Finally, they rounded the bend in the river and beheld, far below, a plume of rainbow-lit mist, the hissing cloud that churned up from Fingap Falls. The river was split by jagged, towering crags into hundreds of roaring courses that tumbled down- ward in white madness.

They stood at the brink of a cliff. Below was a whirling murk of mist. To the left sped the river, angry, white, and cold. To the right, the steep wet slope of shale and boulders rose and disappeared in gray mist. Far beyond the mist lay the wide, silent gray of the Dark Sea of Darkness.

If she and her friends weren't being chased by a small army of Fangs, troll and horned hounds, Elisheva might've been more than happy to admire the view.

Such a view demanded that the company stop in its tracks. They huddled together, sopping wet and weary.

"Where is it?" Oskar panted, as he hurried over. "It must be here!"

Podo's face was ashen. He stood with a steadying hand on Oskar's shoulder, and his eyes shot every which way but toward the sea. The two men were a pitiful sight.

Oskar's belly was wrapped in bloody bandages, and the top of his head glistened with moisture. Water and sweat dripped from Podo's eyebrows. The youth he had gained from the water from the First Well was gone. He was a tired old man in wet clothes, gray-white hair dangling from his head in stringy locks.

It was unfair that two old men—two good men who ought to be sitting by the fire with their feet up and their bellies full—clung to each other on the banks of the Mighty Blapp with death before them and death behind.

Each of them had the same thought: with the Fangs behind and the falls ahead, it seemed certain the river would kill them. It would suck them in and hurl them into the cold black Deep.

"There's no bridge is there?" Janner questioned.

"No, son." Nia said soberly. "If there ever was, it's gone."

Just as Podo began rebuking them, Nugget growled as the crashing trees and trolls' footsteps drew closer. Nugget snarled and began barking, he made to move as if to charge, but Janner and Leeli held him back.

"What do we do now, Papa?" Nia questioned.

Podo drew his sword. "We stand and fight. If something terrible happens, and us old codgers don't make it through this, then you kids stay together, you hear? You too, Elisheva! Find your missing kin, fight with everything you've got, but stay together. I don't know what old Gnag has planned for you, but you just trust the Maker and... and do what your father would have wanted. Do what me and your Ma would have wanted. Don't just follow your heart. Your heart will betray you."

Elisheva's heart sank as Podo's words resonated deep within her. She had hoped to find her father and little brother before falling into the clutches of Gnag's goons. Dad… Zev…

Nugget gave a single bark. Then two of the pursuing trolls appeared.

Before Elisheva or anyone else could react, Oskar had started shouting and the trolls and running towards them to get their attention in directin of a shallow pool. What was he doing?

She saw the shapes of long fish swimming in the shallows – where those barracuda? But their shape made them look like tiny swordfish…

When the trolls passed the shallow pool, schools of daggerfish leapt from the water. Their needle-sharp noses burrowed deep into the trolls' coarse flesh. The trolls wailed and yanked out the fish even as more leapt from the water. Everyone hustled nearer to the falls but Tink, who stood staring at the edge of the bank. He eyed the area the same way he studied something he was about to draw.

"Tink, get back from the edge!" Janner warned.

Then without warning, the boy jumped right off!

"No!" cried Nia.

"Tink!" both Janner and Elisheva shouted. Terrified, they hurried to the edge and stood surprised.

Below them stood Tink on a patch of grass, he shrugged up at them. "What? I found steps!"

Elisheva saw there, amidst the rugged terrain, a squared hunk of rock. Time and erosion had smoothed its surface, but its unmistakable man-made shape revealed itself. She saw the faint outline of more steps, cut into the face of the cliff, buried beneath pebbles and slate.

So then there was still a chance to reunite with her family. Determination replaced her earlier regret as she focused on the newfound discovery.

The others hurried over to see what had just been discovered.

"At least, they kinda look like steps." Tink said.

