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Joy had decided to skip out on dinner, making herself a make-shift packed lunch box and heading to the library. Fabian having told her that Jasper was on team Sibuna so it be a quiet place for her to continue practising Senet.
The thing was it wasn't just her and Jasper in the library/exhibition that night. Just as Jasper called up to her to say he needed to close up a man walked into the building.
"forgotten me already Jasper?" the man said as Joy crouched down out of sight crawling towards the bannisters upstairs glad, she had chosen to hide away up there to practice so she could watch without being seen.
Jasper turned to the man in confusion.
"you would do well, to remember."
Joy watched as the man took off his glasses and threw them onto one of the benches that were under the windows, followed by throwing his doctor's case onto it also. In one swift movement, the man removed a mask from his face causing a shaking hand to cover the girl's mouth stifling the gasp that almost came out.
Joy knew the Sibuna's were dealing with something dangerous, but she had no clue that Rufus was back from the dead. Whatever it was the danger had just become very very real to her. They needed Camilla back, and now... how else would they defeat Rufus?
Jasper didn't look shocked to see Rufus but he was at least wise enough to take a step back in fear of the man.
"I thought I'd pay you a little visit Jasper," Rufus spoke in a soft tone, which just added to the overall creepy vibe the man had. "its been so long since I have."
"I want nothing more to do with you," Jasper told the man.
"yes, but there's no going back." Rufus informed him simply. "now we are accountancies and I know you have such good links with The Protector."
"leave my Niece out of this!" Jasper hissed at the man angrily, "if there is one thing, I will fight for it will always be her and her brother."
"I count on that," Rufus informed him with a creepy smile, "because you and your precious godson's endangerment will cause little Camilla-Anne Rutter to do what I need her to do."
"Cam... Fabian..." Joy whispered to herself as she computed the information.
"Luckily for you," Rufus continued from below not knowing about the student hiding above him, "my plans are coming together rather smoothly, and I won't need your surfaces much longer." Rufus turned and approached the exhibition case that held the replica Mask of Anubis in it. "you see my mother associate, will be getting me the real Mask even as we speak." Rufus informed the shaken looking man who was trying hard not to react to the news but failing miserably.
"But who is she getting it for?" Jasper countered gathering his strength.
Rufus turned to him with a sinister look on his face as his smile dropped, the man's words and implication behind the words clear to them both.
"Vera seems very close to Victor these days," Jasper knew he was twisting the knife but making Rufus question Vera might stall the man enough to give the kids time to get the mask before him.
"Well, perhaps I should pay Vera a little visit..." Rufus whispered taking the bait, "find out where her true loyalties lie." Rufus looked to Jasper once again, "I'm so glad we had this little chat..." with that he turned on his heel and left the library.
The moment the door shut Jasper glanced up at Joy. The two sharing a look. The man might have bought them some time but not a lot. They needed to act and act fast. They needed to get the Mask before Rufus and get Camilla out to help them stop him once and for all.
Joy only hoping it wasn't too much of an ask of a 16-year-old Camilla but what other options did they have left.
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"look I think I might have found our loophole," Fabian said to the Sibuna's who were all stood in Alfie's room trying to figure out how to outsmart an Egyptian Memory box. Fabian had made the pair recite everything they heard the fake doctor say and after a few scribbles in his notebook, he felt he might have a loophole... or at least he hope he had. He hadn't read half as many grimoires as Camilla, only really being able to read the ones written in English and Arabic but he had a base level understanding of the magic Camilla could control and something about the loophole he found felt right to him. "Trudy only fell for the magic box stuff because she wanted to believe... we don't. you said they needed to be willing, we aren't technically or we won't be in the way Vera wants us to be."
All of them jumped as Joy came rushing into the room causing Alfie to jump into a karate stance in front of Amber instantly only relaxing once he realised it was Joy who had rushed in.
"Trudy's memory doctor..." Joy started panting a little out of breath, "he's not a doctor at all I just saw him talking to Jasper." They all looked at her knowing there was something more to what she had to say, "then he took his disguise off... and its Rufus!"
