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Jacks School of Shines

By Jack Sorenson

©2010 Jack Sorenson

Jacksorenson@comcast.net

Smashwords edition

978-1-4523-8057-5

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the author.

Dedication

I'd like to give a special thank you to a wonderful lady, Magnolia Belle at Black Wolf Books. The many long hours of editing this manuscript and of making my very first book trailer show her great knowledge.

At the end of this book's completion, in my own experience, I felt reassured that my work was edited professionally and was in good hands. Magnolia Belle identifies with the person's exact feelings and needs about their own work. Belle will not convince you to change, but gives a guiding hand in each step along the way. If you have had to deal with the inside of a publishing company before, you will find working with Magnolia Belle a rewarding experience!

A huge thank you goes out to those who believe in Magic - and me: to Mother and to Father, my dear friends Ralph and Sue - thank you for your understanding kindness standing by my side with reassurances and praises, and to Eibhlin and Tom for hearing the ramblings of book blurbs weekly only to respond with cheerfulness and reassuring congratulations.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Ch. 1: Death Spells

Ch. 2: Headmaster Barns

Ch. 3: The Wizard's Light

Ch. 4: Bluebird

Ch. 5: Crazy Brooms

Ch. 6: The Headmaster Did Know

Ch. 7: The Fire Pit

Ch. 8: The Flames of Terra

Ch. 9: The Evil Goblin

Ch. 10: The Forgotten Forest

Ch. 11: Hunter's Predicament

Ch. 12: Kah'la

Ch. 13: Crossroads Landing

Ch. 14: Babbling Words

Ch. 15: The Queen Spider

Ch. 16: Into the Darkness

Ch. 17: Don't Speak of It

Ch. 18: The Looking Glass

Ch. 19: The Goblin's Office

Ch. 20: The Dragon Vine

Ch. 21: Catered

Ch. 22: Shadow People

Ch. 23: Dragon Realm

Ch. 24: The Charm of Return

Ch. 25: Eibhlin's Coming Back

Ch. 26: A Great Discussion

# 

# Foreword

It's a journey of five Wizard boys from Jacks School of Shines Witchcraft and Wizardry. Colin and his schoolmates, Tom, John, Riley and Hunter, embark on a quest to find and fight the Dark and Evil that came one day to school and killed Headmaster Robert Barns, the one who all students looked up to as the greatest wizard around. Close to graduating, the five boys are the best of their ages in class studies. The boys get struck by the "Wizard Light" that comes out of the Headmaster's chest once the killing dagger plunged into him. Did the men who came on that horrible day and took his life change the school forever?

Great magic will be needed for the boys to fight the Dark and Evil. The emanation of what is real and what is magic lives on through Colin.

The School of Shines is huge, but virtually unknown even to the wizardry world. The school is located in a remote area: Wales. The Headmaster, Robert Barns, knows all too well what is in store for all.

Wizards are dangerous and mysterious. They have mighty powers; casting spells with nothing more than a gesture and a word, or conducting elaborate rituals that produce hidden results. They control the forces of the world but often stand back from it, alone and withdrawn. They are the ultimate image of mankind's desire to control his surroundings - willpower and wisdom made human.

Magic is as old as thought. It comes from the same ideas that created the beginnings of religion in the minds of our earliest ancestors - the destructive power of fire, the awesome displays of fierce weather, or the exceptional luck in the hunt. It is fascinating to imagine that the forces of the universe can be controlled with either a thought or a word. Many of us would love to live in a world - a mysterious and exciting world hidden behind ours, that can reach out and save us - where men and women of power can perform such supernatural marvels... It's a tempting idea.

Of course, even within the world of the wizard, only a very special few have the potential to master the forces of magic. It takes willpower, intelligence, persistent effort and solid belief. If everyone could learn, then everyone would - wizards are rare, and that means it's difficult to become one.

# Chapter 1: Death Spells

Whirling at the noise behind me, I ducked behind the large oak. The wand blast sent bark and leaves spraying over my face. Blinking once, I ducked and returned fire, a streak of green light hitting the Dark Robe in the chest. Making sure he stayed down, I stepped out, my lungs heaving, my wand held straight.

This one who lay by my feet struggled to point his wand one more time at me. As I said my last spell, the light from my cast wand brightened the sky. My wand gave him freedom to go back to his black realm.

Though winded from this fight, I had no choice but to run through the night while more Dark Robes followed me. I surprised them and stood my ground, sensing them around me. Spell after spell blasted through my wand, and the Dark Robes burst into flame or fell mortally wounded, or disintegrated into the ether.

Victorious, I moved on, alone. I had come so far; I refused to give up. My meager attempts at fighting back the Dark and Evil were the best I could do for a young Wizard fresh from the School of Shines Witchcraft and Wizardry.

In a few months, my friends and I would have graduated. We learned the school pledge to say on that special day, but we couldn't. We took a murderous new pledge to fight this evil to the last one of us.

The wizard world couldn't sleep because the Dark and Evil grew strong. It swept the land and the people. Temptation to join the Dark and Evil came over one quickly for it was a powerful spell.

I needed to find shelter on this cold night, and take time to reflect and rest. Finding an old run down shack outside of Miracles Meadows, I sat by the warm glow of the fireplace. Night had fallen and I made this home. It became my only warmth and light, for the cold entered my body. Great wizards and their families must have lived here before the dark came. This part of the meadows was a good place to raise a family.

Writing a few lines on parchment, I imagined Eibhlin sneaking out at night to walk alone in the forest, calling with the Summoning Forward spell. She'd call to the wind until the parchment floated gracefully through the trees and tall grass to her open hand.

I heard the far away whistle of the northbound train blow through the open boards of this old shack. It was a godsend to hear. The loneliness grew long if one couldn't sleep. To sit by the open fire and think also brought comfort. Through the cracks in the roof planks, I marveled at the purple sky, so bright on this night. Breathtaking, I thought to my lonely self and recalled happier times in my life. I started to doze off from the warm glow of the fire, almost dropping the quill that Eibhlin gave to me, when I heard footsteps on the porch. The creaking boards told me someone was out there.

I jumped out of this old chair and looked for my wand. It sat on the table next to a can of cold beans and a pile of dried gooseberries, my supper. When a spark of ember flew through the air, I grabbed my wand and felt the sorcerer's power. With it in my hand, I felt braver now.

Standing along the window, I peered out into the dark. Another squeak sounded on the front porch. I stepped heel to toe to ensure I made not a sound. Looking out the broken window, I felt the wind's chill on my face and chest. Hoping to see who or what caused the noise, I only saw a firefly buzzing back and forth by the ripped screen.

The front door behind me blew open. A sorcerer's blast lit up the room, a major black wand blast from someone unknown, and hit my empty chair. I flipped onto the floor and rolled to the opening where the door blew apart. The flash of the flares and sparks went silently past my face. I felt I was deaf for I only saw the flash.

Running to the open door, I discovered Mr. Gustavo from the store where I bought my can of beans earlier this evening. Why, I thought, why would he of all people want to harm me, unless the Dark and Evil lay inside him, too?

I yelled, "Wait!" before I pointed my wand and cast a blast spell I knew all to well. "Lumpiness" and "mento" went straight at him through a trunk of a large tree he hid behind.

My cast laid a blow into his chest and landed him on his back. I ran up to him and looked at his wand — black, the same as all the others. I left him lying there till the others found him. My casting was only to disarm him. If not for the tree trunk in the way, he would lay fifty feet back.

I went inside the shack. In my anger at what just happened, sweat dripped off my forehead. My chest took a huge breath to steady my hand. I wrote a letter to Eibhlin.

Eibhlin,

I hope this finds you and everyone at the school well. You, especially, are constantly in my thoughts. I have nothing new to say except the attacks are becoming more frequent. I've heard nothing of the others and hope they've made it back to you.

I cannot trust anyone in this part of the forest. After tonight, the rest of the goblins and men will know where to look for me. I must move on.

Yours,

Colin

I gathered up my bag and remaining pieces of parchments and the quill. I threw the brown leather knapsack over my shoulder as I done a thousand of times at school. I'd carried it all these years while I went carefree to school. I came across the glob flopping around on the bottom of that bag, a reminder of my friend, a gift Tom gave to me our second year at Christmas. I thought as I walked into the cold night, of how it all came to be all those long months ago.

* * *

Headmaster Robert Barns, replying to a discussion on charms, pulled a lock of hair from a nearby student who happened to be me, Colin. Taking the lock between his fingers and saying the charm "binomial nomenclature," my right hand froze, making me drop my school books. Barns, having a wee bit of fun and games with me, also spoke the magical words "aspro" and "lefko," which wafted my books back to my hand.

Candles, dimmed by hours of use, flickered against the gray stoned walls of the School of Shines, casting memory-filled shadows across the room. He and the other school professors chuckled at my expense.

Many young witches and wizards attended the School of Shines. It was a fitting way for a young girl or boy to get their education in the arts of wizardry and witchcraft. However, countless months later, evil took hold.

He placed Death Spells in a deer horn cup in the guise of a Little Whinnying spell, a silly spell used in children's games and in teasing. Leaving behind his Death Spell potion, he did the only thing he could — he ran.

Hidden evil, little moods before daylight cursed Ezards, knowing his regrets could bring him to his knees. It was one of the reasons he drank so much...so that the dreams wouldn't come and spoil this night for him. However, murder to become headmaster was tough enough to endure. The darkened gray of his eyes told him the dreams were no longer melancholy, but much more sinister and heartbreaking.

"It is done." Ezards kept his eyes looking at the ground. "The Headmaster will be too sick to fight."

"You are certain?" the Evil Goblin growled.

"My poison has yet to fail."

"Good. Good." A purr of contentment left the goblin's throat. "You may go."

"But my reward? You promised!" Ezards made the mistake of looking into his master's red eyes.

"You really think I'd let you be Headmaster!" The bald green head tilted back and a vicious laugh felt like a slap on Ezards' face. "Get him out of my sight."

* * *

Sitting behind his desk, Headmaster Robert Barns sipped his deer horn cup of tea. A dizzying mix of herb tea and whiskey touched the edges of his throat and he stifled the cough rising from deep within his lungs. Raking a shaky hand through his twisted matte of sweat soaked black hair, he closed his eyes to block out the reality of his day and the illness tightening around his chest.

He hadn't had the best of summers. After that, school had been regaled by many early winter storms. A wizard's fiasco, the Ministry had been involved in a virtual tug of war between the high seas drenching the school and the powerful winds hitting the village below.

The world was cold, colder than he had ever felt it before. The darkness of cold crawled under his skin and latched onto his bones, chasing away hope that any warmth would come. The thick gray blanket of clouds covered the sky so the world seemed just black and white. From the positive aspect, the ocean waves in the distance looked colorless, except for the hint of blue that shimmered from the tiniest hole in the sky's blanket. The waves came in, fought hard against the rocks' surface, and quietly surrendered, only to return. As monotonous as this may have been, it played a symphony of magic that Barns wished — at that moment — could somehow be even more beautiful.

The School of Shines laid near the ocean, quiet and serene, a complete contradiction to the symphony of the waves. The cobblestone streets below lay empty and the windows to the shops and houses closed tight, bracing for the imminent storm.

# Chapter 2: Headmaster Barns

I am Colin, the head student here. I stood at the largest window in the school's ballroom, watching this black and white picture. Unlike anything I'd ever seen before, the storm's haunting passion captivated me in every way.

I could stand and stare at the view of the outside for hours, watching the colorless waves coming and going, watching the birds try to take shelter from the school's rain gutters overflowing to the cottages below. The clouds seemed to grow in size every minute, and I felt the excitement of them as the thunder rumbled inside. I knew it was odd magic a brewing. The whole world seemed a beautiful mess, and that made me realize my life was about to change.

The storm grew into a massive hurricane. The wind picked up through the trees, and the lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating every corner of the ballroom. Thunder rumbled and shook the walls. I felt like I'd been shaken, too. I watched the rain plummet to the earth, creating rivers in the cobblestone streets of the village leading to the school's south gate, and giant mudslides on the hill where the school's library stood. Nevertheless, the village below remained quiet and still; no one walked the streets in this dangerous weather. I smiled, glad that the school and village below would still be there in the morning.

In this storm, the mountains created darkness, and thunder hit the ground below, needing to destroy something. This weather acted like Nature already mourned for Headmaster Barns. The storm told me my headmaster didn't have much time left, but I still hoped.

My headmaster became ill, so ill that I believed it was almost his time of passing. I feared that either tonight or tomorrow would be the last breath my headmaster would ever take. I didn't wish for this. In fact, I always assumed that the headmaster was immortal. The great magic he presented showed everyone so. After all, he achieved peace throughout the Three Kingdoms of Dark and Evil, when everyone said it couldn't be done. He ended the one hundred-year war against the Patale Kingdom, and bonded them to a treaty that warfare would never again be an answer to their opposition. His magic and wand mastery were well known to be the best. I truly believed that my headmaster was a great hero, and amongst many, a divine being who could never surrender to Death.

Nevertheless, I was wrong, and that feeling settled in my stomach and made me nauseated. Day by day, the students went to their appointed classes, worrying about who would run the school. The great wizard Robert Barns worried most of all.

I was losing the one person I thought understood me, a mentor I'd looked up to since my birth. Headmaster Barns was born and raised in a dark, crumbling castle in the middle of an enchanted forest. Fortunately, his father, a mighty sorcerer by the name of Shines, held the castle together by a plethora of spells. I knew of his history and helped in the dictation to journal his life. Barns was never sure if that was his father's true name or one he had taken for reasons of image, but he had always liked the name; it sounded impressive. His mother died when he was three, barely old enough to remember the kind and brave woman. She was killed whilst hunting cougar's charms that came to the castle. Barns and his father lived alone in that dark and crumbling place. Oh, and the many ghostly visitors.

Surrounding kingdoms knew of Shines' knowledge and power. More days than not saw all manners of folk begging at the castle for spells and potions and charms. Shines was a pleasant man and always happy for the business. True wizards did their magic on consignment.

As for Barns, the visitors provided a constant source of delight. He loved to read them the tales of great wizards, and the castle held more books than that love. Books were better than bread to his thinking, not the pages themselves, but what they contained — stories, reports, information of all kinds.

Visitors also provided another source of knowledge, giving Barns new information to help create charms and spells. When of age, he joined the School of Shines as a professor and later, when Headmaster Parks died, he became Headmaster. Not only brave and handsome, Headmaster Barns was considered unique for his magical deeds. His replacement would surely be under qualified.

Whose footsteps would I follow in now, I wondered? I always stood in the shadows, admiring those greater than me, and I wished nothing more than to achieve the greatness of my headmaster. However, how would I know what to do? Some members in the Council of the Ministry speculated that Shines had planned to name me after graduation as Barns' successor.

Books of natural and unnatural science filled up plenty of castle bookshelves. I liked them fine and was well read in most, but the other things the Ministry of Magic taught fascinated me most.

I would turn eighteen soon, making me the youngest professor School of Shines ever had. I wanted to show my headmaster that I could follow his lead, but I knew that Professor Ezards would be devastated at not being next for the position.

This thought bothered me. Darkness came in and out of my mind daily. Nightmares plagued me often. Why would the school staff choose me over my elder? Didn't they know that Ezards pined to be in his spot? Didn't they know that every day of his life, all Ezards ever wanted was to rule the school, just as his father wanted?

Of course not, I concluded. School of Shines never gave Professor Ezards the time of day. Darkness took him over and he became evil. They pushed away everything Ezards ever did as though his very existence meant nothing. Many times I had seen this professor brooding in his room, angry that his staff had no faith in him at all. I always wondered why my school at times was so ignorant. Ezards deserved the chance just as much as anyone, and yet every time Professor Ezards had tried to prove himself, it would be shoved under the carpet. Now he seemed darker with each day that passed.

Sometimes, I enjoyed the attention from schoolmates taunting but, when I would see Ezard's crestfallen face, I wished that the school staff wouldn't give me anything.

* * *

This day, this particular day, started as any other. Students headed down the halls toward morning classes. In most of our minds, we counted two more classes till lunchtime. Jenny, Tom's friend, and another student ran down the stairs. I was talking to her friend Shannon. Tom's sister, Casey, stood along the side. We shared the next two classes and I tried to get a glimmer at her notes.

We all heard a student yelling at the top of her lungs from upstairs. We watched her push her way through the crowd of students. She ran up to her best friend in a panic, her red flushed face telling us something had gone terribly wrong. Being winded, we couldn't make any sense out of what she said. When she spoke, she huffed and told us about a large group of robed men in the Headmaster's office.

"There was a scuffle...and a smell of bad magic brewing...We could hear our Headmaster arguing back at the men..." She still hadn't caught her breath. "...and then an explosion went off inside the room.... Filled the hall with smoke...where me and my friend were standing. I could see the robed men dragging our Headmaster out of his office. They all had their wands out and the wands were black," she told with a grim expression.

"One of the Dark Robed men looks straight at us and said, 'Look away little girls. This is not meant for your eyes. Move to one side, or you both get a taste of my wand.'" The girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

My friends and I saw the men drag our Headmaster past the children's classes as they were changing subjects. The screams echoed through the walkways in the castle. Word had gotten out swiftly through the entire school. The men dragged Headmaster Barns downstairs to the courtyard.

Students peered through open windows above to look at the horror taking place. We yelled out the windows, telling the men to let him go. When their wands pointed up at us, we ducked back in panic. The flights of stairs to the courtyard seem to take forever to run down. There we gathered in a circle and watched ropes under dark spells wrap repeatedly around our dazed Headmaster. Intuition of what lay ahead chilled us to the marrow. The Dark Robed men stood in a horseshoe shape around our tied and gagged Headmaster. I watched him, feeling helpless.

# Chapter 3: The Wizard's Light

Some of the girls yelled, "Please let him go!" Others pleaded to the Headmaster to wake up and do something. Like the other students too horrified to move, I stood motionless, watching, looking at a dead stare, the dead man stare. Now, to think back, he gazed in the direction of his study on the lower floor. One Dark Robe stepped forward and spoke to us. He had a lot of darkness in him to be so bold and careless in his manner.

"To the true bloods of Witches and Wizards of this school, this man here, your school's best Wizard, with his magical knowledge accumulated through his long years of studies, could not stop us from taking him down. We are going to take the school over. This Wizard deserves your best 'Ridicules'. The Dark and Evil is coming and we will run the School of Shines from now on! You will be taught well by us. Our teaching of eons of Dark and Evil wisdom will be cherished. The lies that you live by will soon be put out and rent asunder. This old Wizard is not to be pitied. He's to be hated for his poor teaching."

The robed speaker stepped back and turned to our Headmaster. He placed his hand in his cloak and pulled out a Stone Age dagger etched in silver. Dried blood encrusted its fat handle which held an old script I'd never seen before. He raised the dagger up high for all of us to see. A roar from the students went out to stop.

He yelled, "Your spells and charms now are useless to stop me from doing this to you, old man." He bent forward, sending an evil stare into our eyes in the crowd. We couldn't look at him, at that much hatred, at that much arrogance. He plunged the dagger into the chest of our Headmaster. The Headmaster held his head high and looked shocked for a moment, then his head dropped down and his chin touched his chest.

We took a collective breath in, holding it, feeling tears of sorrow and outrage sting our eyes. The Dark Robe pulled the knife out and turned away. The hundreds of students who gathered in the tiny courtyard went crazy, demanding revenge. Some punched those men. The younger ones held out their wands and got off some good spells as the older ones took time to take better aim on those evil men.

Some of the children were so overcome that the said spells bounced around, creating weird things new to us. Death and destruction reigned over that day's events. Our poor Headmaster stood tied to that post in that courtyard, dead.

The melee calmed down and all of us, even the Dark Robes, stopped to stare when Headmaster Barns' chest opened up! Brilliant silver, white and gold energy radiated from him.

"The Wizard's Light!" I muttered, along with many of my schoolmates. We'd read of it, but no one had ever seen it.

The greatness shined out of his chest and bounced over the schoolyard. My awestruck stare followed one beam hitting a low wall, then head for me. I backed up and tried to run, but too many students crowded around. A sizzling sensation filled my chest and, for a moment, I felt invincible. The light lifted me several feet off the ground and held me there. I could only look down at the upturned faces, bewildered just like them. To my left and right, four other students lifted up and it felt like an eternity while we hovered there, plain for all to see.

The light dulled and slowly lowered us back to the schoolyard. When our feet touched the pavement, the spell broke and fighting resumed. That day, the Dark Robes found out the student body of Shines was a good match against them. Most of the men failed do to even the spells of our youngest students. Timmy, Jamie, Barney, Marcie, and Jenny cast the biggest and took out at least four of them.

The large group of older students who jumped in showed what horrific feats of power they had to offer. A girl beheaded one of the Dark Robes. This proved that the men had no idea what they unleashed after they plunged the dagger into our Headmaster.

The shock in their eyes remained in my mind always. For days after, as they lay in the courtyard to wither away by the Wind Spirit, the black crows feasted first on those open shocked eyes. A few Dark Robes who flew off were reported to the Wizard Council of the Ministry of Magic in West Chester. They were caught, held for questioning and later executed by a wand caster blast at ten paces in the Ministry courtyard on a miserably cold day. That same night, the Ministry agreed to fight to save all that was good. That bit of news rang in my head and lifted my spirits when I ever felt down.

The Headmaster laid in state for the mandatory four days for a Great Wizard. The school property held the Wizard Cemetery where hundreds of great wizards lay buried. In a Grand Tomb in the Mausoleum he laid in rest. News went out quietly for his friends and family, and they paid their last respects.

The School of Shines hosted their own cemetery since the building of the school in the year 1025. Merlin, our first Headmaster, wanted the school built along with Condon the Great, and Lady Bilatine of O'Brien. Merlin, the founder of the School of Shines, decided to have a place for the teaching of Wizardry, for the good and care of its knowledge to keep the Order of Wizards in the land. Our great Merlin rested well through his ten years of heading the school. He named the School of Shines after an old Dragon he took one hundred long years to battle, Griffin Shines the Terra.

The professors only spoke of themselves fighting the Dark Robes. The welfare of the students concerned them most of all. They laid down several rules. The student body should be nowhere outside the main gates. The school hall monitors should not leave the school. All eyes must be on the students, unless they knew the students were in talks among themselves upstairs in the main room between dorms.

The magically enlightened five hit by the Wizard's Light happened to be the school's best students. We five boys proved best in wand usage, spell casting and spells learned beyond our years, knowledge and the use of the prize of spells, the spell of the Change of Unbelievable, the dark between the light changing time, and the travel between realms. And many felt that Headmaster Barns knew ahead of time what was now apparent to us here at the School of Shines.

The children spoke only of the black wands they saw on that morning and the Dark Robes' evil deeds to their school. Students wanted to rush out the main gates and go crazy on who they believed caused the coming evil.

The youngest students kept their eyes tightly closed as they hid, refusing to leave their rooms. Our poor little ones became lost in what they saw their first year here. They talked only of the five boys the Wizard's Light struck that horrible morning.

The light, the inexplicably enchanted illumination, hit us five boys in the forehead at the same time. Even now, in the lower house studies, the professors talked of the boys who got hit, that we witnessed the future through the Headmaster's eyes.

Upstairs, the students talked through the night. We five chosen should be the ones to go out and fight the Dark Robes. The students didn't know that the evil men had regrouped and, in a few days, would strike the School of Shines again.

Evil was never encouraged. If not for the dark ways, everyone would appear to be saints around here. There was a time when the School of Shines fought a terrible battle against the Dark and Evil, but the great Headmaster Barns won the battles and set Shines free.

Now that he no longer led us, the best students decided to look for the Dark Robes' whereabouts. The professors had no clue of the dangerous plan and would never allow students on the outside. However, the children made up their own minds and we five planned to leave by morning. When morning came, we packed our knapsacks with food and gear.

The students had snitches all over the school to watch over the movements of the professors. They worked out a clever way of telling each room who might be coming by the use of Morse code through the tip tapping of their wands on the bedpost. Silent it needed to be for no sound should be heard or they'd be found out. The tapping was done magically.

"It's time to go," one small boy said as we waited for a moment on the front lawn of the school. The castle sign said:

The School of Shines

Witchcraft and Wizardry

Est. the year 1025 bc

Merlin our King

Shadowed by that image, we felt proud to take the first steps into internal glory. Our friends ran out to wish a sad goodbye.

Eibhlin appeared at my elbow, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Pulling me to the side, she took something out of her pocket and gave it to me.

"This is my magical quill." Her glance darted around, making sure no one stood nearby, listening. "And here is parchment. Write whenever you have news. The parchment will find me."

"But...your mother gave you this quill. I can't take it."

"Don't be foolish, boy." Her eyes glinted at me in a way I knew too well from arguing with her through many years of school. "I need to know that you and the others are alright." Stroking my cheek, the anger disappeared, leaving sorrow in her brilliant blue eyes.

"Alright. I'll take it, and I promise to write." The lump in my throat made it difficult to speak. The rising sun glinted on her honey brown hair, tingeing it with crimson, and her beauty at that moment caught me in the chest.

"You'll write no matter what!" Her hands fell to her sides and her mouth formed a pout.

"I promise. No matter what."

"Are we ready yet?" Hunter yelled a few yards away, shifting his knapsack in impatience.

I waved once at him, then leaned forward, my forehead touching Eihblin's. "Take care."

"You, too."

I fell in with Hunter and the others, and we headed down the frost covered trail. The girls waved goodbye to us and one called out with a heartfelt cry, "Dark and scary times are coming ahead, boys. Beware of all things not from Shines."

# Chapter 4: Bluebird

Arguing among ourselves as we normally did, we carelessly waved our wands about, sending out shockwaves of spells on poor helpless rocks and old logs. As the oldest of the five, I said, "Oh boy, we're in a fine mess." I was a large boy for my age because of my parents' part-giant heritage. Our family came from Castle Woods Road, London.

Over there, kicking at the wet grass and dead leaves was Tom from Highbury Station Road. Throwing rocks and allowing everyone to know of our presence by blowing the rocks into outer space with a tiny flick of his wand was Hunter, a Castle Road boy. They were the toughest around East London.

Behind me walked John, a quiet lad with a lisp and such a baby face. He shared most of my classes but I never got the chance to know him or learn where he came from. Nevertheless, I found him hard to speak to. However, he cast spells faster than I. A more nervous guy I'd never met.

The guys in front of me walked so fast one would think we were going to breakfast. And last, Riley was obsessed about how his life should be. He didn't like the fact we were out here in the forest, but I told him we hadn't made it to the village yet. He explained the tears in his eyes came from his damp morning chill. Even though he felt a bit scared, he was a fine example of Kentish town people.

As we came down this grassy hillside, I tried to hush the others because we were getting closer to the village of Quentin. I said to the boys, "Keep your eyes out for the black wands. Don't just go by the color of the robe."

The boys nodded. Not a word came. Noisy just a few minutes ago, now, close to the village, all grew quiet. We walked in the main part as a group, looking for clues to the Dark Robes' whereabouts.

John said, "They'll see that we're from the school and warn the others. Look over there."

I told the boys, "Spread out. We are bunched up too tightly. A single wand blast could take us all out at the same time." The other boys stepped quickly and hid by the first building, peering around the corner.

"Shush," I said to them. "John heard a wagon coming." A horse drawn cart came click clacking by us five, our eyes wide to see all.

John said, "That was lucky!"

"Lucky in which way?"

"That man might have seen us and told others," John explained.

"Man? What man? As the cart went by, we only saw a fine looking horse. There was no man or anyone driving it. It's riderless. Stop worrying," I said. Tom started to boldly walk in the middle of the street.

We said, "What are you doing? Are you mad?"

"No. There's no one here. Can't you tell?"

We looked all around and saw no smoke coming from the chimneys, no store front doors opened, no smell of food from the square or the bakery bread. We walked lightly in dead quiet, and that couldn't be a good thing. Something covered the sky, turning it pitch dark for a moment. A large group of sparrows flew away from the nearby fields. Not one, but all seemed to have left this village.

* * *

A week before the Dark Robes marched onto the school grounds, they holed up in the village of Quentin. Commanded by the Evil Goblin, they talked and planned the best way to do their evil deeds. The men stayed in the best lodges, refusing to pay for what they ate or drank, and terrorizing the Quentin women and children. When the men of the village spoke up and confronted them, they went into a rage, a fury. Madness came and went on the villagers and all now were gone.

We walked through the empty village, looking around for any clues. Hunter seemed quite overwhelmed with nerves. We could see this when he saw his own shadow in the storefront window. When it mirrored his reflection back at him, he thrust out his wand and cast frightful spells to break the window in a million little pieces. The hair raised on the back of his neck showed and told us we were not the brave souls who left the school.

I said, "Keep that nonsense up, you guys, and we will be paying for all the things we break out of our pocket money for the next ten years. So watch it!"

"Yikes!" Riley yelled, "Run." We all started to run.

I shouted back to Riley, stumbling and tripping on the stone walkways, "Why? What did you see?"

"It's coming," he said.

"What's coming?" I asked, looking around the courtyard for two things: "it" and a good place to take cover.

