Everville: The City of Worms
Date: 2013-08-15 04:00:00+00:00
Description: College freshman Owen Sage has just started to understand the darkness trying to overtake Everville and the earthly realm. With the help of The Keeper and the Fron army, Owen has managed to buy some time, but new problems have already emerged, new secrets need to be revealed, and the race against time to stop Them from conquering both dimensions has only just begun. The Keeper, Owen Sage, and his friends at Easton Falls University must now battle threats from within. To do it, they must reunite with familiar creatures and join forces with new ones as they navigate their journey to the truth th

Everville:

The City of Worms

Roy Huff

This book is fiction. Any resemblance to real names, events, persons, or organizations is purely coincidental.

Edited by Todd Barselow and Ocean’s Edge Editing.

Additional contributing editors include Liberty Huff, Shree Janani, Brian Driver, and others.

Cover by Damon.

Published August 2013 by Roy Huff. All rights reserved.

Visit Roy Huff on the World Wide Web at
www.owensage.com &
www.goodreads.com/evervillefans

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:

A Taste of Victory

Chapter 2:

The Wreckage

Chapter 3:

Moving Forward.

Chapter 4:

Vengeance

Chapter 5:

The Box

Chapter 6:

The Walls of Vermogen

Chapter 7:

Dinner

Chapter 8:

Discovery

Chapter 9:

Traitor

Chapter 10:

The Fallout

Chapter 11:

The Funeral

Chapter 12:

Decisions

Chapter 13:

Death’s Doorstep

Chapter 14:

Oldrik

Chapter 15:

The Next Day

Chapter 16:

Planning

Chapter 17:

Conspiracy

Chapter 18:

Familiar Settings

Chapter 19:

Spies

Chapter 20:

The Party.

Chapter 21:

The City of Worms

Chapter 22:

Universal Laws

Chapter 23:

The Journey Home

Chapter 24:

The Element

Chapter 25:

The Second Pillar

Chapter 26:

The Final Battle

This book is dedicated to my good friend and Pulitzer Prize nominee, Ann Pearlman.

Chapter 1:

A Taste of Victory

Cleophas, the oldest living member of the Echo Club, leaned over his bedroom dresser, the mental anguish he was suffering temporarily robbing him of his tremendous strength. The brown-stained wood creaked as he pressed down on it with his large body. Once his knees made contact with the ground, he pulled the bottom drawer towards himself, and as the drawer slid open, empty space gave way to the tan, cloth-covered leather binding of an old journal, which he lifted out. His hands peeled away the cloth covering and opened the front cover. The pages filled the air with a distinct musty odor, the kind one sometimes finds in an old library that hasn’t been maintained.

Cleophas had taken a copious amount of scrupulous notes researching a possible solution to break free the minds that had succumbed to the battle against Them, at least until he had lost his dear love Dala to the same fate. The others had managed to stay alive, but in a never-ending sleep. Dala, though, had been unable to survive for more than a few months after the onset of her condition, but even though Cleophas hadn’t spent the same amount of time looking for the truth after her passing, he hadn’t given up the search entirely. He continued to make progress after death had stolen her away from him, and the thickness of the manuscript suggested that he might at least have a few promising leads as to where to start looking.

As he turned the first few pages of discolored notes, doodles, and other markings that he had scribbled on the margins, ‘Ubaloo’ was written at the top of the second page. Next to the word were small drawings of creatures that looked like tiny people, sketches of a humanlike race with perfect musculature, warriors who would intimidate even the bravest of men — that is, if they weren’t a mere twelve inches tall.

More notes were written below the images, foreign-looking letters and shapes. Next to the markings were etchings of the Fwaylan, ferocious doglike animals that resided in The Valley of Darkness.

Cleophas thumbed through the pages and skimmed the words he had written down so long ago. The notes were full of guesses and disconnected theories, but there was one common thread: there was an apparent convergence in Brackenbone, the land of the Ubaloo. It was a place the sketches depicted as one of the eight surrounding lands of Everville and a few days journey west of the Deep Woods, which was connected to The City of Worms across the vast expanse.

Cleophas turned the page. Stuck in the center was an old photograph of Dala. He pulled the photo free, and as he did, his eyes drifted sideways while he reminisced on some of the wonderful moments they had shared together. The shock of her passing had long ago given way to a resolute determination to give her life meaning. Even now, his face exuded a clear focus, undeterred by the reminder of her death or the current situation with Dante, who had been in a coma for the last couple of weeks. His eyes returned to the photograph before he put it back in its previous resting place and stood up from his kneeling position.

Meanwhile, in the brutal desert above the land of the giants, Oldrik, The Keeper who had betrayed Everville, paced back and forth as he pondered his options.

Elmer, one of Oldrik’s three Fron followers, standing at attention said, “Oldrik, what do we do now?”

“Let me think,” Oldrik replied.

“What are we going to do? What are we going to do?”

“I said let me think.”

Elmer plopped down on the ground in frustration, only to snap back up a few moments later. The intense sunlight scorching the ground made it unbearable. “Ouch!” was the word that escaped his lips as the rest of his body shot into the air. The Fron winced as the searing hot dirt burned his rear end. Nickel-sized, fluid-filled blisters formed on the portions of Elmer’s thighs that weren’t covered by cloth.

Oldrik continued to pace a few minutes longer, ignoring Elmer’s painful lapse in judgment, and then he spoke.

“The Keeper and Owen’s stupidity will be Everville’s undoing. We must journey to the Dark Forest and discuss the matter with Them,” Oldrik said while thrusting his long wooden stick into the ground, searching for a hollow spot.

“Let’s do it! Let’s do it!” Elmer said as he limped along, unable to hide his injury.

“Yes. Let’s do it!” said Calvin, the other of Oldrik’s Fron followers. With those words, Oldrik’s rod found a weak spot, and the ground engulfed them as they collapsed into the land of the giants.

Oldrik managed to find his footing, and then took notice of the absence of the giants that were supposed to inhabit the area. “Let’s get moving,” he said as he picked Elmer up by his collar and helped him to his feet. Oldrik himself, however, was tired and slow, as were the rest of his followers.

Portions of the walls were covered in patches of faintly luminescent insects that lit up sections of the caverns. These were followed by areas of complete darkness, which lasted tens of seconds, and as they made their way through the underground passageways their skin darkened and shriveled. The brief periods of darkness made their physical changes appear more apparent with each revelation of glowing light. The Fron that followed Oldrik had started to lose the vibrant appearance that their species was known for, and Oldrik himself began to look more tired and aged than a typical Keeper. Despite their sluggishness and disturbing transformations, they continued for hours, and before long they had made substantial gains in their distance.

From atop the stairwell in his Everville workshop, The Keeper looked down at Sako’s assistant Toe and began to speak. “Oldrik and the others have abandoned us. Even now they are conspiring against us. They are misguided and will likely fail, but we can’t afford to ignore them.”

“So what can we do?” Toe said as he looked up at The Keeper.

“We will do what we have always done, and what we will always do. We will seek the truth, and the truth will guide us to the answer. It pains me to see Oldrik and our fellow Fron, whom we have known for ages, fall for the deceit that is the great lie. It’s an internal struggle that we all face, a battle from within that never ceases to rage. At any moment, we can allow ourselves to believe the falsehoods that are spread by our adversaries and the fabrications that Them have convinced even their own kind to believe. It’s this lie that has led to the creation of Them, and it is this lie that has convinced Them that we are the enemy.”

The Keeper turned and looked through the portal wall. He watched from a distance as Oldrik and the others transformed from their previous state into disgusting, hideous creatures.

The Fron who walked alongside Oldrik shrank and shriveled. They looked at each other in dismay as the final consequence of their betrayal manifested itself. Each of them stared with horror at their hands, which had begun to throb. After expending a surprising amount of effort due to the agony, they held their hands in front of their faces and watched as their fingers grew in length and narrowed in width while the tips pulsated and enlarged to the size of large grapes that looked as if they were about to explode. Sharp nails grew several inches from their now engorged fingertips, and slime oozed out of their pores and began to wrap around their bodies. They writhed in pain as the same thing happened to their feet. The process, which had started off slow, had gradually accelerated and was now almost complete.

Oldrik had grown in height. He now stood as tall as the giants, but he had narrowed as well. He stood there, tall and lanky, shriveled and slimy. His beard was now longer and matted. It reeked of something rotten, and many of the strange-looking bugs that lived in the area were attracted to the odor; they had started to make his moist, coarse beard-hairs their home.

Oldrik picked off one of the bugs that had inched its way up to his face and flicked it to the ground after inspecting it for a few seconds. He then reached back to drag Calvin and Mallory forward. They had stopped to take notice of their own physical changes.

“Let’s keep moving.”

Calvin and Mallory quickened their pace as they struggled to keep from falling too far behind Oldrik as he stormed off.

The Keeper turned away from the portal, unable to continue watching his former friends who now looked more like one of the races that inhabited the Dark Forest and the other surrounding lands of The Other In Between than the friends whom he had grown to know and love.

“Toe, call the other Keepers and Sako. We have much to discuss.”

Toe rushed out the door and hurried off to notify the others. He called Sako, the leader of the Fron, in from his study, as well as all The Keepers who resided in the underground tunnels of Everville. The gathering in the Workshop of The Keepers grew larger, and before the noise became too deafening, The Keeper made his way to the front and began to speak.

“The First Pillar has removed the veil that Them had been using to conceal the origin of the breach, and it now appears that our worst fears have been realized. As you know, it was decided long ago that we must prevent great concentrations of power from forming. The pursuit of absolute power will drive its seekers mad. Power must be limited and decentralized. Otherwise, it will corrupt those who wield it, even those who have the best of intentions.

“With the help of Oldrik and a few others, Them have found a way to circumvent our solution. I fear, however, that Oldrik will help Them do even more harm and force our hand. We must uncover the extent of the damage, and soon. Owen and The First Pillar have bought us some time by weakening Them and helping the Fron win the first battle, but the collection of power continues, and if we do nothing, Them will emerge even stronger than before. I think it’s wise if we send some of our best men to the point of origin. If we act now, we may be able to prevent further harm. They should leave first thing tomorrow before Oldrik has time to further consort with Them.”

Sako and Toe emerged aboveground after the meeting with The Keepers. They walked towards the direction of the Great Fron Hall, and as they did so, a faint tremble grew more noticeable along with the sound of singing and laughter.

Just before they reached the entrance, a purple and yellow marmook named Grenmar lunged towards Toe’s legs and wrapped its tiny arms and humanlike hands around him. Grenmar then proceeded to jump up as high as he could, and continually fell back down to the ground as its large furry balloon-shaped torso made it difficult to get a good grip. Grenmar’s presence was reassuring to Toe. He picked up the marmook and petted its velvety soft, yellow oval-shaped head before setting it back down. The marmook looked up at Toe with its golf ball-sized eyes and arms stretched out like a small child, its tongue hanging out of its mouth like a dog hoping to get picked up once more, but Toe continued to walk forward. Although it was sometimes difficult to tell, the marmooks were not just pets. They were respected, and often made important contributions to Everville.

As they entered the Great Fron Hall, musicians were playing upbeat music from long-stringed instruments and shiny gourd drums. Dozens of Fron danced arm-in-arm in joyous celebration of the recent victory against Them. Like all Fron festivities, a wide variety of food was plentiful along with numerous wines and ales. An equal number of Fron were consuming the succulent treats that were filling the room with irresistible aromas, and were drinking various shades of brightly-colored beverages that were spread across the tables. Toe grabbed a few morsels to snack on as they passed by some of the large trays of food.

“Sako, Toe, it’s good to see both of you. Come, sit, have a drink.”

“Ah, Kearney, likewise. It’s great to see you as well, but we have a lot to discuss,” Sako said.

“I’m sure you do my old friend, but never mind that. We can talk in the morning. Tonight we have cause to celebrate, and we will not let anyone deprive us Fron of a good celebration.”

It wasn’t more than a few seconds after Kearney, one of the village elders, spoke that an attractive young Fron maiden, barely in her hundreds, coerced Sako into joining in on the merriment. She rubbed his hairless head and pulled him to the center of the floor.

For the evening anyway, Sako and Toe put their mission out of their minds as best they could. Sako danced for hours, but Toe was content to sit, eat, drink, watch, and converse with some old friends; he left the dancing and frolicking to Sako.

As usual, the only thing that could effectively stop a good Fron party was running out food and drink, but at some point it had to happen, as it always does. When the last tray of food was bare and the last crate of wine had been emptied, the musicians stopped playing, but the dancing lasted a while longer.

Eventually, the last couple stopped dancing, and only the village elders remained. Sako and Toe helped the elders put away the empty crates and clean the hall, and before long, Sako had started talking about the meeting with The Keepers. They gathered together and sat at one of the larger, rectangular wooden tables as Sako began to speak.

“The action that was taken a long time ago was a temporary one, and we knew then that it wouldn’t last forever. This is even more apparent now, and The Keeper has seen it. The action of The First Pillar has revealed part of what Them have been conspiring. Oldrik and his followers may cause even more damage when they meet with Them. That is where Oldrik is headed now. He and his followers have already been changed, and soon Them will be able to read Oldrik’s thoughts. At some point, the wall that has been erected may no longer be able to shield the knowledge from Them. We have won a great battle, but it’s clear we will soon need to win another.”

“Well, Sako,” Kearney said, “it makes sense to find out what we’re dealing with while we still have the element of surprise. I’ll journey with you in the morning to Brackenbone to see how much damage has been done and if we can hold off the great decision for a little bit longer.”

Sako said, “Toe, I need you to gather a small contingent of Fron that The Keeper mentioned. We will meet The Keeper in the morning so that he can grant us passage through the portal. It’s the only way to get there in time. Have your men ready by dawn.”

“I’ll let them know right away,” Toe replied.

Kearny extinguished the remaining lamps and closed the massive gates of the Great Fron Hall with the help of the remaining Fron. Just then, the brilliance of the stars grabbed Toe’s attention and forced him to look up. It was impossible not to notice, and the others with him soon looked up as well. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, more stars revealed themselves. The evil that had infiltrated Everville had muted the beauty of the land prior to the great Fron battle. With the evil abated and the traitors removed, the magnificence of the land and the sky had been restored, at least for the time being.

“It’s great to see our land as it should be, free from the darkness of the other side,” Kearney said.

“It sure is a beautiful night, but the evil is still out there, lurking, and is not far off. We must remain vigilant,” Sako said.

Toe went to the homes of those he had selected to be in his contingent. Each of them made swift preparations, but it was getting late and only a few hours remained before dawn. After notifying the others, Toe returned to his home and sat down on his bed.

As was his ritual every night since his wife Nissa’s abduction to The Other In Between, he picked up an old framed sketch of her, and touched the glass over her penciled image for several moments before he laid it back down and fell asleep.

The morning arrived all too soon, but Toe, the small contingent of Fron, and a few marmooks made it to the entrance leading to The Keeper’s Workshop before dawn. As the first rays of sunlight emerged above the horizon, Sako led the way and they descended through the passageway. They did not travel long to reach The Keeper’s Workshop, and soon thereafter they had arrived.

“There is no time to spare,” The Keeper said.

“You will not be able to use the portal on the way back. Once you find what you are looking for, you will need to travel several days to the Deep Woods before you can return, so you must hurry.”

The Keeper then ushered them through the portal into the center of Brackenbone. Upon their arrival, several hundred Ubaloo greeted them and introduced themselves. The Fron themselves were short, but the Ubaloo, a noble race of creatures who resided in Brackenbone, stood a mere one foot tall, which made the Fron giants among them. Nevertheless, the Ubaloo were strong and brave, and like all of the inhabitants of the eight surrounding lands of Everville, they were good-natured and eager to help.

“This way,” said an Ubaloo. “The point of origin is hidden in the walls of Vermogen. We’re not far. I’m Asher, by the way. This is Faine, and Felix is over there riding the back of Grenmar.”

“All right then, Asher,” Sako replied. “Let’s get moving.”

The Ubaloo led the way, moving with remarkable swiftness, almost like a herd of small animals. The contingent of Fron followed right behind, and the marmooks hopped along between them with facial expressions that were in an almost perpetual state of excitement and glee; their flopping ears accompanied them for the ride.

Chapter 2:

The Wreckage

Back at the university, Owen Sage stepped out of his dorm room and glanced across the debris-strewn campus. He stood there motionless, then gazed somewhere off in the distance. The intense training for the Roundabout had added a few pounds of muscle to his average-looking physique, but his poor posture, untidy appearance, and distraught look made him appear lost and fatigued.

As Owen walked further onto the grass, a pungent odor that had engulfed the courtyard made its presence known and shook him from his daze. The odor had hints of sewage, burnt plastic, and a combination of several other unpleasant smells, but neither the smell nor the sight of the destruction were able to hold Owen’s attention and he became transfixed on the thoughts that had been swirling around in his head since his recent battle and the revelation of Dante’s current plight.

He walked back to his room and sat down on the corner of his bed. It wasn’t until Anika’s arrival that he was able to break free from the mental shackles that had held him hostage all that morning. Even then, Owen found it difficult to focus until they reached Dante’s hospital room later in the day.

A while later, as they stood by the side of Dante’s bed, all Owen could think about was what Dante might be going through and what sort of miracle would be needed in order to save him from his current predicament. Owen had no doubt, however, that Them had been devising a scheme to replenish the losses inflicted by the Fron army and were preparing for an invasion of the surrounding lands of Everville. Regardless of the devious machinations of Them, Owen’s main concern remained finding a solution to keep Dante from suffering the misfortune of remaining comatose the rest of his life, just like the others who had overexerted themselves in the battle against Them across the vast expanse of time and space.

“Owen, we gotta save him. You heard what Cleophas said. None of the others who lost consciousness like this ever came out of it. This is just too much. I mean, why us? Why do we have to do deal with all of this crap in the first place? If Dante doesn’t wake up, I just don’t know how I’m gonna handle it.”

Owen sighed in frustration. He was wearing the same long-sleeve, button-down shirt from the night before, and hadn’t shaved in the last week. A patchy light-brown beard had started to grow on his face, and with all that had been going on over the last couple of months, he hadn’t taken the time to cut his hair, which had now grown to a length that was an unsightly in-between stage.

Owen looked at Anika and said, “There must be a way. I feel like we’re losing time, but I just can’t think straight right now. The best thing that we can do at the moment is just go and get some rest. We’re no use to Dante all tired and scatterbrained. We need to recharge, then meet up with Cleophas and the others when we’re more focused.”

Anika looked down at Dante. Water covered her piercing hazel eyes, and a persistent stream of tears had drenched her white blouse, plastering it to her skin. She looked up and turned to Owen; the quivering in her eyes had been replaced by a focused anger and hatred.

“Those things did this to Dante. I swear I’m going to kill Them. We need to find Them and kill Them!”

“We will stop Them, Anika. I promise you that much.”

Owen felt the same anger and sadness as Anika, but he knew that giving in to his rage would cloud his judgment. Now was not the time, however, to mention it, so he allowed himself a moment to share the pain.

“Anika, after I get some rest I think I should go back to Everville. Maybe The Keeper has some ideas on how to help Dante. I don’t know how much Cleophas or Avery can help, but The Keeper must know a little about what’s going on.”

“You’re probably right. The Keeper’s gotta know something,” Anika said with a determined voice.

Anika and Owen weren’t the only ones struggling with an apparent tragedy. Around the same time, Zee was at home mourning over the loss of his father, Professor Samil.

“I don’t understand this, Drusilla. I mean, what happened? The doctor said it was natural causes, but that just doesn’t seem possible. He’s not that old, at least not old enough to keel over for no apparent reason.”

Zee’s voice trembled as he spoke, and the solitary tear that he had been fighting to hold back finally won out.

“I’m as confused as you are, Zee. It doesn’t make any sense. Maybe we should start by looking around the estate for some clues. He was lying next to that painting when he died. There’s gotta be some kinda connection.”

Zee sat there on the antique handcrafted armchair, motionless and unresponsive for a few moments, then he broke his silence.

“I’m not sure what to think, but maybe it’s all connected. My father always told me that these walls were special, and that everything he did, he did for a reason. He was so protective of his things, the paintings especially. A couple of times I watched him without him noticing that I was there. I could have sworn I saw the painting change, and he—he talked to it, like it was talking back to him or something.”

“Well, Zee, I think we need to inspect the paintings a little closer, and for that matter, anything else that might lead us to the truth. I think the gallery is probably a good place to start. I know you’ve walked this place a thousand times over, but maybe there’s something you missed. Maybe if you think hard enough or look around a bit, you might remember something else.”

Before they had an opportunity to discuss the topic any further, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Startled, they looked at each other, as if acknowledging with their eyes that they weren’t expecting any company. Zee let out a faint sigh, then he reluctantly stood up and walked to open the door.

Zee opened the door and inspected the man standing in front of him. The gentlemen looked like a professional salesman, balding, clean-shaven, and dressed in an expensive black suit and tie. He was also short and noticeably overweight.

“I’m sorry, dear sir,” the man said as he anxiously made his way to the entrance. “I know you may have wanted to have more of a hand in the settling of your father’s affairs, but I’ve been asked to take care of it.”

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Zee asked, as the man continued to maneuver his way into the estate.

“I think I should get going, Zee.”

“You don’t have to go, Drusilla. Please stay a while longer.”

“All right then,” Drusilla said as she doubled back and sat down by the table.

Zee had turned to answer, which allowed the man the opportunity to walk around him and cross through the entrance.

“Dear, sir,” the gentlemen continued to say as he walked forward, now completely inside the doorway. “My name is Odious, and it’s all been written into the affairs of the estate, which I have been chosen to oversee. You needn’t worry about anything. Everything will be properly handled. You don’t by chance happen to have any tea do you, my dear sir?”

Zee sighed again.

“Let me go get you some,” Drusilla said.

Zee sat back down and slowly rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

“I can promise you, Zee, I will make this as easy as possible. That’s the way your father would have wanted it. Your father was very prudent and had his affairs in order for quite some time. I’m going to have the funeral scheduled for two Sundays from now. He will be buried at the Easton Falls Memorial Cemetery.”

The skin on Zee’s forehead wrinkled and his face displayed a mixture of grief and frustration.

Drusilla handed Odious and Zee each a cup of tea, then she sat down after she watched Zee take a sip. Zee held the hot cup under his nose and allowed the aroma of honey and herbs to enter his nostrils before he took another sip and placed the cup down on the table.

“What do you need from me?” Zee asked as he thumbed the small china handle of the cup.

“It would be nice if you could say a few words about your father, but that is, of course, completely up to you. I do, however, have a few things that your father had instructed be delivered to you in the event anything unfortunate happened to him. The other property of the estate will be handled per the accordance of his financial trust, but there are boxes, which he specifically stated were to go to you straight away in the event of his death. If you give me a few moments, I’ll go back to the car and get them.” Odious stood up. His large belly made it a bit of a challenge to stand without bumping the table in front of him, but after a modest amount of effort, he made his way back to the doorway without knocking anything out of place.

“Hold on. Let me help you,” Zee said.

“Sure thing, sir.”

They made a couple of trips to the car and brought back a total of four boxes. The boxes themselves looked like nothing out of the ordinary, typical cream-colored cardboard boxes with lids.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Odious said as he reached down for a final sip of tea. “Mmmm. This is good. Thank you again for the tea. I’ll be in touch.”

He walked out the door, and without hesitation Drusilla and Zee turned around and walked towards the boxes. As they knelt down in front of them, Zee ran his hand across the top of one of the cardboard lids, as if expecting the texture to reveal something hidden. He turned to Drusilla and slowly lifted one of the lids.

Chapter 3:

Moving Forward.

“Anika, did you read the university email?”

“Yeah, I read it. Looks like we have a couple more weeks ‘til classes start up, and Professor Samil is dead. I can’t believe it. Are you planning on going to his funeral?”

It was the first time that Owen had heard Anika speak without a frog in her throat since he had returned from Everville, and that at least gave him a little comfort.

“I think so. I see there was no mention of Dante, but I guess there wouldn’t be. It looks like I’ll be getting a roommate too, part of the university’s plan to make up for the storm’s damage to the dorms.

“I think it’s time we paid a visit to Cleophas and then The Keeper. I finally got a decent night of sleep, so we should get moving on a plan to help Dante. We have a little time before classes start up again. Hopefully we can figure something out before then. I’ll see if I can contact Cleophas, then I’ll check on some transportation. If we’re lucky, we might be able to visit him later this afternoon.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to go back to the hospital and watch over Dante. We can meet up later.”

Anika left Owen’s dorm and started walking back in the direction of the hospital. She tried to calm her thoughts as much as possible so she wouldn’t be stressed when she got back to Dante. Unfortunately, the general state of the campus only added to her stress, and by the time she arrived, she was once again battling back tears.

Anika sat down by Dante’s bed and stared at the intravenous bag attached to his arm. She moved her chair closer to him and reached over to pick up his hand. She held it, rubbed it, and briefly felt comforted by its warmth. Her eyes looked as if she were about to solve some great problem but then got lost somewhere along the way.

She then noticed the clear drops that were falling from the upright plastic bag, delivering Dante his nutrients drip by drip. They appeared to take an extra long time to fall. She imagined looking at the drips from the perspective of small insect able to stand on the water due to its surface tension, and wondered if this was what the rest of Dante’s life was going to be like, stuck in a hospital bed getting fed intravenously until his organs finally gave out on him, or he died of an infection from bed sores, waiting until they did.

Anika’s glossy, pink bag vibrated. She reached in and grabbed her phone. Owen’s name appeared on the screen, and she touched it to answer the call.

“Hey, Owen. What’s up?”

The frog in her throat had returned, and Owen could hear that she had been crying again.

“Cleophas is going to pick us up. We’ll meet you by the hospital lobby in about twenty minutes.”

“Okay then.”

Anika stood up, and for the first time she decided to take a walk around the hospital floor where Dante was located. She walked past the main hallway that led to the cafeteria and continued walking a little further until she noticed a small coffee cart manned by an older lady, whom she proceeded to pay for a steaming cup.

The moment the first drop of coffee touched her lips, she began to feel normal again, but that feeling only lasted a few seconds. She sighed and headed back to Dante’s room for one last visit before she left the hospital.

Just before she arrived at the room, she noticed the adjacent door was ajar and could hear the doctor speaking to someone. She glanced in and heard the doctor mention something about a coma.

In the room, Anika saw a man and woman in their late fifties or early sixties along with the doctor and a patient, who was lying on one of the beds.

Anika heard the woman say to the doctor, “I saw him moving. His eyes looked like they were about to blink. Has there been any change?”

“I wish I could say this was a positive thing, but the truth of the matter is that there has never been a case where a patient has been unconscious this long and returned to near perfect health, at least none that I am aware of. It just doesn’t happen.

“The brain is a delicate organ, and if it’s traumatized it’s difficult for it to recover. If the unconscious state lasts more than a few weeks, it’s almost always permanent. The movement you saw is more likely the body’s last gasp before it regresses. I think you should be prepared for the worst. If the nurse or I notice any change in vitals or other activity, we will let you know right away.”

Seeing that the woman was about to cry, the graying gentlemen standing next to her put an arm around her shoulder.

Anika saw the doctor spot her by the door, so she continued walking to Dante’s room, not wanting to appear as if she were eavesdropping.

After shutting the door and settling back in, she stood over Dante and said, “We’re going to get you out of this, Dante. I’m not going to let your mind rot away in here. We’re going to figure this out.”

Anika left the room again and entered the nearest elevator. She always hated the way hospital elevators smelled, so antiseptically sterile, and the ring that they made on each floor almost had an echo, as if acknowledging the presence of the empty hallways that went on forever.

Cleophas and Owen arrived in an old beat-up car. Owen got out and opened the back door for Anika as she approached.

“It’s good to see you again, Anika. I know this has been a tough time for you,” Cleophas said as Anika crouched her way onto the seat.

“It’s good to see you too, Cleophas, and thanks.”