Oskar adjusted his spectacles, "Perhaps these steps lead to the bridge."

"You go!" Podo urged, "It's better than staying here and waiting for those trolls. At the very least it'll be a place to hide."

The steps probably led to another dead end, but knowing their final stand wouldn't be there on the bank, that it wouldn't happen for a few more minutes. Elisheva, Leeli, and Nugget sprang to where Janner and Tink stood. In moments they disappeared below the lip of the cliff and into the mist.

Being close to a waterfall, the steps were obviously wet and had tiny pebbles. Thus, the steps were treacherous, no more than a narrow ledge cut into the wall of rock. The wall curved away from the bank and seemed to lead straight into the waterfall, while on the right the ground fell away and vanished into the void below.

The others followed with Podo bringing up the rear. He took a misstep and nearly slipped in. The grizzled old pirate pressed himself against the wall, and wished he hadn't.

From the depths of the Dark sea of Darkness, a pair of glowing ice blue eyes glared up at him.

And, as if to draw his attention away from the sight, sprinkles of mud and pebble rained just a few inches above Podo's head.

If he could see past the plume of cold mist, he could see General Khrak peering down with cold calculation. Several Fangs stood by the General awaiting orders while the trolls were removing daggerfish from their own bodies.

Khrak motioned with his left hand to two Fang scouts to go down and investigate. The scouts scuttled down like the very lizards they resembled, vanishing into the mist.

There came the shrieks and grunts then the helmets of the two fangs were tossed upwards and landed at Khrak's feet. And he barely avoided a spear that hit another Fang beside him.

"I could do this all day!" Podo called out from his hiding place.

Khrak turned to the trolls and motion them to go downwards, while challenging Podo's comment, "And what if I send a hundred fangs after you?"

The trolls nodded as one them pulled one last daggerfish from the other's back.

"I'll turn every last one of 'em to sawdust!" Podo answered back.

Khrak's yellow eyes became hooded. "On these slippery stones with a pegleg? We don't have to fight you, only bump you." he said sinisterly, "A little nudge, and down you'll go, into the Dark sea!"

Podo warily looked down at the churning sea waters several feet below him.

"And what about the children?"

"What about 'em?"

"Trotting down a slippery trail, there's only one path this trail ends…" Khrak taunted. "All of you over the edge, sinking into the deep…"

"That's better than being mauled by you filthy lizards!" Podo grunted.

"Mauled?" Khrak said with a jeering laugh, "My archer could've easily cut you down at the gully. My goal was always to bring you back alive. Surrender and sleep in a soft bed tonight. Run, and you'll surely die a watery death but not by my hand, the drowning of your family will be your own doing."

The ledge took them behind a rush of water, a passageway of thunder, spray, and stone. When they emerged, the stair descended more sharply into the mist.

"The steps just end here, I don't see any bridge" Tink said,

"Why would someone build stairs to nowhere?" Janner questioned, throwing out his hands in frustration.

"But I read about the Ancient bridge..." Oskar explained naming the book.

Tink turned and squinted, surely there had to be... I see something! he called.

Leeli then pointed. Look!

The air changed from a featureless fog into wisps and curls stabbed with sunbeams. The sky was fully visible above, but below lay only mist, so it seemed they were walking on a cloud. Then with a whoosh of wind, the mist spun away for a heart-stopping moment. The eternal gray of the Dark Sea of Darkness yawned before them.

Here the plateau of Skree was twice as high as the dills of Glipwood. The tiny whitecapped waves were invisible at this height, and the horizon curved downward to the north and south, enough to make one wonder if the books previously read were right after all in their claims that Aerwiar was as round as the moon. Elisheva saw the final cusp of Fingap Falls and figured out that they had only begun to cross the giant river. Where the Blapp poured over the edge and into the sea, the river divided into a score of channels, all of them as wide as rivers themselves, spreading out like foamy veins before they careened into the Dark Sea.