We hid in an old barn behind bales of hay. Tom sneezed from his straw allergies, and I placed my hand over his mouth before the next sneeze came out. He told of seeing this haunting dark figure flying overhead.

The figure had us pinned. We did not see it clearly, but its huge shadow scared us. We lay low until we saw it again. Four of the boys placed their hands upon Tom's mouth so he wouldn't sneeze again and give away our hiding place. We gripped our wands tightly in our other hands, but we couldn't see a target to cast our first wave of said spells.

"Scary," Tom muttered in a low whisper.

"It's some sort of demented creature. We should've never left the safety of the school," Riley cried to the others. The Evil Goblin's magic created the dark creature to swoop down on the villages around the school. By the evilest of ways, it took away anyone not a part of the Dark and Evil.

* * *

The professors guarded the school, in addition to trying to continue classes. One professor, Professor Woods, came forward and attended the students' council. They talked for days behind closed doors. On the next morning, as they sat eating their morning breakfast, a student asked the question, "Professor Woods, where are the five missing boys?"

She had a feeling they went astray. Her eyes stared at the small group of children. Professor Woods was the girl's House Professor, wise beyond her years for being just twenty-five, and she could hear everything going on. The castle did not have a hiding place, for the reach of her great hearing ability came in the form of a tiny magical bluebird that flew from room to room.

Bluebirds were known to be eavesdroppers by nature, listening on everyone's conversation from the start. Because she supervised all the girls' houses, Woods needed to stay on top of things. A bluebird eavesdropping helped find out what news behind closed doors. The bluebird could find a way in, quiet as a house mouse.

The bluebird is a mystic sort of fellow. When Professor Woods started working for the school, she conjured up a bluebird to fly around unannounced from room-to-room, day and night. The bluebird acted as a second pair of ears. We didn't know while we made plans to leave the school that Woods' bluebird already knew, and, moreover, told all to Woods. She waited before she told any other professor she worked with. Woods made the bluebird stay away from the children at the last minute. She didn't want to know how they planned to sneak out of the main gates because, deep down in her heart, she agreed with the students that only the specially picked few should go. The Wizard's Light hit us boys only, a clear sign to her heart.

The rest of the professors didn't agree that the students should take on this task. But the bluebird confirmed this plan was written down in the Headmaster's notes long ago. The Headmaster's eyes stared at the lower house study for one reason — he focused on that room.

* * *

I now can see it required a charm to make the people in the village look real and alive with activity. It gave the village a presence so no one would know that the Dark Robes had destroyed all inside. The other four boys still had fears and stayed close to me. We took a chance and walked up to one of the spelled villagers and I poked my finger through one. I stepped back in shock, staring at my index finger as the goulash glue dripped off. Strange it seemed as my whole hand went through as if it was numb.

I remarked in a hushed whisper, "The work of the black wands, I bet." Clouds covered our heads, coming from nowhere. We felt alone, but in the part of the village ring of huts, something very strange and eerie happened.

We five wide-eyed school boys saw witches' brooms zigzagging around in a whirlpool in the village ring. Shocked and unable to cope, we strained to understand.

Riley and John headed over to see if there were any riders among the swirling frenzy. The two boys saw that the brooms didn't have any riders on the handles. The witches' brooms had gone wild, spinning around and around in a whirlpool, then imploding in the inner circle to disappear into thin air and reappear once again.

# Chapter 5: Crazy Brooms

Since the year 1025 in Merlin's time, no evil magic had been brought forward unless by an unknown source. Dark and Evil used the imploding brooms and anything else of magical hard matter. Hunter's studies in his second year included the school's history, where he learned and gained insight into the Dark and Evil. Knowing the danger, Hunter warned Tom, John, Riley and me to turn back and avoid this circle, or we might be caught up in its magic spin.

The madcap brooms circled closer and closer, pulling everything in by their energy, one after another. They looked like a catfight, flying up and around and out again. The whirlwind of brooms changed into many different shapes. I stared when they formed a horrible creature's face, not knowing who it might have been at one time.

It grew larger than life. Whatever caused the evil magic of old ramped up, approaching closer while we stood motionless. We witnessed this fury of circling witches' brooms and gulped.

Tom took it upon himself to step forward for a closer look. To fail and run away would show him to be too young for such a fright. The warbling of its magical sense picked up speed and headed for the rest running for cover.

Seeing everyone scatter from the sight, their faces full of fear, Hunter grabbed Riley's coat, yelling, "Don't leave me! We must not split up."

I yelled over the whirlwind's noise, "Don't be tempted to flee for your own life!"

The shape came nearer and it became clear who it was, a reminder of who created such evil mess of old forgotten magic. We ran in all different directions. Frightened, Tom went for cover and Hunter as well.

The hurling broomsticks cracked and tore apart. Tom, Hunter and John kept running for their lives.

"Don't run! Stand still. It won't come near if you hold still," I shouted.

The shape made a deafening noise. It was too late for my friends; they all had scattered. I stepped under the overhang of a hut's roof and peered from its shadows to see more of the whirlwind's shape.

The street cleared of everyone and I found myself alone. As big as I am, I never moved quickly as some others do. The shape became a haunted looking giant. I read a book my first year about the lost history of this thing where a spirit of nature, like a Crimson Light, comes from the sky. The shape takes on different forms and adapts to most sizes until one becomes clear and covers the sky. Anyone who sees this shape will be doomed, for not one wizard in history lived more than a day from the horror and great shock.

I have been doomed as no one else saw this thing besides me. I fear not to tell. I ran off to find where my friends might have gone. Feeling alone, I ran from doorway to glass window, looking, but there's not one to be found. What will I do? I've lost all of my friends.

I stopped from a dead run, my feet burning from the brick-laid streets, and looked in a window. In Mr. Temp's candy shop, my friends stuffed handfuls of candy in their mouths and filled their pockets as well. Their cheeks looked like squirrels stuffed to bursting. They noticed me at the window, and, feeling guilty, dropped most of their ill-gotten gain to the floor.

I must have looked a terrible fright to them. The sign in the sky took a great deal out of me knowing I was doomed! It must be from a presence of long ago. The evil foresaw this, and grew strong, refusing to rest.

Still swallowing bits of taffies, Tom muttered, "We're just having a bit of breakfast."

Riley said, "Aw, Colin, you are always bossy."

I said, "Come on, guys. We've got to go." With a push of my large hands, I forced the guys to go outside.

Jiggling about on the way out of the shop's door, I said, "Now, run toward the woods. We must be quick!" Only I knew what danger laid a head. To run toward the woods with mouths full of candy proved quite challenging.

As the largest boy, I'd always been placed in the position of big brother. I took care in saying nothing about what I saw in the sky.

Throughout the morning, they kept asking, "What did you see to make us all run like scared little mice?"

I replied, "Like mice with fat checks storing for winter grub."

I figured it best to leave this village behind us as fast as we could go. We seemed to be lost in this part of the forest already. The five of us had never been this far. The thick tree line made it hard to see my hand in front of my face. Crimson fog and the screams of the poor lost wretched filled the forest. We were getting pretty scared. The lonely howls of the dead made me wonder, were they lost like us?

My friends stared at me, and at the flashes and sparks of glowing enchantment coming off me as if it were New Years Eve. Raging magic was at serious work here. Wild thoughts from what took place made Riley whimper.

"We're going to wind up dead like our Headmaster, aren't we?" His legs buckled in grief.

"Grim outlook you boys have," I said with a smile.

Through Merlin's eyes, we could only study good magic. Bad magic was never allowed to be spoken or used or thought of and never attempted. This Dark Magic was a mystery to us, though I seemed to understand more and more.

Merlin knew when he started the school long ago, no kept record of any Dark Magic was ever used. Barn's study must have the book of all Evil spells — the book dark forces had been after all these years.

# Chapter 6: The Headmaster Did Know

Yes, it's true. The Headmaster saw the future. He also knew about the new magic to be done by one of the five boys he picked. Over one hundred years ago, Robert Barns wrote, Time will come when a lad will be hit by a great Wizards Light. It will help him become a great and powerful wizard throughout the land.

Through his crystal bowl, with water added long ago from the smoky forest, he could see the near future. The whirling of the rippling waves stilled and became clear, showing many new and exciting things. However he witnessed his own death and also saw, if he resisted the Dark Robes, many of the Shines students would be hurt and killed on that day.

He wanted to put his plan into action soon and pick an aide of moral fiber. Merlin's Law of the Crimson Light could be temperamental and he needed to choose wisely. The Light needed proof before giving power of true magic. To pick the golden few to take his place, the Headmaster knew not even his will could change that dream.

Already overhearing talks on how to get rid of him, Headmaster Barns decided to hurry and make his choices so he would be ready as the spell was created. The Dark Robes had no idea Barns placed them on his timely spell.

At the school, Barns brought forward a spell only he knew. The Spell of Reaction enabled one to endure a change. Five of the best wizard boys came forward and only one of them would become a great wizard and deal with such a strong force.

This special boy must stand the test of time and find the strength to fight the dark forces. The explosion that two girls heard hiding in the stairwell was his enhancing the nature of the event now coming into play. The motions of the wizard clock were set tick-tocking away as the spell blew onto the men, the men who would play a part in making one boy a great and fearless wizard.

The nature of the office's events on the day they killed Barns surprised and confused the Dark Robes. As they went through the motions of the plan, they agreed, while in the village below the school, to find out more about his dead man's stare.

Who took notice of the Headmaster's face on that grim moment? Me. The Headmaster figured long ago that one boy, bright as he was and strong, needed a push — a sorcerer's push.

* * *

In the dark, wind through tree leaves made the only sound. Not a forest creature stirred or whimpered.

The howls of the many packs of wolves and other magic creatures residing in the Forgotten Forest came forward with a rush of clanging shouts to our tender ears. We stood quiet and on guard with our wands in hand. Some of the boys trembled, looking into the night.

I moved on all fours through the bushes, the guys stumbling after me. "Let's head for that light," I told them.

We searched for shelter in the increasing cold. Getting closer, I could see the light came from a fire. I made out many men standing around this huge fire pit and all wearing the same garment — black robes covered them from head to toe. I led, but the other boys crawled on their knees and could not see the faces through the dances in the flickering firelight.

I called up my courage to look at them, my eyes straining above the tall blades of grass that grew knee deep in the meadow. The boys lay upon the grass. Tom and Hunter from their own fear did not want to crawl up.

Ants found their way up the boys' pants, biting their legs. The boys wanted to scream and jump to get them off, but they couldn't. They bit their tongues, desperate to keep still, for the slightest movement made the dry meadow grass noisy. The rustlings cannot be louder than a breath of a sleeping child. Any louder meant death, for the men by the fire would hear us.

The light from the fire lit the men's faces, some so disfigured, I had to look away. We did not dare go any further. John saw one of the men dancing around the fire like their leader, and he felt faint. The head Evil Goblin danced, twirling his magical black wand around, sending incantations fluttering, captivating to all who heard. John felt ill from the effects from just that.

He whispered to me, "I felt like my heart missed a beat, for the men now are chanting a big binding winding spell."

Snap went a branch lying on the ground. I stopped dead in my tracks. A few of the men closest to us hidden in the tall grass heard that sound, their heads turning this way and that. John lifted his head one last time to peer over the grass.

I whispered, "Please don't hear me. Please don't hear that snap of that branch." But two men did and one came over to take a look.

The Dark Robed man came so close, we flattened ourselves to hide. The dark huge figure of a man stood close to me, a sharpened toe of his black boot almost crushing my hand and wand. I knew the last wand to break sent a young boy off to the hospital. I could see that this man held a wand too, a black wand. I gulped from fear with it dangling inches above my nose.

A man yelled from the fire, "What the devil are you doing over there?"

"I thought I heard something."

"Forget it. Get back over here. We've got to get down to business. The spell is just about ready to put it all together."

# Chapter 7: The Fire Pit

"Oh!" I thought, "We've been found out." I started to scramble to get the heck out of there, but I sighed with relief when I overheard the men ready to start their dark magic. The man left; the close call over.

John muttered under his breath, "I hope they thought we were weird forest creatures lurking about."

The man walked back to the fire and yelled along with the others as a thunderous sound of praise for the fire grew. The howls of the dead came about.

The calls of doom rang in our ears. Raging magic came clear as the fire rose up to one hundred feet high above the men. We saw the ceremony underway and knew men became Dark Robes here. The Evil Goblin started his bidding at this very fire ring.

They started with the trance. Good wizards became Dark and Evil. The Dark created more to aid against the School of Shines. As the fire grew and the men danced, they chanted forbidden spells. These men turned good village wizards into evil ones. The fire roared upward to swirl and engulf them all.

Hunter and I headed back to take another look. We only needed a few minutes to recover from the fright from almost getting stepped on. The others waited at their hiding places. We crawled closer and closer, inch by inch, until we heard a high voice. I knew that voice! We had to choose: put a stop to it or warn people their lives might be in jeopardy.

The man intoned, "See as the young wizard comes to power. Watch for the boy's name!"

Great alarm filled my chest. The men's eyes darted back and forth, looking into the shadows, worried about who it might be. The man by the fire held up the scroll and read off the name.

"COLIN!" shouted out the wizard boy from a nearby school. Whispered voices spilled from the fire and another behind me in the woods, then the man said, "He's from the School of Shines!"

My heart sank into my shoes. Hunter gulped in grief from knowing too much. I was to be the next powerful wizard.

The man from the shadows dressed in a dull red robe, rather than a black one. He towered over the head man and took great care in leaning forward to whisper to the Druid's ear. His eyes glared at the news and he swung his wand across the flame. The fire roared leapt for the moon.

We lay there, straining to hear the man speak to the other side of the fire.

"The boy Colin has been missing from the school for the past day. A messenger brought the news." The men in the crowd muttered and grunted.

"This boy has more magical powers than us." A hush went through the crowd; the men grew nervous. He stated, "He only knows what little the school has taught him." The men laughed. "Take great comfort in his lack of magical knowledge." The school to the Dark Robes was weak in the teaching of magical sensibility. He said, "Now we must find this lost boy."

The Druid man looked at the Evil Goblin. Bad magic through the years had been used to get this far. The tall man in a dull red robe had to lift him up to finish speaking to the crowd and then turned him almost to the flames. He swung his wand across the fire three times, once up and then twice down and once across. The color of the fire changed to a bright orange and then to shafts of blue and black hazes.

We'd been fooled when we first saw the light, thinking they were friendly. We were lucky not to stand up and yell. Hunter said that would have been our downfall and all would have been captured.

The fire changed to an eerie beastly shape that soared to the dark night clouds. Sparks flew out, then came back and zoomed across the crowd of men eager to embrace the creature's flaming breath. It gave off a sweet odor that we could smell from our place in the tall grass. The men reveled and laughed, unafraid of what five young wizard boys could do to their power of dark evil.

The man that almost heard us came forward and said, "My Lord Goblin, may I and a few of my men go out to find this boy? We will bring him back to you to ensure that your life as the Lord of the Dark will have no adversary to destroy it."

The Druid changed into this hideous looking Goblin and lowered his wand. He spoke to the man in a language we did not understand. A plan formed by many incantations arose from his mouth. His new shape as a Goblin proved great, for now he intended danger to all who dared to look into his eyes. The eyes turned a bright red and contained many dark spells that would kill a grown man in a minute.

We witnessed this from the tall grass and decided we needed to crawl to the darker part of the tree line. But we sat still, silent to avoid their watchful eye.

He asked the men to follow him in the next task. When one of the Dark Robes dared to look at his eyes, he became a stone statue and no longer a man.

Then the Goblin said, "The next man who disappoints me in his failed attempts will see what I really could do. I've come to power once more." A hushes fell over the group and they looked at their wands to see them turn black, just like the wands of the men who attacked the school.

Then he raised his wand and spoke again. "If you fail, you will see the consequences. Death to the man!" He stood firm, pointed his wand and said, "Curio!" His wand made one of the men by the fire pit disappear into thin air.

I crept past Hunter, for he saw the wand. He wondered about my mental stability. "What's up with you?

I inched closer and tried to whisper to him, but couldn't make a sound. Anything came out as a huff of air onto Hunter's face. He saw the sweat running off my forehead, and I appeared to be out of breath.

This black wand had a very special curve to it. Many tiny skulls made up its handle, different than mine, but close. My wand was fat at the handle, with a long shaft made out of yew.

The casting of a wand and its spells used by a wizard was important, and he must perform a light cutting action with his choice of a wand-to-be. Some witches cast their spells by a flick of a fingertip, or a touch of their nose, along with owning a wand. Some wizards needed their wand to cast even the simplest of spells. But for a great wizard, casting a spell could come from a thought or spoken word, even a tiny whisper or just one little breath without the use of a wand.

"Why?" I asked, "Why does it have to be me?"

"It will place the Evil Goblin into full power once you're killed." Hunter took a hold of me, looking me straight in the eyes, and said, "You mustn't be found. The evilness is overconfident that it will always come out on top."

* * *

Back at the school, the professors returned from their search for us. They looked from the dungeons to as far as the villages of Norlina and its stores, but not a sign could be found. Professor Woods told that we went out to find the Dark Robes.

One of the professors spoke to the concerned classmates. "It's going to be like the Headmaster said. As long as the boys stay out of trouble, Colin will be fine and do what the Headmaster saw to become true."

Some however, were upset that we took it upon ourselves to even think of such a task. The professors talked privately in the room of the Crystal Bowl, a room where one could see what's to come. Since Headmaster Barns' final prayer, the staff had seen a few things in the crystal bowl that could go either way for us missing teenagers.

* * *

I got an eerie feeling, like I knew what to do, from what I heard at the fire pit among the Dark Robes. It was apparent to us as we whispered way back in the grass what was happening.

"Is it best to strike now?" Hunter asked.

"The best spells we know can be used," I argued. "The strength of five wands is better than one against all of them. It's time to stand and fight to the last one!" Around me, Tom and John shook their heads.

Riley said, "No way! We aren't ready for that type of fight."

"What are you thinking, anyway?" John asked in a shaky voice.

"This is what we're here for, right?" I answered. We started back to the woods where we could stand up and talk things over.

In the thick brush and thickets, John stood to voice his eagerness to fight when he got hit on the cheek by a tree branch. John fell face down to the earth. When he woke up, he found himself next to the fire pit, gagged and tied to a pole.

He whispered, "I'm a goner." His friends were nowhere to be seen, just the men from the fire. The Dark Robes stared into his face, terrifying him. What was to become of him? Dead men or a schoolboy tells no tales when caught. His thoughts focused on all his friends. What happened after he got knocked out to the world?

The Goblin questioned John at the fire, like what type of protection did the school have from them. The evil men want to take a hold of helpless kids. John knew they really wanted Eibhlin. Even as he thought her name, he felt her power beside him.

* * *

Eibhlin knew we were in trouble. She had the ability to see and feel through her mind's eye, a very special talent for such a young witch. "I had a vision," she told her dorm room friends.

"I saw one of the boys had gotten caught. I'm scared for them. I don't know which boy it was." Her friends gasped. They worried for the safety of the smaller boys. Now their minds thought of the worst that could happen. She sat by an open window, twisting the end of her long braid with fretful fingers, and gazed out. Her thoughts recalled the laughter she shared with the five boys through the years she been here. Then she thought of me, her poor Colin. "I truly hope that's not you caught by the Dark Robes. It would break my heart."

Eibhlin dreamed of only last week when the girls had the upper hand on the boys at the school games in the contest of fast track broom racers. It started in fun long ago. Now it was one of our best games to find out who are the best flyers. As the boys and the girls got too competitive, it became more than a friendly game. The contest required great care and skill. Who's better, the boys or girls? This year, Eibhlin won against me for best flying ability. For the past year, she'd heard nothing except I had beaten the girls at the game of brooms for the last two years.

This year proved well for Eibhlin. She blew me away around the track, winning by a broom tip. She was willing to give the prize back to see me again, home safe.

Oh, if we could go back to that happier day at Shines. Eibhlin awoke to face another grim day at the school. Class started today, for the children had to keep busy and the skills of bettering themselves would need to be forgotten for the present. Wizards' knowledge and might would be taught for the remainder of the year.

# Chapter 8: The Flames of Terra

Back at the fire, the men grew impatient with John's answers. He feared to say what he knew. "If I tell, the lives of my friends and family are at stake. I will not tell, for I don't know."

The men gnashed their teeth and shook their fists at John. One got so incensed, he punched John, blinding him in one eye. When the Goblin waved his wand over the fire, the flames grew up and up, higher and higher. John witnessed the fury behind tonight's gathering. His beating heart sped up when the men pulled the pole closer to the flame. He felt the heat on his face, turning it red, and he could smell his eyebrows burning. He yelled and screamed.

The men laughed. "You can't be heard here, silly boy. What comes out of that flame, you truly don't want to see," one Dark Robed man said. "Nevertheless, if you choose not to give me what I want, I'll hand you over to the Flames of Terra. Apocalyptic creature from the underworld could put someone away forever in the tombs of hell, where they'd walk with the dead and forgotten creatures of madness."

John gulped, gasping for cool air, then shouted, "You'll never get anything from me!"

Infuriated, the Goblin hissed and stomped and pointed a clawed finger at him, whispering a curse. He laughed when John's other eye went blind.

The flame reached its fiercest power, and grew higher and higher. John could see by his inner sight a monster emerging from the fire to engulf him and the pole. Apocalyptic wrapped itself around the boy's body and, with a flash of bright light, an ember red and gold pulled the boy into the pits of hell. The first boy from the school had been killed at the hands of the dark Evil Goblin's men. Their power grew.

* * *

I ran through the dark, eyes wild, feet stumbling, waiting for a Dark Robe to grab me. But something told me to stop and see if all the boys were running ahead. I didn't see John and my heart raised its beat. He was the smallest of us and I remembered that he didn't get up from the fall when the branch whacked him across the face. The other boys scattered in different directions, though. I remembered that much.

I knew I needed to go back to see where he might be. I yelled, running to where I last saw him. Not finding him there, I took a chance and yelled one more time.

We weren't that far from each other but, in the dark, it seemed to be miles apart. I hoped someone heard me. The horrendous sound that bellowed out of me scared the grim creatures hiding, ready to attack us. They knew my voice and my presence. This gave me safe passage, for even the Grim would not mess with a young wizard coming to greater power.

I found the tree where I last saw him and whispered, "John. John, where did you go? Where are you?" I thought it strange when he didn't answer back. Inching forward, I saw the light from the men's fire ahead.

To my horror, I witnessed John being taunted and struck. The Evil Goblin danced and whirled around him, his slobbering fangs glistening. And then, wishing with all my might I could stop this madness, I heard John scream, "You'll never get anything from me!" when they pulled him into the fire. Blue and orange fingers of flame dragged him into the belly of hell. I broke down, unable to bear the anger and pain. "John. My poor, brave little John." I wept until I thought my heart would break.

* * *

Tossing and turning, Eibhlin awoke from a bad dream about John. She took ill and fell down flat on her face. When her friends awoke and found her that way, one girl thought she was having a fit.

"Eibhlin? Are you alright?" Sue patted her face and then her hand. "Do you need a doctor?"

Struggling to sit up, Eibhlin glanced around, eyes confused and sweat on her brow. Focusing on Sue's concerned face, she seemed to remember the time and place. They saw hot tears filling her eyes just before she covered her face with her hands.

"Noooo! Noooo!" She rocked back and forth, keening. "He's dead. They killed him!"

"Who's dead?" Casey knelt down and pulled Eibhlin's hands back. "Who?"

"I...I'm not sure. I think...it's...J...John." Feeling Apocolyptic's heat on her skin, she leapt to her feet, sobbing, and ran to the water basin, splashing cool water on her face.

* * *

It's going to be hell for those poor souls. We here carry the guilt. If even one returned to the school unharmed, the gift would be worth it. My head went down, the images of what I saw cemented in my mind. I returned to the place where I yelled out to the others.

Now the laborious task to search for the remaining friends began. I looked for any signs of them, listening for a noise, and checking for broken branches. I stood upright, unconcerned that I might be seen. My sorrow was too great at losing someone who meant a lot in my life.

A ghostly appearance ran through the forest in front of me, trying to stop me. I thought to myself, to stop now would mean I've seen it, and it would know that I noticed it. Ghosts filled our castle, and one of the many I knew told me long ago if I didn't notice, I may pass unharmed, but if I saw it and stopped, I may fall ill or be put under the death spell. The forest ghosts here were unsafe.

As the Headmaster once said, "What's played out here is unwritten and not truly known. It's best to use your wisdom. In the dark forest, one might fall prey to many unknown things. Not all the ghostly people will be kind or helpful. Whatever the person hears in those whispers of doom will befall them."

I felt doomed from the start and the thought of going on was tough. Cuts covered my face from running through the brush, and my best school robe tore from my last fright. I felt overwhelmed.

"Who dares enter these woods?" a voice asked through an echoing passage. "Dark Robed men dare not catch him." That was the dark Evil Goblin. I knew that voice, but right then, I just couldn't put that voice to the face.

* * *

Eibhlin,

John is dead, killed by the Evil Goblin. I don't know where the others are and I am lost in this forest. I don't mind admitting to you that I'm afraid, more afraid than I've ever been. But, I'm going to look for Hunter, Riley and Tom, hoping they stuck together. There's too much evil about.

Yours,

Colin

* * *

Back at the school, all the children had a rough time paying attention to class studies. The professors gathered the children in the great hall. Lying on the tables were the newest magic wands to be given out for such an emergency, courtesy of old Professor Ringhole, our finest wand maker from Lancaster County.

He spent one hundred and seventy years collecting and creating a new incantation for each and every wand. He walked the hundreds of miles in his lifetime, hunting for the right wand maker's tree to use its strong polished wood. He felt it would be best to donate them to the school in this great time of need.

The Professors Cavemen and Tarns and Mr. Clarks brought to the children's attention that they need to learn now the best casting of the spells of three. All the children focused on the professor's table, their tiny hands holding the new wands. Held tightly, with great care and nervousness, they felt the new magic. Old Professor Cavemen promised them the first spell would be given on that day. They faced the wall so no child was in the same direction as another.

"Lift your wand and point it at arm's length," the professor instructed. "Hold onto the end of the handle, like this," he demonstrated. "It's very important to clear your voice before you even start to say this magical spell." A room full of children all clearing their throats at the same time came with some laughter.

"If anyone approaches you, like a Dark Robe or that Evil Goblin, use the magical words of this spell. Professor Cavemen stood and whispered, "Say it clearly now, students - um famousness conductedo atmen glottides and balm." Out went some of the windows on the other side of the school walls. The quickness of the spell surprised the children.

"Well done to some of you," he said. The professors were thrilled that most got it right. An old barn owl took pleasure in hooting back and forth with his playmates in the schoolyard, oblivious to the dangers below by the new wands. Owls lined the walls here as they were timekeepers for the children. No child could come to school without an owl to keep one on time.

But alas, a dear girl looked sad and so down. Poor Jamie Lickerbocker caught her cloak on fire. "You will have to watch out for that next time," Professor Woods said to the class. "To avoid that mishap again, you need to point your wand at arm's length." Little Daniel held his wand backwards, but the older student, James Rush, showed him the right way to hold it.

The noise level grew in the great halls of the school when hundreds of students cheered for themselves. The professor said, "Calm down, students. Yes, you have managed that spell. Let's try another. Now without greater harm to each other, I'll spell out one more to learn for today. May I have a volunteer?"

The professor told them that one by themselves could do as well in front of a Dark Robe as a large group could. The students congregated in a circle; their own praises stopped. What they were learning came very clear to them. To kill. It was no class game. This was for real.

"Yes, the lives of many are at stake," the professor said, "and in keeping with that, here is the next spell to learn. Class, are you ready?" The students came to attention and growled their answer, "Yes, we are ready to learn. Anything to help save the school and protect us all."

The excitement grew knowing, if they became good enough, they too could help fight this evil thing. Protective spells interlocked the school all around the halls, from bedrooms, bathrooms to the classrooms, and windows to floorboards. Evil waited for the school to show its weakness.

"Now I must have complete quiet," the professor said. "For this one must be said softly. First, I must strike the right tone. It's set off by a very delicate temperament, and anger in one's voice will change its meaning. I'll whisper the magic words to you as I walk around the room for all the children to hear. The spell is said to blow you backwards off your feet. It's a Delouses Spell."

The professor walked bent over for even the smallest Shines child to hear. He whispered the words "delouses" over tones of the spells and stepped to the students. It became clear they all heard and nodded, for they got it the first time around.

The professor stepped back, for anything could go wrong or happen in a blink of an eye.

Out of his loud voice came the spell. "Delouses" rang clear in the room. Some didn't say it right, and some didn't say it at all, or at the right tone and the hall became a mess of owl feathers from a poor owl watching the children.

At the amazement of feathers raining down, the children felt disappointed in themselves. The disappointment came from the older students, because they needed a lot of extra care in saying that spell. They felt that they were of no help to us boys who went on the outside to fight. These uncommon spells would take time to become clear to each student's mind.

But for now the professor said, "That's ok! Let's form a line for this spell. We will do it one student at a time. Please, over here. You can be the first," he said to Christi Bravback, a second year student and smart as a whip.