Despite the long trip, the rest of the drive was a blur. She noticed a few bumps here and there, as well as a few objects that resembled trees or bushes, but everything else just melted together, like a dream one wakes up from and quickly forgets.

When they arrived, Cleophas escorted them into the main guest room of his home and then he went to get the journal he had been reviewing the day before.

“Owen, I heard the doctor speaking to this couple about their friend in the hospital. He said that people who stay unconscious for a long time don’t come out of it. He said it never happens.”

Anika’s face turned beet red and her eyes released a torrent of tears that poured out all over the end-table near where she was standing.

“What are we going to do, Owen? I swear—I swear if we—”

Before she had a chance to finish, her hand accidentally knocked the vase on the table off onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. Then she purposely kicked over the table and started pounding the wooden pieces with her fists until the top of the table was no longer able to withstand the abuse and collapsed inward.

“Anika …” Owen said as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

“We will get through this, and we will find a way to wake Dante.”

Cleophas had been watching the scene from the hall but had waited a few moments until Anika had calmed down before he came in. She looked up and noticed Cleophas standing there.

“Anika,” he said, “I understand what you are going through. I had to deal with similar feelings of sadness and rage when the same thing happened to Dala. With her passing, and the experience and wisdom that I’ve been fortunate enough to gain over the years, I’ve learned some very important lessons. Everything in the universe has a purpose, even violence, and there is constant renewal in destruction. Preserving and restoring goodness, truth, and liberty are worth fighting for, but uncontrolled hatred and unrestrained aggression serve only to further the agenda of the authors of deceit and confusion.”

Anika sat there a few moments thinking about what Cleophas had just said as Owen rushed off to get something to wipe the blood that he had noticed dripping from her hands onto the carpet.

“You’re right, Cleophas. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to smash your table.”

“It’s already forgotten. Let’s use that energy to focus on finding a solution, and I have an idea just how we might do that.”

Owen returned with a wet cloth and began wiping Anika’s hands. Cleophas then revealed his journal, and started discussing with them the details of what he had written. Owen nodded in acknowledgement while listening to Cleophas lecture for half an hour. By then the word ‘Ubaloo’ had been seared into Owen’s brain.

“Here, take this,” Cleophas said to Owen as he handed over the journal.

Owen felt a rush of adrenaline as a sense of assuredness came over him. At least now he had a starting point and something he could discuss with The Keeper. Everville was his next stop, and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Chapter 4:

Vengeance

The Keeper watched through the portal as Toe and the others followed the Ubaloo to the walls of Vermogen, but he could not see past the walls. Once the contingent of Fron disappeared from view, The Keeper turned his attention back to the land of the giants.

The giants had been preparing for quite some time for the great battles that awaited them, and they had dug deeper and wider than ever before, almost five miles below the brutal desert.

“Get the monstrum ready,” General Varrick, leader of the giant army, commanded.

“Yes, General,” two of the worker giants said in unison as they heaved and pushed the behemoth of a rock smasher into place. The monstrum was massive and difficult to move, but it was effective. It was an old-fashioned contraption made of two humungous wooden arms encased in metal shielding with a centerpiece that resembled a large pendulum comprised of dull cast iron.

A few moments later, they let out a great warning cry to all those in the area. When the centerpiece was released from the top of the machine, the gravity of its own weight created enough force to pulverize tons of rock with one smash. Upon impact, a massive amount of rock broke free and created a rockslide in the underground realm. A cloud of dust filled the immediate vicinity and created a white powder that caked the faces of all the creatures and giants in the area.

After the dust cleared, dozens of giants created a line starting at the pile of debris. They flung the large boulders in the direction of a manual assembly belt that was powered by brute force. The giants who operated the assembly turned large winders that were used to carry the smashed rock through miles of caverns. With amazing swiftness, the piles of rock that had collapsed next to the machine were whittled away to dust. It was a quick and efficient system.

After watching the troops work, General Varrick nodded in approval and headed off towards his study. As he walked, his feet created tremors each time they came into contact with the ground that could be felt all the way up to the surface. He sat down on his large stone seat and took a sip of water from the mug resting on the top of the table in front of him. As Varrick took his first drink, The Keeper’s image appeared on the surface of the table.

“Varrick, Oldrik and his followers are nearing your location, and are on their way to visit the Dark Forest. I need you and your men to delay them as long as possible until the Fron visit the point of origin and find out exactly how Them have managed to overcome our prior fix.”

“Consider it done, Keeper.”

“Thank you, Varrick. We are in your debt, and all those who reside in our realm are grateful for your efforts.”

General Varrick immediately informed the other giants of Oldrik’s location, and a group of three quickly climbed the underground cavern walls and punched through the surface. With the loss of their fellow brothers in the recent Fron battle, they were hungry for revenge. Even their huge muscles hinted of their eagerness as their powerful limbs catapulted them into the air across hundreds of yards above the surface of the brutal desert. With each landing, the impact produced tremendous force and a deafening thunder.

Oldrik and his followers had continued their journey belowground, but above the main level where the giants were currently residing. They were just approaching the river leading to The Valley of Darkness when they first felt the tremors.

“Stop,” Oldrik said as the shaking alerted him to the approach of the giants.

Just then, the three giants jumped one last time, the highest they had ever jumped. They reached almost a thousand yards into the air, and on their descent, they focused the position of their landing on one spot.

The impact created an earthquake that grew in intensity, building second by second, moment by moment. The ground could take no more of it, and for half a mile in every direction of the point of impact, the dirt surrounding it collapsed into the underground catacombs.

“Help us, Master Keeper. Help!” Elmer shouted as the ground above him came raining down.

Oldrik grumbled as Elmer and Calvin sought shelter by huddling around him. The collapse had cut off the path to the river leading to The Valley of Darkness, leaving Oldrik and company stranded but unscathed, at the bottom of a massive sinkhole that was now open to the torturous sun above.

The three giants landed at the bottom and surrounded Oldrik.

“You will not pass,” Borak, the largest of the three giants, said. Borak stood three times the height of the other giants, a real giant among giants. He had dark brown hair and eyes, with chiseled muscles, and a face that wore the scars of battle. A sturdy helmet sat atop his head, and metal chainmail armor made from the special stones in the underground realm of the giants covered his upper body.

“We will eventually. You can delay us for now, but we will move forward,” Oldrik said menacingly.

Borak’s eyes lit up with anger. He swung his fist in Oldrik’s direction, but it was no use. Oldrik had erected a shield with the power of his rod to prevent anyone from harming him or his followers.

Borak and the other two giants continued to expend significant amounts of energy bashing the shield that stood in their way.

“Your tricks won’t last forever, Oldrik. You’ll be sorry when we finally get to you.”

“You won’t get to me, Borak. Your strength is useless, and you will regret your stupidity in helping The Keeper.”

Borak bent down. Every sinew, tendon, and fiber of muscle in his massive thighs flexed, every hair stood erect as his legs prepared to launch him into the air. He jumped up as high as he could, and as he did, his body resembled a rocket once his feet lost contact with the ground. On his descent, he crouched his body and used every bit of force available to bear down on the top of the shield above Oldrik and the others. The impact made a deafening crackle and shook the ground, sending out tremors for miles.

Borak and the other giants continued to take turns colliding with the shield in what appeared to be a futile attempt to break it. Oldrik remained unfazed. All the while, his connection with the races surrounding The Other In Between had been growing, and by that time, he had been able to connect with the minds of the Fwaylan that resided in The Valley of Darkness and had mentally called upon them to help. Oldrik knew it would only be a matter of time before the Fwaylan arrived, and then he could continue his trek to the Dark Forest.

In The Valley of Darkness, the Fwaylan began to appear from behind the rocks. All across the valley, thousands of them started moving in unison. Their lumbering movement became a jog, and soon a gallop. From the top of the concave cliffs to the river’s entrance, an almost limitless herd of menacing, oversized canine-like creatures poured from all regions of the valley. The sound of their movement created a roar that filled the valley and echoed into the underground caverns.

The Fwaylan entered the river’s entrance and made their way into the underground caverns, appearing as a faucet flowing in reverse. It wouldn’t be long before they arrived in the land of the giants, and Oldrik sensed their approach.

“They’re coming for you now, Borak. I suggest you leave while you still have the chance to do so in one piece.”

Borak ignored Oldrik’s jibe and continued pummeling the shield. With one last attempt, the ground beneath the shield collapsed and the sinkhole grew to reach the new main level of the giants.

The walls around the giants collapsed and tons of rock piled up, covering much of the empty space that had existed before, but the area was limited to less than fifty square yards. General Varrick mobilized his men and started digging away the portions of collapsed tunnels that separated them from Oldrik.

Varrick removed the first stone that revealed the sunlight above and the position of Oldrik. A beam of light lit up the underground caverns where the giants resided and shined with tremendous brilliance. The other giants hurried to the same spot and started removing the rocks and tossing them aside. When the last boulder was removed, Borak and the other two giants jumped in the hole and took defensive positions surrounding Oldrik.

By then, the Fwaylan were only a few hundred yards off, so the general called for the archers, who proceeded to take their positions facing upwards to the entrance of the hole.

The growls and the stampede grew louder, and archers prepared to make their first wave of shots, but the blinding sun made it difficult for them to see the position of the Fwaylan. As a result, a few of the Fwaylan were able to make it through the hole before the archers could target them with their first volley.

Borak and the other two giants who had collapsed the hole managed to grab the few Fwaylan that had made it into the tunnels. Borak flung one of the creatures at a wall and leapt on it as it fell to the floor. The creature was no match for the massive size and weight of Borak, who crushed it where it lay. The other two giants did the same with the other two Fwaylan which had slipped through.

The small size of the hole and position of the archers created a bottleneck that prevented the majority of the Fwaylan from entering. General Varrick ordered the archers to stop the volley of shots but to remain ready if given the order to continue. The Fwaylan circled the hole without attacking, unable to make any real progress and not willing to lose any more of their kind. For the time being, the giants had successfully stalled both the Fwaylan and the movement of Oldrik, but it was unclear how long this would last.

Chapter 5:

The Box

At Professor Samil’s estate, Drusilla watched in eager anticipation as Zee lifted the lid of the first box that Odious had brought them. Peering inside, he reached in to grab some of the objects. There were documents, a notebook, some letters, a few photos, and a smaller box. He thumbed through a few of the photos, which had pictures of Professor Samil along with some people he recognized from paintings in the Art Club. He handed them to Drusilla, who glanced at them with similar disinterest. It was the smaller and cube shaped wooden box that had grabbed their attention.

Zee lifted it out of the container, unsure exactly how to open it. The box was almost smooth, but there was a slight grainy texture to it that gave away its wooden composition. There was no visible entry. He turned it over a few times, inspecting it for a crack or an opening, and then he touched one of the corners of the box.

As soon as Zee touched one of the corners, two lines formed from the center of the top and continued towards the edge and halfway down the sides. The top of the box then split into four equal sections that opened up and folded halfway over the sides. The inside of the box contained three separate compartments, equal in shape, each held a different object.

Zee lifted the first object out of the box. It was a glass jar that contained a shimmering liquid. It had hints of opal and fleeting rainbow colors that faded into white as he swirled it around and inspected it.

The second object was a miniature landscape oil painting on canvas with a gold frame. It was about the size of wallet photo. The painting had stunning detail including very tiny brush strokes that looked like they were made with a miniature brush.

The final object was a tan scroll, frayed around the edges and tied with a thin red ribbon. Zee pulled on one of the ends of the ribbon until it opened and the scroll uncoiled.

They looked intently at the scroll, which contained a map. The map was divided into two sections. The left side contained a half sphere with a circle in the middle surrounded by eight regions of near equal size. The center of the circle had the words “Everville and the land of the Fron” written on top. The other eight regions on the right were named as well and contained symbols that Zee immediately recognized. The symbols were identical to those that were engraved in the bo staves that were used during training and the roundabouts.

Lines connected each of the eight regions on the left to the eight regions on the right side of the map, which contained the right half of the matching sphere. The right side was the mirror image of the left; only the names and symbols were different. The center of the right side was named “The Other In Between,” with the word “Them” written underneath. The eight regions surrounding the center of the right circle were also named and contained different characters, which Zee also recognized as being symbols used for different bo staves.

Between the two halves of the sphere was written the word “Borderlands,” and in the center was a sphere called “The Earthly Realm.”

“What the heck is that,” Drusilla said.

“I don’t know, but it looks pretty cool. It’s obviously an old map of some kind, but is it a map of something real or something else, a story in a book maybe?”

Zee put down the scroll to take a second look at the miniature painting.

“Hold on a sec. I’m going to go get a magnifying glass.”

Zee put down the painting, which Drusilla proceeded to pick up, and then he ran off to the other room. Drusilla held the painting up to her eyes in an attempt to see more detail, but nothing stood out.

After Zee returned, they both looked at the painting through the magnifying glass, hoping to find a clue.

“I don’t see anything special here,” Zee said.

“Neither do I,” remarked Drusilla.

They put down the object with a look of disappointment on their faces, and then started shuffling through the other documents that were in the currently open box, and the other three boxes.

Drusilla picked up the photos and said, “You know, Zee, most of the people in the pictures are in the paintings at the Art Club.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too, but that doesn’t really help us much.”

They continued looking through the documents, and then they picked up the notebook.

“Look. It’s Professor Samil’s.”

“Yeah, it looks like my dad’s handwriting.”

They flipped through the notebook then turned back to the first page.

Entry Number One:

I’m getting closer to finding a way to stop the breach, but I think The Keeper is holding me back. After talking with some of the other creatures here, I think there must be more ways to stop Them and the other races surrounding The Other In Between.

“Well, I guess we know what the map is for now,” Drusilla said.

“Yeah, but we still don’t know what it means. Was he writing a book, or maybe some kind of novel?” Zee said.

“Maybe, but let’s read the whole thing, and we might get a better idea,” Drusilla said.

Back in Everville, The Keeper had been alerted as soon as Zee had opened the box, and he had been watching as Zee and Drusilla attempted to decipher the purpose of each object. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Zee discovered his father’s past. As The Keeper observed them, his face took on a look of concern and uncertainty.

The Keeper approached one of the endless shelves in his workshop and looked at the objects which rested on one of them, glass containers identical to the one that Zee had found, each filled with the same shimmering liquid. The Keeper picked up one of the containers and inspected it while stroking his beard thoughtfully. He put down one container and picked up another, looking at it with the same curiosity.

“It can’t be. Can it?” The Keeper said to himself, aloud. He rubbed his chin and continued to stroke his beard as he pondered the thought that had just occurred to him. He also sensed that Owen was about to transport himself to Everville. And with that thought, Owen arrived.

“Owen, I know why you’re here and I don’t have any answers for you just yet.”

“Keeper, I was talking with Cleophas and his notes suggested we might find some answers in Brackenbone. Do you think I should go there?”

“I’ve sent a small contingent of Fron to travel behind the walls of Vermogen near the center of Brackenbone. It’s the origin of the breach. When they return, I’ll have a better idea of what we’re dealing with, and hopefully some answers and a possible solution to your problem. Until then, there is nothing we can really do here. I suggest you go back to the earthly realm. Take care of your friends. Right now, they need you more than I do. I’ll alert you when you are needed here.”

Owen transported himself back to the home of Cleophas.

“So what did you find out?” Anika said.

“It looks like Cleophas was right. Something’s going on in Brackenbone. The Keeper sent some of the Fron to go check it out. He said that the origin of the breach is located somewhere in Brackenbone, and once they figure out what caused it, he might have some answers.”

“Well guys,” said Cleophas, “while we’re waiting, why don’t I prepare you a proper supper? I’ll have Avery and Dante’s Uncle Jack over as well.”

“Yeah. That sounds good,” Anika said.

“Sounds good to me, too.”

“Splendid. I’ll call them over right away. How would you guys like to help me in the kitchen?” Cleophas said in a deep, confident tone.

“Sure. No problem,” Anika said, as they both headed off in that direction.

Chapter 6:

The Walls of Vermogen

Within a short time after leaving the main village in Brackenbone, the Fron and the others had arrived just outside the walls of Vermogen.

“The walls are taller than I expected,” Toe said.

“Why? Is it because we’re so small? Well it’s not our fellow Ubaloo we’re trying to keep out,” Asher said in a high-pitched voice that sounded like a person who had just inhaled some helium. “It’s the creatures from the other side that we’re worried about. Normally, Brackenbone is protected, as with other realms in Everville, but when there is a breach, sometimes one or two of Them can get through. It’s also meant to stop those friendly races who, on rare occasions, may not have the best of intentions.”

“That makes sense,” Sako said.

“There is a small cave hidden at some distance behind these walls. The cave is special. The universe has certain points where energy and power are released. This cave is the most powerful of these focal points. It’s situated behind a waterfall that’s located just beyond the forest that lies in front of us,” Asher said.

“Well, how do we get through?” Toe asked.

“We walk through,” Faine replied.

“Yeah, we walk through,” Felix said as he bounced up and down on Grenmar’s torso, who didn’t seem to mind carrying him along for the ride.

“The walls of Vermogen are made with rare minerals found in Everville, which can sense those with good intentions. All others have to find another way to get over. That is, if they can get in at all,” Asher said.

Asher approached the wall and walked straight through it. The remaining Ubaloo followed Asher and began walking through the walls. The marmooks trailed close behind from the outside of the wall.

“Come on,” Felix said as he continued to jump up and down on Grenmar, who used his tiny hands to cover his large eyes as best he could while he walked through the wall with a cringe of apprehension on his face. Once Grenmar had crossed, he started bouncing up and down and signaled for the others to follow. The other marmooks bounced across, and shortly thereafter the Fron followed suit. As soon as everyone had made it through, a loud muffled noise came from above the trees.

“What’s that?” Toe shouted.

“I’m not sure,” Asher said.

A rustling in the canopy above them got louder, and the wind began to howl.

“Oh, my goodness! Is that one of Them?” Felix said with apprehension.

Grenmar suddenly stopped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, and he started whimpering. Felix was thrown clear of Grenmar and landed on his head.

“Geesh. Did you have to stop so quickly?” Felix said as he rubbed his sore head and looked at Grenmar in anguish.

Grenmar pouted his lips and winced. Seconds later, the sound returned.

“Run!” shouted Faine all of a sudden.

Without hesitating for a moment, the entire group started sprinting forward. The marmooks were ahead of everyone else, bouncing along at an obscene pace. The Ubaloo were not too far back, with the small contingent of Fron falling well behind the other two groups. The Fron ran as fast they as could, which wasn’t that fast.

Kearney was out of breath and had to stop. As he took a few seconds to rest, he looked up at the trees just as the sound returned. Before he had a chance to start running again, a large flock of tiny blue and red birds revealed themselves.

The birds were anything but ominous. They had small shiny aqua-blue eyes and flapped their wings faster than hummingbirds. They had unusual beaks shaped like vases that were larger than the rest of their bodies.

“Hey guys. Asher, Sako, Toe, it’s okay. It’s just a large flock of small birds, nothing to worry about,” Kearney shouted as loud as he could.

The Fron and the Ubaloo stopped and allowed Kearney and the others to slowly catch up before they started moving again. The marmooks, however, were out of range of Kearney’s voice and continued bouncing ahead for a while longer. It wasn’t until Grenmar reached the edge of a cliff and nearly fell off that the marmooks finally stopped.

The Fron and Ubaloo took a few moments to rest while they waited for the marmooks to return. Toe looked up at the trees, which stood higher than a hundred feet tall, and he breathed in several gulps of fresh air from the forest. The air was crisp, cool, and clean, what one would expect from one of the lush lands surrounding Everville.

“This way,” Asher said as he turned towards the west exit of the forest.

Everyone continued, but followed at a much slower pace, especially the Fron who were still winded from their earlier sprint. They came upon a large series of waterfalls that extended for miles to the east, west, and north of them. At the base of the falls, a deep river stretched several miles wide and as far as the eye could see. Spray extended above the falls and all the way to the bottom several thousand yards below. It obscured much of the view below the edge of the cliff.

“Follow me,” Asher said as he continued to walk towards a small trail that scaled the side of an enormous cliff and led to another large waterfall about half a mile to the west. The Ubaloo took the lead. The trail was no more than a few feet wide, which gave the Ubaloo plenty of room to maneuver, but the Fron and the marmooks were not so lucky. It took some coaxing, but Kearny and Sako were able to convince the marmooks to follow.

The trail was covered in grass and was rather slippery from the spray that provided a constant source of moisture for the plants near the cliff’s edge. The top of the cliff was a lush green and covered in small shrubs until just before the edge of the waterfall.

They continued walking, mindful of the steep drop-off to their immediate right, but about halfway to the entrance of the waterfall, Grenmar slipped on a narrow portion of the trail and started to slide over the edge. The marmook directly in front of Grenmar was able to grab his arm just before he fell over the precipice.

“Careful back there,” Sako said.

Grenmar trembled in fear from his near-death experience. Kearney walked back behind Grenmar to reassure him and trailed the marmooks the rest of the way to the edge of the waterfall.

Suddenly, Asher jumped over the side of the cliff, and then Faine jumped, followed by Felix. One by one, each of the Ubaloo jumped over the cliff just short of the entrance to the waterfall until all of them were gone. The Fron gasped. The Marmooks made grunts and moans, winces and whimpers.

After a few moments, Sako jumped, too. Toe jumped next, followed by each of the Fron, who one by one followed the lead of the Fron in front of them. Only Kearney and the marmooks remained. Grenmar, who was the trailing marmook, turned in the opposite direction and started to run. Kearney stopped him, picked him up, and threw him over the edge. Kearney jumped after that, and one by one the marmooks which remained jumped over the cliff, albeit at a much slower and more hesitant pace.

“Glad to see you made it,” Asher said to Kearney.

“Same here.”

Everyone had landed safely on the lower level that was hidden by the spray of the waterfall. A much wider ledge of about twenty-five feet extended from the edge of the cliff and sloped down to the cave underneath the main falls just ahead of their current position.

Asher led the way and everyone else followed. The rushing noise of the water made it almost impossible to hear as they walked underneath the waterfall. The trail led directly into the side of the cliff and several hundred feet behind the falls.

After a nerve-wracking journey, they had all made it to the hidden cave without any serious incidents and no losses. Asher and the other Ubaloo began inspecting the walls and pools of the element that collected at the bottom near the base of the walls. The element looked like a thick, opaque, shimmering liquid. It sparkled like diamond water and moved like thick molasses.

Asher, Faine, and Felix approached the small liquid pool of the element and they each took out a small measuring stick and placed it in to determine its depth.

“This is not good,” Asher said.

“What’s wrong?” Sako inquired.

“Well, you see, this pool of the element contains enormous amounts of spent energy that’s collected from all over the multiverse, but the energy is not like normal energy. It’s concentrated from inanimate objects as well as the thoughts and desires of every living creature, both good and bad. Whoever gets access to the element in this pool gains the ability to wield tremendous power; they gain the power to see the thoughts of everyone in existence, both past and present. If they gain access to very large amounts, they can even walk across worlds and make other changes.”

Before Asher had a chance to continue, Felix interrupted, “Yes, both past and present, past and present!”

Several of the marmooks started jumping up and down with great big grins on their faces. Felix once again climbed on top of Grenmar and proceeded to jump up and down, raising one of his muscular arms in the air, extended as far as possible from his twelve-inch body.

“Past and present,” Felix continued chanting.

Faine chimed in and looked at Felix with a stern eye. “The decision was made a long time ago that the pool could not be allowed to collect too much of the element. If it did, the element might one day corrupt the person who gained access to it.”

“So what was done to prevent it?” Toe asked curiously.

“Well, over the course of hundreds of years a great waterway was constructed. The waterway that flows into these falls and the river below dilutes the power of the element in the pool, but only while it remains in the water. The element sticks together and exits the waterway as a small stream of heavy liquid deep below the river. It is then sent through a portal that is connected to The City of Worms across the expanse.

“The concentration of power is so great that only certain objects or beings can hold more than a few drops of the element. In The City of Worms, giant worms with special attributes consume the element, and over the course of a millennium they dissipate its power. The material that makes up the bodies of the worms consumes the energy and converts it back into the foundational energy of the multiverse, which is then transported evenly to all times and places and all persons and things. Without the return of energy the system starts to breakdown.

“The worms are the only known method to dissipate more than a few drops of the element. All others are simply collectors. Only the glass found in the walls of the catacombs of Everville can safely hold the element, and the size is restricted to prevent access to too much power. All other collectors have certain consequences.”

“What kind of consequences?” Kearney asked.

“Well,” Faine continued, “the consequences can be unpredictable. It depends on what is used to collect the element and how much of the element is stored in the collector.”

“How was the energy dissipated before the waterway was constructed?” Sako asked.

Asher interrupted. “I’m not clear on all of the details, but I do know that the element would collect and then break off into chunks and transport itself to unknown nows and thens when it got to be too large.”

“It looks as if the pool is being dissipated too quickly. The depth of the element is too low. This can only mean that someone has found a way to divert tiny amounts of the element from the pool using makeshift collectors,” Fain said.

“I think our task is clear, then,” Kearney replied.

“Indeed. We must find out how the element is being diverted and stop it. After that, we need to find the location of the makeshift collectors and destroy them,” Sako added.

“Sako, we need to split up into two groups. We need a few people to exit the walls of Vermogen so we can notify The Keeper. In the meantime, the larger group can start looking for the location of where the element is being diverted.”

“I agree,” Sako said to Asher.

Toe said, “I can take Felix and a few marmooks, and we’ll notify The Keeper.”

“All right then. It’s settled. Get there as quickly as you can, and we’ll find out how to stop whatever is diverting the element from the pool,” Sako said.

The marmooks took off bouncing in the direction of the wall’s entrance. Felix was happy to catch another ride on Grenmar’s back, and Toe did his best not to fall too far behind.

Chapter 7:

Dinner

Back at Cleophas’s home, Anika said, “Let me help you with that,” as she picked up one of the larger trays of food from Cleophas’s hands.

“Thanks, Anika.”

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Owen went to open the door.

“That must be Avery and Jack,” Cleophas said as he took off his apron and rushed towards the door.

“Owen. It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, Jack,” Owen declared as he reached to shake Jack’s extended hand.

“Avery, it’s good to see you as well.”

“Likewise,” Avery said as he walked in behind Jack.

“Hey, old man. It’s good to see you up an about,” Jack quipped as Cleophas embraced him.

“Who ya callin’ an old man, Jack? My family members always live well into their hundreds, so I’ve got at least another twenty good years left.”

“And you, my friend,” Cleophas said as he embraced Avery equally as hard.

“I brought this for you,” Avery said to Cleophas, holding a large clear dish covered with aluminum foil.

“I hope that’s your famous cheddar corn casserole that I love so much.”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, just set it down there on the table. I’m starving. Why don’t we all just dig in,” Cleophas bellowed.

Owen and Anika set the table while everyone else took their place.

Once the table was set, Cleophas reached over and grabbed the dish of cheddar corn casserole and scooped out a heaping portion onto his plate.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” he said in a burly tone after savoring the first bite of food of the evening.

For the next few minutes, the only noise that could be heard was the clanking of utensils on the plates and the lifting of the dishes as each person took their turn getting a portion of food. Jack broke the silence.

“This is some really good food. Thanks for inviting us, Cleophas.”

“Think nothing of it, Jack. I consider all of you family, and with all that’s been happening recently, it’s nice to have family around.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Avery said.

The silence settled over the table once again as everyone’s focus turned to finishing their meals. By the expressions on their faces and the occasional muted moan, they were all equally enjoying it.

After most of the plates were empty and before the silence became too awkward, Cleophas asked, “So who’s ready for dessert?”

“I think I saved a little room for dessert,” Jack chimed in.

“Yeah, I could go for some dessert too, but just a little bit,” Owen declared.

Cleophas went into the kitchen to retrieve what had been chilling in the refrigerator and returned with two dishes.

“Well, we have my family’s secret recipe of Hungarian shortbread and Anika’s chocolate truffle cake, which looks equally as delicious.”

“I’ll try both,” Avery said.

