‘So remember, Vin, always maintain your balance, feet apart like this.’ Carter demonstrated the feet apart position. ‘And one foot ahead of the other, so when I strike down to your head, you step back and block it like I showed you.’
‘Okay, but no messing about like last time. Do it for real, like you really want to hit me.’
‘Are you sure, Vin? I mean, we’ve only just started.’
‘I’m never going to learn unless you do it for real.’
‘Okay, but only if you’re sure, Vin.’
Carter stepped forward, quickly raising his staff behind his head and striking towards Vin’s head in one swift, flowing movement.
‘Hello, Vin,’ called Naz.
The staff struck with a mighty CRACK! that rang out around the neighbourhood. The blow landed on the top of Vin’s head, making him stagger backwards before falling over. There was an audible groan from the neighbours as they watched Vin fall to the ground.
‘Oww, I bet that hurt,’ said Naz.
‘NAZ! You distracted me. Can’t you see I’m in combat!’
Carter rushed to help him up.
‘I’m really sorry, Vin, I thought you were ready,’ said Carter.
‘Sorry, Vin, I didn’t know you were easily distracted,’ said Naz. ‘I bet you’ll have a lump there just like the last one.’
Carter stood, watching in amazement as a lump visibly rose from the top of Vin’s head.
‘Oh no, same place as last time,’ said Vin.
‘Sorry, Vin, it’s where we’re taught to strike.’
‘It wasn’t your fault, Carter, I was distracted. Can I have some of your moss for my ‘ead?’
‘Sure, I’ll give you some later. Shall I show you the jab to the neck now?’
‘No, it’s okay. Thanks. Maybe later when Naz isn’t around distracting people.’
‘Sorry, Vin,’ Naz said again.
‘Did you come here just to watch me get a lump on my ‘ead, or is there a reason for you being here distracting me?’ said Vin.
‘Don’t be like that, Vin. I’m here to remind you we’re meeting The Boss for lunch, and he’s paying, so make sure you go hungry. It’s not often The Boss pays for lunch, Carter. Come to think of it, The Boss never pays for lunch. Don’t you go being deceived by his generous manner, Carter. Inside he’s really mean, especially with his lunches.’
‘Come on, Vin, I’ll get you that moss,’ offered Carter.
Walking across the garden to Vin’s house, Carter couldn’t help noticing there were many people tidying their gardens today. Everyone seemed busy looking down at their vegetables as they returned to Vin’s kitchen.
‘Hello, Vin,’ called his Mom. ‘How did the self-defence lesson go?’
‘Oh, it went okay,’ said Vin.
‘It didn’t look like it from here,’ said Holly. ‘You should go easy on him, Carter, he’s only a beginner.’
‘I know,’ stuttered Carter. ‘It was an accident, I thought he was ready.’
‘I was distracted,’ said Vin, eyeing Naz with a nasty look.
‘Are you staying for lunch, Naz?’
‘Afraid not, Rosie, The Boss is buying us lunch today.’
‘What? That tight-fisted old skinflint actually paying for lunch? You be careful, Vin, he’s after something.’
‘He’s not so bad. I think he’s mellowing,’ said Vin.
Carter returned with the moss while Rosie pulled a bandage from a kitchen cupboard. She strapped it over Vin’s head and under his chin to hold the moss over the large lump which was still rising from the top of Vin’s head.’
‘Don’t tie it so tight,’ said Vin, ‘I won’t be able to eat.’
‘Stop being such a baby. Off you go now, or he’ll have eaten everything before you get there,’ said Rosie.
*
Naz led the way through the town to the Central Hall where The Boss had arranged to meet them.
Passing through the market area, a friend of Naz called out to him. ‘Nice hat, Vin.’
Vin grew angry as the comments continued after him. ‘This is your fault, Naz. I don’t need this humiliation. I’m a Guard now.’
‘You’ll always be Vin the Pie Man to these people,’ said Naz, trying to sweeten him up.
‘Peasants!’ Vin called to them, to smiles and laughter from the people in the market.
