《Unlocking Fantasy》


 Chapter 1 - The First Lock

    Mark¡¯s feet crunched on the gravel of the driveway as he got out of his car. He took his suitcase out of the trunk, and then closed it gently. He patted the closed trunk, as he smiled at the old car. He sent a quick glance in the direction of his sister¡¯s car, and then finally turned to face the house.


    It was a house made almost entirely from wood a long time ago, and it had weathered the years with a certain degree of grace. The exterior was for the most part unblemished, while a sidewalk ran from the driveway to the front entrance. The flower gardens had long since become home to weeds, though the yard was still well maintained.


    To Mark the house had always had a bit of a foreboding feel to it, an unwelcome sensation that crept up his spine. Even in his childhood he had only found the shadowy place to be naught more than a dust laden mausoleum. Nightmares had been a constant issue for him, and he had been forced to learn how to live with minimal sleep.


    His father, grandfather, and great grandfather had all passed away inside of it. To Mark the place was a gluttonous monster that would devour any who stayed too long, and so when he had the chance he left as soon as he could.


    So the fact that he now stood outside of the large structure, with a suitcase in one hand, was something that irked him. Mark used the intricately carved knocker on the main door, and then used it again, and only after a few minutes did he start to worry. He had come at the request of his sister, she knew he was coming, but why was she taking so long to come to the door?


    ¡°Sarah, I swear if you¡¯re taking a shower or something else,¡± he grumbled as he set the suitcase down on the ground.


    Mark stepped off of the patio and walked along the outside of the house, looking for any telltale signs of something different. After he had gone halfway around the house he found a small pile of rocks pushed up against the wall. A few moments later and he had returned back to the front of the house with a fake stone in hand.


    His sister had always been a fan of using fake stones to hide her spare keys, since she was a forgetful sort of person. The only problem was that she didn¡¯t like to leave them near the front door, as she felt it made it easier for a robber to find them. Mark had grown a bit too accustomed to scrounging through piles of rocks during his youth.


    The old lock clicked loud enough that anyone inside should¡¯ve heard it, and Mark opened the door and brought his suitcase and the fake stone inside. The stone was unceremoniously dumped as soon as he entered.


    The interior of the house was nothing grandiose, as though his great grandfather might have wished for a mansion the Hadley family had never been rich. So the first room he entered was at best ten feet by twenty feet. There were two doorways beside the exit from the house, one that led to the kitchen and another that went into the dining area. A single stairwell was to Mark¡¯s left, the only access to the upper floors. If he wanted to get to the basement he¡¯d have to go through the kitchen.


    The wood floor creaked as Mark put the suitcase down, and then he turned and closed the door. From above a slight noise could be heard, the telltale sound of creaking coming from the hinges of a door.


    Mark stepped quickly over to the stairs and he put one hand on the end of the railing. ¡°Sarah?¡± he called as he peered up, ¡°are you up there?¡±


    The stairs themselves were old and slightly warped, the actual size of each step slightly different since they¡¯d been hand made by a poor craftsman. The railing swooped up along the right wall of the stairwell, while the left was a blank wooden wall that curved along with the stairs themselves.


    The odd part was that the light which would normally be on if Sarah had gone up the stairs was dark, and so the only thing that greeted Mark were deep shadows. No one responded to his call and the silence of the house only deepened the dread Mark felt.


    He ran his left hand up along the wall and fingered the darkened light switch. He was about to turn it on when he realized that it already was. ¡°What? Sarah!¡± he yelled, as he started to worry even worse.


    A slight tension in his chest had begun to mount and his breath came faster. With no response to his second call Mark turned and half-ran for the kitchen. The interior of it was as always, a wooden floor with an old stove nestled up in one corner. A fridge that also had a section for frozen items wasn¡¯t far off from it, while the sink was filled with dirty dishes.


    Nothing new there, Mark briefly thought, because he knew well how little Sarah cared for doing the dishes. However he had no time to think on that as he ran to one of the drawers and opened it, rummaging quickly inside. He shoved it closed and moved to the next one, while he hoped that Sarah hadn¡¯t changed the layout too much since he¡¯d left.


    Finally he found what he wanted, a flashlight, and returned to the dark stairwell with it. He clicked it on, the dim bulb barely powered by half-dead batteries, and he hesitatingly began his ascension. The steps creaked beneath his weight in protest, a familiar sound to him from his youth, while every movement of dust in the air evoked a sensation of fear from Mark.


    ¡°There¡¯s no killer, there¡¯s nothing dangerous,¡± Mark told himself as he continued the climb, ¡°that¡¯s just silly movie garbage.¡±


    When he reached the second floor he paused, aiming the flashlight down the dark hallway that greeted him. Light filtered in through a window inside one of the open rooms, but it was barely enough to help alleviate the claustrophobic sensation that had mounted within Mark.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Before he moved further he flipped the light switch for the second floor hallway on, the bulb instantly flaring to life. The burst of fresh light caused Mark to wince, but he didn¡¯t care and instead basked for a moment in it.


    Yet Mark needed to move on and so he started to check the second floor for Sarah. He opened each door that was closed, and he called her name over and over again. The bedrooms were empty with most of the bedding gone save for in two of them. The bathroom was dry and dark and there was no sign that it had been used recently.


    That meant Mark was forced to return to the dark stairwell, and so armed with his flashlight he once more began to climb it. When he reached the door to the attic he found that it was partially open, and so he gingerly pushed at it.


    The door swung and pressed flush against the wall on the inside, revealing a pitch black room inside. Mark swung the flashlight he held left and right as he scanned the room, confused as to what was going on. Sarah¡¯s car had been in the driveway, so she had to be here.


    As he moved the flashlight over everything he noticed two changes from the last time. Three if you were to count the new cobwebs that had gathered, but Mark tried to push that to the back of his mind. The thought of spiders crawling over him as he walked through that inky blackness was a bit too much for him right now.


    The first change was the fact that there was a door that had been installed onto the middle divider of the attic. He knew Sarah had wanted to do that for years, but he never really cared much about it. The fact that she wanted to be able to lock away some of her less desirable collectibles in a safe spot had no impact on him.


    The oddest new thing was the wooden box that was on an old billiards table. It was a well worn table, one that had had the felt changed many times over the years. The pool cues had been left hung on the wall, awaiting players.


    Mark tried the light switch next to the door and was greeted by yet another blown bulb. In the end all he could do was rely on his flashlight, which he aimed at the billiards table. Mark walked over to it, his free hand fingering gently at the top of the table while memories quickly flashed through his mind.