But the waters made one last stop on the way down. A shelf of rock jutted out and caught the falls like an open hand, forming a shallow lake in its palm. At the far edge of the shelf rose stone towers like giant fingers curled upward, and the white waters slipped between them and merged again as they fell. Between each of the towers stretched what looked from this distance to be a paper-thin span of rock.

Miller's Bridge.

The towers were worn by thousands of years of weather and water, but it was clear they were no natural formations.

Elisheva could see that it had been built by a far greater civilization not known to any culture from her own world's history. Now she knew why the bridge was so little known; only those foolish enough to descend the stair into the mist would ever get close enough to see it.

"There is a bridge!" gasped Nia.

"I want to laugh, and yell..." Oskar said. "But I think I'll just cry." And he removed his glasses to wipe his eyes.

Nugget panted happily looking from the group then upwards. Then his ears lowered and he began to whine.

Elisheva wondered why when tiny flecks of dirt fell. Huh? And she looked at what Nugget saw and shouted, "HEADS UP!"

Nugget immediately bounded two feet away, Nia looked up and pulled her sons to her just before a boulder smashed just inches from where the boys stood.

The trolls were throwing boulders at them! And to add further shock, another boulder hit the bridge, breaking off a part of it and leaving a gap.

Had it been a stream in the forest, they might've jumped across with little trouble. Janner crept forward and stuck his hand into the rushing water, and it was jerked downstream as if someone had slapped it. There was no way they could wade or swim across without being swept away.

Up where the Fangs stood, the trolls picked up more boulders and prepared to throw them but Khrak stormed over.

"No, fazzle brained oafs! Stop tossing rocks!" He snapped. "Climb down... and grab them!"

The trolls dropped the rocks off to the side.

From his spot, Podo could hear Khrak's order: "Gnag wants them alive! The outsider girl too!"

Janner turned to the group, "How do we cross over?"

Nia looked around at her children, then her gaze hardened. "One at a time!" She took several steps back then broke off into a run before jumping right off the ledge. She skidded on the other side of the gap but alive.

"Nugget, come!" Nia shouted.

Okay, buddy, you and Leeli are next. Elisheva patted the large dog's head.

Leeli leaned over and whispered into Nugget's ear. This had Nugget look determined and he leapt to the other side of the gap. Then Nia gently helped Leeli off the large dog.

Nevertheless, the Fangs were already making their way down the steps!

"Hurry!" Nia urged.

"Here Nugget!" Janner waved the dog over.

"Jump, boy!" Tink called. He clapped his hands and whistled.

"Come on, boy!" Elisheva clapped the palms of her hands on her thighs.

Nugget jumped back to the boys, Elisheva and Oskar.

"You first Mr. Reteep." Janner said.

"Nonsense, you're the Jewels of Anniera and the Key." the old scholar replied. "I'll only go first after you." and he bowed reverently.

Janner looked uncertain. Elisheva said gently, "It's okay, Jan. You and Tink go ahead, I'm right behind you two."

Janner and Tink climbed aboard Nugget's back, Leeli whistled for her dog. Nugget perked up and leapt across.

"Elisheva, you're next!" Leeli called, her voice tinged with both anxiety and hope.

"Quickly now!" Nia called.

"Be right there!" Elisheva called. "Okay, here goes." gulped nervously, steeling herself for the leap.

With a burst of adrenaline, she sprinted forward, her feet pounding against the ground. As she reached the edge, she propelled herself through the air, soaring across the dangerous expanse.

But her feet didn't reach the other side. Elisheva landed with her waist at the edge, her hands trying to get a grip.

"Elisheva!" Leeli screamed.

At once without being told, Nugget took a fold of Elisheva's cloak and shirt in his mouth, and pulled her right up. She steadied herself, her heart pounding in her chest, relieved to have made it across.

Leeli rushed forward, her face radiating both concern and relief. "You did it!" she exclaimed, embracing Elisheva tightly.