Naz led them further through the town, pointing out the beautiful stone sculptures on the outside of the buildings. Carter and Holly were awestruck by the carvings, whose only purpose was to decorate the outside of a building. Naz pointed out the school that every child had to attend, and the arena where they held their sports contests. They eventually passed a solid, imposing building with many floors and many windows.
‘This is our Guards’ Academy,’ Naz said proudly. They walked on heading for the Central Hall.
‘It’s where all our guards are trained and where we learn…’
‘Is that where the Crystal is kept under guard?’ interrupted Holly.
‘Yes,’ Naz said. ‘How did you know about that?’
‘Your Boss was telling Carter and me yesterday, he said we could go and see it, he said you and Vin would take us,’ Holly said innocently.
‘Is that right, Vin? I didn’t hear about that?’ Naz sounded confused and concerned.
‘That’s right, Naz. He said he was going to ask you. It must’ve slipped his mind, just like my pay increase did.’
‘Can we see it now? Oh please, can we? It will be so… interesting,’ said Holly.
‘Well, The Boss is waiting for us. Maybe we can look later,’ said Naz.
‘Oh, just a quick look. I’ve never seen a magic Crystal before.’ The lie came so easily now.
Holly stopped herself from saying any more. She stood, squeezing and wringing her hands. Why did I say that? she thought. I know I mustn’t tell lies. I don’t know why I’m saying these things. She suddenly felt very ashamed at what she’d said, and very sad that she was letting herself down. The others saw the look of sadness on her face, and thought it was disappointment at not seeing the Crystal.
‘Well, if The Boss asked us to show you, we may as well do it now,’ Naz said, hoping to make Holly happy.
Holly smiled at him. She was no longer sure she wanted to see it. She couldn’t understand where her thoughts were coming from. What’s happening to me? she thought.
Naz and Vin led the way through the solid-looking stone archway. A Guard at the door sat a little way inside the hallway. The floor of stone tiles, immaculately swept clean, echoed to their footsteps down the empty hall.
‘Hello Naz, Vin, and hello to you both,’ said the Guard with a big smile for Holly and Carter.
‘Guys, this is our friend, Dolan. This is Holly and Carter.’
‘We’ve heard what you did for Naz and Vin,’ Dolan said to Carter. ‘You’re a hero here, and if there’s ever anything we can do to return the help, you just ask.’
‘Thank you, sir, but I’m no hero.’
‘Don’t listen to him,’ said Holly. ‘He crossed the entire world to come and find me.’
‘I heard that. So what are you doing here? I thought The Boss gave you two time off?’
‘We were missing your company too much, so thought we’d come and see you,’ said Naz
‘Really?’ said Dolan.
‘No, not really. The Boss asked us to show Holly and Carter the Crystal room.’
‘The Crystal room? Well, okay, if that’s what The Boss wants. But hey, are you two coming to the arena tonight?’
‘Not tonight,’ said Vin, ‘I’m hosting Holly and Carter.’
‘Bring them along, I’m sure they’ll enjoy the sport.’
‘Thanks for the invite,’ said Naz, leaving the decision open.
‘Okay, you know the way, I hope I see you all later.’
‘Goodbye,’ said Carter, genuinely moved by the welcome.
Naz led the way down the extended hallway. Many doors stood open to the
left and right, but Naz led them to the end of the hall, where two tall wooden doors stood closed. Naz put his shoulder against them and pushed, the weight taking considerable effort to move. They stepped into what at first looked like an empty room. Looking around, Holly saw a small table near the wall with a golden box on it.
Holly immediately stepped toward it, a smile on her face, her demeanour changing to one of nervous excitement.
‘This is it, Holly. The Crystal’s inside that box,’ said Naz.
‘What! That little box? All the fighting was over just a little box like that?’ she asked innocently.
‘Well, it’s not really the box, it’s the Crystal that’s inside the box.’
‘Oh, may I see it?’ she rushed on. ‘I’ve never seen a magic Crystal before. I expect it’s so beautiful and so colourful and…’
‘Well, we can’t show you the Crystal, Holly. It’s far too dangerous. No one in our land has actually looked at it. It has power that makes people do strange things.’
