Hello. So this is a new version of my old one because I didn't like the old one and this is much easier. I have taken in all of the reviews from the old one.
Anyway hope you like this one! Read & Review!
Chapter 1
BlackRose Academy
Valkyrie walked quickly to her platform. She glanced again at the ticket that her hand was gripping tightly, it read: PLATFORM 11.
Thank God, Valkyrie thought, it isn't platform nine and three quarters, I would most likely be running into brick walls by now!
She found platform 11, by reading the signs and seeing heaps of parents leading teenagers who had green bags towards that platform.
Valkyrie sighed again, as another family walked past. Her parents were to busy working at the Ireland Sanctuary in Dublin, only having enough time to bring her to the train station, drop her off and speed away. Valkyrie readjusted her bags, her hands sweating from nerves and excitement.
She turned onto the platform, pulling her black suitcase along behind her, her black backpack hosted onto her back, carrying her laptop in a black satchel across her shoulders. Her back ached.
She glanced at her ticket again. It had a sketched rose faded on the middle of it.
APARTMENT Q
Valkyrie glanced up at the train, only to find that she couldn't see it. People were bustling past her obscuring the view. Sighing, she moved towards the train to see if she can find a letter. She disrupts the flow of people, forcing herself through only having a few parents glare at her, ignoring them she focused on the train. She sees nothing that makes it special. Her excitement shrinks. The smile upon her face slowly falls. She looks back at her ticket, her knuckles have gone white with the amount of force of her grip on the ticket.
PLATFORM 11 APARTMENT Q
She checks she's on the right platform.
Looking back at the boring ordinary blue train she read the letter 'A' etched in the front go the door.
The letter 'Q'…
Valkyrie stared down the plot form.
I can't even see 'B'…
She glanced at the time.
9:30AM
Better start looking…
Valkyrie followed the line of families as she pulled her luggage along…
Valkyrie was walking along the hallway in the train. The interior was much different to the boring exterior. The train seemed magical on the inside with the plush maroon carpet, that covered the floor and walls only having a rubbery sliver ceiling and floors when intersections came across.
The letters represented a carriage, which would only fit Twenty people — it wouldn't be cosy. Valkyrie had figured out that, 'A' and 'B' were for 'Top students' and teachers.
Lucky them, Valkyrie thought they don't have to walk as far.
Valkyrie now only carrying here laptop and backpack tried to find an empty room.
The carriages were section off. People were still on the platform that Valkyrie was able to find that the last one was empty. It had a sliding door, that magnetised shut allowing you in when you pressed the button.
Modernised…
Valkyrie stepped into the small room, the door whirring shut.
But the letter looked old…
Valkyrie sat in the red sits they were different from the walls and carpet. Not the fact that the carpets are maroon and the sit being red. Valkyrie just noticed that there were black patterns in the carpet. They weren't symmetrical, they were really just dots placed in random spots.
Valkyrie sat near the window. She knew it was tinted outside. She knew people couldn't look in, so she sat and watched as families wished their child good luck for this year.
Valkyrie was so engrossed in watching the families, she didn't notice the boy watching her. He could easily see through the tinted glass.
He tilted his head. A scarred boy next to him waved at his father who had to go.
"Skul?" The scarred Boy looked at him,"come on, we need to find Tanith."
The boy's gaze lifted Valkyrie's sad ones, just as The scarred boy finished talking.
Valkyrie listened to the women who was asking everyone to board. Placing their luggage outside the carriage, Valkyrie had already did this an hour ago. Now all she had to do was wait for the other students to climb aboard and ignore her until they have to sit with her.
Glancing out the window she watched the line of teenagers about her age line up in front of her carriage. Her eyes drifted up the line studying the people and who they were with.
Her parents wanted her to stay out of magic. They only went back to their old job when vampires were threating them. Valkyrie only started to get hold of her magic when she was twelve.
Now three years later she was being shipped off to the Academy, with no magical friends of any sorts.
There was knock at her carriage door. She turned her gaze to see a boy her age starring through the glass pane. The boy nodded. Valkyrie nodded back. Watching the boy, he had black messy hair and blue sparkling eyes, he winked at her. Then turned and yelled to someone.
Valkyrie looked down now feeling awkward.
