The Cat Left Behind

Chapter Nine

PoV Following changes to Steve

Steve shivered, "It's cold," he managed out through his chattering teeth.

"Yes, it is..." Shannon said, a few feet below him, "but carry on and climb! We need to defeat the Cursed Ghost!"

"We're like still two hundred feet from the summit, Shannon! And damn that Cursed Ghost!" Steve yelled.

"Woah, someone's getting a bit angry, huh?"

"How can I not be angry! That horrible curse took my friend! Tom was my friend, you know!"

"Understandable. But we've got to climb, right?"

"Why can't the vortex take us to the summit already?"

"Um. It tends to malfunction around highly magical places like this and sent us elsewhere, and you won't like to end up in a dragon's den, would you?"

"Fine."

"Steve, put the anchor higher! I'll stabilise you!" Shannon shouted.

"Y-yes," Steve said, his left hand slowly leaving the block of ice he was holding onto, and reaching for the pocket of his padded snowsuit.

"Sursum."

The anchor rose about ten feet, and settled on a rock, the sharp edges digging into it.

Steve pulled on the rope hanging from the anchor, jerking himself and Shannon up one or two feet. He then put it through a ring magically attached to his snowsuit belt, and watched it magically twist into a knot. A charm had been placed on the rope and ring by Shannon before they started their climb to the summit. He pulled the rope down more, for Shannon to also secure herself before it came whizzing past his ear and securing on the anchor.

Steve could hear ice chipping underneath him. He immediately reached higher, stepping away from the block of ice a second before it fell and sounded, thousands of metres below. He bit his lip and pulled on the rope hanging from the left side of his waist, before reaching up higher. Shannon reached for what used to be Steve's foothold immediately, right after he placed his foot higher.

They climbed up about thirty feet, re-securing the anchor twice.

"Why does these stupid Isolem Phantentas have to grow on the tree of icicle? No, wait, why does the tree of icicle have to grow in such a place like this?" Steve yelled. He was exhausted.

"It is because it is a tree made from icicles! It would melt if not here!"

"Yeah, right, let's keep climbing..."

They climbed up about a hundred and fifty feet, and the tree of icicle was glistening just above them, the Isolem Phantentas, which were beautiful purple crystals shining brightly as if they were each a tiny light source, hanging from the end of each branch. The leaves were also clear ice, quivering slightly in the shrill wind.

Steve couldn't speak. His jaws were cemented together by his breath, which had turned to ice and sealed his mouth shut. He couldn't melt the ice, since he couldn't recite any incantations. Shannon was still a few feet below him, and he couldn't tell her that his jaws are shut, because he couldn't speak at all.

Whatever, Steve thought, it would melt when we get back, so yeah. He kept climbing, re-securing the anchor once.

As Steve scrambled up onto the giant block of ice, he saw the most amazing sight he had ever seen.

The giant block of ice that the tree of icicle grew on was clear as glass, and the roots were a pale blue colour. The tree towered above them, seven meters in height.

"Steve, seven of them," Shannon said.

Steve reached for the Isolem Phantentas on the lowest branch, and they soon started their descend. Four hundred meters from the tree of icicle, Shannon used the vortex and soon they were back on the castle battlements.

"Shannon, Steve," Aria nodded curtly.

"You've been waiting for us?" Shannon asked.

Aria nodded, "If you would come with me to the dungeon now, we could finish the potion."

"Of course we will. C'mon, Steve," Shannon followed Aria.

Steve followed Shannon down a flight of stone stairs, into a long corridor and down more stairs, past more twisting corridors, into the entrance hall and through a side door, into the throne room and down the stairs to the dungeon.

Meganne was donning a black robe with intricate silver designs on the hem and standing in front of the door. Upon seeing them, she smiled and entered the room, Aria following behind.

Chihiro was standing between Riddle and Desdemona. Kylie and Penelope were standing behind them.

The potion was done and awakened, a silvery-white colour. Steve dropped the Isolem Phantentas into the cauldron, and the potion immediately hissed and turned transparent.

Riddle walked forwards and lifted the crystal ladle resting in the cauldron, emptying the contents into a crystal vial and corking it. He repeated the process until no more potion was left in the cauldron, and gave each person two vials. 

"The manuscript said that this potion needs one last awakening, the contents of which is yet unbeknownst, at the point when it is put into use. I don't understand it," Riddle said, as he took the last two vials and tucked them into his blazer pockets.

Meganne nodded, "Let's go."

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! But I want some suspense at the end...so here we have a little special behind the scenes about the structure of Meganne's castle! Oh YEAH, and Meganne is read as "Meg-ANNE"

Behind The Scenes: Meganne's Castle

First floor: Entrance leads into the Entrance hall, the marble staircase leads to the second floor, the door on the left leads to the throne room, the door on the right leads to storage rooms. The throne room staircase going down leads to the dungeons.

Second floor: The marble staircase leads to the dining hall, the stairs on the right leads to the Great Hall, where trainees in magic have practical lessons. the stairs on the left lead to junior trainee quarters and classrooms.

Third floor: The stairs on the left leads to the library, the stairs on the right lead to intermediate and advanced trainee quarters and classrooms.

Fourth floor: The stairs on the left lead to instructor and magical advisor quarters and the closet rooms, the stairs on the right leads to the bathrooms. Instructors and magical advisors have their own bathroom, junior trainees have their own and intermediate and advanced trainees share a bathroom.

North tower: Aria(previously Skye)'s quarters

South tower: Meganne's quarters

West tower: Astrology classroom

East tower(battlements): Takeoff and landing of magical transportation