Highfield Academy - Revenge of The Crows
Chapter Nine.

Joshua, Paula, Kelton and Samuel’s had become the best of friends, and were captivated at the history lesson just given by Miss Catherine.

“Do you really believe that Miss Catherine is over One Hundred and Fifty of our years old?” enquired Paula, “As she is so good looking for her age” she said.

Miss Catherine smiled and laughed quietly at the compliment she had just overheard.

“To look at her she looks no older than thirty,” said Paula. “and much like my mum only more fearsome, and someone, now knowing what I do, that I would never want to upset her,” replied Joshua.

Miss Catherine interrupted their conversation by appearing in front of them,

“And ensure you never give me a reason to become upset, and we will all get along just fine,” she exclaimed, and then simply Miss Catherine vanished from before them. “

Wicked” shouted Kelton, as he looked in awe at what had just happened,

“I am glad she is on our side as had she have been an enemy, we would most likely all be dead by now,” stated Kelton.

Mr Claws interrupted them, “Not only, dead, boy, everyone in this classroom would have fallen prey to her skills, so study and learn by her example, so one day you and your kind can survive such sneak attacks, and keep safe both humanity and our kind.”

The other students also heard what was said and took to heart the warning given,

“Joshua and master Kelton, Merlin has summoned you both to his room immediately the lesson is over-finished, please report there without delay,” said Mr Claws, and then the Red Squirrel turned and hopped away.

“How do they do that? Just appearing as if from empty space” enquired Samuel’s

“We need to learn that trick as soon as possible,” responded Paula, but by the time she had finished Joshua and Kelton had been caught up in Merlin’s summoning and they also vanished from before the student’s eyes, and only to reappear standing in front of Merlin who was in his study.

Immediately they saw that Merlin was not alone, and what appeared to be a person sat before Merlin talking with him, and Joshua recognised her instantly and was pleased to see her, however, so did Kelton, and he thought he knew the person sitting before him, and he was far from pleased and it showed in his eyes.

Merlin looked up and smiled

“Ah here are the two students I was telling you about,” The visitor turned and smiled. “Joshua how wonderful to see you” immediately Kelton’s anger rose

“You know this person I thought you had better taste than to associate with a murderer and a thief,” exclaimed Kelton, instantly Merlin held them in a force field for their own safety. “This is not who you both believe her to be, allow me to introduce you to your new defence of magical arts teacher. Miss Winslow I am pleased to introduce you to two of this school’s finest students in over a hundred years.”

Merlin released his hold on the two students and instantly they could see they were deceived earlier, and that the teacher before them was not the person both students had initially thought her to be.

“Kelton, as you had a severe reaction of anger, I shall start with you, just who did you believe me to be and why was your anger so great?”

Kelton breathed deeply trying to calm himself.

“First may I apologise to you Sir and to you Mam and to you Joshua, it was undignified of me to have reacted in such a way, I should have maintained better control. When I arrived, I thought the person who murdered my grandparents and caused my mother to have a breakdown was sitting before me, and the memory of my lost mother angered me, for that I truly apologise.”

Miss Winslow then spoke to Joshua, and you child why were you so pleased to see me? Joshua had been listening intently and putting his active mind to use while his friend Kelton had been talking. His observations skills had momentarily been blinded as he had not expected such a deception in the school, let alone from within Merlin’s very office.

“I saw my aunt who I love so dearly, but if I may this is a rouse, a deception and a test Sir, there is no one sitting before you other than a very cleverly created illusion, yet I sense there is another present in this room, no I correct myself there are two others here only this time Sir you have not made it so easy for me,” then Joshua turned and faced Kelton,

“It is you, I believe you are not whom you appear to be, so where is my friend Kelton?”

Merlin released his hold on his student and master Kelton appeared as if from invisible space, and the person now standing next to Joshua morphed into her real form.

Merlin spoke, “You see Catalina he is as good as I told you,”

“Better, I would say as I genuinely tried to make myself his friend, yet in time and quickly I might say, he saw through my disguise, or at least knew I was not who I was pretending to be, I agree, with training both students could become very powerful warriors and magicians in their own right.”

Merlin clasps his hands together. “I apologise for the deception, master Kelton here met Miss Winslow before your arrival, so to enable our testing of your observation skills, as Miss Winslow needed to see for herself to enable her to judge what level of training to start you at.”

Joshua smiled and extended a hand to Catalina Winslow, “Miss Winslow I am Joshua Philips and it is a pleasure to meet you, and if I may say, that was a wickedly cool deception, and for a time I honestly believed you to be my friend Kelton.”

Miss Winslow excepted Joshua’s hand in a friendly greeting, “Yes child, but only for a time, most ordinary students would never have known it was a rouse and that I was someone else, as I could have been an enemy wanting to bring your defences down so I could draw near and kill you.”

