PELAIR. The Gems of the Golden Serpent.

8. The Alor Castle

The castle seemed abandoned. Weeds covered its walls, while the portentous barbican that once proudly framed the entrance to the citadel lay partially ruined. The remains of the rake that once interposed whoever wanted to enter the castle lingered discarded and rusty, as a silent witness of time. The stagnant water of the moat that protected the flanks of the fortifications reflected the passage of clouds. Some white egrets quietly enjoyed the banquet that nature lavished them with the large population of frogs croaking in the ditch. The remains of the bridge still allowed precarious access to the castle.

It was a pleasant afternoon, and Brannan could only imagine his mother walking through the once beautiful meadows surrounding the castle.

"Everything seems in complete abandonment," Gertrudis said. "However, we must be cautious."

"Toto," said her big nephew with no apparent reason. Whenever he wanted to comment on something, he only limited to mention his nickname. That was the only word he ever spoke.

Brannan ran down on the planks that made up the remains of the bridge, to reach the ruined barbican and entered the tunnel that led into the fortress. At the other end, there was a large courtyard in which stood scattered, the remains of a wooden cart. Some trees had already had their opportunity to grow, covering the view of what used to be the keep. There was a profusion of grown-up patches of grasses.

Taking a partially demolished stairs that ran alongside one wall, Brannan strolled on the walkway above the wall that encircled the entire complex. From there, he observed what appeared to be the remains of the siege towers that surely Vonegh had used to attack the Earl of Alor. Gertrudis was at his heels, while Toto stayed behind, busy trying to catch a mouse that had run into a pile of rotting logs that clustered at one side of the stairs.

"Get down!" exclaimed Brannan, suddenly alerting his companions.

They squatted down, noting that a column of smoke rose from among the ruined roof of the tower.

"It seems the castle is not as alone as we had thought," said the woman.

"Who could it be?" asked Brannan rhetorically.

"It would be better if we get out of here," opined Gertrudis. "Whoever is here, won't probably be alone."

"We came for some memories of my mother, and if there is any, I'm not going without them," said the young man stubbornly.

Since he had known about the fate of his mother, he had dreamed of finding out more about her, and he was not willing to give up his dream.

After having weathered the attack of Alarigo's men, Brannan and Gertrudis had finally managed to win each other mutual respect and trust. However, the young man refused to reveal his newfound royal heritage and his legitimate rights to the thrones of Kersia and Kiria. Gertrudis, meanwhile, was overjoyed to be lucky enough to have found and serve whom she had recognized as the heir to the throne of her beloved country. Brannan did not suspect she had deduced his secret, thanks to the snake-like stain she had seen on the torso of the young man. That was the birthmark of the royal family of Kersia. The woman could not contain her pride in being the escort to the grandson of the deposed and murdered King Berién.

"Come up, Toto," indicated the woman, addressing her nephew that was playing at the foot of the stairs, and whom she treated like a child.

They walked crouched around the walkway, up to a rickety wooden bridge that united that sector of the wall with a small turret that guarded the back entrance of the tower. Toto tore down without much effort, the old wooden door that gave access to the tower, which allowed them to climb a narrow staircase attached to a wall of what seemed to have been a guardroom.