Chapter Seven: Knight in Shining Armour
Velma poured over the Latin text, hurriedly translating it into English a sentence at a time in her head. Her face changed into a look of horror as she began to realise just what was asked of her.
"No!" she cried, "I won't have any part in this!"
The rat-like fiend's sly features turned to an angry grimace. "Do you know how much trouble I went to, just to get you to read this out?!" he growled.
Velma narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. "I assume you've been following us for some time, then?"
"Yesss... that's right," he hissed. "I knew the Master could count on me... whatever it would take, I knew I wouldn't fail him."
"Let me guess - you were the one behind the mysterious phone call, raving about some mystery we had to come and solve near here. Of course, we didn't find anything because that was just your scheme to lure us to the hotel, because of its many old traps and secret rooms!"
"Right again, smart one. And then I simply turned to rat form and gave your four flat tyres, so you wouldn't leave."
"Just as I suspected. Well, it looks as though all your troubles have been in vain, because there is no way I am going to recite this spell and bring your Master back!" she yelled, making it quite clear for him.
The servant to the Master stood fuming at her, seeming to boil over like the potion in the cauldron. Too angry for words, he turned sharply and stormed out of the room, and for the first time she noticed his long worm-like tail dragging behind him under his cloak.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"L-l-like, I think the c-coast is clear," stuttered Shaggy, his heart hammering on his chest. He and Scooby were pressed flat against the wall, panting with fear. Luckily, the rat fiend had overlooked them, and had now turned the corner down the corridor.
"R-I rope so!" replied Scooby, as they strained their necks to look past the corner of the doorway behind them, just to make sure.
Shaggy crept forward with exaggerated movements, stooping at least a foot at every silent contact between his toes and the ground, as his faithful dog 'twinkle-toed' up behind him.
"Psssst! Velma!" Shaggy whispered, peering around the door frame. Scooby's head popped up to join him.
"Shaggy!" Velma exclaimed joyfully. "I knew you'd come!"
"Heh, yeah - your knight in shining armour..."
"Well, come on! Untie me already!"
He rushed forward with Scooby, and they each took a knot. Once she was untied, Velma stood up and rubbed her sore wrists.
"Thanks, guys," she sighed with relief.
"Like, what was that thing about the spell? We could hear you, but what was it about?" asked Shaggy.
"I'll explain later, Shaggy - right now we have to find a way out; we should avoid going the way the rat creature went, if we can."
Shaggy looked around. "Hey, it's some kind of chute!" he exclaimed, pointing to an opening in the wall. "It should lead up to ground level!"
"Good work, Shaggy!" Velma replied as they rushed to the wall.
Shaggy and Scooby stopped short of the entrance, and gestures that one another should go first.
"After you," offered Shaggy.
"Ro, rafter you!" came the reply.
"No, no, no, I insist! After you!"
Knowing this could go on for hours, Velma came up behind them and shoved them both through the vent, as they voiced reluctant yelps.
They crawled up through the metal tunnel, Scooby in front, then Shaggy, and Velma at the back.
"Like, can you see where you're going, Scoob?"
"R-I rink so."
"Oh boy. He thinks so," Shaggy groaned. "So tell me Velma, who is this Master guy the rat-thing wants you to bring back?"
"You're not going to believe me when I tell you Shaggy, so I'll just come straight out with it. The Master is ----"
Before she could say anymore, all three of them suddenly found themselves falling. They had hit a sharp decline in the dark tunnel, and it was covered with slippery oil all the way down. They all screamed, bracing for impact with the ground at any moment.
The tunnel came to an abrupt end and they slid through a flap covering the opening to another room. Scooby held onto his feet and braked effectively, skidding to a halt, but Shaggy rolled uncontrollably to the other side of the room, landing on his back with his feet against the wall, up above his head. Velma fell out after him, but managed to stop herself before crashing into the wall too. They all jumped as a mocking voice startled them.
"Well, isn't this a nice surprise? I'm glad you could drop in!" The rat-person looked down at them, arms folded over his chest.
Shaggy leapt to his feet, a sudden burst of bravery upon him, and waved his fists about in the air. "Like, listen up, you filthy rodent! Velma stays with us! If you lay another finger on her, I'll - I'll ---"
"You'll do what?" he laughed, advancing on Shaggy. Though a former rat, in his human form he was quite large and intimidating. He grabbed the boy by his longish hair and pinned him against the wall. Shaggy was in too much pain to fight back.
"Rooby Rooby Doo!!!" called the Great Dane, hurtling towards the rat-fiend.
"Look out, Scooby!" Velma cried, but he ran straight past her, knocking her glasses clean off her face. Deprived of her vision, Velma could only listen to the chaos that had ensued within the room as she blindly fumbled for her ever-eluding glasses.
Yes, yes... it's another cliff-hanger, I know! Now, just bear with me, this story is finally getting somewhere! I hope you all like it so far, the next few chapters should be getting more interesting, and answer a lot of your questions.......
