THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN OF TARTARUS
First Edition
By: Clark Merchant
The Forgotten Children of Tartarus
By
Clark Merchant
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Published by: Clark Merchant at Smashwords/Wordclay/Amazon
Copyright © 2011 by Clark merchant
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This book may not be reproduced or copied. This book may be distributed in a non-commercial manner only, unless written permission from the author has been granted. This book is for reading and entertainment purposes only and may not be changed in anyway unless by the author
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Copyright © 2011 by Clark Merchant The Forgotten Children of Tartarus Series One. All rights reserved. This story is a work of fiction and a product of the author’s imagination. Resemblance to any actual person living or dead is purely coincidental
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This book is dedicated to
Veronica, Tyler, Michaela and Declan
Thanks for all the fun
Authors Notes
“Children are people younger than adults and have better eyes for reading.”
First off, I want to say thank you for purchasing this book. I hope you dig it. This book is divided into five separate episodes, each containing five chapters. It follows a single story. I am an independent Author and in order to save you a penny or two, I do not employ professional help to proof read my stories and therefore you may find a few mistakes here and there. I do try my best to minimise those errors but after all, I’m only human. Now back to the business of filling your head with nonsense. I’ll just add thank you, enjoy and feel free to comment.
Contents
Episode One | Bella and the Piemaker’s
Chapter One | Missing Children
Chapter Two | Passing Hell
Chapter Three | Dungeons
Chapter Four | Dragons
Chapter Five | Sweet Release
Episode Two | Kelly and the Bone Sword of Sorrow
Chapter One | The Beach
Chapter Two | Slime
Chapter Three | Breaking the Ice and Taking a Bite
Chapter Four | Mount Soltacet
Chapter Five | Vampires
Episode Three | Nathan
Chapter One | Nathan
Chapter Two | No Way Out
Chapter Three | Vampires Verse Spiders
Chapter Four | Trapped
Chapter Five | Flower Power
Episode Four | Wizards, Witches and Werewolves
Chapter One | Forgiveness
Chapter Two | Antiqua
Chapter Three | The Execution Warrant
Chapter Four | The Coliseum
Chapter Five | The Beast
Episode Five | Titan
Chapter One | Ship Wrecked
Chapter Two | Dead
Chapter Three | Flushable Toilets
Chapter Four | Chocolate
Chapter Five | Home
Episode One
Bella and the Piemaker’s
Chapter One
Missing Children
Silky grey clouds covered the sun on the day of Bella’s unfortunate theft. It sank the world into an abyss of dreary cold fog, and blinded the world of hopeful tales. It left only dark imaginings and thoughts of ancient despair for its inhabitants. This sort of thing really got Bella in a bad mood. You see she was blonde and had blue eyes with a constitution much more suited to summer. She would always be seen in jeans and a T-shirt. She absolutely refused to wear a coat and she would often say “winter is a giant pooh, I hate it!” Then stamp her foot as hard as she could before storming off to play in the very typical English wood outside her garden. Her parents lived in a very large house, and Bella was just a little spoiled for my tastes. With her two bedrooms, she had all to herself, filled with toys and clothes she rarely shared or played with other children and constantly found herself in trouble. However once you’ve scratched a little deeper you’ll find that Bella is perhaps the most extraordinary and powerful soul you’ll ever meet.
Bella was in her favourite part of the wood. She liked this part of the wood because, for one it was in the middle, and two she had enough space to dance and jump around without getting her very precious face assaulted by a tree or branch. It was just coming up to four o’clock and the sun was setting in the distance, much too dark for skipping about but light enough to stay and day dream. It was often Bella’s habit to sit on a nearby tree stump where she would scratch pictures into the mud with some old twig she would find lying in the mud. Then her mother would come and fetch her when it got too dark. On this night however her mother did not come.
It was already dark and Bella was beginning to get a little scared, to top things off it began to rain. She wanted to go back, but knew she wouldn’t find her way in the dark. The rain was cold and relentless, she curled up on her tree stump sobbing to herself, and mumbling single words like “Mummy” or “help.” Staring helplessly down at the muddy floor, she had been using as her own private easel. She saw the smallest of lights coming from within the watery hole she had dug earlier. She had scratched the soaking earth so much it had left a small hole which by now had a puddle inside and was gleaming with light. “What?” Bella mumbled shivering. She went down on her hands and knees and looked a little closer. The light was now bright enough for Bella to see a large portion of the wood and Bella for just a moment thought to herself that it was going to light her way home and all would be splendid again in the loving arms of her mother. But her elation soon dissolved, and as quickly as it appeared, the light warped itself into a beautiful black rose. It stood there gazing, almost as if it was looking at Bella begging for her to pick it. Bella lent forward and grasped the rose by its stem. She gave it a firm tug. The rose gave just a little, then without warning or concern it wrapped itself around Bella’s arm and yanked it into the hole. She pulled against the rose so hard, harder than she had ever pulled in her life, but it was no use. The rose had her, and with a whimper Bella disappeared forever into the mud, never to be seen on this world again.
Chapter Two
Passing Hell
Bella held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut whilst the mud engulfed her entire body, she could feel herself being dragged down by the mysterious black rose that had her in its grasp. It was at this point when she realized her hand was pulling free of the mud and it was only a matter of time before the rest of her body slid beneath the suffocating mess that was the mud above. She rubbed off her eyes with her one free hand before opening them to a sight unimaginable.
