Ben must've felt it too, his eyes widened, surprised. "What?" he said.
Alyssa felt her bodyguard approaching them from behind. "Meet me tonight at ten pm at the stables, I still have questions," she whispered hurriedly.
Ben nodded slowly. "O... k."
"My lady, is he bothering you?"
Alyssa looked up at her bodyguard. "No, it's fine...he's a friend from a long time ago." Ares grunted and stepped backwards.
"I've told you everything I know," Ben said, but Alyssa knew he was lying. She could see the tightness in his jaw that gave it all away.
"Yeah, do you really expect me to believe that?" Alyssa snarled, she hated liars – even gorgeously handsome ones.
"Um...yeah. Well, see you around, Wise girl," Ben started walked back down the courtyard.
"Wise girl?" Alyssa said, the nickname did not help with her temper. Ben turned around and gave her a crooked smile, that made her heart leap. Alyssa pushed those feelings down, it wouldn't be any good to feel this way, whilst she was engaged. "You better remember to meet me, or I'm going to find out myself," she called. Her irritation rose when he didn't look back. With a murderous look in her eyes, she stormed back into the palace, with her bodyguard trailing behind her. She didn't even know why she was so angry, now all she felt was a mixed jumble of feelings. And she absolutely hated being confused. Alyssa stopped walking suddenly at the top of the white marble steps that led into the palace. She looked back at the courtyard, Ares stared at her in mute confusion. The black cat stared into Alyssa's eyes, it then turned its head away and elegantly disappeared down an alley way. Its tail swished lazily in the air. Alyssa turned around slowly, she cursed herself for being so paranoid.
Thinking that everything was dangerous or plotting against her. Now she sort of understood why her father was so strict and stern all of the time. A weak king causes invaders and wars. They are corrupted by their subject's advices, since they can't make wise decisions on their own. But on the other hand, arrogant kings cause rebellion
The door shut with a small creak of the rusty hinges. Mr. Wright started walking down the hallway, he carried several hard-back books in his hands. Hmmm...Suspicious. His footsteps thudded noisily in the high ceiling corridor; he wore riding boots. On his back he wore a thick coat, a sword hung casually at his side.
"Have you got it down?" Kelsie whispered as quietly as she could. Luke nodded. He showed her his notes. Thick coat. Boots. Books. Eyebrows. Hat. Too tall... "Umm...that's great, now follow me – quietly," Kelsie said. She stepped out from behind the stone statue and followed Mr. Wright down the seemingly never-ending corridor.
Pictures of Kings, Dukes, Princes and princesses adorned the white stone walls, the ceiling was made up of many arches that had been designed by the best architects the king could afford. "It's so beautiful..." Luke murmured in wonder, looking up at the ceiling.
"Luke! Watch where you're going!" Kelsie hissed, but it was too late. The small goblin stumbled face first into an expensive looking crystal jar that held a very pretty looking plant inside. Crash. Shards of crystals went flying over the stone floor, Luke went toppling into a large clump of soil and flattened the once beautiful flowers that were in the jar. Kelsie's hands went over her mouth. Mr. Wright looked back at them both, his eyes widening. Ooops...mission aborted. "Kelsie! What's going on – what is that thing?" He started walking towards them.
‘Villain, villain, villain!’ A voice chanted in her mind. "Can't you tell?" Kelsie told him rudely. "It's a goblin, I thought you would know, being obsessed with mythological creatures and all..."
"Yes, but what is it doing here – what are you doing here?" Mr. Wright still hadn't told them off about breaking the jar...well at least that was a plus.
"Umm...we wanted to see if the physician had found the reason behind the two elves' murders..."
Mr. Wright's face brightened. "Oh excellent, I never thought that it would interest you. I, myself was going to go down there and help – maybe you would like to join me." Oh, so he wasn't up to anything evil or sinister. That was disappointing.
"Might as well," Kelsie shrugged, concealing her dissatisfaction.
"What about me?" whined Luke, who sat up in his pile of compost, a giant blue flower was attached to his head.
"Err...I suppose you can come too..." Mr. Wright looked unsurely at the ugly little goblin.
"Yay! Does this mean I can still take notes?" Kelsie glared in warning at him.
