be staying here and preparing for the army that is approaching. Rescuing Mr. Kain and Zoe will be Jenni’s job, along with your air and fire spirit friends.”

Jenni’s eyes widened in fear. “Me?”

Ba’ize chuckled and put his other hand on her shoulder. “You are stronger than you realize, Jenni. I have great faith in you.”

Crank stood up in his chair and said, “I have faith in her also, but she doesn’t have to go alone. I’ll go with her.”

Jenni smiled at Crank, then turned to Ba’ize. “He’s small enough that I can carry him. But I don’t know how I can get Mr. Kain back once we find him.”

Ba’ize nodded. “Your return trip will have to be accomplished by different means, but getting inside undetected is the crucial step, and I see no other way to do it.”

Denny spoke up. “You should take Matt, and Charles or Bonnie. I think they would want to go. Matt should be able to get you into the dungeon, and you might be able to get back by river, like we got here in the first place.”

Marco nodded. “They wouldn’t add much weight either.”

“I still don’t like it,” Sara objected. “Captain Herina is always drilling into us you can never have too much backup. How would we know if something happened to you?”

They got quiet, thinking of alternatives. Then Carrie spoke up. “What about Tori?”

Jenni smiled. “Yes! She and Merlin can fly with us. If something does happen once we’re inside, they can fly back and let you know.”

Ba’ize nodded slowly. “All right. Rodrin, will you please find out where Tori has been assigned? And Denny, if you can ask Matt and the others if they would agree to go?” Both nodded their assent. “We’ll plan to meet back here tomorrow morning and see them on their way, unless anyone has anything further to add.”

No one did and they all got up to see to their tasks.

“Sara,” Ba’ize said, “please inform Captain Herina of our plans. I trust her with Jenni’s secret and if she has any additional insight, I’d be happy to hear it.”

“Yes, sir … uh, Your Honor,” Sara said with a smile.

Ba’ize smiled in return. “Splendid, we’ll see you all in the morning.”

Jenni unplugged the speakers to her MP3 player and packed them up. Then she handed the player to Marco. “I’m sorry you won’t have much time together.”

Marco smiled and put one of the buds in his ear. “It’s okay, I’m just happy to know she’s alive. I’ll check and see if the player Carrie and I have been using is any better for her and we’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay, sounds good,” Jenni said. “Lori, you can come with me and Crank or stay with Mrs. Osorio, whichever.”

Jenni felt a breeze across her cheek.

Marco said, “She’ll stay with you for now.”

“Okay. Crank, sounds like we’ve got some packing to do!”

31

Jenni and Crank spent the remainder of the day deciding what was absolutely essential so they could travel as light as possible.

Crank got them a few days’ supply of Tolenton’naie fruit, which he put in a small, over-the-shoulder pouch. Jenni packed two extra shirts and a pair of pants — she was getting better but was still rough on clothes. She found the smallest pack that would fit everything, then adjusted the straps so it could ride comfortably on her chest. Crank could then have room to sit between the wings on her back while they flew.

Feeder was upset about Crank leaving, but Deena assured her she would stay with her, and Jenni and Crank offered to let them stay in the apartment while they were gone. That mollified her somewhat. Jenni could see Feeder had a crush on Crank and Jenni thought it was cute.

They ate a light dinner, and Crank told them some stories he overheard in the market while he was getting the fruit. A lift had failed in one of the other towers in the hub, and a building had collapsed in the Gobinstratstorai quarter. Luckily, no one had been seriously injured, but everyone had become visibly upset on hearing the stories. Things like these had never happened before.

Jenni and Crank both went to bed early knowing they had a long, hard trip ahead of them.

* * * *

Jenni woke up anxious, but she washed up and checked her bag for the umpteenth time. Everything was set and she felt a breeze tousle her hair.

Jenni laughed. “Okay, Lori, we’re going.”

She and Crank said their goodbyes to Deena and Feeder, then closed the door behind them and walked to the lift at the end of the hall.

It descended from an upper floor with an Elvorstrastenai couple, chatting about a concert they had seen the night before, and a Gobinstratstorai woman. Jenni and Crank boarded, and the lift resumed its descent.

In between floors, the lift lurched, then Jenni’s stomach tried to climb out through her mouth as the stone platform dropped in free fall.

Crank yelped and the other three passengers screamed. Jenni grabbed Crank and instinctively created her wings. She hit the male Elvorstrastenai in the head with her left wing, and her right scraped painfully against the sides of the shaft as they fell. She didn’t have enough room to extend or flap to get airborne.

A floor before the bottom, the lift slowed and settled peacefully on the ground floor. The other three passengers were frightened, not only from the fall, but from the appearance of a monster on the lift. They ran out of the building, garnering much attention. Embarrassed and scared, Jenni quickly reabsorbed her wings and checked on Crank.

“I’m fine,” he said, “just shaken.”

“What happened?” Jenni asked.

“I’d guess the venti’i that ran the lift broke free of its binding. Lori, did you slow us down?” Crank asked the air around them.

A rush of air greeted them in confirmation.

“Thank you!” Jenni said. “I panicked and tried to fly out, but my wings were too big.”

Crank patted her on the arm. “It’s okay, let’s just get to Ba’ize’s office so we can be on our way. I’m starting to think our trip might not be as dangerous as it’s going to get around here in the next few days.”

Jenni nodded and they picked up their things.

Fortunately, all the lifts in the Seat of Governance building were still operating, but the place was like an anthill that had been kicked by a mean-spirited boy. People were running everywhere.

Jenni and Crank arrived to find everyone else already there and waiting.

“Sorry we’re late,” Jenni apologized. “We had an issue with the lift in our building — it tried to drop us five stories.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Ba’ize asked in concern.

“No, luckily for us, Lori was there and was able to bring it down safely,” Jenni answered, then blushed. “Although I think I gave some people a heart attack when I tried to fly inside the shaft.”

“No matter.” Ba’ize shook his head. “People will attribute it to the stress of the event. Let’s get everything collected.”

Denny had brought Matt, who was shaped like a six-inch stone gingerbread man, and Bonnie in her bottle. Jenni laughed when she saw Matt, which helped lighten her mood.

Marco handed Jenni her MP3 player and said, “Here’s yours back. Ours has more memory and Mom seemed to find it easier to work.” He then handed her another player which had a touch screen.

It glowed brightly in Jenni’s hand and Mrs. Osorio’s voice came through the player’s built in speaker. “Good morning, Jenni! Are you ready for this?”

Jenni chuckled. “As ready as I can be, I guess.”

They had found a small pouch and attached it to one of the pack’s straps. It had a Velcro closure that held the player securely. Then she packed Bonnie’s bottle and Matt formed a stone loop around Jenni’s neck. He made himself smooth as glass so she could hardly feel him. She looked at Crank and he nodded.

“I guess we’re ready,” she said with a catch in her throat.

She hugged and thanked them all, leaving Sara for last. Jenni squeezed her friend tight. “Be careful! I hope they taught you how to use that thing,” she joked, referring to the sword on Sara’s back.

“You’re the one sneaking into the enemy fortress, and you’re telling me to be careful?” Sara laughed.

Jenni brushed away a tear and hugged Sara a final time.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Jenni said, and saw Tori, riding Merlin, outside the wall to the east.

Ba’ize stepped forward. “Matt, can you create an opening in the wall here?”

Jenni felt a prickling at her neck and took hold of Matt. He reformed in her hand, a strange sensation, like holding a snake, that startled Jenni and she almost dropped him. Matt created a tendril and reached out to touch the crystal wall. Almost immediately, the crystal melted away and a strong breeze blew into the room from outside. The hole grew to about ten feet wide and stopped.

“Excellent!” Ba’ize said, impressed.

Jenni picked up her pack and put her arms through the straps backwards, so the bag lay across her chest. Then she bent down so Crank could climb on. He tucked his arms through the straps, securing himself to her back with little effort. She stood up and took a calming breath. Jenni formed her wings, stretching out on either side of Crank.

She flapped a couple of times and bounced up and down to make sure everything and everyone was secure. Ba’ize smiled and nodded.

“Take care and come back to us safely,” he said.

Jenni smiled back and lifted off the floor. She carefully maneuvered out the hole in the wall and turned around, hovering outside.

She held Matt to the wall and he closed the opening just as smoothly as he’d opened it moments before.

“Lori, are you with us?” Jenni asked.

Mrs. Osorio’s voice sounded, muffled from the pouch. “Yes, she’s here.”

“All right,” Jenni said, smiling at Tori on Merlin, who was hovering next to her. “Here we go!”

She waved to her friends inside, then turned and gathered speed.

* * * *

Tori gave Jenni flying lessons as they went. She and Merlin showed Jenni the best air currents, where they could glide with minimal effort and still maintain their speed and height. Jenni found when she reshaped her wings and added more surface area, it became easier to glide and catch the wind.

They had to backtrack the path of Mogritas’s army, rather than go straight over the forest, even though it was a longer trip. Mrs. Osorio still wouldn’t be welcome in Lodir’naie and Jenni didn’t want to chance Lori getting lost, taking more time to find the castle.

They passed the eastern river Jenni remembered from the map sometime mid afternoon. A few hours later, they saw a dark mass on the ground, far below, and Jenni realized it was the army, on its march to Seren’naie.

The sun was setting and Jenni needed to rest. They had eaten Tolenton’naie while they flew, which had helped, but muscle fatigue was winning out over the magical fruit and adrenaline. Merlin, too, showed signs of strain. Jenni told he and Tori to sit on her and rest while they put some distance between themselves and the army below.

Another half hour or so passed and Jenni could go no farther. She descended and searched the ground below her. The forest loomed to her left but all around, in front and to the right, was a vast, grassy plain.

Tori and Merlin lifted off from her shoulder and Tori reminded Jenni of the instructions she had given earlier about landing.

“Everyone hold on, this might be rough,” Jenni called out.

She skimmed the grasses and put herself into a stall, flapping her wings to brake and bleed off the excess energy and speed. She stumbled when she put her foot on the ground, having been in the air for so long; gravity was a shock. Jenni fell to her knees and Crank tumbled from his perch on her back. Jenni tore her pants, but the damage wasn’t bad, and she rushed to check on Crank.

He had a bruise or two, but said he was fine. All in all, not bad for a first landing, she joked to herself.

They ate again and then pulled out some thin blankets they had packed to use as bedrolls. Matt created an earthen dome to cover them and Jenni fell asleep almost immediately.

32

Sara watched the crowd file into the Seat of Governance stadium and wondered how Jenni was doing.

She stood guard at the top of a stairway leading into the seating areas of the arena. People moved past in an orderly fashion, but the nervous and worried looks in their eyes betrayed the emotions of the last couple of days.

Breakdowns and structural damage continued after Jenni and the others had gone. Ba’ize had ordered all buildings over three stories evacuated, which meant almost the entire central hub of the city. The city guard had been dispersed throughout Seren’naie to make sure everyone found a safe place to stay until the situation could be resolved.

The Council meeting had been moved up a day from its original schedule to deal with the crisis. The citizens wanted answers and needed to be reassured. Sara didn’t think the answers would be very reassuring.

The last of the seats filled and a hush washed over the crowd. Far above, a platform slowly descended from the apex of the dome. The Council members, seated around an oval stone table, were majestically lowered onto the stage in the middle of the arena. Sara wondered how many venti’i it took to perform that piece of magic. It did have the desired effect, though: calming the crowd and drawing their attention.

The Council consisted of two Seats for each of the four major races: Elvorstrastenai, Faerstrastenai, Gobinstratstorai, and Nomenstrastenai. Ba’ize occupied one final chair in the middle of the table on the far side, for a total of nine. Sara was too far away to see them clearly, but she pictured Ba’ize’s calm features, with a hand stroking his short, white whiskers. This place needs a big screen, she thought.

Ba’ize picked up a fist sized ball of smooth rock in his right hand and hit it against the stone table, firmly, one time. “This meeting of the Council of Seren’naie is called to order.” His voice carried clearly throughout the arena.

Everyone sat attentively as he continued, “We are here to pass along information in relation to events that have occurred with increasing frequency over the past several days. The failure of lifts, water systems, and the structural integrity of buildings is being caused by the absence of elemental spirits to operate them. Centuries ago, when the city was built, elemental spirits were bound to various systems and structures throughout Seren’naie. Those bindings are weakening, and, in some cases, failing entirely.

“The Strodin’i who created the bindings no longer exist, and so we are faced with a problem.” Ba’ize paused and cast his eyes around the stadium. Most sat nervously, waiting for his next words.

“Can we develop ways to operate and live in our city without the benefit of these spirits? And, if not, can we persuade the spirits to aid us in mutual benefit?”

Hundreds of conversations and shouts broke out in the crowd. Sara focused on those around her, keeping an eye out for any malicious or violent behavior as Captain Herina had instructed.

Ba’ize waited calmly for the initial furor to die down before addressing the Second Seat of the Gobinstratstorai, who had stood up after Ba’ize’s opening remarks. He hit the stone ball against the table twice and the noise of the audience subsided.

“Yes, Second Seat Arlaugh,” Ba’ize said in acknowledgement.

“Your Honor,” the Gobinstratstorai began, “your second point sounds as though you expect to negotiate with these spirits. How do you propose to do that? We don’t even know if they are intelligent.”

Ba’ize turned and nodded to some people behind him. Sara recognized Denny. He carried a wide crystal bowl, filled with water, to the Council table and placed in front of Ba’ize. He smiled his thanks and Denny returned to his seat.

“In this bowl is an unbound undei’i. His name is Charles.”

The water in the bowl bubbled.

Ba’ize proceeded to ask Charles questions meant to establish that he was, in fact, a thinking being. Charles bubbled his answers quickly and efficiently.

Second Seat Arlaugh did not seem impressed. “This is what you’ve brought to demonstrate the intelligence of the elemental spirits? A bowl of bubbly water?”

Uncertain rumbles rolled through the crowd. Sara could see now what a huge sacrifice Ba’ize had made in allowing Matt and Mrs. Osorio go with Jenni and Crank on their rescue mission.

“You have been given the reports of the communication with other spirits the Nomenstrastenai have been performing,” Ba’ize stated calmly.

“Communication that no one else has been allowed to witness,” the Gobinstratstorai Second Seat retorted icily.

The Nomenstrastenai Second Seat hopped up to stand on his chair. “I have witnessed the conversations myself! Are you calling me a liar, Arlaugh?”

“Of course not, Second Seat,” Arlaugh said with a smile. “I’m merely trying to point out the evidence is scant for the Council to waste time attempting to talk to creatures about lifts and sewage when we have a more important matter to discuss.”

Ba’ize held out his hands. “Very well, we will table this topic in favor of the second item on the agenda.”

The two Second Seats sat back down and the audience murmured restlessly.

Ba’ize tilted his head up to address the audience, “For the first time in several centuries, Seren’naie appears to have need of its guard force for something other than internal disputes. An army of about five hundred is approaching the city from the east and will arrive in little more than a week.”

Gasps of surprise, and shouts of anger and fear surged through the crowd. Sara tensed, watching those closest to her, but, order reasserted itself and Ba’ize spoke again.

“The purpose of this army is unknown, but it is believed to have been sent by Mogritas.”

More shouts and cries of disbelief sounded around the stadium. Second Seat Arlaugh stood up once again.

“Your Honor, what evidence do you have of this claim?”

Even at the distance she stood from the Council table, Sara could see the anger on Ba’ize’s face. It was a stark contrast to his usual calm demeanor.

“Second Seat, you already know of the evidence, as does the rest of the Council, and it was agreed it would not be spoken in open forum.”

The other Council members nodded and more shouts and grumbling could be heard from the throng of onlookers. It was obvious the Gobinstratstorai Second Seat was up to something, but Sara had no idea what it might be.

“Of course, Your Honor, please forgive my transgression,” Arlaugh said smoothly. “I only meant to point out it was more of this fanciful elemental spirit ‘communication’ that gave you the idea Mogritas is behind this approaching ‘army’, as you put it. Nothing has been heard from him in years — is he even still alive? We just feel,” he said, indicating the First Seat next to him, “that the conclusions you’ve made, from rather flimsy evidence, are not worthy of one who is leader of Mother’s Reason. Furthermore —”

The Second Seat was cut off by a low rumbling. Sara looked up and saw one of the catwalks, leading to the tower above, crack explosively. A heartbeat later, masses of stone and rock tumbled toward the audience below.

Screams echoed throughout the arena and panicked citizens stampeded for the exits. Sara was buffeted by a score of Elvorstrastenai, running for their lives. She shouted for calm and was unanimously ignored by the crowd.

Sara saw several people go down in the rush and she tried to push her way against the flow to offer help.

The ground shook with the impact of the catwalk, to her right. Many people were crushed under huge chunks of stone and died instantly. Many others were badly injured from smaller debris or from being trampled by the frightened crowd.

Sara reached an elderly couple and managed to get them back on their feet. The woman had a broken arm and the man was bleeding from a scalp wound, but they were alive.

The next person Sara reached had not been so lucky.

The Elvorstrastenai’s skull had been crushed under the feet of the fleeing mob. Sara looked away and choked back the bile rising in her throat.

She then saw, in the center of the stadium, Captain Herina and some of the other guards had formed a protective ring around the Council members. Sara forced her way out of the aisle and climbed over seats in direction of the stage.

Most of the crowd was clear, but she still heard cries and wails of grief and pain throughout the stadium. Some people were helping to remove debris and tend to the injured.

As Sara reached the cluster of guards and Council members, she heard an argument in progress. Whatever magical acoustics at work before had apparently failed with the collapse of the catwalk.

