See part one for explanation and disclaimers. Hallmark & James Gurney still own the characters and I’m still not profiting from this. Hope you’re enjoying this. Still recommended for teens and up for action/violence and mild language.

They had circled back to the place where Jack had spied Payden, with Pterra staying low, just above the river, to try to avoid the attention of any other predators lurking in the woods. There was no sign of the Outsider. That frightened Jack: Payden had seen them. They’d disobeyed his instructions not to send riders to help Frank. He said he’d kill Frank if they did. And where was Karl? Where was David?

“You’re sure this is where you saw Payden?” Romana asked.

There was a snap and a creak like the sound of a tree falling and something exploded out of the bushes and flew at them. Pterra feinted, but the object was too large to avoid. Before Romana or Jack reacted, a net began tangling itself around the skybax, interfering with its wings. Jack squirmed, trying to keep from being caught in the ropes. Unable to move, to fly, with the encumbrance, Pterra fell like a rock. Snare trap, Jack remembered. Payden and Dane used them to net pteranodons. He should have known Payden would use it.

The length of rope attached to the net kept Pterra from hitting the earth. As the rope snapped, just a few feet from the ground, Jack felt himself tossed clear of the dinosaur and the net. He ended up with face down on the riverbank, dazed by the fall. The net imprisoning Pterra and Romana swung, suspended from the trees above him. “Pretty sure,” he answered Romana’s question grimly. Romana didn’t respond. Was she unconscious?

The faith stone! Jack patted his pocket. To his horror, the pocket was ripped and the stone was gone. It must have fallen out when we crashed. “Oh no…no…” Pushing himself painfully to his hands and knees, Jack searched frantically for the stone. He couldn’t see with the bulky helmet and goggles or feel the stone with his gloves on, so Jack ditched the gear and then resumed his search. He hoped it had landed in the dirt---if it had fallen into the water, it was gone forever…

A boot appeared in front of Jack’s face. He peered up into the face of Payden Borale for the second time that day. Memories flooded back: Payden killing scalies. Payden beating obedience into anyone who disobeyed him or Dane. Payden pitching Jack’s off-worlder treasures into the surf. Jack scrambled away from the man, scared down to his soul.

“You’re the tavern owner’s boy. I warned you about bringing the skybax riders,” Payden lumbered after Jack, hand going to his belt and the blade tucked there.

Jack held up his hands, signaling innocence. “Totally not my idea, Payden, I swear. I told them what you said. What did you do to Karl and Fr---?”

Payden stopped in his tracks. Something had drawn his attention. Jack followed his gaze and saw the blue meteorite resting in the sand. Okay, please don’t let Payden know what the space rock is, the boy prayed.

Borale moved towards the rock. Knowing he was going to get his butt kicked for it, Jack still moved to try to grab it first. “…Oh hey, that’s where that went. Thanks for finding it, Payden. Got it out of a dime machine at the Toledo K-Mart. I’ll just take it…”

Too late. Payden beat him to the stone and picked it up by its chain. When Jack made a snatch at it, Payden shoved him aside effortlessly. “Tohma Faiere,” Payden breathed, forgetting Jack altogether. He started to walk away from the boy.

Jack followed, certain he’d regret it. “What? I think you’re confused, pal, I told you: Discount store kiddie prize. Take a look, I’m sure it says ‘Made in Taiwan’ somewhere on there. Just hand it over and I’ll take the skybax and get out of your hair…”

Jack couldn’t let him take the stone. He’d messed things up enough as it was, he had to fix the timeline. He couldn’t do it without the stone…and he was afraid of how much damaged Payden would do with the space rock. Jack searched for a weapon, but found only tiny pebbles and riding gear. It would have to do. Scared of how many ways Payden would retaliate for this, Jack picked up the heavy riding helmet and pitched it right at the outsider’s head. Direct hit! The tall Outsider didn’t drop the stone, but he was caught off-guard. Jack dove and tried to tear the stone out of Payden’s hand without actually touching the rock. Payden picked him up by his throat and lifted him until Jack’s feet no longer touched the ground.

