Kyle strode back to the Birchwood Tower. Vince had peeled off to return to the Academy, leaving Kyle to find his way back alone. At least by this point in time, he had gone back to it about a hundred times or so, and so he could find it in the dark. Although, having company would have been welcome. He snuck back in through the door, crept up the stairs, and snuck down the hallway. Standing in front of his door, knocking quietly, was Akora.
"Akora?" he called gently. "What are you doing here?"
"Akfernen?" she whispered in reply. "What aren't you doing in there?"
"Taking a walk," he said. "Had a nightmare and just had to walk it off, you know? Now, what are you doing here?"
She sighed. "I don't know if you're going to understand this, but I just have this weird feeling in my gut. You ever look over the edge of a cliff or stick your feet too close to a fire and just have a feeling that something bad is going to happen?"
He nodded.
"Well," she continued, "I got that. I don't know what it is, 'cuz usually I like it. Usually it means a worthy opponent or just another challenge is approaching. But this time, it doesn't feel good. It feels like a sickness. I'm sure one of your types would understand." As if knowing she said something wrong, she added, "I mean, not to hurt your inside sensations, or whatever you keep calling them."
Rather than make a fuss, he nodded again and said, "Believe it or not, Vince and I were talking about the same thing. He says it's been too quiet and too peaceful for too long. And-" Before he could continue, he remembered that it was supposed to be a secret. "And so we went to check the perimeter, just to be sure everything was secure, you know?"
"Smart move," she said with a nod. "As much as I love a good fight, it is a common wisdom that a strong defense prevents your last battle."
"A good defense is the best offense," he said.
"Ah, so you do know. Good." She looked up and down the hallway, looking for disturbances and listening for anyone stirring behind closed doors. "So the horned boy agrees. Something is amiss. I wonder what we can do?"
"We?" Kyle repeated. "What can I offer? I can set scraps of paper on fire and I have nubs in my back. I figured that you'd have a plan."
"I like doing things with you," she said. "I'm not saying I consider you an opponent, but you do give me that feeling of unease. Plus you're better at thinking than I am."
"And you don't have any other friends who can help?" He felt like a coward but the old man put a fear into him he never wanted to feel again. Not to mention, as he said, he was pretty much useless.
"Friend?" she echoed. "Is that an ally?"
He had a feeling. "I mean, I guess I can see what I can do," he said finally. "What's your plan? Set traps? Build a watchtower? Train some more?"
"Don't be silly!" she said, raising her voice. She took a moment to get herself under control. "Traps, maybe. We don't have time to build a watchtower or train. I was just going to prepare for battle."
"I don't think they're going to let you do that. I mean, I'm sure they'd put the school on lockdown or send us home before they had students fighting for their lives. Well, then again-"
And with perfect syncing, "you're a Rynne."
"I'm a Rynne!" She snickered a bit at this. "Now you're getting it."
He yawned. "Well, it's late. Don't you think we should start tomorrow morning?"
She groaned quietly, her eyes darting around as if deep in a stressful thought. "I was worried you'd say that. We have to be ready now. But then again, I don't know if you can fight when tired. You, specifically," she added.
She had such a way with words. "Again, I don't know the first thing about fighting. I guess I could burn one real badly, if I had to."
"It's something," she said. She had to have been desperate, Akora never settled for anything less than better than your best.
He was suddenly more awake.
"Why don't we take a walk," he suggested. "Just a nighttime stroll to clear our heads, collect our thoughts, and come up with a plan."
"That sounds like such a passive waste of time," she grumbled. "But I suppose we can do more out there than cooped up in here."
And so the two went outside. Kyle was none too thrilled to be back in the freezing air, but it seemed to make Akora less on edge. They strode to the Academy, Kyle taking light footsteps, Akora plodding with a purpose.
There was a tension in the air Kyle had not noticed before. Maybe Vince had gotten back to the other Custodians, and their stress was just seeping into the atmosphere. Either way this was not the relaxing walk he had been anticipating. The night calm was so fragile it would shatter at a glance. Even his body became stiff and rigid. He stole a glance at Akora and her companions. They, too, walked with stiff, almost artificial gaits. Runt and Sasha had been so quiet he hadn't even noticed them until now! His teeth hurt. He could practically feel his hairs turning grey with worry. He tried to tell himself he was just overreacting, that everything was fine and nothing was going to happen, but there was still a part screaming, "No, it's not!"
