The Dreamer's Blood

Chapter 8: Into the Lion's Den

Chapter 8: Into the Lion's Den

Lord Erathorn's long red cloak trailed behind him as he swiftly led us inside the perfectly decorated castle. We walked through corridors, climbed staircases, and turned too many corners to count. Our little troop consisted of the lord, Bree, Skip, Vlent, myself, and even Eane, who followed behind. Lord Erathorn had dismissed the servants and guards who had come with him a ways back.

As we flew through the castle, I took the opportunity to look around. There were grand rooms filled with fancy furniture and soft sofas. Light streamed in through large picture windows where red curtains with gold trim hung. Great marble fireplaces and carefully woven rugs could be found in every room. Portraits and tapestries were strewn around the walls depicting people, places, and events. Looking at the artwork, I couldn't help but feel interested about this Arsian's history. History had always been my favorite subject, after all.

I glanced over to Skip and Bree, wondering how they were feeling about all the craziness. They too were eating up the place with curious eyes. They seemed pretty cool with everything for now, but how long was that going to last? How else were we supposed to react, anyways?

There's just too much we don't understand. This whole thing probably defies every law of science known to man. And it's not like we can do anything about it, either. We're stuck here, for the time being. I have no clue how to get home and based off everything everyone's been saying, it seems as if we'll be here a while.

We turned several more corners, climbed a few more staircases, and right when I began to believe this castle went on forever, we stopped in front of a set of fancy double doors.

"Here we are," Lord Erathorn announced.

"Where is here?" I asked. The lord grasped the large golden handles and with a grand gesture, threw open the doors.

"The Lion Hall," he said as we stepped in. "This room is devoted to the Lion Guard meetings and gatherings." The hall was possibly even larger than the throne room we first walked into and just as grand. The ceiling must have been almost one hundred feet high and tall marble pillars lined the scarlet colored walls.

There were no windows, but a fire burned brightly in a tall fireplace in the wall farthest from us. A long diamond shaped table made out of deep burgundy wood rested in the center of the hall. Twenty seats with high backs surrounded the table, five on each of the four sides. I supposed there must have been twenty members of the Lion Guard then, including Lord Erathorn.

The reflective marble floor was pale gold, matching the rest of the castle's color scheme. A large tapestry of the kingdom's emblem, a red lion with a golden crown, hung high across the long wall to our right. An array of weapons: swords, daggers, axes, and shields were displayed along the left wall.

The room could simply be summed up in a couple words: pure epicness.

"Yo, dude!" Skip gasped. "Look at the size of this place!"

"Indeed," Lord Erathorn smiled proudly. "This is my favorite room in the entire castle. It is a place where issues are discussed and decisions are made. It is a place of accomplishments."

"Well, it is remarkable. The entire city is remarkable, but I need some answers," Bree said in a rather serious manner.

Lord Erathorn nodded. "Yes, I suppose you do." He walked to the large table and motioned to us. "Come and sit. There is much to explain." We each pulled out the tall chairs and sat down on the soft cushions. Lord Erathorn sat near one of the diamond's four corners with me on his right, Skip, and then Bree. Eane and Vlent sat across from us. Lord Erathorn took a breath. "Before we begin, I'm not sure we've all been properly introduced."