So I've been wanting to do a story continuing Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid since first reading it in 2005. I know lots of people hate it, and thinks it's one of the worst Goosebumps books, but i personally like it: the characters are cool, the world they were sent to, and the monsters in it, are pretty awesome. The only thing that frustrated me was the constant "you finish the story." Eventually i took it as a challenge and decided to try. But after moving so many times i lost a bunch of my books, and had to wait till i got a new copy of BABVA. After finally getting it this year, and rereading it, i decided to FINALLY write it.
This story will begin where the second half of the book left off, at the cliff scene with Connor, Emily, Kyle, Mark and Amy. The only is, I'm going to have CONNOR be the one who jumps off the cliff after the Wizard card, instead of Mark, for story-related reasons, lol. I WILL bring in the new characters introduced at the end of the book, Ross and Brenda. They will come into the story in a bit.
The story will have the same monsters we saw in the book, plus new ones, and some new characters. It will have lots of action, and, of course, romance. I ALWAYS shipped Connor and Emily, since 2005, and that's another reason I'm writing this story. There will be other romances too. I'm not spoiling WHO, but one of the characters is LGBT, and will have a romance. There will also, of course, be magic, quests, and other stereotypical fantasy stuff.
Anyway, let's get this story started, shall we? I've been waiting since 2005 to do this, so let's not dally a second longer. Here. We. GO!!!!
Chapter 1
As the Krels backed them up to the edge of the cliff, Mark reminded Connor of the wizard card he'd stuffed in his pocket. He had asked how he knew, and Mark replied he'd read it in the book Be Afraid. Connor was still confused about this: How could everything that had happened to Connor and the others be in a BOOK? Why did the book have the same name as the card game that had trapped them HERE? Who WROTE the book? Who made the CARDS? So many questions...
Nonetheless, he pulled out the wizard card.The same card that had the picture of a man who looked exactly like his neighbor Mr Zarwid, the man who the cards had belonged to, the man who had SENT them here via the cards, on it.
"Now what do i DO with it?", he asked, still confused. "How can it help us?"
"Try talking to it!!", Emily suggested from beside him.
"Throw it over the cliff!!", Kyle said. "Maybe that'll send us back home!!"
"No, tear it up!!!", Mark cried. "That will destroy the wizard's magic!!"
Connor nodded. "That's it!!". He held up the card in both hands and prepared to rip it apart. Just then,however, a sharp gust of wind came sweeping over the cliff... and blew the card out of his hand!!
"NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!", they all shouted in unison as they saw the card flutter in the strong wind, then slowly start winding down the sharp drop. The card was a small colored speck against the black abyss of the ground far, far below.
Connor looked from the card, to the Krels, who still stood with pointed spears, apparently trying to decide whether to stab them or push them off, to his friends, who were still staring at the falling card.
"I've got to jump after it!!!", he shouted. "The others looked at him, mouths open in shock. He nodded. "It's the only way!!! If i destroy it, we might all be transported back. If not... well, i better do THIS first, just in case!!!"
He grabbed Emily and pulled her face to his, and, as both the other kids and Krels watched in shock, kissed her on the lips. Her eyes widened in shock, and she tried to scream something incoherent as his lips covered hers. However she didn't try to pull away.
After a few seconds he released her, and without looking back he jumped off the cliff, plunging into the inky blackness of the night air, the wind rushing past him, his hair flying.
He saw the card fluttering ahead of him. He was gaining. Gaining. He reached out. Missed, as the wind blew it out of reach. Desperately he reached again... GOT IT!!!
Again holding the card between his hands, he ripped it in two. Ripped the two halves into thirds... Waited. Waited to see some magic. For him to be transported back, back to his neighborhood, his house. For this strange world to vanish, be replaced by his own familiar world. But all he saw was the ground rising up to meet him as he neared the bottom. He saw large piles of rocks, sharp and jagged like the spears of the Krels. He closed his eyes, braced for impact. To be flattened, impaled. It hadn't worked. He'd failed, and now he was doomed. Doomed...
