Heaven And Earth (Mihawk X Reader)

A Castle Like No Other

You weren't sure what to expect when you walked inside, but this wasn't it.

With the rest of the island in ruins, it would've made sense for the inside to be a wreck as well, or at least barren of anything good or useful. But your first steps in proved that all to be wrong.

The entrance was huge, the ceiling vaulting upwards and reaching a few floors above you. A grand staircase led upwards to the many rooms lining the sides. Busts and paintings decorated the space, all intact but covered in a fine layer of dust. The marble floors beneath your feet were in the same state; in perfect shape, just dirty.

"Interesting...." You spun in a slow circle before deciding to follow one of the many halls branching off to the left.

A few rooms were attached to the hall but the main two of note were the kitchen and dining room. And you had to admit, they were gorgeous. The kitchen was big enough for a full staff, fit for any castle. It was entirely rustic with plenty of natural themed decor. The cabinets and large table in the center of the room were all a dark oak, covered in chinks and small gouges from years of wear and tear. The appliances however, seemed to be more modern and despite the dust that reached even in here, they were all in good shape.

A quick check through the cabinets and pantries came with surprising results. Cans, jars, and boxes of different foodstuffs were everywhere. There were plenty pots and pans, silverware, and more. Not to mention there were multiple sprigs of dried herbs strung up on nails along the higher parts of the walls. If you had to guess based on the kitchen alone, someone had to be living here at some point recently. If it weren't for the dust, you'd even go as far to say that they were probably still present. But everything still seemed like it hadn't been touched in a while.

The last thing you noticed in the kitchen was another door. You opening it carefully and it creaked slightly as it's own weight helped it swing ajar. It was completely dark but the shadowy daylight that came in from the windows was enough to light up the stairs directly at your feet. You could smell the cool, earthy air from below.

A cellar.

"Fancy." You chuckled as you began the decent, running your hand along the chilly stone walls.

You could feel the earth below when your boots scraped the ground at the bottom of the staircase. It hummed faintly with an energy that you'd grown familiar with and quite fond of. The room was kept at a colder temperature naturally and as your eyes adjusted to the dark, you could make out the many bottles of alcohol snugly burrowed in the latticework shelves that lined the walls.

You reached for the nearest bottle and pulled it out of its spot, just barely able to make out the dark red color of the liquid inside. It wasn't just a cellar, it was a wine cellar. Fancier than you thought it'd be.

The bottle was slid back into place and you scampered back upstairs, your curiosity for the room now sated.

The dining room was next and as expected, was just as grand as the kitchen. Large windows lined a single wall, letting plenty of daylight filter in. Between them hung tapestries of complex scenes. Some depicted fights, hard battles between two kingdoms, others showed everyday life; farmers at work in fields, hunters chasing down furry creatures, fishermen working the docks.

When you were able to tear your eyes away from the art, you examined the giant table in the center of the room. It was long enough to seat at least fifty people with just enough chairs, you'd counted. They were all neatly lined up and pushed in to the table, all except one at the very end. It was out at an angle, halfway facing away from the table, like someone had pulled it out to sit in it rather haphazardly. First the fully stocked kitchen, and then the chair. You were finding there was something interesting about the castle that didn't have anything to do with the rest of the island.