Free Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing by Barry Hutchison

portal to home. He looked at the other seven, heaving and swarming with monsters and beasts and furious demons. He looked at Wesley, stillwrithing on the ground as Mr Nuttendudge used Ben’s own gauntlet to bring about the end of the world.
    Tears welled up at the corners of Ben’s eyes.
    “I’m sorry,” he shouted. “Wes, Paradise … everyone. I’m sorry. This was my fault. I caused this. You’re right, I was an idiot.”
    Somewhere, in an attic room in another world, metal slid against stone .
    “I … I thought it was a game. I thought it was all a bit of fun.” He looked around, trying to blink back the tears. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I put everyone in danger. It’s all my fault.”
    Above the sound of thunder there came another noise. It was a low whumming , likesomething spinning round and round at high speed. Mr Nuttendudge and Ben looked up, searching for the source of the sound.
    Mr Nuttendudge squinted at a small black dot hurtling through the sky towards them. “What in Goonderslarg is that?” he said.
    Ben’s arm moved all on its own, with a strength that caught both him and the ghoulthing by surprise. It broke the monster’s grip and stretched up high, palm open, just as the hilt of a shimmering silver sword slapped against it.
    Ben’s fingers tightened around the handle. He recognised the monstrous carving on the hilt at once.
    “My sword. This is my sword,” Ben whispered. His hand and the sword moved asone, swiping and swishing in a blur of speed. The ghoul-thing squealed as its spider-like legs fell to the ground.
    Ben spun round. The sword flourished in a figure of eight in front of him, slicing the very air itself to pieces.

    “This is my sword,” he said again, fixing Mr Nuttendudge with a stern glare. “And I am ready.”

Chapter Fifteen
    Mr Nuttendudge muttered an incantation below his breath and a ball of green flame shot from the palm of his bare hand. Ben’s sword immediately moved to block, and the fireball ricocheted off into the sky.
    “More wyrdanium!” gasped the goblin. “Give it to me. I want it. I want.”
    “Come and get it,” Ben said.
    Mr Nuttendudge’s face twisted in anger. He launched two more fireballs, but Ben twirled and knocked them away. The goblin was still pointing the gauntlet to the sky, but the purple energy flowing from it spluttered, then stopped. Mr Nuttendudge looked at his hand and remembered he was supposed to be draining Wesley’s magic.
    The Luck Goblin reached for the stone. Ben leaped forwards, sword scything swiftly through the air.
    Too late! Mr Nuttendudge’s fingers found the stone. Wesley howled once more and an eruption of purple flame exploded from the gauntlet’s fingertips.
    It hit Ben full in the chest, sending himskidding backwards across the sand. He caught a glimpse of the creatures swarming within the Monstrous Realms above, then Mr Nuttendudge hit him with another bolt of concentrated magic.

    Ben felt as if his body was turning inside out and his head was about to pop. He saw shadows creeping behind his eyes and realised he was going to pass out. A big part of him wanted to. Everything would stop hurting if he just gave up and fell unconscious.
    But his friends were in danger, and giving up wasn’t an option.
    Ben gritted his teeth. He dug the sword into the ground and leaned on the handle. Slowly, surely, fighting against the pain, Ben stood up.

    “What? Impossible,” spat Mr Nuttendudge. “Stay down. I order you to stay down!”
    “Not … going … to happen,” Ben grimaced. He took a faltering step towards the goblin. Then another. Then another. Thepain was immense, but nothing was going to stop him getting his glove back and saving his friends.
    Or so he thought.
    “Behind you!” Paradise yelped, but Ben turned too late. The Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing hit him with a shoulder-barge, knocking him over and sending the sword sliding from his grip.
    Keeping