btc & vignettes compendium

8/8/2019 BtC & Vignettes Compendium

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JAKE COLLINS

Bury the Castle VOLUME ONE

On A SaturdayA COLLECTION OF FICTION VIGNETTES

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ISBN 1449945430

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CONTENTS


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On A Saturday A COLLECTION OF FICTION

VIGNETTES

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CHAPTER ONE

Careful

The girl awoke from her tormented slumber with awhimper. Leaving her lungs and sliding over her bittenlips, her gasp emerged softer than it had been whilebuilding momentum in her chest. She focused her eyes,her pupils expanded as they begged for more light. Shewas still in her own chambers. She moved her legs outfrom under the heavy linen covers and allowed her feetto hover above the ground for a second, swaying themback and forth. The sensitive flesh of her bare soles only

just scraped against the floor each time they reached thebottom of their arch, creating just enough friction toflare the skin, if only for a few moments. When sheeventually pressed down against the wood, her delicatetoes took the brunt of the cold, leaving them a slightshade of blue. She winced as they ached with a glassyshiver: sharp and fragile.

Folding the rest of the duvets away from her body she revealed her white silk night gown, handembroidered with butterflies and flowers. The thin layer of material swathed her slight frame, acting as her onlyprotection against the midnight shivers. It was given toher by someone very dear to her heart, and so to keep itsafe she took it off, being careful not to fuss her hair asshe did. When the last of the material brushed her ears,

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she scampered across to the wardrobe, ignoring thebiting current of air circulating around the room,stroking her exposed skin and teasing up goosebumps

from her arms and legs. She chose a dress, and slid into it,the minimal warmth it offered dulling the effect of thechill in the room. When she was comfortable, she walkedforwards, passed her slippers without so much as aglance, and opened the door.

The corridors were lonely at night. None of thelights were turned on, but the illumination the moonoffered was more than enough, basking the manor in asilvery shroud that seemed to add a faded glimmer to theedges of everything in its reach. As the girl passed severalrooms, the floorboards creaked beneath her toes, but shewas not worried. The manor was for too large; she wascertain that the groans and creaks produced would belost to the ears of anyone but herself. When she reachedthe staircase, she slowly made her way down to the mainentrance hall, making sure that her dress was out of theway of her feet with each step. After a few uncertainseconds, she closed her eyes, keeping them like that untilshe eventually came to the base of the stairs. She dared aglance, and her eyes widened as her hair was softlytousled by a stray gust of wind. The front door beforeher was wide open - hanging precariously on itshinges.

The girl turned around, away from theunwelcome wind entering through the opening into theoutside world, and then ran.

She travelled deeper, and deeper into themansion. She had not gone back up the stairs, thatwould have taken too much time. Instead, she had ran

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into the east wing. When she passed under the arch, andinto a narrow corridor, she remembered that there wereno windows here. It was completely black, but the girl

did not stop running. The gale behind her seemed tobuild in momentum, almost feeding her through thedesolate corridor, and as she tugged at the skirts whichensnared her legs, she messily wiped her cheeks dry.

In her disarray, the girl fell to the ground. Her knees hit the floor first, and for the first time ever, shethought that the sound might have been harsh enoughto stir someone from their slumber. She stayed there,crouched close to the ground with her head in her hands -- unaware that the cold had subsided, and thatthe wind no longer stirred around her.

A few seconds later, when the girl finally lookedup, she found herself staring blankly at the wall in front

of her. Her tongue faltered, and her throat croaked;nothing more than a whimper passed her lips. Closingher intent eyes, she drew a long, uneasy breath -- her soft features bathed in a deep blue glow.

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CHAPTER TWO

The Letter

Benjamin Fleet had always loved sailing, though, it wasnot his greatest passion. He had never been fortunateenough to combine his two favourite pastimes, since hethought it would prove quite difficult to handle a paintbrush whilst enduring the unpredictable tides, but beingout on the open seas was certainly good for inspiration,if nothing else. Benjamin looked out over the side of The Aubridge , his very own transport ship, andcontemplated how the steady ocean reflected the sunrise.He closed his eyes and envisioned the busy day he hadplanned. If all went well, by this time tomorrow hewould be working under the banner of Count Indrall of Turnshire, the richest man he had ever been asked tocomplete a contract for.

Sir!--Benjamin's eyes snapped open at the sound of

the outburst. Yes, Thomas. What is it?We've arrived, Mr Fleet.

As The Aubridge pulled into shore, Benjamin gatheredtogether the last of his belongings. He packed away hisbooks, paints, papers and the rest of his tools, after whichhe let Thomas, the only man other than himself Benjamin trusted to sail his beloved Aubridge , know that

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he was done. After some quick goodbyes, Fleet and twochaperones collected his luggage, then packed it into thecarriage.

Good luck, old friend, said Thomas, who waschewing on the tip of his hunting knife at the time. Itwas a bad habit which the ship hand had alwaysentertained, and no matter how many times he saw it,Benjamin could not dispel his feeling of uneasiness.

I swear to Devron, Thomas, one day you willlose that tongue.

And if not by the knife, I am sure somecontractor will eventually grow tired of my wise-cracking, eh? Thomas sheathed the knife long enoughto shake Benjamin's hand, and when that happens, Itrust you will be there to lecture me.

The two men shared a smile. Fleet nodded, thenturned around without another word.

He glanced around in search of Aliea. The lasttime he had seen her she had been watching over theside of the boat, staring into the sea. He reasoned thatshe would still be there now, so he passed a stack of luggage, and climbed the wooden ladder onto theAubridge, for which the Count had already secured aplace in the harbour on his behalf. He did not

completely trust the worn rungs to withstand theburden of his weight, but, as always, the old woodenfixture managed to maintain its shape under his feet. Hisrepeated concern every time he climbed up to the shipwas almost certainly misplaced, but he never had likedladders.

True to his deduction, there she was. She was not

quite tall enough to see over the top banister, so she hadpressed her cheeks against the vertical bars beneath tosee out to the waves, her hands gripping the rungs either

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side.You'll fall, if you're not careful. Benjamin

teased his adopted daughter and stroked her hair, which

was tied up in twin pigtails. She strained her neck andpulled her cheeks away from their resting place, lettingher eyes meet his. The bars had left slight red marks onher skin, but within seconds they began to fade away, therosy blotches disappearing to show her fair, scarcelyfreckled skin once again. Her mouth tweaked into asmile before dropping into a concerned frown.

Is something the matter? he asked.After a moments pause she leaned her backagainst the railings, then turned her attention to theclouds above. Do you think my birth parents visitedhere? Before I was born?

He had no idea.Aliea's parents had both perished in a house fire

when she was only three years old. There was no oneelse to take her in, and since the Fleet family had alwaysbeen close with the now seven year old girl's biologicalparents, he offered to care for her without a secondthought. Of course, he was completely unprepared for the trials of raising a child, but over the years he hadlearned to love her as his own. She must have thought of

him as a real parent too; although she had always knownhe was of no blood relation to her, she had always calledhim 'father'. He hadn't asked her to, and although hewished to respect her late parents' with whom he hadbeen close, he hadn't objected to it either -- he couldn'tbring himself to.

Not knowing how to respond to her inquiry, he

remained silent, choosing instead to follow her gaze. Thesky was practically blank, with barely even a rippling of clouds visible. He noticed a solitary bird, plunging

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through the sky. For a second it appeared almost as if theseagull displaced the clouds in its wake, forging a wispydenotation across the ocean skies. Aliea spoke again.

Probably not. It's a long way from here toAbelia.Fleet looked back inland and saw that everyone

was ready. They were only waiting for him now. Hedecided to try to ease her mind.

I think I heard them mention Turnshire once -- yes. I don't remember if they had visited, but I was told a

few good tales.Aliea turned back to him, giggled, then tookhold of his hand.

Let's go, Father.

***

The carriage journey was swift, providing noobstruction to the plan. He was still very much withinthe grace period for his meeting with the Count, and for that he thanked the Lord. The Manor was detached fromthe rest of Turnshire, atop of a gently sloped mountain tothe west. After a few minutes more, the horse drawncarriage pulled up to the outermost plaza, and he

watched as the gates opened. He sat back, and looked atAliea. Her mind was so young an immaculate canvasupon which he had worked her entire life. She was apiece of art that had not yet been completed, and onewhich he also feared would never be finished to asuitable degree of perfection.

He closed his eyes, and remembered the moment

it had arrived. A sealed envelope sent from CountIndrall's estate had been dropped in with the rest of themail, as if it held no significance at all. For some time he

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was certain that it had been a mistake. Why in the worldwould such a great man require an artist from Abelia, of all places? The invitation was not sent directly from the

Count's desk, something he could tell simply by glancingat the effeminate strokes of ink strewn across the page.