    He smiled for a brief moment, even with how tense he had felt somehow he could still feel a bit of joy. Then his mind wrenched back to the oddity of what was at hand and he aimed his flashlight directly at the wooden box.


    It was about a foot wide and half a foot tall, with intricate carvings drawn into the wood by a true artist. Images of dragons and unicorns ran across the sides, while on the top a regal crown was centermost with vines running alongside it.


    Mark opened the box slowly, ready to bolt if something exploded out of it. For all he knew this was all some silly prank by his sister, and a large part of him wanted that to be the case.


    Instead the box swung harmlessly open and a velvet interior was revealed to Mark. An indent in the velvet was on the left while another indent was on the right of the box. Inside that right indent was a silver key, one that had a diamond embedded in the bow. As Mark reached to pick up the key a small piece of paper fell out of the top of the box.


    Mark¡¯s hand recoiled from that sudden appearance, but once he realized what it was he laughed at himself a little. He was a little too worked up, he thought to himself, because obviously nothing had gone wrong here. If something had happened to Sarah why would the house be for the most part alright?


    ¡°I¡¯m just getting silly,¡± he told himself as he picked up the piece of paper and looked at it.


    Instead of words all it had was a drawing of the key, or another like it, and it being put into a lock. Mark flipped the paper over, confused at the lack of any text, and was greeted by another picture which showed a door half-opened.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he wondered aloud as he turned the paper back over, and then immediately dropped it on the ground, ¡°Fuck! What?¡±


    Mark aimed the flashlight almost accusingly at the paper that he had dropped. That tension that he had managed to start to squash had surged back, and he could feel his heartbeat in his ears. His mouth felt dry even as his breathing had become even worse than before.


    Instead of the picture of a key being put into a lock there was instead a new image on the paper. One that showed his sister on the other side of a door, a gold key in her hand. A chain had been attached to her neck, while a hand that belonged to an unknown person held it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible, that¡¯s not god damned possible!¡± Mark continued to swear as he reached out with his foot and poked the paper.


    The paper sat there, uninterested in Mark¡¯s actions. As he continued to poke at it the paper was barely moved by his hesitant actions, and finally he was forced to bend down and pick it back up. Mark treated the paper as though it might bite him at any moment, but he still somehow managed to work up the courage to turn the paper over once more.


    ¡°Oh come on,¡± Mark nearly whined, as he looked away from the paper.


    The paper had changed again, and this time it showed an image of Mark on the other side of a door. Instead of a gold key Mark held a silver one, and instead of a chain Mark had a tattoo on his neck.


    Mark took a deep breath and closed his eyes. If this was a prank done by Sarah it was a good one, obviously she¡¯d gotten her hands on some sort of high end paper. Maybe she¡¯d learned how to do the trick from someone online, after all there were plenty of videos out there that anyone could access.


    When Mark looked at the paper again it hadn¡¯t changed, and as he turned it over and over the images remained the same. He stood up straight and tucked the paper into his pants pocket, before he looked once more at the key in the box.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll play your game Sarah,¡± Mark said loud enough that she should be able to hear him wherever she was hiding.


    Mark picked up the silver key and studied it once more. Though there was a diamond in it at the very center was a small ruby. What made it even weirder was that the diamond had some black gem, perhaps onyx, that surrounded it. The combination of the gems created the illusion of an eye with a small red iris.


    ¡°Come on, how much money did you waste on this?¡± Mark asked of the air around him.


    With no response, as he had expected, Mark gave up and instead walked over to the one door in the middle of the attic. He had seen what was on the other side of the divide before, a small antechamber which held a lot of antiques and boxes, so he expected Sarah had hidden herself amongst it all. As soon as he went through she¡¯d pop out and scream, scaring him.


    Mark slid the bit of the key into the lock, and then he grasped it and turned it. A tingling sensation spread from the key as he did it, and for a moment Mark thought he had been electrocuted. He even stepped back, concerned for his own health, before he realized that he¡¯d overreacted.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Mark told himself with a light chuckle, before he reached out and opened the door.


    A warm breeze spread out from the doorway as it cracked open, the sound of bugs instantly audible. Light shone through, a brilliant yellow hue that brought with it warmth. The attic was flooded with the smell of grass and flowers, and as Mark continued to open the door the smell intensified.


    ¡°What the hell,¡± Mark muttered as he pulled the door all the way open, and then stood slack-jawed.


    What lay before him was a doorway that, on the other side of it, held a landscape that was impossible. A field of golden grass grew tall, with a light breeze that played across the top of the plants. The ripple spread out across the field and teased at a variety of flowers, each one with massive petals and a variety of colors.


    Off on the horizon what could only be called a castle rose up on top of a cliff, while a forest served as a barrier between it and the open doorway. The sound of birds mixed in with the noise of insects, and a few deer darted across the field away from the freshly opened door.


    Mark promptly closed the door.

 Chapter 2 - Encountering a Tumbler

    To Mark the impossible scene on the other side of the door had been, at best, a delusion. After all even if he¡¯d found that strange card that changed images, and even if his sister was missing, there was no way that there¡¯d be another world through the attic door. He stood leaned up against the door for a while, his mind racing while he wrestled with his own thoughts and feelings.


    Finally he came to the only conclusion that made sense, and he once more opened the door in front of him. Once again he was greeted by a field of golden wheat or grass, along with that surreal landscape that included an actual castle.


    Mark closed the door once again and turned away from it. ¡°Okay, I might be crazy but at least consistent,¡± he told himself.


    If Mark was smart he¡¯d have turned and left the house, gone back to his own home and moved on with his life. He would¡¯ve pushed the magic door out of his mind and never told anyone about it.


    That would mean abandoning Sarah to the other side.


    For Mark there was no choice. He left the attic and went back down to his car, opened up the passenger side door and then checked underneath the seat. A few minutes later he had his glock tucked into his ankle holster.


    Mark started to go around the first floor, mostly in the kitchen, as he tried to gather up some food and other items like bandaids. He emptied out his suitcase and filled it with proper necessities, though he did leave a couple of underwear and socks. Before he finished packing he grabbed some of the toilet paper from the bathroom.


    As he climbed the staircase he pulled out his flip phone and dialed up his friend. ¡°Tom,¡± Mark said into the phone after the answering machine picked up, ¡°it¡¯s me, Mark. I know this is going to sound insane but listen, alright? Sarah vanished and I¡¯m at the house and there¡¯s this magic door in the attic with a weird magic key. I¡¯m going to leave the key in the door and if I don¡¯t show up in a week send help.¡±


    Mark slipped the phone back into the pocket of his light jacket. With suitcase in hand he walked up to the door and opened it wide, and then he closed it.


