D.N.Alien (first two chapters)

8/6/2019 D.N.Alien (first two chapters)

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D.N.Alien.

Chapter One

The Awakening

The time was long forgotten, as was the place. The tale lived on in man's subconscious

as a state of mind he aspired to. Noone knew of the characters until the bo! wasdiscovered, onl" then was histor" unfolded before the e"es of the "oung man we now

know as Andegano #uatir. Andrew $ordan was not to know his weekend would change

the course of histor" nor of the love about to return to his life.

As usual, the drive out to the moors allowed Andrew the chance to unwind after what had

been the worst week he could remember at work. %e had never had to sack an"one before

and to have to do it three times in a week had left a bitter taste in his mouth. &unning"our own compan" was no bed of roses neither was losing "our (ob, as had been clear on

the faces of the three workmates he had been forced to can. )anks* Can+t live with them

can+t live without. till, the caves beckon, and this was one special descent. These caveshad onl" been discovered a month ago and the geological surve" had shown underground

areas that, until now, had never been e!plored.

-ince was waiting, as arranged, in the car park sorting his kit, with the inevitable cuppa

on the go. As Andrew pulled up a tirade of abuse was hurled goodnaturedl" toward himfor being ten minutes late and didn+t stop until he accepted the proffered cuppa. lonking

himself down on -ince+s tailgate he asked /all read"0,0 of course, right down to tapes forthe camera0. /1et+s get going then0. The" both hoisted heft" packs and turned west from

the car park faces set for what the" knew would be a long old hike. The" had about

seven miles to cover, about three hours of making like a pack mule, but the" would arrivein plent" of time to get set up for the night. An earl" start would give them two full da"s

underground.


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The moor worked its magic, as usual, taking his breath awa" at the crest of ever" hill,

ever" vale full of the charm onl" nature can provide. Their site for the night was id"llic,fresh water from a nearb" spring, a thick carpet of lush spring" heathland grass as a

mattress, granite walls on three sides and the other offering a view unsurpassed

an"where. -ince had heated up a couple of packs of stew from the arctic rations the"alwa"s used and, for now, all was well with the world.

Ne!t morning the" struck camp and headed for the cave s"stem priding

themselves on leaving no sign of their presence behind. A short trek brought them to

within sight of the entrance and what a sight it was. 2n the pale light of the breaking da"

the standing stones stood stark against the sk"line as the" approached. An air ofreverence emanated from them that left a part of both of them in awe. The beginning of

the s"stem was halfwa" up the tor where a rock slip had revealed the cave mouth to a

couple walking the moor onl" five weeks ago. This was their fourth visit, each time the"

had ventured deeper mapping as the" went. The entrance was obvious now that it hadbeen e!posed, below it was a flat swathe of grass, and on either side were the bleached,

gnarled remains of two ancient oaks. Donning their gear the" covered the, now familiar,first three sections in good time and stopped for lunch at the furthest point of their

e!ploration so far.

ulling flasks and sandwiches from their packs the" went to a raised area and sat

down to eat in the centre of a loft" cave with a good dr" floor. The space was about

thirt"five feet b" twent", roughl" oval and, apart from a section above them had a domed

roof twent" feet high.The section was around four feet wide and ran the entire width ofthe roof dividing it in two. The seam of 3uart4filled granite glistening in their lamplight

above them. The" had entered at the top of the scree slope behind them and ahead la" the

open mouth of their afternoons mapping. 1unch over, -ince went back for his pack asAnd" walked forward and shone his lamp down the ne!t section wondering how long he

would be on his knees for. 5ithout warning there was a monstrous crack*, and the floor

bucked wildl" beneath them throwing both, unceremoniousl" to the ground, the air wasfull of dust and the tor seemed to groan as the seam of granite thudded down against the

cave floor with an earsplitting crash* And" was catapulted back into the air and landed in

the tunnel entrance (ust as a fall of rock smashed down missing him b" inches. The

horrendous noise of the fall assaulted his ears as it reverberated around him. Then, assuddenl" as it started, it was gone, replaced b" complete silence, punctuated onl" b" the

occasional fall of settling scree.

Coughing, he sat up, checked that he was still in one piece, then looked about

him at the brand new space he was in. The beam of his lamp showed the dust still thick in

the air but the space was definitel" larger. The vein of granite met the floor of the caveseamlessl". Carefull", he made his wa" over the rockfall to it and, taking his pick banged

on the slab, hoping for -ince's repl". -ince however had not been so luck" and though

not badl" in(ured was having a nap. %e tried in vain for ten minutes then sat with his back

to the slab and rolled a cigarette. %e took stock. %e had food, water, a stove, and all his


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e3uipment no radio though, so he had no wa" of letting -ince know he was still alive

other than b" signalling against the rock. %e took out the wind up torch and turned off his

helmet lamp, surve"ing the scene around him. The collapse had sealed his e!it with acolossal amount of granite, even to attempt to clear it would be futile. o* %e had no

option, he had to go on. 5hich wa"6 The fall had revealed a second opening. 2t seemed

to head downward on an eas" incline, was a good four feet wide and above head heightfor as far as he could see. The floor was well it was completel" smooth. 2t looked as

though it had been engineered6 2f so, b" whom, and when6 Too man" 3uestions, no

answers. 2t was far and awa" an easier option to the damp shoulder width crawl ahead ofhim the other wa". $ot to be done* %e took out his chalk and marked an arrow on the

wall of the tunnel to indicate to an"one following, if the" ever managed to make it

through, which wa" he had gone and started down what could onl" be described as a

passagewa".

