Chapter 9: Castle Terrors

Sneaking along the rocky pathway is a lot harder than it seems. Especially when you're on a horse. The klip-klopping of her hooves make loud noises as I guide her carefully. Even though I'm invisible, the prospect of coming into Maleficent's view makes me extremely anxious. I hope that I haven't been gone long enough that Phillip and Sarah have already been killed. One, that would make my journey back pointless. Also, I would feel bad. Yeah. That probably would be the one that hurts most.

Merryweather decided to stay by my side as I ventured back towards Stefan's Castle. Apparently she can't trust my ability to reclaim our weapons on my own.

We draw near the castle, coming over a gradual slope. The carnage that Maleficent ahs brought upon the land is evident. The earth is cracked from where the thorns broke out, and boulders jut out from the dirt. We come to the first portcullis to see that it's been quite damaged, the metal grille bent and torn apart. There's no evidence of any more thorns except some of the smaller ones that were cut beforehand. We proceed across the wasteland and arrive at the beginning fo the drawbridge that appears greatly damaged. I really don't feel comfortable bringing my mare over, so I decide to tether her to the portcullis. Merryweather and I continue our journey across the drawbridge, careful not to make too much noise.

I hear a crow cawing loudly. I look up to see her raven circling the outide of the castle. It continues cawing and emitting low gutteral cries. I hope it doesn't have the ability to see through spells. I would kill Merryweather if that was the case. Well, not really. We'd both probably get killed.

I push the great double doors to the castle open, wincing at the sound the rusty hinges make. I only open it enough that I can slip in sideways. I'm grateful I still have some company with Merryweather, though I wonder where the other two fairies have gone. Flora was dropped unconscious on the ground and the green fairy was ... I don't even know where she went. I hope she's OK though. I'm going to need all the help I can get if I want to succeed.

The castle is cold and eerie. Despite not being nearly as creepy as Maleficent's castle, there still is an air of spookiness about. Pictures hang on the walls showing what I take to be the previous rulers of the kingdom. A regal man in a large red cape and a purple vest is shown in one picture. He wears a crown of gold with jewels embeded at each arch. He has black hair and a handle bar mouistache. A goatee hangs at his chin. He seems a very tacky and easy-going character. If this is the king, no wonder Maleficent wanted to punish him ...

"Watch your thoughts!" hisses Merryweather. "Do you want to get us both killed? I'm doing you a favor remember. The fates of Phillip, the princess and that girl and the other fairies are in your hands."

"Fine, I'll be more positive." He still looks like a goof though.

I suddenly start noticing bodies appearing on the floor accompanied by loud snoring. A strange sight to behold. Had it not been for the soldiers and their sound sleeping I would've thought a massacre had just taken place. I'm glad Maleficent is not that evil. Though, I don't really think death is her thing. I think fear is a more defining quality about her.

We step over an assortment of soldiers sprawled on the ground, snoring peacefully.
"Don't have to be too careful; they're not going to wake up," Merryweather says. "We put a spell on them so that they'll only wake when the princess does."

I'm so tempted to try out this theory and give one of these guys a good kick -

"You will do no such a thing!" she snaps. "My goodness, Ben, you seem to have a lot more evil in you than good."

"No, no it's just ..." I sighed. "Well ..."

"Save it. Just don't make me regret entrusting you with this task any more."

We ascend the steps, treading along the regal red carpet placed down the center. I stop when I hear a sound. Footsteps are coming. They echo through the empty halls. I duck trying to make myself appear invisible ...You are invisible you idiot. Either way I edge to the side of the stairs, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever it is that's coming.

"Mistress says Phillip and that girl are going to be trapped in the dungeons forever!" a gruff man's voice comes.

"Yeah," the second voice snorts. "She really got 'em good. They're not going anywhere."

I look to see a group of four of Maleficent's beast soldiers coming down the set of stairs to the right. They reach the landing just ahead of me and for a split second I think they see me. They stop talking and stare from where they stand just above me.

"Has the boy gone yet?" one of the crow beasts say.

"Mistress says to keep a lookout! She expects him to return."

"What? SHE KNOWS?" I say a little more loudly than I intended.

"Someone's there!" the hog soldier announces.

"No one's there you nincompoop! It's just stairs!" the goblin soldier counters.

The hog snorts and laughs. "Those stairs sure are noisey then. It's probably the castle ghost." He turns and starts walking across the landing to the stairs on the other side. His comrades follow him up and they disappear at the top.

I sigh a breath of relief. It really is a good thing these soldiers are so idiotic. No wonder Sarah had no trouble getting by them.

I edge closer to the set of double doors at the top of the stairs and find that it's open. I grasp the golden handle and pull it. Thankfully it doesn't make a sound. We step inside another antechamber and come to a very long and dark hallway. Torches line one side of the walls, but they don't seem to give off enough light. The other side of the hallway is pitch dark. I really don't like the look of this. Not one bit.

"I sense some magic coming from this hallway," Merryweather remarks. "Entities lurk here. I suggest we find another route."

"Do you know the way around the castle?" I ask softly.

"No, not really."

"Well, I trust your judgement. Let's turn around then." Just as I turn to face the door, it closes with loud slam. I grasp the handle trying to pull it open, but it won't budge. "Looks like we have to go through here."

"Yes, it would seem so."

We inch away from the entrance and begin making our way through the dark hallway. I think it would be beneficial if we had some more light to guide us. I go to grab one of the torches but it slides up the wall away from me. A low growl emanates throughout the halls. I want to hide. I want this nightmare to end. But the growling gets louder, a soft rumbling that sends chills down my spine. The hallway suddenly starts to contort, twisting around clockwise, the torches lining the walls suddenly appear to spiral around the tunnel.

