Chapter eleven- Monsters, monsters, and more monsters.
It was amazingly dark, with no sky and invisible black walls. The floor was rough and rocky, and hard to take a step without tripping of some sort.
“Richard, is there any way you could light up the place?” I wonder if I could myself, although I knew only one simple spell. Which I need to practice, so really I have no power on me.
“I sure can.” Richard waved his wand and fire blasted from the stick. He lifted it up like a torch, and everything became easier to see.
“Whoa.” The place was a dry, midnight place. It looked as though somebody had carved out a street enough for people to walk, and I could see little specks of light the further we walked. I realized people, probably Questures, had stuck torches into the sides of the rock with great force. I looked up and the ceiling was so high, it was lost in the dark.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Richard exclaimed. We began to walk, and he turned to face me.
“What’s your homework assignment?”
“I learned a spell today, named the Scarab. Apparently I’m supposed to practice the spell until I get it right.” I answered.
“Perfect!” Richard took my hand and I followed eagerly. We stopped behind a dead briar tree, and Richard explained very quickly. “Okay, Mary. When I see a monster, I’m going to run at it and fire a spell at it. You will come into the battle after me, and usually one or two monsters will join the battle- they are lazy, you see. I will protect, heal, whatever you want me to do, and you can use your spell and practice it until the monsters are dead.”
I nodded, understanding. The thought of killing something shot a chill through my body, but I knew Richard would protect me, and that killing evil wasn’t that bad. Although I couldn’t get the thought out of my head- ‘two wrongs don’t make a right.’ My mother used to say that to me when I got in trouble, it would always stop me from talking back or being rude.
Richard pointed at something. I looked over at where he was indicating, and I noticed a dark, glowing figure coming toward us. It was a monster, an undead creature. I remembered the last sentence of the paragraph I was reading in my history book- The legend is that Malistaire Drake, out of revenge, will awake the undead and unleash their lust for kill, eventually to take over the world of Wizard city and more. I felt myself shudder at the words. No, I shouldn’t be thinking of such things! Richard was my protector and nothing could hurt me.
“I’m going to run at it now, okay? Be ready!” Richard warned.
“Richard- wait! I don’t think I can kill them!” I yelled, but Richard didn’t hear me. He was already charging at the creature, I could see its red aura increasing as if preparing for battle. Richard suddenly shot some kind of red bird at it through his wand and it hit the creature in the stomach. In the light of the spell, I could now clearly see what the creature looked like. It was a cloaked figure, with a disturbing rotted face. The face looked human, but perhaps a hundred years old after death. The rest of its body was covered in black silk. I prefer it stay that way, referring to the disgusting face- its body probably wouldn’t be any better.
“Mary- come out! Now!” Richard shouted. He averted his gaze from the monster to me, with my stricken face and worried complexion.
“I- I can’t kill the monster, Richard!” I gasped out.
Richard sent the monster burning, and I saw it turn into a pile of dust. Richard rushed toward me to avoid other monsters. “Why can’t you kill the stupid monster?” He sounded annoyed.
“Because two wrongs don’t make a right.” I whispered. I put my hands around my arms to warm me up. It was embarrassing to not be able to kill a simple monster. “I’m just not used to killing…”
Richard sighed and his face softened. “How about I kill the monster, you just practice the spell on them?”
I nodded. I liked the idea, so that I don’t have to kill any living thing. Wait- isn’t the undead already dead?
“Wait- Richard. Aren’t the undead already dead?”
Richard thought for a second. “The undead are dead, however, they have been awakening, and therefore we can only put them back to sleep by killing them again.”
“That makes sense. Where do you learn this stuff?” I asked, curious. Richard seemed to know everything I wanted to know- I couldn’t help being slightly jealous.
“Well, I’m more experienced, since I’ve been in Ravenwood for a while. It helps if you go to the library, too.” Richard replied.
The library! Never though t of the Wizard City
“Hey, Richard? What time is it?” I asked.
Richard glanced at his watch. “It’s a quarter after four.”
I smiled. “Plenty of time. Now let’s try again.”
Richard nodded. “This time, come with me.”
He took my hand tightly just in case I didn’t come, and pulled me over to another of the creatures approaching. I was in battle. My first one. I realized this was what Questures do every day.
“Okay, Mary. Practice your spell.” Richard told me, preparing for battle.
The rest of the day in there went the same- Richard would drag me into a battle, I would practice my spell, which fizzled a lot. Most of the time, Richard had to kill the monsters before they did any real harm. Although, around the end of the day, I was able to cast the spell fluently without fizzling.
We walked back to Triton Avenue around six, past Olde town and Richard and I separated in the Commons, now knowing where I was. I watched Richard leave me, walking back into the shopping district to his home. I wished him good luck towards his father.
I walked into Unicorn Way , the sun was already setting. I loved the pure feeling of the sleepy sun against my skin, nourishing my pores and my blonde hair. When I reached my house, I was very tired. Today was very busy- learning a new spell, discovering a cave that I might call the Haunted Cave
Sabrina greeted me at the door when I walked into my wonderful home, as it was so nice to finally be home.
“Dinners ready and mom is freaking out. What took you so long?” Sabrina told me, annoyed.
“I was with my friend.” I replied. I wasn’t going to tell anybody about the Haunted Cave
“Upstairs, in the kitchen. I should get up there soon, she is gonna be pissed at me if I’m late as well.”
I rushed up the stairs. I felt very guilty for worrying my mother, since she was already stressed out as it is. I remembered the letter that she wrote earlier today, and that still was a suspicion of mine. I would not ask her- I could not ask her, only to figure out I had been snooping in her stuff. It probably wasn’t anything anyway.
I walked into the kitchen, and my mom was sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee, although it was sixth- third tea at night. I looked at the dinner, roasted chicken, rice and corn.
I groaned. My mother’s chicken was always dry. Sabrina walked past me and sat at the table, while I just stood there and stared at my mother.
“Where were you this evening?” My mother asked me, not even glancing at me.
“Mom, you know where I was. I was with Richard.” I replied.
“Where with Richard.”
“Practicing homework.” I answered. I knew a lie was coming, and I hated lying to my mother.
However, my mother seemed pleased with my answer. She didn’t ask any furthermore questions, which surprised me.
“Sit down and eat your dinner, Mary.” My mother ordered softly.
I followed her orders, despite the extremely dry chicken; I ate quietly and complimented her cooking. She smiled weakly, and soon went up to bed.
I said goodnight to Sabrina, and walked downstairs to my room. I fell asleep early, and didn’t even hear Sabrina enter the room to go into her own bed.
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