)" the time he had walked twent" "ards he was gob smacked. Not onl" was it

obviousl" a passagewa" it seemed to be leading to something. The walls were decorated

with 3uite e!3uisite murals and alcoves had been cut into the granite holding statuettes ofall sorts of what appeared to be m"thical creatures7 dragons, unicorn, human figures with

animal elements like mermen and centaurs, a man with a birds wings all manner ofstrange and wonderful creatures. As he passed further the walls themselves started to give

off a faint luminescence, which grew in intensit" as he went down. oon it was light

enough to turn off the torch and the passage levelled out. 2n the distance he could seewhat appeared to be an arch but it was dark underneath it and the hairs on his neck and

forearms prickled uncomfortabl". %e approached with some trepidation and was

confronted b" a pair of huge oaken doors bound b" heav" metal hinges and locks. )oth

doors bore the carved image of a dragon which stood lifelike out from the doors in reliefa full twent" feet high e!3uisite in their detail. This was, without doubt, the entrance to

something something huge.

Around the arch there was something written in a script he didn+t recognise. 2t had

been chiselled meticulousl" into the granite and on the ke"stone was a relief showing two

suns, a planet that looked like aturn, and another four planets. 8"stified he continued toe!amine the arch and doors till an alcove about a foot s3uare, and to the right of the door

held his attention. %e took out the torch again and shone it into the space revealing what

appeared to be a handle of some sort of metal, it looked like brass. Of course he couldn+t

resist and grasped the handle and pulled. Two pieces of stone, shaped to encircle hiswrist, snapped together trapping him where he stood as if in the stocks and a pain shot

into his now hidden hand. %e tried to free himself, but to no avail, he couldn+t budge. 9ust

as suddenl" the trap parted again and he snatched back his hand. To his ama4ement it wascompletel" unmarked and "et, in the alcove, was what appeared to be blood. 2t had to be,

there hadn+t been an"thing there beforehand and it seemed to be fi44ing, tin" bubbles

appearing in it as he watched. 5hat in the world was going on6

)affled, he stood e!amining his hand incredulousl" when, with no warning the

doors gave a deafening crack and then swung silentl" inward in unmistakable invitation.

%e reached down to pick up a stone to throw into the revealed blackness onl" to find that


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there was nothing on the ground at all, nor an"where else. 2t was as though the cleaners

had (ust been through and done the perfect (ob. %e searched his pockets finding onl" the

film cassette bo! from earlier this brought to mind -ince and he almost laughed at theidea of tr"ing to e!plain all of this to him, he would be grateful though, (ust to have the

opportunit". 1ining up with the doors he threw the cassette into the darkness hearing it

bounce and skid across some sort of floor. Nothing stopped it it (ust ran out of steam andslid to a halt. This was one big room. %e turned on his helmet lamp and the wind up and

still couldn+t see the boundaries of the space before him. 2t was time. %e new that he

couldn+t turn awa" from such a m"ster" and, taking a deep breath walked slowl" andsteadil" through the door. 2t was time, he thought.

5hat happened ne!t left him completel" staggered and sat on the floor. On his

third step into the room someone turned on the lights and he stared, openmouthed at thescene before him, his legs buckled and he sat, unmoving, for 3uite some time tr"ing to

take in what la" before him and that, was impressive. :our brilliant globes illuminated a

huge cavern the" were arranged around a s3uare tiled area, one on each corner. 2t was

around twent" feet s3uare and in its centre stood a raised plinth with steps leading up toit. On the steps was curled the carcass of a huge beast, a reptile of some sort, its skeletal

remains showing white through the shrunken scal" hide. Two figures stood passivel" oneon either side and the plinth was enclosed b" a dome of soft golden light. Central to the

whole thing, on a dais atop the plinth was a bo! that seemed to pulsate with a low light.

%e was sat above on a walkwa" of polished granite that had a stairwa" down at its end,leading to the tiled area. Although the globes were bright their light didn+t reach the roof

of the cave nor did the" reach the walls, giving the impression that the illuminated area

was suspended in space.

