The Gathering

Chapter 2

Rick awoke suddenly. The warrior instincts Paul’s training having breed into him alerted him to movement nearby. At first he thought it was only a villager going past his hut, then strong hands held him down and a foul-smelling cloth was placed over his mouth and nose.

Trying not to breath in he thrashed about in their grips, trying to get a hand free so he could grab something. Those instincts he tried not to show that cringed at being touched, that he had had since he was nine tried to surface, trying to force him to just give up control and struggle blindly. But his mind forced it down. This was a time for rational thinking and not all-out panic.

But it was getting difficult to think and his vision was getting cloudy as his limbs lost strength, to feel as though he was underwater. His last clear thought was of what the village ruler had said; about the people who had the boys had wanted him. Well now they did.

Both Lance and Tommas headed for the boys hut. Finding it empty except for one white man that the dog had cornered and the bed empty. Lance ignored the dog and picked the man off the ground by his shirtfront. Snarling in his face he asked, “WHERE’S MY SON?!!” The man’s face was terrified so getting information from him would be easy. He stuttered out “Bengal, Bengal’s got him! I don’t know where they took him!!”

“Liar!” Lance snarled, shaking the man roughly. “It’s the truth man!” the man cried out “I don’t know! If we were separated we were to meet in a clearing nearby! We were only supposed to grab the boy; we could then get payed and leave! That’s the truth!”

“Why does he want the boy?” Tommas asked the man, face showing he wouldn’t tolerate being lied to. “I don’t know!” and when Lance went to shake him again he quickly added, “All I know is the boy’s suppose to be a mutant. The guy wants young mutants for something he says will give him power to take over the world. Anything else I don’t know, I swear!!”

Tommas frowned thoughtfully and Lance spoke “but Paul and Andrew are human, not mutants.”

“They were grabbed for convenience! The child was born from an mutant, so Bengal thinks he’s one too!”
“Cathrine isn’t a mutant” Tommas spoke out to the man “why would your boss want my daughter?”

Lance looked at the man in shock, no wonder he was being so helpful!! As well as this man having Johnathon and Steven’s sons he also had the village rulers daughter! “She’s genetically unique, Bengal says” the man said, noticing Lances’ grip was now slack with surprise.

Before anyone could speak again he had tore himself away from his grip and moved to attack Lance, to knock him away and make his escape. However as he moved to attack Lance spun and kicked him hard in the shins, causing him to cry out in pain and collapse.

“Idiot” Lance growled, pulling the man to his feet. He snapped “you’re going to meet this guy and get your money, with no implications of being watched or followed. You’ll ask to see the boy first so I know my sons alive. They you’ll take your money and leave never to return, understand?”

The man nodded, face twisted in pain. Tommas spoke out “if you do anything that makes us THINK you’re warning them, I’ll kill you and feed you to Sharp for lunch.” One look at the still snarling dog and Tommas’ angry expression and the man had no doubts he would do just that.

They reached the clearing in time and while Tommas and Lance hid in the bushes as close as possible without risk of discovery the man walked towards the group. Once man looked at him suspiciously and walked towards him “I thought you were captured.”

“I was, but they left an stupid guard and I killed him and escaped. Nothing can keep me from that money. Where is it?” Bengal looked at him long and hard for a minute then handed him a leather briefcase. After checking the contents the man nodded, satisfied “Where’s the boy?”

“Why?” Bengal asked suspiciously and the man answered with “I want to see if he was worth the money and the man I killed.”

The leader seemed to understand and motioned behind him. Two men carried an unconscious Rick into the light, pale, his wrists tied with steel wire, cutting into his flesh and drawing blood. But otherwise he seemed unharmed. Lance moved to get his son back but Tommas stopped him “no, don’t. We’ll follow where they take him. They may lead us to the other boys and Cathrine.”

Lance glared at him, and the man sighed at it “look. If you go barrelling in there now they have a better chance of shooting you down then you have of rescuing them, look how many there is of them and we may never have a better chance of finding the other captives, THINK!” The blonde man hesitated then nodded reluctantly.

But they lost the group not long after the boy was tied into a cage with three others and it was loaded onto a truck. Tommas assured Lance they would find them again, now that he knew what they were looking for they wouldn’t escape him. His people populated the entire jungle, and they would look out for them. “What if they don’t see them?”

“They will” Tommas said gravely “my people will definitely look out for them and tell me when and if, I promise you.”

* * * *

“Rick!” Paul gasped as the boy was tied in their cage. “You know this boy?” Cathrine asked softly. Paul nodded “yeah, this was who they were after when we were grabbed. I have known him three years. He is my best friend. But what is he doing here?” Andrew spoke out, voice trembling in fear, but also in hope “Maybe he and Uncle Lance came to save us and he got grabbed.” Paul nodded “looks like.”


Two hours later Rick stirred awake. He was dizzy and his head pounded like a drum, he felt like throwing up, but he was relieved to find he wasn’t gagged, only tied. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself tied to an thick steel bar with wire, two other figures watching him closely that were definitely familiar. The other was female but also a near identical twin of the village leader.

The older boy spoke to him once he saw he was awake “are you all right Rick?” Rick pressed his eyes tightly shut again, pursed his lips to stop himself being sick and after a few minutes he managed “no, they used Chloroform” when he felt it was safe.

“What is Chloroform?” Paul asked and Rick sighed tiredly when he realised that he would have to explain it to his friend. “It’s a sedative the old doctors used to use on their patients. They stopped using it when they found something better without side affects.”

“What sort of side affects, Rick?”

“Just what I have now. A head-ache and the urge to throw up what ever is in my stomach” Rick gulped violently as he forced it back down again “don’t worry, I’ll be fine. It’ll just take a while to wear off. Whoever these guys are they knew what they were doing, that I wasn’t immune to this. If they had of used an sedative normal to our time then I would have just felt sick, instead of blacking out.”

