Elemental Worlds Collection E-Book

V.M. Sang

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Both two books in 'Elemental Worlds', a series of fantasy novels by V.M. Sang, now available in one volume!

The Stones of Earth and Air: When the Crown Prince of Ponderia is replaced by a doppelganger and kidnapped, his loyal friend Pettic refuses to accept the deception. Determined to rescue Prince Torren and expose the imposter, Pettic embarks on a perilous quest. Guided by the court magician Blundo, he learns that four elemental keys hold the key to accessing the realm where the prince is held captive. As Pettic ventures into the treacherous lands associated with each key, he discovers that the challenges ahead are far more daunting than he ever anticipated.

The Stones of Fire and Water: Upon Pettic's return from Aeris, he is summoned by the king and tasked with reconnecting with Torren, his childhood friend. Their meeting takes an unexpected turn when they meet Monarlisk, the red dragon, and his lost mate. As they embark on a perilous quest, Pettic's magical abilities become crucial in their race against time. But will their combined efforts be enough to complete the mission and ensure the rightful king's ascension to the throne?

Leseprobe

ELEMENTAL WORLDS COLLECTION

THE COMPLETE SERIES

V.M. SANG

CONTENTS

The Stones of Earth and Air

Terra

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Aeris

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Acknowledgments

The Stones of Fire and Water

Ignis

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Aqua

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

The Bubble

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

About the Author

Copyright (C) 2023 V. M. Sang

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2023 by Next Chapter

Published 2023 by Next Chapter

Cover art by CoverMint

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

THE STONES OF EARTH AND AIR

ELEMENTAL WORLDS BOOK 1

TERRA

CHAPTERONE

The large, grey wolfhound growled as the Crown Prince of Ponderia entered the room. The prince scowled at the dog.

'Shut that animal up, Pettic. He knows me well enough. Why is he growling at me?'

'I really don't know, Torren,' replied the blonde young man sitting near the window.

He put a restraining hand on the dog's neck and said, 'Be quiet, Cledo. You know the prince and you like him.' He turned to the prince. 'I can't understand it. He usually greets you as eagerly as he greets me. I don't know what's got into him.'

'Well, if you can't get him to stop being so savage, he'll have to be put down. And you shouldn't call me by my name now I'm eighteen. I'm a prince and you're a commoner after all. I've been invested as Crown Prince and will be taking on some of my father's duties from now on.'

With that, the prince threw himself into a chair by the fireplace opposite where the children's nurse sat, telling a story to the youngest of the family, six-year-old Prince Allry.

'You shouldn't talk to Pettic like that.' This was sixteen-year-old Princess Lucenra. 'He's been a good friend to you for the last five years. Remember you chose him yourself from among the boys brought to you on your thirteenth birthday. It was you who insisted that the fact he's a commoner didn't matter when father suggested one of the sons of the nobility would be a better companion for a prince. The pair of you've been inseparable ever since. You even gave him the dog for his sixteenth birthday.'

The two young men were exactly the same age. On Prince Torren's thirteenth birthday the king allowed him to choose a companion from amongst many boys who shared his birthday. The boys had come to Glitton, the capital city of Ponderia, from all around the country in response to a proclamation. Prince Torren and Pettic had immediately formed a bond and the young prince would not be swayed from his choice.

Everyone agreed in the intervening years that the choice had been a good one, each boy complementing a trait in the other. Prince Torren had been self-confident and he had helped Pettic to gain his own confidence. Pettic, in his turn had helped the prince to realise that ordinary people were not any different from royalty and the prince had spent many happy hours at Pettic's parent's farm, helping with the various chores. Now it seemed the bond was breaking down.

Lucenra continued scolding the prince, and the two younger princes and the other princess stopped what they were doing to listen.

'Luce is right, Torren,' called fourteen year old princess Icerra. 'He's been your best friend for ages. You shouldn't speak to him like that, nor insist he stops calling you by your name.'

The two younger boys, Prince Phillus and Prince Kitu both nodded their agreement. So did the nurse, but she refrained from saying anything aloud, having been on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing from Prince Torren the previous day. This culminated in a threatened firing from the prince—a fact that had shocked the old woman because she had brought up all six of the royal children from birth, and they all loved her greatly.

On seeing all his siblings seemed to be against him, Prince Torren stormed out of the nursery and off to his own apartments. The king gave Torren and Pettic their own rooms the previous year. Apartments opposite each other in the palace.

As soon as Torren left, Cledo stopped growling and settled down again. Pettic rose to leave, but Princess Lucenra stopped him.

'Please stay, Pettic. I'd like to talk to you.'

Pettic sat down again. Cledo wagged his tail as the princess came and sat next to him. She bent down and stroked the dog's head.

'There's something very wrong with Torren,' she began. 'I'd almost believe it isn't him he's so different. He was never so arrogant and conscious of being a prince, and he'd never have told you to stop calling him by his given name in the past. It's come on him so quickly that I wonder if somehow he could be under a spell.'

'We could go to see Blundo,' suggested Pettic, naming the court magician. 'He might know if such a thing is possible.'

Princess Lucenra jumped up immediately. 'A good idea,' she said. 'Let's go now.'

She immediately started heading for the door and Pettic had to hurry to catch up with her.

They made their way along the maze of corridors in the palace to where a spiral staircase rose up to a tower room. There they knocked and a voice told them to enter.

The room was full of clutter, at least to the uninitiated, but Pettic supposed that to a magician it all made sense. There were bottles and boxes all around and books on every surface. The dried remains of a variety of animals hung from the ceiling and various contraptions stood on tables and chairs.