%e sat then sat some more rolled, lit, and smoked a fag, (ust drinking in the

scene. Tentativel" he stood and made his wa" down to the s3uare, keeping his e"es on the

two figures as though e!pecting them to leap forward at him an" second. A dull thudannounced that the doors had swung shut behind him, turning he saw that there was no

handle on the inside. No wa" back then he mused, feeling ver" isolated and as though his

chances of getting out had (ust vanished. As he got closer it became obvious that thefigures were statues, granted beautifull" carved from what appeared to be granite and

unnervingl" lifelike, but statues all the same. The" were some si! feet tall and both naked

apart from the fact that each had a golden medallion on a chain hanging around their neck

and both wore crowns, not ornate, but crowns all the same. One was obviousl" male* Theother a beautiful woman, both had a benevolent e!pression and stood, palms outward as

though in greeting. 5hat now focussed his attention was the glowing golden dome of

light, it seemed to vibrate with energ". As he watched, he felt compelled to approach it,and, as he did, it e!panded to encompass him. anicked, he stepped back and as he did, it

too retracted, leaving him standing there gasping as his heart pounded.

/)e still Andegano0, as the words reached into his mind he spun to confront thespeaker onl" to find himself alone.

/;now "ourself0, the voice was gentle and carried onl" comfort, again the

compulsion to approach the plinth overcame him but now, without fear he entered the

oncoming sphere. 2t passed through his bod" and he saw a film of gold over his skin that


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seemed to absorb into him. The sphere faded and he was left standing before the plinth,

surve"ing the bo! that seemed to be the focal point of the cave.

)efore him, on the steps up to the dais, was the remains of what could onl" be a

dragon, from the huge head to the tip of it's tail it must have been at least twent" five feet.

The remnants of what had clearl" been wings la" along it's back. 5hat was left of thehide was covered in scales that had a bron4ed hue accented b" the soft light. 2t la" coiled

on the stairs as if sleeping, the (aws lolled open revealing an impressive set of cutler".

Carefull" he skirted the carcass, ascending the steps to stand before what was obviousl"the core of this m"ster", the bo!.

:or the first time, he could see it in detail. :our feet long and two wide it sat

centrall", rising eighteen inches to a flat lid. 2t was superbl" crafted of a ver" dark woodinlaid with a design of leaves fruit and flowers in what looked like gold and silver. The

surface was so highl" polished that the depth of the shine seemed unnatural. 2t had a si!

inch section indented at the left edge and the same on the right. The medallions had to fit

in there* he thought, and descended the steps, carefull" removing the chains from theguardians. %e ver" nearl" dropped them in his haste as he stumbled back up the steps

tr"ing not to disturb the sleeping giant. %ands poised over the bo! he hesitatedmomentaril" as something inside him held back. omehow he knew that if he opened it

life could never be the same again. There was no wa" that he wasn+t going to tr" to, but

he felt a sense of uncelebrated occasion. 2t was time wh"6 5h" did that phrase keepcoming to him6 O.k., if it is time then here goes*

%e slotted the medallion into place on the left and stood back, not knowing what

to e!pect, he even shielded his e"es, but it wasn+t necessar", nothing happened. %e felt aknot begin to tighten in his gut and stepped forward again then he slotted the second

medallion into place. There was a tin" click from within the bo! and then nothing but as

soon as he reached out to tr" the lid it began to open of its own volition. A soft glowradiated from within and where it touched his skin he felt a warmth of well being and

somehow, from the far reaches of his ps"che, a flash of recognition. The lid was lined

with the same, plush green fabric as was the interior but nothing could have prepared himfor the contents.

The bo! contained five artefacts, all obviousl" ver" precious. :irstl" and 3uite naturall"

his e"e was drawn to the sword. itting in its scabbard it took up the full length of the bo!and was as beautiful an e!ample of a weapon as could be imagined. The scabbard was

sheathed in tooled leather, worked in a pattern of oak leaves and male catkins, tipped with

an engraved silver ferule. The handle carried what looked like a huge emerald atop of itand again a guard of oakengraved silver encrusted with smaller (ewels. %e reached in

and hefted the weight as he lifted it out. 5hat man could resist he drew the sword and a

sound akin to the tinkling of bells rang seemingl" endlessl" around the void. 1ight sprangfrom the blade and for the first time he could see the whole cave bathed in a blue white

light. 2n his mind he heard a word he couldn+t understand 8eltakledo he said the word

out loud but to his ama4ement he actuall" said


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/1ightning sword0 its name.


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efficienc" and enthusiasm none could get past the rock fall. The first thing blocking their

path was a huge slab of granite laid across the whole width of the access to the

une!plored area. 2f "ou didn+t know better "ou could be forgiven for thinking it had beenmade for the space. -ince had given up tr"ing to move rocks as all his hard graft had no

effect whatever. Now he sat off to one side watching the sense of urgenc" leach awa"

from the wouldbe rescuers as the" too realised the futilit" of what faced them. A policeconstable approached him and from the look on his face he could tell the news wasn+t

good.

/The cave rescue unit have assessed the situation sir, the" have recommended thatwe get the mine rescue unit from Cambourne in Cornwall to attend as soon as possible.

