The water was moving in towards' me, as I nudged slightly away from it.

"Fledgling was just telling me about how he ended up in the work chamber. It looks like you entered the city from behind." I said, turning around to face Fledgling again." He nodded at me with agreement.

Corcoran crawled over to where we was seated, exhausted in himself, he turned around and fell hard against the outside of the wall, joining us. Leaning his head backwards' against the wall, he closed his eyes' for a few seconds'. Then turning his head towards me, slowly opening his eyes', he said, " Well, there will be no entering from behind now, we have no choice but to go in from the front."

" And how do you think we will to do that ? " I said, rather worried at the prospects of approaching the strictly guarded entrance. I leaned outwards' to see over Fledgling's knees' that were pitched up in the air. " Look at it, it has centurions on either side, huge in height and fierce upon intruders. The stone of Shanzan in hidden in the depths of the maze. They will surly put us to death if we are caught in their sight ". I eased my head towards Fledgling, who was looking down at the ground, as I leaned back against wall.

66.

They walked me into the middle of the bustling city and they just left me there. I looked around confused, not really knowing what to do. I was SO hungry by that point, I needed to eat. So I went into the inner market, where I found some very appealing bread. I took it from the table thinking that someone had just left it there and I began to eat. I heard someone shout across at me, " Stop, thief ". I looked around the market square and everyone stopped what they was doing and just stared at me, in a frantic move to get away, I try to run, but it was useless. They caught me. They took me to a lower part of their city that's' when they put me in one of their cars and flew me through the tunnels at great speed.

I felt the car stop dead, the driver flicked his hand across a red beam of light and the next thing I know, I was being thrown into a chamber filled with water, with many other people swimming around. There wasn't any route out, so I had to think quick. I dived down into the water and found a hole through to another chamber. Gasping for air, I went back for the other people. Listen to me, I've been down into the depths' of the water and I can see a way through.

As Fledgling was about to tell me some more of his story, Corcoran rose out of the water, dripping wet. He slid across to where I and Fledgling was sitting. Gasping for air, he hung his head down, as he spoke. " What did I miss ?."

65.

I came up close to the gates', flat like the floor, no signs' of a way in, only a thin line that ran from the bottom up, I couldn't see to the top, it ran up too high. I tried to grip my fingers' into the tiny slit between the rim of the gates', but it was hopeless. I walked against the edge of them, running my fingers' across one of the shimmering gates', listening to the squeak of my skin against the silver surface.

I felt a tremor beneath my feet, I turned to face the giant gates' and stood as still as I could, as they slid slowly open, before me. An amazing beam, shone out and blinded my vision, I remember raising my hands' across my face to shield me from the brutality of the light. I don't' remember much after that.

I woke up to find myself surrounded by strange looking people, they were gathered around me in a circle, looking down at me in a large crowd. Fighting to get a look at me. I felt like a new pet in town. Opening my eyes', I remember just laying there numbed, then one of them spoke to me.

" Where you come from, boy ? ." The voice rang out above the crowd of gathered people. The large crowd parted in the middle to reveal a man covered in a black cloth, hooded, hiding his face. " Stand up now ". He bellowed as I stood up, stumbling to my feet, I walked over to him. He looked at me and walked around me, studying my appearance. " Umm, you would make a good worker." He said , as he ushered two people from the crowd to take me down to the citie's centre.

64.

I cant remember how long I was running for, I must have been running most of the night through. Feeling tired, I peered over my shoulder, I couldn't see any signs' of my home zone and slowed down my pace. I started to walk, knowing that I would die if I stopped, so I just trod on, struggling towards' the end of my journey, not knowing what to expect when I reached my next destination. Would the people be hostile, would they greet me, throw me to the giant red ants' in the arena ?. I wasn't sure about anything, the only thing I could do was move on towards' the next zone.

As I was losing hope of ever finding a different city zone, I saw a shimmer in the distance, silvery speckles' running along in thin horizontal lines', across the horizon. I knew I wasn't far, I started to pick up my pace once again, in hope that the people would welcome me with compassion and mercy. Maybe they would take pity on me and help me. It was a chance I was prepared to take, not knowing if I would live or die, I knew if I didn't take the risk, I would die anyhow.