The window looked over the town, and stood open in spite of the winter chill in the air. The remains of smoke hung in the room, which accounted for the open window. A slightly sweetish odour that Pettic could not place drifted to his nostrils

Leaning over a bench where the smoke appeared to have come from, was a youngish man. He appeared to be in his mid thirties with brown hair that he wore longer than usual. Whether this was from preference or from forgetting to get it cut no one knew.

He wore a brown robe tied in the middle with a piece of string in lieu of a belt. As the pair approached him, he turned and smiled, making his whole face light up.

'Well, if it isn't Princess Lucenra and Earl Pettic! Welcome, Your Highness, and My Lord. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?'

Lucenra answered him. 'We have come to ask you if something is possible using magic.'

'What is it you want to know?'

Pettic cut in. 'We wondered if it's possible to change someone's personality using a spell,' he said.

'Well, now,' the magician mused, frowning. 'That all depends on exactly what you want to accomplish. A complete change isn't really possible, but it is possible to bring out latent personality traits.'

He paused and scratched his head. 'It's also possible to get someone to do something for you, as a favour—to make them like you enough to do almost anything for you, but these are all short-lasting spells. What is it you want to do?'

'It's not us,' said Pettic, 'but Prince Torren seems to be behaving very much out of character. I've been his best friend for the past five years now and Lucenra's his sister. We're both seeing a side of him he's never exhibited before. He's arrogant, thoughtless and even on occasion cruel. He threatened Nurse with being fired yesterday, and we all know how much he's always loved her.'

'Hmm. That doesn't sound like Prince Torren. Leave it with me and I'll look in my library and see what I can find. Come back tomorrow afternoon and I'll tell you if I've discovered anything.'

The next afternoon Lucenra and Pettic climbed the stairs to the magician's room once more. They knocked on the door and Blundo bade them enter. They found him poring over a book. This time the window was closed and a fire burned in the fireplace making it cosy and warm. Blundo stood up as they entered and sketched a bow towards the princess.

'I think I may have found out something that would work, but as to the why, I've no idea,' he said. 'It's possible to change a person's appearance.'

He walked over and picked up a large book from one of the bookshelves before continuing.

'Now, if someone wanted to replace one person with another, they could do this, but it would mean enchanting a gem for the person to wear. Even so, the spell is not permanent.' He frowned. 'This would mean the gem would have to be re-enchanted every so often. How long the spell lasts would depend on the strength of the magician concerned. Have you noticed the prince going away on his own at all?'

'Not really,' replied Lucenra, walking around the room and looking at things. She picked up a gem lying on a table. It tingled in her hand and so surprised her she almost dropped it.

Blundo looked at her.

'Did you feel something? he asked.

'It seemed to tingle,' she replied, frowning, 'but that's not possible.'

'Yes it is if you have an affinity for the gems,' replied Blundo, taking it from her. 'A pity you're a royal princess. That tingle implies you could become a magician.'

Then Pettic interrupted. 'I was just thinking. There was one occasion when Torren took his horse and went off. I asked him to wait so I could saddle mine and accompany him but he told me he wanted to have a ride by himself. I thought this was odd because he always wants me to accompany him on his rides.'

Both Lucenra and Blundo looked at him.

'When was this?' asked Blundo.

He shrugged. 'About three or four weeks ago, I think.'

'Hmm!' Blundo stroked his chin, which he wore clean-shaven, unlike many magicians. 'Watch him very carefully and if he goes off again on his own, try to follow him. See where he goes and whom he meets and look for any signs that magic is being used. Someone doing something with a gem, that sort of thing, then come back to me and we'll talk again.'

It was almost a week later that Torren went off again. He announced he was going for a walk and he wanted to go alone.

Fourteen-year-old Icerra tossed her black hair and grinned. 'Who is she, Torren?' she giggled. 'That's the third time you've gone off on your own. But she can't be so wonderful, because you only see her every few weeks!'

Torren rounded on his sister. 'It's not a girl!' he stormed. 'If I want to go for a walk on my own, I can go for a walk on my own. It's none of your business.' He turned to the others, 'And yes, before you say anything I know it's snowing out there. I LIKE walking in the snow.'

With that, he swept out of the nursery where, out of habit, he and Lucenra still gathered along with Pettic, even though all had their own rooms now.

'Time to follow, Pettic,' whispered Lucenra, and Pettic stood up and casually left the room, picking up a warm cloak as he passed the cloak stand.

Torren left the building and crossed the palace gardens to a small gate in the wall. Few people used this gate and most had forgotten its existence. The children used it when they wanted to escape the wrath of someone in the palace. He passed through and into the streets of the city. He did not see the shadow slip through after him.

The narrow path leading away from the little gate led to some narrow back streets. They were rarely inhabited and so, as the children had found out in earlier years, they could easily pass unnoticed through the city streets. Fortunately for Pettic, the snow made it easy for him to track Torren, and the dark, narrow alleyways meant he could keep hidden.

Torren came to a gate out of the city. He had a cloak wrapped tightly round him and the guards did not recognise him as he passed through. The guards did recognise Pettic, though They knew him well and waved at him. They assumed he was going into the city to buy something, or some other errand.

Pettic followed Torren along the road for a little way,being sure to keep hidden, until the prince turned off the road into the forest. After a few minutes walking, he turned up what looked like a deer track. Pettic followed keeping his distance. It was easy to remain hidden amongst the trees, and anyway, Torren never looked back.

After half an hour's walking they came to a clearing where a heavily cloaked man waited. Torren approached the man and mumbled something Pettic could not catch, and he crept as near as he dared, hiding behind the bushes that grew under the trees.

The man said, 'Well Dilrong, is it going as planned?'

'Yes. No one suspects anything.'