The dishes were beautifully displayed. The chocolate truffle cake was composed of subtle shades of brown that hinted at just the right composition of moisture. The Hungarian shortbread had two layers of crumpled tans and yellows, and sandwiched in the middle was a deep maroon layer of the raspberry jam, which was the main ingredient.

Everyone else proceeded to get small portions of both as well, and they took their time to enjoy it.

“Anika, this cake is fantastic,” Owen praised.

“I’m glad you like it. It’s also a secret family recipe.”

After everyone had finished their dessert, Jack said, “Well Cleophas, it’s been great seeing you again, but I really gotta get goin. I’ve got a lot of clean up to do in my yard, and I promised my neighbors that I’d help them as well. I really enjoyed dinner and seeing everyone again.”

“Think nothing of it, Jack. Our thoughts are with you and Dante,” Cleophas said.

“That means a lot, Cleophas. Thank you,” Jack replied.

“Well, Jack’s my ride,” said Avery, “so I have to get going, too. Thank you again for the lovely evening.”

“It was my pleasure,” Cleophas insisted.

“Bye, Jack. See you later, Avery,” Anika and Owen both said.

Cleophas closed the door behind them and went to the table to start clearing the dishes.

“Let me help you with that,” Owen said as he grabbed his share of plates.

A short time later, after the dishes had been cleaned and the leftovers had been put away, Cleophas sat down on his living room couch. Anika and Owen sat down on the small couch next to him.

Just then, The Keeper transported Owen back to his workshop in Everville.

“I’ve just been informed by Toe that someone’s been diverting a source of power in Brackenbone behind the walls of Vermogen. They’ve been using a collector to gather its energy. They’re trying now to find the source of the diversion, but I can see that the collector is in the possession of Oldrik, who at the present moment is in the middle of a standoff between the Giants and the Fwaylan. With Oldrik in possession of the collector, there’s no way that we can destroy it.

“What needs to be done now is to find out how the source is being diverted. If we can stop the source of the diversion, we might be able to take the collector from Oldrik and return it to Everville, where it can be properly destroyed. Collectors made from the hearts of the impure have terrible consequences. I suspect that the collector is responsible for much of the happenings in Everville and the earthly realm. If it can be destroyed, I think your friend Dante can be returned to his former state.”

“Really. That’s fantastic news! So how do we go about finding the source of the diversion?”

“Well, therein lies the problem. The source of the diversion has to be either behind the walls of Vermogen, where I cannot see, or somewhere in the earthly realm, which also presents some limitations to my abilities. We will have to rely on what we know, and on the findings of the Fron and Ubaloo behind the walls of Vermogen. Talk to Cleophas. He will be able to help you the most in the earthly realm.”

Owen was immediately transported back to his seat in Cleophas’s living room, and as was generally the case, no time had passed in the earthly realm. As soon as he had returned, Cleophas noticed a change in expression on Owen’s face.

“It happened again, didn’t it? What did The Keeper say?” Cleophas asked excitedly.

“He said that power is being diverted behind the walls of Vermogen in Brackenbone. Oldrik has a collector that is being used to hold the diverted power. It must be taken back to Everville and be destroyed, but before we can do that, we have to find the source of the diversion in order to weaken the collector so it can be taken. The Ubaloo and the Fron are behind the walls finding out what they can, but The Keeper also said the source may be in the earthly realm, and suggested you might be able to point me in the direction of where it might be.”

“All right, Owen. After I drop you and Anika off tonight, I’ll see what I can dig up.”

“Did he say anything about Dante?” Anika inquired.

“Yeah. He said that the collector is probably what has been causing all of the strange events here and in Everville. He thinks that if we can find the source of the diversion and take the collector back to Everville to be destroyed, Dante might very well come out of his coma.”

“That’s great news, Owen!” Anika said, joy and excitement elevating her voice.

“Absolutely. Now we just need to figure out how to find the cause of this diversion,” Owen declared.

“I believe in you, Owen. I know you can find it,” Anika said.

“I hope so, Anika, but I’m gonna need all the help I can get. I’m really not sure where to start. Hopefully you can give me something to go on,” Owen said as he turned his eyes to Cleophas.

“We’ll figure this out together, Owen.”

Chapter 8:

Discovery

After failing to find any new information about the objects or the documents in the boxes, Drusilla had returned home and Zee had fallen asleep. They had both agreed to start reading the notebook about Everville the next day.

Zee woke up around ten in the morning, and after grabbing a cup of coffee and a cream cheese bagel, he decided to start reading the notebook left by his father.

Entry Number #2

Today I found out from a Fron that power is stored in these special glass jars from Everville. I’ve convinced one of the Fron to let me have one. The liquid in the containers has shown me the story behind the objects that I touch. I think this will aid the skills I’ve already acquired.

“No way. This can’t be real,” Zee said out loud.

“What can’t be real?” Drusilla asked as she walked in the door.

“Come here. Check this out.”

Drusilla took the notebook and read the second entry.

“Really? I’m not sure if I believe this, but I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she said, as she put down the notebook.

“Maybe it’s just a prop. If this notebook is just a manuscript for a book, it could just be some kind of gimmick,” Zee said.

“Maybe, but maybe not. Didn’t you say you saw your dad talking to a painting and that you thought it moved? Well, he was your father, Zee, so I think you should do it first.”

“Do what first?”

“Well, you should taste a couple drops while you hold the map in your hand and see what happens.”

“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea, Drusilla. For all we know, this liquid could have been what killed him. There could be poison in this, or maybe it’s some kind of drug.”

“I really doubt that, Zee. What if you try just one drop? If you don’t want to try it, then I’ll do it.”

“No. I don’t want anything to happen to you. If anyone’s going to try it, it’ll be me. Like you said, he was my father, but we should think about this first.”

“Zee, I’m not sure that thinking about this is going to change anything. Yeah, maybe there’s a little risk, but don’t you want to know what happened to your dad? I mean, I don’t want anything to happen to you either, but if this is what killed your father, I think they would’ve found it near him or something. Not to mention the fact that they didn’t say anything about poison being in his system when he died. If there’s a chance this can tell you what happened to your dad, don’t you want to know?”

“I’ll tell you what, Drusilla, let’s read the rest of this notebook and look over these documents again, then I’ll make a decision about whether I’ll taste one of the drops or not. We’ll take turns. I’ll read through the manuscript, and then I’ll look over the other objects and documents to see if they make more sense. While I’m reading the notes, you can look over the documents and objects again, and then we’ll switch.”

“Fair enough, Zee,” Drusilla said as she reached for the scroll containing the map to Everville and The Other In Between.

Zee read each page with meticulous care, making sure not to miss anything, and Drusilla looked at every inch of the map, hoping to find a clue.

Entry by entry, page by page, Zee was drawn deeper into the world of Everville through the words that were written down by his father. He learned of the Fron, and The Keeper, as well as other races and lands that were described in great detail. He read about Them and The Other In Between, and how when races in Everville occasionally colluded with Them, it created breaches that allowed evil to filter through to Everville. After a few hours of reading, Zee came to the final page.

Entry Number 29:

I’ve lost the ability to transport myself to Everville, but I still have some control through the objects I have retrieved and the element in the jars. Some objects, any object in fact, can be used to see with enough practice and concentration, but I have used a few drops of the element on some of the paintings to allow me not only to see, but also to influence and change what is happening on the other side.

“Drusilla, I think I found something.”

She read the passage and said, “Wow. We need to get those paintings. If all of this is true, maybe we can use one of the paintings to see through to the other side, but I think I found something, too. The symbols on each of the lands of Everville and The Other In Between on the map match the symbols on the bo staves. I think we should take a look at the bo staves. Why don’t I go back to the Art Club and get all of the ones we have so that we can compare their markings to those on the map?”

“I think that’s a good idea. I’ll go get the paintings while you’re doing that. Let’s go see what we can find out,” Zee said enthusiastically.

About an hour later, Drusilla had managed to get eight bo staves, and Zee had brought in a couple of paintings from the gallery.

“Look, Zee. Let’s see what happens if we have each of the bo staves touch in the same order as they appear in the map based on the surrounding lands of Everville.”

Drusilla lined up the bo staves in a large circle on the floor. When the last bo had been put in place, they stood back and hoped it would reveal something. After waiting a minute Zee said, “Well that was pretty useless, but I think maybe we’re missing the point. Someone carved these symbols and we should find out who it was and try and talk with them to see if they can tell us anything.”

“That’s a good idea, but that’s going to take some time, and we’ll probably have to wait until next week when the university is back in session. Let’s take a look at the paintings. I’ll look at this one. Why don’t you take that one over there, the big one?”

Zee stared at the painting and inspected every inch of the canvas. He looked at it up close and from a distance. He turned the painting sideways and upside down. Each time, he stared deep into the painting, but nothing happened. He even tried holding each of the bo staves and staring at the painting at the same time, but still nothing. Then he decided to hold each of the objects, the map, the miniature painting, and finally the container. Zee shook his head in frustration.

“Okay, I’m done with this crap. I’m going to try tasting one of the drops of liquid while touching the objects, the bo staves, and then while looking into the paintings.”

“Are you sure, Zee?”

“No, but there’s obviously something here. I mean, if this were some kind of hoax, it just seems too elaborate. No one is that good. I’m not exactly sure how much of this is true, but there’s got to be at least some truth to what’s written in these notes.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be here for you just in case something happens.”

Zee put his hands around the container and felt the top, twisting it a little to see if it would open. With a little more effort, the top portion of the container started to turn. It was light, but made a sound like thick glass containers clicking against each other. Grooves were built into the glass to allow the top to come off, and Zee was able to unscrew the lid. It revealed a small opening at the tip, just enough for a single drop.

Zee held the scroll tightly in his hand and tilted the container halfway over his tongue.

“Here goes nothin’.”

Zee tilted the glass jar a little more and one drop escaped and dripped onto his tongue. Drusilla took the container from his hand and screwed the top back on just to make sure Zee didn’t spill more than the one drop.

Zee’s mind was sucked into a whirlwind. Flashes, explosions, and brief images of faces passed before him. The images repeated over and over again, too fast for Zee to make any sense of what they were. His body looked like it was about to go into convulsions. His hand had a powerful grip on the scroll, so much so that Drusilla was worried he might rip it. He teetered backwards and forwards while he sat down, and for a moment at least it appeared he was going to fall over.

Drusilla reached over and grabbed Zee’s now empty hand which had previously held the glass jar. She hoped the contact would ground him and calm his body. After a few seconds, Zee’s body stopped rocking and the images started to play back over and over again, but slower each time. The images flashed before him once more. This time, Zee was still unable to make a complete narrative of the images, but he did manage to snag a few very specific memories.

He saw his father in front of the large painting. The brilliant, multi-colored brushstrokes on the painting had begun to move. Little by little, the color and the contours of the paint melted away and were transformed into a moving landscape, and then Zee saw the great battle.

The battle of the Fron had just begun. He could see the mass of the mountain dwellers approaching the river that fed into The Valley of Darkness, and he could hear the haunting sounds of their voices as they charged the Fron’s defensive position. The first volley of fireballs was released, and almost immediately he could smell the stench of death as the flesh of the creatures torched upon impact.

Zee’s mind shifted to Oldrik and his Fron followers that were in Everville. He could see Oldrik using a portal to transfer energy to Them and the other races of The Other In Between.

Zee’s mind went blank, and for a second there was nothing. Without warning, Zee could see the mind of his father. He could feel the transfer of energy that his father was giving to Them. He could see Owen! He could see that Anika and Dante’s eyes were aiding Owen. Anika, Dante, and his father were using the paintings to transfer energy across the vast dimensions of time and space.

There was something else. Zee saw flashes of another world, The Other In Between and the stolen souls that were held hostage there. He could also sense a kind of darkness, an evil, and then images of Oldrik, his father, and Jacob flashed in his mind. There was more, but the images began to fade. The torrent of pictures and places slowed to a trickle, and then vanished altogether.

“Zee! What happened? What did you see?”

“Everything is true, Drusilla. Everything, all of it, but there’s more. We need to talk to Anika and Owen, like right now.”

“Why? What else was there?”

“They didn’t know about my father, but they knew about everything else. That’s not all. It’s not over. Dante’s mind is stuck, and there’s more.”

“What is it, Zee?”

“It was my father. He was fighting against Owen and The Keeper. His mind was sending energy to fight Owen and the Fron. Owen was in Everville. My father’s mind couldn’t take it, and neither could Dante’s. Dante and Anika were using a different painting to send energy to Owen, and my father was using his painting to send energy to those creatures fighting against the Fron. Dante’s been in a coma all this time.”

“This is crazy,” Drusilla said. “I hope Dante’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah, me too, but it is what it is. I thought I was starting to come to terms with my father’s death, not very well mind you, but at least I was dealing with it in my own way. I just don’t know what to think now. Was my dad evil or are Anika and Owen on the wrong side of things? Maybe they don’t even know. I didn’t quite get everything in the end of the experience. I think I’m still missing something. I’m just so confused right now, but we need to speak to them as soon possible.”

“You’re right. I’ll give them a call right now,” Drusilla said as she reached in her pocket for her phone.

Chapter 9:

Traitor

In the underground catacombs on the edge of the land of the giants, the Fwaylan and the giants had made no movement in their position. Oldrik and his followers remained under the protection of a shield, but were trapped and unable to move.

“I’m scared, master, I’m scared,” Elmer whined, his voice trembling.

“Shut up, you worthless little creature,” Oldrik shouted in a shrill, stern tone. “What good are you to me now?”

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

“I said shut up,” Oldrik spat as he struck Elmer in the face, knocking him down to the ground.

Elmer did the best he could to keep from crying, but at that moment he started to think about whether or not he’d made a big mistake in joining Oldrik in the first place.

A short distance away, General Varrick had returned to his study and was pondering what strategy to use against the Fwaylan, when The Keeper’s image appeared.

“Varrick, I want you to hold your position. I have a possible solution to our problem, but I need you to hold your position for a while longer.”

“I think we can hold down the fort here. It doesn’t look like we’re going to be moving anytime soon anyway, so that should be an easy task. Just let us know what needs to be done when you’re ready and I’ll have my men take care of it.”

The Keeper’s image vanished from the general’s view, and then The Keeper once again turned his attention to Brackenbone. There was still no sign of progress outside the walls of Vermogen, and through the portal The Keeper watched Toe waiting outside the walls for the return of Kearney and Sako, who were still searching for answers with the Ubaloo in the secret cave.

As Toe waited, Grenmar proceeded to jump up and down, and with each jump, Felix was thrown higher and higher into the air until he lost his balance and slipped off of Grenmar and landed on the ground. Despite Felix’s muscular physique, his small size allowed him to recover his feet in no apparent pain.

“I hope they hurry,” Toe said to Felix.

“Don’t worry ,Toe. Asher and Faine know the caves well. I’m sure they’ll find the source soon.”

“I hope so, but is there any food nearby, just in case it takes a while longer?”

“There are some fruit trees down the way, but I think we should stay here. Asher and the others said they were going to meet us here, so we should probably just wait.”

Toe looked disappointed, and then he put his hands in his pockets, and as he did, an expression of relief came over his face. He pulled out his hand; in it was a large sandwich.

“There you are,” Toe said before he started stuffing his face with layered multi-grain bread and an assortment of thinly-sliced meats and vegetables that were crammed into the middle.

Toe took a corner of the sandwich and handed it to Grenmar, who retrieved the portion of the sandwich with his tongue and licked the remaining crumbs off his face. The other marmooks looked at Toe with their pouty golf ball-sized eyes protruding from their heads.

“All right, all right,” Toe said as he divided the rest of the sandwich between himself and the other marmooks. Each creature eagerly lapped up their small portions.

Meanwhile, Asher and Faine had led the Fron and Ubaloo that remained behind the walls of Vermogen deeper into the secret cave. They came upon a larger expanse within the cave that was buried well within the side of the mountain and below the falls.

The walls of the enclosure shimmered, just like the underground catacombs of Everville, but they were much brighter. Sako then noticed that the four corners of the room had what appeared to be a constant stream of liquid dripping down their vertical sides. A small pool of liquid oozed towards one corner, that fed into the pool of the element on the cave wall on the other side. One corner, however, did not. The liquid element appeared to vanish into the ground where it met the floor.

“Ah, see, over there,” Asher said, pointing towards the corner.

Kearney, Sako, and Faine approached the pool to get a better look. Asher proceeded to use a stick to try and dig away some of the dirt around the spot where the liquid was vanishing.

“Look, what’s that?” Kearney asked.

“It looks like some kind of large beetle or something,” Asher replied.

Next to the translucent, six-inch creature was a similar creature that appeared half there and half someplace else, like a ghost that hadn’t completely materialized.

“I see what’s going on,” Faine said.

“Those beetles are being used to transport the element to a collector. One beetle is here, and the other one is across time and space, but they are joined together. Alone, they cannot transport the element, but used together, they can send the element someplace else,” Faine said.

“Stand back,” Asher warned, as he reached into his bag and pulled out a dagger made from the same material that was used in the construction of the walls of Vermogen. It had a crooked wooden and marble handle with a sharp, four-inch metal blade. Asher lifted the dagger high above his head, and with all his might stabbed the beetle, twisting the dagger between the blades of its armor the moment it made impact. The beetle sparkled and made a loud crackling sound, collapsed inward, and vanished with a POP.

“Our work is done here. We should return and inform The Keeper of the other beetle. With only one beetle being used to transfer the element, things may get a little interesting,” Asher said.

“What do you mean?” Sako asked.

Asher replied, “Well, even with two there are consequences, but with just one, it’s hard to say. The element may get stuck in an in-between place, not quite here and not quite there.”

“We better get moving then,” Kearney said quickly.

The Keeper had continued to keep watch over the walls of Vermogen and saw no change, but he felt it. He sensed that one of the beetles had been destroyed; he also knew what that meant.

In the land of the giants, Oldrik sensed it too.

“No!” Oldrik shouted angrily. The shield protecting him flashed and crackled.

“Hey, look,” Borak said in a deep baritone voice. “His shield, it’s collapsing!”

Borak lunged towards Oldrik, and Oldrik picked up his rod and repeatedly tapped it on the ground in an attempt to stabilize the shield.

“You’re mine now,” Borak bellowed triumphantly as he threw his arm in Oldrik’s direction.

Several of the Fwaylan jumped towards Borak as he approached.

“Now!” General Varrick hollered, signaling to the Archers to resume their firing. Thousands of arrows pierced the flesh of the Fwaylan that had come close to Borak, which kept the path between Borak and Oldrik clear.

Just as Borak’s fist was about to make contact with Oldrik’s now-decaying chin, the shield was restored and Borak was thrown several feet back as it expanded outward forcefully.

“Not just yet, you stupid giant,” Oldrik gloated with an evil grin on his face.

Borak stood on his feet, which took some time due to his massive size, and then turned to Oldrik and said, “We’ll get you before all is said and done. You’d be wise to wipe that grin off your face.”

The collector that Oldrik possessed could no longer maintain the shield without depleting itself. Oldrik made the decision to use the remaining power to fortify the shield, but it couldn’t hold forever; he knew it and so did his followers.

“I’m scared, Oldrik. What do we do now?” Elmer asked.

Oldrik turned to Elmer and struck his face again, knocking him down to the ground. Blood started pouring from Elmer’s slimy, bald head. This time, he was too hurt to cry. Oldrik stared at his other follower, Calvin, who shrank back in terror, fearing Oldrik would strike him as well.

General Varrick walked towards Oldrik. The Fwaylan circled the area and watched intently as the general approached.

“Look at you, Oldrik. To what evil have you given yourself over? You were a Keeper. Now what are you, one of Them? How is it that someone who has seen one of The Pillars of Truth has given in to such deceit?”

Oldrik replied, “You stupid fool! Don’t lecture me about The Pillars of Truth. You’re so naïve, just like the rest of The Keepers and the Fron. I used to think just like you, but now I have seen what I need to know. There is no right or wrong, no good or bad; there are only winners and losers. There are only the weak and the strong. We take what we want or we let others take it from us. That is the only truth. The Pillars of Truth are like any other source of power, and when I find them, I’ll take their power, too.”

“Oldrik, I see The Keeper was right. You have given yourself over to the great lie. I am no worshiper of logic, but even logic and reason contradict what you are saying. You have allowed the pursuit of power to corrupt you. Your actions today have proven that.”

Elmer watched and listened intently, now convinced that he had made a grave mistake.

“We will defeat you, Oldrik. It’s true that there is a constant struggle between good and evil, but in case you haven’t noticed, evil has never completely won out in the end. The laws of the universe cannot be changed, but you seem intent on trying to do so. You may win a few battles here and there, but in the end, the sickness, the lies, and the darkness that infects all evil prevents it from ever winning the war.

“The battles that we fight are not against the greater evil or the greater good that exists in the multiverse; those battles have already been decided, like the rise and fall of tides in a great ocean. The real battles are the ones we fight from within. The real battles are the choices we make every day and what we learn from those choices. As a Keeper you were entrusted with a great power because you demonstrated great wisdom, but no one is immune to arrogance, not even a Keeper, and arrogance will be your downfall.”

Chapter 10:

The Fallout

“Clear!” the doctor shouted. She pressed the paddles down over Dante’s chest, and Dante’s body shook in place on the hospital bed as the charge was released into his body.

The doctor looked at the EKG machine to see if Dante’s heart had responded—nothing—flatline.

“Charge—Clear!”

The process repeated a few more times, and then finally—

“Clear!

“We’ve got a pulse!” the nurse shouted as he watched the green line tick up on the electronic screen attached to the EKG.

The doctor and several nurses rushed to check Dante’s status, administering various drugs and taking notes of different measurements of heart and brain activity.

Jack, Anika, and Owen had been waiting in the hospital lobby. Anika paced back and forth as she waited to get word back from the doctor. After about fifteen minutes had passed, Jack and Owen took notice of the approach of the person wearing a white coat walking towards them in the hall.

“Which of you are Dante’s family?” the doctor said as all three approached her.

“I am, but they are more than welcome to listen,” Jack said.

“It was touch and go there for a while, but we’ve stabilized him. He’s still in serious condition, though, and I’m a little concerned about his brain activity. Dante is still well within the range where a return to normal functioning is possible, but the activity has decreased with this latest episode. I don’t anticipate any immediate change, but the hospital will contact you in the event that there is.”

Anika turned to Owen and started crying on his shoulder. As she did, Drusilla and Zee walked into the waiting room.

“Is everything okay?” Zee asked.

“He’s okay for now,” Jack replied.

“Thanks for coming, guys,” Owen said to Drusilla and Zee.

“Don’t mention it,” Drusilla said.

“I’m sorry to hear about your father, Zee,” Owen said.

“Yeah. Me, too,” Anika said after she lifted her head off of Owen’s shoulder.

“Thank you, and I know everything’s crazy right now, but we need to talk,” Zee said, looking at Anika and Owen.

This was not the moment that Owen wanted to be pulled away to Everville, but he felt himself drifting and knew it would be just seconds before he arrived.

“Owen, I’m sorry to bring you back at this moment, but I had no choice,” The Keeper said.

“There were two objects used to transfer the element to Oldrik’s collector. One was in the secret cave behind the walls of Vermogen, and it’s been destroyed. The other object is somewhere in the earthly realm. You need to find it, and soon. With only one object transferring the element, it’s unclear what the consequences will be, and Dante’s condition is likely to get worse if we don’t find the other object and destroy it as quickly as possible. The object you are looking for is in the form of a beetle.

“Zee and Drusilla have become aware of our realm, and Zee can point you in the right direction,” The Keeper told Owen.

“Are you sure we can trust them?”

“Owen, I know you sense some darkness in them, but they have yet to determine their own fate. At the moment, Zee can help you. He has seen a truth that will help reveal the location of the other object. Find it, and destroy it at all costs.”

There was no time for niceties. Owen was thrust back into the waiting room, and Anika could tell where he had been.

“Is everything okay, Owen?” she asked.

“Everything is fine.”

Owen turned to Zee. “You’re right, we need to talk. Let’s do that while we walk back to my dorm.”

Anika turned to Jack. “Thanks for calling us. Please let us know if anything changes.”

“I will, Anika. You guys take care now. And Zee … you have my condolences.”

“Thanks, Jack.” And with that, they left the hospital and started walking back to Easton Falls University.

Roughly twenty minutes passed and they were about halfway back to the university and walking through the center of the art district in downtown Easton Falls. By that time it was early evening and darkness had just settled in. Owen and Zee were in the most important part of their conversion, as Zee had just mentioned the name Jacob.

At the moment Zee uttered that word, Anika and Drusilla saw a pair of eyes lurking in the shadows of one of the more elaborate art galleries downtown. They turned to get a closer look, but the eyes had vanished.

“I think we’re being watched,” Drusilla murmured.

“I think you’re right,” Anika replied.

They quickened their pace as they continued walking back towards campus. After another ten minutes had passed, they decided to stop in the campus café, which had just reopened that morning.

Anika and Owen bought their usual drinks, and Zee bought a regular cup of coffee, black. They sat down and took a few moments to sip their coffee, then Owen took notice of the Egyptian scarab carved into the wall.

“Hey guys, you see that?”

“See what?” Zee asked.

“That beetle,” Owen replied.

“You mean the scarab,” Drusilla said.

“Yeah, that thing. Well, The Keeper said that the object we’re looking for looks something like a beetle.”

“You know something, Owen, now that I think about it, there may be another beetle I’ve seen. The symbol on the map of The Other In Between is remarkably similar to a beetle. More than that, the symbol of The Other In Between is the symbol that’s carved into Jacob’s bo staff.

“When the images were flashing in my mind, I got the sense that Jacob was aware of what was going on and that he was somehow working with Them. If the object we’re looking for is a beetle, I think we should start by looking at Jacob’s house, and I know the perfect time we should go.”

“When is that, Zee?” Owen questioned.

“At my father’s funeral. I know Jacob is going to be there. I’ve already spoken to him. Before the funeral is over, maybe halfway through, you and Drusilla could sneak into Jacob’s house and search his room. His adoptive parents will be there and you can tell the butler that Jacob asked you to wait there for him. Then, Drusilla can distract the butler, who I know has a weakness for beautiful young women. While Drusilla is talking with the butler, Owen can search Jacob’s room.”

“Sounds like as good a plan as any,” Anika remarked.

“You don’t think it will look too obvious if we leave halfway through the service?” Owen said.

“Just stay in the back behind everyone else. No one will be paying that much attention,” Zee replied.

“I guess it’s settled then. Now, it’s time for me to get back to my dorm. I have a new roommate who is supposed to arrive today, so I’d better go get acquainted before I crash for the night.”

“I’ll walk with you, Owen,” Anika said.

“Okay, guys. I’ll see you at the funeral Sunday morning. Good luck,” Zee said as Owen and Anika left the café.

“Do you think it’s such a good idea, Owen? What if you get caught?”

“Well, I guess it’s a risk I’ll have to take, but I think we don’t have much of a choice. If Jacob’s working with Them, and if he has the object, it’s going to be the only time we know that he won’t be there. Not to mention the fact that we’re running out of time, and so is Dante.”

“Yeah. You know, you’re right. Screw it. Let’s find that beetle and bring Dante home. I hope your roommate’s nice, by the way. I’ve heard tons of horror stories about roommates.”

“Thanks, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’ll catch up with you Sunday morning before the funeral.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

Owen continued walking to his dorm and opened his door. A few extra boxes were neatly stacked on the floor, ready to be unpacked, and then he saw his new roommate standing there, putting some clothes in one of the three drawers on his side of the dresser. He was tall and thin with bushy eyebrows, brown eyes, and jet-black hair.

Owen stuck out his hand and said, “Hi, I’m Owen.”

“So far, this place is great. It’s nice to meet you, Owen. My name is Adamo.”

Owen and Adamo chatted for a while, talking mostly about the usual history and introductions before Owen started fighting back fatigue.

“All right, I’m gonna go to sleep. I’m exhausted,” Owen said.

“Okay, then. I’ll turn off the light pretty soon. I won’t be up much longer.”

