All at once Jake, To’phoro, Chloe, George, Katetheuna and Hotzeh found themselves in Larakia, in the fountain square of the city of Ayin. Of course, Jake, George and To’phoro had no idea where this was, but they found themselves there all the same.

“Er, what just happened?” said Jake. He blinked and shook his head. His cheek still throbbed.

“I don’t think we’re in Ubal any more, Jake,” said To’phoro.

“We were transported here on the Kingwind, my dear,” said Katetheuna. “It does happen from time to time, particularly after a mission has been completed. We rescued you from the Shulites, so the One True King must have brought us back to Larakia by the express route. There is much less resistance coming back to Larakia from Dahma than there is travelling in the other direction. ”

“Oh…” said Jake. “That makes…sense?”

“This One True King person,” said George, “who is he again?”

“It’s their name for God,” said Chloe.

“Ah.” That seemed to make things a little clearer. But only a little.

“Well boys, welcome to Larakia!” said Hotzeh.

They took in their new surroundings. Again, they were in large city square with paved cobblestones. But instead of rivers and bridges, this one had a huge fountain at its centre.

It was just after dawn here too. And this square was also full of people who seemed to be streaming towards the fountain.

One of the people noticed the new arrivals and said “Hey look, Katetheuna and Hotzeh are back! And they’ve brought the heir!”

Instinctively, Jake and To’phoro got ready to run and George reached for where his scythe used to be folded up and strapped to his back.

But instead of staring at them suspiciously or becoming hostile, the crowd of people did something else completely, something they weren’t expecting.

The people applauded them. They clapped and cheered and whooped and hollered.

“Woohoo!”

“Yeah!”

“Well done!”

“Hooray for Chloe, Hannah, Katetheuna and Hotzeh!”

They had not realised that Hannah wasn’t there yet.

“Um…why are they applauding us?” Jake asked quietly.

To’phoro started bowing to the crowds.

“Because you are the next heir to the Larakian throne, and we have rescued you,” said Hotzeh.

“Oh yeah…” said Jake. “This ‘heir’ stuff… That’s going to need some clearing up too…”

“All in good time, my boy. First you must bathe in the fountain of Ayin. Come, you must be weary. It will refresh you. You too, boys.”

The crowd parted and made room for Jake, To’phoro and George to walk to the fountain. More than a little embarrassed, they made their way down the path that formed, the onlookers clapping and beaming at them all the while. They each got into the fountain, looked at each other for a moment, and then dipped their heads down under the water.

Each came up with a gasp of surprise, clothed in a new white robe. Their robes already had emblems woven into them. Jake’s tattered rags and old school uniform were replaced by a robe with a knife and a golden crown embroidered onto the chest. To’phoro had a bronze spyglass. George had a bright bushel of wheat.

Chloe gasped herself when she looked down and realised that her robe, too, had changed. Across the front was now depicted the shape of a black dragon, with a golden-hilted sword running through its heart.

“Congratulations, Chloe Dragonslayer,” said Katetheuna. She still leaned heavily on her brother, but someone brought her a drink from the fountain and she seemed revived.

The crowd cheered all the more.

“Now we will take you to the Steward King,” said Hotzeh. “He will explain everything.”

They walked through the crowd and the city streets to the Royal Palace, which drew more gasps from Jake and George. It was massive and glimmering white, its doorframes and rooves inset with myriad glittering jewels. Word of their arrival had reached the Palace already and the King was in his throne room waiting to receive them.

The boys gawped at the immense walls, the high ceiling, the intricate tapestries, and the velvet curtains as they were led before the throne of the Steward King, who sat gazing at them with kind eyes from behind his thick white beard. The room was filling up with attendants and more members of the public. Apparently this meeting was to be open to all to attend.

“So, Katetheuna and Hotzeh!” said the Steward King, Epitropos. “You have found the next heir! Well done! And well done Chloe, our esteemed guest! You have completed your mission successfully. But where is Hannah, your sister?” Somehow he knew how to tell them apart.

Chloe looked down at her feet. “I’m sorry sir. She left us—she went over to the side of the Shulites.”

“Willingly?”

“Yes.”

The King was visibly moved. “That is a terrible sadness. This will be much grieved. But have hope. You may see her again one day; she may come back to us. And there is still much to be thankful for in the meantime. You have done so well. And who are these young men?”

