Chapter 7: Castle Investigation (2)

Chapter 7: Castle Investigation (2)

And thus the inspection began. From the great hall, Master Ligish took them to a nearby drawing room, then more guest quarters, a side dining room, a few empty rooms, the kitchens, and then a library.

Captain Ishki generally stood back and watched while the soldiers performed cursory physical searches, and the mages took turns using their sight to see beyond what ordinary humans could see. Nothing particularly unusual came to light, which was in line with what theyd expected. If Master Ligish was producing illegal machinery, he wouldnt leave evidence just sitting around.

Gandash was particularly interested in the library.

And I thought my grandparents had a big collection, he said, stepping up to one of the bookshelves and looking closer at the spines.

Ive spent a long time accumulating this collection, Master Ligish said. Feel free to browse.

Seer Gandash, said Captain Ishki, would you care to stay behind here while the rest of us continue up to the second floor?

If you dont mind, sir.

Thus, they left Gandash with the books, along with a soldier to watch over him.

The tour of the first floor lasted about an hour. The entire time, Xerxes felt a mounting sense of unease. He wasnt sure what precipitated it. Perhaps it was the tapestries on the walls, most of which depicted ancient historical battles, or mythological events. Or it could have been the light. Everything inside the castle was illuminated with candles, lamps, or torches, but there never seemed to be enough light, and the constant flickering proved disorienting. It might also have been the odd aroma that lingered everywhere, that mixture of mildew, freshly lumbered wood, and solvents. Possibly, it was all of those things mixed together.

The tour of the second floor went more quickly, as at least three quarters of the rooms were empty. And the third floor was dusty and decrepit.

They went down into the cellars shortly before returning to the first level and then out into the courtyard. From there, they headed up through a tower and onto the battlements. The tour of the walls, including time spent in each of the towers, took another hour. There was one tower that climbed higher into the sky than any of the others, and they stopped atop it to look out at the valley and the castle complex as a whole.New novel chapters are published on

Whats that area down there? Captain Ishki asked, pointing to a smaller courtyard that they hadnt entered yet.

A wing built later in history, Master Ligish said, after the castles original construction. It was supposedly built around a cave, presumably used for storage or something along those lines. Its long since collapsed. The cave I mean. I can show you.

The captain stepped over, leaned up against one of the crenelations, and looked down into the courtyard below. The mages joined her.

There were three things I noticed, the captain said. First, the boulder doesnt look like its been there for as long as he claims. Its not sunk into the ground enough. Theres no moss or lichen at the base. Whats more, from up here looking down do you see any sign of where it might have come from? A rock slide? Something like that?

Looking down, Xerxes immediately realized what the captain meant. Although it was hard to say for certain because of the dim light, there seemed no sign that the boulder had fallen down the slope from above.

You think he put that boulder there to hide whatevers in the cave? Xerxes asked.

The captain shook her head. I dont know. By the way, look over there. She pointed to a specific section of the courtyard. See that area where theres less grass? Its hard to say for sure, but if I was to guess, that boulder used to be sitting there. And not too long ago. Either way, what Ligish said is absolutely correct. It would take nothing short of a team of engineers to move a rock that big. Either that or a group of mages. Would you agree to that assessment?

Definitely, Bel said. It would probably take three or four High Seers. But it would be a lot easier for Ligish to hire engineers than to get a fifth of all the High Seers on Mannemid to come out here and move that rock.

After gazing down at the courtyard for another minute or two, Captain Ishki said, Something doesnt add up, but I suppose well have to think about it more tomorrow. Its only getting later. Oh, look.

Above them, a flare of light streaked across the sky.

Another meteor, Xerxes said, staring at it.

If I was superstitious, the captain said, Id say it was an omen. She stepped away from the battlement and toward the ladder leading down. Why dont the two of you go find Seer Gandash. Maybe he found something interesting in the library. If so the three of you can feel free to investigate further. Just be careful. After what happened in Kisiga, I dont want any other mishaps.

Yes, sir, Xerxes said, with Bel echoing his words.

They followed her down into the castle proper, then parted ways as she went to her room. Gandash was still in the library, sitting at a table with a handful of books spread out in front of him. When he heard them enter, he waved them over.

His voice in a near-whisper, he said, You guys arent going to believe this.