As they neared the threshold leading to the Academy courtyard, Vince's Ivory Heart was passing in front of them. Its tall body cast a long shadow down the path for at least a hundred feet. It its head to face them. Its hollow, soulless, unfeeling eyes scanned the two up and down. Then, it continued on its route, determining them to be harmless.
"I still hate that thing," Kyle said in a whisper, hoping his voice would lighten the mood.
Akora jumped half out of her skin. "I forgot you were there," she panted. "Gah, don't scare me like that!"
The two walked the remainder of the path in absolute silence. Even their breaths were inaudible. There was a safety in the Academy walls, like a stone brick security blanket. Even so, their dread remained behind them, watching, waiting.
All of the gargoyles were in class, so the sky was free from movement. It was a cloudless night. The moon was full, and filled the courtyard with light. With the snow reflecting the light right back, it was almost as bright as the daytime. But there was something unsettling about the starch white and sudden, dramatic black shadows.
Kyle found the Ivory Heart, marching silently around the circumference of the courtyard. The sight of it sent shivers through him. It meant no harm, it was here to protect him, but it still reminded him of his time in the castle. It had the same face. He wondered how they worked. Did they retain any memories? Or were they a blank slate every time, knowing nothing but their orders? He wasn't sure which thought was scarier. Either way, he remembered it.
Akora nudged him on the shoulder. She pointed to a tree in the center of the courtyard. Something stuck out from behind the trunk, though it was hard to tell what. The two crept closer, their footfalls silent as they approached. As they rounded the trunk, they discovered Vince, back against the tree, head slumped forward.
"Vince!"
Vince jumped with a yelp. "GAH! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
The two, just as startled as Vince, took a step back. "I was so afraid something happened!" Kyle stammered. "I thought you were dead!"
"No," Vince said, a yawn following shortly behind. "After we split I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep, so I just came here. Must'a passed out from sheer exhaustion."
"Sheer exhaustion?" Akora tutted.
"What do you mean?" Kyle asked. "Vince, how long have you been awake?"
He yawned again. "Like, um, I don't know... I think it's been about three days with like, 20 minute naps where I just collapse somewhere. College people do it all the time, I'm sure I'm okay." He chuckled a bit at his own joke, but stopped when no one else joined in.
"Three days?" Kyle repeated.
Vince shrugged and admitted, keeping his eyes away from them, "Might've been a week, I can't tell time."
"Would it help if you had someone to watch your back?" Akora asked, although she had not a trace of empathy in her voice.
"Oh, no," Vince said, shaking his head, "no, no, no no no no no. My space is my space, no one else's."
"How long are you going to keep this up for?" Kyle asked. "If it's been three days, or a week, or a month, whatever, how long were you planning on doing this for?"
Vince finally got to his feet and shook out his legs. "I wasn't planningon doing anything, at least not yet. It's just that-" he examined Akora for a brief moment, "ah, she probably already knows, too - it's the worry, Kyle, the paranoia that as soon as I close my eyes, as soon as I let my guard down, something's gonna happen.And after what happened with Sean, I know that there are consequences. Until then my excursions outside were mostly accident-free but that? That put things into perspective." He collapsed onto the ground again like a sack of wet laundry, then curled up, bringing his knees to his chest. "That was my fault," he muttered, his voice strained. "I'm supposed to help keep an eye on things. And if we get attacked? That means I'm not doing my job then, either!"
Kyle knelt beside Vince. He had been going through a lot, and could tell no one. It was not a pleasant ordeal. "It's no wonder you haven't been able to sleep."
Vince turned his silver eyes up towards Kyle. His face relaxed a bit, although it was still tense with worry. He took a deep breath. "I knewyou'dunderstand." He hugged his knees tighter. "Makes me feel like I really haven't just been overreacting. So, thanks for that."
Kyle wanted to change the subject, but it felt too much like trying to lighten the mood at a funeral. Instead he asked, "Have you told your uncle or anyone else?"
He nodded. "Told my uncle. Probably told his brother. Efeta knows. Draug knows. Mr. Xian knows. So does Leichenbestatter. The spiders are already on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary." He paused, then asked, "Have you met my uncle's brother yet?"