“Do you know what this is, boy?” Payden asked. “This is the power to erase the scalies from history. This is safety for every man, woman, and child on this island. This is no toy.” It was more than Payden could have hoped for, stumbling across this prize. It was all he’d ever wanted. He began to recite the inscription: “Anghara pharneilos…”

“Don’t!” Since it was the only recourse left, Jack kneed Payden as hard as he could right in groin. Payden cried out, almost doubled over, but never relinquished his grip on the boy or the stone. What’s it take to bring this guy down? Jack wondered.

“…tharmha tohma faiere,” Payden squeaked out. Jack closed his eyes in anticipation of blue light and bad memories…

Nothing happened. An eternity passed. Payden repeated the incantation and still nothing happened. Jack finally dared to open his eyes, to find the Outsider glaring at him. “What’s wrong with this stone?”

“One wish at a time. Someone else is using it right now. Sorry,” Jack taunted.

Payden tightened his grip on Jack’s neck. “You’re lying! You don’t understand what this stone means, how many lives it can save, how many children would grow up without fear of the scalies. Tell me how it works!”

Children... Jack remembered something important. I wonder if----?

“Tell me!” Payden raged.

Jack had to struggle to get the words out. “Not until you give me Karl and Frank…uh, oh yeah, and David Barrett, too. Give me them or I won’t tell you anything!” he demanded with bravado he didn’t feel.

“I can’t give them to you, boy. They’re dead. The T-Rex will have them by now.”

Jack didn’t believe it. He had to work not to betray tears, not to cry in front of the outsider. Please don’t let them be dead. “You’re lying! Where are they?!” He didn’t want to believe it.

“I can snap your neck, boy.”

“No you can’t. You need me. Where are they!?”

Payden yelled, “I told you---dead! Show me how the Tohma Faiere works and I’ll bring them back.”

Jack would have shaken his head if he could move his neck with Payden’s fist around it. “It doesn’t work like that, Payden. That freaky rock is a monkey’s paw. You think you can get whatever you want with it---then it gooses you.” The islander was visibly baffled, not catching any of the references. “Even if I showed you, it won’t do what you want it to do. It won’t make a perfect life...and it won’t bring back Dayel.”

The words hit home. Payden faltered. The stone cold expression Jack had always seen him wear softened into sorrow. So, Jack had guessed right---even in this timeline, Payden’s son had died. Jack’s absence from the pack hadn’t changed that fact. “The pack always comes first right?” the boy added.

Too far---Jack saw it in Payden’s eyes, the change that signified he’d just decided that the youth was expendable. The vice-like hold tightened and Jack briefly wondered if it would hurt when the Outsider snapped his neck…

“Payden!”

It was a voice from the grave…or was supposed to be a voice from the grave. It forestalled Payden’s murdering Jack. The brush near the trail rustled. Payden and Jack both turned to see Karl Scott standing in a grove of trees. Jack noted that the skybax rider did not look happy and felt renewed fear for Frank and David’s lives. Karl’s spared Jack a quick glance to be sure the boy was still alive, then focused entirely on Payden. “Letting a predator sneak up on you, Borale? Sloppy,” Karl baited him.

That’s when Karl stepped aside to reveal the ropes hidden behind his back. The ropes went up into the trees, over the branches, and down to a very large log suspended there. The log had been sharpened to a point and was large enough to pierce a T-Rex’s heart---

---or knock the towering Outsider off his feet, Karl bet. Payden couldn’t open his mouth to reply before Karl tugged on the rope. The knot smoothly came undone and the log swung like a pendulum down upon Payden. “Jack, move!” Karl warned.

Jack head-butted Payden, almost knocking himself out in the process. “Ow!” But it worked---Payden, staggering from the blow and trying to dodge the on-coming log, dropped the boy. Jack tried to snatch the faith stone on his way down, but Payden wasn’t dazed enough to let that happen. As Payden stepped out of the log’s path, his boot came down on the wet, slippery rocks near the waterline and he lost his footing. The Outsider plunged into the river---taking the Tohma Faiere with him.

