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The High Tower Ch. 20: The Entity of the North

Summary: The group leaves the village, only to get stopped by Dark.

Other Parts: 0, Darkstache Day 2 and 3

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

Roman heard the commotion around the jailhouse, or what amounted to it because it was essentially a large hole in the ground. Nicodemus was tied by the wrist to some post as the Mayor was yelling down at the thief.

More than a few townsfolk were watching.

He stayed just outside the jail with Virgil and Patton.

“What have you done?” The Mayor demanded. “He’s going to burn our town down.”

Nicodemus spat at the Mayor. “He wasn’t going to do anything so long as I had them.”

“We were safe,” she said. “He left us alone.”

“He’s a tyrant and a murderer,” Nicodemus said. “He massacred an entire town.”

The Mayor looked about ready to tear her hair out. “He hadn’t touched our town in almost a hundred years. Families were safe. We could trade with Southton and other cities. I trusted you.”

“Perhaps you should watch where you place your trust then?”

Roman jumped, Virgil full on yelped. But the Mayor turned around and looked like she was going to be killed on the spot.

Dark was standing there, in his dark cloak. There was more than a couple building in-between the clerk’s office and this jail area, so the group didn’t see Wilford take out a well wrapped bundle and sprint for his horse.

While the Gentry Lord had been approaching, most of the crowd was scattering out of his way. But Dark was looking at the Mayor, his expression was cold and impassive.

“Whatever he stole, we knew nothing about it,” the Mayor said.

Dark just stared at her. “Then step aside.”

“Right,” the Mayor scrambled out of the way.

Without another word, Dark slipped into the hole and closed the door. He used his magic to pull the doors down as a knife slipped out of his cloak sleeve.

Roman looked at the jail, standing with the Mayor and Virgil outside of the building. Dark and the clerk weren’t making any discernible noises from inside.

“Should we do something?” Roman asked.

“Absolutely not,” the Mayor said.

“There’s magic seeping out beneath the cracks of the door and the bricks, we shouldn’t disrupt the spell,” Virgil said.

“Roman?”

The young prince turned to see Althea buzzing towards him as a hummingbird.

“Where are the others?”

“Maggie is gathering everyone else over by the carriage, we should go,” Althea said.

“I need to speak with Dark, we made a deal,” Roman said.

Althea’s wings beat just a bit quicker in nervousness.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the Mayor said. “Lord Dark can be temperamental.”

Suddenly the jail door flew open. Dark climbed out.

There was no one else inside with him, but Dark had not a hair out of place as he emerged from the prison, closing the door behind him.

When Roman didn’t see Nicodemus, his blood ran a little cold.

“Alice,” Dark called out.

Immediately, the Mayor approached. “Lord Dark?”

“Send everyone home, your vermin problem has been dealt with,” Dark told her. “I’m in a good mood. Your town gets to live another day.”

“Yes, thank you, Lord Dark,” the Mayor bowed.

“Oh,” Dark added, before the Mayor could retreat. “Before you go.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t think I need to . . . bother you with the details of how disappointed I am in your choice of clerk,” Dark said. “You’ll fill in his duties until I can find a more suitable replacement. Should you fail in this task, I will replace you as this town’s mayor. And I assure you, I will not be gentle with your people. You will find that I have been quite merciful to you.”

“Yes, I will not fail you, I promise you,” the Mayor fumbled to say.

Dark made some motion with his hand and the Mayor hurried away, talking to the people who were still close enough.

Then his eyes landed on Roman, who had yet to really move from where he’d been watching the prison.

The prince would have been lying if he said he wasn’t a little bit afraid.

“You killed him,” Roman said.

“Naturally,” Dark’s expression was steely, inhumane as was expected. “He stole from me, and would have done so again. I was protecting what was mine.”

Then he held out his hand, “My whistle? I can’t have you annoying me with it whenever you please.”

Nervous, but trying to control it, Roman took the pheasant whistle out of his pocket and handed it back to Dark. As he stared at it, the prince wondered if Dark looked like that when he didn’t appear human.

And then his blood chilled again as he remembered his reason for even being in Dark’s homeland.

“Lord Dark?” Roman said.

“Yes?” Dark said, one of his eyebrows arching upwards.

“I’ll talk with her,” Roman told the northern Gentry.

“Excuse you?” Dark inclined his head a little.

“I don’t know why she requested that feather, but she can’t be allowed to have it. I’ll find some way to reason with her.”

“You are going to reason with Maggie?” Dark had an incredulous tone to his voice.

“I’ll think of something,” Roman promised, his expression becoming resolute.

