CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Starstone Explained
Late on Thursday evening, four hours after the hospital episode, Connor’s companions watched him with interest as they held him in the highest regard. The air silenced for he’d saved a life. But he hadn’t done it. The Starstone had. Besides, the after effects weren’t so special, especially as a migraine had appeared, rattling his skull, causing him nausea. The concept of saving a life hadn’t sunk in yet, especially the life of an alien living amongst them.
‘Oh, Connor,’ breathed Deana. ‘You did it!’
Sparkie’s face changed dramatically for his gloomy expression became replaced with glee. Holding Tookar tightly, he shook his arm, while jabbering fast.
‘Tookar! I can’t pretend I know what’s happened but you’ve been miraculously healed.’
Connor watched Tookar, whose silvery pupils shone brightly at him.
‘I didn’t believe you could do it,’ remarked Tookar, honestly. ‘The Starstone chose wisely for you are the child with a pure heart. Thank you, for healing me.’
Connor was momentarily lost for words. When he did speak it was barely louder than a whisper. ‘You’re welcome. Perhaps you can answer some of my questions.’
‘Of course, I can. Let’s celebrate and eat. I’ll get a table prepared for us.’
Tookar clicked his fingers and watched as several different insects flew to him. Communicating in a strange language, the insects hovered and listened. When he had finished speaking, the insects squeaked ecstatically and quickly flew off.
‘Now, I’ve made our dinner arrangements, you must please excuse me while I change.’ Tookar walked off and returned a second later transformed into his familiar human appearance, wearing a smart silvery grey suit and tie for the occasion.
‘Well – what do you think? I scrub up well, don’t I?’
‘I must admit, I’ve haven’t seen you so… smart,’ grinned Sparkie.
‘It’s hard not to be exuberant when you’ve been given the gift of life,’ Tookar beamed at Connor.
Connor bit his lips nervously. He remembered how rude he’d been to him, when he’d appeared in his house. Embarrassed by his previous lack of manners, he flushed.
By midnight they sat on massive blue mushrooms with a purple stalk, as soft as velvety cushions, at a grand wooden table, so yellowy in hue it resembled solid gold. Dark grains swirled in patterns across the wood. They were feasting in a clearing in the middle of a forest where beautifully coloured birds, similar to parrots, made soft panpipes sounds. The sun shone brightly in this strange world, despite it being nigh time in the real world.
Tookar insisted Connor sit next to him and repeatedly slapped the boy on the back after every joke he made. Bill-Chew pouted and spat his tongue at Connor from the shadows of a nearby tree, keeping his distance from the crowd.
Many large insects entertained them by politely serving them fruits during their feast. The smaller insects, did the opposite. Secretly diving into bowls they nibbled the fruits and occasionally were eaten by accident. But since the fruits were delicious, no one noticed the odd taste of a straying insect.
‘Come on, Bill-Chew! Join us in our celebration. You helped to save my life too!’ shouted Tookar, spying him in the tree. ‘Without you, Raider would have finished me off once and for all.’
Bill-Chew joined them reluctantly. Puffing his red furry chest he hovered close to Tookar. He didn’t take well to strangers and wanted to play no part in their discussions. Humans were ugly creatures, especially the boy with the scruffy hair. The one with the pure heart… humph! What an idiot! Bill-Chew stuck his head in the air and blew a quiet raspberry at the boy.
On the table juicy fruits of every colour occupied every available space. Juice dribbled from the guest’s mouths and occasionally sprayed the person next to them. Sweet, delicious berries overflowed wooden bowls, except for the foul one Bill-Chew sneakily dropped into Connor’s bowl before flying off again, which tasted of a sweaty armpit. Bill-Chew giggled as Connor spluttered and spat it onto the grass.
Tookar scolded Bill-Chew, knowing what he’d done. Embarrassed, he flew off with his sting between his legs, blaming Connor for his master’s firm words.
Tookar’s gaze followed Bill-Chew. ‘I apologise for Bill-Chew’s behaviour. He’s suffering from a bout of jealousy.’
‘He’s jealous?’ quizzed Deana.
‘Yes, ever since the Starstone has chosen Connor for his host, he’s been upset. He enjoys being Mr Popular, and now Connor had arrived, he’s unhappy. It’s difficult to make Bill-Chew understand when he’s in a mood.’
Connor had grown accustomed to people not liking him and accepted Bill-Chew had problems. Swiftly forgetting the incident he attempted to rid his mouth of the foul flavour by devouring more fresh fruits.
Pink-looking bananas, tasting of strawberries did the job nicely, followed by a turquoise toffee-tasting melon, which they scooped in the same way as ice cream and spiky oranges reminded Connor of kiwis. Small fruits resembling necklace beads burst in his mouth with a loud popping sound as they touched his tongue.
