The Zeppelin

Lyra and Viktor had walked for miles along the coast and there was still no sign of Citagatzze.

"We should rest," Viktor panted.

Lyra nodded. They sat down together on some rocks and Viktor wiped the sweat off his head.

"I'll do a little scout in the air," Pan said flying up in his seagull form.

"Don't go far," Lyra advised.

Pan flew up a little but not too far.

"If only I were a witch," she sighed.

"A witch's daemon can go far away from them?" Viktor said.

"Yes,"

"How come?"

"It's some ritual they do. It allows the separation without breaking the soul,"

"Cool,"

"I thought we would have found Citagatzze by now,"

"Me too. If only there were a way we could find help or anything to help us find it,"

"Lyra!" Pan's voice cried from the sky.

The pair looked up as Pan dived towards them, flapping frantically in front of Lyra. "You two have gotta see this!"

He guided them towards some rocks which they climbed up off the beach. The moment they reached the top, the children felt their lips parting as they were shocked by the sight of a giant zeppelin half-buried in a forest.

"Blimey," Lyra breathed.

"What's a zeppelin doing in the middle of the forest?" wondered Viktor.

"It must have crashed," Lyra said. "Let's take a look. Maybe there's something we could use to find our way back,"

"Good idea,"

Together the trio walked carefully into the forest towards the enormous wreckage. As they got closer, Lyra could see tiles losing colour, wires hanging out of holes and the low but audible echoing of old pieces of metal. As they approached it, they saw a hole leading inside.

"You think someone's in there?" Pan wondered.

"Only one way to find out," shrugged Lyra. "Turn into a firefly Pan,"

Pan reluctantly obeyed and became a firefly and flew into the dark; he lit up, laminating the inside.

"He is incredible," Viktor said as they walked slowly inside. "At least you never have to separate from him and he can change into so many forms,"

"Sadly his time is coming," a remorseful Lyra lamented.

"'His time'?"

"When he has to settle at the moment of puberty,"

"You mean he can't change forever?"

"Nope. I don't want him to settle. I want him to change forever. But...that's just the nature of daemons in my world,"

"What will he settle as?"

"That depends. The permanent forms of daemons are meant to reflect what kind of person I am,"

"Maybe he'll reflect your ambiguous nature,"

Lyra looked at him, a little offended.

"What I mean is, you're many things Lyra," Vikor spoke his heart out. " You're scheming and clever, devoted and big-hearted. You're many things. Whatever form Pan takes forever, that'll show how special you are,"

Lyra couldn't believe she was feeling flushed by his words. "Thanks, Viktor. By the way, you do have a daemon. You just don't know it yet," she swerved back around and continued to follow Pan.

Viktor blinked. Then he followed after her.

The pair followed Pan to the far back of the ship. Dim but visible light was seen in front of them. As they walked closer, Lyra could see torn seats, rails, stairs and items scattered everywhere. Just then she saw a photo right under her foot, she bent down and picked it up. Viktor moved behind her whilst Pan flickered right above her head so she could see it.

The black and white colours depicted Lee Scoresby with a beautiful young woman wearing Mia's necklace. Together they cradled a child and her daemon in the form of a little mouse. Lyra felt a tear leave her eye.

"It's Mia, and Lee and her mother," she stared around at the ship. "This was Meera Scoresby's ship," she breathed hoarsely.

"How did it get here? From your world," Viktor wondered.

"Lee said that she disappeared on an expedition four years ago. Her zeppelin must have come through a window and crashed here,"

"Poor woman," he pitied.

"Poor Lee and Mia," Pan said despondently. "Wait. What if she's alive?"

Lyra couldn't be certain. She put the photo in her bag and they looked a little around. Lyra found old clothes and Viktor found old documents. Pan looked a little further around his current form. "Guys. You've gotta see this,"

Lyra and Viktor rushed over to where he was. On a large board of pins and strings, there were pictures of Lyra and Will and Mia and maps and photos. Some of Will and Mia's families. Some of Lyra and Roger; they were breathless.