Then the door whirred open, noise flooded in, kids squealing, laughing and giggling. Looking she found the boy with blue eyes, walking in and taking a sit in front of her. A boy with scars all over his head wonder on after him, flowed by a girl with curly blonde hair. They sat down, the scarred boy next to the other boy, the girl next to her.
Silence came upon the group, as soon as the door shut.
Valkyrie want back to gazing out of the window. Watching the platform of parents waving at the train. Valkyrie turned away from the sad mothers wiping away tears from their eyes. From the fathers smiling prod of who ever their child is.
Valkyries gazed lift the window, to the floor. But before her gaze fell onto the carpet, she notice the boy with the blue eyes staring at her.
Then a tanned hand was struck right in front of her face. Valkyrie raised her head. The boy with the blue eyes owned the hand. Valkyrie looked at the hand and back at the boy. She repeated this three more times. Until the boy move his hand in a way to suggested they shake hands.
This is very formal…
Valkyrie raised her hand to shake the boys.
"Oh good your alive," the boy said,"my name is Skulduggery Pleasant, your's?"
"Valkyrie Cain," Valkyrie replied shake the boys hand. She wanted to let go — it felt surprisingly warming — but skulduggery held her hand as he introduced the others.
The scarred boy was Ghastly Bespoke and the blonde girl was Tanith Low.
"Hi," Valkyrie murmured to them both.
"So what brings you to BlackRose Academy?" Skulduggery asked giving Valkyrie's hand back — it still tingled with warmth
This is the ice-breaking question?
Raising an eyebrow at Skulduggery, who only smirked in reply, showing his perfect white teeth.
"Um…Well, I came to learn," Valkyrie replied
"Hmmm, good answer," Skulduggery replied stroking his chin, his eyes half closed.
There's actually a proper answer?
"What? Did I answer wrong?" Valkyrie asked looking at Skulduggery.
"No, no,"Skulduggery said quickly,"Im just wondering why your sad?"
"Are you now?"
"Hmm… Yes"
I stared at Skulduggery.
I am not giving him an answer!
"I'm sorry, excuse Skulduggery,"The scarred boy, Ghastly said quickly," he likes to work people out - he thinks his Sherlock Holmes"
"Oh really?" Valkyrie asked eyeing Skulduggery out of the corner of her eye.
"I do not," Skulduggery look at Ghastly, looking insulted, "if anything about me reminds you of Sherlock Holmes it should be the opposite, Sherlock Holmes is similar to me."
"I'm sure," Ghastly said looking at Tanith and Valkyrie. As Ghastly and Skulduggery went on arguing, Tanith leant over and whispered,
"They do this all the time!"
"Not all the time," Skulduggery murmured sitting up - Ghastly had had Skulduggery's head hooked on his arm.
"Anyway we've got to fill this time with endless chatter," Skulduggery said
"Why?" Valkyrie asked
"Because we're on the move, and I want to get there quickly, so entertain me slaves," Skulduggery said clasping his hands together.
Tanith and Ghastly through, rubbish at him. Valkyrie laughed.
The laughed away the train trip. Telling tales of all the things they missed, having not met yet.
Then the train stopped.
"So are we friends?" Skulduggery asked helping Valkyrie up.
"Of course! Why wouldn't we be friends?" Valkyrie asked look at Skulduggery.
"Your different…" was the only reply he gave as they excited the train.
You could see the castle that Valkyrie was going to call home from the only train station and mode of transport in its vicinity.
BlackRose Academy sat on amongst the hills of Connemara its black stones darker than the night sky behind it. Orange flickering light, glowed through most of the windows, giving the Academy a strange aura of warmth yet cold still seemed to simp into its surroundings.
"Creepy…" Tanith muttered turning away to fetch her luggage. Valkyrie stuck by Tanith's side having lost Ghastly and Skulduggery when she was gazing at the academy. When Valkyrie was looking for her bag Tanith stayed by her side, looking around as if she was searching of someone.
"I wonder where Ghastly and Skul went?" Tanith mussed, Valkyrie shrugged.
"Is it just me or dose this seem a bit like 'Harry Potter'" Tanith said looking down at Valkyrie who was watching luggage go by.
"BlackRose Academy…" Valkyrie began,"looks way gloomily then Hogwarts'"
"True,… true," Tanith said nodding.
"And plus, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has better things to worry about… Yes!" Valkyrie cheered when she found her bag.
"Whats You-Know-Who first priority?" Tanith asked when Valkyrie stubbled back.