She was now hanging upside down and waist deep in mud. There seemed to be just a small patch of earth above her. She was floating in an infinite sky of red and purple clouds churning and conjuring up lightning storms so vast and treacherous they could easily swallow anything whole. Below her she could see the everlasting stem of the rose that had her so hopelessly tied to her uncertain fate. She pulled desperately at the rose gasping for freedom she would never stop struggling. Soon she was free and then she was whizzed through the burning air by the powerful rose. Quickly she descended into the unknown. Bella screamed as her heart started beating ever faster and her blood raced through her body like rush hour in the subway. More and more she screamed. Deeper and deeper she fell.
The rose finally let her go and Bella fell to her uncertainty. Not excepting that she might hit the ground and be no more. Bella could never admit defeat. She just simply didn’t have it in her, or so she thought.
Bella hit the ground with a thud and with no more pain than when one falls off a bed at night. She sat up suddenly trying to take a minute to calm herself down after such an ordeal. This bought Bella to tears once again. The poor nine year old girl had never ever had something so terrible happen to her. What She did not know was that things were about to get a whole lot worse. Bella cried for what would seem like an eternity before she even thought about looking at where she was. She had been hearing loud banging noises and steam venting in the distance. She didn’t really like the idea of finding out just what was making that (In Bella’s words) icky noise. It was however not in Bella’s true nature to stay there crying and rocking backwards and forwards forever like a depressed jack in the box. She eventually lifted her head and took a tearful and fearful look around.
She was in a vast field of thorny black branches and stems with black rose like flowers sprouting out everywhere. Deep into the distance sat a vast stone fortress glowing red with industry and churning out purple smoke from its thousands of chimneys. There was nothing else as far as the eye could see. Bella knew the only way she could survive was to somehow get there. Through the thorns and endless entanglements Bella climbed and waded for hours. She never seemed to get closer to the city. Then in her struggle she tripped and fell in a flat patch of blackened soul. She wondered why the ground was flat and had no branches or flowers. In looking a little closer she knew. Just ahead of her was a small concrete tunnel poking out of the ground rather like a sewage pipe only it dripped out wet sticky blood instead of waste. The plants had a large circle of branches to capture the dripping blood just under the pipe. The flat ground was made of thousands of black vines feeding the plants from the puddle. At last Bella had her answer, but it was not an answer she liked at all. She knew the tunnel would lead to the city and all she had to do was to climb in it and follow it straight there. Have you ever climbed into a drain pipe and followed it to the end before? Yes - the same dreads struck Bella. The thoughts of spiders, rat’s, sticky wet blood and horrifying smells swelled Bella’s fears until her heart was about to pop like a balloon. She was not going in there. She would wait for someone to rescue her.
She paced up and down trying to think of any reason not to go into the pipe but just simply couldn’t. In the most amazing display of uncanny bravery - Bella crawled into the pipe with its many cringe worthy fears. She stepped deeper and deeper into the pipe that seemed to be lit from the other end almost too well. She could see the blood flowing below her and the green drippy wet stalactites above her. As for spiders there were plenty, tiny little black ones that kept crawling up Bella’s arm and coursing her to stop and smack them every three or four crawls she made forward. Some would get as far as her neck, making her spine twinge before she could vengefully retaliate. Bella was mortified but by now used to the dirt and slime, so kept on crawling for what must have been at least half a mile.
Bella was getting close to the end of the tunnel now and she could see the light ahead of her getting brighter. She hoped that when she got to the end her Mum would be waiting for her with a warm towel and freshly run bath. It was as obvious to Bella as it is to you and I that this was never going to be the case, but it was what kept her going. Closer and closer Bella crawled smacking spider after spider and cringing for every little drop of slime she suffered from the stalactites above. She could hear the clanging and grinding of machines getting ever closer too, but she could not think of it. It was simply just too much as she drew towards the end of the tunnel, she poked her head through at last and looked down at a site that would turn the monster under your bed a lighter shade of green.
Chapter Three
Dungeons
Bella had managed to penetrate the bowels of the city that was once so impossibly far away. She had put her fears aside and crawled through desperate odds. Bella the girl was becoming a champion. Arguably she would have been better off staying to rot in the hell outside the blistering heat of the city but never the less she was there. She looked down from out the pipe, finding herself high above the city floor about halfway up - simply the tallest wall you could ever conceive. The stone wall was covered in pipes and holes all part of an elaborate design to provide blood to the plants outside no doubt. There was a ladder directly below the pipe leading to the ground. Bella was scared at first but quickly overcame her fears and began to climb down the ladder step by step with an ever increasing threat from the loud clanging and grinding of the city centre drawing closer and closer. Bella had decided she was not going to head towards the middle of the city, but run towards what looked like a living area, in the opposite direction to the red hot purple burning centre of that rusty and terrible old city. She thought something friendly must live here somewhere and that seemed to be the most likely place.
She reached the bottom and headed straight towards the opening she had hoped was a safe place to rest for a while. Her little legs carried her as fast as she could. Closer and closer she had the horrid sounds of the city finally behind her, closer and closer until at last she ran through the opening. Back against the wall she looked around. Above her was a sign that read “Dungeons of the Piemaker’s. Rest here the hopeless.” Bella clearly did not like the look of this and ran straight out of the opening. She ran as fast as she could, constantly looking behind her until. Slam! Bella felt a slimy wet lump of muscle pressed hard against her now static face. Before she could think, an ancient long finger nailed crooked green claw, grabbed her by the neck and raised her two feet clear off the ground. Bella kicked and struggled but with no effect. She looked down at a hideous goblin like creature with a hooked nose and slimy green wrinkly old body. She froze and stared as all hope of home left her tired body forever. Her eyes grew a deeper shade of grey.