'Time to replenish the spell then. Give me the ring.'

When Torren, who it seemed was called Dilrong, handed over his ring, the prince seemed to disappear and a different young man stood in his place. Although he was about the same height as the Prince, there all resemblence ended. This person had unruly, mousy hair and a rather sly look to his face. It was a look that Pettic had noticed on the prince in the last few months. He had a longer nose than Torren and a rather pinched mouth.

The strange man took a contraption from beneath his cloak which he put on the ground. He suspended the ring on a chain so it hung down inside. Then the muffled up man started mumbling and a light appeared in the contraption.

'Can't you make the spell last longer?' Dilrong asked.

The magician ignored the young man for a few minutes, took the ring from the contraption and handed it back. As soon as he put the ring back on, Prince Torren once more stood in the clearing.

'I know having to come out here every few weeks is a nuisance, but being Crown Prince, and ultimately King, will be well worth it, I think you'll agree.'

So it isn't Torren. We were right. But why has this magician (for he must be a magician) done this? And who is he? Pettic wondered.

Pettic hurried back to the palace to tell Lucenra all he had found out. He found her in her rooms when he got there, getting ready for the evening meal with her parents and he had no chance of speaking to her.

He entered his own rooms and threw his wet cloak down on the floor. He was not customarily untidy, nor inconsiderate of the servants, but he felt frustrated. He needed to talk to someone about what he had seen. He realised it was getting late so he rang for his valet and asked him to prepare a bath and lay out his clothes for the evening.

He went to meet the royal children in the nursery as usual before going to dinner. As it happened he was a little early and met Lucenra and Icerra just outside the door. The boys had not yet arrived. As he went to open the door, someone opened it from the other side and there stood Blundo.

For a few minutes they all stood looking at each other, then Lucenra said, 'What are you doing in the nursery?'

Blundo looked at the princess then cast his eyes down as he remembered to bow.

'Err…you remember the enchanted crystals my predecessor gave you as protection?' he said quickly. 'Well, I've only just found out about them so I came straight away to check they were still there and the enchantment's still holding.'

'And is it?' replied the princess.

'Yes, your Highness. You'll be pleased to know it's holding very well.'

He bowed again and left. By then, the others had arrived and they all went down to the small hall for dinner.

After dinner there was to be a concert in the Great Hall by a well-known quartet and the king and queen expected Pettic to be there with Torren. He was looking forward to it as he enjoyed music. He knew Torren would not have been, though, as he was not very musical. Would this other 'Torren' enjoy the concert, he wondered?

CHAPTERTWO

Dinner was pleasant. Torren, or Dilrong, he supposed he should think of him now, sat at the other end of the table from Pettic, close to the daughter of the Duke of Kroldor. She was a pretty girl and Torren was paying her close attention and turning on the charm. He hardly noticed Pettic, gracing him with a brief nod as he entered the dining room. Cledo growled in the direction of the imposter, and Pettic now realised that the dog could sense, probably by smell, that this was not his friend.

After dinner, as they retired to the Great Hall for the concert, Pettic noticed Torren was no longer with the royal party. The queen turned to him and asked if he knew where her son was. Of course, Pettic did not and he bowed to Queen Phillida and apologised for his friend, telling her he thought he may be along in a few moments.

The prince did not appear, neither did the young lady. Pettic worried a little about the non-appearance of both of them. He knew the real Torren would never compromise a young lady, especially one of the nobility, but this was not the real prince and he had no idea what this person would do, so he worried.

It was two days before he managed to see Princess Lucenra alone. They met walking along the corridor near her apartment and she asked him to come with her. They entered her drawing room, and immediately she asked him what he had found out.

'I followed Torren into the woods,' he told her. 'There he met a man. I can't say much about him because he was all muffled up in cloaks and scarves. He did, however, greet Torren by the name of Dilrong. He did a spell on his ring and then said, “Being Crown Prince, and ultimately King will be well worth it.” '

Pettic sighed. 'I don't pretend to understand what it was all about, but it seems obvious the person we're seeing as Torren is, in fact, an imposter made to look like him by sorcery.'

The princess looked into Pettic's blue eyes and her brown ones looked worried.

'I think you're right in this, Pettic,' she responded. 'I think it's time we went back to see Blundo, don't you?'

She ran her fingers through her brunette hair and she sat down. 'If what you say is true, then we must find Torren and expose this pretender. We must also find out who the magician is. Is this Dilrong in charge or does the magician want to gain power through him? Too many questions need answering and we need to think hard. Blundo will help us in this, I know. He always liked Torren the best of all of us, I think, and will want to help free him.' She paused and looked up at Pettic. Then she said, almost whispering, 'If he's still alive, that is. This man could have killed him.'

'I'd had that thought too, Lucenra,' replied Pettic, equally quietly, 'but I refuse to even think about that yet.'

'By the way,' the princess brightened a bit, 'Father gave Torren a severe dressing down for missing the concert the other night. He told him it was very rude of him, and he wouldn't have expected him to act in that way. Of course, the real Torren would never have done so even if he didn't like the music.'

'I think he was with that girl, you know, the daughter of the Duke of Kroldor. He managed to wangle a seat next to her at dinner, and she didn't appear at the concert either.'

'Oh, no! I hope that he hasn't compromised her virtue. Torren would never have done so, of course, but this Dilrong? Who knows?'

The pair left the room and went to find Blundo. Unfortunately he was not in his tower, and his assistant had no idea as to his whereabouts so they left a message. They both returned to their own apartments to wait for a note saying Blundo had returned and could see them.

Cledo was delighted to see his master return and he jumped around like a puppy until Pettic laughingly told him to go and lie down. Just then, the door opened and there stood Torren.