"Viktor look," Lyra pointed to a corner of the dashboard. Viktor looked closer, following her fingertip. He gasped when he saw a picture of himself as a baby and a map of Citagatzze.

"Someone's been spying on us. All four of us," She said. "Who would do this?"

"What if it was Meera Scoresby?" Viktor suggested.

"It couldn't be," Lyra shook her head. "She wouldn't go spying on her own daughter or other people like that," she knew in her heart that Meera would have been trying anything to get right back home.

"Then who else would have done this?" Viktor said. He looked again at the board and he saw a map with an x. Looking closer, he saw the city of Citagatzze at the far end away from it. "This map can help us get back,"

"We've got to get back," Lyra said.

"We should take all these photos with us," Viktor said. "Whoever has been watching us separately in our own worlds is no friend,"

Lyra agreed. Quickly they unpinned all the maps and pictures and stuffed them in her bag. They were about to leave when they heard racketing from behind the ruined stares. The sound came again and they hid behind a desk, feeling loud footsteps approaching.

"Don't breathe," Pan whispered.

Lyra and Viktor held their breaths. The clanging of metal came closer but all that popped into their sight was a little antelope-like creature with a short trunk and wheels on its feet.

"What is that?" Lyra whispered.

"I have no idea," Viktor answered. He observed the little creature who looked alone and confessed. He stood up slowly and appeared in its sight. He felts its black beady eyes with white dots look at him. "Hey, there little guy. Are you lost?"

The creature stared at him.

He bent down and reached out a hand.

The creature trumped at him.

"It's all right," he soothed. "You're okay. I'm not gonna hurt you,"

He reached out his hand slower this time. The creature sniffed and then rolled on its wheels over to him and he felt smooth skin poke his fingertips. "You see little guy. You're all right," this time he stroked its soft smooth head. "Come on Lyra," he cocked his head.

Lyra trembled over bravely and the creature allowed her to stroke it. "What are you?"

All the creature did to trumpet again.

"I don't think he's from this world," Pan said landing on her shoulder.

"I don't think he is either," Viktor said. "He must be from a different world. He probably stumbled through a doorway like us. We should take him,"

"Are you sure?" Lyra wasn't afraid of the creature but she didn't want any danger to be amidst.

"Lyra, once we get the Alethiometer back, you could find out where it comes from and we can bring it back,"

Lyra agreed. "Then let's take him,"

"What shall we call it?" Pan wondered.

"I say we call it 'Roger'," Viktor answered earning Lyra's questionable glance. She didn't want to be reminded of her beloved best friend. "He's very soft and sweet. Just like him,"

Lyra looked again at the little creature. She realised it was indeed like Roger. Innocent and sweet. "Roger it is then,"

They stood up and they left the zeppelin with their new creature friend Roger following behind them. Using the map, they walked through the forest, confident that they would find Citagatzze at last.

Mia cradled Will's head in her arms as he lay down on Giacomo's bed in his quarters. He had slept for a few hours after fainting from shock and he had yet to wake up. Aster sat near his face in the form of an Arctic fox, purring. The next thing they heard was murmuring in Will's sleep; he was shaking his head softly and his eyes were blinking.

They opened and the first thing he saw was Aster's face near his. He could almost feel his nose touching his.

"Are you okay?"

Will's eyes fell back and he saw Mia's face over him.

He sat up from the shock of what he had fainted from. "Where am I?" he panicked.

"We're in Giacomo's quarters," Mia answered shuffling a little further back along the mattress.

Giacomo held up a cup of purple liquor. "Drink it all,"

Will took it. "What is it?"

"Plum brandy," he answered. "It'll help with the shock,"

Will sipped it down in one gulp and then handed it back to him.

"Here," Giacomo held up a bottle with a Red Cross on the front. "Here is some ointment. It'll help with the pain too. Give me your hand,"

Will was reluctant. Mia with her soft face assured him it would be all right. He handed over his bleeding hand with no pinkie or ring finger to the old man. He opened the bottle and he gently dabbed some creamy ointment. Will cringed and bit his tongue.

