“Come on, now.” Deathwalker wanted to get them off the castle dock. “Careful where you step.” They slipped and slid to the end of the wood at the edge of the wet grass where they stopped and looked up the castle hill at the main gate. They could not see it well because of the fog that filled the air. It wafted through the air, hot ash mixed with sea water steam, and it smelled of sulfur.

“Careful,” Deathwalker said. “There will be guards.”

“There already are.” Watcher pointed. Rats poured out of rat holes dug beneath the main wall. Some came from the gate and some scrambled down from holes in the wall designed for archers. They began to swarm and soon looked like a bubbling river beneath the castle wall. They blotted out the grass and made the whole area look like a squirming rat color.

“Into the water. No, Rats can swim. Back to the boat. The grass is too wet to fire. Knives ready. Run!” Everyone said something, except Silverstain who simply screamed, even as a brilliant light appeared beside them. Crystal, the oread of the mountain, stepped out of a bright hole from some unknown place. Several dozen shepherd-like dogs followed her. They were all pure white except for a touch of pink inside the ears. Chris feared at first that this might be worse than the rats, until Deathwalker said a word with a sound of great relief.

“Hellhounds.”

Chris watched the dogs charge the rats. The rats abandoned their swarm and it looked like every rat for himself. He was about to say something when Redeyes tapped him on the shoulder and pointed. Catbird, Chris’ golden retriever, ran right in the middle of the dogs, barking his head off. He did not bite anything but looked to be having a great time dancing around, barking, like the best playtime.

Chris shouted, and Catbird came right up to him, panting and wagging his tail. The dog was not fooled or put off by Chris’ appearance, and he even let Silverstain pet him before he bounded off again to frolic and join the fun.

“Now’s our chance,” Deathwalker said and started forward toward the gate. He was the only one who really paid attention. The dogs had driven the rats down, around a corner of the castle wall. There were still a few rats between them and the gate; stragglers that escaped the main force of dogs and might still be tempted to attack the original target, but everyone had their knives ready and waiting.

Stalker and Crusher took the perimeter and kept most of the rats away. Redeyes cut one. Broomwick fried one and Watcher grabbed it for lunch, which Chris preferred not to watch. They made good progress up the castle hill but stopped within sight of their goal. There was a giant three-headed dog pulling against its chain, barking, and growling, and looking very hungry.

“Cerberus.” Deathwalker identified the beast.

“We could transition through the wall,” Redeyes suggested.

“No good,” Stalker said with a shake of his dark head. “Walls have guards which luckily can’t see well because of the mist.”

“No good,” Deathwalker echoed. “Transitioning through the wall sets off the alarm. The only alarm-free way in is the gate.”

“Transitioning?” Chris asked.

“Becoming insubstantial and walking through the wall. Like when we go to ground when the sun comes up.” Silverstain whispered and licked Chris’ ear. “You taste good.”

Chris was not sure how to take that, but Crusher interrupted with a word. “We got company.”

“Rats?” Watcher squeaked. All heads turned, expecting to see a pack of rats that escaped the dogs, but instead jaws dropped into the silence. Deathwalker finally named the visitor.

“A Knight of the Lance.”

Chris heard the respect in Deathwalker’s tone. He did not know what made this one a Knight of the Lance, whatever that was, but he saw the knight in shining armor with the lance pointed toward the three-headed, snarling dog, riding on a horse that looked to be running on air. Chris’ only thought became please, don’t kill the beast. They saw a brilliant flash of light just before the lance struck home. The goblins all moaned and covered their eyes. Chris and the fire sprites saw the knight vanish and the dog collapse.

“I’m blind,” Watcher yelled.

Broomwick quickly covered Watcher’s mouth. “Quiet.”

“The eyes will recover,” Stalker said.

“Quick, while the beast is down,” Deathwalker commanded. They staggered forward. Chris grabbed a blinking Silverstain with one hand and Redeyes with the other and move them forward. Heathfire took Stalker and Deathwalker by the arms. Broomwick brought Watcher and helped Crusher, though the troll insisted he could see.

When they reached the wall, teary eyes were working well enough. Chris wondered who had the key, but Deathwalker killed that notion. “We can transition through the gate without alarming anyone. Quickly now but stay hidden and quiet when you get inside.”

Chris kept looking at Cerberus. “Just sleeping,” Silverstain said with a smile, even as one of the dog heads began to snore. “Transition,” Silverstain added, and Chris looked up to see her half swallowed by the solid door with only her front half sticking out from the wood. “Think insubstantial,” she said and gave a little tug on Chris’ hand.