“… is exactly why I didn’t want to hold the meeting here in the Seat,” Ba’ize was saying.

“Respectfully, Your Honor,” Second Seat Arlaugh replied, with no hint of respect at all, “if you hadn’t been chasing phantoms these past few weeks and dealt with the real problem at hand, none of this would have come to pass.”

Ba’ize looked back at the Gobinstratstorai in shock and fury.

Captain Herina stepped in and said, “Your Honor, we need to move you all some place safer … if you will all gather your things and follow us?”

* * * *

The next few hours were a blur for Sara. Once the Council had been secured in a solid, two story building at the edge of the hub, she and the other guards had been sent out in pairs to patrol the city and maintain order.

She and her partner, a hulking Gobinstratstorai named Zaurock, had walked the streets, calming the frantic populace to the best of their ability.

They came across a workshop in the Elvorstrastenai quarter that had exploded when a captive festri’i had broken free of its bonds. The shopkeeper had been killed and several others who had been walking on the street were injured. She and Zaurock spent the better part of an hour helping the wounded and clearing the street until other rescue and cleanup crews had arrived.

They reported back to Captain Herina near nightfall and were allowed to eat and rest.

Sara sat in near darkness, in a corner against a wall, slowly chewing on some bread and cheese. The room had been assigned to the guards to use as a break room, but it was currently deserted. All the guards not on patrol had gone home to spend time with their families. Sara didn’t feel like going back to her empty apartment.

Light from the hallway to her right spilled into the room, dimly illuminating a table and chairs in the center. Sara heard the scuff of a boot in the hall.

“That was quite a show today,” a muffled voice said.

“Indeed, but I can’t take credit for it,” a second voice answered quietly. Sara recognized it as Second Seat Arlaugh.

“Really?” the first speaker said. “Then things are as bad as Ba’ize has been saying?”

“Mogritas should find the city in complete chaos by the time he arrives,” Sara heard Arlaugh reply and she clamped a hand over her mouth to keep silent.

“Quite a coincidence … all this happening at the same time,” the first voice said.

Arlaugh chuckled. “In my experience with Mogritas, there are no such things as coincidences.”

Sara heard their boots shuffle away, and she sat frozen for several minutes. Finally, she stood up and checked the hallway. I have to find the Captain and Ba’ize.

33

Brandon sat quietly in the training ground courtyard while he waited for the others to get ready.

He had seen Mogritas only rarely in the weeks since he’d brought Mrs. Minch and the others from the Nomenstrastenai village. Brandon had spent his time well, however, practicing the art of creating illusions.

As long as he concentrated, Brandon could form convincing illusions of stone, grass, trees — anything really. But he still hadn’t been able to figure out the trick of making them permanent, like the wall in his cave. He had hoped Mogritas would discover the secret in the library texts, but he hadn’t had any luck yet.

Mogritas had spent much of his time lately working with Mrs. Minch, helping her learn better control over her abilities. Brandon had asked about it a few days ago, and that’s when Mogritas had told him of the plan to return to Earth.

Brandon had first been skeptical of Mogritas’s plan, but after hearing Carrie was being held prisoner, Brandon saw Mogritas had thought it through and really had no other choice. The thought of going back excited him, even though he realized he now thought of his cave as home, not Idaho. Then he wondered if they would change back to human form. Surprisingly, his feelings about the possibility were mixed. While he wished he could go back and do things like play football again, there were things about being a dragon he decided he would miss more. The ability to fly, the strength and sheer power were all ingrained in him now. He was sure he would feel weak and helpless if he were human again.

Mogritas had seemed excited that afternoon when he told Brandon they were ready to go. On their flight to the castle, Mogritas said he had discovered what had become of the dragons and he and Brandon could discuss it at length after his return from Earth. Brandon was somewhat surprised Mogritas would not be going too, but he needed to check on the army and make other preparations for their return with the toxins. Mogritas had also appointed Brandon in charge of the mission, and Mrs. Minch and the others were to obey his orders.

Brandon was proud to be trusted with so important a task, and had vowed to do his best.

There had been some commotion when it was discovered Lori was gone. Mogritas had other venti’i at his disposal, however, and Mrs. Minch set about preparing for the trip. One spirit of each type — earth, water, fire and air — was required for the ritual.

The sun had set a couple of hours before, and now everything was ready. Alisha sat with her bag next to Brandon, impatiently waiting for Mrs. Minch to start. Todd played a video game. His huge, pointed ears twitched and he stuck out his tongue in concentration. Beside him were four other Gobinstratstorai, two large and two normal sized. Mogritas had told Brandon the four were some of his finest warriors and were charged with protecting the group. Brandon didn’t think they’d need more protection than he could provide, but it would be good to have others to enforce his decisions with Mrs. Minch and Alisha.

Two servants entered the courtyard, carrying a bowl between them filled with a dark liquid. They set it in front of Mrs. Minch, then bowed and exited through another doorway.

“Everyone come in close and I’ll begin,” Mrs. Minch said.

“I will bid you good hunting and hope to see you all again very soon,” Mogritas said. “Remember, we want to rendezvous outside of Seren’naie in a week if possible.”

Brandon and the Gobinstratstorai nodded. Mogritas changed into his black eagle shape and flew off to the north. Mrs. Minch sat in front of the bowl cross-legged, and closed her eyes.

Lights formed and swirled over the bowl. Brandon suddenly felt extremely drowsy. Mist appeared around the courtyard. He saw a flash of light on the parapet above them, but dismissed it as a reflection of the lights around the bowl. He put his head down on his front feet and gave in to sleep.

* * * *

Brandon opened his eyes and slowly raised his head. The air was warm and humid, much more so than it had been. They weren’t in the mountains, but rather a farm field left fallow. Stars twinkled in the sky and he could see a few lights from buildings in the distance.

The others woke up, yawning and stretching. The guards checked their weapons and supplies. Mrs. Minch took an empty bottle from her bag and poured the dark liquid from the bowl into it. She replaced it next to some other bottles that clinked together. Todd grumbled and resumed his game. Alisha looked through her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

“Grrr, no signal. Where are we?”

“I don’t know,” Brandon said. “But I suppose it’s lucky we’re out in the middle of nowhere. It would be hard to explain showing up in the middle of a city.”

A lone car drove down a road a few hundred feet away, heading west.

Seeing the car sent a rush of emotions through Brandon. They had done it! They were actually back on Earth! He realized the air smelled different … less clean, he decided, and his senses were slightly dulled somehow.

“Well, we have a job to do so we may as well get moving. We need to find some place with Internet,” Brandon said. They had discussed how to go about finding some toxic waste. The Web seemed like a good place to start.

Everyone climbed aboard Brandon. Mogritas’s people had created a set of simple leather harnesses, making it easier for his passengers to hang on while he was flying. They strapped in and Brandon took off, heading west toward the lights he’d noticed before.

He made sure to fly low to avoid showing up on radar. Darkness would be their ally since he was black as night and difficult to see, in spite of his size. It was late and there was little traffic on any of the roads within his vision.

He closed in on a small town and saw a sign along a straight highway. It read, “Wilmot, South Dakota, Population: 487.”

Well, at least they knew where they were.

“If we head west, we’ll be getting closer to home at least,” Mrs. Minch said. “Now that I think about it, I seem to remember reading about a big clean up project in eastern Washington.”

“Sounds as good as anything,” Brandon said. He flapped harder and they flew west, into the night.

34

Jenni was tired, but Lori had indicated they were getting close, so she had pressed on.

About fifteen minutes later, she saw it in the last rays of sunlight: a giant stone fortress, carved directly from the mountainside. Jenni angled so the setting sun was at their backs, hoping to minimize the chance they’d be spotted.

She slowed her approach, wanting to wait for full darkness to start their search.

Gliding along, they were silent, with Mrs. Osorio giving her instructions from a bud in Jenni’s ear. The fortress was quiet and they saw only a few guards patrolling the various towers and walls. It had been their hope that Mogritas had sent the majority of his guards with the army, leaving only a skeleton crew at the castle. It appeared that hope had materialized.

After a few minutes circling the massive keep, they saw the courtyard Lori had described outside the dungeon. Unfortunately, it was buzzing with activity, so Jenni found an unoccupied tower roof on the southern side, and settled onto it with only a small amount of noise and jostling of her passengers. She absorbed her wings and sat, exhausted.

Crank hopped down and helped her out of the backpack so she could stretch and recover from their long flight. They ate some Tolenton’naie silently and Crank kept an eye on the courtyard below. Tori and Merlin landed next to her after finishing one additional sweep, making sure the area was clear of guards.

Crank motioned Jenni over. She quietly shuffled to him, crouching next to the short wall that surrounded the tower roof. Crank pointed below and Jenni peeked over for a look.

The courtyard was lit by torches along the walls. A huge, black mass lay in the center and it took her a second to realize it was Brandon. He had grown huge since she’d seen him last. A man stood near Brandon’s head, which was as big as a VW Bug. The man appeared to be giving instructions while Brandon rumbled responses and nodded. Jenni couldn’t make out any of the conversation though.

Crank whispered to her, “Look at the Gobinstratstorai in the middle. Doesn’t that look like the dress Carrie’s mother wore?”

Jenni moved her gaze to the right and spotted the figure Crank pointed out. It certainly was strange to see a Gobinstratstorai in a floral print dress. It had to be Mrs. Minch. Jenni looked over the rest of the group. Another Gobinstratstorai was playing a video game, which Jenni guessed was Todd. Then she saw Alisha sitting with her back resting on Brandon’s forearm.

Movement to the right caught Jenni’s eye and she saw two more Gobinstratstorai carrying a bowl, filled with a dark liquid, between them. They set it down carefully in front of Mrs. Minch and scurried off.

The man by Brandon said a final word, then, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a big, black eagle-like bird, and took off flying to the north. Mogritas, Jenni realized. That was him!

Crank looked at her and she could see the same thought in his eyes.

Flashing lights drew her attention back to the courtyard.

“What’s going on?” she whispered to Crank.

“I have no idea.”

Jenni reached for the pouch with Mrs. Osorio’s MP3 player. “Mrs. Osorio, can you see that down there?” Jenni pulled it out and held it above the edge of the roof.

“Down!” Jenni heard in her ear and she quickly withdrew the player. The touch screen was lit up brightly and Jenni cursed herself for being so careless.

“It’s okay,” Mrs. Osorio said, seemingly knowing what Jenni was thinking. “I don’t think anyone saw. We can ‘see’ what’s happening down there but we don’t understand it. Mrs. Minch is directing four elemental spirits in some sort of dance, or ritual. The fire spirit is Zoe.”

The stone around Jenni’s neck tickled her in apparent agreement. Matt was just as confused as Mrs. Osorio.

Jenni chanced a peek again and saw mist forming, and the lights over the bowl were brighter and whirling faster than before. Then, just as quickly as they started, the lights faded and the group in the courtyard was absorbed by the mist. Slowly, it dissolved away — Brandon and all the others were gone!

Jenni looked back to Crank, not believing what she’d seen. His expression showed a similar disbelief. Down below, the last of the mist cleared and a couple of servants emerged from a doorway and began to douse the torches on the walls.

“Looks like we’ll be clear in a minute,” Jenni whispered to her friends. “Let’s pack up. Tori, you and Merlin stay up here for now. We’ll come let you know once we find Mr. Kain.”

Tori nodded from Merlin’s back and he hopped up to the edge of the roof to keep an eye on the courtyard.

Jenni focused and produced her wings once more. She sat still, allowing Crank to climb on and secure himself. Mrs. Osorio was stowed back in her pouch, Matt sat around her neck and Bonnie was still safe in her bottle in Jenni’s bag.

They waited for a few more minutes after the last torch was extinguished and the servants had disappeared into the fortress. The courtyard remained quiet.

Jenni flapped her wings, then glided down in a tight circle to the ground below. She landed quietly in the grass and looked around, but saw no movement.

“To the right,” Mrs. Osorio directed her.

She reabsorbed her wings and Crank dropped down. Jenni then shifted the pack to sit properly on her back. They moved along the wall and Jenni saw the stone archway Lori had told them about.

The archway led to a long hallway with several doors on either side. They crept through the shadows easily in the dark hall and found, to their surprise, the heavy door at the end was unguarded.

“Lori’s checked the other side and says it’s all clear,” Mrs. Osorio said. “Maybe being shorthanded, they didn’t feel the need to post a guard here anymore.”

Jenni nodded and took hold of Matt. He reformed in her hand and she held him close to the keyhole in the door. Matt stretched out and filled the hole. Seconds later, Jenni heard a click. She grabbed the handle and worked to push open the heavy door.

Crank scooted inside and Jenni followed once she had the door open far enough. They decided to close, but not lock it, in case they needed to escape in a hurry.

They moved forward in the darkness a short way, and found a staircase leading down. Jenni pulled Mrs. Osorio from her pouch and used the light from the touch screen for them to see. They descended after letting their eyes adjust.

The stairway was long, over a hundred steps Jenni thought, but it finally ended at another door, barred on their side. Jenni struggled to move the heavy stone bar, then Matt tickled her neck. Jenni chuckled softly and allowed Matt to remove the bar.

A foul smell made her nose crinkle when she pulled the door open. Crank moved inside ahead of her again.

“About halfway down on the right, Lori says.” Mrs. Osorio’s voice was tense in Jenni’s ear.

They picked their way down the new hallway, past several doors that each had small, metal-barred openings just over her head.

“This is it,” Mrs. Osorio said.

Jenni concentrated and elongated her legs so she could peer into the cell through the window. The darkness was total, but she did hear a slight rustling of cloth.

She sunk back down and employed Matt in the keyhole. The door unlocked and Jenni pushed it open, stone scraping on stone.

She shined the MP3 player inside and saw a human form, lying on the floor asleep. She and Crank cautiously went to it and knelt down.

“Mr. Kain?” Jenni asked softly.

The body rolled over and Jenni saw a crudely bandaged arm which had been lying underneath. The linen cloth was almost entirely soaked in blood. She could see his face in the light, it was Mr. Kain!

He groaned and put his other arm up to hide the light from his eyes. “Who is that? Who’s here?”

“It’s me, Jenni, Mr. Kain. Crank is here too. What have they done to you?”

Mr. Kain groaned again. “Jenni?” He licked his lips. “Do you have anything to drink?”

Jenni shrugged off her pack and pulled out a Tolenton’naie and offered it. He took it greedily and ate it while Jenni studied him. He’d lost a lot of weight. His face was still handsome, but his cheeks were hollow beneath a stubby beard and his hair was tangled and dirty. He wore simple clothes, made from a coarse cloth, much like the bandage on his arm.

Jenni remembered the bowl of dark liquid … it must have been his blood! She shuddered to think how much he had lost.

The Tolenton’naie worked its magic and he perked up somewhat. He managed to sit up and lean against the wall near the open door.

“How did you get here?” he asked.

“It’s a long story. Can you walk? We should try to get out of here quickly if we can.”

Mr. Kain nodded. “Yes, give me a minute or two. We have to stop them though.”

“Stop who?” Jenni asked.

“Mogritas. He’s sending people to Earth. He wants to bring poisons — toxic waste — back here to use for something. Something bad.”

Earth! Brandon and the others went back to Earth!

“I think we are too late,” Crank said. “We saw a ritual being performed in the courtyard before we could come down to find you. Brandon and the others vanished.”

Mr. Kain groaned again.

“Wait a minute,” Mrs. Osorio said in Jenni’s ear. “I’ve been talking with Lori and I think we might be able to do this.”

“Do what?” Jenni asked.

“Who are you talking to?” Mr. Kain asked, confused.

“Jenni, can you put me on speaker so I can talk to Matt and Bonnie?” Mrs. Osorio said.

Jenni pulled the bud from her ear and unplugged the jack from the player. She then took Matt from her neck and put him on the floor.

“Matt, do you and Bonnie think you could duplicate what those other spirits were doing outside?” Mrs. Osorio asked.

Words began to appear on the floor of the cell and Jenni adjusted the light of the player to see them. “He says, ‘Yes, he and Bonnie have been talking about the same thing’. I still don’t understand though,” Jenni said.

“Me either,” Mr. Kain said irritably. “They needed my blood to open the doorway. Mogritas said it was a ‘conduit’ or something.”

“Not just your blood,” Mrs. Osorio said, “you. You are a conduit, Roger. You seem to be … tuned into Mother somehow — differently than anyone else. A special type of Elvorstrastenai, able to access Her power. With you, I think we can open the way just like they did with your blood!”

“Let’s get back outside,” Jenni suggested. “Tori and Merlin will be getting worried.”

Jenni gave Mr. Kain another Tolenton’naie and put her pack back on after picking up Matt and Mrs. Osorio. Then she crouched next to Mr. Kain and helped him to his feet. She could feel his ribs under his rough tunic. Crank went out and scouted the hallway.

It took longer than Jenni would’ve liked, but they managed to get Mr. Kain up the long staircase and back outside. Fortunately, the area was still clear. Tori and Merlin flew down to meet them as they exited the archway into the courtyard. Tori smiled on seeing Mr. Kain.

“You found him!”

Jenni nodded and briefly tried to explain what Mrs. Osorio and the others wanted to attempt. Tori was speechless.

“Tori,” Jenni said, “we need you two to fly back and tell Ba’ize what’s happened.” Jenni saw the disappointment on Tori’s face. “I know, I’m sorry, but they’ll need time to prepare against Mogritas if we can’t stop Brandon and the others.”

Tori nodded. “I know. You’re right. But how will you stop them? I mean, Brandon’s huge! And they had some other bad looking guys with them, too.”

Jenni sighed. “I don’t know, but we have to try. Who knows what Mogritas could do with a bunch of toxic waste or other weapons? How could Seren’naie defend against that?”

