by W. C. Peever
“So, why do you need us then?” said Mick.
“The tunnel that we need to go through is guarded by some rats. Rather large ones. Enormous, really.”
“Rats? Are you serious, Tillie? You can disappear and you’re afraid of a couple of rats?” Mick snickered.
“When the tunnel is small and the rats in question are as large as a German shepherd, yes I tend to be a bit concerned. In any case, I do not have any active powers. None of us have had weapons training yet, so I need a Guardian. She paused and searched their faces. “I just think we would make a really good team.” She added.
“But why were you in the library, then? If you already know where the next clue is hidden, why did you need to research it?” asked Bailey.
“I wasn’t researching the question, Bailey. I was trying to enter the catacombs through the library.”
Chapter Nine
And One Makes Four
“Catacombs?” said Mick. “There are catacombs under the library?”
“Didn’t you notice how high the ceiling is? Almost like a cathedral, isn’t it? Well, it is a cathedral. The library used to be the chapel when the castle was first built. Chapels back then were constructed directly over the catacombs where important church leaders would be interred. After the Spanish Inquisition the Order cut all ties with the Church and converted the chapel into a library. Over time the passageway to the catacombs was lost.” She looked at them. “I found it!”
The three friends looked at each other, puzzled. Bailey finally voiced the unspoken question: “So what?
There’s a set of old catacombs under the castle. How exactly does that…” Bailey suddenly stopped talking, her face went slack. “So. It couldn’t be that Merlin was buried here, because he was never found. Similarly, Caesar wasn’t really the founder of the Roman Empire. He didn’t live long enough to see that happen. It was Octavius, his son, who founded the second Triumvirate. That it was his son doesn’t matter. The important part is that he took over after Caesar’s death.” She turned and looked at Tillie. “The person who took over for Merlin was a council member, so that council member must be buried in the catacombs.” Tillie smiled.
“I’m sure the three of you would have come to that conclusion without me, but since we’re all going to the same place, couldn’t we go together?
After dinner, the four retired to the common room to discuss their plans. They pulled up a couch and an armchair to one of the open fireplaces at the east side of the room and talked while sipping hot chocolate from mugs Mick had made them all in ceramics class.
“So tell us what else you know. You said there were rats,” said Bailey.
“No, I said that there were giant rats the size of a large dog. Regular rats I don’t have that big an issue with. It’s the kind that you need a twelve gauge shotgun to deal with that give me a little trouble. I found the entrance to the chamber, and I climbed inside the tunnel. It’s actually quite roomy at first. Half way down, I stepped in a steaming pile of rat turds. I was wearing a brand new pair of white cross-trainers. It was horrible!”
“The rat? What did it look like?” inquired Charlie.
“Oh,” Tillie remembered taken aback. “Huge yellow fangs. Enormous red eyes. Not to mention the breath – talk about needing a dental plan! Anyway, the rats chased me backup to the library entrance. I hardly had time to catch my breath when you came bursting into the room!”
Charlie was curious. “I wonder why Joelle didn’t tell us about the catacombs? She’s been around here for hundreds of years. She has to have known about them.”
“Not necessarily,” Bailey replied. “She was around when Merlin was here, that much we know. But Merlin’s Tower was destroyed, and the school was built over Merlin’s Tower. Perhaps the werecat was in London, with the council, during the construction.”
“We’ll have to ask Joelle tomorrow,” said Mick.
“No!” Tillie interjected. “This is a contest! Some win; everyone else loses. Do you think that the four of us are the only ones figuring this stuff out? We need to go tonight.”
Charlie slowly nodded his head. “I totally agree Tillie, but lights out is in an hour, and we already can’t leave the common room. How do you suggest we make it to the other side of the tower and back without being seen?”