She came from Nephrite Castle farms area. Stepping forward, she placed her feet together and took notice in what the professor said.

"You are one of the most powerful of all for your age, next to Eibhlin. Spells are like a fine wine; they taste better as they age. In our case, we hope that they age well with practice, in spite of our hurry." He cleared his voice. "We will take great care in saying this spell and I'll explain it to you first. Listen to the quiet of this room. Class, clear your heads of any negative thought. Heads up. Please watch me. Hold your wand in your right hand. Good! Now are your wands at the ready? Yes? Good! Steady now," Professor Cavemen said.

"This spell is used to make one disappear into the unknown. Let's start with you."

Eibhlin stepped forward, trembling from being up front with the teacher. The professor told her to say 'expemaneo'. She wound up her wand three times with a flick of her wrist. Her wand tip spun out bingo sap. The orange glow of the casting appeared. The chair in the front of her in the hall went bang-boom into thin air.

"Well done," he's said, "Well done." With a sigh and a nod, he added, "I think we will do nicely in our practices in the three magical spells of physiological."

* * *

I'd been walking for more than two weeks and hadn't seen any of my friends. I remembered the voice of that goblin, so familiar to me. The most unusual part of it was that a goblin led the Dark and Evil. Why would evil wizards allow a Goblin to lead them? Is he a real goblin or something else? The goblin's voice sounded like he just might be Mr. Greeley who used to work at the school.

Last year, he got fired because of his demented ways. He used to be in charge of our most feared creatures here at the school. He was a wizard physiological of living things, but he had the ability to change them into the worst of creatures. I must write a note and leave it in the forest for Eibhlin to find and to warn the others about who's really behind all this. It was Mr. Greeley, the animal caregiver, the dark arts professor at Shines.

Our Headmaster gave him a job when no other place would and he betrayed our school's leader. He's mad, that's for sure. As I wrote down what had been happening out here and about our poor friend's death, I let the wind catch the note from my hand. The wind guided the note by magic toward the school.

I walked north to see if I could find a couple of the boys that night. Weeks ago we suffered such a fright, I really didn't blame them in the flight for their own life. Now they wandered lost in the Forgotten Forest.

I knew I was getting closer to finding the truth about why this man had become an evil goblin and turned against the School of Shines. Steps had been made in trying to take the wizardry school out of its curriculum.

I found it hard to swallow that thought. There had to be more than what I saw that night. It must have been just a gathering to bring out the evil. No man was born to evil. He must be led into it, but by whom? Back at the castle, before Mr. Greeley was fired, we used to notice that he seemed very different than the rest of the wizard professors. He was one man who I would not suspect to carry out this type of evil deed. So I decided to take this information back to the school. I would give one more day out in this part of the forest to look for the boys and then head back to warn the others.

# Chapter 9: The Evil Goblin

The School of Shines took evil Goblin Mr. Greeley in way back when Headmaster Barns was himself a professor and Headmaster Parks ran the school. Placed in charged of the school's most difficult creatures, Mr. Greeley always wanted to teach. He tried to hold self-made classes for the students about the creatures, but once the students attended, he turned the tables on them and taught dark arts. He also changed the creatures into horrible things that would get out of control and eat people. He pleaded with the old Headmaster to make him a professor. As time passed, his anger grew at being turned down over and over again.

The untimely death of Headmaster Parks, to my way of thinking with the help of the castle ghost, was because Mr. Greeley killed him. When they appointed the new Headmaster, Greeley went insane and caused trouble when the school asked him to leave. Much trouble brewed through his hatred against the school. He started his own band of evil students — now men — who follow him and want to take over the school and teach only Dark and Evil.

Eibhlin,

At last, I have some information for you. I know who the Evil Goblin is, Mr. Greeley from our school. Tell the professors and take extra care of everyone there.

I still haven't found the others. I think this Forgotten Forest changes trails from one minute to the next. I've tried to retrace steps, only to find myself blocked. This is a new evil working.

Next time you eat a hot breakfast, take a bite or two for me, will you? Tell everyone I miss them and I haven't given up.

Yours,

Colin

* * *

My ghostly friends in the castle couldn't talk. I discovered if I held a piece of parchment with both hands outstretched and placed a quill nearby with a full ink well at their disposal, they would write or draw notes. I would find a quiet place in the castle and spend the whole afternoon watching what they wrote and drew. That helped me understand more about what they'd seen behind closed doors and what must be endured in the near future.

When we split up and ran in different directions into the dark forest, I didn't know I saved myself by turning back to look for John. I lay down, out of breath, unable to run any longer. In the middle of trampled tulips, sleep came. The one whom they wanted most of all was me, for my power would come soon. The fire pit meeting marked the starting point of my rise to power. If we'd stayed any longer in the forest, we would have seen a few hundred more headed to the fire pit to meet up with the Evil Goblin.

Many Dark Robes walked through the forest that night in search of us. I told myself I was fortunate they didn't discover me asleep. The sleep did me good and gave me new strength and insight on where to search for the boys the next day. But I had a new problem — hunger. My hunger pangs grew and made too much noise.

The other boys weren't so lucky. Riley ran for miles, madness and fear tormenting that young boy's head. Feelings of loneliness ran rampant, adding to his confused state of mind.

While trying to find my way back to the school, I ran into Riley's remains embedded in the earth. To stumble across this discovery petrified me. I touched his face where he lay in the hard soil. He felt like stone. I broke down and cried out, "Why, why?" I knelt to look at my friend who'd died on our quest. This made me remember why we came here and I still felt determined to fight this evil.

I remembered what the shadowy ghost once drew on a piece of parchment just last summer of the seven deadly curses. One was the ability to predefine people who were true evil at work. With six more deadly sins to run across, I knew I needed to be careful. I dug out Riley's remains to take back to the school.

I'd carried Riley for almost two whole days, but couldn't find my way to the school. He was heavy and I had no choice but to lay him down. I made a grave out of bark and branches and rocks, using a large rock for the headstone. After saying a class prayer, the only one I could remember, I stood and dusted the dirt off my clothes.

That's when I noticed that a body clothed in black robes and covered with blood laid a few yards away. The blood seeped from a large wound from a cast spell in the corpse's chest, and the head had been severed from its neck. The head lay nearby, looking ghostly in the gloom of its red eyes once glowing with malice, but now dimmed in death.

"The wretched young man, whom might he be?" I asked myself. In a soft wisp of a glimmer I understood; the second deadly sin had been dealt: the ability to strike one down by one blow of a cursed black wand.

"One of us boys got one or the Dark Robes turned on one of their own. I wonder which one?" I asked Riley's body at his graveside. "Is this your work, Riley, before you left us on this earth? Well, if so, good work, old boy." With one final look, I promised Riley I'd return to take him home.

I headed out in the right direction — I thought. Nothing seemed familiar to me now in the daylight. I didn't notice the corpse's blood oozing across the ground. The Crimson Light in the forest was still at work. It reached out for miles. Wherever I went, I ran across traces of the Dark Robe's blood creeping along the forest floor.

I stopped and watched a pool of blood coming closer. An eerie smell assaulted my nose, and heat came into the soles of my shoes. The burning sensation overpowered me. I jumped up and down, trying to stay out of the approaching blood. I had to get away and leave the valley where I laid Riley's body. I tried to memorize the place.

"Can I find it again?" My question echoed off the high cliffs nearby. The Dark Robe's blood engulfed Riley's body and consumed it, leaving nothing for me to find.

* * *

At the school, the winter weather came in hard and heavy, and the rain fell like stones from the clouds above. The students stayed inside the castle for fear had worsened. Wizard's weather nurtured the land, but of late the wicked weather wrecked havoc. The work of Dark and Evil surrounded everything.

Rains were the worst in seven years. One gloomy morning, several professors sat around the dining table, taking a midmorning coffee break. A pot of blackberry jam accompanied the platter of scones and plate of sliced lemon crumb cake. Instead of the usual chatter, the teachers listened to rain pelting the arched diamond-paned windows.

Professor Toms wiped crumbs from his curly brown beard and said, "Scary days we've had. Dark times are coming." The slurping and clinking of coffee cups on saucers stopped cold.

For fear of the evil presence, the students broke up in groups to practice their three magical casting spells. The younger ones worked on saying such a tricky but most powerful spell.

I'd written over a dozen notes for Eibhlin, who only found a few. With no other way to get news, the school relied on Eibhlin and her third eye. If anyone remained alive fighting the Dark Robes, she would know, for a great magical sensibility touched her. The children hurried through the halls, never ever to make any noise due to Eibhlin's third eye watching all movement.

Eibhlin got my notes about the Goblin, madness, and frightening encounters. It disturbed both the professors and students to read this grim news, and their imaginations of what could happen to us made it even worse.

* * *

As my mind raced, things started to heat up — if the blood of a Dark Robe touched anyone, it ate that person's flesh so the Dark Robe could be reborn through its victim.

I took cover in a burnt out shack. I'd never felt such a heavy rain before and my clothes were soaked. I dug deep into my knapsack for dry clothes but they'd become nothing but rags.

The heavy amounts of unending rain had blocked the sun and my sense of direction. I thought I was headed north instead of northeast. Sitting in this shack, listening to the rain, my thoughts wander to my friends and to where I last saw them. Maybe I should go back there for one more look.

They went east. At least I think they did. My heart lightened at the thought of finding Tom and Harper again. But, the low clouds covering the sky also covered that hope. If I didn't know the way home, I was lost — lost and alone.

How much more could I endure? I didn't know, but it couldn't be much. It felt so good and magical the morning we first set out. I had no idea then I'd be fighting hopelessness more than the Dark Robes. This blasted rain! It made things worse.

Just about ready to put my head on my arms and sob myself to sleep, a note fluttered through the door and landed at my feet. I picked it up, amazed that it was dry. I couldn't open it fast enough.

Colin,

I don't know where you are or if you're even still alive, though my heart tells me so. Everyone here is so very proud of you. We talk about you all the time, wondering when we'll hear from you next. I wish I could be with you now, playing tricks on old Professor Tuddlebee and hiding his glasses.

Come home soon, please. I miss you too much.

Your very own,

Eibhlin

I did my best, but tears burned my eyes. I read the letter at least five times. Feeling better, I lay down and slept better than I had in many a night.

* * *

Eibhlin and a few of her dorm room girlfriends snuck into the Headmaster's downstairs study. They'd been planning for days on how to get in there. It'd been most difficult for the Bluebird kept a close eye on them. The study door, made centuries ago, contained no less than thirty-six clocks that locked it. The door, six inches thick, stood eight feet tall and reached ten feet across. The old, thin, tiny faces of the clocks were embedded into the door from top to bottom.

Old wizard's script covered the clocks' faces and was hard to read unless you were a wizard. It would prove most tough to copy when the beginning of the first chime rang. The girls stood ready to back up Eibhlin, but she had second thoughts. If they messed up the clocks' locks, no one would ever be able to get into the Headmaster's lower house study.

The first chime rang! There was no time for doubt. The chime echoed off the school's main clock. Eibhlin raised her hands and set the first clock lock to the desired time. Click. It worked. The girls blew out relieved breaths. They had to rewind each clock and set it to the midnight chime of the school's clock, a most difficult task.

# Chapter 10: The Forgotten Forest

The girls had tried for seventeen days to work the locks, one at a time, sneaking down to the lower house study. Then they decided to form into groups of three. The magic of three worked every time.

The locks had been figured out, but only because of Eibhlin's dream. It wouldn't have happened in a million years if tried by any other means. The timing grew close for the school's main clock to strike midnight. They listened for the first chime, then scrambled to set the first clock lock to one past midnight. The second one came loud and clear. They set the second clock on the door, two past midnight. The door opened a crack. The girls got excited and set the third one at three past midnight and so on to four past. Click!

The school clock chimed all to bed. The final chime came and students rushed through the corridors to their rooms. Downstairs, they set the final clock to thirty-six and saw the door stir. When it opened, the girls hurried in before the hall monitors searched the halls. Extra hall monitors had been added due to the extreme danger outside. Anyone out of their beds in the dark night could catch the eye of a Dark Robe. Many Dark Robes had gained access to the school through the lack of watchful hall monitors.

"Like Colin told us, we must stick together," Eibhlin said. She'd seen what I did that night at the Dark Robes' fireside meeting. Her imagination ran wild, for Eibhlin knew the name of the Evil Goblin and planned to get to the bottom of everything. She read the Headmaster's private records, looking for any information on this evil man, Mr. Greeley, then she planned to go to the professors for help.

She told her friends what she was up to. They didn't know why she was afraid to say anything until she checked things out on her own and got the news back to me somehow on what she'd found.

Searching through the office with her friends, Eibhlin found in one of the notes what happened to poor John. Sadness and sorrow overcame their hearts. Truly he was a great loss. In the days that followed, all of his family and friends were shocked to hear how he really died. She found notes dated months back, and couldn't believe her eyes. They told what the Headmaster saw — the future written in great detail. He had set his affairs in order knowing the time of his own death.

Eibhlin sat down in the office, overcome by how tiny she appeared to the rest of the room. Small she looked compared to the enormous desk she sat at and she barely reached the top of the desk pad. Eibhlin read for hours into the night as her girlfriends went to bed. Bedtime came and went unnoticed and Eibhlin read till the early morning. Finally looking up and taking a breather, she saw the dew glistening on the grass from outside the window.

Moving the pile of parchments she'd been reading, and the various quills, she uncovered the desk. Something moved underneath the desk blotter. When Eibhlin lifted it, she saw a huge eye batting its eyelashes at her. She jerked her head back and quickly covered up the eye.

In one of the desk's top drawers, she found a dozen wands. Why, she wondered, did he have so many old burnt out wands? Some looked like they'd been set ablaze at the same time. But now was not the time to worry about burnt black old wands. She couldn't believe the professor's notes and files that lay before her lap. They showed her how clever the Headmaster really was. He saw what was to come and, to her amazement, his notes listed many of the students' names.

He saw greatness for each student. They just needed a little encouragement and guidance.

The story of Wizard Time bygone Times

Headmaster Barns, School of Shines

A place or Time — where a young wizard should be placed in his or her life. The magical skills to greatness are revealed through choosing the right path. Choices and wise decisions have to be made and taken. Choices come from action and steps by one or more who can uphold the child to their best ability that are forced — and pushed — forward by the helping hand of another wizard or witch.

As she read down the many of lines of text, her name appeared in one entry only. She locked her eyes on that page, creased it and brought it up to her face to not miss out on any words written about her.

Wands and Dreams that become real. — Eibhlin is young and has shown signs of great magic to come from within herself. Mainly whenever one particular student is near her, a boy named Colin, who will graduate this year, magical signs come out in her studies and in practices. She does greater things when this boy is close to her.

Through her nighttime dreams, she can peer farther into the unknown. Memory — it's known by this gift of sight that witches learn what is to come. When they are young, they learned to dismiss most — if not all — of what they saw, for it becomes too much for one to hold inside their head. Eibhlin shows us the gift as if it's normal and shares it gladly as if all had the same gift. This Witch will prove right and go far in her studies and in her life's quests.

She was terribly excited to read about herself and her gift. His insight overwhelmed her. He knew about the true gift of sight through dream sleep. As she read more, it told of what was to come after his death. A surprise to her eyes came when she read the first part about me becoming a true wizard with magical sensibility.

* * *

Umbrage continued to interfere with my once idyllic way of life at the school. What became of the school eroded all things that made me love it and my life. It wouldn't be the same ever again. I saw that now. And I'd heard too much for someone my age. Learning for me became swift and reassuring to my mind. My thoughts clearly changed, and I felt older through this time alone.

I'd grown increasingly despondent even though it calmed me to think I was doing what I thought best. Now the death of my friend led to a different way of thinking about my life. One word echoed in my heart — revenge! I wanted to use the darkest of my coming powers against all who'd hurt the school and my friends. Secretly, I'd held these powers at bay, but the School of Shines was at risk. I felt strongly to head back — if I could just find the right path. I needed to warn the school on what I'd seen and heard so far. The unhappiness of all I'd seen and done weighed heavily on my mind.

Of the five who set out to do right, three were somewhere in the Forgotten Forest. It got its name one hundred and twenty five years ago when a group of girls from this very school ventured into the edges of the forest and were never seen again. The girls found themselves lost and swept in by the forest's beauty. Truly it was breathtaking and overcoming to them. After their disappearance, the safer parts of the forest were searched, but not one sign was ever found.

Soon after, the school closed all paths to the forest. Each year, new students were warned to not to go in there. Years later, on many nights, the haunting of howling, wretched sounds and screams from the lost girls came from the edges of the forest. No one had the skills or mental strength to go back in, for it was truly haunted. In the history of the school, the dark, eerie forest was known to be a place of doom and much feared for the unknown proprieties it held.

What really lived in there a few feet from the edge of the tree line? Cobwebs hung in the first part of the forest, creating a thick tangled mess, but that's all anyone knew for certain. The realm was so large, no one knew how far it went.

None of the professors ever found out the source of its true origins. The sounds of the doomed and the damned came clear to one's ear. The creatures that made it from the forest and into the schoolyard became captive pets, to be studied and learned about. The creatures were unfamiliar to the professors and there was no record of their nature, so the professors started a class to study new species. Many disputes went on about these wonderful forest creatures. Some debated that the haunting, mourning sounds everyone heard came from young wizards and creatures entangled in the cobweb mesh.

One creature, many centuries old, was in the form of a bird with amazing color and splendor of his shiny feathers. Not a sound he dared make for all those centuries. Wordless of speech of any modern tongue, he only spoke old time wizardry script.

Only true magic could ever come from this bird of hope. Once found and used wisely, one would become great. Angels would fly and the poor wretched would get their wings. It meant doom if it fell into the wrong hands. It would give hope to the wrong side and could imprison all of great wizard kind in eternal dungeons. The song it sang sounded of sweetness in the gale of icy blue waves of the ocean. But it required a pure soul to make him work what decency had in store.

A terrifying storm would come to whoever abused the little bird that kept so many going onward. When all hope had fallen and all were doomed, the magical bird of hope, Kah'la, would spring forward and give the final call to help all.

* * *

Alone and lost, Hunter stretched out on the floor beside an empty ale barrel upstairs in a pub, trying to figure out what to do. A plan of action is needed! he said to himself. Hunter had been stuck in the village of Dern's Ville. He'd been keeping a good eye on a dozen Dark Robes gathering their spells — dark magical spells they needed to enter the forest to find the missing boys from Shines. He wished the other boys and I were here to see what he had been looking at. Hunter was tired and hungry and his body had fallen asleep for laying flat and quiet all day through. He'd been spying on those busy making a brew of the worst sort of Dark Magic. Another attempt to take the school was talked about below Hunter. The school was to be used in a Demand Spell of a takeover for its knowing power. Rare, it was the spell of Old Ones. Only he wasn't hearing the truth from the dark evil men below in the village house — the truth that all young wizards and witches would be made to follow in their footsteps. A new breed of wizardry would be brought forward if they succeeded in their quest.

The speaker went on to say, "There's a new plan for this boy Colin. We're afraid he might be the worst sort of young wizard to handle. If not found, he may grow up and do us all in. His powers are uncanny, even compared to the head Goblin."

Shudder they did as they stuck together on that thought. Someone had power to deal with them and put an end to this evil. They described hope for themselves and at the same time, talked of doom to all if a young wizard like me came to power.

"We must find the magical bird, the bird of hope, first to use against the school. There's just too many now preparing to fight against us. Even as we sit and plan, we fight amongst ourselves for the Goblin's throne."

# Chapter 11: Hunter's Predicament

The day became darkened and the sky damp from the sorcerer's illuminating Crimson Light. The Goblin was not taking enough chances to overcome his own fear. He'd changed his appearance back to himself. The speaker talked many hours to the men inside the pub. He said, "I've called you all here for one purpose, to take control of the School and to kill the boy Colin."

One heard the bird of hope was in the strangest and darkest part of the forest. "In capturing the bird, even if you aren't eaten by a wild creature, the conditions are extreme and surviving the dangerous journey is doubtful."

This bird creature derived its style of singing from psalms and religious hymns. It was the purpose of the soul — telling of the magic of this creature —and how it reacted to hardship. After its song, it asked for nothing in return, not even a single crumb. Of its own act, if the presence of a true wizard came through, the bird would listen to his word, for its song could rain down on what the wizard asked for it to do.

Hunter saw many of the village's storekeepers in this group, leaving him shocked and feeling betrayed. These were men the students all knew through shopping when they had time after school. Who did Hunter see behind this?

One evil man had gained enough power to influence these good men all at one time. It must have been something to behold. What magical powers did he have to do all of this? The power between good and evil was temperamental. A real wizard went into evil purely for his own gain and profit.

"If you're not joining up now, then later they might get you and you'll wind up being hurt. The Illumination Blithe seeks you out for nothing has changed. The book is needed to finish the change," the Evil Goblin told all of his new men that became Dark Robes. "It will have to be soon or he will die." The Goblin's men saw he was at his worst temper. Dark sorcerer's magic worked inside of him.

"We must regain control and take to the skies. We'll swoop in on the school at night and take full advantage of the dark to secretly search for the book, or his men will take him down and do the job on their own. I need to have it now or all might be lost," said the Goblin in his natural state as a Shines evil professor, still clinging to his old house robes of blue and black with Shines written across the arms.

* * *

Eibhlin tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and turned the page, careful not to harm the parchment. Putting her elbows on the desk, she rested her chin on her hands and started reading.

Back when he worked for the school through the old Headmaster Parks, Mr. Greeley's only stayed to find the most powerful spell book. Ministry of Magic called this book the "black one" for it contained the worst of dark magic. It was used in the most evil way to create the worst of things to be — and appear — in one's mind. Its spells could force good wizards into obeying servants of its dark magic.

For a long time, Greeley searched through the castle, in the school's library and in each of the student's book bags. For years, he never gave up. One day he was found in the new Headmaster's lower house study, going through the desk and cabinets. From then on, the new Headmaster never trusted him and had him watched at all times until it all blew up one day.

One of the students came forward with the news that he'd been accepted by the Dark and Evil because this man. A spell was placed upon many of the students through that boy's excitement. All hell had come forward. When Greeley went on with the evilest duties of a Dark Robe, one student awoke and ran to tell the truth. Greeley had been at his worst since then and would be most dangerous if he found this book to take over the school.

Through the failed attempts to take out the new Headmaster Barns, Greeley took chances to come into the school and search through the rooms he failed to look through before. He needed that book of spells.

Eibhlin was amazed in what she'd been reading. The Headmaster's office became her place to discover what had really been happening in the school. She told her friends in the strictest of confidence under lock and key of their private dorm room.

"Should I tell you?" she asked. "You mustn't tell a soul. Just hearing what's entailed will surprise you. I don't know what will happen if the professors knew I've been reading the Headmaster notes. The private files have been locked up in his study," Eibhlin said, casting a worried glance at her friends. "I'll be in trouble for sure if anyone finds out I've been in there all this time. Surely they will know. There is no way to lock the big door and someone will definitely see."

Her friend Sue asked, "What's been here all these years? Did you find out anything?"

Nodding, she began by saying, "It all started when Mr. Greeley worked here long ago. He was caught going through Professor Barns' study and Headmaster Parks' private lower house, a place for his eyes only. The dark one himself, Greeley was there where no one should ever be...especially me. Greeley used Dark Magic and turned some of the students into Dark Robes through the years. That's why so many have gone missing. No one told that missing Shines children went to the Dark side.

"He also made the magical creatures from the Forgotten Forest turn into such horrid things to attack the School of Shines. He tried to recreate the magical bird of religious hymns. He failed and it led him to his ruin of changeable appearances. One can say he's stuck with this curse for now and all of his existence. In order to cast the largest of spells, he needs to find the black book. It's somewhere in the school. The castle is unsafe and we are all in danger!"

* * *

Hunter was in a fine predicament now, for he took a few steps to get a closer look at the men below him. He wanted to remember each person's face so he could tell the Ministry who was there. The other men muttered about something he could not hear. He'd been lying in the upper loft, peering through the holes of the floorboards. The ceiling made noises from his careful steps and a creak sounded from the old dried out lumber. Hunter lay at an angle to stop the floorboards from creaking even more.

One said, "Someone is spying on us!"

They grew wings and reacted wildly. One took a shape of a gruesome creature with empty eyes, a red bloody mouth and wings like a bat. It appeared to be uncommonly knowing and sly.

Hunter shook from what he saw — several winged, black, horrible looking creatures with razor-like teeth, long white hair and a wizard's beard that grew to the floor.

The gloom of their mastery was felt by the Illumination, which in turn scared him, for they took to flight. They flew around the room in a babble of confusion and anger, looking for the noise they just heard.

As they swooshed up the stairs, Hunter bolted the door he stood behind and listened to the banging while the creatures tried to gain entry. He stood straight and held out his wand in front of him, ready to cast a big spell. Hunter didn't know how long the door would hold against all this banging. It started to crack and he could see one horrible face coming through with its green shiny eyes. Hunter took a step back to ready his wand.

The door splintered in front of his feet. The winged Dark Robes swooped in as Hunter flicked out his wand at the first one who came at his face. He believed the vile smelling creature was going to eat him. His spell rang out loud. The first one Hunter threw into the wall.

All of the rest pounced on him like a handful of cats jumping into a bag of rats, ripping and tearing him apart. Hunter rang out one spell after another, throwing them back on opposite sides of the room. He flicked and swished cast wand spells left and right, poking through the dog pile of feathered Dark Robes that swooped on the floor to bury him. Breathless from the sheer weight and fear, Hunter gained the upper hand on the biggest one biting his toe.

Hunter lost his wand in the fight, for there were more on him than he could handle. He used his spells for the first time that came from his heart. Heartfelt cast spells were the best. Raging out through his mouth, he hurt and injured a few, but the dark feathered creatures were stronger than him. They turned into an angry mob.

The Wizard Death Blast Hunter read about in class hit him dead center. Hunter knew it was the spell that killed him as he'd never felt this kind of pain before. Hunter lay there as they left the room one by one. One remained to watch him die. Slowly Hunter opened his eyes and saw Eibhlin in the room, then she vanished and the Headmaster walked over to him and said, "Come on, son, I'll take you home." Dead on the floor he must lay to this day.

The Dark Robes took notice and snooped around to see if it was me. They felt the strength of the Headmaster's ghost, who they feared. One said that he knew Hunter, as he was Hunter's uncle. He must have gone over to the Dark and Evil side. After the flight, the men left the boy there, his young remains lifeless. He was no more trouble to them. They flew out the opening of the room and the opened windows for the meeting ended. They began their evil flight and went into the forest to look for the others, all in a rage wanting to find me, the boy wizard, who could do them great harm.

# Chapter 12: Kah'la

Eibhlin fell to the floor, her arm thrown across her face, her body writhing in pain, and her screams echoing through the halls.

"No! No! Hunter!!"

Her classmates stood around her, worried, unsure of what to do.

In Eibhlin's Spell Dream, she saw Hunter fighting the Dark Robes. She heard and felt the wings flittering around the boy. Feeling a fanged creature bite her, she screamed again. A dozen of her classmates tried to hold her down, and exchanged frightened glances when they saw blood from the scratches of invisible claws and sharp tipped wings tearing through her class robe and covering her arms and neck.

In her mind, unable to tell reality from dreams, Eibhlin fought along with Hunter. She threw herself on top of him, giving him protection from the heated, furious attacks. Eibhlin gave of herself in that terrible battle, taking all of the blows aimed at him. In later years, students realized that's how he lasted so long, and why, in the last moments of his life, he saw her in that room. Fighting against all of them was a true feat of wizardry. Through her casting spells, she placed herself in harm's way to protect Hunter.

When she stopped shaking, her classmates let go of her. She took a big breath, opened her eyes and big tears rolled down her cheeks. Eibhlin sat up, trying to get her bearings.

"Why the tears?" one classmate asked.

"Hopeless," she whispered. "We'll never win this battle unless we get smarter." Looking at each friend in the eye, she murmured, "Hunter is dead." Sorrow rained down on the small group of school friends and grief looked through Eibhlin's tearstained eyes.

* * *

I needed cover for the night and for the cold that came in quickly. I didn't know any of these parts, for I'd come far. The forest looked different from what I was used to near the school. I heard a different type of sound that I couldn't describe. It might have been a bird, but a bird of the night would sound much different than this one. It was loud and only had one tune and was no song I could relate to. In this spooky forest, I shook off an eerie feeling that came over me quickly and then left just has fast. It couldn't be that bad, I told myself and walked on into the dusk, relieved to see a hunter's shack in the distance.

Alone in this rundown old shack, I listened to a bird like none other I'd heard. It was just one, so I lay down and rested my weary bones. My sorrow and loneliness gave me an achy head. I wanted to take a chance to sleep and by morning start out fresh to find the right trail to the school. But for now, my heavy eyes wanted to close. I couldn't dream, though, for fear I'd wind up in a nightmare.