Joshua swallowed, “Young Kelton here was almost as good as you, as he took several minutes longer before he realised the deception, but he still did incredibly well for an untrained student, and you both show remarkable abilities, but I warn you master Joshua, do not challenge this friend of yours to a challenge of Rang, as he is amazingly fast and wickedly a dangerous opponent for one so young.”

Kelton felt his dignity restored at that remark, which had been Miss Winslow’s intention, as she had realised that Kelton on seeing his friend Joshua overtake him so easily on the observation test, it had surprised him, yet he had still been pleased that he had passed the test earlier, but Joshua had slashed his results, and smashing his time which had until then been a school record.

At that Merlin stood up and invited the three visitors to accompany him,

“Please take these and keep them on you always, and do not take them off, or lose them, they are given as a means of protection, now please follow me as I would like to show you something,” said Merlin.

As all four of them vacated the room Merlin led them to a door that had moments before not been there.

“Do not be alarmed as long as you remain with me you will be safe,” exclaimed Merlin.

He had made that remark to those in his care, as written magically on the door in blood was a warning ensuring any who entered did so knowing the risk. It read as follows. ’Warning all who enter do so at their own risk as beyond awaits ‘Death.’

Both Joshua and Kelton swallowed, but Miss Winslow had visited the area they were travelling to before, and she knew what dangers awaited them. As they passed through the magical doorway the door sealed itself shut with not only a thud, but also a frightening scream, and which was loud enough to wake the dead.

Meanwhile, Paula and Jillian had been talking when they both dropped their tea mugs to the ground and covered their ears, as the entire school had heard the scream. Their eyes widened in shock, and other students looked at one another, then a teacher entered their communal room, “Students fear not that is a warning the school has a breach in its dimensional protection, it is not only a warning but also a potential call to arms.”

Many of the older students had heard the warning before and although it always made the students and staff jump, they knew what it was, and for now there was nothing to be concerned over.

As Merlin led his guests deeper into the strange dimension and where from within, they could hear a mixture of animal noises from the roaring of a tiger to the occasion amplified squeak of a mouse, and then there was the frightening noise of a loud growl as white-hot flame engulfed the visitors. Had they not been under Merlin’s protection they would have been turned to ash in seconds.

As the white heat dissipated, there was silence in the air as the other creatures quivered in fear. “Merlin broke the silence, and suddenly a huge underground cavern opened before them, the space was vast and covering many hundreds of miles in all directions, and there before the visitor’s eyes were mythical creatures and animals of all kinds roaming freely, and then it dawned on the two students the meaning of the warning which had been written on the door.

“Do not be afraid,” said Merlin, “Miss Winslow and I are here to protect you, had we not of been then you would both have died long before the Behemoths fire reached you.”

Both Joshua and Kelton looked in awe at the creatures before them, and then what appeared to be a human man, yet his body was divided as he was part human and part horse appeared before them.

“Mr Merlin Sir it is good to see you again, are these the two young students to be trained?” Yes,” replied Merlin. “I shall leave them in your care for the next five days, but on my return, I do not want to replace them dead, injured will be ok, but not dead, do I make myself clear?”

At that, the Merlin and Miss Winslow vanished leaving both Joshua and Kelton to face the strange creature alone.

“I am Kulet-train and am to be your teacher for the next few days, those devices clipped to your clothing are a direct magical connection with the Merlin, and have been given to you as a means of enabling you to tap into a fragment of Merlin’s powers, now calm your minds and concentrate on the invisible energy field which surrounds you.” Exclaimed Kulet-train.

As both students calmed their fast beating hearts, the two students could sense a power surrounding them and after some practice they both managed to tap into the energy and could sense it was at their disposal, yet they both realised the importance of ensuring the device was secured to them and reinforced the connection with their own energy.

Kulet-train smiled at seeing their actions.

“Excellent you have understood the importance of not becoming separated from the source of your power, as while you are here you will need them at all time.’

Kulet-train paused releasing the energy barrier which had been holding the predatory animals and creatures from sensing both Joshua’s and Kelton’s presence. Immediately the atmosphere changed and both Joshua and Kelton could feel the danger surrounding them and the hairs on their necks rose, as the students could sense they were been watched by creatures that could tear them to pieces and eat them for lunch.

Kulet-train moved with remarkable speed as a creature swept from the sky trying to grip onto both students and fly away. It was huge, and with a wing span of some five metres, and its talons were larger than each child’s torso. Kulet-train reached forward grabbing the creature’s legs and flung the huge flying reptile to the ground knocking it unconscious in one quick movement.

“A Gimlet” he exclaimed “keep low, where there is one there will be more,” he said, and at that the area above them darkened as hundreds of the creatures flew above their heads blotting out what little light there was.