Mistress of Shadow

Chapter 3: The King of Winter, War, and Death

Eymber didn’t know how long they had been travelling, but she fell asleep during part of the journey despite the cold and the movement. She realised that she was falling asleep because she felt a gentle movement prodding her awake.

“Fe tage akkigex, cou pujh afaren.” We have arrived, you must awaken, Alciel whispered, knowing that his normal voice would startle her awake. Eymber grunted awake, rubbing her eyes. She momentarily forgot where she was, and when her gaze met with Alciel’s she screamed.

Alciel, although he almost never felt any emotion, put on what he deemed a face of concern. He put a finger to his lips and gently set her down. “Xon’h kun, ih’j ujelejj.” Don’t run, it’s useless, said Alciel. He didn’t know why he insisted with speaking to the girl. Perhaps it stimulated his mind.

Eymber stepped down from him, and suddenly regretted it. Alciel had been her main source of warmth. Without him warming almost two thirds of her body, the cold wind cut through the cloak and over her skin that was already marred with goose-flesh.

Alciel sighed and ushered her towards the drawbridge of the castle. It was made of solid black rock, and currently was open across about a fifty foot long mote that was currently frozen over. Eymber wrapped the black cloak about her and set out uncertainly for the opening in the castle.

Alciel towered above her, silent and cold. Eymber seemed to have some hesitation as she came upon the opening, but a strong reptilian tail smacked her unceremoniously forward. She stumbled onto her hands and knees, still weak from the journey and alcohol.

Alciel made an exasperated noise and picked her up again. “Tupanj… Yan’h xo anchtiv kivth.” Humans, can’t do anything right, he grumbled. Eymber yelped, “Hey! Let me down.” Alciel shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Eymber started to roll her eyes as well, but she remembered that this thing could kill her if it wanted. She didn’t know where it was taking her, but she assumed that she would be safe as he had spared her in the first place.

They came to a great spiral staircase after crossing through what seemed like a gigantic lobby. Alciel proceeded the arduous climb upwards towards the throne room on the top floor. Eymber tried to count the flights, but she lost count in the early forties.

“How many floors are there?!” Eymber exclaimed, looking down over the guard rail. She couldn’t see the floor of the lobby. Alciel held up two fingers, then one finger, and then two again. 212 floors. Eymber groaned, “Can’t we go faster than this?”

Alciel really wanted to throw her off the stairs, but he knew that the King would be incredibly angry with him, so he decide against it. He could understand the Earth language, but to speak was difficult due to the way he was used to pronouncing his words. However, he felt the next response needed to be said.

“Would you rather me run and accidentally drop you?” he said, taking care to enunciate each word so that the girl could understand him. Eymber paled at that sentence, shaking her head in a negative manner. Alciel inclined his head to her and made a snarky face.

Eymber felt the urge to hit him, but she knew that he would probably carry out the threat of dropping her, so she decided not to.

“Fe ake teke.” We are here, Alciel said, his voice gaining a reverent tinge to it. Eymber wondered why he spoke that strange language instead of speaking in English that she would understand. He pushed the door open to the very top floor.

The room huge, with towering ceilings and huge windows. A carpet that ran from the door to a throne was deep purple with golden trimming about the edges. Columns that supported the ceiling lined the carpet at about every eight feet. Hanging on each column on each four sides were scones that held flames that flickered red and orange and yellow on the darkness that surrounded them.