While I drifted off to sleep, the song kept coming out of the forest. At one time, it sounded close to the hut and it relaxed my soul so that I finally dozed off. I didn't know that the bird found me. Others wanted this bird to use against the school and to aid in their power. The bird found me because of my pure heart. For a young wizard boy, I'd put temptations behind me when I asked myself, "Am I here for the good of it all or just to use my darkest magic against the Dark Robes?" I felt truly deep in my heart on that day I was here to fight and do my best to wipe out the evilness of the men that killed my Headmaster.

Sleeping on hard wooden floors hurt my back, so I woke from a restless night. I peered out the window and saw on a tree branch an odd looking bird. When the bird saw me, it began its song; its words reached deep into my heart. I didn't know only I could hear that bird's songs. Others heard a screech and sounds that didn't mean anything to them. The song was only for the pure of heart.

I could understand its meaning. One part was of sorrow and of tears that would rain soon when the Dark Robes started to rid the school of its professors. I was large, but still just a teenager. I took a chance on the outside of the shack and headed over to view the bird up close. It took to flight and landed on a closer tree branch where, in a few more steps, I'd be face to face with this wonderful creature. The young wizard from Shines School of Witchcraft and Wizardry leaned over a tiny bit to give all my attention to that wonderful, colorful bird.

The bird said, "Colin, the power of the Evil Goblin is getting much too strong and he wants the book brought to him and his men to the Forgotten Forest. But take heart. You will win one day. In the end, you will come through to the last."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You know my name? How?"

"I know much, young wizard. I've been searching for you."

"Searching for...?" I took a step back, my eyebrows furrowed. "Who are you?"

"I am Kah'la. Some call me the magical bird. Others call me the bird of hope."

"Kah'la! I've read about you in history books. This is such an honor!"

"Yes, well..." Kah'la preened his feathers, his chest out. Then, making an odd sound deep in his throat, he shifted on the branch. "Never mind that. Right now, that wand of yours needs to be updated. I will tell you how to do this. It's called the 'bringing of power' to one's own wand through one's heart and soul and good mind. That way, you'll have a better chance to fight back. When the morning sun rises in two hours, there will be a forest full of Dark Robes looking for you. Therefore, you will need to be ready and ever so steady. Fill yourself with love. See yourself victorious.

"Get your wand and we'll start. Now, to attract the benevolent spirit to your wand, take out your school bag and shake the magical writing quill that Eibhlin gave to you. Hold the quill and wave it three times around your wand. Over and over and over. That's a boy," Kah'la said. "Your wand needs that charm to start the beginning to this empowerment. It's the enhancement of a female power. I'll say this in a language you may understand. It's your first step and I'll say it first to ward off evil. The third eye of all will increase psychic gifts with its presence here.

"The second step is the nurturing of the soul of the wand. It will get warm and it just might reach temperatures of high degrees, but don't let go. Third is the star of a midnight runner, a cast out star that has been forgotten for many years and needs a home. Watch for the strike of a beam of light, as it will hit your wand with a great force in a moment. Fourth is the good and plenty of charms. All that you will be will come forward in your head and your now-trusted wand."

Feeling the difference, I could only nod, for I truly marveled.

"The fifth and final part is very powerful. It's best if you hang onto that tree because the glow of the magical words will appear. I shall now speak at'tomly' accruable 'bates fomented celibates."

Holding my wand tightly in my right hand, I wrapped my left arm around a low tree branch and braced myself. A light shined onto me, running through my whole body and into my wand, which began to pulsate and hum with new energy. A tingling sensation electrified me, and I could feel my hair stand on end. In a few seconds, the light disappeared, leaving me too stunned to speak.

"And now take a handful of this secret soil from God's green earth and sprinkle it all over your wand. Say out loud in your own spoken tongue, 'dust to dust, ash to ash, of fireflies on butterflies, of wings to the power of three, of my wand, may it bring new strength and show me its new magical power.

"Mighty spirit, show this young boy and this wand all the magical power he will need from this day forth. I call on the Dragon's Breath to make its fog to hide me and this young boy, so the men coming upon his path won't see him until it's time for him to strike. Now they wait for the trail to be filled by the Dragon's Breath, which will lead them here. The Dragon's fog will be their doom, not this young boy's. To fight evil, this wand will bring victory to him and safeguard against all from evil on this morning."

The fog arose around me, first up to my ankles, and then to my waist. I held my wand tightly, for it vibrated hard and heavy in my hand. For a giant sized boy, it took all my strength in that hand just to hold it steady. Full of new magic, it wanted to cast its first spell soon.

The fog got thicker and rose past my head. I couldn't see clearly as I waited. I headed away from the tree with the magical bird and stood tall on the path, for Kah'la said the forest was full of Dark Robes who'd very shortly be on their way.

My ragged appearance was quite startling, for I'd been through a lot. Dried mud soiled the knees of my pants. All my clothes had tears and were worn thin. My hair looked wild and I doubted my own mother would recognize me. But, inside that ragged appearance, strength and courage beat in my heart. I stood in the middle of the path, peering through the fog. I could see through this darkened breath created by Kah'la.

The Dark Robes lurked among the trees, moving slowly as if no fear dwelt in them. They didn't know I had a gift of powerful new magic. Soon I'd find out how good this new revived wand would be. I gulped and sweated a bit and my eyes darted this way and that. I could clearly see many of the men, but they hadn't seen me yet. The Dragon's fog thickened around me even more.

This spell worked, for they just walked right by me, headed to the cabin. The Dragon's Breath made me unnoticeable and invisible to them. The wand sang out, bending forward on its own to point and fire at will. I tried to remember all of the spells I learned through the years but, before I got a chance to shout one out, my mind and my wand worked together. The fire of light went out and started to sing of doom, for Kah'la and my wand rang out many great castings. The men crept up to the cabin and spells knocked them out, one by one.

The bird sang loud and clear of their deaths. I needed both hands on my wand, for it had a mind of its own, shooting lightning at any Dark Robe who crossed its path. This many evil men cast down by a wizard boy's wand would never be known to happen again.

The Dragon's Breath lifted to reveal a dozen or so men lying down from the use of this very tired magical wand in my hand. At the time of so many casting spells, the wand had gotten hot, but it felt cold to the touch now.

I could see one or two still behind a tree. My victory didn't seem to stop this madness of evil against me and my school. I ran over to pick up my newfound friend and placed him on my arm. Running away from all this doom, further into the forest, he tried to have a conversation.

He said, "Nice job, young boy. You did well." I looked shocked, for my eyes locked onto his as I ran, not looking where I was going.

Kah'la's eyes were marvelous. They're like green shiny orbs of the magical kingdom from a folk lore story I once read. The Firebird was invariably described as a large bird in majestic plumage that brightly glowed in red, orange and yellow light, like a bonfire just past the turbulent flame. The feathers didn't cease glowing if removed, and one feather could light a large room if not concealed. In later iconography, the form of Firebird was usually of a smallish peacock of fire colors, complete with a crest on its head and tail feathers with glowing "eyes".

The bird warned, "Watch out there, dear boy. If you trip, you will surely drop me."

"Yes," I agreed, "I'll be careful where I step from now on." I slowed down to catch my breath and felt safe enough to sit down and take a break.

Kah'la said, "I am here for you. The heroic journey draws to an end for this day, Colin. You have truly survived this ordeal and done well. Your Headmasters had planned many of the deeds through this journey that you will survive and win. You are now the most feared Dark Robe fighter that has ever lived. Now many rewards from all your deeds for the good against evil will come to you.

"You now can claim victory and gain trust in yourself and your new powered wand. Don't let anyone tell you anything different. After the confrontation with all those men, you might wonder why you're way out here in this part of the forest and not headed back to the safety of the school. You belong out here. This is where the fight is, and it was brought to you. That's what's making the school much safer, for now they will all look for you once the news gets out about this morning's duel. You will do better and become greater than the Headmaster whom you admired.

"You will have every Dark Robe getting geared up and ready to look for you. That's what the Headmaster saw long ago. The fight must be in this part of the north forest, with me as your guide. I am only here to give you the insight and knowledge to survive with religious hymns that purify the soul. Well, that's my magical deed to be done. A lot of this empowerment to your wand and to you is from your friends and from the land," the bird told me as I sat and listened carefully.

"Eibhlin's quill was special, for she was given a spell quill from her mother to write magic or have with her to protect her. The giver was a very powerful witch. Enchanted spells were sprinkled on that very same quill to enhance life and the light. That's why it had to be rubbed and waved around your wand.

"The light is a power given by love, Colin. Love is the strength of the wand. Dust and ash from the earth is the life part of wizards who have been here and gone through this before. The magic from me is most mystic and colorful to behold."

I asked what happened to my friends, but the bird just sat there, quiet for the most part. He shook his head and said just one thing to me, "They were brought out to follow you, my boy, to see you through but, the fright they saw, no boy or man could handle. That's for you." We had talked long into the day and until the cold of the night skies closed in. The glow of the moon offered us our only light.

"It must have been really bad for my friends. I feel sad and sorrow for them out there."

Kah'la asked, "Do you know where the boys went and when you separated? That would help me find them."

"I have bad news, I'm afraid. I found two of my dear friends dead and, for the rest, I fear the worst."

# Chapter 13: Crossroads Landing

Tom found himself stuck trying to get back to the school. Poor Tom walked in all different directions in the forest for five days. He happened to come to Crossroads Landing, where nine different roads converged. It was the worst of places to be for a young wizard like Tom.

Tom had never come across a spell of the Crossroads Landing. A lost soul or two wandered there. Most lost wizards tried every road, only to wind up in the middle once again. One of the crossroads went into infinity. And every road they thought they tried left them confused and stuck, heading down the next. At the start of the journey, choice of the first crossroad was most important.

In all these past months, Tom hadn't seen anyone. Over the past two months, he'd tried four of the roads. He hadn't figured out to double back in a wizard's way of thinking. Wizard way, of all ways, worked best to reverse the steps by resaying a spell. Saying a spell was most specialized in thought. In theory, the right way to say it was for one to walk into a Spell Well. Without it, though, it took moments to gather one's wits; they all wound up back at the Crossroads Landing, looking at the other roads, deciding which one they'd try next.

Now that Tom found himself starved and worn out, he would have to do it once again if he wanted to get back to the school. A much wiser wizard would figure out to start backwards in an "undo" of a most Tempered Spell.

For this was one of the worst spells around. Tempered Spell was a soul's lost mind game of a maze. Only the weak and unwise got stuck in one. It didn't happen often, but sometimes a wise wizard would come into the crossroads maze. Tom saw that each road had a mystic stone statue at its beginning. He had seen at the end of one road that the statues didn't match. Tom thought to himself that it must be a key to this puzzle. He needed to find the one that matched and go that way. It had been a hundred years since more than one wizard, good or bad, had come here. This special place was created long ago when very old wizards did very unusual spells and meant it to be a place to keep dragons at bay that came into the forest way back then.

* * *

For Eibhlin back at the school, her classmates felt relieved for she had come out of her dream spell ok. It was hard to act like everything was normal at the school. Students had a hard time concentrating on their work in class for they now knew what was happening out there. With Hunter, Riley and John dead, they knew poor Tom and I must be going through a lot of hell.

Eibhlin's classmates snuck around in the halls now to watch if she had one of her fits. She didn't like it when her friends lurked behind her and watched her every move. She'd awake in the morning to find her roommates looking at her, wondering if she'd had a new dream. When she walked in the halls, she heard shuffling feet move on for they camped out all night in the hallway right by Eibhlin's room.

One student made it clear they felt helpless because they didn't go out with me and my four friends.

"Our Headmaster," as one of them pointed out to her, "we cherished him, too. We are all guilty for letting them go, as we should all have gone together. We thought it was a great idea in the beginning but, as we now know, it was to be to some of the boys' doom."

It'd been sad times in the school, worried with no new word of us from Eibhlin and her third eye. Had we boys gotten caught? Had we wound up no longer alive? How were we surviving this evil plight? Now, the laughter in the halls died down for the school's fear for us.

Some of the other boys and even the girls braved themselves to sneak out. They tried to form a plan, a plan to escape through the portal light that held the Dark and Evil out of this school. The mind of Eibhlin was hard at work. She convinced the professor's bluebird to help the children find a way out without hurting the temperamental Crimson Light. It took a strong force to enter from the outside, but had anyone tried to walk through it, to go to the outside?

The schoolroom filled with children, yelling and screaming and pushing with their newly learned great magical skill, eager to be the first group to leave before daylight. All in that room had gotten caught up in fighting this evil presence. They forgot that, if they left the school grounds, they placed themselves in the greatest of harms way. By now, the staff had figured out that there was something going on, for they couldn't find one student on the school's main floor.

The main doors, and not just the main castle doors either, but the main door to the outside was found, one of two hidden doors that the school had to enter and exit in case of an emergency. The professors who wanted to leave and look for us again couldn't. All of the staff was called to stay and protect the school.

The professors had magic and their own ability to do what needed to be done. The Wizard Council announced that all hands must stay on school grounds. If the Dark and Evil knew professors were out and about, they would fall victim. I had taken the fight and main body of the Dark Robes out in the Forgotten Forest.

At the school, dawn broke. Professor Woods went into the monastery to pray for the angel of magic believability to help me and the one student at the school who was slaughtered by the evil men.

The groups talked late into the night and got Mars Worth II, a first year at Shines, all wound up. He snuck off to the brooms' lockers on the second floor. Two girls saw him fly away and screamed for him to come back. But, as he flew up and over the force field spelled by the Crimson Light, evil men saw him and pushed him into the flame of evil mesh, the forth deadly curse. The stream of death came in a five wand shot from a casting black wand that brought him down to nothing but ash.

In the last letter to the school, the Wizard Council stated to all that the evil presence was coming in too close to the Wizard Council monastery houses in the mountain of Hills Brooks Valley, and tried to persuade the men on the board to come over to the dark side.

The Council said, "As we feel it best of those left here, stay strong and fight anyway you can, for the witch or wizard will have to decide to do what's right, for the Dark and Evil proves mostly overcoming to even me, the Head of the Valley of Wizards, Professor Timeoldy.

"Given not all students have gone elsewhere, it's best for the staff to stay put and safeguard the children still attending school. The school year isn't over and their parents advised the staff they want their children to stay at the school. It would prove best to stand our ground, the magical ground of old Merlin. In the text, Law 39 states the imperative to stand one's ground and fight what had come back from old.

"Push away temptations of all evils and stay on the right path to freedom. Teach the power of the wizard's truth. Seek who shall be known as a great witch or wizard, and show all others the way to the light. For its magical teaching will be used in a most trusting way."

The staff took all precaution in watching over the children and resumed classes, to the best of their ability, during this time of unpleasantness and ill fate. The evil presence gained so much strength from the Dark Robes that it took over much of the land of fine wizards and witches. Now the evil felt it had a better chance against us.

However, the School of Shines was, to that day, the only structure still standing untouched by the evil, for the magic and power here just might give them a harder time to deal with.

* * *

I stood in the forest; the wind increased in its fury. Since the battle with the Dark Robes, the weather went crazy in this part of the forest. Thinking in hindsight, we were the oldest of schools and taught more great things about magic for wizards and fine young witches. This weather bore us no goodwill, for even Kah'la's feathers ruffled back. I had braved the land, the weather and many Dark Robes. I reasoned that it was wise to take the fight as far as I could from the school and castle.

* * *

The girls and the house knew I'd saved them all those many long months by doing what they hoped and wished they could do themselves. People asked Eibhlin over ten times that day about Tom and my whereabouts. She finally gave in and took Tom's sister, Casey, to the courtyard. There, she told what she had read in the lower house study and what came to her last night about us, for Tom and I hadn't been together at all.

Eibhlin took one of Casey's hands in hers. "I fear the worst for Tom."

Casey had taken comfort in knowing that I was much older and wiser, like a big brother by his side. But to hear, as they walked along the south hall, that we'd been a part all this time put fear into her.

As they headed to the courtyard, a magical breeze came all through the girls and made them shiver. They looked at each other to see if it affected them the same way.

"That can't be good," one said to the other, crossing her arms. As they proceeded, they noticed the sky darkening. The two girls gasped when they saw Dark Robes in a ghostly appearance floating over the school. The worst of a haunting figure streamed along. The girls looked up in awe, for they'd never seen this before.

Eibhlin said in a shiver to Casey, "This is not the Dark and Evil that came before. These are men and wizards gone bad just for the evil magic." When one flew over them, Eibhlin saw his wand turning black before her eyes.

"I don't know what this presence is all about," Eibhlin told her. "But it surely isn't good. It's got to be dark magic that's come forward. It plainly can be seen that they're watching us." As the girls ran for cover to the other side of the schoolyard, the haunting presence came down for a closer look. The children could see Dark Robes flying by the school's many open windows, and screams rang out from the classrooms.

# Chapter 14: Babbling Words

Sparks flew from the tips of the Dark Robes' wands. Why, they didn't know, but it seemed their wands' magic power had no effect on the school stone walls due to our protection from the Crimson Light force field.

The professors ran outside and pointed their wands at the ghostly robed men hovering above on their broomsticks. A group — so huge it darkened the sky — faced the professors in the courtyard. The Dark Robes thought they needed to say and spell only so many to do this job well. Throwing out a few had little effect by the quick response of the professors, whose magical spells cast upwards to the darkness and the men hovering above.

Now the encounter turned dangerous. Cast lightning pinged off the rooftop and bounced from the courtyard, making children duck behind windows, where they'd been watching. Dark Robes hung onto their broomsticks, which flipped and looped and spiraled to the ground whenever struck by a professor's spell.

The professors matched strike for strike against the Dark and Evil. One professor stood and yelled, circling widely with his arm. At his signal, all the professors stood in a semicircle, arms pointed upwards, their wands spelling out, one by one. The spells flew up to the skies, aimed toward the men on the brooms. The darkened sky rolled back until it disappeared, leaving the blue sky and the afternoon sunlight. The force from so many professors casting spells at the same time shot the broom riders to oblivion.

The professors took great care in ridding the school of them, for that day brought something horrible and different. The skies above, now rid of the evil presence, came back to light once more. They hurried the children back inside where it would be safer just in case the evil men should return. For the haunted figure who came that day gave many a feeling of warning that much more was to come.

"These are becoming our darkest days, I'm afraid," one professor said to a few of the students in the hall where they sheltered them. "The courtyards are off limits for the remainder of this week. If one needs to travel, though, an older student will accompany the younger one."

Eibhlin whispered to Casey, "Follow me. I'll tell you what I know." The two girls went to the lower staircase and walked all the way down to the dungeons, for some of the girls watched Eibhlin closely. No one dared to tell anyone that Eibhlin took great chances and snuck out of the castle late at night.

Her friends worried, for what she was up to they hadn't found out. The third eye of hers scared some of her friends. Waiting for a full moon, Eibhlin went outside of the protection barrier, for she needed the light to guide her into the deepest, darkest part of the forest. Out there, while she stumbled around, she hummed a long forgotten tune. She stepped heel to toe, sure-footed and gingerly over fallen trees and old dried up logs. Walking through the forest unguarded and without her wand, she looked for my notes. The Summoning Spell would begin magically for that very same tune. The song was created long ago from a spell her grandmother taught her, for her grandmother had a lost love, a love who never came home from the great War of Wizards and the King of a far off world.

Eibhlin's Gran always spoke well of this young man who went to War. The only way to stay in touch was this very same method. The Summoning Spell brought pieces of parchment from anywhere, if the song was sung right and the tune was always the same. A magical wind blew it through the forest. As they fell, she wrote him back and blew the letter to him by the Breath Spell, which was very rare to do.

Her gran told that her love never did come back from that terrible War so long ago. To that day, she went out in the West Envies Forest where she lived and summoned by using the spell. She recreated it dozens of time, but it didn't return any notes for the past 43 years.

Eibhlin followed in her footsteps and sang the same Summoning Spell song no one else knew or had heard, to summon the notes from me to come further into the forest where she walked. In her heart, she prayed she hadn't lost me.

Now, though, in the dungeon's deep, she sat down with Casey in a huge old oval doorway. In the dark, Casey struck a match and lit candles hanging on all the walls.

The big candle hangers were made of brass and mixed copper and were shaped like cats. They might have been made long ago. Each of the cats had one fang with a tiny crystal hanging from it. Red rubies for its peering eyes glowed in the dark before the match was lighted.

Eibhlin began to tell the story in a whisper of a little voice. She did get my notes each and every time she snuck into the dark part of the forest. Things weren't good for us way out here. She tried to find a place to meet up with me, for she wanted more than anything else to see me and to convince me to come back to the school. It was for the best to save my life. She loved me and the loving feeling grew bigger the longer I'd been gone.

Eibhlin looked to Tom's little sister and held her hand. Casey wondered why. Her third eyesight seemed to come over Eibhlin. "For your brother." She started off by whispering, "I am sorry to say this. He will truly never be the same if he makes it back."

Casey pulled herself forward into Eibhlin's lap and felt her hot breath spreading across her bangs and her face.

"I saw him in some sort of old wizard's maze," Eibhlin continued, wide eyed. "Going back and forth and feeling lost."

Casey tried to smile. "Well, Tom's never been too good with directions. He's a bit of a burbles in his ways."

"I saw your dad."

Casey grabbed her arm and stopped her. "My father? I've never met him. How do you really know it's my dad?" she demanded. "He's been missing for all my life. He went to help out a wizard named Tory Fulsome, a family friend. It was supposed to be a short cross country flight one afternoon before I was born. He had to fly by broom for a day and a half. No word came back on his whereabouts. Ever. Not a soul has spotted him. My father never showed up at Tory's home in West Village park lands. My family and many others have searched for his remains, wondering if he got caught up in something that went wrong."

"I see your dad coming to Tom's aid soon, and close behind them both are a couple of Dark Robes who got caught up in that maze, too. Danger is headed their way." Eibhlin felt faint and leaned out of Casey's grasp. "The enchanter is now gone," she spit out before getting sick in the corner. It'd been overwhelming for Eibhlin seeing and telling all this misery, especially since they knew Tom and me. But seeing Tom's father was quite a magical feat for that was great news to tell.

"I see him and your dad saves him, but winds up losing his own life. Sorry to tell you, but you asked. I've been afraid to say anything to anyone lately." Eibhlin continued being sick in the corner of the dungeon way back in the dark.

"We have a lot to worry about, for there're only two of our friends left." Eibhlin told, scared and fearful. "In addition, the odds are greater now for they are not together. They don't know where the other one is. But through your father's coming sacrifice of his life and love for his son, Colin will run into Tom, but truly, that's all I've seen in my spellbound dreams."

Eibhlin went back upstairs, but Casey stayed down for a while. She blew out the candles on the wall and stroked the cat made of brass and copper. Flicking one of the crystals, she sat down in the dark and cried. She whimpered a tiny, "Daddy." Never getting a chance to meet her father and then, to hear that he'd die for Tom's safety, overwhelmed her and she couldn't stop crying.

* * *

Tom took a breath and stepped forward to embark onto the next road, scrunching his freckled brown face. "At this point, one of these many roads should be the one," he said, and took the next step forward. He saw before his eyes something or someone headed his way. Tom heard someone whistling without a care in this life. Tom stepped lively and zeroed in on the tune. A man, a tall man, and very thin, appeared.

A wizard strolled along, flicking his wand in a non-caring way as if he had nothing else to do all day but to walk and carry on whistling. Pointing his wand, he created a dragonfly here and butterflies there and a ringworm flyer the next moment. That one tune over and over again was a happy little tune. As he came closer to Tom, he stopped.

"Oh, hello there. Who might you be, young man?"

"I'm Tom. Did you come from down that road just now?"

The man stepped back, looked over his shoulder, then looked back at Tom and answered, "Why, yes," as if he was surprised he did come from that road just now.

Most remarkable, Tom thought, not a care in the world, to my reckoning, just like me. He has the same crooked smile as well.

The tall thin man said, "You look to be a little on the downside, son."

"I am." Tom shook his head and watched the man draw closer. Tom said, "Buffedelites."

The man looked surprised. "What did you just say?"

"Buffedelites."

"Well now, I know that expression. I say the same thing when I'm baffled or cross."

Tom busted out a big smile and said, "Admaze-mentilerly."

"Now what now did you just say?"

"Admaze-mentilerly."

"Raffled?" the man replied.

"I say that, too." The exchange of the babbling words went on through the late afternoon between the two as the expression of words and sayings continued through cracks of smiles.

"Most pleasant," the tall man said. "Most refreshing to talk to someone in my way."

Tom said, "Here's that realty-begotten use making us friends."

The man replied, "Gargoyles."

Tom waved his arms. "Each road seems the same."

"I guess." His eyes spun counterclockwise. "Young man, do you know what day this may be?"

Tom took a better look at this tall, thin wizard as he scratched his wand on his cheek. "What's the rush?"

"I see you walk the same way as I," said the man who Tom could see clearly was a wizard. He stated, "If I still had my broom, I'd be out of this mess. But for being stuck in the crossroads, I'd be on my way home."

A way out would be the best thing to happen to both man and boy. Now for Tom, he needed to get back to the school, or find me, who he hadn't laid eyes or ears on all this month. Soon summer would arrive and who knew what would happen to the evil magic that lay in the forest. It's temperamental from the cold of night and wetness of the rain. With summer around the corner, what would heat from the summer sun do to it? Would the evil magic change most horribly?

Tom started to tell him of his school and the evil presence that came one day and wiped out their Headmaster. For Tom hadn't seen anyone in a long time and he needed to warn the school of what all he knew and heard. Tom was babbling on and on about what'd come about.

The man said, "Easy now, boy. All in due time. We'll camp here, for you see I've been in here a long time. We're in a maze of lost direction. I gathered that much ten years ago, but paid no attention for I guessed I would get myself out soon, but soon never came. We need to find a way out first, then we'll head to the school. You've seen we all walk the same way to get home but wind up here at the start of the crossroads.

"Most baffling, my young fellow. I was flying over one day," the man told him. "The overwhelming pull of being dragged into the whirlwind swept me up and I landed here on the forest floor. Now I've been unable to walk out and misplaced my broom long ago. I've been here so long, I even forgot my name, or why I'm here. Anyway, warm yourself by my fire."

The wizard sparked out a flame from the strike of his wand. Tom moved up close; the fire felt nice and toasty. The man talked through the night about his wife and son and young child about to be brought into the world, a girl. Tom paid no mind, for he saw in the soft soil different footprints than his and the man next to him by the fire. Tom interrupted him and had him take notice of the extra footprints.

The wizard stood to look at them and said, "Bloody hell, those are remarkable to see. For I haven't seen any other footsteps in all this time, just old dragon bones littered about."

Tom told him, "I've seen that the statues are not the same at the beginning of two of the roads from this point only." Tom took him over and showed him by wand light what Tom believed was a piece to the puzzle in taking the right road.

The man clapped him on the back. "Bravo, young man. I've been here all this time and hadn't noticed. But look," he added, "if you look this way, it does point to a path I have not seen before." The wizard looked to Tom with hopeful eyes that he might agree. The tall thin wizard placed his arm around Tom's shoulder and said, "Well, boy, no time to waste. Shall we go?"

As the two struck out right foot first, they began their first step together and started whistling the very same tune in the dark, lighted only by their wands. Tom had an unseen path in his mind's eye and warned the wizard that trouble could be around any corner of this trail.

Dark Robes had seen the two and started down the pathway after them.

# Chapter 15: The Queen Spider

I took Kah'la out of this windstorm and headed for cover. The bird told me that the evil side needed him out of the picture if they were to succeed taking over Jacks School of Shines Witchcraft And Wizardry. Dark times lay ahead, too dark and difficult to image coming true.

I told him of my last few months on the outside. What new evil has come from long ago and why now? The bird had been in a long slumber, hidden in a secret cave until the time came for his magical power to be woken again. Kah'la explained his last true master, a young wizard boy, also became great through use of the new magical skill — the facon de parler. That was the ability to speak in all languages, which was needed to win over the rest of the evil that lay hidden after the rebirth of Merlin. The rebirth took place when the land almost died due to the lack of caring for all magical creatures and plants.

The best and oldest wizards came together to make a powerful spell. The land had to be taken back to its roots using Merlin's law of the three spells of amicability. When Merlin came to rule, the older Wizards became greedy. Some wanted Merlin less powerful than before so they'd have control and not lose the standing they'd gained through the years.

The ones opposed fought to make him even greater than history showed and told of. The fight for the power of Merlin started in the year of North Fork Dragon II. Merlin's mistress, Angel Bell the Blue, created the magical bird, Kah'la. Between the bird and Merlin, the restored power came in and to this day stayed untouched by evil. Now what'd been created defied touch by the Evil Goblin and took aim on the castle and the School of Shines and made it their own.

I took the bird to the darkest part of the forest and found a cave to hide him. We spoke to each other as friends, not knowing I had the one the Dark Robes needed. The magical realm hoped that I would be the one to find Kah'la. The soft touch of old wizard's magic marked the tree where I would see and hear the bird. Only a few, me included, could hear and understand him.

Kah'la explained more to me. "Long ago in a far off land, the magic that created me took me in a deep sleep from a cave. I awoke and saw the guiding light to you. I was this, the Affirmation. As you see me now, my true color and the magical insight I've gained from the creation brought advances.