“Rick” Andrew said softly, the tremble in his voice catching his attention and causing him to open his eyes. “Is my daddy okay? They said they killed him and Uncle Steven. Did they?” Rick shook his head, and immediately regretted it “no, they’re fine, Andy. Your dad and Steven are at the local doctors. You daddy just has a bad head-ache and blood-loss and Steven’s watching over him, but they’re fine except that.”

“Thank god” Andrew sighed. Paul spoke out “Rick this is Cathrine, Cathy this is our friend Richard Simpson. Rick, Cathy's father is....” To which the boy interrupted through gulps of nausea “Tommas Genarld, ruler of the tribe called Farcers, I know.”

“How?” both the girl and other boy asked through confusion and the other boy answered, head lowered in sickness “Well for a start he was the guy who rescued Johnathon and Steven from the men and second I knew he wouldn’t be helping father and I without some reason other than us being in his land. You look incredibly alike.”

The girl murmured something they didn’t understand and squirmed on her spot, uncomfortable for some reason. Andrew spoke again, showing his fear by using his and Peter’s nickname for Richard. “What are they going to do with us, Rie?” Rick forced his eyes open and looked at the boy straight in the eyes “I don’t know” softly, honestly.


An hour later, when the affects of the liquid had fully worn off two men appeared. They untied Rick and dragged him out of the cage. “NO!” Andrew cried, fearing the separation and what they might do to his ‘Big Brother’. Paul threw himself forward to try and stop them and to help his best friend, but only succeed in getting hit on the head for his trouble. He was stunned long enough for them to lock the cage door and drag the struggling boy out of their sight. Andrew started to cry in fear and innocent horror, concern for the bare-teenager who had almost raised him himself.


A day later they were moving again, but saw neither hide-nor-hair of their friend. Even Paul’s questions going ignored and unanswered.


Three nights later they reached an old ruined temple. There, during the full moon the three captives were gagged and shoved in a corner, almost forgotten except for a single guard.

Halfway through they brought in Ricks drugged body, dressed in a long white robe, with a red sash around the waist and sandals with laces done up knee-high. There was two slashes in the back of the robe either side of the boy’s spine vertically, writing in the language of magic scratched bloody into the back.

They tied him to the altar below the skylight and stood back and away. Before they did Andrew got a good look at the symbols and his eyes widened in horror as he read and understood the language his father was teaching to him. The same one his father wanted him to know as a second language. He made a cry from behind the gag and started to struggle against his bonds, desperately terrified for his ‘Big Brothers’ life and soul. But he was as helpless as Rick was himself. The man Bengal appeared with an ancient-looking spell book and stepped towards the altar. Opening it to the page he started to read something arcane.

Suddenly the moonlight lit up Rick’s form, intensifying the longer the man spoke. The longer he went the more Ricks body seemed to be affected, starting to react to the summoned magic. Usually it was a delicately woven web of words and power, but cheapened and evil because of Bengal using it.

At first Rick’s body started shaking, then became convulsions. His body fought against the ropes. Then suddenly his eyes flew open, mouth open in a soundless scream with lips peeled back. His body started to change.

The other three captives could only watch in helpless horror as Ricks’ incisor teeth grew longer and sharply pointed they curved in like snake fangs while his finger and toes nails becoming longer and sharper, curved like cat-claws, blue-green eyes going black and cat-like. The short curly blonde hair became a long mass of black curls; skin darkening to almost jet-black. Out of the marks on his back pushed a huge pare of black wings of membrane-and-bone, bat wings.


The creature that had been Rick broke free of the ropes with a swipe of the claws and took to the air, circling above them and screeching angrily like a wild animal. Bengal screamed at the thing “stop, Kealeran! I command you to stop! I am your master and you WILL obey me!!”

The creature ignored him; he had seen the captives and flew towards them. With what could only be described as an aerial feet he had freed the three with a swipe of claws, pulled the door of the cage from its hinges. Grabbing Andrew he flipped over in mid-air, heading for the skylight before Paul knew what was happening.

There was a sudden thunderclap sound and the Kealeran stopped. Its arm was bleeding and face twisted in pain, blood a curious light red colour. With another flip it had ripped the gun from the man’s grip and knocked him away, flipped a third time and heading back to the skylight again.

Before anyone else could react further he, and Andrew, were gone.

* * * *

Dale and Lance Simpson, Tommas Genarld and about ten natives watched the strange creature. It wore only a white robe with an red sash and sandals, bearing what appeared to be huge bat wings from it’s back-on either side of the spine they were limp and he looked exhausted and frightened, wincing every time it moved it’s left arm.

When it moved to face the pool in front of it revelled it’s arm, light red blood just below the shoulder. At a closer look they saw a wound, small and circular. Dale and the others started to whisper softly, trying to decide what to do.

Finally they agreed with Dale. She would try to befriend it and see if it was intelligent, but if it proved to be some sort of new and more dangerous predator they would catch it and kill it painlessly.

So Dale rose and slowly approached it.

Whatever it was it looked like a male about fifteen, but what was it? Was it some sort of mutation from the Great Quake? Or maybe some sort of Mutant like Rick only gone wild, rejected by his family for his looks-or maybe orphaned like Peter had been.

As she got closer it looked up and saw her, dropping the trout it had been eating raw and backing away the right hand was clutched to the wound as it growled low and deep, lips peeled back to reveal fanged teeth with glistened with the fishes blood.

Dale spoke softly and soothingly as she approached it, hands out to show she was unarmed “it’s okay I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help you. Let me look at your arm. Stop that!” To her surprise he obeyed her, dropping to the ground beside the lake and picking the trout up again. He let her come over and examine the wound; head sideways like a bird would, staring at her closely. Something was in the black cat-like eyes she couldn’t understand-recognition.