Kyle shrugged. "Dunno. Why?"
"Nevermind," Vince said. "You would know. He's a cyclops, thinks he's a centaur, no one has the heart to tell him he's adopted." He sighed. "He mostly works under the school or watches from the mountains just beyond the gate since he doesn't know his own strength and he's kind of massive. If he has to come out for this, we're fu- er, in hot water."
Akora moved in closer. "Ooh, can I meet him? I've heard stories of the Clopes, but I've never seen one. Too cold for 'em."
Vince sat up at an awkward forty-five degree angle, still clinging to his knees. "Well with all due respect I hope you don't meet him. He's only ever oncampus during emergencies."
She turned her head to stare into the distance. "Well, maybe I will get that chance."
Then, a bird screeched.
The group turned their heads toward the skies. A massive bird was perched on the Academy wall, screeching into the distance.
Vince's face turned whiter than the moon above them. His lip trembled and shreds of sounds clattered in his throat as he tried to turn them into words. He jumped to his feet, still gagging until he finally forced out, "We have to get out of here, now!" His hands clamped around their wrists and he pulled them towards the nearest door. His Ivory Heart, now behind them in the courtyard, leapt across the ground and sprinted towards the gates. Before the three of them got even halfway to the safety of the inside, the door swung open, and Mx. Leichenbestatter tumbled out.
"Gangway!" they called.
Vince forced the group to stop. Mx. Leichenbestatter fell aside. Then, out of the darkness came Mr. Xian. The bandages around his waist had been removed, exposing an enormous open mouth on his stomach. He thundered to the threshold of the Academy with a spiked club in his hands. Mx. Leichenbestatter followed close behind, carrying an awkward lumpy brown bag.
"Things are about to get good!" Akora growled with a grin on her face and fire in her eyes.
"Don't even think about it!" Vince warned. "MOVE!" He shoved her forward, then dragged the two through the door. He slammed it shut behind him. "Akora, you know about the tunnels, right?"
Akora was furious, but she nodded anyway. "Of course I do."
"Good. I need you to take Kyle down to the safe room. I'm sure you've found it by now. If not, Draug can help you find the way. I gotta go wake up the other towers and get them down here. Now, go!"
But Akora did not go. Instead, she and her companions all stayed put. "No," she said firmly.
"Akora, this isn't a game!" Vince snapped.
"It's do or die time!" she argued.
"Yes, it is," he agreed, "now do as you are told, or you are going to die!"
"She's right," Kyle said. But not in the way she thought. "The towers are too spread out. You're going to need help getting everyone up. You need our help."
"NO!"Vince squealed. "You need to listen! Go to where it's safe! Let me do my job!"
"Vince!" Kyle's voice echoed through the catacombs with a conviction that caught even himself off guard. Fledermaus wormed his way out of Kyle's jacket just to look at him. "You don't have to do this alone. Please. Just let us help you."
The bird just outside the door screeched again. More birds in the distance screeched in reply.
Vince took a deep breath. "Fine," he said. "Go only to the towers you know. I don't want you getting lost. Just outside the door of each tower is a rope hidden behind a rock. Pull it and you'll ring a bell that will go all the way up the tower. It will wake everyone up and get them moving. Go right to the safe room after that. Draug and Efeta should be down here somewhere. We can take care of the rest." He took off running down one of the many branches of the catacombs. "I'm counting on you!" With that, he was gone.
Akora turned to Kyle. "I'm impressed," she said. "You can really command a room when you want to."
"Guess I can," he said. "You start with your tower, I'll start with mine." Vince had left the entrance to the catacombs open. He would have to take the tunnel... er, to the left? He knew he was not the best at navigation but he would have to do his best.
"You sure you can do it?" she asked. "We've been down there once."
He sighed. "No, but I already volunteered myself. I have to do it."
"Seems foolish to commit to something you don't know how to do," she grumbled. "But, when I look at you now, I can't help but to feel like everything will work out."
His heartbeat increased and there was a pressure in his throat. Was this from the flattery or the pressure? "Well, good luck. To both of us."
She nodded. "Good luck."
