Chapter 3:

CHAPTER 3

As the old man approached us, Ralph and I clinged on to each other for dear life. He didn't seem like he meant any harm, but you never know. He had a long silver beard and was wearing a long purple robe with a astronomical pattern on it. There was a thin word stiched onto the breast pocket of his robe; it read Hulland. I didn't know what "Hulland" meant, and I was certain Ralph didn't either.

"Greetings," he repeated "My name is Gar Hulland. Please to be aqquainted." He held out his hand with a magnificent gesture.

Receiving only petrified stares from the both of us, he told us he was from America (all said in English) and his plane crashed on this unchartered island 15 years ago. He said more would be explained later about their whereabouts and the city that lay on the island.

I was suprised that a city would fit on such a small city, and suspicious at the same time about this strange man. When I turned to look at Ralph, his expression was blank, so I decided we'd follow them. I pulled Ralph by the arm as he reluctantly tagged along, and we went with the old man and the young girl through the forest.

After about a 20 minute walk from the beach, far into the forest, we approached a GIANT, GIANT, ancient, stone door at the foot of a mountain. Two guards in impressive metal armour were guarding this gate-type thing, and Gar Hulland walked up to them. He said a strange something in a foreign tongue which the girl and the guards nodded to. The guards stroked the stone gate and a carved stone symbol etched itself into the wall. They traced over the symbol with they're fingers repeating it several times and fingering it in a magical sort of way. It was so... unusually magical-all of it!

Oddly enough, the magic of it all seemed like- so normal to me, as if it were part of my everyday life to see a carving etch itself onto a giant stone door at the foot of a mountain. It was a curse bestowed upon us... I didn't understnad why. I stood there gaping at the mouth of an enormous entrance to a-a-! Yes, believe it or not, it was a whole city inside the mountain!

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I carefully placed my foot in as if the whole mountain would collapse if I did it any heavier. Gar Hulland, Ralph, and the Girl were already far ahead by now, and the girl turned around with a friendly smile and beckoned for me to hurry up. I grinned back and ran ahead hearing my footsteps echo in the cave.

The city was well lit with bright street lamps. It was set out differently to your normal city, but there was a large street, alleyways, apartments, shops and a few tall buildings with carved engravings on them (that appeared to be an office block). It all seemed almost like- home.

There were people in beautifully embroidered saris and neatly crocheted shawls were draping off women and girls' shoulders. Exotic beads of every size and colour were being pushed in peoples hands as loud shopkeepers were bargaining with customers. The men and boys were wearing leather breeches and it all looked very glamourous. They all spoke in a strange tongue, one I'd never heard of. I smelt a whiff of a fantastic smell, gingerbready but like bread at the same time! It came from a bakery where crowds of people stood peering into the window and small children gazed at the pastries longingly. I looked up, and far above us, there were long limestone stalactites (I wodnered how there were stalactites and no stalagmites) and plenty of dark.

The city was a lovely, crowed, magical, busy, homely, cheery place and I loved it lots!

I almost lost sight of Gar Hulland and the girl! Ralph was gawking just a few paces behind me, so I grabbed him and we hurried on.

We stopped at an Inn called DshKlen Judeh. "Here we are" said the Gar triumphantly "I'll explain everything here and you explain to me too."