ICE

85. Tylat

RAVENNA STARED INTENTLY at Vyses, a seed of panic rooting deep within her stomach. "What exactly do you mean, Vyses?"

Vyses pressed his lips into a firm line, his gaze focused on the castle that stood before them. He slowly folded his arms across his chest, his shoulders rolling back. "I am not completely positive, lass," he said. "I think that this forest is spelled. Or maybe we have been discovered."

Ravenna's gaze intensified.

He heaved a small sigh. "Think about it," he continued, his voice soft, almost absent. "Both attempts to run away from the castle have failed. Even when we are certain that our backs are facing it. We seem to only be getting closer to it. I think that either a spell has been placed upon this forest as a precautionary measure against intruders, and we've fallen under it. Or someone has discovered our trespassing and has placed a spell upon us from afar, forcing us to go to the castle. Either way, we have no choice but to go forward, in the direction the spell is forcing us in."

"Which means that we must go to the castle," she whispered. "Are you certain that's our only option? Since we have been placed under a spell, I feel that it is safe to assume that whoever is in the castle has a good understanding of magic. It won't be like fighting one of the guards."

Vyses nodded. "Whoever it is probably supplied that guard with his magic-detecting rock."

Ravenna lifted her hands to her face, her fingers rubbing small circles against her temple. "This whole idea just doesn't seem right. I have a bad feeling about this. Isn't there a way that we can break the spell?"

"I would need to know more about the spell. I believe I have read about a spell quite similar to this one, though I am uncertain exactly what is required to perform it. I believe it is a simple redirection spell. If it is, it doesn't require a lot of skill and doesn't necessarily mean that whoever is in that castle immediately wants to kill us."

Lyth's head perked up. "I could go check it out."

Vyses shook his head. "There is no use in only sending one person at a time. All three of us are under the spell and, in order to escape, all three of us will have to go to the castle eventually."

Ravenna's stomach twisted with knots. She stared at the castle, at the thin towers that reached toward the clouds. The closer that she looked, the more she noticed smaller details about the castle –like the web of vines that curled around the base of the towers and the greenery that grew in between the weathered stones the castle was comprised of. It didn't look well maintained. It didn't look like many people lived within it.

"Is there absolutely no other option?" she asked Vyses quietly.

"No," Vyses said, his voice soft. "I don't believe so, lass. Not if it is similar to the spell that I've read about, at least. There are no counter spells that could be performed to get us through the forest. We would have to know the specifications set by the person who cast the spell."

Ravenna heaved a sigh. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to calm her stomach. Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. A small part of her mind focused on the fact that she could summon her soldiers if it came to a fight. She focused on that, as the notion gave her some peace of mind. "Alright," she said. Her voice dripped with resignation. "We need to move quickly then if we are to avoid nightfall."

Vyses nodded and started to walk, with Lyth and Ravenna falling into step behind him. He led them through the forest, toward the castle. It didn't take long before the trees around them thinned out completely, and the iron doors that marked the entrance to the castle stood before them.

Ravenna's eyes widened as she surveyed the castle. The doors themselves stood taller than the trees behind her. Etched into the iron was an engraved design, depicting a pair of angry dragons, their fangs barred at each other. The snippets of jagged stones that poked through the heavy sheet of weeds that surrounded the doors appeared weathered and broken.

Standing in front of the castle's entrance was a small man. The man looked harmless, sporting a sand colored tunic and fiery hair pulled back into a topknot. He watched them with ease, his arms folded across his chest and his face void of emotion. His eyes, however, caused fear to prickle within Ravenna's heart.

His eyes were completely black, as if someone had stained them with ink.

"Welcome," the man said. As his mouth moved, the pasty skin that covered his face almost seemed to shimmer. "I've been expecting you."

Ravenna's jaw clenched. She forced herself to take a deep breath and squared her shoulders, fearing the worst. Her nails dug into the heels of her palms, tendrils of her icy magic dancing across her knuckles.

Vyses's hand curled around hers and squeezed tight. "We mean you no harm. I do apologize for trespassing on your property. We got lost."

The man didn't respond at first. His eyes seemed to narrow into horizontal slivers of darkness, a movement that was unnatural for a human. The hairs on the back of Ravenna's neck stood straight.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"I am Vyses, a wizard from the countryside," Vyses answered. He gestured to Ravenna and added, "This is my apprentice, Ravenna."

The man's inky eyes seemed to focus on Ravenna and his nose crinkled. His lips moved around muttered words that she couldn't understand. His gaze seemed to shift toward Vyses. "I suppose you speak truthfully. I will provide you with lodging for the night. There isn't much daylight left, and the trees are most dangerous in the dark. You will be granted safe passage through the forest, and off my property, in the morning."

Vyses glanced down at Ravenna. "I feel that is a good idea, lass," he whispered. "These trees aren't natural –I've never encountered any like them before. We also will not be able to navigate through the spell without this man's aid."

"Of course," Ravenna breathed.

"Thank you for your gracious offer," Vyses said. He smiled kindly at the man. "We accept your offer."

The man turned his back to them. "Follow me, then," he said. He waved a hand that glowed with evergreen magic. The iron doors in front of him slowly creaked open. Vyses, Ravenna, and Lyth followed him through the doors and into the castle's foyer.

"Welcome to my home," the man said, his quiet voice radiating against the castle walls. "You may call me Tylat."

hey friends!

Things are starting to get spicy! And not in a fun way lol. 

Thank you all so much for your continued support and patience! ❤ It really means so much to me! I am slowly getting back into the hang of posting once a week. I haven't quite figured out what my exact writing schedule will me (as in what day y'all can expect updates) but once I do, I'll let you know!

PS. A new episode also went live on Tapas yesterday! So if you would like to read ahead, I highly recommend that you check it out!