Tookar waited until he’d finished eating before explaining anything to his guests. Their problems felt temporarily lessened with so much delicious food in front of them. Connor had eaten until his stomach became uncomfortably tight.
‘I realise when you first met me, Connor, I unnerved you, but it is in my best interest to dress shabbily at times. As you have learnt previously, I’m an alien. My race of people is called the Tinxshian, and I’m known as the Guardian of the Starstone. I readily adopt different disguises to hide my true identity. Acting as a wandering hobo has served its purpose nicely. Mind you, I’ve played different parts to survive and stay alive.’
‘You wouldn’t believe what he’s had to become to survive,’ Sparkie grinned. ‘Tell them when you became the Pope, or the time you became King, or what about the time when you became a religious leader...’
Tookar silenced him. ‘None of it is relevant and can be told another time. Anyway, it’s been my longstanding duty to protect the Starstone religiously until a certain child turned twelve to become its host. That child is you Connor.’
‘Why me?’
‘I’m not entirely sure. It may have something to do with you being in a certain place at a certain time,’ suggested Tookar. ‘In time you’ll be able to answer the question yourself. I ask myself why I had been chosen to be the Guardian of the Starstone for this length of time too.’
To their surprise, a small misty globe appeared in front of Tookar. He closed his eyes briefly and blew hard on the misty sphere, like a birthday cake with a hundred candles. Immediately, images appeared in the middle of the table from Tookar’s memories. Speaking with clarity, Tookar’s voice changed subtly, sounding softer. They hushed and ceased eating as he used the images to illustrate his story.
‘My people came across the Starstone purely by accident. We were forced to abandon our planet when a great meteorite struck, leaving us homeless. It caused a magnitude of destruction making our planet uninhabitable. Luckily, we were able to flee in our ships before it collided. Otherwise we’d be dead.
‘Our search for another home proved difficult at first. We suffered food shortage, when we were snatched into a dimensional portal.’
Connor gasped as a fleet of magnificent circular spaceships sped through space before being sucked into a shimmering, black glassy dimensional gateway.
‘Call it luck or something else. I can’t explain our good fortune. But we came across another galaxy filled with uninhabited planets. On our quest for a new home we found one planet abundant with life and early life forms, mainly small unnoticeable creatures… where we agreed to stay.
‘We didn’t realise it at the time but something else lived on the planet with us. Something so magnificent, I believe it gave the planet energy to grow and transform.
‘The planet we discovered teemed with wondrous life, while other neighbouring planets we
re barren. By accident I stumbled across a hidden cave. Through a complex maze of tunnels riddled with dangerous booby traps, I found the Starstone. Don’t ask me how or why I didn’t die but something guided me so I wouldn’t be harmed. I foresaw the traps and avoided them, as if the Starstone had wanted to be found.
‘I first saw the Starstone on top of a gigantic plinth, pulsating and circulating with a will of its own. Not wanting to disturb it, I left it alone, observing it for several hours.
‘Another duplicate plinth next to it, dulled in comparison, as if something should have been there, especially as the pictures I’d seen drawn on the walls depicted two balls of light, instead of the one before me.
‘The place intrigued me with beautiful paintings decorating the walls. Strange creatures I can describe as blue kangaroos occupied the main diagrams. They were obviously an incredible race of star-spirits, which had once thrived on the planet, but whatever happened to them is unclear. They’d seemingly vanished without trace.
‘More cave dwellings were discovered amidst the rainforest, that I assumed had once been their homes. But their mysterious abandonment left a disturbing impression. Had the same fate befallen those creatures, come to pass on us too?
‘We remained for hundreds of years, making the planet our home, before we encountered any other star-spirits. After the sun had set one evening, I went for my usual walk.
‘I arrived close to where the cave dwellings were when the droning of many spacecraft hummed above the planet. Confused at first, my curiosity overcame my fear and, transforming my shape into the fastest creature I knew, I ran to where the spaceships landed.’
An image appeared in the sphere of a black creature with a long narrow nose, four long skinny legs and a slim body, galloping fast through the forest, pausing frequently, before raising its two front legs. Its long pointed ears were twitching as it listened intently. It resembled a child’s drawing of a stick horse.
‘I had no idea who had arrived on the planet but when I was close enough, I transformed into my true form, remaining hidden. I heard screaming in the distance.
‘The tortuous cries were terrible, and I headed towards the commotion where I first saw Definastine.
‘He stood dressed in a black cloak, towering above a cowering figure kneeling on the floor. Hundreds of shadows moved among the trees, surrounding them. I moved closer. The figure shrunk in fear and looked like the blue kangaroos in the drawings on the walls. She was a female called Lairia.