Suddledly, he felt himself being pulled UP. He felt something grab him around the waist and shoulders. He heard the wind rushing in reverse as he rose, and what sounded like the flapping of wings. GIANT wings. He opened his eyes, but couldn't see what was carrying him. He saw only the ground disappearing as he rose steadily into the air, the jagged rocks vanishing as he was lifted into the starry night sky.
Finally, he saw the edge of the cliff again, saw his friends, who stared open-mouthed at whatever was carrying him. The Krels, too, stared in awe. To his surprise, they dropped their weapons and fell to their knees as the creature carrying Connor descended to the cliff and dropped him in front of his friends.
They ran to him. Kyle grabbed him and helped him up. "You ok, bro? Man, i thought you were DONE for!!! Are you crazy or WHAT?!! Seriously, what were you thinking??!"
Connor stood up, panting heavily, his heart still racing from the fall. Still struggling to catch his breath, he just shrugged. He looked at the others. They were all looking at whatever had grabbed him and brought him back to the cliff. Except Emily, who was staring at him, her face unreadable. Not ready to face her yet, he too turned to look at his savior-and gasped.
The creature that had grabbed him was twice the size of the biggest horse, and had a fur-covered body. But while the back of the creature had the fur, legs, and tail of a lion, with paws and claws, the front had the head, feathers, and claws of a bird. Its bulbous eyes were yellow and cold. Its beak and front claws glistened like steel in the moonlight. Its wings-the size of an adult man-were brown and leathery. He looked back and saw the Krels still kneeling, their eyes locked on the beast in fear, their weapons on the ground.
Connor stared at the creature. His heart finally slowed down, and he finally caught his breath. "Um... thank you. Thanks for catching me. I thought i was done for." The creature stared blankly at him with its yellow eyes. Connor immediately felt stupid. Did he really expect it to UNDERSTAND him? It was just a weird CREATURE.
To his surprise, the creature nodded, then opened its mouth-or rather beak- and SPOKE!!!
"No need to thank me, your majesty. As a Griffin, a proud creature of the royal families, i HAD to protect you." The creature had a deep, rumbling voice.
Connor and the others gasped. "You... You SPEAK?!!", Connor gasped.
The strange beast nodded. "Of course. All Griffins speak, your majesty. Since time began, we have been born and bred by the most noble families, taught to speak, fight, carry weapons into battle, rescue the wounded from battle. We can also read and translate almost all languages, and are great at mathematics. Next to dragons, we are the greatest, most prized battle animal."
Connor shook his head. "Wow, that's amazing. But why do you keep calling me "your majesty "? My name is Connor. Just Connor. I'm not even from here!!"
The Griffin nodded. "But you bear the Mark. The Mark Of Kings!!! Griffins, and other creatures with the Sight, can see it. I saw it clearly when you were falling. Obviously, since Krels don't have the Sight, they didn't know, and supposedly thought you and your friends were invaders on their land."
One of the Krels stood up and approached the Griffin nervously. "A thousand apologies, oh great, noble Griffin!! If we had known, we would NEVER have attacked them!!". The Krel made a deep bow in front of the Griffin, then turned and did the same to Connor. "Please accept our humblest apology, majesty. We are but humble Krels defending our home. Lots of dangerous folk around these parts nowadays."
Connor was more confused than ever. "But i HAVE no Mark!!! Nowhere on my body. No birthmarks, no scars. I don't even have a tattoo, I'm only 12!!!"
The Griffin nodded again. "Nonetheless, it's there. As i said, only creatures born with the Sight, such as myself, can see it without magic or scientific aid."
"Whoa, wait a minute, this is crazy, bro", Kyle said, shaking his head. "In the card game, you PLAYED as a king, and now this Griffin says you ARE a king, and have the Mark. Isn't this just INSANE?!"
"Well, there's only one way to tell for sure.", the Krel leader said. "We'll take your to our village. Our shaman is a Goth, a very powerful sorceror. He can use his people's strong magic to see the Mark, and even show it to you. Don't worry, you'll be safe there. Our shaman has long used his magic to hide our tribe from rival Jekel tribes. Follow us."