    ¡°Yeah I should do that first,¡± he told himself as he put down the suitcase, and then he went to the bathroom.


    A while later he had returned to the attic and picked up his suitcase again. He took a deep breath before he opened up the door once more, and then with a grimace on his face he walked through into the golden grass.


    The first thing that Mark noticed was that the air was very warm, compared to the October chill that had been outside of the house. The second thing was that when he pulled out his flip phone and tried to use it it didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t Earth?¡± he wondered aloud as he pocketed his phone once more.


    Mark took a moment to look around now that he¡¯d walked through the door. The golden grass field was massive, the forest so distant that he thought it would take him at least two hours of walking to reach it.


    The far off forest itself had a mixture of dark greens and what looked to be purple leaves, though he wasn¡¯t sure if that was an illusion caused by the distant shadows. Between where he stood and the forest there were no buildings or any other landmarks.


    When Mark turned around he was surprised to see there was a mostly ruined stone cottage, the chimney long since collapsed and the straw roof filled with holes. The walls of the cottage had struggled to keep standing against the rigors of time, and somehow they had for the most part won.


    The door that Mark had crossed through had closed behind him, a fact he hadn¡¯t even realized until he looked. He hurriedly reached for the wooden handle on the door, the absence of a lock as well as an actual knob only worsening a mounting fear within him.


    When he shoved the door inward that fear became a reality. The magical door he had used to enter this new place no longer seemed to exist, and that meant he was stuck potentially forever.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why Sarah never came back?¡± he wondered.


    Mark let out a long sigh at that, but he tightened his grip on the suitcases handle and faced the forest. He began the long trek across the golden field, his gaze wandering skyward while he walked.


    Far above the sun shone with a dull yellow that glistened off of the grass. White clouds floated serenely across a sky dyed a light azure. A pale light purple moon hung low, a little above the horizon line.


    Halfway across the field Mark had started to sweat a lot, and the jacket he¡¯d worn was taken off and draped over his right forearm. He swore a bit at how long he¡¯d walked for already, but he tried hard to push on. At the very least he wanted to reach the forest before the sun set.


    When he reached the forest about three hours later, according to his watch, Mark collapsed on the spot and rested on the cool grass that grew near the fringe. He rubbed his face into the grass, inhaling the scent of the gold grass that was so reminiscent of what he was used to.


    ¡°What the drolls you doing boy?¡± came a sudden voice from nearby.


    Mark¡¯s head snapped up in the direction of the voice as he clumsily climbed to his feet. It was a man who had called out to him, one who leaned casually against a long thin stick. The fellow wore what Mark could only assume was some sort of thin robe, with a sash tied around the waist.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    The stranger gave a slight wave toward Mark before he spoke again, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d be slouching around here, but mayhaps you need some help?¡±


    ¡°Uh...help? Yes!¡± Mark hurriedly brushed at some of the grass that had clung to his clothing, ¡°I¡¯m lost and definitely need some help.¡±


    ¡°Lost are you?¡± the stranger asked as he stared intently at Mark with his dark brown eyes, ¡°I suppose I could help you to Cyme, at least the lasses there could help you wash up.¡±


    ¡°Cyme? Is that a town?¡±


    ¡°Boy, you sure you didn¡¯t knock your head?¡± The stranger gave a shake of his head. ¡°Course it¡¯s a town, it¡¯s the only town near here after all. Kit give me strength, I don¡¯t think I can handle an addled one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an addled one,¡± Mark claimed, before he offered his hand to the stranger, ¡°I¡¯m Mark Hadley. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Hadley? That¡¯s a new name to me,¡± the man said as he took Mark¡¯s hand in his own and shook it, ¡°I am Piers born of Dorian. I¡¯ll hold off on saying it¡¯s a pleasure until I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not sick with something.¡±


    While the two separated from their greeting Mark glanced at the trees nearby. He¡¯d spared minimal attention to them when he first arrived, but now that he was close enough he could tell the trunks had a slight twist to them. Even the branches had a slight spiral shape, though the leaves looked normal.


    ¡°Come now, Mark, we need to move before the Shrikes come about,¡± Piers said as he started to walk off deeper into the forest.


    As Mark started to followed the stranger, since he had few options available, he realized that they weren¡¯t walking in the rough direction of the mysterious castle. He thought to ask about it but didn¡¯t want to alarm his newfound companion, since if he was abandoned now almost anything could happen.


    The forest, though oddly warped, for the most part was similar to any he¡¯d seen on Earth. Birds trilled to one another as they flitted about above their heads, while insects crawled around amongst the undergrowth.


    A rumble in the distance brought with it a promise of rain, but Piers never showed any concern for the oncoming storm. Instead his leisure pace as they walked through the forest betrayed his earlier comment on the mysterious Shrikes.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Mark to start to get tired so he called to Piers for a small break. That brought a chuckle from the man but he made no move to argue. Instead Piers leaned up against one of the spiral trees, the stick he¡¯d carried so far placed next to him.


    Mark wrestled with the idea of asking a couple more questions, but he figured once again that staying quiet was probably the best way to go. Once he¡¯d caught his breath he let Piers know and their journey started once again.


    While they walked through the forest every so often Piers would reach up with his stick, swing it into the foliage above, and then a fruit would fall down. Sometimes he would managed to catch it before it touched the ground, though when he missed the fruit he still picked them up. The fruit were stored into a pouch that hung off of Piers back hip.


    Outside of the forest the sun had started to set and the shadows thickened rapidly around Mark. He started to grow a bit anxious as he wondered if they shouldn¡¯t stop to make a fire or something, but Piers never once paused and instead continued to push along.


    After the sun had fully set small mushrooms that grew near the trunks of the spiral trees flared to life. White light was cast by each of them and soon there was a carpet of luminescence that made their trek all the easier in the dark.


    When the shrill cry of some large bird sounded Mark went rigid, a shiver running down his spine. Ahead of him the reaction from Piers was entirely different, the man aimed his stick toward the ground and used the slender wood to vault up onto a low hanging branch. Piers bare feet made a light slapping sound as he landed on the branch, and then he turned toward Mark and extended one hand down.


    ¡°Come on, stop standing around!¡± Piers shouted at him.


    Mark had stared at what he¡¯d considered an insane showmanship of acrobatics by Piers, but the yell snapped him back to reality. Mark ran toward that hand and jumped up to grab it, but then promptly fell down on the ground butt first when he missed.


    Mark groaned at the pain as he struggled to stand back up. ¡°Why¡¯d I even try to do that?¡± he asked himself.


    ¡°Boy, you best hurry and climb!¡± came a shout from above.