About ten minutes later, Adamo had turned out the lights.

Chapter 11:

The Funeral

While General Varrick and the giants continued to prevent any movement by Oldrik, The Keeper sensed Elmer’s uncertainty in the decision that he had made, as well as his growing dissatisfaction with Oldrik. The Keeper decided it was time to approach Elmer, and so he entered Elmer’s mind.

“Elmer, you were once a great asset to Everville and the Fron. Why have you abandoned us?”

“Oldrik said that we were stupid to listen to you because there is something out there that is coming for us. He said we needed to shore up our power to protect ourselves from whatever it is that we might face in the future.”

“What did he say we might face in the future?” The Keeper queried.

“Well … he didn’t say exactly. He just said that there were more dangerous things that awaited us beyond the heres and nows somewhere off in the borderlands.”

“Do you really believe that, Elmer, and do you believe that whatever darkness you might face is worth betraying the truth that you have always known? Is the promise of a little safety worth the price of betraying your land, your people, your values? Let me ask you, Elmer, do you feel safer now than you did before you left?”

“I’m not so sure anymore, Keeper.”

“I’m going to give you a choice, Elmer. When the time comes, you will be presented with an opportunity to stay with Oldrik or to go with the giants. You’ll know when it’s time for you to make up your mind. It will be completely up to you which choice you make, but be warned: whatever you decide, you will have to live with the consequences.”

The Keeper left Elmer’s mind, and Elmer looked up to see if Oldrik could tell what he was thinking. If Oldrik knew something, Elmer couldn’t tell the difference. Oldrik was more concerned about the collector being depleted and the eventual loss of the shield.

Despite the setback, Oldrik’s reach had been growing. He could now sense creatures that were much darker than the Fwaylan. He could feel the evil, insidious races that had succumbed to the darkness. Them had started to sense Oldrik, and Them were looking for something in particular in Oldrik’s mind, something Oldrik wasn’t yet ready to share and was keeping to himself.

Back in the earthly realm, at Easton Falls University, the campus was starting to come back to life. The university had hired hundreds of workers to clear the debris that was strewn across the campus after the Nor’easter had slammed ashore. The workers who had been there over the past few weeks were gone; only the scaffolding on the damaged dorms and buildings remained, along with a few ‘Do Not Cross’ signs near newly-planted trees and grass.

The morning of Professor Samil’s funeral had arrived, and several people could be seen wearing black dresses and suits and getting ready to enter Town Cars that were parked along the side of the main street next to campus.

Owen was waiting downstairs by his dorm. Like most everyone else headed for the funeral, he wore traditional black, along with an unassuming blue and grey-checkered tie. He had finally gotten a haircut and was clean-shaven. Drusilla approached Owen in a long, black dress.

“Look at you, Owen, all handsome and stuff. You ready to do this thing?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Let’s get going then. The car is parked over there.”

Owen and Drusilla got into the backseat of the car and the driver took off in the direction of the Easton Falls Memorial Cemetery. They arrived in about fifteen minutes, and after getting out of the car, they scoped out their position behind the people who had come to pay their respects to Professor Samil.

Owen looked around the cemetery at all the people who had arrived; it was a much larger number than he had expected, several hundred, perhaps more. Drusilla and Owen both spotted fellow Art Club member, Jacob, who was wearing a black suit with a surprisingly showy purple tie. Jacob was with his new family, who were the only people who were not wearing black. Owen and Drusilla then spotted Zee and Anika on the other side of the cemetery. Zee and Anika looked back at them; their eyes acknowledged what they were about to do.

“Owen, when I give you the signal, we’ll turn around and head back towards the car. I think the best time will be right after Zee makes his speech.”

Owen nodded his head in agreement. A few moments later, the service had begun, and the priest approached the podium microphone and began to speak.

“It is with profound regret—”

Owen did his best not to seem too nervous, but throughout the entire eulogy his fidgeting told another story. Drusilla, Zee, and Anika took notice, and so did Jacob. It wasn’t that Owen was afraid of getting into a scuffle, it was just that he had some reservations about searching someone’s room. It was the tinge of illegality that bothered him.

A couple of Zee’s family members took to the stage to say a few words about the late Professor Samil, and by that time Owen looked as if he had put his concerns in check. He listened intently to the words they were speaking. He then thought about what Zee said he had seen when he’d tasted the liquid from the containers.

Zee took the stage and placed his hands on the edge of the podium. He pressed the palms of his hands as hard as could on the corners in an attempt to use the physical pain to keep him from breaking down and crying, which had happened to several of the other speakers who had already come before him. His face was solemn, but his expression was a perplexing mix of emotions that were difficult to read.

“Professor Samil, my dad, had a lot to be proud of. He was a respected professor, a father, and a man who inspired many. He was an artist, and in my mind, a visionary. I—I don’t think—”

Zee’s eyes were welling up with tears, and everyone could see that he was trying his hardest not to let them fall.

Zee continued. “I don’t think that anyone could say that my father did not leave a positive mark on this campus, the students who attended this great university, or the people who he interacted with on a daily basis. I have never known him to do anything other than what he believed and what he thought was best, not only for himself, but also for his students and his family.”

Owen watched as Anika began to cry. In spite of recent events, she had been moved by the emotion and the words Zee spoke.

“It has been said that the good is oft interred in the bones of the dead, but I promise you this; my father’s greatness will never be interred in his bones. I will make sure that his greatness, and all that he thought was important, will never be forgotten. I will make sure that his hopes and his dreams live on, and that the positive attributes of the life that he led will continue to be felt as long as the walls of this great university remain standing, and beyond.”

After Zee spoke his last word, there were a few respectful and quiet claps as he walked down from the podium. Owen was just as stunned by Zee’s words as Drusilla, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Drusilla tugged on Owen’s sleeve to bring his attention back to what they were about to do.

“Let’s go,” Drusilla whispered.

Owen came to his senses and started walking with Drusilla back to the Town Car that had been waiting for them near their position. Just before they shut the door, Jacob spotted them. He stood there thinking, but did nothing for the moment.

The next speaker approached the podium, and after a few moments, began to speak. Jacob listened for a minute or two before he started reflecting on why Owen and Drusilla had left early, and on the fidgeting that he had witnessed during the outset of the funeral ceremony. He waited for the speaker to finish, and then decided to leave while the speaker was exiting the stage.

By the time Jacob made it to his car, Owen and Drusilla had already arrived at his home. They weren’t sure how much time they had, so Drusilla had been quick to distract the butler, who was already talking with her outside on the patio. Owen had proceeded to rush upstairs and was in a frantic search to find anything that resembled a beetle.

He opened every drawer, lifted the contents, and then placed them back down. He looked under the bed, in the closet, in the basket, and any other place he could find, but he found nothing.

Drusilla was getting a little concerned, and with good reason. Several minutes had already passed, and Jacob was getting closer to his home. As the time whittled away, Drusilla began looking up at the stairs whenever the opportunity presented itself. Their time was almost up.

The butler heard Jacob’s car arriving in the driveway.

“Ah. Here he is now. Let me go get him,” the butler said as he walked from the patio into the main living room.

Drusilla looked up at the stairs once more, but it was too late. Jacob had just opened the door and Owen was still in Jacob’s room.

“Jacob, your friends from the university are here to see you.”

The butler turned to Drusilla and said, “Where is your other friend?”

“I’m not sure,” she said.

Jacob squinted his eyes and wrinkled his forehead in disbelief. She knew where Owen was and so did Jacob. Jacob ran upstairs to his room and kicked open the door.

“Get out of my room, Owen.”

“I wish I could do that, but you know I can’t.”

“I said get out of my room, before I have to make you.”

The butler heard the commotion in the room and turned to Drusilla.

“Why did your friend go in Jacob’s room? You didn’t come here to see Jacob at all, did you? I think you’d better leave before I call the police.”

Drusilla stood there in silence, not yet sure of what to do.

Owen wasn’t sure either, but Jacob took care of that for him. Jacob reached into his closet and pulled out the bo staff that he kept at his home. He twirled it a few times and looked at Owen. Owen knew what was coming next.

Jacob swung his bo staff in the direction of Owen’s face, but Owen deflected it before it made impact. Jacob’s dresser, though, was not so lucky. Owen did the best he could to maneuver around Jacob’s bed and stay out of his direct reach until he thought of a potential solution.

Jacob and Owen looked as if they were participating in a strange ritual as they chased each other around the bed. The chase continued for a while, until Owen heard the butler coming up the steps. The comfort of potential backup prompted Jacob to make the mistake of letting his guard down for a brief second and turning his head. Owen was quick to take advantage of the moment, and before Jacob had a chance to react, Owen had pried the staff out of his hands.

“No!” Jacob shouted.

Owen lifted the bo staff above his head with both hands and struck the side of the bed with all his might, and then he repeated the action. The bo snapped into two pieces, and Owen noticed that the top half of the bo had been hollowed out. The beetle then fell to the floor.

Jacob lunged towards Owen, but Owen was able to grab the beetle and toss it down the stairs. Drusilla took a careful look at the beetle. She then lifted her leg and crushed the beetle several times with the heel of her shoe, until she heard it crunch.

Jacob rushed towards the stairs and was nearly all the way down, but it was too late. The beetle started to shimmer, and then it vanished with a loud POP.

“The police are already on their way,” the butler said sternly.

Jacob’s face lit up with anger, but it didn’t matter, the beetle was destroyed. Owen and Drusilla bolted from Jacob’s home and headed towards their car. They jumped in and locked the door.

“Go. Go!” Drusilla shouted frantically.

The driver floored the gas, and in a few seconds they were headed back to the university.

Chapter 12:

Decisions

The destruction of the second object was felt across the vast expanse. The Keeper knew it had been destroyed and so did Oldrik. It wouldn’t be long before the shield completely broke down.

The Fwaylan were growing restless and so were the giants. One of the larger Fwaylan glared at Borak and could no longer wait. He jumped down at Borak and took as large of a bite as possible out of the side of Borak’s neck. It was a serious wound, but not a fatal one. General Varrick signaled to the archers to act in kind, and they immediately killed the Fwaylan who had injured Borak and started firing their bows at the others who had started to pour in.

Elmer, as well as Oldrik’s other followers, Calvin and Mallory, watched in horror. Elmer began to mentally prepare for the moment The Keeper had mentioned earlier.

Oldrik was now able to contact Them, and called upon Them for help, but the armies of Them were still in a weakened state from the actions of The First Pillar and would not be able to reach the land of the giants before Oldrik’s shield failed. Oldrik would have to fend for himself.

The archers continued to fire their shafts into the bodies of the Fwaylan, but the Fwaylan persisted, and their carcasses began to pile up beyond the sinkhole. General Varrick looked at the carcasses in disgust and began to speak:

“It’s a shame. Their meat looks quite tasty, but the evil that exists in their hearts has fouled the flesh on their bones.”

In an attempt to keep the bodies of the Fwaylan from preventing access to Oldrik’s position, the general signaled to a few of the giants to use the assembly belt to transport the carcasses to the surface of the brutal desert. Several of the giants sprang into action and began tossing the bodies onto the belt and turning the winders with remarkable swiftness.

The assembly belt followed the old trail of the underground catacombs, as well as new ones, for miles up to the surface in a series of zigs and zags. The tremendous reach of the giants’ arms and the circumference of the winders resulted in a transport time that was impressive by any measure. With the assistance of the assembly belt, the giants succeeded in removing the bodies of the Fwaylan as fast as they had piled up.

The precision of the archers rendered the teeth and claws of the Fwaylan powerless, and there were more arrows than there were Fwaylan. If there was any principle that remained of the Fwaylan, it was pragmatism, and after the loss of thousands of Fwaylan and no forthcoming advantage, they retreated.

Oldrik stood beneath the protection of his dying shield. He was alone, with the exception of his few followers, and then it happened: the shield collapsed. Elmer’s moment had arrived, and he didn’t have to think twice. Elmer grabbed Oldrik’s rod, which encased the collector, and ran towards to the protection of the giants.

Elmer was lightning fast, and by the time Oldrik realized what had happened, it was too late. Elmer was already in the protection of the giants and well beyond Oldrik’s reach. The collector was drained, but it wasn’t useless. Oldrik had had plans for it, but now he would have to find another way.

General Varrick looked down at Elmer and said, “Well, little friend, you’re just about the right size to fit on the assembly belt that reaches the surface, and I think it’s the quickest way to get you to the entrance of the portal leading to the Deep Woods.”

The general lifted Elmer up off the ground and placed him on the assembly belt. Once Elmer was onboard, the giants began turning the large winders to carry him to the surface. Elmer gasped as the acceleration of the belt caused him to trip and nearly roll over the edge, but he had one hand wrapped around the other side of the belt and was able to pull himself back up to the top just before he approached the entrance of a tunnel, which would have taken off his head.

Elmer held the belt and grasped each side with one hand while lying flat on his stomach. From time to time, bits and pieces of Fwaylan carcass rolled down towards him. As he was carried closer and closer to the surface, he was constantly dodging both the bits of flesh and the walls that extended just above the entrance to each of the tunnels.

When the opportunity presented itself, Elmer took notice of the vast expanse that had been created underneath the catacombs. The giants had built a series of underground cities that were far more extensive than anything he had ever seen in the underground realm of the giants. The closer Elmer got the surface, the greater the distance between each successive tunnel grew and the larger the empty space between them.

Elmer wondered how he had missed that section of catacombs during his descent with Oldrik, but it soon became apparent that the assembly belt had taken him out farther than he thought possible. The giants had abandoned their old realm, and in short order they had created a massive new one that was at least ten thousand times more expansive.

Elmer approached another tunnel, and when he emerged on the other side, the last expanse was ten times the size of the previous one. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was as if the surface of a great foreign land built for giants had been taken underground, complete with natural lighting, mountains, trees, and giant villages.

Elmer looked off in the distance, and on one side he saw families of giants— fathers, mothers, and children all working and playing. On the other side, he saw vast armies of giants that numbered in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions. Numerous battlefields had been constructed, and monstrums lined the rock walls that encompassed the region as far as the eye could see.

He looked closer and saw sixteen different giant tunnels separated into groups of eight on each side. Elmer could only surmise that they led to the eight surrounding lands of Everville and the eight surrounding lands of The Other in Between. He wondered if that were the case, and if it were, how it was possible.

One last zag and Elmer nearly fell off again, which would have been fatal. The distance between the assembly belt and the surface had reached over a thousand feet. He held on as tight as he could. Up ahead was one last tunnel, so he ducked his head. The light vanished for a while, and he kept his head down for several minutes until light began to emerge from the other side and vanquished the darkness for good.

Elmer arrived on the surface and ran as fast as he could to the entrance of the portal, which he saw was very close. The unforgiving sun, though, was even more painful after Elmer’s transformation and the physical punishment that he had taken from Oldrik, which made it difficult to run. The Keeper saw Elmer’s approach and pulled him through the portal.

While being transported through the portal, all of Elmer’s skin started to fall off. His body began stretching top-to-bottom, side-to-side, and front-to-back, his body stuck in an uncontrollable spin and state of transformation. When he emerged on the other side in The Keeper’s Workshop, he had returned to his former Fron appearance. He was once again a short, thick, hairless, and happy Fron with tiny eyes, large ears, and of course, exceptional hearing. Elmer also had the renewed glow, happiness, and vigor shared by most Fron.

“Keeper, I have Oldrik’s rod.”

“Elmer, you have made the Fron proud, and I am grateful for your service. Your past transgressions have been forgiven, and Everville is in your debt.”

“I’m sorry, Keeper. I was stupid to listen to Oldrik.”

“We all make mistakes, Elmer. What sets apart those destined for greatness is the willingness to learn from the sins of the past and the desire to move forward in spite of the possibility of making new mistakes in the future. Your help will be needed sometimes now and again, somewhere between here and there, and like all living creatures in the vast expanse, you write your own destiny. Now go enjoy the fruits of your labor, but remain vigilant; there is still more work that needs to be done.”

Elmer had a look of genuine gratitude and happiness as he left The Keeper’s Workshop and returned to the land of the Fron above.

The Keeper looked at Oldrik’s rod, and then he turned his gaze to the portal. Sako and the Ubaloo had just reached the Deep Woods, and it would be another day’s journey before they made it back to Everville. The Keeper informed the Fron and the Ubaloo of the acquisition of the rod and the collector, but The Keeper still needed the dagger made from the same material as the walls of Vermogen to safely crush the collector and prevent further harm to those that it had ensnared through its use.

In the Deep Woods, the marmooks began hopping up and down and licking the faces of the Ubaloo with the announcement of the good news. Grenmar catapulted Felix high into the air, despite the concern that showed on his face at the altitude he was reaching. Several of the Fron started dancing in circles, Toe included, and then Sako spoke up.

“This is indeed cause for celebration, but we must still reach Everville and destroy the collector. We can celebrate then.”

Sako began walking through the forest of the Deep Woods, and the Ubaloo and marmooks rushed to follow. There would be no celebration just yet.

The mood was much different in the land of the giants. The Fwaylan had retreated, leaving Oldrik and his followers to fend for themselves. Without the shield, Oldrik was powerless to defend them. The injured and bleeding Borak used his humungous hand to wrap around Oldrik’s tall but skinny body and pick him up. Borak squeezed. Calvin and Mallory crouched to the ground and trembled in fear.

“Not just yet,” General Varrick cautioned Borak.

“They will answer for their crimes, and they may yet prove useful.”

Borak grunted in disappointment, then he placed Oldrik and his followers in a large square cage that was hanging from the ceiling, made from the bones of the Fwaylan and still reeking of rotting flesh.

Mallory was unable to control his urge to eat and picked off some of the meat that remained on the bones and stuffed it in his mouth. Calvin followed suit, but after chewing the rancid morsel for about half a second, he spit it out in Oldrik’s face. Oldrik struck him in the head and knocked him unconscious. At that moment, Mallory swallowed the meat, reached for another piece, and grinned. Oldrik knocked the meat out of his hand and prevented Mallory from enjoying the satisfaction.

General Varrick looked up at Oldrik in disgust.

“Those that lead others to darkness will pay for their actions. Your punishment will be especially heinous. You lead your followers down the path of evil, and then you abuse them with your hate. You are a disgusting, wretched creature.”

General Varrick opened the cage. Oldrik shrank back in fear of retribution. The general’s hand lifted Oldrik’s followers and placed them down on the ground, leaving Oldrik in the cage where he stood. The general then sent for the healer to attend to the injured one’s wounds and gave both of them some adequate food before returning them back to the cage.

“If you harm them again, Oldrik, I’ll smack you around myself and leave you in the cage to eat the rotting flesh until we decide what to do with you.”

Oldrik grumbled and turned away from the general.

Chapter 13:

Death’s Doorstep

Drusilla and Owen had barely made it back to the university before Owen had gotten a call from Jack saying that Dante was in bad shape.

“Driver, sorry, but can you take us to the hospital?” Owen asked.

“You got it, sir.”

Drusilla had heard Owen speaking on the phone and knew Dante wasn’t doing so well. “Do you think he’s going to make it?” she asked.

“I don’t know, Drusilla. This happened last time, but it’s not over, not yet anyway.”

Anika and Zee were still at Professor Samil’s funeral. Anika knew about Dante, but she was riding with Zee, and all the people who wanted to give him their condolences were making it difficult for them to leave. After waiting another ten minutes and talking with a few more faculty and friends, they were able to sneak off to the car and leave for the hospital.

Anika fidgeted in her seat all the way to the hospital. The tears from the funeral weren’t even dry before she had started shedding new ones for Dante. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her throat fared even worse. She thought to herself that the university had seen enough death, and it was time for something good to happen.

Zee and Anika arrived to a crowd of friends and family, many of who they had just seen at the professor’s funeral. The doctor had just left, and by the look on Jack’s face, things did not bode well for Dante’s recovery. Jack approached Anika and Owen.

“He’s not doing so well. The doctor says she doesn’t think he’s going to last through the night. I think you guys need to prepare for the worst.”

“No! This is not going to happen. Dante’s going to make it!” exclaimed Anika.

She walked back to the seating area and quietly talked with Owen.

“You don’t think this is because of the other beetle you guys squashed do you?” she asked.

“Anika, this happened last time when the first object was destroyed, but it had to be done. It’s now up to The Keeper and the Fron in Everville to destroy the collector. If they can do it soon, I think Dante will be okay.”

“You think?” Anika asked with a mix of sadness and anger in her voice.

Owen could think of no words at the moment to reassure her, so he put his arms around her and let her cry on his shoulder.

In The Keeper’s Workshop, The Keeper knew the situation had to be grave, but all he could do was wait. He reached into the mind of Sako and urged him to hurry. Sako asked Felix to take the dagger and travel as quickly as possible with Grenmar through the Deep Woods until they reached Everville.

Grenmar was more than eager to travel faster, but after Felix was tossed to the ground and hit several tree branches, they settled at a swift but slightly slower pace.

Felix held on to both Grenmar’s furry head and the dagger in his hand as tight as he could, but the constant barrage of twigs and leaves that smacked him in his face made it difficult. Felix wanted to close his eyes, but he was afraid that if he did that, it would be even more dangerous.

They picked up speed and continued at a frantic pace. Felix needed to duck larger branches that appeared to grow increasingly frequent as they got closer and closer to their destination.

It was one branch too many. Felix ran straight into a low-hanging branch and dropped to the ground like a stone. Grenmar picked him up and placed him back on his back and continued hopping along at the same ferocious speed.

At last, the trees started to thin and the branches dwindled in number. They were nearly there and not a moment too soon.

“Nurse, bring the crash cart!” the doctor shouted.

Several nurses had rushed into Dante’s room. Dante was lying there on the bed unconscious and unresponsive. Tubes protruded from different orifices of his body. His face was clammy and the EKG had been in a persistent flatline for the last couple of minutes.

“Clear!”

Nothing.

“Again. Clear!”

Still nothing.

“Again. Clear!”

The process continued for several minutes. One of the nurses looked over to the doctor and asked, “Are you about ready to call it?”

“Clear!”

Grenmar made one last hop and Felix ran to The Keeper’s Workshop. The Keeper reached down, plucked the dagger from Felix’s hand and lifted it to the level of his head as he prepared to shatter the collector.

The collector was made of glass, but it had flaws that gave it a speckled appearance, and was cloudy, unlike the objects that held the element on The Keeper’s shelves in his workshop.

The Keeper grimaced as he thrust the dagger into the collector and cracked the case. He took the dagger and continued stabbing the larger shards of glass until they were nothing but half-inch sized pieces. He asked Felix to take what was left of the pieces and throw them into the furnace.

Felix walked outside The Keeper’s Workshop and hurried off to the furnace that was about a hundred yards off. It was a small, black cast-iron furnace with a large tube that went to the surface. Felix tossed in the remaining shards and watched as they melted into the yellow and orange flames above the hot coals.

“Clear!”

Dante’s eye’s opened. The sound of the EKG quieted as his pulse returned.

“Wait! Look. He’s awake!”

Dante stared at the medical personnel standing over him, not sure what was happening. The doctor and nurses checked his brain function and other measurements. He was completely within the normal range for every measure. They were stunned into silence.

After a few more minutes of checking Dante’s vitals, the doctor left him and approached the waiting room.

“Well, I don’t know how to explain it other than to say that Dante appears to have made a complete recovery. His brain functions are completely normal, his vitals are stable, and every measurement seems to be within the healthy range. We want to keep him overnight and run some more tests to make sure that he remains stable, but if everything checks out, I don’t see any reason why he can’t leave tomorrow.

“Now, I still want him to take it easy and not overexert himself, and he should make sure to eat a healthy diet, but it appears he has dodged whatever bullet caused him to fall into the coma in the first place.”

Jack approached the crowd that had gathered and said, “He’s awake, and it looks like he might even be able to come home as early as tomorrow.”

The room erupted into cheers and animated conversation. Anika and Owen gave each other a big hug and turned to Jack.

“Thank God,” Anika said.

“That’s fantastic news!” Owen said.

“Doctor, when can he have visitors?” Anika asked as she walked towards the doctor.

“I want to keep a careful watch over him for the next hour or so, and then if he continues to remain stable, he should be able to have visitors shortly after that.”

Everyone in the waiting room was relieved, and it showed on their faces. Drusilla and Owen’s blood pressure had risen due to their near run-in with the law at Jacob’s place, so it was even more of a relief to hear the great news.

Something else was happening. Several other families had rushed into the waiting room, and the nurses had called the doctor back to other areas of the hospital that housed long term care patients. From the looks on their faces, it was good news. It was soon apparent that Dante wasn’t the only one who had awoken from a coma. At least half a dozen other patients who had been there for decades had woken up, all completely normal. These were the people who had lost consciousness in the earlier attempt to stop Them from overtaking Everville, the same attempt that resulted in Dala’s death. It was a sight to behold, the exact opposite scene of the funeral earlier that morning.

The expression on Zee’s face turned from one of cheer to that of irritation. Drusilla walked over to Zee and whispered, “I’m sorry, Zee. I know you wish this could have been your father.”

It was little comfort. The irritation was compounded by the fact that the same thing was happening over and over again to complete strangers. It just didn’t seem fair.

Over the next hour, the crowd that had been waiting for Dante thinned a bit, but there were still enough people to completely fill the room once the doctor gave the go ahead to let the visitors in.

When Anika walked into Dante’s room and saw his eyes open, she couldn’t help herself. She rushed over to his bed, gave him a big squeeze, and said, “Dante, I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what we would have done if you didn’t make it.”

“The same goes for me, Dante,” Owen said.

Similar discussions went on for a while with several of his friends and family, and after an hour or so, most people had left. Only Drusilla, Zee, Anika, Owen, and Dante’s family remained.

“I’m glad you came out of it, Dante. A lot’s happened since you’ve been out of it, and we have a lot to talk about,” Owen said.

“I look forward to hearing all about it.”

The nurse came in and said, “It’s getting well past visiting hours, so unless you are immediate family, please wrap it up.”

“Okay, Dante, we’ll come see you in the morning and talk some more. Hopefully you can come home then.”

“I hope so too, Anika.”

Chapter 14:

Oldrik

Oldrik watched the giants from inside the bone cage high above the ground. The sight of his followers now made him want to throw up out of sheer hatred for their perceived worthlessness. General Varrick looked at Oldrik with an expression that threatened action if Oldrik made any stupid moves, but after he felt certain the former Keeper would behave, the general returned his attention to studying some of the maps that were on the table in front of him.

Oldrik reached out to Them once more and made a connection. His resolve to keep the secret in his mind continued to weaken, and Them felt that it would only be a matter of time before Oldrik allowed access to the hidden knowledge.

Oldrik asked for the assistance of the armies of Them a second time, but the destruction of the collector and the loss of Elmer, who had been forgiven for his betrayal, had both significantly weakened the breach. Them needed to wait and see the fallout from the destruction of the collector, especially since Them’s forces had been dealt a great blow twice in such a short amount of time. Oldrik would have to remain locked up in his cage for at least a little while longer.

After General Varrick returned to his study, The Keeper appeared to him once more. “Varrick, the moment that I have long feared is drawing near. With the destruction of the collector, a minor victory has been won, but I sense that Oldrik is ready to divulge the great secret. If he does, you will need to prepare your armies. Our greatest battle yet may soon await us in The City of Worms.”

“Keeper, our armies have been preparing with great diligence. We have made enormous strides even in the short time since the battle of the Fron. In spite of the losses we suffered to The Other In Between and the battle of the Fron, our armies have been fortified, our weapons have improved, and our access to the other realms is nearly complete. It may be possible that we not only win the battle, but perhaps put an end to this war once and for all.”

“General, you have indeed made great strides, and your armies will prove an invaluable asset in the battles that loom, but the Great War will never be over. So long as the darkness remains in the heart of a single living creature, the constant struggle, the eternal struggle will continue. We can only hope to stave off the return of darkness for another day. Until then, we must appreciate the bounty we have been fortunate enough to receive and revel in the camaraderie for which our people are known.”