'I've decided I've been neglecting you,' he told Pettic as he entered uninvited and sat down on one of the chairs. 'I think we should have a game of cards. Get yours out. I didn't bring mine.'

Pettic had to remind himself that this was not the prince. Torren would never have entered uninvited, nor spoken to him like that. Pettic felt like a servant and not a friend. Still, he bit his tongue and went to get his cards.

Cledo began growling again as soon as Torren entered and Pettic thrust the dog unceremoniously into his bedroom. When he came back with the cards, Torren had arranged the card table in the centre of the room and placed four chairs round it.

'Are we expecting someone else?' queried Pettic. Torren had said nothing about anyone else coming.

'Yes,' replied the other. 'It's always more fun with four. I've invited that pretty daughter of the Duke of Kroldor and her friend to join us.' He laughed. 'I think the girl likes me—what's her name—I must remember before she arrives. Oh yes. Zoila. I'm hoping I can get to know her much better.' Here he winked at Pettic.

'Oh dear,' thought Pettic. 'I think he may be thinking about, how did Lucenra put it? “Compromising her virtue.”'

The girls arrived, obviously flattered to be asked to play cards with the Crown Prince. They giggled as they entered Pettic's apartment and sat down around the table. Pettic asked what game the girls would like to play and then Zoila took the cards and shuffled them before dealing them out to the others.

Half way through the game, in which Torren insisted they play for real money, a knock sounded on the door. Pettic excused himself and went to answer it. It was Lucenra.

'I've just had a note to say that Blundo's back and can see us whenever we want,' she said.

The voice of Torren came from behind . 'What do you want to see Blundo about?' he demanded.

'Oh, Torren,' Lucenra said, 'I didn't know you were here.' She thought quickly and said, 'Pettic and I have been having an argument about magic, what it can and can't do, you know? We went to see Blundo to ask which of us is right.'

'Oh, is that all. I wondered if one of you were thinking about taking it up. A bit old though, both of you. I believe you have to start very young and what's more, have an aptitude for it. Anyway, Pettic can't come with you now. We're in the middle of a game and I'm winning.'

Pettic shrugged and mouthed 'Sorry' to the princess. Then he said aloud, 'Why don't you go and see Blundo? You can tell me what he says about our problem and let me know. I promise I'll believe every word you say, even if you tell me he said I'm wrong.'

With that, he closed the door as the princess walked despondently away and he turned back to the game.

'I know,' laughed Torren, 'Why don't we have a game of strip poker?'

The two girls looked worried.

'I don't know how to play poker,' said Zoila.

'Don't worry,' the prince reassured her, 'It's easy. You'll pick it up in no time.'

'I'm not sure about this, Torren,' Pettic said. 'The girls haven't played before and are certain to lose.'

Torren grinned and winked at Pettic, mouthing 'Of course, that's the idea.' Then he said aloud, 'Come on, it'll be great. Just a bit of harmless fun. What's wrong with that?'

The other three continued to argue until Torren lost his temper.

'I'm the Crown Prince. I'll be your king some day. You will obey me. I want to play strip poker, so we'll play strip poker!'

With a sigh they gave in and played the game. Soon the girls were down to their undergarments and nearly crying. Torren called for another hand. He was still fully dressed and Pettic had only lost his jacket and shirt.

'No more, Torren,' said Pettic. 'Can't you see the girls are upset?'

'Oh, tosh. They're only pretending. They're enjoying showing off their bodies. All females enjoy being looked at and admired, and how I'm admiring these two!'

At this point, Zoila's friend stood up and gathered her clothes.

'Crown Prince or not, my future monarch or not, I'm not playing any more. I'm going to put my clothes back on and so is Zoila and we're leaving. I cannot believe that the man we were told is so honourable and gallant would do this to us.'

She strode off, pulling Zoila with her into the bedroom.

As soon as she opened the door, a grey streak shot past her and leaped on Torren snarling. Pettic dragged the dog off and sent him back to the bedroom while picking up the prince.

'That animal is dangerous. I'll have one of the guards sent up here to put him down. In the meantime, he mustn't be allowed out of your quarters. If I see him around the palace, I'll have you banished.'

Torren strode out of the room, leaving two crying girls and a very angry Pettic.

It was much later in the day that Pettic and Lucenra managed to get to see the court magician. Pettic had been much upset by the threat to his dog, even though he knew intellectually this was not the prince, the imposter was so like him it was hard to put it into context. He was also annoyed and upset by the treatment of the two girls.

He spent a lot of time talking to Lucenra about the earlier events and then a few hours in the stables finding someone to look after his dog, somewhere away from the palace. One of the stable hands agreed in the end and Pettic smuggled the animal out and the lad led the reluctant wolfhound away to his home. The dog had whined as the stablehand led him away, making Pettic feel guilty.

The time arrived to visit the magician in his tower. Pettic and Lucenra climbed the stairs quickly and knocked on the door to Blundo's rooms. They entered when the magician called out to them.

'Sorry we're late,' Lucenra said. 'We were caught up in something. Actually, it has to do with Torren. His behaviour is becoming more bizarre and unpleasant. But first Pettic must tell you what he's found out.'

Pettic began his tale and told about how he had followed Torren to his meeting with the mysterious magician in the woods and what he heard and saw.

Blundo rubbed his chin, thinking, and then said, 'It sounds very much as if what you suspect is true. What you saw, is a remaking of the spell on the gem that holds the illusion true. It seems Prince Torren has indeed been abducted or killed and an impostor put in his place. I sincerely hope he hasn't been killed. We must assume he's imprisoned somewhere and work on that premise.'