Dark smiled at that, his face moving closer to Roman’s. “I would very much enjoy to hear that discussion, little prince. Unfortunately I must return home, you should all return to Maggie. And do it fast before she thinks I set her humans on fire.”

“Right, thank you,” Virgil said.

Dark glared at him, “If I see you or your mage friends casting spells on my land I may have to reconsider sparing you.”

“Of course,” Virgil said.

Dark finally walked away, heading directly towards the Arboretum. He did offer a parting comment to Roman, “May your dreams be sweet, little prince.”

Althea shepherded them back to the carriage. Emile and Remy were waiting outside the carriage.

“Everything alright?” Remy asked.

“How’s your arm?” Emile asked.

“Doesn’t hurt as much,” Roman said, holding up the arm but feeling it cramping up so he was forced to lower it. “Are the others alright?”

“Yeah, Remus and Janus are in there with Logan and the Dragon Witch,” Emile said.

“Then let’s go,” Althea told them.

As Althea was leading the humans and Patton, the Dragon Witch slipped out.

“I’ll fly with the carriage for a little bit, make sure we don’t run into any problems, stay with Logan,” Maggie told her girlfriend.

“Alright,” the fairy said and after everyone was inside the carriage set off.

At first Roman was thinking. He was tired, it was dark, but he was also worried. He refused to nap when it was very clear what was expected of him on this journey.

Janus’s words in the clerk’s house notwithstanding.

After trying to think it over for a bit, knowing that they were just getting closer to the Arboretum as it went on, Roman walked over to Logan.

He wasn’t sure how well the Dragon Witch could hear him inside the carriage, but he wanted to keep his voice down.

“Prince Roman, we will be at the Arboretum shortly,” Logan told him. “You should rest.”

“I need to convince her that I can’t get that feather,” Roman whispered to Logan.

The advisor was just staring at him with a rather amused smile on his face. “I’m certain one pass around the Arboretum’s gardens would help you find one. Dark is thorough with them, but even he can’t check every nook and cranny.”

“It’s not that,” Roman said quietly. “I don’t know what she could want with it, but whatever foul potion or concoction she wants, she can’t be allowed to have it.”

“You think this is for a potion?” Logan asked him.

“What else could it be for?” Virgil asked.

“Hmm,” Logan looked at them.

The conversation was cut off when the Dragon Witch fluttered back in, using her bat form and then returned to her bipedal form.

“We shouldn’t be too far away from the Arboretum,” she said.

Roman got more than a bit nervous, and began walking towards her. “Lady Dragon,” Roman greeted.

“Hello, Roman, I see you haven’t been cursed with dreamlessness,” Maggie smiled.

“No, I haven’t,” Roman said, at least trying to be careful with his words.

“Something on your mind, little human,” the Dragon Witch smiled.

Roman took a deep breath, “I’m not going to be able to get that feather.”

Maggie smiled at him, “And why’s that?”

“Because it’s a phoenix feather, and Dark is guarding it,” Roman told her.

Her smile widened, “And you think you’d be unable to get one.”

“I believe that, with sufficient distraction, a feather could maybe be stolen,” Roman said. “But I am not here to steal for you, I am here to earn the ability to court Patton.”

“Do you know what a feather like that is capable of?” The Dragon Witch asked.

“No,” Roman said.

“Do you want to know?” She asked.

“I am here to gather totems that prove myself to the Gentry of the Wildwoods, and then hand them to you,” Roman said. “It makes no difference to me whether they are shiny or can make me invisible. Patton’s attention and his stories are the only treasure I want on this journey.”

That got an actual laugh out of the Dragon Witch. Something that made Roman a little bit indignant and startled a bit.

When she settled down, the Dragon Witch was still smiling. “Very well, Roman. If you cannot secure the feather because of its guardian, then I will allow you to give it a pass.”

“Thank you,” Roman told her.

“We are stopping at the Arboretum, an insult is still an insult,” Maggie told him.

“Alright, just don’t expect—” Roman started.

The entire carriage jolted and both Emile and Patton fell to the ground because they were still standing. Roman slammed into the wall.

“What was—?” Virgil looked around nervously.

The carriage shook again and a shrill calling sound echoing through the air.

The Dragon Witch used the top hatch to get out of the carriage and there was a sharp hissing sound. “You blasted pigeon!”

“How dare you,” Dark’s voice boomed out, “You overgrown lizard, I said you weren’t welcome here.”

Logan rolled his eyes and walked out through the side door, “Is the carriage damaged?”

“No!” Dark called out.

The two Gentry continued arguing outside.

Virgil hesitantly poked his head out and then froze. “Great stars above,” Virgil gasped in awe.

