“This is the room of a writer.” Lola assumed. She surveyed the room in hopes of seeing a way out or tools she could use but there was nothing but book shelves and artifacts of the four regions of the country. “I guess this is a dead end.” She said and the knights continued to thump on the door. Their swords pierced the door and the door caught on fire. Lola and Dougal saw how aggressively the knights and mages were trying to get in and their hearts pounded like stones in their chest.
“Why couldn’t I just keep running down the hall?” Lola regretted.
“Well if only you listen to me” said the wolf.
Suddenly they heard a quivering sound of wood. A table near them was slightly shaking as if it were alive. Lola raised an eyebrow disturbed at the bizarre tablet and approached it. She kneeled down and looked under it. A man quivered under the table with his eyes close and his arms wrapped around his legs. Lola grabbed the coward and pulled him out. “Please don’t hurt me!” Shouted the man. He was bald with shaved eye brows. He wore a gray cardigan. The man was shivering like winter cold. Lola noticed that his pants wet between his legs. She covered her nose in disgust. “Who are you?” She snarled.
“I…I…I am Harris the librarian of the castle.” The man answered.
“Well then Harris. As you can see there are knights outside that are trying to kill us. Tell me of a way to get out of here or I will make you drink your own piss.” Lola threatens.
“But I don’t know of any other way. This chamber is prohibited. No one is supposed to enter without my permission.” Harris answered his lips quivering as he spoke. A strong stench of urine rose from beneath. Lola stared down and noticed that the man was leaking on himself.
“Oh good. Since you don’t know of any way to get out of here I guess I will make you drink your own piss or perhaps I should just kill you.” Lola threatened the man confident that there was another way out of the chamber. The knights outside had open a large hole in the door, enough for an arm to reach in. Lola became desperate. Dougal growled and blue smoke left his nostrils. “You hear that Harris. The clock is ticking. There must be a secret passage in this castle I know it.”
“If you promise not to kill me I will take you to a secret passage.” Harris said.
“You have my word.” Lola promised. She released the cowardly man and Harris ran to a book shelve all the way in the back of the chamber. He pulled on a thick book and something thudded behind the wall. The book shelve then opened much a like a door would to the side. There was a passage with a trail of torches hanging from the wall. Lola gave a long smirk and jumped with her fist in the air. “I just knew it.” She said and ran inside the secret passage. Dougal ran behind her and Harris closed passage pulling the book shelve to the wall and a thud echoed through the passage. Lola and Dougal no longer had to worry about being chased by knights and mages of the castle. Or so they thought.
Lola spun her rod and it lit up with fire illuminating the passage way. It was narrow as if it were made for only two people to walk through. “Harris, where does this passage lead to?” Lola asked the bald man.
“It leads to another chamber that belongs to the prince.” Harris answered. “Now let me ask you a question. Why are you here bringing catastrophe to the castle? I heard the explosion from the chamber. I assume it was you since you were running away from the knights and mages.”
“Sorry but you must not know.” Dougal replied. “Just do as we say and you will live. That is the only promise we can make.”
“Even if you kill me. Don’t think it will be so easy to escape this castle.” Harris said. He seemed to have lost his fear somewhat. “The only reason you are still alive is because I showed you to this passage. Had it not been for me then the knights and mages would had slay you and brought you heads to the king.”
Lola grimaced and pointed her rod at the bald man. “You have a smart mouth. Thanks for the warning but we are aware of the danger we put ourselves in. All you need to do is shut up and get us to a safe place. You don’t need to know why we are here.”
Harris decided to remain silent and help Lola and Dougal through the secret passage. There was silence as they walked with only Lola’s rod to brighten the way. It was a long walk and Lola began to get inpatient already. “So this chamber where we are heading to. Is it safe?” Lola asked annoyed by the silence.
“Of course it is. I am there every day. The prince is away right now so you do not have to worry.” Harris said.
