Published by Obzidian Press

ISBN: 9781739137960

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright © [2023] by [Emery Sinclair & Clayton Moseley]

Registered with Copyright House Directory UK

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Obzidian Press UK

www.obzidian-press.com

This novel is inspired by characters created

by

Clayton Moseley

Contents

The Awesome, the Awful and the Downright Nasty

PART ONE: Atheria Falls

1.Return to Neverwas

2.The Crossing

3.Calam-ca-looee

4.Advance

5.A Palace of Quartz and Gold

6.The Spoils Of War

7.Fire Power

8.Power of Water

9.Hidden Army

10.The Grimoire

11.The Rainbow Chamber

12.Flickering Flame

13.Unlucky for Some

14.The Test

PAT TWO: Battle of Anglefell

15.Agnes Wheatley

16.Watchful Eyes

17.The Arrival

18.Copy Cats

19.Changing Faces

20.The Treasures

21.The Pepa-bot

22.On the Move

23.Wedding Belles

24.A Cold Reception

25.The Turquoise Light

26.Trouble, trouble, trouble

27.Time Travel

28.Into The Woods

PART THREE: Return of the Imorta

29.The Flutterbeyes

30.Head to Head

31.A Beast with Three Legs

32.Face to Face

33.Afternoon Phantoms

34.Nine Lives

35.The Ringing Bell

36.Hostage

37.The Thorns of Obzidia

38.Encounter in the Dark

39.Showdown

40.Immortality

41.Dogfight

42.The Queen’s Folly

PART FOUR: The Yet-To-Be

43.The Ghostly Presence

44.Things to Come

45.Brain Power

46.The Emporium

47.The Return of the Imorta

48.Headlines

49.A Very Happy Christmas

50.Knight Watch

One Sunny Sunday Afternoon

Also By

The Awesome, the Awful and the Downright Nasty

Here’s who’s who in this tale

THE AWESOME

Connie Morgan: She doesn’t believe in fairies. Connie’s big problem is that she struggles with reading. And losing her parents really hurt and made her feel so sad.

Namisha Singh: Connie’s pal. She is from India and arrived at Dell Street School one chilly autumn morning. They clicked immediately because she’d been through the same thing with her parents. Helping the needy or injured is her thing.

Uncle Albert: He is a middle-aged chap with a mysterious past. He’s got a fake eye and a shed to store stuff in. Connie is his biggest fan, and adores being with him, even though he occasionally pulls a disappearing act for hours.

Granny Mildred: This lady is a tough cookie but treats Connie well. She’s a widow and takes care of all who live at number 15 all by herself. She freaks out about everything. But, don’t mess with Granny. Connie loves her.

Thomas Morgan: Connie’s granddad Thomas passed away when Connie was only eight. The whole family really misses him. He was a force to be reckoned with, and he’s always in Granny Mildred’s thoughts.

Jack Morgan: So, there’s this guy Jack who is an archaeologist and adventurer, and he worked at the British Museum in London. He is Connie’s dad and her hero. He’s gone missing under mysterious circumstances. Connie’s granddad said it was a plane crash.

Barbara Morgan: This is Connie’s mum. She’s a total bookworm and history buff. Her specialty? Ancient artifacts and mysterious devices. She is also missing in action.

Babu Singh: The healer. He’s cool and collected, always knows what to say. But when he’s fired up, he can keep going without stopping. He’s Namisha’s grandpa and takes care of her.

Addish Singh: An adventurer, history lover, and all-around cool guy. He and his wife Sally worked together at the museum in Bombay. This guy is in great shape, always ready to jump into action. He’s a loving Popa to Namisha. The Monsoon of ‘62 took him, they think.

Sally Singh: Namisha’s Amma. As a student, she trained with Jack Morgan at Midtonshire Uni. Sally was an archaeologist and knew everything about ancient Egyptian relics, but the unknown also fascinated her. She was born into British high society, the heiress and daughter of the D’white family from Conon Court in Anglefell. There’s a highly skilled woman out there, but the authorities don’t know where to find her.