“Okay, we’ll wait up there and make sure it works. Then we’ll get back to the city as fast as we can.” Tori’s tiny eyes were filled with tears. “Good luck,” she said with a smile.

Jenni smiled back. “Thanks, you too.”

Tori nodded and she and Merlin flew back up to the tower roof.

“I think we’re ready,” Mrs. Osorio said. “Everyone sit close together.

Jenni, Crank and Mr. Kain sat on the grass in a circle. Jenni then pulled Bonnie’s bottle out of her pack and opened it. She set Matt and Mrs. Osorio’s MP3 player on the ground in the middle of them.

Soon, lights formed over Mr. Kain’s head. They flickered and whirled, becoming brighter and moving faster and faster. Jenni also saw a familiar mist appear all around them. She felt sleepy and it reminded her of a time that seemed so long ago now — a time when she and her friends were searching for plant samples around a mountain lake …

35

Jenni opened her eyes in darkness and heard crickets and frogs singing in the night.

She sat up and shook some dirt from her hair. The air was muggy and she slapped at a mosquito buzzing around her ear.

“Jenni, are you all right?” Mrs. Osorio asked from the player.

“Yeah, I think so. Where are we?”

Crank sat up. “Did we make it?”

Mr. Kain rolled over and held his stomach.

“Mr. Kain, are you okay? How is your arm?” Jenni asked.

He moaned, then said, “Yeah, just nauseous. I think I’ll be okay in a minute. My arm feels better. I’m pretty sure the bleeding has stopped.”

Jenni took a look around. They were sitting in a plowed field with no landmarks in sight. She could see a cluster of lights off to her left, and others, here and there, dotting the horizon. Stars were out, but they weren’t as bright or numerous as those on Mother. A familiar Big Dipper twinkled at her.

She stood up and saw some strange marks in the ground a few feet in front of her. Walking over, she realized they were footprints — and dragonprints.

“We did it,” she said. “Brandon and the others were here, look!”

Crank came over and examined the area. He walked around the impression left by Brandon. “Looks like he was facing that way when he took off.” Crank pointed toward the group of lights.

“Well,” Jenni said, thinking out loud, “it would make sense they would want to find out where they were. And that looks like the closest thing to a town out here.”

Mr. Kain groaned and sat up. “We need to find some transportation. They’re going to get ahead of us in a hurry since they have Brandon to fly them around.”

Jenni took a breath and created her wings. Mr. Kain gasped. Jenni smiled and said, “Stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She flew toward the lights, gaining altitude to get a better idea of the lay of the land. Soon, she could see the small town. A highway ran east and west on its north side. She spied a road sign that read, “Wilmot, South Dakota, Population: 487.”

She flew a quick circuit around. It was a sleepy little farm town, with few street lights. She saw a couple of gas stations, a bar, and a few other “mom and pop” businesses on the main street. A railroad track ran diagonally from the northwest to the southeast, on the east side of town. That was about it except for a smattering of houses and trees. Satisfied, she headed back to Crank and Mr. Kain.

Jenni arrived and saw them working on some sort of contraption.

She landed next to Mr. Kain, startling him. Jenni apologized and briefed them on the town of Wilmot.

“Doesn’t sound like much, but maybe we can find a car,” Mr. Kain said.

“What are you building?” Jenni asked.

“Matt had an idea for a cart that we can carry Mr. Kain in until he gets stronger,” Crank said. “Denny must be rubbing off on him.”

Jenni giggled and saw Matt had made two stone wheels and was working on a platform, like a litter, that Mr. Kain could lay on. She helped them hold the wheels up while Matt formed an axle between them and attached it to the platform. Finally, he made a stone handle that extended a short way from the front. Matt drew a quick picture of Jenni flying while pulling on the cart. She nodded and laughed.

“Got it, Matt,” she said. “Good idea.”

They loaded Mr. Kain and their small amount of supplies. There was room enough for Crank to sit by Mr. Kain’s feet. Jenni sprouted her wings and grabbed the handle.

The cart, loaded with its occupants, was heavy, but once she got it started, it bounced along fairly well. It was a good thing the road wasn’t far because she was sure the ride wasn’t very comfortable for her passengers.

Luckily, late at night, there was no traffic on the highway, or they certainly would have drawn a lot of attention.

Jenni stopped just outside of town and set the cart down. She was tired and sweating in the heat and humidity. It was much different from the cool mountains surrounding Mogritas’s castle. She reached into her pack and discovered they only had two Tolenton’naie left.

“Crank, have you eaten anything lately?” Jenni asked him.

He shook his head.

“Hm, well, let’s you and I split this one and save the last for Mr. Kain. We need him to build up his strength.” Jenni pinched and tore apart the fruit, handing half to Crank.

They ate while Mr. Kain stood up and stretched, trying to work some feeling back into his barely used muscles.

“I think I can walk for a ways at least,” he said after a couple of minutes. “Where were the gas stations you saw?”

Jenni pointed at the main street in front of them, which, they saw as they walked closer, was called “Main Street.” Funny how that works, she chuckled to herself. They abandoned the cart and Matt turned it into a simple pile of rocks by the side of the road.

The first station looked deserted. The attendant area was boarded up and the pumps read, “Credit Card Only.” The other station she had seen was at the far end of the street, about five or six blocks.

Mr. Kain ate the last Tolenton’naie as they walked, and he seemed to be gaining some strength with the exercise. Jenni hoped the healing effects of the fruit would still work here on Earth.

They reached the end of the street and found the second station much more promising. It was closed for the night, but there was a service garage with two bays, along with the gas pumps. Beside the building was a dirt parking lot with three cars and a pickup truck — all with “For Sale” signs in the windows.

“So, what now?” Jenni asked.

Mr. Kain looked at the cars briefly, then moved to stand next to a relatively new blue sedan. “Well, I’m hoping that between, Matt, Mrs. Osorio and the others, we can get into one of these and get it running.”

“We’re going to steal a car?!” Jenni said in surprise.

Mr. Kain sighed. “I don’t like it either, but I don’t see that we have much choice. We’re out here in the middle of nowhere with no money or credit cards — or any identification for that matter. We need to keep up with Brandon and the others.”

“We don’t even know where they went,” Jenni said dejectedly.

“Well, where would you go?” Mr. Kain asked.

Jenni thought about it. “Home. I’d go home first.”

Mr. Kain nodded. “That was my thought, too. So until we can get a better lead, I’d say we head west.”

Jenni couldn’t think of a better plan, and Crank was completely out of his element. He’d been staring in awe at the shop windows they had passed along their walk down the street. Wait ‘til we get to a real town, Jenni thought.

“Okay, Mrs. Osorio, Matt? Can you guys do this?” she asked.

“I believe I can get it started if Matt can get us in.”

Jenni held Matt to the lock on the passenger side door and he worked his magic. Jenni heard a clunk and she opened the door. She got in and reached across to unlock the driver’s side. They put their bags in the back seat and Jenni pulled Mrs. Osorio out of her pouch and handed her to Mr. Kain.

“Hold me near the ignition, please,” she instructed.

Mr. Kain did so, and a spark jumped from the MP3 player to the ignition. The car started a couple of seconds later.

“It worked! Amazing!” Mr. Kain said.

A spark shot back to the player, and the screen lit up once more. “Okay, I think we’re good to go,” Mrs. Osorio said, sounding pleased with herself.

Mr. Kain buckled himself in and checked the dashboard. “Only about a quarter tank of gas, but let’s get moving. We’ll figure out the fuel situation later.”

Jenni nodded and buckled herself and Crank next to each other with the seat belt. Crank’s eyes got even wider as Mr. Kain put the car in drive and pulled out of the lot. Jenni giggled and patted Crank on the arm.

Mr. Kain guided the car out to the highway and turned left, to the west, and home.

* * * *

They drove for an hour or more and stopped at a credit card pump in another small town. Mrs. Osorio explained on the drive that, from her time spent in the MP3 player, she had been learning how to operate the computer inside. She told them she almost felt like a computer program herself — she could make it do almost anything she wanted.

Indeed, she convinced the pump they had a valid credit card and they filled up the tank without a hitch. They continued on, driving the rest of the night.

Jenni dozed for a while. She was exhausted from the long flight to Mogritas’s fortress, and she hadn’t slept except for the short time of their transition to Earth from Mother. Crank had finally relaxed enough to get some rest also and snored softly beside her.

Dawn came, and shortly thereafter, Mr. Kain pulled the car off the main road and found a small clump of trees to park beside. He needed to rest for a while too, and felt it was better to drive at night when they could anyway. Jenni agreed, and she and Crank got out to stretch their legs for a few minutes.

“Hey!” Mrs. Osorio exclaimed from Jenni’s pocket. “I’ve got Internet!”

“What?” Jenni said in surprise.

“This player has a phone in it also. There must be a tower close by because I’ve got a signal. Give me a few minutes and I’ll see what I can find out.”

Jenni pulled the player out of her pocket and looked at the screen. Web pages and images flashed by faster than her eye could follow. She sat in the shade of one of the trees and waited. Crank came over and sat with her, his eyes watching the screen in amazement. Jenni glanced at the battery indicator, which read half full. So, the batteries were working normally again; that meant they were going to have to find a way to recharge the player somehow. She hadn’t packed any of those cords, not thinking they would be needed.

A gasp of surprise issued from the player. “I found Zoe!”

“What! You’re kidding!”

Jenni spent a couple of long, helpless minutes waiting; staring at the player.

Finally, Mrs. Osorio spoke again. “Okay, I’ve got it! Zoe had to go, but I know where they’re headed.” An image popped up: a satellite map. “It’s Hanford, Washington. There’s an old nuclear power plant there and the site was used for plutonium production since World War II, all the way up ‘til the eighties. The government began a cleanup operation after that, which is still going on. There are literally tons of spent nuclear fuel rods, coolant water and other byproducts — all of which are extremely toxic and dangerous.”

Jenni took a moment to digest this and studied the screen. “The place is huge! And controlled by the government — how do they expect to get in there and steal a bunch of waste?”

“We stole a car, gassed it up and have been driving across the country. They have more muscle, they have Alisha, and they have a dragon with them. What do you think?” Mrs. Osorio replied.

She’s right, Jenni thought. The government didn’t stand a chance.

“How did you find Zoe?” Crank asked.

“They discovered the same thing we have — fire spirits can exist in electronics — and Zoe is helping them to search the Web. She and I were looking at the same sites and I, well, felt her. That’s the only way I can describe it.” Mrs. Osorio paused a moment. “Mrs. Minch has complete control over the spirits. She must be one of those Strodin’i that Ba’ize talked about.”

“What I can’t understand,” Jenni said, “is why they’re doing this. What did Mogritas tell them that makes them think this is okay?”

“I don’t know, but we’d better keep moving. Mr. Kain still needs rest. Jenni …” Mrs. Osorio asked her hesitantly, “… do you know how to drive a car?”

36

Alisha stepped into her room and felt like she was walking into a dream. Or out of a nightmare.

They had arrived in the early hours of the morning, three days after their return to Earth. Brandon had dropped them off at Alisha’s house and left to go hunting in the mountains and get some rest for the day. They had only traveled at night, which only gave them about eight hours of darkness just after the peak of summer. It was August 7th, over two and a half months since the field trip that had begun their troubles.

Alisha’s parents were in Europe, as they always were in the summer months, so they had the place to themselves. It had taken Alisha a couple of tries to remember the code for the security system, but she had gotten it disarmed before it alerted the police.

First, they had raided the refrigerator. Food had been hard to come by since they had tried to stay away from populated areas. Brandon could create illusions, but it required his complete concentration — not something he could do in his sleep. It was hard to hide a hundred-foot long black dragon.

Alisha had ventured into a couple of towns along the way and bought an army’s worth of hamburgers and fries with the credit card she still had in her purse, but it had been risky. She was the only one who still looked human, so she had to go alone. A man had tried to follow her the second time, but she had convinced him it was a bad idea with the use of her power.

After everyone had eaten their fill in the kitchen, Alisha had assigned them rooms, couches, etc., and they had fallen asleep. The door to her room had been closed. She opened it, and it had been like stepping back in time.

She dropped her purse on the floor and flopped down on her bed. Familiar smells mixed with a mustiness from lack of use and her own need of a good, long shower. She thought of her parents, probably lying on a beach in southern France, or dining in a fancy restaurant, and wondered if they missed her. Probably not, she decided. She had always been a disappointment to them. They had tried to put her in a prestigious boarding school, but her test scores hadn’t been high enough, and her father hadn’t been willing to spend the extra money for the school to “overlook” the bad scores. She had taken dance and music lessons when she was younger, but had never shown much promise in either. Her two, much older brothers, had both graduated from college with promising careers. Alisha had been an accident of a drunken Christmas party — a complication at a time when her parents had been looking forward to their years with no children in the house. They were probably glad to be rid of her.

She drifted off to sleep, tear stains coloring her pillow.

* * * *

Alisha woke to a bright, late afternoon sun shining in her face from her bedroom window. She was disoriented for a moment, then she looked at her clothes and wrinkled her nose from the smell of riding dragonback for days. She grunted in disgust and stalked off to the bathroom.

She felt much better after a hot shower and a good half an hour rifling through her closet of clothes. She had always liked clothes, but had never really appreciated them. After first wearing the same outfit for weeks, then trading it for homespun linen, it was heavenly to have the feel of fine cotton, silk, and other fabrics against her skin. After trying on several outfits, she decided on a black pair of designer jeans, and a simple dark cotton top. As much as she wanted to dress in some of her finery, she knew stealth would be important if they were to accomplish their goal. Still, it could be fashionable stealth.

After doing her hair, she walked to the kitchen to find something to eat.

On her way, she passed Mrs. Minch, who was on the computer in the den. Probably guiding Zoe through more Internet research, she supposed. It had been a huge bonus to discover Zoe could live in a computer as easily as an open flame — she had been an enormous help in finding information about the waste site in Washington State.

Alisha saw Todd in the living room, playing video games on the big screen. That boy is a complete “vidiot,” she thought, shaking her head. She had wondered why he’d even been brought along. Brandon had said Todd was a special type of Gobinstratstorai. He could heal fast or something — Alisha hadn’t really paid attention.

The rest of the Gobinstratstorai were in the kitchen, eating. She couldn’t believe how much food they could pack away. Alisha opened a cupboard and pulled out a heat-and-eat bowl of soup and tossed it in the microwave. While that was heating, she grabbed a box of crackers from the counter and a soda from the refrigerator. The microwave beeped and she carried her meal to one end of the dining room table.

She blew on a spoonful of soup to cool it, and watched in disgust as the Gobinstratstorai ate bowlful after bowlful of pork and beans, ravioli, and anything else they could get their grubby hands on. Alisha had shown them how to use the can opener that morning before they had gone to bed. The only food in the house was dried or canned since her parents were gone for the summer.

Unable to take her eyes off them, much like passing a car wreck on the side of the road, she noticed their skin didn’t look as green as before. Also, all their ears were smaller, and the clothes of the large ones looked loose and ill fitting. Suddenly, it dawned on her what was happening. They’re changing! Just like we did when we got there!

Alisha had been fortunate her changes had been mostly internal, granting her the ability to control others with her mind. She shuddered, thinking she could have been hideous like Mrs. Minch. Maggie had become tiny, but at least she was still cute. Mrs. Minch hadn’t been pretty to start with, but Alisha could hardly stand to look at her now.

Then, another thought occurred to her: If these guys are changing, will we change back to our old selves? She didn’t feel any different, but she hadn’t before either. She would have to keep an eye on Todd and Mrs. Minch.

Just as Alisha was finishing her soup, Mrs. Minch came around the corner with a netbook in her hands. She sat in the seat next to Alisha and put the computer on the table.

Alisha quickly studied her. Mrs. Minch’s features didn’t seem any different — her ears were as big as ever and her skin still had a sickly green cast to it.

She met Alisha’s eyes and said, “We have a problem.”

37

Ryan Vargas studied his computer screen with a mouthful of danish.

His eight foot square cubical wasn’t spacious, but he enjoyed his job as a Computer Specialist in the offices of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C.

He methodically chewed the sweet pastry as he pored over the information scrolling across the screen. He took a minute to double check what he saw with one of their other surveillance computers, then he picked up the phone and swallowed his bite of breakfast.

Ryan punched in a short series of numbers and listened while the phone rang on the other end.

“Peterson, here. What is it?”

“Ah, yes sir,” Ryan began, “I have some more hits on that group of kids that disappeared in Idaho a few months back.”

“Okay,” the voice on the other end said. “What have you got?”

“Well, we’ve been tracking a cell phone intermittently across the Dakotas, Montana, and now Idaho…”

“Yes, I’m aware of that,” Peterson said tersely. “What else do you have?”

“Ah, a couple of credit cards have come through: Alisha Hester’s and Teresa Osorio’s. Multiple purchases in the Dakotas and Montana. Additionally, I found a report of a stolen car in Wilmot, South Dakota, which is near where we first picked up the cell phone, and the dates match up.”

“Hm, okay… anything else?”

“I’m working on getting security camera footage from the businesses now. I should have it in the next couple of hours.”

“Very good. Alert the FBI and local authorities and let me know if anything else pops up.”

“Yes, sir. Will do.” The connection closed and Ryan hung up the phone.

He looked over the list of purchases that had been made again. They didn’t make much sense. There were a couple of big fast food tallies — over seventy-five dollars each, that’s a lot of french fries, he snickered. And there were a couple of Walmart stops, but no big ticket items. Just some clothing, snack food and, on one, a car charger for a music player. Lastly, there was an ATM withdrawal and a couple of gas pump tallies, which also tied in with the stolen car.

