Chapter Nine: The Master Revealed
Freddie and Daphne searched the room Velma had been tied up in, hoping to find any sort of clue that might reveal the current whereabouts of their friends, or solve the mystery of why they had been kidnapped anyway.
"This stuff is pretty weird," said Freddie, pulling out an old book on the occult from the dusty bookshelf. He flicked through it and replaced it, then turned his attention towards a jar labelled 'eye of newt'. "How original," he mumbled.
"Hey, look!" exclaimed Daphne, who was bending down and looking at the floor.
"What is it?" asked Freddie, walking over.
"Something was dragged out of here," she said, pointing to the wooden floorboards, where there were some very faint marks which led out the door.
"You're right!" he replied. "Come on, let's follow them!"
*~*~*~*~*~*
"You'd better do what he says, Velma!" Shaggy whimpered, kicking his legs as if he was trying to swim in the air.
"Reah, reah! Rickly!" said Scooby.
"But you don't know who he's trying to bring back!" called Velma.
The rat fiend shot her a foul look. "Perhaps you need a little demonstration?"
He picked up a joint of ham from the floor and tossed it into the tank. Instantly the piranhas swarmed around the meat and in a flurry of teeth they stripped it to the bone within thirty seconds. Shaggy gulped loudly as he, Scooby and Velma watched in horror.
"If you don't want the same to happen to your boys, you'll do as I say!"
Velma sat up and looked around. It was hopeless; she saw no means of escape, no means to save her friends other than to read the spell. The "master's" servant had brought the cauldron in here, and had drawn a strange symbol on the floor, on a large scale. Surrounding it were candles, and he now proceeded to light them from one of the fiery torches he had taken from its holder on the wall.
Velma watched him and trembled. Now finished preparing the ritual, he turned and looked at her angrily.
"Stop stalling!" he bellowed, and marched over to the pulley, lowering Shaggy and Scooby another foot. They screamed as the surface of the water was now close enough for the hungry piranhas to leap out and snap at them.
"Rikes!" cried Scooby.
"All right!" shouted Velma. "I'm reading it now!"
The rat fiend chuckled wickedly as she looked over the parchment. In a quiet, shaking voice she began to read out the spell.
"Ab aeterno, ad infinitum, non compos mentis."
Shaggy and Scooby watched her with bated breath. They knew that whatever was going to happen, whoever the master was, they must be something really terrible.
Velma began to read more quickly now, raising her voice a little as the rat fiend stood over her. Sensing she had nearly finished reading the spell, he went over to the cauldron.
"Vae victis! Non omnis moriar! Resurgum! Resurgum!"
A swirl of colour and dark form was materialising in the centre of the symbol.
"L-l-like - what's happening?" stammered Shaggy.
"R- rI don't row!" replied Scooby.
The rat fiend dropped something into the cauldron, causing a mini explosion.
"Écco! Vide! Igitur!"
Suddenly the dark swirl took a human form. The man now standing in its place roared triumphantly, his long dark locks flowing as if in a wind. He laughed evilly, and the three friends shuddered at the sound.
The warlock they were looking at was none other than Ben Ravencroft.
Finally! So, now you all know who the master is, how many of you had guessed? Come on, be honest ;) Well, if you haven't seen the new animated film Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost, you won't know him, but don't worry, a short explanation will be in next chapter.
If you're wondering what those Latin phrases meant, here are the translations - I thought it better to put them down here than to spoil the flow of the story:
"Ab aeterno, ad infinitum, non compos mentis." = From eternity, to infinity, he cannot be found.
"Vae victis! Non omnis moriar! Resurgum! Resurgum!" = Woe to the vanquished! He shall not wholly die! Rise again! Rise again!
"Écco! Vide! Igitur!" = Look! See! Rejoice!
