Chapter 8

Jayson and Thomas's eyes widen as they looked upon the palace. It was huge and made of yellow bricks. The three towers were covered in rose vines.

They entered through solid gold doors. The inside of the e palace was just as pretty as the outside. There was a window that made up the ceiling in the room. Gold dividers separated the panes of glass. Along the gold dividers were angles carved out of gold. There were three on every line each with a different instrument in hand. There were five dividers. The walls were a very light shade of pink, it gave it a almost faded appearance. The floors were hard but were a silver color. Come with us. Said Rocktin. Where our we going? Asked Thomas. To our war room. Answered Patron. There we will wait for Rosen and form our plan to save Rachel.

They walked in silence down long spiral stair cases and on to the sixth floor. There are twelve floors. The dungeons lay on the last level. There was a very short hallway with no doors in sight. They got off the stairs and Rocktin instructed them to wait. He then placed his hand over the yellow bricked wall and smoothed it across it in a certain pattern. Shortly after a black stone door materialized. Inside. Said Patron. They did as he said. Inside was a long black steel table with forty-eight chairs around it. At the head of the table was Rosen. Before you ask. She said. I froze time temperately in your world. It will unfreeze when you return. Now on to business. Guylest lives in the black forest. It is located at the farthest end of Tanlon. It rest in eternal darkness. It is were all dark magic began, way before any of us were born. The rest then sat down around the table. Thomas and Jayson sat next to each other across from Rocktin and Patron. They all sat around Rosen who was at the head of the table. In the center of the forest is Guylest's castle. Rachel should be located in the dungeons.

Now we just need a way to sneak in without getting noticed by anyone.

I have an idea. Said Rocktin. We could go in disguise and go around the back way of the castle to the dungeons and break in, get Rachel, and then run for it. Does anyone have any other ideas?

She Asked. No one spoke up. Then prepare five disguise potions. She instructed Patron and Thomas. We'll need them in an hour.

They nodded and then left.

As for you two, she continued. You'll need to gather weapons and supplies while I get us horses and a couple of other things. She then stood and left. Rocktin and Jayson followed shortly after. Don't worry. Said Rocktin as they left for the armory two flights above them. We'll get her back before he can hurt her. Jayson nodded and they climbed the rest of the spiral stairs in silence.

They finally reached the armory hall. It was a large red room with wooden floors and the walls were twelve feet tall, each covered from top to bottom with all kind of different weapons. They grabbed knives and swords. Shields and staffs made from steel. They also grabbed bows and sheaths of arrows. They then grabbed blankets and armor and some food and water. Everyone was finished in the hour and met outside the gates. There Rosen stood with five horses. Three were chestnut and the other two were dark brown.

The three instructors took the chestnut horses and Thomas and Jayson took the dark brown ones.

They loaded there things and headed of to the black forest. It would take a day to get there through Tanlon woods. When the sun had sat they made camp and ate some of the food which they had brought.

They fell asleep after hours of them laying on the ground,wondering about what tomorrow would bring. They awoke at before the sun had a chance to rise and left to the black forest.

They reached the edge of the woods by noon. The black forest's darkness was separated by a magic force field, so half the part with the woods was light and the forest was dark as night.

It's time for the potions. Said Rosen. Patron reached into his pack and pulled out five vials filled with a blue substance.

They had no smell to them but they tasted like rotten eggs mixed with kitty litter.

They gulp them down quickly. I don't know how long these will last. Said Patron. So we might want to hurry.

It took a minuet for the potion to take effect. All you had to do to make the potion work was think about who you wanted to become and nothing else. Within seconds they were transformed. Rosen now had short black hair, Patron had shoulder length dark brown hair, Rocktin had dirty blonde hair, Thomas had spiked red hair, and Jayson had cropped black hair. They all had dark red eyes with black specks just like all the darklings had.

Everyone stayed the same height as before except for the two boys had each grown a half foot and looked older. They sat the horses free before entering so they wouldn't get caught The forest was so dark and foggy that they could hardly see. The trees were all dead and there was no grass. It was a dark waste land. Although it was always night here, you could hardly see a moon or stars. Anything that would bring light was hidden. The darklings could stand the light but preferred dark. They trudged through the swampy forest in silence. All were determined on the task ahead.

After hours of walking they finally came upon Guylest's castle. It was large and gloomy with huge spiky towers. Darklings covered it.

They acted as the guards. Although the darklings looked like they were everywhere, they did not see them crouched behind a black bush huddled together.

Before we go, whispered Rosen. I'll need to put an enchantment on our clothes so that they'll be dark and not bright. She slightly waved her right hand and in an instant their clothes were black.

They then tried to enter the castle. So far no one noticed them and they made to the back of the castle. Hold on the dungeons are around here. Said Rocktin. He swiped his hands along the castle and then suddenly stopped. Here. He said. He then mumbled something under his breath and within five minuets the wall was gone. Rachel laid on the floor of a dark mucky room with nothing in it but her.

Rocktin went inside and grabbed her. She wasn't awake but she wasn't dead, just out cold.

Here take her. He said to Jayson. I need to put the wall back. He again mumbled something under his breath and this time the wall returned. Run! Shouted Patron. They turned around and a group of darklings were running at them. They looked at each other and realized that their potions had worn off without them noticing. They ran through the mud and through the trees until they reached the edge of the forest.

Rosen then yelled out something no one could understand and the horses came back. They mounted them quickly with Rachel slung over Jayson’s horse and they ran away to Tanlon woods. They looked back and the darklings had stopped chasing them and disappeared back into the forest.

They didn't dwell on it long. They just went on without stopping.

They were back in Tanlon by sunset. They rushed to the castle and made sure Rachel was okay. They removed more of the curse and healed the cut on her head from, the previous day.

They let her rest on the table in the war room so they could all talk without having someone watch over her. Why did they stop chasing us? Asked Thomas. And why was it so easy to get Rachel and leave?

I don't know. Said Rosen. But Guylest is definitely planning something big but the question is, is what is he planning? We'll worry about it later. Said Rocktin. For now we'll rest and in the morning we will return you three back to your homes. They all agreed and they went to different rooms on the same floor to sleep. They placed another bed in Rosen's room for Rachel. In the morning they met in a large dining room with a table that took up most the space.

They ate breakfast and then telaported back to their world.