“Steward King Epitropos,” Katetheuna said, “may I first present to you Prince George. He himself was fighting for Shul, but then came over to our side. He assisted Chloe and the heir in the slaying of a Shulite dragon—”

“Hang on,” burst out Chloe, realising something for the first time. “George?! That’s a very normal name! It sounds like a name from my world!” Normally she would never interrupt anyone, least of all her teacher, and when they were in the presence of a King, but she just could not contain herself on this occasion.

George turned and looked at her in his own white robe with wide eyes. “Your world? You mean you’re not from here either?”

“No! I thought Hannah and I were the only ones!”

“What’s your world called?”

“Well, ‘Earth’ usually, if it’s called anything at all…”

“That’s where I’m from too!”

Now Jake spoke up as well. “Hang on a minute, I’m from Earth as well!”

“You too?!” said Chloe.

“This is very unusual,” said George.

“No way!” said Jake.

“What are you all on about?” said To’phoro.

“One moment,” said the Steward King. “Do you mean to tell me that all three of you young people entered Mashal from another world?”

“Yep,” said Jake.

“It would seem that way,” said George.

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“It looks like it, Mr Epitropos,” said Chloe.

“This is quite astonishing,” said Epitropos. Katetheuna and Hotzeh looked equally astonished, as did everyone in the hall.

“Where did you guys come in from?” asked Jake.

To their even greater amazement, Chloe and George each explained that they had each been in Oxford when they came through into Mashal. Just as Jake had.

“Hm,” said Hotzeh. “It would seem that this ‘Oxford’ place has a very high proclivity for wondrous happenings… The One True King must particularly have his eye on it…”

“But why do you think all of us were brought here?” asked Chloe. “And why did we all end up in different places?”

“The ways of the One True King are mysterious,” said Hotzeh. “It is hard to say why you all entered Mashal in different countries. But you may have had more choice in the matter than you realise, just as Hannah has now chosen herself to go over to the land of Shul. But the three of you all came here to fulfil a purpose. Jake, you have become the heir to the Steward Throne. Chloe, you helped to rescue Jake from the legions of Shul. George, you found your way from Shul to Larakia. And all three of you helped to defeat the Dragoncommander Khilliarkos. We could not have done it without you. The ways of the One True King are truly mysterious.”

The crowd clapped and cheered again, more loudly than ever. The three of them looked around awkwardly.

When the latest round of applause had died away, Chloe said “Please, Mr Epitropos, now that we’ve done all that—can we all go home now?”

“Why of course,” said Epitropos. “I don’t see why not.”

Jake, Chloe and George all breathed a sigh of relief.

“All of you, of course, except for Jake.”

“What?” said Jake.

“Jake, you have been chosen as the next Heir,” said Katetheuna. “The One True King has selected you to be the next Steward King of Larakia.”

Jake’s mouth dropped open. He had not had much time to wrap his head around this “Heir” stuff back when he was still being attacked by armed soldiers. But now it was being brought all too clearly to his attention.

“But why me?” he said. “I’m not even from here!”

“Yes, it is most unusual,” said Epitropos. “But as we have said, the ways of the One True King are mysterious. We have never had an otherworlder on the Steward Throne of Larakia before, to my knowledge. It will be a first.”

“Will I ever get to see my family again?”

“It may be possible, but we shall have to investigate. It will not be possible unless the One True King wills it.”

“Oh…”

“I see this troubles you. Were you very happy in your former life?”

Jake thought about his former life. “Well, er, no… Not really… But I just wasn’t expecting not to see them again...”

“Prince Jake, nobody can have the Kingship of Larakia thrust upon them by force. It is your choice whether to take it up or not.”

“Can’t I just go back to my own world and then come here again when I’m a bit older?”

“I am afraid not. You will need to be trained and prepared for the role. What is your decision?”

Jake thought some more. He thought of his Mum, whom he would miss terribly. But then he thought of her drinking, her various boyfriends, and the ways that they had treated him. He thought of school, and how he was always getting into trouble there, how his grades were so poor. He thought of how he had been bullied there, and how he had bullied others. He thought of his job prospects, his future prospects, his life prospects.

Then he thought of what was being offered to him here in the Kingdom of Larakia.

He looked at To’phoro.

“Come on mate,” said To’phoro. “I’ll be here to keep you company. Everyone’s waiting for an answer.”

“I accept,” Jake said eventually.

“Excellent!” said Epitropos. “Hotzeh can anoint you now.”

Hotzeh took Jake by the shoulder and turned him around. He stood in his new white robe, staring out at the sea of Larakians. Then the Seer took a small phial of liquid from his own robe and drizzled some of it over Jake’s head. The liquid was cool and smelled sweet.