Lucenra thought for a few minutes and then said, 'Perhaps if we followed the impostor again when he goes off by himself we can find out something about where the real Torren's imprisoned. We can then tell father and he can send troops to rescue him.'

'Woah there,' cried Pettic. 'What do you mean by 'We'? It might be dangerous and if Torren is dead, which heaven forbid, then you're the heir to the throne. You can't be put in danger!'

'Torren isn't dead,' the princess retorted. 'I can feel it deep down inside. Anyway, there may be times when you can't follow him. I can go then.'

'What about recruiting the younger princess and princes? Could they help?' suggested Blundo.

Both Pettic and Lucenra cried out together. 'No, It's too dangerous.'

'No doubt they'd like to get involved,' Lucenra went on, 'but it's not going to happen. They must know as little of this as possible. Nothing if I have my way. They're all too impulsive and would no doubt put themselves at risk trying to solve a mystery.'

'Just a thought,' Blundo apologised.

They left it at that. Blundo was to do more research and he would also try to find out about any magicians who had recently moved into the area. Lucenra and Pettic would continue to follow Torren whenever they could.

Sitting in his apartment in the palace, Pettic thought about the past few months and tried to decide exactly when Torren had started behaving oddly. It was, he decided, after he had been crowned as Crown Prince. This always took place on the eighteenth birthday of the heir to the throne and gave him some more responsibility. He or she was gradually taught how a monarch should govern. Torren had been excited at this and about being able to take some of the responsibilities of the crown.

On the day of the birthday that the two friends shared, the coronation of the Crown Prince took place followed by a formal dinner. Pettic got dressed in his best, and made his way to the chapel where the Archbishop was to perform the ceremony.

He expected to be seated at the back, as a commoner, but to his surprise the usher guided him to a seat just behind the Royal Family. He queried this and the usher told him Prince Torren himself had insisted Pettic be seated there. He told the organisers Pettic was his best friend and he would not countenance him being anywhere but near the Royal Family. He had, after all, been brought up in the royal nurseries and was like a brother to Torren.

After the coronation, Prince Torren stepped forward to take the oath, which he did in a strong voice. Then, against all precedent, he stepped forward and called Pettic to come up. Pettic looked around, surprised, but the king waved him to do as Torren said, and so Pettic stood and slowly walked up to the prince.

The prince turned his friend to face the crowd of people in the royal chapel. He then announced to them all that, with the agreement of the King, his first act as Crown Prince was to endow his best friend with a title. The Earl of Flindon had recently died without any heirs. As he was the last in line to that earldom, Prince Torren had asked the king if his friend could take on the role. His father readily agreed and Pettic had been duly crowned with the small coronet that made him an Earl. Torren was himself at this point. The false Torren would never have thought of this, Pettic was sure.

Three days after their visit to Blundo, the two young people had not needed to follow Torren, as he had not gone off alone. The prince kept to his rooms or went out and about with some new friends from the guards. He seemed to have forgotten about his threat to Cledo, but Pettic did not dare to bring the animal back to the palace because of the dog's perpetual growling whenever Torren appeared. This would no doubt remind the prince of his threat, and probably get Pettic banished from the palace, if not the capital, for disobedience.

The day for the next meeting with Blundo arrived and Lucenra and Pettic met on the way to the magician's tower quarters. ('Why do magicians always live in towers?' Pettic asked one day, but no one seemed to know the answer to that question.)

On the way they met Torren.

'You two seem to be spending a lot of time together these days,' he said, scowling. He turned to Pettic. 'I hope you don't have designs on my sister. She's a princess, you know, and can't possibly marry a commoner, so forget it.'

The princess looked at her brother, eyes flashing.

'Pettic's not a commoner. Remember, you yourself raised him to an earldom. This makes him part of the nobility.'

'He was born a commoner, and will remain a commoner no matter what titles we give him. Nobility comes with birth,' he sneered.

With that, he strode away down the corridor leaving the pair staring after him in amazement.

When they arrived at Blundo's quarters, they found him in a state of excitement. He had found something exciting among the papers left by his predecessor, he told them.

'It was a book about different planes of existence,' he said. 'It seems that there are four other planes besides this one corresponding to the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. This plane is a combination of all four. I suppose that's why our world is called Fusionem. A fusion of all the other planes. There are ways of passing between these planes if you know how.'

'What's this got to do with Torren?' Pettic asked.

'Ah! I've not finished. Have patience young man. I also found a diary. It was my predecessor's diary.'

He turned to Lucenra. 'I believe your father banished my predecessor. Am I right?'

'Yes, for treason. Father found he'd been in touch with some people who were plotting to overthrow him.'

She gave a little laugh. 'He denied taking part in the conspiracy, of course, saying he didn't know why these people wanted the spells he prepared for them. Father was reluctant to take action against him because he'd been with us for a great many years and had become a friend. However, Father decided he had to banish him just in case. Father said that he should have found out what the spells were for in any case, if he were innocent.'

'That explains why he seemed so bitter in his diary. He must have forgotten to take it when he left. He'd hidden it though, behind some other books. In it he rails about his banishment and says he'll get his revenge somehow.'

Blundo picked up some books on the table in front of him. 'Later on, he says he's found a way to pass to other planes. He mentioned these books. I looked at them and I think I know what's happened.'

The two young people leaned forward expectantly as Blundo paused for dramatic emphasis.

'Go on,' Pettic urged.

'Well, these books say it's possible to pass to another realm by walking through the arches in the Standing Stones outside the city. The moon must be shining through, and be full. Then you pass through to one of the other realms.'

'So you think that Torren's in one of these other planes?' said the princess.