The Piemaker said not a word. It just stared at Bella with the intent to kill. It did not however kill her. The Piemaker snarled as if to restrain a tic or urge. It flung Bella to the floor, Bella coughed from the kicked up dust and tried to stand, but she was just too weak. The Piemaker used his long ape like arms to grab Bella by an ankle and began to drag her along the floor. Bella turned her face upwards and watched. She was helpless and being dragged on her back into the Piemaker’s dungeons. She saw nothing above her but flaming torches one after another. Dragged through the screams and horrors of the Dungeons corridors, finally they stopped. A metal clunk of the rusted steel door saw her flung into a cell and left alone in the dark once again.
It was hot and dry and Bella was drained of her energy, but she managed to crawl towards a pile of straw in the corner. Not before snagging her knee on a rusty old nail lying on the floor. She for some reason picked it up and began to cradle it like it was a teddy bear. She lay curled up in the corner cradling her new friend the nail for hours - until her tears finally dried up and she felt strong enough again to look around.
She felt all over the prison walls searching for something to light. She was not without luck. On the left side wall was a torch all set up and ready to be lit. She had no idea how she was going to do this. She was nine and simply didn’t carry lighters or matches. To the side of the torch was a small side plate of powder, Bella didn’t really know what to make of it, as she pinched a small piece up with her hands. She sniffed it but could not determine any distinguishable smell or use for that matter. Staring at the powder pinched in her hands she lost her cool. Turning quickly, she threw the powder at the wall and screamed stamping her foot. With this action a bright burst of light ignited out of the torch almost blinding Bella. Having suffered in the dark for so long, Bella’s eyes slowly adjusted to the new conditions revealing a perfectly lit torch and rather rotten old dungeon cell. Still it was much better than being in the dark.
Bella looked around for anything she could use, not even the dead old skeleton in the corner scared her now and she felt quite brave. She noticed scratched into the wall a message wrote, surely by the previous victim of the Piemaker’s. Before she could read it a small shutter at the bottom of the door clanged open and in flew a dirty old tray with a piece of bread and a glass of muddy water. Bella leapt at the tray without even thinking and practically swallowed the bread in one bite. She then gulped away at the water with not a care in the world for its possible poisoning. Once finished she placed the tray neatly next to the door flap and sat back in her straw clutching her nail and trying to make sense of the inscription on the wall. It read “Kelly, the clocks. Eric.” Bella had no idea what to make of this but was so tired she fell fast asleep before she could even begin to figure it out.
It’s hard to tell how long Bella slept for, but it’s quite possible she slept for at least a day. She awoke to the banging and clanging of the rusted steel door. She sat up to attention immediately and hid her nail in the back pocket of her jeans. Two terrible looking Piemaker’s stomped into the room and began dragging her by the ankle’s again out towards the centre of the city.
Chapter Four
Dragons
Bella watched the world around her zoom past as she was dragged towards the city. She was done hoping or crying. She had given up caring and just looked forward to whatever would end this nightmare. The air was quickly getting hotter and so stuffy she could barely breathe. It felt like her chest was about to collapse in on her and turn to dust, and the sound that had been taunting Bella ever since she was dragged into this dreadful place had finally reached its loudest point.
They approached the massive gates of the stone and iron castle, and there they stood. The Piemaker’s looked up at a gate keeper, cowardly hidden in a crow’s nest just above. After they had exchanged glances the gate keeper raised a small enchanted whistle and gave it a blow. It released a menacing black smoke that weaved and bellowed its way towards the centre of the gate. This gave the gate permission to open, and so it did. The gate roared and creaked revealing nothing but pure terror. The Titan sized hall the gates led into was made purely of rusted metal, stone, and molten rock. On both sides were level upon level of conveyor belts carrying coal and other things for burning in an endless stream of never ending need. Rivers of lava, leading into the centre were confined to the halls floors only, but burnt so hot you felt like you would melt just by looking at them. The floor was red and hot with rusted iron and studded with huge rivets. In the centre was what seemed to be an oven, made of the same horrid rusted iron the floor so tortuously hosted. It stood from the ground to the ceiling, spanning the width of the entire hall. It had small man sized openings yielding to the levels upon levels of conveyor belts constantly churning away at their menacing duties. Just in front of the great oven sat eight thrones with Piemaker’s on each of them. They were not ordinary Piemaker’s with slimy green skin. They had dry white skin, rather like dust as if they were slowly turning to stone or with any luck, pigeon pooh. Not to mention the one sat in the centre throne. He was at least eight feet tall compared to the average four feet, your green slimy foes might normally be.
Bella was dragged towards the foot of the eight thrones and dropped by the Piemaker’s. They both bowed gracefully towards the larger of the Piemaker’s thrones. He seemed to stare at the two Piemaker’s as if to suggest they were lucky to be alive, let alone have an audience with him. They fearfully stepped back into the crowd. While Bella was focusing on all the horrors of the hall and the Piemaker’s in front of her - she had failed to notice that behind her there were hundreds upon hundreds of curious Piemaker’s. They had followed her into the hall to witness her execution. She stood to her feet and faced the eight Piemaker’s staring up at them with a look of pure rage covering her every feature.
