by Tom Hoffman
“You can both go home, that’s where you can go. The castle isn’t a fit place for bunnies or anyone else. When you’re older you can help take offerings to Mendacium. The only rabbit in the village who’s ever seen him is Master Rabidus.”
“Papa says he’s loopy as a six-eyed barnbird.”
“You be nice. Just because you haven’t seen something doesn’t mean it’s not real. Everyone knows Master Rabidus saw Mendacium when he was your age, and that’s why he is the way he is.”
Orville was reading the clouds as they flashed back and forth, his apprehension growing. If one look at Mendacium could change Rabidus like that, what would happen to him and Sophia?
Serus stopped in front of a white wooden building adorned with an array of lovely hanging flower baskets, the scent from the yellow and violet blooms filling the air. He pushed the front door open and strode inside.
“Afternoon, Plautilla. Got some guests for you. They’re here to see the castle, looking for a lost friend who might be around these parts.”
Plautilla was an instantly likable rabbit with a warm and friendly disposition. She eyed Proto, gentle concern crossing her face. A thought cloud flashed out to Sophia.
“Not sure we have a bed big enough for a silver rabbit. We could put two beds end to end, that might work.”
Sophia smiled her thanks. “Our friend Proto doesn’t need a bed, he doesn’t sleep. Most of the time he stays up all night reading.”
“Sounds like me.” Plautilla gave a great laugh, highly amused by her own joke. “I’ll show you to your rooms. Dinner is in two hours, plenty of time to rest and freshen up. What does your big silver friend eat?”
“He doesn’t eat or drink, but he is a marvelous chef. His tasty little cakes are famous where we come from. I bet if you asked him he’d share a few of his recipes with you.”
“Knock me over with a barnbird feather, a silver rabbit who loves to cook? If he wants to help with dinner, you won’t hear me complaining.”
After Orville and Sophia had been shown to their rooms, Plautilla and Proto headed to the kitchen, soon filled with the delicious aromas of simmering vegetable stew and baking bread. An hour later Proto stood at the counter frosting a tray of freshly baked tasty little cakes. Plautilla was sampling her third little cake.
“Mmmm… so delicious! I have a proposition for you, Chef Proto. How about we call these Chef Proto’s Tasty Little Cakes and I’ll make them the inn’s signature dessert? In no time at all you’ll be the most famous chef in all of Tectar, and we’ll both be rolling in silvers. What do you say?” She grinned as she shook Proto’s hand.
Proto had no idea why Plautilla was shaking his hand, but he did know he had a new friend who loved his tasty little cakes.
Chapter 30
Castle Caligari
The following morning Orville woke with a severe stomach ache. The cause of his malady was not too many tasty little cakes the night before, but stemmed from too many thoughts regarding the day’s impending activities, in particular their trip to Castle Caligari and his likely encounter with Mendacium the Dark Wizard.
“Sophia, can you use shaping to cure a stomach ache?”
“I can cure it without shaping. Stop thinking about Mendacium. There, feel better?”
“It’s not something I can just stop thinking about or stop dreaming about. He had those burning yellow eyes and he was staring right at me. He wasn’t staring at you, he was staring at me.”
“Remember your dream about jumping into a volcano? Remember how terrified you were after you had the dream?”
“I wouldn’t say I was terrified.”
“You were definitely terrified.”
“Maybe a little.”
“Did we have to jump into a lake of molten lava?”
“No, not exactly.”
“Did we survive our leap into Mount Ianua?”
“You already know we did. I see what you’re saying, though, I shouldn’t take the dream so literally, the real castle might be different from the dream castle.”
“Orville, you have an amazing imagination. A lot of times it’s your best friend, like when you’re solving puzzles, but when it comes to Mendacium, it’s your worst enemy. You’re imagining all kinds of frightful things that are not going to happen.”
“You’re right, I know you are, I’ll try not to worry so much. I do have one question, though. Do you think my adventuring hat will still fit after Mendacium turns me into a warty toad?”