The two took off through the doorway to the catacombs, and Kyle made sure to seal it behind themselves. He lost sight of Akora fairly early on, and was then totally alone in what felt like a long, dark, tomb. He thought about the undead Mr. Draug, forever shuffling through the subterranean network of hallways. He wondered if Mr. Draug had already gone to the Birchwood Tower, and this quest would be for nothing. He clutched Fledermaus closer to his chest as he scurried with short strides through the dark. If only he had a scrap of paper, then maybe he could make a torch. His heart pounded. His eyes watered. His chest hurt. With each turn he thought for sure he would be face to face with some kind of beast or another Ivory Heart, maybe even the old man himself. But after a few minutes, he finally arrived at the door.
He ran to the door and felt the earthy walls beside it for the rock concealing the rope. But as the pounding in his ears subsided, he heard sounds on the other side of the door. He paused and listened. At first, it seemed like a chilling October wind, rustling the bare branches of dead trees and pushing back and forth the screen door when someone forgot to latch it. He tried to dismiss it as he or Akora having forgotten to close the door, and now a wind was coming through, but there was something off about it. There was a purpose behind it. He pressed his ear against the wood and listened. To his horror, the sound was not wind, but a voice.
"...F i n d h i m . . . t h e d r a g o n b o y...H e w i l l b e h e r e..."
Kyle covered his mouth with his hand and held his breath. The voice was cold and dead. It was as if a corpse was speaking. He took a few steps back, using the wall to balance himself, when he found a rock which seemed out of place. With a gentle pull, it came out of the wall. He reached in with the other hand and found a rope, just like Vince said. But he did not pull it. The safety of the tower had been compromised. Somehow, they found it. Now the only thing between the students and... whatever it was on the other side, were their bedroom doors. If he pulled the rope and woke them up, surely they would wander right into whatever horrors were waiting for them. But what if he didn't pull the rope? What would happen if he walked away and let the students stay sleeping in their rooms? Could the horrors still get to them? Would the horrors still get to them? He clenched the rope tighter. If they could find an invisible tower, surely they could get through two inches of wood. He took a deep breath, and pulled the rope with all his might, sending a sharp metallic ring up through the tower.
". . . W H A T . . .?"
Kyle took Fledermaus from his sweatshirt. He knew what he had to do. "Are you with me?"
"W H O ' S... T H E R E...?" And the door opened up.
Kyle shut his eyes before he could see anything. He forced himself to think of everything horrible in the world and charged forward with his arms outstretched. His hands clashed with something cold. In an instant, the area turned warm, and became ash. There was a clatter as something fell to the floor. There was a rush of air as Fledermaus leapt over him, now on the ground, and pounced on another horror, leading to the clatter of another something falling to the floor.
Kyle forced himself to open his eyes. Before him, in a pile of black ash, was a mask much like the Ivory Heart's, but this one was longer and had horns. With a shudder, he looked up. The room was black with more of the monsters, their pure white faces staring through him.
Someone screamed as they came down the stairs. "What are those things!" There came another, "I'm going back to my room!"
Kyle picked up the dropped mask and swung it at another beast, turning it to ash and bringing it to the ground. "No!" he called. "We can do this! Grab something and fight!"
But at first, no one came to his aid. Terrified, the students returned to their rooms, one by one, until Kyle was alone once more.
He looked around. It was impossible to tell where one ended and another began. Their bodies were one, with only their faces marking another. There would be a flash of purple as Fledermaus emerged from the fray to tackle another, but there was only so much he could do if Kyle gave up. Already exhausted, he knew it was hopeless. He kept swinging the horned mask until it was knocked from his grip. He punched and kicked until his arms burned, but his blunt knuckles did little to help. Finally, one grabbed his arm mid-punch. Another grabbed his other arm. They held him, squirming, kicking desperately, managing to poof one more before they got his feet.
"I S T H I S T H E O N E...?"
"H E H A S A D R A G O N...!"
Kyle swallowed hard. He wanted to speak. He wanted to give himself up. If he could call off the attack, surely he could keep the school safe, and they were bound to come look for him. Maybe the old man was even peaceful, and Kyle could talk him out of his evil plans. But fear sealed his throat. Nothing but a choked gag could escape.
"H E W A N T S T H E B O Y A L I V E... T A K E H I M N O W!"
