''Do you know my father?'', I asked.
''Yes, of course. How could I forget the good master. And your mother too. She was very kind''.
''My father used to be in charge of the defenses at Aregon. Do you know...''.
''Scarlett!'', interrupted Julian.
''What?'', I asked.
''Can I talk with you for a moment'', he said, gesturing towards the corner.
''What?'', I asked again, as soon as we were out of earshot.
''Can we trust him?'', he whispered. ''He might inform the king. What if he lies''.
''We don't have much choice here. And I will come to know if he lies or does anything suspicious. Do not worry'', I reassured him. He nodded reluctantly.
''Anyway'', I said, looking at the caretaker. ''Do you know anything about the Black Castle? There might be something in his study. It is very important to us, and might even help us to rescue my father''.
''No. Everything was cleared after his imprisonment. I really want to help you. I loved both of your parents. They were always kind to me. But I don't know anything about your father's work''.
''What about his brother?'', I asked.
''Gregor is in the citadel. But you can never go there. The Vampire King hates you. The reason Lucien was thrown out of the citadel was because he married your mother, who was a human. He will kill you on sight''.
''But, what other way do we have? I have to save my parents, no matter what'', I said.
''Wait'', said the old man. ''There is someone who was very close to your father. He might have the answers you need. His name is Tristan Black. You will find him Acantha. If anybody knows about the Black castle, it is him''.
As we headed back towards the city, I sensed the old man still watching us from the doorway.
''Was he telling the truth?'', asked Julian.
''I think so''.
''Well, that is reassuring'', he said, with a hint of sarcasm. ''Now, how are we supposed to get out?''.
''In that same wagon, of course'', I replied.
''I don't think they will let us take back the prisoners''.
''We are leaving them behind''.
''And you will be alone inside the wagon? In plain sight?''.
''Who said I was going to be inside. I will be under it''.
''Very subtle'', he chuckled. ''And I will be the driver again?''.
''Yes, you are returning back to the base'', I winked.
''As long as the wagon is still in the place where we left it''.
As soon as we reached the carriage, I unlocked the door and looked inside. The prisoners looked at me with wide eyes.
''Get out!''.
They scrambled out of the wagon and backed away from me.
I closed the door and nodded at Julian, before rolling under the carriage.
I lifted myself up, grabbing the bars underneath. I rested my legs on the hooks that were attached to a horizontal bar. I whistled, signaling Julian that I was ready.
The horses started trotting forward, pulling the wagon with them. After a while, we finally reached the gates.
''Wait! Did you deliver the prisoners?'', asked one of the guards.
''Yes. I am returning to the base''.
I was able to see their feet, as the guards inspected the carriage. The door opened and closed.
I heard one of them call to Julian, ''Go!''.
The carriage started to move again. We were out!
As soon as we reached the cover of trees, Julian stopped the carriage, and I rolled out from underneath it. I straightened up and brushed off the dirt from my clothes. Julian handed me my sword, which I strapped to my belt. We hid the carriage in the forest and set the horses free.
''For a moment I thought we were done for. Your heart was beating like the wings a scared hummingbird'', I said. ''They could have heard that''.
''I am sorry about that'', he apologized. ''I was a little tensed''.
Our stallions were in the clearing where we had left them. I grabbed a blood skin from my pack and took a long swig.
I sighed contentedly as the blood sated my thirst. I swung onto my saddle and soon, we were on our way to Acantha.
''At least we completed the first task'', I sighed.
''It is better if we stick to the woods'', said Julian, as the road starting curving southwards from the forest.
I nodded in agreement, spurring my horse off the road. After traveling for several hours, I heard the faint sound of rushing water.
''There must be a river nearby'', I informed Julian.
''Yes. The River Risetta. We can follow it till the Kil Falls. It might take more than a week to reach Acantha. It lies on the extreme eastern side of Aria, near the Gulf of Brytos''.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
It was almost mid afternoon, when Alice and the Talbot siblings reached the gates of Lycaonia.
''At last'', sighed Alice. ''I am going straight to my bed''.
They had been traveling continuously for almost five days. Alice could barely walk with exhaustion. She felt like curling up right in the middle of the street.
''Yeah'', said Lucy. ''But first we will have to report to the king''.
They finally reached the throne room, where the Wolf King sat on his throne. They bowed and waited for him to talk. He looked quite pleased to see them. ''I hope everything went well?'', he asked.
''The Pirate Lord accepted the deal. But he had one condition'', replied Lucas.
''What is it?'', asked the Wolf King, raising his eyebrow.
''He wants a ship for every one of his that gets damaged in the raid''.
''We can manage that. Better than losing them to the Empire. When does he start his attack?''.
''The next full moon. That is almost a couple of weeks from now''.
''Good, I am summoning the council tomorrow. You can leave now. Get some rest''.
They bowed again, before walking out of the hall.
''See you tomorrow'', said Alice, waving at the siblings. She headed straight to her room. After a long soothing bath, she pulled on a set of fresh clothes and slumped into bed. Within a few seconds, she was fast asleep.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
''How do we cross?'', I shouted over the roar of water pounding down on the stones.