Control have spoken to them and we are waiting for an


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Andegano stood, e"es closed and hands palm upward in front of him, the air shimmered

above them and from the dragons carcass there came a crack as a rib detached itself and

floated toward him to come to rest across his palms, at eight feet long it had to betrimmed so he took up his sword and with a single blow and a flash of light he sliced a

good three feet off it, but then it was fit for purpose. Taking the orb in his right hand he

placed it atop the rib and said the words70$lawo elongo lorgo gusto delwa0. %e took his hand awa" as the rib snaked

around the orb securing it atop what was now a beautifull" crafted staff. :rom the chest

he took the remaining items the smaller crown and the bound scroll.%e girded the sword and picked up the staff and was about to e!it the cave when he

realised that there was nothing to stop him going straight up, no need for all this tedious

walking, he was a guardian again. preading his arms wide he said/be Dragon0. 2nside a soft golden glow the particles of his bod" seemed to

separate and disperse into a cloud contained within the bounds of the light. The particles

multiplied until the whole glowing mass forged itself into the form of a @ foot dragon inall its magnificence. %is wings spread in anticipation of flight and he instinctivel"launched himself straight up at the roof of the cave. As he tore sk"ward he loosed a

torrent of flame on the cave roof that atomi4ed all it touched as he rocketed into flight.

Outside however, it pla"ed a little differentl", the "oung local lad didn+t wait for an

e!planation, he turned and fled. A deafening roar akin to that of a blast furnace built to a

crescendo that ended with the ultimate fireworks displa" a twent" five foot fire breathingdragon shooting out of an ancient ring of stones straight up like a rocket and disappearing

into the blue of the sk" as a tin" dot. 8uch tea was spilt. 8an" backs were fallen flat

upon. 8ost mouths were left open. There was silence. 2t seemed to last forever then all

hell broke loose. eople shouting, running about and confusion reigned till -ince,shouted at the top of his voice

/5hat the fuck was that6 A fucking Dragon60 The" all stopped and looked at him

speechless. The first to react was the leader of the cave rescue team who pointed out thatif nothing else the" had a wa" into the cave now, from the top.

/5hat are we waiting for60 houted -ince,0 Andrew is in there0. %e picked up a

coil of rope and charged up the tor followed b" most of the rescuers.


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%igh above them Andrew marvelled at the sensation of flight. 2t was effortless,

thrilling and to be honest, prett" cool. 2t felt as though he was along for the ride, not incontrol as such. &ather he was being carried within the dragon than was the dragon

himself. 2nformation surged through his consciousness, the Derwo 5id had lost all

influence on the minds of men. 8ankind+s inherent lust for power had led to thesuppression and eventual destruction of all the knowledge his race had left in their

keeping. The world was broken and his task was to fi! it. :or that he would need to find

his mate, Andegano 8atir, wherever she was now. 5ell, he still thought with the dragon,even if he didn+t know where the thoughts were coming from. %e should reach for her,

not sure what that was, but he would tr" it. o he reached and found himself immediatel"

turning west toward an image that grew clearer in his mind b" the second.

he was in Cornwall, somewhere near the tip, she appeared to be atop a cliff

looking out to sea. %e flew like a thunderbolt toward her.


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/Andegano 8atir m" love, 2 bring "our crown0, and offered up to her a be(ewelled,

golden crown. he looked straight into his e"es and saw onl" love, in the depths of her

being a recognition stirred prompting her to reach forward and take it reverentl" fromhim and place it on her head without even a 3uestion she knew then, life would never be

the same again, it was time.

%er e"es snapped shut and she saw her home with its two suns, five planets and

oh* 5hat beaut". he was Andegano 8atir, 8other Nature, the guardian of earth and he

he was her mate and protector Andegano #uatir. he looked at him, standing withoutstretched arms and, welcoming his embrace held him close for a sweet short eternit".

he didn+t need to ask what had woken her, her life as 8arion $ordan had been doggedb" her inabilit" to do for the earth what she knew it needed. Now, at last he had come andshe could get to work. he reached for her staff and he passed it to her with a smile. he

closed her e"es and holding the staff in her left hand she passed her right hand in front of

her from her crown toward her feet. The change was electric she became Andegano8atir, mother to life, the ultimate e!pression of the feminine. he wore a simple white

robe pinned at the shoulder and she glowed from head to foot.

lanting her staff solidl" on the rock she boomed /children come to me0 thever" earth trembled at the sound of her voice and almost immediatel" there appeared the

elemental spirits of earth, wind, fire and water. The" prostrated themselves before her

together chanting as one,

/ mother "ou heard mother "ou came to us0.0 tand children0 she said, and all four laboured to stand before her, the" had

suffered terribl" as a result of the condition of the planet, carr"ing on them the marks of

the contagion afflicting all aspects of creation./8" children "ou have suffered enough, give "our woe to me*0 he spread her

arms and the group were enclosed within a sphere of light with her, the" dematerialised

with a combined sigh of obvious relief and were in turn absorbed into her form. As eachwere absorbed her whole bod" contorted and her e!pression changed from its usual


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benevolent countenance through anger, pain, disbelief and a host of other reactions that

she received from them. -isibl" shaken she gathered her strength tensing ever" fibre of

her being she e!pelled the negative energ" and it gathered in a dark mist before her. Asthe last of it left her she rela!ed, regained her composure and reached out to the

e!tremities of the cloud moulding it into a sphere. Denser and denser it became until all

their woes were contained within her grasp gentl" she cradled it and, bending to it, blewgentl" into her cupped hands. :or a moment all stood still, as if the world held its breath,

then, little b" little the sphere lightened till she opened her hands and the" were empt".