“As always, Keeper, your wisdom is great. I will await your instructions and ready our armies.”

The Keeper then entered the mind of Oldrik.

“Oldrik, you have one last chance to turn from the darkness. With your assistance we can hold back the armies of Them for a great while longer. Will you join us or will you join with Them?” The Keeper said as Oldrik laughed.

“It has become clear to me that the great decision we made many years ago was the wrong one. The powers that threaten our realm from beyond the borderlands are greater than anything we have ever faced. If we don’t shore up our power now, we may never be able to recover. It’s better to embrace the darkness that we know than to be unprepared for that which we do not.”

“I cannot express the disappointment that I have in you right now, Oldrik. The evils we face in anytime, in anywhere, whether now and then, or time and again, will always be the same. As a Keeper, you should know that better than anyone. I still cannot fathom how you have deluded yourself into believing the great lie. You once glimpsed one of the great Pillars of Truth in the multiverse, but now you have let your arrogance be your downfall. How ironic.”

Oldrik broke off the connection that The Keeper had made and instead merged with the mind of Them. Them now had full access to Oldrik’s mind. The great decision had always been known, but the particulars were what mattered. The secret had been locked away since the beginning, even when Oldrik had first betrayed The Keeper.

Now that the collector was destroyed, the only storehouse of power that remained, at least for those with a dark heart, was that which lay hidden deep within The City of Worms. Its method and its location were what mattered, not the city itself, which was already known. It was the location of the worms which held the power, and the method by which they stored and spent that power, that was important.

In every respect, Oldrik had given himself over to the darkness. He had one more transformation. The instant Them retrieved the knowledge, Oldrik’s body dissolved and melted away. It oozed off the cage and dripped to the floor. Only Oldrik’s non-corporeal essence remained. Black smoke stood in place of where his body once had. Oldrik was now a ghost of his former self. His followers watched as the smoke blew away through the cage and up to the surface above the sinkhole and out over the brutal desert. Oldrik was now one of Them. The black smoke vanished as Oldrik’s essence was consumed by Them. He was no longer an individual being, he had become part of the mindless horde from which Them were composed.

Back at the hospital, Dante’s room had emptied and he was alone with his thoughts. Images flashed in front of him, a memory, but just a snippet of one. He tried to hold on to it, but as he tried, it vanished. He closed his eyes and attempted to retrieve it, but it couldn’t be forced. He had to let it go for the time being.

The flash of a memory interrupted his train of thought. Dante had been pondering what his Uncle Jack had told him regarding the Fron battle, Everville, Zee, and now the collector. It was a lot to take in.

In spite of all the happenings, an urge had been growing in him ever since he’d awakened. It couldn’t be stopped; it was a force that Dante had always had to deal with and was a constant source of discussion between Anika and Owen. It was Dante’s stomach.

Feeding tubes may have provided Dante with the nutrients that he needed to survive, but his body was missing flavor. Anika or Owen would have brought him some food if his situation hadn’t happened so fast. Dante, however, was not so lucky. He would have to make do with the tray the nurse had left by his bed, which had since grown cold. Still, it was better than nothing, and Dante used the fork to shovel in the corn, mashed potatoes, and scary-looking meatloaf that rested on his plate.

Meanwhile, Cleophas had been at his home searching for answers that had now been resolved, but in the process he had uncovered something else. It had to do with the souls of those who had been trapped in the state of unconsciousness resulting from the makeshift collector.

“I know it’s here somewhere,” Cleophas said to himself as he tossed aside clothes that littered the floor. His room was a train wreck. In his search for a solution to help Dante, he had overturned every inch of his home looking for notes, clues, and objects that he was then unable to find. There was one item in particular that he was looking for, but it was nowhere to be found. He’d known where it was mere moments earlier, but he was unable to grasp the memory that was now fading.

Cleophas had notified Owen and the other members of the Echo Club that they would resume their meetings shortly after the university was back in session, but Dante’s recovery and the need to find the missing clue had convinced him to delay the meeting a while longer. He went to his computer and sent out the delay notifications to the members of the club, then sat there for a moment hoping his subconscious might find the solution while he was doing other things.

Cleophas needed to find what he was looking for, and soon, but it had been a crazy day, and his body was spent. Whatever it was he was looking for would have to wait a while longer.

Chapter 15:

The Next Day

Anika and Owen stood by the steps of the dorm and watched as Dante’s Uncle Jack pulled into the driveway. The instant they saw Dante in the back seat, they rushed towards the car.

“I’m so happy, Owen. I just can’t believe it. Dante’s back, and more important than that, he’s safe. I was so worried there for a while that he was never gonna to come out of it.”

“I know, and I think we’re a little bit lucky. Just think of all those people that had the same thing happen to their friends and family who are just now getting them back after a couple of decades. Not to mention the fact that Cleophas and Zee will never get that chance.”

“You’re absolutely right, Owen, and you know what else? We need to throw a party to celebrate Dante’s return from the hospital.”

“A party? What kind of party are we talking about here, and don’t you think that might be a little bit insensitive so soon after Professor Samil’s funeral?”

“I’m sorry, Owen, but Dante’s been a friend for how long? I know it sucks what happened to Zee’s dad and all, but Dante’s back, and he deserves a big celebration. It might make Zee a little uncomfortable, but if he’s a true friend he’ll understand.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m just a little concerned about Zee’s state of mind right now, especially after what he said he saw about his father in Everville. I just don’t want to push him over the edge.”

Jack opened the car door for Dante and helped him carry a couple of small bags.

“Dante, glad to see you’re finally out of that hospital. Let me help you with that,” Owen said as he took a small bag that Dante had been carrying.

“You know the worst thing about hospitals?” Dante asked.

“You mean besides the food?” Anika replied.

“No. That’s it. The food absolutely sucks, at least the food they were feeding me. That meatloaf last night was absolutely terrible. I can still taste the aftertaste in my mouth, and I don’t think meatloaf’s supposed to have an aftertaste.”

“That sounds pretty gross, but at least you’re out of that place now, and you can eat whatever you want,” Owen said.

I know, right? I could go for a good burger right about now.”

“A burger sounds great,” Anika agreed.

“I’m a little hungry, too. Come on. Let’s get your bags to your room, then we can walk to that burger place on campus. You know, the one where you can make your own burger from scratch,” Owen said.

Anika and Owen carried Dante’s bags to his room and dropped it off on his bed.

“Oh, Hi. I’m Tesla,” said a short and skinny boy with dark brown hair and green eyes, looking up from the bed on his side of the room. He wasn’t handsome in the classic sense, but he had a kind of geeky charm and a nice smile.

“You must be Dante’s new roommate,” Anika replied.

“Nice to meet you, Tesla. This is Anika, I’m Owen, and that’s Dante.”

“Just don’t give him too much of a hard time. Dante just got out of the hospital.”

“Don’t listen to her, Tesla. She’s just being a little overprotective. I’ll be fine.”

“Sorry to hear it. Are you okay? Were you injured in the storm?”

“Well, not exactly, but I’m fine now, so no need to worry,” Dante responded.

Anika looked at Tesla and said, “Hey, you know what? You should come to Dante’s welcome back party that Owen and I are planning.”

“Really, guys?” Dante said in astonishment.

“Don’t look so surprised, Dante. It’s kind of a big deal. Besides, we haven’t been to any really good parties since we’ve been here; we might as well have one while we still can. Who knows how long that will last?” Anika said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tesla asked.

“Oh nothing. So what do you say? Wanna come?” she continued.

“I don’t see why not, but I probably won’t be able to stay long. I’m an engineering major, so I don’t get out of my room much. I’m taking a full load, eighteen credits with Physics and Calc II.”

“Yikes! Well, I’m sure we won’t keep you too late. Besides, our get-togethers usually don’t attract that many people. I just want to make sure we have at least enough people to have a good evening and give Dante a respectable welcome back,” Anika replied.

“It’s not really all that bad. I just need to manage my time wisely. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of people that come, but I’ll do my best to be there.”

“I guess we’ll be seeing you around then,” Owen said.

“Wanna come grab a burger with us for lunch?” Dante said.

“Thanks, but I got my sandwich here, and I need to study, so maybe next time.”

“No problem. I guess I’ll see you later,” Dante replied.

“All right, see ya,” Tesla said as they walked out the door.

Dante turned to Anika and said, “Ahhh. I didn’t know you cared so much.”

“Yeah, well, just this once, but don’t let it go to your head. Your roommate seems cool, though,” Anika replied.

“Yeah, I guess he seems all right.”

After they left the dorm, they continued along the main walkway through the center of campus. Their curiosity of the present state of the campus forced them to keep their eyes glued to their surroundings.

“You know, things don’t look that bad around here. I thought it would be worse,” Dante said, as he inspected the damage.

“Yeah, well, you should’ve seen it a couple of weeks ago,” Owen replied.

They continued with the small talk until the smell from the food court could no longer be ignored.

“Oh, man. That smells great!” Dante said in a visible state of anticipation.

“I know, right? If we were twenty years older, this place would be dangerous. I don’t think there’s anything on the menu that has less a week’s worth of cholesterol. Better enjoy it now while you’re still young,” Anika said.

The new burger place was half empty, and after they finished ordering their food and found a seat, they took their time eating.

“Oh … my … God! This burger is so impossibly good,” Dante exclaimed.

He had only taken one bite, but the flavor of the charbroiled burger and the sauce forced him to comment. A thick light brown and red sauce with flecks of black char dripped down his chin. Even the smell of the sauce that was dripping down his face was inviting. Anika looked at Dante and wiped the sauce off his face with her finger.

“You’re such a slob, Dante,” she said as she licked the sauce off her finger.

Owen grimaced. He normally would’ve commented on the act, but after having already taken a few bites of his own burger, he honestly couldn’t blame her.

“Well, I’d love to stay and chat with you guys, but I’ve got class in ten minutes,” Anika said.

“Yeah, I have one, too. When’s your next class, Dante?”

“Oh, I have another hour. I’m just gonna relax here for a while and enjoy my meal.”

“Well, you deserve it, Dante. I hope you do well in your class. Maybe the professors will ease up a bit because of the storm, but then again, maybe not. In any case, take it easy, and don’t overexert your brain. I don’t want to see you back in the hospital any time soon.”

“Thanks, Owen. See you guys later.”

Anika and Owen walked out the door; Dante took another humungous bite and let the sauce continue to drip down his face as he did.

“Mmmm. This is good,” he said to himself, now sitting alone.

Chapter 16:

Planning

The Ubaloo and Fron sat with The Keeper in his workshop. Felix, Faine, and Asher each sat on the backs of Grenmar and the two other marmooks who were facing The Keeper.

“Oldrik is no more. His thoughts and essence are with Them; this is very grave news,” The Keeper said in a stern tone.

“Oldrik is no more. Oldrik is no more,” said Felix in his high-pitched voice.

“Them now possesses the knowledge of all our secrets and defenses that were once held by Oldrik. The location of the worms is now known by Them. With this revelation, the armies of Them will be amassing in The City of Worms. Them will attempt to seize the worms, but Them will soon find it won’t be an easy task. Even with that knowledge, the worms are protected, and the arrogance that Them hold will make it difficult to harness the element.

“The concentration of the element within the worms represents tremendous power. If Them are successful in creating a large enough collector and are able transfer enough of the element from the worms, it could spell the end to all of our eight surrounding realms. Only Everville and the borderlands will remain,” The Keeper intoned solemnly.

“Since the knowledge of Oldrik’s betrayal, the remaining Keepers have been working with the giants to create new methods of defense that are not known to Oldrik. General Varrick has created an underground realm that can transport the armies of Everville to any of our lands without having to traverse the borderlands that exist between them. This will give our armies a great advantage.

“Felix, Faine, and Asher, I have a very important task for you. You must travel to the underground land of the giants and visit General Varrick. General Varrick has confined Oldrik’s former Fron helpers, Calvin and Mallory, to a Fwaylan bone cage near his study. I want you to convince Calvin and Mallory to spy on the armies of Them and find out the location and plan of Them’s army. I would contact them myself, but I sense they are not completely willing and would reveal my request to Them. It will be up to you to change their hearts.

“Calvin and Mallory have partially given themselves over to evil so they will not be suspected, but you will need to travel through the tunnel underneath the monoliths in the land of the giants to get to The City of Worms. Once Calvin and Mallory have found the location of the armies of Them in The City of Worms, they will communicate with you across the city,” The Keeper said.

“The tunnels underneath the monoliths can only be used when powered by the element in the collectors. Once you are successful in finding the location and plan of the armies, you will have to travel through the natural portal to Brackenbone, and I will look into your minds to find the answer. Don’t worry about the armies of Them following you back through the portal. With the breach weakened, only the pure of heart can traverse the natural portals. Once I have communicated the plan to Varrick, he will use the collectors to power the tunnel underneath the monolith.

“I will give you two collectors, one for you, and one for General Varrick’s army. Don’t lose the containers. If you do, you will have to travel all the way back through the land of the giants, above the brutal desert, back to Everville, and then through the Deep Woods and across two more realms before you can reach the portal from Brackenbone to The City of Worms. We don’t have time for that,” The Keeper reminded the listeners, seriously.

“I will assemble our armies from the surrounding realms and have them converge in Brackenbone near the portal. Once we have the location and plan of Them, we can converge on The City of Worms and flank the armies of Them from each side of the city, the armies of Everville on one side and the army of giants on the other.

“Be warned, though, The City of Worms, like all lands surrounding The Other In Between, is occupied by dark creatures who are loyal to Them. They are used and possessed by Them in the creation of Them’s army, so you must proceed with great caution. Your size and strength will be to your advantage, but no one is safe in The City of Worms.”

“Giants, spy, element, monolith, tunnel, portal, City of Worms, Brackenbone, mind, flank, got it!” Felix exclaimed.

“Good. Time is of the essence,” The Keeper said.

The Keeper went to his shelves and pulled two of the collectors that contained the element. Grenmar started jumping up and down in his seat as The Keeper approached. Grenmar’s jumping tossed Felix high in the air. As Felix gained altitude, he clapped his hands over and over again and repeated, “Element! Element!”

Asher reached over with his five-inch muscular arm and held Grenmar to his seat, preventing Grenmar from jumping any further.

“Grenmar,” The Keeper said. “I knew your father. He was a hero and saved my life many times. I have faith in you. I know you will keep Felix, Faine, Asher, and your fellow marmooks safe. If you are anything like your father, you are capable of great things.”

Grenmar jumped into The Keeper’s lap, knocking Felix upside-down on top of the table.

“Hey there, little fellow,” The Keeper said, as he proceeded to stroke Grenmar’s soft velvet head.

Grenmar looked up at The Keeper. Tears engorged Grenmar’s eyes. He proceeded to lick The Keeper’s face, then hopped back to the other side of the table; he was now unable to control his urge to jump. Asher rolled his eyes.

“Now on to other things,” The Keeper said.

“Toe has convinced me to delay your departure by a few angles of the sun. There is a great celebration underway in the villages above, but please, keep your indulgences to a minimum. In very short order we will need you clearheaded and focused on the task at hand.”

“Indulgences. Indulgences,” Felix repeated.

The Keeper gave him a stern look. The Ubaloo and marmooks then retreated aboveground to the land of the Fron.

Once the Ubaloo and Fron had left, The Keeper appeared to General Varrick in his study.

“Varrick. I will soon send Felix, Faine, and Asher to your position in an attempt to convince Calvin and Mallory to spy on the armies of Them in The City of Worms. They will be carrying two containers to power your tunnels underneath the monolith for two trips. Prepare your army. Once the Ubaloo have communicated the plan of the armies of Them, I will contact you again. We will flank the armies of Them from both sides of the city. I will send in our army from Brackenbone, and you will send the army of giants to the location I provide at the time.”

“We will not disappoint you, Keeper. I will instruct half of my army to the wait by the monolith with the other half in reserve. As soon as you give the order, we will travel through the tunnel to The City of Worms and crush the armies of Them.”

The Keeper’s image disappeared from General Varrick’s table and Borak approached. The healer had bandaged his neck, but the blood was still seeping through the bandage.

“How is your wound?” General Varrick asked him.

“It’s nothing. No Fwaylan is ever going to stop me,” he uttered as he held the bandage tightly, keeping pressure on his neck.

“Good. Have the healer attend to your wound. I need you ready to lead the half of the army that will be fighting the armies of Them. Ready your men as quickly as possible. When The Keeper gives me the order, you will direct the army’s descent into The City of Worms.”

“Yes, General.”

Borak walked away and headed towards the healer. The healer was beautiful, with long, flowing black hair, soft tan skin, and no visible scars or flaws. Her smooth calming voice had a power all its own. When combined with the medicine she applied, it was very effective.

As Borak approached, she took out a jar of ointment made from the dirt of the underground realm, the glowing insects from the walls of the catacombs, and a few medicinal herbs. Borak knelt down to allow her to reach his neck. She then took off his bandage and applied another round of the ointment. She looked into his eyes and spoke:

“You are the strongest and bravest giant I know, but please be careful when you come up against the armies of Them. I have no doubt that you can crush the possessed minions that lead Them’s army, but Them are deceitful and cunning. Humble yourself to your surroundings and prepare for the unexpected.”

The ointment halted the wound’s bleeding, and she placed a new bandage on his neck. She then touched his arm and said, “Now go, and I don’t want to see you in here again. Your men need you.”

Borak held the healer’s hand, which was tiny by comparison.

“Thank you, healer. I’ll try not to disappoint you,” he said in a softer tone, and then he headed off to prepare his men.

Chapter 17:

Conspiracy

“How was your first day of classes since the storm?” Anika asked.

“It was pretty mellow,” Owen replied. Everyone got extensions for the next couple of assignments. It’s a good thing too, the party being tomorrow night and all that.”

“Same here. Speaking of the party, I was able to secure one of the large conference halls on campus. I guess that’s one lucky thing that came out of the storm. The rooms had been booked for the next few weeks, but after the storm, several of the events were cancelled. I just hope we can fill up the room. I made up these flyers at Campus Copy. You wanna help me put some of these up on the bulletin boards around campus?”

“Yeah. Sure, no problem. You think we should post the event online, too?” Owen asked.

“It’s already done.”

“Okay. Cool. You know, there was one other thing I’ve been thinking about.”

“What’s that?” Anika asked.

“Well, it’s Cleophas. I have hardly heard from him at all since the dinner, and he was supposed to be helping find the solution to the collector problem, which he never did. Then I just got his email about delaying the meeting at the Echo Club. You think we should give him a call?”

“I’m sure he’s fine. We can talk to him later at the meeting. Let’s just focus on getting this party set up. I’m really kinda looking forward to it now. Did you ask your new roommate Adamo if he wanted to come?”

“Yep. He said he wouldn’t miss it.”

“Great. Anyways, Owen, here are some flyers. Why don’t you hand some out by the dorms, and I’ll do this half of the campus.”

“Will do. I’ll catch you later,” Owen said.

“Thanks. I’ll text you later,” Anika replied as she walked off and approached a cluster of bulletin boards in the immediate vicinity.

Back at Zee’s place, Drusilla had just walked in the door and looked a little anxious.

“Zee, how have you been? Are you feeling any better?” she asked.

“As good as can be expected, I suppose.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m not sure how I would be dealing with it if it were me, so I really commend you. By the way, have you heard anything about Jacob? I wasn’t sure if he was planning anything after we destroyed the beetle, and I was starting to get a little nervous.”

“No. I haven’t heard anything, but if I see him again he’s got a lot to answer for. I’m glad you guys didn’t get into any trouble. That was kind of a risky plan, but I’m grateful you and Owen pulled it off. I really wonder how much else he knows. He must know a lot. We should probably meet up with Owen and talk some more. We need to find out how Jacob fits in to this whole thing and what he’s got planned.”

“Well, I guess we can talk to him at the party tomorrow night.”

“What party?” Zee asked with a surprised look on his face.

“Oh, I thought you knew. Anika and Owen are hosting a party for Dante to celebrate his recovery. I saw the event posted online. It’s going to be at the main conference hall. I’ve already talked to a couple of people that said they were going. From what I’m hearing, it sounds like it’s going to be kinda big. Are you okay and everything? I know you’re still dealing with your dad and all, but do you think you might wanna come?”

Zee sighed. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll probably go. Let me think about it.”

Drusilla had good reason to be concerned. Jacob had not forgotten and was indeed planning something. Odious, to his misfortune, was discovering just exactly what that something was.

“Listen up, Odious. I’m sure you know who my new parents are. If you don’t tell me what I want to know, we will destroy you, everything you value, and everything you love. We will take away your job, your home, and anything that gives you the slightest amount of pleasure. More than that, we will make sure you never work anywhere near this place again, ever! Now tell me what I want to know or your life as you know it is over.”

“You little snot-nosed kid. You think because you have a new set of rich parents that I’m just going to do whatever you tell me. If you do, you have a hard dose of reality coming. I’m not going to let you, or anyone else for that matter, threaten me. If you want the location of that container, you’ll have to come pry it out of my brain by force because I’m not telling you or anyone else unless you have a court order.”

“Listen here, you fat old man. I’m giving you one last chance to tell me where that container is or I’m going to beat it out of you.”

“I’ve had enough of this and enough of you, Jacob.”

Odious turned away from Jacob and headed towards the door.

Jacob hurried to a nearby closet and pulled out another bo staff, one that he had made just after Owen had destroyed his other one. Odious had opened the door, but before he was able to walk through, Jacob used his bo to slam the door shut.

“Now you—”

Before Odious had a chance to finish, Jacob interrupted.

“No. You’re going to hear me, really hear me, baldy,” Jacob said as he wedged the bo underneath Odious’ chin.

“I’ll suffocate you right here and now if you don’t tell me what I want to know. Now tell me the location of that container!”

Odious had grabbed the bo on both sides in an attempt to keep it from bearing down any further on his throat. Jacob continued to apply pressure with all his strength. Odious’ face started to turn purple, and then he relented.

“Okay, okay. Just get that thing off my throat, I can’t breathe.”

Jacob relaxed the pressure a little bit, and then said, “Just as soon as you tell me what I want to know.”

“All right. All right. I dropped off the container with a few other boxes at Zee’s father’s estate. That’s all I know. What Zee’s done with it now is anybody’s guess.”

Jacob backed away from Odious, who then opened the front door and rushed to his car. Jacob didn’t bother to go after him. After Odious pulled out of the driveway, Jacob said to himself, “I guess it’s time to go visit Zee.”

Less than a minute after he had left, Odious called Zee.

“Can I speak with Zee, please?”

“Speaking.”

“Zee. This is Odious. Listen carefully. I was just called over to Jacob’s place. After I arrived, he threatened and attacked me. I did my best not to tell him, but I had no choice. He knows you have the container from your father. I think he’s going to try to get it from you. I’m really sorry about this, Zee.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Odious. I’ll take care of it.”

“Who was that, Zee?” Drusilla asked.

“That was Odious. Jacob knows about the container with the liquid. He’ll probably be coming for it,” Zee replied.

“You know what? I have an idea. I’m going to call Owen.”

“What do you have in mind, Drusilla?”

“We should let Owen hold on to it for a while. He can give it to Cleophas, who can hide it someplace. I don’t know if Jacob can sense its location. With how he figured out where it was in the first place, my guess is not. Just in case, though, I think Cleophas might know a way to keep it hidden from Jacob’s mind as well.”

“That sounds like a good idea, Drusilla. Maybe we should let Cleophas store some of the other objects too, until we figure out what to do with Jacob.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right. I’ll give Owen a call right now.

Chapter 18:

Familiar Settings

“How are you, Owen? Come on in.”

“I’m good. It’s nice to see you again, Cleophas. I was getting a little concerned,” Owen said as he walked into the main entrance of the Echo Club.

“Well, Owen, there’s been a lot going on and we have a lot of things to discuss,” Cleophas replied as they opened the double doors of the second inner room of the club and walked in.

It had only been a few weeks since Owen had seen the inner room of the Echo Club, but it felt like much longer. He looked around at the tall bookcases and the objects and statues that rested atop various ornate tables. He felt as if he had more of a connection, more of an understanding of the objects and the meanings behind them.

Owen handed Cleophas the container of Professor Samil’s that Zee had given him. Cleophas pushed one of the books on the bookshelf to reveal a hidden compartment, one of many in the room. He set the container down and returned the books back to their usual position.

Owen had of course attempted to see with the container after Zee had handed it over, but the container must have been protected somehow, or so Owen thought, and he had no intention of tasting the liquid.

Owen walked over and picked up the handkerchief that Cleophas had used to help train him prior to the Fron battle. He held in his hand and let his memories take him back, just like before.

He could see Professor Samil’s thoughts traveling back and forth between Everville and Earth, but there was something else. There was purpose to what Professor Samil had done, and in spite of what he knew and what Zee had told him, that purpose didn’t seem completely evil. Owen could sense it, but he still wasn’t quite to the point where he understood everything. Still, this was something Owen was sure that Zee would be happy to hear, and something Owen needed to explore further.

He sat the handkerchief back down and said, “Whoa. I just saw something else! Something about Professor Samil.”

“Yes, Owen,” said Cleophas. “Indeed, it was Professor Samil who attempted to stop an earlier breach. He ultimately failed. He attempted to have The First Pillar help, but he was unsuccessful. There were people that assisted him twenty years ago. He told far more people than should have known, and they ultimately paid the price. My love, Dala, was one of them.

“Professor Samil’s arrogance is why The First Pillar was unwilling to help. He had made far more mistakes in his attempt than you, foolish mistakes. He was injured severely in his visit to The Valley of Darkness. His friends and those who knew about the attempt gave him far too much of their energy. As a result, they lost twenty years of their lives in a state of unconsciousness. My love Dala lost her life completely.”

“Well, I did see before that it was Professor Samil, but I saw something else this time. What I saw when I was helping the Fron in their battle, and how Zee explained he saw regarding Professor Samil’s intentions and collusion with Them, wasn’t the complete picture. I’m not sure what it means or what the whole story is, but I think we should look in to it,” Owen said with conviction.

“Owen, I’ve been doing more research, and based on what both of you have told me and what I have found, the makeshift collector and the beetles used to transfer the element had a far more insidious purpose. There may be a connection, but you are right. We should find out what Professor Samil’s full intentions were and what the other purpose of the makeshift collector was. Perhaps it’s something you can only find out by finding The Second Pillar of Truth. For that, you will need to visit The Keeper, because there is no more direction that I can give.

“There is something else that I need to tell you. It’s about why The Keeper has called upon you to stop the breach. First of all, the whole multiverse is connected through time and space. Everville is connected to Earth and all other realms, as well. I’m sure by now you have discovered that the symbols you have seen and the symbols on the bo staves are unique to each owner. Each owner has a connection and knowledge either through themselves or their parents.

“The number of people with that connection on Earth is very small, less than a hundred. Of those people, The Keeper has sensed that you are the only person that might possess enough of the wisdom and character to understand all of the seven pillars, and that’s still a big if. All others have failed, and The Keeper has been looking since the beginning of the breach. There is no one in Everville who is able to understand all the Pillars of Truth. The most any Keeper has ever known is three. It’s up to you, Owen, not because you are special, but because you are the only one left that hasn’t been so corrupted as to be blinded to the truth.”

“Wow. I didn’t realize the situation was that bad. Am I really the only one that hasn’t been completely corrupted? What about Anika and Dante? They’ve been my friends forever and they have a lot of character, and I’m certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.”

“Your friends do possess a lot of character, and that’s why you are attracted to them. But each of them has some flaw that precludes them from seeing the truth of all the pillars. Together, though, they have enough character to support you in your quest. It’s up to you to recognize their flaws and not be corrupted by them, and not just in them, but everyone else, as well. It’s true that you are not perfect, Owen, but you have an understanding of what perfect should be, and at the moment, that is all we need.”

Chapter 19:

Spies

Felix, Faine, and Asher had just arrived at General Varrick’s location. Felix looked up at the Fwaylan bone cage that held Calvin and Mallory and said, “Calvin and Mallory! Calvin and Mallory!”

