Occasionally one of them would stumble and fall, but the other would always quickly help them back to their feet. The moon, which was rapidly retreating would occasionally find a break in the darkened skies and give the pair a welcome respite from the intense darkness.
The rising sun not only signalled the beginning of a new day, it also provided a small amount of light which made it a lot easier to walk. The Waking Veil seemed to be endless, the pair walked as fast as they could as the sun rose, taking full advantage of being able to see their feet. All the while, the endless black ash continued to fall.
"I think we should stop and rest," said Bafflebod eventually, as the sun began to fall again. "I am sure we will reach the other side of the Veil tomorrow. It surely can't be much further now. There is nothing that lives on the Veil so we should be safe, but if you like I will stay awake while you sleep and then maybe you could do the same for me," said Bafflebod.
"I agree, I'm exhausted and my knees ache from pounding on this solid uneven rock," said Jack.
Despite the merciless hard ground upon which he lay, Jack fell asleep instantly. It seemed like just five minutes had passed when Bafflebod gently shook him awake for his watch.
"Sweet dreams," said Jack as Bafflebod closed his eyes and fell asleep. Jack sat and stared out into the intense darkness. It was a warm night and the wind gently brushed past him. The silence was only softly broken by the rhythmic sound of Bafflebod's breathing. Jack thought of home, he thought of his dad, Penny and his little village. Jack had never felt so alone in his life, but he also never felt so determined.
After waking, the pair shared a bland breakfast of roots and water and set off again. When the sun was highest in the sky a break in the clouds illuminated the land fully, and to the delight of Jack and Bafflebod presented a band of white cliffs on the horizon. The clouds snapped shut above and returned the pair to the gloom they had grown accustomed to.
Jack and Bafflebod reached the foot of the white cliffs as night fell and settled down to eat and sleep.
"Tell me about your parents," said Jack laying down after he finished eating a handful of dry and tasteless roots.
"My mum was taken by the Brachanids when I was a baby, I don't really have any clear memories of her, except that she was very happy. Whenever I think of her it makes me feel happy, I know she had a pretty and kind face but I have no real memory of it, just feelings really," said Bafflebod.
"I lost my mother too when I was a baby. She developed an infection after giving birth to me and was just too weak to fight it. Like you I have no memory of her but my dad says that she was incredibly pretty and kind. I have seen photos of her and she was certainly very pretty. I would have loved to have met her, just to hug her once," said Jack sadly. "I do dream of her though."
"What are photos? And what are dreams? You said sweet dreams yesterday but I was too tired to ask what it meant," asked Bafflebod.
"Wow, OK I will start with photos I guess, as dreams are tougher to explain. A photo is a picture of something. We have things called cameras that are able to capture a picture of what you are looking at," said Jack.
"I think I understand. Sort of like an image of what you are looking at," said Bafflebod, Jack nodded. "And dreams?"
"When we sleep we sometimes see images; we play out stories in our head as we sleep. We have no control over them, sometimes they are nice but sometimes they are not and can be quite scary. We call the scary dreams nightmares; they are not nice at all," said Jack.
"That sounds very strange. You see things when you sleep? I think that even a nice dream would scare me," said Bafflebod.
"No it wouldn't, a good dream can be amazing. Sometimes you can fly, swim for hours at the bottom of the sea and you get to see people that you wouldn't otherwise. I love dreams when I get to see my mum and when I am playing with her and my dad together. If I didn't dream, I would never see her," said Jack.
"I wish we could dream; I would give anything to see my mum," said Bafflebod.
The pair took turns sleeping and in the morning they packed up their things and stood at the base of the huge white cliff.
"How are we going to get over it?" asked Bafflebod.
"Hold on tightly to my waist," said Jack pulling the stone from his pocket.
Jack carefully drew the symbol for jumping on the stone and the pair of them shot into the air. They rose fast and stopped about five metres short of the top.
"Grab the rock face, we will need to climb the rest of the way, I have not quite got the hang of this thing!" said Jack in a panic dangling in mid-air.