Still bewildered, Connor followed as the other Krels stood up and started following their leader. The Griffin followed behind Connor. "I'll accompany you to the village, your majesty. If there's any danger, I'll do my best to protect you and your friends. You shouldn't need me though: The Krels are strong warriors, and the Goth shaman has very powerful magic. I'll follow from the sky though. Us Griffins hate walking. How you humans can stand using two feet, without wings, I'll never know."
Connor watched as the Griffin shot up into the sky, circling overhead as he followed the marching Krels. No sooner had Connor taken his eyes off the Griffin and resumed walking than Emily came up beside him. His heart skipped a beat, because he knew this was coming, but smiled.
"Hey. Crazy night huh? One thing after another. What next?"
She nodded. After a minute, she turned to him, her expression serious. "So... do you want to talk about what happened back there, or what?"
Connor shrugged. "I know as much as you. Some giant bird creature snatched me up, thinks I'm really a king, and now the Krels are suddenly being friendly and taking us to their village. Just another regular day-or night-in this weird world."
Emily stepped in front of him, scowling, her arms crossed. "You KNOW what I'm talking about: when you grabbed me and kissed me, just before you jumped. You said "I'd better do THIS first, just in case." Remember?"
Connor sighed. "Ok, ok. I KNEW what you meant. I'm sorry. It's just... I've wanted to do that since summer started. Ever since you came back from vacation. Maybe even BEFORE that." Seeing her shocked expression, he went on. " I don't know WHEN I started liking you. But this whole summer, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even though I was bored out of my mind until I stole the cards, I was just happy you were with me, but i was too nervous to say anything. I mean, you're my oldest friend, next to Kyle. But you're so much more than that: you're smart, funny, very pretty. You're also brave, as I've noticed recently. And you also pay attention to stuff i completely miss: I mean, you knew what some of these creatures were when I didn't, cause you read the cards. I mean, you're awesome, Emily!!"
She smiled while Connor was complementing her, but then frowned once he finished. "Well, I'm glad you told me. But you never SAID anything all summer!! Plus, you constantly make fun of me: at Mr Zarwid's sale, you said that ugly fat statue with a tail looked like me!!"
Connor laughed, but forced himself to stop. " I'm sorry. I guess i have a weird way of showing my feelings. Plus, guys at school tease the girls they like too. But now that i think about it, it's a bad way to show someone you like them. But i DO like you, Emily. I'm sorry i didn't say anything till just now. And I'm sorry for startling you by kissing you. I just didn't know if I'd get another chance. I mean, if the Griffin hadn't caught me..."
She nodded. "I was scared too. I mean, what WERE you thinking?!! I know you thought destroying the card might get us back, because of what Mark said, but you shouldn't have jumped!! We COULD have found a way to escape, and tried to find the card after."
Connor laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just wasn't thinking clearly. So much craziness in one night!!"
Emily nodded again. "Yeah. To be honest, I was terrified when you jumped. Afraid you'd die. After you kissed me, i knew you must like me. And to tell the truth, i... well, i don't know. I mean, it was my first kiss. But it got me thinking. I mean, I'm still not sure,but i mean... you're a great guy, Connor. You're nice, funny, even though you CAN be annoying. But you're also daring. I mean, STEALING something is very daring!!!" They both laughed. "You also look out for people. I know you were trying to help EVERYONE by destroying the card. And willing to sacrifice yourself to do it..." She smiled. "That was very brave. Maybe you should have drawn a Knight card instead."
Connor smiled back. "Well... thank you. You should have gotten a Princess instead, cause you're so beautiful. AND need rescuing!!!"
She laughed. "Well, so do YOU!!! Look, I'm glad we got this out in the open. And i think i like YOU too. But i just don't think NOW is the best time. I mean, this" she gestured around the strange landscape " isn't exactly the best place for a date. So, let's just let THAT be our first kiss, as unexpected and weird as it was, and wait till we get home for anything more. Ok?"
