I stepped into Goodvalnia and saw that something changed. The yards, lawns, and bushed were a lighter green. Not so much for anyone else to notice but I did, it was worrying me. We came to the part of town were the King and Queen live. Everyone looked at Shelby with awe and fear. Some children who ran into her looked up and slowly backed away to their parents. We had no problem getting pass the guards, the pointed their weapons then decided to step aside.

I was hesitant to walk into the castle so Shelby lifted me up in her hand "its okay," She comforted, "You don't have to be scared."

"I'm not scared." I fought "Just nervous." I added quietly.

We went into the throne room where King Phillip and Queen Charity were. It was golden all around, with brilliant lights and a floor so metallic you could see your reflection. Huge plants were in the corners as decoration. I looked straight ahead and saw the majesties themselves. I felt odd in their presence because I didn't feel worthy to be there but the rumors I had heard about them were true.

King Phillip was hearty looking. With his strong chin, alike his brothers, and his huge neck. His deep blue eyes were responsible and dashing. They seemed to invite you to be his friend rather than enemy. Queen Charity was as beautiful as the rumors had stated, she was Gorgeous and delicate. Her cheek bones were high and she sat very poised. Her Auburn hair gleamed as it ran down her back. She had a twinkle in her bright eyes that was excitement and I never saw a smile so dazzling.

"Hello Shelby!" King Phillip greeted with a vast voice "How nice of you to visit."

"Hello your majesties," Shelby curtsied.

"Who is that in your hands?" Queen Charity asked in a pacific voice.

I stood up fumbling with my balance and Shelby steadied me. "Uh, Hello your majesties, my name it True Heart. I-"

"True!" King Phillip exclaimed that made me fall over "I'm so glad you came, your parents have been so worried about you."

"Yes, ah, about that." I started regaining my stance "I thought I wasn't allowed to come here anymore, and that giants and humans were not allowed to see each other."

"Oh True," Queen Charity said smiling "I'm afraid you've misunderstood, you could always come to the castle anytime you'd like."

"You just couldn't see your parents." King Phillip finished.

That stung.

"Also the wizard and I had a very good agreement, should he perish." The queen continued "Has he perished?" She asked Shelby.

Shelby nodded gravely "I'm afraid so your majesty."

The Queen frowned and I saw a glimmering tear drop to her cheek. She gracefully touched it and it left.

"Well," King Phillip said swallowing and getting back to business. "What's the occasion?"

"A giant, your majesties." Shelby answer childishly "His name is Guppy and he's been captured by King Nazar."

When the King and Queen heard this they sat up and their eyes went wide with concern.

"Can you help us?" I asked.

"We can get you to where he is, but the rest is up to you." The King answered.

I laughed "Are you sure? I couldn't do it. I'm just a faithful citizen; I think you are the real hero's here."

Shelby nudged me and I looked up at her. She looked down me like I had something to represent.

"What?" I asked.

"You still don't get how you're our protector do you?" She exasperated.

I looked up at King Phillip and Queen Charity; they both looked at me trying to confirm Shelby's statement.

I didn't want to talk about this so I changed the subject. "So, where's Guppy?" I asked.

"Let's look at the magic door." King Phillip replied walking to a door in the wall. He touched it and it made and oval with a shimmer of gold around the edge. "Looks like he's in Bathem." I looked into the oval and only saw glass.

"Bathem?" Shelby exclaimed almost dropping me. "That's a thousand miles from here, not to mention it's cold and wet there."

"You've been there before?" I asked Shelby

"Well," She stuttered "No, but I've read about it."

She looked at the King and Queen. "Are you sure that's where Guppy is?"

"Yes," said the Queen looking at the door "He's hanging over the reversing falls, you should probably hurry."

"Please take us there you majesties" Asked Shelby.

"Walk through the door," replied King Phillip "and you will be in Bathem."

"Thank you," Shelby and I said as we walked through the door.

We walked through the door with no trouble at all and I felt a cool breeze and smelt salt in the air. The door was very convenient. I found myself wearing a warm coat and a life jacket, Shelby was the same.

"Wow," Shelby said "That was fun." She smiled at me and I returned it. I became aware of rushing water and saw Nazar on the bridge of a huge river going everywhere, below him was Guppy hanging by his hands over reversing falls.

"Guppy!" I yelled without thinking.

"Shhh!" Shelby whispered pulling me behind a bush "we are trying to stay hidden."

"You have a plan?" I asked her.

"Follow my lead" she whispered.

She started to quietly go by the bridge and sneak up behind Nazar, I almost laughed, how could a giant be sneaky? I was going to follow her but she warned me to stay by the bush. Surprisingly she made it behind Nazar without him realizing it, he must be a complete fool.

