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  Back in the ship, Arthur was getting every portable torch he had, and Jo was sat on the settee, shivering. “I’m not going back there,” she said.

  “Then by all means stay in the ship, but are you really going to leave me to go in all on my own?” he asked.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said.

  “If you want to wait until morning, you will be in for a long wait, and besides, it was probably a student in a goofy costume,” he said.

  “It seemed real to me. What about that creature in the Icicle Mountains? That seemed real enough,” asked Jo.

  “I have no idea what that was, and I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation for it,” said Arthur.

  “I’m sure that was a dope in a costume as well,” she said.

  “I don’t know why someone would be haunting somewhere as remote as there, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out one day,” said Arthur.

  “Yes, but not with me hopefully,” said Jo.

  “What an oddly ominous thing to say,” said Arthur.

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” she said.

  “No, of course not. But on a completely unrelated note, I’m ready,” he said.

  Arthur had made a backpack for Jo, which had two torches that extended out of it and rested on her shoulders. “Push this button and they will turn on, and you will light the place up, just remember to stand in a corner,” he said.

  “That way I’ll light up the whole room?” she asked.

  “You got it,” he replied.

  “And do I get to take my gun?” asked Jo.

  “Sorry but they’re little kids, evil little kids but little kids all the same. If you accidentally shoot one then you try explaining that one,” he said.

  “Once again you’re right. Well can I at least take a bat?” she asked.

  “We’re all kids now, so I never said anything about not hitting them,” he said. Jo pulled a bat from behind the settee, used for Zutorni, a sport invented in Evermore which involves hitting a ball as hard as you can in a confined arena, and then dodging the highly bouncy ball as it flies in all directions. If it goes through a small hole at the top of one of the walls, then the game is won. However, if a person is hit by the ball, their team loses ten points. If they dodge the ball successfully, they gain five points. The game leads to a lot of bruises.

  Arthur and Jo walked to Starfall Academy once more, now much better prepared for the horrors that waited.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” asked Arthur. Jo just patted the bat in her open palm, and Arthur knew that someone was going to get hurt. They finally reached the academy, and they saw that the window had been fixed, and there was no sign of it being broken.

  “That was quick,” said Arthur.

  “You’re telling me. Shall we go around the back?” asked Jo.

  “I suppose we have to, I know we’ve lost the element of surprise, but at least we know which way we’re going,” he replied. Arthur led Jo around the back and the opened the door. The corridor was as dark as ever, but this time they were prepared for it.

  “Turn yourself on, Jo,” said Arthur.

  “Just like normal then,” she said, and pressed the button that extended from the backpack.

  The corridor was lit up, and they both saw that they were walking through a large room, a very large room, and the walls were fake. They were wooden boards being held up by wooden planks. “This doesn’t make much sense,” said Jo.

  “It does and it doesn’t,” said Arthur.

  “Don’t be enigmatic, it’s very irritating,” she said.

  “Come on, let’s see what’s in the rest of this funhouse,” said Arthur. They walked down the corridor and found that the bigger room they were last in didn’t look so scary in the light.

  “So, where did you see it?” asked Arthur.

  “Over there by the staircase,” said Jo.

  Just as Jo finished talking, something ran down the stairs. It was big and made a horrible screaming noise. The only thing that they saw was its glowing yellow eyes. Jo instinctively swung her bat, but Arthur pulled her out of the way, and the light went everywhere. They heard a crashing sound and Arthur swung Jo around to see, and they saw another black robot, which had embedded itself into the wall. It was twitching, but not really moving.

  Arthur reacted like lightning. He ran over to the robot and climbed up to its head. He then yanked off the plate behind its head and pulled out its brain, and Jo saw a load of wires sticking out. The robot then collapsed in an undignified heap on the floor. Jo walked over to it, and without warning she smashed the head even more with her bat, with Arthur standing with his eyes wide open.

  “I’m sorry to shatter your revenge fantasy Josephine, but the thing that attacked you had black eyes and leathery green skin, and claws,” he said.

  “I know, I’m just taking my anger out on something else, I hated that one in Karga and I’m making up for lost time,” she said.

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night,” he replied.

  After Jo had been smashing for a while, Arthur looked around for a light switch. He found one, and the whole of the bottom floor lit up. The lights hurt their eyes, since they were slightly accustomed to the dark now. The second floor looked pretty dark so Arthur decided to check the upper floors. Jo went first this time because she had the light source. She knew that she would have to go first, but she preferred to be in charge of the light source. They climbed up the staircase, and the corridor they entered was as bad as the first. Arthur tried the first door, but it was locked. “Oh I’ve had enough of locked doors,” he said, and took a run up, and bashed through the door. It gave way almost instantly, and the two were greeted with a strange sight.

  The room was obviously a bedroom, and in the corner was a dejected looking girl. “Hello,” said Arthur.

  “Please, the light!” she shouted weakly. Jo turned the light off, and closed the door behind her. “

  Who are you?” asked Jo.

  “I’m Lady Rhylia, daughter of Lord Yage, who are you?” she replied.

  “Sir Arthur Pageon and this is Princess Josephine,” replied Arthur.