Grom-vell: King of all Atheria and leader of Neverwas. You don’t want to mess with this goblin who has mastered all the old (and new) fairyland magic. He’s an outstanding leader — fair and capable, too. All the citizens of the kingdom adore and hold their King in high regard. Whilst Connie and Namisha were no bigger than apple pips in their mother’s tummy, he granted them both some very special secret powers.

Fae-reh and Fae-rah: The King’s trusty sidekicks. These two fairies are odd. They always talk together and sound like a heavenly choir. These genderless folks are always so serious and straightforward. Nothing ever bothers them.

Doctor Quotz: If you get the chance to meet Dr Quotz — you’ll discover that he’s an elf doc who’s a real brainiac. He knows medicine, tech, and magic like nobody else. He is always on hand to heal, help, or inform.

Pikelet Peggy: A friend of Connie’s family - Granny Mildred, Uncle Albert, and Babu are all good pals. Peggy’s from Coventry and she always tells everyone how she lost a leg to one of Hitler’s bombs during World War II. She’s now living in Daffidd’s Dale, right around the corner from the Morgans. Her job is making pikelets (and they are lip-smackingly delicious). Peggy’s always cheerful and awesome, but some things she keeps to herself. She’s a prankster, always joking with Uncle Albert or anyone she can mess with.

Stanley Davy: The boy that hangs out with Connie at school. His parents’ place is at the corner shop in Daffidd’s Dale. He sticks with Connie because he says he likes her. Stan wears glasses and stutters sometimes, and his hair is so red it caught Connie’s attention. He’s a fan of Sci-fi TV shows and is learning Judo in Midton-on-Hill. He’s very good at it too.

Krackas: A tiny imp, he got away with his family from all powerful Babasilis’ grasp. It was a close call, but they survived. You can trust him, he’s a chocoholic. Connie likes him, because he’s so brave.

Feugux-Drax: The sheer size of this water dragon blew Namisha away. He lives in the Jungles of the Neverwas with his family, and he can carry thousands of gallons of water in his tummy. This dragon, with his rainbow coloured skin, is the fearless leader of the mystical firefighters.

Buk the Librarian: Is a jolly, rotund dwarf. The library at Grom-vell’s place is under his control. The little guy is super brave and works very hard running the library solo. Buk knows everything about the books under his charge and is careful when messing with the dangerous one that contain powerful evil spells and hexes.

THE AWFUL

Felicity Frobisher: A bully and lover of ponies. She is pretty, but very selfish and cruel. She is stuck-up and too posh for her own good.

Tanya Fillingham-Smyth: A bully who has a nose like a crow’s beak. Tall and thin, her hair is raven black. The girl has wicked, mean eyes, and she thinks anyone who doesn’t like her is a loser.

Maranda Rempington: She is just a mean bully who likes to boss people around and throw punches to prove it.

Flora Goodwell: A shape-changer and mother. She knows her plants and can whip up some killer concoctions.

Cosmo Goodwell: A shape-changer and eldest son of Flora. He’s in the grip of his tyrant boss, Babasilis. His true form is like living quicksilver liquid. However, as a powerful warrior, he finds it fun to look like a mountain troll most of the time. He says it keeps his soldiers in line.

Rufus Goodwell: This is Cosmo’s sibling. They got snatched away from their Ma, and forced to work in Obzidia’s dark realm. He likes to look like a forest troll, with grassy skin and a strong, tree-like body.

The Graeae Sisters: These four women are drop-dead gorgeous. They’re able to see into the future with advice and warnings.

The Wyverns: winged devils’ cousins to the gargoyles and show superb skills with magic. They can’t get enough of music and love to dance.