Mr. Benjamin Fleet.Before I begin, I would like to apologize for the

abrupt nature of this letter. I understand that we have never met, nor have I ever written to you before, but I

can assure you, I would not have stitched the first threads of contact between us so hastily unless I felt it truly necesarry. If this letter is to short notice, or does not reach you in time, please disregard it completely, as it is not my intention to burden you in such a manor...

At first, it puzzled him that an artefact sent on

behalf of such a prestigious man would contain as manyerrors in spelling and grammar as it did, but he had triedto disregard these details; not everyone understoodlanguage like he did.

The hand written letter was signed at the bottomwith the name Mairi Indrall, whom he had assumed tobe a close relative of the Count. For some reason, he had

studied this inked signature more than anything else:how the curve at the foot of the M ran flush with the I of Indrall, before veering off to the right of the page. Itwas a woman's writing, there was no question, andalthough this was strange, it was far from the mostcurious thing about the letter. He would not havenoticed were it not for luck, but when he removed the

page from its envelope several days after its arrival, hesaw something that worried him. On the inside of theenvelope, in a corner that would usually be concealed by

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the parchment, was a deep red blotch.Of course, he did not take this lightly, but despite

his fears, he had to concede that there were many

perfectly rational explanations for the seeminglyominous mark. It was only small, about the size of asmall copper coin, but it was there nonetheless. Hediscarded the most obvious answer, instead tellinghimself that there was such a thing as red ink, but he didnot believe himself, not for a second.

He had still harboured a certain amount of

scepticism, but the swatch of crimson hidden away insidethe envelope had only deepened his curiosity.

He was excited.

Still awkwardly unsure of the legitimacy of theinvitation, he had written back, confirming that he

would like to meet the Count in person to discuss thematter in more detail, all the while, the mystery of theenvelope never leaving his thoughts. He hoped he wasn'tmaking a mistake.

***

They were welcomed at the main entrance of theCount's Estate by a frail looking man in a suit, thenescorted up three flights of stairs. Apparently the Counthad several other appointments lined up for themorning, and so had no time to waste. Sure enough,after no longer than five minutes waiting in the manor,he was greeted by Indrall himself.

The Count was a marvellous specimen of a man.He had dark black hair, cropped and trimmed to a neatfinish, leading down into a glorious beard, the likes of

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which Fleet had never seen before. It was long andshared the colour of his crown, but punctuating the wiryhairs were slashes of grey, adding a sense of wisdom and

knowledge to the man's face that could only be achievedin such a manner. He was broad and tall, but not as tall asFleet himself, and when the Count took his hand ingreetings, the top of his head came up level to Fleet's eyeline. He was dressed in formal wear, a dark red cloakovershadowing his leather tunic, embellished with thesteely sheen of metal here and there. Just below he

donned long, unshapely cloth trousers, held up by abanded belt with a silver buckle. It looked almost as if hewere about to go into battle.

Indrall doubled back into the room from whichhe had came, and invited Fleet and Aliea to do the same.His garb clinked and rattled as he sat down behind hisdesk. The office was an unexpectedly small room. In the

centre stood his desk, surrounded by stacks of haphazardliterature. The walls, each one of them hidden behindanother bookshelf, were dark brown, and behind thedesk spreading the entire width of the back wall was ahuge window, looking out onto the valley leading intothe town. Benjamin sat down on a large arm chair, andAliea followed. Initially she had motioned to take

position on her fathers lap, but thinking this tooinformal, he encouraged her to take a seat on another chair, just to the right of his own. She had changed her clothes before leaving the boat, and was now wearing ablue dress with her hair tied up with a red bow, dressedwith a head piece that her mother had left her.

The Count looked up to verbally address Fleet

for the first time since they had met. Good afternoon, Iam Count Indrall. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr Fleet. He moved aside some papers and books to create

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space on his desk, and poured some tea from a steamingpot into two cups, How do you like my home? I think

you can agree, it's quite splendid.

Fleet nodded, Yes, of course, It's really quite something. The Count smiled as he offered Fleet one of the cups. Benjamin liked his tea with milk, but he didn'tsay anything.

Yes. Well, I'm sure we both have things to do, solets not tip-toe around why we are here- he pausedwithout warning, should I pour another cup of tea for

you daughter? Fleet shook his head. Aliea didn't like hotbeverages, she found the way they burnt her tonguemost unsettling. Very well. Now, I have called you herefor a reason, Mr Fleet. I have a task, that I fear no manother than yourself will be able to achieve, that's why Ipaid for you to be docked here in Turnshire. I don'tusually indulge in such frivolous spending Mr Fleet, as

I'm sure you can tell, but this is a special occasionindeed.Okay, the Craftsman ran his tongue over his

front teeth, before allowing himself to ask the questionwhich had been on his lips for a while now, but, I amstill confused as to what it is, exactly, that you want meto do. Although he had been sent a somewhat formal

invitation to hold a meeting with Indrall, he had notbeen given any specifics as to what the task at handwould be. Such details were not always included in acontractors first letter to an artist.

The Count looked down at his cup of tea, andFleet could swear he saw a smile flicker across his lipsbefore he looked up again.

Understandable, but the task I require of youwould take far too long to explain in the short space of time we have available before my next appointment. I'm

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a very busy man you see. Of course, Sir.All I need from you right now is your assurance

that you are the man for the job. But, Mr Fleet, I havenot made a special effort to accommodate both you and your daughter in my home, only to be disappointed. If you are not prepared for a challenge, I will not beoffended if you turn down my offer. Rest assuredthough, that what I am to ask of you is a reasonablerequest.

Benjamin allowed himself a glance towards Aliea.She was sitting silently with her eyes not completelyfocused on the desk before her, as if she was lookingthrough a dense fog.

I can assure you, I am the right man for the job. Fleet would have been a fool to turn down such anoffer. He had waited his whole life for an opportunity of

this magnitude, and so, half blinded by excitement, henodded. I have not been posed with a challenge I wasnot able to overcome in all of my life. Thank you for

your generous proposal my Lord, I will gladly accept. The Count was satisfied. Very well, now, if you

do excuse me, I- The Count's sentence was cut shortwhen the door to his office was opened. The two men,

and girl, all looked around in unison to identify thecause of the sudden disturbance.Father, you requested an audience with me?When the Count responded to the new voice, he

appeared to have been caught off guard. Ah, Ialmost forgot, yes, I will have to introduce you before Igo.

Fleet immediately stood up, it was only politewhen in the company of a young woman. The personthat had entered the office, remained stood by the door.

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She clasped her hands together in front of her, thrustagainst her body. Her long blond hair cloaked her back,and spilled over her shoulders which lay rigid, as if she

were frightened or nervous. Her long white dressflooded in a pool of milky satin at her feet and a lacedover-jacket concealed her bosom. Her fair skin - slightlyobscured by her golden flicks of fringe, just covering thetop of her right eye was perfectly clear, and oddlyreminiscent of fresh paper, ready to be marked for thefirst time.

Uh-, He stuttered, as he bowed and offered her his hand. She didn't take it. Embarrassed Fleetstraightened his back. The woman bowed her head as aslight laughter passed her lips.

Papa, Aliea whispered, tugging at his tailcoats,You look a fool. Aliea, showing her flourishingmaturity for the first time since their visit, was quite

right. He stepped back to his seat.Mairi, this is Benjamin Fleet, that'll be Mr Fleetto you. Benjamin, this is my daughter.

Had he said Mairi? The sender of the letter? Heremembered the name so fondly, it was almost as if hehad known the girl for years.

He's here to start work, and I will require you

to show him and his daughter to their room. Getacquainted on the way, I'm sure you'll find something todiscuss. Now, I do apologise for the brief nature of thisintroduction, but I must be going. The Count stood up,and adjusted his sleeves. Get some rest today Fleet, youlook awful. Sparing no more words for either Benjamin,or his daughter, he left. The cup of tea on his desk sat

completely untouched.

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CHAPTER THREE

Mairi Indrall

Benjamin ran a hand through his messy, dark hair, whichhe then hastily flicked into a neat parting. He hadcompletely neglected to properly groom himself for theoccasion in his fluster. Mairi hadn't moved, rather, shesurveyed him with her cool green eyes. He had heard of eyes burrowing into people's souls before, but not untilnow had he experienced it. She was digging deeper thananyone had ventured before. He felt her unwelcomecuriosity almost as strongly as she must have.

Let us go.To his shock, the girl broke the silence, and

turned away with a pinpointed eloquence, her dressfloating behind her as she went. Her voice was one of utmost quality. The remnants of her words licked his earsa few times, their softness comforting, yet their grace andeducated tone defying her age. Aliea stood and tookhold of her father's hand.

