“Thanks,” I said softly, giving the little lizard a last head rub and setting off.
I reached the arched gate to Arnwell Castle and saw that the Monster Crushers and their Swords were training again, the ring of steel echoing through the stone courtyard as they sparred or tossed weapons onto the cobblestone and scooped up new ones.
Eldon stood in the middle of the organized chaos, overseeing the training and shouting orders, and when he saw me, I’m pretty sure he sighed. He wore the same brown cloak as the night before, and the dark stubble on his cheeks was even thicker.
It looked like he hadn’t slept.
“Did you read the guide?” he asked me coolly, walking over. Some of the other warriors stopped training to watch us.
“Some of it,” I said, looking down at the book. “It’s a little…strange.”
“It will get stranger,” he replied quietly. “And you read about the spell?”
“Yeah. There’s obviously been a mistake.”
He smirked. I tried not to stare at the puckered scar that ran down his face.
“We thought the same when we saw you move in. We had…hoped that perhaps you would quickly move out again, or that fate would change slightly and have your father come through. But when you arrived in Derwin, your fate was sealed.”
He turned away and started walking through the crowd.
“As was ours.”
“So it was you. I thought so. Have you been watching my house from like the second I moved in, or what?” I asked, hurrying to catch up.
“Yes,” he said. “And we’re not alone.”
He led me to the far side of the courtyard, and I stared up at the towering castle. I noticed now that the white stones were dirtier than I had thought; there were spots of charred black near the base and even large chunks missing. But being underground it was safe from the effects of any weather at least, and the gleaming white stones still caught the light of whatever was up on the ceiling. The castle must have been thirty metres tall and twice as wide. Dark, narrow windows watched from above.
“Listen, Eldon, we really need to talk—”
“I agree.”
He raised a calloused hand, and the warriors stepped immediately in front of us, moving in almost disconcerting unison. I took a closer look at the Monster Crushers and their Swords this time. The Monster Crushers, which I had figured out were all the boys in regular clothes, were mostly in their teens or early twenties, while there was a much bigger range for Swords, who were easy to pick out because they all wore those long cloaks like Eldon. Of those, the youngest was probably fifteen or sixteen, while the oldest was a huge, barrel-chested man with deep-green eyes and endless scars running across his pale face. Most of the scars were clumped together in fives. Claws.
Of the assembled warriors—both Swords and Monster Crushers—only seven were women, but they looked like the scariest ones of the group. One in particular caught my eye; she had crimson hair that draped to the small of her back and probing blue eyes that popped from her ivory skin. All the Swords seemed muscular and grim, even beneath their cloaks, with swords and axes and bows strapped to their backs and thighs. Some wore black padded armour, while others wore just simple beige tunics and coarse wool pants beneath their cloaks.
Eldon lowered his hand. “As you all know, the Riverfield door has opened, and this…girl has emerged.”
“Laura,” I murmured.
“Laura,” he said, looking a little annoyed. “The Brotherhood’s laws are clear: whoever comes through the door is the Monster Crusher.”
I saw a ripple of discontent move through the group, and felt my skin prickle uncomfortably as they all stared at me. I’d had enough. It was time to get out of here.
“Listen,” I said, turning to Eldon. “I just came here today to give you this book back and tell you that you have the wrong girl. Clearly I am not the Monster Crusher.”
Eldon shook his head. “If only that were true. But you live in the room, you have come through the door, and you stand here now. You are to be trained, whether we want it or not. We cannot afford to ignore a new Monster Crusher, even if it’s…you.”
“What does the Monster Crusher even do?” I paused. “Okay, stupid question. But really. What difference does one person make? Why do you need one so badly?”
Eldon suddenly drew his gleaming sword from the sheath and used it to point at the nearest stuffed monster, which looked like some sort of enormous coiled serpent.
“There are three kinds of monsters,” he said. “Wild, subservient, and leaders. Wild monsters are dangerous, but they are exactly that…wild. They are animals, and of little use to either side. Wolf hawks, sea creatures, walkers, spiders—”
“Spiders?” I cut in nervously.
He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t like spiders? Then you’ll hate the ones below the ground. They’re about two metres wide and like to prey on humans.”
Ignoring my terrified expression, he continued, pointing at another stuffed monster that I recognized as a wiry goblin, though it was covered in stabs and tears.
“Subservient monsters are the most common in the Under Earth: goblins, ogres, and imps. They’re not overly bright, but they’re smart enough to take orders. They’re also vicious, violent, and extremely dangerous. But all subservient monsters have one important weakness: kill their leader and they will flee, no matter what. Sometimes that’s just the biggest goblin, ogre, or imp. But when there’s a large group, there is always a true leader. And that is where you really come in.”
“I’m confused,” I said.
Eldon started walking toward the other side of the courtyard, pointing his sword