"When evil was developed into a book, a dark epigraphist, or specialist in ancient inscription, took one hundred years to write it. More was written about darkness than all that was written about good. One of the pages of the book told of me. For centuries after that, evil men sought me out to help in their battles against one another. Through time, I became most precious to obtain and men from both sides of good or evil would find me or try to win me to have as their own to do harm against all others who they willed to strike."

The magical bird told me, "You're a good lad. As you are young, you will go far." I listened while Kah'la talked of a huge battle a long time ago. "Another young man found me, too, the founding father of your school. Following a terrible battle, hundreds of soldiers lay fallen on both sides that day. I was used and put to the limits until my magic disengaged from overuse. Two sides of evil wanted to use me, knowing I could help win the battle. All who came near in anger or used me in an abusive way fell to the earth. The young man found me on that early morning as he walked through the dead. He picked me up and we walked through the forest for one full length of a moon.

"He placed me in a cave to rest and not be disquieted. One time I awoke, but he asked me to slumber until I was truly needed to help one rid the evil presence from this land, in this forest. When it came to pass, he told me this one true wizard boy would not ask for help. Nor would he know of me and my power to aid in his fight against the evil Dark Robes. I awoke and flew past all of them to you as if a lord summoned me. In that shack, you slumbered for one length of a moon's span and, when you awoke, came out to see me for the first time. I am here for you, Colin, my boy, to be used as intended by my creator as a helping hand to aid in your time of the apocalyptic."

I felt shocked but happy, knowing there was much more to this that I ever thought. The Affirmation, the declaration that what they saw was true, existed. I had someone to put the missing pieces together for me. It'd been a lonely time since I ran in all different direction on that frightful night.

"I'm very sorry for the boys who died so quickly, but they were just boys attempting to do the impossible. It needed a full fledged wizard's duty and power," said Kah'la.

Later in the cave, I wrote on a piece of parchment with the wonderful quill before using it to start the enchantment of the wand's renewal.

Eibhlin,

I have some great news! I'm no longer alone. Kah'la, the magical bird of Angel Bell the Blue, is with me now. What's more, he's upgraded my wand. It has so much power, it takes all I can do to hang on to it. To have company is a big relief.

Your news about Hunter's death was hard to take. Now it's just Tom and me left. I hope he's still alive somewhere.

I know you worry about us out here. Please don't. I do enough of that for both of us, plus I worry about you there. Are the professors able to keep the Dark Robes away? Are you all safe?

I miss you.

Yours,

Colin

I said, "Back at the school, I dropped Eibhlin a note here and there and it seemed to be magical, the way it picked itself up and floated on a breeze until it found its way to her."

I blew off that she was my sweetheart from the School of Shines. Kah'la noticed the difficulty in my face, all scrunched up, so he just looked the other way and said, "Uh huh."

"I've been in slumber, as you stated, so it's been a long time since I last wrote to her. Now she might fear the worst for me and my whereabouts. I urgently want to tell the others there are less Dark Robes around now, thanks to your amazing, wonderful deed in updating my magic wand. I had no idea you were so old and so great. That's truly sorcerer's magic at work in my presence."

"There is no easy task, my young wizard friend. It's not easy, for it was my first of many spells since my last slumber. As for you, your steadiness and ability to think twice before you cast a spell is truly a rare quality. I saw many great things in you when you fought those Dark Robes. Well," the bird stated, "not all can do what I did and not all wands can be granted special power."

* * *

Eibhlin snuck out in the moonlight and took to the woods, thinking one of the professors might have seen her leave through a hidden doorway not too many people knew about. Eibhlin made the mistake of hiding in a part of the forest filled with horrible creatures, added to the tons of cobwebs that stretched throughout to entangle those that went there.

Eibhlin took steps into the darkness, eager to see if any of my notes had entered her circle of the summoning area. Hurried by her unconfessed love for me, her glance darted right and left, searching. Shafts of moonlight broke through to the forest floor on occasion, leaving everything else in dark, wavering shadows. Branches and brambles grabbed at her gown and she stopped to pull free. Giving a violent tug, she lost her balance and stumbled several steps backward until her foot found nothing but air.

Falling and tumbling over grass and rock, she rolled down the hill, down into the ravine until she landed, breathless and dazed. She struggled to her knees, feeling the dampness soak through her clothes, and looked up to see how far she'd fallen. With a groan and holding her sore side, she stood on her shaking legs. Taking a deep breath and trying not to cry, she stretched one hand out to lean against a tree for support.

There, in the dark, one stray moonbeam landed on what looked like a piece of parchment. Colin! she cried in her heart and hurried to it. Before she reached it, the moonbeam disappeared, leaving her in utter darkness. Biting her lower lip, she took one step, then another, then...

"Aaahhh! Heeelllp!" The earth opened up beneath her and she tumbled. Stunned and dizzy, Eibhlin lay there for a moment trying to catch her breath. She lifted her head and slit open her eyes only to see a huge hairy leg only feet away from her. Opening her eyes all the way, she discovered the huge hairy leg had seven more just like it, attached to a body and a head that looked like...looked like... "The Queen Spider!"

Eibhlin had fallen into a layer of web for the Queen Spider's eggs. Jerking her head around, Eibhlin gasped at the sight of grizzly corpses that lay meshed and entangled. She tried to get up and run, but the sticky web held her in place. The queen spun a web and shot it out in a stream. Eibhlin had no choice but to watch the web come over her. It had the strength of steel. She struggled, but the more she moved, the tighter it squeezed her body. She knew the legend of forest spiders. The legend of the huge Queen Spider was a first year's reader at the School of Shines, and she tried to remember what she learned.

When caught by a forest spider, there is no hope if one starts to struggle. Second, do not make any noise or the spider will recognize what she has. The sound carries and she will go for the head and put the bite of death into you. Pulling yourself hand-over-hand to the far end of the web is one of the best ways to save time when caught in the spider's web.

Eibhlin also remembered the last passage. Many have fallen prey in the huge forest spiders' webs. If she is a queen, you surely have trouble. The last line Eibhlin's read was "In the web, no one has survived the queen's attacks." What might become of her if she didn't react quickly enough?

Eibhlin stayed calm. She didn't carry her wand to look for my notes and felt helpless for not having it. With the Dark and Evil all around, one should be protected at all times. Eibhlin regretted her laxness now.

The queen moved over, all her legs busy at work, to spin the webbing to keep her catch for the night. Eibhlin got tossed around and around to be kept for later. Illness came to her for she couldn't handle being twisted all around so fast.

Haunting sounds came close from the forest floor. The owl that just hooted stopped, for the eerie noise silenced it too. Many in here were unknown creatures, never seen or discovered. What eerie creature made this yelling screech sending chills down Eibhlin's spine? They called out to each other, trying to identify one another in this scary place. She felt she would be added to the lost souls of the queen's lair, their screams and chants going out into the night air. She feared the dark forest creatures, for she was trapped, as they would be too. She couldn't stand any more, being too frightened of the dammed tortured souls hanging in the spider's webs.

Eibhlin wondered, "What keeps you alive in here? Hunger makes you most fearful to all after a full sting of your sharp spear. I see you are here to do me harm. If you poison me, I imagine the pain is excruciating!" Eibhlin lay motionless, an entangled prisoner, wanting to scream out loud for dear life.

# Chapter 16: Into the Darkness

Back at her dorm room, her friends knew that she'd been gone the whole night. They spoke of what to do if Eibhlin did not return. They planned to tell Professor Woods and ask her bluebird to find Eibhlin outside in the dark. One of the school mistresses walked the halls at night and the girls couldn't sneak past her. All trouble would break out if they happened to get caught by her. They decided to wait and look for Professor Woods in the morning during breakfast.

In the dark of that night, one of the girls said, "We can go out the same way she did. I remember the way she went, but how or where to look? We could get lost or worse, get taken by something ill fated in the forest."

Others said no, for they'd been told repeatedly not to walk around even in the common area of the inner school where it was thought to be safe. But to go out in the dark and try to figure out what part of the forest she might be at was too risky. They thought it best to wait till first class and tell their professor about Eibhlin's disappearance.

* * *

Eibhlin didn't dare make a noise. Now entangled in the spider's webs, she saw all the wands dropped from the missing girls before her time. She hadn't been brought up yet to be pierced by the queen's poison spear, or carried to the center of the web, and she wondered why until the web shook from the other side. Another one of poor nature's sweet creatures was trapped. The forest spider rubbed two front legs together, delighted. Into her web tonight two victims lay helpless and entangled.

"What a rarity," the queen said in a wicked voice as she crept along her web ever so careful to not hurt her silk mesh.

Eibhlin took full advantage of that. She had time now to reach out with her free hand for one of the wands just inches from her grasp. She hoped the Queen Spider had moved far enough so Eibhlin had time reach out past the web. Rocking herself back and forth, her first attempt failed because the web bounced too much. She thought, if she could bounce up and down a little bit more, she would have a better chance to grab that amber handled wand. It was eye catching as it gleamed in the moonlight, and she'd never seen its like before. To attempt once more while the spider was gone, Eibhlin reached out even harder now, desperate to avoid a slow poisonous death. This most beautiful wand laid just a fingertip's reach away. Eibhlin kept trying over and over again.

Eibhlin thought, one more time and I'll have it. As soon as she thought that, the wand lifted up in the air to her open hand. When a seeker needed help, the wand could see and hear, and picked the seeker as its new carrier as most wizards and witches knew.

Eibhlin's gripped it tighter to flip over and could now see the tail end of the queen's backside as she entangled the lost little forest creature. Eibhlin cast out a sharp spell and yelled out the incantation, "cast-tea-nay tome." Flames from the wand hit hard as a swift kick to the backside of the Queen Spider. She gave a start, throwing her massive body off the web and into her own mesh. Entangled and caught in her own design, the spider was trapped.

Eibhlin cast a spell, pointed the newly prized wand at the silk wrapped around her and watched the silk burn off. She hurried to see if she could help that poor little forest creature, but it was too late.

Eibhlin stood to look up into the tree branches and noticed the cocoons of all the doomed girls from long ago. She could help these poor lost schoolgirls who'd been entombed in the twilight sleep of the Queen Spider's poison spear. Their pleas to be set free sounded muffled through the cocoon.

Looking at her new wand, she gave it a little thank you kiss for the wonderful casting of the spells that freed her. But she needed it to cast a spell with much greater aim to hit the webbing that held each girl's cocoon hanging from the branches. She pointed her wand at the closest one and spoke the incantation, "emboli tid-da." The cocoon dropped and cracked open.

The shock of the first breath of air came to that girl, freeing her from a doomed existence. Eibhlin pointed her wand and let out many spells. The cocoons fell left and right, some cracking open and some not. The poor schoolgirls feared lost and forever gone now lay at Eibhlin's feet.

The ones who made it through all these long years of suffering were barely coming to. Some of the girls were very frail. One poor lass would have to stay in her forever slumber from the queen's poison. It was beyond Eibhlin's capability to bring all these girls back to the castle main gates. She must decide what to do. If she took one back to the school and got help for the others, she risked getting into trouble herself.

Trying to lift the first girl to her feet out of her cocoon, Eibhlin wished the girl was in better shape for Eibhlin to help her walk back to the main gates a couple of thousands of yards away.

The rest of the girls lay all disfigured. Eibhlin knew it would be best to take one back and get help for the others. The School of Shines needed to see this true survival story. She lifted the young lady, who placed her arm over Eibhlin's shoulder. They attempted to crawl out of that ravine where the web hung all those years. It proved difficult, but having come so close to her doom earlier, Eibhlin refused to give up. Finally, she reached the top and approached the main gates with the lost schoolgirl and Eibhlin's newfound wand that did a great unbelievable deed.

Knock! Knock! She stared at the huge wood and cast figures of school heads on the gates and waited for a reply. The young girl grew unbearably heavy.

Mr. Toms awoke from his slumber behind the huge gates. He was supposed to be the night watchman but he tended to sleep through his shift.

The noise startled Toms from his chair. He guarded more than the gate. Unsteady in the attempts, for his years were beyond most here at the school, Toms got up and opened the peephole. He yelled out, all cranky, "Who goes there?"

"Eibhlin, sir." Tired from her long night, her voice sounded far away.

"Who?" he asked, as he was very old and partly deaf.

"Me. Eibhlin. I'm a student here. Please let me in. I have news on the lost girls. I found them!"

He finally saw her through the peephole and muttered, starting to unlock the many mechanical bolts and knobs.

The door stuck. He fumbled and fussed until it creaked open. He drew back in shock, for he was here all those many years ago when he knew this girl as the Shines' brightest female student of the lunar year contest. She was best at almost everything magical. For her to be entombed, the spider must have been quite a challenge.

"My gosh," he said, "Where did you find this poor jewel of a lady, sweet girl?" He took the girl from Eibhlin, who then collapsed to the floor when they entered the school's great hall.

The staff usually came down first to set up their first class before the children needed to come down. The professors stood on the staircase, frozen, when they saw Mr. Toms helping two girls to their seats. Only one they knew well, as the other they hadn't seen in all this time. Tears came down the cheeks of the professors, for they saw inexplicably the poor wretched back from the dead.

The disfigurement of the one girl who'd been gone so long made looking at her difficult. They retrieved a scarf to cover her face so the others wouldn't be shocked. For all the years in the cocoon, the Queen Spider sucked out the moisture from their bodies to leave them dry and white and bony. The queen gained the fatness she needed to survive but left her helpless victims bone dry. The mummy's curse the Queen Spider was called and this was the first anyone saw.

At Eibhlin's return, the students heard the news with joy about her and who she brought back. All came running.

When Eibhlin told that others out there needed to be helped back, the professors gathered up their best to form a circle of wands, pointed and at the ready. They walked out into the morning dew of the forest to find the remaining girls and bring them back to the safety of the school. The professors ran out, ready to strike if they saw the first sign of danger. The front gate stood open so they could run back and forth in the new morning sun and bring the rest of the girls back to school where it was free of danger.

# Chapter 17: Don't Speak of It

The professors gathered around Eibhlin, their tempers flaring.

"Why were you outside of the school grounds? And at night?" A professor leaned over her and glowered, his long white beard wagging as he spoke.

"When no one is allowed to even think about leaving the school, what made you try it?" A balding professor with sharp gray eyes jabbed a stubby finger at her.

"You had the gall to think it would be ok to venture out of the school's safety!" Arms crossed and chin in the air, an indignant professor tapped her foot.

Trying not to cry, Eibhlin fidgeted in her chair, unable to look them in the eye. When they fell silent, she coughed once and began speaking, looking down at her hands.

She told them about how she'd kept in touch with me through a flown spell of notes sent back and forth so she'd know where we were.

The first professor said, "Didn't you feel you should have shared that information with us on a note by note basis? We are worried sick and very concerned on their whereabouts, too. Did you even consider telling us anything about the Shines boys or what remains of them? We have the right to know. We are in charge of them and their safety, as well as yours, my dear. For being members at this school, all is considered before any plans are made or taken."

At those words, Eibhlin felt sad, for the children had been going about this all wrong from the start, especially her as the ringleader of the group. Eibhlin started to tell all but asked if she could speak to Professor Woods first.

The bluebird flew in the great hall where they all stood and landed by Eibhlin with a note in her beak. Eibhlin took the note from the bluebird and started reading while the professors watched and waited.

Eibhlin read the note, leaned down to the bird and whispered, then took steps back to allow the bluebird to fly off. Eibhlin placed the note in her pocket and said not a word about its contents.

* * *

Tom and the thin old wizard walked arm-in-arm down the road they felt would lead them out of the crossroad entanglement of misery. The two Dark Robes who had been watching them from afar found a way to get ahead of them. They jumped at the chance to cast the Evil Goblin's spell to do them in. The Goblin pushed hard on his evildoers to seek out all the young wizard boys who went out to rid the world of Dark Robes.

A part of the forest had been burned up from old dragons and their sorcerers' fights. The trees and the brush were all blackened and trees burnt down to the ground.

The Dark Robes knew that Tom and the wizard were coming nearer by the voices carried in the forest air.

The two men stopped with wide grins on their faces. They'd been exchanging stories about their lives and realized they were related. As the light hit the roof of their head, they looked at each other as father and son and hugged. Great joy came from the heart when Tom found out his dad wasn't dead but stuck in here all this time trying to get out.

Breaking from a hug, Tom held his father at arm's length. "You say you don't remember your own name?"

"That's right, lad. I've been in here too long."

"Well, sir, I'm proud to tell you it's Stephen."

"Stephen. Stephen." He said it a few times, trying it on for size. "Sounds like a right proper name." Nodding once, he sat down and patted the ground next to him. "We've got some catching up to do, son."

As the time went on, the two hadn't moved yet for all the talking they'd been doing. The Dark Robes grew impatient and stepped forward to come out of the shadows and show themselves. Tom's father took notice, looking out of the corner of his eye.

It seemed like they stood there for a full day, pointing their wands in Tom's direction. Tom gulped in disbelief that the men wanted him. The day seemed to go on but actually just seconds passed. Tom's heartbeat jumped as did his father's. It was a grand day before these evil fools ruined it. Tom's father had not seen so many people in here in all this time. The family reunion halted.

Stephen turned and said, "Well, hello there. What are you two gentlemen up too?" The men stood with a mean demeanor. Their black wands pointed straight at poor Tom and the tall wizard man.

As he started to step forward with a smile on his face, Tom said in a panic, "Dad, those aren't men. Those are the Dark Robes that I've been telling you about."

Stephen pulled his wand up and lost that smile for what his son told him was horrifying. He pushed Tom to one side. The two Dark Robes gave a double blast of an incantation from their wands. It came as a full force onto Tom's dad and blew him away into nothing but bits and little pieces.

Lying in the dirt, Tom saw the Dark Robes coming to finish him off as well. Tom's quick thinking brought him to raise his wand up, his face full of disbelief and anger. His wand heated up from his grip and intensity and he yelled out loudly the incantation of "illematterieous atomblem." The orb of shapes and a wave of color rang out to the two Dark Robes. With his dad in mind and with the excitement of his rage, he cast an incantation so clearly, the two evil Dark Robes melted away.

Tom's chest heaved while he gulped for air. Glancing sideways, he looked where his dad had just stood. Nothing remained from that double blast. His father had dissolved into nothingness.

* * *

I walked out of the cave, holding the note for my friend back at the school. I'd taken time to write once again and now needed to politely ask to summon the Wind Spirit, as I'd done before to carry the note far away to the school. For the land I stood on and the thickness of the trees' foliage looked unfamiliar. I didn't know this part of the forest at all so I prepared myself to summon the wind. I stood out in the openness of a green meadow and allowed the sun to shine on my face. I started the summons.

"Wizard with a polite song, come to me, my breeze spirit. Come to me to carry my message to thee. Pictures on parchment that were in my head now to appear on paper to be sent to thee. Come to me, my breeze, to let the notes float to thee. Come to take the note and whisk it away to thee."

The breeze came up, steady with straightforwardness. It seemed, as I opened up my hand, I felt the breeze come forward. Kah'la watched with delight as he saw a true wizard at work within the realm of wizardry.

"Wisdom is the art of witchcraft and wizardry and he does not even know it yet," the bird remarked quietly.

As the days came forward and time changed me, I felt relieved that the neatly folded note went out onto that breeze. Wind Spirit lifted it up and whisked it away from my hand and I watched it float away on the tune of the wizard melody. As it flew off up and down, avoiding trees and large boulders, it floated along rivers and a big blue lake onward to the school. I didn't know at the time Eibhlin was still in hot water with the professors.

* * *

Eibhlin had to explain what she'd been doing outside the castle so many times and had to reveal all the notes from me. As Eibhlin ran upstairs to find all she'd gotten, she felt betrayed in having to give them personal letters written to her from a boy. She really liked me and prayed every day for my safekeeping and for me to come back soon. Her eyes teared up, but she stopped as she had a handful of letters she'd hidden. She thought it would be best to show the notes, even though she struggled with the temptation to keep them private, for she held them close to her heart.

She felt confused. One minute she wanted to cast a spell to burn the notes into the Unbelievable Zone, a special spell teenagers used so whoever looked upon the writing would see nothing but blank paper. The next, duty reminded her she should give the notes to the professors.

Her girlfriend Tina ran in the room to see what mental tortures she was going through. "What are you going to do now?"

Before I went on this quest, all the kids liked me. But the girls, well, a lot of them thought of me as their dream date, but most were too shy to ask me. They realized they weren't to be the one who had the fame of being my girlfriend. Now, though, since I'd been out here battling the evil Dark Robes, through my writings I'd become a hero to all of them.

Eibhlin would allow a few each night to come in as she read the letters. The children reacted in much horror, glee and awe because it'd become so much a part of their daily lives to hear what'd happened out here. They couldn't get any news besides this and since the lockdown of the school, they were unable to leave for the fear of the Dark Robes closing in on all areas of the wizard Valley.

There were not too many places left untouched by them, so to have me beating out the Evil Goblin and his men brought cheers and clapping late at night upstairs in Eibhlin's room unknown to the staff. She read to all who dared come in to listen. It'd become like a raffle to pick a ticket for her roommates early in the week to see who would be the lucky few to get to listen to her letters.

For who would be the next few to come after hours? They'd sit on the floor and listen with their big shiny eyes wide open and their hair pulled back to open up their ears to catch each and every word she read, as each note only contained a few lines. For a few days, a girl became one of the privileged few on the reading nights to come.

Confused and nervous, Eibhlin moved about in her room when she heard the professor coming up the stairs to her dorm room. Her head hung low, her hand gripped the precious notes even tighter to her chest. The notes she held from the Wind Spirit over the last four weeks were lies. She hadn't found a single one, but made them up. She needed to tell them now, "Not all are here." She lied to keep everyone's state of mind positive. The boys who still lived were doing great and were heroes in their fight to rid the wizard world of evil.

The Evil Goblin and his evil men had Eibhlin fearing that I had died as well, but it was not so. It was the feeling of someone close to her through her dream sleep - Tom's father. She misinterpreted all the anguish because Tom felt alone in the forest. Even after getting out of the Crossroads, he still felt lost for the loss of his family and that fact he had no one to turn to.

Eibhlin decided not to come forward to the school staff and show them what she'd gotten. She wished to hide till nighttime in the lower level of the old Headmaster's study. The school staff soon figured that Eibhlin would not come clean and bring the notes. The school needed to hear what happened in the forest of the Dark and Evil that I'd fought against for my life so many times.

She planned to sneak out and find the whereabouts of who might be left. Most of all, though, she needed to find out if I was still alive. She would risk all to head out into the forest alone.

Running about and around down the school hallways, she gripped in her hand all she had of me. Her heart pounded from running fast and fighting the temptation in order to do what was correct and give the professors the notes. Eibhlin felt it best to find Professor Woods before she left. She whistled around the halls, echoing off the walls for that blasted bluebird. She heard no reply. The call of the bluebird has been the rarest sound she heard in all of her life. Eibhlin realized it had been a long time since she saw the bluebird and started to wonder where Professor Woods was, too. She hadn't seen her either.

The bird and she might be on the other side of the grounds, watching out for the return of any of the boys. She had shown that she was brave enough to stand on the back of the castle hold, it's called. It's an old lookout from long ago. She stood there, wishing for a sight of an oncoming Shines boy over the horizon.

Eibhlin took the chance to put the letters in a safe place in the study where no one had ever looked before. She slipped them behind the very same book the Evil Goblin had been looking for all this time. The book came alive and inhaled the notes and digested them in its pages. Surprise! She could tell it was the old Headmaster's.

What a surprise to see Eibhlin walk over to the odd looking glass in front of her. She rubbed her hands over the dust on the lens to reveal its hidden properties. Eibhlin pulled back the remaining cloth that covered that marvelous thing. "A mirror into the future, the wizards six." It combined six small looking glasses into a very large one. The glasses were assorted sizes, with so many different sizes and shapes to see and use. The rest lay tucked away in a basket underneath the stand. Marvelous and breathtaking, the magic shined through at the end of the table. If one person looked through the smallest glass, it cast a magical light in its deepest darkest secrets.

If the user bent over and peered into the looking glass, the near future of that very same person would be shown. So much dark magic could be seen in the wizard's six, if one was not wise enough to understand, one could mistake good fortune for bad like so many had in the past, before it came to be in the possession of the Headmaster and lay hidden in his private study. Eibhlin bent over to look in the first one of the six mirrors in a line. As the magic went through, she could see clearly what her heart desired most of all — me and where I was at that very moment.

# Chapter 18: The Looking Glass

Eibhlin watched closely through the looking glass of the old professor's magical viewer. Since it came from such a great wizard, it'd been said from the book of wizard's history that dark magic was interpreted in the looking glass in many different ways. Knowing this, she looked with great care and much concern and saw right off what her heart wished for. It might not be all magic. It was best and wisest to interpret it by the creator of such a magical thing.

As for the old Headmaster, he'd been gone for hundreds of years, so the viewers were on their own. Risks were taken to see as one wished from her heart and she could fall into play in the wizard's looking glass this time around. She did not realize this or any part of the forest or landmarks as she viewed through the first small odd looking mirror. It showed me clearly to her. She was happy to see I was alive and well. Eibhlin stood, bent and ready to take another look into the magical viewer.

* * *

Kah'la told me, "We are being watched. Colin, we aren't alone."

"How do you know?"

"We are in view of the Wizard's Eye."

"What's that?" I grabbed the bird and ducked, looking for cover.

The bird chuckled. "We are in no danger, my boy."

I asked, "How did you know what that is? I've never heard of one."

"It's temperamental. The psychic nature in me tells me it's an old wizard's device to see where one's at. The person looking must know either you or me. We must take steps to get away from here. I'm not sure if this is friend or foe. And now, dear boy, to beat this eye before it gets a good look at us, throw out a blast of your wand. Flick it in the air and we'll be covered in a glare of bright light and gray smoke. Be quick about it, dear boy," Kah'la huffed, his tail feathers shimmering in his urgency.

I flicked the wand and drew a circle of crimson smoke about the place by rotating 360° while standing in one spot.

"Remarkable," I said. "The eye won't be able to see which way we went." The smoke cloud bloomed into a cover of gray from the ground to float upward and out through the forest. However, it also gave away our hiding place, for the Dark Robes saw that plume of smoke.

I picked up the bird from the cave and off the two of us went through the brush. In a hurry one could see me running through the woods. Big as I was, the brush wouldn't part to give me and Kah'la clinging to my shoulder room to run.

* * *

"No, Colin, don't move away!" Eibhlin jumped up and down, then bent over again to stare into the odd looking glass. "I'm trying to find you. No! Don't move any further," she cried, hot tears fogging up the glass. Eibhlin couldn't see through the glass for the smoke that I made covered it. Being a magical looking glass, some of the smoke entered the room and she backed off. Lying on the leather settee, she cried through the day. She was so close to seeing me, wishing I knew of her feelings for me. Eibhlin sat in the office and waited till dark, wondering what she should do. Her stomach growled for lack of food because she ran off before she got to eat, especially after the horrid chain of events she'd gone through the night before with that forest Queen Spider.

Eibhlin sat there upset, her feet dangling from the oversized chair, dusty from years of neglect and care, for no one went in there since the old headmaster's mysterious death. To Eibhlin the room seemed large, quiet and musty. Underneath the dust and clutter of old test papers littered about the desk top, she flipped some of the piles of papers and discovered a very long, odd colorful feather. An epigraphist feeling came over her when she touched the magical feather, an unfamiliar feeling, a physiological knowing. Some mystic looking bird or creature seemed to have been there from the time the Headmaster last sat in that very chair. She saw a huge old birdcage in the corner of the office.

Mmm, she thought as her legs still dangled from the oversized chair. "There were such great happenings here so long ago," Eibhlin said, feeling true magical knowing for that time period.

Eibhlin felt it best if she told the truth, but her true feelings were of me and an overwhelming desire to leave the school, despite the fear of getting caught by the Evil Goblin and his Dark Robes. She felt mad because I disappeared as a cloud of smoke took us away. I didn't know it was her looking at us through the magical viewer, just like she didn't know I created the smoke to cover our tracks. It caused the evil presence hunting us to see where we might be. Moreover, Eibhlin thought there was much undiscovered magic out there that she would have to deal with and learn quickly how to use or avoid its harmful way. She was very excited to try the outside again. The rebellion in her grew stronger.

The room turned itself into an amber glow through the house lights. All the crystals that undulated through its magical senses had come to life, shooting beams in all different directions, like a million stars. For a time, she fell asleep in that oversized chair, but when she awoke, she stood, needing to make her mind up as the house had calmed down for the night. Not a sound or a stir broke the silence; not even howls coming from the forest. Not even the swishes of the flying brooms that held the evil dark presence outside the protected realm, not even the brooms from the broom closets brushing up the halls, for they tended to keep themselves busy when not in use. The school looked very spooky she noticed for the first time.

Eibhlin crept through the room, hearing whispers of the forgotten past. When many invisible hands touched her body, she felt frightened at first, then really scared for she could not move another inch. But a whisper came into her ear and said, "Relax."

