'The beautiful death, yes ... for one was seen as dead if cursed by this strange disease. Those that were still healthy were forced to retreat from lands that were contaminated, taking refuge where they could. Armies were sent to combat the hordes forming around them, some even hoping to put an end to this evil, but the creatures were evolving, they were becoming harder and harder to fight back. You see ... they were eating one another, unknowingly combining their strengths. Beasts and humans alike, some with very little flesh on their bones, were soon standing at over fifteen feet high, deformed and unrecognisable from what they once were. They were the spawn from hell if ever there were to be any. And this is how the creatures in Ukota first rose as one of the most vicious predators on the planet.

'What happened next ... no one is sure. Even those that have remembered so much know nothing. And so it is with great pride I show you this next piece of the puzzle, for it is one of the only pieces left in existence! I call it one of my greatest finds on my most rewarding treasure hunt, and you'll see why now!'

The old woman paused to reach into her backpack and bring out two scrolls, one coated in plastic, covered in dirt with holes and crinkles throughout it, and the other seemed new, as it was made of paper with only travel dust over it. She unravelled the paper first and placed it on the ground, keeping it open with some stones she found nearby. She unravelled the second delicately, taking the greatest care not to damage it any further, and then held it up for all to see.

'Can anyone tell me what this is?' she asked.

All stared as hard as they could, trying to discern the pictures and lines they could see under the muck and liquid stains.

'A map!' called out a child.

'That's right,' said the woman, 'but can you tell me of what this map is?'

Again her audience stared but remained silent. Some looked almost as if they wanted to shout something out, but thought better of it after more thorough consideration.

'An expected response,' chuckled the woman. 'You are right not to recognise what you see here, for this is the world as it looked before the Forgotten Years.'

Her audience was stunned as they all leaned closer to carefully examine each and every detail they could.

'You might notice your continent is nowhere on here. Where you might have found Aurialis ...' She pointed to the new map and then back to the other, 'there is water. And where the great continent of Equadon rests now, there existed a land called "Aus-lia". We do not know their real names ... only what letters are left on this map. If you look here, Cejian is in place of "Mer-ca", and the others ... I cannot read well enough.'

'You think the entire face of the world was changed?' asked Jaden, suddenly switching from curious to objective.

The woman looked up and scanned the audience, searching for the one that had spoken, but was evidently unsuccessful as she looked to several different people as she spoke next.

'Think? No, no, I do not merely think it. I know it as fact. This map is proof!'

'Proof that in a matter of years all the continents were changed to look entirely different?' asked Jaden.

The woman spotted him. 'Ah, I see you,' she said, 'come forward. That's better, I do not like to converse with those who stand behind others. It is not polite, you know. Now, as for your question ... maybe not years, the Forgotten Years is merely a name, but the continents could have been changed over centuries, thousands of years perhaps.'

'It would take millions just to move them. For what you suggest, all life as we know it would have been made extinct.'

The woman smiled as if she had expected every word he had said. 'You are right. But they were strange times, where the impossible was made possible-where the weak became strong and the strong became invincible. Do not underestimate the Forgotten Years; it was both an amazing and tragic time-horrors and miracles went hand in hand.'

'I understand,' said Jaden, 'but how could it be possible?'

The woman's smile faded to a charmingly bemused grin as her eyes wandered upward to the right, then crossed over to the left. She then leaned backward on the log she was sitting on and took a deep breath, as if contemplating how best to deal with a troublesome child. As she released her breath, she rolled forward again, lowered her brows as she leaned closer and asked him, 'Do you know what is possible?'

'I know that the continents changing that quickly is impossible.'

'That is not what I asked. I asked do you know what is possible?'

'Possible is what can happen,' said Jaden unsurely.

'Simply put, that is correct. Now let me ask you this; do you know of all that can happen?'

'No...'

'Then how is it that can you claim now that something cannot happen?'

'I know I cannot touch the stars, but I can touch a lamp. It is a matter of scale. There are things that are just impossible.'