'No. What I read leads me to think that Prince Torren is imprisoned in what Hellom (that was his name, wasn't it?) in what Hellom called a mini-plane, or a 'Bubble'. It's one created by a magician for his or her own purpose. Hellom wrote at length about creating one. I think he's put the prince in that mini-plane.'

'So what's all this about the other realms then?' Pettic asked. We just need to find out how to get into this 'Bubble' and get Torren out.'

'Ah, it's not so simple. There are four keys created by Hellom and he's hidden one in each of the elemental realms. Anyone wanting to enter the Bubble needs all of the keys.' He opened one of the books at a page he had marked. 'They are all precious stones relating to the elements and set in some kind of artefact. The one relating to Terra, the realm corresponding to the element of Earth, is an emerald. Aeris, or Air is a diamond, Aqua which is the water elemental realm, a sapphire and Ignis, or fire, is a ruby.' He closed the book and put it down on the table.

'Unfortunately, we don't know what they're set in. Equally unfortunately, whoever goes to search cannot return without them. They are the keys to the return just as the moon is the key to getting there. Further, although it's the gems that are enchanted, for some reason they will not work to enter the Bubble unless they're in the artefact and worn by the person trying to enter.'

The pair looked at each other.

'It'll need a brave person to take this task on. Whoever goes might not return if they can't find the artefact with the gem in it,' Lucenra said.

'I know,' replied Pettic. 'Since we're the only ones who know about this, and obviously you can't go, it seems it must be me.'

They argued a bit about this, but eventually Lucenra realised that if she disappeared, her parents would be asking questions, and so they agreed Pettic would go.

'There is one more thing,' said Blundo. 'People there in those other worlds will speak a different language. I can make an amulet that'll allow you to understand others and them to understand you. It won't be ready for a couple of days though. I'll send for you as soon as I've got it ready.'

The pair left Blundo then and went to wait impatiently for his summons.

Three days later, Blundo's assistant knocked on Pettic's door. He told him the amulet was ready and he could pick it up as soon as he wished. Blundo also sent a message saying the moon would be full and shining through the arch at six minutes after midnight in two days' time. After that, the next chance would be a full month later.

Pettic decided he was as ready as he would ever be. He admitted to being a little afraid. No one knew what lay beyond the arch–not even what world he would be going to. What if he could not get back? What if it were the world of the element of fire and it was just that—fire and nothing else. Or even water, come to that. He could not breathe if there were no land. Still, he had taken on this task to help to rescue his friend and he would see it through.

He made sure he had enough provisions, although how much was enough? He had no idea how long it would take him to locate the artefact with the gem. He sharpened his sword and stacked a large number of arrows in his quiver. He mentally offered thanks to Torren that he had insisted Pettic learned the arts of weaponry with him. At least he would be able to defend himself from any hostile natives, and maybe even hunt some food if necessary. When he thought he had everything he could think of, he went to see Lucenra.

The princess was ready to go to visit the magician when Pettic knocked at her door, and they left immediately.

When the pair entered his room, Blundo went to a cabinet and unlocked it. He reached in and took out a wooden box, also locked, and lifted a beautiful pendant from it.

'This opal in the amulet has been imbued with the magic for you to understand and be understood,' he said, handing it to Pettic.

The young man slipped it over his head.

'I have something else too,' continued Blundo. 'You'll need to know the gem when you see it, so I've made this little amethyst earring for you. It's fairly unobtrusive but it'll warm when it gets near something magical. The gems will have been imbued with magic, you see, so they can act as keys. Remember, if you get near an emerald, ruby, sapphire or diamond and this warms, it's very likely the gem we want.'

Pettic put the earring in his ear. Lucenra smiled. It made him look quite fetching.

'One more thing.' Blundo continued to speak. 'Time doesn't flow at the same rate in these other worlds, I've been told. It might be quicker or slower, so you may find much time, or no time at all, has passed when you return.

Pettic frowned at this thought, but resolved to continue regardless, even if he found that he had come back here after many years. He still needed to rescue the Crown Prince so he could take his rightful place on the throne when his father died. It was inconceivable this usurper become king. Even more so since the people would not know he was a usurper and would think their beloved Torren had changed into a tyrant. Pettic had no illusions that Dilrong would be anything other than a tyrant.

CHAPTERTHREE

Two days later, at ten o' clock in the evening, Lucenra knocked at Pettic's door. The young man was ready, dressed in leather armour for lightness, with his sword at his side and backpack on his back. He had tied his bow to his backpack along with his arrows. His eyes opened wide to see Lucenra standing there in a pair of her brother's trousers and a shirt.

'You aren't planning on coming after all, are you?' demanded Pettic.

'No, but I'm coming to the standing stones with you. I think you should go and get Cledo. He'll help to protect you and give you some companionship too. You'll be all alone there.'

'Good idea, Luce,' replied the young man. 'We've time to go and get him now and still get to the stones in time. Thank you for coming with me.'

The pair crept out of the palace and along the road to where the stable boy who was looking after Cledo lived. Pettic knocked on the door and a loud barking came from inside. The door opened a crack and the boy's father peeped round. A grey flash knocked him unceremoniously aside as Cledo came bounding out to greet Pettic. The young man was nearly felled by the exuberance of his dog.

'Steady, boy,' Pettic told the animal, 'Get down please.' This last as the dog placed his paws on his master's shoulders and began to lick his face. Then he turned to the family standing looking on in awe at the Crown Prince's friend and his sister who were in their cottage.

'Thank you so much for looking after Cledo for me,' he said. 'I'm going away for a little while. I'm not sure how long I'll be so I'm taking Cledo with me. Here's something for your trouble and the expense you incurred in looking after him.'

