After a long and weary journey they finally reached the last mountain pass and entered the Kingdom of the Ark. Jem who rode on Miyanda and Luqman who rode on Qinan followed Asayker who led the way through the narrow passage way leading into a magnificent forest. When they entered Jem and Luqman looked about in amazement.

�It�s beautiful.� Jem remarked upon entering the Kingdom of the Ark. Almost immediately the forest stirred dormant memories from when he was only a boy, welling up vividly in his mind. He could not help but laugh with pleasure.

The kingdom was extremely lush and green. The trees were enormously tall and thick with huge dark green leaves of every shape. The boughs and branches of the trees were so vast that the canopy of leaves concealed the sky and allowed only shafts of sunlight to penetrate through the crevices. The air was moist and humid and a mist hung over the entire forest giving it a strange yet pleasant aura. A sweet fragrance of exotic flowers filled their nostrils. The melodious sound of birds, of every kind echoed throughout. As they walked deeper into the kingdom Jem saw a waterfall rushing into a clear spring from a rocky hilltop and a pure stream, gleaming like a silver chain, lining the lush green ground. The inhabitants also began to appear, grazing, chasing or sleeping. As the inhabitants caught sight of their leaders and their guests they greeted them with peace and blessings. Many gazed at Jem and Luqman as they had never seen a human before. Jem smiled down at them and more often than not they smiled back. This place was just how it had been when he visited it the last time, very little had changed. Yet it still awed him.

Finally they halted when they had reached a small glade where the trees formed a ring in the sky, allowing the sunlight to peer through and illuminate and nourish the grass below. Jem dismounted, spread his cloak on the ground and lay down on his back on the soft grass, exhausted. He let the sunlight bathe his face. Luqman, who was not tired at all, sat down beside Jem and could not help but smile at the youth.

�Oh Miyanda it�s as if I had done all the sprinting and you the riding.� Jem said smiling as he his shut eyes. �I�m weary.�

�What happened to the young Jem that never tired?� Miyanda asked good-naturedly, laughing. �You and Luqman rest here. We will get some nourishment to treat your weariness.�

While Jem and Luqman ate and drank, of the fruits, honey, and milk till their belly�s satisfaction, Miyanda, Asayker and Qinan excused themselves and took leave from their guests to look after some affairs of the kingdom. Jem and Luqman sat alone in the glade as dusk approached. Jem lay down again on the grass with his hands behind his head. He gazed up at the clouds some of which where orange outlined with a glowing fiery light, in the violet sky and watch them float gracefully in the waning light. The food had cured his fatigue but now he felt rather heavy. Sleep was slowly overcoming him. This place made him feel so at peace. His mind drifted to the last time he had come here. Pleasant memories came to his mind and a slow smile spread across his face. Aware of Luqman sitting cross-legged, silent, by his side, Jem put sleep aside for the moment and spoke to him.

�Luqman are you not tired?� Jem asked turning his face to him.

�No.� Luqman shook his head smiling. �Not yet.�

Jem laughed, �Elyasa sent you to look after me but you shall not have much looking after to do, it seems.�

�Do you think? Perhaps I will. You just rest.� Luqman said.

�Maybe you are right. We shall see.� Jem answered and he shut his eyes content and happy. �I wish Elyasa could be here. This place would surely cheer him up.�

�Yes it�s a pity.� Luqman agreed �He does need some cheering up.� Jem remained silent for a long while that Luqman thought he had fallen asleep but that was not the case. Jem spoke again.

�What do you think Izozi wanted with him? Did you have a chance to speak with Elyasa? Jem asked with his eyes still shut.

�He wanted to offer another gift to strengthen ties between our kingdoms� Luqman replied

�What did he offer him?� Jem asked.

�A bride.�

Jem opened his eyes and sat up to face Luqman at that moment. All drowsiness had left him. He eyed Luqman carefully.

"A bride?" Jem asked requesting Luqman to clarify.

�Izozi offered his daughter�s hand to Elyasa.� Luqman explained.

�And Elyasa�s response? Jem asked eagerly.

�He thanked Izozi but graciously refused.�

Jem laughed out loud and lay back on the ground again. �My brother needs a bride. I�m sure a wife would lighten him up. But do you not find something strange about Izozi?�

"In what way, Jem?" Luqman asked interested.

Jem shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, �I don�t know. I�m just wondering what his motives are.�

�Do you not take him for his word?�

�Do you?� Jem asked him intently.

Luqman thought about Jem�s question for a while, �I do not see any reason why I should not.� He finally replied.

�True.� Jem said with a sigh and he remained silent as he thought about Luqman�s words. He had no reason not believe Izozi but for some reason he could not help but doubt him. Jem felt ashamed of himself. He shook Izozi off his mind and decided not think about him. Sleep slowly crept to him again and this time he succumbed to her willingly.

Jem woke up with a start in the middle of the night. He heard the crackle of leaves and snapping of twigs pierce the silence in the darkness. It was pitch black within the circle of trees, with only the stars glaring down at him. He perceived something watching him. He sat up and turned around. His muscles tensed. Fear seized him. He thought he saw a shadow-like figure move swiftly among the trees. He remained still for a few moments until he sensed the shadow was gone. He did not know if it was only his imagination or if he actually did see something. He looked down and saw the figure of Luqman by him fast asleep but no others were present. He lay back down again, alert. Sleep would not come to him again. The shadow or whatever it was did not come back nor did anything else approach him again that night.

