Zalea patted him on his back, "I understand."
"No, I don't think you do, Zalea. I don't think I really understand what happened either. That woman, that evil woman, she put me under that spell for years... so many years. Lilly must be 15 or 16 by now, and I wasn't there for any of it. Not really."
"I'm sorry, Jack. It must have been unbearable for you."
"I just hope Lilly is okay, you know? I mean, really okay, deep down. No child should ever have to go through what she went through. Losing her mother and her...s...sister like that," Jack turned away again as a few tears escaped from his eyes. He rubbed them away and turned back, attempting a smile at his new friend. "Sorry, I just miss them, I miss them all so much...... Is that a bird?" he asked suddenly looking upwards to see where the gentle sound of flapping wings was coming from.
"A bird?" Zalea asked, "What's that?"
"You don't know what a bird is?" he asked astounded as she shook her head.
"A bird is a small creature with wings... but, if you don't have birds in your world, then what is that?" he asked as it suddenly dawned on him that they could be in danger as the large winged creature swooped down towards them.
"Run, Zalea... hide behind those rocks!" he yelled, astounded at what he saw.
The flapping wings slowed down significantly at the sound of Jack's voice and the creature swooped down just metres from them.
As Jack prepared to protect them both from harm, the creature opened its mouth and squawked loudly, making them jump. It then lowered its head for a moment before peering back up at them as if waiting for a response.
"I... I think it's communicating with us," whispered Zalea, tiptoeing out from behind the huge boulder and bowed her head in response.
"No Zalea, No!" yelled Jack, "If that's what I think it is, it's dangerous."
"But it seems friendly," she whispered, approaching the strange looking winged creature with her arm outstretched.
Jack rushed to her side and yanked her away from the beast until they both hid behind the boulder.
"Why did you do that? It looks friendly."
"But we don't know that... and it looks suspiciously like a... like a....." he stuttered.
"Like a what?" she asked.
"Like a Pterodactyl. But that's impossible. They're extinct. They haven't been around for millions of years."
"In your world," corrected Zalea.
"Well, there is that, I suppose. I just wish I knew more about your world," he added, peering round to see the winged creature still standing in the same position.
"It's still there."
"Then let me approach it," she replied, pulling away from his grip and attempting to walk up to it. "See? It's quite all right," she said as it gently nuzzled at her hand.
Amazed, Jack followed, watching the faery giggle as the creature repeatedly licked her face.
"I see you found company, Oprah" said a voice out of nowhere.
Jack leapt to his right and scoured the area to identify where the voice had come from. Looking upwards, he saw a man on top of a ledge some 40 metres or so above them. The two watched in awe while he scaled down the side of the jagged cliff with absolute ease, his strong arms taking his full weight as he took the final few metres in a jump, landing firmly on his feet.
The winged creature hopped away from Zalea and headed towards the man, who patted it softly on the head with a smile. Both turned to face the strangers.
"I would ask 'friend or foe' but I can see perfectly well I have nothing to worry about. Oprah here is a good judge of character," he said smiling, approaching them with his hand outstretched.
"I'm Nickolaus Pryce, please... call me Nick," he said as Jack took his hand and shook vigorously.
"Jack Tulugaq and this is my friend, Zalea."
"It's really good to meet you Jack and Zalea," he said, eyeing up the beautiful pair of lilac wings that jutted from her upper back.
"I am a faery from the Moharth forest," she offered.
"Ah yes, of course. I've never spent much time within Moharth, Oprah here prefers to be out in the open. But I have heard of your kind. But you," he said turning towards Jack, "are not from around here. That I can tell... quite easily," he smiled, revealing a set of perfectly aligned teeth that were a little stained. "Let me guess... you're from the States? Or Canada, perhaps?"
Jack's eye lit up at the mention of his home, "But how... how did you know?"
"Because I, too, am from the States," he said with a wink, before adding, "How long have you been here?"
Jack's mind went into overdrive imagining how this man could finally help him get home. "Honestly, I don't know. I was trapped for some time before I was rescued by Zalea and her people. We've been travelling a few days now."
"And where are you heading?" he asked as Oprah nuzzled the ground between them.
"To the Nephilim caves," answered Zalea.
"Woah there. Are you crazy?" he asked.
"Possibly," replied Jack, "but we believe it's the only way to get home. How long have you been here?"
"Believe me, you don't want to know."
But when Jack continued to look at him with raised eyebrows, Nick's expression changed to one of sadness and he shrugged his shoulders,
"Maybe 15... 16... years."
Jack gasped, he felt winded and took a step backwards as if he'd been punched in the stomach.
Nick stepped forward, thinking he might have to catch him if he fell but dropped his arms to his side when Jack steadied his balance.
"Perhaps we ought to go and sit down and have something to drink?" said Zalea as the two men nodded in agreement.
"...and then when I woke up, I found myself here. Well, I found myself in those awful caves you're so desperate to find."
"But weren't you chained up?" asked Zalea, picking at the strange looking bumpy brown fruit Nick had given them to eat.
