Escape From Tickle Tower

13

The four of them walked through one of the portals in the center room. They found themselves walking down a giant staircase with multiple other students. Unlike the ones that connected the floors, this was made out of brick with railings that lined the walls of the room. They couldn't see the bottom, making Rachel shiver slightly as she looked into the white abyss. "So he said it was here?" She asked.

"Yep. Said there was a secret door hidden in this staircase. He even told us the combination to open it and how to find it." Zac explained as they descended the staircase.

"How do you find it?" The village girl asked as they walked down the staircase, noticing multiple paintings lining the walls. Each portrait was based around a different robed person, each with a wand in their hand. Some made goofy faces while others sat there. Rachel could see fear in the eyes of the paintings.

"He said that there's a small button you can only see if you cast a spell on it. That's where Perrine comes in. The button is between two paintings of the founders towards the bottom of this staircase, a little before the exit to this room." Alice explained as they kept walking down the staircase.

"If it's at the bottom, then I know a quicker way down." Perrine said. The other three looked at her with a confused look as she took out her wand. "Jump off the edge. I'll follow you and get us there safely." The brown haired woman explained while patting the railing.

"The other guy used the same technique too to elude us a couple times." Zac explained as he got close to the edge. "I'm willing to do it. Can't be worse than what he did."

Rachel and Alice looked at each other, shrugging as they got to the railing. The three of them jumped off together with Perrine following just behind them. The three of them fell past the staircase, heading towards the abyss below. Before they passed the last flight of stairs, Perrine quickly flicked her wand in the direction of the staircase. Suddenly, all four of them seemed to be bounced towards the staircase. Rachel and Alice both landed on their sides, rolling towards the wall while Perrine and Zac landed on their feet. "Much faster, right?"

"Wish the landing was better." Rachel said as her and Alice slowly got to their feet. "Now, where is this door?"

"Should be around here." Zac said as he walked towards the end of the staircase, standing between the last two portraits. One portrayed an older man holding a wand with a bright purple robe. The other was a woman that held her hands together, wearing a bright red robe while sitting in a chair. "Last I heard, these two were the founders."

"Easy enough." Perrine said as she pointed her wand at the wall between the portraits, attempting to push it. However, the wall didn't move. Instead, a set of five dials appeared between them. Each dial had the same symbols on it, a feather, a brush, a claw, a wand, and a hand. "That's weird."

"We have the combination, so it's not that hard." Alice said as she stepped up to the dials and began to turn them. After fiddling with them for a few seconds, she finally set the combination of hand, wand, brush, feather, and claw. Moments after the combination was entered, a door frame was revealed to them. The parts of the wall inside the door frame slowly opened up and allowed them inside. "The monster we need to take on is up ahead."

"Best that it's just the three of us then." Rachel said as she walked up to the door.

Zac quickly walked up to Perrine, standing between her and the door. "Best if you stay here. If we can't take it down, then you need to seal the door again and not let anyone in." He said. The brown haired woman pouted at him before nodding, slowly putting her wand to her side.

Rachel took a small sigh of relief before walking up to the door. "Let's go." She said before her, Alice, and Zac stepped inside. Slowly, the door shut behind them, remaining visible.