He looked up from her and started to growl again, Dale looking around to see Lance and the others approaching. She gently laid a hand on his arm and said softly “Don’t be afraid. They won’t harm you, I promise. Do you understand?”

He nodded, but continued to watch the men suspiciously as Dale turned back to the wound. She gasped in shock “this is a bullet wound! How did you get this!” The creature watched her silently for a few more seconds then leaned over and wrote jaggedly in the dirt with a claw “Bengal shoot” and “would not obey him.”

“Why not?” She asked and he looked at her in reproach “evil man” he wrote, wincing as he accidentally jarred the wound. “You’re right about him being evil. What’s your name and what are you? A mutant or something else.”

“Else” he wrote “Name Zealer, am Kealeran. One who does not belong.”
“Kealeran? What do you mean-does not belong?”

“Does not belong. Dead. Dead.” Was all he would answer with despite her questions. She finally gave up and sighed “Okay Why did he want you?”

“Weapon. Know about life after death, have power.”
“What power? How did you get here, Zealer?”

“Flew” was all he would answer with, shaking in shock and horror and some painful memory only he knew. “Zealer, Bengal has our children. Could you take us to where they are?” The creature nodded and rose, keeping a close eye on the males. He stretched his wings and examined them closely, top to bottom. Dale saw they were dirty and cut along the top and for just a brief minute she was almost hypnotised by the patterns of veins in the thin membrane.

He suddenly winced and pulled a long and thin splinter of wood from the flesh near the fifth finger. Before they could react he had dived into the lake, disappearing below the waters. But he was back three minutes later, climbing out and shaking himself dry before going back to examining the wings.

This time they were clean and not as badly damaged as before, with all the blood and dirt gone. He turned, as if bored and about to go when Dale called out in a voice pleading “Zealer! Please, take us to the children!” He frowned at her, disturbed by something. “PLEASE Zealer” she said softer, voice begging “I want to get my son back, take me to the children.”

He nodded slowly and approached her. Grabbing her around the waist, a flap of the huge wings and he took to the air with Dale in his arms. She gasped in surprise and shock.

One native raised a bow and arrow at the creature, but Lance turned to Tommas “Stop him! If he hits it they’ll land hard and Dale will be hurt! Besides, it’s not its fault it took Dale literally. She said take ME to the children. Let them go, Dale will find a way to tell us where she is!”

Tommas lay a hand on the natives bow, pushing it down towards the ground. “No” He said in the village tongue “spread the word to my people and the Colobans. I wish to know where the bird-boy nests.” The native nodded and followed by the others left them.

* * * *

“Please put me down, Zealer!” Dale begged him “Where are you taking me?” But he couldn’t answer her, so continued to fly. The mouth was a thin line of determination, huge wings flapping on either side of them as the wind they created mussing Dale’s hair.

Soon they reached a huge stone temple and hovered over a skylight. He pointed down inside with his bloody arm at two tied and gagged figures. “My god Paul! And that must be Tommas’ daughter Cathrine!” Dale exclaimed, then frowned “But where’s Rick and Andrew?”

Zealer frowned also and pointed at a figure in the corner, talking to some men there. “That must be Bengal” Dale said and he nodded, landing on the flat roof and putting her down. He looked around alertly and fearfully before Dale caught his attention and looked him deep in the eyes and asked longingly “help them, Zealer. Free them please. They are my friends and will be yours as well if you help them.”

To her surprise he spoke, voice thick as if out of practise and chirpy like a birds but words. “Frwends? Be fwrends?” Dale nodded. So Zealer rose and spread his wings, soaring up into the sky and folding his wings. Diving through the skylight he opened them to catch himself and flapped them, heading for the two teenagers.

Once he appeared a cry went up “There he is! I knew he would return! Catch him so I can complete the spell!!”

Although Zealer was obviously terrified he wanted to do what Dale asked him. With one quick scoop, claws out and ready he freed the two from their ropes before heading for the men. He started to cause a distraction so the two could escape. “PAUL!” Dale called down, leaning over the skylight. He looked up and saw her, crying her name back “DALE! What are you...?”

“Zealer brought me. Where is Rick and Andrew?” she called back and he answered with a frown “HE took Andrew, he is an Kealeran.”

“I know that, he told me. But what’s a Kealeran?” She asked and before he could answer there came a high-pitched screech of fury and Paul was struck from behind, stunned long enough to allow two men to hold him down while another retied and gagged him. Now Zealer was fleeing. He had caused a long enough distraction and it wasn’t his fault they hadn’t used it. He was almost out of the skylight when a rope lasso landed around his legs, pulling tight.

Another landed around his wrists while another around his neck. He struggled in terror against them while making chocking noises, tied wrists pulling at the one around his neck with eyes wide in fear. Dale leaned down further and strained to reach his hands with eyes wide-affected by his terror, but unable to even touch fingertips.

Zealer hovered, beating his wings to stay airborne and trying desperately to free himself, Bengal stepped forward and started to recite the spell again. Dale was suddenly thrown back as a strong shaft of moonlight funnelled through the skylight, hitting the Kealeran fully and bathing him in it’s powerful magic. Zealer's scream of fear and panic shook the temple to its very foundations.

Dale leaned back down and watched in helpless horror as he started to change. Clawed nails and fanged incisors lengthened, his black eyes becoming red. Wings extended, growing larger and longer and blacker. To her shock a long tail burst out from just above his buttocks in the centre, ripping through the robe and covered in the blood and flesh the same it had pushed through as it grew from his skeleton-the base of the spine and ending in a very sharp looking triangular barb.