He handed over a pouch of gold coins—much more than it would have cost them for the dog's keep.

At first the stable boy's father refused, saying it was a pleasure, and what a good dog he was, but Pettic insisted. He, Lucenra and Cledo then went on their way, leaving the family wondering if they were witnesses to an elopement.

It took a while for the three to pass through the town and up onto the little hill where the standing stones were situated. The stones had been there for centuries and no one knew what their original purpose had been. Many rumours grew up around them over the intervening years, though, and many believed them to be haunted.

Pettic now remembered hearing a rumour a long time ago that they were a gateway to other lands. He smiled to himself remembering how he had dismissed that idea as the most preposterous of all of them. How wrong he had been.

Eventually they reached the top of the hill. It was a clear night and the moon threw its dim light across the land. As it climbed higher, the light came nearer and nearer to the arch and Pettic became more nervous, as did Lucenra.

Just as Blundo had said, at six minutes past midnight the first rays of light passed through the arch. Both young people peered through, perhaps hoping to see something of the land beyond, but all they saw was the city spread out below them.

'This is it then,' said Pettic, still looking at the light now streaming through the arch. 'I'd better go before the moon goes and the light no longer passes through the arch.' He turned to the princess. 'Take care of yourself and the others, and try to see if you can control Torren a bit.'

'Not much chance of that, I don't think,' the girl replied. 'Take care of yourself and come back.' She stood on her toes and pecked him on the cheek. 'Now go quickly or you'll be too late.'

She stood and watched as Pettic walked through the arch and disappeared as if going into a mist. She walked slowly down the hill wondering if she would ever see him again, and if his quest would be successful.

Pettic felt no sensation as he walked through the arch, but a mist engulfed him and his dog. It quickly dissipated and they emerged into a cave.

Pettic looked around him and saw that the cave seemed to be a narrow crack in the rock. He had no choice but to follow it as the wall behind him was now solid. The passage quickly opened out into a large chamber.

Stalactites hung from the ceiling and stalagmites climbed from the ground. Some had joined into columns giving the cave a cathedral-like feel.

Then he noticed the people. They surrounded a large flat stone with a goat on it. A dark-skinned man had just cut its throat if the bloody knife he held was anything to go by. The people were kneeling down and chanting. This was obviously some religious ceremony.

Pettic did not want to disturb them. People often became quite angry if anyone disrupted their religious ceremonies so he tried to slink out past them.

Then the man with the knife, who seemed to be leading the ceremony, spotted Pettic and he cried out.

'Look,' he called. 'Our prayers have been answered. Here is Jintor himself with his hound, Oro, come to save us. Praise be to Holy Jintor.' He got down onto his knees and bowed down to Pettic and all the other people did the same.

'Hang on a minute,' said Pettic. 'I think you've got this wrong. I'm not Jintor. My name's Pettic and this is my dog, Cledo.'

'If you wish to be known as 'Pettic', Your Holiness, then so be it, but I saw you come out of the wall in a mist. There is no way out or in to the Holy Cave that way. You must be the god himself. Holy Jintor always travels with his hound, so that is how I knew you. You'll come with us to see our chief?'

Pettic decided he had little choice in the matter. That was the only way out of the cave it seemed. As a god, he supposed, he could pull rank and insist on going his own way, but as he had no idea where he was nor what he faced here, he decided it would be wise to go along with these people, but he would not pretend to be a god. That way lay disaster. Gods were not well known for their tolerance of impostors.

A little procession formed with Pettic and Cledo at its centre. They wanted to carry him, but protestations from Pettic, and a growl or two from Cledo soon got them to agree to allow him to walk.

The procession left the cave and began to walk slowly down a muddy path. A cliff rose up on one side and a dense forest grew on the other. Pettic could hear a stream flowing somewhere ahead and soon they passed a waterfall cascading down the cliff. The stream then continued on its way alongside the path.

Eventually they reached a village surrounded by a palisade made of sharpened stakes. The people led Pettic through a gate in the palisade. The village comprised many round huts with thatched roofs scattered around in what seemed like a random fashion. None were very far from the stream that had turned away from the cliff and flowed towards a lake in the valley below.

Villagers ran out to see what was happening. The people accompanying them, along with the priests, made their way to a much larger hut at the far end of the village.

Once there, the chief priest, the one with the knife, banged on a drum he carried and an imposing man came out from the large hut. He looked to be around forty five years old and was dressed in a white robe that contrasted with his dark skin and hair. His nose was straight and his mouth wide and generous but he had a look of sadness in his brown eyes. He spoke to the chief priest.

'Who is this man? Where did he come from?'

'We were praying for aid when this man and his dog came through in a mist from the dead-end passage at the back of the Holy Cave. He can only be a god. Since he has all the accoutrements of Holy Jintor and his hound Oro, we assumed it was the god himself. However, he says he's not the god, but a man called Pettic. We brought him to you immediately.'

The tall man beckoned to Pettic to step forward. As he did so the priest and his followers stepped back. The tall man looked Pettic in the eyes and then turned, and beckoning him to follow, returned to the hut.

Pettic followed and entered past a curtain of beads rather than a door and found himself in a dim room. The hut had no windows so it was rather dark, the only light coming through the doorway, where a tie held the curtain back.

When his eyes became accustomed, he noticed mats on the floor with a woman sitting on one of them. She appeared to be a few years younger than the headman, for this man was undoubtedly the leader of this community. Pettic assumed she was his wife.

The headman bade him sit and went to another mat where he, too, sat.

'Now, tell me who you are. Are you the god, Jintor with his hound Oro? It would seem you must be because of the way you appeared here on Terra. There's no other way into the Holy Cave other than the main entrance, yet my chief priest tells me that you came from the little passage at the back.