  “You can’t be, you’re my age” she replied.

  “We’ll explain that to you later, right now we’re here to help you,” said Jo.

  “What are you doing chained up?” asked Arthur, breaking off her manacles.

  “Commander Elsius, she’s mad, she’s brainwashing us into being monsters,” she said.

  “Look Rhylia, I’m taking you to my ship and I want you to tell me all about it,” said Arthur.

  “I’m too weak to walk,” she said.

  “Then I’ll carry you, are there any more people on this floor?” he asked.

  “No, I’m the only one who hasn’t succumbed yet, any other monsters in the academy are just students in costumes but they think that they are really monsters and so will be as dangerous,” said Rhylia.

  “Aren’t you going to say I told you so?” asked Jo.

  “No, I’m just thinking that we’ll just have to chance it downstairs,” said Arthur.

  They left the room, and they heard the sound of something running down the corridor behind them. Arthur ran with Rhylia, and Jo ran behind him. They reached the staircase, and saw that the light had been turned off.

  “Light up, Jo,” said Arthur.

  The light spread across the room, and for a split second, the room was full of monsters. They all looked different, some were ghostly creatures, and other’s just looked horrible in general, but Arthur didn’t stop to find out; he ran down the corridor and out with Rhylia still in his arms.

  “Were out now, look at the beautiful lights of Gard,” said Arthur. Rhylia was about 90, and she had light brown hair, and a white complexion due to being chained up in the dark. Her clothes were reduced to rags, and she tried to look, but the light hurt her now sensitive eyes.

  “Take your time, you will get used to it,” said Jo. Arthur picked her up and c
arried her to the ship. He pressed a button on the side that Jo had never noticed before, and a side panel opened. Arthur carried her into the ship and then up some stairs to the deck. Jo closed the door behind her and followed Arthur up the stairs to the deck. Arthur took Rhylia to the sitting room and laid her on the settee. Arthur didn’t turn the lights on; he left the light of Gard to light the place up.

  “I’m finally out of there,” she said.

  “So please explain what is going on, because this whole plot doesn’t make much sense,” said Arthur.

  “It all began about a week ago; they have been fast, really fast. We were visited by Commander Elsius and we thought that she was just part of the army from Gard, since they often come to see what we were doing. Our head teacher, Miss Torcent, disappeared soon after and Elsius replaced her,” explained Rhylia.

  “So she took over that easily? How?” asked Jo.

  “There were a couple of students that wanted power, and she promised them that which made them a little crazy. I tried to call home, but my father doesn’t care; ever since he divorced my mother, he doesn’t care about what any of his children do. It’s mostly out of spite, and I was supposed to join her on Seraphale but I guess she wanted me to finish my studies first,” said Rhylia.

  “When we find out what is going on I’ll take you to your mother,” said Arthur.

  “But you’re my age, how is this even possible?” she asked.

  “Just go with it,” said Jo.

  “I’m not going back in there!” said Rhylia.

  “No you’re not, I just need to know where I would likely be able to find Elsius,” said Arthur.

  “In the cellar, there’s a lab there and they’ve been doing something down there all week,” she said.

  “You stay here with her Jo, and I’ll go alone, that way if I get caught Rhylia here can still go to her mother,” said Arthur.

  “That’s very noble of you” said Jo.

  “It’s the sort of things heroes do, stupid for the sake of stupid and when it works it’s hailed as being heroic” he said.

  “And when it fails?” she asked.

  “Then you take Rhylia to her mother,” he replied.

  “Touché Arthur,” she said.

  “You can fly, can’t you, Jo?” asked Arthur.

  “I took my test a bit late but yes I can, why?” she replied.

  “Here’s what I want you to do,” said Arthur, who began to relate the plan to her and Rhylia. Arthur ran out of the cabin, now filled with courage, and he left Rhylia in the capable care of Jo.

  Arthur walked once more to the building; however this time he wanted to get to the cellar and looked around for a way to get in. He was looking by the chimney when he found what he was looking for; a metal grate that led to a set of stone stairs. Arthur then formulated a plan, and smiled inwardly about how clever he was. He opened the creaky grate and walked down. He jammed a screw in the hinge, so that the grate couldn’t be shut after he entered. He walked down the dark stairs and saw that the door was open to the cellar. He walked in, and it was silent, except the humming was louder now that he was underground.

  He leaned over for the light switch, and turned it on. The room lit up and a black shape ran upstairs. Arthur then went over to the light switch and pulled out a strange device of his own making. It was a portable welder and since the switches were metal, he welded it so it was permanently on. He tried the bulky switch but it wouldn’t budge. He locked the door behind him and walked across the cellar. It was empty, though the humming sound seemed to be coming from a door over in the corner.

  After seeing that the door was locked, he decided to have some fun with this house of horrors, and walked over to the stairs. There was a light switch, and Arthur turned it on. The stairway lit up and the shadow ran away again. “Where are you going to run when I’ve turned on all the lights?” asked Arthur in a calm and confident voice. He heard a hissing sound ahead, but still carried on, melting the light switch as he continued on. He made his way into the main room with the staircase, and turned the light switch on. The robot was still there, lying on the floor with wires sticking out of its head. Arthur fused the switch, and then saw that there were three possible places for him to go, the left, the right, or upstairs. He decided to light up the bottom floor, and walked to the sitting room.