Fire Sprites: Imp-like but with flaming heads and hands that constantly glow with flames. They are fire-starters. They can reduce by flame any building or creature who is unfortunate enough to encounter them.

Myphraex: These monsters, which are commonly referred to as grubs, have earned the nickname ‘The Devil’s Unicorns’. They are blind. And the venomous spit that drips from their lips is a deadly weapon. For extra defence, they have long electrode spikes on their tails. They possess a unique skill to transform rough, volcanic dust into a smooth surface effortlessly.

Magamolts: Run for your life! They munch on anything unhealthy and whatever is in their path. These nasty creatures are flowing a river of fur when looking for their next meal, and they can make a pile of bones out of a troll in seconds.

The Downright Nasty

Babasilis: Assumed the position of the ruler in Obzidia. She was the most gorgeous chimaera ever. The creature was a magnificent sight - its skin, fur, and feathers shimmered with iridescence. It had the head and wings of a bird of prey, the paws of a lion, and a tail that thrashed like a snake. Her wingspan was impressive and her sharp talons glinted in the sunlight. Some would call her a gryphon. The actions of others transformed her into a hideous metal monster on the day of Grom-vell’s coronation. But the powers of magic and poison stole away her beauty and gave her a split personality. Babasilis can disguise herself at will. She is evil and corrupt, that even those who knew her best could not understand how she reached such depths. She has taught herself the powers of the darker side of Neverwas and has gained many dangerous skills and magical things.

Mena Baba-Naga: A lowly servant from India. A domestic perfectionist who likes to have things under control.

The Queen of Snakes: She is a god who rules with immense power and control in the World of Man. Beautiful and wild, she wears a crown of vipers on her head.

Chapter one

Return to Neverwas

8.00 pm Saturday 7th December 1963: Inside the Vortex

Connie sensed the danger, a chill of alarm ran through her, and she was afraid that her parents might get stuck in Neverwas again.

Connie

Her fears for Mom and Dad were only the beginning because she had no idea that the journey she was going on would alter her life forever.

The young knight pushed away her nerves as she watched the swirling light of the sky span and followed her parents inside. Her face was alight with a beaming, ear-to-ear smile. Her eyes sparkled, and she embraced the love that had been restored to her with her whole being. Now they were together, and it filled her with joy and happiness.

She had missed feeling Dad’s firm embrace, something that she had longed for during the past four years. As he put his powerful arm on her shoulder, she felt as if time had stopped, as in a dream. Now, here they all were, going on their first mission together, as Knights of the Neverwas; the smell of adventure and the feel of anticipation hung in the air, and it was a wonderful sensation.

The young knight saw Namisha standing only a few steps away, her silhouette glowing in the revolving light of the rainbow. She was her best friend. And she felt a sudden wave of delight as Namisha delivered a mind message. Instantly, Connie felt what her friend was feeling as she connected with her telepathically. The pleasure and glee were so intense that she could feel it in her bones. Then Namisha’s infectious giggle filled Connie’s ears, making her smile.

Suddenly, the air hummed with energy as the tunnel down which Connie and her mom and dad travelled split into two; she saw Namisha and her parents enter another vortex of light and disappear from her sight.

Chapter two

The Crossing

5.30 pm Saturday 7th December 1963: The Sea of Tears

Babasilis’s enormous eyes burned with intensity like a volcano as she studied the goblin King’s distant land.

Babasilis

It filled her with envy as she pictured the sprawling Kingdom she wished was hers.

She looked at her majestic form, her reflection dancing off the rock pools that dotted the black beach along the Sea of Tears. The Queen examined herself and saw her body transformed into a chimaera, made of metal feathers, scales and fur. As she gazed, her heart felt heavy with sorrow, wishing she could feel as attractive as she was before her tragedies began.