When he saw the first light of dawn and heard the first singing of birds he got up and walked to the stream, washed his face and quenched his thirst. He sat by the spring listened to the rushing of waterfall and looked about him. Dewdrops formed, like pearls, on the blades of grass, flower petals and leaves. Some sunlight managed to break in through the gaps in the canopy and pierce the mist. This place each time he reflected upon it grew more magnificent. Jem marvelled in a whisper. �Glory be to You, The Shaper of Beauty, The Source of Peace.� A soft breeze blew and the leaves on the trees rustled as if in response.

Although Jem could hear the inhabitants slowly getting up from their slumber he saw no one about him. He unbelted and placed his sword on the ground, pulled his shirt over his head, slipped out of his boots and plunged into the spring with his trousers. The water was cool and sent a shudder down his spine. He swam towards the rocky embankment where the water cascaded down over the rocks and let the water shower him. He delighted in this new-found freedom of his. He was enjoying himself immensely. How he wished Elyasa were here. It felt so good to be free of the constricted environment of the palace. He walked right through the waterfall until he found himself behind it.

From behind the waterfall he could hear nothing except the rushing of water and see only the stony embankment in front of him. Looking up he noticed a yawning in the rocks not too high up from where he was. Jem decided to explore this opening. So he carefully climbed the moss covered rocks to reach the cave. When he finally reached it he found that it was in fact a narrow tunnel for he could barely see another opening at the end of it. He wondered where this tunnel would lead. Curiosity getting the better part of him, he stepped into the tunnel and found himself in shin deep water. It was dark but not dark enough for him not to see where he was going. He walked with caution, as the ground was gravelly and unlevelled, covered with seaweed. Water dripped from the ceiling, dropping on his shoulders and sliding down to his chest. Jem groped the stony wall for support as the ground descended sharply. Twice he almost lost his footing and slipped.

Finally he reached the end of the tunnel and found himself on a sandy shore by the sea. When he exited the tunnel he looked back to where he had come out from and discovered that the tunnel was part of large rocky cliff with a forest at its peak. The opening, he noticed, was once concealed by brush, that was now broken and a large rock that had been removed. Not many strangers entered the Kingdom of the Ark. Only those invited were allowed in.

Jem looked ahead of him towards the sea and he noticed some markings in the sand. Huge footprints leading towards the sea and half way in the middle of the shore he found other markings by the prints. Jem knelt down and examined the markings in the sand closely, his wet hair dripped on the sand causing the footprint to smudge. They were not paw prints, that was obvious. They resembled a human foot but were not quite human. He knew these were not ape prints. After examining it for a while he couldn�t tell what kind of creature could have made these footprints. The creature did walk up right he could tell that. A small boat made the other marking in the sand he determined. Whatever this creature was, Jem thought, must have left by boat on the sea by it self for he did not see any other prints.

�Strange.� Jem said to himself.

The sun had risen high and the sky was a clear blue. He felt the unrelenting heat from the sun beat down on his back. Suddenly he became aware that he had been absent for a long time and the others may be up looking for him. Without a second thought, he quickly turned back to the tunnel. His way back through the tunnel was much more difficult as he struggled to climb back up the unlevelled ground. He found himself crouching on all fours groping and clawing at the wet stony ground. In his haste he often lost his grip and tumbled backwards. But after a while, out of breath and not without a few scrapes and bruises, from the difficult climb he finally reached the end of the tunnel back to the waterfall. With seaweed clinging to his trousers and entwined in between his toes he climbed down the stony embankment, carefully, and dove in to the water. When his head emerged from underneath the water he looked around and noticed Miyanda standing by his clothing. He swam towards her and came out of the water.

�Jem! Where did you come from?! We were worried.� She said startled at first and then relieved.

�I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to.� Jem apologised sincerely.

�Well put on your clothes young man. �She said gazing at the dripping Jem. �You had us all worried. We thought something happened to you.� She continued with a bit anger in her voice.

Jem didn�t make any attempt to explain himself. He knew in good time he would have to do so once all had calmed down. He simply obeyed and put his clothes on silently. Jem followed Miyanda back to the glade and not to long after Asayker, Luqman and Qinan joined them when they received news that Jem was well.

Luqman upon seeing Jem ran to him and clutched the youth anxiously by the shoulders, relieved to see he was well. �Jem, do not run off like that again.�

�You should be careful child. Yesterday we were told of strange things. A strange creature has been prowling this kingdom. All this is new while we were away in your Kingdom.� Qinan said.

�I�m very sorry. I didn�t mean to cause alarm and trouble.� Jem apologised again. �Qinan you speak of strange things, I experienced something strange last night and discovered something this morning.�

Jem told them about the shadow like creature and the footprints he discovered at the beach in the morning.

�This is odd indeed. You are not the only one to have seen this creature. Others have seen it as well. It comes out only at night it seems. It has been prowling the kingdom in our absence for a couple of days now. I will go observe these footprints. After that, I and another of my winged steeds will take you and Luqman home, for I fear for your safety.� Qinan said.

Jem�s heart sank. He didn�t want to leave but couldn�t protest. He did not know what this strange creature was up to. But he knew one thing; it had just ruined everything for him.