Sophia burst out laughing, then leaned over and kissed Orville on the cheek. “That’s for being the bravest mouse I’ve ever known. Come on, let’s go find Proto. He said he’d meet us in the dining room for breakfast. Serus should be there, too. He said he’d take us to Castle Caligari.”
When Sophia and Orville entered the dining hall there was no sign of Proto or Serus. Orville peeked through the round window into the kitchen. “Sophia, you have to see this!”
Sophia stepped over to the door and peered through the foggy glass. Proto was standing in front of a mammoth cast iron stove wearing a tall chef’s hat, pouring flapcake batter onto a hot griddle. Plautilla stood next to him, dropping purple berries into the sizzling batter. She laughed and slapped him on the back. “Who knew Rabbitons could be so funny??”
Sophia grinned. “ Proto makes friends faster than anyone I know.”
After a delicious breakfast of crowberry flapcakes and honey, Sophia announced it was time to leave. Plautilla gave warm hugs to the three adventurers. “You be careful now, don’t go traipsing around that castle looking for trouble. Most of those gruesome stories about Mendacium got cooked up here in this kitchen, but he’s not one to tangle with. He’s got the dark powers and he’s not afraid to use them.”
“Thanks, Plautilla, we’ll be careful. We’ve had some experience with things like this. We’ll be fine.”
Orville nodded in agreement, but thought, “We’ve had experience battling evil dark wizards?”
Serus tromped into the dining room, rapping his heavy walking stick on the floor. “Let’s go, daylight’s burning.” He turned and strode out the door. With a quick wave to Plautilla the three adventurers set off after him.
Serus marched along the winding dirt road leading to Castle Caligari. “You’ll see the castle clear as day once we top that next hill. Didn’t want to say this in front of Plautilla, but you need to hear it. There’s something wrong about Castle Caligari, so be careful. I’ll go as far as the gatehouse, but that’s the end of it for me. You’re on your own if you go into the castle.”
“What do you mean there’s something wrong about the castle?”
“It’s off. Not right. Makes you feel crazy. Can’t describe it. One thing, the trees near the castle aren’t dead, but they aren’t alive either. It’s always winter for them, they have no leaves but they don’t wither and die, even in summer. There’s other things, but there’s no words for it, the way you feel when you’re inside the castle. Master Rabidus always talked about it.”
“Has anyone besides Master Rabidus gone into the castle?”
“Just told you, the castle is wrong, it’s a place to stay away from. I shouldn’t have brought you here, Plautilla begged me not to. She likes you all, especially fond of Proto.”
Sophia was the first to crest the hill. “I see it!” Serus had been right. Even at this distance she could sense an ominous force emanating from the towering black edifice. When Orville approached, she whispered, “It’s just like your dream, the castle has a lake and a dock next to it. It even has the same boat tied to the dock.”
Orville shivered. “How is it possible I dreamed about this place when we were on Varmoran? How could I know it existed? How could I know about Mendacium?”
“Master Marloh says dreams don’t all come from the same place. Most come from day to day life, things that worry you, like being late for work or forgetting to study for a big test.”
“I have one dream where I’m walking around Muridaan Fall
s in my underwear.”
“Yes, dreams like that. He said there are other dreams, important ones, that come from a deeper place, the part of you that exists outside of space and time.”
“But how could I know about the castle?”
“I just told you, those dreams come from your inner self, and your inner self exists outside of space and time. It’s not constrained by time and space the way our physical bodies are. It can visit any time or any place it wants to, then it sends you a dream. A dream is like getting a postcard from your inner self.”
“Why did it choose to send me that particular dream?”
Sophia shook her head. “No one knows the answer to that question. What I do know is you should pay careful attention to the dreams that are sent to you by your inner self.”
Orville gazed at the monolithic stone fortress, a sudden truth rolling through him. “I know it now. We have to go inside the castle. That’s where we’ll find what we’re looking for, where we’ll discover what’s destroying the Void.”