“Sonuva---” Payden had the key to the shackle and the Tohma Faiere. Karl watched their only chance to switch, to save David, being swept away in the current with Borale. Karl ran for the shoreline and dove into the water in pursuit of the faith stone.

“Karl!” Jack shouted, feeling completely helpless. He’d totally screwed up this rescue…

“Jack!”

Romana was calling him. He’d forgotten she and Pterra were still trapped in that net. Jack looked up and saw her struggling with the ropes. “Jack, get us out of this!”

Nodding, Jack pushed himself to his feet and ran for the trees to untie the rope holding the net in place.

The current was strong and the water was cool, but not freezing thankfully. Blue visions of himself and David bobbing down this river tried to overwhelm Karl, but he fought them back. He kept his head above the water and his eyes on Payden Borale. The Outsider wasn’t getting away, not while he had the key and the faith stone. He swam with the current, gaining fast on Payden, who was more concerned with fighting the current to reach the shore than with the skybax rider pursuing him. Stretching his arm, Karl’s fingers just managed to snag Payden’s collar. That was all Karl needed---he dragged himself the rest of the way to Payden and did his best to land a punch without submerging himself. There was a bruise forming on Payden’s forehead where Jack had struck him. Karl aimed at second blow at that target. Borale let out a muffled cry of pain, but wouldn’t fight back—he couldn’t, not when he had the faith stone in one hand and needed his free hand to fight the current. Karl grabbed for the faith stone with both hands, trying to pry Payden’s fingers off the rock one by one. The current pulled him under, and Karl let go with just one hand long enough to pull himself back to the surface.

Payden used the arm holding the stone to push the skybax rider under the water again, holding him there until Karl had to let go of the rock or be drowned. The river began to sweep him past Borale and Karl swam with all his fading strength against the current to get back to Payden. No way, you’re not getting away with that stone. Karl stretched his arm towards the Outsider and came up with a handful of Payden’s shirtsleeve. He made another grab for the faith stone, wrapping his fingers over Payden’s hand. The Outsider snarled and swung the hand that clutched the meteorite so that Karl punched himself in the nose with his own fist. He felt a trickle of blood and an ache from the blow, but did not let go of Payden’s hand.

They were swept around a bend in the river and the current grew stronger. Karl was familiar with the topographical maps of the island and knew they were coming up on rapids and rocks. He wasn’t going to have the reserves left to avoid being smashed against the obstacles or pulled under the water. In a last ditch effort, he tried biting Payden’s hand and was rewarded with another dunking. Karl kept his tight grip on the man’s sleeve even as he tried to kick back to the surface.

Beneath the water, Karl spied a danger that Payden couldn’t see from the surface: The first of the underwater boulders. The way the current was carrying them they would both be smashed against the rock. It was too late to avoid the collision.

Still under the water, still holding fast to the faith stone, Karl kicked as hard as he could manage, maneuvering so that Payden’s body was between himself and the large boulder. He pulled himself to the surface in time to see the Outsider collide heavily with the rock. Karl slammed against Borale, the larger man body’s sparing him the impact with the boulder. The blow knocked Payden out cold. The hand that had fought Karl for the Tohma Faiere now slackened and released the pendant into the skybax’s rider’s fist. Karl tried to keep his hold on the unconscious Outsider, but the pull of the current against his own diminishing strength was too strong and Borale was torn from Karl’s grasp and swept further downstream.

He didn’t have time to worry about Payden’s fate when it was likely that Karl himself was going to drown before he could reach the shore. Karl fought with all he had: He didn’t come this far to die in the river. He wanted to reach the shore. He wanted to get back to his father and his brother. He wanted to put things right. He wanted his family back…

Something strong and inhuman suddenly caught him by the shoulders and Karl felt himself yanked from the water and into the air. He turned his head and saw unmistakably reptilian claws holding him. For an instant, he panicked that he’d just been picked up by a pteranodon and was about the become its dinner…then he heard a familiar cry and the touch of Pterra’s mind along their rider/skybax empathic link. Karl looked up and sure enough it was his own pterosaur that had just pulled him from the river. From her place on Pterra’s back, Romana Denison nodded to her wingmate in response to his unspoken thanks.

*

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