"This corridor is all twisted," says Merryweather.

Yeah, ya think? "What was that growling?"

"Probably one of Maleficent's demon beasts. They feed off of fear though so don't feel any."

"Too late for that."

The torches all blow out and we're suddenly plunged in darkness. My heart starts racing and my palms get sweaty. I'm unarmed in a dangerous castle with some demon beasts in a narrow twisted hallway. My palms begin to sweat and I dart my head about as another low growling reverberates through the hall. Don't show fear, don't feel fear, fear is more powerful than death ... fear is ... A thunderous roar erupts from the end of the hallway and I see two beady red eyes at the end of the hall. They start to grow as the growling begins to increase. The beast is getting closer, and I'm frozen in place.

"Don't feel fear, Ben!" Merryweather says desperately. "Don't be afraid!"

But the more she tries to calm me, the quicker my heart races, and more my palms start to sweat. My legs are shaking and my gaze is locked upon the beast advancing at me. It opens what looks to be its mouth full of sharp teeth, glowing white in the darkness. Its eyes rise high above me, teeth shining threateningly at me.

"I'm not afraid." I say plainly, against what I was actually feeling. "You're just a dumb dog!"

The beast backs off at my thoughts and seems to shrink away from that.

"You have no place in this world, demon!" Merryweather says defiantly. "I would teach you tricks if I wanted to. But I sadly DO NOT!"

The beast lets out a whimper, and begins backing away. Man, I never thought talking down to a demon beast could actually render it docile.

"Well, I would teach you some tricks," I say. The beast perks back up, and its red eyes look to me with hope. "But I can't think when you're hovering over me like that! Off with you I say!"

The demon suddenly backs off and runs to the end of the hallway, all the way whimpering. The torches all around the hallway light up at once, and the room is slightly brighter. That sure was a test of courage, standing up to a demon dog.

Merryweather and I don't waste much time lingering in the the hallway. We come to the end and push the metal door open. Another room that looks very much like the stage for sacrificial ceremony greets us. A pale light shines in the center of the room, illuminating a large circle with an altar in the middle. I'm curious to know what this room really is. My heart begins to race as I see the pale light begin to fade. The large chamber becomes a black nothingness.

Merryweather whispers something to me, "Another one of Maleficent's tricks. Be brave."

A soft giggle echoes in the hall, sounding like a little girl. I look around trying to find where it was coming from, but it just continues echoing around and around, bouncing around the walls, sounding like a chorus of laughing children. Then all becomes quiet and a pale light begins to form on the opposite side. A little girl whose face was as white as snow appears. She's dressed in a black blouse and skirt, her hands folded neatly in front of her. She looks to have straight black hair with two horns on her head. She jerks her head at me staring at me with a face of sharp teeth and red eyes. "You weren't very nice to Pooky," says the girl in a deep voice, contorting her body awkwardly, bending her arms at unnatural angles and her torso crooked. "You need to be punished for your insolence." Her bones begin to crack as her body begins to stretch high towards the ceiling, her arms elongating and her hands transforming into claws. Pointy teeth begin to grow as her jaw drops from the ceiling, revealing a black void at the back of her throat.

"Merryweather, why is she coming at me?" I quiver. "We're invisible!"

"They smell fear. It's important not be be afraid," she reasons, though she sounds about as frightened as I am. "Think happy thoughts. Happiness vanquishes the darkness."

I try to think of happy thoughts, but my heart keeps pounding in my chest as the demon girl slowly glides across the ceiling towards me. My 16th birthday this past year, playing cards with grandmother, winning the soccer tournament ... I close my eyes trying to relive these precious moments. The times I've had, the times I will have ... going to university and making new friends ... I dare not open my eyes yet. I keep concentrating on all the positive things that have happened.

"Keep going, Ben. It's working."

I see a bright white light, and then it begins to fade slightly. I open my eyes to see the room once again, the demon girl gone. The light the shines upon the altar appears once again.

"We mustn't tarry!" Merryweather says as she flies ahead. "Come Ben! I can feel Flora and Fauna's magic! We're nearly there!"

I sprint to the other side and open the other metal door and step on the other side. A winding staircase greets us and I follow the blue light around and around. We continue until we get to the very top and enter another door. Merryweather tries to unlock it, shooting sparks at it. She flashes some blasts of blue energy, and that seems to have done the trick. The door opens with ease and we find ourselves in what looks to be the armory. All sorts of weapons line the walls and chests of axes and spears are scattered around the floor.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I say.

"Nonsense, Ben. This is where your weapons are."

"How can we find them in this mess? There are swords and shields that all look the same. Maces and morning stars are everywhere ..."

"Remember what I said? Be positive. Use the positivity inside you to locate them."

I relax and try to be positive. I try to trust Merryweather's instincts, trying to believe in her good intentions. I try to fill myself with positivity and self-confidence. There is nothing that can hurt my pride. I am Ben Freely! I will free the princess! ... and the prince, and the fairies ... and Sarah ... I guess ... I will defeat the evil that dwells in this castle. I am the hero of this story! And goddamnit I will find Maleficent and beat her! She will rue the day she crossed me ...

I look around to see a glowing light near the back of the room. I proceed towards it and look down at it. It's my spear! The white light isn't as strong as before, but it's there. A sign that there is indeed hope for us, so long as we believe in ourselves. "OK, Spear of Salvation!" I address the weapon as I pick it up. "It's time to show me just how powerful you really are."