She is . . . odd.Aliea, be polite. We are her company. Don't

speak of her in such terms.I'm sorry Papa, but, you think so too; I can tell.No, I don't. Now, let us follow her. We want to

get to know our accommodation for the near future.Unless, of course, you would rather sleep on canvas for

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the time being.He lead Aliea out of the room, making sure to

shut the office door on his way out. Mairi had already

walked some distance. Fleet noticed she was making her way towards a staircase. He had so many questions hewanted to ask.

The Manor was far grander than any home hehad ever witnessed before. The sheer spectacle of thearchitecture and ground work stunned Benjamin, as acreator himself, into submission. A rigid colour scheme

of yellows, browns, and reds repeated throughout, andeach room seemed to possess taller ceilings, display moreart, and emit a greater spectacle than the last. Thecorridors themselves were wide, with ornaments andmementoes littering the passages. The Count wasobviously an art connoisseur, or perhaps just a collector with a fine palette for beauty. He had on show some of

the most original and obscure pieces Benjamin had seenin a long time. A part of his mind hoped that he had notbeen called here to paint for the Count, he had morethan enough work here to satisfy even the most ravenousartistic appetite.

As he hurried along, dragging Aliea behind him,they finally caught up with Mairi. She had already

reached the stairs. The main staircase was a few minutesdown the corridor, this was a much smaller, almoststandard sized variation; presumably just for private useto travel between floors more conveniently.

Mairi, he tried to attract her attention.Yes, Mr Fleet.Please, call me Ben

Aliea furrowed her brow in subtle confusion.Ben? No one calls you Ben.He gave her hand a squeeze that was probably

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just a little too tight, and she drew a sharp breath in her culmination of shock and dismay.

Ben it is, Mairi replied, do you have a query?

No, not exactly.Your full name is Benjamin, is it not?Yes.You must be from Abelia. They have queer

names like that there, don't they? I once met a mannamed Jack. I have no idea what inspires people todecide on such names for their children, but, Benjamin is

nice, at least.Thank you. Yes, I know many men named Jack,it is a good strong name. He noticed his opportunity toask a question of his own. Mairi, it was you that sentme the invitation, was it not?

Mairi looked back and smiled at Fleet. Yes, itwas. I apologize on my Father's behalf that he couldn't

address you personally until now, but he is in very highdemand.Oh, no, it is not a problem. Although Mairi

had given her reasons, Benjamin was not entirelyconvinced that she was being truthful.

Mairi resumed where she had left off. So, whydid you decide to leave Abelia?

Well, I was offered this job. I couldn't turn itdown, it's more than an honour to be here. They cameto the top of the flight of stairs, and turned to climbanother, ignoring the floor they were standing on. Fleetmanaged a slight glance down the corridor. Exactly howfar up was his room?

Aliea took the liberty to intervene at this point,

forcing her timid nature to one side to add to theconversation.I don't have a Abelian name, my mother was

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from over seas.Is that so? Mairi humoured the child, You

shall have to tell me of your mother if we find ourselves

a free moment. Fleet stopped for a second as heanticipated his adopted daughter's response.Oh, she is dead, ma'am.Count Indrall's daughter allowed a slight hand to

travel the length of her blonde hair. Resting her fingerson her shoulder, she looked away. I know.

Benjamin flashed a blank stare at the woman

before him.What seems to be the problem, Mr Fleet? Sheasked.

Fleet composed himself, swallowing down theback of his tongue to moisten his throat. He had heardher correctly, there was no doubt about that. For nowhe assumed that her father had already told her the

details regarding their guests, and using that logic, whichwas more than reasonable, he could dismiss theseemingly odd statement as one that was not odd at all.

As I instructed you earlier, call me Ben. Hecarried on walking, pulling Aliea in his tow, assuming heknew the general direction they were headed. If hisinstincts were right, they were to head upwards many

more floors until they came to their destination.The stairs seemed to stretch on forever. On theoutside it appeared to be only a five story building, buton the inside they had traversed far more than five setsof stairs. This confused him, but he had been mulling itover inside his head, as was his nature. Maybe it wassome kind of trickery? Machinery? An illusion? Maybe

he was not walking at all, and had been dreaming, worsestill, perhaps he had been drugged by the Count. The Teadid taste a little odd-

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Put your mind at ease, Mairi interjected,scattering his less-than-well-crafted line of thought.The building is only five stories tall, yes, not including

the multitude of basement levels, of course. Thereasoning behind them will come clear soon enough.Putting aside his paranoia ridden hypothesis for

now, he took her word for it.I'll take your word for it.Aliea prodded the Count's daughter with her left

index finger. Excuse me, ma'am, how many more flights

of stairs are there, exactly?Aliea-It is quite alright, Mr Fleet, said Mairi. She

came to the top of the steps they were currentlyclimbing, and stopped. We are here. Benjamin rejoicedin the opportunity to rest his weary legs. Aliea brokehand contact, ran over to a chair in the corner of the

landing, then jumped into it to rest.Be careful! Benjamin commanded. Alieaallowed her discontent to appear on her face, but onlymomentarily. It quickly disappeared and Fleet took a fewmoments to examine the area they had entered.

They were stood in another corridor, and itappeared that they were now at the very top of the

building, as there were no more stairs leading upwards.The corridor stretched rightwards from the mouth of the staircase, and looking down into the space he madeout one door, at the very end, roughly thirty feet away.The rest of the passage, unlike every other, wascompletely, and utterly blank. The walls were paintedwhite here, and there were no paintings or sculptures to

be appreciated. The only thing between them and thedoor, was the grand, red upholstered chair that Aliea satupon, her legs crossed, nestled up to her chin. It made

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Fleet realise how cold this part of the mansion was.Is this where I am to be working? He asked his

escort. She nodded, her blond hair flowing in the

unsettling draft like a sheet in a stirring breeze.Yes Sir. This is where you will work and sleepwhile you stay with us. I do appreciate that it is a littleout of the way, but, I am sure you will understand once

you begin to make progress tomorrow. Mairi was asproper as she had been when they first met, thesharpened tongue concealed behind her lips docile once

again. He wondered if she was smarter than she let on;smarter than she wanted her father to think she was.Thank you for your guidance. I trust I will have

everything I need?Yes. You will be able to make yourself at home

straight away. Once you do, feel free to explore themanor. My father would like you to get as strong a feel

for the building as possible, for nothing less is requiredfor the success of an undertaking such as the challenge you have accepted.

Fleet looked back at Aliea who was toying withher hair. She had taken out the headpiece and let her brown locks, each hair straighter than a sewing pin, falldown over her knees.

Thank you. He said to the Countess.Dinner will be served at eight, she turned towalk back down the stairs, Don't be late now, you don'twant to upset my father on your first day.

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CHAPTER FOUR

Escape

Zeyku opened his eyes. He was running but, he didn'tknow why. He didn't stop, instead he allowed hisinstincts to drain every last sliver of energy from withinhim, disregarding the flaming pain engulfing his muscles,and ignoring the fact that his breathing had beenreduced to a subdued wheeze, grating at the back of histhroat. It hurt. He ran.

He listened to the sound of his feet hitting theground, kicking up mounds of mud, clogging his shoeswith the stodgy earth. There was no one around. It wasalmost night time, and the sun was setting in the far sky.

He stopped.

He stood deadly still in the thick silence of the dusk. Inthat one moment of contemplation - above all thenoise, scratching at his insides -- he realised it wasraining.

By the time Zeyku had snapped back into reality, it wasdark. The gentle, yet still somehow intense light of themoon refracted through each single droplet of rain. Rainricocheted off the ground in a myriad of watery geysers,falling at such a speed it bounced back up a few feet at a

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time. Never had he known the town to be so desolate.Be started to run again. With each step he took, thesplashing of rain water seemed as far off as the incessant

click of the curious mosquitoes that explored the night,anxious for the next signs of daybreak. He ran for whatseemed like an eternity, but he knew that he can't havebeen going for much longer than two minutes or so. Atearing pain in his legs dizzied his mind, but although itwas mercilessly cold, the icy air did not faze him.

By the time the familiar sight of Rin's Ale House

greeted his gaze, he was sodden, and the rain had shownno sign of relenting, not for a while at least. He took along, weighted breath, then reached out to open thewooden door to the Inn. It didn't open. He fumbled inhis pockets, rain water sopping through his fingers as hispalms worked their way over his body. He had keys.They had to be with him, for otherwise he would be

exposed to the storm for a length of time which hefeared he could not endure. His fingers touched icymetal, and his similarly icy breath escaped from betweenhis bitten lips in a sigh of relief. Working renewed lifeinto his fingers, he slotted the key into the door, andturned it. As the cogs turned, and bronze brushedbronze, his burden was lifted. The door opened.