The beasts blocking the door filed out and allowed the cold air to come through. One by one the creatures marched, slow as tar. One beast took Kyle by itself in its enormous hands. It trudged towards the door, step by step. Kyle craned his neck to find Fledermaus. Another had him pinned, and try as he might, the dragon could not expand. Even if he could not talk, at least the onslaught would be over. He turned to look ahead. The shadows from the moonlight made the beasts invisible. At least he could see the moon...
A hiss broke the quiet, and the grip on him vanished. Kyle fell to the floor in a pile of ash, the beast's mask landing before him. The creatures turned to see what happened. Above him, there was the rustling of feathers. Another beast fell. And another! A fourth fell and Fledermaus was free. There was a stamping of hooves and a fifth and sixth beast fell. Kyle rolled onto his back to see what was causing the commotion. There, at the base of the stairs, standing in a pile of black ash, were Aoife, Sean, Elvia, Nixie, and Asim, their Familiars at their sides.
His friends had come to the rescue!
Elvia and Aoife rushed to him. "Kyle, you're alright!"
Kyle got to his feet and accepted their embrace. "You all came!"
"Of course we did!" Sean said, coming to give him a firm pat on the back.
"Did you expect us to cower in our rooms like the others?" Asim asked.
One of the surviving creatures turned around and crawled back through the threshold. "Y O U ' V E E S C A P E D! N O T F O R L O N G!"
"Look alive, everyone!" Asim ordered. "It would seem we are not out of the woods just yet!"
"We can take 'em!" Nixie beamed.
"And we'll do it together!" Elvia added.
A big grin crawled across Kyle's face. "Let's take them down!"
All six Familiars charged at once through the threshold and into the open night, the friends right on their heels. With attacks from both people and Familiars, the ash army fell. They ran to the path, where they could see even more, marching on the Academy. Before the moon, two massive birds fought. It was Mr. Reaper and Mr. Turncoat.
"We have to do something!" Sean declared.
"And we will!" Kyle said. "CHARGE!"
The group charged down the path. They made quick work of every beast which crossed their paths. Their wake was littered with black ash. The path was easy. The courtyard, on the other hand, was going to be a challenge.
Beyond the archway leading to the courtyard was an inky black sea. Beasts poofed one at a time as Mr. Xian and Mx. Leichenbestatter fought their way through, but it was too much. Above, Mr. Reaper and Mr. Turncoat tore through flesh with their talons and beaks. A fury of feathers made two into one. No one else occupied the night.
"It looks bad, but we can do this!" Elvia said. "Let's go, Nixie!"
The two girls were the first to charge into the fray. Marissa's force and Skitter-Scamps horns ground the two least fortunate beasts to dust. Asim and Leonidas were next, followed by Aoife and Joy. Sean and Kyle were the last to go. "You know what?" Sean said. "I was wrong about you. You're so much stronger than I originally thought. It's been cool getting into trouble with you."
Kyle looked up at Sean. "You say that like we've already lost. Is everything okay?"
Sean looked down at Kyle. All the confidence he usually had was gone. Without another word, he and Drake vanished into the mess.
Kyle ran after him. At once the shadows swallowed him up. He could see nothing, he could hear nothing, and even his own screams were mute. He turned to look around. Through the black he'd see a flash of red, a streak of yellow, a hint of green, a touch of purple, or a speck of pink. Everything else was black. He fought the best he could, Fledermaus at his side. He lost track of how many creatures he poofed. As soon as one fell, another took its place. He tried to call out to his friends, but each time, there was no sound. His throat vibrated, so sound was coming out, it was just concealed in the mass. He was getting tired. He was getting scared. With each flash of red, pink, or green, he could see his friends, too, were starting to give up. But they had to keep fighting. He swung his arm, he threw a punch, he even bit. He would not give up, no matter what it took.
Then, there came another voice.
"G I V E U P B O Y..."
He ignored it, and continued to fight.
"S U R R E N D E R O R D I E..."
He shut his eyes. He couldn't give up.
"YOU'VE CHOSEN DIE!"
The earth rumbled as all the shadows rushed towards the center of the courtyard. Kyle, his friends, and their Familiars were knocked to the ground. A tornado of blackness stood before all of them. Tubes branched off the main mass and turned into arms and legs. A flash of white blocked Mr. Reaper and Mr. Turncoat from view as it solidified into a face. What was once a sea of evil was now a single being.
It fell forward onto its front legs.
And it roared.