BXBX NOVEL Chapter 142 - Swallowed!
He ordered the drivers of the carriage to ask the locals if they know about the castle across the river. He also instructed his men to conduct their investigation by hovering around the village and other neighboring areas to find out the castle's exact location in their invisible form.
By late afternoon, the driver returned to the inn to report the information they gathered from the village people.
Graven addressed the drivers. "Do you have a report?" he asked.
"Yes, My Lord. We asked the locals if they know the location of a castle across the river, some said that there's no such thing as a castle that existed anywhere the Wimborne Village. Only a few old people confirmed that there is indeed a castle existing somewhere but they have no idea of its location. That's all the information we have gathered so far..." one of the drivers said.
"Okay, you may leave now," Graven said.
The drivers exited the room.
A few minutes later.
A figure appeared inside the room wearing a black hooded cape, his name is Calder, the leader of Graven's men.
"My Lord, we found a crumbling structure across the river from the Wimborne Village, if I'm not mistaken it is the remains of the castle, the one we are trying to locate around this area," Calder gave his report.
"Good! That must be the castle that we are looking for," Graven murmured. "Take me there!" he ordered.
"Yes, My Lord!" Calder responded.
A few seconds later, Graven and the man in the cape disappeared from the room instantly.
They reappeared above the ruins of a castle that was situated in the middle of mountains. It's a secluded area hidden by towering trees and there are also streams nearby.
The tall iron gate of the castle still stands, but the main building looks dilapidated and it looks like it's gonna crumble down anytime. Plants and wild bushes were growing around the area of the castle. The whole area becomes a breeding ground of wild plants and insects.
"Where is everybody?" Graven asked.
"I sent the others to investigate the neighboring areas because so far we haven't seen any soul around the area," answered Calder.
Graven brows furrowed in concentration. "What's the status inside the castle?" he asked.
"The floors and walls inside the castle were thriving with algae, as well as other plants and weeds, then the walls have holes everywhere and they look like they were about to crumble anytime. The rooms are not habitable because the plants already took over the whole area and there is some strange sticky black liquid in some parts of the castle. The men and I can't figure out where the sticky black liquid comes from," Calder replied.
"So, what is your overall opinion of the castle?" Graven asked.
"My Lord, I think the castle was already abandoned a long time ago. The people who live in this castle have already been dead or have migrated to other towns and places. Just my opinion," Calder said.
Graven breathed deeply. "You didn't see any sign of Rebecca around here?" he asked.
Calder shook his head. "No signs so far, My Lord," he answered.
"This is troublesome! Where we can find Rebecca now? We have no clue of her whereabouts. This is the only lead we have so far. Unless... other beings also want a piece of Laura beside the vampire couple...?" Graven said aloud.
"Don't worry, My Lord. The rest of our men and I will comb the neighboring areas starting today and the next days. We will try our best to find Rebecca's traces in this area," Calder assured him.
"But what if Rebecca was not brought here? What if she was imprisoned in another place?" Graven said.
Calder fell silent for a moment, he was lost on how to proceed. "You could be right, My Lord!"
"Alright, come with me. Let's get inside the crumbling castle!" Graven said.
The men hovered down and lowered themselves on the ground.
They walked towards the dilapidated door that was partially opened and disappeared inside.
When they're already inside the crumbling structure, Graven saw the pool of dark liquid scattered everywhere. He stared at it for a few minutes, curious of its composition. He lowered himself on the ground and squatted to have a closer look. He looked at Calder. "What do you think this black liquid made up of?" he questioned him.
Calder shook his head. "I have no idea, My Lord. Please don't touch it! It might contain deadly poison," he warned him.
Graven finds the black liquid interesting. He picked up a twig nearby and poked on the black liquid... it's kind of sticky... then he reminded himself what he came here for. He can't possibly waste his time understanding the origin of the black liquid. He stood up and discarded the twig. "Let's check the rooms!" he said.
The men entered and examined the rooms... all they can see are cobwebs hanging on the ceiling, holes on the roof, crack on the walls, and weeds growing abundantly on the floor.
The whole place was abandoned a long time ago.
