Free Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor by Mark Crilley

came to a stop, allowing Poog to float forward until he was just a few feet from Throck’s face. As they faced each other, I sensed that years and years of conflict had brought them to this place. One thing was for sure: This time, Poog was
not
going to negotiate.
    From where I stood I had a pretty good view of Throck’s face. He looked tired and frightened, as if he were about to give up. I think he knew he was no match for Poog. For a minute there I thought he was going to just hand the Prince over and beg for mercy. But then his eyes widened and a sort of panic seized his face. Twisting his body back to one side, he gripped the Prince fiercely with both hands. Then he threw him off the platform.

 Chapter 18 

    “Nooooo!” I cried, watching helplessly as Prince Froptoppit flipped through the air.
    Poog didn’t waste a second. He shot down after the Prince, racing against gravity to catch him before he hit the ground. I was watching breathlessly to see if he’d get there in time when suddenly I felt icy fingers close around my neck.
    HHSSSSSSSSSHHHHH!
    “Say goodbye to your beloved Prince, little girl,” I heard Throck whisper in my ear as he lifted me into his arms, “and while you’re at it, bid this wretched planet farewell. You’re coming with me!”
    I wanted to scream, but my throat was suddenly so dry I could barely make a sound.
    “Relax, my child,” he said as he carried me over to the spaceship, opened the hatch, and tossed me roughly inside. “Soon we will be far, far away from here.”
    Time seemed to slow down as I watched Throck step into the ship after me and reach up to close the hatch. I stared back across the platform toward the castle. Poog and the Prince were nowhere to be seen. The hatch was halfway closed. Three-quarters closed . . . 
    I don’t know what made me do it. Maybe it was Poog communicating with me or something. Maybe it was just total desperation.
    I opened my mouth and said the words Poog had taught me back in the forest, the words that had brought Alia Rellapor out of her trance. They came out as little more than a hoarse whisper, but the effect on Throck was immediate and devastating. He shuddered, groaned, and let go of the hatch. Then he dropped to his knees and crawled back onto the platform.
    There, just over Throck’s shoulder, I saw the Prince rise slowly over the edge of the platform, holding on to Poog with both hands. If Throck had his eyes open at that moment, it was probably the last thing he saw.

    We all stared in horror as Throck came grinding to a halt. Bit by bit the color of his skin faded to gray. Then the color of his armor also drained away, and within seconds Throck was entirely covered in ghostly gray from head to toe.
    He had turned to stone.
    The Prince ran over and gave me the biggest hug his little arms were capable of.
    “Thank you, Akiko!” he cried, his voice trembling with emotion. “Thank you!”
    We both walked cautiously over to Throck and joined Poog in examining him up close. When I touched his body, it felt as cold and hard as a statue. As far as I could tell, it
was
a statue.
    “Did . . . did I
kill
him?” I asked.
    Poog smiled and said something in his warbly language. I couldn’t understand exactly what he said, but somehow I knew that the answer was no. Perhaps I’d just frozen Throck into this form temporarily. Poog said something else, then turned and flew back into the castle.
    “He must be going to get the others,” I said to Prince Froptoppit.
    He had a slightly sad look on his face, as if he’d just recalled something that was troubling him.
    “Akiko,” he said to me, “did you see my mother? Is she going to be okay?”
    “I’m pretty sure she will be, Prince Froptoppit,” I said. “She’s been through a lot, just like you have. But everything’s going to be okay now. I can feel that in my heart.”
    And I
could,
too. All the tension and fear and misery of the past few hours had suddenly melted away.