Connor nodded. "Ok. I guess you're right. I just hope we make it back SOON. Maybe the Goth at the Krel camp can help. According to Kyle and the Griffin they're very powerful."
She shrugged. "Maybe. I wonder what time it is back home? Our parents must be worried SICK!! I wonder if..."
"HEY!!! CONNOR, EMILY, HURRY UP!!!! WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?!!"
They looked over to see Kyle and the others a half mile ahead. Kyle was cupping his hands like a megaphone to be heard.
Connor and Emily laughed. Connor signaled to Kyle to hold up, and he and Emily started walking again. He turned to her. "Um... is holding hands ok, till we get home?"
She smiled. " I guess that's fine... your majesty. " She laughed,and reached out her hand. He took it eagerly.
After a couple minutes they caught up to the others. Kyle looked at them curiously seeing them hand-in-hand, but shrugged and said nothing. They continued walking, the Krels leading the way.
After a few minutes, they saw a clearing with a large wooden gate, and a wooden fence surrounding the area. Several heavily muscled Krels stood at the gate, spears in hand. The Krel chief nodded at the guards.
"These are guests, not prisoners. We'll take care of them. At ease, men. "
The guards stood aside. One knocked on the gate several times, and it swung open slowly. The Krel leader signaled them to follow.
Stepping through slowly, they saw a small, makeshift town of sorts. Clustered around the grass clearing were small, low houses made of rough stone, each little bigger or longer than a shipping container, with roofs made of what looked like hay or leaves. Some had small windows, and a couple had a sort of chimney. Instead of doors, they simply had curtains made of some sort of animal hide or fur.
"Whoa. What IS this place?", Mark gasped. "It's like something from the Flintstones or something!!"
"It's so cool", added Mark's sister Amy. "Like something out of a history book. I wonder how long it took to build all this? These guys aren't much bigger than us!!"
One of the Krels in front overheard. " Not too long. Us Krels are descendants of the first Dwarves who worked the mines. Once most of the mines dried up, with no more resources to mine, they moved to the surface and started working with rock, stone, and wood. Built houses, towns, ships. They were the original architects of most of the ancient places you see. Then, about a hundred years ago, when all the races went to war, they attacked and burned our towns, drove us out. The remaining Dwarves went into hiding, building weapons, learning magic, plotting their revenge, to take back their lands and castles. They became us: The Krel. "
"Wow", said all the kids in unison as they looked around again. Krels were staring at them as they walked. Some were working in a small field, tending to crops of unfamiliar fruits and vegetables. Others had set up makeshift stalls piled with wares for sale. Connor saw clothes, jewelry, rugs, tools, meat, and even weapons at the stalls. All of the Krels turned and looked at Connor and the others as they passed.
Finally, the Krel chief stopped at a house. This one wasn't much bigger than the others, but had mysterious symbols painted in red and black: eyes, lightning, different types of crosses. The chief pulled aside the curtain and motioned them to follow. Feeling a bit nervous, Connor looked beside him at Emily, who he was still holding hands with. She nodded, and they stepped through.
Inside, it was dark, except for candles placed on the floor and wooden tables,and the bit of moonlight coming through the grass roof. Incense was burning on the tables and from censors hanging from the ceiling. There was a bookshelf piled with ancient-looking books and scrolls. The tables were also piled with strange equipment, including vials of strange liquids of different colors that shimmered eerily, microscopes and burners, what looked like crystals, and-his heart filled with dread-a SKULL.
As they looked around, taking in this strange sight, a figure appeared from the room in back. It was a man. But he was short, barely taller than Connor or any of his friends. He was dressed in a long, flowing black robe, with a hood over his head. But even with the hood and robe, they could still see him clearly in the dim candlelight. Connor heard Emily gasp, and she squeezed his hand tighter. The mans face was horribly sunken, like he'd been dead a long time and the skin was stretching as it started to decay. Adding to this cadavarous look, he had no nose. And his eyes: both eyes had double pupils, side by side. Both were an eerie dark blue. with deep set black irises. His hands, meanwhile, had unnaturally long fingers ending in claws instead of fingernails. He wore a number of rings on each long finger. As he opened his mouth to smile wickedly at his guests, they saw his teeth were long, yellow, and unnaturally pointy. Like vampire teeth.