Bafflebod did as he was instructed and let go of Jack's waist. The soft chalk rock began to crumble under the weight of his feet and he scrambled to get a secure foothold. Jack found a good finger hold and clung on to the cliff tightly, placing the stone securely back into his pocket.
Bafflebod's long sharp fingers dug deeply into the cliff face and within moments he was pulling himself up and over the edge. Jack was not finding the going anywhere near as easy and the soft chalk crumbled around his hands and feet. He looked downwards in the direction of the falling chalk and was instantly frozen with fear when he realised just how high up he was.
The chalk continued to give way under his feet and hands. Both foot holds broke away and his feet scrambled desperately against the slippery rock face, there was nowhere left to stand. His fingers were buckling under the strain; he was going to fall. His fingers sprang open.
Jack closed his eyes as he began to fall and immediately felt a tight grip around his wrist. He stopped falling instantly. Bafflebod has been watching his new friend struggle on the cliff face and quickly scrambled back over the edge to lend a hand.
Jack dangled helplessly held by Bafflebod who had the fingers from his other hand buried deep into the cliff.
"My fingers are slipping, Jack, get a grip of something!" shouted Bafflebod. "Quickly!"
Jack frantically scanned the rock face, it was perfectly smooth there was nothing to grab.
"There is nothing! There is nothing!" cried Jack in desperation.
"I'm slipping, Jack, I'm slipping!" said Bafflebod.
"Just let go of me, save yourself. It is silly if we both die," said Jack calmly. "Just let go."
"Never, if you fall I fall with you," said Bafflebod.
A large rope slapped hard against the chalk cliff just right of Jack's head, followed by a booming voice from above them.
"Grab hold! I will pull you up!"
Jack and Bafflebod did as instructed, their arms and fingers ached but they clung on as tightly as they could to the thick rope, it began to pull them up.
Moments later they arrived safely at the top of the cliff and stood exhausted, turning to thank whoever had saved them.
In front of them stood a very old Zephod man dressed in animal skins. He was tall, had wild long hair and a beard which stretched all the way down to his waist.
"Greetings," he said. "I am Clevan Stanha." He bowed low and Bafflebod's jaw dropped open in complete surprise.
Clevan Stanha
Clevan Stanha was a comical looking figure. Jack thought that he looked like a cross between a cave man and an Irish wolfhound. His long hair and beard was grey and matted and hid an aged face that was as brown and wrinkled as a piece of old rough leather. It was clear by just looking at his dark coloration that Clevan had spent the majority of his time above ground, quite unlike most Zephods.
"You have had a busy day," said Clevan. "I have been watching you travel and thought you may need a hand to get over these cliffs, they are treacherous. If you wish, my home is not far from here, I have hot food and plenty to drink and I may even be able to help you."
Jack and Bafflebod nodded at each other and agreed to go with Clevan. Despite his rather odd looking appearance, Clevan had a calm air of strength about him and a face which looked both trustworthy and wise.
The three of them walked and talked. "Are you the Clevan Stanha?" asked Bafflebod.
"I most certainly am, young sir; I take it you have heard of me," replied Clevan.
"Of course I have heard of you. All Zephods have. What are you doing here?" asked Bafflebod.
"I have been here for nearly forty years, sir. I live a peaceful existence now; I live off the land alone. I trouble nobody and nobody troubles me," replied Clevan.
"Did you really lose the stone?" asked Bafflebod.
"When I was a young man I was, as I am sure you know, the leader of the Zephods, I was a powerful and skilled warrior, even if I do say so myself. I was indeed the carrier of the Great Stone of Zannit Fru, it was passed down to me by my father and I wielded it well for many years protecting my people and holding the evil Brachanid hordes at bay. Our tunnels were however, sadly discovered by Brachanid scouts and we were overrun by the Midnight Army. During the fight I was thrown from the battlefield by a great explosion, seriously injured and left for dead. The Great Stone was cast high into the air from my hand and remains lost to this day. Some believe that it was destroyed by the fierce blast, others that it was carried high into the atmosphere where it was blown by the strong winds far across the lands. The Brachanids searched and dug the lands for years and found nothing, thankfully.
