Friends Unite

Chapter 7- At the Castle

The flying monsters released the friends from quite a height and they all plummeted to the ground. Siluetta landed heavily on the cold, hard cliff-face. She only just managed to stop herself from falling off and was now even more bruised than before. Pulling herself up, she saw the castle looming in front of her. Up close it looked even more forbidding than it had from far away. Siluetta shied away from it and hid behind her legs. Edwin and Nia were pulling themselves up too; Nia hadn't been quick enough to flutter her wings and keep herself in the air while she was falling. They looked just as frightened as Siluetta, who wanted to turn and run home, however she could get there.

Then there came a deep, booming voice, startling Siluetta and almost making her topple and fall off the cliff.

"Come forward, now, and enter." Siluetta shied away even more, and saw the others do the same."Come this instant, or this will be the end of you."

These chilling words sent a shiver down Siluetta's spine. Slowly, she rose and made herself put one foot in front of another towards the castle. A bearded guard, clothed in black armour, stood at the entrance. It was he who the deep voice belonged to.

"Now enter. The Dark Queen is expecting you."

The Dark Queen! Once again, a shiver was sent down Siluetta's spine. Even though she had never met this Dark Queen, she was already terrified of her. The last thing Siluetta wanted to do was face her, but that was what she had to do.

The three friends walked stiffly through the vast doorway, iron doors held open to let them through. Two guards lead them through many different rooms, all which were high ceilinged with long narrow windows. The air was dank, stale and foreboding. Then, they came through a door and finally, they had reached their destination. The throne room was large and high ceilinged. Guards lined the walls and at the far side of the room, there stood a black throne with spikes on the back. Seated in the throne was a tall woman in a long, black dress. Her hair was scraped back from her face and she wore a large, spiky black crown. Her eyes bore across the room and into Siluetta's. They were cold, dark and empty, full of hatred and everything evil. The stare sent a shiver down Siluetta's spine. Who could she be but The Dark Queen?

"Who are you, who dare to trespass on my land?" The voice of The Dark Queen rang through the room, clear, proud, resonating and full of hatred.

"Your land?" Nia was stammering, her face filled with fear. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

"SILENCE!!!" The word thundered through the room, making everything tremble. "Guards! Take them to the deepest, darkest dungeon." 

Two guards rushed up to the three friends. One grabbed Siluetta by the wrist. She struggled against him but he held fast. She glanced over and could see Edwin struggling against the other guard. Without letting go of Siluetta, the guard who was holding her reached up, plucked Nia out of the air and plunged her into his pocket.

Soon, they were being marched down flight after flight of stairs, deeper and deeper under the castle. Finally, they reached their destination: The deepest, darkest dungeon. The guard holding Siluetta took a heavy iron key from around his neck, and turned it in the lock. The door swung open, and Siluetta and Edwin were pushed in, stumbling on the cold, hard marble floor. The room was musty and humid. They could feel the weight of the castle above them. The guard who had had Siluetta reached into his pocket and let Nia out. She rose and fluttered up around the ceiling. Siluetta heard the door slam shut behind them, and the click of the key in the lock. And then, nothing but the sound of water dripping from the ceiling, trickling down the walls, and the total, absolute darkness.