"What?!" Patricia couldn't help but say as they all looked alarmed at the news. Fabian glancing over his Memory box notes frantically, if Rufus was meddling then he needed to be 100% sure this was a loophole they could use.
"and get this... Vera's working for him and they are after the Mask... and Cam..."
"if Rufus is a Memory doctor does this mean this box thingy works?" Amber quietly asked Fabian who was flipping through pages.
"N-no... well, technically yes, but the loophole thing still stands." Fabian told the girl, "Ma'at and Chaos must always be in balance. Controlling people without consent is chaos so us not being willing will be the balance needed to make sure the box doesn't work... I think."
"but this means we know their plans," Patricia told them all with a gleam in her eye. "we can just tell Vera to get lost."
"Unless... we do go ahead with this plan and pretend to be under their influence," Fabian said looking to Joy with eyes wide an idea forming.
"totally weird moment Fabian...." Amber spoke up as silence fell around the Sibuna's. "please explain why we want to do that."
"think about it," Fabian told them all, "Victor is perhaps the best Senet player alive, he probably learnt it from Robert as a boy. So, he would know all of Roberts strategies."
"Hang on," Joy spoke up looking to Fabian, "so let Victor and Vera think they're using us to get the mask when really –
"-We would be using them," Patricia finished.
"Well, more we would be using Vera..." Amber corrected. "Victor is a good guy remember; we have to trust Cam in that." Fabian nodded his head in agreement with Amber but the others pulled faces still feeling sceptical about Victor's ever-changing status between good and bad guy.
"that is completely crazy!" Joy told them all as she saw them all smile at the plan Fabian had posed. "Look I can get you across the board, I just need more time."
Fabian's face slipped into an apologetic look as he glanced to Joy, "I'm sorry Joy, but we are running out of time."
Joy looked disheartened but she couldn't help but nod knowing they would use her if they had the time.
"Well," Alfie spoke up, "I'm in. I trust Fabian's loophole plan." Fabian gave the boy a grateful smile glad someone was willing to jump into the madness of a plan he had formed simply using a logic that even Camilla didn't completely understand yet.
"me too." Patricia nodded her head as she, Fabian and Alfie put their hands over their right eye in the Sibuna way.
"Amber?" Joy asked not believing they would do something that crazy.
Amber smiled at the girl before putting her hand over her eye to telling them she was in on the plan.
"I think your all insane!" Joy exasperatedly told them all looking at the mad group who was grinning to one another.
Fabian let out a laugh at the girls' words.
Amber, however, looked at Joy with a knowing expression, "and that is why you will never be a fulltime Sibuna." She told her simply. There was a level of crazy that just came with the job you needed to simply embrace and not question.
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Jerome came trooping down the stairs to see the odd group leaving his and Alfie's room. "Oi, Fabian!" he called causing them all to look at him as he ran down the remaining stairs, "can I talk to you for a second?" he asked.
"S-sure..." Fabian questioned slightly before turning to the other Sibuna's, "you guys grab Trudy... I'll see you in a bit."
They nodded their heads before moving into the dining room, Jerome and Fabian noticing Alfie's disapproving look as he passed as he knew Jerome was about to dob him in to the boy.
"Why do you have marshmallows?" Fabian asked before Jerome could say anything noticing the large bowl in Jerome's hands.
"Chubby bunny challenge with Mara..." Jerome said simply, "she had a call with Mick so had to cut it short."
"Okay...."
"Alfie told me about Milly being trapped," Jerome told Fabian in a quiet tone causing Fabian to groan and look at the dining room where he knew Alfie was, "I want to help get her back. Whatever it is, I'm in." he told the boy causing Fabian to look back to him curiously, "I just need to make sure Camilla is safe..." Jerome answered the unasked question that hung in the air between them. His tone soft and quiet, his eyes shining with nothing but honesty.
Fabian opened his mouth to dismiss the claims but something told him not to rule out Jerome and the help he could offer. "you know, we need a lookout..." he said quietly. "it's not much but we're hoping to trick Vera, could you be lookout on the fake oven." Fabian asked the boy. "for when we come back up... make sure she isn't around?"
Jerome instantly nodded his head at this. Sibuna would never let him do more, not without Camilla around pushing for it, but the fact Fabian had given him even a small job was something and he knew not to push his luck.