    Mark was about to ask why when he heard another shrill cry from behind. He turned and saw what could only be called a very puffy bird on the ground, the overall size easily larger than any dog he¡¯d ever seen. With a long neck Mark was reminded of an ostrich, but with a puffier look and a more hawkish head.


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t he cu-¡± Mark started to say before he noticed what the bird had in it¡¯s mouth.


    A creature eerily similar to a rabbit hung in the mouth of the large bird, loose and obviously dead given all of the blood that dripped from it. Mark started to back away from the giant bird, his grip tightening on the suitcase handle in his left hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Shrikes! Run or climb, boy!¡± Piers hollered from above.


    The gaze of the Shrike snapped to Mark, the movements quick. With every step forward it did a slight bob of the head, but not once did it drop the rabbit it held. Instead the Shrike puffed up even further and shook it¡¯s entire body.


    Mark knew that if he tried to climb a tree it wouldn¡¯t work, and if he tried to run he¡¯d probably collapse long before the Shrike gave up. He leaned slowly down and reached with his free hand for the ankle holster.


    A branch snapped to Mark¡¯s left and when he looked he was greeted by the sight of another Shrike. The new one had no prey, was slightly smaller than the first, and was entirely focused on Mark.


    There was that brief moment where time seemed to stop and both of the Shrikes stared at Mark, while he in turn stared at the newest one. He held his breath and made a small prayer, hoping that the stupid bird would go somewhere else.


    Then the Shrike bolted right for Mark and all he could do was scramble quickly for the gun. The bird pecked at Mark before he could get the gun free, and he was forced to lift his briefcase up to ward off the attack.


    Mark¡¯s suitcase was ripped from his hand as the Shrike pulled back, the leather exterior having become snagged on the beak. The bird stepped away from him as it shook in an attempt to dislodge the suitcase.


    Even Mark wasn¡¯t dumb enough to let an opportunity like that pass, and he pulled his pistol from the holster while the Shrike was distracted. As he aimed it at the bird he caught a movement at the corner of his sight and instinctively threw himself back.


    A large claw struck the air where he had been standing as the first Shrike had finally attacked. In a panic Mark fired at the bird, hitting the body a couple of times but also missing once. The reaction was instant, it recoiled and then took off in a mad dash away while blood oozed from the bullet holes.


    With that one dealt with Mark turned back to the other. The second Shrike had put it¡¯s head low to the ground and was in the process of using a claw to remove the suitcase. For this one he took his time and aimed properly, as Tom had shown him, and targeted the back of the head.


    The glock made short work of the brainpan of the Shrike, as the insides splattered out from the thin skull. The bird slumped to the ground with the suitcase still stuck on it¡¯s beak, a slight twitch every so often the only sign that it had only recently been alive.


    Mark let out all the air he¡¯d accidentally held in and forced himself to relax. He glanced at the forest around him but saw no other Shrikes nearby. He walked over and retrieved his briefcase from the beak of the Shrike, but the pistol wasn¡¯t holstered.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re from the Castle?¡± Piers inquired as he somersaulted down from above.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mark frowned at the hole in his suitcase. He¡¯d probably need to get some sort of backpack when they got to the town.


    ¡°That there was magic wasn¡¯t it? Only the Castle has magic.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gun,¡± Mark responded, ¡°uh...I guess it¡¯s like a bow? You guys have bows right?¡±


    ¡°Course we got bows. If that¡¯s not magic you best keep it quiet though, if the Castle boys see that they¡¯ll take it by force.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the warning. By the way I¡¯m looking for a woman named Sarah.¡±


    ¡°Boy, you¡¯re addled if you think I¡¯d know anything about some lass. You¡¯re better off waiting until we get to Cyme and talk to the gate boys.¡±


    Mark nodded his head slightly at that, and then he stood there and quietly waited. Piers caught on quick enough and started to lead the way once more, heading in what seemed to Mark a random direction.


    Meanwhile the forest only grew darker as the moon had vanished behind clouds as the rainstorm moved in closer.

 Chapter 3 - Bit By Bit

    The city of Cyme sat on the outskirt of the spiral tree forest. It was encircled by a pale white wall that had no noticeable seams, and from where Mark and Piers had exited the forest a solitary gate was visible.


    As Mark followed Piers to the gate he noticed there were three guards outside of it. Each of them wore what reminded Mark of a toga, with a sash about the waist and sandals on their feet. They each had spears made of wooden shafts and a metal blade at the end.


    ¡°Piers?¡± the nearest of the guards called out, though all three of them maintained their relaxed stances. ¡°I didn¡¯t know came back.¡±


    ¡°Course not, just got here after all.¡± Piers leaned against his stick and flashed a grin at the guards. ¡°What you boys been up to?¡±


    ¡°Same as always, guarding against nothing,¡± one of the other guards commented.


    ¡°Bless Kit that you don¡¯t deal with nothing,¡± Piers said, ¡°I seen the other towns lately and they¡¯re a bit broken.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s why Niles was dispatched to the Castle?¡±


    ¡°Niles? That boy sure has rot chance.¡± Piers gave a small chuckle. ¡°Right, Alec, I¡¯m guessing Hali¡¯s still in town?¡±


    ¡°In town and waiting to skin you still,¡± the guard named Alec responded, ¡°who¡¯s the fellow you brought along?¡±


    ¡°Erk? Ark...no no, Mark, yea, right boy?¡± Piers asked the man in question.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mark replied as he rubbed at his eyes.


    Alec glanced at the other guards before he stared pointedly at the gun in Mark¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re not going to be a problem, but what¡¯s with the weird blackjack?¡±


    ¡°Ah it¡¯s a nothing, don¡¯t worry about his silly weapon,¡± Piers replied in place of Mark, ¡°I took him through the Shrikes territory and we had to deal with some of them. He¡¯s a bad one at dealing with climbing.¡±


    Mark slipped his pistol into the waistband at the small of his back while the guard and Piers talked. With the now free hand he reached into his pocket, and then he paused at a familiar sensation that was impossible. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves and dug around in his pocket for the card, and then he pulled it out.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m looking for my sister,¡± Mark said as he brandished the picture of her on that strange card, ¡°she looks like this.¡±


    The reaction of the guards was instantaneous, as they all dropped to their knees. Each of them bowed their heads to Mark, and one of the three in the back visibly shook.


    ¡°We apologize for our lack of respect, oracle,¡± Alec said in a panicked voice.


    Mark could only stare at the guards with a confused look, while he tried to figure out what in the world they were talking about. He looked to Piers for some guidance and was surprised to see that his companion had backed a few feet away.