Mr. Wright looked confused. "What do you mean 'take notes'?"
"Erm...nothing! Let's go, ok," Kelsie gave him a convincing laugh. She started walking down the corridor again and motioned them both to follow her. Apprehensively, Mr. Wright followed her with Luke lagging after him, furiously writing as many notes as he could. Kelsie pushed open the old rusty door and into the physician’s chambers. A sour scent filled her nostrils that immediately made her want to gag. Three wide eyed frogs stared up at her from a glass tank, their skin was a mottled green and blue – but the thing that freaked Kelsie out the most was their unnaturally intelligent eyes. Rows and rows of books lined the walls, tables were scattered over the large room that were covered in potions and scrap pieces of paper. The physician had his back to them and was leaning down over a table, where the dead bodies lay, a magnifying glass in his hand. He looked up when he heard them come in. He was surprisingly youthful looking, but Kelsie knew better. Fully grown elves could change their ages all the time; she didn't understand why Mr. Wright preferred living in his 60-year form. Some people, she will never understand.
"Gary! So, pleased you can join me; this is a terribly interesting case..." Gary? That was Mr. Wright's first name? Ha. Kelsie never knew that. "Who is this lovely young lady? Oh...look! How wonderful! You've brought a live specimen of a goblin," the physician said ecstatically. He was so happy to the point where it just got...demented.
"This is Kelsie, she was going to help us investigate these murders," Mr. Wright explained.
‘Gary’, Kelsie stifled a laugh. The physician smiled broadly, showing off his straight white teeth. She saw a flash of gold at the back of his mouth. ‘Eww, gold teeth...’
"Wonderful! It's a pleasure to meet you Kelsie, I'm Michael Yew – I must say, it's a rare occasion I get visitors from such beautiful ladies like you," Michael winked at her playfully. Kelsie's upper lip lifted slightly up in repulsion. He motioned them over to a table that was just laden with work, potions and a strange apparatus. "Would you care for a lemon tea? It's one of my newest inventions – although I went a little bit crazy with the mixture, I've got five hundred bottles left."
"Five hundred bottles!" Kelsie breathed in sharply. She had no doubt that this guy was a complete nutter.
"Yes, but better more than none – let me get you some, they're absolutely delicious. Would you like one Gary?" Michael got up from the table.
"I'm fine, thanks. I've just had lunch," Mr. Wright said swiftly. Michael didn't look deterred by his answer; instead he merrily went inside a humongous pantry that was filled to the brim with bottles, with a sickly-looking yellow mixture inside. He reached up and collected two bottles and placed them back on the table. "So, Gary...Talia -"
"Kelsie," Kelsie corrected.
"Kelsie, yes...sorry, so I was wondering if you could help me try some experiments on the bodies – it will be really funn - I mean, helpful," Michael poured some lemon tea into a small wooden cup. "Here you go."
"What experiments are we planning on doing?" Mr. Wright said, straight on the point. Michael picked up a test tube that contained a small amount of clear liquid inside.
"First one is to test their blood, and then we mix it in this liquid I call 'inkling' and see what happens next."
Kelsie held up her dagger. "Do you want me to collect some blood?"
Michael looked shocked, he shook his head rapidly and his hand accidently knocked over his mug of lemon tea. "No, no, no! Ow, ow, that's really hottttttt!" He hissed, holding his burnt hand. "Stupid
tea...anyway you cannot use a dagger on your victi – I mean...er...patients. We are going to do it the proper way with a scalpel."
"Isn't it just the same?" Kelsie said.
"Kelsie, don't talk back," Mr. Wright told her.
"Sorry Gary," she shot back. She felt satisfaction when his jaw clenched with possible anger.
Luke tugged on her arm next to her. He showed her his notes. ‘Strange physician, lemon tea, frogs in a tank, mad, strange, creepy, Gary, Gary knows Michael somehow...angry Gary...’
"What is that?" Michael said leaning over the table, peering down at the book. Luke snapped it shut, millimeters from Michael's nose.
"None of your business," he said rudely. A bubble of snot formed underneath his nose. Kelsie laughed, trying to take away the tension.