'Or are they?' asked the woman. 'You know, it was once thought impossible for humans to make shields of energy that would defend the innocent. Imagine that, a power from your own hands able to challenge and defeat missiles from the Alliance. "There is no way it could be done!" they said when the stories were first reported, and yet now here we are today, accepting that the Daijuar do have such abilities, and we know it as fact. So, my young friend, I ask you again; what is possible?'

'You still speak on small scales in an attempt to prove the large,' said Jaden, now losing hope that this woman was any different from the others.

The woman looked at him sternly then began putting the maps away, glancing up at him occasionally.

'Very well,' she said finally as she had seen her audience had grown restless. 'You want something more to scale ... I shall give it to you. Look to the sky. Don't be shy. Right now. Look up.'

Jaden reluctantly glanced upward. How would this prove anything?

'What do you see?' asked the woman.

'Clouds,' he said.

'And?'

'Rings...'

'That's it! Rings.' The woman sounded triumphant.

Jaden looked down again. 'What do they prove?'

'They prove the Forgotten Years were real.'

Jaden paused, thought about it for a moment, and then said bluntly, 'No they don't.'

'Be quiet, rodent!' came a harsh, deep voice.

The woman turned to her left, stunned at the sudden intrusion.

'Let her tell her stories, go bother someone else!'

Ardim had joined the audience and was now looking threateningly at Jaden.

'Shouldn't you be scaring children to sleep or something?' asked Jaden, bending down then to those sitting in the front row and whispering, 'Run, children, the Ardim is coming!'

'It seems I shall have to continue this another time,' said the woman, getting up. 'A pleasant day to all of you.'

She bade them goodbye as Ardim continued to stare at Jaden.

'Shouldn't you be bleeding?' he yelled.

'Doubt it,' Jaden said to him, and then turned to the children again. 'Quick,' he whispered loudly, 'now's your chance! I have it distracted!'

Ardim stuttered, once, then twice and almost a third time before he yelled, 'You want to get hurt, runt?'

Instantly he was dashing around the crowd to reach Jaden. Jaden laughed and hopped back a few steps before sprinting a few yards away from him. He stopped as he heard Ardim fall heavily to the ground, a young man bigger than even Ardim standing over him.

'Don't get up!' said the young man holding Ardim down.

Jaden laughed even more, 'Look, your brother has come to save you ... isn't that nice?'

'You! Get out of here,' said Ardim's brother strongly.

Jaden nodded and turned to leave, but not without giving one last laugh to Ardim before he did. Ardim responded with an aggressive, hate-filled look, mouthing the words, 'You're dead.'

Jaden couldn't stop laughing as he wandered away casually, a victorious smile on his lips. He then strolled contentedly through the village, now feeling satisfied. He had always enjoyed querying travellers on the truth of their stories, but seeing Ardim become furious to the point of choking was a pleasure that would not soon be bettered. It was as close as he could get to revenge for all the trouble Ardim had caused. He didn't like to fight with people, he often wished he could relax the tensions between the social clans, but knew from the wisdom of the elders it was best to keep it. It forced them to remain strong in the face of danger, to challenge their wits and their ability to keep their minds on track no matter how many emotional distractions there were. It was as it had been for centuries, and there was nothing to suggest it might change anytime soon.

As he neared the waterfall's edge, the adrenaline in his veins subsided and his pleasant mood faded almost immediately. Memories of what had occurred on his last visit were coming back to him, all that he had felt, all that he had seen ... and the dream; the harshness of the fields of grass, the burning in the sky, the military movement far below, and the boy.

That boy.

So innocent and so evil-what was his purpose? Why did he seem so real? Jaden didn't understand how a dream could have had such an effect on him, or why he asked questions about it at all. He felt strangely drawn to it as if it were something more than it was ... something he had to keep, to remember above all else. It was as if it had actual importance. He then recalled the feelings again, those he had felt while he was in the dream and while here at the waterfall. It had felt the same. How? What was happening to him? Was he going crazy?

As if in response to his questions, the feelings began to build again, swirling and darting around as they had before. He almost lost consciousness as the air was seemingly sucked from his lungs and claw-like grips wrapped around his ankles, increasing their pressure until the point of agonising pain. And then he heard a voice, far away at first, then right next to him.