"I'm tired of you giants! You'll be the first to be killed." Nazar paused and looked relived, like he just got something off his chest he's wanted to say for a long time. He smiled and changed his tone much happier "With that said, any last words?"

I saw how terrified Guppy was his eyes were darting back and forth and is face was frozen into fear, hanging over a 270ft deep river with whirlpools aka 'reversing falls' wasn't exactly fun.

"Hey Nazar!" Shelby taunted.

Nazar turned around and saw Shelby "Why you little-"

"These won't be his last words." Then she punched him in the face making him tumble onto the bridge. She looked at me, "Well, save him!" she yelled.

Oh ya, I ran to the beginning of the bridge, how I was going to do this I had no idea, and then I saw a latter. It was rusty and looked like it could fall at any minute but I had to try.

I immediately jumped on it and clung to it. I tried to be that superhero in the comic books but the truth is…it's not that easy. Those guys are pros. "Guppy! Swing towards the latter!" I yelled.

Guppy didn't do anything, I forgot, he was paralyzed, literally.

I heard the rope being cut and looked up at Nazar "You horrid being!" I screamed at him. "Where's Shelby?"

Then the rope broke and Guppy fell into the water. "She's next!" Nazar threatened pointing at Shelby who was unconscious.

I looked down into the water, it can't be that bad, I thought, just a nice hot Jacuzzi with a lot of jets. I closed my eyes; I couldn't believe I was going to do this.

I jumped off the latter.

I fell. You would think that I would start sinking right? Nope, I bounced up into the sky as soon as I touched the water.

I wasn't sure what was happening, I tried harder and harder to get into the water but I kept bouncing. I looked at my life jacket and took it off; oddly enough it sank into the water. I stared down into the water I could see Guppy sinking further and further down. "No, no, no!" I said trying harder in get in.

Then a thought came into my head 'Say the opposite of what you want.'

"What? No way!" I said out loud. I couldn't see Guppy anymore so I decide to try it.

"Up!" I said and I was plunged into the water.

It was dark; at least it was until I opened my eyes. I felt water up my nose and a bit of a headache but over all I was alive. The view was great.

It was warm and looked like a blue lagoon, I saw fishes and seaweed all around, and I think I even saw a mermaid, but I couldn't tell. Unless you saw what was above you couldn't tell there was a roaring surface ahead.

I saw Guppy and immediately tried to swim towards him but I was stuck.

"Snail Slow!" I commanded and I zoomed towards Guppy.

When I finally had him in my grasp I felt his pulse, it was slowing down.

Quickly I said "Down!" but nothing happened. I had been so worried about getting Guppy that I didn't realize the atmosphere changed.

It was black and Murky with Skeleton bones floating around. It was colder down here and I swear there was something crawling up my leg. I looked into a pair of white, opaque eyes, "Whose there?" I commanded vividly turning my head, in case there were more eyes.

"Why aren't you dead yet?" A voice creaked like old wooden boards.

I squinted towards the eyes "I'll answer your question when you answer mine." I told the voice.

A man came out so that I could see him. He had white, thin hair and a pale wrinkly face as if he had never seen sun. He didn't seem to have feet either; however they could have been hidden by the dark. He seemed to crouch and huddle. Like he was expecting danger at any moment. However his eyes were mysterious and demanding. All he wore were old clothes that had been decaying for years.

"I am Neptune" He cracked. "Why aren't you dead yet?"

"I-I-don't know" I stammered, tasting dirty water in my mouth "How do I get out of here?"

Neptune smiled and I saw his decaying teeth. "Your True Heart then," he said mirthful "The Nelum who is immortal."

I almost laughed; crazy old man probably swallowed too much sea water.

"Uh...sure." I tolerated "Can I leave?"

Neptune frowned back to his glumness "Only if you answer my riddle."

Well it was worth a shot, "Okay," I answered "What's your riddle?"

"The maker makes it, but doesn't use it, the buyer buys it, but doesn't use it, and the user uses it but doesn't know it." He said "What is it?"

I had never heard of that riddle but I knew it had to do with this murky theme, bones, death.

"The sun?" I said immediately regretting that answer, I panicked under pressure okay?

"Wrong!" Neptune barked. "You get 1 more chance."

Okay, I got this, I thought, "A coffin?" I asked.

He looked surprised and put a sour expression on his face. "That is correct." He said, I thought I saw him roll his eyes. "Swim to the light, there your powers will work and when you hit surface, you friend will awake."

