'Scared?' Sniff said, turning back into his human form. 'Not of ghosts - I'm more worried about what happens if someone catches us here. It's not like we have any right to be.' Despite these words he didn't suggest they go back; they headed further down the corridor. Round a bend they came across what looked like some kind of landing; several sets of stairs led off from it, some going up, some going down.
Suddenly, the clang of footsteps all around them started simultaneously. Seconds later dozens of people - guards - with spears and shields began running towards them from all directions. In a moment they had them surrounded. 'Freeze!' yelled the apparent man in charge.
In another part of the ship, the butler was addressing another group of Mages 'Mr Doppel assures you that today he will claim the Heaven Magic,' he told them. 'What's more, you will have opponents for the performance.'
'How can he be so sure?' objected one of the listeners. The tall man who spoke was stretched out on a sofa, long arms across the back of it, long legs crossed in front of him. He had a look os self-assurance on his face. He wore large, orange tinted sunglasses that wrapped around his head, making his eyes seem very large. He had thin green hair that lay flat on his head save for two strands that pointed upwards.
'Several contestants are approaching now,' Gerhart replied.
'I knew I could smell something!' said a feisty looking, attractive girl with plenty of curves. She had coffee-coloured hair cut to give her bangs that framed her face. In addition, it was long at the back and tied into a thick, almost spiked, ponytail. She grinned triumphantly at the others. 'Told you all!'
'I wish I could smell some fish,' a dark green tom cat that sat in her lap said dryly.
'Well I'm glad we have some opponents,' said a grumpy-looking teenage girl who wore a gothic black dress with white frills. She had electric blue hair held in two pigtails, too much make up and large jackboots. 'Anyway, I hope the Mages here in Seven are stronger than the ones back home,' she continued. 'None of them were at all fun.'
'I told you, my father wouldn't let you down,' said the calm-voiced young man. He rose and turned to the group with a smile, his silver cloak swishing as he did so. He was good-looking with curly blonde hair, but seemed somehow too pacific, too placid, to be of any threat. However, one would be altogether wrong in making this assumption. 'We should prepare.'
'Master Michael,' Gerhart said, eyes averted, 'May I speak with you alone for a moment?'
'Certainly, Gerhart,' Michael said cordially, speaking as one would to a friend, not to a butler, and followed the man from the room.
'"We should prepare",' said the young girl, mockingly. 'That guy is so up himself.' The long-legged man began to laugh, a little mockingly.
'So cynical for one so young,' he said. As she began to argue with him, much to his amusement, the brown-haired girl sniffed the air.
'Smells somehow... familar,' she thought, though she was sure it was a new smell. It confused and itnerested her in equal measure.