“The prince better not be there or else you will die.” Lola continues to threaten Harris. He seemed easily frightened and Lola took advantage of that.
Finally after minutes of walking a light shines at the end of the passage. Once they reached the light, Harris pulled a lever and the walls open as a door would. They exit the passage and Lola’s eyes bloomed at the sight of the chamber. The ceiling was high enough for her to take flight and the perimeter was round. There were bookshelves on the walls with thick tomes and scrolls. Lola looked under her feet and realized that there was an illustration of the pentacle on the floor.
There were two mage statues standing between what appeared to be a hearth with a high ceiling. A hearth with crackling gray fire. Lola gazed at the fire in awe. She had never seen such colorless flames. The fire seems to have come from the limbo. Dougal got closer to the fire and sniffed it. The wolf then howls after having smelled the fire. “What is it?” Lola asked Dougal curious of the gray fire.
“This fire is not of this world much like your black fire spell.” Dougal said gazing into the gray fire with his blue moon eyes.
“Interesting.” Lola said. She then spun to Harris who had been standing behind her. As soon as she looks into his eyes, the man shakes as if he was eager to run away.
“Now listen Harris. This castle has many books. I have been told by someone who works with the king himself that there is a grimoire hidden somewhere in this castle. You are going to tell me where it is or else you will die.” Lola tries to strike even more fear into the cowardly man.
“If that is what you are looking for then I rather die.”Harris said proudly. “I rather die with the secrets of this castle then to reveal the king’s treasures. It is my duty to protect the information of the Alexandrian dynasty. Go ahead and kill me but you will never know where the grimoire is located.”
Lola grimaced and was angry at Harris’ sudden bravery. If I kill him I will never be able to find the grimoire. He won’t tell me no matter how much fear I strike in him. Damn it! What can I do to convince this weakling? Lola mulled and stared back at Dougal.
“What are you thinking about Lola?” Dougal asked. He knew when she was up to no good. “Don’t burn your mind. Although we are safe here there has to be a way to find out where the grimoire is located. Perhaps one of these books can tell us where it is.”
“I won’t sit here and read books Dougal. As if we had all the time in the world.” Lola replied wishing things were much easier. She turned back to Harris looking at the bald man who could not make eye contact with her. He was her only way to find out how to find the grimoire. She could torture him and squeeze answers out of him. She was willing to do anything to get information out of the cowardly man. Anything besides ending his life.
“I have a question” Dougal approached Harris. “Why is there a pentacle designed on the floor?”
“How should I know why the masons who built this castle decided to draw a pentacle in this very room? Figure it out on your own.” Harris refused to tongue anything more about the castle.
“Lola you know what a pentacle is used for. Don’t you?” Dougal asked the dark magus.
“Many mages use it for invocations or at least that is the only use I have seen of the pentacle. It is a symbol of higher magic power. To summon entities from the limbo.” Lola stroked her hair with her fingertips as she mulled over the pentacle. “What could this mean?”
“It means that this room is used for some kind of transfer.” Dougal concluded. “The pentacle is u
sed to summon entities from the limbo. The pentacle is a portal between the human world and the limbo.” Dougal then turned to the gray flames between the two mage statues. It made sensed to him since he had a connection to the world of the dead he was able to sense the limbo as well. He was not sure if it was a portal to the limbo but he knew that it leads somewhere. His senses did not lie. Those flames had no scent but rather gave a vibe of the undead. A colorless mana of those who drifted in the twilight world. Dougal then turned to Harris and growled at the cowardly man. Harris stepped back whimpering.
“What happens when you touch the gray flames? Tell me unless you want me to bite off your manhood.”
Harris moaned in fear at Dougal’s threat. His pants were still wet and Lola laughed at him. “Yes I have been wondering. What do those pretty colorless flames do?” Lola said childishly.
“As I said I rather be killed than to give away any information of the castle.” Harris said once more. “I will keep the oath I made to the Alexanders when they gave me the keys to their library.”