With a chocked cry of terror and pain Zealer’s body heaved once and the tail lashed out, slicing through all three ropes. Free the boy\creature flew up out of the skylight and grabbed Dale around the waist again, flying away from the temple as fast as he could. He was in pain and exhausted, but too terrified to stop.

The last thing Dale heard from the temple was the man Bengal’s scream of rage.

About fifteen minutes later they reached a deep mountain range. A cave-entrance up high was in one, only a thin path for access. Zealer flew inside and put her down, landing next to her and his wings drooping on either side. On hands and knees and panting heavily he seemed like a ghost, fading in and out. She moved closer in concern and fear “Zealer? What is it, what’s happening to you!”

Moving to his knees Zealer reached up for his wound. With two clawed fingers he dug into the flesh, pulling out the bullet and throwing it across the room before collapsing weakly into her arms. Just before he lost consciousness he managed to point into a dark corner and shakily murmur “Frwend.” Curious Dale gently laid him down and went to look. Halfway she slowed and gasped in horror “My god! Andrew!”

* * * *

Two days later, early in the morning, Tommas and Lance entered the cave cautiously. They first thing they heard was a familiar female voice crying out in fear “Zealer, what are you doing?! You can’t possibly protect us both in your condition! Let’s get out of here, Zealer, Don’t!”

The two men exchanged looks and Lance mouthed the words “Both of us?” Rushing inside and rounding a bend both found the creature standing in front of Dale who was nursing a blank-faced boy with gold eyes. He was trying to protect both from two male adult Kealeran who were slowly approaching them.

For every step forward the adults did the creature and Dale were forced to step back and soon their backs were to the cave wall. The two men noticed the boy\creatures looks had changed, down to the long and sharply pointed tail that whipped about him, almost with a life of it’s own. The boy himself was pale and barely on his feet, swaying from side to side as if about to fall but determined to protect the woman and child with his life.

When the adult Kealeran was close enough they launched themselves at the boy, their own tails whipping for him. “ZEALER!” Dale cried in horror and fear as he went down under them. Then spying her husband and Tommas in the entrance, she cried “Lance, help him please! He saved Andrew!”

“But....” he started and she cried to him “He only grabbed me because he was worried about Andrew being in shock and needed to find someone to help him!”

“But....” Lance started to protest again.

Desperate, Dale looked at Tommas “He knows were your daughter is and he showed me! He can take you there!” then she looked back to Lance “And Paul! Help him and he’ll take you there! If they kill him you’ll never find them before they are seriously hurt!”

Tommas strode forward and grabbed one, throwing it into the wall with a surprising show of strength. Lance heading for the other, but not quick enough. As Zealer wrapped his tail around the others legs and pulled them out from under him his tail lashed up and caught the boy deep in his chest with the deadly barb.

The boy\creature collapsed backwards with a choked gurgle of agony, Dales cry of horror echoing him. While Tommas grabbed the other Lance took Andrew from Dale, so she could rush to the boys side. Trying desperately to stem the flow of blood from the wound she started to sob.

The other Kealeran suddenly broke free of Tommas, tail lashing out in a blur of movement for his throat. The man ducked at the last possible second, grabbed the tail just above the barb and used it to swing the entire male creatures body around, picking up speed while it shrieked in fear. Then he suddenly let go.

Seconds before hitting the wall the adult managed to twist, only the hand striking and the muffled crack showed the bones had broken. Before Tommas could move after it, it had grabbed it’s unconscious friend and fled, crying back with a laugh “It does not matter if I have seriously hurt him or not. He has been dying since he escaped the temple.”

Dale was knelt beside the younger one, trying desperately to stop the light red blood flowing from the chest wound. Zealer’s agony filled red eyes rolling up to look into her aquamarine ones as he spoke weakly to her, surprising both Tommas and Lance. “He is right, you know. I have felt it since I escaped. I will not last much longer without the completion of the spell, but I will give up our souls if I did that.”

“You’re not going to die, Zealer! There has to be something we can do?!”

“I do not think you all can do anything. But if I last until the night the moons healing light shall help me, strengthen and heal me. ” He paused dramatically then breathed out “or kill me.”


Hours later when they were sleeping Zealer weakly rose, stumbled into the cave wall and managed to keep himself from crying out, to swallow back his cry. He leaned against the wall, slowly making his way out to the ledge. As he did he failed to notice one of Tommas’ eyes slowly open and watch him go silently. Kneeling down on the thin ledge he murmured the words of a spell of his own, the moonlight slowly intensifying and surrounding him.

* * * *

Dale was awoken by a loud and familiar cry of pain. By pure reflex she looked to Zealer to find him gone. Fearfully she awoke Lance, Tommas suddenly opening his eyes and launching to his feet before she could move to wake him and all three heading out to the stone ledge.

There they found Zealer kneeling in the moonlight, sweating and panting heavily, wounds bleeding again he was murmuring arcane words between pants for breath, raising his head so his face was fully bathed in the light. Suddenly he jerked in pain and screamed again. “My god!” Dale exclaimed and moved to go towards him. But there was a sudden flap of wings and something landed in front of her and blocked her way. A young female voice cried out “Do not touch him!!!”

In front of them was another Kealeran, this one a teenaged female the same age as Zealer, with the same emotional passionate eyes. She crouched with claws ready and tails twitching threatening, ready to protect the boy from them. “Who are you?” Dale tried to edge past her to Zealer, not noticing Tommas deep frown as he looked at the young female.

All were startled when Zealer spoke out “Cara?” weakly. The female turned and instantly forgot them, kneeling in front of him. Taking his limp and sweaty face in her clawed hands she spoke gently “Zealer my love, are you all right?”

