Chapter 12

 Before the group, and between them and the castle, stood a large, perfectly manicured garden. This stunning garden boasted plants of every colour, in the form of beds, shrubs, and even trees, each pristinely maintained to present a warm welcome to any who would walk the path to the front door. Being sure to tread carefully and to never deviate from the gravel-laden path, Riegert and the others followed cautiously behind Fellaroth, taking careful note of where he placed each foot.

"Would you slow down Fell; you're acting like this place didn't try to kill us mere moments ago!"

"Relax Jackson, we're in a garden, what do you think could possibly happen to us here?"

"Don't tempt this place Fell, it's not natural, I think it might be listening in."

"Oh, now don't you start with that, first Calvin, and now you. How can I make it clear to you that there is nothing unnatural about this place? It's all just magic!"

"Yes, but it's magic that is controlling itself. There is no longer a person in control of this place, which means that the magic must have some level of intelligence."

"No Jackson, each spell is simply continuing to complete its original function. There is no need for anyone to control a spell if all it needs to do is fulfil a certain set of parameters. For example, if motion is detected near the archway, activate the blade. In essence, a collection of very simple spells that work independently yet look impressive when viewed as a whole."

"Well, when you say it that way… it still doesn't make me feel any better! Let's just take our time, avoid the traps, find this gate, and leave this place. Sooner rather than later, please!" said Jackson as they approached the main doors.

"You're not going to like this, but I think we need to do one thing before we look for the gate." Fellaroth stopped and faced the others, knowing that he was about to have yet another difficult conversation.

"And what exactly do you want us to do Fell?" asked Riegert.

"I want us to find Fellaroth's study on the higher levels."

"Why would we want to do that?"

"Because there is bound to be a map there that will show us all of the active gates across Xenendoria. That will give us a good idea of where we can and can't travel using his magic."

"You mean to use this magic more than once?" asked Calvin.

"Well, why wouldn't we? This magic will allow us to travel safely and unhindered across Xenendoria, it only makes sense that we should use it."

"No Fell, I don't think that would be a good idea. I think we should just use it to travel to Cruwshant, complete this job and then report back to the guild there. If we use this magic too often then we're bound to draw unwanted attention and run the risk of other people discovering the gates."

"Fine, I can see that you're right, but we still need to go to the study to see what gate is closest to Cruwshant." Said Fellaroth, turning and continuing toward the main door. Three curved steps provided the approach to the opulent wooden door which bore exquisitely carved designs, and a single round window at face level, just large enough to get a tantalising view of the castle's interior.

Seeing the small window, Jackson stepped forward and was about to lean in closer to get a look inside when Fellaroth placed a hand on his arm and said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" causing him to quickly recoil from the window.

"What, is that little window somehow a trap?"

"Shall I show you?" answered Fellaroth, pointing toward the ground at the foot of the stairs and rapidly lifting two fingers into the air. With this subtle gesture, a golem of sand and cobblestone rose from the dirt and started to approach the door. The group watched on as this human-sized monstrosity hobbled its way closer to the door before leaning close to the window, as though it were looking inside. The instant the golem's face was a few inches from the glass, the small porthole morphed into a gaping mouth filled with jagged, serrated, monstrous teeth, which lurched forward and consumed the golem, leaving only its legs below the knees still standing in front of the door.

"What in the world was that?" asked a horror-struck Jackson.

 "That my friend is what we call an epigone. They are normally found deep in caves where they mimic rocks, hanging moss or the like so they can catch their favourite food, goblins! It would appear that our esteemed host was able to capture such a creature and bring it back here to take the place of his front door."

"And how exactly has such a creature managed to live this long?" asked Calvin, closely examining the door from afar.

"Epigones can live impressively long lives and need to eat very little to sustain themselves, though I would wager there is some sort of life-preserving spell that has been cast on it." Answered Fellaroth.

"So how do we get past it?" asked Riegert.

"Simple, just stand to one side, do not look into the little window, and turn the handle!" answered Fellaroth, standing to the left of the door and turning the handle. The squeak of the door handle was followed by a loud moan as the door swung open, though no one could tell if the moan was from the tired, aged hinges, or from the epigone complaining about a lost meal. "It still operates like a door; it's just triggered when someone looks through the window."

"Why would that be its trigger? Why not when someone turned the handle?" asked Jackson.

"One would assume that Fellaroth would like to enter his own home without being eaten alive, and let's face it, it's human nature to peer through a window in a door, particularly if the door is to a place you've never been to before." Answered Calvin as he followed Fellaroth across the threshold and into the castle. "Wow, this place is amazing!" he added, upon seeing the lavish interior that would have made any king of the modern era die of envy.

"He really went all out, didn't he!" remarked Riegert as he saw the number of busts, statues, sculptures, and gorgeous works of art that adorned almost every surface of this luxurious castle.

"Well, you have to remember that by the time he had built these castles, Fellaroth had already become the first true king of mankind and so had become accustomed to a certain way of life." Answered Fellaroth.

"Be that as it may, this place is extravagant, even by the standards of today's royalty… hang on, did you just say, 'these castles?' meaning that there is more than one?"

"Yes, each gate was built in a castle of its own, that way I… he had a place to stay when he reached a new location."

"And just how many locations are there exactly?"

"I'm not sure, a few dozen, though I can't be sure how many of them are still standing at this point."

"A few dozen! Who in the world was this guy, and where did he get the time to achieve so much in a single lifetime?"

"I suppose, when you look at his achievements collectively, he did manage to do a lot with his time in this world!" answered Fellaroth, beaming with pride.

"How long did you say he lived?" Asked Jackson.

"I'm actually not sure. I know that through his extensive experimentation with magic, he had managed to extend his life to far longer than that of the average man, but I'm not sure exactly how long he actually lived."

"Well, that actually makes a lot more sense than him having achieved so much in a single lifespan. Either way you choose to look at it though, this guy should have been far more famous than he is. He should have been a household name, hell, he should have been a God!" added Calvin, leaving Fellaroth to smile proudly.

"Calvin, I appreciate that this Fellaroth was a great man and that his achievements are certainly praiseworthy, but I have to be the one to bring us back to ground here. We have come here with a particular goal in mind, and it was not to marvel at his many achievements. We need to find that study, then the gate, and move on from here. Preferably before this place manages to kill one of us!"

"We're inside now, surely there won't be any more traps from here on out?" asked Calvin.

"I don't believe there will be, but that doesn't mean that we should drop our guards just yet. Let's find that study and that map." Said Fellaroth, walking toward a grand staircase that led up to the second floor. A subtle red carpet muffled their footsteps as they climbed the stairs and walked along the second-floor corridor, passing door after door without so much as a passing interest.

"You seem to really know your way around this place Fell." Remarked Riegert after they had walked down several corridors and up more than one flight of stairs.

"Um… there was a map in one of the books that I read… it was more of a floor plan really… and it showed the way to the study, that's all. It's not far now, just down this last corridor!" being back in a place that he hadn't seen in so long had caused Fellaroth to forget the act he was putting on. Without thinking he had led the group straight to the study without checking a single room along the way. "This is it, Fellaroth's study!" he said as he turned the handle and eased the door open.