'Water is interesting. I too could stand here and watch it all day, though I think I'd rather watch this green stuff behind me grow. Most amazing! Look at that...'

Jaden withdrew out of his thoughts.

'Grandfather,' he said, turning to where he had heard the voice.

'Hush, hush! I'm busy,' said Vennoss, waving Jaden away as his gaze was set firmly over his shoulder at the ground behind him, where it seemed he really was looking at the grass.

Jaden shook his head, finally grasping where he was. Gone were the feelings of foreign movements. Only the light of day was presently in his mind, and the vision of his grandfather standing next to him-the old yet somehow youthful appearance of the man who had helped him so much in life. His shoulder-length white hair and short beard matched his robe, except that the robe was lined with purple that glittered in the sun. All of these things had become a welcomed sight to Jaden. No matter what had happened throughout the day, it would put him in a state of calm, the mere notion of Vennoss being near able to remind him of the greater purposes in life.

'Grandfather, enough.'

'What? Am I not allowed to observe my surroundings as you do?'

Jaden laughed at how nearly convincing Vennoss had been as he had asked the question, as if he were a badly treated child that had finally learnt to stand up for his rights.

Vennoss smiled and his voice became deep and kind once more. 'How have you fared since my departure?' he asked.

'Good, and bad, and ... I'm not sure.'

The childish look came over Vennoss again as he grinned in delight. 'Ah, a riddle then ... it seems I have returned just in time. Walk with me. Come. Come! Tell me all there is to know.'

Jaden fell into step beside him as they walked away from the waterfall and back toward the village.

'We lost this piece of land,' he started. 'Is-dimmer-than-post threw a rock and hit my leg. I was almost there ... it should've been our game. The elders didn't see what he did, so they awarded the victory to the Pioneers.'

'Tragic ... tragic,' said Vennoss, his tone still in a mock strain. 'It is a sad day when we cannot win in a sport to keep a piece of dirt. Absolutely terrible.'

'It was serious. They were counting on me...'

'And they will count on you again, if they have the chance.'

Jaden stopped walking. The tone Vennoss was using had suddenly lost its playfulness.

'What do you mean?' he asked.

Vennoss signalled with a nod. 'Keep walking. I will explain on the way.'

Jaden followed, his head now down as they walked.

'It is not good news, I'm afraid,' Vennoss went on. 'Our land is no longer safe from certain "threats", you might say. The Resistance is not holding so well, though it remains intact, for now.'

'The Alliance?'

'Is gaining in strength by the day. Their forces are growing. There is rumour of new allies, among those that have sworn neutrality in these matters. Now it appears all are under suspicion, and the Resistance has no means of knowing from which side it may be attacked.'

'What does this mean for us?'

'It means, my child, that you may be seeing your brother sooner than you think.'

'I'll be going to the wars?' asked Jaden.

'Yes, I know it is not something you wished, or at least, not in this way. However, there may still be hope yet.'

'How?'

'I have been roaming the land in search of support, and I have found it in the great city of Waikor. Some friends are in high places there. They have agreed to do everything they can to assist us. Unfortunately, they will not send their military here ... we will have to go to them.'

'And leave Callibra?'

'It may be our only chance to survive,' said Vennoss. 'But, do not trouble yourself with such matters yet, I am merely telling you now so that you do not place so much importance on a game when there is so much more to the world.'

Jaden bowed his head. 'I understand.'

'I know. But, that is enough of all that is wrong. Today is as good a day as any to rest and ponder on all that has occurred.'

Vennoss had stopped outside a home not too far from Jaden's. He opened the door to go inside, saying over his shoulder, 'I will come visit you on the day four nights away. I have not had the pleasure of an easy rest in quite a while.'

'Grandfather,' said Jaden, 'there is something else.'

'Oh?' Vennoss took a step back out of the door.

'I have had ... dreams. But they are not dreams, they are real.'

'I see, and they are good?'

'No ... bad. I feel something moving around me and pulling me into the ground. I can't explain it too well, it just ... the pain ... it hurts. I can't sleep.'

Vennoss's thick eyebrows curved upward together. 'I see,' he said. 'In this dream, if this movement were to be one, would it be ahead of you or behind you?'