“Yes, now” the first word was forced from clenched teeth and seemed no more than a hiss, the second a sigh. He continued weakly “Cara meet Tommas-lord of this land, and Dale and Lance Simpson. Friends, this is Cara my love.” He collapsed weakly into her arms and she allowed Dale to check him over. He was drained but the wounds were gone, without a single scar.

Two hours later he was awake and able to talk. They told them their story, only the truth this time. Who they were and where they were from. “You mean they aren’t your bodies? You’re spirits possessing them? What about the spirits of those they belong too?” Dale asked as both Kealeran sat across from them in the cave, Cara seated with Zealer. Both her arms were wrapped around his waist and holding him protectively close to her, she hadn’t left him since joining them.

“I told you I do not belong in this plane, remember? I said I was dead. As for the souls of the hosts of these forms, we are in communication with them. It is a mutual alliance while we are trapped here. They agree to let us control and do not fight us as long as we listen to them and allow them influence over our actions. It was my host that sensed your goodness and wanted me to not harm you, Dale. He was right, I should listen before I judge.”

“Do you know who they are? Can you tell us?” she asked and he answered shortly “No.” To which she frowned and Lance asked suspiciously “Why not?”

“The longer we are in these bodies the harder it is for them to exist. If we do not get free of these forms soon, they shall cease and we shall become the true owners.” Zealer looked concerned and worried “I do not want that to happen. He is an noble soul.”

“But I don’t want to go back to where we were” Cara’s voice trembled in fear “We were in an abyss of darkness. We were separated when we died.”

“How and when DID you die?” they asked and he questioned “What is the year now?”
”2004.”

“It was five years ago. Cara and I were in love and on our way home with our newborn son. We were orphans, both from the streets who had been able to find each other, jobs and an apartment. Our son was only three days old when it happened. A drunk came out of nowhere and hit us head on.”

Cara continued, voice trembling. “Zealer died after being pinned behind the wheel by a piece of metal through his lung. I can still remember coming too after blacking out during the crash to see him like that. He was deathly grey and blood soaked his shirtfront, metal sticking into him. Bloody saliva was coming from his mouth and this terrible wheezing sound from his chest as he tried to breathe. His eyes were clenched tightly in agony.” The tears started to flow and she trembled harder as she went on.

“I was trapped by my waist by the seat and the front of the car so couldn’t help him, and he told me he loved me before he fainted and never awoke, I had to listen to every forced breath he made, until he could no long force himself to breathe. When he died I would have given up if I hadn’t had Peter to worry about. I knew by the smell the tank was leaking, and it would blow soon. I didn’t care about myself, I didn’t want our son to die with us and I couldn’t see if he was hurt, he was screaming in fear in the back.”

Dale frowned thoughtfully so Lance queried for her “What happened?”

“A man suddenly appeared. He had intense eyes and saw us. He got Peter out and tried to get to us, but the fire was spreading and I could see by his eyes he was afraid of it. So I told him to go, to protect and raise Peter as his own, I gave him a locket with our pictures in it and screamed at him to go, to save Peter. He backed off as the tank blew. All I remember was pain, then something warm chasing away the agony and I found myself and Zealer in another world. I told him Peter was safe and we didn’t care where we were, as long as we were together.”

Zealer went on “We were attacked by other spirits who wanted Cara and separated us. We spent all the time there searching for each other. Finally we were reunited, but I felt an irresistible pulling. I was yanked from Cara’s arms and forced into this body.”

“How terrible for you both, being torn apart after being reunited after so many years of separation.”

“Yes” Zealer said “I freed myself from the bonds in anger and I recognised the danger to the three captives and freed them. I grabbed the young boy and get shot in the arm as I tried to escape. I took him here, recognised the shock and weak and sad I tried to find help. I stopped in that clearing for something this body demanded to eat.”

“And we’re sorry we judged you by your looks” Lance said softly but Zealer shrugged good-naturally “It is human nature to judge with fear, Dale was different.” Dale spoke out then, admitting “I didn’t know why then, something just told me to trust you, Like I knew you somehow.” She looked at him intensely. Lance must have recognised her expression “What is it, Dale?” She spoke softly to the creatures “What are your last names, what was your sons?” Cara spoke “I was Hooper and Zealer was Fieldman. But we named Peter after my mothers side.”

“Was that Sheeling?” something intense came into her eyes and the female looked surprised and shocked “Yes! How did you know?” Dale shot to her feet with a cry “I knew it! I knew it!” Lance frowned at her elation, confused by it “What is it, Dale?” To which she answered “Peter, OUR Peter! They’re his parents!!”

“My god, I never thought…” he murmured in awe and shock but Dale laughed almost hysterically “Neither did I! That’s why I trusted him! I felt connected to him!”

“What are you talking about?” Zealer asked in confusion but Cara's eyes were wide and she said softly “you know where Peter is?”

“Better than that” Lance said “We’ve been raising him for the last three years. Loel, that’s the guy who tried to save you, was being chassed by someone. He gave him to us to raise because he didn’t want to endanger him. Right now Peter’s in New America, some trusted friends are baby sitting him for us.”

“You know the man who tried to save us?” Cara asked softly. “Not very well but yes. He was so emotional, so intense...” to which Cara dreamily added “I know. I saw it to, in his eyes.” Dale seemed to think of something and sobbed up “We could send for Peter, If you want to see him” but Cara exclaimed in horror. “NO!”

“Why not?” Dale frowned “Surely you’d want to see him after all these years. See if he’s well and who he’s grown up to look like....” Zealer said softly, firmly, adding to his lovers words “No. We want him to think of us as his noble parents who gave him up to save his life. Not like this, not as spirits forced into other people’s body and looking like this.”

“But he’s your son, he wouldn’t care...” Dale started to say but Cara echoed her love “Zealer’s right. I don’t want him to see us like this. I love him with all my heart and soul and so does Zealer, but we couldn’t face it if he was to fear us for what we had become.” There was an uncomfortable pause in which Cara broke with “Thank god we’re the only Kealeran's here though.”