‘You mean, no one here has actually looked inside? So how do you know it’s still inside the box?’
Naz laughed, ‘Well, it’s very heavy and we’d soon know if the box was empty, but don’t worry, we’re sure it’s there.’
Holly looked around the walls covered in beautiful paintings showing heroic deeds done by members of the Guards in their battles against the apes. Naz pointed to one holding pride of place on the centre wall. It showed a man of enormous size, dressed in a Guard’s tunic, offering a box to the townspeople.
‘And here is Ran, our greatest hero. It was Ran that brought us the Crystal and the Book of Histories.’ Naz and Vin stood looking in wonder at their hero.
Holly reached out and held Carter’s arm. ‘It suddenly feels so hot in here. I think I need some air. Please open a window for me, Carter.’
He led her to the windows at the back of the room. Opening one, he supported her for a moment while she leant out to take in the fresh air.
‘I’m sorry, Carter, I suddenly felt all weak and wobbly. You go and join Naz and Vin. I’m sure they want to show you their history in the paintings. They seem very proud of it, as they should be.’
‘Are you sure you’ll be all right?’
‘Yes, the air is doing me good. I’ll join you in a moment.’
Carter wandered along the walls, asking Naz to tell him about each of the paintings. The magnificent works of art showed their heroes through the ages, all painted with an obvious love for the Guards who’d protected them.
Vin looked over. Holly was reaching forward to close the lock on the window.
‘Are you feeling okay now, Holly?’ Vin asked.
‘Oh yes, I just felt a little dizzy. Must have been from being so close to such an important treasure as your Crystal.’
‘Yes, it is our greatest treasure. It’s what keeps our land at peace, allowing us to spend time making beautiful buildings like this, and painting such beautiful pictures. Before Ran brought us the Crystal, as quickly as we’d build something, the apes would arrive and burn everything down. We were at constant war.’
‘I can’t wait to tell our Clan about all the lovely things I’ve seen here,’ she said. ‘Maybe we should go now. I wouldn’t like to keep your Boss waiting.’
‘Okay, if you’ve seen enough. Did you lock the window, Holly?’
‘All safe and secure. I’m suddenly so hungry. Come on, Carter, let’s eat.’ The happiness in her voice was contagious, making them all look forward to their coming lunch.
Arriving at the central hall, Naz led them straight into the room where The Boss was working. The table was laid out with plates of half-eaten food.
‘Hello, Vin, what happened to your head?’ called The Boss as they arrived.
‘Had an accident at home, Boss. What happened to the food?’
‘Oh, I thought you weren’t coming. I didn’t want to see it go to waste. Still, you’re here now, so let’s sit down and eat.’
Carter and Holly sat on each side of The Boss, who was happy to spend his time asking them about their lives and their customs in the Southlands. Meanwhile, Naz and Vin were happy to let them talk while they continued to eat their fill from the feast specially prepared for their guests. They’d laid out fruits and sweet pastries of elaborate designs in their honour. Finally, with Naz and Vin completely full, they settled back in their seats, at ease with themselves and their lot in life. Listening to Holly and Carter tell about their customs and ceremonies made them realise how much closer the Southerners were to nature than their own people, who lived so close to a high alpine plateau.
‘Your land sounds beautiful,’ The Boss finally said. ‘I expect you’ll be wanting to return soon.’
‘Yes, Holly and I have been talking about it. Our families will be worrying about us.’
‘I’ll see you before you leave. If you’d be kind enough, I’d like to ask you to take something back with you for your king.’
‘Sam,’ added Naz. ‘He called me his friend, Boss.’
‘Is that so, Naz?’ The Boss said with genuine surprise.
‘He told me we were always welcome to visit him.’
The Boss’s eyebrows raised again.
Vin, taking the lead, stood and thanked The Boss for the lunch.
‘Maybe you could show Holly and Carter our sculptures while I quickly have a word with Naz,’ he said to Vin.