"Ah. So lovely to have guests. I,of course, foresaw your arrival.", the Goth sorceror said. His voice was incredibly raspy, as if he were being choked by a strong hand. He turned to the Krel chief. "You may leave us. I will call when we are done."
The chief nodded and turned, walking out the curtain. The Goth shaman looked at each of them in turn, humming eerily. Connor couldn't get over his frightening appearance. Then he remembered that the card game had described Goths as MUTANT sorcerers. Did that mean they were BORN as mutants, or had their magic mutated them? Truthfully, he didn't really want to know...
The Goth stopped pacing and humming. "Yes, yes. I saw the moment you all arrived. I have been waiting so long. Now, let's see... YOU." He pointed one long, clawed finger at Connor.
Connor couldn't help gulping nervously, his heart pounding. "Muh...me?"
The Goth nodded. "Yes. You are the one who jumped off a cliff, yes?"
Connor gasped. "How... how did you know that?"
The Goth smiled wickedly, and licked his cracked black lips. "I TOLD you. I see ALL the Fates deem important. I've seen you ALL. That means you have important roles to play in the events to come."
"But what does that MEAN?!!", Connor asked. "We're not even FROM here!! We were sent here from OUR world by some old man-a wizard-and these weird cards. The cards had pictures of creatures from this world on them. Jekels. Krels. Stelks."
"When we played with the cards, it brought the creatures on them into OUR world", added Kyle. " First a Krel. Then Knights. Then a dragon."
"And WE were sent here by cards too", added Mark. "But first we read about Connor and his friends in a book. It had the same name as the card game: Be Afraid. As soon as we started playing, it sucked me and my sister into this world."
The Goth stood listening to their story, nodding. When Mark finished, the Goth put a clawed finger under his chin, thinking. "Hmmmmm. Interesting. Cards, you say? A book, you say? These were not part of the visions the Fates showed me. And you mentioned a wizard?
"Yes. His name was Mr Zarwid, which is actually an anagram of wizard", Emily said. "Connor stole the cards from him, and we started playing with them, and all these scary things started happening in our world, all these creatures coming out of the game into our world. Houses were destroyed, people got hurt. When we took the cards back, Mr Zarwid sent us here by throwing the cards. He said we... that we knew too much."
The Goth smiled again, showing those yellow, fanglike teeth. "Yes. Yes, see, a wizard's power depends on secrecy. The more people KNOW about his power, the LESS powerful he becomes. He couldn't have a bunch of children running around knowing his secret. Magic is fickle: it can lengthen one's life for centuries, it can turn time forward or back, control the weather, raise the dead, and literally move mountains. But it has RULES, and one rule is that nobody NOT in the wizard or witches circle can know of his or her magic. But see, that's just HUMAN magic: Goths like yours truly use a different type of magic. Our own brand, thus our OWN rules." He paused, scratching his chin with a clawed finger."But as for those creatures you saw in your world, as it happens, only a couple days ago, a Krel disappeared from this very village. He was speaking to some friends, and he simply VANISHED."
Kyle gasped. "When we put down a Krel card, a Krel appeared in the house!! Then the Krel card simply disappeared!! Gone!!! The same thing happened when we played the Dragon and Knight cards: those cards just vanished, gone without a trace!!"
The Goth nodded. "Indeed, and only the day after that Krel disappeared, a dragon was attacking a town to the north of here. The town called for help from the castle. Knights were dispatched, but I'm told they mysteriously vanished the moment they reached the town. They simply disappeared before the villagers eyes, before they even started fighting the dragon. The townspeople prepared to flee, although a few brave ones stayed to fight the dragon. But before they could, the dragon, too, disappeared."
"When I put the cards back in the box, even though the Knights and Dragon card were missing, they all disappeared," Connor said. "They were just gone. Did they come back here?"