“We are not” Zealer sighed and Cara frowned at him “What do you mean?” he answered her “We’re not the only Kealeran's here, my love. Remember Fra and Kerrea?”

“How could I forget, they were the ones who separated us....” She suddenly realised what he was saying “Oh no, you don’t mean....”

“I’m afraid so, my love” and he held her close while she shook in terror and horror. Until she finally regained some control and looked up in his face in time to catch his weakly drooping eyelids. With a bit of prodding both Dale and Cara got him to lie down and sleep. Cara then curled up beside him and held tightly in each other’s arms the two slept.


The next night Zealer awoke to find the two of them alone with Dale. When he asked sleepily where the men were, she said that Tommas had taken Lance to get them some food. Cara stirred awake and asked what time it was. “Eleven-thirty, why?”

“I forgot!” she launched herself to her feet. “What is it?” Dale asked, alarmed by her reaction. “They’re going to use that boy you call Paul for the next Kealeran! That’s why I escaped but I forgot when I saw Zealer! We have to stop them!!”

“But the men won’t be back for a few hours!” Dale protested and Zealer rose as he spoke “Then we’ll have to do it ourselves.”

But they failed and were captured, put inside a steel cage together. Dale was tied with rope and gagged while the two Kealeran’s chained with heavy chains. If the two younger creatures hadn’t had to fight the adult Kealeran’s they could have escaped, but both were exhausted.

The cage was wheeled in and they saw Paul drugged and chained on the altar under the skylight and dressed as Cara and Zealer were, symbols scratched into the flesh on either side of his spine. Dale’s eyes were wide with horror, Zealer and Cara’s fearful knowledge and both fought weakly against their chains.

Bengal suddenly appeared and approached the cage, out of the reach of the Kealeran’s claws and cackling evilly. “It is good of both of you to return to me and bring someone with you I can use. You can witness this one’s possession before I complete the spell on you both.” Zealer snarled at the man at this “You’ll not touch her while I live!” The man seemed amused “So it seems you have an inkling of your hosts mind.“ Zealer snarled “I have more than that, we communicate, he speaks to me.”

“Impossible. The soul should be trapped and silent!” The man snapped but Zealer snarled back “That’s for humans, you fool! We are mutant!” The man seemed to get even more furious “No wonder you rebelled. I underestimated the strength of the mutant’s mind. It is stronger by far than I suspected. All the better then when you serve me as a soldier!!”

“I will NEVER serve you and neither will Cara, Dale or the boy!” The evil man grinned, “Oh, you will, you will.” He laughed as Zealer increased his struggles and turned back to the altar, Dale watching in horror and disbelief as he started the spell. Paul began to change.

Suddenly she heard a cry of “Sueca! Ca ceesa Sueca!” She looked over to see Zealer; his face was intent in anger and concentration as he called out those strange words. Over and over he called them until a man nearby struck him hard on the head, but that only lasted until he shock the effect off and started to call them out again. So they shoved a gag in his mouth.

The new Kealeran screamed in fury and saw them. It looked shocked and called their names, obviously knowing them. Bengal snarled in fury, another reject. The new one was put in the cage with them. Careful of his claws some men dragged Zealer out and chained him to the altar in the others place. As Zealer fought against the chains, teeth gnashing in anger, Bengal started the last of the spell. Zealer’s body convulsed, fighting against the spells power as he had fought against the chains, Dale, Cara and Sueca-the other one, all started calling out encouragements.

Their cries were giving him strength, but it wouldn’t last long and he’d soon be taken over.

Suddenly Lance and Tommas burst in, firing Lance and Rick’s lasers they had designed and built themselves. While Tommas held them off with expert shots Lance went to the cage and freed them, asking as he untied Dale “Are you all right, darling?”

“Yes, thanks to you. If you hadn’t of come when you did, well I don’t think Zealer could of held on much longer. Free Cara and Sueca while I go check him.” Lance nodded and she moved slowly and cautiously towards the boy who lay, barely conscious and soaked with sweat, panting with eyes only mere slits.

“Zealer?” she asked softly, afraid for a minute that he had been possessed by another spirit. Slowly the lids were forced open long enough for her to see the scared and emotional eyes of Zealer before they drooped and he lost his hold on consciousness. She sighed in relief and Cara joined her apprehensively “Is he...?”

“Just weak, but it was a close shave. Help me free him.” Before she could start looking for the keys Cara had gripped the chains and squeezed, there was a protest of metal and the links shattered. She then pulled her love to his feet and supported him as they fled the temple.

When they reached the cave all three Kealeran’s lay down to sleep. After picking up Andrew, Dale addressed the two men. “We can’t wait until they wake to find out about Rick and Cathrine. That may take hours and we may not have that long.”

“What do you suggest we do, Dale?” Lance asked her. “Johnathon and Steven are getting out of that little hospital today, aren’t they? Andrew’s bound to know.” Lance understood “but would Johnathon hypnotise his own son?” Dale frowned “I don’t know, but it’s worth a try. But who’ll stay with them?” she motioned at the three sleeping Kealeran’s. “I will” Lance volunteered “you’ll need Tommas to lead you there, only he knows how to get there.”

Tommas nodded, adding “and some of my followers may mistaken you for intruders.” And Dale nodded this time.


They reached the small hospital at about nine-thirty that morning, Andrew still fast asleep in Dale’s arms. The first Doctor they met there was Doctor Benjamin Adams, the man who had been caring for Johnathon. He saw them and approached slowly, frowning in confusion “Mr Genarld, is anything wrong? Who is this woman and child?”