Approaching in hesitation, I came up to gigantic, silver metal gates' that shielded the cities' zone from incoming adventurers and enemies'. The wall ran along the whole frontier of the horizon and I remember feeling like the smallest insect ever. There was no gape between the shielded doors' and the floor and I remember feeling completely shut out and very scared at that point.

Fledgling looked at me, this time over his shoulder," so you see, " he said, " its' been hard for me, a real struggle." He put his head down and continued his story, while we waited for the appearance of Corcoran.

63.

It was getting late and I knew if I didn't make a move soon, I wouldn't be able to go. Just when I was losing hope of getting out that night, I heard someone calling from one of the houses', from the other side of another curving hill route.

"Centurion, Centurion, over here, the game is about to start." The voice called out, casting a slight echo as he spoke. The guards' shut off there flamed lit touches' that hung over their cabin walls' and walked casually away from their post. I couldn't believe my luck, they would surly be punished if they were discovered away from their posts' but still they left.

I peered around the corner of the house and saw the tall wooden gate shut behind them as they greeted each other, shaking hands' and laughing, walking into a wall covered garden. As I saw the last pieces' of light fade away from inside the gate, I made a dash for the new zone. I ran as fast as I could to get onto the next boarder, panting hard as I crossed the invisible line.

As I left behind my old life, standing before me was nothingness all around, empty to what appeared to be miles' in front of me. A flat hard stone surface, nothing to hide behind, only the distance. So I had to move fast or the guards' would have spotted me. I ran far across the flat surface for as long as I could. Not stopping, but looking back every now and then to make sure I wasn't being chased.

62.

I was heart broken, my parents' left me. Leaving me to tend the fields' and the house. I had very little food left and my work wasn't sufficient enough to feed me. I asked around for help but my co workers' refused, they never had mush to live off, so I was left to fend for myself.

After spending several days' without food, I had to leave my house and make my own way out of the zone. I had to leave in the dead of the night when all was silent and all the other slaves', appeared to be sleeping. I walked mile after mile, down steep narrowing paths', that curved around all of the houses', bending in and out of street darkened routes', I finally came to the of the end of the zone.

I could see the guards' with there metal whips', attached to heavy belts' that hung from their waists'. Talking, laughing and joking as they bantered about their lives'. I wasn't happy about passing them but I had no choice, it was either that or starve to death. So there I was looking at them. How was I going to pass them and what if I got caught ? I thought to myself as I stood there. There would be a heavy punishment for me if I wasn't careful.

So I waited, hiding behind the corner of the last house on the darkened path, waiting for them to lose their concentration or become distracted, so that I could escape into the next zone.

61.

After a few more days' of being alone and frantic with worry, rumors' got back to me regarding my parents' disappearance. Friends' in the working fields' began to speak to me. Acorn being the first to approach. " Fledgling, he whispered across the golden wheat threads', whisking around as we picked them one by one. " I heard some news' about your parents' ". He said, as he continued to walk, work and pick. I stopped dead in my track and turned towards' him. " What did you say, I didn't catch it ?". Acorn moved onto the next batch of wheat threads, ready for the picking. " Come closer, Fledgling, I have some news' about your parents." I moved in closer, running my hands' across the threads' to appear as if I was working. The guards' of the fields' were very strict and gave anyone who was showing weakness of lagging behind, a whipping to get them going again. " You've heard something about my parents', Acorn. " I said, reaching my head towards him further.

" You Boy, what is it ? Why are you slowing ? ". I saw the guard raising his whip, dashing it against his stern hand. I put my head down and started to pick the wheat as fast as I could. " Fledgling, rumor has it that your parents have gone to look for an ancient stone, that could release us from this enslavement. " He said, as he placed the golden thread of wheat into his woven basket. " What ! They have gone to search for the stone, I cant believe this. " I said to Acorn, as I reached out for the next pick. " My mother said nothing to me, she just went. ".

" I know ", replied Acorn. " She told my mother, she didn't wish for you to follow her just incase you was caught. You know the punishment is very harsh on slaves' that try to escape into any other zone."

60.