“Why are you alive?” The eight foot Piemaker said. He repeated his questioned racing forward towards Bella as if to rip her limb from limb “Why are you alive?” Bella stared deeply into the eyes of this beast fearlessly. Despite the attempts the Piemaker made to bring his face close enough to hers and make himself look even more deadly than he already was. The Piemaker whispered to Bella “Because I allow it.” He turned and walked towards his throne, raised his head and began to brag about his wicked ways, “I - the great Moloch have decreed that for now you are to exist, for the moment. I, who would burn ten thousand children in a single day - have granted you life. Your blood is all I value. Your blood is what I have not yet taken.” He delayed before turning back to Bella and whispering to her once again. “Tell me how is it that tens of thousands of children have been ripped from their earth and cooked into pies by my hand, yet you manage to attempt an escape? Tell me - Bella.” He seemed to cringe and struggle when he said Bella’s name aloud as if it was not something he has ever been permitted to say. Bella looked back at him and whispered in his large pointy ear. “I didn’t escape I walked in myself.” This scared Moloch more than you might think. He turned back sharply and shouted to the crowd. “The child spoke, my ears are insulted, how dare you speak to the great Moloch?” The crowd of Piemaker’s sneakered and groaned. Moloch turned back at the other seven Piemaker’s still sat on their thrones and shouted “Oh Great Seven she spoke, shall I make her scream?” The crowd roared and began to chant “Scream, scream, scream” over and over they chanted and Moloch walked proudly towards Bella, still standing braver than you have ever seen. Moloch leaned towards Bella and grabbed the back of her neck raising his other clawed hand out towards her cheek. Bella kicked and struggled but it was no use Moloch cut down her cheek with his monstrous nail, causing Bella to scream aloud. The beast dropped Bella to her knees and roared. The crowd of vultures followed. Bella again stood strong and Moloch spoke his vile words. “You see. I the great burner shall spread evil through eternity, and you shall scream in my name.”
Bella had had it. She knew evil could not be eternal she new evil was so much less than good. After all didn’t her kidnapping begin with something beautiful, didn’t her struggle through the pipes end with light and air. Her time in the dungeons met with sleep and food. Even her torture ended with the vice grip of evil broken. Even at the tender age of nine she understood that murder wasn’t possible without the peaceful sweet release of death. No matter how long you draw out torture or how badly you attack the mind, you cannot do so without love. “Evil is no more than a tiny vessel for good to shine above it” She thought. “Without Love, evil is nothing.” She understood this more now than ever, and in her wisdom and deep unbelievable courage she managed to mutter one beautiful word. One word that would set in motion the events that would make her a legend, one word to be her answer. Bella stood before Moloch and said in the most sarcastic tone she could, “Whatever.”
Moloch yelped “How dare you speak again. Kill her! I’m finished with it.” He looked directly at Bella before finishing “Make it Slow.” Bella just had enough time to grin cockily at Moloch Before three Piemaker’s grabbed her by the arms and legs then dragged her up a ladder towards a half empty conveyor belt, ensuring she was unable to jump or able to climb back without being eaten alive by the three Piemaker’s. Just before Bella was too far away, she spat at the Piemaker’s and raised an unfavourable finger. (It was all she could think of at the time).
Chapter Five
Sweet Release
She looked into the opening ahead and saw nothing but red and yellow burning horror. The conveyor belt was like a tongue and the oven a gapping mouth of death. She started crawling back towards the Piemaker’s, staying just far enough away not to be eaten. The crowd below looked up in delight and chanted over and over “Faster, faster, faster!” the conveyor belt started speeding up just a little and Bella picked up the pace starting to panic she stood and found her balance well. “Faster, faster!” the crowd below chanted. “Faster!” Bella kept on running and running. At this point all she wanted was a friend. Who was the only friend she had in this hot dark and twisted place? She shouted “the nail! But what should I do?” The Piemaker’s continued to chant “Faster, faster” and the belt picked up yet more speed. At this point Bella was running at full pace fearful of falling off below. She pulled the nail out of her pocket, caught a running glance and turning her head towards the end of the conveyor belt she asked “please work.” Then with a sway of the arm, she released the nail into the air and fell face first on top of the conveyor belt.
The nail flew slowly through the air and landed between the end of the conveyer belt and the opening. Just before it could melt, a miracle happened. It slipped off the edge and deep into the inner workings of the machine. It caused the conveyor belt to jolt sharply and stop at once. All went quiet for a moment. Then another sudden jolt that shook the entire hall knocking the three Piemaker’s from there imprisoning perch. Bella crawled towards the ladder and began climbing down, whilst the hall shook and hundreds of Piemaker’s fled like chickens squawking with terror. Bella was now feeling so powerful and so confident that once she reached the bottom of the ladder she headed straight towards Moloch and the seven. She stood in the chaos with the hall now collapsing around her and stared deep into Moloch’s retched eyes like only a girl of Bella’s age could. Moloch spoke “You - you.” Before he could mutter a sentence he fell to his knees in pain clutching his stomach in agony. Then he blew. Now when I say blew I mean he literally blew up. Exploding, into a million rotten pieces of flesh and covering a large section of the floor. Sadly, it also covered most of Bella too. The Seven soon followed, exploding in turn. Not long after the rest of the evil army each began exploding in all sorts of gory horrid fashions. Hundreds of Piemaker’s running and exploding one by one as the great city came to collapse. Bella would let out a little scream and cower whenever one would explode close to her or if a large stone fell at arm’s length, but she had to get out of there.
Bella turned and ran for the gates dodging exploding Piemaker’s, falling steel and rocks as she ran. She reached the exit and headed straight towards the drain pipe she entered through. The city soon began to collapse behind her forcing Bella to run faster than she ever thought she could. She made it to the ladder and climbed to the top. Crawling into the pipe she began her escape to the outside world.
Finally Bella came stumbling out the other side of the pipe. Beaten and bruised she lay catching her breath on the floor with the city collapsing behind her. The red and purple clouds above had begun to dissipate she stared up at the sky dreaming of home. She shut her eyes and sighed. It was some time before she opened them again but when she did she was strangely met with the view of a girl staring down at her with a smile.