"I was defeated, I had lost the great stone and had let my people down. I was carried from the battlefield as my people retreated. They healed me and then I was banished in shame for my great loss. So I wandered for weeks unsure of what to do and eventually wound up here, in the wilderness forever with the shame of my great defeat forever heavy in my heart.
"But the Zephods still hold the Great Stone of Haffin Thorpe so at least there is hope for our people and Dev Pron is a great leader," said Clevan.
"We have neither," began Bafflebod sombrely. "We were attacked and many were killed. They have taken many of my people as slaves including Dev and my father. They have the Great Stone. We are heading to Vassash to free them if we can."
"This is awful news!" exclaimed Clevan. "I did see the great explosion which turned out the sun and hid as the Midnight Army rode through these parts and again as they returned to the capital, but I guess I hoped that the Zephods had hidden well using the stone's great power as protection."
"The Brachanids turned out the sun to drain the power of the stone. Dev fought well and did what he could with the power that remained in the stone, but it drained quickly and we were soon overrun," said Bafflebod.
The news had shocked Clevan and the three of them walked in complete silence the rest of the way.
"We are here, my young friends, let us eat and talk more. These are desperate and evil times, but I will help you all I can," said Clevan as they approached a set of trees. Just beyond the treeline was a small clearing, Clevan brushed some branches and leaves aside and revealed a small hidden door, he glanced around quickly to ensure that he was not seen and opened it, silently gesturing for the pair to enter quickly.
The tunnel beyond the door was much like the one where Bafflebod had lived but seemed somewhat more cosy and comfortable.
"Come my friends follow me, I have a fire and a meat stew on the boil," said Clevan.
Jack and Bafflebod followed Clevan into the kitchen area and sat around a stone pot which hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room. Below it was a fire burning slowly with coal and wood in the middle of a circle of stones. The fumes rose up, hugged around the outside of the pot and out of the kitchen chamber through a well-designed ventilation hole in the ceiling.
"Aren't you worried that the Brachanids will see the smoke coming out of the ground?" asked Jack.
"No my dear friend, but it is a very good question. The smoke travels underground to the other side of the forest and exits underneath a waterfall. It took me a long time to build, but time is something I have," replied Clevan.
Jack nodded and smiled. "That is very clever," se said.
"May I see the stone?" asked Clevan.
"Excuse me?" replied Jack growing instantly red faced. "What stone are you talking about?"
"The stone you used to rise up the cliff face, dear boy. If I am not mistaken I believe that it is the Great Stone of Waking Veil, which must make you its new carrier. May I ask what happened to its previous carrier? Penny, if my memory serves me correctly."
"You are correct," replied Jack removing the stone from his pocket and holding it out nervously for Clevan to see. "Penny has decided to retire."
"Hmm," said Clevan staring intently at the dull looking stone in Jack's hands. "There is not a huge amount of power left in it, it desperately needs some of the sun's golden energy for it to be of great use, but while we have this we have more hope than I think you would believe. I studied the stones for many years and I know a lot about this one and its capabilities. If you are indeed heading to Vassash I will come with you but before we go, I will show you how to harness some of its power if you are willing."
"That would be incredible," said Jack excitedly.
"It's agreed then, let us now eat and rest a while. We will begin on clear heads and full stomachs," said Clevan.
Clevan filled stone bowls with stew for his guests and one for himself and then poured them each a large stone mug of root wine.
The three of them ate, drank and chatted for hours until the combination a full belly and the heat from the fire had Jack and Bafflebod yawning and drifting off.
"I will leave you to sleep a while my friends and once rested, we can begin our training. Sleep well my friends, you are safe here," said Clevan.
Bafflebod and Jack curled up by the side of fire and fell into a deep and restful sleep.
