Castles

A woman stood in front of a large, elegant looking door. Etched into it were these words: “If you open the door, great adventure awaits. If you don’t, then you will always wonder what could have been.” Her curiosity got the better of her, so she pushed it. With a slow, dull creak, the door swung open. On the other side, a seemingly endless field of grain. In the distance, she sees a very tall scarecrow flapping around in the wind. A feeling that something about it was out-of-place crept into her mind, but she could not put her finger on what the feeling was. After continuing to watch it for a time, she realized that it was moving towards her. As it got closer, its features became less vague. The Scarecrow, easily taller than six feet, looked as if it were made from tree branches. His large coat hung off of his thin frame, making him look even more gaunt. The woman approached cautiously,

̈What are you?¨

He rumbled in a slow deep voice, ̈No need to be afraid, madame. I am a Centrion, created by the Great Mist. It is my duty to wander the land and protect those in need. Come, I will take you to the city and you shall find a place to rest. ¨ The woman followed, though she kept her guard up, still wary of her strange new companion. In the distance, a large castle surrounded by a sprawling city came into view.

Even seemingly from a distance, the castle had an air of mystery about it. The woman found herself incapable of breaking her gaze from the hauntingly beautiful sight. The Centrion noticed and offered to take her into the city. She accepted, and the unlikely pair formed somewhat of a friendship as he lead her through the streets and talked about the city. They end up in the village’s square; the Centrion stops at a vendor and pulls out a small bag of coins to purchase a loaf of bread and some cheese. While she waited for him to finish, she observed the sights and sounds happening around her in the busy marketplace. Her gaze, once again drawn to the castle, was only interrupted when the vendor spoke.

¨There is a story behind that castle. I will tell you for a small fee. ¨ The woman nodded, and the Centrion gave the man a few coins. He counted the money and put it in a small drawstring pouch.

STREET VENDOR

"A long time ago, A human came to our world, much like you did. He contributed to our city a great deal by building this castle with the sapphire from the mines under the ground. In return for his many favors, our small village made the human our king, and the great one bestowed upon him prosperity. Life was good for a time. Then, a woman with hair like the sun and eyes like the moon came from The Above. They fell madly in love and were married in the great hall of the castle. She became the queen. In return, she helped him rule fairly and justly. In time, they had three daughters, each were as beautiful and kind as their mother. Things were good and happy in the kingdom. But sadly, it did not last. The Queen fell ill, and the disease slowly overtook her. They searched for a cure, but none were found. The king tended to her day and night, but she continued to fade away. The sickness progressed until they could do little else but let her drift into an eternal sleep. He was at her bedside until the wee hours on that night, telling of memories of their life together, things they had done, places they had gone. When she did not awaken the next morning, he became disheartened. Eventually, he even stopped visiting the city. He painted her on a wall in his library and talked to her still as if she were still in front of him. Where there once was joy, he now only saw sadness. It was like a part of him died with her. To prevent anyone from coming into the castle, he had a labyrinth built in front of the entrance so that whoever tried to enter would become lost in the maze."

The woman asked the Centrion,

"Has anyone gotten close?"

He replied, ̈A set of tunnels that lead to the castle were built under the ground, but I believe they were abandoned. My people dug them, but that was a very long time ago.¨

A white carriage turning the corner and coming down the street interrupted their conversation. It abruptly stopped in front of them, and an old man wearing blue robes stepped out. He spoke in a voice that sounded somehow familiar, though she could not remember why, "Her highnesses have been made aware of your arrival. They wish to speak with you. Please come with me." The Centrion stepped into the carriage with the woman. He turned to the man in the blue robes. ¨If I may, I will continue the role of a traveling companion to the lady. She has not been here for very long and is unlearned in our ways.¨ The man replied, ¨Very well. We must hurry though, they do not appreciate being kept waiting. The carriage lurched forward as the trio began their journey to the castle. They arrived, and the blue-robed man lead the two up the grandiose staircase and stopped in front of a set of large doors. He opened them, and inside was a spacious and decorated hall. The Centrion and the woman walked towards three very extravagant thrones at the other end. The man bragged that each of them was made of a different precious metal.