Velma poured over the Latin text, hurriedly translating it into English a sentence at a time in her head. Her face changed into a look of horror as she began to realise just what was asked of her.
"No!" she cried, "I won't have any part in this!"
The rat-like fiend's sly features turned to an angry grimace. "Do you know how much trouble I went to, just to get you to read this out?!" he growled.
Velma narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. "I assume you've been following us for some time, then?"
"Yesss... that's right," he hissed. "I knew the Master could count on me... whatever it would take, I knew I wouldn't fail him."
"Let me guess - you were the one behind the mysterious phone call, raving about some mystery we had to come and solve near here. Of course, we didn't find anything because that was just your scheme to lure us to the hotel, because of its many old traps and secret rooms!"
"Right again, smart one. And then I simply turned to rat form and gave your four flat tyres, so you wouldn't leave."
"Just as I suspected. Well, it looks as though all your troubles have been in vain, because there is no way I am going to recite this spell and bring your Master back!" she yelled, making it quite clear for him.
The servant to the Master stood fuming at her, seeming to boil over like the potion in the cauldron. Too angry for words, he turned sharply and stormed out of the room, and for the first time she noticed his long worm-like tail dragging behind him under his cloak.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"L-l-like, I think the c-coast is clear," stuttered Shaggy, his heart hammering on his chest. He and Scooby were pressed flat against the wall, panting with fear. Luckily, the rat fiend had overlooked them, and had now turned the corner down the corridor.
"R-I rope so!" replied Scooby, as they strained their necks to look past the corner of the doorway behind them, just to make sure.
Shaggy crept forward with exaggerated movements, stooping at least a foot at every silent contact between his toes and the ground, as his faithful dog 'twinkle-toed' up behind him.
"Psssst! Velma!" Shaggy whispered, peering around the door frame. Scooby's head popped up to join him.
"Shaggy!" Velma exclaimed joyfully. "I knew you'd come!"
"Heh, yeah - your knight in shining armour..."
"Well, come on! Untie me already!"
He rushed forward with Scooby, and they each took a knot. Once she was untied, Velma stood up and rubbed her sore wrists.
"Thanks, guys," she sighed with relief.
"Like, what was that thing about the spell? We could hear you, but what was it about?" asked Shaggy.
"I'll explain later, Shaggy - right now we have to find a way out; we should avoid going the way the rat creature went, if we can."
Shaggy looked around. "Hey, it's some kind of chute!" he exclaimed, pointing to an opening in the wall. "It should lead up to ground level!"
"Good work, Shaggy!" Velma replied as they rushed to the wall.
Shaggy and Scooby stopped short of the entrance, and gestures that one another should go first.
"After you," offered Shaggy.
"Ro, rafter you!" came the reply.
"No, no, no, I insist! After you!"
Knowing this could go on for hours, Velma came up behind them and shoved them both through the vent, as they voiced reluctant yelps.
They crawled up through the metal tunnel, Scooby in front, then Shaggy, and Velma at the back.
"Like, can you see where you're going, Scoob?"
"R-I rink so."
"Oh boy. He thinks so," Shaggy groaned. "So tell me Velma, who is this Master guy the rat-thing wants you to bring back?"
"You're not going to believe me when I tell you Shaggy, so I'll just come straight out with it. The Master is ----"
Before she could say anymore, all three of them suddenly found themselves falling. They had hit a sharp decline in the dark tunnel, and it was covered with slippery oil all the way down. They all screamed, bracing for impact with the ground at any moment.
The tunnel came to an abrupt end and they slid through a flap covering the opening to another room. Scooby held onto his feet and braked effectively, skidding to a halt, but Shaggy rolled uncontrollably to the other side of the room, landing on his back with his feet against the wall, up above his head. Velma fell out after him, but managed to stop herself before crashing into the wall too. They all jumped as a mocking voice startled them.
"Well, isn't this a nice surprise? I'm glad you could drop in!" The rat-person looked down at them, arms folded over his chest.
Shaggy leapt to his feet, a sudden burst of bravery upon him, and waved his fists about in the air. "Like, listen up, you filthy rodent! Velma stays with us! If you lay another finger on her, I'll - I'll ---"
"You'll do what?" he laughed, advancing on Shaggy. Though a former rat, in his human form he was quite large and intimidating. He grabbed the boy by his longish hair and pinned him against the wall. Shaggy was in too much pain to fight back.
"Rooby Rooby Doo!!!" called the Great Dane, hurtling towards the rat-fiend.
"Look out, Scooby!" Velma cried, but he ran straight past her, knocking her glasses clean off her face. Deprived of her vision, Velma could only listen to the chaos that had ensued within the room as she blindly fumbled for her ever-eluding glasses.
Yes, yes... it's another cliff-hanger, I know! Now, just bear with me, this story is finally getting somewhere! I hope you all like it so far, the next few chapters should be getting more interesting, and answer a lot of your questions.......