Elisheva returned the embrace, her eyes shining with a mixture of gratitude and determination. "Made it." she said, her voice filled with unwavering resolve. " We're not giving up"

"Okay, you're next!" Elisheva waved to Oskar.

"Go Nugget, get Oskar!"

"Here, verily good doggie!" Oskar waved to Nugget.

Then he heard a noise that made him look back. To Oskar's horror, the Fangs and the trolls were already climbing downwards to them!

"Haste would not be unwelcome!" Oskar said nervously.

Nugget looked to Leeli with a whine.

"Yes, get him!" Leeli nodded and pointed.

With a whine, Nugget hopped back across the gap.

Oskar limped over to the giant dog and fell upon it gracelessly. Nugget whimpered and strained to his feet beneath the weight of the big man. Oskar wrapped his arms around Nugget's neck. Nugget, strong as he was, had never carried anyone as large as Oskar.

Podo then showed up and gaped at the sight of the bridge. The old pirate had wasted no time scrambling down the steps. He skidded to a stop at the edge of the rushing water. Then seeing the trolls, he slapped Nugget's hip, making the dog yelp and leap across the gap. He landed well, but Oskar lost his grip and tumbled off onto the ground.

Podo jumped across the gap barely avoiding the trolls hands, but landed on the edge leaving everyone stunned.

The old pirate struggled to pull himself up. He glanced downwards and a frightening shape down in the deep depths, waiting for him to fall.

"No, no, no, no!" he murmured as he nearly lost his grip.

Nugget then pulled him right up by the sleeve. When he noticed everyone staring, Podo barked. "Well, what're you all staring at? Run!"

One of the trolls reached the first edge of the broken bridge. The second troll grunted then looked at the Fangs. Abruptly, the second troll grabbed one of the fangs and tossed it across to the other edge of the bridge. The first troll did the same with another one.

Seeing that the two Fangs made it alive albeit, with bruising, the two trolls grinned at the other Fangs. The other Fangs all gulped uncertainly, knowing what this meant.

So the Wingfeathers, Oskar and Elisheva hurried, the bridge wasn't long, but with the Dark Sea yawning thousands of feet below them, the going was slow. Podo turned to see how far their enemies were.

They reached the last few towering fingers of the shelf. The top was a flat area big enough for six humans and one giant dog, but not by much. From here one could see the whole of Fingap Falls above and behind: the network of waters pouring between the rocks, slamming into carved boulders and scattering again, gushing down through the misty air to the palm of the rock shelf, where the water gathered into what looked like a boiling lake before it slipped between the towers and into the Dark Sea.

The shelf jutted out from the cliff so that when Elisheva looked down she felt that she was floating. She saw only white water, and below, the gray sea. All the world was water.

A hundred yards away through the mist behind the group, the Fangs marched as if they had been tossed from a distance—which was probably what had happened.

Podo told Janner, Tink and Elisheva to ready their weapons. Podo's sword was drawn as if the ocean, or something in it, was about to attack.

"You want the boys and a lost child to stand and fight?" Nia questioned.

"No dear, if it comes to that. I'd rather be the only one doing the standing and the fighting." Podo replied. "Get Leeli safe across, and be ready with your blade for when we come running."

Nia nodded and began walking back as her two sons approached their grandfather. "Keep them safe, Papa."

"Safe ain't a word I'd use for any of this!" Podo shrugged.

Elisheva walked over. This meant she was gonna have yet another moment to test out her sling. heart raced with a mix of fear and determination.

Leeli was with Oskar and Nugget behind a large rock on the slope of the north riverbank as Nia hurried back to them, the little girl then picked up her whistleharp and began to play an upbeat tune to inspire her brothers, her grandfather and her friend.

"Alright boys, bows ready! Lass, ready that sling!"

"Got it!" Elisheva nodded as Janner and Tink took their positions.

