Max Stone and the Lost Star of Zirdon

by Declan Clarke

  ‘You have done well to wrap the wound Max but I fear you have taken quite a fall.’

  He opened the box and there was a splishing, splashing sound. He reached his hairy hand inside and took out a slimy, squirming, dripping animal. It looked like a giant catfish only with the head of an eel. Its mouth wasn’t in front, it was underneath and to Max’s horror it was a slurpy giant sucker. It wriggled and squirmed in Mar-Hoc-Seia’s hands.

  ‘What’s that?’ asked Max terrified.

  ‘An ug-sucker’ he replied calmly as if it was the most normal thing in the world, while the odd fish splashed around in his hands. Well maybe it was the most normal thing in this world - but not for Max.

  ‘Max’ he said ‘show me your leg’

  ‘What? You must be crazy, you’re not putting that ugly thing anywhere near my leg!’

  Mar-Hoc-Seia looked at Boctamus and smiled. ‘His grandfather was also the same the first time he saw an ug-sucker.’

  Turning back to Max, he said. ‘We have learned from your grandfather that many things on our world are very strange to you. But trust me Max; this will do you much good.’

  Mar-Hoc-Seia took the ug-sucker and slapped its round slimy mouth right onto Max’s leg.

  The slimy creature instantly stuck to Max and he could feel the pressure ‘AAARRRRGH, what are you doing to me?’ His leg hurt like crazy ‘Aarrgh, that hurts!’

  Boctamus stood behind Max and placed his hand on his shoulder, ‘Just give it a moment Max, breath, relax, and all will be well.’

  Within seconds Max could feel the pressure and the pain slip away from his leg. After a minute or two the ug-sucker slimed its way up and down his leg, the powerful sucker mouth holding it in place. It fixed firmly onto his ankle. The pain began to ease and he felt much better.

  ‘Now for something to eat’ said Mar-Hoc-Seia, happy that Max’s leg was on the mend.

  He disappeared for a few moments and came back with a tray of food.

  ‘Here, please eat.’

  Max looked at the tray of food which was covered with wrinkly cheese and odd shaped fruits and a cup of a rich coloured juice. He reached out for the cup first and took a tiny sip. He was nicely surprised to find it tasted a little of pineapples and oranges mixed with some other berries and he gulped it down. Next he tried the cheese. The first one he tried was a little salty and tasty but the second one smelled of old socks and he quickly put that down.

  Boctamus laughed, ‘that was one of your grandfather’s favourites’

  ‘But it stinks’ complained Max. He quickly ate more from the tray - golden nuts and sweet fruit - and soon began to feel much better. The pain in his leg had disappeared and Mar-Hoc-Seia took off the ug-sucker and replaced it in its silver box. He was amazed to find that there was no swelling.

  He suddenly felt sleepy and yawned.

  ‘You’ve had a long and difficult trip, Max. Perhaps you should rest for now and we can talk later.’

  Boctamus got a blanket for Max and placed it over him in the chair. Max was about to say no but he was really too sleepy to object.

  He closed his eyes and was fast asleep in seconds, his dreams filled with dinosaurs, adventures and the Lost Star of Zirdon.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ATTACK OF THE KAEMON KLANN

  Max woke with a start.

  His dreams had been filled with adventure and aliens and all sorts of crazy things. As he looked around the strange room he sat in, Max realised that it hadn’t been a dream. He was truly on Zirdon. He looked down to his side where the precious box sat on the ground. It was hard to believe that it contained the Lost Star, and that his Granddad Arthur had taken it to safety.

  Just then the door opened and both Boctamus and Mar-Hoc-Seia walked in.

  ‘Good to see you have rested, Max. How is the leg?’ asked Mar-Hoc-Seia with a kind smile.

  Max stood up delicately on his leg still expecting some pain, but it was fine ‘It’s great thanks.’

  ‘I am sure you must have many questions Max, where would you like me to start?’

  Max thought about it for a second, picked up the box, opened it and drew out the stone. Both Mar-Hoc-Seia and Boctamus jumped back and covered their eyes as surely as if he had splashed hot acid in their faces.

  ‘Please’ said Boctamus ‘put it away’.

  In surprise Max returned the stone to the box.

