'If we do this, there's no turning back,' I said, looking at the cracked and shabby mirror adorning my ramshackled room. I still couldn't believe that all this time it was a portal. I had wondered why my parents had left it to me.

'What?' said a squeaky, high-pitched voice below. 'I won't turn back into an elf? But I like being an elf. I've always been an elf. Ever since I was a baby.'

I glanced down at my partner in crime and huffed in annoyance. 'I already told you this, Bells. You'll turn back into an elf once we get to the other side, silly. What I meant was once we're through the portal, we won't be able to come back through it again.'

'What?' Bells was pouting. 'We won't be able to come back home? But I like home. It's the only home I've ever know. Ever since --'

'I was a baby,' I finished, rolling my eyes. 'Don't worry. Once we find the Black Stone and destroy it, we'll be sent back home.'

'Are you sure?'

'When have I ever not told you the truth?'

Bells crossed her arms. 'Uh . . . when we were getting the magic-portal-crossing potion. You said it wouldn't take long to get through the maze but we walked on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on --'

'Please stop,' I snapped. Then shaking my head, I said, 'Tell me why I bring you along on anything. You really test my patience, you know.'

'Because you are my friend. You are my sidekick. It's only fair that I help you on your quests, for you help me on mine.'

Shock graced my face. 'Wait, wait, wait. What? I'm your sidekick? No, no, no. You're my sidekick.'

'But I have magic. So that makes me more powerful than you. Which makes you my sidekick.'

'Well, you're smaller than me and the smaller one is always the sidekick.'

'Tell that to the dragon riders of Abledom. You could say the dragons are their sidekicks and they are a lot bigger than the riders.'

Bells did have a point. I wasn't going to say anything, though.

'And by the way, I ride on your back all the time,' Bells continued, smirking.

'That's because I can't stand hearing you complain about walking, which you do constantly. And the whole magic thing? You know one spell. One spell. I have this massive sword, the thing that will destroy the Black Stone.' I lifted the weapon in my hand, the blade etched with an ancient orcish language.

Bells grumbled under her breath as I took out the sparkling red vial of magic-portal-crossing potion from my tunic. I uncorked it, sending its aroma wafting into my nose. I almost puked. 'This smells worse than forest troll farts.' I closed my eyes and exhaled, bucking up the courage. 'Here we go.'

The instant the silvery liquid touched my tongue, a prickly sensation coursed through my veins. And the taste? It was more revolting than the smell. After several attempts of trying, I finally managed to swallow the ghastly stuff. My face started to twitch as I handed the bottle to Bells.

Bells downed the rest of the bottle and smacked her lips. 'Yum. That was good. Do you have any more?'

'Really?' I stared at Bells as if she was out of her mind.

'Oh, yes. It's tastes like liquified bog toad innards. An elfin delicacy. Like Mama used to make.'

I was about to show my disgust when my body went all numb. My skin soon turned blue before seeming to evaporate. In no time at all, Bells and I had transformed into wispy vapor, apparitions of our normal selves.

'Well, I don't like this at all,' I said, my voice sounding otherworldly. Not surprisingly, I felt strange. Is this what Misty Moles experienced all the time, I wondered?

'I kinda do like it,' responded Bells, giggling up a storm. 'It tickles. Now, I don't think I would mind if I didn't turn back into an elf.'

If I had solid hands, I would have planted my head in them. 'Are you ready?'

Bells stopped giggling just to reply, 'Ready. Let's go destroy the Black Stone.'

With my trusted elf by my side, I carefully floated over to the mirror, the glass right where my nose would have been. Now how do we do this, I asked myself? Do we just pass through?

I hadn't even flinched forward when Bells and I were sucked into the portal and into what felt like a swirling torrent. Round and round and round we went, our smoky forms stretching and turning into monstrous vortices. And while I screamed for my life, Bells just continued to giggle.

Before long, and to my complete joy, everything stopped and we found ourselves lying on the solid floor of a narrow cave, back to our normal form. Glowing roots strangled the walls and there was a musty odor.

'Where are we?' Bells asked, her glee completely gone.

'Over there,' I said, pointing to the far end of the cave and to what looked like a temple carved out from rock. 'The Tomb of the Wizened Knight. That's where the Black Stone lies.'

'What are we waiting for?' Bells jumped up onto her tiny feet and began making her way over. However, she quickly stopped to look at something on the ground. 'Ooh, a gold coin.'

'Wait, don't touch that,' I screamed. 'It could be a booby trap.'