A thought cloud flashed out from Serus. “Less talk, more walk.”
Sophia laughed. “You sound a lot like a friend of ours named Mirus Mouse. I think you’d like him.”
Two hours later Orville and Sophia stood before Castle Caligari’s massive gatehouse. “Creekers, the stone is really black, scarier looking than it was in my dream.” Orville ran his paw over one of the huge stone slabs used to build the castle’s impregnable outer wall. “Serus, do you know who built Castle Caligari?”
“They say the ancients built castles like this to protect themselves from marauding bandits and warring tribes. The world was not always as peaceful as it is now.”
“What about Mendacium? Does anyone know where he came from?”
“Impossible to say. He’s been a mystery for as long as anyone can remember.”
“How do we get in?”
“We raise the gate. This is where we leave our offerings. No one has entered the main castle since Master Rabidus wandered in.”
“One last question, do you happen to know exactly where Master Rabidus saw Mendacium?”
“He says he wandered down two sets of stairs below the main castle floor, down into the dungeons. Says it was as dark as night when Mendacium appeared.”
“Okay, thanks.” Orville gave a weak smile. It was the same place he had found Mendacium in his dreams.
Serus strode across the broad wooden drawbridge to a massive gate constructed of stout timbers and black iron strapping. He wrapped both arms around a heavy iron lever, pushing down with all his might until it finally gave way. With a great grinding and shaking the immense gate rumbled open.
“Hard to tell you this, but if your friend went into the castle he is lost to our world. You will not find him.”
Sophia nodded. “Thank you for being so honest with us. You are probably right, but we have to try. We truly appreciate the kindness you have shown us.”
“I’ve done my best to warn you, can’t do any more. Our prayers follow you on your journey.” Without another word Serus turned and headed back down the dirt road toward Village 113. The three adventurers were alone, standing before the open gate of Castle Caligari.
“Serus was right about the trees near the castle. Every tree is bare, like it’s winter. How could that be?”
“We should go.” Sophia stepped through the arched stone entryway into the gatehouse.
Orville gazed around the structure’s interior. “I can’t imagine how long it took to build this, how hard it must have been without modern technology. It seems a little sad the rabbits have forgotten their Thaumatarian ancestors who built fleets of interstellar ships.”
“They seem happy enough. They live in a peaceful village and have plenty of food and everyone seems to get along. What more could anyone ask for?”
Orville pointed to the far wall. “They must leave their offerings on those two big tables.” He stepped over to one of the heavy wooden tables, running his paw across the ancient timbers. “They’re worn smooth, must be really old. Whoa, look what I found wedged between the boards!” He pulled out a shiny gold coin for the others to see. “My lucky day! This is worth about fifty silvers!”
“So now you like Castle Caligari?”
Orville rolled his eyes and dropped the coin into his pocket. He stopped, pointing to a symbol carved into the table.
“A coiled serpent! Haukesworth Mouse found the castle. The serpent is pointing through that archway.”
Proto stepped over to the stone doorway leading into the castle. “While you two have been snoozing away at night, lost in the world of dreams, I have been reading a number of highly informative volumes expounding on the surprisingly practical purposes lying beneath the design of ancient castles. As you might surmise, castles all served a similar purpose, something reflected in their construction. They were built to keep the inhabitants safe from external threats such as invading armies or marauding bandits. They possess one main entrance, the gatehouse. The gatehouse leads to the outer wall, the castle’s first line of defense. Within the outer wall of the castle lies a second wall called the inner ward. Within the inner ward is where we find the castle keep, and within the keep are the stairs which take us down to the dungeons.”
Proto rubbed his hands together. “I will lead the way since I am indestructible. I do hope we don’t encounter any dark and forbidding creatures possessing vile and unnatural powers, monstrous beasts ripped from the very fabric of ghastly nightmares, abominations existing only within the shadowy and malevolent realms of Mendacium the Dark Evil Wizard.”
