The Trespassing of Souls

by M S C Barnes

gytrash, flanked by his Guardians, Dierne and Alice above.

  Seb felt his heart jump. It was such a personal plea. But now the first beasts leapt into the air, powerful muscles launching them the short distance towards the group. They aimed straight for Mr Duir. Seb saw a flash of claws, of slavering teeth, heard the tremendous noise, a mixture of roars, whinnies and howls and the crash as the first wave was blocked instantly by parries from the three Guardians’ staffs which sent the attackers flying backwards.

  Alice and Dierne wove trails to either side of the tower, blocking access from the sides and rear.

  The second row of beasts was already in mid-flight, leaping over the tangle of animals at the front. One came within a foot of Mr Duir and Miss West struck it with the tip of her staff. It fell unmoving to the ground. A mist circled out of the body and swirled above it, then floated to disappear into another beast that was launching itself towards Mr Duir. As the additional life force was subsumed within it, the beast bellowed and grew in size, its physical abilities magnified.

  “No!” Seb screamed inwardly as the wolf-like hound, paws extended, impacted full force on Mr Duir. He was pushed backward but somehow managed to remain on his feet as Zach swept the beast away with a swing of his staff.

  “Do not kill the hosts!” Miss West shouted to Zach and The Caretaker.

  Seb wondered why Mr Duir didn’t open a door or cast light beams or do something like he had done to defeat the ghostly cloud in the cave. Instead he just stood there, like a sacrificial lamb, as two more gytrash tore towards him.

  “Do something!” Seb shouted, finding his voice.

  “Seb!” Scarlet said. “You are okay!”

  He shook his head. The shout had expelled a huge amount of air and Braddock, recovering as Seb lost the help of Mr Duir’s energy, tightened the grip on his throat again.

  Another beast leapt at Mr Duir. They were definitely focused on him. The Caretaker struck the animal and it fell back, knocking two more to the ground. Instantly the menacing creatures regrouped and sprang again at Mr Duir. Zach slammed his staff tip into the chest of the first one and it fell lifeless to the ground.

  “I said not to kill the host!” Miss West shouted as the white haze of a soul swirled out of it and straight into the one beside it which grew in size.

  “I couldn’t help it!” Zach panted.

  The larger beast hurled itself at Mr Duir and was immediately dispatched by Miss West.

  “Now who’s doing it?” Zach challenged as again the white haze emerged, this time two whirls of it, which found their way to the next beast, enlarging it. This huge panther charged and managed to score three deep gashes across Mr Duir’s jaw and neck. He cried out in pain and The Caretaker, giving an uncharacteristic guttural yell, swiped it away and then with a back blow stabbed the huge cat with the staff tip.

  Now three ghostly trails spiralled out and all travelled at speed to a hound that was leaping from the right. The result was appallingly impressive – the hound swelled to four times the size of a normal, large dog. Howling, it stretched its paws towards Mr Duir, who had fallen to his knees, blood dripping from his face.

  Zach and Miss West, in unison, jumped and with a somersault landed in front of him. They crossed their staffs and the beast crashed into them. As if it had hit a trampoline in the air, it rebounded off them and flew backward so far it disappeared into the darkness.

  The onslaught, however, continued. Scarlet was staring out of the circle, shouting as each new creature attacked from the blackness beyond, giving warning of the direction the Guardians needed to turn towards.

  Above, a new whirling maelstrom of bats had gathered and Dierne and Alice protected the group from all but a few of them.

  Mr West suddenly whispered, “Heath is coming. We have to move, Seb.”

  Mr White nodded. “The tower will offer some protection.”

  Seb felt arms drag him backwards as the teachers hauled him a few feet until he was sitting, back pressed against the hard surface of the tower. Nat and Aiden shuffled in beside him. Seb couldn’t see Heath anywhere.

  “Seb, you must fight Braddock,” Nat was saying. “Mr Duir needs you. He can’t take many more attacks!”

  Seb didn’t know what to do. He watched through a semi-conscious haze as another giant beast charged at Mr Duir. The Caretaker struck the animal on the forehead and it fell. A spiral of mist swirled up and whooshed back into the largest hound as it once more leapt forward. Instantly it grew until it was the size of an elephant. Its howl was deafening and now not even the strength of the three Guardians combined could block it. It crashed through their crossed staffs and they fell back, watching helplessly as the dog hurtled into Mr Duir. There was a loud crack and he yelled in pain as he was thrown sideways. He hit the ground hard but immediately staggered to his feet, managing to dodge to the right before the beast could turn and lash out with its massive paw.