Eibhlin headed for the door, but frosty fingers of hundreds of unseen hands grabbed her. She only could think of asking, "Why is this?" She pulled her newfound wand from her back pocket and didn't feel it loosening, surprised when the wand hovered past. Eibhlin's eye watched it float by, held by one of the invisible hands. The wand swooped around the room like invisible things passed it around and around to one another. All of these spirits looked at the wand. She knew it would be best to not worry and to calm her thoughts. She saw the images take wavering shapes as one or two slipped in front of the lights for the crystals.

Eibhlin said, "You all belong to the school. Who are you? I've seen and spoken to most of the school's ghosts and met them on my first day here. I meet many of the forest spirits, but you all are quite remarkably different, aren't you?"

The hands that held her let go and Eibhlin felt free to move about again. She turned and played it boldly. "Well, you've all had a look at the wand I found. What do you think? Do you know this wand for some reason? You keep passing it around. Is it a special wand?" The wand floated back to her hand.

When Eibhlin held the wand, they scattered clear of it and she laughed a little. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you." She asked again, "Does this wand have some sort of special talent?"

One of the spirits came forward and whispered in her ear. She was a girl, Eibhlin could tell now. She asked, "Can this wand help you or someone you know?"

The girl tugged on Eibhlin's earlobe and said, "The wand is a seeker of truth." Plain as day, Eibhlin realized what she had and why it pulled up close to her to be grabbed in the forest floor.

"Wow. It thinks I'm a seeker of truth," Eibhlin replied as if she were five. "The marvels of this one wand. It's all over the history books. It's Angel Bell the Blue's wand, Lady Elfin. What a wonderful treat and gift to hold and to use, especially last night in the web." Eibhlin gasped. The room cleared and she could feel the difference as the putrid stuffy air came back fresh. Eibhlin held Lady Elfin, her mouth open wide in awe. Such a magical wand she now knew and held with pride. She made her mind up.

"I cannot turn back now." Eibhlin eased the study door opened and looked up and down the hallway. Seeing it empty, she took a step out, then darted back in to the desk and grabbed the magic feather, tucking it in her pocket. At the door, she turned left and pulled her robe's hood over her head, scurrying to the passageway underneath the school. To her dismay, many fallen bricks and stones blocked the way for her escape. Taking a candle from its holder on the wall, she carried it closer and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard footsteps echoing nearer and nearer.

"Oh, what a time for no place to hide!" She twisted this way and that, biting her lower lip, looking for an escape. "I need to find a way out!" she whispered, her eyes wide at the footsteps growing louder. The tip of Lady Elfin began to glow, soft and orange, chasing out the shadows.

When Eibhlin turned one way, the glow faded, but when she turned another, it brightened. "I get it!" She walked in the direction of the glow, which led her to the pile of rubble blocking the passageway. "What? I can't..." Before she finished the sentence, she saw a small trail leading to the door, just big enough for a large mouse or a young girl. With a sigh of great relief, she followed it, grabbed the brass ring and pulled the heavy door open just enough for her to slip through. It closed without a sound and a moment later, the footsteps passed by.

She saw the dark outside from where she stood and felt the breeze as she slipped through the bottom of the dungeons. As she crawled her way out of the dungeons, she chose to head down the old path where she walked with the boys, it felt like so long ago now. Eibhlin hoped she would feel our presence there. Besides, that was the best way to the village and best for her to head for light and a warm place to rest.

Running through the grounds, she saw her way clear to the forest. In her hurry, she stepped on something odd and stopped to see the remains of a dead bird. That drew her attention away from the fact the tree line was filled with Dark Robes dressed as children in hopes of grabbing one of the students.

The ground felt cold for the time of night to the Evil Goblin and his men as they lurked about. The most terrible of all had been watching this girl especially. The Goblin had seen some of what Eibhlin could do and knew she had the Sight to find us boys. I was a risk, for I'd killed most of his men. Knowing what a prize Eibhlin made, the Evil Goblin licked his chops and gave the signal.

They had a chance to jump her at first, but she took a different path and now they, too, had to creep and step quietly to sneak up on her. They took their chance because someone from the village or the school could walk freely about and see them. It took ten of them in a fight. They came from the earth and the sky and in back to surprise Eibhlin.

Looking forward to a warm supper, Eibhlin glanced to her right and did a double take. Did that tree just move? Rubbing her tired eyes, she shrugged and kept walking, the thought of melted cheese on hot toast making her mouth water. Wait! It did move! Wha...? Grabbing Lady Elfin, she held it straight, her knees bent, ready to fight. Over her left shoulder, something landed behind her. Whirling around, she saw a Dark Robe and muttered a quick spell.

ZAP! ZING! Lady Elfin popped him twice before a third Dark Robe grabbed Eibhlin and pushed her to the ground. She leapt to her feet, her eyes ablaze and her mouth in a tight line. Lady Elfin glowed and hummed with magic, just waiting for the word to hit one of them again.

Eibhlin counted at least ten surrounding her and jabbed the wand toward a huge Dark Robe in front. Before she could cast a blast, someone threw Spanish dust in her face and eyes, making her choke and blinding her with tears. Before she could count to three, her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground, deep in a magic faint. She didn't hear them gloat at getting their first captive.

The moon rose and set unnoticed by Eibhlin, for she'd been placed under that spell. Dark Robes dragged her from the field and took her by broom into the darkness of the tree tops. Shocked and determined to get out of their grip, Eibhlin came to and screamed.

# Chapter 19: The Goblin's Office

Once she saw them, she had no time to react. As she ran through to find me in her mind, I clouded the thought. It gave them the time to make her their captive on the back of a broom, held against her will. Flying off to their den, they became ill mannered and mean tempered toward this young schoolgirl.

Flown around high in the sky, Eibhlin didn't know where she was at this time, dazed and placed under a spell. She only remembered seeing the moonlight. They had a captive from the School of Shines. They felt now they had a lever to use to get in the school and to bargain with for the book that no one knew its name. Flown wildly about, just these evil men knew where they were taking Eibhlin. Her mind gravitated to a higher level of fear as they whisked her away from all she knew. Leaving the school on her own proved to be a disaster. She let out a loud scream as they flew over the castle. Eibhlin feared that she would not ever see the school again.

No one in the school heard her, for it was late and all were down for the night. The guards for the school were changing over from one shift to another, so they were inside.

Dark Robes flew Eibhlin over the valley. All she could see through her hidden eyes glancing through her school robe hood pulled down tightly, was fog and tops of trees. Scared, she tucked her head in her robe as it flapped in the wind. For these evil men flew very erectly as she struggled now and again. It'd taken off to a greater height into the clouds as they all went streaming in. Scraping her in the face and tickling her neck was the creature's long unusual feather that she had found in the office, now tucked away in her robe pocket.

The broom ride seemed to be ending. Coming down from the heights, she no longer saw a school nearby, but she did see a place like no other. She remembered reading about or heard tell of the mysterious lair and also heard before it was a place of death. Now it was clear to her.

I've been taken to my end. Goodbye, School of Shines.

* * *

Professor Toms stood outside of Eibhlin's door, his arms crossed, his face red. "Young lady, we're waiting for you downstairs. Please bring Colin's notes with you."

Silence met his demand.

"Do you want me to get Professor Woods?"

Still silence.

"Eibhlin! Answer me!"

Down at the bottom of the door was a tiny crack to peek in. Professor Toms took a look and saw that he'd been talking to Eibhlin's empty room. She had taken leave long ago. He hurried downstairs and found her roommate, and got her permission to tear apart the room for a clue or a note telling where she was. Several professors turned the room upside down but found nothing of Eibhlin or my notes.

The professors asked the students who were a part of her little reader's club to tell all that they may know, and what was going on out there with us boys in our plight. All heads turned to Eibhlin's best friend, but she refused to talk.

Sue pulled her wand out in a desperate attempt to silence herself by waving it around her mouth and head to place a Silence Spell. The mouth went tight with a brass zipper across the lips and the face became taped, wrapping around her eyes so she could not give any information away in her look of despair.

The other students who sat in on the reading sprang out their wands too, and the mixed matches of hurried casting created more Silence Spells. The professors got angry and demanded to know why none of the children would tell them what they knew. As the day grew long and tempers rose, the heated discussion went on about how the students and the professors used to have a close and wonderful relationship. Now since the evil came, the students became closed mouth, not knowing who to trust. No word had been said at the Headmaster's funeral. The students were glum, with revenge on their minds.

Evil made good children turn mean and vengeful. A young student, not wanting to betray her lifelong friend, took measures to cast upon herself a Silence Spell. With a flick of her wand, it sealed her lips tighter than if she used glue. To cast a spell on oneself was scary if the proper steps weren't taken. This young girl would soon find out it couldn't be reversed for she pronounced the words wrong. She was in a rush as professors headed her way up the stairs. Now she would be stuck that way either for a while, if a professor could help her, or all through her life. The rest of the children took quick measures to undo the spells they hastily said earlier and allowed themselves to speak again.

* * *

Touching ground, Eibhlin found she'd been brought to the Evil Goblin's office, rushed through the ruins of an old deserted castle.

Dazed, the young girl tried to snap out of the spell, confused and disheveled in this barren old place, a remnant of a castle. She saw all of this in a glance before her captor grabbed her once more, rushed down the halls and pushed her into the Evil Goblin's office.

All the evil one could collect filled the round room. The heads of dead unicorns lay about. Hanging on the walls were skulls of wizard men and woman who did not follow him in the years since leaving the school. Dust and dirt covered the old carpet, and green mold crept up the walls, for no one ever cleaned this round room, unfit to be called an office. Blasphemous art and grotesque sculptures befitting this evil man littered the walls and shelves.

The Evil Goblin sat behind a desk that matched his temper, its black wood twisted with huge, sharp thorns protruding all across the front. Befitting his state of being a lord of the dark, a headdress of horns sat on his head, and he wore a necklace of dozens of dried eyeballs. Pock marks pitted his skin and open sores oozed from his neck. Pointed at both ends, hairy ears the size of dinner plates adorned both sides of his head. His rubbery lips hid pointed and chipped teeth, yellow and gray. Eyes that once held a glint of sanity now bulged in their sockets, bloodshot and red with no pupils. One could see that his state of mental illness was derived by a book he taught to the school on how to become evil and dark.

To change back into what he once was, just a caretaker, proved impossible now. He became an evil dark killer. At the school, he passed for normal, but one could smell him out eventually, for he had not been normal since the day he was born. His looks changed from a creature goblin back to a human so many times that it added up and deformed his face as well as his body, for he had a limp and a hump grew on his back. The abuse of transformation took a great toll on his mannerism, induced nasty habits and made him foul of breath with smoke coming from a long stemmed pipe. A cherry tobacco flavor smelled up the room and wafted across Eibhlin's face.

Eibhlin dared not to inhale or choke on the smoke, for it carried the puff of death. If he chose to blow it at anyone, they would have to duck and avoid the cloud of smoke for it would drop them to their knees. The cherry blend, a spell of death, was well known to be so.

He'd been waiting to question Eibhlin since he heard she'd been caught by his evil men. Knowing she refused to look at him, his presence forced her eyes to lift up. Her head trembled in the effort to stay down, but he proved too strong and she stared into those red bloodshot eyes. She could not avert away from the eerie feeling he gave her and her skin crawled with goose bumps.

"Well, well, well." The Goblin pressed his fingertips together and tilted his head. "I've waited a long time for this, my beauty." He stood and walked around her, looking her up and down. "You'll be perfect. Absolutely perfect."

Eibhlin refused to respond, her jaw muscles flexing.

"Don't you want to know what you're perfect for?...No?" His long, grime encrusted fingernail lifted a lock of her hair and he sniffed it. "You're my bargaining tool. I think the School of Shines will do whatever I want to get you back home safely."

Eibhlin tried to keep from gagging at his stench. "I'm no good to you. No one at the school knows where Colin is."

"Colin? You think I'm doing all this for him? Oh, dear, dear, dear." He picked up Lady Elfin from resting against the wall and waved it at her. "And I thought you were so smart. Don't get me wrong. I owe the boy, but I'm after a certain...book. And that is at the school. So yes, you are going to be of use. Oh, and don't worry." He tossed the wand to his desk and leaned toward her. "We won't hurt you...yet. Just be a good little girl and do what you're told." He returned to his chair and leaned on his elbows. With a dismissive wave, he nodded toward the door. "Take her away."

Two men pushed her through the hall to a small room and threw her in a cell, cold and dark and dreary in its first appearance. Crawling on her hands and knees, she felt the ground move, clotted full of creepy slimy bugs waiting for her to stand still to crawl up her legs and eat her brain. Eibhlin didn't dare lie down or stand in one place too long.

In a moment, the cell door clanged opened and she covered herself up the best she could with her school robe. The feather fell out next to her when she turned and saw the Evil Goblin standing in the doorway.

This odd looking feather shocked him as his eyes stared at it. The Goblin held her wand and a few of his men trembled and stepped back when they saw the feather lying next to her. No one dared to touch it because they didn't know how to manage its power. For all they knew, picking it up meant instant death.

She didn't know then they'd hunted for that feather to add to their power of evil use. It belonged to a mystic creature which they wanted to have on their side. Now to have a feather that belonged to it, they thought she had knowledge of the creature's whereabouts or she attained the true power of the bird. They ran back, slammed the door and locked her in until they could find out how she got that feather. They stood outside the closed door, their eyes peering through the keyhole, watching every move she made.

"Oh, Colin, where are you? Are you nearby? I wish you were here now to rescue me."

* * *

Tossing and turning, a nightmare plagued my sleep. Eibhlin stood in front of me, but I couldn't reach her. She spoke, but I couldn't hear her. I tried everything in my power to break through the barrier between us, but couldn't find the right casting spell. I woke up trying to catch my breath.

"Bad dream, Colin?" Kah'la asked from his perch on a branch above me.

Wiping my forehead, I nodded. "I think Eibhlin's in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I don't know."

"Let me see if I can find out." Kah'la fluttered through the trees and landed at a small pool of rainwater. With his eyes closed, he rocked back and forth for several moments, a deep hum coming from his throat. When he opened his eyes, the water stirred ever so slightly, like fairy wings brushed against it. He leaned over and peered in, searching. He watched the scene unfold, Eibhlin questioned and held in the Evil Goblin's castle. No one at the school knew where she was.

Kah'la returned and stopped beside me. "The Evil Goblin has her."

"Where?" I leapt to my feet.

"At his castle."

"Then let's go!"

"Patience, boy. I don't know where that is."

"But I do," said a voice behind us, breezy and wavering.

I wheeled around to face a creature I'd never seen before. Tall, much taller than I, his skin started out green at the top, but turned dark brown by the time it covered his feet. His arms looked thin and his face, if you could call it that, looked like melted wax, the features drawn and distorted.

"W...who are you?" I gasped, my hand on my wand.

"Linking Tree. I'm a forest creature of ages past."

Kah'la squawked. "I've heard of your kind, though I've never met one."

"Likewise." Linking Tree nodded once, taking great effort to do so since he didn't have any neck that I could see. "You want to go to the Evil Goblin's castle?"

"Yes, please." I managed to find my voice. "He's holding our friend captive."

"Then follow me. I'll take you so far, but then you're on your own."

"Thank you! Any help is greatly appreciated."

With a nod toward the bird, Kah'la perched on my shoulder and we followed our new friend down a path only he could see.

# Chapter 20: The Dragon Vine

Kah'la and I became impatient while hiding all day in the shrubbery among the thickness of the leaves by the Evil Goblin's front gate. It became dark finally; the time drew near. Fireflies flickered and twinkled in the warm air. They took delight in bothering the magical bird as he rested next to me.

I was growing ready to cast Patroness Debus Charm, the invisibility spell, upon myself. I remembered it after searching my brain all afternoon. If I could do this right, it would prove how great my saying was. However, one wrong slip of my tongue would lead to a different cytology. My nerves were a bit jumpy and I started to get the hiccups, exactly what I didn't need now.

With my upgraded wand in one hand, I asked Kah'la, "Does it really matter that I never tried out this spell with this wand before?"

"I don't know," the bird answered. "The power of your old wand was used to you, but this wand is now a part of you. You can't go wrong, Colin."

"Cast me..." I stuttered a bit when I began the spell, and stopped.

"No. Don't stop now! You'll blast us into a nothing."

The wand grew warm and shook in my hand, sweaty from the excitement of trying this task. I knew I was attempting to do what a wiser older wizard would not think of doing.

Gulping once, I licked my dry lips, looked to Kah'la and said, "It's dark enough. Let's do it."

Quietness surrounded the castle, for there'd been no guards posted. They felt safe in their secluded part of the forest. Hesitation came to my memory, stuttering to my lips and my hand trembled in fright. As my wand stirred and rang and zinged out in an enchantment of old, it hummed tunes of old time wizards' hymns.

"What's happening to my wand?" Surprise rearranged my features; my eyebrows reached for my hairline, my mouth opened, and I could only stare at this piece of wood in the palm of my hand.

The mystic bird said, "Oh, about that, I think I should have told you that adding greater power to your wand comes with a ticklish price. The power through an upgraded spell has a temper to it. You as the holder of said power need a steadier hand and a better grip on it, for it will jump and move about if not contained. I should have told you of the changes before you cast this spell, but I'm old and lately, I tend to forget things."

I now thought twice before attempting the casting on myself. But we'd already come so far, that I decided to take a chance and stood upright. I tapped my wand on my forehead and said, "Inconclusive, bring me into the haze and fog of things tonight. Incardo! Millraces!"

Nothing changed, I thought, until Kah'la jerked his head this way and that.

"Where are you, Colin?"

"I'm right here."

Kah'la yelled and flapped his winds in a displeased manner. "Colin? I can't see you."

I said in laughter, "But, I'm right here."

The bird kept looking and even gave a quiet whistle and then, in panic, turned his head and pointy beak counterclockwise, looking for me.

I said once more, "Can't you hear me, my fine feathered friend?" I reached over and touched the bird on the tiptop of his head. Kah'la jumped. I couldn't be seen or heard now. The spell took! Off I went to the castle.

Walking up to the front gates proved to be the easiest part of leaving the cover of the bushes. I saw that the front offered no protection for this castle. Mmm, I thought, that is strange. The Evil Goblin and what's left of the Dark Robes inside the castle never thought that anyone would find their lair. The potion was never thought of, for no one, man or boy, had been this far out in the forest. It took a full night's broom flight just to get here from the School of Shines.

In spite of its ruined state, the enormous wooden doors were closed tightly and I couldn't see any easy access from where I stood. I headed away from the front doors and around the side of the castle. It was quite a bad sight and looked nearly impossible to pass. After his flight, Kah'la felt he knew which room imprisoned Eibhlin, so I needed to search this side, but it was going to be difficult due to the overgrowth of this jungle-like mess.

I took steps over the growth that hung and choked the pathway. Two steps in, I slipped, my feet shooting out from underneath me, and I landed hard. I started to push myself up, but a vine wrapped itself around my wrist and two more around my leg. Sharp thorns bit into my flesh, and I wondered if this was how a fish felt caught on a barbed hook. When I tried to shake free, more vines whipped around my limbs, piercing me with heavy, pointed thorns and, invisible or not, my blood showed. Now entangled, I felt I'd be ripped apart if I moved any further.

Closing my fingers around the handle, I pulled the wand free, the magic making a ringing, metallic sound that hung in the air. I'd never heard a wand make a sound quite like it before. In my palm and on my fingers opposite, I could feel the bumps of the gold wire that spelled out the word Truth on each side of the handle. It pressed almost painfully into my flesh.

The weight of the wand fit me exactly. I felt as if it were a part of me. "A young seeker as magical as one young wizard can get," was written and it was mine. Sorcery was at work in this forest.

It was such an odd looking vine. Dusky variegated leaves hunkered against a stem that wound in a stranglehold around the smooth trunk of a balsam fir. Sap drooled down the wounded bark, and dry limbs slumped, making it look as if the tree were trying to voice a moan into the cool, damp evening air. Pods stuck out from the vine here and there along its length, almost seeming to look warily about for witnesses.

"A wand maker's tree, it ain't," I joked to myself as I tried to struggle through.

A smell first caught my attention, a smell like the decomposition of something that had been wholly unsavory even in life. I combed my fingers through my thick hair as my mind lifted out of the fog of despair.

Coming into focus upon seeing the vine, I saw a sea of more vines, none looking more or less sharp than the last one. Everything else looked normal. The maples of the upper forest were already tinged with the Stinging of the Crimson, proudly showing off their new mantle thorns in the light breeze. With nights getting colder, it wouldn't be long before their cousins in the lower woods joined them. The oaks would be the last to surrender to the season. Having spent most of my life in the woods, I knew all the plants, if not by name, by sight.

This vine, though, I'd seen only once before, and not in the woods. I found a sprig of it at my father's house when I went home for the summer last time.

My father, a trader, traveled often, looking for the chance exotic or rare item. People of means often sought him out, interested in what he turned up. The day came when he brought back a wand, a fine wand as all could see, but no one was allowed to touch that piece of holly. He gave it to me on my third birthday and I learned it uses quickly. A given wand to the hands of a child meant great things to come. It seemed to be the looking for, more than the finding, that special thing to bring back that pleased my father. He had always been happy to part with his latest discovery so he could be off after the next.

From a young age, I liked to take my wand and spend time in the forest alone while my father traveled. My brother, John, was four years older and a great deal smaller than me. John showed no interest in sorcery and use of Enchantments and spirits in these hidden woods.

I preferred to spend my time with people of means, now people from Shines school. They were like me. Five years before I moved away to live at the School of Shines, I often stayed at Father's home, unlike John, who was always busy and rarely had any time to visit. Whenever my father went away, he would leave me a message in the blue jar telling me the latest news, some gossip, or of some sight he had seen.

When John came to tell me our father had been murdered, I went to my father's house, despite my brother's insistence that there was no reason to go, nothing I could do. I had long since passed the age when I did as my brother said.

Wanting to spare me, the people there didn't let me see the body. But still, I saw the big, sickening splashes and puddles of blood, brown and dry across the plank floor. When I came close, voices fell silent, except to offer sympathy, which only deepened the driving pain. Yet I heard them talking in hushed tones of the Stories.

Now, here I was, stuck in the vines. A large one rose up in the figure of a dragon and threw out all of its vines to further entangle me and wrap itself around my body. With my wand in hand and the thick brush wrapped around me, I took measures to get it off of me. I tried to avoid touching it, for its sharp thorns cut deeply into my legs.

Now the Dark Robes could see the blood or, even worse, they just may be keen enough to smell it as I came closer to the trap. This monster plant never grew where I was from. It now surely hooked me. I thought of yelling but, through this spell, I couldn't be heard. I feared that the vine would take me down and pull me into the mouth of its hedge-like choppers. I saw in there thorns for teeth. For this very reason, as it pulled me almost into its mouth, I raised my wand and pointed at the red eyes that peered in anger right at me and said, "Alehouses."

The dragon vine exploded into the air above and flew by me while I lay there, bits and pieces falling all over me. It rained green leaves and clods of dirt. I felt grateful and shook my wand in thanks for blasting that monstrous bush that tried to eat me.

I had seen the start of this dark side coming that covered this ruin. The dark side of this castle started to become a challenge as I stood to look at the north side. Its entire length went on for a mile. It looked overwhelming from where I stood, and I gulped and stirred in discontent.

I muttered, "In what window shall I start to look?" I needed to figure out what'd be best. The time was running short on how long my spell would last. It'd be best to find an opening and climb in before my spell wore off. I needed to hurry before I got stuck or caught, for it had taken half the night to get that plant off of me. I had no time to waste.

I needed to walk down to the burned out window area where I could see the room with the light shining through. Where I stood now, from where my feet were placed, this place once had a fire. It looked to have been burnt down by flames from many dragons. The stone crosses that made the window frame strong and added that bit of protection were ripped out long ago. The remains of large and small chunks of stone lay about on the ground. I used a big piece of stone and granite to step on, lifted onto my belly for balance on the sill, then flung myself in through the open window. I plunged headfirst and fell onto the stone floor. Invisible or not, I came down with a big thud and a bang, rattling the lamps and jugs of winter wine on the table.

Tiny, creepy crawly creatures sensed my presence, thousands of them on the floor and slithering on the walls. They saw me somehow — my blood, I bet. My wounded leg dripped with it. Evil looking, horrible things overran the room. One turned to stare at me as I passed by.

"Yikes," I breathed in. A young person would feel sick to his stomach, so it was a good thing I'd grown up. I felt older for what I'd been through in the past few months. I was in a tight spot as the room felt like it was closing in on me.

The crawling things tried to take a bite or two out of me. Some were no more than a size of a tiny bug, others flew, still others looked like creatures from who-knew-where in space and time. I could hear them preying on each other, chomping when they caught one. I tried to tune out the terrified squeals of the victims as they were being crunched on.

This gathering sniffed me out and all started crawling toward me. I stomped and squished them the best I could. Still silent, I knew the smell of blood drove true evil wild and straight forward. I was stuck in the corner of this room, pressed against the wall in fear. As they crawled close to me, I discovered that parts of my body were coming clear. The spell was wearing off. I leapt and hopped and ran across the floor to gain my freedom from the nasty creatures. They tried their best, for they couldn't see me, and they'd rise up and snip and clip and bite at the brief movement rushing past them. The ubiquitous creatures that pinned me against the wall turned and scurried after me. With one huge leap, I made it through the door, slamming it shut behind me. While catching my breath, I scanned the area.

I'd heard rumors that the sight to see was a huge galley that held the treasure of the Evil Goblin's ill-gotten gains from all his raids to pay off his evil men. But, I didn't have time to sightsee and considered my options.

This level of the castle floor couldn't be the one holding Eibhlin. Kah'la described a different view. The somber feeling in the halls and the rooms I peered in didn't seem right to me. But I pressed on because a very special friend from the School of Shines just might be around the corner.

I needed to be quicker looking in here for there were a hundred doors to choose from on this floor, especially before the rest of my body started to show. The remaining night grew short and so did my time.

* * *

In his office, unaware of my presence, the Evil Goblin paced back and forth, praising his men for the great deed they'd done. Then, his own driven madness took over his usual stature and a change came over him. The others watched in disbelief when he started to growl, his eyes glowing red.

The thing that angered him most was his plan to use Eibhlin as a hostage. He told the school professors he had a Shines' student to offer for a deal. When the school didn't respond, the prisoner turned herself into stone and couldn't be moved or touched, and it upset the Evil Goblin. No one dared open that door since Eibhlin went through a dream state realm. It'd been many weeks ago since she'd into stone. And now he grew angry and impatient.

The Evil Goblin talked to a handful of his evilest men, and told of his plan. He'd been thinking of this for many years.

"There's only one way to get the magical book," he said, "We must reach out and dig deep into the darkest realm and see what evil I'm to control in getting the magic bird and getting a way into the School of Shines." For now, though, the new ruler waited for his plan to work.

The response to his ransom note came by way of an owl messenger to the ruins of his castle. The School of Shines declined the Evil Goblin's offer — one student returned in exchange for the Evil Goblin's freedom to roam the halls of our school. The school staff held tight that the Evil Goblin would not destroy his captive student. The staff was baffled by whom it might be, and incensed at just the thought of it being a Shines student. They still believed it was a hoax, but they were missing Eibhlin. They worried about Eibhlin's whereabouts and wondered if she was the captive. The facts came in, persuading the professors that the Dark Robes might indeed have her. They kept this from the students; Professor Toms and Professor Hinkle asked Professor Woods to remain silent to the students. Biting their nails, frazzled or not, the safety of the whole school was the premise of their decision. They swore to stick to the instructions in the High Council's last letter.

Evil had captured most of the strongest parts of this magical realm. School of Shines was the last stronghold that kept them back. The school had to be taken so the Evil Goblin could get that black book which was so wicked. The book was the only known holder of the one spell that would change the Evil Goblin into a mystic creature. It was unseen still who would rule this land and bring it into the dark side forever. All ears were alerted to hear who would obey him. The obeying cries went out to all the weakest members to rally against the school this coming Sunday. The power that evil held would teach the finer arts of the Dark and Evil to all and rule the world then.

# Chapter 21: Catered

I opened my eyes, then rolled onto my front and rose to my knees and elbows, to crawl from under the window. I'd moved two inches when several things happened in quick succession.

A loud, echoing crack broke the sleepy silence like a gunshot; a cat streaked out from under a table and flew out of sight; a shriek, a bellowed oath and the sound came of a breaking china doll, Chattering China Doll Tina we called them, by the window from the rooms below me.

This was the signal I'd been waiting for. I jumped to my feet, at the same time pulling from the waistband of my jeans a thick new wooden wand as if I were unsheathing a sword. But, before I could draw up to my full height, the top of my head collided with the statue near the open window. The resultant crash made me scream even louder and caused the freaked-out cat downstairs to fly through the open window and into the dark yard.

I felt as though my head had been split in two. Eyes streaming, I swayed, trying to focus to spot the source of the noise, but I had barely staggered upright when two large purple hands reached through the open window and closed tightly around my throat.

'Put - it - away!' A young house elf named Catered snarled into my ear. 'Now! Before - anyone - sees!'

