In the grounds of the Home for Enchanted Girls were hundreds of fairies, Sheriff's Men and other different beasts. Monsters lumbered with big hairy feet, werewolves skulked and howled, and zombies frothed at their mouths. And they were all closing in fast.
'We need to get out of here,' Arthur whispered in a frantic hush.
'Then what?' asked Little Johnny.
'Maybe we can hide in the river or something. Or maybe there's somewhere in the orphanage we can hide. Merlynna?'
'If my magic was working,' Merlynna replied, 'there'd be plenty of places to hide. I could have shrunk us to the size of thimbles and we could have snuck away in a mouse hole.'
'Let's get outta here then,' said Arthur.
From her bedroom, Merlynna led the way back downstairs. And as they scurried through a corridor, passing window after window, they could see more and more fairies and Sheriff's Men outside. Eventually, they found a window where the coast seemed to be clear.
'I can't see anything. Can you?' said Merlynna as she looked through the glass.
'Nothing,' Little Johnny replied. They then opened the window and climbed out.
'To the river,' Arthur whispered. But before they took one step, four Sheriff's Men appeared. Fairies soon followed from above and were led by the Princess of the Fays herself, her evil gaze snapping at the conjoined pieces of the Sword in the Stone in Arthur's hand.
'I see you've found some friends, Arthur Hood,' the fairy princess cackled before stretching out a long fingered hand. 'And something else that belongs to me.'
'The sword doesn't belong to you, you winged rat,' Little Johnny burst out. 'It belongs to only Arthur.'
'Yeah, what he said.' Merlynna stepped forward, raised her hand at the fairy princess and yelled a spell. 'Teine.'
Expectantly, nothing happened. She then shouted it over and over again, hoping her magic would come back, until the fairy princess hissed with devilish delight at her failure.
'A young witch, are you?' the Princess of the Fays crowed. 'From here? Well, I'm afraid to say that magic will never return to you. Ever. We've taken it like we took the magic from the other girls and those insufferable three old hags that called themselves caretakers.'
The night erupted with more cackles.
'Where'd you take them?' Merlynna shouted.
'Don't worry,' the fairy princess replied, 'you'll join them. All three of you are coming with me. But before we go, let me rid this world of this sanctuary for witches, for one, Morgana le Fay, the Queen of the Fairies, shall be this world's only.' With an evil wink at Merlynna, she then bellowed with a raspy cry, 'Teine.'
In an instant, flames danced across the Home for Enchanted Girls, spreading until every corner was engulfed and the night turned to day.
'NOOO!!!' bawled Merlynna.
'Now, we can do this the hard way or the harder way,' said the fairy princess.
'We're not coming with you,' shouted Arthur. 'That will never happen.'
'The harder way it is.' The fairy princess then showed her fangs and screeched, 'Cadal.'
As bright as the flames, a spell shot towards the children. However, Arthur raised Pridwen not a moment too soon. The spell bounced off the shield and zipped back, hitting several fairies and Sheriff's Men, who dropped to the ground out cold.
'GET THEM!' the fairy princess yelled.
This time, dozens of spells bolted through the air. And as each one hit Pridwen, they too ricocheted back. But despite this, fairies, Sheriff's Men and other beasts had started to close in.
Just then, the sound of a cat's hiss cracked the air before a ball of fur zoomed out from nowhere and bowled into the oncoming advance.
Down many went but more took their place.
'My magic might be gone but maybe this will still work,' said Merlynna as she had taken out her yo-yo. 'There's only one way to find out.' She gave her wrist a flick and off it went.
The magical toy darted and streaked, knocking out enemy after enemy. And its string tripped and ensnared. Yet still, and as spells kept hitting Pridwen, fairies snuck through the yo-yo's mayhem. This time, however, it was Little Johnny's turn. With all his strength and skill, he swung his staff, keeping the winged rats at bay.
Meanwhile, and as all this was happening, the children had slowly retreated to the river's edge.
'ENOUGH WITH THIS FOOLERY!' Arthur heard the fairy princess screech through the tangled battle.
Seconds later, there was a blinding flare and Pridwen was hit with a monstrous force, sending it out of Arthur's hand and the children tumbling into the water. Now waist high in the river, the three then watched as the fairy princess menaced closer.
'I've got you now,' she snickered before magicking up a hovering cage. But the Princess of the Fays couldn't have imagined what happened next.
Arthur did, however, for when he heard a large whoosh behind him, he turned and saw a great big ship with sails of golden crowns on seas of blue.
'W–where did that come from?' stammered Merlynna, wide-eyed.
'The shield,' Little Johnny burst out, looking at Arthur. 'It transformed.'
'It sure did,' Arthur replied.
'But why?'
'It must have sensed we were in danger or something. But whatever the reason, I think it's time to get on board.'
Quickly, the children swam over and climbed onto the ship's deck. But now what? The fairy princess, though shocked, was still moving towards them.
'Does anyone know how to drive this thing?' Little Johnny asked as more spells were sent at them, a powerful one hitting the side of the ship with a mighty crash and sending him, Arthur and Merlynna to the floor. 'Because I don't,' he then yelled.
Arthur and Merlynna shook their heads before the young witch added, 'Even if one of us knew, there's no wind to drive the sails.'
But for a second time, another miracle happened.
From Arthur's backpack, which incredibly was still slung over his shoulders, Robin Hood's vibrant red feathers flew out and levitated before them. And as another spell smashed into the ship, the feathers joined together end to end and started to rise. Higher they went until they were level with the sails. Then, they began to rotate, spin so fast that the current puffed out the seas of blue with a powerful wallop.
And before Arthur, Little Johnny and Merlynna could comprehend what was happening, the ship was speeding upstream, steering itself. They were going so fast that they left the fairy princess in their spray.
'I can't believe it. That's twice we've escaped the Shadow,' Little Johnny huffed to Arthur in relief.
'Both times lucky,' Arthur added.
'Yes, but we did fight them off this time. Which, if I do say so myself, we did a good job doing.'
'Indeed. We make a good team.' Arthur then turned to Merlynna, to thank her for tonight and saw the young witch staring at the orphanage shrinking in the distance, its flames licking high into the sky.
The two boys quickly stood by her side.
'I'm so sorry, Merlynna,' said Arthur.
'My home's gone,' she replied, sadly. 'My home's gone, my magic's gone and the only people that I've ever known have gone.'
'We'll get them all back,' Little Johnny said, 'like we'll get Arthur's parents back and the Merry Knights if they were taken too.'
'And we'll help get your magic back as well, if that's possible,' said Arthur.
'Thank you,' Merlynna said as the Home for Enchanted Girls finally disappeared.
Just then, the sound of a meow floated down from above. And as the children looked up, they saw Fury on the crow's nest of the ship, his fur getting ruffled by the wind.
Merlynna smiled a sad smile.
'He was quite the help too,' said Little Johnny.
'He sure was,' said Arthur.
'He's always been,' said Merlynna. 'I do wish he was more cooperative and obedient, though, but I guess he takes after me.'
'Come on,' said Little Johnny, 'let's see where the ship's taking us.'
The children meandered to the bow, where Arthur snorted at something he remembered.
'What is it?' asked Little Johnny as spray from the churning water speckled his face.
Gazing out, Arthur replied, 'Amzin's other prophecy. The drawing of the three of us on this ship. It came true.'