"eh... good luck," Jerome told the boy who gave him a slightly forced smile.
"Thanks, we'll need it," Fabian whispered before moving off into the dining room and leaving Jerome to try to think up some reason why he had to hover in the kitchen for most of the evening.
Fabian slipped into his seat as Trudy started to explain the memory box to the Sibuna's, "Doctor Alexander said, that if you share the memory box with a friend then sweet dreams will come to both the giver and the receiver..." Trudy paused to look at them all getting fake smiles back from the Sibuna's. "isn't that such a lovely thought?"
"aww...." Patricia faked enthusiasm while the other Sibuna's murmured 'lovely' and 'very sweet' as a response to the woman.
"and he gave this really clever exercise to help me to sleep," Trudy informed them all. "shall I show you?" before any of them could say anything Trudy started to look around in a panic, "oh where's the box?" she asked before she got to her feet and rushed to the kitchen muttering, "I think Vera had it last."
The moment the woman was gone Amber pulled earplugs out and put them in her ears.
"Just stay focused, just keep telling yourself its all garbage and you're not a willing participant," Fabian whispered to them all before Trudy got back to the table.
"its garbage, its garbage, its garbage," Alfie started to chant quietly.
"in your head, Alfie..." Fabian told the boy with a pat of his shoulder causing the boy to nod.
"what are you doing?" Patricia asked the blonde next to her having watched her stuff earplugs into her ears.
"what?" Amber asked too loudly.
"I said what are you doing?!" Patricia repeated.
Amber shot the girl a look before pulling the earplugs out showing them to the Sibuna's, "in case she starts chanting. I don't want to take any risks."
Before any of them could do more than roll their eyes as Amber quickly plugged her ears again Trudy came out from the kitchen with Vera on her heels, though the woman stopped by the kitchen door to watch what was going on.
Trudy placed the Egyptian Memory Box in the middle of the table. "now, as soon as I open the lid, look inside and all your thoughts..." Trudy paused as she let out a huge yawn.
"have you seen the time Trudy?" Vera asked in a sickly-sweet voice. "didn't Doctor Alexander recommend an early night?"
"oh yes... " Trudy mumbled. "I do feel a bit drained. I was just about to show them -"
Vera smiled at the woman as she interrupted, "oh I can take it from here, you've certainly talked me through it enough."
"aw thanks, Vera." Trudy smiled at the woman, "I will turn in I think. Goodnight everyone. Sweet dreams." She said looking at the students with a smile before leaving the room.
Vera was more than happy taking Trudy's empty place at the top of the table, unknowingly being her own downfall in hypnotising the Sibuna's as she did. Though the Sibuna's didn't know that from the worried glances they shared to one another.
"right," Vera started, opening the lid of the box, "like Trudy said; look into the box."
The Sibuna's stared into the box and nothing happened, though they weren't going to say that to Vera. It was now time for them to see if Mr Winkler and Ms Valentine's drama classes had taught them enough to fool the adults.
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Victor was waiting for Vera as the woman instructed in the library, looking over the replica of the Mask of Anubis as he did. There was a noise as the front door was heard unlocking and the man looked around, "Vera?" he called out. "is that you?"
His question was answered as the woman entered the room four zombie-fied looking students following her. Victor looking over Alfie, Patricia, Fabian and Amber in concern. He didn't like the idea of using the children, but if what Mr Rutter had told him was true the only way to get Camilla back was to complete the game and right now that was what mattered too him.
"I see your plan worked..." Victor mumbled in shock as he looked over the students.
"like a dream." Vera laughed slightly as she looked over the students, "in fact its worked so well that as far as they are concerned that is all this is... a dream. They'll take orders but they can't talk back. The perfect teenagers."
"good... Good..." the man spoke but his tone didn't match his facial expression as concern filled his eyes. Victor glanced to Vera before stepping forward to look at Alfie, "eh, Alfie Lewis would you like a slice of chocolate cake before we go?" he asked watching the boy for any reaction.
There was none.
Apparently, the memory box had worked its magic after all.
