Young Writers Society

Chapter 3: Framed (Part 1)

As twilight fell on the town, the castle looked even more magnificent with a luminescent golden glow cast upon the polished stone walls. The iron metal gates shown damned in the shadows that fell on them. As Harkyn and the others approached the gate to the Royal Wall, Von seemed to grip his hammer uneasily. The guards of the wall garrison stood like statues watching the party come from the city. Each of their face masks gleamed a shiney brass, veiling their faces from the outside.

“Halt! State your business or be struck where you stand.” One of the guards demanded.

“Uh, greetings. I'm Harkyn and this is my party. We are adventurers.” Harkyn spoke with confidence as he watched their weapons tentatively.

“Likely story. But, you don't look like adventures. Without proper representation we cannot allow you to enter. Please vacate the prem-”

“WAIT! I have proof!” Harkyn fumbled around in his bag digging out the golden laced parchment and presented it to the guards. “We have a royal quest issued by the king from City Hall!”

They took the scrolled up paper, whispering something incoherent to each other before speaking to Harkyn.

“You may pass. King Ducain is in the Great Hall with the other adventures, I will escort you there myself.” He bowed respectfully towards the elf and turned toward the massive gate. A small rectangular piece of metal in the gate slid to the left revealing a peep hole with eyes peering through.

“Open the gate.”

“Who goes there?” Replied the man behind the gate.

“It's me.”

“Who’s me?”

The group started to look amongst themselves, a little uneasy.

“Private Quinn, Second Regiment Garrison Division.”

“What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?”

“A Tree or Cave swallow?”

“A Tree swallow.”

“Um, 6.95 leagues per hour, I believe.”

“......... You may enter.”

Suddenly, the clanking of barricades and clicking of gears accompanied the opening of the gate from the inside.

Harkyn turned to his colleges with stars in his eyes.

“You see that guys! It's happening! We are gonna be real adventurers!”

Von scanned the gate.

“Oh, boy. What have you gotten us into Harkyn?”

“What? I got us free pass into the castle. Isn't that great!”

“You just got us a free pass into the snake's den is what you've done.” Vondall breathed out of the corner of his mouth.

“Why the low tone Von? Something got your tongue?” Harkyn made sure everyone heard his statement and watched as all eyes fall on Von. The dwarf simply shifted uncomfortably and followed Private Quinn through the gate onto the Royal grounds.

The castle itself was on many acres of land known as the Royal grounds. The grounds are surrounded by the Royal Wall, not to be mistaken with the Grand Wall surrounding the entirety of the Capital. The newly formed party followed the guard through the dark courtyards lit only by the moon. They passed many statutes along with shrubberies until they finally reached the thick oak doors to the enormous Castle. At their arrival, the oversized doors to the castle were opened with a resounding creak and moan. The smell of perfume(flowers?) and wine escaping the threshold filled the air around them. Merry laughter could be heard from deeper in the warm walls of the castle. A guard with elegantly decorated armor adorned by many high ranking medals and a matching cape stood just inside the door. He wore a sly smile on his weasel shaped face and stood with the posture of an arrow. He approached the group and welcomed them.

“Welcome, adventurers! I am Jasper Helmsworth, Captain of the Garrison. It's nice to meet you all. Private Quinn, I am relieving you to return to your station.”

“Yes sir!” Replied Private Quinn as he left the entrance hall, closing the door behind him.

“This way please.” Said the Captain as he gestured them forward. Charmed and lost in his own mind, Harkyn followed the Captain without a care to the inviting sounds of merrymaking. Max strode behind Harkyn with an arrogant confidence while Von, uncomfortably followed closely behind him. Maldris trailed behind Von, unfazed by the magnificence of their surroundings.

The sound of the guards plate armour struck the ground with defiant thuds as they were led past endless hallways. The polished granite floors resonated as the party let off many ooo’s and ahh’s at the art that hung along the walls.

The Captain took notice of the majority of the groups admiration and began to to break the ice.

“Many great heroes have risen and fallen in my time as a guard. You’re not the only ones who I’ve seen-”

“This castle is amazing! It's like this place is made from the best treasures in the realm!” Exclaimed Maximus gawking at the many paintings and knick knacks.

“Well to be exact our king does love his commodities. But, could you try to refrain from using such informality while in the presence of the King? Make sure you are very polite and formal toward his highness.”

“His high-niece?” Questioned Max dumbfounded.

“No. His high-ness.”

“Oh, Sorry. I'm from the countryside and we don't have much nobility around those parts. I'm still getting use to all the formalities.”

“Are you all familiar with formalities?” Asked the Captain to the rest of the group.

“Yes sir.” Said Harkyn.

“Yes. Sir.” Forced Von.

“What about the child?”

“I believe so sir. Although, Maldris does not talk to begin with sir.”

“That’s odd. But alright.”

He began to start off again, but stopped himself.

“Out of curiosity. Is that child a little boy or girl?”

“We are unsure sir, considering Maldris does not talk or ever undress.”

“But isn't ‘Maldris’ a feminine name?”