“Yeah, what do you want, you tiny midget?” Calvin spat.

“We came to rescue you. We think we can help you, and maybe you can help us, too,” replied Faine.

“Why should we trust you?” Mallory said with unease.

“Why shouldn’t you trust us? You were once a Fron. You know that the Ubaloo are a trustworthy race. Can I ask you? Where has helping Oldrik gotten you? You have a chance to redeem yourself and get on the right side of things, just as Elmer did. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to take it?” Asher asked.

“Elmer was a traitor,” Calvin shot back.

“A traitor to whom? To The Keeper or to Oldrik, and wasn’t Oldrik a traitor himself?” Faine retorted.

“Elmer was a traitor to both. Oldrik was a traitor just to one. That makes Elmer worse,” Calvin said.

“Let me ask you this. Do you want to stay in this cage until you die? You don’t think the giants will let you out, do you? Do you want to wait for Them to win the war, and what if Them lose, or what if the war never ends? That’s what The Keeper believes. This is a war that will never end, and the only way anyone is taking over the land of the giants is if Them win the war. Your only way out of this cage is to help us,” Asher said earnestly.

“Okay. I’m in,” Calvin said. “I don’t mind being a traitor. This cage sucks, and I’m hungry.”

“Do you switch allegiances so easily?” Mallory asked with contempt.

“Come on, Mallory. Oldrik almost killed me. He smacked you around, too. General Varrick has been nicer to us than Oldrik ever was, and we were his enemies. What good did Oldrik ever do for us? I think they’re right. We chose the wrong side of things. We shouldn’t let our pride keep us tied to the wrong side,” Calvin said.

“Yeah. The wrong side. The wrong side,” repeated Felix.

“Well, I guess you’re right, Calvin. We don’t really have much choice now, do we?” Mallory said.

“You always have a choice,” Asher said. “It’s just up to you which choice you make,” he continued.

“What is it exactly that you want us to do?” Mallory asked.

“We need you to travel with us to The City of Worms and spy on the army of Them.”

“Oh. Is that all?” Mallory said.

“Listen, you have pledged your allegiance to Oldrik. You will be able to find out what Them are planning and the location of the army. Then you tell us the location and the plans, and we can communicate that back to The Keeper so we can defeat the army of Them,” Faine said.

“That seems like a lot of risk, and what happens if we get found out? What happens if you lose?” Mallory questioned.

“What happens if you do nothing? You stay in this cage,” replied Asher.

“He does have a point,” Calvin said.

“Well, I guess we’ve done dumber things, and I am starting to miss my old home anyway,” Mallory said.

“I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. Now let’s do this thing,” Faine said.

Asher signaled to General Varrick, who opened the cage and released Calvin and Mallory.

“Borak will carry you to the tunnel beneath the monolith, and I’ll inform The Keeper,” the general said.

Borak lifted Calvin and Mallory and placed them each on one of his shoulders. Felix, Faine, and Asher climbed up on the heads of the other three, Felix on the head of Calvin, Faine on the head of Mallory, and Asher on the head of Borak. Felix and Faine held Calvin and Mallory’s slimy ears to steady themselves while Asher kept a tight grip on Borak’s hair.

“Hold on tight,” Borak said.

Borak bolted through the underground catacombs. The acceleration almost made all three Ubaloo fall off. Being triple the size of the other giants, Borak often had to duck his head as they entered new passageways. After a while, the entrance to the encampment grew large enough that ducking was no longer necessary. Once inside the larger encampments, Borak was able to leap through most of the way.

The encampments grew larger and more complex as they got closer to the monolith, which was nearly a hundred miles away. After about a third of the way, they reached the final catacomb. It had to have been at least seventy miles across and perhaps twice as long.

“I think we made the right decision,” Calvin said with a gulp as they entered the final encampment.

“The right decision. The right decision,” repeated Felix.

The Ubaloo looked about in amazement, as did Calvin and Mallory. If there was any doubt about their chances of victory, it was laid to rest when the magnitude of the giant’s feat was in full view. They now saw what Elmer had seen before his ascent up to the brutal desert above. The giants had created a massive new underground realm that was larger than anything any of them had ever seen below the surface: terrain that resembled mountain chains, plants and vegetation that were striking in color and similar to those aboveground, cities strewn across the vast landscape.

Off in the distance, Calvin and Mallory could see two gigantic monoliths. Underneath each monolith were eight tunnels, each with monstrums on both sides that had been used to help hollow out the tunnels. One monolith was for the eight realms surrounding Everville, and the second was for the lands surrounding The Other In Between. Above each tunnel was the symbol of each realm. Each symbol was carved deep into the side of the monolith and covered a diameter of a thousand feet. In the center of the first monolith was the symbol for Everville, and The Other In Between on the second.

The monoliths were each several miles high and about ten miles across. They were covered in green vegetation interspersed with brown and black areas of impenetrable rock. Each tunnel could easily fit 150 giants across and 3,000 columns of giants deep, which was about half of General Varrick’s army.

Massive encampments stood a few miles before the entrance of each tunnel, but Borak headed for the largest encampment of them all, situated before what was clearly the tunnel which led to The City of Worms. Now clear of any restrictions, Borak began leaping into the air as high as possible.

The fiber that composed the giant’s muscles was the most resilient of all the known species, able to withstand tremendous impact and allowing them to achieve remarkable heights and speeds. Borak reached higher than a thousand feet in the air with each jump and traversed more than fifty miles in mere minutes. They were now nearing the base of the encampment leading to the tunnel.

“Borak, it’s good to see you. I see you’re carrying a few friends,” Chester, one of General Varrick’s soldiers said, standing by the tunnel entrance.

“Likewise, Chester. These friends will scout the position of the armies of Them. Escort them to the portal, they have the essence for their transport, as well as for ours.”

“Yes, Borak,” Chester replied.

Chester escorted them ahead of the army. Calvin and Mallory could now see the tremendous size of the monstrums. Several giants sat at the base of each contraption, one on each side of the tunnel. Large earthen stoves generated tremendous heat they could feel as they passed the entrance of the tunnel.

The giants were roasting several large animals in manual rotisseries. The heat was substantial, but the smell made it worth the discomfort. The juices glistened as each drop rolled down the golden brown skin of the animals attached to each skewer. The aromas reminded Calvin and Mallory of the many different types of meats usually present at the frequent Fron celebrations.

Chester looked at Calvin and Mallory’s drooling mouths, seeing the Ubaloo salivating as well, and grabbed one of the skewers. He ripped off a few pieces of meat and handed large chunks to each of them. The pieces of roasted flesh were larger than the actual size of the Ubaloo, but that didn’t seem to bother them. The Ubaloo used their muscular arms to hold the oversized meat while they sank their teeth into the succulent, tender flesh.

Calvin and Mallory, as well as Felix, Faine, and Asher, were so busy eating that they didn’t realize they had already arrived at the portal within the tunnel. Chester picked them up and sat them down on the ground.

“I’ll give you a few more minutes to finish eating and then I’ll send you through the portal,” Chester told them.

Asher handed Chester both of the containers holding the element and continued eating. After another minute, the Ubaloo couldn’t eat another bite and handed the leftovers to Calvin and Mallory, who tossed the remaining scraps into their mouths. They swallowed in one gulp, but it took a few seconds for them to get it all the way down their throats.

“Get ready,” Chester said.

He picked up one of the containers, which he could barely hold with his fingers due to its small size, and placed it in the receiver. The tunnel lit up in front them in spectacular fashion.

“Well, what are you waiting for? The portal won’t stay open for long,” Chester yelled.

“Here goes nothing,” Felix said as he ran through the portal. Faine and Asher followed closely behind. Calvin and Mallory hesitated and looked at each before walking forward and across to The City of Worms.

Calvin and Mallory looked back and watched as the portal vanished. The only way back now was to cross The City of Worms and reach the natural portal leading to Brackenbone, but before they did that, they would need to accomplish their mission and find the armies of Them.

Chapter 20:

The Party.

“I hope this thing turns out well,” Anika said as she set the last tray of snacks down on the large table in the back.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Owen replied as he scanned the assortment of food that was available and took a few samples.

Just then, two men in their early twenties walked through the door carrying amplifiers and some other equipment for the party.

“I’m the DJ. Where are we going to set up?”

“You can set up right there in the front,” Anika said as she pointed them to the front of the conference room.

That was the last thing that needed to be done, but it was still early, only 9pm, so they thought it would be a while before most of the people showed up. Dante, as well as both Owen and Dante’s roommates, Adamo and Tesla, had already arrived. They had crowded around in the back while nibbling on snacks and discussing how long they thought it would be before more people would come. The conversation alone must have lasted at least fifteen minutes, and it was like trying to watch a pot of water boil; nothing happened.

The DJ started the music. It was an electronic dance track with a lot of sub bass and syncopated drums. Dante began nodding his head and Tesla soon followed. The music was good, but at that moment Anika didn’t have much confidence in the eventual success of the party, which had started to look very seventh grade middle school-ish.

Drusilla walked in the door.

“Hey guys.”

“Drusilla, glad you could make it. Is Zee coming?” Anika asked.

“I’m not sure. He said he would think about it.”

“Oh, sorry,” Anika replied.

“This is Dante’s roommate, Tesla, and Owen’s roommate, Adamo,” she continued.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Tesla said.

“Yeah, likewise,” Adamo added.

Just then, a few people walked in the door. The crowd was still very sparse, especially for such a large conference hall. For the time being, they waited in the back munching on the snacks until more people arrived. Five minutes passed and a couple dozen more people showed up.

Dante couldn’t help himself.

“Well, this is my party, I might as well be the first one to bust it out on the dance floor,” he said, as he walked forward to the center of the room and did his best attempt at making some respectable dance moves. They weren’t respectable by anyone’s account, but it did lighten up the mood a little.

Within a few minutes, several dozen more people showed up; it was only 9:30, but the crowd had grown to an acceptable size, and Dante was enjoying himself. A few brave people had joined him on the dance floor, and the party was in full swing.

Half an hour later, the room was packed. The DJ had increased the volume of the music, and there was no space left on the floor. It was apparent that the word had spread about the party.

“Looks like the party is a huge success,” Owen shouted in Anika’s ears.

“Yeah. I’m just so happy for Dante. He really needed this, or maybe I was the one who really needed this,” she said loudly.

“You needed what?” Owen shouted.

“I said I’m happy for Dante,” Anika said a little louder.

“Yeah, me too. Great job, Anika. Dante’s lucky to have a friend like you,” Owen responded.

“Thanks, Owen. I’m gonna walk around some. I’ll catch you later,” Anika said at the top of her voice.

“Okay. Have fun,” Owen replied.

Owen looked around the party. Everyone did appear to be having fun, Dante included. Just then, he saw Zee walk in the door, so he went over to greet him.

“Glad you could make it, Zee. I know Dante will be happy to see you. How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine. I’m gonna go over and say hello to everyone. I’ll see you in a bit,” Zee shouted as he walked away.

As Zee left, Tesla approached the door.

“Hey, Owen. Great party, but I gotta get going, homework and all. I’ll see you around sometime,” Tesla said.

“No problem, Tesla. Just glad you could show up for Dante. Thanks for coming, and good luck with your studies,” Owen shouted back.

“Thanks, Owen.”

Anika stopped Tesla before he had a chance to walk out the door.

“Going so soon?” she asked.

“Yeah, well, engineering major. You know how it goes.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay just a few minutes longer?”

“Wish I could, but I have heck of a lot of work to do, and I don’t do very well on a lack of sleep; not to mention the fact that I’m not a night person.”

“Okay then. Thanks anyway for coming,” Anika shouted back.

The party continued for the next couple of hours. Just about everyone had stepped out on the dance floor at one time or another. Dante looked as if he were having the most fun. The entire time, his face had a perpetual smile, and he must have lost at least a couple of pounds with the amount of energy he’d expended dancing.

Then Jacob walked in the door and the mood changed. Drusilla, Owen, Anika, and Zee stopped dead in their tracks. Dante was still oblivious and continued dancing as hard as ever, but that soon stopped as well. Jacob was holding two bo staves, one in each hand. At first, people thought he was wearing some kind of funky costume and holding a couple of props, but their misunderstandings were soon corrected once he used one of the bo staves to knock the power cords out of the amplifiers.

A couple of gasps could be heard in the background. The center of the room cleared. Jacob stood alone in the center once everyone had stepped back a good ten feet. Jacob threw the bo staff that he was holding with his left hand at Owen, who caught it before it fell to the ground.

“Don’t want to leave the little girl unarmed,” Jacob said.

“Is this really necessary, Jacob?” Owen asked.

“Yes it is necessary, and I’m on to your little tricks. You think you can come into my house and take what belongs to me and get away with it? You’re dead, Owen. I’ll make sure of that, either here or in the other place.”

“I’m not going to fight you, Jacob, not here. If you have a bone to pick with me, let’s set up a proper match at the Art Club. We can make an event of it.”

“Screw you, Owen. I’m going to take you on right here, right now.”

Jacob threw a few swipes of the bo towards Owen, but none of them landed. Owen continued to duck and move out the way without having to lift the bo he was holding.

“You’re such a wimp, Owen. Why don’t you grow a pair? I know what will make you angry. Why don’t I fight your new girlfriend, Zee? His father wasn’t that good of an art teacher anyway. I’m glad he’s dead. He’s done the world and the university a favor.”

Zee stepped forward. His face had turned a deep red, like it was about to explode. Owen held him back with his arm.

“Don’t let him goad you into anything, Zee. It’s not worth it,” Owen retorted.

Drusilla stepped forward and said, “You know, Jacob, if you really want to fight a girl, why don’t you fight me?”

“No one’s going to be fighting anyone,” said one of the two large campus security officers who had just walked in the door.

Owen and Jacob both put down their bo staves, and the campus security began talking to people there to find out exactly what had happened. After a few minutes, they decided to take Jacob into custody for initiating an assault and possible death threats. They asked Owen, Drusilla, and Zee to accompany them back to the office.

They spent the next hour or so in the main security office until the police arrived and questioned them. The police took statements from everyone in the room and later followed up with a few additional witnesses including Dante and Anika, who had remained at the conference room cleaning up the mess after most everyone else had left.

About twenty minutes later at the security headquarters, one of the police officers looked at Jacob and said, “Based on what we’ve found, we’re going to take you into the station for disorderly conduct. We may file additional charges if my superiors think it’s warranted. We’re going to let everyone else go, but Owen and Drusilla, you can expect follow up calls from my commanding officer.”

The police handcuffed Jacob and walked him to the back of the squad car. A group of about twenty or so onlookers who had also attended the party watched as the police drove off with Jacob. Owen, Drusilla, and Zee decided to walk back to the party to check up on Anika and Dante. By the time they had arrived, the DJ had gone and Anika was just about to turn off the lights.

“I’m sorry about all this,” Owen said to Anika and Dante.

“I’m sorry, too,” Zee said.

“Don’t worry about it guys. The party was great! That was the best party of my life. Of course, that’s not really saying much,” Dante replied.

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Anika said. “Now I’m going to get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”

With that, everyone decided to head back to their homes to try to put an end to a very stimulating evening.

The next morning, just before his alarm rang, Owen was pulled from his sleep into The Keeper’s Workshop. Owen opened his eyes and a yawned a couple times, still tired from the night before.

“What is it, Keeper?” Owen said, as he fought to keep his eyes open.

“We are assembling the armies of Everville and the army of giants to converge on The City of Worms. We must prevent the armies of Them from taking the element. The Second Pillar has protected the city, but something has changed. Them have been plotting and scheming and have sent the armies to lay siege to the city, we think in an attempt to steal the element from the worms. Our armies and the army of giants will flank the armies of Them from both sides once we get Them’s position.

“The great decision that we have been pondering is whether or not we will have to destroy the worms. It was decided long ago that the power would be channeled and dissipated through the worms. It was also assumed that one day the lure of power would eventually attract Them to the element within the worms that are located in the city. That is why it was just a temporary solution, but we have been unable to find a new way to dissipate that element, so now we find ourselves in this strained position,” The Keeper intoned.

“There is just one problem, though. There is no known method to kill the worms. As long as the worms hold the element, they contain more power than any known land or realm within in the entire multiverse. Even Them are unable to kill the worms, but there is another problem. Even if the worms were somehow destroyed, there would be no container for the element, and the element would float freely, ready to be seized by anyone who could create a makeshift collector.

“It is not known how the armies of Them are planning to transfer the element from the worms, since the worms still have the protection of The Second Pillar. It is hoped that our armies can fight off the armies of Them and stop whatever plan Them are scheming, but if we are unsuccessful, our only chance of finding a solution to kill the worms and dissipate the element the worms’ hold is by consulting The Second Pillar, who surrounds the city.

“I have sent the Ubaloo, as well as Oldrik’s former helpers, Calvin and Mallory, to spy on the armies of Them and bring back any information they can find on the armies’ plan and position. When they return with the intelligence, I will need to consult The Second Pillar and learn The Second Pillar of Truth. You are the only one known that possesses the potential power and virtue to accomplish that great feat.

“Your skills have also grown, and you have the ability to send yourself at will to any location within the surrounding lands of Everville. When I call upon you, I will need you to transport yourself to the portal in Brackenbone that leads to The City of Worms. You must then travel from the portal to The Second Pillar, which surrounds the city. It lies to the east about a half a day’s journey from the portal. You will travel with the armies of Everville, but they must continue on without you beyond that point. If you fail, grave consequences will meet both our realm and yours.”

“I’ll be ready, Keeper, and I’ll do what I can. Hopefully it will be enough,” Owen replied.

“It will have to be,” The Keeper said gravely.

“There is just one more thing, Owen. Others in your realm, including Jacob, have been working with Them. Cleophas may be able to find out more information on exactly who those other people are and how they are providing Them support. It may also provide you with some additional clues that we can use to help find out what Them are planning,” The Keeper continued.

“Understood. We are supposed to be meeting with Cleophas later this week. I’ll see if we can meet today at the Echo Club instead.”

“Good. You will be called upon soon, so stay alert,” The Keeper replied.

The Keeper then sent Owen back to his room. The alarm rang, and Adamo woke up.

Adamo yawned, turned to Owen, and said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Adamo. I think it’s going to be another long day.”

Chapter 21:

The City of Worms

Felix, Faine, and Asher looked in every direction. Miles off in the distance they saw what appeared to be a massive city, connected into one humungous structure.

Asher looked at Calvin and Mallory and said, “This would be a good time for you to do your thing so we can find out what’s going on with the armies of Them.”

Calvin started contorting his face into all different expressions and shapes, as if the exercise would somehow initiate contact with Them. Mallory gave Calvin a gentle slap on the back of his slimy, bald head.

“Quit being silly, Calvin. Let’s get this thing done,” Mallory said. He then closed his eyes in an attempt to shut out the distractions around him.

Mallory was soon successful in finding a connection with Them.

“I can see the armies of Them. They are positioned halfway between the border of The Other In Between and the entrance to the city,” Mallory said with his eyes closed.

“I also—” were the last words that escaped Mallory’s lips before he was interrupted.

“Tasty looking bone and flesh. Tasty bone and flesh,” said the five-eyed creature approaching Mallory from the west.

Felix, Faine, and Asher jumped on Calvin’s shoulders while they waited for Mallory to figure out a plan.

“We are with the armies of Them,” Mallory said.

The creature looked at Mallory in bewilderment. It had two sets of eyes with a single eye in the middle. It had four pincers for a mouth, two large horizontal pincers and a smaller vertical set. The closest approximation of the creature would be a combination of a bird and a spider.

The creature then jumped in the air and spread its massive wings, which extended several feet in each direction, and flew off in the opposite direction.

“That was close,” Faine said.

“Too close. Too close,” Felix chimed.

“We have bigger problems to worry about now,” Mallory replied.

“What do you see?” Asher asked.

“Them are planning on more than just extracting the element from the worms. Them want to control the worms and give the worms sentience.”

“Sentience. Sentience. What is sentience?” Felix asked.

“Them want to give the worms self-awareness and the ability to reason,” Mallory responded.

“Reason is good. Self-awareness is good,” replied Felix.

“I don’t think it is in this case, Felix,” Mallory said.

“What are you worried about, Mallory?” Faine said.

“Well, if Them were simply going to extract the element from the worms, there would be limitations to how much of the element Them could extract,” Mallory replied.

“So you think that Them want to use all of the element within the worms by controlling the worms after they give them sentience?” Asher said.

“Exactly. That would give Them almost unlimited power.”

“We need to let The Keeper know,” Faine said urgently.

“I think that’s probably a good idea,” Mallory replied.

“The portal to Brackenbone is a full day’s journey. We better get moving,” Asher said.

They continued walking for several hours across a barren desert, but at least the darkness from the neighboring land of The Other In Between muted the strength of the sun. During the day, the desert was in a perpetual state of twilight with just enough light to see, but not much more. The air was cool, but the smell was unpleasant. It had an acidic odor reminiscent of vomit.

“What’s that over there?”

“That’s the armies of Them, Felix,” Mallory replied.

“Can we get closer?” Asher asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Calvin responded.

The Ubaloo walked closely behind Calvin, and Mallory led the way. They continued for about twenty minutes until they reached a distance that they felt was the closest position they could get without risking being noticed, but it was still too close. A few minions of Them’s army took notice of their position and started running in their direction.

“Uh oh,” Calvin said.

“Uh oh. Uh oh,” repeated Felix in his high-pitched voice.

“I thought you had the situation under control,” Asher wailed.

“I thought so, too. Give me a minute,” Mallory said to assure him.

The small contingent of Them’s army got closer and closer. With each passing second, the Ubaloo could start to make out distinguishing features of each of the creatures. The soldiers were difficult to differentiate. They were roughly the same height and size. They were a mix of grey, brown, and green, with a shiny coating that resembled mucous. They were thin with long noses and pointy ears. Their stride was more of a lurk, and they dangled their arms near the ground as they galloped.

“I think we should get out of here,” Faine said with a squeal.

“I’m in complete agreement with you,” Asher replied.

“You won’t get any complaints from me,” Calvin said.

“I said give me a minute,” Mallory responded.

“I’m getting a little nervous guys,” Felix said.

“Now just hold on. We’re fine. We just need to appear normal and relaxed. Calvin and I still have a connection with them. If you guys don’t freak out here, they will leave us alone as soon as they get close enough to sense me,” Mallory grumbled.

Seven of the creatures had almost arrived at their position. Felix gripped Faine’s arms, and Calvin did the same to Mallory. Felix braced himself by planting a great big fake smile on his face, and then rolled around in Calvin’s slime in the hopes of appearing more like Calvin and Mallory.

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to work,” Faine chided.

“How do you know?” Felix said.

“Well, for starters, they just saw you spin around in Calvin’s slime. If anything, I think you just made yourself look more suspicious.”

“Okay, quiet down now. Let me handle this,” Mallory said as the creatures were only a few dozen feet away.

The small contingent of Them’s soldiers now stood just an arm’s length away from Calvin and Mallory, whom they ignored at first. One of the creatures approached the miniature-sized Ubaloo and began inspecting their features.

Felix was seized with fear and had to keep his hands in his pockets to prevent the creatures from seeing how bad his hands were shaking. Calvin did a similar thing by biting the insides of his cheeks to keep his mouth from quivering.

“What are you doing so far away from the rest of the armies?” one of the creatures said, as its long wet nose brushed up against Asher’s face, almost pushing him to the ground in the process.

“We just arrived from the land of the giants. We were with Oldrik,” Mallory replied.

Another one of the creatures invaded Mallory’s space and extended his pointy forked tongue; he then proceeded to lick Mallory’s face.

“Mmm. Tasty. I taste truth and lies at the same time. I like truth and lies. It makes it easier to deceive the enemy,” the creature said.

“The question is, who are you trying to deceive?” the creature continued as it shrank to the ground and circled Calvin and Mallory.

A third creature spoke up and said, “Come with us. You’re needed with the rest of the armies.”

Felix and Calvin weren’t sure if they had succeeded or if they had failed, but they had no choice but to follow.

Asher and Mallory paid careful attention and looked for any clue they could discern about the position, and anything else they could see, regarding the armies. They did notice that the armies were divided by land and then subdivided by species. From the looks of the soldiers they were following, the creatures hadn’t yet figured out where the Ubaloo and the former Fron belonged. After thinking about it a while longer, the soldiers grew frustrated, and the leader grunted and said, “Just stay with me.”

Felix was relieved. Some of the other species of soldiers were far more hideous than the seven they were currently following, and almost all of them had mouths that could swallow the twelve-inch tall Ubaloo whole in a single gulp. Calvin watched the soldiers who composed the armies. Their connection to Them was clear, but the different races contained within the armies were not, at least at the present moment, possessed by the souls of Them. Mallory knew that the possession would come with battle, as it took tremendous power and energy to control the armies.

Mallory waited until the soldiers gave him enough distance, and then he whispered to Calvin and the Ubaloo.

“We’ll wait until the armies are sleeping, then we’ll sneak out and make a run for the portal. We will have to travel all night if we are going to make it before the armies wake in the morning. In the meantime, we need to find out more about their intentions. If something happens and we get separated, I’ll stay back with the armies and make an excuse for your escape to help buy you some time, and then I’ll come to the portal when I can. Hopefully, though, it won’t come to that.”

Felix looked at several of the soldiers and inspected their eyes for signs of fatigue. He was hoping they would fall asleep soon. A few of them looked at him with suspicion. One of the more grotesque soldiers spat at Felix when he caught the Ubaloo spying on him. Felix wiped his face, which had been completely covered with spit.

“Quit acting so suspicious,” Asher scolded.

“Sorry,” Felix replied as he continued to wipe off the spit that had drenched his entire body.

“Hey. Look over there. What’s that?” Faine asked.

Mallory took a closer look. He could see movement at a great distance starting from the very back of the armies; it was spreading forward at a very rapid rate. As the movement neared the middle, Mallory could see dark black smoke engulfing the soldiers. Mallory could himself now sense the presence of Them possessing the bodies of the soldiers. Row by row, column by column, the races of beings that composed the soldiers were being overrun by the control and thoughts of Them.

“Let’s get out of here,” Calvin screeched.

“Don’t move or you’ll draw attention to yourself. Just be still and wait,” Mallory responded.

It wasn’t long before the last column of soldiers had been possessed. Black smoke filtered through the empty spaces between Calvin, Mallory, and the Ubaloo. The eyes of Calvin and Mallory rolled back into their heads until only the whites of their eyes were visible. Both of them started coughing and spitting, and then making hissing and groaning sounds. Felix started trembling in fear, and Faine was frozen in place, unable to move.

Asher stood still, and then with all his might, he struck both Calvin and Mallory in the face. Their eyes rolled back into position in response to the blow and they started coughing up phlegm and spitting on the ground. After a few seconds of getting their bearings, Calvin and Mallory looked at the Ubaloo, and then looked around at the army.

“I think we may be too late,” Calvin said.

As he spoke, the armies started marching forward. At first they moved only one step at a time, but soon they quickened their pace, moving in unison and marching faster and faster, almost to the point where the Calvin and Mallory couldn’t keep up. Mallory picked up the Ubaloo and placed them on Calvin’s shoulders.

“We have a problem,” Mallory said.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Faine replied.

“No. It’s worse than that. There was something I sensed when Them took over my body,” Mallory responded.

“What is it?” Asher asked.

“Well, aside from not being able to outrun the army, Them are using the last bit of power, the last bit of energy. Them are risking everything available to Them at this very moment in an attempt to possess the entire City of Worms, including the worms themselves. That’s how they are hoping to give the worms sentience.”

“What happens if they succeed?” Asher asked.

“At first nothing, but the worms will be unpredictable and wield enormous amounts of power, perhaps enough to tear entire worlds apart. That’s not the worst part,” Mallory said.

“What’s the worst part?” Faine asked.

“Worse would be if Them succeed in taming the wild beasts and are able to make the worms do what they are told,” Mallory responded.

Felix continued to tremble as they got closer and closer to the city and its spires grew larger. The closer they came, the more the Ubaloo could make out the massive dirt structures that were intermingled with the glass shards, which extended thousands of feet into the air.