Again she spread her hands wide and the elementals left her, rematerialising where the"had been before but, unlike before, the" shone with the light of her love, the" laughed,

cried, sang and danced for the (o" of her love, she stood back and smiled with a

satisfaction that had eluded her all her life as 8arion $ordon

/where is Draugosoito6 5e will need him to perform at his ver" best to achievethe return of soito to earth0. :ire spoke for them all with deep sadness in her voice

0 %e lost all form and vanished from this world as soito diminished, his song has

not been heard here for longer than the memor" of men.0.

0 5e have much work to do go from here to m" servants and spread the wordthat the time has come and at the ne!t full moon the healing will begin0. At that the

elements bowed together, turned and raced awa", filling the air with their combinedessence in the form of a whirlwind of steam and dust tracking out from the cove.

0 2 need to invoke a new manifestation of Draugosioto,

/where is the 8erlin60,0 2 haven+t reached for him "et but if it is "our wish that can be done now0.

/5e need him to gather the Derwo 5id together for instruction the" seem to have

lost all we taught them0.

0 Then 2 shall reach for him and bring him to "ou, are "ou recovered60/ A little tired hold me60 %e enfolded her within his arms, feeling her surrender

to his strength their brows and hearts la" together and he felt her draw strength from

him. he was drained and allowed him to feed his love into her, feeling herself respond tohis closeness she gentl" kissed his lips, for a long moment the" stood wrapped in each

other with no thought for an"thing else.

/2 should go0, he said/"ou should in a moment0 she kissed him again then laughing pushed him awa"

/begone #uatir, bring me m" 8erlin.0


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Andrew launched himself sk"ward reaching for the 8erlin, the trace was faint but he

followed it like a scent on the wind until he could see the sk"line of 1ondon in thedistance. %e focussed his attention on the area around ;nightsbridge and saw him

standing outside a bank. 1anding in t. 9ames ark he took human form and walked

toward the bank. As he approached it was obvious that although he could see the 8erlinnoone else could. %e was standing outside, apparentl" waiting for someone. Andrew

walked straight up to him and said

/so "ou have the abilit" to shift dimension, what con are "ou working toda"8erlin60 At that the invisible man+s face dropped and he sprinted off down the road,

Andrew laughed and followed him. oor man, he didn+t stand a chance of loosing him,

Andrew waited until the" were awa" from the crowds and hailed him

/wait up there, 2 need to speak to "ou0. %e spun round to face him sa"ing,

0fuck off "ou twat if "ou don+t want to end up dead, bugger off**0.

/Can+t do that m" friend "ou have to come with me, someone needs to talk to

"ou. lease don+t make this an" harder than it needs to be0. %e moved toward him andimmediatel" he threw a punch at him . 2f he had been surprised that Andrew could see

him that paled into insignificance as he found that he was fro4en like a statue./2'm going to release "ou but "ou have to realise that "ou don't have an" option

here, whatever else happens "ou still come with me0.

All the fight went out of him, his shoulders dropped and he said/5hat do "ou want6

5here are "ou taking me6

5ho are "ou6

Are "ou a copper60. /2 want "ou to come with me to Cornwall right now, 2 am not a copper, 2 am

Andegano #uatir and "ou, although "ou don+t "et know it are the 8erlin, chief druid of

Albion0./Bou are mad and 2+m going nowhere with "ou0. Andrew decided enough was

enough and fro4e him where he stood, reformed as dragon, and disappeared into the sk"

carr"ing him.

As soon as Andrew had disappeared 8arion stood atop the bluff and turned her

e"es to the sk", she cupped her hands and intoned a chant over and over

/$usto soito delwa koisi0. At first nothing appeared to happen, (ust a darkening ofthe area around her hands then the shadow was encompassed b" a golden glow, both

started to grow until she seemed to be holding a sphere of swirling matter held together

b" the glow, she stepped back and the sphere hung in the air,0 Draugosioto delwa*0, she ordered. The sphere materialised into the shape of an


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At this point Andegano #uatir appeared from above and landed with them on the

bluff. %e laid the unconscious 8erlin on the grass and chuckled,

0 "ou+ll like this, he+s a trickster, he alread" shifts dimension but he didn+t comeof his own free will, he actuall" threw a punch at me*0.