    ¡°What?¡± Mark finally managed to ask.


    Piers gave him an odd look before he walked up close to Mark and leaned in. ¡°Do you really not know what that is?¡± Piers whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s some weird card I found,¡± Mark tried to explain, ¡°it has a picture of me and my sister on it.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Piers grabbed ahold of Mark¡¯s wrist that held the card and he roughly pulled him toward the main entrance of Cyme. ¡°Alec, forget you saw any of this,¡± Piers asked of the guard as they walked past him.


    For a moment Mark thought to break away from Piers, but he had started to trust the strange man. In the end it didn¡¯t matter if he struggled or not since no matter what he¡¯d walk into Cyme anyways.


    They passed through the open gateway without interference, and as they walked into the city the bustle of the place hammered Mark. People walked openly on the streets without a single car or even carriage in sight. Muscular men who went without a shirt carried barrels on their shoulders, while crowds of random citizens gathered at every corner for open discussion.


    Each of the houses were made of a smooth pale material that showed no sign of mortar. The houses had wooden doors and glass windows, but none of them had any sort of flags or signs on the exterior.


    Piers shouldered his way through the crowds as he pulled Mark. After a few minutes of walking through the city Piers pulled Mark into an empty alley. It was only when they were within the darkened recesses of the alleyway that he released his hold on Mark.


    ¡°Right, look I know you¡¯re addled but you need to tell me the truth,¡± Piers said as he pointed at Mark, ¡°are you from the Castle?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to any castle in my life,¡± Mark said as frustration started to mount, ¡°I¡¯ve never been here I don¡¯t know anything at all about what¡¯s going on anywhere around here.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you got your hands on an oracle card then!¡± Piers almost yelled at him.


    ¡°It was in a box in my house, it¡¯s some creepy card that has changing pictures!¡±


    ¡°Boy, are you telling me you can actually see something on that?¡±


    ¡°Uh...yeah?¡± Mark looked at Piers look he was insane. ¡°I mean the one is obviously me and the other is Sarah.¡±


    ¡°Nobody can see that you fool!¡± Piers shouted at Mark, ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone who can. That¡¯s an oracle card, only oracles can see what¡¯s on it.¡±


    ¡°But I can?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re clearly addled.¡± Piers roughly leaned against one of the walls of the alleyway. ¡°All we can see is the symbol of the oracles, and they only come from one place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not from the castle though,¡± Mark said in an exasperated tone.


    ¡°Obviously, you¡¯re too dumb to be from near here. Problem is Keran and some other guy I don¡¯t recognize saw that card.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that a problem?¡±


    ¡°Keran¡¯s a bootlicker,¡± Piers said with a scowl, ¡°Alec won¡¯t tell anyone but Keran probably ran right to the council. You¡¯re an oracle nobody¡¯s seen, boy, and that is a bad thing to let run loose.¡±


    Mark stood quietly for a few seconds, and then he started to shake the card at Piers. ¡°Then how can I find Sarah? If nobody can look at this stupid card there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to find my sister!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple, I know someone who¡¯ll know.¡± Piers pushed away from the wall and started to head toward the other end of the alleyway.


    The two of them exited the alley and emerged back out into the busy streets of Cyme. A few people glanced at them, but like the others who¡¯d they met none bothered to talk to either of them.


    Unlike before Piers didn¡¯t grab Mark and instead calmly walked through the streets. His path took them deeper into Cyme though he consistently cut through side paths and alleyways constantly.


    What had been residential housing changed to larger ones that seemed designed more for storing items. Each had a large door on the front that had visible railings they could slide on, and there were no windows on any of them.


    The crowds of people began to thin out the further Piers and Mark walked. Eventually they started to only see haulers, the muscular men who carried barrels and crates.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Piers finally said as he stopped in front of one of the warehouses.


    Mark looked at the building, but like all of the others in Cyme he couldn¡¯t see any sign to signify anything. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked Piers.


    ¡°Course I¡¯m sure.¡± Piers gave a shake of his head as he walked up to the front of the warehouse.


    Before Piers could knock on the door it slid open and revealed a man who easily towered over the tumbler. There was an awkward moment where all three men looked at each other, and then the large man tried to punch Piers in the face.


    Piers let out a yell as he ducked away from the fist. He lifted the thin stick he had up and whacked at the extended arm in retaliation. The wood barely made the arm move, and the muscle man swung his arm wide to knock the stick away.


    ¡°What are you doing here!¡± the man shouted at Piers.


    ¡°Come on Hagen, you know I don¡¯t want to come here,¡± Piers responded, ¡°but I don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    Hagen crossed his arms and glared down at Piers. ¡°What¡¯d you do this time?¡±


    ¡°This addled fool needs help finding his sis,¡± Piers said as he jerked a thumb at Mark, ¡°and I need to talk to the boss.¡±


    Hagen scowled at what Piers said before he looked at Mark. ¡°Yeah, alright, get in,¡± he finally said as he stepped to the side of the door.


    Piers and Mark walked into the warehouse, while behind them Hagen closed the door and settled in to guard the exit. The interior of the warehouse was completely empty except for a few people gathered in the center of the room.


    ¡°Piers?¡± one of the gathered called out.


    It was the name that brought a sudden silence from the others. A few whispers started a moment later, and then the group splintered and revealed the one at the center.


    She was a thin woman who wore a long black robe with sleeves that went past her hands. She turned her dark brown eyes to glare at Piers, her face criss-crossed with ragged scars. Everyone near the woman looked at her, as though waiting for how she¡¯d react.


    ¡°Well hey there Hali,¡± Piers said as he spread his arms out, ¡°mind tossing me a kiss?¡±


    She gave a warm smile in response before she said, ¡°Kill him.¡±

 Chapter 4 - The Key To Everything

    ¡°Come on lass,¡± Piers said as he somersaulted backward, the stick he held never once lost from his grasp, ¡°isn¡¯t this a little silly?¡±


    The group that had surrounded Hali had moved quick at her words to attack the tumbler. They tried to punch him, to kick him, and to even grab ahold but not a single one could ever touch Piers.


    As one literally jumped in an attempt to tackle him he was met by the end of Piers stick, a blunt collision that knocked the man to the ground and left Piers laughing. Even as he continued his evasive antics throughout the bare warehouse he rarely stopped laughing.


    To the side Mark watched it all, very confused about why everyone had started chasing after Piers. Though he¡¯d heard what the lady had said he didn¡¯t want to believe it was for real, after all where he came from people often joked about beating each other up.


    ¡°Your sister didn¡¯t have any problems with it,¡± Piers said in the middle of a backflip.


