A Mix Of Metals

Chapter Eleven: The Threat

<<<<Apologies for my erratic posting ! I've been irregular because of work and a terrible session of writer's block!
The good news is the next chapter is almost written out, so I shall be posting it next week, if all goes to plan :D

I must say, I guess you've noticed I like me some gothic genre. Bit of rain, bit of storm, bit of evil. And I like villains. They are so fun to write!
Also, Mizu is such a complete and complex character, I am overwhelmed every time I write and delve into her mind. GAH
Enjoy this one.>>>>

The heavy, tireless rain pelted down and soaked the soldier to the bone. He tightly clasped the reins of his horse and dug deep into its sides, making it jolt forward with every occurrence. It stumbled and slipped on the unequal and cracked cobblestones of the somber streets.

Not a living soul could be perceived; the cool rain was too heavy and discouraged any mortal being from stepping outside. The only sounds came from the rain itself, from the hooves of the horse thudding the ground rhythmically, and from the soldier's musket and sword, clunking away against his saddle. A few frightened wandering shadows and distant silhouettes seeking out a dry place moved out of the way as they charged on.

The horse turned at a sharp angle into a narrow, stinky street. The ground was streaming with rainwater that came down in heaps from the rooves above. The steed finally reached the bottom of a tall, tapered and dilapidated building. The soldier pulled at the reins and jumped off, proceeding to attach the horse to a hook on the wall. He knocked on the wooden door and waited patiently for a reply. After a few moments, a young, fearful guard opened it and let him in, offering him a nervous salute. The man made his way slowly up the small glistening stone steps that spiralled around the central stone pillar. Leaks from corners and cracks in the different slabs of stone had managed to trickle their way into the building, causing the sparse hanging candles lit here and there to slightly die out and faintly illuminate again. This effect made the passageway challenging to differentiate from the dark emptiness.

The soldier, fighting dizziness from the spiralling, used the faint light of the candles that shone upon his many badges and reflected on the uneven steps to guide his way upwards, careful to push the tip of his shoes right to the end of each step. His coat caught several times around the pillar, and he had to constantly ram at it.

As he reached the top landing, he came across two armed guards who greeted him respectfully. He passed them by, brushing at his uniform so as to remove any remaining dust from the journey. The crimson colour of his coat had gone a darker tone because of the water from the rain. At the end of an everlasting corridor, he came face to face with a majestic black door. It was decorated with large rounded silver nails, planted equidistantly along the edges. Right in the middle was the skull of an antelope with two long antlers, painted in silver too. The vision of the door was terrifying, as if one were entering hell itself, only one had to knock politely.

On either side of it there stood two more guards, more frightening still than the door itself. Their coats were of a dark velvet and were lined up with shiny silver buttons, bearing the army's coat of arms. On top of their angular helmets, a blood-red feather danced in the cold draught of the building. They seemed much less approachable than the other soldiers.

As the man got closer, they eyed him suspiciously and one of them pointed his lance at him.

"The Lord Commander is in a meeting, he will see no one." The voice was as cold as the stone walls.

"This is of the utmost importance, let me through," pressed on the man.

The two soldiers glanced at each other and observed the man with distrust. After a few seconds, one of them reluctantly turned around and knocked on the door of the Lord Commander's office. He was summoned in and closed the door behind him. He came out again almost immediately and stepped aside, motioning the soldier to enter. A distant, rough and broken voice spoke faintly from inside.