Windsor, a place of plenty. In sharp contrast to Gulfen's flat desert, the landscape of Windsor was lush and green with small rolling hills, high mountain ranges, deep valleys, immense grassy plains and one large river fed by countless estuaries. Vast forests of pine, fir, spruce and other coniferous trees filled the valleys and grew so tall and so thick and so little light penetrated the thick canopy overhead that the visibility at ground level was next to zero…unless you're above them.

For three such people, above the trees was where they were. Two of them were Emily and Navin, a brother and sister who had come to this alien world in search of their mother Karen, who had been brought here by a nightmarish creature called an arachnopod. In their attempt to rescue her, Karen had been poisoned by the arachnopod and was now a deep coma. Now, they went along, crashing through the thick trees inside of a walking house. Things from this world were as alien as any extraterrestrial, and intelligent robots and walking houses were the least of them. At the helm of this mechanical marvel were a robot and his young companion, who were in the cockpit doing maintenance on the main drive monitors and pressure lines.

"There," announced the robot as he finished tightening a bolt, his voice resonating through his metallic body. "That should do her." He turned around at the sound of a hiss to see his young companion working on a valve. "How's it going over there, Navin?" he asked.

Navin, who was about eight, gripped the valve handle and turned. The hissing stopped. "I got it secured, Cogsley," he reported as he replaced the cover. "That valve shouldn't get us any more trouble for a while."

Cogsley's face skewed in what Navin expected was the robot's best imitation of a smile. "Good work, kid," he said, slapping the boy's shoulder. "Now, let's get this thing moving." He went back toward the front of the cockpit. "You take the pilot's seat. It's time you learned to drive this thing."

Navin's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Really?" he asked. "I mean, are you sure I'm ready?"

The robot's answer was simple. "If you don't feel up to the task, then don't bother." The corner of his jutting lower jaw quirked up just a hair in a robot's best imitation of a smirk.

Navin saw this and smiled. "No, I want to," he said with determination. "I need to."

"That's the spirit," Cogsley exclaimed in approval. "Now take your station, Captain Navin."

"Yes sir," replied Navin, saluting. He rushed over to the pilot's chair and sat in it reverently. He smiled, taking the control in his hands. "Okay, how do we start this thing?"

Cogsley waved his hand over the front control panel. "You see these here?" Navin nodded. "They route power to the various systems of the house." He indicated what each set did in turn, starting with the far left. "These over here regulate the steam pressure inside the main engine. Be sure to keep a close eye on the gauges, or one of the seals could rupture."

Navin nodded, taking in the information. Cogsley moved along to the next set, indicating the switches on top first. "These switches here are what route power to the gears in the arms and legs. Flipping them in certain sequences and combinations will make the limbs move in different ways. But that's a bit more advanced, so we'll wait on that." Then he indicated the lever. "This down here maintains the house's center of balance. Shifting it one way or the other will shift the balance in that direction. It can come in handy if you find yourself on the edge of a cliff."

"Let's hope we don't find ourselves there," Navin said softly.

Cogsley nodded. Finally, he swept his hand over the far right of the panel. "These over here work the lights. These on the right will turn the main floodlights on or off and determine how bright they are. The ones on the left operate the lights inside the house. As you can see, there are two dozen; each set controls how much power goes to what light in which room." He sat down in the copilot's seat. "If for some reason I'm disabled, you'll need to take the controls, all right?"

"Got it," Navin replied simply.

Cogsley looked over at him. "Navin, look at me." Navin turned to face him. "This thing isn't one of your simple little toys; it's a very large and complex piece of machinery. If I go offline for some reason or another, I'll need you to take the controls. You're my insurance policy here, okay?"

"Okay, Cogs," Navin said, calling the robot by his nickname. "You can count on me."

"I don't believe I have a choice," Cogsley said.