'Get - off - me!' I gasped. For a few seconds we struggled. He pulled at my massive fingers with his left hand, his right maintaining a firm grip on my raised wand. Then, as the pain in the top of my head gave a particularly nasty throb, Catered yelped and released me as though he had received an electric shock. Some invisible force seemed to have surged through my spine, making me impossible to hold on to.

Panting, I fell forwards over the table, straightened up and stared around. There was no sign of what had caused the loud cracking noise. My wand flicked out a tiny eerie ray of a thunderbolt from my body to his, back and forth. This happened only once in a wizard's lifetime. I took too much for not knowing my own wizard magical sense.

* * *

On the whole night, Catered thought he was to be congratulated on his idea of hiding here. The little house elf was not, perhaps, very comfortable lying on the hot, hard earth but, to crawl around on all fours proved a greater challenge. On the other hand, nobody was glaring at him. His teeth grinded so loudly that he could not hear the cries of the other captives he believed were in here too.

He grew up in the worst sort of place and was shown terrible things in witchcraft, and the beginning of becoming a wizard was changed because evil was shown to be good.

It was bad; as a child others picked on him. As a youth, to get revenge, he wanted to be what his father had searched for and wanted to become, great. His father died from the attempt to steal a forbidden spell to use to find this book of magic. The cast attempt drove him to madness first to do dismal things that would prove to make him great.

One usually got death or wicked madness and became locked in the book's own misery. It contained all the spells of evil. The making that he'd tried brought him into this bad way. Catered was stuck in the darker parts of this castle and couldn't handle the light. Wearing wicked looking sunglasses to protect his eyes, he stayed clear of any sort of natural light.

It was common to find him during the day crouched in a corner in the dark. He spewed out too many uncommon spells to do evil in his unguided wicked way and wound up torn between what was real and what wasn't. His mind played terrible tricks from the badness of evil spells that he cast.

He suppressed remembering the first time seeing Dark Robes. The memory was a foul one. The Evil Goblin was astonishingly stupid about their attempts. They'd swallowed all his dimwitted lies about having tea with a Headmaster Supreme, the highest order of a wizard. Different members of his gang every night of the summer holidays broke into homes and stole from the rich.

Catered knew perfectly well that Dark and Evil had not been to tea anywhere; because he and his gang spent every evening vandalizing the play park, smoking on street corners and throwing stones at passing cars and children. He had seen them at it during his evening walks; he had spent most of the holidays wandering the streets, scavenging for food from bins along the way. In the real realm of the non-magical foes, he dealt with everything their world had to offer.

* * *

Catered continued to grin in a horrible, manic way until all the curious ghostly faces disappeared from their various windows, and then the grin became a grimace of rage as he beckoned me towards him.

I moved a few steps closer; taking care to stop just short of the point at which Catered outstretched hands could resume their strangling. "Colin, wait," he said.

"How do you know who I am? And how can you see and hear me?"

"I live in the dark. You might be invisible to everyone else, but I see your shape. It's watery, but I see it. I don't know why I can hear you. Was that part of a spell? Perhaps it's worn off. As for your name, I hear things, whispered things by the Dark Robes. They're afraid of a wizard named Colin. Who else could you be, sneaking in here with your wand and bad attitude? I can help you. Trust me."

"What the devil do you mean, boy? Trust you? You serve him not me. I'll not take your hand. I'll hang onto my wit rather than that hand of yours," I told Catered in a croaky voice that trembled with fury.

'What do you mean by that?' said Catered coldly. He kept looking out the window, still hoping to see the person who had made the cracking noise.

I hesitated for a moment. It cost me something to tell the truth this time, even though Kah'la could not possibly know how bad I felt admitting it, being a seeker. "My psychic feelings aren't bringing me news," I said tonelessly. "I can't seem to pinpoint where my friend is held captive in here."

"I don't believe it," said little elf Catered at once.

"No more than do I," I snapped."

"We know you're up to something funny," said the ghostly heads peering through the walls again. "We're not stupid, you know."

"Well, that's news to me," I said, my temper rising, and before Catered could call me back, I wheeled about, crossed the room, went into the hallway and strode up the stairs.

In the hallway one floor up, I ran from door to door to find out where my friend may be. In one room, I saw piles of bones and I thought they were from old wizards who proved their end in here.

As I rushed out of the room, I saw movement running around me, back and forth. It blurred, coming so quickly to my eyes. I gulped and whispered, "I think this place is haunted for sure."

I looked in each and every room that was unlocked. Ghouls of all different shapes and sizes lined the halls, blocking doors that I needed to open to search the remaining rooms. Before I started to climb the stairway to check the remaining floors, two small ghouls blocked my way. They had seen enough to know in their ghoulish evil ways that there was an unwanted presence in front of them   me.

"It's going to be a long night," I groused under my breath, once again stuck by my unluckiness inside here. The odds had been against me from the start. With the spell showing signs of wearing off, I was in trouble now and I knew it. I would have to face my fate and later pay the price for my stupidity, but I did not care very much just at the moment; I had much more pressing matters on my mind.

I was sure someone appearing or disappearing had made the cracking noise, and in the back of my mind, I wondered if it was Linking Tree. The whispers were in here now. Outside in the forest clearing, long before this place came about, old haunting came banging and knocking around.

The house-elf made funny and strange noises nearby to ward off evil. He stepped carefully as he walked down to the dark hallway, then he vanished into thin air. Was it possible that my friend Linking Tree was here in the castle? Could Linking Tree be following me right at this very moment? As this thought occurred, I wheeled around and started back down dark hallway again, but it appeared to be completely deserted and I was sure that Linking Tree did not know how to become invisible like me.

I walked on, hardly aware of the route I took, for they all looked the same, these dark halls reeking with fear and the rotten smell of old decayed death. Every few steps I glanced over my shoulder. Someone magical had been near me as I lay among the cold stonewalls, I was sure of it. Why hadn't they spoken to me? Why hadn't they made contact, why were they hiding now? Was I headed for trouble or into finding my friend?

And then, as my feeling of frustration peaked, my certainty leaked away. Perhaps it hadn't been a magical sound after all. Perhaps I was so desperate for the tiniest sign of contact from the world to which I belonged that I simply overreacted to perfectly ordinary noises. Could I be sure it hadn't been the sound of something breaking inside the castle?

Not knowing what lay ahead in the dark parts of the hallways worked against me. The ghouls saw what they thought was a wizard boy, but they couldn't quite make out what they saw. Down deep in the midst of the rooms, magic flared. They came closer to me. As my wand was tempted to strike, and my mind ready to lead a casting of spells, I stopped and gave it time to see what really happened in this dark hall. A mist formed throughout the way as the ghoulish creatures came even nearer to take a sniff at what they thought was a boy wizard. Most tasty, they felt and hoped, for they ate anything that got lost in here or wandered off from the Evil Goblin.

I felt a dull, sinking sensation in my stomach and before I knew it, the feeling of hopelessness that had plagued me all night through rolled over me once again.

"We can't say much about you-know-what, obviously," Linking Tree spoke finally, startling me. "We've been told not to say anything important in case our words go astray. We're quite busy but I can't give you details here in which room she may be. There's a fair amount going on. We'll tell you everything when we see you later."

But when were we going to see her? The night was going to be over and the invisibility spell was wearing off. Nobody seemed too bothered with a precise time in locating my school friend. Catered scribbled something on the wall next to me.

The ghouls grabbed at what they thought was a young boy. "Tasty he might very well be," they encouraged each other. "He might become our supper." They attempted to strike out at me and pin me in the back of the walkway leading to another room.

As I went by, I saw what my little friend wrote on the wall: Danger to you! The ghouls grabbed handfuls of my hair, for the spell showed more of me than I cared to. Thankfully there wasn't enough of me to hang onto for the disappearing spell held up, and I vanished right before their ghoulish eyes. I avoided each one by ducking and twisting around and moving side-to-side. They headed in with their large arms all try reaching out at me, but I proved quick on my feet.

A flick of my wand threw a small flame of sparks that made them jump back in pain and surprised them all, for they couldn't see the wand or who might be casting. Shock leapt from their ghoulish eyes with that flame of fire on them. Panic set in. The large group started to fade away from the casting. One reached out to me and I tapped the wand on its hand to shock it across the room. It seemed to come out of thin air. I got away by casting many spells to get this hungry, now-confused group away from me.

I cast my wand with a flick of pain as the last hands stopped trying to grab at me. I could see what room they came out of. It smelled of death and decay. To my poor tired unbelieving eyes, I saw the souls of my friends John, Hunter and Riley wandering lost in these dark hallways throughout this unholy ground. They bore the look of a dead man walking.

As it once was told, they who died in a terrible battle or fought by true evil and got caught by the evil side of the Dark Robes could not walk the trail to heaven. The poor lost souls walk the dead man's doom of this room forever and ever, locked away from the light. There was also a man in there, a wizard with a broken wand. It must have broken from a humongous 'cast' spell.

It saddened me. In this very large room fill with all sorts of things, my school friends that set out to do good and bring down evil with me were in there.

Kah'la grew impatient waiting in the forest and came to the grounds of the castle ruins. He took to the sky by flight, but couldn't see any sign of me for it was pitch dark. The lateness would soon be over, though, for the mystic bird could see the coming dawn breaking through.

# Chapter 22: Shadow People

I decided not to waste my remaining breath on pointing out that I could barely walk under Linking Tree's bulk. Linking Tree had a habit of leaning on me for support. I gave the semiconscious Catered a heave and staggered onwards.

"We're to help keep you from doing magic at all costs so you don't wake the evil members who lie partly awake in here." Linking Tree puffed up with importance.

"Shush! We need to be quiet," I fussed, tired of bickering... tired of holding up Linking Tree...tired of...well, just plain tired.

"It's no good crying over spilt potion, I suppose, but the cat's among the pixies now."

"You can see the pixies?" My eyes went wide at the thought.

"Yes, I can. I think they're unbelievable."

Of course, Linking Tree had been following me on the journey. "Headmaster knows what's been and done. He just sees all, before he was killed," I said impatiently.

"Did you expect him to let you wander around on your own after what happened in June? Good Lord, boy, they told me you were intelligent," Linking Tree remarked.

"Right! Let's get inside and stay there." I tried not to let my hurt feelings show. We reached the twenty-first floor and I rubbed my aching leg. We'd been doing nothing but walking upstairs.

"I expect someone will be in touch with you soon enough," Linking Tree stated to me by a flow of breath from him. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going straight home once I find Eibhlin." I stared around the dark hall coming into view and shuddered. "I'll need to wait for more instructions."

"Just stay in the light or it will be 'goodnight' for us," Linking Tree said.

Something or somethings fluttered in the darkness, shapes I couldn't make out.

"That's not pixies flying around in that dark hallway, is it?" I gulped, my tiredness replaced by a need to run.

"Pixies, you say? Try Shadow People."

'Wait!' I shouted after a Shadow Person. I had a million questions to ask anyone in contact with the Evil Goblin's realm but, within seconds, darkness swallowed up the Shadow People. Scowling, I grabbed little Catered by his shoulder and made my slow, painful way up to the twenty-sixth floor, away from the smell and sight of the destruction the ghouls had caused in the blow of death. They couldn't conjure from their rounded-hole mouths they had.

At a new row of doors, I decided to try my luck at finding Eibhlin. I stuck my wand inside the waistband of my jeans and tried the first doorknob. The door was locked, but I watched an eerie outline grow larger and larger, oddly distorted by the rippling glass in the door.

"Maybe we found her," went Linking Tree.

"About time, too." I was getting quite — quite — frazzled and battered.

"What's the matter?"

My eerie feeling came galumphing out of the dark, the door opened and a Shadow Person grabbed me with its cold hand. Realizing my danger, Catered reacted on instinct; crimson smoke blew hither and thither as it always did when he was agitated. The Shadow Person lifted up at the force and then disintegrated. I hurried forward to help negotiate a weak-kneed Catered over the threshold while avoiding stepping in the pool of sickly glue, glue of a splattered Shadow Person.

With a feeling of mingled dread and anger, I turned to follow Linking Tree. He seemed to know where to go from here. He had an oddly unreal glitter after the darkness outside that seemed to lie upon his ghostly form.

In the next room, Catered fell into a chair, still very green and clammy looking. The frightful night affected him badly. Linking Tree stood in front of the draining board for rainwater, glaring at me through tiny narrowed eyes.

"What?" I asked, taking a step back.

"You really don't know what you're doing, do you?"

"What's that suppose..."

At that precise moment, a screech owl swooped in through the window. Narrowly missing the top of my head, it soared across the table and dropped two parchment envelopes it carried in its beak at my feet. It turned gracefully, the tips of its wings just brushing my back.

I ripped open the first envelope and pulling out the letter, my heart pounding somewhere in the region of my Adam's apple.

We have received intelligence that you performed the Patroness Debus Charm and did so with great cheer and respect and grace. We commend you on a good night's work. I look forward to meeting you in person and offering my hospitality. Signed, the Evil Goblin, in red ink no less. He'd been watching the whole time.

"Waggled," I huffed and threw the note away and opened the second.

Jacks School of Shines of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Colin, you are hereby summoned to a hearing on June 21 to answer charges of willful disobedience to the Ministry's laws. You put yourself and others in danger by leaving school grounds to avenge Headmaster Barns' death. In doing so, at least three of those students are now dead and we hold you responsible.

Until the Ministry of Magic has reached a decision concerning this matter, you are ordered to refrain from all use of magic, either by wand or by saying spells.

If you do not comply with this summons to appear for the hearing, you will be summarily expelled from the School of Shines and your wand will be burned.

Ministry of Magic

I read the letter through twice, only vaguely aware of little Catered and Linking Tree talking. Inside my head, all was icy and numb. One fact had penetrated my consciousness like a paralyzing dart. I looked up at Catered who was purple-faced, shouting, his fists still raised and who was retching again, with great uncaring.

What did that mean? I had to trust that the Headmaster's wisdom was trying to sort it all out. How much power did our Headmaster have to overrule the Ministry of Magic? Was there a chance that he might be allowed to come back to life and appear somewhere on the ground of Shines? A small shoot of hope burgeoned in my chest, almost immediately strangled by panic — how was I supposed to refuse to rescue my friend, Eibhlin, without doing the worst of magic? I'd have to duel with the evil presence in here, and if I did that, I'd be lucky to escape with Eibhlin, let alone avoid expulsion.

My mind raced. I was scared. I'd endured a long night. I could run for it, but that risked being captured by the evil that lurked all over. Or, I could stay put and wait for them to find me here. I was much more tempted by the former course, but I knew Professor Tebs taught me that one useful spell. Professor Tebs had my best interest at heart teaching me that and, after all, the Headmaster had sorted out much worse than this before.

* * *

The mystic bird, Kah'la, grew inpatient and flew over the castle. He landed on the trees to watch the front of those great big wooden and metal gates. The bird grew worried for my welfare.

Kah'la muttered about what lie ahead, then spoke out a fog of magical incantation. Spells went out one-by-one. The big wooden doors that held the castle closed started to move before his eyes. He threw out a hundred more mutters of spells, concentrating on conjuring up a man-eating dragon, an evil sorcerer's nightmare. He wanted the dragon to bust the door down and come through the castle like hell on fire to bring me back to the outside.

To summon a dark temperamental dragon definitely demanded work of this bird's realm, a rare feat proven by the fact there weren't any dragons around. One as mystic as Kah'la would have to go back in time to strike at all the evil in his way. Kah'la had to mentally use great care in one thought. He started the Time Wizards Presence through his mind.

Time went backwards and the bird saw the change in the land and the castle, when it was great in its day. Kah'la felt he'd come to the time of the dragon era. In this day of old, men were made kings by their courage and the dragons they fought.

A mist came from his thoughts, swirling around him. He swayed back and forth, his eyes closed, his feathers shaking in his great concentrated effort. His mind remained focused on the old times and the dragons dwelling there. The conjuring spells flowed from him and finally, exhausted, he opened his eyes from dream-like scenes.

A dragon stood at the front gates of this ruin. The scales along his spine glistened in emerald green armor, but, toward his stomach, they turned to ruby red, like fire and blood. Massive jaws hid a cavernous mouth, and his terrible wings lay folded along his side. Fire spewed out and he growled, impertinent in his stance. The flames reached out one hundred yards or more.

Kah'la sat on that old log and remarked to himself, "I think I've still got the good old magic touch." He preened his feathers and cocked his beak until a new thought crossed his mind. "Now, how do I talk to that dragon?" His head twisted this way and that. His eyes narrowed and he stared at the sky for a good long moment. "I know! I'll use the mystic sign language to tell him what I want done." It looked funny to see the bird standing on that log, waving his wings about to catch the dragon's eye and gain his full attention. This was quite a true feat of magic brought forward from old and it showed on the bird's brow.

At the summons, the dragon turned and lumbered his way to the bird on that log. Kah'la stood there, trying to act as tall as he. The mystic bird wanted the dragon to set fire to that door and bring it to ashes. He'd also wanted to gain access to that dwelling.

The dragon knew what he asked and fluttered his enormous wings back with a flap or two. The dragon's giant head turned and through his nose came out a huff and a puff of smoke as in "ok" to Kah'la. Then he went back to the big wooden doors. He raised his head and roared back hundreds of roars to blow out a large flame on the door, setting it a blaze.

The mystic bird flew down and peered through the smoldering opening of the castle and into the main hall. The dragon crept up and together they entered the realm of the Evil Goblin's castle to see the splendor. Their eyes got big to see so many shiny things lining the walls and floors. Finery and rare objects stood and sat and hung in this great hall. Pure gold candles hung magically in thin air, floating by to light the hallways as they walked through. Crystal lined the walls for all to gaze upon.

The wealth of this place showed that the Dark Robes had made it home. It offered a stark contrast to the ruins outside. The dragon took off to look around on his own. His powerful tail knocked some of the crystal off the walls. Startled, he whipped around and bumped into a priceless statue, sending it to the floor in a loud crash.

At the noise, ghouls came out of the woodwork; thousands poured out like ants that got their hill stepped on. Some of the Dark Robes took a look from the upper level of the stairs to view a dragon in their midst. The dragon reared his head and opened his mouth. They yelled out in anger and pointed their wands at the dragon.

He let out a big blast that set the staircase on fire. The ghouls ran to hide from the flames. The dragon looked at the bird, nodded and even gave a wink with his left eye, then moved his giant head to do so many more terrible things.

It became fun for the fire-breathing dragon. Kah'la suggested that he light the whole room up in a blaze, and out went a bigger flame, higher and hotter. It burned some of the finery. After that blast, the dragon hiccupped and burped out a tiny puff of black smoke.

Kah'la said, "Well done, my new friend."

Screeches filled the halls; an eerie sound rang out, breaking all the mirrors. The grim sad cries came from all the haunted and trapped. They let it be known they were free from this day on and every moment of time.

Those remaining were too afraid of the dragon and his burst of fire to come out while he took his time and strolled around the interior of the Evil Goblin's domain. He had a lifetime plus in his day, dealing with real true evil. The history of such things sat here inside this golden room of crystals and finery and splendor. As a sparkle twinkled in his eye, he took great strides to climb the many stairs ahead. The bird flew in the corridors to look for me.

# Chapter 23: Dragon Realm

"Right," I said, "I've changed my mind. I'm staying." I flung myself at the door, an eerie glow emanating from it. I yanked it opened, but no Eibhlin. The vine cut in my leg stung and my purple temple throbbed worse than ever.

"You sure?" Catered asked. "I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you ran."

"I need to find Eibhlin." I crossed my arms. "No matter what else, I can't leave her here. I've already had three friends die. Maybe four if Tom's had it. I refuse to make it five! Let the Ministry of Magic do its worst." I wished I felt as brave as I sounded. But the thought of Eibhlin, my Eibhlin, in the clutches of that horrid filthy goblin made me so angry...

My companions turned and pointed to the magical bird flying past. A roar shook the walls and they both bent low, looking at the destruction the dragon was now doing to the main hall.

Kah'la flew by one more time, squawking and screeching at the ghouls surrounding the dragon. I aided the fire breather, pointed my wand at the evil lurking all around and gave out a blast to move them back, even past the hiding places of the Shadow People.

"I know I wasn't supposed to use magic in here so we wouldn't wake up the creatures. But, honestly! How could anyone sleep through that?" My chin pointed at the dragon now busy turning one column into toast. A pain twisted around my head so fierce, I felt sick to my stomach and dizzy besides. Dragon smoke made it almost impossible to breathe and I wanted to tear off my fevered leg, it hurt so badly. And hungry? I hadn't eaten in so long, Catered started to look tasty!

I raised my wand, my thumb rubbing the handle, and frowned. "I'd like nothing more than to blast everything to bits. I can't take much more of this. I'm losing my mind."

Catered said, "No, Colin. Don't think of it. It's the bad magic from this place. Any length of stay around the Evil Goblin will make you mad in the head."

I shrugged and didn't answer. But truth be told, I kept a secret. I was losing my mind.

Catered looked white-faced and had tears in his eyes. I realized I wasn't the only one feeling bad. While everyone else hung over the stairwell, I laid an anxious hand on Catered's large dark forehead to feel his temperature.

At my touch, Catered blinked and I swear he tried to smile when he said, "All the years I've been in here, it's nice to be with friends and not be around evil. You have a good enough chance to beat my master. I am feeling nice and not so mean as before."

I didn't have time to answer. One of the walls opened up from a swish from the dragon's tail. It was light out and my disappearing spell sputtered out too, on and off.

"As if you'd never be happy again," I supplied dully. "I rather be dead than be a part of his ruling."

"Easier said than done," replied Catered.

"Yes," I whispered, trembling, the vine's bite searing the veins in my leg.

"So!" said the dragon to the Shadow People and ghouls that took swords to fight this huge beast from old. "You put some crackpot spell on my son one thousand years ago so he'd hear voices and believe he was - was doomed to misery, or something, did you?"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" said one of the Shadow People, temper and voice both rising. "It wasn't us! It was a couple of evil men that did that so long ago."

"A couple of - what's this codswallop?"

"Evil that's here did that, not one of us," said the Shadow People, still swinging their swords at him. Two of them got a blade in through his protective plating and made him scream out in pain.

I came running from way down the hallway into a room, for the ghouls I heard seemed to come from there. I swung around the corner and planted both feet hard to stop my high speed run. Rubbing my tired eyes with both fists, I needed to make sure I saw clearly after being up all night.

"Tom!" Someone had tied him up like a hog scrambling about on that dirty floor. "You're alive!! What happened to you? Where have you been?"

Tom searched the room, confusion in his eyes, wondering if this was a trick by the Evil Goblin. I'd forgotten he couldn't see me.

"It's me, Colin."

"C...Colin? Where are you?"

"Sorry, I'm temporarily invisible. This time yesterday, nobody could hear me either, but that part of the spell wore off. So why are you here?" When I began to untie him, he started talking.

"I fell into a wizard's hole called a whirlpool of overloaded imagination of said spells. I spun out of control to somewhere in time, which brought me here. The next thing I know, the Evil Goblin locked me away in this very room."

As I scrambled to get Tom untied and set him free, a loud noise came from the lower part of the castle. Before we could say how glad we were to see each other, I grabbed Tom and ran out of that room. The loud roars echoed throughout the walls and made the floor shake; we ran through the maze of entangled passageways. Tom looked a terrible fright, could barely speak, and his hair stood up on top of his head from the wind of the spinning of the wizards nightmare. He must have been stuck for quite some time in the whirlpool he traveled through.

Tom yanked me to one side and muttered, "I don't like this place, not after what I've been through. Let's just get out of here right now!"

"I can't. Eibhlin is in here too!"

Shocked, he stumbled backwards on the heels of his feet. "In here? What is this place?"

Tom opened his mouth, closed it again, opened it once more, shut it, then, struggling, opened it for a third time and croaked, "So - so - they - err - they - err - they actually exist, do they - err - Shadow People and ghouls, too?"

I nodded. "And we have a dragon here, too."

Tom stared at Linking Tree and little house elf Catered, then in my direction as if hoping somebody was going to shout 'April Fool!' When nobody did, he opened his mouth yet again, but was spared the struggle to find more words by the arrival of the red owl of the evening.

It zoomed through the open window like a feathery cannon ball and landed with a clatter on the hall table, causing all three of the Shadow People lying hidden in the dark corners to jump with fright. I tore a third official looking envelope from the owl's beak and ripped it open as the owl swooped into the night.

"It's a note for the dead Headmaster," I said. Tom looked surprised.

I read this letter through three times in quick succession. The miserable knot in my chest loosened slightly with the relief of knowing I was not yet definitely expelled, though my fears of my Headmaster's death were by no means banished or forgotten.

The Headmaster could still be of help to me through his death. One day, I would have the spell to go to the graveyard behind the school and bring the Headmaster to life again. Everything seemed to hang on this hearing on the twenty first of June.

"Well?" said Linking Tree, recalling me to my surroundings. "What now? Have they seen you haven't done anything?"

I asked little Catered, "Do your lot have the death penalty in your neck of these haunted woods?" Before he could answer, I spoke to Linking Tree. "I've got to get to that hearing. The Headmaster can help me sort out all this mess."

Before we knew it, the note leapt into a dust ball and floated to the floor as ashes.

"If I can, I'll kill the Evil Goblin on the spot," Catered offered.

I snapped, "Are you in touch with wizards? You're a house elf belonging to the evilest man in the world. With one flick of his wand, he'd obliterate you."

Worry filled his black shiny eyes. "Then, let's lure him to the school or to the hearing and let the Ministry of Magic deal with him."

"The evilest man is your master, the Goblin. The evil master commanded the Dark Robes to kill all of us at Shines. We'll just attack him before he attacks us. I won't let him get anywhere near the students again! The fight is here. I'll make it so. Shines will be saved!"

"Hey!" Tom shouted. "Colin, I can see you."

"Great. Just great." I placed the little house elf in a safe room. Waiting for the evil to strike once more, my head pounded, my brain too busy from lack of sleep, and my eyes stung and itched with tiredness. My back ached from hauling the little elf Catered around.

Up and down I paced, consumed with anger and frustration, grinding my teeth and clenching my fists, casting angry looks out at the star-strewn sky of this old ruin. Every time I passed the window, the Shadow People watched me. Echoes of the fierce dragon lay below, tearing apart the interior of the main floor. He too sounded tired of his wretched way of old, especially for what they did long ago to his family. He felt justified in coming back for pay back time.

"I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here," Tom said patiently. "I was in the forest and now I'm in here, and even you're here. I wind up just being told Eibhlin's in here. Where's she at?"

I said, "I'm not sure. Anyway, we need to find her like right now!"

"I'm staying with you. Let's not split up, ok?" He still had his hand gripping tightly on my arm.

Just as he said that, a bang and crash went through as an echo, and flames came up the landing of the stairwell we stood on. All sorts of ghouls and creepy things flew by and we leaned against the wall to avoid getting hit by one.

Even the horrible creepy crawly things that tried to eat me soared by without noticing us two boys. Our eyes grew as big as half dollars, shocked to see all the things that came out of the dark hallways. As the flames came through, we heard an unfamiliar sound.

Tom said, "That has to be a dragon."

# Chapter 24: The Charm of Return

I turned to look down the landing in between the flashes of fire to see Kah'la standing right next to this dragon, of all things. Tom still held my arm in a death grip.

His eyes bugged out of his head. "He has a dragon with him and they're tearing apart the castle!"

Kah'la saw him as he took a second peek, and flew up to me, landing on my shoulder. It gave Tom a fright. "I figured you need a helping hand," said the bird. "I see the spell wore off and I'm in the nick of time. Where's Eibhlin?" he asked. "The girl, where is she? Don't tell me you haven't found her yet? And who's this young boy?" He turned his head completely around like an owl and stared deeply at poor Tom. Tom couldn't believe that this colorful bird was talking to him while he sat on my shoulder.

The mystic bird said, "I can tell you, she's really close to where you're standing right now. She can be below you or next to you or above you. That's all I can say. I summoned the dragon to knock the door down to the main gates and now this lair is a fiery mess. He's tearing apart this castle as we speak and the landing below us is falling apart."

The flames of this dragon burned high enough to reach our feet. The forest filled up with all sorts of creepy creatures that'd been locked away since the Goblin started his reign of power.

"I wish you luck, Colin, my boy," Kah'la went on. "I need to take this dragon back to where a dragon belongs. And that's not easy, I'll tell you. Some Dark Robes are still in here. They're finding ways to come close to us, so you and this young boy here will have to watch your step. Ok?"

"Will I see you again?" I asked as the bird flew downstairs.

"Soon." Kah'la landed on the back of the dragon and pointed him to the open door. "You must get out of here before someone places a spell on you," he yelled.

As they left and were out of sight, the door closed on us. I turned to Tom and said, "On this floor that's now on fire, there are three doors left to open. Eibhlin better be in one of the three."

Tom let go of his grasp on my arm, now red from his handprint. We walked through fire and smoke in temperatures of 100 degrees to open the first door, but we found it locked.

I complained to Tom, "Nothing's been easy in here tonight." Tom and I walked past the smoke and the big blaze and watched the remaining two doors on fire. Time was running out.