  ‘Perhaps we have the first question?’ said Mar-Hoc-Seia, catching his breath. ‘No one from Zirdon may touch or come near the Lost Star. It is the same for all worlds. To you this is but a stone, but to us it is one of the most powerful forces on our planet.’

  ‘Wow’ said Max, ‘I’m sorry, I really didn’t know. Is the box made of some special material?’

  ‘Ah yes, that was one of your grandfather’s better inventions. He brought a thin metal from your world, aluminium he called it, and lined the inside of the box. This way we are protected from the powers of the Star once it is in the box.’

  ‘Why do you keep calling it a Star?’ asked Max confused ‘and why is it so bad if the Reptile men get their hands on it?’

  ‘Two excellent questions Max. You see, when every planet is formed, there is a first piece to begin with. All other parts of the planet are formed around it; the corner stone if you like. What you hold is the first piece of our planet, the Lost Star of Zirdon.’

  Boctamus added ‘It was only by your grandfather’s bravery that the Star was not lost to us forever.’

  ‘Yes, yes, the Kaemon Klann. I am sorry you had to meet those foul creatures Max,’ said Mar-Hoc-Seia, ‘but they are the reason we are in such trouble. You see the Kaemon Klann are nomads that are cursed to roam from one planet to another. Once they end up on a planet they may not leave until the very heart of the planet dies.’

  ‘Ah’ said Max beginning to understand, ‘the Lost Star.’

  ‘Yes’ said Boctamus, ‘and this is why your grandfather fought so bravely to keep it from their grasp. For, once in their hands, they would destroy it, and our planet would slowly die.’

  ‘Yes’ added Mar-Hoc-Seia ‘these daemons rip out the heart of every planet that they are cursed to visit; only then are they free to move on.’

  ‘But how did my grandfather come across it? How did he bring it to earth?’ asked Max.

  ‘It was perhaps three earth-years ago, but only four months here on Zirdon, when your grandfather returned with the Lost Star. Time travels differently on Zirdon to your home Max’

  ‘Differently, how?’

  ‘Well you have been here for almost one full day now but on earth only a short time has passed. But the real part of this story happened many years ago when the Kaemon Klann first invaded. Once they landed, they fought our people, stole from us and burned everything they could. Their aim was to steal the Lost Star, destroy it and so move on to another planet, as they are cursed to do. Once the Kaemon land on a planet for the first time they have the power to unearth that planets Star. KRÄÄXOR, hated leader of the Kaemon Klann, came very close to stealing the Star of Zirdon and your grandfather and I went to the very heart of our planet, the Stone of Azul, in a desperate quest to save our people.

  Mar-Hoc-Seia continued: ‘It was a very dangerous thing we had to do and Boctamus here and other Warriors of the Tigral Tribe assisted us. We just had to get the Lost Star before they did and only for your grandfather’s help we could never have tried it.’

  Boctamus nodded in agreement: ‘This is true Max, he was a very brave man. He risked his life to save us.’

  ‘But why did he bring it back to earth, surely that was not part of your plan?’ asked Max.

  ‘True’ responded Boctamus ‘but the Kaemon had stolen the Lost Star from the very centre of our planet and your grandfather stole it back from KRÄÄXOR. We were trapped and greatly outnumbered by the reptilian dogs.’

  ‘Many of my tribe, the Tigral Tribe, and their Fight-Cats were killed in the battle to save the Star’

  ‘Fight-Cats? Is that lik
e the one who brought us here?’ asked Max.

  ‘Yes, Max. We have a special bond with the Fight-Cats of Zirdon, we hunt as one. But there were too many of the lizard soldiers and we were not ready for the viciousness of their attack. They broke a few of us off from our main pack and began to pick us off one by one’ Boctamus said sadly.

  ‘That was when your grandfather opened up the portal to your world and brought the Star to safety’ said Mar-Hoc-Seia.

  ‘The daemon dog, KRÄÄXOR, attacked him as he parted, giving him the wound that would later kill him.’ Again, at the sound of the leader of the Kaemon Klann’s name, Boctamus looked as though he would fight him there and then.

  Mar-Hoc-Seia hung his head low. ‘It was a terrible loss Max. His plan was to return here with the Star so that we might find a way of banishing these monsters before they destroyed our world. But with the Star gone our planet slowly began to die. Where your grandfather had planned to be gone for no more than a few hours, a day at most, it has been several of our months.’