''There is ford, a few leagues downstream'', replied Julian. ''Let's go''.
I spurred my horse after Julian. We had stopped at a small fishing village, along the banks of Westria, but we had not stayed for long. As soon as we had gathered the necessary supplies, we had resumed our journey.
Julian was right. It was slowly starting to widen. We followed the river till it was shallow enough for the stallions to cross. We came upon a narrow, beaten path across the river.
''This is a game trail, rarely used. It will take us directly to Carn''.
''How far is the village from here?'', I asked.
''At this pace, we will be inside its gates by noon, tomorrow. It is a small, secluded village. We have very little chance of running into any soldiers''.
The woods started getting denser and more ominous. It was already past sundown. Dark clouds rolled across the sky, covering the stars.
I heard a distant howl. It was very faint. It was probably a wolf.
''Did you hear that?'', asked Julian.
''A wolf?''.
''Or a Lycan''.
''So far from the Wolf Capital?''.
''There are many rogue lycans who do not belong to any of the twelve packs. If one of them is nearby, we are in real trouble''.
I spurred my horse, urging it forward. It neighed nervously and broke into a trot. It was already midnight and we had covered almost five leagues. Suddenly, Julian stopped his horse.
''What is that?'', he gasped.
''What?'', I asked, pulling my horse alongside his.
Then I saw it! A mangled corpse of a lion, lying right in our path. It was brutally mauled by something big, with claws and teeth.
I stiffened as the breeze shifted southward
s, carrying with it, a familiar scent.
''A werewolf!'', I shouted at Julian and jumped down from the saddle.
There was terrible growl as something huge darted towards us from the darkness of the woods.
''I will take care of it'', I told Julian, as he reached for his sword.
I drew Shadowfang and snarled in warning at the fast approaching beast. The horses neighed nervously and pawed at the ground. Julian caught hold of their reins, trying to stop them from bolting.
I raised my sword and charged at the beast. It pounced, baring its dagger like fangs, and I sidestepped, but one of its claws grazed my cheek. Before it could turn, I swung Shadowfang, aiming for its flank.
As soon as the blade pierced its hide, the werewolf started disintegrating, until there was nothing but a pile of bones left.
I felt an itching sensation, as the gash on my cheek started closing. I sheathed my blade and brushed off the dried blood on my face.
Julian handed me the reigns to my horse, and I jumped back on the saddle.
''You have grown, Scarlett'', he smiled. ''You are a true hunter now''.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Alice walked towards the throne room with Lucy. There was still no news on Scarlett and Julian, and she was worried.
''I'm sure she is alright'', said Lucy, as if reading her mind.
''But it would have been nice to know if they had succeeded in their mission''.
Lucy nodded. The guards held open the door for them as they entered the throne room. Alice glanced at the assembled lycans. There were only five Alphas present.
''…...rendezvous with them at Dorholt'', Phoebe was saying.
''Yes, and I will go myself''.
''But, my lord'', protested Alistair, looking at the king. ''We need you in Lycaonia. I can go with her''.
''Do as I say, boy'', thundered the Wolf King. ''You will take care of the administration while I am gone. Phoebe and Lucas will assist you''.
''You are going alone?'', asked Alistair.
''No, Thelma and Norman will come with me''. The two Alphas inclined their heads.
''Scarlett Ironfang is destined to kill Viktor, and I am the only one who stands a chance against him. Together we can surely take him down'', said the Wolf King.
''I will come with you, my lord'', interrupted Alice. ''I cannot idle away in my room while my friend is in danger''.
All eyes turned on her. Lucy was gaping at her in awe. The Wolf King's eyes twinkled in amusement as he considered her for a moment.
''Very well, you can come with me if you wish. But be warned. You are walking into grave danger and you might not return with your life''.
''I understand, my lord'', said Alice, bowing her head.
''You!'', called the Wolf King, gesturing at one of the servants, who was waiting near the door. ''Send a message to Julian. He is to wait for us at Dorholt''.
The servant bowed and left.
''Prepare yourselves. We leave at dusk'', said the Wolf King. ''You can go now'', he dismissed them.
Everyone except Alistair Talbot left the hall.
''Are you out of your mind?'', snarled Lucy, as soon as they were out in the corridor.
''I have to go. I promised to help her'', said Alice. She looked determined. ''I cannot abandon her now''.
Lucy's face softened. ''Just be careful'', she said. ''And good luck. I hope we will meet again''.
Alice hugged her friend goodbye and started walking towards her room. She was going to the dreaded Black Castle. She was scared, but that was not going to stop her. She was going to help Scarlett get her parents back. She was an Atlantian. She could not afford to be held back by something like fear. She was a hunter!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Acantha was one of the biggest cities I had ever seen. It was beautiful, with plenty of fountains and gardens. The large, ornate houses projected riches and fortune. Even the walls were intricately decorated. The streets were crowded with travelers and traders. It was easy to blend in.
There were both vampires and humans among the crowd. I was surprised and pointed it out to Julian.
''How do they coexist?'', I asked. ''Won't the vampires attack the humans?''.
