We all say our goodbyes to Viktor and to Rachel's siblings, we go on our way, taking the shortest route we know to the castle. According to Viktor, as long as we keep walking in the same general direction, we should be coming across a lot of signposts showing us the right way to our destination, so we shouldn't be too worried about getting lost.
Leah: Do you think they'll be alright? Rachel's siblings, I mean. I'm not sure how much I can trust that man to care for them from now on…
JÒN: Well, Rachel definitely trusted him enough to leave him in charge of checking up on her siblings while she was gone. And his concern for the children looked genuine to me. Plus, the kids seemed to love him. I don't think we have anything to worry about!
Leah: I guess you might be right. He did seem serious when he said he'd break up with his lover to move in with them. Maybe I was just worrying over nothing.
Hagrid: Look, there's another one of those signposts. We're still on the right track!
It takes us a little less than two hours to reach the castle of Thilias from Rachel's mansion. When we reach the front gates, Damien signals the guards to let us through, and once they confirm our identities, they open the doors. We then all step inside, slowly, as the gates slam shut behind us.
There's something odd about this castle. I noticed it even before we went in. From the outside, the castle's windows looked as if they were supposed to have precious gems encrusted on their frames, but the gems were all missing. It also seemed as if several decorations had been ripped off from the towers' outer walls.
Now that we're inside, I see that the castle's interior looks even worse. The hallways are completely empty. There are no paintings on the walls, no carpets on the ground and no vases on the tables. The place looks more like a dungeon than a castle. There aren't even any guards patrolling the hallways. I'm almost starting to wonder if we didn't somehow end up in the wrong place.
Hagrid (opens Rakaia's amulet): This feels like the ogre fort, all over again. Hey, you! Rakaia! Are you sensing any guards hiding invisibly around here? Answer me!
Rakaia makes no sound, acting as if she weren't hearing a word of what Hagrid is saying.
Hagrid (grins): Giving me the silent treatment, eh?
Suddenly, Leah freezes the whole area around us, making it look as if we were inside some frozen palace from a fairy tale.
Leah: The area is clear. There's no one surrounding us.
Damien: Great! Now unfreeze the damn hallway before anyone sees—
Before Damien gets to finish his sentence, a door in front of us opens slightly, and a man that appears to be some kind of a servant from the castle, sticks his head out of it.
King's Squire: The king will—
The man suddenly stops talking, due to the shock of seeing the whole hallway completely frozen.
After a few seconds, the man starts talking again, choosing to act as if nothing had happened.
King's Squire: The king will be notified of your arrival, shortly. Please wait in this hallway until it is time for your scheduled appointment.
He then closes the door without saying another word.
Lily: Well, you heard the man! We still have plenty of time left until the meeting. Let's go exploring!
Damien: What are you talking about? He told us to wait here. And Leah still needs to unfreeze the hallway, before anyone else sees this!
Leah: I can't unfreeze it. It will melt on its own in a few hours.
Damien: We don't have a few hours! If the king sees this, he'll have our heads!
Hagrid: Relax! What's the worst that could happen?
Damien (exasperated): Good gods, man! Isn't there anything that ever sets you off?
All of a sudden, the whole area around us gets covered in flames, and all of the ice quickly melts into water, which then almost immediately evaporates into thin air. The flames then disappear as quickly as they appeared, leaving the hallway in the same state it was when we first came in.
Lily: There... I took care of it. Now, does anyone want to go exploring?
JÒN: Sure, I'll go
Lily: Perfect! Follow me!
Damien: Oh, come on! What are we supposed to tell that servant guy if he comes back and asks for you?
JÒN: Tell him we'll be right back. And then give me a call through the transceiver.
Damien shakes his head in disapproval, but he doesn't say anything else. I go catch up to Lily, who seems to have stopped in front of a wall, not far from our original position. After looking at the wall from different angles, the girl starts to knock on the bricks, one by one, as if she were looking for something.
JÒN: Is there anything special about this wall?
Lily: Shush, I'm trying to listen!
After a few more seconds, the girl finally seems to have found what she was looking for, and she starts to pull one of the bricks out of the wall with both her hands. As she puts the brick down, I see that inside the hole left in the wall, there is a small wooden lever.
