A Tale of Luster and Dawn

Chapter 6 - The Unveiling

As Rachel had decided, she was headed toward the East and reached the mountain. 

A small hill preceded the mountain, and Rachel climbed it to get a better view on the surrounding forest. The view was stunning: from her viewpoint on the hill at the foot of the mountain, Rachel could see the Sun setting in the distance, and old thoughts of regret and sadness came rushing back. In peaceful surroundings like the glorious valley where she was now, Rachel could really look back on everything she had done in moments of anger, pain, or silly determination that wasn't backed up by any solid proof or reason. 

Rachel felt bad for those she hurt, leaving them behind in search of something more, that may not even be possible to achieve. 

To distract herself from thinking, which had become a bit of a bore after many centuries, Rachel smiled and looked around the valley. It was a lush green, with mysterious trees and tangling vines tickled by the rays of the setting sun. 

A giant mountain rose from the sea of green, towering over the valley as a king would over his subjects. But the mountain didn't cover the valley with a shadow. It stood protective and loving of the untouched forest it protected. A thin waterfall, like a silver ribbon, flowed down it and into the valley.

Rachel's gaze was drawn to the side of the mountain. Her eyes narrowed as she saw an unnatural-looking rock poking out of the smooth mountainside. It was covered in moss and vines like the rest of the mountain, but didn't seem to have gotten there naturally, because it stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Rachel took a pair of binoculars from her bag and squinted at the deformity. She gasped when she realized there was a tower with a gray, slanted roof coming out. She could clearly see large windows and even a bridge from tower to tower. Windows poked out of what was clearly a castle. 

The ancient residence was covered in shrubbery and overgrown plants, that seem to have been untouched for centuries. 

Rachel was eager to gallop to it and explore, but stopped when she noticed the gate. The gate, too, was centuries old and rotting, but wide open. Stranger still, the vines, eager to ensnare the gate with their curling arms, had clearly been hacked away to make way for the entrance. Nature couldn't have done this, thought Rachel. So, she decided to be cautious. 

She buttoned up her bag, making sure her binoculars, food and water, magic dictionary, and of course the silver hourglass were secured inside. Then, she continued on.  

When she approached the gate, all she wanted to do was walk right in and explore this amazing ancient architecture, but her reason, which she always tried to trust, told her to instead find another entrance. 

Rachel examined the vines, which had been mercilessly cut off. The work seemed to be done by a blade, but Rachel couldn't make sure and decided to finally find an entrance. She circled the entire castle, careful not to slip on the rocks, and discovered a back door that lead to what would have been the kitchen. 

The servants who worked in the castle would have used it to bring supplies to the kitchen instead of using the main entrance like the nobles or royals who had lived in the castle.

The kitchen was primitive. There was a hearth with a large, rusty cauldron in it.  The rest of the kitchen was made of stone, like the hearth. In the center was a rotting wood table, also very old. The rest of the kitchen was mostly empty and covered in cobwebs and dust that had been neglected for a long, long time. 

Stepping carefully to avoid spiders and centipedes crawling all over the floor, Rachel crossed the kitchen and entered another room through an arched doorway.  

The room Rachel entered was a dining hall. The table in the center was long and made of stone with a marble countertop. There were rotting pieces of wood that were probably once fabulous, engraved chairs or stools lying around the table.