Bella looked up confused and the girl began to speak. “I’ve found you, Oh dear God. I’ve found you.” Bella sat up quickly and staggered backwards not knowing quite what to make of her, but the girl quickly responded. “It’s ok. It’s me Bella. It’s me, your sister.” Bella froze and stared strangely at her. Knowing the girl wouldn’t harm her she suddenly just fell into her arms and burst into tears. “It’s alright Bella it’s over now - I’ll take care of you.” The girl remarked. Bella continued to cry into her arms. The clouds had cleared now and a glorious sunrise rose in front of them in the distance, shedding light on the most amazing landscape metamorphosis you could ever imagine.
She glanced over the girls shoulder sobbing as the sun came up and each and every black thorn tree and rose turned a magnificent green or crimson red. The sun revealing previously unseen snow capped mountains in the distance. Bella knew now things were going to be ok and believed with all her heart she would find her way home soon. “What’s your name?” Bella asked. The girl replied. “My name is Kelly, Bella. I guess the myths are true. You really can’t remember me.” The girl continued to hold Bella for a moment whispering to her “Come on now, chin up we’ve still got a long way to go before we ever get home, sis.”
Episode Two
Kelly and the Bone Sword of Sorrow
Chapter One
The Beach
Once upon a time there was a girl of twelve. She had a loving Mother and Father. She went to school with her sister and brother. She was the oldest and she took perfect care of everyone. She went on family holidays at least once a year, to wonderful and exotic places like South America and even Egypt. Everything was perfect. Until one fateful holiday in Greece changed everything. She wondered into an unexplored cave and was ripped away from everything she ever loved. For years she had searched to retrieve some part of her old life. She had conquered beast and foe. Climbed mountains and explored vast caverns. So it’s with no doubt, that after finally finding what she so desperately craved, she had no idea what to do with her.
Kelly was now leading the way through a dense jungle, armed with a machete and a sheer determination not to speak to Bella. Bella was following at a distance, partially because she was still unsure of what to make of this mysterious girl and partially to avoid a fatal blow from the machete that Kelly was now swinging around with complete disregard for health and safety. Bella was in much higher spirits having finally escaped the torturous grasp of the Piemaker’s and was enjoying the warm climate (she hadn’t seen a sunny day in months). Bella finally broke the silence and said “You’re not actually my sister are you? That was just something you said to get me to trust you.” Kelly stopped and looked everywhere, except at Bella. She pulled an old tattered photograph out from inside her belt and in one swift motion put out her hand towards Bella and said “Here. Look, it’s us on holiday in America.” Bella hesitated nervously as she took the photograph from Kelly, scrutinising every detail. Bella’s mouth opened and her body froze solid. Kelly continued to avoid looking at Bella but managed to mutter a question without feeling too nervous. “Don’t you remember?” Bella replied “No, not one day. OK wait. What’s our surname?” Kelly turned around sharply and walked on quickly. She was insulted so spoke sharply “Wells. But It doesn’t matter anymore, your here, I’m here and I’m going to look after you. Come on we must get to the ship before sunset.” Bella followed on with a slight jog, bridging the gap that had now grown between them. Wells was indeed Bella’s family name. She shouted back at Kelly “Ship? You have a ship?” Kelly replied “Yes, but we can’t name it. It’s bad luck to name a ship, here in Tartarus.” Kelly didn’t say anymore and carried on hacking through the trees and grunting her way forward.
After walking for over an hour in silence, they finally broke out of the jungle and on to a golden beach guarded by two magnificent and equally golden cliffs and forming the shape of a horse shoe. Kelly stepped out first, followed by a curious and excited Bella who immediately looked out into the deep crisp blue Ocean and spotted Kelly’s ship anchored just offshore.
Bella was still filthy from her adventures with the Piemaker’s and although she was excited by the idea of boarding a real pirate ship. As she called anything with lots of sails and made from tons and tons of wood. She was more immediately interested in diving straight into the Ocean water and soaking her face with crisp clear salty water. She Jumped with delight and screamed out loud “Wahoo, swimming time.” She zoomed past Kelly waving her hands in the air and dived in, head first and straight into the water. She dived and splashed for some time, enjoying every wave that washed her mucky face back to its original sweet state. At first Bella was in Heaven, until she realised just what she was doing. Suddenly without warning, Bella started splashing about in a panic and yelled “Alien fishy, Alien fishy!” Kelly watched this from the beach. She knew exactly what needed to be done, but was still shying away from making any real contact with Bella. She took a deep breath and ran to the water and for the first time raised her voice with confidence, shouting “There are no fish here. Wahoo!!” and with that she had dived inn and began to wash and play amongst the waves, with her sister she had missed so dearly.
Chapter Two
Slime
Kelly had probably told the biggest lie in all of Tartarus. Fact is there are fish in Tartarus. There were big ones, poisonous ones and very, very deadly ones. Ones that made great whites and giant squids look like angel fish. For this reason she knew she should get Bella and herself out of the water. She Reached down below and pulled out a silver whistle, then without warning gave it a blow. Bella yelped and covered her ears as the noise was extremely loud. Kelly then added “I think it’s time we got to the ship don’t you?” Bella replied “Yes ok. I don’t think I can swim that far.” Kelly smiled and said “Me neither, that’s why I called for a boat.” She pointed toward the ship and Bella looked through the waves and made out that there was a small row boat headed towards them. Bella said “Thank God for that. What’s it like on the ship Kelly?” Kelly quickly replied “It’s great. We have everything we need, and...” Kelly stopped herself for a moment, giving Bella time to quickly jump in and franticly ask “What, what?” Kelly looked towards the row boat and said “You’ll see.”