JÒN: Wow, you sure know your stuff, huh?
Lily: Of course! Lettie and I have been through dozens of ruins with hidden passages before! It's sort of our hobby!
The girl's eyes turn bright blue again.
Elyria: Less of a hobby, and more of a tendency to get into mortal peril on a weekly basis
Lily (pulls the lever): I got it!
As soon as she releases the lever, the bricks surrounding it start to get pushed inside the wall, making way for us to pass to the other side. We both go beyond the wall, and enter a small dark room that has a stone pedestal in the middle of it. Upon closer examination, it seems that there is some writing on the top of the pedestal, but it is too dark to make out what it says.
Lily makes a small orb of fire, which she sends floating above the pedestal, so I can read the writing on it. Now that I get a clear look at it, it appears that the text is written in the Common language.
Lily: What does it say?
JÒN: It says: Place your palm on this pedestal, if you like discovering secrets.
Lily (places her palm the stone pedestal): Oh, I love discovering secrets!
Suddenly, a hole appears at the base of the pedestal, and two small objects get thrown out of it. As I reach to get them, the hole closes itself back up again. Getting a closer look at the two items, I see that one of them is a piece of a puzzle, while the other one is a small parchment. I hold the parchment in my hand, so that both Lily and I can see what's written on it.
As I read the text on the parchment, I notice that it's written in the Common language as well, and that it says:
Find all of the pieces of the puzzle, and I will share with you my greatest secret. I've left one of these in each of the buildings I've designed.
The parchment is then signed as simply:
This building's architect.
It would appear that this castle's architect is also the one who designed the ruins from the forest. I now have two of these puzzle pieces in my possession. I wonder how many of them are left.
Lily: Hey, this sounds like fun! I want one too!
She puts her palm on the pedestal again, but this time, nothing happens.
Lily: It doesn't let me get another one! Jòn, you try it!
Damien (through transceiver): Hey, Jòn, can you hear me?
JÒN: Yeah, I hear you
I grab the transceiver in my right hand. Lily frowns at me, for ignoring her, and she takes my left hand herself, placing it on the pedestal. Just like before, the base of the pedestal opens up and throws out another puzzle piece and parchment. Lily takes both items and puts them in her pocket.
Damien: The castle servant came back. He said the king will see us now. Hurry up and get back here, will you?
JÒN: Yeah, we're on our way
After we make our way out of the dark room behind the wall, Lily pulls on the lever again, and the bricks go back into their original position. She then grabs the brick off the ground, and carefully places it back into the wall.
Lily (smiles): We wouldn't want anyone else to discover the secret before us, would we, Jòn?
JÒN: I suppose not
We start to head back to where everyone else was waiting for us.
Damien: Well? Did you find what you were looking for?
Lily: Yep!
Damien: Spectacular! Now, let's get moving.
We open the doors that the castle servant used earlier, and we enter a long, empty hallway that seems to lead directly to the throne room. Before opening the last set of doors, Damien looks at each of us in turn, to confirm that we are ready, and then we all step inside the throne room, one by one.
The throne room looks just as empty as every other part of the castle, except there is a long, narrow, red carpet leading to the throne on the opposite side of the chamber, where the king is currently sitting. Standing beside him we can see the servant from before, and on the other side, an old man, most likely an ambassador, that I do not recognize, but who appears to be rather important, at least judging by his expensive clothing. The gnome is now dressed in a more kingly manner than when he made his last appearance, having a golden crown on his head and a red mantle on his shoulders. When we arrive in front of him, he greets us courteously.
Gregor: Welcome, friends! Please, make yourselves at home! I'm sorry for the lack of chairs, but I've been told repeatedly that it would not be fitting for ordinary people to be seated in the presence of a king.
Ambassador: Skip the formalities, king of Thilias. This isn't the time and place to observe proper etiquette.
Gregor: Now, now, ambassador. Proper etiquette is always important, lest we descend into barbarism.
Ambassador: You speak to me of barbarism, when the people standing before us are proven murderers? I did not come here to hear your lectures. I came here in the name of the king of Oleandor, in order to make sure that the murderers of his majesty's brother are rightfully punished!