Graven can't imagine that Rebecca was imprisoned here.
He shut his eyes and concentrated hard trying to find and detect Rebecca's scent.
A few seconds later, he can't find a single trace of her scent, but he did find something else! A strong powerful unfamiliar scent!
And that powerful scent is close by!
He looked at Calder. "Did you smell the scent? it's a powerful one!" he said.
Calder crunched up his nostrils. "I'm sorry, My Lord... but I can't detect that particular scent that you are talking about," he responded.
Graven's brows furrowed. "Where is that powerful scent coming from? Let's keep searching!" he said.
They continue searching the rooms on the ground floor and found nothing that warrants their interest, just old furniture, and dirty linens...nothing else... when they can't find anything interesting on the ground floor they hovered on the second floor... the rooms there has the same deteriorating condition with the ones in the ground floor.
They finally finished their search and found nothing!
"Nothing here..." Calder commented. "No signs of Rebecca as well," he said sadly.
"Yeah," Graven agreed. "Let's go back to the ground floor," he said. The powerful scent faded from his nose when they come to the second floor.
They hovered in the air and lowered their feet down on the ground floor.
Graven shut his eyes again trying to connect with the powerful scent. There it is again! The powerful scent getting closer! Then it began fading away again!
What the hell is that?
"My Lord, what is it? What's bothering you?" Calder asked after he noticed the furrowed brows of his master.
Graven opened his eyes and looked at his man. "Do you still unable to detect the powerful scent with your nose? It's so strong and powerful a while ago," he said.
Calder shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, My Lord, I'm so useless!" he said.
"Never mind," Graven said. He stared at the floor and then at Calder. "Do you think, there's a basement below the ground of this castle?" he asked.
Calder pondered the question for a moment. He pounded the ground with his right foot, he found nothing unusual. "I'm not sure, My Lord," he answered.
"Hmm..." Graven rubbed his jaw and continue staring at the ground on his feet. "If there is a hidden basement below the castle, where is the entrance?" he asked aloud.
"I will try to find the entrance, My Lord!" Calder offered and walked towards the wall nearby and began inspecting it, hoping to find the mechanism that can trigger the opening of the entrance of the basement.
Graven remained rooted on the same spot, trying to reconnect with the strong scent again. The strange thing is - it can appear anytime and also fade away instantly. He's getting curious who is the owner of that powerful scent? He detected the scent of a powerful vampire in this place, yet he can't see that being? Was he or she a vampire ghost? Or it was of a different breed? He wants to find out!
Calder had already inspected almost all the walls nearby and even the rooms but he can't find any mechanism that can open the entrance of the basement, that if there is a basement existing below the ground. He looked at his master, he was still rooted on the same spot, eyes closed. Maybe he was still trying to connect with the powerful scent.
He went to the last room in the hallway that he already inspected earlier. When he stepped inside... he saw the floor filled with droplets of the sticky liquid, he hovered in the air immediately to avoid stepping on them resulting in his head bumping on the ceiling.
He went to the bathroom and his eyes widened at what he saw in the toilet bowl... it was overflowing with the black liquid! and it started to spread on the floor going outside the room! He quickly left the room and hovered back to where his master was standing still.
"My Lord! I found the source of the black liquid!" he shouted. He went closer to his master and noticed that he was in deep concentration. "My Lord!" he was trying to awaken him.
But he was distracted by the sound of something creaking nearby... when he looked around to find the origin of the sound he was startled to find the door come propelling towards him at lightning speed. He managed to unleash the sonic flare in his palm in the blink of an eye and attack the door with it resulting in the door disintegrating into burning pieces falling into the ground.
When he looked over his shoulder...
His eyes widened in alarm because the ground where his master stood was already covered with the black sticky liquid... then suddenly ... he heard a creaking sound of a ground opening up...
His eyes widened in trepidation.
"My Lord! Watch out!" Calder shouted at his master who is frozen on the spot.
The ground where Graven stood suddenly opened up and swallowed him whole... then gradually the ground returned to its normal state as if nothing happened, the black liquid was also gone!
The Lord was gone swallowed by the ground!