Meanwhile, four other robots were in the kitchen. One of them, named Miskit, was a very peculiar creation. She was built in the form of a bipedal pink stuffed bunny rabbit—with a patch on her left ear and the front of her upper torso—and programmed to be a constant companion to Navin's older sister, Emily. She stood on a short stool at the stove, managing the bacon, eggs, sausages and pancakes cooking in four separate pans. She slid the spatula under an egg and called, "Theodore, be careful with those dishes."

Theodore, a short wastebin-looking robot, whirred around the kitchen on his single wheel carrying dishes that rattled and clanked in his grasp as he wheeled from one cabinet to the next. Bottle, a tall and boxy fellow, stood at the counter, chopping a loaf of bread. Vac, a cylindrical robot whose only function was to clean the floors, wheeled around Bottle's feet, sucking up the crumbs that fell off the cutting board.

Suddenly, just as Miskit was flipping the sausages, there was a rumble and the house jerked. "Uh-oh," said Miskit. The house shook again, and the stack of dishes in Theodore's hands began to sway. The little robot moved with the stack in an attempt to keep it steady, but the house continued to lurch. Finally he couldn't keep up with the motion and the dishes lost balance and flew everywhere.

Back in the cockpit, Navin was having a little trouble maintaining the house's stability. This kind of thing was new to him, and his grip on the control column was shaky, uneven. He had to sway one arm lever while simultaneously pushing down on the opposite pedal to maintain the house's center of balance as it moved forward. Beside him, Cogsley was rattling out pointers.

"The trick is to remain calm," the robot said. "Treat the house as an extension of yourself."

Navin's hands shook as he tightened his grip on the arm levers, and the house shook in response.

"Think of yourself as the brain," Cogsley explained patiently. "The body will respond to any signals you give it. And when the brain gets jumpy, the body gets jumpy. So relax. Find a rhythm you're comfortable with and stay with it."

Down in the kitchen, Navin's nervous driving was creating pandemonium. The pots and pans that hung on the overhead hooks were swinging wildly and crashed into each other with loud metallic clangs. Cabinet doors flung open and dishes poured out, some shattering on the floor. And Miskit was at the stove trying to flip a pancake. But as Navin made the house take another shaky step forward, the pancake flew out of the pan and landed on top of Miskit's head—right between the ears—and draped over her face.

Finally, Navin was starting to get the hang of driving the house. He gripped the arm levers, rested his feet on the pedals, and took a deep breath to calm himself. Then he pushed the left arm lever forward and stomped on the right pedal. The result was an evenly-balanced step forward. He repeated the motion with the opposite controls, and the house took another steady step forward. And again. And again. And again. Each time, the house took solid, steady steps forward.

Cogsley was quick to congratulate him. "Great work, Navin," he said. "Now hold her steady and keep us moving." Navin did. The house was moving smoothly now, and they were making good progress. "Excellent work," Cogsley exclaimed proudly. "You're doing great. Just maintain that rhythm and keep us moving forward."

Navin did as he was told. He pushed one arm lever forward while pressing down on the opposite pedal, and each time, the house took a step forward without trouble. Step after step after step. Cogsley was impressed.

"Nice work, kid," said the robot. "I've never had anyone learn how to drive the house so quickly. You're a natural!"

Navin smiled proudly and took the house another step forward.

With the house now moving smoothly along, the kitchen had more or less returned to normal. At least there were no more banging pots and pans or plates shattering on the floor. Just the normal rumble as the house move along. And the enormous mess that Navin's amateur driving had made, which was quickly set upon by Vac and Bottle.

Miskit stood looking at her work. The meal she'd intended to make was mostly intact, though the eggs were far from her original idea. "Well," she said with a sigh, "I hope everyone likes their eggs scrambled, courtesy of Navin up there." She picked up one of the plates and handed it to Theodore, saying, "Take this to Captain Emily, please, Theodore. And tell her we'll be arriving in Kanalis shortly."

