Gryphon's Glenn

Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE
A storm raged outside of the castle. Helena tried to enjoy it, but she was feeling uneasy. Normally, Helena relished storms. She could call them up at will and both she and the King fed off of their energy. She wasn't sure what was making her so uncomfortable.

Helena stepped out of the castle and walked toward the edge of the grounds. Deep in the darkest corner stood a tall tower. It had fallen into disrepair long before Helena was born because it was never used. She'd never paid much mind to it before, but now, it called to her.

She continued walking toward the tower, uncertain of why she suddenly felt the need to investigate it. She had nearly reached the door when she felt King Girard behind her.

"My King..." Helena greeted him. She curtsied to him respectfully.

"What are you doing all the way out here, my dear?" He asked.

"I was feeling a bit uneasy and went for a walk... For some reason, I found myself here," Helena explained.

"This tower is dangerous, my dear. It is falling apart. The stairs could crumble at any moment. You should stay away from here."

"Of course," she replied. "I suppose I was just curious... The tower is very old and no one ever comes here."

"Curiosity is only natural, my dear. You're young, after all." He put his hand on her back, gently guiding her away from the mysterious old tower.

As they walked away, Helena forced herself to ignore the instinct telling her to run back to the tower. She felt the King rubbing her back and realized the urge began to decrease until it vanished all together.

How odd, she thought. The King must just be trying to put my mind at ease.

Still, a small part of Helena wondered what the King was hiding in that tower and why he was keeping it a secret even from her.

+

"Boy, if you don't get your ass home for a visit soon, Mama's gonna have your head," Abby said as she answered her phone. "She was just ranting to me yesterday."

"Hello to you, too, Ab," Chris replied to his older sister. He was beyond relieved to hear her voice after finding out their loved ones were in danger. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. Same old, same old. You know how it is."

"So, nothing weird's happened?"

"Weird? Like you missing Wednesday Night Dinner?"

Chris cursed silently to himself. He'd lost track of what day it was. "Time zones messed me up... I'm not exactly stateside. Is Mom pissed?"

"She's worried, Chris... Pissed will come after she realizes you're okay."

"I'm sorry, Abby. I completely lost track of my days... I'll call her after we hang up."

"Is everything okay, Chris?" Abby asked, clearly using her super power as a big sister to detect his anxiety.

"I'm fine, Ab... Just tired. I'm, uh, working on something... A group collaboration."

"Sounds like fun. Where are you?"

"Seoul."

"You're in South Korea?" Abby asked in surprise.

"Yeah... It's been an interesting few days, to say the least."

"Well, don't work too hard, alright? Call Mom before she hires a private eye to track you down."

"I will. Love you, Ab."