Fledgling raised his hands' up to his head placing his elbows' down onto his knees', looking at the floor in almost despair. " I returned home from working heard in the slaves' field that evening. That's' where all the people from different city floors' are placed, if found wondering in forbidden zones'. Made to work only for food and shelter and when we need new clothes', they are kind enough to give us what they have spare. The golden thread that the fields' produce, feeds' the wealthy people. They established themselves' on the floors' of the underworld cities', from the time of ' Ryon's ' banishment from the upper world. I hate it, enslaved to a people that enslaves it's own men and women.

When I opened the door to our small home, built into the giant hollowed roots' of the old trees', I found some food on the table, a small piece of bread and then I returned to my bed. The bedding is carved outwards' from the inner roots', flattened against the floor but smooth and comfortable enough to sleep on. I layed down and drifted off to sleep, eventually. I done well for my first night alone, I didn't like being on my own though, because I had heard many rumors that slaves' get kidnapped in the night and taken down to darkened places' within the city, never to return. The slaves' rarely talk about the kidnapping and it almost goes unnoticed, until in the dead of the night when all is silent, then it starts'. The screams' can be heard echoing throughout the darkness. When the kidnappings' occur, the slaves' do not speak the next day and most work hard and retreat back to their quarters', early.

Anyway, I made it through the night and awoke the next morning expecting my parents' home, but to my surprise they hadn't returned. " He looked at me again, this time from under his stretched out arm. " I had some bread that I had found in an old bag hanging on the wall and went out of the house. I looked left and then right, not sure really what to do with myself, but there was no trace of them. I was left days' on my own, working the golden fields'. I asked the other slaves' about my parents', but no one seemed to know anything...

59.

Chapter 2 : THE DISAPPEARANCE

Fledgling eased himself down next to me, crouching, he turned, looking towards the city, " Look at it, its' magnificent. This is the first time I have ever seen it, it's more beautiful than the legend has it. From what I've been told, it is easy to get lost inside the mazes and many people from the upper parts' of the city of ' Ryon ', have lost their lives' here, never to return to their families'. The cities' that line the floors' of our lower world are complexed and each city has its' own people and towns', but this is the first time I have ever seen the heart of our world." He said, dipping his head down into his knees'. This is the city of interloping mazes', this is where my friends' tell me my parents' went missing. I am here to see if I can find them, I hope that they are still alive somewhere, maybe they couldn't find their way back and have started life afresh. " He said, turning his head towards' me, crystal eyes' glazed over.

" My mum told me to finish working in the 'Field of Golden Thread' and that she and my father would be back to our home before the next morning. She didn't mention where they were going or what they were doing, she just left and that was the last time I saw of them. My mother told me that we wasn't originally from the ' City Of Ryon ' and her and my father had ended up here, by wondering around a forbidden garden from a City known as Abdon. I was born here in this place. My mother told me that her and my father had climbed over the most beautiful golden gates' to an enchanted garden that had been forbidden to all the inhabitants of the City Of Abdon. Her and my father had heard of an enchanted legend about a garden of wonder, books never spoken of, and finally a stone. ' The Stone Of Shanzan '. Now you know why I was so upset at the mentioning of its' name, I am sure that my parents' had gone in search of it, to release us from the darkness of this cities confinements. Even though the cities' and floors' are beautiful more beautiful the further you venture down, my parents'; told me it is nothing compared to the daylight of the ' City Of Abdon '.

58.

He waited a few moments before questioning me about Corcoran, " Is he coming ? " He said, as he looked down towards Corcoran's sack. " He is on his way." I said, as I placed my hand over the bag, tucking it in towards my body. Still suspicious over Fledgling's motive. I patted the bag several times' lightly, in a passive manner, wondering, ever so curious about this character.

He rubbed his hands' over his head, sweeping back his long hair, bringing it down around his chest and squeezing it hard to drain the water from it. He plaited his fine brown hair and threw it back over his shoulder, not so concerned with my behavior.

" I need to get my clothes' from the sack ". He said, as he reached his hand out towards it. I hesitated , refusing to hand it over. I whisked it up onto my legs', pulling out his clothes' and handing them to him. He began dressing himself, shaking a little from the chilly air that was blowing in from the city.

Fledgling came up close against the wall, he stood right over me and said nervously, " Are we going to wait for Corcoran ". I blinked, flickering my eyes' in disbelief. " Of course, I am going to wait for as long as possible, if you wish to leave and settle yourself back into your city, than you do that. " I said rather irritated by the prospect of leaving my partner behind. " I started this journey with ' Shadow ' and I will finish my quest with him . "

57.

I swam harder and faster, panic driven from the darkness. I couldn't wait to get out of the tightly lined edge's of the rocky tunnel. Just when I thought I had lost all vision of returning to the water' surface, I saw the flickering light that Corcoran and Fledgling must have seen previous to me. Hastening to the light, losing my breath, I came out of the hole and resurfaced hard and fast. Shooting strongly out of the water, with an explosion of breath, arms' in the air, I pushed up. I inhaled and felt my hole body return down into the water, my head going under, I pushed back my legs' and swam underwater, trying to reach out onto something solid.