    It was a comment that caused Hali¡¯s eyes to narrow, and she pointed her finger at him. ¡°Whoever kills him gets an extra hundred drachmas.¡±


    The men who had been chasing after Piers all paused at those words, and then they grinned and began the chase with renewed vigor. A few of them even started to pull out small knives and slash them at Piers, though much like with their hands none of the weapons succeeded in hitting.


    Throughout the entire chase Hagen remained still at the door of the warehouse, his large muscular arms crossed in front. Though some would expect Hagen to be interested in Piers it was Mark who felt the weight of the gaze, an ever present reminder that he hadn¡¯t been forgotten.


    Yet as the chase continued on and Piers started to grow slower and slower Mark began to worry for the man. He had been the only help he¡¯d gained since arriving, not to mention what would these thugs do to him after they finished with the tumbler?


    ¡°This is all fun and everything,¡± Piers managed to say between gasps for air, ¡°but that boy¡¯s an oracle and needs our help.¡±


    They were words that caused some of the chasers to fall to the ground as they tried hard to stop as sudden as possible. A gasp of surprise came from a few of them, while others who had barely been moving turned to stare at Mark with wide eyes.


    ¡°If you think jokes can stop me from skinning you you¡¯re a bigger fool than I thought,¡± Hali hissed at him.


    Piers bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air, though he managed to squeeze out a few more words, ¡°Mark, card.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh yeah,¡± Mark snapped out of his befuddled state and pulled the card from out of his pocket. He held it up so that Hali and the others could see it.


    Hali glanced at the card at first, and then did a double take and stared at it. Her eyes widened ever so slowly before she finally knelt down on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize you were an oracle. Please forgive me and mine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, please don¡¯t bow,¡± Mark said as he tucked the card back into his pocket, ¡°uh, Piers said you could probably help me find someone?¡±


    Hali slowly stood up after Mark told her she didn¡¯t have to bow, but the confused look on her face spoke volumes for how weird she probably felt. ¡°I tend to know what¡¯s happening to everyone in Cyme, yes. Who are you trying to find?¡±


    ¡°My sister, uh, she looks kind of like me a little? But she¡¯s smaller, and she wouldn¡¯t be from around here at all.¡±


    Hali¡¯s gaze slid from Mark over to Piers. ¡°And what are you getting out of this?¡±


    ¡°What? Me? Obviously I¡¯m getting the good feeling of helping someone,¡± Piers said with a wide grin, ¡°what else would I be getting out of it?¡±


    ¡°Since he¡¯s from the Castle obviously influence, or are you trying to trap me into something here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not from the Castle,¡± Mark interjected.


    Piers groaned at that, while Hali looked sharply at the man. She waved one hand at Hagen and motioned toward Mark, before she turned and started to walk across the warehouse to the back.


    Mark felt the large hands of Hagen on his back before he heard the man, and he was roughly shoved to where Hali had started to walk. Mark caught on fast enough and started to follow her while Hagen shadowed his every step, the large frame an imposing wall that he didn¡¯t even think of trying to escape.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Somewhere behind Mark he could barely hear the sound of Piers as he said his goodbyes to all of the others gathered, and then Piers jogged up beside him and matched his pace.


    ¡°Hey now, you just need to remember that Hali won¡¯t do anything to hurt you,¡± Piers told him, ¡°she¡¯s really a nice lass once you get to know her.¡±


    ¡°She was trying to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Naw naw, she wouldn¡¯t really do that,¡± Piers reassured Mark, ¡°if they¡¯d gotten too close to it she¡¯d have stopped them. She¡¯s just a little sore because of something I did with her sis.¡±


    Before Mark could ask her what he¡¯d done they¡¯d reached the other side of the warehouse, and Hagen shoved the two of them through a doorway that Mark hadn¡¯t even noticed. The room on the other side of the door was small, dark, and smelled distinctly of iron.


    The first thing that happened after the door to the warehouse was closed was that Hali punched Piers in the face. He fell down to the ground, whereupon Hali kicked him a few times in the stomach while he curled up into a ball and groaned in pain. This continued on for a while until she seemed to grow tired of it, and then she glared at Mark.


    ¡°Who in the name of Kit are you and how are you holding one of those cards?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Mark Hadley, I¡¯m from Pittsburgh, and I found this card in the attic,¡± Mark said as he opted for honesty, ¡°and my sister went missing and I¡¯m trying to find her.¡±


    ¡°Hadley? That sounds familiar,¡± Hali murmured before she snapped her fingers, ¡°that weird girl! Hagen when was it? Five days ago?¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Hagen said, his attention more on the beaten up Piers than anything else, ¡°Niles dealt with her.¡±


    ¡°He was sent to the Castle,¡± Piers groaned out from the ground.


    Hali responded with another kick to Piers stomach. ¡°I already know that you idiot, did you forget who I am?¡± Hali brushed her hair back over her ear before she glared at Mark. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for the weird girl she was taken by the guards. You won¡¯t find her in Cyme.¡±


    ¡°Well how ca-¡± Mark started to ask when a loud explosion shook the entire warehouse.


    ¡°What the blazes was that?¡± Hali sputtered out as she stumbled, almost tripping over Piers in the process.


    Hagen cracked the door open that led back to the warehouse, an action that allowed a cacophony to fill the small hidden room. The sound of metal on metal, the noise of screams, and the smell of fire and sulfur assailed Mark¡¯s senses.


    Hali pushed past Mark and walked over to the wall opposite of the main warehouse. She slid one hand along the wall before her fingers sunk into a hidden hole, and then with a slight press the wall popped open to reveal a back alley.


    ¡°You, fake oracle.¡± Hali pointed at the collapsed Piers. ¡°Leave me the card and I will let you use this to escape with him.¡±


    ¡°What if I ju-¡± Mark started to argue before Hagen stepped up close behind him. He could feel the breath of the large man on the top of his head. ¡°Yeah, you can have the card.¡±


    Hali took the card and then slid it into her robes. She walked over to Piers and leaned down, her hair falling down to touch against him. ¡°You brought me something nice, so you can go with him Piers,¡± she told him, ¡°but if you touch Iris again I will cut it off, and I will keep it in a box. Now get out of my sight.¡±


    Piers groaned from the ground, and then pushed himself up slowly. When he stood up he swayed and staggered for a few seconds. He scooped up his stick from the ground and hobbled to the exit, pausing for a moment to look back at Mark.


    ¡°Come on lad, best we move in a hurry,¡± Piers said as he gave a weak smile.