"I can do the bandage," Mia offered. Giacomo handed her some clean bandages and she carefully wrapped them around Will's hands without stinging him. She tied it together and it was better, for now.

"I know you two are not from this world. I have encountered daemons before," the old man spoke. "We don't have long now. You must concentrate now,"

"Concentrate on what?" Will asked.

Giacomo pulled off his left glove, revealing his pinkie and ring fingers missing.

"Your fingers," Mia breathed. "Who did that to you?"

"I fought and lost the very same fingers. It is the cleanest cut in all the universes. Will, it is a sign that you are now the bearer of the Subtle Knife,"

"No. I don't want this mantle," he shook his head.

"You weren't given the choice,"

"Sir, we only came here to get that knife to give it to a man who has our friends," Mia informed.

The moment she said that a dark frown crossed Giacomo's face. "I know exactly whom you are talking about. It wasn't long ago that he came here seeking it. He killed several people to try and get into this tower. But when the spectres came, he fled. I created the hole that leads into his world in the hopes I would draw him back out. But he was clever enough to realise it was a trap. It cannot fall into his hands,"

"But he said he'd give us back our friends if we gave him what he wanted," Will defended.

"Once you give him what he wants he will betray you," Giacomo warned. "He will not keep his word,"

"Then how are we supposed to get our friends back?" Mia begged for a new solution.

"Your only chance is to use the knife to do that. But first, you must learn how to use it," Giacomo said. "You cannot reject this mantle bestowed to you, Will,"

Will pressed his lips together and felt scared. He shared a glance at Mia who only looked helplessly back at him. They had seen what Boreal was capable of. They agreed with Giacomo that he wouldn't keep his word. To save their friends, Will had to learn to use the knife.

With a determined expression, Will looked back to Giacomo. "How do I use it?"

Lee and Jopari sat outside in the sun.

"I stepped out of my world many years ago and left my family behind. My wife, my son..." Jopari sniffled. "I thought my work was more important. Such a fool I was," he cursed. He guzzled down some liquor to drown his guilt. "For years I tried to get back to them. But the way I came had disappeared. Then I became a scholar, and a shaman to find a way. I started travelling this world for possible windows to get back, that's how I met your daughter. But...it seems my world is closed from me. There were other doorways though, new discoveries to be made. I even found out that part of my nature is female, bird formed," he gazed up at his daemon perching above them. "Beautiful,"

"I'm sorry that you couldn't find a way back," Lee said. "But at least you tried. You gave up?"

"I've made peace with my limitations," Jopari said despondently. If I want to be a father, that's good, proper now. I need to leave a world behind me for him, where he's able to think for himself. Where's he free. That's why I have to help Asriel. And that's why you need to too,"

Lee finally understood his reasons. "You're making a very good point Jopari. I owe you for saving Mia so let's make a deal. You swear to put her and Lyra under the protection of that Subtle Knife...I'll take you wherever you need to go. I swear...by the love you have for your son,"

"I will gladly do that," Jopari promised. "You have my word. The girls will be under the protection of the knife. But you must understand Mr Scoresby, the bearer of the knife will have their own tasks. And that could put them in even greater danger," he dreaded to think what could happen to that dear girl who gave him her rabbit toy and her friend. "I can only be guided to them. I cannot speak for the Bearer's character,"

"What tasks will this Bearer have?" Lee asked gravely.

"Protecting a special boy from a parallel world, a boy with powerful capabilities who is being hunted by the Authority. And taking on the Authority in the Great War that is to come,"

The news spread a layer of chill over Lee's body. Hester next to him started shaking.

"We must leave now while we can," Jopari said standing up and walking back inside his hut. "We have a long journey ahead of us and the Great War is upon its dawn,"

Another chapter is done. Hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed typing it. Please let me know what you all thought. Would love to hear your opinions.