As the landing burnt to a crisp, I placed my foot on a part of the burnt-out floor to try the second door, but the floor gave out and collapsed. We fell to the lower level and landed on our behinds. Laying in front of us in a stone-like figure was Eibhlin. While the fire continued to rage, we attempted to pick her up and run out the door before this whole place came down on top of us, but we couldn't. She was too heavy for the encasing stone weighed a ton. We took out our wands.

I said, "Use the levitation spell. We'll float her right out this window."

As we prepared to say the incantation, the Evil Goblin and his men came to the door and caught us in the act of trying to remove our friend to freedom.

A schoolgirl from Shines they'd found. With Tom and me, we made the magic of three. Now their catch was the boy from Shines — me — or so they hoped. We had our wands out, so we turned and reacted when hearing danger approach.

Tom said, "That's that guy I've seen and dealt with before."

"He's trouble. He's the Evil Goblin," I said.

Tom's mouth went limp before he gulped. For the past many weeks, I'd been saving this one very special spell. I thought of it when we walked past the village of Quentin. Wands went up and spells went out.

"Righteousness," Tom and I said out loud to where the men stood. The spell sent smoke and black powder and ash to disable the men from seeing where we boys went. With that spell's help, we easily floated her past them.

What lay ahead in this smoky burned up place would be a struggle to get down to the bottom floor. As the men stood back and rubbed their eyes from the thickness of the smoke and their coughing, it allowed us to slip by. We saw the way out as the fire roared to the upper floors. This whole place would come down pretty soon.

With Eibhlin between us, we hurried past the coughing men. We fixated our wands on her, refusing to even think about breaking the spell. We'd come so far and now was not the time to lose her. Floating by wands held at half blast, flickering on her stony body, we made it to the lower floor and saw that the front gates were nothing but ashes and a bit of smoke smoldering. Squinting our eyes in the sun, we headed into the deep woods with Eibhlin floating along between us, our wands fixed on her to keep the configuration going on.

Tom and I kept our minds clear to work the spell of levitation for Eibhlin. We brought her to a safe place in the thick leaves and trees in the forest and wondered what to do to bring her out of this most unusual dream spell. The forest filled with eerie noises and screams from all sorts of creatures and we realized we weren't alone. Our wands trembled when we pointed them toward the woods, ready to defend ourselves.

Trees and brush moved with glee, for the fire freed all manner of horrible creatures from the Evil Goblin's grip. They set about looking to use their own evil power. The sounds grew to a growl that sent shivers up our spines.

And what about those howlers? The eerie noises and heart trembling shouts in the forest we could hear. The voice that had echoed so horribly, so menacingly through the woods was still there. Could it really be Linking Tree or some of his kind? We came to grips with ourselves over the noises out there, sure they wouldn't attack two wizards.

As Eibhlin rested on the soft forest floor, we spoke of a new plan to get her and ourselves back home. We talked through the night about which way to set out in the morning. We needed to think of a way to unlock this dreamlike self-protection spell. Solid stone encased her and it weighed a ton.

"We can't float her all the way home. The many miles ahead are hard road back to the school," I stated the obvious.

"We need to go together, Colin," Tom said, "because I won't stay alone with Eibhlin while you go back to finish the fight. Linking Tree and Catered will be catching up to us soon when they find a safe way out."

"I'll go off and find a better way out of here," I told Tom.

"Let's see if we can't get Eibhlin free first," he suggested. Tom spelled to open this cold stone, but it had no effect on Eibhlin's cocoon.

I leaned forward, elbows on knees and studied Eibhlin suspended in midair. To bring her back in this condition would mean expulsion from the school. Plus a hearing at the Ministry of Magic would be our end. And still no one knew what needed to be done about unlocking this spell.

I jumped off the log where we sat when an idea came to me. Ask my wand.

I told Tom, "The mystic bird you saw early, Kah'la, gave my wand new power." I held my wand out and spoke to it. "Wand, what shall we do to unlock the magical spell that protects Eibhlin?"

When nothing happened, my mind flooded with doubt. Don't do any more magic, stay in my own realm, my own way of thinking. Would that help? My thinking took me nowhere. We could hurt her if we tried the Unlocking Spell too soon.

About to give up, my wand hummed and spun around. I stood and pointed it at Eibhlin. Its magical light became bright and zapped onto the body of stone. It came all aglow and softened the stone, but nothing more happened for the stone was thick. I kicked my school friend on the leg in frustration.

"Ouch!" cried Tom. "What was that for?"

Far from relieving my anger, I felt worse, as I now had a sharp pain in my toe to deal with. My ankle burned and my leg became numb in addition to the pain in the rest of my body.

Just as I limped past Eibhlin's floating body, Kah'la soared through the forest and saw our camp. He came with a soft rustle of wings like a small sparrow ghost.

"About time!" I snarled as Kah'la landed on my big shoulder.

The bird dropped something from his beak. "You can put that wand down. I've got work for you."

"What's this?" I asked, bending over to pick it up.

"That's Eibhlin's wand, Lady Elfin. I saved it from the fire." The bird's large, round, amber eyes gazed at Tom over the dead-like figure of Eibhlin. "Come here," said the bird, picking up three small rolls of parchment and a leather thong, tying the scrolls and the quill together. "Lay them and her wand next to her," Kah'la ordered Tom.

Tom asked, "What's this for?"

"Familiar things will aid in unlocking that potion spell. I found these in the forest. Colin, some of your notes to her must not have made it. This will be a snap. Ask the wand again, dear boy. Give Eibhlin's body a tap with the tip of your wand. Ask which of the many spells that lie hidden inside the power will work. The unlocking will uncover truth of the hidden meaning."

I watched Tom place the wand, parchment and quill on Eibhlin, then he backed away and looked at Kah'la. "Now what?"

"This is no common spell. We'll try something to see how it goes."

Following Kah'la's instruction, I cast a removing spell. Eibhlin's cocoon twirled and shook. A little piece of stone fell away and we could see her hand. One finger twitched, and then...nothing. We stared for several minutes, but nothing happened.

"The moment she'd gone under that spell, she lost who she was. That's why I think she's unable to unlock it. She can hear you, too," the bird said.

I threw myself onto the ground next to her and kept calling Eibhlin's name over and over again without noticing the ceiling of clouds coming around us. It grew darker by the minute.

"Wicked!" Tom said, looking up at the surrounding darkness.

"Hmmm," Kah'la cocked his head, then flapped his wings. "I have to go, but I'll be back."

I waved a disinterested hand, feeling too miserable to care. What if we could never get Eibhlin free? I felt guilty that I'd been irritable with her before about leaving the school. She was the only friend I had who truly cared about me, next to Tom. Even winning at brooms, she never gloated. After ringing the winner's bell, she congratulated me on a fine race and gave me the prize.

Trying to talk myself out of this black mood, I thought, she'll probably wake up tomorrow to the smell of three fat eggs cooking on an open fire. But that didn't cheer me at all, especially when the Grim smoke came into the clearing and surrounded our camp. Sympathy and plans for my immediate worries were for my friends. I kept a close eye on Eibhlin through the night while Tom slept, leaving only to go to the bathroom.

Kah'la didn't return the next morning. I spent the day consumed in the foul smoke, its effects souring us.

After walking all night, just coming through the brush was Linking Tree, and holding his massive hand was the little house elf, Catered. Linking Tree shoved this little fellow toward me and said, "He's a right pain at times, a baby and temperamental! Watch him. He bites, too. This one is all confused at times. He's never been out of the evil grip. He doesn't want to do anything, so I brought him to you three. Because of a lifelong time of living in the darkened castle, he's never seen the light of day."

Catered stood next to Eibhlin and held her hand. Linking Tree watched as this little elf showed he was truly a kind soul deep inside. The illumination of the forest and its Grim smoke was eerie. They had never seen this before.

Every time I heard a noise approaching, I remembered about the strange creatures coming to eat boys of Shines. I tried to recall how to ward them off by the stories told by a warm fire back years ago at the school. But I might as well have interrogated the rocks and trees around these parts, for all the answers I got were just from my haunted memory. I had a very haunted past I'd kept quiet all this time. Otherwise, the evil presence kept a lock on my mind. My past and present were nothing but the haunting of the Evil Goblin.

I tried to keep clear of my friends when I fell under this evil spell. I couldn't see the point of forcing my ill mental state on them. Another scuff with someone would achieve nothing except perhaps make me so angry I'd perform more illegal dark magic bursting to come out of me.

Linking Tree followed me around all day and night. He passed back and forth and had an inner light just like he did back in the Forgotten Forest. Linking Tree was a ghostly presence that lived in old trees. He also heard the eerie sound out here and they were also unknown to him. He warned me it was something brand new to him.

"If we could just get Eibhlin free, then we could get out of here in a hurry!" I watched for his reaction, but he stood immobile.

Feeling that I had nothing left to lose, I pulled out my wand and stood directly over Eibhlin. I gave out the command with three taps on her chest that sounded like the clanking of cement. All turned to watch me tap the spot where her heart lay. I started the Charm of Return and said, "Unlock the potion charm of spells and bring back our friend to me. Return her as her former self. Unlock the binding spell and bring back our Eibhlin to me."

Shock filled our eyes to see that the cast spell worked. The unlocking began and we were amazed that the covering of stone slowly came off like someone pulled back a blanket from her body.

# Chapter 25: Eibhlin's Coming Back

Eibhlin awoke, sat upright and said as if nothing ever had happened to her, "Heaven sakes! Are you two ok? What's happened to you and the others? I've been getting your notes. It's been sad news. Does the school know you're back?"

Tom's expression changed to a frown and he said "School... What school? Where do you think you're at?"

Eibhlin looked around and said, "I'm in the forest, aren't I?"

I gave out a chuckle, for it'd been the first time I had a chance to lower my guard and laugh, even if it was a little chuckle. Reaching for her hand, I drew her close and hugged her, relieved the spell worked and even more relieved to have her with me. I whispered into Eibhlin's ear that only a Seeker could reverse a spell like that with three taps of a wand.

"Proud of yourself, huh?" she whispered back.

"No, not proud. Relieved. I can breathe again, knowing you're out of that self-induced dream spell. I know you did it to keep away from the Evil Goblin, but, dang, girl! Scare a guy to death, will ya?"

"Yeah, okay. I guess we're even." She looked around, only seeing two whom she knew. "It's too bad you two are the only ones left."

We bowed our heads as in a short prayer and heard a "yap" from little Catered watching over us. A big sigh went out from Eibhlin for we two boys were the only ones who knew what lay ahead and what hell we'd all been through.

"We saved you a little something." Tom handed her Lady Elfin.

"Wow, thanks! I never thought I'd see this again." She leaned forward and gave Tom's cheek a little peck. Tom went scarlet and felt grateful when Linking Tree spoke up.

"This whole journey became quite a nightmare. We know the steps we took to come way out here."

"However, not the steps back," I said.

Tom shrugged. "Don't look at me. I fell from the sky."

Catered just smiled as if he knew the way back home.

Eibhlin asked, "Well boys, what's the plan? How do we get out of here?"

Our discussions went on for hours as the Grim made its way to our camp. Something evil and foul smelled up the place.

"We start walking." I concluded, stood and brushed my knees of dirt. "That way." I pointed north.

We found dead birds along the way. It went on for three whole days, walking through the evil's grasp of his Grim. How much longer could we stand this rank smell? We could barely move but we needed to. The strength in Eibhlin legs had come back and she was fit to travel. Tom had been helping her on the long trail.

Restless energy filled me, making me unable to settle to anything. During the long days, I felt furious at them for leaving me to stew in this whole mess, though the whole time I'd been quiet. I also had lethargy so complete that I could lie on this forest floor for an hour at a time, staring into space. Aching with dread, the thought of the Headmaster's death reminded me of my father's own, too. Why did these feeling come to me now, I wondered. I often thought of Headmaster Barns as a father figure. Maybe that's why the feeling grew way out here. I wondered, what will rule against the evil? Any help from any source would be needed, but by whom? Who can I call upon now?

What if they ruled against me? What if I was forced to join the evil that worked in here? Their spells were endless and powerful. The power of the dark magic was cunning and treacherous. It might overcome me.

The Evil Goblin sent me that owl and said "well done" in my usage of spells. His eyes saw through the Grim of this smoke. He followed me. Did he admire me or was he jealous of my talent as a seeker I'm to become and he cannot? He is despised at my school. Eibhlin's voice shook me out of my thoughts.

"You're so inexperienced in your travels," Eibhlin said. It was meant to be a put down for us. In the darkness of this forest, we were really lost. We might have gained miles from the burning ruins of the Evil Goblin's Castle, but to where?

Tom and I wanted to hear Eibhlin's story as we left this side of the forest and walked with her. We bugged her a couple of times about how she came to be here.

"Why did you leave the safety of the school?" Tom asked for the thirty-sixth time on the trail to Newton Village. We passed Brimstone yesterday to find no one living there.

Eibhlin said straight out, "To find you!" She told us about the lottery of who got to sit and listen to one of my letters from the woods, but she didn't say she'd gotten into trouble for it.

I blushed, knowing I was the talk of the castle and nearby village of Turnsoles. Outrageous was the word if I knew that the school regarded some of the boys, especially me in Eibhlin eyes, as heroes for our action in coming out here for all of them.

Through the many notes from me, I'd become a hero and a great wizard through my plight on the road from such stories told at Eibhlin's bedroom chats. The students couldn't get enough of the wild telling of the dangers that lay throughout, and what we boys fought against in our struggle since the time we left the School of Shines.

My wand hummed and it'd been humming since we left the evil area, whenever the Evil Goblin's dark thoughts seemed to affect my mind. I began pacing again. Was I becoming cursed?

On the fourth night on the trail, I lay in one of my apathetic phases, staring at the sky. Exhausted, my mind went blank. My friend Tom asked what we could do to save on time. Tom felt we were a bit lost for he knew we had walked past the same tree twice. I looked slowly around, seeing the same footprints.

"I don't know. We'll figure it out in the morning." Turning my head, I watched Linking Tree.

Linking Tree slipped back into a very tall tree, with an expression of enormous contentment from that last look he gave me. He was home or had found one. I stood by the tree and placed my hand upon the huge trunk.

I said softly, "Linking Tree, I thank you for your company and the time we shared. The fight wouldn't be the same without you." I patted the tree trunk softly. Linking Tree's wand buzzed out of a knothole, blew a kiss and buzzed back in. "Violins absolutes are an apocalyptic," I said as a blessed charm on him.

Later, I fell asleep and dreamed. I kicked off hard from the ground. The cool night air rushed through my hair as the neat square tree line of this forest reminded me so much of Linking Tree. The feeling fell away, shrinking rapidly into a patchwork of dark greens and blacks, and every thought of the Ministry at work inside my head was swept from my mind as though the rush of air had blown it away. I felt as though my heart was going to explode with pleasure; I was flying again, flying away from this place. We were going back home for a few glorious moments; all my problems seemed to recede to nothing, insignificant in the vast, starry sky.

I woke up wishing I had my broom. We all wished that. Tom said he'd been fantasizing for days about how it would be the fastest way to get out of here.

The weather remained undecided as we traveled further and further north. Rain spattered the puddles in a halfhearted way, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell and lamps had to be lit, dark and the cold always came together.

Tom muttered, "Come on inside this huge old tree. It will hold us all for the night." Eibhlin rolled up the roots and edible plants that we'd found along the way. We'd starved till now. Crunching away, Tom and Catered ate most of the best plants but Eibhlin put some in her bag to keep us alive till we made it back to the school.

Everyone was in the hollow of the giant Hawkweed tree. I sat with my forehead pressed against the wall. The rain came and the cold.

"Funny," I said, "it's dug out like a cabin or a place for storing grain." Through a window in a round knothole, I tried to get a first glimpse of the dark rainy path that lay just ahead of this tree. But it was a moonless night and the rain-streaked window of a knothole was grimy.

I felt utterly bewildered. The tree shook and rolled with the storm. As it sang in tune with the storm, a humming sound came every so often as if the tree felt alive.

"Shall we dig together in, then?" asked Tom, looking worried about me.

Yeah,' I said. 'Yeah, go on, hunker down, Tom. I think we're in for a bumpy ride."

Eibhlin continued to tell her story. Revealing all she knew about what happened out here, the students at the school were swallowed by the darkness and the rain of Grim. The forest was dangerous to us poor boys, she knew and it brought great concern. The professors wanted to know, too, for they'd been worried sick on the whereabouts of the five who took off one early morning so many months ago.

It'd been silent with no news back to the school. Eibhlin was gone too. Professors and friends still searched the Castle grounds. All were feared dead. The children who didn't show for roll call in the morning or evening were checked off to be missing. How could we explain to the Ministry of the school and all of the great Magic Council of Wizards that we boys took our own measures to go out and fight the evil Dark Robes by ourselves? Some professors felt that they put that idea past the children at the school's library of magical concerns. The professors had talked of taking great measures and that something needed to be done quickly. The children sat nearby on that day and overheard.

The staff thought they should have been more close-mouthed about certain actions taken. Everything was not under control at the school.

In addition, someone needed to fill the place of a wise and fierce fighter as Barns was in his younger day. We five boys felt that the school wasn't prepared to fight such an evil force. Some said it was our wanting revenge for what took place in the courtyard of the school's main yard. Evil came on that dark day and took out what was believed to be impossible to do. A crimson mist covered the ground for weeks after the headmaster's murder. The one with so much great magical sense was taken down by the black wands.

Tom hid the fact his wand was turning dark colors. He took chances to hide it by sitting on it, or stuffing it up his sleeve.

We three were wandering and confused. Eibhlin's news was grim and sad to hear, for it'd been tough going. As we were such close friends in the past year or two, it seemed we'd be together again, always together side-by-side. Catered slept and dreamed for the first time while we listened to the humming of the tree in tune with the storm outside.

I turned to Catered and could see the bat-winged creature reflected in his wide silvery eyes even though he slept. Death marked this elf.

"You're not going mad or anything. I can see them, too," Tom said to me lying in the corner.

"Can you?" I asked, trying not to sound desperate. For a moment I thought the Evil Goblin was using Catered to control my mind.

Tom and I took a minute staying shushed and then we woke up Eibhlin.

"Oh, yes," said Eibhlin. "I've been able to see them ever since my first day here. They've always reminded me of doom. Nearby must be the dead that have fallen before us. Don't worry. You're just as sane as I am," she said in her craggy voice, for she only got about five minutes of sleep. But Catered was fast asleep, unaware of his eyes being open and showing us what was happening in his mind.

I said nothing about the horses riding in the reflection of Catered's eyes. I lay down inside the hawkweed and slammed the loose bark used as our door behind me. Nevertheless, I couldn't help watching the silhouettes of the horses moving beyond the lidless eyes of sleeping Catered and that wolf running after me. The dream looked real but I knew of no wolf that was jet black. In my eyes, they saw me finding and holding a lighted charm in my hand.

Tom gasped, "Where'd that come from?"

I said in a surprised voice, "I have not a clue. What future is told in this little elf's eyes now showing through the charm in my hand?" Poof! Gone like dragon's smoke, the charm just disappeared into thin air.

"Yes, he is," Tom muttered.

"He is what?" I asked, with Eibhlin looking on.

"The little elf is a magical being, magical beyond us at school, just unknown as of yet," Eibhlin commented.

The tree felt many times as if it was ready to be ripped out by its roots. The storm outside grew fiercer by the minute.

Eibhlin cleared her throat. "What's happening to that little house elf?"

I said, "Some sort of demented dream. He's very good at telling the future through those black glassy eyes."

"I think he's a bit of a joke. Nothing can come out of those eyes to hurt us, can they?" said Tom.

Eibhlin did not seem perturbed by Tom's rudeness about the elf's dreamy state. On the contrary, she simply watched him for a while as though he were a mildly interesting television program. The dream switched in the little house elf's eyes, showing Tom and I in a duel.

The hawkweed spun wildly and twirled backwards in the mighty wild wind. Rattling and swaying, the tree moved in the increasing winds. We could feel the roots ripping out of the ground as the tree gave way. It just picked up and flew down that winding path. We watched through the knothole window for what felt like an eternity. When we passed between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the graveyard grounds, I leaned forward to see whether there were any lights on in the graveyard.

I took a good look and reported back to the others, "I see just a big building by the Forbidden black mountains. There's an old cemetery surrounding that huge stone building.

We began to drop from the sky, but the grounds were in complete darkness. We were a long way from Shines Castle, however, a black gloom came over us here. The wind still howled through the bark door.

Closer to view came a towering mass of turrets, jet black against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright above us. The tree landed with a bang and a shudder.

"So that's how trees move about," said Tom, half joking.

"What a ride!" Eibhlin exclaimed.

The carriage ride of the hawkweed tree ended near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors. I got out of the tree's hollowed trunk first. I turned again to look for the lit windows I saw before by the forest, but there was no sign of life within the dark. Cold winds blew so hard, a stone statue toppled over next to me. I yelled against the wind's howls.

Unwillingly, because I half hoped they would've vanished, I turned my eyes instead upon the strange, skeletal creatures standing quietly in the chill night air, their blank white eyes gleaming. When I waved, the others came out of the tree hollow and walked with the creatures.

"Are you coming or what?" I barked, first one out into the wind. I joined the crowd of graveyard ghosts being swung by the force of the wind. "Hurry up, you guys!" I started to climb the stone steps into the cemetery.

The entrance hall was ablaze with torches and echoed with footsteps as we three students from Shines crossed the flagstone floor to the double doors on the right, leading to the great hall and the start to the end for us if we didn't watch our steps. The wrong move could be a cursed one, away from the safety of the hawkweed tree's belly.

# Chapter 26: A Great Discussion

Picking on each other, our bickering was heard from all four corners of the cemetery. Noise echoed out and about as Eibhlin tried to keep up with us boys. It was hard work, for we were always in a rush. Now we wanted to see this huge great hall surrounded by an old cemetery.

Four long strides took us to the great hall. It was filling up under its black ceiling, which was just like the sky we glimpsed through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who dotted the hall. The ghosts talked eagerly, exchanged news of the children from Shines arriving, shouted greetings at friends from other gravestones, and eyed one another's new robes.

Again, I saw ghosts putting their heads together to whisper as I passed. I gritted my teeth and tried to act as though I neither noticed nor cared.

Catered drifted away from us. The moment we reached the chairs, row after row of ghostly figures waved for us to sit with them. Tom found a seat next to Eibhlin. I was left to look a bit harder for it was full of ghosts in the stateroom. We came at a time the ghostly fellows were having a great discussion. The master speaker called all to order.

Lavender flowers filled the great hall, and someone gave me a handful to carry as I looked for a seat. Overly friendly greetings made me quite sure they had stopped talking about me a split second before. I had more important things to worry about, however: I looked over the saint-like ghost heads to the staff table that ran along the top wall of the hall.

"He's not there." I couldn't find Catered. I saw him come behind us out of that tree, but he was no longer where I saw him last.

"Don't worry. He'll turn up," said Tom, sounding reassured, but Eibhlin bit her lip, looking up and down the staff table, hoping for some conclusive explanation of Catered's absence.

"Who's that?" She pointed towards the middle of the staff table.

My eyes followed hers. I looked around in the ocean of ghosts and saw the headmaster sitting in his high backed golden chair at the center of the long staff table, wearing deep purple robes scattered with silvery or dark blue stars and a matching hat.

"Headmaster Barns," I whispered, "So this is where you ended up after you were murdered."

Barns inclined towards the woman sitting next to him, talking into his ear. Professor Linknocker looked, I thought, like somebody's maiden aunt squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair and locks doused in ink on which she placed a horrible pink bow on top of her head. She wore a fluffy purple cardigan under her robes. Then she turned her face to take a sip from her goblet.

"I've seen this woman before," Tom told us. "She was at my hearing two years ago when I accidental blew up the class of fine arts in the west wing. It was a misguide spell gone wrong."

She worked for the Headmaster in his ghostly state now as a ghostly headmistress. I never figured those two to be working together now that he'd passed on to this life. I wanted to tell him what'd happened since his murder, but couldn't get his attention.

"Colin," Eibhlin said, "stop moving your arms about. Quit waving your arms. He can't see us."

"He must have. I saw him look off to one side at us just a moment ago."

"No," Eibhlin sighed.

"Nice cardigan," Tom smirked to the ghostly lady next to him.

"Hush, Tom," said Eibhlin, elbowing his ribs. "She works for the cemetery," Eibhlin repeated, frowning.

"What on earth's she doing here, then, talking to me? Am I dead?'

"Dunno." Eibhlin scanned the staff table, her eyes narrowed. "No," she muttered, "no, surely not." She looked back to Tom and then grinned.

Tom gulped, "Yep. I guess not. Then, what are we doing here? Someone tell me that."

Eibhlin said, "Oh, Tom, patience, ok? What matters most now is to be patient."

Tom muttered back, "Patience yourself." The ghostly boy next to Tom shushed over and sat closer to him. That shut him up — him alive and a boy near his own age dead. Patience.

"Well, don't tease them," she said, cross. She told Tom, "Be more polite."

Tom gave in and smiled at the ghostly boy on his right in the pew.

I didn't understand what she was talking about but did not ask old Professor Plank who had just appeared behind the staff table. I thought I'd caught his attention. She worked her way along to the very end and took the seat that ought to have been Catered's. That meant his dream state was still going on.

"This can't all be real."

Eibhlin said, "It's real."

A few seconds later, the doors from the entrance hall opened loudly then slammed shut on us all in here. A long line of scared-looking ghosts entered, led by Professor Melody who carried on a cushion on which sat an ancient wizard's magical spell. The green cushion was heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed ends.

The buzz of talk in the great hall faded away. The first row went silent for this tall headless man entered carrying this tablet of golden stone of the announced spell. The ghosts rushed to get a better look for it was very important. To me it seemed it'd been long awaited for.

The newly dead lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the ghostly dead professors, and one professor placed the stone tablet in front of them, then stood back.

The pale faces glowed in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row trembled. I recalled, fleetingly, how terrified I'd feel when I'd be standing there one day, waiting for the test that would determine which deed would be done. They were getting ready to take on the Evil Goblin themselves. An army had been made by our Headmaster and all the old dead professors would go to the ends of the earth to fight this evil man.

The whole hall waited with bated breath. Then a chunk of a stone near the magical spell opened wide like a mouth. The magical creature burst into song.

In times of old when I was new and Shines school barely started.

The founders of our noble school thought never to be parted.

United by a common goal.

They had the self same yearning,

to make the world's best magic school and pass along their learning

to all that would keep them true.

Together we will build and teach!

We three good friends never dreamed that we'd be standing here in front of all the passed on professors and be in the great presence of our beloved Headmaster.

I had to ask myself, how crazy was the ride in that tree in that storm? Was it a guided chance by them to bring us here to be honored and to see that they have joined to fight, too? What's on the scribe? A special spell we can't hear half of what they intend to say. It was a voice of the dead we didn't know. We only could hear what they intended to tell us in the way we commonly knew.

My heart turned over. My father beamed down at me, sitting beside a small, watery-eyed man whom I recognized at once as an old friend of the family. He'd betrayed my father's whereabouts to the evil when it first started and so helped to bring about their deaths. My father did not want to join his evil. That's why he was one of the first hundred killed so long ago.

"Eh?" I said, teary eyed to see people I loved. This must have been planned to bring us in here. The storm was forgotten for that fact remained we were watching something very religious coming about. The dead wanted to fight evil from their side of the dark.

I looked up at my haunted father. His appearance gloomed the great hall along with the others, with his heavily scarred and pitted face. Evidently my father was under the impression he'd just given me a bit of a treat.

Tom said, "What's that you've got there?"

When my father turned towards him, I crossed the hall, slipped through the crowd and up the stairs before anyone could call me back. I headed for the tablet. The tall man was about to do the reading of the spell but it was in whispers not all could understand.

I didn't know why it had been such a shock. I'd seen pictures of my parents before. After all, I had many happy times. I didn't like having him sprung on me like that when I was least expecting it. No one would like that, I thought angrily but was so glad to see my father again. I stood behind the man who would read the tablet. His mouth moved but I couldn't hear. I looked down to Eibhlin and motioned to Tom with my hands. "What are they saying?"

They couldn't hear either, they motioned back. What are we supposed to do? Tom raised his hands as if to give up. I took a brief moment, stepped forward and boldly looked through the ghost. What lay on the tablet was the curse of all curses, the spell of death to evil.

"The spell of alums–venomous demeans, the spell that carries the biggest curse of death to the heart of true evil. Who has been mentioned in Demagogues curses? Who among us has this power to do such a hero's feat when the time comes?"

Someone's voice rang out. "Colin!"

Stepping back, stunned, I glanced around, unsure of what to do. An idea came to me and I placed my wand to my ear and through that wand, I heard this coming from the School of Shines.

Because of our war against the Evil Goblin and his Dark Robes, the Ministry of Magic has formalised the passing of Educational Decree number thirty-three, creating a new position for Shines, High Inquisitor. The Dark cannot get close to that magic. The attempts to take over would be futile.

The Ministry has selected Colin and has received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Shines. He is a well known warrior and saviour of the school.

I lowered my wand and locked eyes with Eibhlin. I would be Headmaster one day.

The End