“It’s easy,” Redeyes said, and Chris watched while the goblin disappeared right through the gate. Redeyes’ head alone stuck out from the gate as the goblin must have turned around, and he whispered again, “It’s easy,” and the head disappeared.

“Come on.” Silverstain gave another tug on Chris’ hand.

“If I bump my nose, I’ll find a way to get even,” Chris said.

“Promises, promises,” Silverstain said, and she pulled Chris to where he saw his own hand disappear into the door before he thought to pull back. At that point, there was nothing to do but follow with the rest of his body.

“It feels funny, sort of like a ghost,” Chris said.

“Shh!” Silverstain hushed him as they came out on the other side, inside the castle. There were big boxes and bags dumped by the castle gate, like a delivery that no one bothered to put away. Deathwalker grabbed Chris’ free hand and pulled him and Silverstain behind the nearest box. The others all hid and waited.

“We need to move from cover to cover as much as possible,” Deathwalker whispered.  “Hiding in the shadows doesn’t do much against goblin sight.” Chris nodded. He could see where the shadows were, but with his goblin eyes he could see them as only slightly less bright than the rest of the courtyard. There were torches at various points along the wall and a fire pit in the center of the courtyard, but they were harder to see than the shadow areas. With that, he truly realized what a bane the sun could be.

The group moved out slowly, crouched down, headed for the columns that ran along the edge of the courtyard. They got about half-way there when they heard a shout. At once, the yard filled with arrows and people started running as fast as possible back to the crates. Watcher took an arrow in his leg. Crusher took one in his side and roared.

Deathwalker pulled Chris’ head down and shouted at him. “What did the Angel tell you to say?”

“What?” Chris asked before he remembered. “He said, don’t be afraid.”

“What?” Deathwalker balked and the arrows did not cease. “Angels don’t talk that way. I was standing just on the other side of the door.”

“He said, don’t be afraid,” Chris insisted. “Don’t be afraid.”

“Do not, not don’t.” Deathwalker shouted again.

“You have to say the exact words,” Redeyes spoke up, even as he leaned in Chris’ direction. He got an arrow in his arm for his troubles and fell to the ground, face up, but in pain.

“All right,” Chris said, with an annoyed look on his face. “He said do not be afraid.”

Deathwalker threw his hat to the ground and swore. “Stupid and stubborn teenagers.”

Silverstain ran to her brother. “You have to say the whole thing, exactly for the magic to work.”

“Angel said,” Deathwalker prompted.

“Do not be afraid.” Chris shrugged. He had the right words in his mind, but he did not like being called stupid and stubborn. Just for that, he was going to be stupid and stubborn.

“The whole thing.” Deathwalker shouted a third time. “Angel told you to tell them what?”

Chris shook his head in the pretense that he did not remember.

Silverstain suddenly arched her back. She took an arrow in her kidneys, and Chris shouted. “Angel said do not be afraid.” The arrows stopped. They heard any number of archers fall to the ground. A few staggered out into the open and came up close for fear of the damage they might have done.

Heathfire and Broomwick popped out of the fire pit to rejoin them. Crusher bled badly from the wound in his side. Watcher held his leg and stared at it like he feared he might lose it. Stalker held his hand against his shoulder where an arrow scraped him and opened a big gash. Redeyes cried. Silverstain breathed rather shallow.

Deathwalker retrieved his hat and walked out into the courtyard without a word. Chris tried to think of every reason why this was not his fault, but he could not think of any. Deathwalker was right. He knew exactly what Angel told him to say almost from the start, but he felt determined to be stupid and stubborn, exactly as was said. For one brief moment, in an event most rare in all of history wherever teenagers have lived, this teenager felt a moment of remorse and whispered, “Sorry.”

A very goblin looking man ran up to Silverstain. “Doctor Burns!” he roared and tried to help Silverstain off Redeyes. The doctor came straight away and stopped the goblin’s hand.

“Don’t move her. Sorry Redeyes,” he said. “Back up.” The big goblin took a big step back.

“Lord Deepdigger,” Deathwalker called.

“Professor Deathwalker,” the big goblin turned.

“Let the doctor work. We have to free Goldenvein and the other ladies.”

The big goblin glanced back once before he said, “Right.”

Meanwhile, Heathfire and Broomwick each took Chris by an arm to help him along. “Don’t worry,” Heathfire said. “The doctor is my uncle. Silverstain is in the best hands.”

Chris swallowed to keep his eyes free of tears and his face straight. “So, are you planning on going to medical school?” Heathfire gave him a strange look. Broomwick laughed before he could stop himself.

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MONDAY

Beth struggles to enter the castle, but when they succeed, they are betrayed and beth has no memory of Angel telling her to say anything. Meanwhile, David and James try to set the women free. Until Next Time, Happy Reading

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