Vera gave Victor an exasperated look and the man simply shrugged, "just testing for myself." He informed her as he glanced back at the kids. His eyes stopping on Fabian's blank face. He needed to right by the boy and get his sister back. Both Rutter's deserved that.
"trust me, Victor," Vera spoke up, "the memory box worked like a charm. It's over to you now... do you know what to do?"
"well, with Robert as an opponent one can never be absolutely sure," Victor told her honestly, "but I think so." He smiled before heading to the secret door in the library and opening it.
"Just think Victor," Vera excitedly spoke as she followed him missing the Sibuna's all looking to one another with triumphant smiles before their blank looks crossed their faces once more. "soon the Mask will soon be ours."
"hmmm..." Victor hummed slightly hoping Vera would see it as agreement but the Mask was the least of the man's worries anymore. He turned to the children as Vera knelt and crawled into the tunnels, "follow Vera." He instructed them, causing them to one by one walk to the tunnel and follow the woman.
Victor watched them go before looking to the heavens giving his deity one final prayer to help guide him in what he needed to do.
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Nina wasn't happy, though Camilla couldn't remember a point that term when the girl was happy with Camilla so the current mood she was in wasn't new for the twin. Camilla had finally told her about the ghost that had been haunting their space with them and who he was causing Nina to go on a rant about how he couldn't be trusted.
"that's enough Nina!" Camilla finally shouted causing the girl to turn to her in shock. "I know you don't trust Victor, fine, whatever!" Camilla got to her feet from the box she was on and glared at the girl, "but I have reason to trust him and his father and for once I just wished my word was enough for you to believe that!"
Nina went to open her mouth to argue back but there was a flash and the small handprint like button on the wall started to glow causing both girls to turn around. Above the handprint, there was a set of hieroglyphs carved onto the wall.
Camilla's eyes widened then softened as she looked over the three lines of glowing symbols before glancing at the handprint. "you bastard Frobishire..." she muttered causing Nina to look at her.
"what does it say?"
Camilla glanced at her and moved to the wall. "this top line," Nina looked at the five symbols at the top, there were two birds, a hawk and an eagle, some weird bag (or that's how it looked) two wavy lines and a curved oval that had a section missing from it.
"that reads magic. Now the one underneath reads taken."
Nina glanced to the next row. It was again 5 symbols a half-circle, the eagle or some bird-like a vulture again, another half circle flipped with a water droplet coming from it, a feather and a zig-zag line.
"what about the last..." Nina was scared to ask because from Camilla's reaction and the words 'Magic Taken' she wasn't sure she wanted to know what the last four symbols meant. The first of the last line was a looped rope looped 3 times, the same feather, a sphinx or lion and a box cut into 6 squares.
Camilla glanced at her and quietly answered, "help."
Nina's eyes widened as she looked at the handprint too finally understanding what caused Camilla to curse the man. In order to help their friends with the task above somehow they had to be sapped of magic, and there was only one magic-user in the room that they knew of that could do it.
Camilla didn't think twice as she went to put her hand over the print on the wall only to be stopped at the last second by Nina. "Camilla are you sure about this? what if its another trap from Robert?" she asked quietly.
"It's alright," she gave her a small smile. "Saving me isn't anyone's job. It is my job to sacrifice myself for Sibuna." Camilla turned back to the hand and mumbled, "I'm going to save you. I'm going to save us all."
With bated breath both Camilla and Nina watched as she put her hand onto the cut out only to see it glow for a second and then dissipate. "You'd think if good old Robert wanted to sap someone of their magic there'd be some kind of flash or something... Holy Son of Isis!" Camilla cried out as she felt a sting on her finger causing her to pull her hand away from the slot in time to see a dark crimson bead of blood-forming on her middle finger. The smallest needle being seen going back into the wall with The Protectors blood on the tip.
"do you think it worked?" Nina asked only to see Camilla let out a grunt of pain as she fell to her knees. Unknown to the two girls their four fellow Sibuna's had just stepped onto the Senet game board above them.
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AHHHHHHHH ALL THE DRAMA!
what do you think of the hieroglyphics? wanna test them out before we get to my spin-off stories
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Love ya
Sarah xxx