Shackles Of The Past

Chapter 31- Cowered by barriers

… clearly, I am not

afraid of the dark.

~Cassandra Clare.

***

The path through which she followed was dark and filled with bushes. The ground was quite muddy, though the meadow was green as always and she got the first splatter of rain across it.

Along the way she navigated through the darkened corridors of the castle, encountering additional guards at the intersections. She had easily escaped the eyes of the patrolling guards wandering around every corner with ease. She would take different turns and hide at every given opportunity without being noticed or spotted. But she moved with deliberate caution, her footsteps light and measured.

And with that luck, she ventured further.

With each step, the soft rustle of her white maid attire echoed through the deserted hallways, giving a subtle reminder of her presence. The flickering touches cast eerie shadows on the walls, making it seem as though they were spirits of the castle were watching her every move.

The breeze came, urging her onward or perhaps a sign of restriction, no one could tell, as every movement of hers were subtle and sharp. Although the attire she wore hindered her steps, causing her to move with restrain, she didn’t stop. She kept going on and on, her mind fueled with determination and urgency.

The further she got closer, the farther away she got from the guests who arrived at the grand hall and participated in the extravagant celebration.

At last when she neared, she came across two armored guards coming out from the entrance of the back route, as though they were patrolling the area. Out of reflex, Medusa quickly hid herself behind the nearby tree, taking shelter in them.

They stood at attention, their faces illuminated by the faint moonlight filtering through the windows as they marched in heavy steps, their eyes alert in case of any suspicious movements, and their senses heightened. Medusa wondered if someone might have alerted them, as this area had always been cleared.

She had least expected anyone to be there, and didn’t have enough time to divert to an alternative route, as their appearance were the exact moment she appeared, out of the blue.

If not for her quick and delicate movements, she was certain she would have been noticed by now. Certainly, she would not only be in trouble, but in a bigger one if caught. She knew even the slightest misstep could prove disastrous.

Part of her acquiesced timing involved Esther’s planning, who was also meant to lure them as a distraction, paving way for her to proceed through the west, but she had sought for this place, knowing fully well no one would be positioned at such a time like this and would save enough time to get there faster.

But now, without Esther, she knew she were on her own, her plan slightly compromised by the guards appearance. How was she going to get past them if they remained fixed at the entrance?

Droplets of moisture began to drop from the leaves, sprinkling onto the grass like a gardener’s hose, motioning her to abandon her plan and seek for refuge against the impossible bypass.

But Medusa’s determination was unyielding. Even the way her gaze swirled around every corner for an obvious distraction, proved she wasn’t going to neglect this opportunity. She couldn’t give up at this fatal point. It was now or never.

Calculating her next move, Medusa leaned forward, taking a quick look at the guards before hiding her face from view. Was there a way to cross without the attention of the guards? Maybe another route?

But her urgency reminded her of the time she would spend diverting further, dodging another set of guards and risking herself wholly. The only suitable option left for her was to handle the guards. And to her luck, for the second time, there were just two.

The wind came up, and her hair swayed to the pressure in a fluid movement causing her to quickly braid it to keep it in place and avoid the attention. With one last look, she turned again and looked at the guards.

She would have thought to approach them, raise false alarm and grab the opportunity, but it was at that instant she remembered she couldn’t talk. Using the ability to speak through people’s mind was dangerous neither with the use of her fingers.

What would one say this time? Perhaps she was dancing with them? Her mind diverted towards Esther, thinking how sick she came up with such maddening suggestion. That annoying pest.

She focused her attention on what was most important, before looking at her hindrances.

CLANK!

Something fell near the guard’s stand-by, causing a terrible noise that had them whipped their heads to the direction it came from, looking alerted.

“What was that?” asked the taller one, looking at the place something made the noise as though an object had fallen.

The second person, short and built looked at the same spot with the exact question in his eyes as he observed in silence. “Must be the wind.” He then answered, eyes leaving the place the noise came from and focused once more.

“Mm,” the taller one responded, the answer quite convincing, judging by the force of the wind. It might have fallen something, he thought. And with that, his attention diverted, returning to the previous one.

CLANK! CLANK…!

For the second time, it alerted them again. “I should check that out. You stay on guard,” said the short one, which the taller one nodded.

And then he left, leaving only the last guard standing, observing the surroundings. His movements were guarded, his eyes scanning places for any strange movements or perhaps, intruder.

He stayed that way, taking small walks but not leaving the route unguarded. His eyes were trapping. His face was as serious as his lips that were left unsmiling, guarded from top to finish as it continued for few seconds.

As he walked back, he whistled against his lips, only to hear the rustle of leaves and he snapped behind. “Who is there?” he asked, voiced laced with authority and alertness, while monitoring every little thing his eyes could catch upon. In reflex, he held the hilt of the sword still firm on his belt not wanting to take chances of being off guarded. “Anyone there?”

Silence was all that answered him, except from the wind that made noises he acknowledged warily. Due to the soft rustles and the way the wind added much pressure, he concluded it could have been him imagining things.

He sighed, his heightened alertness reducing a bit. He wondered what could have been taking Pyp this long.

The next moment, he heard whispers, one he was sure he heard clearly. He once again, whipped to the direction it came potent. This especially had proved to him someone was there.

“Show yourself or suffer the consequences!” he yelled, unsheathing his sword at that instance. He positioned himself, ready to face any counter attack. He took steps forward, walking with calculated steps, although contemplating whether or not to leave his position.

He heard it again, loud enough to his hearing, and he surrendered, rushing to check what made that sound with a promise of returning afterwards. By then he was certain Pyp must have returned.

Taking the opportunity, Medusa came out of her hiding position with big yet quiet leaps and rushed without anyone’s notice, leaving the two men miserably searching for the ghost.

***

As she made her way into the deserted land, one she had ogled from the other part of the castle, the music had long faded into the distance replaced by an unsettling silence.

She looked at the tower clear before her eyes, noting the way it loomed before her, its stone walls shrouded in an aura of darkness and foreboding, and the air heavy with the scent of decay and neglect.

Medusa quietly pushed the gate open, revealing herself wholly to the forbidden ground, clouded by darkness and death, mostly heavy with this intensity that was quite foreign to her.

But the darkness here was more profound, more suffocating closer than afar, with the entrance left unguarded, an eerie sense of abandonment. Of course, this ground were forbidden and left with rumors that the land belonged to the cursed Lord.

Medusa could see beyond the stone walls, how strong they still seemed after the war that had transpired within and outside, but this one stood, not fixed but left utterly detached, a stark reminder of the horrors it once faced.

The creaking door swung open, beckoning her into the darkness within.

Inside the tower, it was silent and dusty, a desolate place where no one had set foot for years. With the lantern, the way leading to places that were still unknown was quiet and utterly silent, that even her soft footsteps on the cold marble floor echoed through the space.

Indeed, it was a totally different part of the castle with its mystery looming at every corner. One she was lured to find out.

***