Hotzeh took his hand and lifted it high.

“Larakians! I give you your future Steward King, the Heir to the throne of Larakia, Prince Jake!”

The loudest cheer of all went up from the crowd. The room thundered with applause.

“Woohoo!”

“Hooray!”

“Long live Prince Jake!”

Jake’s heart soared and his pulse raced. He felt scared to be taking on this new responsibility. And yet, at the same time, he felt like he was becoming who he really was, like he was entering into what he was made to do.

After a long time, when the cheers had died down and speeches had been made, Epitropos dismissed the crowd and they begun to filter out of the hall. The children turned back to the Steward King.

“Um…can we go home now, then?” said Chloe

“Yes, of course you may!” said Epitropos.

“Which way do I go to get home?”

“Well, you came in through the tunnel,” said Katetheuna, “so you should probably leave by the tunnel.”

“You mean that Hannah and I could have gone home any time by crawling back through the tunnel?”

“Oh no, absolutely not. We told you, you could only go back once your mission had been completed. If you had gone back through the tunnel any earlier, it would have just led you out to the other side of the Aythian mountains. It’s just my best guess that now your mission has been completed the way for you to get back home will probably to go back through the tunnel again.”

“Oh, alright then....Katey?”

“Yes?”

“Will I ever see Hannah again?”

“Do not fear, dear Chloe. I know that it hurts. It grieves us all. But there is still hope for her yet. There is always a chance for someone who goes over to Shul to turn back, as long as they are alive. You may yet see her again, even in Larakia. In fact, you may find that you return to Mashal one day to help retrieve her.”

“Katetheuna and Hotzeh,” said Epitropos, “perhaps you would be so kind as to take Chloe back to the Tsaphtsaphah tunnel?”

Chloe bid goodbye to Epitropos and Katetheuna and Hotzeh led her out of the room. Jake, George and To’phoro came to see her off too.

They walked through the gleaming streets of Ayin back to the place where Chloe and Hannah had first come into Mashal, a little enclave on the edge of the city where it met the mountains and a cave mouth opened up to its dark depths.

Chloe turned to address her guides and companions.

“Well, I guess this is it…” she said shyly. “Thank you for helping me to fulfil my mission, Katey and Hotzeh. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“It was our pleasure, my dear,” said Kathetehuna, wiping her eyes.

“Think nothing of it…” said Hotzeh.

She hugged the old man and woman.

“Goodbye, Daughter of the One True King! You are much loved!” said Hotzeh.

“Goodbye, Princess Chloe! You fought well and made us proud!” said Katetehuna.

“Goodbye everyone!” said Chloe to the others. “It was nice to meet you!”

At this, Chloe turned and began to walk into the tunnel as they waved. George followed her.

“Hold on, where do you think you are going, my dear?” said Katetheuna.

“I was planning on going back home,” said George, puzzled.

“Chloe came in through the tunnel—she can go back through it. We never said anything about you going through the tunnel as well.”

Chloe had stopped and turned back around to face them again.

“Oh, well if you’re not coming with me…” said Chloe.

“…let’s promise to meet up again once we’re back in our world,” said George, finishing her sentence. “I’d like that.”

Chloe blushed. “I’d like that too.”

“Well we’ll have lots to talk about given what we’ve been through here,” said George, almost blushing himself. “I shouldn’t be too hard to find—I go to boarding school in Oxford but I live in Kensington, London. 384 Earthworker Road. George Asquith.”

“I’ll see you back in England, George Asquith,” said Chloe.

At this, she turned and walked back into the tunnel again.

When she had gone, George turned to Katetheuna and said “Now what about me then? I didn’t come into Mashal through the tunnel.”

Katetheuna thought for a moment. “Well, if it wasn’t through the tunnel, where did you come in?”

“I woke up in a pit in Shul.”

“Hm,” said Hotzeh. “In that case, what were you doing in your own world before you came into ours?”

George thought for a moment. It seemed so long ago. “Um, I think I was chasing a homeless man who had stolen my phone…and then…oh...and then I think I might have been hit by a bus…”

“What is a bus?”

“Oh...a large motor vehicle. A bit like a horse drawn coach, only much bigger and more powerful.”

“So you had been knocked out before you arrived?

“I think so.”

“Ah, then that makes perfect sense,” said Hotzeh. “I know what to do.”

With that, he took hold of his staff and knocked George firmly on the head with it.