The Pit and the Pebble
Dev was snapped back to reality by a bucket of icy water. He inhaled sharply and stood shakily to face a rough looking Brachanid guard, bucket in one hand, cruel looking sharp blades in the other three.
"Come with me, filth; tonight you fight," said the guard with a low croaky voice. With that he dropped the bucket and shoved Dev in the direction of the door.
Once outside, Dev walked down a dark corridor, lined with more Brachanid guards. He quickly put any thoughts of escape to the very back of his mind. The corridor stretched on for what must have been a close to a kilometre before rising steeply.
The corridor eventually stopped at a large heavy metal door. The guard retrieved a key from his belt, unlocked it and swung it open. The cool evening breeze flooded into the corridor, Dev closed his eyes and savoured it. A sharp shove forced Dev's eyes back open and he staggered out of the doorway and into the open. His arrival was met with a huge jeer from the vast awaiting crowd and a steady stream of black ash from the darkened clouds above.
The crowd fell silent as the large and menacing figure of Siinjid Azzar emerged from the shadows.
"My brave and loyal Brachanids, I am proud to introduce you to our very special guest, Dev Pron!" The crowd erupted as Siinjid gestured towards Dev.
"And tonight my friends and fellow warriors, we will see for ourselves whether the man lives up to his myth. Tonight Dev will fight in the pits." Again the large crowd roared with delight at their leader's words.
"Take him down!" shouted Siinjid over the frenzied masses.
Two fully armoured Brachanid warriors roughly grabbed Dev by his shoulders and marched him through the crowds and towards the pits.
The pit Dev was being led to was the main pit in the capital. The pit itself was only the size of a tennis court, the walls were about ten feet tall all the way around. A ring of seats for the most important Brachanids surrounded the top of the pit, with the land surrounding rising up in a cone to allow tens of thousands of Brachanids to witness the brutality of the nighty combats.
Dev was led down a path on the side of the surrounding arena which was already heaving with cheering spectators. Dev looked up to see his opponent being led down a path on the opposite side of the arena. His opponent was a large Janyilid whose burning red almond eyes were fixed upon Dev as he slowly made his way to the pit.
; Just my luck, thought Dev to himself. My first fight and I'm up against a veteran of the pits.
Dev was led all the way down to the pit's edge where he was halted, waiting for his fearsome looking opponent to reach the opposite side. When the Janyilid arrived, he too was halted and Siinjid rose out of his front row seat and the enormous crowd fell silent.
"Be respectful my brothers and sisters of the warriors we shall now witness in their fight to the death!" The crowd cheered loudly and were again silenced by the mighty outstretched hand of Siinjid. "There will be one winner and one loser. The winner will rise up and out of the pit a champion of our people, while the loser will leave this world and begin upon a new adventure." Again, the crowd cheered. "Tonight our warriors will battle with daggers!" Siinjid held aloft two razor sharp blades that twinkled in the light of the many thousand torches that lit the vast arena. He threw one to each edge of the pit, paused and shouted, "Put them in!"
Dev had been wondering how he would enter the pit as there did not seem to be ladders on the side, just sheer flat surfaces covered in the dirt and blood from previous combats. He wondered no more as two of the Brachanid warriors lifted him and threw him over the edge. Dev's legs buckled on landing, sending him rolling helplessly to his left. He regained focus fast and grabbed the dagger which lay before him. He stood quickly and the giant Janyilid was on him, eyes ruby red and focussed on Dev. He rose the dagger and lashed out towards Dev. Dev recoiled, but not enough and the blade cut deep into his face. The crowd roared out in approval. Blood ran fast out of the large gaping wound the cruel knife had created. Dev stumbled back, gasping in pain. The Janyilid hissed and strode forwards, knife raised, determined to press his advantage and finish the fight as quickly as he could.
The Janyilid struck out again, this time lunging towards the retreating Dev. Dev rolled out of harm's way as the blade ran down the side of his thick leather belt. Dev continued to back away, the Janyilid continued his advance.