But her transformation had granted her incredible strength, so mighty she felt like a god in her own world. As she admired herself in the still water, she cast a spell. Babasilis was a master of disguise, and she found delight in practising the craft. Her body morphed into a woman. She was now in an attractive, slim human form, her hair pulled tightly away from her face, wearing a neat black dress with a chain around her waist. Out of all the images she used to deceive the humans she loathed, Mena Baba-Naga was her favourite.

As per her wish, she shifted her shape once more. Babasilis transformed into a black-haired gorgon and became a Queen, with vipers in her hair. She felt she looked beautiful in this form, and then without delay, her size increased and her monstrous metallic body sprang from the Queen of snakes.

She wanted her army of followers to recogniser her in all her guises. After all, she was their ruler, and she demanded their devotion at all times.

With her metal wings rattling like cutlasses in the wind, Babasilis focused on the distant horizon. She had wasted no time in leading her army across the desolate wastelands. She marched them in unison, like a swarm of ants heading into battle.

Behind her, Babasilis saw Cosmo and Rufus Goodwell — they were her most loyal supporters. It impressed the queen that these liquid beings could take on the imposing appearance of mountain trolls, a form they wore like a suit of armour. And they towered as high as a tree above the rest of her hodgepodge gathering.

She could see that the two trolls stood in her shadow looking awestruck by her beauty. The distant sunlight glinted off her black iridescent steel feathers, creating a shimmering display that reflected in their eyes. Wisely, her henchmen kept a vigilant watch on her long swishing tail, desperate to avoid its lethal strike.

As Babasilis looked around, she beheld the Graeae sisters. She knew them to be four devilish women who possessed a special power. They could see the future as clearly as their own beautiful reflections in a mirror. She prized their ability and felt indebted to them. They had been of great use, keeping an eye on the young knights in the Hereandnow, and the other unsuspecting humans, who unknowingly assisted in her wicked plans.

She moved her eyes along the regimented crowd and recognised two wyverns. They were menacing creatures, ideal for her needs, who brought to mind horned devils or gargoyles. Babasilis grinned in satisfaction as their cheers echoed in her ears. She intended to wreak havoc in the world of man, and she had eight devoted followers to help her.

The army’s weapons glinted in the sun as they created a semi-circle around her. To draw their attention, Babasilis leapt up into the night’s sky and her golden pendant, a mirrored jewel, caught the attention of her battalion as it glimmered in the evening sun.

Looking down at Cosmo and his brother, she heard their gasps of surprise as their eyes widened in recognition of the jewellery.

‘That be the Mirror of Isadora, the trinket that brought the queen back to life at Grom-vell’s coronation.’

The chimaera clocked Cosmo as he put a finger to his lips, instructing his brother to be hushed. And then, with her exceptional hearing, Babasilis caught the whisper of his answer.

‘Yes, that is the story Ma told me about that day. She said Babasilis wore the jewel around her neck, tucked away in her soft feathers. It was the only thing that saved her. Remember, Ma had a sharp eye for detail and was always quick to pick up on things. And she was an expert on spells, charms and poisons. She said that the mirror could recreate whatever you cast upon it. And the enchanted gem had held the Queen’s image and its magical powers restored her.’

Babasilis heard the brothers’ chatter, but she stayed quiet. She felt pleased that they were aware of her talent for deception. With a wave of her raised claws, she quieted her army. Immediately, a silence settled over the crowd. Until her voice broke the stillness.

‘My people of Obzidia, a battle awaits us on the other side of this ocean. Atheria and Grom-vell, that pathetic individual who has caused me great pain and discomfort over the past years, will die! Together, my people, we will overthrow his palace and kingdom. And I will take all his magic, wealth, and amulets. Then I will steal the forbidden grimoire. A book that the Imorta had bound so tightly that none of the wickedness it contains could ever escape. The King of goblins has put it in his pitifully feeble stronghold. He believes it is secure there, since it is far too hazardous to be out on display, yet with my powers and your talents, I can get it easily. You, my people, will create a stir.

