Dennis shot the arrow, hitting a wolf high in the shoulder, the point emerging, dripping with blood, just above the spine. The wolf yelped in pain, rearing up and twisting its head around in an attempt to bite it out. Then it ran off into the forest, howling and whimpering in torment. The other wolves were visibly disturbed. Death in close combat was something they could handle, something they could understand, but this ability to inflict pain at a distance was something unknown. Something that frightened them. That’s it! thought the soldier excitedly. Don’t kill them, hurt them.

     He aimed another arrow at the rump of a butterfly wolf, therefore, sending it yelping in pain after the first, and he then put his third and final arrow to his bow. This is it! he thought. It’s this or nothing. He ran forward, therefore, brandishing his bow and arrow above his head to make sure their attention was fixed on it, and then aimed it at the nearest wolf, screaming in fury as he did so. The wolf didn’t wait for the arrow to fly but ran away with its tail between its legs, followed by the others. The pack came to a halt about fifty yards away, staring at them fearfully, and when Arroc shook his scimitar at them they backed away another few yards.

     “Come on.” said the trog, lifting Teasel down to the ground again. “This is our chance. Let’s get out of here.”

     “Don’t run!” warned Naomi, who’d changed back into her human form and put on her tiger skin while the others had been concentrating on the wolves. Damn! thought Dennis. Missed it again! “If we run we’ll trigger their chase reflex. Just walk away as calmly as possible.”

     They did so, Dennis picking up his arrows as they went, and they walked slowly and carefully towards the forest. As they went, the wolves moved in to the vicinity of the statue and began sniffing at their fallen comrades. They heard the sound of tearing flesh.

     “How do you feel?” Teasel asked Naomi.

     The black girl’s wounds had shrunk in proportion to the size of her body as she’d changed back to human form, but she was still badly injured. Blood ran down her legs, gluing fallen leaves onto her bare feet, and her normally dark chocolate coloured skin had turned an unhealthy shade of grey. “Weak,” she admitted. “A little dizzy. I’d like to rest for a while.”

     They looked back at the wolves, who were now feeding greedily on the bodies of their former comrades. They wouldn’t be bothering them any more. Teasel looked ahead and saw a fallen tree a little way inside the forest. “Can you make it that far?” she asked. Naomi nodded.

     Reaching the fallen tree, Naomi sat wearily on it and took off her tiger skin so Teasel could clean her wounds and dress them with strips of cloth torn from a sleeping blanket. Dennis and Arroc discretely averted their eyes and kept a look out for any other dangers that might emerge from the forest. After a while, they heard the black girl wincing with pain as the nome helped her get dressed again. “Okay, you can look now,” she said. She took a long drink from a water bottle. “Which way do we go now?”

     “We go nowhere until you’re rested a bit,” said Dennis. “You’re in no condition to travel at the moment. I say we make camp here, have a bite to eat. Then we look for somewhere safe where we can spend the night, go on tomorrow morning.”

     “No we’ve got to keep moving,” said Naomi, however. “Today’s the last day we’ve got the carpets. Dawn tomorrow morning, or whenever their power returns, they go back to Belthar and we’ll be stranded here. We’ve got to find the ruler of this place and get out of here before then.”

     “We can spare an hour or so,” insisted the soldier, though. “You wait here and rest for a bit. I’ll go have a look around. No way is this island more than a mile or so across! We’ve been going around in circles or something but I’m going to make bloody sure I keep to a dead straight line. I’ll get to the bottom of this bloody place!”

     "No," said Arroc, though. "You need to rest too. I'll go. I'm the one with the most energy left."

     Dennis thought about arguing with him, but his whole body was aching. A few minutes sitting down was very tempting. “Be careful,” he warned therefore. “Don’t get lost.”

     “I promise,” replied Arroc as he set off into the forest.

     The forest was thick and dense, and the others soon lost sight of him. Despite his desire to rest, Dennis paced up and down, keeping a wary eye out in case the wolves attacked again, and Naomi sat down on the soft, leafy ground, resting her back against the fallen tree while Teasel inspected and dressed the more minor wounds on the human girl’s arms and legs. The wolves had been vicious and merciless in their attack, and it was a miracle the black girl had survived, even in her cat form. “I wish Diana were here,” the nome said to herself. “One healing prayer and you’d be as good as new. We had a cleric in my last team, you know. Not a cleric of Caroli, but he could heal a bit. Most of my team wouldn’t be alive today if it hadn’t been for him.” She waited for Naomi to reply, but the black girl had fallen asleep.

     An hour went by, and they were just beginning to get worried for Arroc’s safety when he returned, the set of his body reflecting satisfaction. “I think I found it!” he declared as Naomi started awake, wincing at the pain of her wounds. “A lake, a few hundred yards over there, with an island in the middle of it. There’s a building of some kind on the island, like nothing you ever saw before. It has to be the sage’s home. There’s nothing else it could be.”

     “Well, let’s go then,” said Naomi, climbing painfully back to her feet. “The man’s waiting for us.”

     “Are you sure you’re okay to walk?” asked Dennis, noticing with concern how she favoured her right side, the side of her body on which she bore the worst wounds.