Gregor: Murderers they may be, but they are also our esteemed guests, and I would like to at least hear their reasons, before deciding their punishment.
He then turns to us.
Gregor: What say you, brave warriors? What was your reason for killing the earl of Oleandor?
JÒN: We killed him because he placed absolutely no value on human life
Gregor: Ah, I assume that you are talking about the slave girl he was with at the time. Tell me, young thackeray, are you aware of the laws in our city regarding slavery?
Places himself in front of me, and he bows before the king.
Damien: Your majesty, Please, allow me to explain what happened!
Rakaia (whispers): Psst! Hey, you there! Weakling! Stat wielder guy. Half-thackeray. Come here!
I get closer to Hagrid and the amulet.
JÒN: Half… thackeray?
Rakaia: Never mind that! We've got trouble. Theo just teleported in the middle of the hallway, and he's hiding with that invisibility spell of his.
JÒN: Theo? Why would he choose to come now, of all times?
Rakaia: I don't know and I don't care. I promised that I'd let you know when Theo was near, and I've kept my word. Now will you tell this buffoon holding my amulet to stop spinning me with every opportunity he gets?!
JÒN: Uh, right… I'll see what I can do about it.
While I was talking with Rakaia, it seems that the discussion between the king and the ambassador had gotten a bit more heated.
Ambassador: You would defend this filth?!
Gregor: I'm not defending anyone. I'm simply saying that before condemning them, they need to be offered a fair trial.
Ambassador (shouts): These scum do not deserve a trial! They deserve to be executed on the spot! Do you want war, king of Thilias? Need I remind you that I represent the king of Oleandor himself? I will not stand here to witness this mockery of a trial when we already have all the information we need to pass their sentence this very instant! You will have them killed right here and now, or there will be war! Do you hear me, Gregor? War!
Theo: I'm afraid that I can't let you execute these people, ambassador.
We hear Theo's voice coming from behind us. As we all turn around, Theo starts to walk slowly towards the ambassador, and he stops right in front of him. The ambassador is now sweating all over, and it looks like he's barely able to maintain his composure.
Theo (smirks): What's the matter, ambassador? Aren't you going to bow before your Master?
The whole room falls completely silent, as the ambassador tries hard to force a humble expression on his face, while he bows slowly before Theo.
Ambassador: As always, I am but your humble servant. It is an honor to have you in these halls, oh great Master.
Lily/Damien: What?!
Hagrid: Wait a minute... Master, as in, the founder of Avalon's civilization? Is that the Master we're talking about, here?
Theo: I'm surprised that you didn't know this by now. Didn't Rakaia tell you? She was there when it all began, after all.
There are a few moments of silence, during which we all turn our gaze towards Rakaia's amulet.
Rakaia: What, didn't I mention it? I guess it must have slipped my mind. Aha- Ahahahahaha!
Gregor (strokes his chin): So, you are the Creator that I've been hearing so much about.
Theo: I am indeed! And I must say that I am a big fan of your work. I heard that the first thing you did when you moved into the royal castle was to strip it of anything of value, sell everything, and then give the money to the poor. The nobility in all of Avalon had been in an uproar for months after the event. It was a most entertaining spectacle to see!
Gregor: I was always of the opinion that the royal castle belongs not to the royal family, but to the people. I only did what anyone else would have done in my place, if they had been chosen by the people to represent their interests.
Theo (smiles politely): I think you might be holding too high of an opinion of the people under your rule, king of Thilias.
Ambassador: Master... I know that your word is law throughout the whole continent of Avalon, but I must insist—
Theo: The continent of Avalon… You people always called it that, didn't you? But the size of Avalon is nowhere near the size of any other continent in the world. If anything, it's more of an island, really. In fact, if I recall correctly, that is how I named this place after the still night. The island of Avalon. The island of freedom. Why did people start calling this a continent, I wonder? Was it because you felt left out, when you discovered that there was a world outside of Avalon? Was it perhaps to satisfy your own egos, fooling yourselves into believing that you could compare with the civilizations from the other continents?
Ambassador: Master, please, I don't know what your affiliation is with these mages, but they have done us a great harm. A life has been lost that can never be replaced. It would be most tragic if the victim's killers were to be simply set free.