“This is useless Dougal he won’t tell us.” Lola grumbled.
“Don’t worry I know just what to do.” The wolf posed as if he was about to pounce on Harris.
Then from the right side of the room the walls opened like doors making a sound like dragging boulders. Lola became startled and she grabbed Harris by the neck and placed the apex of her rod on his head. She was going to use him as a hostage. Dougal prepared with blue smoke leaving his nostrils. Both of them watched as the wall opened like doors. A young man entered the room. He had white hair like winter snow with a sword hanging from his waist. He wore a green and gold turtle neck cardigan with peak shoulders. His eyes were yellow like those of a black cat. “He is beautiful” Lola whispered as the young man enters.
“Who are you?” The white hair man shouted and rapidly drew his sword.
“Drop your weapon or I will kill your librarian.” Lola warned digging into Harris’ cranium with the top of her rod. The young man dropped his sword and it clanked loudly putting a smile on Lola’s face. “What are you doing here and what do you want?” Asked the white hair young man.
“Close the door behind you and you shall have answers.” Lola said and the young man did just as she commanded. He showed no fear. He was solemn and seemed very mature. Lola assumed the boy was her age. Nineteen or a few years older than her. The young man waved his hand over the entrance and a ring flickered a green light on his middle finger. The doors behind him closed with a thud and sealed with no sign or outline of a door being there. He stepped forward fearlessly with no weapon. He paced towards Lola calmly showing no hostility.
“Pikan Fahiah!” Lola launched a bullet of fire that blew up on the floor just where the young man was about to step. “Come any closer and I will kill you.” Lola said harshly, eyes narrow.
“You dare enter the Alexandrian castle without permission or unsupervised.” The white hair man said. “State your reason for your crime.”
“I simply came to obtain a tome. Help me find it and you will never see my face again.” Lola answered.
“Prince Ventus she is trying to steal the grimoires!” Harris yelled with Lola’s hand on his throat. Lola wacked him on the head with her rod and covered his mouth.
“The grimoires” Ventus said lowly. “How do you know of the grimoires?”
“Ah so you are the prince. Good Omegus. It is truly an honor to finally meet the prince. You are a handsome one just as I expected.” Lola giggled and winked at the prince. “The Alexandrians have such beautiful white hair. I envy your beauty.”
“I am flatter but you cannot have my beauty nor the grimoires.” Said the prince. “Perhaps there is another way that I can help you meet your desire.”
“You can tell us where those gray flames take us.” Dougal said growling at the prince.
“I have never seen a talking wolf or one with ram horns.” Ventus commented. He did not seem so surprised by the talking wolf.
“Well now you have. This wolf wants answers.” Dougal said.
“The gray flames are but a mere decoration.” Ventus responded.
“Don’t think you can talk yourself out of this one. Those flames burn with essence of twilight. They are of the twilight realm.” Blue smoke rose from Dougal’s nostrils creating a cloud over him.
“There is no fooling either of you. Fine then I will tell you.” Ventus said. “If you jump into the gray flames they will take you to the very top of the castle where the grimoires lie by the flat surface of the godly sword. I must warn you. Even if you do enter the chamber you won’t be able take the grimoires.”
Lola and Dougal looked at each other. Lola gave put a long smirk on her face and looked at the prince. “Thanks pretty boy.” She said. Then Dougal sneezed a bullet of blue flames at the prince. Ventus tried to deflect it with his own magic but failed. He shields himself with both arms and the bullet hit him. He caught on fire and fell on the floor rolling and screaming. Lola then knocked out Harris swinging her rod on his head. A white light flashed before his eyes and he collapsed.
Dougal leapt into the gray fire of the hearth and Lola jumped right after her. The flames did not burn but for a moment Lola and Dougal felt as though they were flying and saw nothing but a world of gray. Then they fell through another hearth and found themselves in another room. Lola had fallen on top of Dougal. “Get off me” the wolf grunted. Lola stood up and brushed the dust off her clothes. She surveyed the room and noticed a light coming from the ceiling from far down.