     “I’m fine,” the black girl replied, however. “Come on. The sooner we find him, the sooner we get back to the others.”

     “Assuming he’ll let us,” said Teasel.

     “Of course he will,” said Naomi confidently. “Just wait ‘till I work my charms on him. I’ll have him eating out of my hand.”

     “Maybe it’ll be a lady,” pointed out Arroc. “What’ll you do then?”

     “Makes no difference,” replied the black girl, grinning mischievously. “Give me five minutes alone with her and I’ll have her wishing she were a man. Lorgill once told me I could give a table a fifth leg.”

     Teasel blushed in shock, but Dennis and Arroc laughed out loud and together they set off through the trees.

     A few minutes later, standing at the edge of the water, they stared in amazement at the extraordinary building standing on the island. “See?” said the trog, stroking his cords in wonder. “It looks like it’s been carved out of a single giant emerald.”

     “It’s probably just a coating of green glass,” replied Naomi sceptically. “He’s got a strange artistic taste, that’s all.”

     “I’m not sure,” said Teasel though, and some quality in her thin, squeaky voice made the others turn to stare at her. “I think maybe it is an emerald. A single giant emerald the size of a building.”

     “What makes you think so?” asked Dennis.

     The nome paused before answering. “I’ve lived in this part of the world for most of my life,” she said at last. “I’ve heard a lot of old myths and legends, most of them probably made up by old grannies to put children to sleep, but one of them was about a building carved out of a single giant emerald on an island in the Western Sea. It must have been a true tale, told by someone who’d been here. It’s too much to just be a coincidence.”

     “What was the tale about?” asked Naomi excitedly.

     “An Oracle who would answer any question you asked it. Any question at all. The only thing is that, according to the story, everyone in the world only gets one question. You ask your one and only question, and after that it’ll ignore anything else you say to it.”

     “We’ll see if he can ignore this,” said Arroc, hefting his scimitar meaningfully.

     “Yes, it must be!” agreed Dennis, ignoring the trog. “It fits perfectly! The Oracle could have told the others where the Scrolls are.”

     “But why didn’t they want to tell us about it?” asked Naomi in a hurt tone of voice. “Why keep it a secret from us? I mean, we’re teammates.”

     “Maybe we’ll find out when we meet this Oracle chap,” suggested Dennis. “Come on, let’s find a way across.”

     They soon found out that getting to the island was more difficult than it sounded, though. Just like the Claimjumpers before them, they found the bridge and found to their dismay that it was guarded by a five headed monster the size of two fully grown elephants, and when they thought about swimming across the lake they found it full of flesh eating fish.

     “Okay,” said Dennis, scratching his head thoughtfully. “Any ideas?”

     They stood for a while, each of them looking at each of the others in turn. Each of them hoping they’d say something, that they'd have an idea, but the silence lasted for several minutes until Teasel was driven to speak just to break the tension. “Maybe if we distracted the fish...” She fell silent as she realised how ridiculous it sounded and dropped her eyes in embarrassment.

     Dennis looked at her with interest, though. “Distract them?” he said. “How?”

     Teasel was still too embarrassed to speak, but Naomi spoke instead. “They’re flesh eating fish, right? What if we threw one of the dead wolves into the water?”

     “We don’t know how many fish there are,” pointed out Arroc. “One dead wolf might only attract a few of them. And besides, it would mean going back to where the living wolves are. We were drassed lucky to get away from them last time.”

     The others knew he was right, but none of them could think of anything better. “We’ve only got two options,” said Dennis finally. “Get past the fish or get past that thing up there.” He cocked his thumb at the five headed monster, still standing on the bridge, staring at them with all ten eyes and rumbling deep in its chest; a sound that spoke directly to some deep, primeval part of their brains. “Any of you fancy your chances against him?”

     None of them did, so they looked back at the fish. “The wolves are scared of us now,” said Dennis. “Maybe we could just chase them away long enough to grab a dead wolf.”

     “Rather you than me,” said Arroc doubtfully.

     “I’ll need your help,” the soldier said, however. “I couldn’t do it alone, and Naomi’s in no condition to exert herself. We either try it or we camp down here and prepare to make it our home for the rest of our lives.”

     The trog gave a great sigh and looked up at the yellow sun, now almost directly overhead. They were running out of time. “Oh well, who wants ter live forever?” he growled.

     “Be careful!” warned Teasel, and Dennis smiled reassuringly at her as he and the trog headed back into the forest.

     They returned about an hour later with a dead butterfly wolf slung casually over Arroc’s shoulder. “No problem,” said Dennis triumphantly as they returned to the water’s edge. “They just backed away as we approached.” He glanced at the trog and tried to suppress a shudder of fear. They’d agreed, on the way back, not to tell the two woman how close they’d come to being torn to shreds as they’d tried to drive the wolves back, the carnivores being reluctant to abandon the only source of food they had on the island. No point in worrying them any more than they already were.

     “Good!” said Naomi excitedly. “Let’s do it then.”

     “We’ll have to be quick,” warned Teasel. “I heard somewhere that these fish can reduce a corpse to a bare skeleton in just a few minutes, and that island’s a long way away.”