''No, Acantha has a different policy. There are exchange booths where the humans can sell their blood for money, which is in turn sold to the vampires. No one is allowed to hunt or kill in Acantha. If anyone breaks the rules, they are sentenced to death'', he replied. ''Better than what they do at Argent if you ask me''.
''I have never seen such a beautiful city anywhere but in Atlantis'', I said in awe. ''And it is so peaceful''.
''True. This is a major trade city of Aria. You will never find this kind of wealth anywhere else in the kingdom'', said Julian.
I stiffened, as I sensed a dozen vampires approaching us from all directions. Before I could warn Julian, we were completely surrounded. They were all clad in black armor and bore wicked halberds. There was no way we could fight all of them and escape.
One of them stepped forward and said, ''Come with us. Lord Tristan is expecting you''.
I exchanged a shocked look with Julian. There was no way they could have known we were coming. Julian shrugged and said, ''Alright''.
They escorted us to a large mansion that stood on the other side of the city, beside the river. It was surrounded by beautiful gardens, patrolled by armed sentinels.
They led us inside building, past lengthy corridors, finally coming to a stop before a set of huge double doors. They did not even bother to take our weapons.
''Are we walking into a trap?'', I muttered.
''I hope not''.
The doors opened into a wide, circular room, intricately decorated with delicate sculptures and carvings. A beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling. Expensive paintings adorned the wall. One side of the wall contained shelves filled with books and scrolls.
A lone vampire was standing near an ornate table. I assumed it was Tristan Black. He looked young and handsome, with black hair, which came up to his shoulders and a neatly trimmed beard.
Only his deep, knowing eyes betrayed his age. He was wearing a dark violet robe, embroidered with gold.
''Scarlett! Welcome to Acantha'', he beamed, spreading his hands. ''You look just like your mother, and you have Lucien's eyes'', he said, in a deep voice.
''How did you know we were coming?'', I asked.
''I know many things. In fact I know almost everything that happens in this kingdom''.
''So you know why we are here?'', asked Julian, raising his eyebrow.
''Yes. You want to know about the Black castle''.
''The steward at the castle said you were close with my father. How did you know him?''.
''We used to live together at his father's citadel in Argent. We went to missions together. We had many great adventures in our childhood'', he sighed, an edge of sadness creeping into his voice.
''What happened?'', I asked.
''He was invited by the then king to join the Imperial Guard, and I returned to Acantha. His father, the King of Argent, loved him very much. That was until he fell in love with your mother, Victoria. Orpheus was beside himself with rage. He ousted Lucien from the citadel, taking away his right to the throne. Not that Lucien was interested. He had a new castle built for him and Victoria in Argent itself. Nobody dared to question him, since he was one of the Imperial Guard''.
''Why was he imprisoned?''.
''Because of the prophecy. When he found out about it, he sent your mother to me. But she was waylaid by some rebels and was taken to their hideout. It was later that I found out that the rebels belonged to the Resistance. Lucien came to Acantha some time later, looking for your mother. He told me everything. It was good that she was not in Acantha, because Viktor had sent two of the most powerful members of Imperial Guard to capture her. The Witch, Zelda and the elf, Europa. We were no match for them. They took Lucien and left me wounded. But they did not get what they really wanted. You''.
/>
''Then, how did my mother get captured?''.
''Probably there was a double agent among the rebels. She was captured at Jedborough'', he said. ''What you are trying to do now is very dangerous. Viktor is very powerful, so be wary. He should not be underestimated''.
''Do you know of the secret passageway into the Black castle?'', asked Julian.
''Yes, of course. I was there when they rebuilt the castle. But it has been submerged for hundreds of years''.
''How?'', I asked.
''The passageway was built when River Dracburn was but a small stream. But, since then it has widened into a big river. The mouth of the tunnel is visible only during the spring tide, when there is a high dip in the level of water. You still have time, since the next full moon is in ten days''.
''And where will we find the entrance?''.
''The Black Castle stands on a tall cliff, at the foot of which flows River Dracburn. The entrance is directly beneath the tallest tower, when seen from the opposite bank of the river''.
''Thank you. You have our utmost gratitude'', said Julian, inclining his head.
''I hope you fare well in your mission and may the gods watch over you'', he said. ''You can stay for the night if you wish. It's already past sundown. It is better if you are well rested before you start your journey. I have received information that the Wolf King has already started north, along with two Alphas. Together, you might be able to take down Viktor''.
''Thank you for your kindness, my lord. You have been most generous'', I said.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
14. The Black Castle
The black walls of the throne room reflected the faint moonlight streaming in through the high windows. Viktor sat on his throne, cold and silent, half hidden in shadows. The Witch Zelda was standing at the foot of the dais.
''….Alpha was spotted near South Warren. I have already sent the Vlarik'', she was saying.
''What of your new experiments? Is there any progress?''.
''I am very near, my lord. I will have them ready within a week. The Vlarik were successful in capturing more of them from the outskirts of Tangaris''.
''Good'', acknowledged Viktor, pleased.
Suddenly, the doors opened with a creak that echoed throughout the dark hall, and in walked a hooded figure. It was a messenger. He removed his hood and bowed to the Emperor.
Atlantis: The Beginning (The Atlantis Saga Book 1) Page 18