They could see movement in the ground of the city. The dirt began to swell in the shape of vertical cylinders. The dirt continued to rise, and something was seething just below the surface, ready to burst forth out of the ground. With every rumble and every inch upward, the living creatures that inhabited the subterranean realm came closer and closer to breaking free, and yet, they remained hidden.

Without warning, the armies stopped. Several contingents of soldiers split off from the main armies and headed towards the heart of the city.

“What’s going on?” Felix asked.

“It appears our chance to escape is what’s going on,” Mallory replied. “When I give you the signal, I want you to walk away from the main group, southwest of our current position,” Mallory continued.

“What’s the signal?” Felix asked.

“I’ll point my hand in the position of the southwest,” Mallory replied.

“Which way is southwest?” Calvin asked.

“Geesh! Really, Calvin? It’s in that direction,” Mallory exclaimed as he pointed southwest.

Felix bolted as Mallory pointed, but Asher yanked him back before he had ran any substantial distance from their current position.

“Pay attention,” Asher said.

They waited a few more minutes as the section of army that had broken off continued moving towards the city with an apparent sense of purpose.

Mallory gave them the signal, and then they bolted. Felix, Faine, and Asher had once again climbed atop Calvin, who was bearing the brunt of the legwork. They were hoping that Mallory would soon follow, but he stayed put in his current position.

“I hope Mallory makes it to the portal before he gets found out by the armies of Them,” Faine said.

“I hope so, too,” Calvin replied.

“How much longer til we reach the portal?” Felix asked.

“All night,” Asher replied.

After widening their distance from the armies, The Ubaloo managed to find comfortable and secure positions atop the shoulders of Calvin, who had continued running for over an hour. Despite his best attempt not to succumb to his fatigue, Felix closed his eyes and fell asleep. Faine soon followed. Asher looked at both of them and just shook his head.

Chapter 22:

Universal Laws

“I’ve called you all in here because the time has come to reveal some very important facts,” Cleophas said.

Next to Cleophas stood Avery and Dante’s Uncle Jack, both of whom had very serious expressions on their faces.

Cleophas continued. “The first thing we need to discuss is your role in the Echo Club and the reason each of you hold that role. And then … and then … wait, there was something else. I was going to say something just now, but what was it?”

Cleophas stood there with his towering, muscular body, head bowed in thought. The deep wrinkles that creased his face hinted at his age, but this was the first time that Cleophas had appeared vulnerable and old to any of the members of the Echo Club.

Avery interrupted. “You were going to talk about the nine.”

“Ah yes, the nine. Well, the thing is that all nine of you are here and the others are not. That was it, wasn’t it? No. Wait. There’s more I think. Yes. I remember now. The nine of you are here and the other members of the Echo Club were not invited, because of your origins. Your lineage comes from your parents, or a single parent in some cases, that have a connection to a very special world.”

Anika, Dante, and Owen knew exactly what Cleophas was talking about and were listening intently to what he was about to say next. The other six that were sitting there didn’t have a clue what Cleophas meant by “a very special world” and their facial expressions indicated that they were quite perplexed.

Cleophas went on. “Earth is in the center of a much broader realm. Well beyond our dimension lies a place called Everville and another place called The Other In Between. Surrounding each of the realms are eight bordering realms. The worlds surrounding Everville are primarily good, with a little bit of evil. The realms surrounding The Other In Between are mostly evil, with a little bit of good. Earth is in between the two, but separated by time and space across dimensions.”

“Wait. What?” one of club members sputtered.

“Awesome!” yet another member said.

“Listen. One of you has a lineage that is connected to Everville, and the other eight of you have lineages that come from the eight lands surrounding it. Your parents don’t have a biological lineage, but instead, they have a connection through a weakness in time and space. This weakness has imparted to your parents a certain essence that linked them to that realm, and as such, it has also linked you as well.

“There’s more. There are borderlands outside of our dimension, and others have connections to those lands, too. Some of you can see into your realm. Others can influence that world, and one of you can transport yourself to that realm.”

As he spoke those words, he turned and looked at Owen, who nodded, acknowledging his understanding.

Cleophas continued. “The other members of the club have connections to one of the borderlands, specifically those lands closest to the eight surrounding lands of Everville. They have not been invited here to this meeting because the measure of good within each of them has yet to be determined, and the power that they possess is not as great as yours.

“You must understand that the greatest power exists at both extremes of the multiverse. Due to the position in the multiverse, Everville and The Other In Between hold the greatest capacity for power. With each level removed, there is an order of magnitude decrease in the capacity to generate and wield such power.”

“This is getting really confusing,” one of the members said.

“Yes. It’s a lot of information to take in, but stay with me. You’ll get it soon enough. Now, like I was saying before. Like I was saying before. Wait a second. What was I saying before?”

“You were talking about the levels of power in each realm of the multiverse,” Avery replied.

“Ah, yes. That was it. All those realms are like the skin or shell of a sphere, and Earth is in the middle of that sphere, but Earth is special. There are roughly a hundred realms that have connections to Earth from the shell of that giant sphere that composes our multiverse. Each realm has a connection to at least one person, but some realms have more than one connection. As such, some of you are connected to more than one realm. The level of evil or good varies with each world and so does the power. That means some of you have tremendous potential for good or evil and tremendous amounts of power to different degrees.

“Earth is special because it’s the only borderland within the sphere of our multiverse that has a connection to the shell. Earth lies in a universe that is in the center of the multiverse. Its universe occupies its own dimension, with its own laws of physics and time. There are an infinite number of universes within our multiverse, like a bubble in an infinite pot of boiling water.

“The connection between Earth and the shell goes both ways. This means if the balance of power shifts on the shell of our multiverse, Earth is the barometer that can measure that change, but there is more. Because the connection goes both ways, Earth acts like a hologram to the shell of our multiverse. If the balance of evil increases on Earth it will impact the balance of evil on the shell. Think of it as a feedback loop. To make it more complicated—”

“No. Please don’t,” one of the seated students wailed.

“I’m almost done. Stay with me. Wait. What was I saying, stay with what? Oh, yes. I remember now.

“Our multiverse is just one multiverse in an infinite number of multiverses, and our multiverse acts as Earth does to an even larger multiverse. This continues ad infinitum, an infinite number of holograms in an ever complex series of multiverses with a never-ending shift of good and evil in an infinite ocean of time and space.”

“Okay, I was there with you for most of the way, but you lost me on that last part,” Anika said, shaking her head.

“The important thing to remember about that last part, Anika, is that the access to good and evil, as well as power, may seem like it has settled to a certain level, but that is just an illusion. It may appear that evil has won out over good or that good has won out over evil, but it has not. It’s a constant struggle, a never-ending battle, which is why your understanding of what good and evil are is the most important thing for you to understand.

“I have said before that there are certain truths that you know are true within your own heart. Your level of good or evil is in large part dependent upon your willingness to accept or reject those truths. Your connections within the multiverse and the realms to which you are connected only provide you with a certain level of innate knowledge and power. It’s what you do with that knowledge and power that’s important.”

“Okay. I think I get it,” Owen said.

“There is just a bit more. While good or evil can never be completely destroyed within the greater multiverse, it is possible for a single multiverse, a single universe, a single realm, or a single planet and species to be destroyed. That is why it is so terribly important for you to choose your friends wisely. You are the average of your friends in many respects, and the eventual fate of the universe may someday be dependent upon those with whom you choose to consort. You must be true to yourself, trust your instincts, and don’t allow yourself to succumb to the groupthink that can rob you of your own ingenuity and efficiency.”

“All right,” Anika said. “So what you’re basically saying is that truth exists, to thine own self be true, trust your own heart, there is virtue in selfishness, and choose your friends wisely….”

“Exactly, and don’t forget, the fate of your universe may hang in the balance,” Cleophas replied.

“I knew my English Lit would come in handy someday,” Anika retorted.

“Not to mention physics,” Dante added.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, there is something else I need to tell you.”

Cleophas started to choke up. He tried to open his mouth, but the words could not escape his lips regardless of how hard he tried to enunciate the syllables. His face turned red, and his eyes started to water. He was moving his head up and down as if he were trying to shake the words free from his mouth. Avery and Jack came close and put their hands on his shoulders to comfort him. Despite his best attempt, Cleophas remained unable to speak, so Avery spoke for him.

“What Cleophas is trying to say is that he has been suffering from the onset of dementia for the last few years. Great advancements in medicine have enabled him to continue functioning at a high enough level. For the last few years he has been taking a medicine called Cognex to stave off the symptoms of memory loss and confusion, but he has reached an advanced stage of the illness and his ability to continue functioning at a normal level will decline rapidly over the next year or so.”

“Oh my god!” Anika exclaimed.

Dante and Owen immediately stood up from their chairs and hugged Cleophas. The other members followed suit.

“Maybe there is something we can do,” Anika said.

“Yeah. Maybe Owen can use his connection with Everville and The Keeper to heal Cleophas somehow,” Dante said.

At last, Cleophas was able to speak.

“I wish it were that simple, but it doesn’t work that way. The Keeper is not a magician. We are constrained by the laws of the universe. What seems like magic is just a superior understanding of how those laws work. Yes, it’s true that what you have seen over the last couple of months may seem fantastical. For that matter, though, you haven’t seen anything yet, really. What you are about to see in the near future will absolutely blow your mind, but back to my main point. I am constrained by the laws of this universe. Perhaps in Everville there are realms where such a thing exists. The problem is, I don’t possess a connection to Everville.”

“But I do,” Owen said.

“Yes, Owen, but you don’t possess the power to transport others to Everville, only yourself.”

“Maybe so, but I’m not ready to give up on you just yet. There might be a way, and if there is, then I’m going to find it.”

“I appreciate your concern and desire to help Owen, but as I have previously said, I’m not dead yet. It’s true that I may not be as sharp as I once was, but my mental faculties haven’t completely left me. Not just yet anyway.

“Now, we have a few points of business. As a result of my current condition, I am stepping down from my title and turning over all of my responsibilities to Avery. Jack will take over Avery’s former position, and I’ll remain to assist in an advisory role for as long as I’m able. My relationship with you won’t change. I’ll be here when you need me. I just need to extricate myself from some of the more bureaucratic nonsense that has no relevance to what really matters.”

“Wait. You don’t need to make any sudden decisions. I mean, this is just a club. Why don’t you wait a little bit?” Anika said in a visible state of concern.

“Listen, Anika. You know as well as I that this is more than just a club. I cannot allow my arrogance to interfere with what is best for me or what is best for all of you. I must humble myself to the known truth, which is not as dire as you are making it out to be. I have no intention of giving up, no intentions of locking myself away in a box never to be seen again, and no intentions of whatever it is that is floating around in your well-intentioned heads. I’m not going anywhere, so there is no need to be so melodramatic. You can leave that to the soap operas.

“If there aren’t any more objections, I say we move on to some of the more instructive aspects of this meeting. As I have mentioned before, each one of you has a connection to Everville or one of its eight surrounding realms. What Avery, Jack, and I have done is bring out every piece of information we have about each of these realms: the symbols, the notes, the objects, and any other information we’ve been able to find.

“Now that you know how to use the objects as a connection to the memory of its owner based on your prior training, and now that you have a better understanding of who you are and what these objects mean, we want you to search for answers — not just answers to your own history and purpose, but answers to a current problem in Everville. It’s the problem of the breach. The breach was created as a result of those in and around Everville who succumbed to the darkness and let the darkness invade their land. It was also created, in part, through planning by those who would seek to concentrate power for their own purposes, be it good or bad,” Cleophas said, drying his eyes.

“More to the point, I have been able to use my own connection to discover that there is a battle, of which Owen and a few others are aware, which has now engulfed one of the surrounding realms of The Other In Between. It’s a land known as The City of Worms. It is a great storehouse of power that was used to transfer and equally distribute power and energy across our multiverse in attempt to prevent the corruption of those who might gain access to too large a concentration of power.

“There is a substance called the element that is created through the natural operations of the universe. Think of it as the inverse of entropy. As the universe expands and expends its energy, there must be an equal energy created that maintains balance. Just as the universe has zero total matter when one takes into account the equal amount of matter and antimatter, so too does the universe have an equal amount of entropy and anti-entropy. This anti-entropy is what we know as the element. It’s the opposite of ordered chaos. It’s ordered anti-chaos. In other words, if you have the element, you can do whatever you want with it. Those who seek the element seek to become gods of their own realms and universes.

“The vehicle for that dissipation and transfer of energy and power known as the element are giant worms. The worms are non-sentient creatures indigenous to that realm and are protected by a great force. The worms are composed of exotic matter. Only exotic matter is capable of converting the element or anti-entropy into discreet amounts back into your universe. Those discreet amounts become pockets of dark energy scattered throughout the universe. If those pockets were to become out of balance, the universe would collapse in on itself.

“As we speak, the darkness that inhabits The Other In Between, known as Them, are preparing for a great battle. Them are scheming to subvert the force protecting the worms and transfer the element for Them’s own purpose. If Them succeed, our universe as we know it will cease to exist, but Them could care less about our world. One universe in the multiverse means nothing to them. It would however, mean that the skin of the multiverse would become static and frozen in time. There would no longer exist a feedback loop to balance the power of good and evil. There would be no holographic projection of the actions of men; in its place would be a solitary image burned in all multiverses ad infinitum. An image that represents the evil of Them.

“It is inconceivable that Them possess such an ability. No creature from any multiverse has such power, but in Them’s arrogance, in Them’s desire to become gods and upend the laws of physics in all multiverses, Them have put together a plan. I want you to find out what that plan is so we can stop whatever consequences might arise from Them’s attempt.”

“Whoa!” Dante exclaimed.

“Wow! That’s a lot to take in,” Anika said, echoing Dante’s disbelief.

“I knew about the element, but I had no idea what that truly meant. You are right, Cleophas. There is no way we can let Them succeed in whatever plan Them are attempting,” Dante said.

“Wait a second. What about the element? Didn’t you just say that whoever possesses the element can do whatever they want? Don’t we possess a small amount of element in the container? Why don’t we use that element to cure you, Cleophas?” Anika said.

“First of all, the amount of element that we possess in the container is miniscule. That was the intent of The Keepers, limiting the size of the containers created in Everville. The other thing is that the element in our realm can only allow us to see or impact events on the skin of the multiverse, not Earth. It would have no effect on me,” Cleophas said.

“Hold on. You said that Earth and the skin of the multiverse are connected through a feedback loop. If we change something in Everville, won’t it change something here on Earth?” Anika replied.

“Yes, I did say that Anika. The problem is that it is not known what that impact would be or what would need to be changed in the other dimension to create the desired result. There could be unexpected consequences to the detriment of mankind, or the universe for that matter. Even if we did, there is still the problem of the how. More important, as a student of English Lit, you should know as Saint Bernard of Clairvaux once suggested, a road paved with good intentions is not always the road we want to take. The whole point of this is that arrogance and power will never lead to a desired result. Just look what happened to Dante and the others that were adversely affected by the makeshift collectors. There are no shortcuts on this one, Anika. My medical wellbeing needs to be addressed the old fashioned way.

“Now. Let’s get back to these objects and start focusing on what Them are planning and anything else we can find while we still have time.”

Chapter 23:

The Journey Home

“Asher, you don’t think the armies of Them will notice that we are gone, do you?” Felix asked.

“I don’t know Felix, but I don’t want to stick around to find out. Let’s just hope Calvin can outrun the armies and Mallory can trick Them if Calvin can’t.”

“I’m doing my best to run as fast as I can, and I have no intention of slowing down, so let’s just keep focused on looking for the portal, and for things out there in the darkness that might be out to eat us,” Calvin replied.

“You’re not helping, Calvin,” Faine replied.

“Sorry, but it’s true. You saw that thing that wanted to eat us before. I wonder what other creatures are licking their chops for a chance to make us their late night snack.”

“Late night snack. Late night snack,” Felix repeated.

“C’mon. Do you have to keep repeating everything that’s said, Felix?”

“Sorry, Asher. Force of habit.”

Calvin continued running as fast as he could. The darkness and the lack of stimuli made it difficult to tell just how much time had passed. It also made it difficult to see which direction they were headed and what else was out there in the darkness.

“What was that?” Felix said in horror.

“What was what?” Faine replied.

“That. Do you hear it? Listen closely,” Felix said.

Calvin stopped running, hoping to hear whatever it was that Felix thought was out there.

“I don’t hear anything,” Calvin said.

“Why did you stop running? Let’s get moving,” Asher said.

“Wait. I think I hear it,” Calvin said quietly.

“No. Don’t wait. What happened to you saying you had no intention of slowing down? Whatever’s out there, I don’t want us being here when it arrives at our location. Now get moving,” Asher said insistently.

“Uh oh. I’m not sure which direction I was headed before. I don’t want to go in the wrong direction,” Calvin replied.

“Uh oh. Uh oh.”

“I thought I told you to stop repeating what we say, Felix.”

“Um. That wasn’t me!”

“Well. Oh,” Calvin started, but before he had a chance to finish, he dashed off in the opposite direction.

“Come on, Calvin. You’re running in the opposite direction now,” Asher complained.

“That’s right. I’m running in the opposite direction of whatever that thing was that was speaking.”

“The only problem with that Calvin, is that now you’re running back to the armies of Them and in the opposite direction of the portal,” Asher said matter-of-factly.

“I didn’t think about that.”

“Well, turn back around.”

Calvin stopped, and then he spun around in circles until he was dizzy. The Ubaloo were dizzy, too. Calvin waited a few seconds and started running as fast as he could, though he wasn’t sure in which direction.

“What did you do that for?” Faine asked.

“I didn’t want to run in either direction,” Calvin replied.

“Yeah, but now we have no idea where we’re headed, and we still have to make it to the portal. How are we going to do that now, Calvin, if we don’t know which direction we are headed?” Asher scolded.

“I got it. Give me a second,” Calvin said as he closed his eyes and tried to connect with the mind of Them. “Okay. I know where we are now,” he said as he started running at the same brisk pace as before.

“Thank goodness. Don’t do that again, Calvin. Remember, the idea is to make it to the portal, and make it there in one piece.”

“Sorry.”

They hadn’t realized it yet, but they’d traveled almost half the distance to the portal. The only problem was, the night was almost gone. The infinite twilight of the day was almost upon them, and they could see a faint glow off in the distance. The sun never made it above the horizon in The City of Worms, but it was close enough to daytime to provide sufficient light. It wasn’t quite there yet, but the day was approaching.

“Oh no,” Felix said.

“What is it?” Faine asked.

“Look. The day is approaching, and we’re still just halfway to the portal. What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to do the only thing we can do, Felix. We’re going to keep going,” Asher replied.

“I wonder where Mallory is. I hope he’s okay,” Calvin said.

“Mallory can fend for himself. We just need to make sure we can get to the portal, and soon,” Asher reiterated.

“I like that idea,” Felix said.

“Brilliant,” Faine said.

“I’m in complete agreement,” Calvin replied.

Silence took over for the next hour as Calvin continued running as fast as he could, but soon fatigue set in.

“I can’t go on any farther, guys. I have to stop. If I don’t, I’m going to drop dead of exhaustion,” Calvin said, huffing and puffing for breath.

“We don’t have time to stop, Calvin, but I have an idea.”

“What is it, Asher?”

“Us three will carry you.”

“What? Are you sure you’re strong enough?” Calvin asked, with a tinge of disbelief in his voice.

“You better believe it. Us Ubaloo are brave warriors, Felix notwithstanding,” Asher said.

“Speak for yourself, Asher,” Felix replied. “I’m brave. I just get a little carried away sometimes. I’m certainly strong, just like all Ubaloo.”

“Indeed you are,” Asher responded.

“Well, how are we going to do this thing?” Calvin asked.

“Lie down,” Faine instructed.

“All right then,” Calvin said, as he proceeded to lie flat on the ground.

The Ubaloo rolled Calvin halfway on his side, and they each took their positions, Asher by the head, Faine by the torso, and Felix by the feet. They lifted Calvin a good twelve inches above the ground and started running as fast as they could in the direction of the portal.

Before long, they had arrived. They set Calvin down on the ground and he stood up.

“Okay. What should we do now? Should we wait for Mallory?” Felix asked.

“Let me try something,” Calvin said.

Calvin once again closed his eyes. This time he tried as best as he could to connect with Mallory, but something was blocking him. He repeated his attempt several times before giving up.

“Something is stopping me from connecting with Mallory, and whatever it is I don’t think it’s good. I suggest we walk through the portal and let The Keeper enter our mind so we can tell him the plan.”

“You’re right, Calvin. We should go,” Asher said in agreement.

“That’s all I needed to hear,” Felix said, as he walked through the portal.

Faine followed right behind Felix, and then Calvin walked through. Asher turned his head in the direction of the city to see if there was any sign of Mallory, but after a few seconds, he too walked across the portal.

As Calvin entered the portal, his body began changing and contorting into a state of flux, just as Elmer’s had when he had crossed through the portal back into Everville. Seconds later, when Calvin emerged on the other side into Brackenbone, he had transformed back into his original Fron self. The slime that had covered his body was gone, the long fingernails were no more, and he was the short, thick, and hairless happy creature of his youth once again.

The Keeper was successful in entering the minds of Calvin and the Ubaloo the moment they crossed the portal, and Calvin’s willingness to cooperate with his former allies had redeemed his soul, and with it, the physical manifestation of the level of good that was inside of him.

The Keeper was dismayed at what his merger with the minds of the Ubaloo had revealed. The Keeper did not think it possible for Them to possess such stupidity, but he was not surprised at the level of Them’s arrogance. The Keeper appeared on General Varrick’s table once again.

“Varrick, we have the position of the armies of Them, but there is something else. Them are attempting to give the worms sentience. If Them succeed, your army will be in grave danger. It may very well be a battle from which you will not return.”

“That is indeed very troubling, and I’m not sure how to defend against such an unpredictable thing. I have, however, sent just half of my armies to the tunnel underneath the monolith. If we lose half our army, it won’t be a total defensive loss, but it will still be a great loss in the lives of our soldiers and their families. Nevertheless, my army of giants will do their best to prevail. We are not afraid of death, only of inaction as a result of the fear of death,” General Varrick said stoically.

“Once again, General, words cannot express our gratitude for your continued allegiance and wisdom, which are rare for races in the borderlands,” The Keeper replied.

“It’s time to alert Borak and the rest of your army. When the sun moves another ten angles in the sky, send your soldiers in through the tunnel, and our armies will do the same. The armies of Everville will escort Owen Sage to The Second Pillar, where he will attempt to uncover The Second Pillar of Truth of the Universe, and with it a solution to thwart Them’s plan. Our armies will then converge on the armies of Them, the armies of Everville from the west and your army from the south. Good luck. Your army will need it, and so will ours.”

“Good luck to your armies as well, Keeper, and if they die, may they die a good death in the battle against our common enemy.”

Back at The City of Worms, Mallory had remained with the armies of Them, and Them had once again entered his mind. This time, however, there was no one there to slap him out of it. He had been given a choice by Them, and he had relented. In order to save his own skin, he had given Them the plan of The Keeper and General Varrick.

In response to the information Mallory had provided, the bulk of armies of Them marched south with tremendous speed. The remaining contingent stayed with Mallory in the hopes of succeeding in giving the worms sentience. Them were close, but success still eluded Them.

Chapter 24:

The Element

Back at the Echo Club, Cleophas and the nine had spent the greater part of the day studying, researching, and using the knowledge of the objects to try and ascertain additional bits of information about the current state of the breach and The City of Worms, but without much success.

“Where is it? Where is it?” Cleophas asked.

“Where is what?” Avery replied.

“My medicine. I haven’t been able to find it, so I haven’t taken it all day.”

“Jack and I will look around and see if we can find it for you, Cleophas,” Avery said.

“Why don’t you just keep working with Owen and the others to see what you can find?”

“Well, all right then,” Cleophas responded as he headed back to the tables and watched over the shoulders of the others while they continued working.

Cleophas was standing over Owen’s shoulder when he looked up and said, “The objects so far haven’t provided any additional clues, Cleophas, but The Keeper will be calling me back to Everville soon in the hopes of finding The Second Pillar of Truth. It’s getting late, so I think I should be heading back to my dorm. I’ve got some homework to do anyway, and I was hoping to have it done before I was called back.”

“Yeah, it is getting late,” Anika said, “and I have a ton of homework, too. Maybe it would be good if we came back in the morning when we’re fresh. I think most of us have a lot a homework as well because of catch-up work from the storm.”

“You know, Anika, I think that’s a good idea. Why don’t all of you head back home and you can stop by before your first class,” Avery said.

“Okay, I guess I’m out of here. I’ll see everyone in the morning,” Dante replied.

The rest of the nine started to leave, and before long, Jack, Avery, and Cleophas were all that remained.

“You know, I don’t see your medicine around here anywhere, Cleophas. Maybe you left it at home. Why don’t I call you tomorrow morning and we can go to the pharmacist if you still can’t find it then,” Avery said.

“Thanks, Avery. Sorry for being so absentminded today.”

“No need to apologize, Cleophas. It happens to the best of us,” Avery replied.

“Well, I’m going to get going, too. I’ll check in with you in the morning as well, and I’ll see you here at the club sometime before lunch,” Jack said.

After grabbing some papers and a few other things, Avery and Jack walked out the door. Cleophas was now alone with his thoughts and the objects that resided in the great inner room of the Echo Club.

Earlier in the morning, Jacob had been released from police custody to his adoptive parents. He had since spent the greater part of the day planning what he needed to do in order to get the container back from Zee, who he now believed had given it over to Owen.

It was just a hunch, but based on Jacob’s knowledge of the membership and structure of the clubs, it made sense that the most likely location of the container was the Echo Club, which was where he was now headed. He had waited until late in the evening in the hopes that most of the members would be away, and lucky for Jacob, he was right.

He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to find the collector that held the element, but his plan was to break in and search the club if no one was there. His backup plan was to pretend to be interested in joining if there were leadership present, though he wasn’t sure how well that would go over if they were privy to all of the recent happenings. If that didn’t work, there was always brute force.

Jacob approached the front door of the Echo Club and looked around to see if anyone was watching. He looked to his left, to his right, and then to his rear. He had a lock-pick in his hand that he was going to use to jimmy the lock on the door. He peeked inside and saw that the light was on, so he tried to see if would open first, and it did.

Jacob had a few objects in his pocket, as well as a couple of small weapons just in case he needed them. He felt them and imagined using them against one of his would-be victims. He felt the sides of a sharp metal blade that protruded from the end of a small dagger. He touched the grip of a small handle belonging to a nightstick, which he thought would make an excellent blunt instrument to use for something like this.

He then started looking around the room but saw nothing out the ordinary—until, that is, he noticed the second door leading to the inner room. As all the others before him, the second door took a while to be noticed, as if it were protected by something that didn’t want the door to be seen. He approached the door with caution, and then he pushed on the handle.

The door made a sound as he pushed; it was locked. He jiggled the knob a few more times and was about to use his pick, but Cleophas had heard the door and pulled it open.

Jacob fumbled with his fingers in a hurry to put away the pick, and just in time. Cleophas opened the doors to the inner room wide, and Jacob was in awe. He turned in every direction and marveled at the rows of bookshelves that extended high into the elevated ceiling. He looked at the objects that decorated both the walls and various tables in the room. Jacob was now convinced that the container was somewhere in this room, it was just a matter of finding it in all this clutter.

“Ah, you’re back, Owen. I thought you were headed home to do some homework and wait for The Keeper. You look different, and I see you changed your clothes,” Cleophas said.

Jacob stood there for a moment, thinking, but it didn’t take too long for him to go along with whatever lapse in mental function or vision was plaguing the old man.

“Oh yes,” Jacob started, before realizing he didn’t know the man’s name.

“I just realized that I wanted to look around some more just in case it would help with what The Keeper wanted,” Jacob continued.

“Good for you, Owen. I knew you had what it took to save the world. Now let’s see what we can get for you,” Cleophas replied.