Bells didn't take any notice and picked up the coin. There was a look of triumph in her eyes. But that soon changed as a grinding noise echoed all around. Next thing, a huge boulder came tumbling toward us from behind.

'That doesn't look good,' breathed Bells, pointing at the impending danger.

Scrambling up from the ground, I bellowed back, 'No kidding. And it's your fault.'

'How is it my fault?'

I ran over, grabbed Bells, slinging her onto my back, and took off toward the temple. 'You picked up the coin, setting it off,' I replied, looking over my shoulder. The huge boulder was getting closer and closer. Not wanting to get squished like an ant, I picked up the pace.

'How was I supposed to know?'

'I told you not touch the coin.'

'No you didn't.'

'Yes I did,'

'Well, I didn't hear you. Do you know what your problem is? You mumble. You don't enunciate your words.'

'I yelled it,' I panted, jumping over a rock and almost tripping. 'With such big ears, you never hear --'

'SNAKE!!'

I barely had time to react as a large scaly mouth full of poisonous fangs entered my vision. But one swift slice of the sword sent the green monster to the Outerworld.

A growing rumble brought my attention back to the boulder. And as I looked over my shoulder for the umpteenth time, I swore as loud as I could. The rolling beast was licking the soles of my leather boots.

Fortunately, the entrance to the temple was only yards away, the boulder too big to follow us through. With all the might I could muster, I launched myself and dived inside. A boom then shuddered my ears as I hit the ground hard, sending Bells flying.

After skidding to a rough and knee-scraping halt, I flipped onto my back and gave out a sigh of relief. I then got up and shuffled over to Bells a few paces away. 'You all right?'

Bells was rubbing her head. 'I'll live.'

'That was too close for comfort, eh?'

'It wouldn't have been if you ran faster.'

'You're welcome for saving your life,' I said before noticing we were outside, dark and sinister clouds over head.

It looked as though we were on top of a mountain, on a ledge. And in the center of the ledge, on a golden pedestal, was the Black Stone. Blacker than night, the object seemed to blur the light around it. I was shocked at its size. It was no bigger than a brain-tunneling pixie. How could something that small cast so much destruction over the land?

Peaking over the side of the mountain, Bells gasped, 'Oh wow. We are a long way up. I can't even see the bottom at all. I wonder where we are?'

'A question for another day. Time to smash this thing to smithereens.' I lifted the sword over my head, ready to bring it down. But as I was about to do it, I was knocked backwards with tremendous force.

'Did you really think it would be that easy?' said a low voice. It was a voice I was dreading to hear. And out from a crag, came a hooded figure.

Draxon.

The sight of my mortal enemy sent shivers down my spine.

Draxon burst out a wicked laugh, a laugh I hadn't heard in a long time. It was shrill and bone shaking. 'Thank you for bringing me the Sword of Dragonbreath. I've been wanting that for a long time. Hand it over and I'll make your death swift. Unlike your parents' end.'

'You are too cruel, ass face,' bellowed Bells and she cast her only magic spell.

Tiny specks of light swarmed Draxon, but with a clench of a fist, the lights dropped to the ground and squirmed, fading to nothing. 'What a pathetic attempt. Elf magic is no match for me.' Another clench of a fist and Bells was shot through the air and over the ledge of the mountain.

'BELLS! NO!' I screamed, seeing her disappear. I then charged Draxon, the Black Stone far from my thoughts. And with fury, I took swing after swing, lunge after lunge. 'I am going to kill you.'

Laughter erupted out of Draxon as he dodged my every move with ease. 'I see you haven't unlocked the sword's potential,' he wailed, sliding away from a thrust. 'How useless.'

Even though my energy was draining, I kept up my assault, groaning in exhaustion with every attempt. But this just brought only more laughter. He was taunting me, playing with me.

Eventually, my arms grew too tired to even hold up the sword. I gave one final swing, missing wildly, before stumbling to my knees. I was defeated.

'I must say this has been rather amusing,' said Draxon, 'but I really must be getting on with wiping your homeland from existence.'

The sword was knocked out of my hand and I was thrown into the air.

Over the ledge I went and down I fell. Air rushed over my body and pummeled my eyes. I couldn't see a thing. 

But just then, I came to a jerking stop. My vision quickly focused and I screamed at the sight below me. Nothing but an endless abyss. Panting, I looked up and saw a welcomed sight. Bells. She was holding onto a minuscule jagged rock with one hand and me with the other.

'Nice of you to drop by, sidekick,' she said, a grin on her face.