He clawed at his purple hair - heavy withperspiration as well as water - away from his face. Thedarkness with which he was presented allowed himprecious time to explore his thoughts. He was alone;where had his companion disappeared to? His entirebody screamed for warmth. The rain had chilled him tothe bone, and so he tore off his jacket, ripped away his

tunic, and slipped out of his trousers. As each layer of dripping apparel fell away from his fair, sore hide, he bitat his tongue. The cold embraced his every inch. Naked,

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sick, and overwhelmed, he stiffened his muscles, beforedragging himself behind the bar. He pulled awayhandfuls of straw from the pile set aside for fuel to the

fire, and laid in the basket. Sinking into the prickly,rough shavings, he silently remarked he had never felt socomfortable.

***

Morning. Zeyku desperately clung on to the final shards

of his sleep, pulling himself as far in to the trance as hedared. It was better there. Secure in his own sub-concious, no threats, with only his dreams to taunt him.He let go, through nothing other than necessity; he wasnot strong enough. Zeyku felt himself steadily slippingback to reality. Daylight shone through the thin skin of his eyelids, just enough to stir him from his slumber. He

opened his left eye. Sticky. He pulled a little moreforcefully, and it snapped open. Working the sleep awaywith a few consecutive blinks, Zeyku was awake. Slowlyand reluctantly, he opened his other eye, his real worldquickly coming into unforgiving focus. Light wasstreaming through the planked walls of the Inn,highlighting the specks of dust and lint floating through

the air in each sunburst. Although he had no idea howhe managed to fall asleep, he strived to order themenagerie of events inside his head. Sitting up in hishaystack, he caught sight of his clothes, strewn about theroom. He stumbled out of his makeshift bed, andgathered them to conserve his modesty. They were stillof no use: absolutely wet through from the night, he

could not wear these for fear of catching his death.Realising that he couldn't walk around naked either, heplundered the Inn's safe, and found the key to the pantry.

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considered writing a note to Rin, explaining that he hadtaken a few things, but thought it best not to include theinnocent man in his escape.

After taking a few moments to say goodbye, heopened the door to the Inn, and stepped straight intothe brightest white light he had ever seen.

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CHAPTER FIVE

Home

It didn't take long for the two to get comfortable. Theroom was large, in fact, it wasn't just a room, it was asuite. Perhaps a penthouse of some sort. There was themain room, with two couches and a large window; amodest office, for Benjamin to work in, on the left; and abedroom with two beds to the right.

After a spending a short hour or so in the suite,Benjamin decided he should use the time between nowand dinner to get acquainted with the manor.

Can I come with you? Please? Aliea wasperched on the edge of her single bed, fixing her hair with a large flat brush. It was her favourite, left for her by her mother, similar to the hairpiece which she hadremoved earlier. She put down the brush, leaving it nextto one of the down-filled pillows, before rushing over toaccompany Benjamin, who was stood at a windowenjoying the view into the lush gardens of the Count'sestate. He turned his head and replied.

I don't see why not. It would be good, in fact,to explore our new home together. The window wasquite high, so he lifted her up by her waist and held her in a fashion that allowed her to see through to the stillbright blue sky.

Our new home?Although he could not see her face, he could tell

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from her tone of voice that she was not pleased to hear him use that word.

You think we will be here for- she faltered for

a second, before continuing, a long time?Benjamin allowed his chin to settle on her shoulder. I don't know. Don't tell me you are missingAbelia already? Despite the playful nature of hiscomment, Aliea responded with an adamance which hedid not foresee.

No. I was just wondering. We've only been away

for a week, after all. She raised her knees and rested her feet on the windowsill, inadvertently putting extraweight on her father's arm, which was supporting her from under her thighs. For a second he was worried thathe might drop her, but he managed to hold on, evenwith his limited strength. After this, she moved onto amore detached subject. The gardens are amazing! Fleet

was relieved to hear some joy in her voice.Let's go out there now.Really?He would happily do anything to make her feel

more at home. Kissing her on the cheek, he lowered her down. Yes Aliea, really.

She beamed at him, then ran over to her bed to

retrieve a hair pin from her suitcase, which she put inplace before offering out her hand.Then let's get moving!

***

The two had spent the next hour or so out in

the greenery surrounding the manor. They were, as Alieahad told him, incredibly beautiful, and even moreexpansive than he had originally realised. There were

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workers out here too, a plentiful supply of gardeners andlandscapers. Unlike inside the house, Fleet understoodwhy there had to be so many people out here tending to

the yards. They were stunning. Plants which he hadnever seen before adorned the vast courtyards, and water fountains littered the multiple fields, spurting water outinto the crisp mountain air. When he looked up, hecould see the sun filtering through the trees, casting itslight in strips across the deep greens and rich browns of the foliage beneath. As they moved further away from

the manor, the air got sweeter. The nectar of the flowersthickening the syrupy aroma, clogging the air, andoverpowering Fleets nose and throat, threatening to tiphim over onto the wrong side of his allergies. Aliea hadspent the time playing with birds on the grass, pecking atthe ground for their daytime snack. At one point, a dovehad even flown down to meet her, and she had chased it

for a good few minutes before it tired of her antics andflew off. Fleet himself had dedicated the time to his art.The views were perfect for inspiration, and he toyedwith the idea of starting a drawing there and then, butwithout the equipment, he was forced to keep the ideasin reserve for the next time they found themselves outhere. After they had tired of the sunlight and commotion

of the construction in the yards, Fleet decided it wouldbe a good use of his time to get to know Turnshire.

But, I want to stay out here longer! Aliea wasnot pleased by his decision.

I'm sorry but it's not negotiable. You've seenenough for today. We can come back tomorrow if you

like, he paused, you are going to have a lot of free timeon your hands.Well, can I not stay out here while you go out

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into town?Do not argue with me. It would not be safe for

you to stay here unsupervised.

Sir-This time it was an unfamiliar voice that hadinterjected into their conversation.

Sir, the Count sent me to speak with you about your daughter.

Benjamin and Aliea both turned to meet their new acquaintance. Stood before them was a middle aged

woman with brown hair, scraped into a bun at the napeof her neck. She was dressed in light brown tunic and along pencil skirt that almost concealed her feet.Benjamin offered her his hand.

Yes, of course. He studied her face beforecontinuing. Have we met?

No, Sir. I was told that you would be arriving

today though. You and your daughter. We weren'tsupposed to meet until tomorrow, but I noticed youboth here and-

Aliea looked up at her Father with cautious eyes.He took note of her concern and pressed the womanfurther.

What business do you have with my daughter,

ma'am?The woman patted down her tunic with her right hand, and retrieved a small scrap of paper from abreast pocket with her left.

Here.Benjamin took the piece of paper in hand.

Studying it with care, he noticed immediately that this

was Mairi's handwriting. The woman whose name hewas unsure of spoke while he read.The Count has instructed me to ask if you

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would like your daughter to be home schooled. By meSir. He hired me especially. When the woman wasfinished, Fleet took a generous breath before he spoke.

You are sure that it was the Count himself whoasked you to do this?Yes, of course. Who else?The note was not signed like the letter he had

received, but despite some small changes in style, thehandwriting was definitely hers. The ability to analysehandwriting was one of the few things that he felt

confident he was good at, so there was no reason for himto doubt this woman. There was one thing, however, thatconcerned him. Unlike the formal invitation Mairi hadwritten to him a week prior, this note containedimmaculate spelling and grammar. Not a single mistake.

He took note of some of the seemingly arbitrarydifferences in certain letters, and then handed the

woman back the parchment. He was planning onschooling Aliea himself over the coming weeks, or months, however long it took, but he saw no reason torefuse help when it was offered.

Never mind. I recognise and trust thathandwriting, so you have my trust as well. Did you tellme your name?

The woman smiled. My name is April. Shenoticed his perplexed reaction, and explained, I know, you've probably never heard it before. I was named after one of the months in the Durayan calender. My Father was somewhat of an expert in their culture.

Noticing, and yet still ignoring her use of theword 'was', Fleet looked down at Aliea, who in turn

looked up to April.How do you do, April? I am Aliea Fleet,daughter of Benjamin Fleet.