"Thank you," I said and I started swimming up to the light with Guppy. You'd think it would be hard to carry a giant, but in the water it came too easy to me. He was as light as a feather.

Neptune was right as soon as we hit the light blue water I commanded "Down!" and Guppy and I shot up out of the water. We slammed onto a bridge and I landed on my back, causing the wind to be knocked out of me.

Guppy started to cough and I quickly sat up next to him hoping he was alright. He coughed out water and a loony bird, which gave him a dirty look, then flew away.

As soon as he caught his breath he gasped "What just happened?"

"Nothing too big." I said casually "You were just about to drown and I kind of saved your life, but nothing too extreme."

He shrugged "Okay, if you say so."

"Are you alright?" I asked with concern

"Ya, I'm fine but where's Shelby?" Guppy said looking around. "I thought I saw her punch Nazar."

"Oh she punched Nazar," I confirmed "But..."

"But what?" Guppy asked.

"Well, Nazar kind of knocked her out and now she's his prisoner." I said with caution.

Guppy sat straight up "Come on, let's go get her!" He looked around. "How do we get home?"

"Bathem can't be too far from Goodvalnia can it?" I told him looked at a black road that seemed to lead the way.

He looked at me as if he couldn't believe I could be that stupid, "It's over 100 miles it would take weeks to get there and we are both cold and wet, I'm pretty sure walking is out of the question."

Until he said something I forgot how cold it was, I started to shiver.

Then a random door appeared, "Hey," I said "that looks like the door Shelby and I went through to get here."

Guppy stood up "Great! That must be our way home." He started to walk towards it; I didn't have a good feeling about this.

"Guppy!" I warned "Wait" I started to run to get him but we both tripped into the door way.

I stood up and groaned; the walls were a deep red with brown boarders. There was no furniture anywhere, except a huge tank with a shark in it, I stood up and saw old pictures of torture on the walls, and I knew where I was. Then I realized that Nazar was an evil genius.

"Have a nice swim?" Nazar said behind us.

Before I could answer in any way he cut me off.

"Guards get them" He commanded.

I was taken by two guards who put me in a cushioned chair and tied my ankles and wrists with belts. Then Nazar pointed his staff at me and red light shown and attached to me so I could only move my neck.

Guppy had a net dropped onto him and pin him to the ground, he almost broke through until Nazar used his staff and did the same thing to him with the red light.

"Seriously?" I asked sarcastically "You couldn't let me have a breather?"

"Well, I thought you breathed just fine under water." replied Nazar.

"Where's Shelby?" Demanded Guppy.

"Where to put a giant?" Nazar mocked "Perhaps in a GIANT tank with a GIANT shark?"

He pulled a rope and I saw Shelby hanging over the shark tank by her wrists. The shark was underneath swimming in circles for his next meal.

"Shelby don't move!" Guppy said, trying to help.

"Thanks for the advice Guppy!" Shelby growled back sarcastically.

"Would you like some popcorn for the show?" said Nazar "because here's the opening act."

Shelby dropped down into the tank and held completely still.

Guppy leaned over to my ear "If giants stay still long enough they'll turn to stone until desired to stop."

"Yes, that's true." Nazar admitted making Guppy jump "However if she moves even her eyes she'll become a giant again."

Guppy frowned "Come on Shelby." he quietly rooted.

I got an idea and smiled towards Guppy "I think I have a plan."

Guppy had a worried look "Well hurry, Shelby has ADAHD." he said.

I saw the Shark get rest lest as he swam more to find Shelby, but she had turned to stone so she was invisible. Then I looked at the statues eye and they were open, Shelby don't close them. I prayed. She did and turned back into flesh, the shark started to charge at her and out of impulse I reacted.

"Fine!" I broke "I'll join you just let my friends go!"

Nazar froze the shark right as it was about to chomp off Shelby's arm. He looked at me and smiled with victory "Excellent." He snapped his fingers and Shelby and Guppy vanished and I was released from my chair, I stood up shakily but soon regain my balance.

"Where did they go?" I asked

"Home," Nazar answered "You have a lot to learn and we don't have a lot of time so follow me please."

"I don't think so" I replied. Without thinking I rushed to him and threw him in the shark tank

I can do that? I thought as I stared at the tank.

"Bye, Loser" I started to walk away but as soon as I did I couldn't move, not even my eye lids. I was stuck in a walking postion.

Nazar appeared in front of me,"Nice try amateur. I knew you'd try something like that, so I paralyzed you." He leaned close to my ear "Just a friendly reminder, your never leaving until you're as cold hearted and evil as me."

He laughed as one of his slaves took me to my room.