The Goth shook his head. "No. Perhaps traveling between worlds is a one-way trip. Or perhaps they needed the card to get back, but since their card disappeared... in which case, assuming it IS one-way, what might that mean for YOU?", he added, smiling cruelly. "But for now, let's get to the REAL reason you are here. Like I said, if the Fates showed me your faces, you're here for a PURPOSE. But WHY? That is the true mystery, isn't it?"
Connor gulped again. "Well... the Griffin that caught me said i had a Mark. The Mark Of Kings, he said. But i don't HAVE any mark on my body. But, in the card game, i DID draw the King card, and both the Griffin and Krel chief kept calling me "your majesty." The Krel chief said you would be able to show me the Mark."
The Goth nodded. "Yes. Yes, we must take a look. Let me see. Hold out your right arm, if you please. "
Connor hesitated, then let go of Emily's hand and held out his arm. He immediately longed to take her hand again, and promised to do so after this. The Goth took his arm in his long, clawed fingers, moving them up and down his arm. His hands were cold as ice, as death itself. The Goth whispered as he examined Connor's arm, in a strange language.
"Ah, yes,of course", he said, after a moment or two. "Just hold still. Clear your mind. Focus. " The Goth closed his strange, frightening eyes, and spoke loudly in that strange language. A prayer, a spell, Connor couldn't tell, but he focused his eyes on the spot where the shaman had paused his fingers. Connor felt a tingling through his whole arm, like an electric shock. The spot burned. He gritted his teeth.
Suddenly, on the spot the Goth had grabbed, a small, orange crown appeared, glowing brightly, like a flashlight had shone on it. The Mark Of Kings.
He heard the others gasp. They saw it too. "Oh my god!!", Emily exclaimed beside him. Mark and Amy also shouted in surprise. Kyle slapped him on the back. "Awesome, bro!! You really ARE a King!!!"
The Goth smiled. "Yes. MAYBE. But the Mark Of Kings is rare. And dangerous. Some with the Sight, like your Griffin friend, will try to protect you. Others will stop at nothing to destroy you."
Connor groaned. "I KNEW you were going to say that. Just typical. "
The Goth chuckled nastily. He released Connors arm, and the Mark slowly faded, as if it was never there. "Ah, but such is the price of such a gift. But the bearer of the Mark must prove he DESERVES it. As such, you must go on a Quest. "
"A Quest? What KIND of Quest?!", asked Connor, bewildered. His head buzzed, and his heart filled with dread at everything the Goth had told him. To ground himself, he reached out again for Emily's hand, the only thing that felt REAL at the moment. She took his eagerly, obviously as frightened as he was.
The Goth laughed. "Well... you'll have to discover that YOURSELF. I could perhaps guide you, show you people, places in need of help. But the best Quest is the one you discover, and choose for yourself. But beware, for once you choose, you are bound by your Quest. The only out is success...or death."
He smiled at the others. Suddenly he looked at Connor and Emily's joined hands, then at Emily herself. He cocked his head, humming as he studied her. Emily tore her eyes away from him, terrified by his noseless, gaunt face, those frightening eyes with double pupils.
He studied her for a few moments more, then grinned almost happily. "Ah. I see we have not only a King in our midst, but I, perhaps, have a fellow sorcerer, or should i say, SORCERESS?"
Emily gasped. "I... what??! No, no no no. I'm not. I mean... well i DID draw a Goth card when we started playing but i... I mean, I CAN'T be a sorceress. I mean, Connor being a King is one thing, but ME, a sorceress?!! No, no way!!"
The Goth smiled. "But perhaps, just as the Fates bestowed the Mark Of Kings on Connor when he arrived, perhaps they deemed to bestow upon YOU the Power of the Sorceress? Perhaps BECAUSE of the card. Or perhaps because they saw something in you?"
Emily gasped. "But... but I've never USED any magic. Not in MY world, or even HERE!!! I mean, if i WAS a sorceress, don't you think I'd have been able to use magic, or have DONE something magical, on purpose or without realizing it, all those times we were in danger??!!!"
