CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Rescued Princess
‘Oh, my goodness!’ exclaimed Sparkie, when Connor reappeared from thin air with his companions, holding the unconscious young girl. ‘What happened? Where did you go? Who is this girl? Isn’t that your aunt and uncle?’ he quizzed. ‘
Exhausted, Connor felt weak and had no answers to the probing questions being fired at him. Sparkie ceased questioning him when he realised how distraught he looked.
Connor had no control on what transpired next. Gradually the light faded from his eyes and allowing the darkness to shield him, Connor fell into a deep sleep.
A day later, on Friday evening, Connor eventually stirred. His bed covers had fallen off the bed, leaving the cool air to chill his body. For a brief instance, Connor believed his recent experiences were nothing but a bad dream and he’d wake up in his old bed in Wislington, expecting his uncle to call him at any moment.
Opening his eyes with a start, he was far from home. A sudden excitement stirred within, not having to relive his previous life. A heavy snore beside his ear caused him to turn. Tookar, who’d been on watch for the night, had slumped on to the bed and appeared to have shared Connor’s pillow. His hair had fallen across his face.
‘Hey, Tookar,’ Connor smirked. ‘Wake up!’
But Tookar continued to snore, so Connor poked him several times.
‘What? – When? – Who?’ Tookar grunted. His bloodshot eyes flitted before focusing on Connor. ‘Oh, it’s you. I thought something serious had happened’
‘How long have I been asleep?’
‘A day,’ Tookar stretched his arms above his head and yawned. ‘You okay?’
Connor groaned. ‘Awful. I feel as if I’ve been fighting a crocodile with two heads. Where are we?’
Tookar laughed gently, watching Connor with interest. ‘It’s a secret location deep inside a mountain, though I don’t expect it to stay secret for long – not if Definastine consults the mirror,’ muttered Tookar. ‘While he has it, he has us running like headless chickens. The mirror is powerful and in the wrong hands totally destructive. I’d personally destroy it myself so we’d be safer – especially you, Connor. The AAA is unprotected. We’ve had problems with portals opening willy-nilly, with Definastine’s servants rushing in and causing chaos before fleeing again. It’s why we haven’t been able to take you yet.’ Tookar stretched his legs. ‘Anyway, what happened to you back in the van? We didn’t know what to do when you disappeared through the floor.’ Tookar leant back in his chair, rolling his head to loosen his neck. ‘You performed one crazy exit.’
Connor, not wishing to keep secrets from Tookar, wanted to tell him of the consulting mirror, but was torn in two. If he mentioned he had it, Tookar might destroy it, but Tookar’s friendship was more important than a mirror. Trust was a difficult thing to establish and easy to lose with a single lie. The choice was easy. Between friends, truth wins hands down. ‘I found it.’
‘Found what?’ quizzed Tookar.
‘This.’ Connor folded his sleeve, lifting his wrist with the small mirror on it.
Tookar took his time to examine it. ‘What is it?’
‘The consulting mirror.’
‘No! It’s much bigger!’
‘I know, but I shrank it instead. So you don’t have to worry about Definastine having it anymore.’
Tookar gave a hearty laugh before ruffling Connor’s hair. ‘You’re one brave kid! It’s safer if we kept this to ourselves for now, but of course tell Sparkie.’
‘Okay.’ Connor rolled down his sleeves, grateful Tookar hadn’t ripped the mirror off his wrist and crushed it beneath his boot.
‘Did you ask it anything?’
Connor grinned. ‘I know who my sister is.’
‘Did you?’ Tookar laughed. ‘I bet came as a surprise to you. I don’t suppose speaking of her now will cause any harm.’
‘She’s similar to the photograph I have of her.’ Connor pulled a picture from his pocket. ‘See.’ He pointed to the young girl cradling him as a baby.
‘Yes, it’s her. Not much of a resemblance to now though. Her freckles are the same, but since she’s been dying her hair to fool you, it’s now a different colour.’
‘What are you talking about?’ said Connor. ‘It’s the same.’
Tookar made a face. ‘Oh, she’s probably dyed it again. Though I don’t see how she’d have the time.’
‘At least I know her name is Jenny,’ Connor continued.
‘Stone the crows!’ declared Tookar, chuckling. ‘Your sister is…’
Suddenly Sparkie burst into the room holding a drink for Connor. ‘How’s the hero?’
‘Tired,’ confessed Connor. ‘But I’ll live.’ With suspicion, he surveyed the bubbling glass of green liquid.
‘Drink this. It’ll get rid of any grogginess you might be experiencing.’ Sparkie looked far too happy.
‘It looks disgusting!’ moaned Connor, sitting and sniffing the glass. ‘Like washing-up liquid.’
‘Now, now, don’t be so hasty to judge. Appearances can be deceiving. Come on and drink it. It won’t harm you,’ Sparkie encouraged.
Connor reluctantly took a sip. He swished it inside his mouth before swallowing. Tookar and Sparkie grinned at his hesitation, but the first gulp was lush– delicious in fact with its light bubbly fruity flavour. Bubbles were still gently exploding inside his body a few seconds later. With each sip, immense strength came flooding back, easing his aches.