Ryan dug through some papers on his desk and found a map of the U.S. He pulled a pen from his pocket and marked the locations and times of each of the credit card hits, and the cell phone locators he had. They made a pretty straight line from eastern South Dakota, all the way to Idaho, but some of the time stamps didn’t make sense. Like they had backtracked for some reason. Or maybe it’s more than one group, Ryan surmised.

But, how or why the class had so completely disappeared outside of Boise in the spring, and now shown up in eastern South Dakota, making a beeline back to Idaho was mystifying. Maybe someone had found the kids’ personal items … but why would they be so far from their original location? Ryan shrugged. Hopefully the security cameras will have something.

He picked up the phone again and punched for the building operator.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, get me FBI, Missing Persons, please.”

“Right away, sir.”

38

Jenni never thought she’d learn to drive going across Montana in a stolen car.

They had traveled back roads as much they could, to avoid attention, but had gotten lost a couple of times, even with maps supplied via the Internet from Mrs. Osorio.

Around noon of the first day, they had stopped at a Walmart in a small town in South Dakota for supplies. They needed food and a charger for Mrs. Osorio’s MP3 player. Jenni had suggested they also get some normal clothes, so they wouldn’t stick out so much when they had to go out in public.

Jenni had gone in alone with Mrs. Osorio, while Mr. Kain and Crank waited in the car. Everything had gone smoothly and Jenni had filled up a cart with snacks and other food and drinks, as well as some jeans and T-shirts. They even found the right kind of charger for the player.

The store had an automated check out system, and Jenni held Mrs. Osorio up to the card reader and had pretended to swipe a card while a spark leapt to the checkout machine. Mrs. Osorio accessed her own credit card account, and registered the purchases on it. They had all agreed they didn’t want to steal anything else if they could avoid it.

An attendant, standing nearby to help customers, gave Jenni an odd look, but soon went back to filing her nails. Jenni waited nervously for the computer to process the transaction. Finally, it instructed her to take the receipt and her items. She held the MP3 player in the hand she used to take the receipt, and Mrs. Osorio sparked back into the player. Hurriedly, Jenni put all the bags in her cart and wheeled everything out to the car.

The next day, they had decided to get some cash from an ATM machine instead, so Jenni didn’t have to take the chance of getting caught without a credit card.

Mrs. Osorio had been able to connect briefly with Zoe twice more along the way. Brandon’s group had reached Boise in the early morning of their third day back. Mr. Kain had been driving and they were approaching Bozeman, Montana.

“The way I see it,” Mr. Kain said after hearing the report from Mrs. Osorio, “we have two choices. We can keep going to Boise ourselves, but we’ll still be behind them because we all need to get some rest soon.”

“What’s the other?” Jenni asked.

“We know where they’re going, so we could head north, toward Washington. I’ve been looking at the map we picked up, and I think we can get there about the same time, or even ahead of them.” Mr. Kain paused to let the implications sink in.

Tears welled up in Jenni’s eyes. “So we won’t be able to see our families.”

Mr. Kain nodded. “That’s right. But, if we don’t take this chance to make up ground, I don’t see how we’ll have any way to stop them.” He turned to her then and said, “Jenni, I know how hard this is for you, for all of us.”

Jenni had been holding out hope she might be able to see her mother and father again. She had tried to keep her mind off it. They had to find a way to stop Brandon and Alisha, but there had been too much time to think while driving on lonely roads with Mr. Kain sleeping in the back seat. It wasn’t fair! She was back on Earth, but couldn’t see her family again!

They talked about contacting the authorities, but who would believe their story? The only way to put an end to it was to do it themselves somehow, and to do that, they had to remain hidden.

In the end, they all agreed to go north, but it was the hardest decision of Jenni’s life.

They rested a few hours in a campground, then got back on the road. They decided to chance taking the Interstate Highway, so they could make better time. Jenni drove so Mr. Kain could rest more and drive the upcoming night into Washington.

He switched to the driver’s seat just before they got to Missoula, Montana. Jenni tried to buckle herself in next to Crank as they had before, but found it difficult to make the belt reach.

“Man, Crank, you’re going to have to lay off the cheese puffs!” she said jokingly. “You’re gaining weight.”

Crank chuckled. “Yes, I noticed this morning my pants were tight. I do love your cheese puffs though!”

Jenni managed to get the buckle latched, then noticed that Crank’s pant leg didn’t even reach his ankle.

“Crank,” Jenni said, alarmed. “I think you’re growing.”

Crank looked down at his pants, and then back to Jenni in shock. “Oh, my!”

Mr. Kain looked over and shook his head. “Nothing we can do about it right now, let’s get moving.”

They got off the interstate and took Highway 12, west, toward Washington. The road led through the mountains and National Forest land in northern Idaho.

They drove through the late afternoon and into the evening, snacking on the last of the food they’d bought. Mr. Kain glanced down at the instruments. “We’ll have to get gas again soon,” he said.

Jenni checked their map. “There’s a little town called Kooskia coming up in a few miles, I think.”

Mr. Kain nodded. “Sounds good, we’ll gas up and grab some more food for our last push. I think we can get there before midnight. Then we’ll have to figure out a plan.”

The sun had set a few minutes before, and they were coming out of the heavily forested mountains. A river ran along the left side of the road and there was little traffic.

They rounded a corner and, ahead in the distance, Jenni saw flashing lights.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Mr. Kain saw them too and slowed. “I don’t know but it doesn’t look good.”

“We need to get off this road,” Mrs. Osorio said. “I just got phone signal back — that’s a road block for us up there!”

Mr. Kain slowed more. Up ahead, Jenni saw a dirt road, leading off to the right. “There!” she pointed.

“I see it.” Mr. Kain braked and turned down the small road. They bounced uncomfortably and Jenni felt a prickling at her neck. She reached up and took Matt from her neck. He changed into a flat circle and showed Jenni a combination of words and pictures.

“Matt has an idea,” Jenni said as she studied the stone. “Pull off to the side, past that grove of trees up ahead.”

“Okay, I don’t think we’re going to get very far on foot though,” Mr. Kain said, worried.

“Lori,” Jenni called. “Matt wants to know—”

“She says, ‘Yes’,” Mrs. Osorio interrupted. “She can do what he’s asking. We can see what he’s writing.”

“Okay, good,” Jenni said, glad she didn’t have to play interpreter.

Mr. Kain pulled into the grass and shut off the lights and engine.

“Everybody out! Grab your things,” Jenni said, reaching for the strap of her pack and opening the car door.

“Now what?” Mr. Kain asked.

Jenni set Matt on the ground and immediately earth and rock began to build up around them and the car. She noticed lights moving through the trees in the distance. The police had seen them leave the road and were in pursuit.

Soon, they were enveloped in darkness under Matt’s dome of dirt.

“Jenni,” Mrs. Osorio said, “Lori says you’ll need to get as small as you can to save space.”

“Okay.” Jenni set her pack down and concentrated. She shrank down and took a small Faerstrastenai form with wings. She nearly forgot to create clothing for herself as her shirt and jeans became too big. She was always incredibly self conscious when she made herself small and couldn’t wear her clothes. No one could see anything when she did it right, but in her mind, she knew she was naked. It was very disconcerting.

She flexed her tiny wings and flew up to Crank’s face. “Can you pack my clothes for me?”

Crank nodded and Mrs. Osorio said, “Everyone close together, and get Bonnie’s bottle out and open it.”

Crank put Jenni’s clothes away and pulled out Bonnie’s bottle. Mr. Kain shouldered the pack and held Mrs. Osorio. Jenni could hear a couple of cars coming up the road outside. She landed on Crank’s shoulder and waited.

The earth began to move under their feet and they sank as Matt tunneled into the ground.

“Lori is creating a sphere of air around us while Matt moves us under the ground. Once we reach the water, Bonnie will take over,” Mrs. Osorio explained.

“Water?” Jenni said, confused.

“The water table is high here, being close to the river. Matt is taking us down to it, then Bonnie will move us to the river.”

Mr. Kain chuckled. “Hopefully no one is claustrophobic.”

They continued to move slowly down. Matt created a stone platform under their feet, and then they broke free of the dirt and emerged, inside their air bubble, in an underground river.

Bonnie jumped from her bottle, into the water surrounding their bubble. The only light was from Mrs. Osorio’s screen.

Jenni could feel, more than see, their movement — it was disorienting and frightening. They were trapped, twenty or thirty feet below ground, with only a small bubble keeping them from being crushed by water and rock. She trusted her friends, though, to keep them safe.

“How did you know the road block was there to stop us?” Mr. Kain asked in the darkness.

“I received an email from Zoe,” Mrs. Osorio answered. “She told me she discovered the authorities had picked us, and her group, up from the credit card, and cell phone usage. She also said Mrs. Minch had found out she was talking with me, and made Zoe plant a tip of our location to the police. The only thing Zoe could do to help us was send me a message. She didn’t know if she’d be able to contact us again.”

Jenni felt a change of direction and Mrs. Osorio continued, “We’re under the riverbed now and Matt and Bonnie are bringing us into the river itself.”

They broke through the ground again, startling a few fish. The water was about ten feet deep and they remained under the surface, letting Bonnie and the current carry them downstream. Jenni could faintly see the night sky through the water above them.

The river would carry them close to their destination if they continued to follow it, but they had lost the car and the police were looking for them. How were they supposed to stop Brandon and the others now? Jenni sat dejectedly on Crank’s shoulder as they drifted through the water in their bubble of air.

39

Alisha wasn’t sure what had been more shocking: the possibility the cops were coming to arrest them all, or that Mr. Kain, Jenni, and some others had followed them back to Earth.

She sat on Brandon’s back and looked at the ground below.

They had passed the lights of Richland, Washington, several minutes before, flying north. They were over the Columbia River, and to their left lay the Hanford site. Alisha couldn’t see much in the darkness. It was probably around eleven o’clock, and the area was largely devoid of features or lights except for a few pockets here and there.

Mrs. Minch’s discoveries that afternoon had scared them and they had waited anxiously for Brandon’s return. Mrs. Minch had told Zoe to do what she could to put the police off their track and on to Mr. Kain’s. Then they had turned off any device that might give away their position: cell phones, netbooks and other computers.

Brandon finally arrived and they had mounted up and flown northwest.

Their plan was simple, at least they hoped so. They would fly in to an area with the most contained waste and perform the ritual to get them back to Mother — toxins and all.

All Alisha knew was she wanted to be done with this as soon as possible. She didn’t want to go back, but didn’t see any other options.

Brandon banked to the left, heading west, away from the river. Their initial landing point was a small mountain in the center of the site called Gable Mountain. From there, they could get a better look at things and decide if their plan would still work.

The site itself was huge, nearly six hundred square miles according to the information they found on the Internet. It was the largest environmental cleanup project in the world. From what they could determine, most of the contaminated water, sludge and soil was being moved and handled in two different areas near the middle of the Hanford site. It was there they hoped to find what they needed.

It was three or four miles from the river to the mountain, and Brandon glided most of the way in. He descended and touched down on the southern face, near the top.

They unstrapped and got down to stretch their legs. The flight had been about three hours from Alisha’s house, and they were keyed up with anticipation. The first of the storage and treatment areas was about two miles south of the mountain. Alisha could make out lights from several large buildings and parking lots.

“All right,” Brandon said after looking around. “Let’s get to it. Mrs. Minch, is your earth spirit picking up anything?”

Mrs. Minch frowned. “Yes, but it doesn’t make sense.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Brandon asked.

“It says there is a large amount of wrongness beneath us.”

Brandon thought for a moment. “Maybe it’s just sensing some contaminated water or something.”

Mrs. Minch shook her head. “It doesn’t think so. It says that it can feel wrongness all over, but this is particularly strong.”

Brandon sighed. “Okay, let’s check it out. If we can find something here close, that would be better anyway.”

They mounted up again and Brandon flew low and circled the mountain.

Something caught Alisha’s eye as they rounded the western edge. “What’s that?” she shouted and pointed.

It looked like an old tunnel or mine shaft going into the mountain.

Brandon banked and landed on an old dirt road. It did indeed lead to a tunnel that was fenced and boarded closed.

“I remember seeing something about tunnels in this mountain in the information we found,” Mrs. Minch said. “The government looked into the idea of storing the waste here, but it said they abandoned that plan in the eighties and filled all the tunnels in.”

“Well, this one doesn’t seem very filled in,” Brandon said. “Let’s have a look.”

They walked up the road to the entrance. Chain link fence and barbed wire greeted them. Beyond those, Alisha could see the shaft was not filled in, but simply boarded up.

“Does Zoe see any cameras or anything?” Brandon asked.

Mrs. Minch shook her head. “No, she says it’s clear. The earth spirit says what it’s feeling is definitely that way.” She indicated the tunnel.

“Stand back,” Brandon said. When everyone was clear, he took a breath and sprayed the fence with the acid from his mouth. The fence steamed and sizzled, and shortly began to fall apart. Brandon walked up and pushed the bits and pieces aside, then tore the boards away with his front feet, exposing the shaft into the mountain. He poked his head in, but he was much too big to fit inside.

“Looks clear from what I can see.” Brandon pointed at two of the Gobinstratstorai. “You go in and have a look, Todd, you too. See what’s in there.”

Todd grumbled, but followed the two guards into the tunnel.

Alisha waited impatiently with the rest of them for several minutes, jumping at every noise she heard. After what seemed like an eternity, Todd and the guards returned.

“Bingo,” he said. “There’s an elevator a little ways in that goes down to a big cavern. The place is packed with drums that have that nuclear skull and crossbones thingy on them.”

Brandon smiled. “Perfect! Will you guys be able to move them?”

Todd nodded. “Yeah I think so. It’ll take us a little while, but I think we can roll them out without too much trouble.”

Brandon nodded to the other guards. “Okay, have at it.”

Alisha found a boulder a short distance from the tunnel entrance and sat down to wait while the boys moved barrels.

She looked at the sky and saw a few high clouds had moved in from the west, covering most of the stars overhead. She thought again of her parents, and, even though they didn’t care for her, she realized she still wanted to stay. She sorely hoped that Mogritas would keep his word about letting them come back when he had what he wanted, but she doubted it. Mogritas would do what he wanted. Alisha understood that.

She thought briefly about running, but where could she go? She was in the middle of a government installation, miles from home. She’d be picked up and arrested for trespassing, at the very least.

Todd and the Gobinstratstorai worked for over an hour. Eventually, they had a collection of thirty drums. They were black, oil-type drums with the big yellow and red stickers on the side that shouted “Hazardous Waste!”

Everyone gathered outside the tunnel entrance for the ritual. Alisha stayed as far away as possible from the drums.

Mrs. Minch sat down and closed her eyes, but a frown soon developed on her face.

“Something’s wrong,” she said after a few minutes.

“What?” Brandon said irritably.

“The spirits say the lines of force are wrong here.”

Brandon sighed. “From the waste? Maybe if we don’t try to bring as much —”

“No, that’s not it. They say Mother has many more lines of force, whatever those are, and they could match them up easier. But here, there aren’t as many and they can’t do whatever they need to do to make them work.” Mrs. Minch groaned in disgust.

“So,” Brandon said, “this place won’t work to get us back?”

Mrs. Minch nodded. “That’s what it sounds like.”

“Well then, what place would work? Do they know?”

Alisha thought of it. “Home! I mean, the lake we went to on the field trip. It worked before.”

Brandon nodded. “Makes sense. What do they think Mrs. Minch?”

“Seems like the best bet,” she replied.

“Okay, so how do we move all of this stuff to Boise? I wouldn’t be able to carry more than four probably without some special harnesses or something. I’m sure Mogritas would want as much as possible.”

“So, what,” Alisha asked. “We need a truck or something?”

Mrs. Minch shook her head. “I wouldn’t know how to drive something like that.”

“I do,” Todd chimed in for the first time. “I spent part of last summer on my uncle’s sugar beet farm in Montana. He taught me how to drive the big trucks he uses to haul the beets to the processing plant.”

Alisha laughed. “So we’re supposed to steal a truck, load it with a bunch of barrels of hazardous waste and drive it out of here — just like that?”

Brandon smiled. “Yep. And I think that’s where you come in, Alisha.”

“Me?” she said in surprise.

* * * *

Brandon had the guards and Mrs. Minch stay with the barrels while he took Alisha and Todd to one of the parking lots of the first treatment area. He dropped them off in the darkness, away from any lights, and made himself invisible to wait.

Alisha didn’t like the plan one bit.

Todd stayed hidden near Brandon. He had come to make sure whatever kind of truck she found was something he’d be able to drive.

The parking lot had a few cars parked randomly near one of the buildings, and a long row of cargo vehicles along the fence at the northern edge. There was a small guard post that marked the entrance to the lot. Alisha headed for it.

She strolled into the light, looking much more confident than she felt. The guard occupying the post didn’t see her at first, his attention was on a computer monitor, but then noticed the movement and looked up in surprise.

Alisha was sure it wasn’t every day a pretty girl walked out of nowhere in front of him.

He leaned out the window as she approached. “Excuse me, Miss, can I help you?”

Alisha nodded. “I’m sure you can.” She met his eyes and exerted some power. “My friend and I are going to need to borrow one of your trucks over there.”

The guard looked surprised. “One of my —”

“Yes,” Alisha said, using more power and feeling the connection bind him, “one of your trucks. Do you have keys handy?”

“Y-yes, I do have some here,” he said uncertainly.

Alisha waved Todd forward without breaking her gaze from the guard. “Thank you, can you show them to me, please?”