  ‘Yes’ added Boctamus, ‘and our warriors lie sleeping in the hills, all of their energy drained as the life force of the planet drains away. ‘

  ‘The Kaemon Klann were furious at our act, knowing that without the Star they would be stuck here forever. They took over our beloved City of Elgonze, banishing all from the Swaveb Tribe to underground shelters such as these. These shelters were formed over millions of years and can support life. Many of our Swaveb Tribe live in these shelters and mine the Kerlang Stones.

  ‘The what?’

  ‘Sorry Max, so many things are new to you’ replied Mar-Hoc-Seia. ‘The Kerlang stones are how we build our great city, Elgonze. We mine them down here in the caverns. This is also how the cavern outside supports life. We line the top of the cavern with the stones and light pours in from above and is greatly attracted to the Kerlang Stones. These stones make the light stronger and radiate it out and make it seem like it is daytime underground. That is how plants and trees flourish here.’

  ‘My tribe took refuge in the hills to live among their Fight-Cats’ said Boctamus.

  ‘So what can we do? asked Max, ‘is there some way to restore the Lost Star?’

  Again Mar-Hoc-Seia hung his head low, ‘I am afraid this is too dangerous a task for you to undertake Max, there are simply too many dangers and I fear STRÄÄLUS will have alerted them that you are here’

  ‘But surely I am the only one that can do it? I mean you can’t even hold the Star. How will you ever return it and restore the energy back to Zirdon?’

  The question hung in mid-air un-answered.

  Just then a sound like thunder rocked the room. It sounded like the whole place was about to cave in.

  The door burst open and another creature that looked like Mar-Hoc-Seia burst in.

  ‘Quick, quick!!’ the first of them to enter room shouted. ‘The Kaemon Klann have attacked, we must get everyone to the southern caves, to safety…’

  The creature stopped in mid-sentence and his eyes opened wide at the sight of Max standing in the room. Just then another much older looking furry alien crashed in behind him almost knocking the first one over.

  They looked to Mar-Ho-Seia with an amazed look upon their furry faces.

  ‘Yan-Ho, Sey-Mar, this is Max Stone, he has returned the Lost Star. Boctamus found him out in the desert a few hours ago.’

  The two members of the Swaveb Tribe were out of breath and the first who had entered the room, Yan-Ho, panted as he said ‘They must know he is here, with the Star!’

  Sey-Mar caught his breath and recovered a little from the shock of finding the earth boy on Zirdon. ‘They have sent almost two dozen soldiers and they search for an entrance to our home.’

  Yan-Ho continued. ‘It is only a matter of time before they find it Mar-Hoc-Seia. We must get the boy and the Star away from here.’

  ‘I will take him through the northern caves’ said Boctamus, ‘it is dangerous but safer than facing so many of the reptile dogs’

  Mar-Hoc-Seia considered for a moment as another loud pounding sound announced the urgency of the Kaemon Klann attack.

  He turned to Max and spoke seriously ‘Max, this is a very brave thing you do, but please, please be careful. You hold the most precious thing on our planet and if the Kaemon Klann lay their hands upon it we are all doomed.’

  Max nodded, a spirit of adventure rising inside. He reached into his pocket and felt the penknife his

  Granddad had left for him. ‘I’ll do it’ he said confidently. ‘I’ll do it for Granddad Arthur.’

  ‘Please’ urged Yan-Ho, ‘we have to hurry or they shall be upon us.’

  Boctamus stood beside his friend Mar-Hoc-Seia. ‘I will take him through the northern caves, you lead your Tribe to safety through the caves to the south.’

  ‘Thank you Boctamus, but is it wise? The northern caves will lead you right into the City of Elgonze?’

  ‘It is the only way,’ he responded.

  The two friends shook hands and Boctamus led Max outside into the chaos.

  CHAPTER SIX

  DASH TO ELGONZE

  ‘Hurry!’ urged Boctamus, ‘and keep the box close at all times.’

  Max followed Boctamus out of Mar-Hoc-Seia’s room and out into the underground cavern where the Swaveb Tribe now lived. He looked again in amazement at the waterfall that fell from the sky. From the ground-shattering noise he guessed that this was where the Kaemon Klann tried to break in.’

