by D.E.P.
Because the snowy mountain was usually visited by the boats of the sky, the steps that lead from down below now laid in ruins. They might have been able to communicate with the castle guards if they had used magic from within the boat. But a stench of evil filled the air. The mountain had seemed much nearer from the waters, but as the group walked for the first few moments on the white sand, it became clear that it would take much longer to reach the base of the giant mountain.
As they looked up, they saw occasional small avalanches from the sides of the mountain falling upon the ground at the base. Small shadows became visible from time to time, most of which seemed small and pointed. The castle itself seemed lifeless, however. Its bold structure was nothing but still at the side of the peak. Not a light was shown from the several windows the castle bore on its outstretched skinny towers. Even the waterfall’s powerful sound did not convince the others that the castle had not changed.
As they reached the base of the mountain, they all looked up at the distance they would have to climb to reach the doors of the fortress. The first step was covered with a small amount of snow. It was snow that continued to fall atop their heads, sliding down their armory until falling upon the ground in which it was destined to fall onto. Their steps became engraved onto the white floor that had been long from stepped upon.
“The castle doors are not as far as they seem,” reassured the king. But it was clear that it would take longer than anticipated.
“Want a slice?” questioned Invicta as he bestowed the loaf of bread the foreteller had given him.
“It is time to appreciate life’s small splendors,” stated the king as he reached for a middle wedge. While the bread was soft and moist, it did not crumble as the king lifted the piece to his mouth. Within a few bites, the cold piece was finished, being smashed into small pieces within his mouth. Small crumbles of the sweet bread fell upon his small beard until they were rid of with a quick brush.
As Glacies bit into her piece, she narrowed her eyes at the shadows she saw racing above. Their quick movements caused small amounts of snow to fall onto their path. “Are those the apes spoken of?” she asked to no one in particular.
Sicarius smiled, “They are the Barbegazi, the ancient dwarves of snow.”
There was renewed silence felt. The path was not as long as it seemed, yet the castle doors lay some distance away. There were no trees, bushes, or flowers that sprung at the sides. It was as lifeless as the castle itself. But then, before the small amount of snow that blinded those on the path, laid an emotionless shadow. Due to the pointedness the shadows bestowed, it was clear that the figure was nothing more than a dwarf Sicarius spoke of.
As their steps neared the shadow, it was clear that light was needed at such elevated places. The king snapped his right fingers, giving off a small blue flame. The others did the same (except for Glacies) as they stepped in front of the dwarf that stood his stance barefooted atop the soft blanket of snow. They did not speak, only staring upon the small man before them.
The dwarf was dressed in furry white apparel with only random threads of gray shimmering with the snow’s brightness. Atop its head, a cap formed in a tight spike which was made with the same fur as the rest of his clothing. A tight light grey belt bordered along his waist with a silver buckle shining like the icicles along his face. Swaying with the wind was a long furry scarf wrapped around his neck. A long white mustache stretched from both horizontal regions, swaying with the strong wind that resurfaced on the mountaintop. Small thin icicles bordered his mustache as well as the long thin beard below his small pursed lips. His face shown of innocence, much like a newborn’s. His eyes, a bright and piercing blue, widened with timidity while the rest of his appearance shown to be frightened. While he seemed to be elderly, his define innocence made him seem much younger than what he seemed to be. His tan complexion was seen where it was permitted: his face, ears, hands, legs, and feet. His bare feet, the largest body part of all, stretched triple the size of his hands as they lay slightly hidden beneath the soft snow.
“Greetings,” stated the king awkwardly in the silent weather. His small blonde beard was already being covered with the small snowflakes of snow.
The small man did not speak, he only stared at the king wide-eyed once again, bewildered by what he saw. There was no telling if the man had seen such giant figures since they were a head taller than the apes that ruled the land.
“I deserve to see this!” Sicarius let out a loud piercing scream as she attempted to push the rest out of her way. As she made a small gap in which she could fit through, she stepped in front of the dwarf, nearly pushing him aside as well. She snarled at the small figure, slightly snickering at the small image before her. “Are you kidding me? We’re stopped in our tracks by a dwarf?”
But as Sicarius looked around, it was clear the small man was not the only one around them. From the sides, small shadows began to reveal themselves beneath a shallow covering of snow. They took much the same appearance as the timid dwarf before them, providing a sense of innocence. Still, a slightly taller dwarf of the Barbegazi neared them. His large footprints made the impression that he was taller than what he seemed.