/5ake him let+s put him in the picture0. Andrew passed a hand through the air,

gesturing in the 8erlin+s direction and he began to stir. %e opened his e"es and lookedaround in bewilderment at the collection of strange beings around him, the" were

obviousl" not human an


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rim still smoking. 2t looked as though a gigantic cookie cutter had been used to remove

the thousands of tons of earth between the cave roof and the standing stone in the centre,

of which there was now no sign. -ince looked down over the edge into the chasm belowto be greeted with the sight of the illuminated platform with its guardians and raised

plinth. The other rescuers had (oined him and the" all looked up at the same time with the

same perple!ed e!pressions, noone said a word, noone moved, then, as though a spellhad been broken, ever"one started moving and talking together. -ince however was

alread" securing a rope to one of the stones of the circle. The cave rescue team leader laid

a hand on his arm sa"ing/ 5ait up there fella this is our (ob. As soon as we have a safe descent set up "ou

can be the first one down0.

/Noone is going down there until the e!perts have arrived 0said a ver" out of

breath police sergeant as he stumbled up the last of the tor and stood, hands on hipsdrawing up huge gulps of breath,

/2+ve notified them and the" are sending a team of e!perts here from

universit" and the 8arines are on their wa" from l"mouth0.

/od that0, said -ince, /how does that help Andrew0. /Correct me if 2+m wrong Dave, said the head of the rescue unit, but, aren+t we in

the middle of a cave rescue6 And doesn+t that mean that as leader 2+m still in charge60. / trictl" speaking "es Colin , but=.0.

/)ut nothing0 said Colin,

/The rescue goes ahead, this is the first break m" team have had and if that "ounglad is still alive0, at this he looked across at -ince who+s face had turned gre", he hadn+t

even considered the possibilit" of Andrew being dead,

/ orr" son, 2 meant, if we are going to get him out this is the onl" wa". 5e+ll get

set up and $willam here will go through the procedure with "ou0, he said indicating the"oung local lad who had scarpered earlier. The two of them went back down the tor

together and disappeared into the mountain rescue vehicle. )ack on top preparation was

underwa" for the descent.

??

/5elcome back 8erlin, how are "ou feeling0 said 8arion, conscious of the

trauma that he had (ust gone through.

0 2+m a little grogg" but 2 remember now it+s been a long time in human

lifetimes, man" changes b" dark forces have, thank the Dreigiau, brought "ou back. TheDraugomal(o have stifled all of the oito the earth could produce without "ou and are

plunging the planet into chaos. The Derwowid lost the old knowledge to the church of

the empire and the other orders soon followed. There are ver" few places on earth werethe old wa"s count for an"thing. The old tribes have been driven from their native

homelands and the wa"s of the dark have a firm hold on the peoples of this world, over

the centuries all resistance has been purged and those that would stand have fallen.08arion tilted back her head as though addressing the sk" and said,

/ The Derwowid have to become guardians of the knowledge again "ou 8erlin,

must gather them together and b" whatever means renew their memor" and bring the old

wa"s back to the present ;iosi take the message to all those who still follow the old


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wa"s, the" should be read" b" the ne!t moon to fight the darkness that threatens this

world alongside us0.

/2t is m" pleasure to serve "ou 8atir, rest assured, the" will be read"0 at that hebowed and dissolved into thin air. The 8erlin who until recentl" had been making a ver"

comfortable living as shape shifting conman Nick 8ilner had a ver" absorbed look about

him. 5hen he finall" spoke it was to And"/2 will find out when ne!t the Derwowid meet and if "ou would accompan" me

it might be a good time to announce "our return0. And" looked to 8arion and she spoke

telepathicall" to him onl", sa"ing/2t must begin and to begin with them is appropriate0.

/$et the information 8erlin and we shall face them together.0 8erlin then bowed

and holding the scroll across his chest disintegrated.

Alone at last after thousands of "ears the patriarchs of the Andegano clan looked

into their combined consciousnesses and felt the oneness of their combined e!istence. %e

felt her pain at the state of her world in the same wa" that she felt his constant need to

protect her.


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The" la" in each others arms suspended in the stillness of the aftermath of love.he seeming small and vulnerable in his embrace, he strong and protective as he kissed

the side of her neck, making her giggle. he stood and, looking back over her shoulder,

said,/catch me if "ou can0 as she transformed into Dragon and launched herself

upward in a bla4e of light. 1aughing he followed, keeping pace with her easil", their

aerobatics became more and more comple! as the" soared higher and higher till the" leftthe ether and hung weightless on the edge of space. The" looked down on the blue planet

below and their purpose again took president, Andrew felt the pain in her grow and theurgenc" of what the" had to do drove them back to the earth. %e headed back toward the

moorland caves and she followed. :rom miles awa" the" could see that the crown of thetor was a hive of activit" and that activit" was aimed at rescuing him.