The Goth laughed again. "Magic shows itself when it is ready, usually when it thinks YOU are ready. Unfortunately, unlike Connor, i cannot show YOU your magic, or TEACH you. Human magic is different from Goth magic. All i can do is give you THIS."
He walked over to the bookshelf and rummaged through it for a moment or two, and finally grabbed a small, pocket-sized book. He brought it over and held it out to Emily. She nervously reached out and took it, and looked at it curiously. It was bound it ancient leather, very worn, with cracks in a few places. Letting go of Connors hand she flipped through it. The pages were slightly yellow with age, written on parchment. Inside were what looked like various spells and methods of using and controlling magic, along with surprisingly realistic illustrations of witches and wizards using spells. She looked at the Goth, who smiled a surprisingly pleasant smile.
"Once your magic displays itself, you should start reading this immediately. I don't know WHEN it will show. Only YOU will know when. At the right moment, the right place and time, you will KNOW. You must focus, and BELIEVE. You must prove yourself worthy of your magic,to break it in. Good luck, young sorceress."
Emily swallowed nervously, and put the book in her pocket. "Um... thank you. But... um, if...when i DO start using magic,will it... i mean,will it make me... "
The Goth sneered and pulled down his hood. Emily gasped,and she heard the others utter sounds of shock. Amy gave a small scream and put her hand over her mouth. The Goth was completely bald, but had two small black horns growing out of his head. They appeared to shine in the dim candlelight. "Like ME? No, child. Like i said, human magic is NOT like Goth magic. Did that wizard-what was his name, ZARWID- look like ME? Us Goths are BORN with this magic, under very specific stars and constellations. Once a child shows signs of Goth magic we are almost always shunned, thrown out, put into orphanages,workhouses, slavery, or even the street. The magic warps us, body and mind. Even if we don't USE it. I myself grew up among the Krels you saw outside, after my family abandoned me in the forest once they saw their three-year-old son growing THESE", he tapped one of the horns on his head. " The Krels saved me from a hungry pack of Direwolves. Once they saw me accidentally set one on fire when it tried dragging me away,they knew I'd be the future shaman, to protect and guide them. And i did. I owed them my life and loyalty. Other Goths pledge their loyalty to the kings and other lords,working in the castle dungeons on spells and so-called sciences to help them in battle, in exchange for a home, for protection. But i pledged my loyalty to the Krels. They are NOT the mindless savages society damns them as." His expression softened. "No, my dear. You will NOT be like me. Perhaps, you will be greater. Perhaps your magic will bring a bit of light to this world,and open the eyes that have grown blind to the suffering of many. "
Emily nodded, but looked at the floor, unsure of what to say. They all stood in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say, till Amy broke the silence. "Um... Mr Goth? Um, what about Mark and ME? I mean, we didn't even really play the game. The moment I put down my card, we got transported HERE. I didn't even see which card it WAS!!"
"Yeah", Mark added. "I don't know how WE fit into this!! I mean, first i read this book with THESE guys", he gestured to Connor, Kyle, and Emily ", then i find the cards, get taken here with my sister, we get captured and almost baked alive by some crazy walrus creature, then run into these kids from the book, and almost forced off a cliff by YOUR friends", he said, pointing at the Goth. "So please, tell me,why did you see Amy and ME??!!! I'm not a king,or sorcerer, or a knight!! I'm just a KID!! All of us here are 12, except for Amy,she's just 11!! What are any of us DOING here?!!"
The Goth shrugged. "I truly don't know. But as you were brought here, at the same time as the others, you must be destined to join in the Quest. Only by doing so may you discover your Destiny."
Mark opened his mouth to argue more, but just then the curtain opened,and a Krel entered. "Lord Shaman, i know your asked to not be disturbed, but there's something you must see!!"
The Goth nodded. "Very well. I'll be out in a moment. We were done here anyway. Come with me, children. I have a feeling this concerns us ALL."