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April allowed herself a small moment of laughter.Like I said, I wasn't supposed to meet you until muchlater tomorrow, but I couldn't help overhearing, and I

would like to offer to take your daughter off your handswhile you go into town. We could get a head start onthings. Classes won't officially start, but I would love toget to know you, Aliea. She smiled at the girl, whosmiled back. It wasn't often Aliea warmed to strangerslike this, and since Fleet knew this woman had Mairi'sblessing, he felt inclined to trust her. Besides, he was sure

that no harm would come to either of them inside theCount's Estate. If it was that easy for a corrupt individualto penetrate the security, the Count would not havebeen as successful as he was.

Would you like that, Aliea? He asked. Shereleased her grasp of his hand, and nodded.

Yes but, can we stay out here, Miss?

It seemed she was happy to do anything to stayin the gardens. Fleet silently hoped that April would say yes. To his relief, she laughed and held out her own handfor Aliea to take.

Of course. We can sit beside the fountain. It hasonly just passed noon, so there will be plenty of sunshinefor us to enjoy yet.

Well, this has turned out well for all of us.Benjamin crouched down, and said goodbye. I will beback in an hour or two. Be good for April.

Yes Sir! Aliea's happiness was enough to satisfyhim. He quickly kissed her on the cheek, beforeembarking on the long walk back in to the heart of Turnshire.

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CHAPTER SIX

A Workman onthe Inside

It was not often that you stumbled upon a town asunique as Turnshire. It followed all the rules of conventional towns and cities this side of the Amisterry:it had a cathedral - for those who still worshipped God,despite the great rebellion a few hundred years ago,which resulted in a largely atheist continent. It had asizeable residential area, where the rich population spendtheir days; even a work sector, where the men wouldlabour for their families; but the trade square was wherethe heart and soul of Turnshire truly resided. TheCount's estate and the harbour both stemmed from this,the busiest part of the city, and so it was the only part of Turnshire that Fleet had properly witnessed himself. Thedistrict was made up of several long, winding, cobbledstreets, with brick buildings lining each side. Most of these buildings were home to various types of shops,chemists, tailors, and an abundance of inns. The mainroad of each street was practically over encumbered withstalls and kiosks that offered just about any service youcould imagine. Yes, Turnshire was certainly renowned for its trading post, and so there were many different kindsof people here, from all five corners of the world, and asFleet explored each alleyway, he thought he managed to

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draw a curious look from each and every one of them. Itwas probably just paranoia, since he was in an unfamiliar place clogged with unfamiliar people, but he still had the

feeling people were paying particular attention to him.It was when he stopped at a stall to consider actually buying something for the fourth time, thatBenjamin recognised someone.

What are you doing here?Mairi dropped what she was doing and turned to

face him, Ah, Mr Fleet. Getting acquainted with the

city, I assume?Mairi was stood at a stall some distance awayfrom him, so he began to walk towards her. She wasdressed in a summery, knee-length dress, emblazonedwith a colourful pattern, and held a woven basket in her hands. Her blonde hair was tied up into a ponytail witha large pink ribbon, but part of her fringe still hung

feathery over her forehead. Even though her currentoutfit defied her background, her voice was still heavywith the educated tone she demonstrated earlier that day.The two did not get very long to converse, for much toBenjamin's dismay, a stumbling man came between thetwo of them for a second. In his hurry, the man thrusther to the left, and her waist came in to contact with the

table next to which she was stood. She grunted in pain,but the man who had struck her did not stop, rather choosing to ignore her completely. Fleet had not paidmuch attention to the man, but he did make out onething, a flash of purple. Despite having good reason tochallenge the man, Benjamin paid no attention to him,instead focusing all of his attention on Mairi, who had

crouched on the floor in her shock. He put his armaround her shoulder, protecting her from the masses.Ugh- She got up faster than he would have

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thought possible, shrugging his hand away from her.Thank you, Mr Fleet. Letting her adjust her hair witha manicured hand, he considered what he would say

next. Are you okay?Yes. It is not the first time, I am used to it out

here.This is no place for you-Please, Mr Fleet. I would ask of you not to

patronise me.

Of course. Yes. I am sorry, Ms Indrall.On the other hand, Fleet, there might besomething you can do for me.

Oh, really? This had piqued his interest.Walk with me, Mr Fleet She stroked her hair

again, and began to walk away from him, down the road.Not wanting to be left behind he followed her without

question. She made her way through the people withsuch grace, it seemed almost as if they parted on her behalf, but the act was not as easy for Benjamin. He stillfound himself pushing past people, forcing others out of his path. It struck him that he did not know much aboutMairi. He was not even aware of her age.

Mairi, He was not sure if she heard him

through all the commotion, but she must have as shereplied, asking him to continue. Exactly, how old are you? He would not notice his social faux pas at thisprecise moment for several years to come. She stoppedand turned around, giving him time to catch up.

I am eighteen, Mr Fleet.Oh. He had thought her to be older than that,

her decorum suggested a maturity beyond her years.Had you thought me older? Unlike him, shehad not missed his error in asking her age. She resumed

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walking once he had caught up. Now beside her, hespoke with greater confidence.

I had thought nothing of your age, Mairi. Only

very highly of your intellect. You are obviously very welleducated.She looked at him directly for the first time since

they joined for this chance meeting. I have my father tothank for that. As with my many other fortunes. Shesurveyed the area with haste, taking in the surroundings.He noticed her eyes darting around, as if searching for

something. They stopped. It looked like she had foundwhat she was looking for. Tell me Mr Fleet, are you asportsman at all?

He was taken aback by the odd question she hadposed to him. Well, no not at all. Why do you pose suchan odd question?

He saw a change in her one visible eye. Because

we are going to have to run.Much to his surprise, she grabbed hold of hisarm, and started ahead at a much faster speed than hewould have thought she could mange. The two of themtore through the crowds much easier now. People movedout of their way as opposed to waiting for them to dothe work; not that the running was not work enough.

What are you doing? Fleet was not expectingsuch an outburst from Mairi, and as she dragged himalong behind her, he found it hard to keep up. Hestumbled every few steps, and felt his knees brush thegravel every few seconds. He feared for his trousers, aconcern which he thought revealed quite a lot about hischaracter. Mairi did not look back to speak to him,

rather, turned sharply to the right, leaving Fleet in a stateof sheer disarray. He was pulled to the right too. And hefelt his shoulder strain as it was tugged from an angle

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that he would have preferred it didn't. He drowned hispained gasp in his throat, not wanting to show his painto the girl, or woman, he was not quite sure. They came

into an alley way, past the last of the stalls, and were nowcompletely alone, segregated from the bustle of themarket. Mairi pressed her back against the brick wall.

It was darker down here, the sun being blockedout by the corner of the building they rested against.Fleet studied the image before him. Mairi's Long hair had become tussled by the wind as they ran, and was

now dishevelled around her shoulders where the ponytail spilled over. Her flowered lacy dress had beendampened at the edges by the wall behind her, andalthough it only came to just below her knees, it wastorn in several places, now tattered at the bottom. Theprim, well groomed figure he had met only today wasnow out of breath, leaning against a dirt flecked wall in a

back alley of Turnshire, after running through the marketfor no apparent reason. Whatever next? He sighed hiscomplex of emotions away into the breeze that hadmustered from no where.

I will not flatter you by saying that you look your best right now, but you certainly do look a picture.He said, expecting her to lash him back with her sharp

tongue. She looked at him, her basket still firm in hand.I would say, however, that you have succeeded influstering me beyond that I had thought you to becapable of. Do not try and tell me that this is a standardaspect of your everyday life. Although he would not besurprised. She had constantly shown him more and morereason not to take her at the liberty of first judgement.

It happens on occasion.There, he thought to himself, she could not haveanswered 'no', that would have been too simple. He ran a

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hand through his hair and observed that he must nothave looked much more presentable than her. Histrousers were torn, like her dress, and his knees had

become bloodied.I suppose the only thing left to ask now, is why you just dragged me here through all those people.

Because, Benjamin, we were being followed.Followed? By whom?Mr Fleet, do you really think that a Countess

such as I is safe in the civilian sector of Turnshire? You

are surely not so nave.If you were not safe, why would you be downhere?

I never said that I was supposed to be downhere, Benjamin. You had taken that as a fact before I hadeven referenced it.

Her face said it all. She enjoyed proving him

wrong. Watching as his expression change like the windsaround them. She was pleased with herself, yet still letglimmers of her academic background bleed throughher stare. Never losing her graceful aura. He met her glare with one of his own.

Are you saying that someone was trying toharm you? He asked her, not breaking his eye contact.

That is exactly what I fear was happening. Iusually would not have brought you along, but I wanted you alone anyway. As I said earlier, before our little,escapade. There is something you may be able to helpme with. She took her eyes away, and reached into her basket.