Theo (evil smile): Oh? And what if I told you that I was in fact the one who gave them the ability to hurt the people of Avalon?
The ambassador is now sweating even harder than before, and he seems to be too afraid to give Theo an answer. Seeing the expression on his face, Theo starts to laugh.
Theo: Do not worry, ambassador. I never suggested that they should be set free. However, I believe we can all agree that an execution would be a dull way for such powerful mages to meet their demise.
Ambassador: What do you… have in mind, then?
Theo: The arenas, of course! Have them thrown in the arena, and if they somehow manage to survive until the end, then it will mean that the gods have seen fit to acquit them of their crimes. The rules of the arenas state that you may not use magic during fights, so they won't get any unfair advantage over any of the other gladiators. There are even magic detectors placed all around the fighting area, to make sure that there's no cheating.
Ambassador: Yes, but, if they somehow manage to survive, the king of Oleandor will—
Theo (smiles): Are you trying to say that the fabled arenas of Avalon, the pride of your continent, are not enough to stop a mere handful of mages that can't even cast any spells?
Ambassador: No… No, of course not…
The ambassador stops for a few seconds, to clear his thoughts.
Ambassador: Very well, then. The criminals will face their sentence in the arena. But I will oversee the proceedings personally. I want to make sure that nothing goes wrong.
Gregor: Of course, ambassador. The arenas are yours, for the duration of these events.
The ambassador pauses again.
Ambassador: Three days... In three days, I will arrange the greatest arena event in the whole history of Avalon. Until then, the criminals are to be locked in the cells beneath the arena of Thilias, along with the other gladiators.
Theo: It is settled, then! I look forward to seeing what you will have in store for us, ambassador. I will be seeing you again on the day of the main event. Do not disappoint me.
With these last words, Theo teleports out of the room, without a trace, as he always does.
JÒN: You criminals are coming with me. I don't want you roaming the streets and putting any more innocent lives in danger.
Gregor: Actually, ambassador, I would like to have a word with them in private first, if you don't mind. I'll be sure to have one of my servants escort them to their cells shortly afterwards.
Ambassador: Hmph... Do what you will. I'm not planning to waste any more time here. I've got business to attend to. Just make sure that they're all in their cells by midnight.
The ambassador then walks away from us and out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him on his way out.
Gregor: Alright, then! Follow me. I'd rather not have our discussion in this dull place. I am now going to lead you to my real castle, where we can talk to our heart's content, until it is time to lead you to the arena.
JÒN: What makes you think that we'll simply agree to be led to the arena?
Gregor: Well, you are free to resist arrest, of course. But that would also result in your immediate disqualification from the tournament. Is this what you want?
I open my mouth to say something, but I can't think of any clever retort to give him. Instead, I choose to remain silent.
Gregor: Of course it isn't. I do not know what any of your reasons or motivations for coming here might have been, but I would imagine that if they were strong enough to make you want to risk your lives in a tournament like this, then you would definitely not let such a minor obstacle stand in your way. If it helps, then you can consider this arena as an extra qualification round, of sorts. To get you warmed up for the main event. Now, where was that hidden lever, again?… Ah, yes, here it is!
The gnome reaches behind the throne with his right hand, and he pulls on a lever. This causes one of the stone blocks forming the floor in front of us to move aside by itself, revealing a hidden staircase that leads to the lower levels of the castle.
Gregor: Jòn, I leave the throne room in your care until I return.
JÒN: What?…
King squire: Yes, your highness.
Gregor: Oh, my apologies, I was talking to my servant. He is also named Jòn.
He then turns to face all of us.
Gregor: Alright, this way, if you please!
The rest of us exchange a few looks, and then we follow the gnome, until we reach an underground room filled with machine parts and prototypes, as well as various tools that seem to have been thrown around randomly after their use. In the middle of the room, there is a workbench on top of which we can see a large device that looks like a bigger version of Damien's transmitters, with a green light at the bottom.
When we entered the room, Gregor was in the process of taking off his mantle and crown, and putting on the oil stained lab coat that we saw him wear earlier, when he appeared on the hologram. Now that I look around more closely, I realize that this is in fact the exact room that he was transmitting from, and that the device on the workbench is likely the one that he'd finished fixing, right before the transmission.
