Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
By: Sinnuo
Chapter One: A Visit to Ezekiel
Rating: PG
Summary: Charlie Bone is back at Bloors Academy. The tension between the Children of the Red King is terrible. New faces, old faces, and more magic and adventure than Charlie could have imagined…Witches, books, fights and the battle of the Children of the Red King is what awaits Charlie…
Death was in the air.
The Red King knew of it, and sensed that his time was up. Three days before he died, he asked his daughter, Amosa, to paint his portrait.
Amosa was an extremely talented artist, so got to work immediately. She chose the finest canvas and charcoals, and began her magnificent portrait.
For two days she sketched and outlined, but on the third day, her father, the Red King, died.
She was absolutely devastated, and once she had finished the portrait, she fled from home, and was never heard from again. Rumours where that she fled to the Forests in Wales, and died a year later.
She had left her painting behind, and when the Red Kings oldest son, Borlath, heard of the painting, he immediately set off the find it. It took him several months, but at long last, he found it.
But he put a curse on it. His shadow, would forever reflect on the King, blocking anyone who tried to listen or enter the painting.
Red and gold leaves swirled down Filbert Street. A heavy wind was howling away, nearly uprooting trees and bushes. The sky was dark, and rain was beating down on the windows of Number 9.
Charlie Bone was asleep as this scene played through his window. A book lay open on his lap, and he was snoring loudly. The rain lashed out at the windows, causing him to occasionally snort.
Down the hallway, a tall old woman stepped out of her bedroom door. She was smartly dressed in a long black skirt, with a jet black coat. Her snow white hair was tied up in a bun.
She snorted at her reflection and marched down the stairs. She opened the door and stepped outside. The front door slammed shut, causing Charlie to wake up. He sat up, and his book went sprawling on the floor.
He blearily rubbed his eyes and stood up. He could hear silence in the house. He was on his own. He opened his door and went down stairs. He opened the door and saw Grandma Bone scurrying down the street, walking north. The direction of Bloors Academy.
Charlie wondered what she was going there for. To hatch a plot with her evil sisters? To visit old Ezekiel Bloor?
Charlie had a nasty feeling that he would soon find out.
Ezekiel Bloor steered his wheel-chair to the long, mahogany table. On it where placed a small phial of dark green liquid, a phial of what looked suspiciously liked blood, and a large gold framed portrait. In the portrait a man with skin the colour of warm earth stood proudly, his red clock billowing out behind him, and his gleaming shield held in his firm grip.
Ezekiel snickered and rubbed his hands together. His plans should go well. If he could revive the Red King, he would have immense power. Enough power to achieve his dreams, and get rid of that Charlie Bone, and his meddling Uncle, Paton Yewbeam.
He laughed with glee and leaned over the table. With shaking hands the ancient man grasped the phial of the green liquid, and brought it to his chest.
"Maybe I should do it Grandfather." said a cool voice from the shadows. Ezekiel's grandson, Manfred Bloor stepped out of the shadows. Today Manfred was wearing a magnificent cloak, black in colour, and his long black hair was tied back into a thin ponytail. Gleaming black eyes bored into Ezekiel. Hypnotising eyes.
"No you fool. Remember what happened last time." snapped Ezekiel.
At that moment, the door burst open, causing Ezekiel to nearly drop the bottle. A tall woman stood in the doorway, with three other people behind her.
"Watch it, you ridiculous woman! I nearly spilt it!"
"My apologies." said Grizelda. She marched into the room followed by her three sisters, Lucretia, Eustacia, and Venetia.
Ezekiel opened the bottle and inhaled it fumes. Slowly, he turned it upside down and poured it slowly onto the portrait of the Red King. He rubbed it in with his fingers, on every single bit of the canvas.
Next, the bottle of blood was poured on. Manfred paled. It was his blood, taken from his hand, because he was directly related to Borlath, the one who had blocked the portrait.
The sisters watched in fascination as Ezekiel put his hands over the portrait and started chanting. His voice was low in tone, so the sisters couldn't hear what he said. He chanted and chanted, until the portrait was surrounded by red and gold wind, which slowly raised up into the air, taking the portrait with it.
Manfred stood, transfixed. Was it really going to happen?
Silence. The portrait clattered back on to the table, and the wind dissolved.
A black shadow seeped from the Portrait, and faded into the air.
A/N: Please review!
Chapter Two should soon be put up. Heres a preview:
Charlie stared into the cold green eyes.
The woman stared back at him, smirking. "Watch your step little boy, you wouldn't want anything...bad, coming your way would you?"
Charlie shook his head, transfixed by the womans eyes. The green shone out at him, inviting him in. Charlie felt himself getting light headed.
Who was this woman? What did she want?
The woman, with a flick of her long blonde hair, turned around, and walked out into the drizzling rain...