by Maidie Reeve
“It’s my cousin, Basil Jones,” Sophie replied. “Don’t worry about him. He’s a bit of a pest, but he’s harmless.”
She frowned at Basil. “If you want to stay, just keep quiet. I’ll explain later.”
“Why does Eda need us?” Sophie turned back to Twig. “She has her magic powers and all the good folk in the game world to help. And I’ve still got the magic book nice and safe.”
“Malefic has managed to increase his powers, and he has taken control of more of The Game World. He hasn’t reached The Tenth Gateway yet, but Eda is worried that the magic she has used to keep him imprisoned in the game may be wearing out. She says that your world could be in grave danger as well. She needs something to divert Malefic whilst she strengthens her powers and reinforces the magic that imprisons him.”
“She can still beat him in a face-to-face battle, can’t she?” Sophie asked, looking quite worried.
“Yes. Eda’s power is still stronger than his, but she is being extra cautious. She has created new ways into and out of our world, but she needs the game to be played to bring Malefic out into the open. You must help us.” Twig looked anxiously at the three friends.
None of them had noticed that Basil had starting to poke around in the sea-chest.
“What’s this old book?” he asked, as he lifted it out of the chest.
“Basil, give it to me at once!” Sophie snatched The Book out of his hands. “You don’t know what might happen.”
“Well, have it if you want. It doesn’t look very special to me. And it’s probably not worth very much anyway,” Basil sneered.
“Now look what you’ve done!” Sophie cried out as the book flew out of her hands, and rested on the floor rug nearby. It fell open at page one.
The colourful illustration of Eda, dressed in her blue cloak and gold slippers, was still there. She looked out at them, her green eyes intense, and her face grim. Her long chestnut hair flowed over her shoulders, and she held her wand by her side.
The Book quivered, and whilst the children stared at the first page, the starting place for the game began to vibrate.
“Do you think it means that The Book wants us to play the game?” Jun asked his friends.
“Yes. Yes. It’s waiting,” said Twig eagerly. “You must hurry. Every moment counts. Malefic may already have done more damage.”
“So, what are we supposed to do now? This is getting really boring.” Basil pretended to yawn.
Sophie was a bit fearful, but excited at the same time that she might be going back to the world of The Tenth Gateway. She looked at the others.
“I think we have to play the game one more time.”
Chapter Two
A Dangerous Game
Sophie looked at her friends. “Okay, everyone, are we going to help Eda or not? I’m ready to play if you all are.”
“I think we’ll be alright,” Jun replied slowly. “We know what’s at the different gateways and what the challenges are. So this time, we’d be ready for Malefic and his goblins.”
“We also know the rules,” Sophie said. “Do not leave the path. Use the charms to help, and consult The Book when needed. Under no circumstances ever give The Book to Malefic.”
“And we’ve solved the puzzles before. Once we all put our heads together, they weren’t too difficult,” Jun added.
“I’m not sure.” Aisha looked very concerned. “I’m still a bit frightened at what Malefic might do to us. But if you’re both sure that he won’t catch us out this time, I’ll play the game again if you really think we should.”
“Sounds like a lot of nonsense to me,” Basil said, looking scornful. “I bet I could play this silly game and beat all of you.”
Sophie ignored Basil. “Let’s get our things ready then.”
She reached into the sea-chest, and lifted out the old painted box which was used to contain The Book. She also removed a leather satchel which was the special bag for keeping the magic book safe. Eda had given it to her at the start of the previous game. Sophie placed the satchel’s long strap over her head so that the bag could rest securely against her hip.
“Everything is still here. Just as we left it.”
The painted box contained a smaller box of silver magic charms, which the children, except for Basil, now knew to be magic.
“Are the lucky charms the same?” Aisha asked, as she opened the smaller box.
“They can’t be exactly,” Jun replied. “Remember, you and I lost the silver chains that Eda gave us, and we had to leave the toy soldier and fairy charms behind.”
He looked through the charms and turned to Sophie.
“Odd. It looks like your horse charm and silver chain of protection have disappeared as well.”
“I’ve been told that any magic pieces used to play the game will only work once,” Twig explained.
“I’ll just have to choose something else then,” Sophie said. “I suppose Eda has a way of making sure that we have the charms that will help us the most.”
She rummaged through the silver charms and picked out an old-fashioned key.
Jun selected a small shield.
Aisha looked intently at the box of charms, not sure what to take. “I’m going to close my eyes and take whichever one I pick up.”
This turned out to be a very small silver signet ring.
“Twig, what about you?” Sophie looked at Twig.
“I’m from The Game World, so the charms won’t work for me. Eda said that as long as I hold onto you, I’ll be able to get back through The First Gateway.”
“Do you think we need anything else?” Sophie asked the others.
“I don’t think so,” Jun replied. “The weather in the game was quite mild, so we’re probably wearing the right clothes. We know what we’re up against, and anyway, we’ve got our magic charms if we need them.”
“There’s no point taking our computers or mobiles. They won’t work in The Game World. And we know the time will be all over the place, so our watches are useless as well,” Aisha said, as she took her watch off and left it on a side table.
