Hello again. Here's another chapter but I want at least ten reviews before I publish the next one! ;)

Ajay was walking along the the vast lawns that stretched from Fowl Manor like a magnificent green carpet.

Artemis' parents were out shopping with the twins and Butler was working out in the gym so there was no chance of him being seen and mistaken for Artemis.

Ajay turned to look up at the window he knew was Artemis' bedroom's. He thought he saw a curtain twitch as something moved behind it. Maybe Artemis had been watching him. Ajay shivered at the thought of those blue and brown eyes watching him silently. Although he was obviously more powerful and physically gifted than Artemis, Ajay was secretly scared of him. How could human of his age have beaten such dangerous and powerful adversaries with nothing but sheer superior intellect?

"Artemis isn't the only one with talents!" he told himself angrily. "I can use magic for my own needs. I don't need to be as smart as Artemis!" As if to prove this to himself, Ajay thrust out his hand and began concentrating. He could feel the lovely wild rush of magic course through his body at his call. He could feel it building up in his hand as he...

Artemis was sitting on his bed thinking about Ajay. He had always been secretly envious of Ajay and his magic. How wonderful would it be use magic anytime he felt like it! Artemis had once obtained magic himself on one of his adventures with the fairies. Unfortunately for him, he dried up his secret stash of magic in an attempt to heal his mother a year previously. Still, Artemis had never forgotten the wonderfully enticing sensation of magic swirling inside his body. He would do anything to have it back. This lead his thoughts back to Ajay again and he stood up, planning to continue spying on the unsuspecting boy walking on the lawns.

But Artemis had only taken one step towards the window when a deep echoing boom shook the room. Literally. Artemis tumbled to the ground as the floor shifted beneath his feet. The floor slanted sickeningly to the right and Artemis felt himself sliding helplessly along with it.

What's going on? he thought wildly as he slammed into the wall, sprawling against it.

"I've got to get out of here!" he gasped aloud, watching bits of furniture go tumbling past him.

Artemis struggled to his feet only to be knocked to the ground a moment later by a cart-wheeling desk chair. Deciding it was safer to crawl, Artemis began to work his way over to the door. Every now and then, a piece of furniture would slam painfully against him. The floor was still tilting like the deck of a ship.

Artemis was only a couple of metres away from the door when he heard it. A deep rumbling groan that seemed to come from the depths of the house itself. Any ordinary teenager would have dismissed the sound as some large piece of furniture toppling downstairs. But Artemis knew better.

It's the foundations crumbling. He thought grimly as he stumbled towards the door.

The house will collapse any minute.

Artemis reached the door and grasped hold of it as the floor turned almost vertical. He swung precariously from the door, only just managing to keep hold of it. He sighed with relief as the floor rightened itself. But the relief was short lived. Artemis never saw the large silver cabinet that slid his way. He remembered a sudden, blinding pain as it made contact, then he knew no more.

Ajay was lost in the concentration needed for working magic. He could feel the magic building up inside him and relished the moment. Then he let it loose. He had only been planning to use his magic for something small. Maybe levitate a leaf or two. He would only need a small amount of magic for that but Ajay could not resist letting it all out at once. He didn't resist as it poured out of him in waves, flooding everything around him. With his eyes tightly closed, Ajay never saw the damage his tidal wave of magic had done until it was too late.

It was the noise that first wakened him from the dreamy state the magic had left him in. At first the noise was a faint, irrelevant but annoying noise in the background. Then it grew to a crescendo and he opened his eyes. What he saw horrified him. Fowl Manor was crumbling in on itself! It took him a few minutes of horrified staring for a single terrible fact to dawn upon him.

Artemis was in there!

I know, I know. The suspense is probably killing you, but I won't publish another chapter until I get at least ten reviews. More would be even better! Thanks, to all those who have encourage me and tried to help me write better. It's a big help. :)

-Spinnika