"No, but I did see others were in chains," he choked, "I saw those beasts, the Nephilim, taunting them. I don't know how I got there but I sure as hell wasn't going to stick around."
"So you managed to escape?" asked Jack eagerly.
"In a manner of speaking. I hid within those caves for days on end, trying to figure out what to do, I couldn't find a way out, it was like a never ending maze of caves. Eventually I stumbled upon a river running through them. I knew I'd die if I didn't get out, so I threw myself in and hoped to God it would lead to safety. I swam for as long as I could under the water. And just when I thought I was going to drown, something miraculous happened. An angel appeared and breathed for me. Then she held onto me and we swam beneath those caves until eventually we were free. She let me go and I swam to the surface. When I turned back to her, she was gone," he said in awe.
"It was one of the mermaids," said Jack.
"Have you seen them?" he asked.
Nodding, Zalea answered for him, "One of them attacked us and then her sister saved us."
"Why would one attack you?"
"Apparently she was harmed by the Nephilim so now she fears for her life every time someone goes into the water."
"That's... understandable, I guess. But tell, me, what happened to you? And why do you think the Nephilim caves will help you find your way home?"
"Well, that's kind of a long story...."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"We've decided to postpone the wedding," announced Carmelo and Jo at dinner that evening. "I know, I know," he said, looking around at the hundred or so faces that sat quietly watching him from around the enormous table in the centre of the grand dining hall, "but Jo and I feel the wedding would not be the same without her Uncle Jack. And in light of the latest information about the Nephilim, we feel we are much closer to bringing him home. So I'm sure you will all understand our big party must wait a while. Enjoy your meal everyone."
Jo squeezed his hand as he sat down and a hum of voices returned to the hall as people began talking to their friends and family as they ate and drank deep within the Eld
ers' caves.
Later that evening, Lilly was still beaming as a small group gathered in Carmelo's quarters to discuss Jack and the Nephilim.
"Thank you," she said to Jo who was the last to arrive, closing the heavy long drapes to the room behind her.
"It wouldn't be right to have such a celebration of love without your Dad being here, Lilly, especially when we are able to communicate with him now. Well, December is able to, anyway."
The cousins hugged each other and sat down, while Carmelo stood facing December, "I want you to get as much information as possible this time, December. The more we know about where Jack is, the better it is for us to figure out his true location."
December nodded and lay down on the only sofa in the room, as the rest gathered around her with notebooks. Millicent sat by her side and held on to her hands.
"Remember what I told you, December. I know there is no headache at the moment, but if you focus purely on Lilly's father, you should be able to obtain a connection. Don't worry about how long it takes, we're right here for you."
Turning to look at her mother, December returned her smile and closed her eyes.
"Everybody should remain silent, please," said Millicent as December's mind began to focus on the Lost Soul, Jack.
Soon enough, a faint throbbing entered her head and she winced. Millicent squeezed her hand to reassure her and so she continued to focus on the task in hand, until the ache came as strong as it had before.
Minutes later, she spoke out loud, "Are you there, Jack? Can you hear me?"
A smile crept upon her lips as she listened to the voice within her head.
"He's here," she said softly to the others.
"Get him to describe his whereabouts to you," said Carmelo who sat with his hands clasped from behind his desk.
"I'm with the Elders. We want to get as much info as possible about where you are. Okay? Yes. You have? Who is he? Hm Hm? Just a sec, let me tell them. He's met another man who's been there for years. His name's Nickolaus Pryce, from Tucson and it happened to him on 18th August 1997. They want you to look into the dates and see if there is a connection."
Carmelo jotted down the name and the date and waited for more details.
"It's very what, sorry... oh, okay. They say the sky is very orange, it does get darker but it's always tinged with orange. There doesn't appear to be a sun or a moon. The landscape where they are at the moment is kind of like the Grand Canyon but on a much smaller scale, and there is a river. He says to ask Tiffanimelicomelea about Moharth... it might help. There's what there?" she suddenly said even louder, "erm, okay. Apparently there are creatures very much like Pterodactyls but they appear to be gentle. Hm? Mermaids. Okay, there are mermaids too. He says that's pretty much it, at the moment."
Gabriel, who had been very quiet until then, suddenly spoke, "December will you please tell my son we WILL get him home, and... and I miss him terribly," he croaked.
December smiled and passed on the message. "He says he misses you too and he knows. He says he's coming home to you and Lilly.... Raven's Promise."
Gabriel smiled and patted at his eyes as December whispered goodbye to Jack before sitting up and holding her head in her hands.
"Thank you, December. I understand how much it hurts and we really appreciate you are willing to continue to put yourself through the pain," said Gabriel kindly.
"That's quite a lot of interesting information that should help us to pinpoint where he is. We'll get on to it straight away," said Carmelo, standing and passing on a few notes to a younger man who stood eagerly awaiting instructions. "I want you to look into the dates this Nickolaus was taken and the date Jack disappeared. There might be something useful there. And then please pass on these notes to the other Elders."
