"Well? are we going to stand here all night, or are you going to invite me in?" inquired Ally, flashing that knowing look at Liz again. It was as if the two women had a secret code and the joke was on him.
"Oh yes, sorry - come in," stuttered Dan, wondering what was happening.
Liz gave Ally another knowing smile, as Ally pushed her way forward and started to take off her backpack and coat. Dan sheepishly closed the door to his bedroom as Ally took a seat at the small bedroom desk. She crossed her legs and smiled at Dan with her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Dan sat on his bed facing her, he lowered his voice, "What the hell are you doing here? What's going on?"
Ally raised her finger to her lips making a gesture of silence, "Shhhh." She lowered her voice and leaned over towards Dan, he was close enough to smell the scent from her shampoo coming from her damp hair. "I have three words for you, so listen carefully; the Crocodile Queen." Ally sat back and watched the look of sheer panic and confusion spread across Dan's face.
There was a knock at his bedroom door, breaking their gaze and distracting their attention, "I'm so sorry to interrupt you two," said Liz peering around the door inquisitively, "I don't know where I left my manners. Ally dear, would you like anything? A hot tea, coffee, or water perhaps? Are you hungry?"
"Oh thanks Mrs. Proctor, I've already eaten dinner and I'm good thanks."
"Well just give me a shout if you need anything, I'll be right out here." It was a friendly gesture that was far too subtle for Dan to comprehend, but Liz had given Ally a gentle reminder that this was her house, and no funny business would be tolerated. Liz smiled to herself, taking great delight in Dan's totally vacant expression. Liz closed the door and Dan regrouped his thoughts.
"I don't know what you're talking about?" he said, fidgeting nervously, “the Crocodile Queen, is that a band?”
"You can stop the lying, I know all about her. Today, a strange oriental woman visited me; she called herself the Crocodile Queen. She met me in the pouring rain at the park, and we spent all morning together talking over coffee. I know about you and Raj, about the different realms and The Dream Cane. I know about Jean, Kaan and the three witches. The Crocodile Queen told me about her past, and more importantly, how much danger you're in. We don't have much time and you're going to have to trust me, she said she gave you a book, do you still have it?"
Dan's bottom lip had dropped a couple of inches, the secrets he’d worked so hard to keep from Ally had all been stripped away and exposed within thirty seconds of Ally entering his bedroom. She seemed so calm like she was reading a recipe or a train schedule, "You simply believed this person?"
Ally was irritated, Dan was avoiding her straightforward question and going off on his own tangent without listening to her. Was this a trait that all men were born with? "Focus - do you have this book or not?"
"Yes, it's here in my room."
"Then give it to me quickly - now."
Dan scampered to his closet and rummaged within a drawer to retrieve the book, he reluctantly handed it over to Ally. Ally opened the thick leather-bound cover and turned fifteen pages, as she’d been instructed to do. Her eyes fell upon a short verse written in the most beautiful of italics with the finest of ink. Illustrations of swirling clouds, angels, and cherubs, decorated the margins of the page, Ally raised her beautiful eyes and set the book down gently within her lap. She raised her finger to her lips again and then began to read aloud, motioning for Dan to abandon his perch on the side of his bed, and to come closer. Dan scooted across the bedroom carpet gingerly and still in pain to get to Ally.
"Ipsus diem batte havnat elmtar dar tarras," she raised her eyes again, this time peering beyond the book to focus on Dan with a flashing glance. Dan remained motionless. It was the first time she had uttered words in the old language, but they seemed eerily familiar, as if she'd said them before.
Ally continued to chant the phrase over, and over again, in this powerful long forgotten language from the old world. A bright golden column of light started to shoot from a design painted onto the parchment. Sparkling particles of gold leaf rose like buzzing fireflies catching an imaginary thermal air current. They swirled and circled, gathering into a thicker, brighter, beam. Ally placed her palm facing downward to absorb some of the rising energy, "Quickly," she hissed, "place your hand on top of mine." Dan followed her instructions as the warmth of the golden light seeped through his hand before spreading throughout his entire body. Dan experienced an inner warmth, a powerful healing energy. Eventually the beam was broken, with a thousand small golden particles falling back into the parchment of the book, like tiny bee's returning to their hive.
Ally looked pleased with her efforts, she moved her hand and folded the heavy book's binding, it closed with an audible thud. Dan felt warm and at ease, "What have you just done?" he inquired sheepishly.
"Hopefully," Ally said, letting the word hang carelessly in the air, "I've just cast a protective spell, my first ever spell. This will stop your nightmares and prevent any more wounds to your body," Ally looked at Dan knowingly and she seemed pleased with herself.
"You know about my nightmares and my injuries?" questioned Dan, clearly confused.
Ally nodded and smiled, "The Crocodile Queen has told me many things, I know more about why this is happening to you, than you do."
Dan let out an audible sigh of relief, like a great weight had suddenly been removed from his tired and bruised shoulders, "Why didn't the Crocodile Queen just come and visit me?" Ally crinkled her nose in annoyance, she felt like he didn't want her to be involved? "I mean, she's put you squarely in danger now, hasn’t she?”
