This was not a good time at all for Bobby Pendragon, lead Traveller. Not only had the all-round-bad-guy Saint Dane set his sights on Second Earth,Bobby's hometown,his girlfriend, Courtney Chetwynde,had broken up with him.For his best friend, Mark Dimond. Logically,when he thought about it, he knew he had no reason to complain.After all,to the world, he did not exist. No record, save for his journals with Mark and Courtney, existed of him.
But after all, humans are not logical. Deep in his heart, Bobby resented it. He resented the fact that his girlfriend had broken up with him because of the face that he had to save Halla- Every thing,place and time that ever and would exist,even if she had not said so. He resented the fact that he was the world's saviour.More precisely,the universe's. He even resented the fact that the bed he was on was not his, but Mark's, since all his belongings and his family had disappeared when he had become a Traveller. He resented...everything.
For a brief moment, he lay awake on Mark's bed, gazing idly at the Spiderman posters on the walls, before everything dissolved into the inky blackness of sleep.
"Bobby!" A voice echoed from behind the park bench he was sitting on, coupled with a light tap on the shoulder. He blinked. "Oh,it's you, Nadia." Bobby said,gesturing to his new girlfriend to take a seat. Nadia was beautiful. That was the first word that came to Bobby's mind the very first time he saw her. She was about half a head shorter than Bobby, who was just a few inches short of reaching six feet. Her skin was a tanned brown, the very colour that made Bobby think of Loor and Courtney. Her eyes were deep green like the waters of a river but with flecks of gold speckled in it.
He swallowed as he prepared himself for the reason he was here- to tell her the truth about him being a Traveller,that was,a pack of lies that bore some semblance to the truth. "Nadia..."he began."Do you know what a Traveller is?" He was prepared for a thousand possible scenarios, all of which involved lies, but not for what happened next.
"Don't worry...Pendragon." Nadia said as her dark red lips twisted into a smirk. "How would I not know?Since...I'm a Traveller too." Immediately, 'Nadia' started twisting into a form Bobby had hoped fervently never to see again in his life.Seven-feet tall, cold blue eyes, a business suit and a vicious heart. In other words, Saint Dane.
Bobby jumped off his seat as though his pants were on fire. "What's the matter,Pendraon,don't you miss me?Remember when you embraced me on Veelox?" Saint Dane smirked. Unconsciously, Bobby blushed.Quickly, he recovered from his shock and shot out, "What're you doing here?" Saint Dane smiled in a cat-like way,casually straightening his suit while languishing on the bench as if they were best friends instead of mortal enemies."Why,to make you a offer,Pendragon. A proposition, shall we say."
"What's the matter, Saint Dane?If you want to marry me,thanks,but no thanks."Bobby spat, disgusted by the demon's oily manner. "Oh no...nothing so dramatic.Just something regarding your little friends Chetwynde and Dimond..." the cat-like smile widened on seeing Bobby's reaction, seeing exactly what it wanted to see. "What have you done to them?"Bobby asked urgently,for a moment forgetting that he was talking to his mortal enemy. "Nothing at all.Why,I am just here to offer you a chance for revenge." Saint Dane spread his arms in a supposedly entreating manner.
"Revenge?For what?" Bobby asked absentmindedly, too overcome by the relief that had flooded him on hearing that his friends were all right to fully comprehend what Saint Dane had just said. "Pendragon,you are truly a Saint!" Saint Dane was temporarily overcome by a raucous spasm of laughter. When he had recovered sufficiently, he spoke. "Against Chetwynde and Dimond! They betrayed you!" Saint Dane sounded incredulous. Bobby dimly suspected a trick of some sort, but all thoughts were washed away by the image of Mark and Courtney together.
Mark and Courtney kissing openly.
Mark and Courtney hugging.
Mark and Courney together...
Bobby seethed in rage. "They had no right!" he barked, almost unaware that he was pouring out his deepest thoughts to his enemy. Thoughts that he had kept to himself.Thoughts that he had told no one else, not even a Traveller. "They betrayed me!"
Watching this emotional outburst, Saint Dane smiled inwardly. Everything was going according to plan. 'Press.Look at your lead Traveller. Now a pawn in my hands.' he thought. "That is why I am here, Pendragon." he almost purred."To offer you a chance...for revenge."