Mairi, wait. You just told me that you are in

danger, we have to do something-Feel free to take whatever actions you wish, Mr Fleet, but do not expect to make any progress. The best

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thing to do is to run, and stay out of sight. Whenever you get that feeling: their eyes set on you, you shouldnot wait around. I am guessing you are also ignorant to

the consequences that would become of you if you wereto be found down here with me? Smuggled out of theestate in the middle of the day, and taken all the way outhere, torn and frazzled. By the time they found me, whoknows what could have happened.

Do not be ridiculous, you dragged me downhere, not the other way around.

Bottom line, Mr Fleet, if you know what isgood for you, and I would hope that you do, you willstay as quiet as a mouse, and not move an inch.Otherwise, you are free to be taken to the prison and rotthere after only one day in the town. That is a nice onefor the rsum, do you not agree? I am sure the Count'sof Raffan Cross and Fort Charles would be biting your

hand off then.He did not want to admit it to himself, but Mairibeat him at every turn. He struggled to comprehend thatthe Countess was in such peril all of the time. Did shewant to be abducted and taken away, never to be seenagain? Or worse? She read his thoughts like they werescrawled on his forehead, as obvious as his confusion.

I can assure you, Fleet, that as long as I keep mynerve about me, no harm will ever come to me, or you,while we are down here, as long as you are in mycompany, that is. I can not speak for you alone. Nowcome with me, we should travel to the east for a shortwhile.

He resigned to the knowledge that she appeared

to know what she was doing, and let her have her way.He followed as she walked deeper in to the alley way.They passed a couple of back doors, possibly leading in

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to store cupboards, or apartments. By the time they hadpassed everything of note, they came out on the other side of the alleyway. It was similar here, except the walls

were dry. The rain must not have landed here when thestorms came.Just one question, Countess. She looked at him

with her green stare, beckoning him to continue. Whydo you even bother venturing down, this deep intoTurnshire?

Please, there is not much to explain. I suppose I

just take enjoyment in being free once in a while, so Itake the risk. She looked at her feet, her leather shoeswere slightly worse for wear and the socks visiblebeneath them grey with dust. Taking charge, she lookedaround the corner, and saw more people, just like on theother side. Fleet wondered if she was scared after all. Shetook cover again behind the wall, and then continued

Now, We have time to discuss business, are youinterested in my proposal?Weary of her purposeful omission of detail, he

inquired further. Does this relate to the task your father has in mind for me?

In a way, although, I am not sure he wouldapprove.

They could not tell for certain, but it did appear as if the sun was setting at that point. Concealed in partby the buildings they took shelter behind, the light itprovided had lessened as the conversation drew on. If that were true, more hours had passed than he hadaccounted for, and he could not afford any more timedown here. He had to get back to Aliea.

Mairi, I do not object to hearing you out, but Ihave to get back to my daughter. I am sure your father would appreciate you returning to him as well.

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It will not take long.You will need to think of some excuse for your

dress as well. Your father will suspect fowl play, I am sure,

if you return to his company like that.I could say the same to you-Benjamin started to look around the corner of

the alley way, to search for any signs of unrest. In hispreoccupation, he did not hear Mairi's next words asclearly as her others.

I will change before dinner. I trust you will be

joining us? You and your daughter? She is a verycharming girl, you have done well to raise her. Sobeautiful too. Looks an awful lot like her mother. I never took after my father, thankfully I suppose, you shouldnot tell him I said that, besides he would probably notagree-

Resuming to her his full attention, he

interrupted with a flash of his hand. Something aboutthat last sentence irked him. There had been a detailwhich he could not recall, but he dismissed it as thework of his imagination. He tried to think about thisrationally.

For now, we should consider the fact that thereis a dangerous individual out there who is trying to hurt

you, and devise a way back to the manor accordingly. If you like you can come to my quarters after Aliea isasleep and we will discuss your favour then.

If you insist. It wont be a problem getting backto the manor, I will call one of the concierges to help usback.

I thought you said you were not supposed to be

here? If you inform a concierge of our position, your secret will be compromised. He saw that look again. Heknew what to expect.

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I did not specify which concierge, Fleet. Do notworry, I was doing this long before you arrived, and willbe doing it long after you have left. She took a tele-

radio from her basket, and tuned it to what must havebeen the signal she required to contact this unnamedwork man.

Benjamin brushed a hair form his face. So, youhave a work man- 'on the inside'?

Before the radio pin pointed the signal, Mairistared at him for a few seconds longer than would have

been comfortable. With a wink, she turned away to makeher call.Fleet did not recognise the man who picked

them up. The two had waited where they were untilwhat looked to be an ordinary taxi-carriage pulled up atthe mouth of the alleyway. Mairi had thanked the man:

young, with coffee-coloured skin and a tuft of black hair,

before taking a seat in the carriage, inviting Fleet tofollow.By the time they had reached the main gates, it

was much dimmer than it had been, and Fleet feared hewould have let Aliea down. Upon their arrival at themain gate, neither of them had to worry about someonesuspecting fowl-play. The Count was no where to be

seen, and Mairi had brought a spare set of clothesanyway. While they were waiting for the cart to pickthem up, she had ordered the craftsman to turn away andstare at a brick wall while she changed into some lessbedraggled garb. When he was told he could turn aroundagain she had changed into another dress, exactly thesame design and colours, but with not a single

imperfection. He had assumed this was what she wascarrying in her wicker basket. There had been no troublewith the potential attackers either. Fleet was even

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starting to foster the notion that perhaps there was nodanger at all, and that Mairi had derived some sort of humour from telling him that they were being followed.

It meant nothing to him. Right now, he was hungry, andwanted to see his daughter. When the cart pulled up into the main courtyard outside the front doors, the twosolidified their agreement to meet after dinner, andMairi expressed her gratitude for him accompanying her back home, an act that he deemed to be mildly out of character. After they were finished, Mairi went one way,

and Fleet went the other, heading into the main gardensto fetch Aliea.Aliea looked pleased to see him. Although April

was still there, he could not shake the feeling that heshould not have left her here, for now Aliea would surelybe complaining that he had been gone for too long.Partially to his pleasure, his adopted daughter was not

displeased with him at all. She hugged him, and he liftedher up into his arms. When she asked him of hisafternoon, he chose to elude any reference to Mairi,instead telling her that he had an altogether uneventfulexperience. When he asked her how she had been, shetold him how April was much more interesting than anyteacher she had previously worked with. He thanked the

woman, who replied that she would be happy to takecare of Aliea whenever Benjamin required it. She leftshortly after.

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CHAPTER SEVEN

Business as Usual

Benjamin and Aliea returned to their room, managing tomake their way there with no trouble. By the time theyhad washed and prepared, it was a quarter to eight. Alieadressed in a formal frock, and Fleet changed into his bestleather. A white cotton under shirt with a brown leather hide overcoat and polished black shoes. He then combedhis hair neatly into a perfect side parting, and told Alieato brush hers. When she was done, instead of tying it uplike she usually did for formal occasions, she wore her mothers silver adorned headband. The inside of the bandwas inscribed, but the handwriting with which it hadbeen scrawled into the material made it too hard to read,even for Benjamin's expert eye. Nevertheless, they hadboth safely assumed that it was an expression of lovefrom Aliea's father to her mother, and that the piece hadbeen a gift.

When they were done, they began the long walkback down the staircase. Fleet was initially concernedthat they would not be able to find their way to thedining room, as he realised that he had not actually beengiven proper directions yet, but he was relieved to seethat a series of small signs had been erected in the mainhall, directing them into the west wing of the manor. Asthey passed through the main hall, under the arch that

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lead into the west wing, and through to the diningroom, they finally came to the dining area, and the twowere presented with a view that was most unfamiliar: the

entire area was devoid of any workers, and it seemedthey were actually alone in the building. The Estateappeared as a home , for the very first time since their arrival.

Although they were still early, when steppinginto the dining room the fist thing Benjamin noticedwas that the Count, Mairi and two other men were sat

at the table already. Maybe they should be even earlier next time, to avoid the embarrassment reserved for thelast to arrive, he thought. Studying the spread, itappeared to be quite the feast. There was plenty of foodto go around, and Fleet managed to make out moretypes of meat, and varieties of vegetable the closer hegot. The table was at the edge of the room, in front of a

very large window that seemed to occupy the entirety of the wall. Benjamin observed that the gardens werevisible from here. When the Count noticed they hadarrived he signalled towards them, and let the othersgathered around the table know that their company hadarrived.

