The Trio of Trouble

Chapter Nine, The Wise-Atee

Chapter Nine

The Wise-Atee

I rolled onto my other side, gritting my teeth frustratedly. It had been hours since I had finally laid down for sleep in the small guest room and I was still awake. The most sleep I had gotten was a few minutes of light nodding off that I had been abruptly pulled from for no apparent reason. Worse yet, my body was exhausted. I needed this sleep but my mind was too clogged with confusion and thoughts to even start to calm down. I groaned quietly, laying back into my back, feeling completely miserable. Staring into the blackness I tried to coax my mind to sleep. 'Think about nothing Jack. Just, sleep....'

My eyes flew open. Was it morning? Did I do it? I looked around. Everything was exactly the same as just a minute ago. 'Fool...' I snapped at myself. 'You didn't even go to sleep!'

I sighed and sat up. Through the door, a small stream of light pushed its way though the crack on the floor. I considered the options. I could stay in my cramped, eerie room and wait miserably for hours for morning. Or, I could go out into the maze of a castle full of unknown creatures and rooms, possibly get lost and maybe even worse. I chewed my lip for a moment before getting up and pulling on my boots.

'Give me a mysterious castle over boredom any day.'

I snuck out of my room quietly, wincing when the door closed behind me with a 'snap!'. Luckily tree was no indication that anyone had heard, despite the fact the snapping sound echoed though the silent halls. With a swallow I began tip toeing though the hallway, examining the craftsmanship of the building. I kept one hand on the wall, letting my fingers slide across the rough coral like surface.

I have no idea how long I actually walked until I stumbled into a room. An hour maybe? Without the sky it was impossible to tell. I wished I had the sky to comfort me; how did these creature live without the sun or the stars?

I timidly pushed the thick door open and poked my head though. At first I couldn't see anything, just an eerie blackness that made me shiver. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and explored the room. I assumed it was some sort of study, on shelves thousands of scrolls were stacked to the brim, sticking out of the walls almost like a honey bee's hive. Above, was another glass domed ceiling, the dark, murky waters looked almost like an empty sky. Any other furniture in the room was impossible to see, even when my eyes adjusted, all I could make out were black blotchy blurs. Lovely description, I know.

I stepped in to the dark room, and jumped a little when my foot hit something plush instead of the previous coral floor. I caught my breath, and slowly leaned down to touch the squishy ground. It was cold, and soft, the hole filled texture reminded me of moss that grew on old rocks and trees. I straightened and slowly put both feet onto the odd feeling carpet, trying not to shiver. I strolled though the room gingerly, running my hand along the rough scroll bottoms. I drifted thoughtlessly though the small room, listening to the silence. I never had heard such little noise in my life. It was always something. From nabors at my grandmothers, to angry villagers, to Jacos' snoring. But here, it was quiet. Utterly peaceful. Maybe this was why Queen Satery was fond of it.

A gurgling hoarse breathing snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned my back to the scrolls and faced the thick darkness. "W-Who's there?" I struggled to keep from stuttering.

The breathing continued and seemed to get closer. I clutched my fists for protection, my heart pounding. "Answer..." I muttered sternly."

"What are you doing here?" A cracked voice questioned.

"What?"

"Why are you here?"

I peered into the dark, but still I couldn't make out anything. I would have assumed it was one of the swamp men, but as far as I knew none of them could speak out of their native tongue. So what in the blazes was this? I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to find out.