The Haunting of Eliv Thade

     On this spooky holiday, Neopians from across the globe funnelled in through the gates of the Deserted Fairground and crowded the usually quiet, ominous land. Among these visitors was Mertillier, a Faerie Vandagyre, whose bright feathers looked out of place despite her best efforts to adapt to the theme of the night. She wore a black Kadoatie costume and tucked her Pastel ear tufts into the hood.

     Mertiller glanced down at her ticket: one private guest tour for the “Escape from the Castle of Eliv Thade” interactive experience. According to legends, the menacing spirit of Eliv Thade had long since been put to rest by an unassuming Usul named Gilly, and the castle was now often used on Halloween for spooky tours. When she called the number listed in the newspaper ad, they even told her they were willing to book private solo tours! That was how she ended up in the Haunted Woods for the first time in her life. It was a far, far journey from Faerieland, but a welcome vacation!

     On her way through the fairgrounds, she bought pumpkin cookies from a food stall, then headed past the far gates and down the gravel path that led deeper into the woods.

     Eliv Thade’s former fortress loomed over the rest of the village. It stood alone, with no neighbours for miles. Even in the dark, Mertillier couldn’t help but notice the moss and mould creeping downward from the peaks of the roofs. The only sign that it had not been abandoned was the artificial lighting pooling out from the tall windows of the keep, backlighting an occupant standing in the window of the highest floor.

     Mertillier hesitated, shoes scraping against gravel and dirt as she stopped, meeting the stare of the mysterious figure in the keep. But as quickly as she had noticed the figure, the person had turned and left.

     Of course, the tour guide would have arrived ahead of her–and, surely, there were more staff throughout the abandoned castle, so Mertillier continued onward toward the front door.

     Unlike Faerieland’s year-round pleasant weather, the end of the Month of Collecting seemed volatile in the Haunted Woods by comparison, especially as the temperature dropped significantly at night. The sun had now fully dipped beyond the horizon, leaving Mertillier under the black night and starlight armed with only a flashlight, the chilly wind whipping at her feathery cheeks. She held the hood of her costume against her head as she approached the front door.

     The door opened before she set foot on the pavement. The foyer’s chandeliers spilt light into the darkness of the night, and a Usul wearing a hooded red cloak and carrying a lit candlestick greeted her. “Hi, you must be Miss Mertillier,” said the Usul. Mertiller thought she looked tired behind the hood, but the Usul smiled kindly anyway. “For the night, you may call me Gilly.”

     Mertillier made an amused expression. “Like the hero.”

     “Precisely! All for the immersion.” Gilly stepped aside. “It’s cold out this Halloween, isn’t it? Please, come inside and we can discuss the rules for the evening.”

     The castle was too cold for central heating, but an escape from the night’s wind was welcome. Mertillier rubbed her hands together and studied the foyer as Gilly went to shut the door. Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. Painted portraits of Eliv Thade himself and of various locations in the Haunted Woods hung on the walls. Despite the exterior needing work, the castle’s dark green baroque-patterned wallpaper was in good condition.

     “Alright!” said Gilly, “Firstly, I will take your ticket please, Miss Mertillier.”

     Mertillier handed over the ticket. Gilly barely looked at it.

     “Now, we have a few rules for tonight’s tour. Firstly, no photography or video recording! Secondly, please do not damage any of the artefacts in the castle. Everything here is authentic and you will be charged for anything you damage. Thirdly, if you want to leave early, please tell me and I will escort you to the door. Are these three rules understood?”

     “Yes, ma’am,” said Mertillier.

     “Fantastic. We’ll start by going through the west wing.”

     Mertillier followed dutifully being the cloaked Usul. Gilly led her through the west hall into the dining room, where cobwebs were spun through the chandelier and the grandfather clock ticked away in the silence. Wind battered the window, the loose hinges shuddering. There was a sword hanging on the wall where the opposite archway led into another hallway.

     “There is a puzzle hidden somewhere in this room on a piece of paper,” said Gilly. “Find it, and you win the sword hanging right there on the wall! It is called the Sword of Skardsen, known for the time I fought the ghost of Eliv Thade.”

     “Right,” said Mertillier, surveying the dining room…An edge of a piece of paper appeared to be peeking out from beneath a candle holder on the display table by the window. Mertillier lifted the candle and unfolded the paper. It read a jumble of unintelligible letters: s-e-u-e-c-a-b.

     “The goal is to unscramble the letters to make a real word.”

     With the way the letters were arranged, Mertillier determined the answer easily: “The answer is ‘because’.”

     Gilly’s face lit up. “That was quick! Please, take the sword and we can move on to the next room!”

     Mertillier did as instructed. The sword was heavy in her hand. In the next room, she set it aside to have her hands free.

     Gilly led her next into a kitchen, which appeared even more neglected than the exterior of the castle. Mertillier supposed the ghost of Eliv Thade had had no use for food. An old, rusting kettle was on the stove. Cobwebs hung in every corner of the room. Flour and charcoal were spilt all over the floor, even beneath the counters and wood-burning stove. A silver and gold shield hung on the wall.