Ally parked her annoyance, "I really need you to listen to me and don't interrupt. First, put this book under your pillow and keep it there, every night, without fail," she said, extending her arms and handing Dan the heavy book. Dan complied without question, moving to his bed and sliding the heavy book under his pillow as instructed. When Dan moved he did so with ease, the pain he’d felt from his injuries had simply melted away.
"Done," he said, with a touch of sarcasm.
"Good, now listen carefully to me again. You and Raj released a knight, the one who killed three witches," Dan nodded in agreement, thankful he could finally share his stories with someone who wouldn’t think he'd lost his mind. "One of the witches, the pretty one, was very powerful. Wendy was her name. Turns out that Wendy was the sister of the biggest bitch witch you could ever meet, and she's clearly not pleased that she's lost her sister. The bitch witch, is called Elora, and now she’s going to stop at nothing until she gets her revenge. Eventually, she wants to kill the Crocodile Queen, but she's going to start with you, then Kaan, then Jean, and eventually you'll lead her to her prize - the Crocodile Queen herself. Elora attacks you through your dreams, through your fears, and your nightmares. She can harm you and hurt you badly; eventually she’ll kill you. She's done this before, countless times over the centuries, and she'll do it again. The Crocodile Queen came to visit me for a reason, she explained it to me, and she knew you were not equipped to survive an attack from Elora on your own. She told me I'm here to help you, I’m here to help you survive Dan."
"I still don't understand why she told you about Raj and I; why would she put you at risk by exposing you to all of this stuff, the different realms and the Dream Cane. I'm glad she did, but I can't believe she put you in such danger?"
Ally took a deep breath, "It's our destiny." She stared at him defiantly, he knew better than to question her statement, "There's another thing that I haven't told you about yet," Dan's downward stare suddenly lifted in curiosity, "It's about my family history, my genes, and my lineage; the Crocodile Queen informed me that I'm a white witch, a good witch. I still have a lot to learn, but I was happy with my first protective spell!"
Dan smiled, "You’re a white witch," Dan held Ally’s gaze as he stared deeply into her eyes.
His concentration was broken by a loud tapping noise, followed by
a louder banging noise, emanating from Dan’s bedroom closet. They both heard the sound, moving their eyes to the origin of the sound. Dan cautiously approached his closet door; he slid the mirrored door open carefully along its rail. A brilliantly bright crimson light shot into the bedroom as small diamond shapes raced across the walls, illuminating the ceiling, like an old-fashioned disco ball. The Dream Cane seemed to leap out of the bedroom closet under its own volition, as if powered by a powerful rocket. The cane flew, sliding across the thick carpet, and finally coming to rest with its decorative glowing ball shaped knob pointing straight at Ally. Dan's mouth gaped in astonishment, he knew the Dream Cane was very choosy around whom it selected. This action was a clear signal to him that Ally had been selected to replace Raj as his partner.
The blinding bright light emanating from the Dream Cane's crimson ball started to fade as the intensity of the light dulled behind the dark red rubies set deep within the cane’s globe, "Wow, that's the Dream Cane, right?" inquired Ally.
"Yes, and it appears to like you, it’s selected you to replace Raj as my new partner."
"Partner," said Ally, her voice rising in a teasing way, "I like the sound of that," she said smiling.
Dan blushed, he could feel the heat of his blood flushing his cheeks, he turned away in embarrassment pretending to close the sliding closet door. "This is serious Ally, it means you and I will operate the Dream Cane. We’ll go on adventures together, but I need to explain this carefully to you, it has a few ground rules, well actually, a lot of ground rules. I don't have time to go through them all right now, but tell me more about this white witch thing?"
"Not much to tell," said Ally, shrugging her shoulders as she carefully examined the intricate Dream Cane, she turned it with both hands trying to inspect the carvings, "I was told by the Crocodile Queen that I was a white witch, a good witch. She told me it was in my genes, my family lineage, or something like that. This ability can skip certain generations but apparently, I have it. It connects me to something larger, something good, and it gives me the ability to cast spells, as you’ve just seen," she said, sweeping her hand as if pointing to a spell she’d just cast. She placed the cane gently back upon the carpeted floor. "I have an ability, and apparently that's why I'm so fascinated with, and drawn to, stories of witches and times gone by. We're running out of time tonight, but I can explain more later. Right now, I'm the best shot you have; you’ll need a partner to fight Elora. Dan, I will do everything I possibly can to protect you, but as the Crocodile Queen has told me, when it comes to witching, I'm a complete novice. I think the Crocodile Queen means, I have a lot of potential, but I still have a lot to learn, and I’m not sure who’s going to teach me?"
Dan listened carefully, "Remember the day I had that fight at school?"
"Yes," but you shouldn't be proud of that,” Ally looked confused and serious.
