CHAPTER TEN
The Guardian of the Starstone
They crawled through the doorway, entering a colourful world, deep beneath the ground.
‘Close the door,’ ordered Sparkie.
‘How is this possible?’ whispered Connor, spellbound.
‘This room is a hologram of Tookar’s home planet,’ explained Sparkie. ‘He takes it anywhere he travels so he doesn’t get too homesick.’
Connor cocked his eyebrows. ‘You mean he can pack and go?’
‘Exactly,’ Sparkie answered. ‘The technology on his planet is far beyond ours.’
Connor felt the sunlight warming his skin and as air filled his lungs, he looked in bewilderment. The sun shining deep underground defied logic. Yet two suns shone, instead of one. The tunnel with its restrictions had vanished beyond the little magical door. They were free in a place full of wonder and mystery, on a typical warm summer’s day.
‘But before we go any further, you must stand still.’ Sparkie held a device, similar to a peashooter. Giving them no time to react, he fired at each individual. An electric blue light rippled through the air at lightning speed, striking each person, delivering a shock so powerful they fell to their knees. Lastly, Sparkie fired it at himself.
‘What did you do that?’ Connor’s leg still twitched from the after effect.
‘I’ve made us visible again,’ he explained. ‘It’s a new method I’ve been working on and it works.’
They looked at each other and rolled their eyes their heads, but couldn’t stay angry for long, with far too much to explore. Bizarre insects with massive stings buzzed in the air, travelling from one flower to the next, creating an impressive pile of nectar. The insects weren’t the ordinary insects; some of them were the size of a fist. But the large, ugly one was the size of a football. It had a long beak, a massive wingspan and several wriggly, black hairy arms with small hands on the end. A large pointed needle poked from under its bottom. It had huge reflective black eyes and a habit of staring rudely at them, whilst hovering in mid-air, before buzzing angrily and waggling its bottom at them.
Sparkie snapped. ‘Bill-Chew. Where is Tookar? Is he still alive?’
Bill pouted and shrugged.
‘Answer me, Bill-Chew!’ demanded Sparkie. ‘It’s important we find him before he dies!’
Pointing his beak towards a large tree, he flew off with his beak high in the air, wiggling his sting in a show-off manner. But Bill-Chew didn’t go far; remaining near but out of sight.
‘Don’t concern yourself with him. He has an attitude problem,’ Sparkie explained.
‘What is it?’ Connor exclaimed.
‘He’s from Tookar’s planet. He’s a right little mischief-maker if you ask me. But he’s loyal to Tookar,’ Sparkie expressed. ‘He tends to be a bit sensitive at times.’
In delight, Deana became immersed in the different flowers surrounding them, in awe of the gigantic petals: especially one particular flower with pink and white petals. She stroked and sniffed it. Luckily for her, K pulled her away in time, as a head from the harmless flower she’d been sniffing, sprung from the plant, baring fierce green fangs.
Deana screamed and fell into K’s arms.
‘It’s a guard plant,’ K explained. ‘Keep your hands to yourself.’
She straightened herself and fluttered her eyelashes. ‘So, does the rule apply to you as well?’
‘Come on.’ K, too tense to appreciate her humour, pulled her in the direction Sparkie had gone with Connor.
‘I hope we’re not too late,’ Sparkie mumbled.
A large tree, resembling a willow with long dangling branches, stood proudly before them. Covered with thin yellow leaves, it seemed perfectly ordinary. Taking them by surprise, overhanging vines fell from the massive tree, with vines entangling their bodies, binding tightly their legs and arms. The friends were powerless to break free. No matter how hard they struggled they became more entangled. The vines continued to squeeze tighter, lifting them off the ground.
Being whisked off their feet and held upside down caused blood to rush to their heads, reddening their cheeks and where an uncomfortable pressure built in their noses. The tree creaked as the vines parted for a brief instance to reveal two large brown eyes blinking on the tree trunk, studying the wriggling bunch. The vines immediately swung back to their previous position covering them once more.
‘What now, Sparkie?’ shouted Connor, ignoring Deana’s squeals of fright.
‘For goodness sake Jomkim – put us down!’ Sparkie demanded. ‘This is no way to treat visitors. I taught you better than that.’
‘Sparkie!’ spoke a slow, joyous voice. ‘Bill-Chew said me you were strangers.’
‘I should have known,’ grumbled Sparkie. ‘Let’s continue this conversation on the ground.’
‘Oh… yes… sorry,’ apologised Jomkim.
The hanging vines lowered and released them a couple of feet above the ground. With a thud, they landed in a heap.
‘Jomkim – next time put us on the ground before you let go!’ scolded Sparkie.
‘Oh, I’m sorry! Mo much has happened today. I’m can’t think straight. Tookar is wounded and I’m at my wits end!’
Staggeringly, this tree could talk and move and possessed intelligence. As they rubbed their aching limbs and sore heads, the friends watched the vines open gracefully to reveal the source of the deep resonating voice. A large friendly face appeared on the bark of the trunk. The same golden brown eyes Connor had previously seen were now staring straight at them. The facial features protruded beneath the bark, as if the bark were made of cling film.
‘Tookar is hiding in the cave below me. You’ll have to move further back!’ Jomkim warned them.