As I reached out my hand I felt the cold hard surface of the wall that lined the water pool, struggling to get a grip, onto it, I felt myself going under again. Just then, as I was finding it difficult to resurface, a hand came down and pulled me hard out of the water.

Shuffling up onto the hard surface of land, Fledgling was there, standing straight over me. He didn't waste anytime, he took both of my hands, belly facing downwards and slid me into the side of the wall that towered above the pool. Embracing me with two arms under my chest, he lifted me up and helped me rest against the edge of the wall for a few minutes'. Breathing hard and silently coughing, I pushed my hands down and drew myself up straight against the hardness of the wall into a good sitting position. Fledgling knelt down beside me taking the sack from across my chest, he eased it over my head and dropped it lightly onto the floor next to me.

56.

My dress was barley dry, with sand still stuck to it, I was warmer than earlier and feeling a whole lot better. " Should I take your bag through with me ". I said to him, as I picked up the strap that was laying over his stretched out legs'. " It might be better if I hold onto the book, until we meet up again". Corcoran nodded, as he slowly closed his eyes', resting his head firmly against the rock. I eased the bag up and swung it over my shoulder, allowing it to cross my chest as I positioned it behind me.

" OK, I am out of here, I will see you in the city, try not to rest too long here, I need you with me on this journey. " I said to him, as I slid down into the cold shimmering water.

I held onto the ledge with both hands', put my feet onto the surrounding wall and pushed up to take a breath, I followed this action three times' before pushing backwards off and rotating down towards' the opening of the tunnel.

Swimming down, pushing against the current, I found it hard to swim with the bag on my upper body but still just about managed to push myself into the small surrounding tunnel. Swimming in, hard, I could see water bubbles from where Fledgling had been minutes before. I followed them round swimming harder in return to catch the fainting bubbles that I was trying to catch up with. As I swam around the tunnel the light began to fade in front of me dispelling the bubbles and any signs of the motions that Fledgling had left behind him.

55.

Fledgling was steaming up, he knelt down beside the water pool and gathered together in his hands', some water to splash on his burning face. Cooling down, the redness subsided and he returned to his normal composure. Standing up, he moved towards Corcoran's sack and picked it up from where Corcoran had layed it down. He opened the flap and continued to put the dried clothes' into it. " I have had enough of waiting around, I need to get back into the city ". He said, as he picked up the remaining shirt from the boulder. Screwing it up in a ball and shoving it into the sack. Closing the sack down and throwing it over to Corcoran. " I am off, I hope you decide to join me ". He said, as he eased himself into the water.

Holding onto the ledge, he said, " Tell me the way through ". Corcoran was playing with the dried sand in his fingers'. " The entrance is straight under your feet, dive down as deep as you can go and you will see a small shady entrance. Follow the route round and it will bring you up into another water pool. The next water pool has something to do with the main water supply to the city, so don't reside in there for too long." He said, as Fledgling pushed away and headed straight down into the water, head first.

I could see that Corcoran was tired after his swim and he needed to take some rest. I wasn't happy about staying behind, I didn't trust Fledgling and wished to follow him through. " I should go on behind him ". I said, looking at Corcoran for some signal of what to do next. " I don't trust him so much, he might betray us, then where will we be. What do you think ? ". He looked at me under his eyes' and said " Go, its the safest option, I want be far behind you, I will just sit here a while to get my energy back and then I will follow you in. " He said, as he layed back against a smooth faced rock, that was sitting behind him.

54.

Fledgling's face was stern and unhelpful, " I know nothing ". He said, as he headed towards the water's edge. Gazing into the water, with his head down, he turned to look at us.

" Well ". Said Corcoran, " You must know something, you was born amongst them and we need to know as much information as possible, before we head into the city ".

Fledgling hesitated as he was about to speak, then again with a sidewards nod, he said " Sorry I can't help you. "

I placed my hands' onto the sandy floor and picked myself up, I walked slowly over, to stand next to Fledgling. Gazing into the water, with my head down, I spoke to him. " Please Fledgling, you have to help us, the more we know about the people, the better we will be at making our way through to the stone of Shanzan. " I said, without thinking. He turned quickly towards me, " Shanzan ! ". He said, his eyes' were glaring wide at me, " What the deckle do you know about the stone of Shanzan. Who are you and why are you so interested in the stone ? " . He said, as his face was turning red.

I got the feeling that I had irritated him slightly and backed off, coolly sliding away. Fledgling wasn't impressed as his breathing hastened. He became redder and hotter, sweating, the water was falling over the deep red of his cheeks'. The steam vaporising into the air. At that point I knew it best to be next to Corcoran, so without a second thought, I walked quickly back.
53.