The guard, whose name was Ron Brantley, had keys to two jeeps and one troop transport truck, all parked near the booth.

Alisha had a difficult moment when Ron saw Todd jog up from the darkness, but she quickly regained control of him. Todd looked at the truck and pronounced it drivable. They climbed in and Alisha had Mr. Brantley drive them back to the mountain tunnel.

They arrived, and this time Mr. Brantley barely flinched on seeing the rest of their crew, although Alisha had to keep a firm grip on him when Brandon landed. Brandon loaded the back of the truck with the barrels of waste. He fit nearly all of them, then had the guards roll the remaining few back into the tunnel.

Brandon stepped over to Alisha while the guards were busy with the barrels. “Okay, have your boyfriend here drive until we’re clear of the site and Richland, then we can leave him somewhere and Todd can drive the rest of the way.”

Alisha rolled her eyes in disgust. “Fine,” she said. Boys were so immature.

“And you said he won’t remember anything after we let him go, right?”

Alisha nodded.

“Okay, let’s get moving. I’ll put an illusion on the truck to make it look empty, in case you get stopped. Alisha, you ride in the truck with Mr. Brantley, with Todd in the back. The rest will mount up on me, and I’ll fly above you so I can keep up the illusion.” Brandon looked around. “Any questions?”

Everyone got into position.

Todd rode in back with the waste under the illusion, and Alisha climbed in the passenger seat. Mr. Brantley got the truck moving, and they bounced down the dirt road until they reached the pavement and turned left, heading east.

Luckily, the facility wasn’t strictly a military one. Many of the security personnel at Hanford were civilians. Most of the work was contracted out to private companies. The guards at the last checkpoint knew Mr. Brantley and believed his story about the truck needing repairs, and he was taking it into town ahead of time so the shop could get started first thing when they opened.

They drove south for about an hour, then stopped in a deserted area, and everyone got out of the truck. Brandon landed nearby.

As Todd climbed out of the back, Alisha saw he had a multitude of open sores and burns on his arms and face. He walked by her and smiled — normally hideous, but made even more so by the wounds.

She cringed and asked, “What happened?”

Todd stopped and looked at her. “What?”

As she stared, she watched the sores slowly close and heal. Within a minute, they were covered over with new, apparently healthy skin. “Never mind,” Alisha said, amazed.

Todd shrugged and hopped in the driver’s seat.

The Gobinstratstorai guards, who looked even more human than they had the day before, bound and gagged Mr. Brantley and Alisha walked over to him. “Now, you’ll need to stay here and be quiet for a while,” she told him. He nodded calmly from behind his gag.

Alisha noticed some of the guards had sores and burn marks on their hands. Suddenly, she feared for her own safety and desperately hoped the metal of the truck cab had been enough to shield her from the effects of the waste.

She gave a shaky nod to Brandon and climbed onto his back. Everyone else got on, except for Todd, who started the truck again. It lurched a couple of times as he got the hang of the gears, but soon he was moving smoothly down the road once more.

Brandon made sure everyone was secure, then leapt into the air, following the truck with its deadly cargo.

40

Jenni and the others bobbed along, wondering what to do.

They had spent most of the night flowing with the river, with help from Bonnie, occasionally surfacing for Lori to refresh their air supply. They had come into more heavily populated areas a short time ago. Mr. Kain guessed they were getting close to Richland.

Dawn was coming soon and then they would be exposed.

“We have to assume they’ve gotten what they wanted by now and have gone back,” Mr. Kain said after a long silence.

“So, should we go back too?” Jenni asked. “See if we can stop them there?”

Mr. Kain sighed. “I don’t know. I suppose that’s our best option.”

“Wait a minute,” Mrs. Osorio said. “They just passed us! Overhead, southwest of here.”

“How can you tell?” Mr. Kain asked in surprise.

“I felt Zoe faintly. I don’t know if she, or Mrs. Minch felt me.”

Bonnie halted their progress and they sat motionless in the river.

“Why would they be going back south?” Jenni wondered aloud.

“Maybe they didn’t find what they wanted,” Crank offered.

“Hm, I find that difficult to believe,” Mr. Kain said. “If they couldn’t get the waste materials here, I can’t imagine a better place they could try, based on what Mrs. Osorio found.”

They sat quietly for a couple of minutes, thinking.

Mr. Kain came to a decision. “Let’s get out of the river at least and take stock of what we have.”

Bonnie moved their bubble to the southern edge and they surfaced. Jenni didn’t see anyone around as she flew to the bank, still in her Faerstrastenai form. Lights from the city sparkled to the west, along with lights from houses and farms that dotted the landscape all around them. She could see a farm house and barn a hundred yards away or so from where they exited the water. Everything was quiet.

Mr. Kain and Crank stepped onto the sandy bank, then Crank bent over with the bottle and Bonnie sloshed herself inside. Jenni noticed Crank’s pants looked like capris, and his shirt was nearly bursting at the seams. She thought he may have grown as much as nine or ten inches already.

Mr. Kain didn’t appear any different, however, and the others hadn’t shown any signs they were returning to human form. It didn’t make sense.

They stretched for a minute, working out kinks from having sat for so long on the stone.

“What if they couldn’t go back to Mother?” Mrs. Osorio said suddenly from her pouch on the backpack.

“What do you mean?” Mr. Kain asked her.

“Well, Lori and I have been talking, and we don’t think we can create an opening to Mother from here. The lines are wrong.”

“Huh? ‘The lines are wrong,’ what the heck does that mean?” Mr. Kain asked, exasperated.

Mrs. Osorio sighed. “Sorry, it’s difficult to explain … things look and feel so different to me now. Basically, there are lines of power, or magic if you will, that run through the world. As elemental spirits, we can see and interact with them to some degree. Mother, however, has many, many more of these lines than Earth. So, there, it was easy for us to kind of, well, match them up, I guess you could say, to create an opening between the worlds. Here though, the lines aren’t close enough together to do that.”

Mr. Kain was puzzled. “So where can we —”

“The lake!” Jenni yelped, flying in a loop in front of Mr. Kain’s face. “They’re going back to the lake. The lines must be close enough there — it worked for us before.”

“Of course!” Mrs. Osorio exclaimed. “Very good, Jenni! That must be where they’re going.”

Mr. Kain nodded. “Okay, I can see that … but how can we get there? We can’t chance taking a car again, the police will be looking for that.”

Jenni sighed and sat down on Crank’s shoulder. The stars were fading and dawn was fast approaching. They needed to move somewhere.

She decided to change back to human form so Mr. Kain didn’t have to carry her backpack. She flew from Crank’s shoulder and began to grow. As she did, she noticed something she hadn’t before. Everything felt right.

When Ba’ize had been instructing her on how to change size, she hadn’t been able to take “stuff” from around her to make herself bigger. She couldn’t manipulate anything outside of her body. Here, though, on Earth, she felt a subtle connection with everything around her — like she could reach out and grab that rock, or the water, and change its substance in ways she never could on Mother.

She altered the image she had in her mind as she grew, from her normal self, to that of a dragon, like Brandon but not as big. She pulled some of the rocks and earth from the river bank into herself to create more mass — and it worked!

Jenni saw her companion’s mouths drop open in shock seeing a dragon the size of a car form in front of them. With a thought, Jenni changed her color from black to green. She had always liked green.

“Jenni!” Crank yelled. “You figured it out!”

“Not really,” she said. “I just realized things felt different here on Earth, like it was supposed to feel on Mother, but didn’t. I still don’t think I’d be able to do this there. But for now,” she said smiling, flashing her dragon teeth, “we have transportation.”

They all laughed. Crank reached up and hugged her around her neck.

“Fantastic,” Mr. Kain said. “Let’s saddle up and get going.”

After a few tries, Jenni created a couple of seats on her back to make it easier for the two to ride. They placed Matt around her neck again. Mrs. Osorio and the backpack rode with Mr. Kain.

It took Jenni several attempts to get off the ground and fly, but she managed to do it without dumping her passengers. She had to change her wing size and shape a few times before she got the hang of it. Watching a dragon fly and being a dragon flying were two very different things.

As dawn broke over the horizon, they were on their way. Mr. Kain worried about them being spotted from the ground and suggested she change her color, at least on her underside, to match the sky. She did her best and they set off in pursuit of Brandon and the others.

41

Brandon was pleased with how well they had handled things.

Not being able to make a doorway at Hanford had set them back, but they had come up with a solution that should work, and had kept moving. And he had led them!

It was midmorning and they were almost there. They’d been fortunate the truck had been fully gassed up so they hadn’t needed to stop for fuel. Todd had left the Interstate about half an hour earlier and was winding his way through the mountain roads, back to the campground where they had left the bus on their field trip, seemingly so long ago.

Brandon had been concerned, but so far, he didn’t think they’d been spotted. He stayed as low as possible, hoping to not be picked up on radar. It had tested his abilities to keep illusions on the truck and himself at the same time.

Alisha and Mrs. Minch both seemed agitated, but he couldn’t hear them because of the wind. That’s one of the nice things about flying, Brandon thought. He didn’t have to listen to them complain.

He banked right and saw Todd maneuvering the truck up the dirt road to the campground. Off to Brandon’s left was Lake MacElroy, their destination. The hard part was going to be getting the truck through the forest for the last mile or so, but Brandon had an idea.

He came in for a landing, just as Todd was pulling into the parking area. Brandon gave everyone a chance to climb down, then turned to speak to them.

“Okay, almost there,” he said. “I’m going to clear the trees along the hiking trail so Todd can drive the truck, hopefully, all the way to the lake.”

“Brandon,” Mrs. Minch said, “I think we were being followed.”

“Followed? How? I didn’t see anything.”

“I don’t know,” she replied, “but, two or three times, I felt other elemental spirits, just at the edge of my perception, since we left Richland.”

Brandon let out a disgusted sigh. “Well even if Mr. Kain and those guys got away from the police, we’re too close now for them to do anything. Everyone stand back.”

He walked to the end of the dirt lot where the hiker’s trail began and took a breath. He sprayed his acid in a narrow swath through the trees in front of him, aiming for the bases. After allowing the corrosive do its job for a minute, he simply walked forward, letting his bulk and weight do most of the work. He knocked down trees for about thirty yards. Satisfied, he took another deep breath and repeated the process.

It took about forty-five minutes, but they finally broke through to the clearing around the lake. Brandon had to lift the front of the truck up once to get over a tricky spot, but all in all, his plan had worked to perfection.

Todd drove the truck around the southern end of the lake, splashing through the small outlet stream, and to the eastern edge, where they had stopped for lunch. He turned the engine off and got out.

The others had walked behind the truck up the trail and made their way around as well.

Being there gave Brandon a strange sense of déjà vu. He remembered the place vividly, but through different eyes. He leaned over and took a drink from the lake. In it, he saw his reflection and was startled at the form looking back at him. He was a dragon! His blood raced as he admired his strong jaws and teeth, capable of tearing cattle to shreds. He couldn’t wait to get back so he could go hunting again, without the worry of being seen by airplanes or scared people that wanted to destroy him.

Mrs. Minch and the others caught up with him and gathered around the truck. He looked at her and asked, “Do the spirits think this will work?”

Mrs. Minch paused for a moment, listening. “Yes, they think so.” She smiled a hideous grin that spread from huge ear to huge ear.

“All right,” Brandon said, “let’s get outta here.”

Mrs. Minch lowered herself to the ground and retrieved the bowl and other items she needed from her bag. She poured the dark liquid, which Brandon smelled and realized was blood, into the bowl and concentrated.

Just then, he heard a rapid thumping sound reverberating off the mountains around them. It grew louder, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from.

“Look!” Todd shouted and pointed at the sky to the north. “Over there!”

Brandon saw the source of the noise. Two army helicopters, complete with rocket launchers, headed straight for them.

“Mrs. Minch,” he shouted, “don’t stop! Just ignore them and keep working. Everyone get close and sit down!”

Agonizingly slow, lights appeared over the bowl.

The two helicopters flew in and hovered over the lake, facing them. The sound was deafening. Someone leaned out of the one on the right with a megaphone in his hand.

“Everyone stay where you are and don’t move!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Brandon saw Alisha jump up and run south, along the lake shore. Damn her!

In front of Mrs. Minch, the lights jumped and flickered more rapidly, and a mist formed all around them.

“Stop what you are doing and put your hands up, or we will be forced to shoot!” the soldier with the megaphone blared at them.

The lights grew brighter and Brandon’s eyes closed.

42

Jenni saw the helicopters just as Mr. Kain shouted a warning.

She put her nose up and flapped hard to gain altitude.

The helicopters stayed on course, heading southeast.

“I don’t think they saw us!” Mr. Kain shouted in the wind.

Jenni flew above and behind the two choppers. They were definitely military, both painted olive green with rockets hanging from the sides.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the lake. The helicopters hovered over the lake with their noses pointed east. Jenni saw Brandon and the others there, huddled near a truck. A man was leaning out of one of the helicopters with a megaphone, but Jenni couldn’t hear what he said. She picked a spot on the opposite shore, behind the helicopters and descended.

Lights jumped and flashed around Brandon and the others and Jenni saw mist forming. She landed, then noticed movement across the lake.

“Someone’s running away!” Crank exclaimed.

Mr. Kain squinted. “I think it’s Alisha.”

The whirling blades of the helicopters caused the lake to ripple and churn up spray, making it difficult to see. Mist completely covered the area where Brandon had been. One of the helicopters veered to the right, following the lone running figure.

The other chopper moved forward, dispersing the mist with its rotors.

Brandon and the others were gone.

“We’re too late,” Jenni said in despair.

Both helicopters landed, one on the southern end of the lake and the other where the group had disappeared. Uniformed men toting rifles poured out of each and fanned out, searching for their quarry.

Jenni hustled everyone over to some trees and bushes for cover and reverted to her human form.

They watched from their hiding place for several minutes as the soldiers swept the area. Alisha was apprehended and taken to the closest helicopter. Her hands were bound and they placed her inside with a guard.

A few minutes later, two more helicopters arrived, adding more men to the search. The one with Alisha took off and flew to the northeast.

“I think we should find a better hiding spot,” Crank said. “It looks like some of those men are circling around to this side.”

“What do you think? The lake?” Jenni asked.

Mr. Kain shrugged. “Probably the best place. I doubt they’ll spend time looking in the water.”

Matt and the others made preparations and shortly they were underground in a bubble of air again. They moved slowly through the darkness, then emerged at the bottom of the lake, safely encapsulated in their cocoon of air. Lori and Bonnie made a nearly invisible tube that reached to the surface to give them a fresh air supply without having to expose themselves.

Helicopters came and went throughout the day, and the place crawled with soldiers. They sat in despair under fifty feet of water.

“We have to get back, if nothing else to warn others of the danger. If that truck was full …” Mr. Kain didn’t finish. He didn’t need to.

“Well, we can’t make a doorway here,” Mrs. Osorio said. “It takes our full concentration. Lori and Bonnie wouldn’t be able to keep up the bubble for you.”

“I guess we’ll have to wait for nightfall and try to sneak up there,” Mr. Kain said.

Jenni’s eyes filled with tears. They had worked so hard, only to see Brandon still accomplish his goal. Now, she was so close to home, but unable to go the last few miles to see her parents. It was too much.

Crank put his hand on her shoulder. She was glad to feel his touch. He had lost everything — his home, his family, and now even his form — his identity. He wasn’t Nomenstrastenai anymore, but neither was he human. Yet, he still cared enough to offer her comfort. Suddenly, Jenni felt ashamed.

Mr. Kain leaned in near her. “You don’t have to go, Jenni. The rest of us can go and warn the others. You can stay here.”

Jenni wiped her eyes and shook her head. “I want to stay … but I can’t. I can’t stay here knowing you guys are going back into danger.” She turned and looked into Crank’s eyes. “You’ve lost so much since we came into your life. I can’t abandon you now.”

She saw tears form. “Thank you, Jenni.”

Jenni hugged him and they held each other for a long time.

* * * *

The hours passed slowly, but finally darkness descended. They made ready and moved along the bottom of the lake to the eastern side for a closer look. Under water, in the dark, it was hard to see what was going on above. One helicopter was parked nearby, and likely it was guarded.

“Matt,” Jenni asked, “can you create a dome over us, and you guys do your thing under it?”

The plan sounded good, so Matt made a sphere of stone around them and they traveled the short distance through the ground to the picnic site. They then rose up slowly out of the ground, still encased in stone.

Jenni heard a muffled shout outside. No doubt any guards had been startled by the appearance of a big stone orb emerging from the ground.

Jenni took Crank’s hand and held it while Mrs. Osorio and the others performed their magic.

More noise came from the other side of the stone, dull thuds could be heard. Someone was trying to break the stone barrier.

Jenni had a frightening thought. “They won’t be transported too will they?”

“No,” Mrs. Osorio said. “We have control over what goes and what stays. Relax, we’ll be through soon.”

As before, lights appeared and moved around Mr. Kain, dancing and jumping. Soon, the familiar mists materialized inside their shelter.

Jenni said goodbye to her parents and slipped into sleep.

43

Sara stood, sweating in the afternoon heat, looking across the plain at Mogritas’s army, and wondered what they were building.

She and Denny were atop the archway between the two guard towers at the eastern entrance to Seren’naie. Captain Herina, Ba’ize, and a few others were there as well. Denny was watching the army too, but through a spyglass he had created.

“It’s a catapult,” he sighed.

The Captain looked puzzled. “What is that?”

Denny lowered the spyglass and tried to explain. “It’s a … simple machine really, it has a lever arm with a counterweight on one end … basically, it can throw things really far. Heavy things.”

“Heavy things?” the Captain asked, still confused.