His face quickly disappeared, sucked back into the trunk. They did as they were told, moving several feet back from their previously location. Deana held on to K’s arm. A moment later, the soil shifted with a tremor. On the roots of the tree, lay the strangest creature with a small blue body the size of a toddler, with its eyes closed, wheezing with each breath.
‘Oh, Tookar – what happened to you, my friend?’ Sparkie lifted Tookar from Jomkim. As he did, Jomkim withdrew his roots back beneath the ground, sealing it once more.
‘Sparkie?’ Tookar whispered in a croaky voice. Peering through swollen eyelids, he saw Sparkie and reached his frail arm towards him. ‘My friend, I knew you’d come.’
Sparkie grasped hold of Tookar.
‘Definastine himself couldn’t keep me away!’ Sparkie quivered.
Tookar cried in agony, gritting his teeth. ‘You have… Connor with you.’
Deana’s cheeks became soaked with tears at seeing Tookar’s swollen and bruised eyes. A trickle of blood gently seeped from the corner of his mouth. His nose consisted of two small holes in the side of his neck with two flaps of thick skin protecting it. His two long pointed ears were torn at the top of his head and flopped. He also had two short antennae, which curled upwards at the highest point of his forehead. Although they were bright orange, at times they changed to a yellowy hue.
‘Raider… caught up… with me,’ croaked Tookar. ‘He won’t… bother anyone… again. He’s dead… now.’
Sparkie stroked his friend’s forehead. ‘You old fool.’
‘I’m dying… my life is… draining away. I have so much…’ gasped Tookar, ‘to tell young Connor.’
‘Shhh,’ soothed Sparkie. ‘You’re not going to die. Connor has the Starstone inside of him. He can heal you.’
Tookar struggled to speak and took several deep breaths. ‘He doesn’t… know how to… control his powers yet.’
Connor had to do something. ‘Let me try. You believe it’ll work, don’t you Sparkie?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Well let me try!’ Without wasting more time, Connor knelt beside Tookar, conscious of the watchful presence of so many eyes.
What happened next came as a surprise, for the boy shrieked as an electric p
ulse bolted along his arm. He resisted the instinct to pull away, as the healing continued. Although uncomfortable, he knew he’d have to deal with it to save Tookar’s life. His arm shook uncontrollably. At the same time, little specks of colour flickered in the air, tiny silvery stars visible to Connor. Swirling above Tookar’s body they gathered speed until they were circling in a miniature tornado. They were spinning so fast, they merged into one great twisting beam of light.
A blinding flash of light took Connor back inside the tunnel, alone. It took him several seconds to realise his mind had travelled and not his body. This made the situation less terrifying.
He heard shouting and cautiously approached the din. Entering a circular chamber, a violent scuffle was taking place. Two creatures were fighting one another. He recognised Tookar in his human form, but the other – well, it was hideous.
It must be Raider.
Huge black eyes firmly fixed on Tookar. He didn’t stand a chance, not when the creature was twice his body size – hunched and covered in thick black hair. It moved with frightening speed, as its tail whipped through the air. The hood fell back from Raider’s head, revealing taut grey skin and a skeletal face.
‘Don’t do this!’ rasped Tookar as Raider pounced on him. ‘This isn’t you!’
‘You pitiful, puny creature!’ Raider mocked. ‘With the help of the consulting mirror, I knew where you were. At last my master will get the Starstone!’ he laughed.
Snarling viciously, Raider clawed at Tookar, ripping his paper-thin skin. He brutally dug his claws deep into Tookar’s body. Tookar screamed in agony as a flurry of wings fast approached.
Bill-Chew flew speedily round the corner, crashing into the wall. His eyes widened in horror. Pointing his beak he aimed directly at Raider. Moving swiftly, Bill-Chew dodged Raider’s fists. Darting rapidly, he avoided every blow. Twisting his body adeptly he sunk his poisonous sting deep into his Raider’s back, who flung his tail in the air striking Bill-Chew, sending him reeling through the air – his body slammed heavily against the cave wall. The damage had been done. The venom had took hold.
Raider bent forward.
‘What have you done to me!’ he screamed at Bill-Chew.
Without another word, he collapsed to his knees, screaming in agony. As the poisonous venom seeped into his veins, his body convulsed violently, falling to the ground, where it crumpled into a heap of black dust.
Bill-Chew limped towards Tookar, spitting on the pile of Raider’s remains as he passed. Apart from the heap of ashes, nothing else remained of Raider, except for the lasting impression of his cruel eyes. Connor knew it would be a long time before he forgot them.
Bill-Chew snuggled close to Tookar, nudging him and stroking his face.
‘Don’t die!’ Bill-Chew cried. ‘Don’t leave me!’
Tookar groaned helplessly in a pool of his own blood. A desperate urge to heal Tookar overwhelmed Connor.
As if by magic, a light blasted from his body towards Tookar. Connor’s spine arched violently backwards, as light surged freely from the centre of his chest, temporarily blinding the others as so much light surrounding him. When Connor opened his eyes, he laid next to Tookar, in the cooling shadow of Jomkim, surrounded by his friends. To his joy, Tookar’s wounds were disappearing and the alien stared at him with a mixture of astonishment and deepest respect.
‘I’m so glad to see you!’ he smiled weakly.