Sophie and Jun put their watches on the table as well.
“I haven’t a clue what you’re all talking about, but I’m not wearing a watch anyway,” Basil said with a sulky voice.
“I think we’re ready now. Let’s place the charms on The Book and start the game,” Sophie said, as she sat down cross-legged near The Book. The others, except for Basil, joined her.
“What about me? You’ve got to let me play too, or I’ll tell Uncle Max and Aunt Laura how mean you are,” Basil complained loudly.
“You can play if you don’t mess around, and do what I say. And no showing off,” Sophie said, as she didn’t want Basil telling her parents about their secret game.
Basil, looking sullen, shuffled over to where the three friends and Twig now sat on the floor with The Book open in front of them.
“Okay,” he mumbled, as Sophie and Aisha made way for him in their small circle. He looked at the remaining silver charms and picked out what looked to be a Viking warrior. “What do I do with this?”
Sophie pointed at the first page.
“There, where it says ‘PLACE CHARMS HERE’. We all place our charms on the page at the same time, and the game will start.”
Basil shrugged his shoulders, and squeezed in to sit between Aisha and Sophie.
“Is everyone ready?” Sophie asked. “Don’t forget to hold hands. Here we go!”
The four children placed their charms on The Book, and then they all quickly grabbed hold of each other’s hands. Twig grabbed hold of Sophie and Jun.
This time, the three friends knew what to expect, so they weren’t scared when a bright flash from Eda’s wand lit up their small circle, and they were covered in a white mist. There was a loud humming noise, and an unseen energy force picked them all up and whirled them around and around. Only Basil looked frightened.
Sophie yelled at Basil over the humming.
“Basil, don’t worry. We’re okay. It’s the start of the game, and it’ll only last a little while. We’ll be in The Game World shortly.”
“It’s making me giddy. I think I’m going to be sick!” Basil shouted back, looking a bit green.
“Don’t you dare!” Aisha tugged crossly at Basil’s hand. “We’re almost there.”
The rapid spinning stopped, and the circle of children and Twig gently floated to the ground, and onto a wide red brick path. They waited for the white mist to clear so that they could see where they were.
However the mist didn’t lift, and they continued to be blanketed in a now thick greyish white fog. They could just see each other and The Book, which lay in the middle of their small circle, but nothing else.
The charms were scattered on the path next to The Book. Sophie and Jun picked theirs up and zipped them safely into their jacket pockets.
“Basil, the charms are part of the game,” Aisha said as she picked up her charm and tucked it away. She then handed Basil his. “Keep it safe until you need it.”
“If you say so,” Basil said ungraciously. He took his charm, and stuffed it into a very small side pocket inside his jacket.
Everyone stood up.
“We need to get our bearings, but I can’t see anything,” Sophie said as she peered into the mist. “Twig, do you know where we are? This isn’t the Enchanted Garden where we arrived last time.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Twig looked sheepish. “Eda has had to change the game a little bit. She has to protect the portals into and especially out of The Game World, so she has hidden the world of gateway one and changed the location of The Tenth Gateway.”
“Is Eda going to meet us, and tell us what she wants us to do?” Jun asked.
“Mmmm. She didn’t say. But she did give me something to give to you if she couldn’t be here to welcome you.”
Twig reached inside his jacket, and pulled out a small parchment scroll tied with string. He gave it to Sophie.
Sophie untied the string and unrolled the scroll. It contained a brief letter written in old fashioned script. She read it out to the others.
My very dear friends
If you are reading this you know that I have been unable to reach you. Malefic’s powers have increased, and we are all now under threat. I have changed the game as much as I can to confuse him, but his magic has grown stronger, and he has managed to unlock many of the gateways. He is now in control of five of the game worlds and others are in danger. To defeat him, I must get him to leave the protection of his fortress and meet me near The Tenth Gateway. He will come if he thinks he can win and get hold of The Book.
Eda
“It looks like we’re on our own for now,” Sophie said to Twig and the others.
“Some game. Stranded in a fog,” Basil muttered, feeling better now that his dizziness had passed. “Anyone going to come with me to have a look at this place?”
“Be quiet Basil, until we work this out. And don’t move. If you leave the path you could be hurt. We don’t know what’s in the mist,” Sophie warned her cousin. She was already feeling sorry that she had let him join in the game.
Jun looked at Twig.
“Eda herself has mentioned that the game has been changed. Apart from the entry and exit portals, are there many other changes that we need to know about?”
“There might be a few,” Twig replied, now looking very embarrassed. “I thought if I told you, you might not come.”
Jun was usually very tolerant, but he was quite annoyed by Twig’s response.
“I’d like to know if any of the rules have changed, like, will the pathway still protect us and lead us through the different worlds? That’s pretty important,” Jun said.
“Yes, but the worlds have shifted, and I’m not sure what the challenges are, or if the gateways are the same. All I know is, that Eda has to regain control over The Game World. She has to fight Malefic again, and strengthen the magic which keeps him imprisoned.”
“I knew we shouldn’t have come,” Aisha shivered, looking very miserable. “This place is awfully cold and damp, and we can’t see anything. We don’t even know if there’s a gateway out of here. And what’s Malefic up to? Where is he? He could be watching us at this very moment.”