Gregor: Welcome to my castle inside my castle. I found this secret room shortly after moving in here, and I quickly decided to take advantage of the large unused space in order to set up my new workshop. I haven't really been tinkering with devices as often as I would have liked since I became king, but I find that this place always relaxes me after a heated discussion such as the one that I had with the ambassador earlier.
Damien: You said that you had something you wanted to discuss with us in private?
Gregor: Yes, I did. Let's start with your giant friend over there, who is currently shapeshifting into a dwarf.
Hagrid: Damn it! I should have known that it was all too good to be true. Is this the part where you kick me out of the tournament?
Gregor: Of course not! The rules of the tournament never explicitly stated that giants were not allowed in the tournament. We only avoided inviting giants to this contest because of the overwhelming advantage you would get from both your size and your strength. However, given that you have willingly shrunk yourself to the size of a dwarf, we have decided to make an exception in your case. You will be permitted to participate in this tournament, as long as you do not shapeshift yourself into anything bigger than what would normally be possible for a dwarf. And also, since you seem to be so fond of your dwarf form, this is how you will present yourself to all other participants from now on. I don't want any of the other mages finding out that you are in fact a giant. Are we clear?
Hagrid (grins): As clear as can be!
Gregor: Well, in that case, you are free to go! I no longer have any business to discuss with you.
Hagrid: You mean I'm free to go to the arena, or…
Gregor: No, I mean that you are free to carry on with the first round of the tournament. Unlike your friends, you were not present at the scene of the crime, so there is no reason for us to incarcerate you. There is no need for you to go into the arena.
Hagrid: The hell there isn't! Do you think I came all the way here to go looking for pinecones? I came here to fight, damn it! I swear, if you don't let me fight in this arena, I'm going to start thrashing the whole neighborhood until your guards throw me in there themselves!
Gregor: Well, if you insist, then I can write a letter of admission for you, which you can give to the guards at the arena's entrance. They'll be sure to let you in once they see the royal seal.
Hagrid: Perfect! Much obliged!
Gregor: Should I also be writing a letter for the girl and the cortana over there?
Lily: Uh, well—
Elyria suddenly interrupts her.
Elyria: No, we're fine. We'll watch the show from the spectator seats.
Gregor: Very well. Then I'll be sure to provide you with a ticket.
Hagrid: I see you've done your homework, I didn't think you'd also know about Elyria.
Gregor: My spies have been instructed to be extra vigilant when it comes to mages from other continents. They've been keeping a close eye on you ever since you entered the city.
Damien: Does this mean that they were also watching us when we attacked the noble?
Gregor: Yes… This is the second reason why I wanted to speak to you in private. First of all, I would like to offer you an apology. I imagine that the scene you witnessed that day must have been quite shocking for outsiders like yourselves.
Leah: You don't sound like you approve of what was happening with the slave girl.
Gregor: I do not, I personally find that the way our society treats slaves is sickening, and that we are all responsible in a way for allowing this system to continue. I, myself, am not much better than my predecessors, because I've barely done anything conclusive to address the problem since I moved into this castle.
Damien: But why? Why haven't you done anything? You are the king. You could do so much to help these people…
Gregor: Look up there
He points towards a metal device hanging from the ceiling.
Damien: What about it?
Gregor: What you see over there is an invention of my own making, with the sole purpose of blocking communication towards the outside. I installed it here shortly after my arrival to the castle.
JÒN: You're saying that someone could be trying to listen to our conversation?
Gregor: Oh, they are most certainly trying! You might not have noticed, but the room above us is littered with dozens of hidden devices, made for spying on conversations. Make no mistake, I am not the only person with an information network in this city. And the control I have over my kingdom is in fact a lot more limited than you might think.
Hagrid: And who are these people that are keeping tabs on you, exactly? The other kings?
Gregor: Yes, in a way. The ones in charge of keeping an eye on me are a group of thackeray who are allies with the other kings, but who work independently. They control a vast underground network of spies and assassins who rival my own, and their purpose is to make sure that I don't take too many initiatives that might 'endanger' the future of Avalon. If I try to take a decision as bold as freeing all of the slaves in my city, I may well get assassinated even before I manage to sign the decree.