The kids followed the Goth outside the house. It was still dark outside. The village was still bustling, Krells walking around, talking, laughing, shopping at the stalls. Connor wondered what time it was here. It had been night since they had arrived. There was no way to tell the time in this strange world.
They caught up to the Krel who had summoned them. He pointed at the sky to the north. "Look, THERE!!"
They all looked. Far away, towards the mountains in the distance, was a strange green glow, almost like green fire, flashing in the sky. Connor thought of the aurora borealis, the Northern Lights, he'd read about in school.
The Goth smiled mysteriously. "Ah. More newcomers. Of course, i had foreseen this." He turned to Connor and the others. " You must go meet them. Some scouts will accompany you."
Connor gasped. "What do you mean, more newcomers? You mean kids like US?"
The Goth nodded. "That green flash signals the arrival of otherworlders. Whenever somebody or something arrives from another world, it causes a temporary distortion in the sky. We saw it here when you arrived. That's when i consulted the Fates, and they showed me you and your friends, and i saw your Mark. The Jekels probably saw the flash too. That's why they found you first. Now you must go,before somebody finds THESE newcomers before we can help them. Follow the glow. But you must hurry. It doesn't last long. "
The Goth called out to the assembled Krels. Several stepped forward, armed with spears, axes strapped to their backs. He turned back to Connor and the others. " These are some of our strongest scouts. They will accompany you to the source of the glow. Now, hurry. There is no time to lose. "
Meanwhile, on the north side, near the mountains...
Ross sat up, rubbing his head. He blinked several times, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden light after the crushing darkness. He looked around. Where WAS he? He adjusted his glasses and checked out the area. He appeared to be in a forest of sorts, trees all around, and mountains only a few miles away. He checked out the sky. Dark, stars all around, dark clouds rolling in.
Where the hell WAS he? How did he GET here? The last thing he remembered was sitting down with his friend Brenda to play a card game he'd traded Mr Wardiz for a book he'd hated. He remembered setting up the cards and starting to play, when he and Brenda...BRENDA!!!! WHERE WAS SHE?!!
"BRENDA!!! BRENDA, ARE YOU HERE??!!!"
"ROSS!!! OVERE HERE!!!!" He turned to see Brenda running out of the forest. She had a few leaves in her dark braids, but looked otherwise fine.
He ran up to her. "You ok?", he asked. She nodded.
They looked around at the strange forest, the mountains in the distance. In the forest they heard sounds. Strange sounds. Animals?
They looked at each other in horror. "Where ARE we?", he asked.
End of chapter 1
Oh god, it feels SO great to finally be writing this story, having wanted to do it since 2005!!! Over the years i have always thought back to this book, and the possibilities a fanfic could have. All these characters, this world, struck a chord with me. Don't worry, I'm NOT going to pull a R.L. Stine: this story WILL have an actual ending, but hopefully not for a LONG time!! The only reason I'd have for ending it though, is if nobody cared about the characters anymore. Hopefully, with enough readers and reviews, and of course inspiration, i won't ever have to tell that story so soon.
Now, I'm sure some people will compare this story to Percy Jackson, with mentions of a Quest, and Connor being Marked, and all these villains wanting to destroy him. I didn't MEAN for it be similar when i was WRITING the chapter, but while proofreading it i can't help but notice. But rest assured: there won't be any Furries or demigods or Camp Half-Blood in THIS story. Those are the only (coincidental) similarities i (unintentionally) made.
As i said before, i know in the book it was MARK who jumped after the card, but for the story i had to change it to Connor. Don't worry, everything else will be accurate to the book.
Next chapter Connor and Co will meet up with Ross and Brenda, and we will see more of this strange medieval world, and finally learn it's name. I'm going to play around with anagrams, and try to come up with a name using the letters in Be Afraid. Yes, like Stine did with Wizard-Zarwid-Wardiz. I'm not THAT original, lol. Also, later, Connor and the others undertake a Quest, and Emily discovers her powers.
So stay tuned, and I'll see you soon(ish) in chapter 2!!!