His mind clouded by anger, Saint Dane's offer seemed very attractive to an enraged Bobby Pendragon. "What is it?" he snapped, unaware that he was already under Saint Dane's manipulative spell. After all, in all his time as a Traveller, it was the first where Saint Dane had unleashed all his wits and wiles against him.
"Join me." Saint Dane said simply before continuing, "When we conquer Halla, you may unleash any form of punishment you want upon these traitors." The last word was spat, as though to mirror Bobby's contempt, as Saint Dane stretched out a hand. A small part of Bobby's mind screamed 'NO! You can't allow him to destroy Halla!", but it was quickly silenced by the larger part of his brain, which told him (under Saint Dane's influence) 'Join him!Then you can get your revenge!' Suddenly, saying the innocents of all the territories and the sacrifice of so many Travellers did not seem to matter so much. 'Anyway, as ruler of Halla, I can take care of all those people, can't I? he thought, effectively silencing the tiny voice inside him.Images of a King Pendragon of Halla holding a sceptre and overseeing numerous tortures devised for his acolytes flashing through Bobby's mind,he clasped Saint Dane's hand firmly in his."Yeah,okay."
Saint Dane fought to conceal a look of triumph. Already he could see the bloodlust and hatred lurking in the Traveller's eyes as the power of 'darkness',as it was called, coursed through his veins. It was only a matter of time before he was totally corrupted to his cause. Lazily, he straightened. "Go to Halla.I will join you after I get some important things done." he instructed, stressing on the word 'important', while baring his teeth in a grosteque smile. "To tell Dimond and Chetwynde what they're in for." he snarled.
Bobby felt his ring go warm in his jeans pocket. Pulling it out, he saw a eleventh symbol appear on it. Instinctively, concentrating on the new surge of power that flowed unstoppingly through him, he called "Halla!" and disappeared from sight.
Once again taking the form of Nadia, Saint Dane disappeared into the growing shadows, relishing the task he had ahead. Scaring Travellers and acolytes was a personal enjoyment of his, and one he never felt he did enough of.
'Nadia' rapped sharply on the wooden door of Dimond's house,panting as 'she' did so. With a click, the door opened. "What's wrong,Nadia?" a voice asked,concerned. 'Nadia' hid a smile. Chetwynde. "It's...it's Bobby!...He's...he's gone!" she panted,the alarm on her face soon spreading to everyone else's.
"What happened?" everyone asked simultaneously.
"I...dunno...he said something...something like 'Halla' then disappeared. 'Nadia' blurted out. Out of the corner of 'her' eye,'she' saw a girl rise,who was instantly recognized as Loor,the Zadaa traveller. "We have to look for him." she said,shooting everyone else in the room a meaningful look, which included Aja Killian, the Veelox Traveller, Dimond, Chetwynde, and a few more that were outside of 'her' field of vision.
"Oh...and Pendragon sends his regards." 'she' added as 'she' internally summoned 'her' true form to reappear. The familiar change occured once more in front of the shocked group. "Saint Dane!" they exclaimed as one.
"Let me tell you that Earth, that is to say, both Second and Third Earth, has fallen. You are all cordially invited to Halla to witness the coronation of the new king." Saint Dane pronounced, straightening his coat in a lacklustre manner while saying the word 'king'. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Saint Dane would be the king if he succeeded. After saying his piece, he called out "Halla!" and disappeared, leaving a group of very worried Travellers behind.
Halla
Saint Dane extricated himself from the flume to be greeted by the Second Earth lookalike of Halla and Bobby Pendragon's "Saint Dane! What is this?" Expecting all of this, he replied calmly "This is a representation of the true Halla. Only one thing lies here. The Orb of Halla. With it,we can control Halla." his long fingers curled into a fist as he said the last sentence.
"Why does it look so much like Second Earth then?" Bobby asked, baffled by the rainforest-like trees and ocean water side by side. As he spoke,a faint tremor shook the ground.
"And so it begins. Second and Third Earth are now crumbling. Halla is now weak enough to even allow my presence." Saint Dane murmured. Snapping his neck to face Bobby, he replied "Second Earth is the best representation of Halla. That is why the lead Traveller always comes from Second Earth. Didn't Press teach you anything?" he snickered.