    Mark hesitated to follow Piers as he glanced at Hali, afraid that this might be some type of trap. His fears were alleviated when Hali brushed past him on her way back to the warehouse door. Once she was gone the imposing Hagen followed after her, leaving Mark alone in the small room.


    Mark hurried out of that place, his skin crawling at the odd smell, and when he emerged into the alleyway he breathed in the fresh air eagerly. Piers stood off to the side near him, oddly silent, and waited patiently.


    ¡°How can I get to that Castle?¡± Mark finally asked.


    ¡°Addled as addled can get,¡± Piers muttered before he spoke up, ¡°you can¡¯t get into the Castle unless they want you in there. Forgot that they have the magic? People are done before they can even touch the walls.¡±


    A shout came from the end of the alleyway, and as Mark turned he saw a man who reminded him of a roman warrior. He¡¯d seen a few pictures of them in school, but that still didn¡¯t prepare him to see something so familiar from his world in this alien place.


    ¡°Move!¡± Piers yelled at him, already well on his way to the other end of the alley.


    Mark turned and ran away from the soldier. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as the adrenaline kicked in, and by the time he reached the street he was already overly energized. He looked to the left and to the right, making note of the soldiers who lingered barely in his sight, and then looked to Piers for direction.


    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Piers told him as he pushed on across the street for the next alleyway.


    Halfway across the cobblestone street Piers swayed a little too far to the right. He tumbled over, his stick lost, while he let out a cry of pain. His fall drew the attention of the distant soldiers who started to move toward the pair.


    Mark stopped to try and help Piers up, ignoring the stick entirely. Piers barely managed to stand, as he grimaced once he tried to stand on his right foot. The two began to slowly move across the street even as the soldiers continued to approach them.


    ¡°Lad, we¡¯re not going to make it,¡± Piers finally admitted, ¡°best move on and leave me.¡±


    It was like a silly scene from some generic movie, and it was enough to anger Mark. He glared at Piers, but then he directed his anger to the real trouble. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you behind,¡± he boldly claimed.


    ¡°Look now, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll get gone with me all banged up,¡± Piers pointed out, ¡°besides they¡¯re after you anyways.¡±


    ¡°You dragged me to this town, took me to that crazy lady,¡± Mark nearly pulled the lagging Piers in the direction of the next alley, ¡°and now you¡¯re finally saying you give up?¡±


    ¡°A wise man knows when to stop struggling, you and I both know you can¡¯t fight a manipule.¡±


    Mark threw his suitcase in the direction of the nearest soldier. It failed to connect as the trained man knocked it aside with his short sword. Before he could do anything else Mark pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the man.


    There was a visible shake to the hand that held the pistol, as Mark aimed a gun for the first time in his life at another person. He started to squeeze the trigger, cursed, and fired the gun at the ground near the soldier.


    The gunshot caused everyone in the vicinity to stop, as the soldier who he¡¯d shot at backed away from the sudden spray kicked up by the bullet against the cobblestone. ¡°Magic!¡± the soldier called out, his eyes wide and face pale.


    ¡°Yes! It is magic!¡± Mark brandished his gun to show it to everyone even as he guided Piers toward the nearest house. ¡°I have great power and I will use it if you don¡¯t leave us alone!¡±


    There was that moment of hesitation amongst the soldiers, more than enough time for Piers and Mark to reach the other side of the street. However instead of ducking into the alleyway Mark pushed Piers up to the house next to it, and once Piers had the wall to lean against Mark detached himself.


    ¡°This might be the worst escape I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Piers said with a chuckle, one that was followed by a groan, ¡°I really need to buy that lass something to calm her down.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll take more than a gift to make her happy,¡± Mark responded as he dug into his pocket, ¡°I¡¯m going to try something here and if it works we¡¯re both going to be safe.¡±


    ¡°What, you got some other magic trick on you?¡±


    Mark pulled his hand out of his pocket and held up a silver key. ¡°I just might.¡±

 Chapter 5 - The Fairy Princess

    The reaction from Piers to the silver key was lukewarm at best.  He gave a slight upraised eyebrow and then shook his head. ¡°Addled.  Completely addled.¡±


    ¡°You could always try trusting me,¡± Mark said as he slipped the key into the nearby door, ¡°after all I¡¯ve trusted you with my life.¡±


    The soldiers who were on both ends of the street started to approach again.  The gunshot that had spooked them may have been fresh in their minds, but it had been one time and there was that chance it would only be once.


    Mark thought about using the gun again, then realized he couldn¡¯t bring himself to shoot one of the soldiers.  Instead he pulled open the door, gambling that they¡¯d have time to get through, and grabbed onto Piers arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Before he could struggle Mark had already shoved Piers through the door. Behind the pair they could hear the shouts of the soldiers along with the increased sound of footfalls.  As he passed through the door Mark grabbed the inside door handle and pulled it behind him, slamming the door shut.


    Piers and Mark almost tangled up and collapsed on each other after they¡¯d gone through.  The inside of wherever they¡¯d ended up was pitch black, and with the only light having been from the street neither of them could see.


    ¡°Great idea, let¡¯s run into a house that they can follow us into!¡± Piers grumbled.


    ¡°No they won¡¯t be able to, I think,¡± Mark said as he started to pat at his pockets until he felt a familiar lump, ¡°yup.  They won¡¯t come to where we are.¡±


    ¡°Sure they won¡¯t, because you just magically whisked us somewhere safe,¡± Piers said with a tone dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I did.¡±


    It was an answer that brought a silence as the two stood in the darkness of that unknown room.  Piers coughed, and then Mark could hear the man slowly walking. The floorboards beneath the two creaked loudly in protest to the sudden movements.


    From somewhere on the other side of a wall that the pair couldn¡¯t even see footsteps could be heard.  A few muffled words were said and then a door opened, revealing a lit interior of some type of cabin. White whirls of fog or smoke spilled into the small room like a river, while a woman stood center in the doorway.


    From what Mark could tell she had a very simple cloth shirt which hung loose, with a long skirt that went slightly past her knees.  Her feet were bare while her hair was loose, long brown curls that spilled down well past her shoulders. One hand was at her hip and in her other she held what looked to be a small knife.


    ¡°How do you think they got in here, Kaye?¡± the woman asked to someone that Mark couldn¡¯t see.