     “We’ll make it,” replied Dennis confidently. “Hey, I just thought of something. I presume we can all swim?”

     “I can,” replied Arroc. “We trogs aren’t natural swimmers, but a human friend of mine taught me the basics. I’ll be fine.”

     “What about you?” the soldier asked Teasel.

     “Never tried,” admitted the nome with a shrug, “but it doesn’t look too difficult. I’ve seen other people swimming and it doesn’t look that hard.”

     The others glanced at each other. “Better grab hold of me,” the soldier suggested. “Keep your arms around my neck and hold on tight.”

     They walked completely around the lake, looking for the spot where the island was closest to the shore, and decided to throw the wolf into the water about ten yards away from there. Dennis and Arroc took off their heavy armour and weapons, which would weigh them down in the water, and then they picked up the heavy wolf and prepared to throw it in. “Ready?” Dennis asked. The others nodded apprehensively. “Okay, let’s go. One, two, three...”

     They threw the wolf as hard as they could, and it landed about six feet away from them, where the water was only two feet deep. Blood from its gaping sword wound swirled out into the water and there was an explosion of glittering scales and foaming water as all the fish in the area sped inwards. Dennis and Arroc ran back to where Teasel and Naomi were waiting, where the water was now hopefully clear of fish, and the soldier picked up the nome, placing her on his shoulders. “Okay, let’s go!”

     They ran out into the water, and as soon as it was deep enough they threw themselves forward and began swimming. Naomi cried out in pain as the water reached her wounds, but she forced it out of her mind and concentrated on making as much speed as possible. She quickly took the lead, followed closely by Dennis and Teasel, the nome trying to lay flat against the soldier’s back to make themselves as streamlined as possible. Arroc soon began to fall behind, though, his broad, stocky body being far from the ideal shape for swimming. His powerful legs kicked up a lot of water behind him and his muscular arms swung with a strong, regular rhythm, but despite that he could only crawl through the water and was still only half way across when Naomi felt solid ground under her feet again.

     Dennis and Teasel reached the island a moment later, and then the three of them stood anxiously on the shore, waiting for the trog. The boiling and frothing of the wolf’s corpse was diminishing already and Arroc was still a full ten yards away. “Come on!” yelled Dennis furiously, wading out into the water again. “Come on!” The trog heard him and made an extra effort, but his speed scarcely increased at all.

     “Look!” cried Teasel, pointing into the water where sleek, silver shapes were beginning to return, some of them with scraps of flesh trailing from between their razor sharp teeth.

     The soldier swore loudly and ran out to help the trog, wincing as one of the carnivorous fish took a bite out of his bare arm. Now dressed only in their underclothes, most of their bodies were open to the water and they had no defence against the tiny monsters.

     Reaching the trog’s side, he grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the shore, helped by Naomi who appeared by his side a moment later. Dennis gave a start of alarm when he saw that her wounds had begun to bleed again, and he redoubled his efforts. They had to get out of the water before her blood attracted every fish in the lake!

     Teasel jumped up and down on the shore and screamed at them to hurry as more and more fish appeared around them, nipping and biting at bare arms and legs with every move they made. We’re not going to make it! thought Dennis in desperation. Poor Teasel will be left all alone on the island while the water boils around us, and then she’ll be left staring in horror at our bare bones, picked clean and left lying on the stony lake bed. I wonder how long it’ll hurt for?

     Suddenly, though, he felt smooth, round pebbles under his feet and he looked up to see the shore only six feet away. “Come on!” he yelled urgently, pulling the trog’s arm as he leapt forward. “Come on, we’re going to make it!”

     Later on, when they were all standing safely on the island nursing dozens of tiny fishbites, it seemed incredible to the soldier that they’d made it, considering the number of fish there’d been around them at the end. The only explanation he could think of was that the fish had gorged themselves on the wolf and had no appetite left for anything else. Or perhaps it was just that the Gods really were with them, as Diana was always telling them. Whatever the reason, they somehow managed to stumble out of the water with nothing worse than a few minor bite wounds, to be greeted by a delighted Teasel, grinning all over her pudgy, rosy face.

     “Thanks,” gasped Arroc, wiping a hand over his face and blinking the water out of his eyes. “Thought I was going ter the dark mountain for a while there.”

     “Don’t mention it,” replied Dennis with a smile. “And now, let’s see if the Oracle’s home, and if he is, what he’s got to say for himself.”

     They all turned to face the huge emerald building, their faces set with anger at the trials they’d been put through, and the soldier led the way towards the entrance. They paused only once before entering, while Dennis and Arroc looked regretfully back at their weapons and armour, left in a pile on the lake's far shore, and then they went in, their fists clenched tight with a grim determination to finish their business there and be gone.

☆☆☆

     They thought their ordeal was over, that they now needed only to confront the Oracle, probably a frail old man, and demand that they be let off the island. They knew nothing about the maze, of course, and they didn’t know that the Oracle was watching them even as they entered. It sized them up in just a few seconds. Young. Inexperienced. Unarmed and wounded. Low physical ability, intermediate level intelligence. It adjusted the maze accordingly and then settled down to wait.