Once more, a big thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story, and thanks to those who have returned to it :) If it weren't for reviews half the authors on fanfiction.net would just give up on their stories before they were finished, so you see how much they mean ^-^
Freddie and Daphne searched the room Velma had been tied up in, hoping to find any sort of clue that might reveal the current whereabouts of their friends, or solve the mystery of why they had been kidnapped anyway.
"This stuff is pretty weird," said Freddie, pulling out an old book on the occult from the dusty bookshelf. He flicked through it and replaced it, then turned his attention towards a jar labelled 'eye of newt'. "How original," he mumbled.
"Hey, look!" exclaimed Daphne, who was bending down and looking at the floor.
"What is it?" asked Freddie, walking over.
"Something was dragged out of here," she said, pointing to the wooden floorboards, where there were some very faint marks which led out the door.
"You're right!" he replied. "Come on, let's follow them!"
*~*~*~*~*~*
"You'd better do what he says, Velma!" Shaggy whimpered, kicking his legs as if he was trying to swim in the air.
"Reah, reah! Rickly!" said Scooby.
"But you don't know who he's trying to bring back!" called Velma.
The rat fiend shot her a foul look. "Perhaps you need a little demonstration?"
He picked up a joint of ham from the floor and tossed it into the tank. Instantly the piranhas swarmed around the meat and in a flurry of teeth they stripped it to the bone within thirty seconds. Shaggy gulped loudly as he, Scooby and Velma watched in horror.
"If you don't want the same to happen to your boys, you'll do as I say!"
Velma sat up and looked around. It was hopeless; she saw no means of escape, no means to save her friends other than to read the spell. The "master's" servant had brought the cauldron in here, and had drawn a strange symbol on the floor, on a large scale. Surrounding it were candles, and he now proceeded to light them from one of the fiery torches he had taken from its holder on the wall.
Velma watched him and trembled. Now finished preparing the ritual, he turned and looked at her angrily.
"Stop stalling!" he bellowed, and marched over to the pulley, lowering Shaggy and Scooby another foot. They screamed as the surface of the water was now close enough for the hungry piranhas to leap out and snap at them.
"Rikes!" cried Scooby.
"All right!" shouted Velma. "I'm reading it now!"
The rat fiend chuckled wickedly as she looked over the parchment. In a quiet, shaking voice she began to read out the spell.
"Ab aeterno, ad infinitum, non compos mentis."
Shaggy and Scooby watched her with bated breath. They knew that whatever was going to happen, whoever the master was, they must be something really terrible.
Velma began to read more quickly now, raising her voice a little as the rat fiend stood over her. Sensing she had nearly finished reading the spell, he went over to the cauldron.
"Vae victis! Non omnis moriar! Resurgum! Resurgum!"
A swirl of colour and dark form was materialising in the centre of the symbol.
"L-l-like - what's happening?" stammered Shaggy.
"R- rI don't row!" replied Scooby.
The rat fiend dropped something into the cauldron, causing a mini explosion.
"Écco! Vide! Igitur!"
Suddenly the dark swirl took a human form. The man now standing in its place roared triumphantly, his long dark locks flowing as if in a wind. He laughed evilly, and the three friends shuddered at the sound.
The warlock they were looking at was none other than Ben Ravencroft.
Finally! So, now you all know who the master is, how many of you had guessed? Come on, be honest ;) Well, if you haven't seen the new animated film Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost, you won't know him, but don't worry, a short explanation will be in next chapter.
If you're wondering what those Latin phrases meant, here are the translations - I thought it better to put them down here than to spoil the flow of the story:
"Ab aeterno, ad infinitum, non compos mentis." = From eternity, to infinity, he cannot be found.
"Vae victis! Non omnis moriar! Resurgum! Resurgum!" = Woe to the vanquished! He shall not wholly die! Rise again! Rise again!
"Écco! Vide! Igitur!" = Look! See! Rejoice!
Once more, a big thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story, and thanks to those who have returned to it :) If it weren't for reviews half the authors on fanfiction.net would just give up on their stories before they were finished, so you see how much they mean ^-^