     “The prize here is called the Shield of Pion Troect! Find and complete the puzzle and it will be yours! If you need help, I can provide a hint.”

     Luckily, Mertillier didn’t need a hint. She opened the squeaking cabinets and checked inside the stove. Eventually, she found the hint inside the empty, rust-covered kettle. She unfolded the paper, which read: “n-g-i-w-v-a-e.” What stood out to her was the “n-g-i,” which meant the word must be a verb. She considered the remaining four letters before saying confidently, “The answer is ‘weaving.’”

     “Impressive!” exclaimed Gilly. “You didn’t need a hint at all. Please, take the shield!”

     The shield was as heavy as the sword. She carried one in each hand, unsure how she would collect the remaining prizes later. Gilly never once offered help.

     As they moved to the next room, Mertillier’s footsteps clicked along the floorboards, echoing off the high ceiling. Gilly flitted silently through the hall.

     “My favourite room in the castle is the next one,” said Gilly as they entered the next room.

     Mertillier had heard stories that Eliv Thade enjoyed word games, so it was no surprise that he had kept an extensive library. The walls were lined with tall bookshelves, all of them stuffed to the brim. The puzzle in this room could have been tucked away in any of those books.

     She frowned at Gilly. “May I have a hint?”

     “You haven’t found the puzzle yet though!”

     “I meant about the location,” said Mertillier.

     “Oh,” said Gilly, her brow furrowing. “Ah–let’s see…I can tell you…it is not where you think it might be.”

     Not in the books, then. Gilly must have noticed her eyeing the shelves.

     “Thank you,” said Mertillier, and she thought of where else the puzzle could be located.

     She checked underneath the circular rug and beneath the ornate armchair cushions before she realized the simplest answer: beneath the armchair itself!

     Surely enough, she found the puzzle: “z-c-o-e-d-i-p.”

     A word with a Z in it. Well, that made things complicated but also narrowed down the possibilities. She eyed “c-o-e-d” in the middle of the anagram, immediately thinking of the word “code.” Then the answer came to her.

     “This one is simple,” said Mertillier, “it’s ‘zipcode.’”

     “Wonderful!” Gilly looked like she was shaking from excitement.

     She looked around. “What is the prize here?”

     “The grimoire on the side table!”

     With the sword and shield, carrying the grimoire was tough work. She almost dropped it in the hallway to the next room.

     “Finally, the last puzzle of the night!” announced Gilly. “We arrive now in Master Eliv Thade’s bedroom. The prize you will win for completing this puzzle will award you the Amulet of Thilg. You can see it on the dresser.”

     Curiously, Mertillier went to the dresser. The amulet was placed neatly in a jewellery box. The pendant was ruby-wrapped in a gold casing that had protrusions like horns on either side. “It’s beautiful,” she said.

     “And powerful enough to ward off Eliv Thade’s spirit,” replied Gilly.

     As Mertillier searched the room, Gilly stood by the door that led back into the foyer. She searched every drawer in the dresser and beneath the bed. Crouched onto the dusty carpet, peering beneath the bed, she saw Gilly’s red cloak by the doorway.

     She had no feet. Beneath her cloak was nothing but air.

     Mertillier’s heart jumped, and she stood up sharply.

     “Are you okay?” asked Gilly.

     “Yes!” she gasped out, turning back toward the dresser to check all of the drawers. In one of the bottom drawers, she found the puzzle. She unfolded the paper, then looked at Gilly’s reflection in the mirror.

     The puzzle read: “i-l-n-k-g-i-n.”

     Certainly another verb.

     “Linking? Inkling?” said Mertillier into the silence.

     Gilly sucked in a sharp breath. “Congratulations! You are my first guess this year to get all the answers right!” She came toward Mertillier and sat down the candle holder, then swiped up the amulet and put it around Mertillier’s neck.

     Mertillier looked down at the amulet now resting on her chest, then up at Gilly. “So…what now?”

     “To the crypt!”

     “The crypt?”

     “Yes, in my story, it is where I banished Eliv Thade’s spirit–”

     “Did you though?”

     Gilly’s frowned. “What do you mean?”

     “I want to end the tour here.”

     Gilly quieted for once, moving away from Mertillier and tightening her red cloak around herself, bringing the candle holder close, as its warmth and light comforted her. “Are…Are you sure you aren’t interested in the crypt, Miss Mertillier?”

     “I…” Mertillier said, hesitantly, “Wasn’t one of the rules that I can leave at any time?”

     Gilly’s mouth tightened together. “Of course . . . I will take you back to the starting point.”

     Once they were in the foyer, Gilly said, “Please give me back the items and you can be on your way . . . but are you certain?”

     “I’m certain,” said Mertillier, and she placed the sword, shield, and grimoire on the floor, then carefully removed the amulet and placed it into Gilly’s waiting hand. Gilly’s finger clenched around it.

     “I’m sorry for not finishing the tour,” Mertillier said and turned hurriedly to leave.

     Gilly’s voice carried through the foyer as she opened the front door: “It’s okay. Happy Halloween, Miss Mertillier. I was hoping you would have saved me.”

          The End.