  The light switch was on the left of the doorway, and he found it quite easily. He turned it on and found that a ‘monster’ was asleep on the floor. It was not the one that Jo had seen before, but had four arms and a horrible -ooking face. He tied it up with some of the large reel of rope, and then pulled its face off. It was a young boy, with messy hair, and large bushy eyebrows. Arthur unlocked the main doors, and left him on the porch. He then closed the doors, so no other little monster could free him. Arthur walked into what had been the kitchen, and turned the light on, which revealed a foul sight. There was food strewn everywhere, and it was apparent what happens when you leave rich children on their own for a week. Arthur heard the sound of something moving, and he ran to the sound, and opened the door that led to the fake corridor that he had first entered. The light switch was incredibly easy to find, and Arthur really thought nothing of it, but someone was watching him.

  Arthur heard something behind the fake corridor walls. He ran around, and someone was huddled in the centre, trying to hide from the light.

  “Good evening,” said Arthur.

  “Get away from me!” she said. It was a female voice, and she was dressed as an old witch.

  “I can’t do that, what’s your name?” he asked.

  “Lady Susan,” she said.

  “From Cesta?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Come on, obviously being a witch doesn’t suit you, I’m taking everyone home,” he said.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Because it’s the right thing to do, and I want to have a word with Elsius,” he said.

  “I’m the least of your worries here, you’ll have to watch out of Corlio, all this power has gone to his head,” she said.

  “Oh, you mean Lord Yage’s son, I hear he can be as temperamental as his father,” said Arthur. The girl took her mask off, and she was actually quite beautiful, with long blonde hair, and a pale complexion just like Rhylia.

  “Come on, let’s get out of this mad house, you can join Rhylia and Lady Josephine aboard my ship, I’ve caught one of your friends already,” explained Arthur.

  Arthur led Susan through the kitchen and through the foyer. He opened the door and walked her out into the fresh air. The boy had been taken to the ship, and was now tied to the banister.

  “So, two down, how many to go Rhylia?” he asked.

  “There’s three more, this is Faltaine, and he’s cataleptic,” she said.

  “I’ll be out in a minute,” he said, and walked back in.

  “Thanks for the help Susan,” said Rhylia sarcastically.

  “I was brainwashed, so totally no blame on me,” replied Susan, as Arthur disappeared into the school.

  At this point Arthur had finished on the ground floor and he decided to go to the first floor, which is where they had found Rhylia. Jo and Rhylia stood on the deck, and suddenly Rhylia’s window smashed, and out of it sailed a suitcase. It landed on the deck, and Rhylia instantly recognised it as hers.

  “I’m going to get changed, I’m feeling better already,” said Rhylia who took the suitcase into the cabin.

  Back upstairs, Arthur was bashing every door down, trying to find any more monsters. He bashed the last door in the corridor, and then regretted it. There was another monster, but this one was completely black, and was only a shape of a person. It jumped on Arthur and he had to hit it as hard as he could. Arthur then found out that it was another boy, who was covered in black fabric, and was presumably going for the shadow look. He dragged him downstairs and out onto the porch.

  “Who is this one?” asked Arthur.

  “Gregory,” said Rhylia, who h
ad changed into a simple green dress, and out of the rags she had on before. Arthur pulled him onto the ship, and he was tied next to Faltaine, who was still asleep.

  Arthur now knew that he had only two more monsters left. He walked around the first floor, and saw that there was a set of stairs leading to the second floor, and he ran upstairs, and turned the lights on. He was confronted by a girl, who was dressed as something he had never seen before. She had horns, long black hair and glowing yellow eyes. She also had fangs, dark blue skin, and large black wings.

  “Hello, my name’s Arthur, what’s yours?” he asked.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Oh you know, transfer student,” said Arthur.

  “I’m Corlio’s sister, and he doesn’t want to see anyone,” said the girl.

  “Well I want to see him, and then Elsius, and then I’m done, but I see that you’re the deluded type,” he said.

  “How dare you speak to me like that!” she said.

  “Oh what are you going to do?” asked Arthur.

  “I will destroy you!” she shouted, and lunged for Arthur. He dodged out of the way, and she flew through the doorway, gliding on her wings. They then got caught between the door frame, and she was stuck.

  “So you see, I’m going to see your brother and you can just cool off and pretend to be a door instead of a horrific demon,” he said. She dangled there helpless, and Arthur walked up the next set of stairs to the attic.

  “Hello,” said Arthur. He heard the hissing sound, and continued up.

  “So, you must be Corlio, son of Lord Yage, actually, I should say unwanted son,” he said.

  “Shut up!” shouted the voice, which Arthur still couldn’t see.

  “I think that you should come out, and rescue your sister from being stuck downstairs,” said Arthur.

  “Leave me alone!” he said. Arthur turned the lights on, and he saw Corlio, sat on an old armchair, without any costume.