"Yes, ma'am," the squat robot buzzed, then turned on his wheel and whirred away. He went out the door and down the hallway to the bedroom several doors down, where Emily, Navin's twin sister, sat beside her mother's bed, her shoulders slumped and back slouched in exhaustion and worry. Theodore wheeled over to the bedside table, where he put down the tray that had the plate of food and a mug of hot cocoa on it. The dishes clinked as he set the tray down. "Your breakfast, ma'am," he buzzed. "We will be arriving in Kanalis soon."

Emily took in a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. "Thank you, Theodore."

The little robot hopped once and then turned and wheeled out of the room.

But Emily didn't even try to reach for her food. Her attention was riveted on her mother, Karen, who lay deep in a coma underneath thick blankets with an oxygen mask strapped over her mouth and nose. The only sound other than the house walking along was that of the oxygen pump's quiet, constant hum and consistent hiss as it pumped oxygen into her airway and removed carbon dioxide. Emily sat there, looking at her mother, her eyes sad and her lip trembling. Unlike Navin, who was busy driving the house, Emily had no means by which to distract herself. She knew that Navin was far from unconcerned about their mother's condition, but at least he had something to do that was worth-while. But Emily had nothing to do, except watch, wait and worry. Finally, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

When she'd let out her long-held emotion, she raised her head again to look at her mother. Her eyes were still sad, but now had a spark of determination in them. She wanted to be strong. She had to be strong. Not only for herself, but for her brother, her mother, and her friends the robots, which had become just as much a part of her family as Navin and her mother. So she sniffed and wiped her eyes with a sleeve.

"Hmm," droned the robot at the cardiovascular monitor.

"What is it, Morrie?" asked Emily.

Morrie, the robot that was watching the monitor, turned toward her. He was a jumpy fellow, with wide eyes and a head that always seemed to be covered in a layer of condensed steam, the closest a robot can come to sweating. "It appears your mother's condition is worsen-ing. It seems the poison is gaining potency by drawing on her will to survive."

"What? How is that possible?" Emily demanded. Morrie shrugged. "Can't we do something to slow it down?"

Morrie's head sagged. Since he didn't have shoulders, this was his closest imitation to a show of hopelessness. "I've tried everything," he said gravely. "All the way from A to Z. But the poison is just too strong for the medicines we have. I just hope there's a doctor in Kanalis who has something that can help." He looked at Emily's mother and added, "Also, there's one other thing that's been bothering me. Since I started working in here, I've had this…strange feeling."

"Feeling?" Emily chuckled mirthlessly, but the thought of a robot having feelings struck her as just a bit amusing. Though all the robots in their house had personality, it seemed pretty hard to have personality without feelings. Cogsley was the serious, no-nonsense leadership robot. Miskit was a soft and caring spirit, whose emphasized program with the accompaniment and protection of Emily. Morrie was just jumpy, perpetually nervous. The other robots—Theodore, Bottle and Vac—were more or less neutral, with just enough brainpower to comprehend orders, perform the tasks their programming dictated, and know when it was time to recharge their power cells.

Morrie stared at her, his eyes wide and metallic skin glistening. "It's…unsettling," he replied. "Like there's someone else in the room other than the three of us." She gave him a confused look. "Don't you sense it?"

Emily shook her head. "No. No, I don't."

Morrie's head sagged further, now feeling both useless and awkward. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I shouldn't have brought this up when you've already got so much on your mind. I'm gonna go help the others prepare for our arrival. Give me a holler if you need anything." Emily nodded, and watching him as he trudged out of the room.

As soon as he was out of sight, the stone that hung on the leather string around her neck came to life. Light burst from it, and as if lifted by some unseen hand, it raised up from where it was idly sitting against her chest until it was level with her eyes. "They're coming," said the spirit inside the stone. It was hollow and whispered, a bizarre blend of both tempting power and gentle invitation.

"Who's coming?" Emily asked.

