There is a lot about me you don't know -Tales of Arcadia ENG

2-Easy

TRACK 2

I've been watching, I've been waiting

In the shadows for my time

I've been searching, I've been living

For tomorrow all my life

Lately, I've been walking, walking in circles

Watching, waiting for something

( In the shadows - The Rasmus)

********

Before reaching Morgana's rooms, the group made a quick stop in the kitchens. They were deserted: of Arthur's past servants, there was not even a shadow. Kind of like there had been no presence around the castle of any other people except Galahad. No soldiers in the flesh, only enchanted armors lurking in the corners.

Archie took advantage of this to steal a lamb rib hanging from the ceiling. He cooked it with a blaze and instantly took to devouring it. It was a little flavorless, as it lacked the spices to which his palate had become accustomed, but that was fine. There had been worse dinners.

Douxie, on the other hand, noted with mild concern that there was very little food compared to the norm. The pantry was not as well stocked as usual, it was almost empty. There were barely twelve servings of food, which certainly was not enough for all of them. Figures an entire staff and the Round Table's knights.

He, then, realized two things.

It was obvious that there was so little food. It was not a matter of time or the like. Camelot, had it not been for them, could have been called a ghost castle. No one was left of the people he had met, except for the Knight most closely associated with Merlin. It was weird to think about it, but it was the truth.

Between shifts, they would have had to go ashore at least once or they would have ended up starving. And yes, Douxie tended at times to skip meals out of haste or lack of hunger, albeit provoking his familiar's anger, but in this case, he knew he had to be at full strength, as the Guardians of Arcadia had to be. No food meant no energy.

The second thing...

"Oh, it's going to be a disaster tomorrow," he said, his voice low and hurt, almost slapping himself while saying it.

A "What?", a "What's going to be a disaster?" and a "What do you mean?" rose practically in chorus.

Archie, reading inside his mind, made a hoarse sound, then returned to the rib with a voracious attitude.

"...The coffee is missing," he said mournfully.

There was a moment of silence. Then Toby burst into hysterical, very loud, laughter.

"Priorities," muttered the dragon. "With your addiction, that's all I expected from you."

*******

Claire found the Shadowmancy volume between her hands so quickly that it almost seemed as if it had magically appeared. It hadn't, of course, she had gone looking for it... but one moment she hadn't had it, not even knowing what it might look like, and the next it was there, the cover visible.

She hadn't opened it yet, but she was clutching it to her chest as if the book was about to disappear. It was almost smooth under her fingertips, but not quite. It was externally crisscrossed with squiggles that decorated it and had a slight thickness on which her fingers ended up lingering, following their paths.

They had left the Mother of Monsters' room as quickly as they could. Just entering it had been terrifying, though it had turned out to be a more or less normal environment. But the mere idea of remaining in the chambers of the one who had taken over her body, trapping her in the Shadow Realm, had caused her to want to avoid staying there for longer than was necessary, making her feel uncomfortable.