Thinking together the" decided to fl" straight down through the top opening, there wasno reason to disguise themselves, being seen would help bring things to a head. The"

hovered over the tor watching people scatter in all directions till one "oung lad, fell

screaming backward into the hole. 2mmediatel" Andrew dived after him and plucked himfrom the air inches from the ground. The lad had passed out so he laid him gentl" on the

ground, as he did 8arion landed, changing back to human form and running over to them

almost in one movement. Andrew followed suit and the" were both stood over him when-ince shouted

/ what have "ou done with m" friend60 the" both turned at the sound and -ince+s

face was a picture, in the same moment he both recognised Andrew and connected the

fact that ten seconds ago he had been a Dragon. %e stood agape, arm out, pointing withstrange unintelligible noises coming from his mouth. Andrew laughed sa"ing

/that+s got to be the first time 2 have ever seen "ou speechless0.


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/peechless*.... 2 should sa" so, what the fuck6 sorr",0 he inclined his head

toward 8arion in apolog". /5hat the what is occurring here6, what+s with the big shin"

Dragon thing6 5here did "ou get to60/ Now what do 2 answer first6 2+m fine b" the wa" in case "ou wondered0.

/5ondered6, 5ondered6, 2+ll give "ou wondered "ou sod, 2 have spent all da"

wondering mainl" about how 2 was supposed to tell "our mum 2 had lost "ou down ahole*, an"wa" "ou+re obviousl" o.k. "our positivel" glowing, the last time "ou looked

like that "ou had (ust, ohh*, 2 see, 2+ll shut up now0.

/ No need mate, allow me to introduce 8arion apparentl", it would seem, we+vebeen mates for thousands of "ears and we+ve been getting reac3uainted0. At this she

walked over and kissed him on the cheek sa"ing,

/"ou must be -ince, 2 know all about "ou from Andrew,0 she smiled at him and

took his hand leading him to the steps to sit down before he fell down.

2t took Andrew the best part of an hour to put -ince in the picture and b" then he

was, to sa" the least, in shock.

/o basicall" "ou intend to sort out all the world+s problems and set up asustainable ecofriendl" s"stem that ever"one will be perfectl" happ" with. ounds great,

what do we do after lunch60 said -ince, Andrew chuckled/2 can see how impossible it seems at first glance, but "ou have no idea what

8arion is capable of. he has the abilit" to heal the ver" earth itself and to return the

inherent power of magic. That*, mankind has eroded awa" to the point where man,although he thinks he dominates, is in fact now under the swa" of dark forces that will

alwa"s fill an" void the" are allowed to. 5ithout her the world will die along with all that

call it home0.

0 This world is a part of me (ust as 2 have become a part of it, through magic 2 canheal m"self, so what has to be done is this 2 have to take on the wounds of the world then

2 must use magic to heal m"self0. 8arion stood and walked over to -ince as she spoke,

her demeanour changed from that of a beautiful woman to a strong, intensel" powerfulpriestess of the old wa"s. %er red hair framed a countenance of total confidence, leaving

no doubt in the mind of -ince that if this lad" intended it to happen it would.

/5here did the dragons go6 Are we safe now60 said a small voice from the edge

of the circle of light.

/Bes, "ou are safe now $willam, the dragons are here0, said -ince indicating

Andrew and 8arion to him./5e are the $uadians and we will harm noone0 said 8arion, /are "ou well6 That

was a nast" fall60

/2 saw the dragon reaching for me as 2 fell, 2 thought 2 was going to die, 2 musthave passed out0.

/2 managed to reach "ou before "ou hit the ground0 said Andrew. The look of

ama4ement on $willam+s face as it became clear to him that the two people before himwere the $uardians his parents had warned him of was nigh on comical.

/2t was "ou60 Andrew nodded. $willam stood uncertainl", checking himself out

as he did and walked toward Andrew. /Thank"ou, "ou saved m" life0, he offered his

hand and Andrew took it sa"ing


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/"our welcome, (ust glad that 2 got there in time0. As Andrew grasped $willam+s

hand he felt a strange sensation run up his arm and in his mind he heard $willam think

/what is that6 8" arm is tingling0. Andrew looked at 8arion and she spoke intohis mind

/he is full of sioto, he must be descended from the high circle of the Derwo wid0.

05hat is sioto and what is Derwo wid60 )oth Andrew and 8arion realised thatnot onl" did he have sioto but he was the first to be able to hear their thoughts.