Bella was very upset about not knowing what special thing the ship had and continued to hound Kelly, tilting her head to the side and asking “Please just tell me.” And if that failed she would add a very elongated “Kelly. Come on” but Kelly didn’t budge.
The boat finally arrived and to Bella’s surprise found that it was manned by another girl about Kelly’s age. The girl leant over the boat, reached out her hand and said “Hey, I’m Princes Stephanie. It’s nice to meet you at long last Bella. You can call me Steph and no, I’m not your sister.” Bella reached out and grabbed Steph’s hand and Steph then pulled her into the boat. She then helped Kelly. Kelly introduced Bella and Steph, saying “This is Steph Bella, my best friend and she is the one that finally found you.” They both sat down and Steph began to row the boat back towards the ship then the bickering began. It started with Steph mentioning that they shouldn’t be in the water because of all the sea monsters and when this news hit Bella, Kelly was in deep trouble. The fighting continued with the usual name calling and side taking one generally gets in a three way argument between girls. Until finally they reached the ship and after half a day of fun and fighting Bella and Kelly started to feel like sisters once again. Steph was beginning to get a little jealous.
“Okay, no time to lose.” Kelly shouted. “Right, let’s get sailing.” Steph replied grabbing a mop and bucket and handing it to Bella. Bella peered into the bucket to see that it was filled with thick sticky black slime, covered with a silver skin. It stunk to high hell. Having put her nose close to the bucket for a little whiff, Bella screwed up her face and shied away instantly from its disgusting odour. It reminded her to much of what she had been through with the Piemaker’s, so quickly forgot about the secret Kelly was happily keeping from her.
Steph and Kelly were busy covering the floor of the ship with the Black silvery slime and Bella stood with her mop and bucket staring in disgust. Bella cried out “I won’t do it! I don’t even know where we are going or why you’re making the floor a horrible mess. I want to go home.” Kelly stopped seeming a little panicked; she walked up to Bella, while Steph sarcastically questioned Kelly from the other side of the ship. “You wanted to find this?” Kelly said to Bella “We are going to see an old friend of mine.” Steph interrupted “Kelly fancies him. Owe r.” Bella smiled a little before Kelly quickly shouted back at Steph “I do not. I just think he is pretty cool. That’s all.” Steph replied “Well, he is hot though.” And Kelly blushed just a little before continuing with Bella “When we get to him. He has a Sword for me to use.” There was a long pause before Kelly added “It will help us get home Bella. I know it’s hard but if you want to see Mum and Dad again you have to trust me.” Bella sulked for a moment and after some deep and careful thought, she decided that getting back to her Mums cooking and her Dad’s spoiling was just what she needed and said. “OK, I’m in, but you have to promise me you will get me home.” Kelly put out her little finger, asking “Pinkie swears.” Bella crossed her pinkie with her sisters and got to work. Whilst they were mopping away Steph told Bella that they were applying a magical material called bat slime and she would love what was about to happen.
Once the floor was covered in this horrible bat slime Kelly pulled a match from her dress and struck it along the ledge of the ship causing it to ignite. First with a blue flame then slowly changing colour to red, Kelly held the match waiting for it to change again. Steph having already made sure she was holding on the ships ledge for dear life kindly gave a word of caution to Bella, Saying. “You Might want to hold on to something.” Bella was standing in the middle of the deck. She looked around franticly for something to grasp, but it was too late. The match turned its final colour green and Kelly let it drop into the retched bat slime on the decks floor. At first the match just seemed to go out and leave nothing but a small simmer of smoke behind.
After Bella started to feel just a little relieved, the ship began to moan and creek. You might have guessed that Kelly and Steph were already holding on as tight as they could and just Bella remained dead scared and dead still, in the middle of the deck. Suddenly the deck was flooded with flame, starting from the centre a massive circle of fire grew across the entire ship changing colour every second from pure white to pitch black. It did not harm the girls and went away as quickly as it came, scaring poor Bella out of her wits. She was now sitting in a heap on the floor breathing very heavily and cursing Kelly’s name. The ship began to creek and moan once again, and yet again without any warning what so ever, she instantly sunk into the Ocean making a massive wall of water burst up over the ship. Kelly managed to shout to Bella one last piece of advice before it was too late. “Get ready to say wee.” Bella looked at Kelly in absolute disgust, but before she could respond, the ship shot straight up at lightning speed towards the heavens and left the Ocean behind her. Bella lay flat against the decks floor completely unable to move. It felt like she was being squished by a thousand elephants, sitting on her chest. With the sky zooming past her at a relentless rate she turned her head slowly towards Kelly, who was now also stuck helpless on the floor. Even Steph had not escaped the sheer pull of the ships velocity and lay helpless like the others. Bella managed to open her mouth and scream aloud “Aar!” only her screaming never stopped and went on like an Opera singer finishing a very dull and boring song. The other two girls followed her cries until the ship finally began to slow her assent and the sky gradually grew less of a blur and more like a sky. When the Ship finally stopped and the girls stood up now covered from head to toe in black gooey bat slime. The sight they were and the sight they beheld was unbelievable.
Chapter Three
Breaking the Ice and Taking a Bite
Steph, Kelly and Bella suddenly found themselves surrounded by the most spellbinding array of the most glistening planets, glittering stars, and twirling galaxies you could possibly conceive. There were shooting stars in every colour, and, if you would imagine, tiny specks of light springing out from nowhere and growing inexplicably in fantastic lines of translucent colour, forming abstract collideoscopic shapes. If Bella were to put out her finger they would gather there. Then leaving there trademark tail of light behind for a few moments, they would burst silently in a sparkling firework display of vivid colours, fading as quickly as they arrived.