“Proto! Seriously, why do you have to talk like that?? I’m already terrified, and that’s making it a lot worse.”
“Oh dear, was that too dramatic? I was trying to add a little excitement to our adventure, make it seem a little more dangerous. The only remotely frightening creature we’ve encountered so far was that big clunky crab on the Isle of the Serpent. I suppose the creatures swimming in the great aquarium were somewhat frightening, especially the giant marine centipede.”
“Have you forgotten the shiny blue creatures with four arms? The creepy things in the river biting your legs? And the Forest of Thorns? This adventure has plenty of danger, I don’t think you need to make it–” Orville stopped.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Does anyone else feel kind of weird?”
“What do you mean, kind of weird?”
“Something’s not right, but I don’t know how to describe it.”
“You’re just worried about Proto’s dark and forbidding creatures. We’ll be fine, let’s go.”
Proto stepped into the outer ward of the castle, a wide grassy corridor separating the walls of the inner and outer wards.
“Whoa, that outer wall must be fifty feet tall, and it has the big walkway along the top. I bet the warriors up there could make short work of you with their arrows.”
“Not if you had your sphere of defense up.” Sophia blinked up a powerful sphere of defense.
“Oops, good idea.” An energy field popped up around Orville.
Proto turned, striding along the outer ward. “The entrance to the inner ward is at the opposite end of the outer ward, and that’s where we’ll find the keep. The keep is the huge stone tower located inside the inner ward.”
“What do we do if we see Mendacium?”
Sophia stopped, turning to Orville. “Everything has been leading us to this castle. Your dreams, the hat you found, your capricious shadows, Madam Molly, Haukesworth Mouse’s journal, the coiled snake symbols, all these things have led us here. This is where the universe wants us to be, this is where we are supposed to be. You said yourself that this is where we will find what is causing the Void to disappear. It’s why we’re here. If Mendacium is real and if he is behind all this, then we will face him. We will face the fires of life head on, and we will face them together. The fate of a thousand worlds depends on us. We have no choice. The universe has chosen us
to fight this battle.”
Orville looked at Sophia, then at Proto. “You’re right. I was just worried that he’s–” A light blinked on in Orville’s eyes. “I know what’s so weird about this place! I just figured it out. How long have we been here?”
Sophia looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Tell me how long we’ve been inside Castle Caligari.”
Sophia gave a snort. “That’s silly, we’ve been here for… um… since…” Her eyes seemed to lose focus. “A few days maybe? It could be a week, I guess.”
“Or it could be a hundred years, or a thousand years. There’s something wrong with time in here. That’s what Serus was trying to tell us.” Orville took out his pocket watch and held it up in front of Sophia. “Watch the second hand and count how many times it goes around.”
Sophia kept her eyes on the ticking silver hand as it marched around the dial. She blinked several times. Finally she turned away. “I can’t do it. As soon as I start watching it I forget when I started watching. I forget how many times it’s gone around. It could be once, it could be a thousand times. You’re right, there’s something wrong with time here. It’s not slow, it’s not fast, it just doesn’t exist. There is no time inside Castle Caligari.”
Orville nodded. “It’s like being in a dream, with no past and no future, there’s only right now.”
“I can see why Serus said the castle wasn’t right. It’s a very peculiar feeling. I’m not sure I like it.”
The adventurers pressed on, making their way along the outer ward. “Look at those wooden walkways running along the wall. They must have shot arrows through those vertical slots. Hard to believe that’s all they had, no heavy beam particle disruptors.”
“I daresay if they had disruptor beams they wouldn’t have needed a castle.” Proto turned left at the end of the outer ward. “That’s the entrance to the inner ward, those two doors open up to the keep.”
Orville gazed up at the ominous black tower. “Creekers, that’s scary looking. Do you think Mendacium lives up there? I wonder how they lifted the giant stone blocks that high?”