“I didn’t tell you? The really interesting part of my invisibility power is that anyone I touch also becomes invisible.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Charlie asked, grabbing first Tillie’s hand, and then Bailey’s, who grabbed Mick’s, and the foursome instantly vanished. Tillie’s hand felt like soft rose petals to Charlie. They were perfect, which made him even more self conscious about exactly how sweaty his palms actually were. “Awesome. Now we’re going to need weapons. Any suggestions?”
“The armory. There’s going to be some training weapons around there.” Mick said. “It’s worth looking into in any case.”
“Good idea Mick,” said Bailey, “definitely worth a shot.” The four friends opened the door to the hallway and snuck out. All of the chandeliers were off leaving the hallway dark except for the light that crept from underneath occasional doors. Their shuffling footsteps amplified as they echoed down the corridor and a teacher’s apartment door snapped open, they froze as she peered both ways down the hall with a flashlight, then satisfied, she stepped back into her apartment and closed the door with a resounding thud. The children resumed walking but did not talk the entire way to the armory. Charlie tried the door and to his surprise, it was unlocked. “I guess they don’t expect us to be able to get past the teachers,” he said.
“Okay, let’s get to it. Find the best weapon that you can. You need to be able to carry it either on your belt or around your shoulders, since we need to be holding hands to keep invisible.”
There were literally hundreds of weapons to choose from, ranging from daggers to a Crusader’s long sword. The girls chose small dagger-like swords, while Charlie decided on a medium-sized sword and a small hand axe that he slipped into his belt.
“Mick, where is your weapon?”
“If you hadn’t noticed, I am a Guardian. My ability is my weapon.” Charlie nodded and the children again held hands exiting the armory and making their way to the library.
The library appeared directly in front of them, about a hundred yards away. However, between them and the door were Professor Grayson and Ms. Welling. The four pressed themselves against the wall and remained silent. The consequences for any one of them being out of bed were bad enough, but being caught as a group, fully armed would be very hard to explain.
“Are you sure, Professor?” they overheard Ms. Welling say.
“I am afraid so, Ms. Welling. It has to be one of our students. The evidence is incontrovertible. He or she has been sending messages to the Vanari about Charlie and Bailey, their movements, what classes they are in and who their friends are.”
“But surely none of our students would be so malicious, so evil.”
“My hope is the same as yours, Ms. Welling. However, people can and do go bad. The amount of information that the letter contains could not have been gleaned from any one single interaction. No, this information is far too detailed.”
“Should I ask Marley to escort the boy to classes, Professor? At least then we will know Charlie is safe.”
“An interesting idea, and one that we may yet need to implement, but for now I trust that his friends will take care of him, and that while he is in the castle he will be safe. I do not want to infringe on his freedoms, nor do I wish to frighten him unduly. Let us just keep our ears to the ground and see what happens next.”
“Agreed.”
“Now, if you don’t mind, Ms. Welling, I think I will retire to my room and enjoy a nice glass of warm cider. Would you like to accompany me?”
“I’ll have a cup of raspberry tea in its stead if you don’t mind.” She said and both adults walked off in the direction of the dining hall.
Charlie
and Bailey looked at each other. They were speechless.
“Lance?” Charlie mouthed as they opened the door to the library.
“Let’s talk about it later,” Bailey said.
“I think not,” came Joelle’s voice. Mick jumped and screamed, letting go and suddenly becoming visible.
“Joelle, do you mind? That hurts” Mick groaned.
The werecat glared at him, and gave one more jab with her claws before moving aside. “Out of bed? Breaking into the library? Invisible? Which misdeed would you like to address first? Which one of you created the invisibility field?”
“That would be me,” said Tillie.
“Well, I’ll be…” the werecat said breathless. “A World Jumper and an Invisible in the same year. We are fortunate.
We may see yet another fall of the Vanari. Not that it matters…”
“Not that it matters!” yelled Bailey. “It doesn’t matter if we take down the evil in the world?”