“What have you done?” Basil squeaked, staring at Sophie. “I thought you said you knew how to play this game, and that we’d be alright. But we’ve been tricked into coming here by this odd creature Twig, and Eva or Eda whatever her name is, and we’ve ended up nowhere.”
“You don’t know anything,” Sophie snapped back. “I don’t like this place any more than you do, but we’re better off than last time. We’ve met Malefic and his goblins and are ready for them. We have the magic book to guide us. We know how to use the charms, and we’re good at solving the puzzles together.”
“I’m sorry if everyone’s worried,” Twig said, feeling bad that they were all upset. “But I know Eda is confident that you will succeed.”
“Well, we know we can’t go back the way we came. We just have to work out how to get out of here, and then we’ll know what to do when we see the next world,” Jun said.
“Great one Jun. That makes me feel a lot better!” Basil crossed his arms, and frowned at the others. “Can someone tell me what this stupid game is all about. What are we actually trying to do?”
“We’re trying to reach The Tenth Gateway,” Aisha started to explain. “Think about Snakes and Ladders. The game’s a bit like that. We can only go forward if we stay on the path and meet the different challenges in each world. The biggest problem of all is Malefic. His aim is to overpower us and get hold of The Book.”
Aisha took a deep breath and continued.
“If we leave the path or fail, we’ll end up somewhere really awful, and maybe even be trapped here forever.”
“That’s just great,” Basil yelped. “And what’s so special about this stupid book? Why don’t we just give it to him, and get out of here?”
“The Book activates the magic portal into and out of The Game World. If Malefic gets hold of The Book it has to help him, and he’ll be able to use it to get through The Tenth Gateway,” Jun added.
“But The Book needs to be given to him. He can’t just take it. The Book belongs to Sophie, and that’s why he uses his magic to create ghastly creatures, and all sorts of horrible tricks so that she will forced to give it to him,” Aisha explained.
“Talking about The Book, I think we’ve wasted enough time for now. We need to see what it says, and I hope it works the same way as it did in the last game, or we’ll be in trouble,” Sophie said. She leant over The Book, and turned to the page for the world of gateway one.
There was nothing there. The page was blank except for a picture of gateway two at the bottom of the page. All five of them stared at the page, and were relieved when the familiar spidery print began to form words that would help them work out what to do.
This place is secret and hidden from sight
But the gate has been opened, so go to the light
Do not be afraid, throw yourself in
Now is the time for the game to begin.
“Right. It seems like The Book has opened The Second Gateway for us. Can anyone see a light?” Sophie closed the book, put it into her satchel, and stood up.
They all stared into the thick mist. In a few seconds a faint blurry light appeared. It seemed quite close.
“We don’t know how wide this path is, or what would happen if we fell off into this mist, so I think we’d better go in single file.” Jun said.
The others nodded in agreement, and they set off after Jun, walking very slowly and carefully towards the faint light.
When they reached it, they saw that it was actually a softly lit hole floating suspended in the mist.
The hole was about waist high, and Jun and Sophie peered in. They could see nothing but a grey swirling funnel.
“I suppose The Book means that we have to ju
mp into this. It doesn’t look much like a gateway but, as usual, we don’t have a choice if we want to keep playing. I’ll go first,” Jun offered.
“I’m not going into that thing!” Basil screeched. “For all we know it’s like a black hole in space. We’ll be sucked into nothing, and be lost forever!”
“You can stay here if you want to, but I’m leaving. Here goes!” Jun shouted, and he leapt head first into the hole and disappeared.
“Bye, bye, Basil,” Twig and Aisha said at the same time, and then they both dived into the swirling hole.
“It’s my turn now,” Sophie said to Basil. “Calm down, and follow me. You won’t get hurt.”
She too disappeared into the misty whirlpool.
“I don’t believe this,” Basil muttered to himself. “I must be having a bad dream.”
However, he didn’t want to be left alone in the grey mist, so, gritting his teeth, and squeezing his eyes shut, he leapt after Sophie.
Chapter Three
At the Minstrel’s Camp
After jumping into the swirling hole, Jun found himself being pulled head first by an invisible force. He was sliding downwards very fast, and couldn’t see anything but the grey mist.
Without warning, he was catapulted out of the funnel, and he fell heavily onto a small grassy area surrounded by a high rock wall. There was a chilly breeze, and the dark clouds overhead cast grey shadows across the landscape.
Almost immediately, Jun was joined by Aisha and then Twig. Next, Sophie shot out of the hole and fell onto the soft grass. A few seconds later they all heard a loud squeal, and Basil then flew out of the hole and nearly landed on top of Jun.
“Is everyone alright? No broken bones I hope,” Sophie asked the others as she stood up. She checked her clothes to see if anything had been torn, or if the charm had been lost in the headlong slide. But everything was alright, and The Book was still safe in its satchel.
“Yep,” Jun and Aisha both replied, slowly getting to their feet.
“That was certainly a fast ride,” Twig looked a bit stunned. “No bones broken, but perhaps a few bruises.”