The tallest dwarf stood by the timid one, patting him on the back before speaking. “We are quite honored by your company. Yet, secrets speak that you are dead. Are you not a spirit?” he questioned with authority. It was clear that the dwarf was nothing ordinary as the rest of his kind, for he was the ruler of them. A small staff, primarily made of icicles, was held in his right hand. At the tip, sharp spikes of the ice glinted like the waterfall in front of the castle.
“I keep forgetting things have not been the same. My brother, not of blood, has undoubtedly found power in my land. Have not all heard of this terrible fate? I hear nothing but silence on this mountaintop. A war is coming and yet all walk through their lives without the meaning to prepare!” stated the king as his voice became louder and raspier than before.
“Life has changed. A war has not been heard of for some time. Malum lies in ruins. Your brother is a moth trapped in a spider web, for he cannot overcome ruling the land,” stated the dwarf with glinted eyes as a small smile spread across his face. The hyacinth snarled as he spoke.
“It is refusal to believe that cost us lives in the Great War! Malum will be back!” yelled Sicarius.
The dwarf only stood looking into her eyes. He did not tremble at her angered words. The eyes of the dwarf did not seem the same as the rest. The eyes, a slight blue, had a dark pigment of red. Yet, the king looked upon the face without question. “Let me guide you to where you seek to be,” stated the ruler as he paced upon the ground in the direction of the castle.
The king stopped in his tracks. “How can you be so certain we wish to see Sapientem? How could you have known that I was thought dead?” he questioned with distrust.
“You keep overlooking the matters, my king. Words spread rather quickly in our lands. Sapientem is awaiting your company,” the dwarf spoke. The king did not reply. He only stared upon the ground as they followed the man of the snow. The other dwarves stayed hidden in the snow, not wishing to walk with the rest to the castle of the Apes.
One of the barbegazi shook their heads in sadness as they left. “Here we are in front of the king, giving him away to our demented ruler,” one of them stated as they watched the king and his clan disappear.
“Should we not do something about the matter?” another questioned.
“I fear not, for we are being watched,” the other answered as he clenched a ball of snow. He squeezed the frozen element until the ball melted between his fingers.
The others followed the one ruler of the barbegazi. The white snow seemed to make a path to the closed doors of the mysterious castle. “Do you not trust him?” whispered Cecidit in the frozen ear of the king.
“I do not know who to trust. It was merely a precaution, nothing else,” said the king, “Just be ready.”
“Walking rather slowly, my king,” stated the
dwarf without looking behind. The rest followed him, occasionally falling into the dwarf’s own footprints deep in the snow. The king did not respond as he followed the rest.
As they walked in the blizzard environment, Sicarius crossed her arms in hopes of providing warmth where it was lost. Invicta and Magni, however, continued walking boldly through the snowy wind without a sign of discomfort. Glacies merely played with the string of her bow, wondering when she would place an arrow once again. But as the noise of the waterfall was heard once again, it was evident that there was no need for blood to be spilled atop it, for it was silent.
A small path of stone, much like a bridge, wrapped around the peak of the mountain and led to the predominate power—the castle. Its long skinny towers were only partially covered with snow, providing a steady glossy shine to where the light of day permitted it to. Only the metal roofs of these towers contained piles of the soft snow which occasionally fell to the sides of the courtyard below. The stones that made up the castle were made of bricks that had been enchanted to fuse together. The result was a smooth surface without even the slightest groove or indentation. All in all, the castle was rather skinny due to the several tall thin towers that stretched far from its base.
The bridge of stone was nothing complex since most did not travel by foot. Several large soft greyish stones made up the structure with random crevices between each boulder. They did not seem to have any known meaning to them until a foot was placed onto the stoned path. As the dwarf stepped onto the trail, the stones began to take the image of odd ancient symbols. The snow that dropped onto these stones was easily melted, filling in the engravings. Light sparkled from the carvings, the define blue light mesmerizing in its own way.
“Alas we are near,” stated the dwarf through the long silence. Glacies jolted at the sudden high pitched sound from before her. She had been walking, not fully looking upon her steps as she moved her body forward. She shook her body, as if awakening herself.
“Does Sapientem know we have already arrived?” questioned Fortis.
“Possibly so. I will make your presence known to him. I’m sure he will be quite shocked,” stated the dwarf as his quick large feet gently patted the stones underneath.
The path wrapped around the castle itself until leading to the large doorway behind the shimmering waterfall that crashed down below. Small droplets fell across the faces of the new arrivals as they stepped onto a step leading to the giant silver doors. The two doors, embedded with several clear crystals and metallic designs around the door handles, shined where the shadows did not cover them.
Chapter 21
Destiny