“Yeah, like boulders and such. Heavy enough to do some major damage.”

Sara looked behind her at the city. Major damage had already been done.

Things had gotten worse after the aborted Council meeting — much worse. Most of the taller buildings in the hub had completely collapsed. Anything that had been structurally enhanced with captive earth spirits had come apart once the bonds were broken. The catwalk over the stadium had only been the beginning.

To make matters even more dangerous, many of the spirits hadn’t been content with simply being free, they wanted to exact some revenge for their centuries-long imprisonment. Several buildings that had been declared safe were destroyed by angry spirits. Many people had died and Sara had been called upon, along with the rest of the guard force, to assist in many gruesome rescue operations.

Second Seat Arlaugh had disappeared shortly after Sara had eavesdropped on his conversation, along with several other Gobinstratstorai officials. Sara had told Ba’ize and Captain Herina what she’d overheard — neither had seemed surprised.

Much of the city, perhaps a third of the population, had fled into Lodir’naie. There, they were living like peasants off the land, but they were alive, and free from the terrors the spirits were causing.

Charles had tried talking to any of the water or earth spirits that would listen, but he didn’t know if he was getting through to any of them.

Four days after Jenni and the others had left to free Mr. Kain, Tori and Merlin had returned. She told them the frightening story of Mr. Kain’s rescue and their subsequent transport to Earth in pursuit of Brandon, Mrs. Minch and the others.

Sara had felt a small pang of jealousy, hearing Jenni had returned to Earth, but a much stronger feeling was fear. Fear for her friend and what she might have to face. Tori’s account of Brandon’s size and Mrs. Minch’s powers had been sobering. If Mrs. Minch were, indeed, a Strodin’i, one who could command and control the elemental spirits, they could be in far more trouble than they realized. Add to that hazardous chemicals, and things looked bad.

Then, yesterday, the Seat of Governance had collapsed.

Sara supposed the bindings on the spirits in the Seat had been the strongest, and therefore the last to break. Ba’ize had been working nearly round the clock for days with volunteers to remove the Mayor’s library and the considerable amount of records and information about the city that were kept in the tower. Most of it had been saved, and everyone had been evacuated in time, thanks to a timely warning from Charles.

Ba’ize had stood on this very arch, watching as the building where he had spent a large portion of his considerable life disintegrated into a pile of rubble and crystal shards. Sara had seen a tear slide down his dust-covered cheek. Then he had gone back to tending the injured and visiting with the populace, trying to raise morale.

“Denny,” Ba’ize said, snapping Sara from her reverie, “can you tell how long before they will have it complete?”

Denny looked through the spyglass again. “Maybe tomorrow … it looks like they’re having trouble with the counterweight and I don’t see anything around they could use for ammunition either, so that’s good news at least.”

Ba’ize nodded. “Very well then. Captain, please keep guards posted with an eye on their progress and alert me if anything changes.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Captain Herina replied.

Ba’ize walked to the tower and descended the steps to ground level. Sara, who had been assigned to him as a personal guard, nodded to her captain and followed him down.

“The thing that puzzles me,” Ba’ize said, to himself as much as Sara, as they walked, “is why Mogritas hasn’t appeared to gloat or make demands. His army has been sitting out there for several days, doing nothing but building this contraption. They haven’t even bothered the refugees fleeing to the forest.”

It was times like this Sara really appreciated her new, longer legs. Ba’ize always set a brisk pace wherever he went but, thanks to her changes, she had no trouble keeping up with him. “Maybe he’s waiting for something,” she offered. “Like for Brandon and those guys to get back.”

Ba’ize nodded, lost in thought as they walked. “Yes, but what I fail to understand is how they plan to return. You see, hundreds of years ago, there were several expeditions to your world once it was discovered. Some believe that’s where the dragons went. We have some sketchy records in the archives. But the thing is … no one ever returned from any of the trips. No one. Thoughts of Earth were abandoned, and the method of travel was lost to us over the years.”

“But someone figured it out, I mean, we’re here.”

“True, but I believe Mother Herself brought you here. All the proper elements were in place possibly, but She was the one who caused it to happen.”

“Why?” Sara asked him.

Ba’ize sighed. “Balance. Our world is out of balance, has been for a long time, and I believe you were brought here to help return balance. Unfortunately, that process can be quite violent at times — as we’ve seen.”

“Mogritas must have figured it out. You said you didn’t even know how to send anyone to Earth anymore. Maybe he discovered that, and a way back too.”

Ba’ize nodded. “Possibly. He’s probably the most brilliant scholar on Mother, so if anyone could, it would be him.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Sara asked. “Why does he want to destroy everything?”

They turned into the stout building they had been using as a base for the government. The air inside was stifling. Without venti’i to circulate the air or regulate temperature, the stone buildings sucked up the heat from the summer sun and held it, making it seem like they’d stepped into an oven.

They paused briefly in an open area being used as a mess hall and grabbed a small plate of bread and cheese and two cups of water. Then Ba’ize led the way to the small room he had claimed as an office and work area. The air there was less oppressive since it was deep inside the building and Ba’ize kept the door closed. He lit a couple of candles and sat behind his stone desk. He indicated for her to sit and offered her the plate.

Sara sat but declined the food. It was too hot to eat. She simply sipped her water and waited for him to gather his thoughts.

He chewed a piece of cheese, then said, “First of all, understand that Mogritas is very old. He was Mayor of Seren’naie over three hundred years ago.”

Sara stared at him in shock.

Ba’ize continued, “I learned much of what I know about the city and the office of Mayor from his notes — each Mayor keeps a personal journal during his time in office and they are all passed on to the next Mayor. At any rate, Mogritas was the first one to realize the bindings on the elemental spirits would eventually fail. I suspect now he had a much better idea of exactly when that would happen than he let on at the time.”

“So what happened? Did he get voted out or something?” Sara asked him.

Ba’ize chuckled. “No, the office of Mayor is generally a lifetime post. The Council selects a Mayor based on his body of research and knowledge. The word, Seren’naie, means Mother’s Reason, in the ancient tongue. Usually, the Mayor has been selected from a group of Elvorstrastenai scholars.

“There have been a few times across the centuries a Mayor has been removed from office — mostly cases of senility in those who were very old — but only once did the Mayor leave office of his own accord, in the prime of life.”

“Mogritas,” Sara guessed.

“Exactly. His views on how Seren’naie should be governed clashed with those of the Council. Not so much the Council sought to remove him from office, but it greatly frustrated him that they wouldn’t see things his way. The Mayor has very little actual power — Council votes render the final decisions on most issues. Knowledge and respect are the most formidable tools of the Mayor. A successful Mayor can influence the Council by his presence and logic. Mogritas was an incredibly learned man, but he lacked the patience necessary to turn the Council in the direction he wanted.”

“So, he just threw up his hands and left?”

“Essentially, yes. His departure was quite unexpected and sudden from what I’ve read. He disappeared for a time, then gained control over the fortress to the north, which, in the time of the dragons over a thousand years ago, was the center of government, like Seren’naie is now.” Ba’ize stopped and pulled off a piece of bread.

“So, what did he want to do that was so bad?”

Ba’ize sipped his drink and answered, “From what I gather, he wanted to ‘expand our horizons ‘— his words — which meant he wanted to build a fleet of ships and create an ‘army of exploration’ — again, his words from his journal.”

“Sounds like he just wanted more power,” Sara said.

“Likely that’s what the Council of the time thought as well and why they didn’t approve his projects.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Enter,” Ba’ize called.

Rodrin poked his head inside. “Something’s happening. Come quickly, Your Honor!”

Ba’ize and Sara abandoned their snack and followed Rodrin outside and back to the guard towers.

They were sweating and breathing hard by the time they arrived. Sara saluted Captain Herina and looked across the grassland to where the army was camped, their armor and weapons glinting brightly in the late afternoon sun. It didn’t take long to realize what the fuss was about.

Brandon had arrived.

He lay at the back of the encampment and was the center of much activity.

“The dragon arrived a few minutes ago with a few passengers and four black cylinders,” Captain Herina reported.

Ba’ize nodded and watched the camp with the rest of them.

They waited and watched for perhaps a half hour or more, then they saw a figure get onto Brandon’s back. Brandon launched himself in the air, and turned toward the city. He glided gracefully down and landed on the roadway leading from the entrance bridge.

The figure riding on Brandon’s back stood up, and Sara thought she saw his feet change shape to keep a firmer hold on the scaly spine. He had long black hair, tied in a pony tail, and wore an all black suit, trimmed with burgundy lapels. Just from his air of authority, Sara assumed he must be Mogritas.

“Greetings, citizens of Seren’naie!” Mogritas called out.

Ba’ize straightened and called back, “I would bid you welcome, Mogritas, but we both know that would be a lie … and I don’t like to lie.”

“Charming … Ba’ize is it? I’m pleased to finally meet you. I’ve heard much about you over the years,” Mogritas said, focusing his attention on Seren’naie’s Mayor.

“I’m sure you have,” Ba’ize responded. “Please, tell me why you have brought an army to our doorstep.”

Mogritas frowned slightly. “Not one for social pleasantries, Your Honor? Very well. I’m here to reclaim something of mine … your title.”

Sara supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised, but the calm confidence of Mogritas had taken her aback. On her right, Captain Herina looked ready to spit nails. Ba’ize, to her left, simply chuckled.

“Is that all?” Ba’ize asked.

Mogritas smiled. “No, there is one more thing. You are holding a young girl by the name of Carrie Minch. Her mother wishes to have her returned.”

“No one is being ‘held’ here, as you well know,” Ba’ize said icily.

“Nevertheless,” Mogritas replied, “she, and you, must be presented to me by morning or I will be forced to take action. I do hope that will give you enough time to find her in that shambles of a city you have created from your ignorance.” Mogritas shook his head. “Such a waste.”

Sara placed a hand on Captain Herina’s arm. She looked ready to leap from the tower and attack Mogritas right there on Brandon’s back.

Ba’ize was steady. “You’ll have your answer in the morning.”

Mogritas inclined his head slightly. “Until morning then.”

Brandon turned and flew the short distance to the waiting army. Sara noticed Brandon had a large amount of cloth wrapped around his feet, and wondered why.

Captain Herina spat, “I’d like to carve that smile right off his face! That arrogant —”

“At ease Captain,” Ba’ize said.

Sara’s commander composed herself. “Yes, Your Honor. My apologies.”

“None needed,” Ba’ize replied. “I’d take pleasure in doing the same myself. Please alert the Council and have them assemble in our new chambers.”

The captain saluted. “Of course, Your Honor.”

He then turned to Sara. “And would you please locate Carrie and have her join us?”

Sara nodded and saluted. “Yes, Your Honor.”

44

Jenni woke to a sky blazing with stars.

She could feel the life around her, taste it almost. Mother lived and breathed in a way Earth just couldn’t match. One thing Mother didn’t have though — her parents. She cried at the thought of losing them for a second time.

Crank sat up and put an arm around her. Mr. Kain stayed on the ground and groaned.

“I’m not sure how much I like this ‘conduit’ thing.”

“Just rest for a minute, Crank and I will go find some Tolenton’naie,” Jenni said, composing herself.

She remembered some bushes to the north that she, Sara, and Tori had found when they had first arrived. She and Crank asked for several of the fruit and returned to Mr. Kain. He ate two in short order and managed to sit up.

“Brandon and the others have almost a day’s head start on us,” Jenni lamented. “I’d better fly up and see what I can find.”

“Their trail shouldn’t be hard to follow,” Crank said, pointing to the south. Tire tracks ran along the lake shore, then turned east, heading through the trees.

Jenni nodded. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Be careful,” Crank said.

Jenni created her leathery wings, somewhat self-conscious that she wore only “created” clothing. Then she took off, following the tracks.

Crank was correct: the trail was easily seen from the air. The truck had been driven through the thinly forested area and down into the hilly grasslands around Crank’s village. Jenni saw the devastation that had been wrought on the small community and, again, felt guilty for all the pain and suffering she and the others had caused Crank and his people.

The tracks turned north, following a small river running east of the village. They must be looking for a place to cross.

After a couple of miles, the river had become shallow enough for the truck to cross, and Jenni picked up the trail on the other side, heading east again.

A few minutes later she saw a dark shape lying in the grass along the tracks. She flew closer and saw it was one of the Gobinstratstorai she had seen with Brandon. He lay, unmoving, staring at the night sky. He’s dead! Jenni realized.

She landed nearby and did her best to control her stomach. She had seen creatures die since she had come to Mother, but she’d never been this close. The Gobinstratstorai had burns and open sores on his hands and arms, and he looked almost human. They must have been transforming, just like Crank.

Jenni leapt skyward again, following the trail. She encountered three more bodies, much like the first. Jenni didn’t stop to investigate, but flew on, hoping to catch up with the truck.

Soon, she saw light up ahead in the tall grass. The truck had stopped, but still had its headlights on. She didn’t see anyone around.

Jenni circled once then landed and walked to the front of the truck. Then she saw someone was sitting in the driver’s seat. He turned his head slowly and looked at her.

“Oh, hey, Jenni,” Todd said tiredly. The truck’s engine was off, and he sat woodenly, with his hands on the wheel.

Surprised, she said cautiously, “Um, hi, Todd … what’s goin’ on?”

“Hm?” he said in a daze. “Oh … Well, Brandon and those guys left and I’m supposed to drive the truck as far as I can.” He paused again. “But it ran out of gas.”

“I saw some of your other friends back there … what happened?” Jenni asked him.

Todd stared out the window ahead of him for a moment before answering. “They couldn’t heal like me. Radiation got ‘em. I’m startin’ to think this wasn’t such a good idea.”

Jenni was confused, but knew time wasn’t on her side. “Where are Brandon and the others?”

“He took some of the barrels to meet up with the army. I was the only one who could drive the truck, so … yeah.”

Jenni wondered briefly how many barrels Brandon could carry, but at least most of the dangerous material was still here, out of harm’s way. She had to get moving if she was going to have a chance to catch them. “Todd, you better get away from this stuff, even if you can heal, you don’t look so good.”

He turned and looked at her again. “Do you hate me, Jenni?”

What a strange question! She looked at his tired eyes, enormous ears and thin, elongated limbs. “No, Todd, I don’t hate you. I feel sorry for you,” she said, and meant it.

He nodded once and put his head on the steering wheel. Jenni thought he might be crying. She shook her head and took off, flying as fast as she could back to Crank and her friends.

She found them in the trees, following the truck’s trail.

“Jenni!” Crank said with relief. “We were worried about you.”

“I’m okay. I found the truck.” She related what she’d seen and that Brandon and the others had gone on to Seren’naie to meet up with Mogritas’s army.

She tried to change into the dragon form she’d used on Earth, but couldn’t do it, as she’d suspected. Everything felt wrong again.

“Go without us,” Mr. Kain said. “You’re the only one that has a chance of catching up with them in time to do something.”

“But I can’t just leave you guys here by yourselves!”

“We’ll be fine. Mr. Kain’s right, Jenni, you have to go,” Crank implored her. “Matt can make us another boat and Bonnie can take us down river just like before. We’ll get there soon enough.”

“He’s right,” Mrs. Osorio said, “but you can take Lori and I with you, in case we can reach Zoe along the way.”

Mr. Kain nodded. “That sounds good. Take Crank’s small bag with as much Tolenton’naie as you can fit.” He took her by the shoulders and looked in her eyes. “You can do this, Jenni. We believe in you.”

Jenni looked at both of them and slowly nodded. “Okay.”

They quickly rearranged their supplies so she could take Crank’s bag and they filled it with Tolenton’naie. She formed a pocket to hold Mrs. Osorio securely and decided she was ready. She gave Mr. Kain and Crank each a quick hug and launched herself into the night air, speeding off to the southeast as fast as she could fly.

45

Brandon was in pain.

The salve Mogritas’s people had put on his feet had helped the wounds, but the pain was still there.

He couldn’t believe just carrying those barrels could have done that much damage. By the time they had reached the army, he could barely hold onto them. His feet had been covered in burns and bleeding sores, and the muscles in his talons had begun to spasm painfully.

The surface injuries had responded quickly to the ointment, but something deeper was still wrong.

Mogritas had been very pleased and had praised him for a job well done. Brandon just wished it felt more like a “job well done” to him. He felt tired and confused.

The conversation at the entrance to the city earlier hadn’t helped his confusion. Mogritas had seemed more interested in taking over the city than getting Carrie back. And from what the man on the wall had said, Carrie wasn’t even a prisoner as Mogritas had led them to believe. Mogritas had done so much to help him though — Brandon couldn’t sort it all out.

Mrs. Minch was frantic. She didn’t want to wait until morning to see Carrie. Mogritas had done his best to calm her by setting her to work with the earth spirit to create the counterweight needed for the catapult. She had found several other spirits wandering the area and had been able to get their help as well.

“Are you feeling better, my friend?”

Brandon hadn’t noticed Mogritas’s approach and was momentarily startled.

“Yeah, some. The stuff they spread on my feet helped, but they still hurt.”

Mogritas nodded. “The poison you brought is very powerful, but I’m sure we’ll be able to find something to finish the healing.” He gazed toward the city. “Seren’naie won’t be as lucky I’m sure.”

“About that,” Brandon said, “what was all that about wanting that old man’s title and stuff? I thought we were here to get Carrie.”

Mogritas smiled. “I’m sorry I didn’t have time to explain things earlier. Ba’ize — the old man — is the leader of the city, and he would never have believed that I had brought an army here solely for the purpose of retrieving the girl. So I simply told him what he expected to hear.”

That made Brandon feel more at ease. He couldn’t believe Mogritas, who had shown him so many kindnesses, had been lying all this time.

