The Kingdom of Noitcif

Chapter Thirteen - The Tower

  The next couple days were spent mainly with Lysander, as the duke wanted to mentor the new king as much as he possibly could in the first few months of kingship. They both knew that Espen would have to start making some decisions on his own soon, and Lysander - busy as he was - wouldn't always be right at his side to assist him. But the rigorous history lessons, island-visiting, and general schooling was interspersed with horseback riding lessons from Tarquin about how to ride his newly acquired unisus.

  Fabula was an excellent horse, that was certain. But her curved neck, perked ears, and dramatic way of moving made Espen realize this equine was suited for a much more talented and capable rider than he. It made him feel awkward to be riding a steed who looked as if she could jump a four foot oxer and preform six consecutive flying lead changes when he only knew the basics of 'stop' and 'go'. Nevertheless, Fabula was forgiving and patient with his current rookie state, and Espen was very grateful for that fact.

  All this activity made Espen's schedule very busy, and therefore, the trips back to his suite to relax and unwind were greatly appreciated. However, being king, the 'relaxing and unwinding' didn't go quite as well as he had anticipated, for he had a steady stream of knights, guards, and nobleman arriving at his door to inform him of events or ask him questions. This day was no different, and Espen was just helping himself to a slice of buttered toast left over from breakfast when three knocks sounded on the suite door.

  The doorman was quick to answer and - in the next breath - was announcing a name. The servants gave their king a sympathetic glance as he – once again – had to abandon his toast to greet the curly haired knight being shown into his dining area.

  "Sir Wesley Treegate to see you, my king," the doorman introduced, gesturing to the knight with a flourish.

  "Pleased to meet you," Espen said, motioning to a chair at the table as Wesley gave a low bow. "How may I assist you?"

  "My king," Wesley said in a polished tone, lowering himself into the chair, "I have come to inform you that the Vastuta Tower has recently been acting strange. Every so often, it is crackling with electricity, and the guards stationed around it reported that it has been letting out a loud hum."

  Espen's fatigue instantly left him. "Really?" he inquired, and then after a moment: "Sir Wesley... could you show me?"

  "Of course, my king," the knight responded, rising to his feet.

  Espen followed right at Wesley's side as they made their way out of the castle turret that the king's suite occupied. Once they got out into the day, the knight pointed towards the small floating island in the distance.

  "If you look carefully," he told him, "every now and then, you can see a small bolt of electricity at the top of the tower. If you wish, my king, I can take you to the island it rests upon now."

  Espen hesitated for a moment, remembering Lysander's words about how they needed to be cautious.

  "Is it safe to go, Wesley?" he asked.

  "I believe so, my king," Wesley answered confidently. "The guards at the base of the tower are fine. If you wish, I could take you there on my griffin. The trip will be quick and we will not stay long."

  That did it.

  "I've actually never ridden on a griffin before. Let's go see what's going on."