Connor licked his lips. ‘It’s the most amazing drink ever. What’s it made from and can I have some more?’
Sparkie tapped his large nose. ‘Can’t tell you. It’s my own special secret formula. ‘Has the hero mentioned anything as yet?’
Tookar scratched his head. ‘Not much.’
‘Good! I’ve arrived in time.’ Sparkie pulled a chair close to the bed.
‘I suppose you want to know what happened? You’re not going to believe me…’ Connor murmured. ‘I don’t believe it myself.’
‘One minute you were with us and the next – poof – you’d gone!’ Sparkie grew excitedly, sitting on the edge of his seat in direct contrast to Tookar who had adopted a more relaxed posture, leaning back and listening carefully.
Connor explained in detail what had happened, from falling from the van through a strange tunnel, to taking the consulting mirror. He spoke excitedly of his experience as a dissolved body and the conversation he’d overheard between Ruben and Razor, not to mention how he’d come across his aunt and uncle. Sparkie and Tookar listened intently, with astounded expressions on their faces.
Connor enjoyed the attention ‘I recognised them at once. They were still on the sofa. The place stank with no windows in the room. The girl had been chained in the same room as them. It’s bad enough being kept a prisoner but kept in the same room as my aunt and uncle… urgh! If that’s not cruelty, I don’t know what is.’
Connor explained how a bizarre light entered the room, whisking his aunt and uncle away. ‘So I tore the chains off the girl and jumped through the light too.’
Tookar smiled. ‘The Starstone is a living consciousness, with powers beyond our comprehension. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything. You’ve been blessed with magical power!’
‘So why do I feel so awful afterwards?’
‘Using the Starstone the way you did – opening portals – becoming an invisible sludge– rescuing three other people – it must’ve drained you,’ said Tookar.
‘I’m not a sink!’ grumbled Connor.
‘I meant to say it drained you of energy – not dirty water.’
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you…I’m so confused. One day I’m an ordinary boy and the next I’ve developed strength like Superman and being hunted by a great evil.’
‘Don’t worry, lad.’ Sparkie tapped his hand a little too enthusiastically for Connor’s liking. ‘It’s amazing – absolutely amazing. What a gift you have – can’t believe it. A boy with
super strength and powers – can’t believe your luck. The possibilities opened to you are mind-blowing, I must say! Glad you’re on our side!’
Mildly amused by Sparkie’s response, Tookar switched his attention to Connor, leaving Sparkie so excited he bounced round the room, talking incessantly.
‘Believe me, this will be nothing more than a memory one day, something to tell your grandchildren,’ he smiled.
Connor doubted. ‘I don’t know. I might not live long to have children. By the way, what happened to my aunt and uncle?’
‘They’ve been taken to the AAA and will be treated and cured of their… err… weight problem.’
‘Good! What happened to the girl?’
Tookar smiled. ‘Princess Kia is safe and well, thanks to you. She’d been kidnapped a few days ago and brought to this planet. They didn’t take you into consideration though, did they Connor? Definastine wanted her taken to Dramian tonight, to extract information from her.’
Terrifying images of mad men, wearing white coats entered his imagination, waving sharp instruments: scalpels, knives and scissors as they danced in preparation for Kia’s mind extracting operation.
Tookar continued: ‘Needless to say, it’s a process, which would have killed her. You’re the hero in her eyes. She ‘s been talking about you ever since she arrived. You saved her life as you did mine.’
‘I’m glad I had the chance to rescue her. Did she tell you about those hooded creeps, Ruben and Razor?’
Tookar’s eyes darkened. ‘Yes.’
‘I found something concerning Jeremy too,’ added Connor.
Sparkie’s eyes widened. ‘What is it, lad?’
‘He’s alive after shape-shifting into a child on a boat somewhere.’
‘I knew it!’ erupted Sparkie, swinging his arms. ‘I knew the old fool was up to something, didn’t I? I knew he’d planned a rescue. He couldn’t wait. The dimensional gateway to Dramian lies at the bottom of the Great Lake. Jeremy learnt Definastine’s spies wait for the portal to open. It’s a full moon tonight. He’ll be on Dramian now, trying to rescue Daven. I’ve done some digging – he’d been kidnapped years ago and Jeremy’s gone to rescue him. He faked his death to give himself a chance to flee undetected.’
A knock on the door startled them and a small elfin-shaped face peered round it. ‘Hi, may I come in?’
Sparkie greeted her. ‘Of course you can. We’ll leave you to have a little chat before we leave.’
‘Leave? Leave where?’ Connor’s face wrinkled.
‘We’ll be leaving for Dramian in the next hour or so. It’s a full moon tonight and the gateway is open. I’ve decided one more adventure won’t hurt me before I retire,’ Sparkie grinned.
‘Shall I come with you?’ gasped Connor, his chest tightening with anticipation.
‘Yes. It’ll be your first trip to another dimension.’
Connor hadn’t travelled abroad, let alone travel to another dimension.