Jacob continued to scour the room looking for any and all potential containers or hiding places, while Cleophas brought over a few objects. Jacob inspected the objects and figured they’d be useful, but none of them resembled a container. He decided to go for it. What did he have to lose?

“You know what would really be helpful?” Jacob said.

“What’s that, Owen?” Cleophas replied.

“The container with the element,” Jacob replied.

“Element. Element. Now let’s see, what was the element again? Oh yes, I remember. I think it’s over here,” Cleophas said as he fumbled around, looking at each of the books on one particular bookshelf.

Cleophas triggered a secret opening and took out an object.

“No, that’s not it,” he said as he put it back.

“Maybe it was over here,” he said, as he went to another bookshelf.

Cleophas continued with the same routine, moving from one bookshelf to the next. It was clear he could not remember where he had put it, and he often repeated back to himself what he was looking for. Jacob had begun to grow annoyed with the whole process and he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Jacob, like Owen, possessed the power to transport himself between worlds. Of course, while Jacob was most strongly tied to The Other In Between, that being his lineage, he was also able to get a strong sense of the history of an object through touch and focus. Jacob picked up one of the objects in front of him. It was a photograph of Dala. He picked up the photograph and held it in his hand. He let the memory of the photograph take him wherever it wanted.

Jacob could see now what Cleophas had done and what he had researched, but that was less useful to him. Jacob already knew about the element and so much more, even more than Cleophas. At that moment, the only thing he cared about was its location, and now he had it, as well as the name of the scattered old man before him.

“Cleophas, I think you put it over there in that bookshelf on the second row,” Jacob said solicitously.

“Yes, that’s right. Thanks, Owen,” Cleophas replied.

Cleophas walked back to the bookshelf that he had already passed by numerous times. He was close the first time, the same bookshelf in fact; only one row down and he would have had it. He pressed on the top of the two center books of that row, and a large compartment opened up. He reached in and grabbed the container that held the element.

“Ah, there you are,” Cleophas said as he touched the sides of the container. “Here it is, Owen,” he said as he handed the container to Jacob.

“And there you are too,” Cleophas continued as he saw the plastic pill bottle that he had forgotten in the same compartment.

Cleophas unscrewed the top of the bottle and went into the other room to get some water to help wash down the two blue and yellow capsules that he had just placed in his mouth. He opened a small refrigerator and pulled out a small bottle of water. He washed down the pills, and then he drank half the water in the bottle. He sprinkled a few drops on his face and stood there a moment, rubbing his face with his hand as if to make himself more alert.

Cleophas walked back into the inner room and watched as Jacob picked up each one of the objects and attempted to glean whatever information he could. Now that Jacob had the container, he was free to do a little spying for the other side.

Jacob stood there for at least an hour, devouring all the information he could on each of the objects. Unlike Owen, Jacob had been at this for a very long time, and he was quite adept and gathering information and traveling between realms. Jacob was also skilled in the art of deception, something that came in very handy for the current task.

Cleophas was starting to come out of the haze that had engulfed him after the medication had cleared his system. He was starting to think a little clearer and see a little better. Jacob was starting to come into focus. He was starting to remember.

Jacob put down the final object and gleaned the last piece of information he could before making his final move. He picked up the container that held the element. He touched its surface and enjoyed its smooth texture. He loved the idea of holding actual power in the palm of his hand. More than that, it was what this particular bit of power was about to let him do that excited him, and then he did it.

Cleophas watched as the container that Jacob was holding in his hand vanished. That was the final piece; that action woke Cleophas from his stupor.

“Hey, wait a second. You’re not Owen!” Cleophas exclaimed.

“That’s right, you senile old man. I’m not Owen, not that it matters now,” Jacob responded.

“What have you done with the element? Give it back.”

“I’m not giving anything back, and what I’ve done with the element doesn’t really matter anymore, now does it. It’s already done,” Jacob said.

“Listen, you reckless boy, you may think you have gotten away with this but you haven’t. Whatever you’ve done will come back to you, and we will find a way to undo it. Now tell me what you’ve done,” Cleophas demanded.

“Awww, you look so helpless. It’s almost cute. You call me the child and yet, in your old age, in your weakened state, it’s you who looks like a child, like a frightened, scared infant who’s been startled by a toy that just fell over and made a scary sound.

“Well, let me tell you something, Cleophas. You can play Sherlock Holmes all you want, but you’re an old man with a dying brain. You’ll never figure it out, so why don’t I just have a little fun with you? Since you’re too stupid to comprehend the exact magnitude of what I’ve done, why don’t I just tell you?”

Jacob stood up and walked over to Cleophas, who towered head and shoulders above him. Jacob had to pull up a chair just to see eye to eye. The adrenaline flowing through Jacob’s body, and the sense of security that came from the dagger in his pocket, gave him a false courage. Jacob took his free hand and grabbed Cleophas’ throat. He pressed down hard and listened while Cleophas gasped for air.

“Listen. Do you hear that? That’s the sound of an old man who’s already close to death wondering if this is the moment he’s going to die.”

Arrogance had gotten the better of Jacob. The objects may have given him a little information about Cleophas, but he hadn’t fully grasped just exactly who Cleophas was. Cleophas may have been old, but weak he was not. In spite of the lack of oxygen, Cleophas picked Jacob up by the throat and tossed him to the floor.

Startled, he reached for the dagger in his pocket and lunged towards Cleophas, who swatted his hand down like it was a slow fly. Jacob attempted to retrieve the dagger, but Cleophas pinned him to the wall. Jacob reached in his other pocket and pulled out the nightstick, but Cleophas took that from him as well and let it fall to the ground.

“Now, Jacob, I believe you were about to tell me something,” Cleophas said in a very calm tone. “Where is the container and what are you planning to do with it?”

“Well, Cleophas, this little show of yours is really just academic. It’s already done. I have sent the container to The Other In Between. Them have been trying to give the worms sentience. Them were planning on using Oldrik’s makeshift container once the beetles were destroyed in addition to the power of the breach. Even Oldrik was unaware.

“Them knew about the existence of the worms and were hoping to find them with the element from the makeshift container, but once Oldrik had given himself over to Them, that was no longer necessary. The only problem was that Them didn’t have enough of the element to get past The Second Pillar which protects The City of Worms. Them had almost enough, but not quite. Now you see, don’t you? It’s too late. Them will be able to give the worms sentience.”

“Do you realize what you’ve just done?”

“Of course I do. That’s I why I just did it,” Jacob said.

“You stupid fool! You stupid, stupid fool!” Cleophas exclaimed.

“Why so mad, Cleophas?”

“You can’t control the actions of the worms once they become sentient. Power will overrun them just like it will any other creature that attempts to concentrate power in any one place,” Cleophas said.

“That’s where you’re wrong, old man. See, even The Keepers don’t possess all the knowledge in the universe, and neither do The Seven Pillars of Truth. There are other truths out there, and do you want to know one truth of which you are not aware? No, don’t bother to try and guess, old man. I will tell you.

“A long time ago, creatures from outside the borderlands came and planted their seed in the universe of Them. Those visitors smelled the sweet scent of darkness that was concentrated in The Other In Between. They set their babies down in The City of Worms. The worms are the progeny of those visitors. When the worms gain sentience, those who first possess them will train them. Those worms will become dragons.”

Chapter 25:

The Second Pillar

Owen had just finished his last homework assignment of the night. While he was preparing for bed and was about to brush his teeth, The Keeper pulled him from his room.

“Owen, the situation is grave. I am confident that we can overcome the evil, but I fear that there will be dire consequences.”

“Why? What is it?”

“I have just heard back from Calvin and the Ubaloo. The armies of Them are planning to give the worms sentience. I have the position of the armies of Them and have given the armies of Everville and the giants ten angles of the sun to prepare their soldiers to cross into The City of Worms. Those ten angles are nearly gone. I need you to transport yourself to the armies’ location near the portal in Brackenbone. Follow the armies across the portal to The Second Pillar.

“Once the worms gain sentience, it’s unclear what they will do or the danger you may face. The worms possess the power to rip apart entire worlds, so you must hurry and find The Second Pillar of Truth.”

“Yes, Keeper.”

“And Owen,” The Keeper continued.

“Yes?”

“Stay focused. Use wisdom, and be careful.”

“I’ll do my best,” said Owen as he willed himself across time and space to the location of the armies of Everville in Brackenbone.

“Owen. It’s great to see you again,” Toe said.

“It’s great to see you too, and you too, Sako.”

“Likewise,” said Sako as he reached over to grip Owen’s hand in a firm shake.

“The Keeper wants to go to The Second Pillar of Truth in the hopes of understanding it, so I guess I’m supposed to stay with you guys until then. So, can you tell me if you have any idea what you think the worms will be like if they have sentience?” Owen asked.

“I’m not sure, Owen, but from what I’m hearing from the others, it doesn’t sound good. I’m not sure if they will have sentience when we cross, but we’ll do our best to get you there as quickly as possible.

“Brackenbone is the land of the Ubaloo, so their army will lead the rest. They will also present some advantages when they cross due to their size. You, however, will stay with the Fron. The Fron army has been tasked with protecting you until you reach The Second Pillar. That is the highest priority above all others.”

“Sako, I owe your army tremendous gratitude. How many armies are there, by the way?” Owen asked.

“Well, there are nine in the armies of Everville, the Fron army, as well as the eight armies from each of the other surrounding eight lands. Then there is the army of giants, which will flank the armies of Them from the south, but only half of the giants’ army will arrive. The other half will stay back in their land as a defensive reserve,” Sako replied.

With those words, the portal leading to The City of Worms lit up. The first contingent of Ubaloo soldiers marched forward, and then the next, and still more, hundreds of thousands of twelve-inch muscle men in full military garb. As the army of the Ubaloo crossed through the portal, each row of soldiers spread out like a fan of ants. The idea was to have the Ubaloo positioned between the larger soldiers in the front of all the armies for a tactical advantage once the battle began, and to decrease the potential concentration of casualties due to the clustering of large bodies.

One army after another crossed the portal. The Fron army was the third army to pass. The Ubaloo and the army of the Deep Woods would provide cover for the Fron while they led Owen to The Second Pillar surrounding The City of Worms.

The portal between Brackenbone and The City of Worms was massive—it stood miles across—but it still took hours for all of the armies to pass. When the last of the soldiers from the final army had crossed through the portal, the soldiers turned slightly to the north, heading north-northeast in the direction of the city.

“You see that spire off in the distance?” Sako asked as he pointed.

“Yeah, I see it,” Owen replied.

“That’s The Second Pillar, but it’s only part of it. The other half of the pillar lies as a river connected to the spire, and it surrounds the entire city proper and the worms that reside within the city. The rest of The City of Worms is a vast desert of eternal twilight occupied by the beasts that dwell in the region. The Second Pillar will let anything and anyone leave the city proper, but only those granted access by The Second Pillar through the spire can enter it.”

The armies continued to walk for several hours with no sign of the forces of Them or any other creature beyond the city proper. The City of Worms stunk, but at least it was comfortable and cool.

At the halfway point between the portal and spire, Owen was able to make out movement within the walls of the city. He could see large cylindrical columns of dirt rising above the surface, but there were no other visible features in the columns. Whatever was underneath remained hidden for the time being.

Between the columns of dirt were large shards of glass and stone. There were giant castles made of rock and bone. It was a mesh of different indiscernible structures composed of a mixture of shimmering and dull surfaces, like sheets of diamonds and opal next to folds of featureless tans, grays, and browns.

The armies continued marching for several more hours, until they could see movement beyond the city proper to the south and east, and outside the city walls above and beneath the ground. Columns of dirt within the city began to wrinkle and squirm.

“I see movement,” Asher shouted from the front of the Ubaloo army.

“Yes, I see it also,” shouted several other soldiers in the army of the Deep Woods.

“Something’s wrong,” Sako yelled.

“Yes. Look to the southeast,” another one of the Fron said.

Owen could now make out figures in the distance, two massive armies preparing for a great collision. The armies of Them were about to meet the army of giants. There was one towering giant, a giant among giants that led the front. It was Borak, and with a great leap, he ascended into the air over the armies of Them well ahead of the rest of the giants.

Borak landed on three soldiers of Them. The moment he made impact, his gargantuan feet crushed the soldiers and flattened them in the dirt. Borak let out the loudest roar that any race in any realm had ever heard. It shook the ground like a massive earthquake and shuddered the air like the loudest clap and crackle of thunder that continued without end. His lungs expelled a force through the air that created ripples in the armies of Them, knocking over soldiers row by row in a rolling motion that moved outward in a great endless pond of bone and flesh.

The army of giants rushed in behind Borak as he moved forward through the center of the armies of Them. The giants had an easy task of crushing the survivors that remained, but most of the soldiers of Them were all dead, though it was difficult to tell. The possession of Them and the smoke that flowed through their bones gave motion to dead limbs, which often lasted for several minutes. Several of the giants grumbled in disappointment when they crushed a hand or a foot, only to discover that it was not moving on its own, only animated by the smoke of the armies of Them.

From the looks of how things were going, the army of giants would soon destroy the armies of Them in short order, but Owen saw a small contingent of the armies of Them to the northeast. Them were looking for something just outside the water of the city.

“I am no longer able to merge with the minds of Them, but it looks as if Mallory has betrayed us. Hopefully it will not matter. It looks as if the army of giants is winning,” Calvin said.

They were nearing the spire of The Second Pillar. Sako turned to Owen and said, “We will walk you to the gates of the spire, then we will join the rest of the armies.”

The other eight armies had detached from the Fron and were moving to the southeast to meet up with the army of giants. Then it happened. Owen saw the giant cylinders of dirt that had been twisting and heaving shred open one column at a time. The first column ripped apart, and a giant worm shot into the air. It had grayish-brown snake-like skin, with a diameter of a hundred feet and a length of at least five times as long.

After shooting a thousand feet into the air, the shell and skin of the worm peeled off from the top of the head to the bottom of the tail. The mouth of the creature split open and revealed dual sets of razor-sharp teeth. Ridges on the front and sides of the head sprouted vertically, and soon arms and legs with massive claws peeled away from the sides. Wings that had been coiled around the cylindrical torso opened up and spread out horizontally from the creature.

The newly transformed beast let out a roar equal in ferocity to that of Borak’s, but with its roar, flames engulfed everything in its path. The armies of Them had succeeded in giving the worms sentience, and with it, they released a race of dragons on the armies that now laid siege to The City of Worms.

The soldiers of the Fron army gasped, and rushed to push Owen to the gates of the spire. Several of the dragons flew high above the city and were nearly close enough to torch the entire Fron army in a few breaths.

As Owen arrived at the entrance of the pillar, he walked through the gates of the spire, and then the gates closed behind him. He walked along the center of a large walkway that extended directly in front of him. The ground beyond the boundary of the walkway fell away into an infinite pit, and a blinding white light gleamed from all directions.

A familiar being approached Owen at some distance in front of him. The Second Pillar, as with The First Pillar, was clothed in robes with a face that constantly shifted. Owen looked closer, and as the figure came near, a face took shape. It was familiar, a face that he had seen many times as a kid. It was the face he had seen in pictures that had decorated his home. It was the face of his father.

“Owen,” the figure said.

“It can’t be. Are you my father?” Owen asked.

“Listen very carefully. There are two choices you can make to save your realm. The first choice is to accept my gift to you of control. You have demonstrated great wisdom and virtue. The Keepers have seen in you the character needed to wield great power. If you wish, I can give you the power to control all of the element as well as the dragons, both in The City of Worms and beyond.”

“What’s the other choice?”

“Well, the only other choice is the destruction of the dragons that reside in The City of Worms. That would mean the destruction of the city itself and everything in it including the armies that now lay siege to the city.”

“You mean the armies of Everville and the army of giants, too?”

“Yes, Owen. Once the dragons escape the confines of the city, they are beyond my sphere of influence.”

Owen stood there. His face was sullen. He was given a choice that to someone less wise would seem obvious, and yet he knew it was not that simple. The figure took him to the top of the spire and let him look across the vast city. He could see several of the dragons approaching the army of giants, and several other dragons had already started torching the armies of Everville.

“You must make your decision quickly, Owen.”

“It seems so easy to accept the first choice, but from what I know, no one can withstand the corruption that comes from the concentration of power as great as what you are suggesting. No matter how much wisdom I possess, I would never be that wise. At some point, I would no longer be a force for good, and I would harm those who I set out to protect. It pains me to say this, but I see no other option. I have to choose the second choice.

“I have seen so much death and so much destruction, but who am I to say that I have the wisdom to prevent even more death and destruction that would come from my own hand at some point in the future. I wish I did not have to make this choice, and I wish that I could give my own life in the place of the armies in front of me. Seeing, though, that this is not an option, I must choose the latter and ask for the destruction of the city.”

The figure looked at Owen and said, “Owen, you have demonstrated The Second Pillar of Truth, humility, but with understanding of this truth comes tremendous obligation. It will be up to you and others like you to effect change in your realm.

“All races in all realms possess a certain amount of good and a certain level of evil, some greater than others. Your realm is the center of all borderlands. It lies directly in the heart of the multiverse, with an equal capacity for good and evil. That’s mankind’s greatest strength and its greatest weakness.

“I am both dismayed at the extent of evil and impressed by the magnitude of good within the human race. The struggle between both forces will continue in perpetuity, but the eventual fate of your species will be determined by whether or not the virtue of humility wins out over the evil of arrogance among your leaders and the citizens that allow your leaders to attain their positions of power.

“Owen, you must find the remaining five pillars and possess all their virtues to fully stop the breach. If you succeed, the souls of all those stolen by Them will be returned. If you fail, the lives of all species in all eight realms surrounding both Everville and The Other In Between will be lost forever, and the power of Them will be almost unstoppable. If that happens, not even the borderlands will be safe, including Earth.

“You have made your choice, now go pull the lever in front of you. That will initiate the destruction of the city.”

Chapter 26:

The Final Battle

The army of giants continued to crush the armies of Them, but on the other side of The City of Worms, the armies of Everville were not faring so well. Dozens of dragons circled the positions of the soldiers as they continued to march to the southeast. There were discussions amongst the generals of the armies about whether they should continue marching forward or turn back to the portal. The flames, which continued to pour of the mouth of the dragons, had already wiped out half of their armies, and it was unclear whether either choice would make much of a difference.

Sako looked off in the distance and saw that the small contingent of the armies of Them that had clustered to the northeast border of the city were no longer visible. There was not much that they could do at their current position, so he gave the order.

“Retreat,” Sako shouted.

The armies ran as fast as their legs would allow, but it looked as if it were pointless. Dragons circled above them. Their flames seared the towering soldiers, but many of the Ubaloo were spared the brunt of the flames.

Owen looked at the ongoing destruction of the armies, many of which were his friends, and then he pulled the lever. As he did, The City of Worms moved. The entire realm rotated around to face the direct brunt of the sun. It was a warm, blinding light.

One by one, the enormous dragons that flew overhead shimmered from the inside. Beginning from the center of their bodies and spreading outward, the element that resided in the dragons gleamed with unimaginable brightness. One flash at a time, the dragons scattered into nothingness. It was more than an explosion. The bits of flesh melted away and the force that Owen initiated scattered the fragments of the element across the reaches of the expanse to all known corners of the multiverse.

“Go! Go!” Borak shouted at the army of giants, but they could not go in the direction of the portal to Brackenbone; they had to go the other way, to the great barren wasteland that separated The City of Worms from The Other In Between. In unison, the army of giants knelt down, preparing to leap across the sky higher and faster than they had ever before.

Borak held on to the collars of the two men who had accompanied him in the standoff between Oldrik and the Fwaylan. At that moment, the army of giants launched themselves into the sky, high above the dragons and high above The City of Worms. Borak and the two made it across along with some of his men, but he could not tell with how many, and neither could Owen.

The destruction of the dragons and of the city moved outward from the center. The dragons near the armies of Everville followed suit, and one after another, the element within them shattered into pieces and blew them apart into nothingness.

“Run! Run!” Toe said. He picked up Felix, Faine, and Asher and placed them on his shoulders. Toe ran alongside Sako and Kearney, all of whom crossed the portal at the precise moment of the destruction of the city.

Owen looked across The City of Worms. From beneath the ground in the heart of the land beyond the city proper, a vast explosion sparked pure white, in the shape of the top half of a sphere. It grew like a bubble of water rising to the surface, and in a flash, every living thing that had resided in the city, except the spire, was no more.

The City of Worms was now lifeless, but the structure of the city remained. It was a renewal. The evil and the darkness that had once taken hold of the city were gone. The sun beamed down a warm gentle glow, but the city was empty. Only The Second Pillar and Owen remained. The war, the violence, and the destruction of The City of Worms had brought peace and had eliminated the evil that had taken hold so long ago.

“Owen, as anticipated, you have demonstrated great wisdom and courage, as well as humility. The choices that you have had to make have not been easy, but the decisions that are of greatest import never are. The friends that are closest to you have been spared. I have seen to that, and most of the evil that was here is now gone forever, but not all.

“Some of the armies of Them have survived, and the greater darkness will live on forever. It can never be vanquished. The battle between the light and the darkness is an endless one, and your greatest battles have yet to be fought. Your greatest enemies you have yet to meet, and the battle to save your world is just beginning.

“Now, go back to Everville and then to your home. You have reason to celebrate. Your next battle is not for a few more moments, and your next quest is not yet upon you. You have chosen your friends with great care and reflection; now it is time for you to be the rock upon which they can build their own foundations.”

The Second Pillar lifted his arm and pointed in the direction of the gates.

“But wait. Are you my—” Before Owen could finish his sentence, The Second Pillar had sent him flying through the gates. In a mere instant, and faster than light, he was transported through time and space, across Brackenbone, through the Deep Woods, and back to The Keeper’s Workshop in Everville.

“Owen! I’m so glad to see you,” The Keeper said, in the most emotional state that Owen had ever seen him.

“It’s good to see you too, Keeper. With your help we were successful in destroying the element, but as you said, at a great cost.”

“Yes indeed. We have lost one half of the armies of Everville and an unknown number of the army of Giants. Our forces have been depleted, but our spirit lives on.

“Despite the great losses that we suffered, it is necessary that we remember what is important, why we move on, and why we live. The goodness that is in each of us, the friends and family that we hold dear, and the love that we have for each other, makes all the suffering in the world worth the pain.

“One lesson you have yet to learn, Owen, is that sometimes it’s okay to take time to enjoy what’s important, and to see what makes up the wonderful world in which you live.

“As usual, the Fron have made a great celebration in your honor. I expect you to be there, and I expect you to enjoy yourself. You have saved your friends from an evil that almost ensnared us all. Now go be there for them and let them revel in your victory.”

No more words needed to be said. Owen turned and walked out of The Keeper’s Workshop and headed for the entrance to the land of the Fron aboveground. Toe, Kearney, and Sako all stood at the entrance with their arms extended and pulled Owen up from beneath the hole where he stood.

Toe put his arm around Owen, and for the rest of the evening not a word was said about those lost. All they spoke about the battle was the great victory they had won and the evil that had been defeated. It was the Fron’s way of mourning the dead and celebrating a great death in the battle against an equally great enemy.

As always, the Fron allowed themselves the indulgence of food and drink. They danced and they laughed and they told stories of the old time, a time before the breach. The night grew into morning, and the Fron slept on the tables of food and wine that were in front of them, but at dawn, Owen transported himself back to his dorm at Easton Falls University.

Owen was facing the mirror in his bathroom, about to brush his teeth. He inspected his face with great scrutiny, looking for the resemblance to his father. For a second, it appeared as if the reflection was not a reflection at all, an impression that he had felt once before, but the moment soon passed. Owen finished brushing his teeth and went to sleep.

For the moment, it looked as if good had eliminated all traces of evil in Everville and that a great victory had been won, but there was still a great darkness lurking.

In the barren wasteland surrounding The Other In Between, Borak and his men stood there stranded. They could no longer see The City of Worms. It had been upended, and empty space now took its place. The remains of Borak’s army of giants stared into the stars that shone bright on the wasteland, but it was also the first time the light had shone there as brightly as it did, and that gave them hope.

In The Other In Between, the lost souls that had moved like one organism stopped. After the motion had ceased, a few bodies, a few eyes, looked up at stars that were now visible just above the horizon. What had been a mindless horde, had for the first time been penetrated by the light from beyond, but it would not last.

Borak and his men were not the only ones in the wasteland that separated empty space from The Other In Between. The small contingent of the armies of Them were also there, far to the north of Borak’s position. The evil darkness and the souls of Them had left the army after the destruction of The City of Worms. The soldiers were no longer possessed, but they were still loyal.

Mallory stood there with a group of about fifty soldiers. There was no command structure. The soldiers who accompanied him were all of the same rank, the lowest. He took it upon himself to take control of the situation.

“Listen up, soldiers. This is my army now,” Mallory proclaimed.

Mallory started walking down the rows of soldiers and looked each of them in the eye. He inspected every inch of their face and stared each of them down, waiting for them to relent to his control.

The soldiers looked back at him. They snarled and hissed. Mucous dripped down their slimy noses and off of their faces. Their malformed bodies squirmed.

One of the soldiers, whose larger height separated him from the others, spoke up.

“Why should we follow you, Mallory? You just got here. How do we know that you are even loyal to Them? Yes, it’s true that you were a follower of Oldrik, but so was Calvin, and so was Elmer. That’s two out of three. Those aren’t very good odds in your favor.”

“Listen to me. Elmer was weak. Calvin was weak, but Oldrik was an even bigger fool.”

“What!” the same soldier exclaimed,

“You heard me. I said Oldrik was an even bigger fool,” Mallory continued, as he walked up to the soldier and got in his face.

“You see, now that I have seen the mind of Them, I also understand Them’s intentions. I also understand Them’s weakness. Them must possess the bodies of the willing. Oldrik, in becoming one of Them, has relinquished his body and joined Them in a collective mind.

“That is not all. Even Them don’t possess the fortitude to do what is necessary. The reason that Them became Them in the first place was to stop those distant races from beyond the borderlands that contained even more power than what was known. Them chose to concentrate Them’s power in The Other In Between in the hopes of preventing enslavement by those races.

“The great lie that The Keeper has spoken of was that it was necessary to concentrate power to prevent an even greater power from taking over, and in a sense, The Keeper was right. Them chose to band together and slough off the physical self to become one collective mind. The concentration of power would allow Them to stop those from beyond. Them had a noble purpose, but a willingness to do whatever it took in order to achieve that goal, an evil means to a noble end.

“There is just one problem. Them chose the wrong end. Them should have chosen a purpose that was not noble. What difference does it make if the purpose is noble, other than the fact that a noble virtue is an inherent weakness? That’s why I have decided that my end will have no virtue, and as a result, it will have no weakness.

“I have decided that my end will be pure evil. It will be the pursuit of power for the sake of power. I will do whatever I want, and no one will be able to stop me. If it suits my end to achieve more power, then I will join with the distant races when it is to my benefit and betray them when it is needed. I will concentrate all my power and surrender none. Them have renounced the power of the individual for that of the collective. That makes Them slow. Them require vast armies of drones willing to do Them’s bidding. I will have no such limitation, and as such, my power will grow without bounds.”

“That sounds fine, except for one thing. Who are you to stand against the armies of Them? We are only fifty here, but there are more in the lands that surround The Other In Between. The armies of Them will crush you. What power do you have to stop Them?”

Mallory laughed an evil laugh. It was a laugh that stuck in the hearts of the soldiers there before him. The soldiers knew there was something he had not told them. Mallory lifted up the satchel that he had stolen in the moment of the city’s destruction. He reached in the satchel and lifted out a small creature.

Like the larger worms, this one had shed its skin when it had gained sentience. Its teeth were not yet formed and its ridges were small, but it still possessed the element. Mallory had taken the worm from beneath the ground and placed it in the satchel that he had stolen. The baby dragon was now loyal to Mallory, and with the amount of element contained within the dragon, Mallory now possessed more power than the armies of Them and The Keepers combined.

The End