‘Sure, Boss.’ Vin led Holly and Carter down the hall, through an archway that led to a walled garden.
When the room was empty, The Boss turned to Naz. ‘Sit for a moment. I need to ask something of you.’
‘What’s that, Boss?’
‘Holly and Carter are sure to be wanting to leave soon. I think that will be a dangerous journey for a young man and a young girl.’
‘I’ve been thinking the same thing myself,’ said Naz.
‘You have?’
‘I was. I was thinking of offering to escort them back to the border.’
‘You were?’
‘Sure, Boss, you can’t let youngsters like that go running around ape-infested territory. They’ll need someone to look out for them.’
‘And you’re offering?’
‘May as well, I’m just sitting on my hands here at the moment.’
‘Thanks, Naz, but you’ll need to take some Guards with you.’
‘I was thinking of just one; we can travel fast and travel light. Probably be back here within a week.’
‘Thought of who you’d like to take?’
‘Well, I can’t ask Vin, his Mom’s not seen him for weeks. I can’t ask Caldo and Fonz. They are the most experienced, but after finding our Guards killed in the Pass like they did, it’s probably not a good idea to ask them after what they’ve been through. I was thinking of maybe Dolan. He’s over there guarding the door at the moment. He’ll probably jump at the chance to get out on a mission.’
‘Okay, give it some thought and let’s talk tomorrow. You’re a good man, Naz.’
‘Thanks, Boss. Remember that next time you’re buying lunch.’
*
Naz found the others in the garden, looking at the mosaics that showed key moments in their history. One picture showed a group of people disembarking from a boat that had been drawn up out of the crashing surf onto a beach.
‘That shows the legend of how our people first came to this land and crossed the mountains to find this oasis on the plateau,’ said Naz over their shoulder, approaching the group.
‘You see the guy standing on the beach in front of the boat in the long white robes? He’s the first one on the beach, holding a book tight. Well that’s the Book of Histories that Ran rescued. We reckon it’s the most important book because it’s pictured as being taken off the boat first.
‘And you see the guy behind him with that pointy hat holding a book? We think he’s holding the Book of Wisdom. It’s mentioned in the Histories, but we’ve no idea where that book is.
‘But this is the i
nteresting one,’ said Naz, pointing to a man still standing in the boat. ‘You see he has the red robes wrapped around his shoulders, with the bald head, and he’s holding a book too? Well, the thing we keep asking ourselves is, why is he standing higher than everyone else in the picture? And why is he still in the boat when everyone else is on the beach? All these pictures are drawn this way to tell you something. Like he’s first so he’s most important. We just can’t figure out who this guy is and what book he’s holding.’
Carter studied the mosaic closely. ‘Who made these pictures, Naz?’
‘Some have been copied from the Book of Histories, some are drawn from how Ran described seeing them. We know they’re important, too important to lose. We hope that one day, we’ll understand what they all mean.’
‘Is that your river?’ Carter asked.
‘No, that’s the ocean,’ said Vin.
Naz looked at Vin and smiled. ‘Carter, you’re gonna love the ocean!’
*
The continuous CRACK! of staffs coming together echoed across the garden through the afternoon.
Holly sat watching from the kitchen window with Rosie sitting beside her.
‘He seems to be getting quite good at this,’ said Rosie,
‘Yes, it’s continuous practice that’ll make him good. There are only so many moves, but it’s the repetition that makes you good at it. We are all taught it at home. You should see my friend Kerri. She’s the best at it. She beats boys a lot older than she is. She’s a natural. I can’t wait to see her again.’
Rosie was pleasantly surprised. This was the most Holly had said since she’d arrived.
Holly took a deep breath. ‘You know, I feel so good here, if it wasn’t for my family and friends not being here, I’d like to stay forever. I feel a real peace in this town.’
Rosie smiled. ‘It’s so nice that you say that. You know you’re very welcome to stay as long as you like.’
‘Thanks, Mrs Vin, but I know I need to get back. I have to see my family and Kerri. I have to tell them I’m really okay. Your Vin is getting really good with the staff. He’s a quick learner.’
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