"Wait! Second Earth just fell? What was it's turning point?" Bobby barked, ignoring the jibe about his uncle, since it did not hurt him at all. After all, his uncle was just another person obstructing his rule of Halla.
Saint Dane's snickering stopped, to be replaced by a look of mock shock. "Don't you know? The turning point was you, Pendragon." he said, searching the Traveller's eyes. Already, Bobby looked nothing like before. A regal looking coat fastened itself to Bobby's neck by means of a royal looking clasp. He had grown taller,well over six feet now. His face had become sharper and colder, but his eyes were the most terrifying, with constant rage and hatred blazing in them. All in all, Bobby Pendragon was no longer the Traveller he once was.
Presently, both Travellers started navigating a route through the lush rainforest of Halla, pausing only at turns to negotiate the better course of action.
After seemingly endless turns, a straight,clear road, on which a crystalline orb rested on a bronze pedestal appeared. Both Travellers smiled. However, before they could claim their prize, a posse of Travellers appeared, blocking their way. All their eyes were fixed on Bobby, with a mixture of shock and growing disappointment on their faces.
From that moment onwards, everything started happening as though someone had pressed fast-forward on a video game. Both evil Travellers broke free of the encirclement and dashed towards the orb. Bobby took hold of the precious object and felt the raw power of the orb shoot through him, washing power over him. Brandishing the object proudly, he proclaimed, "I am now the new ruler of Halla!"
Saint Dane's lips curled into a snarl. "Not quite yet,Pendragon." he snarled, pulling out a revolver from his coat and neatly firing 3 rounds of ammunition at point-blank range. Bobby Pendragon fell to the floor.
Second Earth
The shock of the pain coursing through his body woke Bobby up with a start. He brushed the sweat off his forehead, images of the dream he had just had flashing through his mind like a movie. He wondered if it were a premonition. He had seen other things in his dreams when he was in Zadaa. From that dream, he had managed to work out Saint Dane's dastardly plan just in time to stop it.
Bobby shuddered. Was that cold,callous person really him? A silent tear ran down his face as he thought of Courtney. "Courtney...if you really think you'll be happier with Mark...then go ahead." he whispered. Although his heart still throbbed with pain as though someone had stabbed a knife into it, the pain lessened a little.
One thing, however, was clear to him. He had to break up with Nadia. Whether she was Saint Dane or not, he knew that Saint Dane could easily hold her hostage to threaten him. He owed it to her to keep her out of danger. He would, like in his dream, tell her a lie that she would not suspect.
"Nadia...I need to tell you something." Bobby downed saliva down his throat, sweat being pumped out by what seemed like the gallons into his clammy hands. Strange, though, since although Bobby had done things from igniting a field of dynamite to jumping off an airplane, it was a breakup that fazed him the most.
Nadia looked as beautiful as ever, even in a simple jeans and tshirt combination.She smiled at him, a sweet sunny smile that made his heart ache, and made him want to simply forget about the breakup and take her in his arms. "Go on, then." she said simply.
Bobby took a deep breath. "See, there's this guy who's out to destroy my world, and everything I care for. He could hold you ransom against me, or torture you, or...see I just don't want you to get hurt!"Bobby finished, eyes full of emotion. "So...we gotta break up."
"Awww, that's so touching." a cold voice replied. "And really, I'm sure you could do better than to portray me as a gangster in one of your Second Earth movies? I'm really disappointed in you, Pendragon."
As the words left 'Nadia's mouth, another form replaced Nadia's short,petite frame -the form of Saint Dane. Bobby, who had been prepared for this, replied "Saint Dane, you underestimate me. Do you think I would sacrifice Halla for revenge," he spat that word as though it was a bad morsel of food in his mouth. " against Mark and Courtney? Here's a newsflash: You're wrong. I love Courtney, which means I want the best for her. If she wants Mark, I'm cool." with an air of unsurpassed calm.
Saint Dane gave a delibrate nod. "Very well,Pendragon. I must say Press taught you well. Since you have seen through my plan, we shall meet once more on Third Earth for you to put up yet another futile struggle." Saint Dane sneered, before disappearing into the shadows, no doubt en route to the future.
"And when you do, I'll be ready." Bobby Pendragon swore.