“You must be a spirit sign” Said Steph to Bella, whilst Bella was reaching out her hand for another exciting display of wondrous colour. “What’s a spirit sign?” Bella asked. Steph replied. “It’s your star sign silly, that’s why the spirits come to you. I’m an Ocean sign and Kelly is a Fire sign hence why Kelly could do all that cool stuff with the match. Practice and you could do some really cool magic too. I can avatar with liquids. Well, at least I’m learning.” Bella was excited at this prospect and liked the idea of two older girls teaching her the tricks but she was soon interrupted by Kelly who announced Steph’s and Bella’s new duties. “OK, Steph will you set a course for mount Soltacet and Bella you can get washed up below deck, there’s a bath tub below. Then I suppose after we have all gotten clean I’ll take a look at that cut on your cheek Bella. Looks infected.” Kelly was right. The gash Bella had been given by the late Moloch was starting to sting and change from a healthy red scab to a vile black. Bella had already run away below deck, barely giving Kelly chance to finish. Steph asked Kelly “What’s for Tea?” Kelly replied “I’ll wash up then fix us something nice, Bella must be hungry.” Steph still feeling a little bitter simply ended the conversation with an, “Okay.” to end to conversation. Kelly ran off below deck, and Steph headed towards the bridge ready to set her course whilst Bella sunk into a well deserved and frankly overdue bath below.
After everyone had washed up and sorted themselves a freshly flour and gravy covered Kelly led Steph and Bella into the dining area. Kelly had spared no effort in preparing a fantastic meal for Bella and Steph. They all sat and feasted until their hearts content. Excepting the dessert, this was a rather curious trifle of Kelly’s best efforts under such pressure. Talking for hours Steph and Kelly told Bella all about how they met and what monsters they had faced together. As the night grew older they set up hammocks outside on the deck, for talking about boys and home until they all fell one by one to a sweet peaceful sleep under the mysterious and phantasmagorical night sky. Bella must have still been a little scared. After all, in this new and massive world she still knew nearly nothing, but at last she felt truly safe with her new friends and family.
Chapter 4
Mount Soltacet
As the sun rose gently and the sky turned from its wonderful starry orb to a beautiful blue and white clear morning, all three of the girls lay sleeping. It was not until the loudest alarm in the universe bellowed out from a giant horn sitting on the roof of the bridge, did they all scrabble free of their hammocks. “Stephanie!” Kelly shouted whilst standing from her knees having just wangled herself free from the panicked entanglement of her hammock. Bella sat still rubbing her eyes and Steph ran towards the bridge finally disabling the alarm. Steph raised her hands and exclaimed an apology. “Sorry.” She said in an apologetic manner. Kelly grunted at her and headed towards the front of the deck “Looks like we are here.” Said Kelly “OK, I’ll set her down” Steph replied. Steph then brought the Ship to a soft and steady landing. Before them stood a cliff of sheer grey rock spanning all the way back up into the heavens. This was going to be an epic climb.
They each grabbed a quick breakfast and Kelly packed a few bits of old rope and items that could barely class as climbing gear into a battered green army bag. Then off they went on the boat. They reached the edge of the massive cliff, where the rocks met the waves with an astonishing display of white fury against ridged rock. This made casting a line very difficult, but with a little patience they managed and reached a part of the cliff not agonised by those massive waves.
They each looked up at the daunting task ahead, one by one a horrid sense of vertigo hit their stomachs and slid down to their knees like poison. Kelly spoke first “What do you think, about two hours climb?” Steph retorted “More like two weeks.” Bella added her own concerns “How hot is this guy again.” It was Steph who finally found the grit to soldier on. See said “OK I’ll go first, then Bella then you Kelly.” Kelly answered with a “yes.” Steph began to climb then encouraged by Kelly, Bella followed Steph’s path. Kelly continued on behind Bella, asking her. “How do you eat an Elephant Bella?” She did not receive a reply from her little sister so continued “One bite at a time.” They climbed higher and higher whilst the sun and their ship vanished from their sites in a blanket of grey menacing clouds.
After over four petrifying hours of foot holes, overhangs and Steph’s constant need to sing the bear went over the mountain they had made it half way to the top. Everything was now dark and there was rarely a star in the sky. Steph pulled herself up onto a large ledge followed by the other two girls. They all sat exhausted and panting for air when Bella noticed that this ledge led into a cave. On closer inspection the girls found that the massive opening was shaped like a giant tooth and if you were to shout into it, there wouldn’t be an echo. It would send back a powerful and eerie wind that would make your neck hairs stand on end as you listened to its chilling whisper. “This must be it” said Kelly as she fashioned a torch out of an old rag and twig from her bag. Thank goodness for Kelly being a fire sign, as the torch would not have stayed alight if she wasn’t. Kelly walked toward the entrance of the cave with its ghostly wind trying tirelessly to extinguish her torch. Steph and Bella reluctantly followed.
Everything was pitch black except for the small circle of light Kelly had made with her torch, so Steph and Bella stuck very close as they slowly crept forward into the black. The silence was unbearable, broken only by the slow dripping of water in the distance. It was not hot like Bella remembered the Piemaker’s dungeon to be, but cold as ice. They had gone deep enough now so that the little hope of light the caves gateway offered, was now completely gone. Bella was starting to panic again and had thought that this sort of experience was behind her. Suddenly she grasped Kelly’s arm when a flash of wind pushed past them, as if something wickedly fast had run invisibly by. All of them exasperated by each other’s fear, stood quivering. Before any of them could speak it happened again. Only this time it came from the other side of the Cave. Without even thinking, they encircled each other facing back to back. In the distance, Bella herd the smallest of snickers. This was scary to Godly proportions and none of them knew what was happening. The whizzing that had started this terror became more and more constant. It began to surround them in a whirlwind. That’s when the laughing began from within the pitch black of the cave. Bella didn’t think she could take anymore of this and Steph wasn’t any less petrified than Bella, but it was Kelly who finally put an end to the torment. Kelly shouted as loud as she could. “Show yourself!”