At Podo's signal, Tink hit quite a few with his arrows but Janner hit only one in the arm, leaving him feeling inadequate.

Elisheva seized her sling with a firm grip and swiftly swung it, aiming at the oncoming Fangs. Her stone struck true, hitting one of the assailants, causing it to fall backwards onto it's comrades and knock them over.

Infuriated with this development, the Fangs on the other side of the bridge had been baiting the trolls to go forward.

The two beasts gradually jumped across the gap.

Surely the bridge was too old, too fragile to support the weight of the giant creatures. But the ancients knew what they were doing when they constructed Miller's Bridge. The two trolls inched their way to the center. When they saw the bridge would hold, the trolls grinned stupidly and picked up their pace.

When the fangs began backing away at first the boys cheered as did Podo. Elisheva almost joined but she felt something.

Then, above the rumble of the Falls, came the familiar, chilling sound of the troll growl-moan. Beneath it was a vibrating thud-thud-thud as if the river had a beating heart.

Elisheva craned her neck and yelped. "YIPE!"

From the far side, Nugget had begun barking fiercely again.

The two trolls raced forward with bellows, knocking fangs into the water.

"Run!" Podo shouted. "Arrows and rocks won't do any good!"

So they ran, Elisheva didn't need any telling twice. With the awful sound of the trolls' huffing and puffing so close behind, she was sure she'd have beaten her old track record.

The pursuing brute was running on both feet and propelling itself forward with its knuckles like a giant ape. But as Elisheva and the boys were nearly to the other side, the bridge shook!

"Whoa!" Elisheva almost lost her balance.

Podo stopped then became grimly determined. He looked at his sword and at the charging troll then made a quick decision. In one move he flung the sword. The blade left Podo's hand and spun through the air toward the oncoming troll.

The sword buried itself in the beast's chest, directly in the heart. The troll widened its eyes in surprise and tumbled forward as it clawed at the sword hilt with clumsy hands.

The troll collapsed before expiring and when it slammed into the bridge, the skill of the ancient builders was put to its final test-and it failed.

The second troll, standing just behind its dead companion, howled and beat its chest. In its anger it was unaware of what became immediately clear to the rest: the bridge was about to fall.

More rocks broke loose from the quaking bridge. Elisheva was already tense enough... and why was that one melody playing through her mind? Then she blinked, as she saw what looked like a firefly, right in front of her nose! A neon green firefly.

Inevitably, Elisheva stared. "Uh?"

Was that a spark of what she thought it was? Maybe those old legends of the Key might not be as weird as she thought.

The glow intensified with each passing second, and a swirling pattern reminiscent of a miniature portal begins to form in the air before her. By then Janner and Tink noticed and were staring. Podo looked at them one moment before doing a double take.

Elisheva couldn't let them or anyone else down. If the legends about the Key's gifts were true, maybe if she tried hard enough...

She strained to open a portal, however, despite her best efforts, the portal remains small, barely the size of her head. It kept decreasing in size the harder she tried to focus.

It flickered and wavered, struggling to maintain its form. Elisheva's frustration grew, the portal shrank until it eventually dissipated altogether.

Urgh! So much for that!

Nugget barked nonstop, Nia removed Leeli's crutch from a pack and then pulled her daughter off the large dog. Once Leeli was in Nia's arms, Nugget ran towards the bridge.

"Nugget, no!" Leeli tried to call him back.

"Let him go, sweetie. Your brothers and your friend need him now." Nia said.

The second troll angrily lumbered forward. With a great crunch, the bridge shifted and sank a few hands lower. The Fangs that congregated on the tower grew agitated as more stones tumbled away.

"Please fall! Please fall!" Tink whined.

Elisheva bit her lip, "Why isn't gravity doing it's job right?!"

Podo shook his fist at the troll. "Come on, ye monster! Take another step!"

But the bridge hung on and the troll furiously roared at them.

"Give me your sword, boy." Podo told Janner.