“We may take apart the organization, we may even sever its head, but the beast will live on. Even if we defeat the Lord of Vengeance another will take his place. Evil and good fall and rise like a wave. The Vanari rose with Cheops and fell with Ramses, rose with Xerxes of Persia and fell with him as well. Then they rose with the Parthians and fell to the Templar, only to rise and fall again with Arthur. Now they rise once again with Vali. It is the Order’s job to perpetuate the cycle, lest the imbalance bring destruction to us all.”
“How many times have you seen the Vanari fall, Joelle?” asked Charlie.
“Is that a clever way to ask a lady her age, Charlie? A lady never tells.” The werecat’s whiskers twitched as she smiled to herself and weaved between Charlie’s feet. “Now, why are you four out of your beds disturbing my sleep?”
Tillie spoke up. “We’re here because we need to enter the catacombs. We need to get to the tomb of Merlin’s head council member.”
The werecat jerked her head up and swung around to look into the girl’s eyes.
“Clever girl,” she said as she jumped up onto one of the high backed chairs to put herself on an even level. “And how did you find out that the entrance was here? I thought this information lost in time. I will let it go that you intruded, if you answer me truthfully.”
“My boyfriend told me a story about the entrance and how a few children got killed playing in the tomb about fifty years ago.”
“He knew about that story, did he?” The werecat seemed to ponder this for a moment. “Interesting. Not too many people knew the real reason behind those students’ deaths. Who is your boyfriend?”
“Samuel McKenna. Why?”
“Curiosity, my dear, has never yet killed a werecat. I assume then that you found the entrance when you broke into and barred me from my room, Matilda?”
“Um, yes… but…..”
“Excellent. Well, let’s not keep the Embermanthias waiting. Let’s get going.”
“Embermanthias?” said Bailey
“Let’s?” said Mick
“Yes, let’s. You four and myself. You don’t really think I am about to let a Jumper and an Invisible go down and face the Embermanthias alone, do you?” The werecat turned to Bailey. “The Embermanthias are dog-sized rats with bad attitudes.”
The four followed Tillie to a lion’s head sculpture that, when pushed opened a hidden door in the wall behind the fireplace. A long, dark tunnel stretched out in the distance before them. “Light those torches next to the fireplace.” Tillie said. Each took and lit a torch, then proceeded down the long brick tunnel. Water from the ceiling dripped slowly and melodiously to the ground, adding life to the stale air.
“No one except Tillie has been down here in at least fifty years,” Charlie said, awestruck.
“We are about to venture into a part of the castle that no man has set foot in since the time of Merlin. You know it’s amazing that Henry Thornfield found the old Camelot ruins. The location had been a complete secret that the council members went to their graves with. The last member is not even buried here, as he could not tell anyone where to bury him.” Joelle suddenly snarled. “Do you smell that? Weapons high, kids. I smell dirty feet scuttling around ahead.” The darkness in front of them began to move, and into the torch light crept a huge, ugly, gray haired giant rat.
“At least there is only one,” Mick offered.
“Only one?” said Bailey. “Are you crazy? There must be at least a dozen!”
“Actualy there are roughly four thousand of these rats on the grounds.”
“Oh, well… that’s really good to know,” said Charlie.
“What’s the best way to kill them?”
“Anyway in which you avoid getting bitten. Since there is no cure for the poison it can get very problematic.”
“Poison?” cried Bailey.
The werecat nodded and changed her form to a giant tiger. With a load roar she charged into the thick of the rat pack, followed closely by Mick and Charlie swinging their swords in front of them.
“Save some for us,” called Bailey as she and Tillie rushed up from the rear. Charlie’s sword made contact with the first rat with a satisfying crunch. The two rodents closest to Charlie reacted instantly to the death of their comrade by attacking, fangs and claws out. Charlie did not even have time to pull the sword out of the carcass, before the two were on him and he dropped to the ground shielding his face. There was a brilliant flash and Bailey shouted, “I don’t think so!” When Charlie opened his eyes he saw Bailey using her power to toss the rat violently in the air and picked up for more, clunking their heads together.