Mr Fleet, Aliea, I trust you are both very

hungry?Benjamin was given no time to answer, but theCount continued as if he had,

Good, good, you are going to need to be tohelp finish this meal. Indrall removed the glasses he waswearing. Now, I hope you do not mind, but I took theliberty of inviting a few guests. I wanted you to meet

them, considering you will be working under mycommand now.Indrall must have sensed Benjamin's reluctance to

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move any closer to the table until invited, because hewaved his right hand, as if summoning the father anddaughter, who were still stood at the far side of the

room. Oh, do sit down. Unless you plan to eat from allthe way over there in which case I do hope you realisesuch a plan will not work.

Glad to finally be properly acknowledged, Fleetnodded.

Yes Sir.

He lead Aliea across the empty room, over to thetable, and sat her down on a chair opposite one of themen they had not met yet.

The table was set out with two chairs along eachside, and one chair at each of the end of the table. Therewas a fair amount of distance between each diner, butnot so far that conversation could not be held

comfortably. The Count was sat at the head- and theCountess at the foot of the huge, wooden furnishing.The two men they had not met yet both sat on the sameside of the table, directly opposite where the craftsmanand the girl were now seated. It appeared that none of the men had started to eat yet, they must have beenwaiting for him to arrive before commencing with the

meal. This only embarrassed him further.He glanced over to Mairi, who had not lookedup from her plate since they had arrived. She held her hands in her lap, and wore the same dress he had seenher in earlier that day, only now she had donned longwhite gloves that stretched up beyond her elbows, andrested at some point in between there and her shoulder.

Her hair had also changed, perhaps not salvageable after the wind had ruined its neatly coiffed finish. She hadbrushed it again and fixed it into a braid that rested over

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her shoulder and fell into her lap to meet her hands,where she was playing with the cloth securing it at thebottom. She blew several blonde locks away from her

face with an upwards blast from her lips, and as her eyeswere partially revealed, allowed to meet his, he wasdismayed to notice that her stare had been fixed uponhim the whole time. What must she think of him?

Right, first things first, let us eat! Indrall brokethe short silence, We can begin the introductions whilewe feast! He reached out in front of him, and started

taking food from the centre of the table, placing it on hisown plate. The others followed.Gentleman, as I am sure you already know, this

is Benjamin Fleet. He is an artisan from overseas,specialising in the creative arts. I have allowed him tobring along his daughter for the time in which he isassisting me. What was the young lady's name again,

Fleet? Aliea, Sir.Ah, yes. His daughter, Aliea. A fine young girl.

Benjamin had not told them he was only her adoptedfather, he generally left that small detail out of conversation, for simplicities sake. Beautiful, just like myown.

Fleet again looked over, to see Mairi slowly, anddeliberately chewing on some type of meat. As helooked he noticed that Aliea had not taken anythingonto her plate. She was much too small to even reachacross the table, never mind carry food across it.

Excuse me, Count. Indrall gave a look of understanding, and Fleet stood and picked up his

daughters plate. She looked intently as he piledvegetables onto it, followed by some bread, and a smallbowl of soup. She liked softer foods.

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Thank you, father, she said, all the while notraising her eyes, instead keeping them glued to her plate.

If you like Aliea, Mairi broke her silence, I

could show you the proper way to eat soup, should youwish to learn how to eat like a lady.Yes ma'am, please. The two females continued

to talk amongst themselves.Indrall spoke up again. So, in any case, Fleet, it is

you who I must introduce to these two fellows. Hewiped his mouth then let his right hand signal towards

the person closest to him. The man opposite you is Sir Loft Englewater. He is the greatest business man I haveever known. We have worked together for over ten yearsnow, and I owe him everything. He is even wealthier than me, can you imagine that? You could learn a lotfrom this man, that is why I have invited him, if youwish to be successful you would be wise to observe him

closely.Loft ran his hand over his temples, and took off his glasses. It is a pleasure to meet you, Benjamin. If wewere not separated by several feet of uprooted shrubberyI would shake your hand, but I am afraid I would like tokeep my suit as clean as possible. I hope you understand.

Loft Englewater was a man of age, perhaps even

older than the Count, about sixty or so. His hair wasgreying around the edges, but retained most of its darkbrown colour elsewhere. His face as tired as it looked had relatively no wrinkles, and for his age, he lookedremarkably well.

Benjamin bowed his head. The pleasure, as theysay, is all mine Mr Englewater.

Sir Englewater, he was corrected.Yes, of course, Sir Englewater. I apologise for my disrespect.

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No need to fret child, Indrall has not hired youfor your wit. As long as you keep the right company, youcan not go wrong here.

Yes Sir, I look forward to working with you.He was quite a confusing character indeed. LoftEnglewater leant back in his seat. Benjamin was notquite sure how to elaborate, which Indrall had noticed.

Now, the second person I would like you tomeet is The Ambassador of Turnshire. He is not abusinessman, but the most intelligent man in the

country. I am sure of it.Indrall, you flatter me. The second man wasmuch, much younger than Loft. On par with Benjaminhimself age-wise. His voice sounded much sleeker, andheld the same educated tone that Mairi's did. He hadblond hair, something that was not at all commonamong males in Turnshire. Fleet wondered if he was

even from this town. He did not wear glasses, and hadperfectly angled good looks that very few men wereblessed with. (Benjamin liked to think of himself asanother one of the lucky ones, but who didn't? Besides,he had it on very good authority that he was ahandsome man. Aliea hardly ever lied to him.)

Benjamin, it is so good to finally meet you.

Indrall has been telling me all about your abilities with apaintbrush, as well as the hammer. It is such a rarecombination of skills, to be a master of all the noblecrafts, such as your self. Oh excuse me, where are mymanners? My name is Harlon, Harlon Smith.

Harlon, I must say it is you that flatters me. But, your name is Smith? Are you from-

Abelia? Yes indeed. Well, my father was, he leftat a very young age to pursue his dream of becoming agreat philosopher. Suffice to say, that did not work out

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quite the way he had hoped, but if he had not travelledall the way out here, I would not be here today either.

Indeed, Englewater took the chance to slip in a

few words, I wouldn't get too preoccupied with all of that nonsense though. There is only so much helpepistemology can offer a business man, and even that isbarely significant.

Loft, please. Allow me to continue, Count?The Count seemed to be enthralled in the

conversation. Yes, of course.

As Indrall already told you, I am the ambassador of Turnshire. I was not born here, but nevertheless, I amvery honoured to be so trusted by the people.

A pretty face can get you too far in politics-Englewater did not finish, The Count once again

interrupted his remark. Gentlemen, what do you say tous putting our differences aside, and actually starting our

meal? The interjection was met with a short silence,followed by the shrill sound of four sets of cutlery, allbeing picked up at once.

***

The four men spoke over several courses, their conversations detailed work, families, their home towns,and all of the other things one would expect to discussat the table. Every now and again, Fleet would have toget up, and fill Aliea's plate with more food. She wasonly a small girl, but she ate everything put in front of her, as not to appear ungrateful. To Fleet, though, Aliea

had the best seat in the house. She was the only onegraced with Mairi's conversation, something in which hewas more than keen to partake. While listening to the

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Count and his friends speak, he would occasionally hear snippets of her voice. It was not until after everyone atthe table had stopped eating that the heavy discussion

began. Well, I hate to say it gentlemen, but the time for idle banter has come to an end. We all know you wereeach called here for a specific reason, and although youare more than appreciated here, Benjamin, I am afraid itis not solely for your benefit that I was forced to arrangethis dinner. Indrall wiped his hands on a napkin before

continuing. Benjamin, in your short time here, I amsure you have come to notice that there are a lot of people about the manor, yes?

Yes Count. It surprised me at first, but I gotused to seeing such numbers of workers around.

Well then. When was the last time you sawsomeone here other than the people in this very room?

The question seemed odd to him at first. He wasnot sure how he was expected to answer, but he tried hisbest to recall the last time he encountered the hired help.

Actually, I have not seen anyone here since Ibrought Aliea back in from the gardens. I remember thinking to myself as we came down for dinner tonight,about how empty the manor seemed.

Indeed. Harlon shared his thoughts with thetable, I have seen no one since I arrived. I suspected your summoning might have had something to do withthat. It looks like I was right after all

Wait, Benjamin found it hard to comprehendwhat they were saying, are you trying to say that therehas been a problem with the help? Are they on strike? Is

that the problem? If so I can hardly imagine how I-No, Benjamin, they are not on strike, LoftEnglewater offered his own take, They would not dare

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strike under the Count's command. But I can not bear to think that everyone here just left of their own accord.Things just do not work like that, especially in the time

frame we are talking about. Benjamin, you saw them,every one of them, not an hour ago, is that correct?Yes, but I-Gentlemen, please, Mairi had addressed the

whole table for the first time, Let my father finish. Allwill be explained in due time.