In the shortest of instances, the wind stopped and from each side of the cave a vast row of torches lit up a great hall, revealing an innumerable number of black cloaked, white faced, scary as hell vampires. The children rubbed their eyes to adjust to the light as one of the vampires emerged from the crowd and walked towards them. He was holding a tray of goblets in his hands.
Chapter 5
Vampires
“I’m sorry about all that my friends, we mistook you for something else. I will not say what. I am Acwel ruler of the race, Vampires by the way. Would you care for a drink?” said the vampire. Bella did not hesitate, and took a goblet to drink. Kelly was less impressed. She looked Acwel square in the face and asked firmly. “Where’s Nathan?” Acwel threw the tray down in anger and raised his voice. It went from something that was quite pleasant to something that would send a beast running away cowering in shame. He spoke. “Save your retched tongue child, to speak his name would bring shame on you and you clan. That boy has violated the sanction of our fountain and will be imprisoned with us forever. No better than to disrupt the balance of life.” Kelly didn’t even flinch when she replied “What is his crime exactly.” Acwel answered abruptly “He was found drinking from our fountain.” Kelly paused for a moment thinking of what to say next when Steph jumped in to save the day. “What needs to be done?” Steph asked Acwel. “Follow me.” Acwel replied without delay. He turned towards the crowd of vampires gesturing his hands outward as if to cast a spell. It was with this action, each and every vampire instantly transformed, all of them leaving a tiny magical puff sound, which caused the cave to echo immensely before succumbing to their feverish flapping as they disappeared into the cave. The path now clear Acwel began to escort the girls into a smaller more welcoming room deep within the caves vast corridors and disorientating pathways.
They all sat down around an old oak table and were given refreshments. The room was rather nice. It had tapestries hung against the walls, fancy carpets and lots of antique furnishings, like bookshelf’s and old globes covering the room in a not so cluttered fashion. The vampires had done a fine job of covering up the fact that they were in a leaky old cave. Bella couldn’t help notice the smell of old books and was secretly hoping to herself that she wouldn’t be forced to read all of them. That would be quite simply the worst thing any horrid doer of evil could bestow on poor Bella. She hated reading. It got so much in the way of daydreaming. She just simply couldn’t stand it. Kelly on the other hand was secretly rubbing her hands together hoping to get a glimpse at the old magic ones hidden away on the top of a shelf above Acwel’s head. Steph had gone from afraid too excited and couldn’t possibly think about books at all. They were in fact in Acwel’s private study, rarely seen to outsiders. Acwel had invited them in because he could smell something. Something on Bella that he knew must be treated with great care.
They all sat staring at each other not knowing quite what to say or do. Except for Bella, who was quite happy to sit tucking into her treats, graciously given to her, courtesy of Acwel’s servants. Steph repeated the questioned she asked Acwel earlier. “What needs to be done?” Acwel sat silent for a moment and then after an agonising silence, he finally spoke. “Excuse me for a moment. I shall return shortly. Please continue eating.” He then left the room with all the grace you would expect from a vampire. Steph quickly turned towards Kelly and Bella leaning in on the table. Kelly and Bella leant in closer too. Steph burst into an excited monologue of gossip. “Ok so I bet you thought like Kelly used to think, that vampires were hot boys who are all deep and stuff. Well you see there not. They are actually ugly. More a skinny old guy dipped in flour, than a handsome dark prince. They are a bit schizophrenic too.” Bella was nodding her head in amazement when Kelly interrupted. “They also don’t drink blood.” Steph interrupted Kelly this time. “Yeah, there not even bad, well there not good either. There just really old bat things that protect the fountain of eternal youth by scaring everyone to death.” Bella’s eyes were alight at this new found wisdom, but just then Acwel walked back into the room carrying a large box. The girls sat back in their chairs like they had just been court by a teacher at school. The room went silent again but had a small sense of companionship now the three of them had talked a little. Bella was now actually a little disappointed at the prospect of never meeting any handsome young vampires that might sweep her off her feet later on in life. She was content however, and waited readily for what exciting new thing was going to happen next.
Acwel placed the box on the table and remained standing. After having contrived enough anticipation he began circling the room and speaking in his typical old fashioned way. “I can smell that each of you our mighty warriors in your own right, and as a consequence, and in order to fashion freedom for your bitterly disappointing friend, Nathan. I would like for you to kill for me, a foe. Inside this box you will find weapons for each of you. Weapons that I shall hand to you, should you choose to accept my proposal. Two of the weapons have been masterfully produced by us vampires but only one made by the evil hands of the infamous Piemaker’s. This was the weapon I confiscated from your friend. It is the bone sword of sorrow!” Kelly whispered to Steph and Bella “He does go on a bit, doesn’t he.” They all snickered. Upsetting poor Acwel, whose only crime was that of being old and stuck in his ways. Kelly then asked “So if we kill your enemy, you will let Nathan go and we get cool weapons? The one I was after in the first place?” Acwel replied in a frustrated tone “Exactly what I was just saying.” Acwel delayed a bit and added a sarcastic “Dude” to his simple sentence. The girls giggled amongst themselves but were soon turned back to serous thoughts when Acwel opened the box.
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