“Nothing is wrong, Dr Adams. We are here about you patient. Has he and his friend left yet?” The Doctor shook his head “Not yet but they’re about to.” Tommas nodded, pleased “Good. Where are they? We need to see them.”

“Follow me.” He lead them to a small room where Johnathon sat on the end of the bed tying his shoes laces while Steven waited, standing beside the door. The warrior was the first to see them, for Johnathon’s head was down as he was watching his scarred hands tie. “Dale!” the warrior gasped, then his eyes widened “Andrew!”

Instantly the thin man’s head snapped up, seeing them and crying “Cheleron!” His voice was a combination of great relief, joy and gladness as he launched himself from the end of the bed and ran forward, reaching for his son.

Dale let him take the child from her and he retreated from them, back to the bed, hugging the child protectively to him and murmuring soft and gentle words of comfort in their native tongue. “Why is he like that?” Steven asked when the boy neither moved nor spoke and Dale answered softly “He’s in shock. But only he knows were Rick and Cathrine-Tommas’ daughter, is. We need Johnathon to...”

“Hypnotise him and find out” Steven completed and Dale nodded but Johnathon said “No” protectively. “Please Chel. You have Andrew back, safe and sound and unharmed, but Tommas and I don’t even know if ours are still alive. We need you help, we need Andrew’s help.”

Dales face twisted in fear and concern as she went on, motioning to Tommas who sat back with hands crossed over his chest. He was looking at the sorcerer with a hard face “please help us get our children back.” Johnathon hesitated. He was torn between leaving his son to peace and helping the woman and village ruler, looking back and forth from Dales’ concerned and frightened face to Tommas’.

Steven suddenly spoke up “Chel we owe Dale and Rick more than we can ever repay. This guy helped us get out and safe. So we could be here for Andrew and Silton.”

Finally he sighed “All right” and Dale smiled a little in relief “thank you Chel.” The thin man gently sat his son up on the bed while Dale closed the curtains and pulled some chairs up for herself; Steven; Tommas and the curious Doctor. Dale then handed two small leather pouches to him “I grabbed these before I left. I thought you might need them.”

After checking the contents he nodded slowly “I do.” He took a tiny object from one and attached the pouches to his belt under the cloak, placing the object on the floor in front of them. It was a tiny dark green stick with a strangely coloured crystal, the entire object no more than ten cm long. He closed his eyes and raised his hands above it-palms down and started to murmur the words of another more arcane language. Tommas frowned and spoke to Dale “What language is that?” She glanced at him and answered “Kel, Johnathon and Steven’s native tongue. Why?”

“I recognise some of it. It is the language of my ancestors.” Dale looked at him in surprise and shock “You mean you can understand him? That you’re descended from the Kelan sorcerers!”

“The Farcers-my tribe-has worshipped us for centuries. I rule because I’m the only true one of my kind left. My brother tribe the Coloban's-their ruler is only half breed and he resents the fact I’m more powerful than him.” Dale looked at him, locking eyes while she said “So you’re mutant too.” The man looked slightly uncomfortable and broke off eye contact with her, stated flatly “I’ve no occult power.”

“No, but I saw the strength you had against those adult Kealeran’s. Maybe over the centuries they developed more strength and less and less power.” Tommas didn’t speak so Dale asked, “What’s your real name? If you’ve lived here all your life you wouldn’t have been named Tommas Genarld. I could understand you would know English, being your tribe leader and having places like this close by.” She motioned around them “it would pay to be able to communicate with them.”

He didn’t answer. “Tommas....” she started and he looked at her sharply. “My true name doesn’t matter here, or ever” he said then looked back at the sorcerer, his face showed the conversation was over and Dale let it go, THIS time.

When she looked back Andrew was sitting up on the bed with eyes open and face blank, waiting for the questions silently. Johnathon spoke softly “Cheleron my son I am going to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer them. Understand?”

Andrew nodded slowly against the pillows and spoke out softly, his voice already his fathers, despite his youth. “Father” and this caused the sorcerers’ face to almost break with that one word. But he steeled himself “Yes my son. Now....” Dale moved to his side “Ask if Cathrine and Rick was with him when they were taken to the temple.”

“What temple?” questioned Johnathon. “I’ll tell you later. Just ask.” After a pause Johnathon nodded and looked to his child “son, cast your mind back to when they took you to the temple. Are Richard and Cathrine with you?” The child answered emotionlessly that “Cathrine is.”

“Where’s Richard?” he asked firmly and the boy’ voice trembled in fear “They took him from us. They are bringing him in now and tying him to the altar. They had...had...” his voice broke off. “Calm down, son, you are safe and warm. What did they do to Richard?”

“They hurt him. He’s really still.” Dale gave a little cry of horror and fear and Johnathon continued softly “good so far son. Tell us what is happening now?” Andrew’s voice still shook “I don’t know, I closed my eyes, I was so scared. There was shouting and an loud noise.” Johnathon asked him what the shouting was about and he said softly the creature.

“He must mean Zealer” Dale said softly and Tommas nodded in agreement. But when Johnathon asked her whom she answered with “I’ll tell you everything later.” The man hesitated then turned back to Andrew “there is nothing to be afraid of, open your eyes and tell me what is happening. Is Cathrine and Paul still with you?” and he answered yes but they noticed he didn’t answer the first question. Johnathon noticed and repeated it to a cry of “I can not tell you!”

“Why not?” he asked and the boy cried “Because HE doesn’t want me too!”

“Who? Bengal? Rick?” Before Andrew could answer there came a light tap-tap-tapping at the window. Dale rose and went too it, drawing back the curtain to reveal on the other side Cara. “Who and WHAT is that?” asked the Doctor and Dale answered softly as she opened the window “Her name is Cara and she’s on our side. She’s an Kealeran, an spirit in someone else’s body.”