He smiled. 'This means you're either what he said, the god Jintor, or an impostor who somehow got into the cave before my priests went in. Since there have been people in there praying for help for the last seven sunrises and there's no food and water in there, if you're not Jintor, then it's a mystery.'

'I'm not your god,' replied Pettic carefully, 'nor is my dog the hound, Oro, of whom you speak. I'm just a man, but have come here by magical means. I passed through an arch in some standing stones in my world when the full moon was shining through. I went into a mist and ended up in the cave passage you describe. My name's Pettic and I'm here because the Crown Prince of my country is in grave danger and there's something here I need in order to rescue him.'

'Yet you've all the accoutrements of Jintor. You have a grey hound, a sword at your hip and a bow slung across your back. You've white-fletched arrows, your hair and skin are fair and your eyes are blue. Fair skin and blue eyes aren't known in this world. My priests have been praying for aid for many long sunrises and the hunter god would be just the one we need. Perhaps if you aren't he, then he's sent you?'

'Why do you need aid?'

The headman sighed.

'There's a large, nay, gigantic phantom boar that's been attacking my people and their animals. Everyone who's gone up against it has been killed. We need a seasoned hunter—one who's fearless and indestructible—to rid us of this phantom. It seems the gods have sent you and your animal to aid us.'

Pettic shuddered. A phantom boar? That he did not believe. He could believe there was a large animal out there but he had never put much credit in tales of ghosts. He wondered why people said it was a phantom and he asked the headman.

'It's all white and appears at night. Boars are creatures of the sun but this one shuns the day. You, a great hunter, must go out and kill this menace to my people. Only last week he killed my eldest son. He thought himself great enough to kill it, but he wasn't.'

A tear escaped from the headman's eye. He allowed it to roll down his cheek. His wife, on hearing the mention of their son began to wail. The headman got up and went to comfort her, calling back to Pettic that he may leave.

When Pettic left the headman's hut he found the whole village gathered together waiting for him. As he emerged, they all fell to their knees and began to chant as one, praising him as Holy Jintor. Pettic raised his hand and told them to stop, that he was not their god.

A silence fell and the Chief Priest stood and said, 'We obey you, Holy Lord. If you wish to be known as Pettic and Cledo, then so shall it be. We, however know who you are truly by your face, hair and eyes. Only the gods are so fair.'

Pettic sighed and resigned himself to the situation. At least he had got them to stop treating him with such reverence. (At least he thought he had.) He stood looking round as the people got to their feet and wandered away and the priest came to speak with him.

'I'll escort you to the guest hut, Ho…Pettic,' he said. 'If you care to follow me.'

The pair, followed closely by Cledo and many pairs of eyes, made their way across the open area in front of the headman's hut to another hut on the right hand side of the area. Here stood a hut a little bigger than most of the others. The priest pushed aside the bead curtain and entered, followed by Pettic and Cledo.

Inside it was similar to the headman's hut—dark, but with rush mats on the floor instead of the more comfortable woolen ones he had seen in the headman's hut. He supposed there had to be some perks to being the chief man in the village.

The priest, who said his name was Woller, led Pettic round a curtain dividing the hut into two. A raised platform with a mattress on it dominated the space, with a small, low table next to it. Woller pointed out that this was the sleeping area.

Pettic smiled and thanked him. He said he would like to ask a few questions as he did not know anything about this world. In return, he would answer any questions Woller wanted to ask him.

The two returned to the living area and sat down cross legged on the mats.

'First, I'd like to know where I am. Your headman called this world Terra. I'm looking for a gem set in an artefact. If this is Terra, then I'm looking for an emerald. Have you heard of any such thing?'

Woller thought for a minute then replied, 'Do you have any idea what this artefact is?'

'No, unfortunately. Just that there's some magic on the emerald.'

Woller laughed. 'Magic?' he said. 'How old are you? Only little children believe in magic! Pettic, it doesn't exist.'

'Well, there's magic where I come from. I got here by magic, and we can only understand each other because of an amulet with an opal imbued with magic. Look, I'll take the amulet off and see what happens.'

He lifted the amulet over his head and continued to talk. He saw Woller's face take on a puzzled look.

The other man said, 'Ron droh brew nittrol? Tri frenthy miff scullen ma crynjug.'

Pettic replaced the amulet and said, 'I couldn't understand a word you said then and I don't suppose you understood me, either. The magic on this gem enables us to understand each other.'

Woller looked puzzled. 'How does it work?' he asked.

'No idea.' Pettic told him. 'I'm not a magician. A magician in my world made it.'

'Yet it works for you?'

'Yes.'

'There's no magic on Terra, yet I have to believe you. Only by magic can we understand each other. If you're not a god, (and I'm not truly convinced you're not), then only magic can have brought you here. Do you have magic items that can defeat the phantom boar?'

'No. Only my sword and bow. And my dog, of course. He's a hound and will fight wild beasts.'

Woller stood up. I'll let you rest now. If, as you say, you left your world at night, then you'll be tired. Rest and we'll speak again. I expect the headman will want to see you again as well.'

When Woller left, Pettic stood up and stretched. He yawned. He was tired and so, calling to Cledo, he passed through the curtain and into the sleeping quarters where he slept deeply until dawn the next day.

CHAPTERFOUR

In the morning, Pettic woke to hear the sounds of the village coming awake. A cockerel crowed somewhere to the north, where he had entered the village. He heard the rattle of plates and the laughter of children as people prepared the first meal of the day.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes before dressing and going through to the living area of the hut. He found someone had been in and left water and a crude type of soap for him to wash. He rummaged in his pack until he found a razor and washed and shaved himself.