"Hey, Luke, how about you go over in the corner and... Um...continue with your...er...reading." Luke seemed to understand and plodded off and sat next to a broom in the corner, just underneath a bookcase, that maybe was just a bit too full.
"Right..." Michael looked warily at the goblin. "Gary, can you take a sample of blood from victim one and victi – I said victim, didn't I? Scratch that; just take the blood samples and place them in separate test tubes." Mr. Wright took the scalpel off Michael and cut a small wound on one of the bodies.
"Perfect!" Michael complimented. "Now place the blood in here..." Mr. Wright carefully dripped the blood off his knife and into the empty test tube. It ran down the sides of the glass tube and collected in a pool at the bottom. "Now for patient two," Michael opened a book and started reading down the index. He didn't look up when Mr. Wright put another dose of blood in test tube number two.
"Talia -"
"Kelsie."
"Oops, Kelsie would you mind putting 3cm³ of inkling in both of the test tubes?"
Kelsie poured a small amount of the inkling in both test tubes, though she wasn't sure what it was supposed to achieve. Both vials turned an ugly greenish blue color. Michael looked up from his book, his expression was confused. "Hmm...This is very strange – I've never seen this shade of color before...Gary, try opening up your book about mythological creatures, it could be that the two guards were attacked by a monster..."
Mr. Wright flicked open his thick book and studied the brown stained pages with deep intensity. There was silence for five minutes straight. Kelsie tried to study a book about elfish wounds, but sadly her brain decided it didn't like reading. The small printed word seemed to float around the page, it started hurting her head. She focused on the beautifully drawn pictures of gaping wounds and swords. There were many images of screaming elves all through the book...some of their heads had been half cut off and their limbs were scattered around in different directions. That was some pretty messed up artist.
"I think I've got it," Michael said, breaking the silence. "It says here that: "From the blood of the deceased or wounded victim, inkling determines whether it was a monster attack or not. If it should turn a dark blue color, this shows an attack by a hydra – if it should turn a dark green color, it shows that the attack was by a mermaid, since the aura of mermaids are green – thus showing it was a mermaid who caused the death."
Kelsie rolled her eyes in annoyance. Mermaids, mermaids, mermaids...yada yada yada. When were people going to shut up about them, it was doing her head in. "Mermaids don't exist." Mr. Wright and Michael both looked at her. "What? They don't. They're myths, legends or whatever," Kelsie took a sip of her lemon tea.
Mr. Wright sighed. "Then explain how these two soldiers are dead. Elves can't die from wounds – even ones as horrific as that, they heal in time. Elves do not die from old age like humans and they cannot die from disease. The only thing that can kill elves that are recorded in history, are mermaids."
"Doesn't mean they exist," Kelsie said stubbornly. "Could just mean that someone has figured out how to kill elves from sword wounds."
"She does have a point," Michael put in. Kelsie's eyes widened when she saw his face, it was an unhealthy shade of yellow. An empty mug of lemon tea sat by his hand on the table.
Mr. Wright looked at them both. "But it must be mermaids; it's not possible to make a sword that kills elves."
"It's not possible that mermaids exist," Kelsie remarked quickly. She saw Luke, out the corner of her eye, jotting endless amounts of words in the notebook. "How would a mermaid be able to kill somebody so far from the sea?"
"Mermaids can live on land," Mr. Wright said. "How would you explain that the test tubes have turned green? It's the aura of a mermaid."
"But they don't exist," Kelsie said again furiously. Why wouldn't anyone believe her? Everybody was so annoying. "And the test tubes are not green; they're more turquoise than green."
Michael looked back and forth between them, whilst they argued. "Ok, peoples. How about we all go away and think about it, then maybe we can come to a conclusion tomorrow."
Kelsie stood up from her chair. "Yeah, I think I'll go. This is just stupid; I thought you were more mature than that, Mr. Wright. Mermaids don't exist, only in your imagination." She walked towards the door, stumbling slightly on a greasy patch on the floor. Luke got up and followed her, still writing down his notes.
"Don't forget to come again and drink more lemon tea with me!" called Michael. Kelsie didn't answer. Well, her mission was all for nothing.