A commotion erupted by the catapult. Mrs. Minch’s voice could be heard over the shouts of others.

Mogritas sighed. “Get some rest, my friend. It appears I am needed to calm poor Kathy yet again.”

Brandon nodded and laid his head on the ground. He was quickly asleep, even over the din created by the upset Mrs. Minch.

* * * *

Brandon woke a short while before dawn. He felt better, and although there was still a dull ache in his feet, much of the weariness from the day before had vanished.

Two herd beasts had been killed and left nearby and he set into them eagerly. The pain the day before had taken his appetite, but now he was famished. It didn’t take him long to devour both carcasses.

Once he was finished, the Gobinstratstorai that had tended his wounds before came to check on the bandages. He seemed very nervous and Brandon looked down and saw the bandages on his front feet were soaked in blood from his meal. I really need to learn how to not be such a messy eater, he lamented.

Brandon helped remove the bandages as much as he could so the healer could look at his feet. New skin and scales were already growing, and although everything was still tender, the healer seemed pleased with the progress. He repeated the procedure on Brandon’s back legs. Finally, the healer poured a large bottle of a syrupy liquid into a trough they had brought for Brandon to drink from. He stirred the water to mix it in, and indicated Brandon should drink it all.

Brandon nodded and thanked him, then set to drink.

The rest of the camp was waking up and making preparations for the day. Brandon felt an air of anticipation, and everyone was ready and waiting when the first movement appeared at the entrance to the city.

The city’s guard force formed up just outside the circular canal that bordered Seren’naie — about a hundred yards away from the camp. Brandon saw they numbered maybe half of what Mogritas had brought, though the city’s forces were better armed.

Next, two figures walked over the bridge from the city, hand in hand, past the guards and toward Mogritas’s army. Brandon focused his vision and recognized them as fully a transformed Carrie and Marco. They walked until they were about twenty yards away and stopped.

Mrs. Minch screeched at someone, then broke free and ran to Carrie. She hugged Carrie tightly, as if she never wanted to let go. Carrie returned the hug, but not as vigorously. Mrs. Minch sobbed with joy, her huge ears shaking.

“Mom, it’s okay. I’m okay,” Carrie said after her mother had a minute to collect herself.

“Okay? It’s not okay! Those little monsters held me prisoner! And you too! I’m just so glad to finally have you back.”

“Mom, they’re not monsters, they’re good people. And they weren’t holding me prisoner.”

Mrs. Minch looked at her daughter doubtfully.

“Honest, Mom! It was my choice to come out here. Marco came along, too. He didn’t have to.” Carrie flashed Marco a shy smile.

Carrie continued in a lower voice, but Brandon could still make out her words. “Mom, the guy you’re with is a bad person. He’s a liar and he’s only using you to get what he wants.”

“That’s not true! He’s the only reason you’re here with me. No one else would help me.”

Carrie shook her head. “No, Mom. All you had to do was come here. None of this,” she said, indicating the army in front them, “was necessary.”

Mrs. Minch stood staring at her daughter, then shook her head. “Brainwashed … they’ve brainwashed you!”

Carrie groaned in frustration. “No, Mom, they haven’t brainwashed me. You’re the one that’s got it all mixed up. This Mogritas guy has been lying to you.” She paused and said, “Just like Dad.”

Mrs. Minch shook with rage and shouted, “Don’t compare him with your father! Mogritas is the only man who’s ever shown me any kindness! Your father was a lying dirt bag who walked out on the both of us!”

Carrie dropped her head. “I know, Mom. But Mogritas is the same, he’s just wrapped in a prettier package.”

Brandon felt embarrassed to be eavesdropping on such a personal conversation, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Carrie was right. He had trusted Mogritas, but what if he hadn’t been telling the whole truth?

Mrs. Minch was sobbing again. “Carrie, how can you say that? You don’t even know him.”

Mogritas chose this moment to step forward. Brandon didn’t know if he’d been listening. Maybe he wanted to console Mrs. Minch, or perhaps he just wanted to find out what was going on.

“Kathy, are you all right?” Mogritas said and gently placed an arm on her shoulder.

“No,” Mrs. Minch cried. “Carrie’s been saying awful things about you, and I don’t know who to believe.”

Mogritas looked surprised. “What has she been saying?”

Mrs. Minch looked up at him. “She says you’ve been lying to me all along. She was never held prisoner here and you’ve just been using me. Is it true?”

“Of course not.” He turned to Carrie then. “I care quite deeply for your mother. She is a remarkable woman.”

Carrie looked at him. “Okay. Prove it. I’m here and I’ll come with you. So turn this army around and march back to your castle.”

Mrs. Minch looked to Mogritas for a response.

It was the first time Brandon had ever seen him look unsure of himself.

“I can’t,” Mogritas said at last. “I still have some business with Ba’ize.”

A tear ran down Mrs. Minch’s cheek. “What business?”

Mogritas pursed his lips, then said, “I am the rightful ruler of Seren’naie. Ba’ize has brought the city to ruin, I am only trying to set things right.”

“More lies,” Carrie said.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Carrie’s mother was distraught, like someone whose world was crumbling around her.

Mogritas watched her sniffling in front of him. Her greenish skin was blotched with pink and red from her tears and distress, and her ears drooped in despair. Brandon saw Mogritas’s eyes harden as he came to a decision.

“Because I chose not to,” he said coldly. Then he turned back to the camp and shouted, “Launch!”

“No!” Carrie screamed.

A groaning of wood and stone sounded from behind Brandon and then a whoosh as the arm of the catapult swept forward, flinging two of the barrels of waste toward the city.

“Reload!” Mogritas shouted.

A crew went to work resetting the arm.

“What are you doing?” Mrs. Minch screamed. “You said it was only to be used as a threat!”

He turned to her sharply. “I’m taking back what is mine! Now go! Go and enjoy your family reunion which I have so thoughtfully provided for you!” He pointed back to the camp. Around him, Brandon saw the army preparing to march.

Anger flared in Mrs. Minch’s eyes. “Never again,” she said quietly, but full of venom. “I swore to myself, I’d never let a man hurt me again!”

The first two barrels impacted, one on the southern guard tower and the other in front of the bridge, in the middle of the guard force. Both broke open explosively, spraying their contents several yards in every direction. Brandon heard screams of pain and fear and saw two noxious clouds forming where the contaminated liquid had landed.

In front of him, Brandon saw the earth reach up and encase the feet and legs of Mogritas. He twisted around and glared at Mrs. Minch.

“That was a mistake!” Mogritas said and shifted form, breaking his bonds and absorbing much of the dirt and stone into himself as he increased greatly in size. Brandon watched as a fierce, rust-colored dragon took shape in front of him.

Marco grabbed Carrie and dragged her out of danger.

Mogritas roared and faced Mrs. Minch. Sections of earth continued to rise up and grab at Mogritas and Brandon felt gusts of air buffeting him.

“Launch!” Mogritas shouted a second time.

The catapult groaned and swung once more, sending the last two barrels at their target.

Mogritas broke free from the earth again and swiped at Mrs. Minch with a foreleg.

She screamed, “Tear him apart!” as Mogritas’s talons ripped through her midsection and sent her flying through the air. Mrs. Minch landed heavily and didn’t move.

“No!” Carrie cried, running to her mother’s side.

“Form up and finish off those that haven’t died from the poisons! March!” The army hurried to obey, giving Mogritas a wide berth.

Brandon had been too shocked to move.

The second set of barrels hit their mark and blew apart, splashing their deadly contents through the ranks of the defending force and into the city entrance. More cries erupted from the helpless guards and citizenry.

46

Jenni heard screams. I’m too late!

Flying in from the north, she saw the tall towers in the hub of Seren’naie had been destroyed. Even the Seat of Governance was no more than a pile of rubble. She pushed herself for more speed.

She flew over the city, noting the damage in the back of her mind, and feared for her friends.

Jenni raced to the east and the source of the horrified sounds. She spotted Ba’ize in his gray robes on one of the guard towers.

Then she saw two cylindrical black shapes sailing through the air.

The barrels hit and burst open, spilling their contents. More screams split the air.

Jenni watched poisonous clouds form where the waste spilled.

“Lori!” she shouted at the air, “see if you can contain those clouds!” Please hear me.

“She’s on it,” Mrs. Osorio said in Jenni’s ear.

Jenni dove and landed with a rush of air from her wings on the tower roof. Two guards drew their weapons to defend Ba’ize. Several others were writhing in pain on the stone. Fingers of deadly mist formed from splashed areas.

“Jenni!” Ba’ize said in surprise and waved off the guards. His robe was smoking in several places.

The stench of the noxious gas reached Jenni’s nose and she smelled the danger of it. She also realized it seemed familiar somehow.

She knew what she needed to do.

“Here,” she said, handing Mrs. Osorio to him, “she can explain — I’ve got to hurry!”

Jenni concentrated and felt it. The toxic waste and contaminants were all of Earth. She could bring them into herself — manipulate them!

She started with the tower. She closed her eyes and worked by feel alone. Screams changed to gasps as she pulled the poisonous material out of the air, from the stone, even from the bodies of those around her.

She leapt off the tower and dove to the decimated city guards below.

It was a war. The toxins resisted change. Jenni had to fight to reform them into harmless material. The more she absorbed, the harder it was to keep control.

She landed in the middle of the guards and drew in the deadly waste. She felt herself changing, growing, but couldn’t spare concentration to direct her shape.

More and more she pulled in. All of this was their fault! She couldn’t bear to have anyone else suffer for her mistakes, or those of her friends and classmates.

She let guilt and anger feed her — let them give her strength.

Jenni’s body burned. The waste seared through her. She worked, molecule by molecule, to reshape the deadly substances. She felt the last of it draw into her and she opened her eyes in shock and agony.

She had taken the form of a green dragon again, and she glowed in the sunlight with the fury and rage that battled inside her.

She shouted, “Move away! In case I can’t hold it!”

Jenni shut her eyes again and fought with the most dangerous compounds known to man. She used all of her fear, her sorrow, her will, to combat the wrong that had been thrust on these innocent people.

Spent, she collapsed into darkness.

47

Brandon saw a shape drop down from the guard tower shortly after the second set of barrels hit.

Then the earth erupted around Mogritas once more and he shouted in surprise.

Blazes burst forth from several cook fires around the camp, leaping to Mogritas and charring his scaled flesh.

Mrs. Minch still lay where she’d landed, Carrie and Marco, bent over her.

Mogritas tried to fend off the new attacks. “The spirits have gone mad! Brandon, help me!”

Their eyes met, and Brandon realized he’d been played for a sucker all along. Mogritas didn’t care for anyone but himself.

He watched Mogritas’s eyes flare in anger when Brandon held his ground.

His former mentor roared at him, “There’s so much I could have taught you! So much we could have learned together!”

“It’s not worth the price,” Brandon said, looking at the limp form of Mrs. Minch.

Mogritas roared a final time and broke free of the earth and fire that sought to hold him. He exploded into the air and fled northeast, in the direction of his fortress.

The spirits, evidently angered at the escape of their prize, turned their sights on Mogritas’s army. Brandon heard shouts and screams as the soldiers were suddenly attacked by the very ground they walked on and the air they breathed.

Brandon’s attention was drawn back to the city entrance. There he saw a green dragon in the midst of the fallen defenders. It wasn’t as big as he was, but it glowed like it contained a million fireflies. The beauty of it took his breath away.

It also looked in tremendous pain.

A roar issued from the green dragon. He watched, mesmerized, as its form melted and shrank into a pile of gray sand.

He then looked back to Carrie and Marco. Carrie was holding her mother’s head in her lap and crying. Marco sat with her doing his best to console her.

Suddenly angry at himself for his continued inaction, he turned to see what he could do to help the elemental spirits disperse the remnants of Mogritas’s army. Then he saw some familiar figures at his feet.

“Brandon,” Mike said, “can you help us?” Scott, Will, and Kim stood near him and they looked with fright at the army under attack.

Brandon sighed. “Yeah, stay close, they’ve left me alone so far.”

“Thanks,” Scott said. “I thought this soldiering stuff would be fun … but it didn’t turn out at all like I thought.”

No, Brandon thought, it certainly hadn’t.

48

Jenni opened her eyes to warm sunshine.

She was lying on a gently sloping hillside in lush grass. Up at the top of the hill was a lone tree. A figure sat underneath with a picnic spread out in front of them.

Jenni shaded her eyes and saw the figure was an older woman. She beckoned for Jenni to join her.

Jenni stood up, trying to remember what she’d been doing before, and walked up the hill.

As she got closer, she recognized the woman.

“Grammy?” Jenni asked and sank down tiredly in the grass next to the picnic blanket.

Jenni’s grandmother chuckled. “It’s all right, my dear. Have something to eat.”

Jenni plucked a grape from a bunch set in a bowl and popped it in her mouth. As she chewed, her memory came flooding back — her friends in trouble, and her desperate attempt to save them.

She swallowed and looked back at her grandmother, who had died three years before after a fight with cancer. “Am I dead?”

Grammy smiled at her and shook her head. “No. You are in a place … in between … shall we say. I brought you here so we could chat for a bit.”

Jenni frowned. “But, what happened? Is everyone okay?”

“Everything passes as it must.”

“That’s not an answer,” Jenni said, growing more confused.

“Yes, it is.” Grammy countered. “Just not the one you want to hear.”

Grammy picked up an empty plate from the picnic basket next to her. She held up an index finger and placed the plate on the tip, balancing it there.

“How are you —”

“Hush now. Think of the plate as the world we live in. On one side,” she pointed at the edge of the plate nearest her, “we have good, and, on the opposite, evil.”

Jenni’s brow crinkled. “Okay,”

“But,” Grammy continued, “not only do we have good and evil, we also have things we can call law on this side,” she said, pointing to the right side of the plate, “and chaos opposite that. Four forces that act on the world.”

Jenni looked up from the plate and saw, not her Grammy’s face, but Ms. Pap’s. Jenni jumped in surprise and nearly knocked the plate from Ms. Pap’s hand.

Ms. Pap smiled at her. “Settle down and focus Jenni, we don’t have much time. Now, what happens if we put a grape in the center of the plate?” Ms. Pap reached down, took a grape from the bowl, and placed it directly in the middle.

“It stays in balance,” Jenni said.

“Exactly. But what happens if one of those four forces get a hold of the grape?” Ms. Pap rolled the grape with a finger, diagonally toward one edge. It began to tip.

“The plate, er … the world becomes unbalanced.” Jenni said.

“Yes. So, what can we do to correct it?”

“Move the grape back?” Jenni asked.

Ms. Pap nodded. “Yes, but we could also place another grape in the opposite area.” She reached for a second grape and positioned it to balance the first.

“Jenni, you and your friends were grapes, placed here to help achieve balance in the world.”

Jenni nodded, understanding dawning.

“I admit, I was desperate,” Ms. Pap said. “But try to imagine balancing a plate with not two, but thousands, even millions of grapes. It’s not as easy as it looks!” She laughed and winked at Jenni.

“So you’re the one who brought us from Earth?”

Jenni’s mother nodded. Jenni blinked, but didn’t jump at the change — she was getting used to this strange place.

“The world was tipping dangerously far in the direction of law. It needed some chaos — a measure of disorder, to help bring back the balance.”

“But, so many people were hurt, even killed,” Jenni said.

“Everything passes as it must,” she said again. “But, you are right: life is precious. That’s part of the reason why I’m giving yours back to you.”

Jenni was puzzled again. “Giving mine back?”

“What you did was incredibly brave and selfless, Jenni. It was also reckless. Taking that much of those substances into your body should have killed you, in spite of your abilities. I stepped in to prevent that, but I cannot do so again.”

“Why?” Jenni asked, now frightened.

“To take direct action like that again, would upset the balance too much to mend. It would destroy the very thing I’m trying to protect.”

Jenni shuddered at the power and responsibility of what she’d been shown.

“I’m afraid our time is up. Please take care of yourself, Jenni. I’m not ready to lose you yet.” Her mother smiled. “Now, close your eyes and your mouth.”

“Why?”

“Don’t argue with your mother,” she said, chuckling. “Just do it.”

Jenni sighed and complied.

“Good. Now push up with your arms…”

Jenni pushed and felt a weight of dirt or sand give way in front of her. She pushed again and felt fresh air and sun caress her skin.

“She’s here! She’s alive!”

Jenni opened her eyes to Sara’s smiling, copper-skinned face. Jenni then spit out a mouthful of sand and coughed.

“Well, thanks a lot, Kershaw!” Sara laughed. “Some greeting!”

Someone draped a cloak around her and helped pull her from the pile of strange gray sand she was lying in. Jenni realized she was stark naked under the cloak and quickly created some clothing. She blushed brightly and smiled at Sara as she saw Ba’ize, Captain Herina, and several other city guards nearby.

“A girl’s gotta make an entrance,” Jenni said tiredly, and they laughed.

49

Jenni did little but sleep for the next few days.

Ba’ize sat with her much of the time, talking to her and relating what had happened after she’d left to find Mr. Kain. In turn, she told him her story of the rescue and their trip back to Earth.

Captain Herina had sent the guard’s rocs to retrieve Mr. Kain, Crank, and the others, and they’d arrived safe and sound three days later.

Ba’ize also told her that, with the help of Mrs. Osorio, they were holding negotiations with the elemental spirits. Ba’ize had hopes they would be able to rebuild the city with their help — freely given this time, rather than as slaves.

Lastly, Ba’ize related the sad news that Mrs. Minch had been killed by Mogritas, but she had set the spirits against him, forcing him to flee, before she died. Marco and his mother were helping Carrie in her time of grief.