I’ll just go in and take whatever I want. Then I’ll be even more powerful. Greater than anyone in Neverwas when I get it. I will be the sovereign of ALL our ethereal world, and from my throne I will rule.’

The Queen heard a flurry of excitement travel through the throng of evildoers.

Babasilis peered into the crowd.

‘Myphraex, come with strength and bravery. Your remarkable skills will be essential in this work.’

At the Queen’s command, the soldiers stepped aside to let the giant red maggot-like creatures pass, their writhing bodies as big as pigs and reeking of a putrid smell far worse than in any pig sty. Babasilis delicately touched the smooth, empty sockets on their faces and could feel the beings had no eyes. But to make up for their lack of sight, they adorned their heads and rumps with horns that fizzled and sparked, and their tongues, barbed and dripping with corrosive venom, hung from their open mouths. They came to a halt directly in front of her.

‘Move back. Make room for the Devil’s Unicorns! With all the powers I possess, I shall unite Obzidia and Atheria, under my sole command.’

She glared at the rest of her army, her eyes burning with rage.

The monstrous chimaera scanned the horizon and spread her wings, flapping until the sand beneath whipped up in a fierce wind. The nearby soldiers ran in all directions, trying to outrun the commotion their leader had created.

Babasilis heard the loud growl of the sandstorm, as it materialised in front of her. She breathed out, and burning fire shot from her mouth with a roar. It filled the air with the smell of smoke and heat, as the sand turned into a solid wall of shadowy glass. As she blew a second time, she could feel the heavy power of her dark magic coursing through her veins, and the obsidian glass warped and contorted in response. The Queen’s wings continued to move swiftly through the air, picking up more and more sand. The particles created a super-heated storm that swept across the shoreline like a sirocco.

The monster’s claws and eyes moved with blinding speed as she expertly manipulated the forces of nature. With the heat from the fire, the glass began to shimmer and twist before her eyes. Reforming, she watched it curve and bend into an arch, held together by the force of her scorching breath. The wind brought with it specks of molten sand, which twirled and spun together, forming bands of coral-like buttresses to reinforce the first span of the magnificent thoroughfare.

As Babasilis worked, the myphraex wriggled down the road behind her, their slobber leaving a trail of steaming bubbles as they passed. The worms moved across the glass, and a smooth, bump-free path emerged in their wake.

Using her sorcery to create another glass span, Babasilis’s beak curved into a wild smile and her breath heated the mud to a molten state as she formed a new archway. Her hard work paid off, and soon the bridge made of obsidian glass, which sparkled in the twilight, was complete.

Finally, the leader of Obzidia and her army reached the serene beach of Atheria, the waves of the ocean gentle against the shore. With one mighty leap, Babsilis soared into the darkening sky, and the Obzidian warriors followed on foot as they ventured deep into the goblin’s realm. Babasilis flew with purpose, aiming to reach Grom-vell’s palace by nightfall.

Chapter three

Calam-ca-looee

8.00 pm Saturday 7th December 1963: A Jungle in Neverwas

Namisha’s excitement bubbled over. She was with Amma and Papa, and the feeling was so amazing she wanted to jump up and down with joy.

Namisha

As her memories surged through her mind, her emotions fluttered around her head like a gentle breeze of butterflies. She could hardly believe it had only been a few days since her adventure in Neverwas, as it seemed such a long time ago.

She was powerless to resist the temptation to think of her adventures. Excitedly, her thoughts first darted to the search for the Lance of the Golden Cobra, then Connie and the twinkle in Uncle Albert’s eye. The elder knight always had a way of making her laugh until her sides hurt. Suddenly, Grandpa Babu’s face filled her mind. It felt like a tsunami to her, as her past came surging back. She saw Quotz, the doctor. His gentle, caring nature was obvious as he showed tender concern when her parents returned to Conon Court. The frantic pace of that day had left no time to talk to Amma and Papa. She felt her heart race, the words spilling out of her mouth, as