    Mark was about to talk to her when Piers grabbed his arm tightly and yanked at him, pulling Mark away from the woman.  ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± Piers whispered, ¡°it¡¯s the Witch of the Mists!¡±


    Mark tried to shake Piers off a bit, somewhat confused by what he had said, before he turned his attention back to the woman.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we got in here because of me,¡± he said in an attempt to apologize to her, ¡°we didn¡¯t know this was your house.¡±


    Mark¡¯s words caused the woman to go rigid, her green eyes locked onto his face.  It was easy to see the surprise on her face though he didn¡¯t know why. ¡°Did you just speak to me?¡± she finally asked him.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The so-called witch flicked a hand upward, her mouth moving but no sounds emerging, and a brilliant light appeared near the ceiling of the small room.  With confident steps she strode over to Mark and shoved him forcefully against the wall. A doorknob dug into his back, while the knife she held was slammed into the door next to his left ear.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Tell me your name,¡± she said while staring intently at Mark¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mark Hadley, and this is Piers.¡± Mark thought about using the gun on her, but with how close she was that didn¡¯t seem plausible. ¡±Please don¡¯t kill us.¡±


    While Piers cowered in fright next to Mark the witch stared long at him.  Finally after what seemed an eternity she tore the knife out of the wall and strode away.  ¡°Come, you and I need to talk,¡± was all she said before she stepped out of view.


    After she¡¯d left Mark turned to Piers to check on him.  ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, using the small amount of light that came through the doorway to look him over.


    ¡°No! No I¡¯m not!¡± Piers gripped Mark by the shoulders and pulled him in close.  ¡°That was the witch! Where¡¯d you bring us, boy?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s her house.¡±


    ¡°Boy, nobody alive has ever been to Gana¡¯s house before.¡± Piers shook his head as he let go of Mark¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Besides, were you talking to her?¡±


    ¡°Uh...yes?¡±


    ¡°You can understand her?¡± Piers asked as he stepped away from Mark.


    ¡°Of course, she just spoke English like you,¡± Mark said, confused at how Piers was acting.


    ¡°Boy, I know you¡¯re addled but sometimes I think you push it too far.  I don¡¯t know any English, all I¡¯m speaking is Koine just like you.¡±


    Mark rubbed his eyes as he tried to process what he¡¯d been told.  Everything sounded like English to him, but for some odd reason it wasn¡¯t?  ¡°Look, I don¡¯t get what¡¯s going on but I¡¯m going to talk to this witch lady,¡± Mark finally said, ¡°are you coming?¡±


    ¡°What are my choices? Run out into the Mists?  That¡¯s where the dead live, boy, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing that,¡± Piers grumbled, ¡°let¡¯s get going before she decides to cook us or something.¡±


    For once Mark lead the way as he walked out of that small room.  After he¡¯d left it he looked back, noting that the door they¡¯d used to enter had a wooden beam across it.  A dark stain splattered across the wooden floor, while on the walls he could barely make out some type of tools on hooks.


    The new room Mark walked into was the exact opposite of the first, far larger on the inside with a wooden bench in the center.  A couple of wooden chairs sat around a table made from marble with a chess set the only item on it. Candles sat in bronze holders on the walls, light yellow flames emitting a constant stream of light.


    Gana had sat down in a cushioned chair which sat nearby the only window in the room.  Around her feet fog curled, as though it came from her, and a small doll sat on her shoulder.  The knife she¡¯d used to threaten Mark had vanished.


    ¡°Sit,¡± she told Mark and Piers, her voice making it obvious she¡¯d brook no argument.


    The pair sat down on the bench, as it already faced her.  Mark swallowed as his mouth went dry and he found that no matter what he couldn¡¯t take his gaze off of Gana.  Her face had a distinct symmetry that seemed to defy reality, and her skin was a pale creamy hue with no blemishes.  As he stared at her Gana lifted one hand up and put the fingernail to her bottom lip.


    ¡°Normally I would have skinned you both for being in my home without my permission,¡± Gana told them, ¡°but you interest me.  Tell me why you¡¯re here, and we¡¯ll see what happens next.¡±


    Piers remained quiet next to Mark, and so he tried his best to structure a proper story for the woman in his mind.  ¡°Piers and I were trying to get away from some soldiers,¡± Mark finally said after he¡¯d worked out his story.


    ¡°That is missing a lot.¡± Gana tapped at her lower lip with her fingernail.  ¡°You know what I think? I think you have a key. It¡¯s either silver or gold and you used it to get here.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­.no?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I think this discussion is starting to head back to the part where I skin you alive.¡±


    ¡°No!  No no no! You¡¯re right, I have a key,¡± Mark said in a hurry as he pulled it out from his pocket, ¡°I used it to escape from the soldiers with Piers.¡±


    The witch leaned forward in her chair as she studied the key he held.  ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that in a very long time. Where¡¯s the gold one?¡±


    ¡°I think my sister has it,¡± Mark replied honestly, ¡°what do you mean a long time?  How¡¯d you know about the keys?¡±


    ¡°Because I was there when they were last used,¡± Gana leaned back into her cushioned seat, ¡°and when they were sent to Earth.  Where¡¯s your sister?¡±


    ¡°Uh...I was told the Castle?¡±


    The witch clicked her tongue at that response, and then she glared at Piers who had remained silent throughout the conversation.  ¡°Piers is it? Is it true that his sister was taken to the Castle?¡± she asked, though to Mark the way her voice sounded had changed in a way he couldn¡¯t quite place.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Piers tried his best to push himself back into the bench even further.  ¡°Please don¡¯t take my soul!¡±


    Gana smirked at him, before she turned her attention back to Mark.  ¡°Well this is bad. One of the reasons the keys were sent to Earth was to avoid the Castle getting them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but this is just...there¡¯s like no end to things that I don¡¯t even understand,¡± Mark said as he spread his hands helplessly, ¡°who are you and why is Piers so scared, and what the hell is going on?¡±


    Gana let out a little laugh as she motioned toward the window.  ¡°I am the Witch of the Mists, I deliver the dead to their place in the afterlife and guard he who will rule everyone.¡±


    ¡°Wait, like the grim reaper?¡± Mark could feel the blood in his face drain as his body started to shake.  His gaze turned to look out the window she¡¯d motioned at and all he could see was a wall of fog, the colors of it changing with every second.


    ¡°Similar, but not quite, I tend to only deal with heroes.  I leave the regular folk to whoever wants them.¡±


    Mark thought about getting up and making a run for it.  He figured with the key he could at least try to get through a door, and if he could get through a door anywhere would be safer than here.  He glanced around the room with the hope that one such door might be present but all he could see were walls.


    ¡°What are you going to do to us?¡± Mark finally asked as he began to realize why Piers had been so scared of the woman.


    At the question Gana rose from her chair, the doll on her shoulder in turn lifting off and using nearly invisible wings to fly away from her.  The Witch of the Mists put one hand on her hip and smirked at Mark.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill someone for me.¡±