Brandon was living outside the city for the time being, doing what he could to help with the rebuilding efforts, along with her other classmates that had joined Mogritas’s army.

Once Crank arrived, he didn’t leave Jenni’s side. She was relieved that nothing had happened to him after she’d gone and was happy to have the attention. He was about three feet tall and had not grown any more since their return. Nor had he shrunk back to his original size.

Ba’ize was keenly interested in Crank’s partial transformation. It answered the centuries-old question why none of the expeditions sent to Earth had ever returned. If those that went from Mother to Earth were transformed into humans, the Strodin’i would have lost their powers, along with the elemental spirits. The ability to perform the ritual to return would have been lost as well. There was also the obstacle that doorways could only be opened in certain places on Earth. It may have taken them days, or even longer, to find a suitable spot to attempt a return.

Why the transformation seemed to be a one way, one time event, however, was something no one could explain.

Later, Crank told Jenni what he and Mr. Kain had done after she left for Seren’naie.

They had rested for the remainder of the night, then, in the morning, had gone to Crank’s village. It had been extremely difficult for him, but he’d needed to see it. To see how his family had died.

Jenni tried to comfort him. Crank went on so say how he and Mr. Kain had followed the truck’s trail to where it had run out of gas. When they got there, Todd was nowhere to be found.

Mr. Kain had Matt create a dirt and stone enclosure around the entire truck and its contents. He hoped it would keep the dangerous waste from contaminating the land, and keep it out of the hands of Mogritas.

Jenni held Crank after that and let him cry for his lost family. They hadn’t gotten along well and his parents hadn’t understood him, but they were still family.

A couple of days later, Jenni was able to be up and about again. She remembered bits and pieces of a dream while she’d been unconscious — vague impressions of Ms. Pap, and her Grammy — but it was all jumbled in her mind. She told Ba’ize about it, as much as she could remember anyway.

“I think Mother saved you, Jenni. She has more in store for you I believe.”

That night, all of them gathered for a dinner in Jenni’s honor. The Council and many citizens of Seren’naie came out to thank her for her bravery. Jenni was embarrassed by the attention, but it was good to see all of her friends again in the same place.

After the members of the Council and others had left, they had a private get together. They held it outside, in the warm evening, so Brandon could attend too. Some of the old tensions were still there, but they were able to set them aside for the evening and enjoy each other’s company.

They laughed and cried, and spoke of those who had passed, like Mrs. Minch and Ms. Pap, and of those who were still missing — Maggie, Vic and Todd — and wished for their safe return.

Ba’ize stood up, late in the evening, and addressed them all. “Jenni, we have one more expression of thanks we’d like to give you.”

Jenni looked up at him in surprise. She couldn’t imagine what it might be.

“Mr. Kain, Mrs. Osorio, and the others would like to take you home,” Ba’ize said.

Home?

Mr. Kain stepped forward. “Jenni, the rest of us are either too changed to go back, or have little to go back to … but you, of all of us, can go and have reason to. We’d like to take you, if you want.”

Jenni was shocked. She hadn’t thought about going back since she’d whispered her goodbyes in the dome Matt had created to bring them here safely. She ached to see her family, but all of her friends were here.

An image of her mother on a grassy hillside flashed in her mind.

“Yes,” she said, with tears in her eyes. “Yes, I’d like to go back.”

Ba’ize smiled. “Very good. We’ll start preparations immediately.”

“But only if you guys promise to come visit me!” Jenni added and everyone laughed, assuring her they would do just that.

Crank stepped up to her. “I have a request, Jenni.”

She looked at him expectantly.

“Take me with you. Please.”

Jenni immediately understood. Crank had no place here, no purpose. He wasn’t Nomenstrastenai anymore. He was something else.

She nodded. “Of course.”

* * * *

A week later, after she’d said all her goodbyes, Brandon flew them up to the lake where they had first appeared.

Saying goodbye to Sara had been extremely hard, but knowing she would come for a visit in a few months gave Jenni the courage to go through with it.

“I’m jealous, Kershaw,” Sara joked. “All the boys are going to be fighting over whatever gorgeous body you decide to put on.”

Jenni held her friend for a long time and made her promise to be careful.

They went to the lake so Mr. Kain and the others could go back right away and not risk being seen or captured. They waited until nightfall, then began the ritual.

Jenni awoke back on the lake shore with Crank and Mr. Kain by her side. It had been almost three weeks since their last visit, and the area was back to its peaceful self.

She hugged Mr. Kain, then she and Crank said their goodbyes to Mrs. Osorio, Matt, Lori, and Bonnie. Taking a deep breath, she formed a strong set of wings and Crank climbed on her back. She took off and circled the lake once, waving to her friends, before heading toward the lights of Boise.

Once over the city, she oriented herself and followed the streets back to her neighborhood in the northeast part of town. She found her house, and they landed quietly in the front yard.

Crank climbed down and she reabsorbed her wings.

She looked at him, then said, “You probably better wait outside for a couple minutes while I explain things.”

Crank nodded and sat down on the grass with his small pack.

Jenni took a deep breath and walked up the steps to the door. She opened it and stepped inside.

“Mom? Dad? I’m home!”

Epilogue

Alisha had been sitting in the detainment area with nothing to do for what seemed like hours.

Finally, a uniformed officer unlocked the door and came in with a glass of water, a candy bar, and a clipboard.

“Afternoon, Miss. My name is Sergeant Cobb. I need to ask you some questions.”

She looked at him skeptically. “What kind of questions?”

“Let’s get started, shall we?” He set the water and candy in front of her. “First off, you are Alisha Hester, is that correct?” He then took out a pen and scribbled something on the clipboard.

Alisha decided to play along. “Yes.” She took a sip of water and opened the candy bar.

“Now, Miss Hester, please tell me everything that’s happened to you since you left on your field trip to Lake MacElroy.”

Ugh. “You know, I really can’t. It would take much too long,” Alisha said.

Sergeant Cobb blinked at her. “Excuse me?”

Alisha held his eyes and let some of her power flow. “I’d really like to go home, Sergeant … can you be a dear and make that happen for me?”

Afterword

The Hanford Site in Washington State does exist, much as I’ve described, but the tunnels dug into Gable Mountain were, in fact, filled in and the area was restored to its original state. It was just an interesting “what if” to use for the story. You can find out more about the Hanford, Washington clean up at http://www.hanford.gov.

The area of Lake MacElroy, described near Boise, Idaho, is also fictitious. There are thousands of acres of beautiful forest land and mountains there, but the lake and any mystical doorways are purely my fiction. At least, as far as I know!

Glossary/Pronounciation Guide

Ba’ize (Bah-eez´) — Mayor of Seren’naie

Baer’naie (bay´-air-nay) — major river that runs through the Lodir’naie forest

Elvorstrastenai (el´-vor-strahs-ten-eye) — race that most closely resembles humans; slightly thinner, fairer skinned with softly pointed ears; primarily concerned with the arts, scholarship and nature

Faerstrastenai (fay´-air-strahs-ten-eye) — race that are the primary caretakers of plants and animals on Mother; generally very small, some have wings, enabling them to fly on their own

festri’i (fĕs´-tree-ee) — elemental spirit of fire

Gobinstratstorai (gō´-bin-strahs-tor-eye) — animalistic race; often more self serving than the others; basic and primitive in many cases

Lodir’naie (lō´-deer-nay) — massive forest that carries a consciousness; translated as “Mother’s mind”

Mogritas (Mō´-gri-tas) — former Mayor of Seren’naie, only shapeshifter known to exist

Nomenstrastenai (nō´-men-strahs-ten-eye) — race of builders and inventors; small in stature, generally one to two feet in height

Saromstrastenai (sa´-rōm-strahs-ten-eye) — race of warriors resembling very fit humans but with a metallic sheen to their skin, varying from copper, to gold, to silver or platinum

Seren’naie (sĕ´-rĕn-nay) — city that is the center of knowledge and government; translated as “Mother’s reason”

Strodin’i (strō´-din-ee) — caste of people with the ability to communicate and control the elemental spirits

taebri’i (tay-ĕ´-bree-ee) — elemental spirit of earth

Tolenton’naie (tō-lĕn´-tōn-nay) — fruit with phenomenal restorative powers

undei’i (un-day´-ee) — elemental spirit of water

venti’i (vĕn´-tee-ee) — elemental spirit of air

For maps, news, reviews and other fun stuff, please visit:

www.mother-earthseries.com

Following is an excerpt from

A Cure for Chaos

Book Two of the Mother-Earth Series

Available now

1

“Jen, how do you do it?”

Jenni leaned against her open locker door and watched the receding back of Ty Harrison moving down the crowded hallway. She had to admit it was a lovely back to watch.

“Tell me,” Rissa insisted behind her. “How do you do it?”

Snatched from her reverie, Jenni turned to her — compatriot? acquaintance? hanger-on? — “friend” definitely didn’t seem the right word to describe Marissa Cowan.

“Do what?” Jenni asked.

Rissa looked at her in disbelief. “Turn down all these amazing guys that ask you out! You’re a freshman, and you just had the star of the soccer team — who’s a junior I might add — ask you to the Sweetheart Dance on Friday. And you told him, ‘No’. How do you do that?”

Being beautiful and popular was nice, but being beautiful, popular and a shapeshifter was a lot more complicated than Jenni had thought to begin with.

“My, uh, foster parents, won’t let me date yet.” Jenni paused to check herself in the mirror hanging in the door of her locker. Her shoulder length blonde hair seemed stable — as did her perfect nose, model-quality cheeks and the not-quite-Angelina-Jolie lips she had fashioned for herself. She tended to lose focus when under stress, and between rejecting Ty’s advance and being interrogated by Rissa, Jenni was certainly feeling stressed. The last thing she needed was to lose her shape in front of everyone at school.

“I suppose having a hottie exchange student around 24/7 makes it easier, but come on, girl! You’re not going to do much better than Ty in this lifetime.”

Jenni had to giggle to herself. It had taken just over a week for Crank to complete his transformation after they had returned to Earth. He had topped out at five foot ten, a far cry from the foot and a half he was when Jenni had first seen him — what? Nine months ago? So much had happened to them it seemed like much longer. He had kept his blonde hair, but it had become softer and curly. Jenni had eventually convinced him to shave his beard to fit in better, but he hadn’t been happy about it. His body was strong and athletic, though he was still adjusting to the huge difference in size. He had also kept his kind, blue eyes. Jenni smiled thinking of them.

Crank, or Frank as he was known at school, had adapted well to his new world. He learned how to read and write with similar speed as he’d picked up English before he and Jenni had first met. They had enrolled him as a foreign exchange student from Finland. It was a stretch, but helped account for his occasional odd turn of phrase and unusual mannerisms.

The bell rang, accompanied by a grunt from Rissa. “I’m gonna be late! See you later Jen.”

Jenni waved and nabbed a notebook from her locker.

“Oh, I’m glad I caught you!” Mrs. Wrightson, one of the school counselors, said from behind Jenni.

Jenni closed her locker and turned to face Mrs. Wrightson. A girl stepped out from behind the counselor and Jenni’s heart tried to climb out her throat.

“Jen, this is Alisha Hester. She’s just joined us here at Lewis High and I thought you might show her around.” A look of concern flashed across Mrs. Wrightson’s narrow face. “Jen, are you all right? You look like you saw a ghost!”

Alisha smirked and Jenni forced herself to relax. She hoped she hadn’t let any of her features slip.

“No,” she said after exhaling slowly. “I’m fine. But I have to get to English —”

Mrs. Wrightson presented her a slip of paper. “Here’s a hall pass and I’ll let Mr. Feller know where you’re at.”

“Um, okay. Thanks.” Jenni took the hall pass and stared at Alisha as Mrs. Wrightson hurried off. Alisha hadn’t changed. Unless someone could become more perfect. Her blonde hair curled in ringlets over her shoulders and framed her delicate neck. Alisha’s designer top and jeans accentuated every curve flawlessly, and pedicured toes peeked out from her Italian pumps.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

Jenni blinked. “Sorry. So, um, are you new to town?”

Alisha laughed. “You’ve done all right for yourself, Kershaw.”

Blood rushed to Jenni’s face. “W-what do you —?”

“I mean you still need some major help in the fashion department. Who would wear those shoes with that outfit? But, everything else is a definite improvement.”

Jenni was speechless. Her carefully constructed world was crashing down before her eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Alisha continued, “your secret is safe with me. It took me months of work to get back to a normal life. I’m not going to throw it away by blowing the whistle on you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Alisha leaned in close. “After I ran away from Brandon and the others, I was taken into custody by the Army. It took me forever to find someone who could get me released. I just want my life back.”

Jenni considered this. “So, you’re okay with me being here … like this?”

Alisha smiled. “Yeah, we’re cool, Kershaw. Now, why don’t you show me around this dump?”

Jenni giggled. “Sure.” She had to admit it would be nice to have someone to talk to who knew. Even if it was Alisha. Jenni had Crank, of course, but he was a boy. It just wasn’t the same.

She replaced her notebook in her locker and they wandered the halls of the school.

“So tell me,” Jenni asked, “what gave me away?”

“Well, when the counselor told me ‘Jen Kershaw’ was going to show me around, I was kinda expecting it.”

Jenni laughed. “I actually have a cousin on my Dad’s side whose name is Genevieve. So we came up with this story that she, my cousin, came to live with my parents for a while. Since our names are similar, it made it easy not to mess up when someone shouts my name from across the room.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“Yeah. Crank was a little tougher to fit in but —”

“Wait. Crank is here?”

Jenni nodded. “He started to change when we were here, chasing you guys. Then, after everything was over, he came back with me and finished turning human.”

“You followed Brandon and Mrs. Minch back to Mother?”

Jenni shuddered, recalling memories. “When I finally got back, Seren’naie was destroyed and Mogritas’ army had launched some of the barrels of waste … I was able to clean it up — make it harmless — but it almost killed me.”

“Wow. So what did Mogritas do then?”

“Actually, Mrs. Minch finally realized he was just using her and she fought him off with a bunch of the elemental spirits. Mogritas ran away, but Mrs. Minch died in the fight.”

Alisha’s eyebrows rose, but she didn’t reply.

Then Jenni asked, “Why did you guys do it anyway?”

Alisha shrugged. “It seemed like the only way to get home.”

They turned a corner and entered a long hallway with a glass wall on their left. A central courtyard, covered in a light blanket of snow lay beyond. A weak, February sun did its best to penetrate a layer of misty gray clouds. Farther down the hall, the smells of what passed for lunch at the school drifted their way.

“Over there,” Jenni said, “is the site of many attempted murders: the cafeteria.”

Alisha giggled briefly. “School lunches were one thing I didn’t miss.”

“Down here,” Jenni pointed to the right, “is the gym.”

Red, pink and white streamers adorned railings and sports equipment all through the gymnasium in preparation for the dance on Friday. Jenni thought again about Ty and whether she might be able to trust herself on a date.

A sharp sting on her neck interrupted her. Reaching up, she felt a small object protruding from her skin. She plucked it out and saw it was a tiny dart with red feathers.

The world tilted and Jenni found herself on the hardwood floor. Dimly she saw several men in suits and dark glasses running toward her.

Darkness.

What Some Readers and Reviewers Are Saying…

 Praise for A Measure of Disorder, Book One of the Mother-Earth Series

“...I was hooked! I could hardly put this book down. ... It is WELL written, well thought out, and the whole concept is completely insane. Which makes for one great fantasy book.” -- Austin, from ReadingTeen.net

 “A Measure of Disorder by Alan Tucker is a wonderful foray into fantasy and imagination” -- Tracy, from Midwest Book Review

 “...the plot really kept me hooked and I flew through the last hundred pages. I just had to know what was going to happen next.” -- Aimee, from A Book Dork blog

 “As I neared the end of the book, I found myself reading ravenously to find out what happened. I’d love to give more details, but this is really a book that you just need to read to appreciate.” -- Jessica, from A Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile’s Book Blog

Praise for A Cure for Chaos, Book Two of the Mother-Earth Series

“Seriously, these books would make awesome movies! Full of great creatures, scenery and action! The second book picks up about six months after the end of the first and it’s amazing. Definitely unlike anything else out there. I can’t wait for the next one!” -- Linda, from Amazon.com

“A Cure for Chaos offers Tucker’s unique and fantastical perspective to children, teens and adults alike in a wonderful world where dreams can come true and where they can be magical things. It is a visit to the best places in the human spirit, where good prevails and uniqueness is celebrated. It’s a stellar trip into the world of imagination and a voyage you will never want to return from. I can’t wait till the third volume comes out!” -- Tracy, from Midwest Book Review

“Throughout the book I was hugely impressed with Mr. Tucker’s writing. The first time I read the Harry Potter Series I was in complete awe at how J.K. Rowling planned everything out. One little hint in the second book could turn out to be something hugely important in the seventh. And I can see these kind of things starting to play out in the Mother-Earth Series. So, either Alan Tucker is a master of just going along with things and they turn out to be awesome, or he really thought this whole thing out, something that really makes a fantasy series great.” -- Austin, from ReadingTeen.net

About the Author

Alan Tucker, author of the Mother-Earth book series, is a dad, a graphic designer, and a soccer coach. Mostly in that order. He’s had a lifelong adoration of books, beginning with Encyclopedia Brown, progressing through Alan Dean Foster’s Flinx, and continuing on with the likes of Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine and Naomi Novik, to name a few.

 “I wanted to write a book that I’d enjoy reading. One that I hoped my kids would enjoy too!”

Visit the main website at http://www.mother-earthseries.com for more information about the books. View maps, watch trailers, see reviews and much more!