/Bou are ver" special $willam0 said 8arion, /5e must measure "our power to be

able to see what "ou ma" be capable of. chools will be set up and there will be a placein them for "ou.0 All this had taken place without a word being spoken and poor old

-ince was stood there, a 3ui44ical look on his face, completel" in the dark but he guessed

the" were up to something,

0what+s going on, are "ou three talking to each other60.0 orr" -ince, didn+t mean to leave "ou out, but we+ve (ust reali4ed that $willam

can read our thoughts.0

/&eall"6, well do "ou think "ou could read mine, because 2 thought 2 might (ust

mention that soon, we+re going to have ever" so called e!pert in the countr", with a fewof those cuddl" ro"al marines, storm this place to rescue us from those nast" dragons the"

all saw disappear down here with us0./Don+t freak out "ou two, we will transform, we+ll take a ride to somewhere a

little 3uieter, there+s a great deal to do, where do "ou need to be 8atir60

0The henge.0 she said, Andegano laughed,0A little 3uieter eh* 5ell, tonehenge it is.0 5ith this the two of them re

materialised as dragons, took a passenger each and flew out of the cave 8atir heading

straight up and Andegano landing atop the tor. The sight before him would have made

him angr" if it weren+t so ridiculous. %e looked down on some troops and associatedhardware and spoke calml" to them all

/5e are going to tonehenge, it is ours and we claim it. 5e will hurt noone but

neither will we allow "ou to do an" damage to the henge or an"one with us.0 %e turnedand swept a breath of pale mist over the opening to the cave, as it cleared he turned back

to them sa"ing

/The refuge is sealed, do not, 2 repeat, do not attempt to enter it.0 5ith that hetook off and sped toward 8atir, -ince laughing like a drain from his back

/Didn+t know "ou had it in "ou mate, did "ou see those smacked arse faces60

0 The"+re not trained to deal with dragons, watch them panic now*0 The" headed

east making no attempt to conceal their passage

??

-ince seemed to relish the e!perience of fl"ing, moving in unison with Andegano

as the" surfed the air currents, while poor $will"m (ust hung on for grim death , despiteall the reassurance 8arion constantl" passed to him telepathicall"

/2 would never allow harm to come to "ou $will"m, "ou+re safe with me.0

/ Bes 8a+am, but "ou never knows does "ou6 An+ 2+s not app" with being so far

from the ground, 2 likes the earth under m" feet, so to speak, not meanin+ no offence like*


20/21

/None taken 2+m sure, don+t worr" "ourself, we+ll be there soon.0

-ince was clearl" en(o"ing himself and made it obvious when he threw back his head,

shrieking with laughter, when Andegano went into the final dive down to the henge. The"went into a hover above it as people scattered in all directions at the sight of them. Two

minutes and the place was cleared allowing them to land within the circle and revert to

human form as their passengers slid off.

Andegano cast an educated e"e over the henge and said

/Not bad for it's age, give me a couple of minutes and 2+ll have it back up andrunning0. Then he went to work toppled stones were replaced and missing ones re

materialised till, within his two minutes, tonehenge was whole again

/There "ou are m" love, a court fit for m" #ueen.0 he smiled at his gallantr" as

she strode forward to the center, planting her staff and tipping back her head to look intothe sk" immediatel" a beam of soft golden light appeared above the orb, stretching ever

upward and out of sight. None but #uatir knew what to e!pect now and the astonishment

was audible from the watching crowds as, holding her staff in her left hand she swept her

arms out wide and the light shot upward and outward to link with ever" stone in thecircle, forming a golden lattice off light, domed over the monument and connected to the

heavens, concentrated into bands of sheer energ" at the perimeter. These seemed toconsist of several counter rotating circles of light contained within the same glow that

held the main bod". The whole structure began to produce sound, resonating to the

vibration of the light rising to a crescendo of wholeness at which point the halfhiddencircles began to independentl" counter rotate, encasing the henge in the center of a sphere

of gold. At ground level a ring began to appear, graduall" e!panding until it reached out

to twice the diameter of the outer circle narrow at its e!tremes but thickening

considerabl" as it closed in until, at ground level on the sphere, it reached a 3uarter of theheight of the visible portion.

he stood in the centre, bathed in light, suspended to her own height above the

ground. %er hair stood out straight from her head, energ" seeming to spark through it andoff ever" part of her bod" came what seemed to be tin" bolts of lightning, arcing through

space to ground through the stones. $entl" she descended, the energ" lessening as she

came, till, as her feet touched the ground, the whole creation faded. Turning to Andeganoshe said softl"

/2t is done0, still shining with an incredible golden glow she walked to him and

the" embraced as she transferred energ" into him until the glow appeared around them

both. As the" separated it faded to a glimmer which each passed on, And" to -ince andshe to $w"llum. -ince couldn+t contain himself and (umped laughing into the air, not

something he would repeat in a hurr" as he shot up fift" feet , landing outside the circle

rather heavil".

8atir had used the stones as the machine the" were designed to be, pulling in

energ" to the earth's electromagnetic grid. The energ" had flashed round the planetawakening it like the (olt of a defibrillator, renewing ancient la" lines that had been

dormant for too long. 8other earth wasn't the onl" one to wake up to the fact that 8arion

was back, man" others felt the surge of power but onl" one knew it for what it was. %e

slammed a balled fist through the desk in front of him and the roomful of people with


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him cowered in terror at the bile in his roar. %is base instinct had rushed to the fore and

the clothes he wore disintegrated as he changed involuntaril" to his dragon form and

immediatel" back to a now naked, fat, banker.

Documents

D.N.Alien (first two chapters)