The young man took the pieces of paper, nodded and exited the room without saying a word.
"We have been doing some research on these Nephilim and we can confirm they do exist, I'm afraid," he said to the group, "and we have been able to discover they do in fact live in caves throughout the world. It is believed these caves are hidden deep beneath the surface of our world."
"So all we need to do is work out where they are, so we can go in and rescue him, then?" said Lilly more to herself than to anyone else.
"Well, it's a little more complicated than that, I'm afraid, Lilly. The Nephilim are known to be extremely dangerous."
"How dangerous?" asked December.
"That we still have to determine. But rest assured we are working on it,"replied Carmelo.
#
Later that night, December and Lilly lay awake looking up at the cave walls in two single beds positioned next to each other.
"Do you really think we'll be able to find him, December?"
"Of course I do. We've got some amazing people on our side working everything out. I don't doubt it at all. Why? Do you?"
Turning her head to look at her friend, Lilly drew in a breath, "I honestly don't know. I guess I'm scared about what might happen. These Nephilim sound so terrifying that I'm just worried about will happen if they catch him?"
"You mustn't think like that. Just concentrate on him coming home safely. The power of positive thinking, it is pretty amazing."
"That's easy for you to say, you're a witch."
"And you're a witch's best friend," smiled December as she turned over and lay on her front, "now let's get some sleep. We've got a long journey home tomorrow," she added, blowing out the candle that had been flickering in between them.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"I have to say it's so good to have some company," said Nick as the three of them bedded down for the night, with Oprah lying some distance away from their small camp fire.
"How long has it been?" asked Jack.
"I have met others over the years but never anyone from my world. The only humans I've ever seen were corpses."
Jack's ears pricked up, "Corpses?"
Nodding sadly, Nick continued, "When I was trying to find my way out of the caves, I tripped over them. A pile of bodies, dead bodies. The stench was unbearable. I think they were being prepared to be dumped somewhere."
"I think that's how I got out... I don't remember exactly how I got there but I was dumped, presumed dead I suppose. When I came to, I was lying in a large pit next to a corpse. There were probably more, but I don't really remember. I was so weak, I passed out."
"It's not something you really want to remember," sighed Nick, "but if you could recall, it might help find a way in."
"I've thought about it over and over but I just don't remember anything about how I got out. There is one thing that confuses me though."
"What's that?" asked Zalea and Nick at once.
"Why are they dumping the bodies so far from their caves? How are they transporting them all that way?"
The three of them remained silent, looking up at the orange tinged sky.
"Nick, you've been here for years, have you never seen them?"
He shook his head, "Never. I don't think they ever leave the caves."
"Then how are those bodies being dumped?" he repeated.
"They must have someone working for them on the outside," whispered Zalea.
"Surely I would have seen them if they had," asked Nick quietly.
"Maybe you did, maybe you just didn't realise it at the time. Think back to all the times you have seen anything out of the ordinary."
"Erm... anything out of the ordinary? Have you looked around you, Jack? Everything is out of the ordinary here."
"Yeah, I know. Sorry. How on earth have you survived here all alone?"
"I'm lucky I found Oprah pretty early on. She was just a baby when I found her next to her dead mother. She kind of gave me something to live for..."
"That's why she's so tame," said Zalea smiling as Nick nodded to her side.
"Yes, I have come across others that aren't quite so friendly but when they see me with Oprah, they tend to disappear. She protects me as much as I prot
ect her."
Jack chuckled, " I have a daughter too."
Nick laughed, "Yes, you could say she is my adopted daughter. How old is yours?"
"She'll be about 15 or 16 now."
"You don't know exactly how old she is?"
"It's a long story, but suffice to say that since she was born, our lives have been somewhat hazy... there are lots of things we are both trying to forget."
Nick looked up quizzically.
"We were kidnapped when Lilly was born. Turns out the woman who took us, also murdered my wife and eldest daughter..."
"Jesus, Jack, I'm so sorry."
"... and the woman wasn't even a normal woman. She was a witch. She put a spell on me for years, she took my blood..."
"There are witches up there?"
Jack laughed, "You're surprised? Look around you. Look at what took you from your home, Nick. This world is full of weird supernatural beings. I mean, look at Zalea. Would you ever have known faeries existed?"
"I guess not. It's all surreal. If I ever get home, nobody will ever believe me."
"You're right about that, Nick. If you tell people about this place, you'll be put in a loony bin."
"What is a 'loony bin'?" asked Zalea.
"It's where crazy people are locked up," answered Nick with a chuckle, before asking "How did you know about witches and stuff, Jack?"
"My family has always known about such things. There are lots of, let's say, 'special' people back home, Nick. People with special abilities that must keep it a secret. My family is one such family."
"Do you have special abilities?" he asked, stunned.
"Not personally, but some of my ancestors were able to transform into ravens."
Nick started to laugh, "You're a laugh a minute," he said, amused. But when Jack said nothing, Nick turned to look at him. "You're actually... serious?"
Jack merely nodded.
"Ravens? Well I never."