Thank you, daughter. Yes my friends, we are

dealing with something far more imposing than a staff walk out. He fell silent for a few seconds. Every face atthe table shared the same confused look, apart from theCount and his daughter, of course. Fleet felt a tug at hissleeve. He looked over to see that Aliea had risen fromher seat, and walked over to him.

Father, what are they talking about? I do not

understand-He spoke to her under his breath, so the otherswould not be able to make out his words. Aliea, do notworry, this is the business part of the meeting.

I will take her. Both of them looked up. It wasMairi, she had stood and began to walk across to Aliea.She and I will go and find something to do. What do

you say Aliea? She offered her hand. Aliea turned to her father once again. He nodded.Go on.She took Mairi's hand, and the two walked off,

past the archway, and in to another room, one whichBenjamin himself had not had the opportunity toexplore yet. He wondered where she might be taking

her, but didn't spare much time to ponder on it. Oncethey had left, the Count resumed his speech.Some of you may have suspected this in the

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past, but it is time for me to confirm your speculations.Benjamin was concerned that he was the only

one who had not suspected it yet. He remained silent,

however, and allowed the Count to finish.There is no one working here. Everyone youhave ever seen in this mansion, apart from me, mydaughter, and yourselves, does not actually exist.

The entire table treat the revelation with asimilar response. After a few moments of awed silence,Englewater was the first to speak, Count, allow me one

second to consider this. You are expecting me no, us to believe that everyone that has ever worked here hasbeen a figment of our imaginations?

Not quite, Loft. This time is was Harlon whospoke. To be part of our imagination, would mean thatwe all experienced something different from our peers,as each persons mind is different, This could not possibly

have been the case, otherwise basic interactions withthem would have proved impossible. I think what theCount is trying to say, is that they did exist in thephysical world. That much must be true, but, they werenot actually people. Am I right, Indrall?

Harlon's attitude shocked Fleet, he could still notbelieve what he was being told. He had left Aliea with

April earlier that day. Had he left her with noprotection? No real guardian except for the thin air surrounding the hill-top manor?

Count, I beg your pardon, but, such a charade isnot plausible, not at all plausible. Benjamin shook hishead at the mere idea.

The Count responded directly, Mr Fleet, I am

afraid it is more than plausible, it is a reality. Harlon, youare not far wrong. Indeed, they all existed in physicalspace, but they were just a work of illusion, at its finest.

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An illusion that fools every sense, not just sight, or hearing, but all five at once. Unfortunately, the methodwhich I have employed all these years to create them, has

failed me for the first time.Harlon took this new information on board, andmade his second challenge to the Count's claims. Yousay that the technology has failed you, but if that is thecase, how is it that Fleet here saw them when hearrived?

Two things. The Count propped himself even

higher in his seat, I never said the method which I haveused was technological. In fact, technology is no wherenear advanced enough to achieve such a feat. And inresponse to the second part of your question, it helps if

you think of the manor as a light bulb. When a light bulbis almost past its time, what happens?

It flickers. On, and off, repeatedly, until it finally

blows, Fleet said.Exactly. Indrall used his hands to recreate theflickering effect, the only thing to keep in mind is thatthe effect is replicated on a much larger scale.

So, when I got here, and for the duration of myvisit so far, the light bulb was still on. During my timeupstairs, however, the bulb finally fizzled out?

For good. Englewater stroked his chin, andthen took off his glasses to clean them with a napkin.So, now you fear you will not be able to turn theillusions back on? And that is why we were called here?

Yes. The count confirmed. You all havesomething special to bring to the table, no pun intended,of course. Enterprise, philosophy, and creativity. All of

these factors will need to be addressed if we are toovercome the problem, and get the workers up andrunning again. I am sure I do not need to explain who I

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have selected for each position. I had hoped you wouldhave some time to examine the illusions before theydisappeared, but we must work with what we have been

given, and unfortunately for you, that means without theworkers as subjects. I do hope I have not left it too late.It was more than an inconvenience for them todisappear just before the evening meal. Mairi will haveto do all the cleaning up herself.

Benjamin was far from satisfied with theexplanation offered, but he realised that he would have

to take it as it came. At least he would not be alone inhis trials.I am an honoured that you called upon me in

your time of need Count. I am sure I also speak for Loftand Benjamin when I say that. Harlon made hisposition known to the group. I will help you to the bestof my ability. You can rely on me, Indrall.

Yes. Me as well, but, you already knew that.Fleet was the only one not to have spoken yet.What say you, Benjamin? The Count quizzed

the craftsman.Swallowing his apprehension along with the

lump in his throat, he nodded, and looked the Count inthe eye.

Yes. Of course. I will aid you in whatever way Ican.

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CHAPTER EIGHT

Collision

By the time Zeyku had realised what had happened, itwas over. He ran straight out into the light, disoriented,

yet he did not care about that. He was occupied onlywith being at the centre of the unrivalled whiteness. Itdid not take long, however for him to notice that thelight had faded, to reveal everything as it should havebeen. The streets were busy again, and people were goingabout their business as they would any other day.

In his carelessness he felt his body collide withthat of another's. He winced as his weight displacedtheirs, sending them to the ground. He saw a goldenflash from the corner of his eye, but he did not stop tosee if the person was okay. He just carried on running.

Zeyku allowed his speed to waver, slowing into abrisk walk. He cradled his head in his hands, trying hisbest to block out the sound of the children playing inthe cobbled streets. He had a pounding headache, andhis eyes still burned from the brilliant glow, now faded toshow the world as it actually was. When he tried to takein his surroundings, everything he saw appeared behinda ghostly white tint, but the strange sensation faded as hewalked. He thought about going back to tell Rin, to tellhim that it had happened again, but decided against it.

After a while, he stopped. Resting himself againsta wall, away from the people of the market, he reflected

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upon his situation. The flashes had returned. Although hewas terrified of them, he allowed a small part of himself to look forward to the next. It was this part of him that

had been neglected during the brief period of time thatthey had stopped. Despite this, he was not glad that theywere back. They certainly would not help his morerecent endeavours.

He looked down at his body, at the clothes hehad taken from Rin's Ale House. They were not exactlynormal looking, and because of his strange garb he was

receiving equally strange looks from the people aroundhim. Turning his attention to the east, he saw that somesort of disturbance had been initiated, and a crowd hadgathered. As he began to wonder what might have beenhappening, he felt himself being pushed back as theforce of another person's body clashed with his own. Air escaped from his lungs, and he choked on the lack of

sustenance. He had not managed to see the person whohad hit him until he turned around, and even then hewas only allowed a glimpse of the back of their head --his head. The person was of moderate height, with darkhair and a large step. He was not quite running, butmoving at a higher speed than an average walk.

Zeyku has almost re-composed himself, but he

was not graced with the chance to regain his staturecompletely before being taken by surprise again, thistime he saw the person's face as they shoved him out of the way. It was a girl, much younger, possibly aroundfifteen or sixteen. She had soft features, the gentle curvesof her nose and mouth accompanied by her absorbing,light blue eyes. Unfortunately for the girl, her body,

which was shorter than his by several inches, was notweighty enough to displace his own, and she came to astop in front of him after colliding with his chest. Not

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wasting any time she grunted in disapproval, andattempted to slide past him. He managed to halt her movement with a well placed arm. It was clear to him

that this girl and the man that had waylaid him earlier were in cahoots, and were probably the cause of thedisturbance in the immediate east.

Hey, get out of my way- The girl was far frompleased with him. She hearkened after the man who hadfled before her, peering over Zeyku's shoulders in vain.She tried to judge how far away he was - to determine

if he was going to stop, or leave her behind. Zeyku tookhold of her arms and forced them to her sides.Well, if you would be so kind as to explain the

rules of your little game with me, I would be happy to join in. Her features took on a form of resentment, andshe struggled a little harder to escape his grasp.

This isn't a game! If you don't let me pass we're

both in trouble.Looks to me like you are not in the position tobe making threats here.

Fine, The girl ceased her struggle, But youbetter have a good story for the marshal, 'cause I suredon't.

Zeyku looked to where the commotion had

stirred from. There was an upturned stall, and fruit wasrolling across the ground, picking up gravel and weeds asit went.

You tried to steal - fruit?The girl glanced behind her, and gasped under

her breath. The fruit is the last of our worries. Her arms still constricted by Zeyku's grasp, she nodded

towards her satchel. He put one hand in the leather pouch, and didn't even have to look to know that shewas right.

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Jewellery?She nodded. Look, let me go, and you can take

whatever you want, just as long as we don't get caught.

There was a certain desperation in her voice, andit appeared to Zeyku that she wasn't exactly a veteran. Itwas more out of pity, and the lack of an actual planformulated for himself that he dec

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