  “Seb,” he groaned. “You need to take control.” He turned back to face the next attack.

  Seb wanted to cry. He felt useless. His world was turning dark, his mind filled with confusion, guilt and failure. He fought to keep his eyes open.

  Mr Duir stood, right arm hanging by his side and watched the next wave of four beasts tearing towards him.

  “Why doesn’t he do something? Why is he just letting them attack him?” Scarlet screamed, staring in terror at the barely diminished mob of beasts.

  Mr West looked upset. “He cannot,” he said quietly. “Seb summoned them. I am not sure how Heath manipulated it, but it is Seb they seek. These trespassing souls know his body is vulnerable, and it is a Custodian’s body. Imagine a trespassing soul invading the body of a Custodian. Aelfric can’t let that happen … and they know that. So they have to stop him before they can get to Seb.”

  “But why not open a door, take Seb through? Mr White can lock the door after.”

  In the darkness, surrounded by the noise of battle, Mr West shook his head.

  “Scarlet, Seb is already possessed by a trespassing soul – Braddock! A soul who was banished to that chasm you saw, the Soul Drop, long ago. He should not be in these realms at all. To take Seb’s body through a door would allow him back to the ley lines and that would be … well, it cannot be! Aelfric is buying Seb time. Seb needs to free his body of Braddock!”

  “So then why can’t he send all these beasts into the Soul Drop, like Seb did?” Aiden asked, sounding as upset as Scarlet.

  Mr West mumbled, staring down at Seb. “He cannot risk opening that either. Aelfric can’t know whether Braddock is winning … or has even won the battle for Seb’s body. If he has control of that body there is so much he can do! Once the Soul Drop is open he would have the Custodian’s power to release any or all of the souls ever banished to that place – it would be like opening the gates of hell …” His voice trailed off as yet another panther jumped towards Mr Duir. Zach ran at the beast and, swinging his staff, swiped it sideways.

  Seb finally understood the danger. With Seb’s body, Braddock could wield whatever power that Custodian’s body was supposed to have. Mr Duir had no way to get him or the others out of there. To open a door, or the Soul Drop, would be to risk chaos at the hands of Braddock. So all he could do was hold the beasts off and wait for Seb to regain control. And if he didn’t? If Braddock won? Would Mr Duir have to destroy the Custodian host?

  He watched in a daze of terror as a giant beast, containing five avaricious and trespassing souls, launched itself once more at Mr Duir. Beset on all sides by other gytrash, the Guardians could not defend him. The creature vaulted the crumbling husks of other lifeless beasts on the ground and tore towards him. Seb’s heart froze and his mind screamed. The size of the animal, the speed and ferocity of its attack, was shocking.

  Mr Duir, head now bowed, stood unmoving. Seb could see blood dripping from his jaw, the rips in his clothing through which other open wounds were visible and saw the heavy rise and fall of his chest as pain and exhaustion made his breathing labo
ured. His eyes regarded the monstrous creature looming towards him with calm acceptance. At the last moment, as it looked like a crushing impact was inevitable, Mr Duir leapt to the side and the creature sailed past him to land somewhere in the darkness. Scarlet yelled that it was attacking again. Mr Duir, struggling with pain, his arm still hanging by his side, turned. As the giant animal leapt for another try, Dierne could obviously bear it no longer and swooped down to attempt to weave a protective mesh in front him. At the same moment Miss West managed to spin and leap in front of it. She thrust her staff at the attacker.

  Their efforts did little to lessen the impact when it came, however. The creature charged forward, only faltering slightly as Miss West’s staff slammed across its chest, and then it blasted through the Dryad trail set by Dierne to collide with Mr Duir on his injured side; with an agonised groan, he fell to his knees. The beast, slower moving on the ground, turned and swiped at him with a giant paw. The Caretaker leapt and struck it away as Zach somersaulted over the animal and, with a backswing of his staff, knocked its other paw from underneath it. Its front end crashed to the ground and it roared in frustration.

  Mr Duir was struggling to his feet, but more creatures were leaping at him. For each one the Guardians dispatched, a mist trail emerged to reinforce and enlarge another one.

  Nat was sobbing.