Unsteady; House of Anubis *B2*

[81] House of Strategy

"yeah, Roberts doesn't have hidden trap doors." Patricia interrupted in an obvious tone.

"The danger squares are marked though," Fabian countered before continuing, "the Anubis guards' downstairs are more... limited than when Camilla played them in our practice. Those guards don't move."

"no, they just swivel and point at you until you go...," with that Alfie flung himself off his chair with a shriek to indicate the idea of them falling down the hole in the ground.

Patricia let out a laugh as Fabian nodded his head in agreement with the boy. His was a little more dramatic but the point he made was the same on Fabian was going to make.

"So..." Fabian continued his point to the girls as Alfie clambered up onto his chair again, "in theory the game downstairs should be much easier. I should be able to plot a safe path across to the other side."

"A lot of should's there Fabian." Patricia pointed out.

"I'm in over my head," Fabian admitted to them all shoulders slumped, "we need a strategist. It's not just about being clever, we need someone... sneaky, observant, calculating" Fabian paused and looked to Patricia knowing she would make the same leap he just did. They needed Joy to outwit Robert's senet game.

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School had become unbearable for Fabian since Camilla left.

Her seat, Camilla's seat, the 3rd chair from the left on the second from the back row in every class in front of Jerome, remained empty.

Amber had gotten him a sunflower – Camilla's favourite – and put it in a vase in his room, along with bringing him down Trinket, the teddy bear, as they both knew she slept the toy but hid under her pillow's every morning claiming she didn't.

It wasn't much but he knew it was Amber's way of bringing a little piece of Camilla to Fabian while she was gone.

Amber hadn't left Fabian's side either that day, the two needing the company as they both tried to wrap their heads around how they were going to help save Camilla and now Nina. The pair were walking down the main corridor of the school after a particularly long Math's class, Amber trying to think of a way to get into Sweetie's office still as Fabian spoke to her his notebook out in his hands. Patricia and Alfie walking along behind them, Alfie holding his math textbook out away from him as if it was some ticking bomb.

"So, I have thought of the perfect person to be our strategist," Fabian told the group quietly. Honestly, he had thought of the person that morning but he didn't know how to break the news to Amber who was the Captain of the Fabiana ship. She would be the one who would react the worst to the news they needed Joy's help, well until Nina found out but that was a situation that they would get to when they got to it.

The Sibuna's turned to Fabian at his words and the boy glanced around nervously before speaking. "Joy." He quickly said before rushing to his locker and opening it, hoping it could hide him from the reaction Amber was going to have once she realised what he had said.

"Joy?!" Amber repeated as if double-checking she heard him correctly, even though they all knew she had.

"L-look... okay," Fabian nervously stuttered as he turned to the blonde who crossed her arms and glared at him, "just think about it. She is a brilliant chess player; I mean she spent all of last year playing chess against a computer and beating it. I vote we bring her in."

"I vote we really don't." Amber countered.

"me too." Alfie agreed with the blonde resulting in a breath-taking smile from Amber. Alfie returned the smile before looking to Fabian, "Joy's been acting all crazy recently... and I'm pretty sure she'd checkmate us down the hole on purpose."