Chapter Thirteen
The chambers had gone dark, shrouded in a thick coating of shadows. Alyssa opened her curtains and stared down at the citadel clock. Its enormous face reflected the light of the moon, the hands displayed the time of quarter to ten. Her bodyguard had left her for the night, though he slept in the room opposite Alyssa's. Silently, she crept out into the large landing; in her hand was a lighted candle. The hallway to her right was hardly even visible in the darkness, she moved slowly along the hallway careful not to bump into anything. This time, she had decided not to go down the main stairs since she didn't want to risk the sentries' catching her, last time was a lucky escape. Alyssa still hadn't figure out who had been in her room that night, it was really bugging her, but she didn't know where to start. Suddenly a sharp pain burst into her foot.
Alyssa gasped and tried not to scream in shock. She brought her candle down by her foot, it was bleeding quite badly. There was something stuck inside it. A sparkling broken piece of crystal. Alyssa realized that all around her was covered in shattered crystals; she remembered the expensive crystal vase that her father had bought on his travels to Alltalos... He was going to go mental when he found out. The vase had cost him a fortune. Ignoring the burning pain, she continued down the hallway, passing the physician's chambers on the way. A faint sound of snoring could be heard through the door. It made Alyssa smile at the peculiar noises he was making. Tip toeing down some narrow back stairs, she opened a door at the bottom that led into the palace kitchens.
The air was still warm in here, a vague smell of roast chicken hung in the air – it reminded her of her dinner. Alyssa stepped slowly across the kitchen floor and out into an enclosed alley way. As quietly as she could, she shut the kitchen door behind her. "Miaow." Alyssa jumped. A furry creature looked up at her; it was the same black cat she had seen this morning. Crouching down, she stroked its silky fur though it didn't seem to like that. It started backing away and then ran off into a clump of trees and bushes.
Shrugging, Alyssa started running down towards the stables. Her feet pounded noisily on the paving stones. "Hey, you! Come back here!"
she heard a voice say. ‘No! ‘How could she be so stupid? She had totally forgotten about the night patrols, they raced after her. Though thankfully they were weighed slightly down from their armor, but they were still faster. Alyssa panted as she reached the stables. Ben was already there; he took one glance at the night patrol and grabbed her wrist and pulled her down into the empty market street. He was running faster than Alyssa; she had no idea how he could run so fast.
Her candle slipped out of her hand and landed on the roadside. Her woun
ded foot hurt whenever she landed on it. "I can't...go...on," she panted, there was a massive stitch in her side. The night patrol was catching up, closer and closer... Before she could react, Ben picked her up as if she weighed like a doll and sprinted down the wide streets of Mylvehil. The shops and houses blurred; this shouldn't be possible...this shouldn't be possible...how the heck could he run so fast? Ben was breathing evenly, Alyssa noted. This was another question she had to ask him. This shouldn't be possible. She looked back at the patrol.
They were tiny specks in the distance, no way had they gone that far. Ben continued to run, into a wood and smoothly dodged each tree. His breathing now was slightly heavy, but that was it. No other elf should be able to run, carrying an elf in their arms, that far a distance. This shouldn't be possible... Alyssa felt him slow down and then stop running. He put her down on the long thick green grass that looked black in the night air. Her jaw dropped as she took in her surroundings. It was...breath taking. She could see the entire landscape of Mylvehil, her palace glinted faraway in the distance – had they really ran that far?
But it was so beautiful; she couldn't help but drink in the view. Peaked mountains rose and fell across the horizon, waterfalls glinted under the stars...acres and acres of trees and forest covered the hilly scenery before her. Small roads wound between forests and stretched out of sight; she could see the warm glow of fires in some outlying villages as they tried to keep warm for the night. There was a small thud next to her. Alyssa turned her gaze to a person even more beautiful than any setting or creature. "Do you like it?" Alyssa nodded, zoning out of the world and gazing at his face. There was silence. Ben shifted uncomfortably.
"So, you wanted to ask me questions, then?"
"Yep." Silence.
"Are you actually going to ask them – or just stare at my face for the rest of the night?"
Alyssa blinked. "Umm...Yeah ok – wait I forgot what I was going to say."
"Does that mean you're not going to ask any questions then?" Ben said hopefully.
Dark Oceans (Ocean Series Book 1) Page 8