"Finding his nose…"
"Ha!"
Valkyrie and Tanith found Ghastly and Skulduggery at the carriages, waiting for them.
Valkyrie could see the towers, and all of the shapes of the castle. It was huge, according to the plans of the structure of the building, if you saw it from above it's meant to look like a giant opening rose. A Black Rose.
Valkyrie turned her gaze away. It settled on Skulduggery who had his hand out.
"You coming?" he asked
Yeah, I'm coming…
Valkyrie helped herself into the carriage. Ignoring Skulduggery's hand. Valkyrie gazed out the window, watching the academy move closer.
When they past the huge iron gates that had a decretive rose in the middle, they could truly see the size of the Academy.
Gardens circled the whole academy, circled only by the iron fence, that has symbols etched into the iron bars keeping the Academy safe, from whatever their pervious enemy was.
"How old is this place again?" Tanith asked
"Nobody knows," was the answer Skulduggery gave.
When the carriage stopped they all gathered their stuff and stood in front of the huge wooden doors. The other students kept walking past.
"Wow…" Tanith murmured staring up at the castle.
Valkyrie hosted her luggage into a comfortable position, smiling she turned to the others.
"Come on," Valkyrie nodded towards the doors of the Academy
"Our life is about to start!" Tanith said grabbing Ghastly's hand, pulling him along. Skulduggery still stood there. Valkyrie stared at him patiently waiting, he tilted his head, Valkyrie only just noticed how still he actually was.
"Are you ready?" Skulduggery asked, students were still flowing past them.
"For what?" Valkyrie asked, only focused on Skulduggery.
"For our lives to start…"
"Yes…"
Skulduggery smiled
Behind those huge oak doors, their lives began. They were all standing in the biggest room they all thought they would ever see. They were wrong of course. Students were lining up in age groups to find out who they we're sharing with.
Ghastly moved towards the line. Skulduggery in tow. Tanith pointed towards the line of girls their age.
"That looks like our lie," Tanith said heeding towards it slowly
"Is it spewing pink?" Valkyrie asked, nearly every girl had at least a spot of pink on them.
"Seems like it," Tanith fletching when a group of girls started squealing. Valkyrie just noticed that Tanith was wearing tight black jeans and a leather brown jacket that was done up, she was also wearing leather boots.
The line moved forward, some girls giggling away.
"If out lives get turned into some drama show-" Valkyrie began
"I'll help you turn them all into zombies so we have a right to kill them all!" Tanith finished smiling at Valkyrie, who smiled back.
When they finale reached the front of the line they found an old women with grey hair and glass that made her eyes look like saucepans.
"Name!" her creaky voice demanded
"Tanith Low," Tanith supplied her name. The lady scratched it down, whipping her head to look at Valkyrie.
"Name!" The old lady demanded again.
"Valkyrie Cain," Valkyrie said quickly, the old lady wrote it down quickly. Grabbing two sets of keys, handing it to them.
"These are you keys, your room is," The old looked down,"is number five eighteen, here is a bag with your schedulers and map."
Valkyrie and Tanith walked away grinning.
"Okay, I feel like we're in a resort!" Tanith said turning back to Valkyrie.
"Room five eighteen," Valkyrie look at her key,"do you think it's on the fifth level?"
"The view!" Tanith said clapping,"where are the boys?"
Ghastly and Skulduggery emerged from a group of boys their age smiling.
"Huh, The Dead Men are all here…" Tanith said
"The wha-"Valkyrie was cut off by Skulduggery.
"What room number you get?"
"Five eighteen," Tanith replied,"you?"
"Five twenty, looks like we're neighbours!"
"Don't get to happy Skul," Tanith said walking down the corridor students were hurrying down.
"Why not?" Skulduggery asked
"Who said we were good neighbours?"
"I have a feeling…"
"Do you now?"
"Yes"
Tanith laughed leading the way.
"How many stairs were there?" Tanith panted
"To many!" Ghastly replied
They had finally reached the fifth floor. Valkyrie silently thanked herself for running twice a day, daily. Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery, he didn't seem to be panting or exhausted. Then suddenly he was bent over a breathing heavily. Valkyrie frowned.
I'll ask question later.
Valkyrie pulled her suitcase behind her sluggishly. Her back ached again.
Room five eighteen…
Valkyrie looked at the first door to her right.
R 500
She looked to her left.