“Yes sir. But I have a male friend dubbed with the feminine name ‘Leslie’. And besides sir. Maldris acts much like a boy, although we would rather not jump to a conclusion regarding Maldris’ gender or race.”

“Yes I see. Very well then, let's continue.”

Somewhere along the line Max had lost interest in the conversation between Harkyn and the Captain and returned to admiring the priceless antiques.

“I wonder how much they would fetch on the black market…?” Pondered Max quietly to himself.

They passed through a few corridors containing handmaidens, butlers, and civil servants.

“Wow. What beauties.” Ogled Harkyn at the sight of the gorgeous handmaidens.

“You should see it during the day.” Added the Captian. “Lovely handmaidens bustling about. They come from afar just to work and see this magnificent place.”

A small pause took place while Harkyn walked closer to the guard.

“Now what kinda maidens are we talking about here my good sir?”

Harkyn leaned on the guard and put his arm around his armor plated shoulders with a wicked grin.

The Captain smiled at him with his weaselly face.

“Only the fairest my lord. They have the most beautiful bodies and seductive smiles on this side of the realm!”

Both of the men exchanged devious grins before giggling like children.

“My apologies lords, I haven't had a good laugh since I watched poor Henry from the garrison fall flat into a pile of horse dung!”

They kept moving but Maximus was all too captivated by the intimidating iron throne that lay down the adjacent hall. The long hall contained many seats, like one of the many churches in the realm with many statues of gods lining the back of the wall behind the throne. One in particular caught Max’s eye. The Goddess of justice stood draped in loose robes with the scale of fairness raised in her right hand and the sword of judgement in her left along with the blindfold of equality covering her eyes. Max wondered to himself how many people's fates had been decided there in front of the throne, but figured that the goddesses power was absolute and that her guidance would lead to an appropriate and fair decision. The statue reawakened a sense of morality and integrity as he looked upon its grandeur.

Noticing Max’s interest the Captain spoke up. “My good sir Braveheart, you should see this place in action! It's quite the spectacle.”

“I bet.” Said Max as he lagged behind the party lost in the goddess of justice’s glory. He managed to catch up and the Captain walked the group further down the hallway before leaning on the archway to a large library with a great cedar table at its core.

“M’Lords, this is another room that has stood the test of time here in the castle. Generations of kings before our current, used this powerful place to make decisions with other great leaders. Did you know this is where they signed the Treaty of Peace that ended the Great War? All the current peace and prosperity between races was forged right here, in this very study! Truly a remarkable sight even for my old eyes.” Remarked the weasel faced Captain nostalgically. He then pulled down his face plate to obscure his facial features as he turned and walked zealously towards the feast in the grand dining hall.

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“My lords, the Grand Dining Hall!” The Captain ordered the oak door open at their presence and the source of all the commotion could be seen. Large chandeliers among the ceiling hung from chain links and hearths lined the walls of the behemoth hall. The king could be seen at the head of a long maple table piled by platters of food and goblets filled with fine wine. As if on cue the king rose up from his seat and bellowed to the party.

“Ah! Welcome new adventurers! Please enjoy the feast and festivities!” Said the King with delight. With that, the nobles raised their glasses, cheered and returned to to what they were doing previously.

“I must take my leave of you now my Lords.” Said the Captian bowing. “Please, take a seat and enjoy!” And with that he made his way to the King’s side. Among the nobles Harkyn noticed a familiar face grinning half heartedly and talking with other nobles across the table.

Heathcliff.

He had his cloak tucked neatly behind him with his companions on either side of him. Harkyn’s heart began to beat directly proportional to the increase in his anxiety. Faster and faster his heart beat as his blood pressure rose. He began to feel like he was being asphyxiated.

He was snapped out of it when Vondall placed his hand on the elf's shoulder and whispered,

“I know that look all too well lad. Tell me which one ‘em it is.”

Harkyn responded shocked and confused,

“What are you talking about?”

“It's the red cloak, Mr. Elegant over there, right?”

“How did you-”

“You learn a thing or two when you've been in the business as long as I've been kid. My time in the militia taught me enough to know when my allies spot an enemy. Call it dwarvish intuition, but don't worry Harkyn. Just play it cool and we’ll get out of here in one piece, okay?”

“Alright. Wait, you were in a militia?”

“Forget I said anything.” Replied Von who pushed Harkyn forward to escape the situation.

Harkyn cocked a fake smile and set his gaze upon Heathcliff to try his best attempt at taunting him. The party found seats at the table across from the King and began to feast on the plentiful bounty before them. As they feasted the king stood and called for attention.

“My fellow companions, we are here to welcome our new adventurers! As I have been informed, they have my royal request from the Quest Board if I’m not mistaken. Your mission is the retrieval of an ancient artifact in the lost city of Stonehaven!”

He paused a moment for the applause and cheer to die down.

“I congratulate you Harkyn and company! You’re an inspiration to young adventurers everywhere! To the next generation of heroes!

Everyone raised their glasses and Harkyn even blushed a little under the potatoes he had been scarfing down.