“What is it? Blood?” Remus asked, smiling as he walked over. He froze and whistled, “Oh, I’ve never seen him during the day.

Both of them reared back when a bolt of fire shot past the door. Virgil hid behind the door.

“What is it?” Emile asked.

“I don’t know, but it’s big,” Virgil admitted.

“That’s Dark,” Remus added helpfully.

“What?” Virgil asked, staring at him.

“Yeah, let me go out and check,” Remus offered before just walking back out of the carriage.

“No!” Virgil called out.

But Remus just walked out. “Hey, Lord Dark. Are those eyes functional, or just really cool designs?”

Another bolt of fire shot towards Remus, which Remus jumped out of the way of. Janus raced out, frantically trying to keep Dark from setting Remus on fire.

Roman took the opportunity to peek out, braced to duck back in and draw his sword. But he spotted the Dragon Witch on top of the carriage, along with a large dark grey bird on the front. It was large, twice as big as Roman was, and in the sunlight there were barely visible lighter grey, almost blue eye patterns. It almost looked like fire was coming off the features. The large bird creature had longer tail feathers and sharp looking talons.

But the most striking thing on the creature was the human-like face, the feathers almost looking like facial hair.

“Oh,” Roman gasped, causing the creature to turn away from Remus and stare at Roman.

“There he is,” the creature said and Roman froze, braced to dart back inside to avoid the fire.

The creature hopped off the carriage and touched down in front of Roman. As he did so he turned back into the version of Dark that Roman was already familiar with. Feathers turning into a cloak, Dark’s beard was still on fire.

“Little prince,” Dark greeted.

“A phoenix?” Virgil gasped, looking from the doorway of the carriage.

Dark regarded Virgil for a moment, then he looked back at Roman. “Didn’t you tell your fellows about me?”

“No?” Roman said, confused. “Should I have?”

Dark just regarded Roman for a minute, glancing at Virgil and then Patton when the Gentry prince slipped out of the carriage. Remy and Emile were watching behind Virgil.

“No,” Dark said, almost rumbling the word out. “That would have been a very poor decision on your part.”

“So, what brings you around?” Roman tried to ask.

“You stand in my territory and you deign to ask me that?” Dark snapped at him.

Roman held his hands up, “Fair. Fair.”

“Lord Dark, we were just—” Patton said.

“Headed back to the Arboretum,” Dark cut him off. “I already know. The gardens will be the farthest up you go. The observatory is strictly off-limits, along with any upper rooms. This is non-negotiable.”

“Glad to see that you’re seeing some sense,” Maggie told him. “I still expect to see them, that will be a fair apology.”

“And I should set you on fire,” Dark threatened.

Then he turned back to Roman, “But, one good deed, deserves another.”

A hand slipped past his robe and in his hand was a small pinky sized feathers, more like a soft downy cloud. The feather was a brilliant brown-gold, a color that had been nowhere on Dark’s feathers.

“Oh, I,” Roman began to try and refuse, but Dark reached over and pressed the feather along the side of his scalp.

Warmth began to spread along the side of Roman’s head. When Dark pulled his hand away, Roman reached up. He couldn’t feel a bump, only normal hair, but there was a spot along the side of his head that felt warmer.

“There, now your clumsy hands won’t lose it,” Dark told him. “Try not to get your head cut off, it will fall off at that point.”

“Right,” Roman said.

“I am not particularly fond of your kind,” Dark told the prince. “Humans, particularly the self-important nobility, are vain and greedy. I’ve seen a fair bit of that in my long life. But it seems that just this once, Patton has seemed to find a very interesting little human indeed. For the moment, at any rate.”

Then Dark’s arms spread out, his cloak spreading out with magic and turning back into wings. With two large flaps of his wings the phoenix took off and shot up towards the sky before flying up the mountain.

It was only after Dark had left that Virgil got close to Roman.

Roman and Virgil were quiet for a bit until Remus walked over with a huge smile. He slung an arm over their necks and grinned even wider when they glared at him.

“Guess phoenixes are real after all, huh Virge?” Remus said.

“I hate you,” Virgil told him.

“Did you know?” Roman asked.

“I’d never seen him, but yes,” Remus told them.

“You are remarkably unhelpful,” Roman told his brother.

Remus just laughed at him as the group shepherded back into the carriage and it eventually began its ascent back up towards the Arboretum for the last time in the journey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Tag List: @shadowkittycat97

#The High Tower #medieval au #fantasy au #Roman Sander #Patton Sanders #Darkiplier #Logan Sanders #Royality #dragon witch/fairy godmother #Darkstache #magic #Roman's doing his best

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