"The reason I won that fight is down to this," Dan reached forward and touched the Dream Cane. "When you go on an adventure, it's like you assume the attributes of a character, like an actor in a movie. The only difference is, you retain all the experiences and all the skills, of that character afterwards. If you're a warrior in your adventure, then you retain the warrior’s fighting skills, they never leave you. Perhaps the Dream Cane has plans for you, around your white witch education -who knows?"
"You might be right, listen it's getting late, you'll be safe tonight as long as you sleep with the book under your pillow. Don't leave it there in the morning though, you'll have to hide it again ok?" Ally pointed to the closet.
Dan agreed, "I will."
"Good, we both have a lot to catch up on, so we’ll need to talk some more tomorrow at school. I have to go now," Ally leaned forward and did something that caught Dan completely by surprise. She moved her face towards Dan, stopping inches from his mouth and closing her eyes. For a fleeting moment, a cloudy fog rushed through Dan's brain, as he asked himself what she was doing? For an instant Dan felt foolish and inexperienced, then he seemed to take charge, understand, and moved forward to kiss Ally with as much passion as he could muster.
It was Ally who finally broke off the kiss, leaping to her feet in one fluid movement, "I need to go now. She opened the bedroom door, her body buzzing from their first kiss, and called out to Liz who was watching TV in the living room. “Thanks Mrs. Proctor, I have to go now before its gets too late, I'll see you at school tomorrow Dan, thanks for your help," she said, fooling nobody.
Liz leapt to her feet, "Oh ok, are you going to be ok getting home Ally?"
"Yes, no problem," she said, struggling to get her arm into her coat in a hurry, aware of the blush racing to her cheeks.
"Ok, well come again anytime, it's really nice to have visitors, I mean, for Dan to have visitors," Liz stumbled awkwardly over her words trying to be friendly.
"Thanks Mrs. Proctor, have a good night."
Liz moved closer to Ally, "Good night love, and please call me Liz," she said, with a genuine smile. Ally smiled back politely.
Dan watched Ally leave with his mouth hanging open and his head swirling. Liz noticed her son's besotted look, she laughed discreetly at the effect this beautiful vibrant young woman exiting their apartment had on Dan.
* * * * *
The Sixth Realm - Bardonia
Chapter 4: Desperate Times.
Crescent Island, Bardonia.
“The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will; and the other from a strong won't.”
The sun had beaten a hasty retreat far beyond the wooden tree line to travel across the sky high above the crocodile infested waters of Crescent Island; the shadows were growing longer as patches of darkness snuffed out the persistent light valiantly trying to shine through the trees. The Crocodile Queen paced impatiently across the dark stone floor of the great hall while she waited for her visitor. She was desperate for a conversation to allow her to share her immense feelings of guilt, "I've left two poorly-equipped children to deal with this, how could I have been so stupid?" she mumbled to herself, still angry at the circumstances she’d created. "They won't last the length of a parrot's song against the power of Elora," she shook her head in dismay as a worry line creased across her forehead. "Damn it!" she raised her voice in frustration.
Finally, her torturous solitude was broken by the welcome creaking sound of a large wooden door. She spun around expectantly, briskly walking to the door to meet her visitor. A large guard stepped aside to reveal the familiar brown robes of a monk; it had to be Kaan, although a large hood hid his face. The monk walked confidently into the room, the Crocodile Queen recognized his familiar gait, and it was Kaan. Kaan lifted his chin to reveal his bearded rugged face, eternally scarred from his fight with a demon; a fight where he’d almost lost an eye. Kaan proceeded to do something that she'd never seen before, he stepped to one side out of respect and deferred to a shape emerging behind him. Kaan was a proud man with strong values, a confident and calm man, but today he appeared nervous, and a little uncomfortable. A shape followed Kaan into the room.
The Crocodile Queen was fascinated as she blinked rapidly, her eyes trying to focus on the misty fog-like shape that billowed into the room. Was it fog? no, it was too thick and too solid to be fog. The edges of this apparition were not clearly defined, constantly moving, creating a blurred image like a badly taken photograph. Her brain couldn't process this, she couldn't comprehend the image in front of her; she’d never encountered anything like this before. The room warmed with a sudden rush of warm air instantly killing the damp chill, it happened in an instant. The Crocodile Queen was transfixed, her eyes were drawn to the misty shape undulating before her, it was the shape of a woman, but her features, image, form, and shape, changed rapidly. It was hypnotic, mesmerizing, and strangely alluring.
The shape floated gracefully towards the Crocodile Queen, she could feel it's warmth. Kaan stepped forward bowing his head slightly; Kaan raised his chin flipping the large brown hood of
his robe back to reveal his face. He addressed the Crocodile Queen informally, "My friend, and guardian protector of the Sixth Realm of Bardonia, I present to you Atheria, spiritual leader of the Ninth Realm," Kaan backed away respectfully.
The Crocodile Queen smiled, her mind muddled in a confused state, she watched Kaan step aside, "But there is no Ninth Realm?" she stated, without considering her words and their impact.
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