Damien: So, you're just going to stand here and do nothing, then?
Gregor: Not at all. In fact, I have been working for years to improve our relations with the animal kingdom for this exact purpose. Their territories have been getting smaller and smaller due to the increasing number of monster attacks in recent years, so their negotiators have become a little less rigid lately. I promised to provide them shelter within our walls, on the condition that they help us clear the thackeray threat from our city. I will have a meeting in this very room with one of the representatives of the animal kingdom in a few days, where we will discuss this exact topic. If everything goes well, it is very likely that we will be reaching an agreement in the next few months.
Hagrid: So, what you're trying to say here is that you've got everything under control, and that we should no longer interfere?
Gregor: Yes, exactly, I wanted to make sure that you were aware of the whole situation, in case you'd be tempted to do something rash again.
JÓN: A few months is too long, Maybe we can take care of your thackeray problem, instead.
Gregor (strokes his chin): Oh? And do you speak for your entire team, when you are making this proposal, young thackeray? Or do you only speak for yourself?
The gnome's words took me off guard. While we've already been travelling together for a week, I'm not sure if everyone would agree to join me on this potentially suicidal mission.
As I stand there, and try to think of an answer to give the gnome, Damien takes my side, and he puts his hand on my shoulder.
Damien: He speaks for me as well.
Hagrid: And for me. After hearing what happened to the slave girl, yesterday, I would be more than happy to teach these bastards a lesson, if they are the ones responsible for what's going on in this city.
Gregor: Interesting! What about you, artificial mage? Are you volunteering for this mission as well?
Leah: These thackeray you spoke of… Do you know if they are working with other artificial mages? Is there a woman called Gwen, who controls electricity, helping them?
Gregor: As far as I know, the thackeray from my city are not using any mages as bodyguards. My spies would have certainly found out by now, if there were any other artificial mages in Thilias.
Leah: I see… Even if Gwen is not in this city, there is still a chance that the thackeray might know something about her current whereabouts. If you're all planning to storm their headquarters anyway, then I'm coming as well.
Lily: Well, if everyone else is going, then I guess we're going too, right Lettie?
The girl's eyes turn blue again, as Elyria takes a deep sigh, but she doesn't say anything.
Gregor: I'll have to admit that I wasn't expecting you all to offer your help so wholeheartedly.
He takes a few moments to clear his thoughts before he continues.
Gregor: Very well, then, I will think about what you've said. We will continue this discussion further, once you return from the arena. After you manage to earn your freedom, you will need to stop by my castle again, in order to receive some documents which will prove that you've served your sentence for your crimes. While these documents will most likely not be needed in Thilias, they should help you deal with guards that might try to have you arrested in other cities, for the murder of the earl of Oleandor. Now, unless you have anything else to discuss with me, I will start writing on that letter of admission for the dwarf, and then you can be on your way.
Once he's done talking, Gregor writes a few words on a piece of paper, stamps his seal on the letter, and then gives it to Hagrid, so he can show it to the guards at the arena. Just as we turn to leave, the gnome suddenly remembers that he forgot to tell us something.
Gregor: Oh, and one last thing! I believe this should go without saying, but I will mention it, nonetheless. You should never talk about anything we've discussed in this room as long as you are inside the city. Not even amongst yourselves. You never know when someone might be listening. I called you into this secure room to chat privately because I felt I could trust you with this information. I hope that you will not betray my trust.
Damien: Of course not… We will take care.
Gregor: Very well, then. In that case, I wish you luck in the arena, and may the gods be with you!
Damien: May they watch over us all.
After we finish our discussion with Gregor, we say our goodbyes to the gnome, and we leave him to work on his devices, while we start to climb up the narrow stairs, one by one. When we reach the throne room, we see that the king's servant was already waiting for us, at the top of the stairs.
King's squire: This way, if you please. Make sure that you follow me closely, so you won't get lost.
Hagrid: Don't worry, Jón (the squire), we're right behind you!
He grins at me widely.
Hagrid: Isn't that right, Jón?
JÓN: Oh, shut up
We all follow the servant out of the room, and towards our new prison.
>>>End Of Chapter 17<<<