The blue sapphire glowed a deep sky blue as she maneuvered the oversized rodents like a master juggler.
Mick was standing over him, one hand outstretched to help
Charlie up, the other holding his staff, which was vibrating with focused energy. “Thought you could use a bit of help,” he said and nodded towards a smoldering dead rat, whose hair had small green flames like candles at the ends. “Cool power, huh?” Charlie picked up his sword and continued to slice his way through the center of the pack. The feeling was like nothing he had ever experienced before. The thrill of the fight drove him. The sword, a weapon he had only used in fantastic dreams, became an extension of his arm.
Heavy and solid, it sliced through his furry attackers until the remaining rats scattered back to the shadows of the tunnel. “That is the good thing about Embermanthias.
They scare easily. Well done, you four.” He looked over at Charlie. “A sword, Charlie?” Joelle questioned.
“A sword,” Charlie said knowing that she was wondering if this would be the weapon that Marley would ultimately teach Charlie to wield.
“Fitting, very fitting. Remind me to show you your father’s sword later. He gave it to me for safe keeping.” She winked at him and they continued warily down the tunnel, torches in one hand, weapons at the ready in the other.
“Should we expect any more surprises?” asked Mick
“Yes,” said the weretiger. There was a pointed silence.
“Just yes? How about some specifics?” said Bailey.
“Truth be told, I have no idea what else is guarding the entrance to the burial area. Maybe the founders never thought anyone would get by the giant rats, but I doubt that, seeing as how easy it was.” The tapping sound of water dripping from the ceiling was becoming increasingly oppressive. The brick walls and ceiling soon gave way to smooth granite slabs with green moss clinging to their sides. “We are in what’s left of the old section of the castle.
There is the door to the tombs, and the Guardian of the dead.” They approached the remains of an old wooden door, a foot deep and ten feet tall. It had seen better days, rats, termites and water damage had all taken their toll.
Beside the ancient door stood the statue of a lion, meticulously carved out of pure white marble.
“The door is so weathered we could probably take it apart if it’s locked,” said Mick.
“That would
not be wise,” said a rumbling voice that seemed to come from the very walls of the tunnel.
Joelle bowed her head. “Do as I do and say as I say,” she snarled at the children, and then addressed the now animated stone lion. “Guardian from the past, cast in stone, we humbly ask your permission to enter the great chamber that you stand vigil to.”
“You are the first to cross my path since the Oracle made known to me the quest. Your quest will uncover those truths that Merlin the Great Wanderer charged his Council to keep from the world. That Council created me from myth and pledged to keep their obfuscations until the time that a hero, steeped in the blood of his line, was ready to unite the nine kingdoms of this world in arms for the return of the Gods. Now I must sit in judgment, to decide if that hero has come to pass, and if his fellowship has the merit to follow. You must answer my question truthfully in your mind and then in your heart. If both are true and honest, then and only then may you pass. Do you understand??” All present nodded their heads. “Werecat Joelle, what is the real reason that you now accompany these children on their quest?”
“A debt is owed, and a promise made that must be honored.” said the weretiger
“Cryptic, but true. You may pass. Next.” The werecat morphed back into her cat from and padded up to the still closed door and Charlie stepped forward. “What an interesting mind you have, Charlie Burrows, son of Daniel Burrows. What is your greatest fear?”
Charlie hesitated for sake of appearance. He knew the answer to the question before the stone lion asked; it was a fear that plagued him every day of his life. “That someday Bailey will get in more trouble than I can get her out of, and I will lose my best friend.” He blushed crimson.
“You may pass. Next.” Bailey approached the lion, flushed from Charlie’s response. “Bailey Relling, why do you actively look for trouble, where no trouble exists?
“Because if I don’t confront it, who will?” Bailey instantly replied.
“You have answered with your mind, but not your heart. Listen to that which brings you life, and hear your soul’s answer. I will give you one more attempt at answering my question, but if you do not answer with all the truth you possess I cannot let you pass.”