Janner reluctantly did so.

"Podo?" Elisheva's heart sank, she took a guess at what he was going t do.

Podo took Janner's sword and said to his eldest grandchild, "Now you be a good man. You lead this family to safety, like I know you can. Same with her." He motioned to Elisheva with sad eyes. "Go!"

Tink gasped, then he and Janner began hurrying towards the others. Elisheva hesitated before following suit.

"And never stop fightin' for 'em, hear?" Podo shouted.

The troll took another step forward. With a heavy sigh, Podo raised the sword and strode to meet it.

Elisheva's heart pounded in her chest as Podo bravely faced the towering troll, his sword raised in a futile attempt to defend himself. Podo would only last moments against the troll, but it was all he could give.

Janner blinked away his tears and turned. He had to honor his grandfather's sacrifice by getting his family away and keeping them free from harm for as long as he could.

Then, Elisheva, Tink and Janner just had time to leap out of the way as Nugget, no longer carrying Leeli, bounded up the steps.

"Nugget?" Elisheva yelped.

A mixture of shock and grief washed over her as she witnessed Nugget's heroic leap, his body colliding with the troll like an unstoppable force.

The giant dog gave a bone-rattling bark when it reached the tower, then sprang through the air, past a bewildered Podo, and slammed into the troll like a boulder into a barn door.

The troll staggered back, trying in vain to shield itself from Nugget's teeth, which snapped and bit and tore at the troll's arms and neck and face. The troll lost its balance and teetered, slow and heavy like a felled tree.

It crashed into the bridge with such force that the towers on either side trembled. The bridge that had stood for a thousand years crumbled into a thousand pieces.

Nugget sprang off the troll as it fell and landed with one hand on the edge. Nugget viciously bit and barked and growled. Fang after Fang screamed and fell from the wall as the dog struggled, but more Fangs appeared, with more weapons and more determination to push the dog from the tower.

The troll began to climb back up.

"Stay down ya stenchy beast!" Podo growled. But the troll continued to climb, intending to finish Podo.

The others had gathered to watch anxiously. Leeli had gone pale watching the troll try to attack her grandfather. "Nugget!" she shrieked.

Nugget turned at the sound of his name then he saw the troll and growled. Then Nugget let out a defiant howl to the sky before bounding forward.

With a great jump, the dog opened his mouth and latched onto the troll's left ankle.

The troll was shocked and tried to kick Nugget off but the dog stubbornly sank his teeth deeper, refusing to let go.

Finally the troll lost its grip... both dog and troll plummeted.

Nugget raised his great, furry head and looked at Leeli. She had crawled past Janner, sobbing, reaching out for her dearest friend across the empty space where the bridge had been.

Elisheva stood frozen, her shock and grief etched onto her face.

There was a change in Nugget's face seconds before he hit the water, a tired but contented look indicating that the brave dog fell to the sea happy, knowing he had saved Leeli from harm one last time.

And then Nugget was gone.

"Nugget!" Leeli wailed. "Nugget..."

Elisheva turned her head with a dry sob. Janner didn't watch him fall. His eyes closed so that the wet stone beneath his hands, the cold wind, the howls of triumph from the Fangs, his little sister's wailing were all he knew.

Podo looked on, shocked at where he'd just seen both the troll and Nugget fall to a water grave. The moment an arrow missed his feet by mere inches and he whacked away the rest with the sword before hurrying to the others.

Nia held Leeli into her arms, Tink picked up Leeli's crutch. Then they all hurried away from the bank to put some distance between themselves and the Fangs.

Once they'd fled, Khrak came up to the archers. "Cease fire."

"They're getting away."

Khrak looked at the fleeing group with a sneer, "To where? Dugtown?" and he smirked, "I own Dugtown."

To be continued...

Author's note: Sadly there are some things you can't change, sometimes they might affect the storyline. Next chapter might be a while too, I've got advancing two more fics too.