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| The Runic Eye | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Act two: Eversky | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A day passed by since her incident at the old abbey. Many were less than pleased with the fact that she had sneaked out as she had - but knew better than to voice such concerns openly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the thrown room - Gwenyth was telling her revelation to her advisor - and friend to her father - Samson. After hearing everything that she had said a serious look crossed the older man's face. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That is a dark theory you have formulated," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Does that make it any less possible? On countless times - my mother told me how she would sneak out - how the guards were very much slaves to routine. If someone else had learned that," she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Someone could have broke in - but - that doesn't make any sense. Nothing of value was stolen - there were no traces of poison - nothing. She - she didn't even have any enemies," he rationalized. The queen sighed and shook her head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know I am right about this. Please? No one knew mother and father better than you. Could you check the old books and see if there is anyone that the queen might have made cross - or something - perhaps father? Someone wanting to hurt him by hurting her?" she suggested. Samson sighed and looked around. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can make no promises," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you give it your all - and tell me that you found nothing - I - I promise - this will be the last time you hear such things from me," she reassured. Samson sighed and reluctantly nodded. Ever since the dark happenings struck - she had believed that some person - some lone vindictive figure was behind it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I will do the research and talk to the guards and others that had a hand in their politics - but if nothing was found back then," he began - but the sad look on her face stopped him from continuing the sentence. "I promise I will try," he concluded. She walked over and gave him a hug. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I can ask no more than that," she whispered. The doors at the end of the thrown room opened. The two looked over and saw the queen's younger brother making his way towards them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The prodigal prince returns," Samson chided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You two at it again?" the young prince retorted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You wound me Gregory," Samson replied as he walked over and shook hands with the prince. "So - any new stories of far away lands and adventures near to beyond belief?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Everything - was pretty quiet actually. I would have stayed longer - but - something told me I was needed back here. Is everything in order here?" he asked seriously. The look on his sister's face answered his question. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I will leave the two of you to discuss the matter in depth. Gwenyth - I will do as you asked," Samson concluded as he bowed to the last of the royal line and promptly exited. As soon as the family advisor was gone - Prince Gregory turned and looked at his worried sister. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is going on?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He reassures me that it is just my mind playing tricks on me," she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This phantom - this mystery person that had it in for mother and father? I thought that was laid to rest years ago," he replied serious as he walked over to where the thrown was and sat down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There is too much," she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Sis - you did this before. Remember? Samson and his people dug up everything that happened for almost ten years - and found nothing. There was no one then - so why would there be now?" he interrupted seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Mom - she was able to sneak out undetected," she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes?" he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If she could - would it not be possible for someone to sneak in the same way?" she asked seriously. The prince was going to dismiss the statement - but it made a frightening amount of sense. But it didn't hold for long. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay - even if. She wasn't harmed - wasn't so much as touched - nothing of value was taken from her person or her room. If what you say is true - there would have to be someone out there that - just - hated her outright," he replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The abbey," she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What about it?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - sort of sneaked over there," she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he almost scolded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The abbey burned to the ground," she said dryly. All color drained from the prince's face. He got up and walked over to where she was standing and looked his sister in the eye. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - you okay?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You will think me foolish," she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Try me," he replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - I think someone was trying - to kill me," she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did - you tell?" he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Samson? No - he would think I had lost what was left of my mind. I was in mother's old room - someone asked if i was there. I sneaked out - to see the pond," she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where mom and dad met?" he asked - she nodded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That was when I started thinking - and - that was when I heard - the abbey explode. I hurried back - but by the time I got there - everything was in flames," she concluded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll check it out. If there was some - person behind what happened at the abbey - I will find out. You - just stay calm - and look all queen like," he replied with a smile. The queen sighed and nodded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "When?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll head out right now," he replied as he gave his sister a hug. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Be careful," she whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know me better than that," he retorted with a familiar carefree smile. She watched as he made his way from the thrown room. A part of her hoped that he would find something - something to prove that she was right - the rest of her hoped - that everyone else was right - that it was all just in her head. She shook her head and walked over to her thrown and sat down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * * * | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Early the next day - the prince was at the ruins of the old abbey. As he carefully made his way from the smoldering, smoking ruins - he did his best to find some clue - although what the clue was - he had no idea. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What a mess," he began as he stepped over a severely charred corpse. Mentally he attempted to remember the layout of the abbey. If his sister was right - if it was an attempt on her life - the answer - if any would be near his mother's old room. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Within moments he was there - or what was left of there. The hall outside of the door had caved in - blocking the door. Gregory looked around and noticed that hers - was the only door that seemed to be blocked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - don't like this one bit," he muttered. He slowly climbed up the debris until he was near the hole in the collapsed roof. He carefully pulled himself up and looked down into his mother's old room. Nothing besides burned remains of an old abbey room. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He hopped down and looked around the room from the inside. Unfortunately - it didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference. He then remembered what his sister had mentioned earlier - the day before - about sneaking out. He made his way over to the window and looked around. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What am I looking for?" he asked. It was then that he thought he saw something on the ground below the window. He hopped down and examined the ground closely. "Tracks - human tracks," he muttered as he hesitantly positioned himself as some of the people had to have been standing. "They were waiting for her to jump - damn - she was right," he muttered. He returned his attention to the ground and tried to determine where the tracks came from - or where they led. "Where?" he began as he noticed a faint trail left by the people that were standing outside the window. "There," he replied with a smirk. He drew his sword and began to stalk his way down the path the people had fled down. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * * * | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Within minutes - the prince found himself in a different looking part of the forest. Here - lots of rock formations seemed as abundant as trees. He looked at the tracks again and noticed that they seemed to lead to - a rock? No - it wasn't a rock - it was a ruined tower! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That - that must be the old Watch Tower that mom told me about," he muttered. He looked around and cautiously continued to follow the trail. He stepped into the dark tower and tried to remain on the trail. "Lost it," he muttered. Just then - a distant scream got his attention. "Trouble - coming from inside," he muttered. he picked up his pace and hurried into the darkness. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| His eyes adjusted to the lack of light - it was then that he saw a tunnel - a hole in the ground. The scream came from there. He looked down and saw the caves below were lit by torches. He quickly climbed down and listened for signs of activity. There it was again - another scream! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He raced down the corridor towards the brightly-lit end. As soon as he exited into the light - his eyes widened in disbelief. Before him were dozens of savage looking humans - and a man-sized rat. It was then that he looked up and saw the source of the screams. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On the wall - a short distance from the monstrous rat was a woman! She was wearing tattered rags and was chained to the wall like some sort of sacrifice. He did a loud sharp whistle to get everyone's attention. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you want the lady - you will have to deal with me first," he said coldly. The rat slowly looked at the prince with glowing eyes - and hissed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||