‘Hi.’ Kia perched in the same chair Tookar had occupied. Her long golden tresses shone brightly, sweeping to her waist. As if by magic, her hair changed colour. Little lights sparkled delicately and decorative flowers and jewels were strung on to neat plaits.
‘You okay?’ she asked.
‘I’m fine. And you?’
‘Much better.’ Her face had become much rosier than when he’d rescued her.
‘I hear you have a habit of saving lives.’ When she smiled it revealed pale lilac teeth and lilac eyes, glowing bright blue from the centre. ‘Thanks for the rescue.’
Connor gasped. ‘You’re not human!’
Kia giggled. ‘No – I’m a Stanchy.’
‘I haven’t met a Stanchy before.’
‘And I haven’t met a human boy before, either, so I guess we’re even.’
A silence before they both spoke at the same time.
‘Do you live…?’
‘Do you mind…?’
They laughed.
‘You go first,’ said Connor.
‘A rescue party is travelling tonight to free the lost children. Sparkie’s meeting them and helping me rescue my ship. Are you going too?’
‘To be honest, this is the first I’ve heard about it,’ confessed Connor.
‘You’ve been asleep for ages,’ Kia reminded him.
‘I’ve been sleeping a lot lately.’
Kia giggled. ‘Sparkie’s kind and wants to help me get my ship back. Without it I can’t get home.’
‘Can’t he take you back in his van? It’s amazing!’
Kia giggled again. ‘I have a great distance to travel. I don’t know the way back home. My ship has a navigation map, which will help me travel back safely. Otherwise I can’t get home to my people… and my family. I can’t stay stranded forever. Not when I have a chance to get home.’
Connor wanted to help her, but did he have the nerve to go to Dramian? Wouldn’t he want help if he were in her shoes? Given his present situation, he did have people helping him.
‘Your English is perfect,’ Connor acknowledged.
‘Thanks. Tookar helped me to learn it.’
‘You learnt it? How can you learn a new language in such a short time?’
‘It’s my gift. Stanchies have the power to learn any language they want. I simply touch the brain to absorb your language and understand it in seconds.’
‘Wow!’ gasped Connor. ‘But how did we hear you calling for help, before we met you?’
‘I was using telepathy. Telepathy is a universal language, where people can communicate with one another, despite speaking different languages.’
Kia laughed at Connor’s expression. ‘You remind me of my brother!’
‘Why, is he good-looking too?’
Kia placed her hands on her hips. ‘You both have the knack of getting into trouble!’
‘Ha, ha!’ grunted Connor sarcastically. ‘So why did Definastine have you kidnapped? What does he want from you?’
‘Why does anyone ever want to take what doesn’t belong to them! He’s greedy. Dad says a mixture of greed and power drives a star-spirit mad. What do you know of Definastine?’
Connor shook his head. ‘Not much.'
‘Well, I can tell you the little I know. He’s thousands of years old and had once been a good star-spirit, named Daa. But his problems began when he befriended a greedy and destructive personality called Yamar. He believed he could change him and make him kinder. But Dad says a star-spirit will only change when they want to, and not when someone else makes them. Yamar had been too powerful and Daa’s plan backfired. He slowly changed from being a peaceful and gentle giant into a hideous beast instead.
Dad says Yamar needed an apprentice to do his dirty work for him and Daa became known as Definastine. But Yamar’s plan backfired as well. Dad says, those who live for the darkness will die by the darkness. Definastine recently killed Yamar in his search to become the ultimate master. If you ask me, I believe Definastine is rapidly coming closer to fulfilling his dreams of controlling the universe. Well, that’s what dad says.’
‘Tell me about Yamar?’
‘I can tell you what others have told me. His race lived peacefully on a small planet. They lived a simple life and wanted for nothing. Dad says Yamar had been born a bad apple from birth. Wherever he walked the ground would darken and plants died in his presence. But his mum was blind to the truth and helped him escape. On the day of judgement to decide his future, which meant certain death for Yamar, his mother sent him far away in her spaceship, to live another life somewhere else. Her love for her son has caused many deaths to others. He came back one day to revenge his people, killing everyone including his own mother, whom he blamed for everything,’ Kia finished.
‘He needed serious help!’
‘Now Definastine is loose, with no reins to hold him back.’
As Kia shifted in her seat, Connor saw her dainty wings, glittering with different pastel colours.
‘Are those w
ings?’ he gasped.
Kia picked a flower from her hair. ‘Yes. Female Stanchys can fly. Have this for saving my life.’
Connor appeared awkward. ‘I don’t wear flowers.’
‘It’s not an ordinary flower, but a gift from my father. It takes many years to grow and won’t die… unless…’ she paused.
‘Not unless what?’ Connor took the flower looking at it with interest.
‘It will die if Definastine himself touches it, or comes close to it. He’s similar to Yamar, he has the power to destroy beauty wherever he walks.’
Connor placed the flower in his T-shirt pocket. Speaking at great length, the two of them chatted. Time had a habit of speeding when you are enjoying yourself and soon Tookar knocked on the door, announcing they had ten minutes before they left for Dramian.