‘Where’s the Starstone, Lairia?’ Definastine spoke.
Kneeling defeated, with her head hung, she said nothing.
‘Tell me where it is and I’ll let you go!’ Definastine growled.
‘You have killed my children, my family and my people. What use to me is my freedom now? The Starstone will remain free, as it has always been,’ she hissed, struggling to her feet. I knew she would die, no matter what Definastine promised. But I won’t forget her telling him that he’d spend his entire life searching for something that he would never have! For the true ancestor of Kimcara would be able to claim the Starstone.’
Definastine had been amused by her words. But her weak voice gathered strength which I know it unnerved him for he retreated slightly.
‘I call upon the Starstone,
To fight back when the time is right,
And when our King is on the throne,
Fight with all your might!’
‘King? There are only a few of your kind left!’ he mocked. Definastine’s laughter erupted into the night and as his servants joined in, the noise became deafening.
‘I wanted to help her, but I couldn’t. When Definastine stopped laughing. The noise from his followers subdued at once. He struck her repeatedly, until she fell back towards the ground. He grasped her head and … such a monstrous thing…’ Tookar paused and took a deep breath. No one interrupted or made a sound. ‘I was outnumbered
and unable to help.’
Deana moved closer and gave him a hug, still saying nothing. If Tookar had noticed her reassurance he hadn’t moved. When he next spoke his voice became bitter.
‘Thin black wires extended from Definastine’s fingertips. They moved towards Lairia and entered into her head. She screamed for mercy. When he’d finished with her, she collapsed - dead. He’d murdered and tortured her.
‘I have the information. The Starstone is in the caves to our west. I shall send troops to retrieve the Starstone and bring it back to me!’ ordered Definastine.
‘A misty apparition formed in front of me. Lairia needed my help. She beckoned me to follow her, so I did, through a secret entrance to a cave. Pressing the rock she told me to do the same. To my surprise the stone parted leading me into a passageway which appeared to be blocked. Again she touched an area of the facing rock. I repeated her action and watched as the rock disappeared before my eyes. I repeated this several more times until I entered a chamber with the Starstone. She’d led me along a safe concealed route. Lairia beckoned to the Starstone and it floated towards her. She stroked it as if it were a loving pet, before giving it to me and telling me to hide. She promised when the right time came, it would be called upon.
‘She led me from the cave and I returned to my people. I explained to them what had happened and how I must leave with the Starstone. With their help I managed to flee unseen. I had no idea where to go or what to do. I didn’t know how long it would be before the Starstone would be called upon.
‘I haven’t seen my people since. Thankfully, throughout this lonely time, the presence of Lairia remained with me. She took control of the spacecraft and directed me to Earth, where I’ve been ever since.’
‘It’s the first time I’ve heard the story of the Starstone,’ muttered Sparkie. ‘And now I know why.’
‘Definastine desires the Starstone to destroy other galaxies. He wants to increase his power,’ Tookar explained. ‘I have no doubt if he’d found the Starstone before now, he’d have destroyed Earth by now.’
‘Did Lairia come from the planet you were living on?’ Connor inquired.
‘I believe so.’
‘Were there others?’
‘No. And if I’m not mistaken your next question will be, where did she come from.’
‘Are you a mind reader?’ smirked Connor.
‘No. It’s the same question I’d asked two thousand years ago when I witnessed the terrible fate of Lairia. I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Definastine must have kept her prisoner but I can’t be sure. She may’ve been hiding on another planet until he discovered her.’
Nervous Connor asked a question he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to. ‘If Definastine catches me again, will I be killed?’
‘What do you mean by again?’ Tookar’s brow knitted.
‘He tried to kill me and Deana at the hospital!’ explained Connor.
‘What!’ he boomed.
Sparkie informed Tookar of what had happened to them.
‘So, he sent Razor after you,’ Tookar grumbled, not taking the news too well. ‘We’ll have to leave soon. The AAA has been tracking Definastine but he managed to sneak pass them!’
‘He’s after me!’ panicked Connor. ‘I could die!’
‘You’re not going to die. I haven’t been stranded for two thousand years to watch Definastine triumphant in his quest for absolute power,’ muttered Tookar.
‘He knows of Connor’s whereabouts through the consulting mirror,’ explained Deana.
‘And if he can create a doorway into any world anywhere, are any of us safe?’ mumbled K.
‘I need some fresh air.’ Connor stood from the table.
‘I’ll come with you.’ Deana rose from her comfortable seat.
‘No, I want to be on my own, thanks.’
Although this bothered Tookar, he allowed the youngster to go. ‘Don’t go too far. It’s not safe. Nowhere is.’
Many questions Connor wanted to ask Tookar, especially of his parents, but he needed tim
e alone, so continued walking along a narrow path.