"We should have destroyed the elf prince when we had the chance," the spirit replied. "The elf king has sent him out again, but this time with help. He is desperate now and will stop at nothing to kill you."

"What? But why would they want to kill me?"

"By not joining with them, you have become their sworn enemy," the spirit explained. "You have simply become too powerful for them to leave you alone. You are no longer a nuisance to them; you are a threat. You must prepare for battle."

"Battle?" Emily asked. "What battle?" But the stone had already gone back into its dormant state, leaving Emily to her wonder and worry, with only the hissing of the oxygen pump and the steady thumping of the house as it walked along to break the otherwise dead silence. Above her mother's bed, the clock on the wall chimed twice: Two o'clock.

Up in the cockpit, Navin guided the house onward. He'd gotten comfortable with the way it worked and was more confident in his ability to drive it now, and he swung each arm lever when he pressed down on the opposite pedal with much more ease than before. Now, the house was moving along smoothly. Before long, they rounded the corner to the valley through which they had to travel to reach Kanalis.

There was a ridiculously narrow pathway that would eventually lead them to the city gates. This pathway had tall, sharp mountain spires on one side and a sheer cliff on the other. They didn't bother with conversation; Navin had to concentrate on his driving and keep the house away from the cliff. They went along for a long time without a single sign of life. Then finally, after what seemed like hours, they saw a change in the terrain.

"Wow," Cogsley said.

"Wow, what?" Navin asked.

It was a moment before the robot got over his initial surprise and replied. "Looks like they've expanded," he said, pointing to the cliff walls. "None of these houses were out here back then. I guess it's been longer than I thought since the last time I was here."

"How long ago was that?"

Cogsley was silent for a few seconds as he searched his memory banks for the last time he'd visited the great cliff side city. "About fifty years, I'd say," he said. "We're on the outskirts now. It shouldn't be long before we get there." They continued on for another half hour, then the city finally came into view. "There it is," proclaimed Cogsley. "Kanalis." He turned to Navin and said, "Keep use away from the cliff, Navin, and watch for oncoming traffic."

Navin did as he was told, easing the house away from the cliff as much as he could without blocking the other lane. There was an-other house coming toward them, headed in the opposite direction. As it passed by, Navin caught something from the corner of his eye and turned to see what it was. What he saw was something he'd never seen before. Leaning out of the second-story window on the side nearest to them was what appeared to be a raccoon in the general shape and size of a human being! So intrigued we he that, without thinking about it, his head turned so he could get a better look at it.

"Eyes on the road!" Cogsley shouted.

Navin's attention snapped back to what he was doing and he gripped the arm levers, letting out a deep breath.

Cogsley gave him a serious stare. "You have to be looking where you're going, Navin," he said firmly. "These things aren't east to find for reasonable prices anymore." As they drew nearer to the city, he picked up the radio communicator. "This is Choga Hoffa five-six-one-nine requesting permission to dock, over."

A voice with authority came back over the frequency. "Choga Hoffa five-six-one-nine, you're clear to dock at pier ten, over."

"Copy that, Control. Choga Hoffa five-six-one-nine out." He put the communicator back in its place and turned to Navin. "Take us in nice and easy, Navin. Pier ten, got it?"

"Written in stone," Navin replied. He worked the controls with calculated precision, maneuvering the house through the narrow streets.

As the house neared its designated docking point, several figures watch with deliberate interest from a dark alley. They were elves, the ones sent out to capture and kill the ones inside that house. There were eight in all: Six soldiers, Prince Trellis, and Luger, the elf king's adviser. "Should we attack them now, sir?" asked one of the guards.

"No, not yet," Luger replied. "Have someone follow them. We'll need to commandeer their house, but first we have to get them away from it. Understood?" The soldiers saluted, and Luger turned to his young companion. "Now watch closely, Trellis," he said with a smug sneer. "I'm going to show you how to earn your father's trust."

Trellis stared back at him with the slightest hint of annoyance.