“That being said, I'm willing to offer a nights stay in the royal suites and a fully stocked caravan of supplies to start you off on your adventure. Good luck, and may the gods smile upon your actions. Cheers!”

Harkyn rejoiced with his companions however he could not shake the cold stare he felt from Heathcliff. Feeling satisfied after his meal, the paladin and his companions simply left the room and the atmosphere seemed to lighten up for Harkyn. The bard's played amazing music making everyone giddy and some nobles even started to dance. Maximus and Harkyn even found themselves a dance partner while Vondall and Maldris sat at the back of the room playing cards. Both seemed very into what they were doing, disregarding the fact you couldn't see Maldris’s face. Harkyn managed to steal a break from dancing and spied the King unaccompanied by anybody else. Something had been bugging him about the quest, so he made his way to the king to inquire about his question.

“Excuse me, your Highness?”

“Hm? What is it?” Remarked the king after a sip of wine straight from the bottle.

“First off, thank you for the opportunity to take on this quest.”

“No problem at all. Thank you for your services.”

“You are too kind my lord. But I digress to my main question at hand. You keep saying we must recover an artifact. But, what kind of artifact is it we’re to recover?”

“It's really quite complex. I can't really explain it to you, but I can tell you this. You’ll know it, when you see it. Now let's get back to the festivities!” And with that he took another large swig of wine and got up to dance as well.

“Great.” Harkyn said to himself sarcastically. “That totally answered my question.”

Pushing it aside, Harkyn rejoined his date on the dance floor.

“Damn! Where did you learn how to play cards!” Asked Von as he lost yet another hand of cards to Maldris. And as usual, Maldris gave him a blank stare.

“Sometimes I wish you could talk.” Said Von irritated at his staggering number of loses. Although his irritation was cut short by a small girl dressed in a brightly colored green dress. She couldn't have been more than ten years old, yet she had four sets of keys in her hands as she approached Vondall.

“Excuse me sir, are you Harky?”

“Um, no lass. I'm Vondall.”

“But you’re with Harky, right?”

“Uh, yeah. I suppose I am for now.”

“My father told me to give you guys these for your stay, please help yourself to the rooms out the door and at the end of the hallway. The servants are always helpful so don't be afraid to ask them if you get lost.” She ran away giggling leaving Vondall and Maldris by themselves.

“Cute little sprout she is.” Said Von entranced by the child's cuteness. Maldris seemed to be mesmerized as well.

“She looked about your age. Say, Maldris. I'm not gonna lie… How old are you exactly? I mean I can’t really tell under all those cloth wrappings of yours.”

Maldris simply shifted to the opposite direction and made her way toward the door.

“You’ll be needing these keys first Mal-”

As Vondall watched Mal walk away, he was shocked to see a key for one of the rooms twirling in Mal’s right hand. Vondall looked at the key ring and sure enough, she had swiped one of the keys from the ring.

“Swift hands that one, never even felt it.” Vondall mumbled as he left the hall. Harkyn watched Von leave through the crowd of people and decided to follow.

“Harkyn, what's the rush? We have a lot of women here and nothing but time! Stay awhile, let's party!” Maximus drunkenly slurred.

“Come on Max, we have a big day tomorrow. Let's get some rest.” Said Harkyn exhausted. Max groaned but followed Harkyn to the suites. They wandered down the many halls that acted like a labyrinth. After many wrong turns and Max’s flirting with the maids along the way, they found their suites.

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Vondall watched Harkyn and Maximus approach him with the suites at his back, “Well aren't you two a sight for sore eyes.”

“Sorry for the wait, but Max here needed to say goodbye to the kind maidens..” Harkyn spoke with jealousy on his tongue.

“Don't worry, Maldris already chose the room on the end of the hall, here's your keys.” Von tossed the keys to Harkyn who fumbled the keys before dropping them.

“Smooth.”

“Shut up!”

Harkyn bent over and picked up the keys handing one off to Max who leaned lazily on Harkyn’s shoulder. He then proceeded to unlock the closest door to them and dump Max’s half conscious body into the room. He closed the door and made his way down the hall to the next open room when he noticed Von staring at him.

“You think he’s worth as much as he weighs? I'd hate to have to carry you Von.. no offense.” Harkyn spoke tentatively.

“You think you'll last longer than me? In your dreams Elf boy.” Von turned and left for his room, the door slowly shutting behind the dwarf with the sound of a bolt being jammed into the wall locking it shut.

“Well guess this rooms mine then..”

Harkyn walked into the suite, it was a lot roomier than the previous rooms he had stayed at during his travels to the Capital. It was not as posh as the Royal Bedchambers, but the room was grand nonetheless. A small chest and dresser lined the wall which was gilded with expensive art. The window let in the vast moonlight illuminating the room, meaning the sun would not be the one to wake him in the morning, “Guess you chose the wrong room Von.” Harkyn laughed quietly. “Tomorrow I’ll start a real life of adventure.” Harkyn stretched before he flopped onto the goose down feather bed, sinking in deep as his eyes fell heavily from a night to be remembered. The soft humming of crickets outside lead Harkyn to his dreamscape.

Dedicated to Siddharth for the donation (• ε •)