Her eyes bloomed like an owl in the night when she saw the flat surface of the sword. Yes it was the godly sword. The castle was its scabbard. The blade was at least fifty feet long in width. Light shone from above it. Before the colossal sword was a stone platform. Lola squinted and noticed three tomes on the platform. The ceiling in the room was high much like the previous one. The room was spacious and tall horned angel statues lined up between a path that lead to a pair of stairs and up to the godly sword. “Absolutely incredible.” Dougal whispered.
“It is a work of art seeing the sword up close.” Lola commented.
“Wait! Before we go any further we must close the hearth portal.” Dougal suggested.
“Worry not. The prince is probably dead by now. There was no way he could have survive your blue flames.” Lola said and walked mesmerized to the grimoires.
“Let’s not take any chances. Lola you should blast the portal before anyone else enters.” Dougal advice but Lola did not listen. She proceeded to the grimoires. She walked between the statues shaped like angels with horns on their foreheads.
“Lola why don’t you listen to me?” Dougal yelled. He followed her frustrated. He bit her long skirt and pulled her.
“We are already here. Let’s grab the grimoire and fly out.” Lola told the wolf.
“Don’t get too cocky. That attitude of yours is going to cost us.” Dougal said. Lola ignored the wolf and proceeded up a pair of stairs and there it was. There were three grimoires. The one to the left had an arrow pointing up as the symbol of the divine and the words “grimoire of the divine” was written on it. In the middle was the grimoire of shadows with the emblem of darkness on it. An arrow pointing down with a half circle in the center. To the right was another grimoire. It had the words “grimoire of dusk” written on it with a symbol Lola was unfamiliar with but it looked like two half circles. One black and one white.
“Dougal there are three grimoires.”
“So I see.” Said the wolf. “We came here for the grimoire of shadows. Let’s take it and leave the other ones.”
“I say let’s take all three. Who knows what magic we might learn?” Lola looked at the grimoires with eyes of greed.
“No!” Dougal barked. “We came here for the shadow grimoire and that is all. Don’t you dare take all three Lola. Let’s take what we came here for and nothing more.”
Lola looked down at Dougal with angry eyes. The black wolf growled at her. “Fi
ne then” she said.
“Trust me Lola. You do not want the forces of the Alexanders after you.” Dougal remarked. He was wise and thought before taking action unlike Lola. Just when the dark magus tried to take the grimoire something burned her hand. She flutters her hand in pain and placed it in her mouth. Then she tries to touch the grimoire with her rod and her weapon flew out of her hands. “Damn it” she cursed and ran down the steps to pick up her rod.
“There is a barrier over the platform like the one protecting the castle.” Dougal informed. Lola then cast a fire spell on the barrier and it bounced back. She dipped dodging her own spell. It was like trying to break through that barrier again.
“Damn it!” She cursed. The barrier is transparent and hard to notice at first but the light from above revealed it once Lola cast her spell on it. Lola looked at her reflection on the blade of the godly sword. By the hearth portal she saw the prince in the reflection of the steel. She gripped her rod and prayed to Omegus for power.
“Lola we’ve got company.” Dougal alarmed her.
“I know.” She answered and turned to face the prince. He was panting. The sleeves of his cardigan were burnt and ripped up to his shoulders. The skin of his arms was burned as well. The front of his cardigan was tattered with ashy ends. The prince held his sword and the gemstone by the guard of the blade shined a green light. “You will be punish tenfold for what you have done.” Said the prince and stared at Lola with strands of white hair over his eyes. “I told you that you would not be able to simply take the grimoires. No evil such as you will get their hands on the grimoire.”
“Not too worry.” Said Lola going down the steps. “I will kill you first and then I will break the barrier and take the grimoire.”
Tales Of Lola The Black Page 7