Dale thought she saw Johnathon’s’ eyes narrow thoughtfully as she spoke, but thought nothing of it. Instead she concentrated on the figure and asked “Cara, what are you doing here? How did you find us?” she asked as soon as the window was open. Then she saw the females’ wide and frightened eyes and realised something was wrong “What is it?”

Cara spoke quickly, desperately “the others! We were attacked and they grabbed Lance and Zealer! Only Sueca and I escaped and he’s keeping watch. Hurry, we need your help!”

“Of course” she turned to the others “who’s coming?” Johnathon answered he would but Dale frowned “what about Andrew?”

“Simple” he turned back to his son “Cheleron my son, when I click my fingers you shall awaken from this trance no longer in shock. You shall sleep deeply and Steven and Cathrine’s father Tommas shall be there to take care of you when you awaken, understand?”

“Yes father” Andrew nodded and there came a loud cry from outside. Cara glanced away then back “hurry, they’re coming!!” Johnathon clicked his fingers and followed by Dale was out the window. Gripping his staff tightly Cara picked him up around the waist and flapped her wings, launching herself into the air while Sueca picked up Dale.

“Hurry, they’re gaining!” Dale cried when she saw the two adult Kealeran’s behind them, rapidly catching up. Johnathon spoke as he turned so his staff, the crystal, was pointing at the two figures “I can fix that” and he said one sharp word. Immediately a bright light seared a furrow in Fra’s wing, damaging it. Another light followed the first and struck the other, sending them both barrelling down without the balance and strength in their wings to fly after them.


They didn’t find them, so went back for Tommas and Steven, leaving Andrew with some of Tommas’ people, he left orders to care for the boy, he had been through enough fear as it was. They followed Cara and talking who seemed to know where she was going. Sueca explained that because of their love Cara and Zealer’s spirits were linked and she could find him anywhere.

So they had only to follow her, then Dale had told Steven that Sueca was in Paul’s body. After they had calmed the warrior down the Kealeran spoke to him “I don’t want to be inside your son, but until we stop Bengal and his men we have no choice. Only he can free us. He’s the one who weaved the spell, he has to break it.”

“Then let us get him,” Steven said grimly. And that’s when they organised the plan, to be put in affect after they rescued Zealer and Lance. They had been talking about finding Rick and Cathrine when Tommas spoke out “I had of though it was obvious. It is to me.” Dale asked him what he meant and he answered calmly, as he always seemed to do things “Cara and Zealer are using their bodies.” Dale was stunned by this “They, but....”

“My daughter and I are close, closer than normal people would be. We are of the same flesh and blood. I can sense her. Cara is her, I’ve known from the start.” They frowned at the man “Why didn’t you tell us?” who pointed out “You never asked me.”


At an hour to midnight they were creeping through an obviously sleeping camp towards one tent in particular, just like Tommas had a few nights ago. All but Dale was able to see in the dark so Johnathon lead her by the hand. They crept inside it. There they found, laying in a corner of the tent and spread-eagled plus chained heavily a badly beaten Zealer.

“Who is that?” Johnathon asked softly as Cara ran forward. “Cara boyfriend, Zealer. He’s who lead us to the temple and rescued Andrew, He and Cara are Peter’s real parents and the one in Rick’s body.” Johnathon spoke as he moved forward “Then I owe him something.”

He pointed his crystal at the creature’s ankle chains, murmuring a few words and the chains broke. Next he did his wrists. Then he moved to the wing chains, the tails chained to the wings. Cara stopped him though “Look.”

Zealer was stirring, slowly coming to, moaning with his pain. The first thing his eyes set on was the concerned face of Cara. He opened his mouth to try to speak, but she placed a finger to his lips to shush him. Then she touched his temple in a curious gesture, but definitely of love.

After a few seconds of silence she spoke softly to them “Only the body is injured, not both his and the host soul. They tried to force the host soul out, hoping it would weaken his will and make him easier to enslave, but he fought them and held it in as long as he could, until they gave up trying at least. But the host soul is severely weakened, it won’t last much longer.”

“We MUST hurry then,” Johnathon said. When Zealer made a weak sound she turned back to him “no my love, don’t try to speak. We are here to get you out. Where’s Lance?” Zealer spoke urgently, weakly but hurly “they’ve taken him to the temple to use for the next Kealeran. You have to go stop them, hurry.”

“But you....” Cara started to protest, but the weak Kealeran interrupted desperately “please Cara! I’ll...WE’LL be fine, but Lance is more important! I don’t want him to become like those others, hurry my love!” Cara and Johnathon got to their feet and with Sueca and Dale hurried away.


Bengal stormed into the tent hours later, pissed off. Seeing the young Kealeran free and curled up asleep on the hard ground he grew angrier. “Those four have been here haven’t they!!” he brought the whip down and struck the newly awoken Kealeran with it. But with a sudden burst of anger and energy Zealer launched himself at the man, snarling and clawing.

Immediately the man yelled to the two adult Kealerans who came in and before he knew it Zealer was being forced off, back onto the ground and chained again. He was helpless and too weak to do more than snarl and wince as the man grinned nastily and raised the whip.

For at least five minutes the man struck the boy\creature with it repeatedly, hard. When he grew bored of the game he left the tent, followed by Fra and the other adult. He left Zealer to lie panting with pain and exhaustion, bleeding light red blood from hundreds of wounds over his body.

Zealer felt something inside him slither and try to escape, shrinking inside him and growing weaker, barely existing. “NO!” his eyes widened in panic. “No Rick stay with me, don’t give up! Just a little bit longer! You’re friends and family need you I need you, PETER needs you!! Please hold on!!”

When the presence slid from his mental grip he did the only thing he could do. Using that life force all souls share he, in one brief burst of power, gave the boys soul all he had.

The light left him.