‘I think of you like a Brother or a friend, but I don’t feel the way you want me to...’

-Hart, to Nell, months ago

They followed Bazagree along the river for some length, but always they stayed in the dried up riverbed. The moon remained high – as it always seemed too – and let down quite a bit of calming, blue light. On and on they walked, and when Nell began to wonder if they would ever reach the House of Codon they stopped, and towering before them, in the middle of the dried up river bed, was a huge boulder. It was easily as wide as a small cottage, and tall too.

It was probably the singular most impressive boulder Nell had ever seen in his life. It’s grey surface was scarred and pockmarked, and a great deal of moss grew, bright green, about the base; little glowing insects crawling all over it. There were no doors or windows, really no way visible to get in at all.

Bazagree turned around to face Nell and Genesis. ‘Here,’ he said, beaming proudly, ‘the House of the Codon.’

‘It’s a rock,’ Nell said, making a face like he thought this giant snail might be a little daft – still, how had he known the things he did?

Genesis, staring at the rock, held her arms wide open.

‘Granted,’ Nell agreed, ‘it’s a very big rock.’

‘Ooo, do be kind,’ Bazagree scolded, ‘you’ll hurt his feelings.’

‘Oh, don’t worry,’ a loud voice boomed suddenly, and while it almost sounded like it was coming out of the rock, more to the point, it sounded like it was coming from the other side of the rock.

‘I have quite a thick skin,’ the booming voice continued.

Genesis got a very intrigued look on her face and she started around the giant boulder.

‘Why, where indeed is she going?’ Bazagree asked.

Nell hurried after her.

‘And where are you headed?’ the snail called, hastening to follow, as fast as he could.

As Nell rounded the other side of the boulder with Genesis, he felt a great shock shoot through him, and the same was on Genesis’s face as she stared upward, at an enormous face in the rock. He had a wide nose, an even wider mouth that was filled with darkness. It had huge eyes, bigger than the biggest living room window in Nell’s home, and they were huge, blue sapphires; but they didn’t look like they’d been inlaid, rather, as if they were part of the boulder.

‘Oh, wow!’ Nell gasped.

Genesis, still staring in wonder, slowly brought a hand to her mouth that was hanging open.

‘What is all this, do you want to talk to-’ Bazagree’s mouth dropped open as he stared up at the big rock face too. ‘Oh, dear me,’ he said to himself, ‘I never thought of coming around the other side. I always imagined someone was inside the rock!’

The giant boulder laughed a deep booming laugh that made the ground shake a little. ‘Well met, Bazagree, old friend, and it is quite fine to actually see you.’

‘Yes, yes,’ Bazagree said, making a slightly uncomfortable face, ‘so you are actually a rock, yes?’

‘So my people appear. Long, long ago, we were created by a powerful race, and set as guardians and wisdom-givers… I have been here for longer than I can possibly remember, sometimes going eons without someone to talk too. Such a pleasure since Bazagree stumbled across me, and now, you two as well.’

‘You told Bazagree to expect us,’ Nell called up to the rock face. ‘Why?’

‘Didn’t he tell you that I can help you get the piece you seek?’ the rock face asked.

‘He did,’ Nell said, ‘but how is it that you know of our quest?’

‘I felt your coming, and have felt that it would come for many years now… I know what Genesis’s race wants to do, and I believe it a noble endeavour, and thus I have chosen to help you.’

‘How?’ Nell wondered.

‘What you seek is underground, in the hands of a Durinian statue. The it you seek, the path you would take to get there, is filled with great dangers and traps left by the one who hid the piece… My roots – tunnels spread through the whole Durmul Expanse – reach the same destination, though the way will be… easier.’

Genesis folded her arms across her chest and looked sceptical.

Nell glanced at her and then back at the rock face. ‘I agree with Genesis. You hesitated… you don’t sound so sure yourself.’

‘Oh, there will be dangers down there, that is sure, but… less than trekking though the forest, and I imagine, every little bit counts.’

‘Oh, that’s what my Father always said, and he was quite wise by it I always thought,’ Bazagree put in helpfully.

Nell and Genesis exchanged meaningful looks again. Then Nell turned to the rock face and held up a finger. ‘Give us a moment.’ He turned to Genesis, took her by the hand, and led her some distance away. They leaned together and Nell whispered, ‘Do you trust him?’

Genesis glanced at the rock face and studied him carefully.

‘Do you know of beings like him? Is he what he says he is?’ Nell wondered, drawing Genesis’s attention back to him. She bit her bottom lip and sighed.

‘What’s that mean?’ Nell asked.

Genesis gave him a warning look.

Nell held up his hands. ‘I’m not trying to be rude, I just need to know what you’re thinking on this. Do we take the big guy’s help, or do we go it on our own?’

Genesis looked back to the rock face and truly appeared troubled. Nell found it odd that she didn’t know anything about a creature like this, and wondered if the very fact that she didn’t was a sign that they shouldn’t accept his help.

Genesis turned back to Nell and gently grabbed him by the chin, staring directly into his eyes. She moved her lips, trying to accentuated the words she was soundlessly saying, which looked to Nell like, ‘Stay behind me. Do what I do.’

‘Stay behind you and do what you do?’ Nell clarified.

Genesis nodded.

‘Right,’ Nell agreed.

Genesis led the way back to the rock face. When she reached him, she nodded.

‘Oh, joy,’ Bazagree said gleefully, ‘you’re all getting along!’

Nell stepped up beside Genesis and asked, ‘How do we… erm… get into your roots?’

The rock face winced. ‘Now, most find this all rather a problem, so I warn you up front, you’re not especially going to like the means, but it’s not as terribly bad as it sounds.’

‘Okay,’ Nell replied, ‘we got that, so what’s the deal?’

‘For me to help you,’ the rock face announced, ‘I’ll have to eat the pair of you.’

Nell blinked in dismay. ‘Eat us?’ he asked.