R 501
We're on the right… six doors down…
"Come on," Valkyrie said helping Tanith up,"only six doors down."
"Really?" Tanith asked
"See for your self…" Valkyrie motioned with her hand in the direction of their room. Tanith walked quickly excitement bubbling through her.
"It's on the right, Tanith," Valkyrie called out
"How would you know?" Skulduggery asked
"Even,"Valkyrie pointed to the door that said:
500
"Odd," she pointed at:
501
"Is eighteen an odd or even number?" She raised an eyebrow at Skulduggery.
"Even," Skulduggery said watching Tanith squeal as she opened her and Valkyrie's door.
"Oh my gosh, it's huge!" Tanith squealed again bounding into room five eighteen.
"Your room was five twenty, right?" Valkyrie asked Ghastly
"Yes,"he replied, Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery.
"Twenty," she began,"odd or even?"
"Even," Skulduggery smiled at her as she walked to her room.
Wow!
"Wow," Valkyrie voiced, she wasn't expecting this. The corridor was a shinning dark oak walls and steps, the floors of the corridors being carpeted with the same carpet as the one on the train. The corridors held warmth and comfort, and still showed the age and gloom from the exterior of the castle. But now, in Valkyrie and Tanith's room, showed only warmth and modern times.
The door was red on the outside.
A blood red, Valkyrie had thought.
On the inside it was a white mixed with a tiny bit of cream,-or that could be the lighting-the door opened into a living area, with cream couches facing a flat screen, with a floor to ceiling windows behind it and going across and down a hallway. To Valkyries left was a cream wall that signified that it will go no further. To her right and angled a bit behind her was a small kitchen, in which they could take care of them selves if needed.
Valkyrie headed towards the hallway where the floor to ceiling window ran along. Valkyrie parted the silver curtains but only came across her reflection.
I'll have a look in the morning…
At the end of the hallway she came across two doors the first one was the bathroom, the second one lead to two other doors, she heard Tanith squealing happily from one. Opening it she found Tanith running around her claimed room.
"If you start wearing pink," Valkyrie warned,"I will move in with Ghastly and Skulduggery."
Tanith laughed,"I can't believe this is our room!"
"I know," Valkyrie agreed looking around.
"It's amazing," Tanith bounded to the floor to ceiling window,"I can't wait for the view"
Valkyrie could hear the smile on Tanith's face.
"You room is the same as mine, only mirror image" Tanith murmured fixing her hair up.
Valkyrie turned and walked into her new room…
Tanith was correct it was a mirror image. The heads of the king sized double beds meeting at the wall that separated the rooms. The bed already was made and cushions all over it. Two bed side tables with lamps and a digital clock near the desk.
Cool!
The desk was made out of dark wood, a pen, a note book and a desk lamp were supplied. A chair that swivelled was tucked into the desk. The floor was carpeted. A gigantic black rose from the centre of the room spiralled out.
Valkyrie put her stuff away in cupboards. Turned back to her new desk, turned her laptop on, resting her feet on her newly made bed. She read the schedule.
My life is so going to change…
Back in Dublin
Valkyrie Cain's parents were writing a case report when Grand Mage Eachan Meritorious came to their office.
"Optimus," Grand Mage nodded to Valkyrie's mother.
"Grand Mage," she nodded back.
"Mellow," Grand Mage nodded towards Valkyrie's father who 'looked' busy… he wasn't… he was looking for his favourite pen.
"Grand Mage," Valkyrie's father nodded back surprised to see him there.
"I have a task for you," Meritorious began,"find and help this person."
Eachan Meritorious placed a dirty piece of paper which had prints all over almost obscuring the message scrawled underneath. When detectives Optimus and Mellow read the message they both looked up, surprised.
"How do you get this?" Detective Optimus asked gazing at Eachan Meritorious.
"It was in the evidence of the recently closed case…"
"How old is it?" Detective Mellow asked
"Only a few days…"
"We will start strait away," Detective Optimus promised gazing at the note.
Grand Mage walked away, leaving the detectives.
"Thank you," Grand Mage murmured,"you may save the world…"
When the Grand Mage left detective Mellow looked as his partner.
"Who do think wrote it?" asked detective Mellow
"I have no idea…" Optimus replied as she looked at the message again, it read…
DANGER. HELP ME. DANGER.
So whatcha think? R&R
I'll post the next chapter next thursday!