  ‘How does that waterfall fall inside?’ Max asked as they rushed to the cave entrance.

  ‘It is a river that disappears into a swallow hole underground. Now Max we must hurry before they spot you and that’ he pointed to the box under Max’s arms. ‘ If they find you with the Lost Star we are in very deep trouble.’

  Lots of other questions filled Max’s head, like how did the birds that flew around the trees get there?’

  ‘Crash!’ a piece of the roof near the waterfall came thundering to the ground and Max could hear the urgent screams of soldiers coming from outside. The Kaemon Klann had arrived.

  Below, Max caught sight of Mar-Hoc-Seia and his two friends Yan-Ho and Sey-Mar as they guided all of their tribe-folk towards the safety of the southern caves.

  ‘Crash!’ Another larger piece of the roof came shuddering to the ground and Max could see a huge bony head poke its way through. It looked like some sort of prehistoric monster was trying to dig its way inside!

  ‘Oh no!’ cried Boctamus, ‘they are using Bluntnoses to dig their way in. We have to get out of here Max, and fast!’ cried Boctamus. ‘The others will be safe in the southern caves but if we don’t move soon we will be lizard food. Come on!!’

  Smash! More pieces of the roof cavern fell to the ground and Max could see the head of not just one Bluntnose but three. Scrambling behind them he could make out the scaly legs of the lizard warriors.

  Max didn’t need to be asked again and set off as fast as he could to follow Boctamus.

  After a short dash, Boctamus stopped at the cold dark entrance to the northern caves.

  ‘This will take us directly to the City of Elgonze and from there we can travel north to the Zagger Zee and on to replace the Lost Star.’

  ‘But what of the others? Max asked again.

  Mar-Hoc-Seia will lead them through the southern caves where they will be safe.’

  ‘But won’t the Kaemon Klann follow them? Or us?’

  ‘Ha! Those reptiles cannot stand the cold depths of these caves; it is far too chilly for them. Like all reptiles, they need the heat of the sun to survive.’

  The mouth of the cave yawned blackly before them and Boctamus took two torches from the wall and lit them.

  ‘Hurry Max, once inside we will be safe from KRÄÄXOR and his soldiers.’

  The light from the two torches cast an eerie glow inside the caves. Shadows danced and flickered on the walls and Max felt the icy chill creep on his skin.

  Boctamus led the way, his torch
held high out in front of him. ‘We must move swiftly but carefully Max, other creatures live in these dark caves. Stay close behind.’

  They took the first few steps slowly, allowing Max’s eyes to adjust to the darkness of the cave and the flickering light of his torch. From behind them they could hear the sounds of the Kaemon Klann breaking their way into the underground shelter, the Bluntnoses ripping the protection of the cavern’s roof away with their powerful claws.

  Boctamus began to move faster down the narrow path of the cave.

  The cave shuddered behind them as the whole roof of the cavern gave way and dozens of Kaemon Klann poured inside. Boctamus moved faster and faster, wanting to get as deep into the safety of the cold as he could. The roars and grunts of the angry lizard warriors were mixed with high pitched screams and Boctamus paused and looked back in horror to Max.

  ‘Screechers!!’ He said with a note of panic in his voice. ‘Quickly Max, we have to get to a high ledge for safety.’

  ‘Screechers?’ asked Max

  ‘No time now Max, move!’ Boctamus looked around the flickering light of the cave and said. ‘Up here, Max, we should be safe up here.’ He pointed to a high ledge just inside? the tunnel and ran towards it. Behind them the screeching became louder and more frantic.

  Boctamus cupped his two hands together -‘Come, Max, I’ll give you a leg up.’ Max dashed forward and put his foot into the cupped hands and Boctamus hooshed him onto the high ledge.

  Just then the cave was filled with the sounds of dozens of scurrying feet and ear-splitting shrieking. Boctamus reached his torch up to Max -‘Keep it lighting Max, we’ll need it’. He turned to face the angry creatures as they flooded into the tunnel.

  Max watched as dozens of mini T-Rex-like dinosaurs swarmed into the cave like a small army. They were no higher than Boctamus’s waist but Max could make out the glimmer of needle sharp teeth while they snapped and hissed as they planned their kill. They fixed their beady black eyes on Boctamus and swished their large reptilian tails, excited by sight of their prey.