Harold took the stairs two at a time, his footsteps echoing through the empty staircase. He couldn’t hear anyone following him just yet, but he knew that one guard had spotted him. She would have ran straight to the nearest garrison to alert the rest of her squad. They were probably gathering around the tower at this very moment.
He reached the top of the stairs and drove his shoulder into the door. The wood burst outward, and Harold stumbled into the open air. He took deep ragged breaths, shivered from the chill in the night air, and kept moving. There was a dense fog in the air. Perfect. Now he just needed a spot to hide. Catch his breath and find the quickest, safest escape route.
He rubbed his eyes. The wall seemed to stretch on forever. He couldn’t even see the next tower through the fog. He was about to break into a run, when he heard the sound of boots marching up the stairs.
“Damn,” he said through gritted teeth. He was out of options. He scanned the sides of the walkway. There, jutting out of the mist, was a series of monstrous looking gargoyles. He leapt over the railing and crouched beneath one of the largest ones, a massive bird-like goblin clutching a gemstone or a crystal ball. He laid flat against the cold stone and waited.
A few minutes later, he heard the heavy thud of boots thunder down the walkway. He heard shouting, some captain giving commands, but he was focused on keeping his breathing steady and his body still.
A difficult task with his heart racing, made even more difficult by the cold chill that was creeping into his bones. The fog was getting thicker and the moisture had already seeped through his light tunic. But what a stroke of luck, they’d never be able to spot him through the mist.
A few minutes later, Harold could no longer hear the guards. He still didn’t dare move, in case it was some kind of trick. He was pretty sure once he stood up, his whole body would start chattering from the cold. Better to play it safe.
To distract himself, Harold looked up at the gargoyle he had crouched behind. The feathers that covered its bird-like body jutted out from the creature like spikes. From this close, he could see the sharp angles of its face, the faded bloodstains on the creature’s talons, and even the malicious look in its cold, lifeless eyes.
Strangest of all was the crystal clasped in its claws. At first, Harold had thought it was a trick of the light, something reflecting the moonlight through the fog, but the crystal was glowing faintly. It was a light violet color. It swirled inside the orb, like a never-ending spiral into a hidden drain.
It must have been long enough by now, he thought to himself. Slowly, he pushed himself up to a kneeling position, then stood up. The fog was so thick, he could barely see the railing of the walkway. But there was no sound of footfalls or barked orders. He looked from tower to tower. It seemed like the coast was clear.
He turned back to the gargoyle. That glowing orb must have some kind of gemstone in it. It was catching the moonlight and bouncing it back to him. It wasn’t the prize he had hoped to grab from the royal treasury, but it was something.
He leaned over and grabbed the orb.
“Ouch!” he said, jerking his hand back. The orb was hot. So it wasn’t a gemstone. Just some lantern or something built inside the orb. He shook his head. Of course they wouldn’t keep a precious stone in a random gargoyle. The stress of the night’s activities were weighing on him.
He turned back to the railing. Except he couldn’t. He shifted his body as if to move towards the railing, but he didn’t budge. Was he caught on something?
He looked down at his leg. Which had started to turn the same dark gray as the surrounding statues. Harold opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Instead, his mouth froze in that wide-open position. He felt parts of his body extend and compress, but there was no pain or discomfort. In fact, he couldn’t even register that it was cold anymore. He tried once more to cry out, to wiggle any part of his body. But nothing happened.
Just then, the fog started to fade. A moment later, he heard the sound of boots pounding on stone. Three guards appeared, including the woman who had spotted him earlier. Thank the Source. He was at least going to get some help.
The three guards walked past him. He could hear them mumbling to themselves and moving around the other statues.
“No sign of him,” said the woman. “He must of jumped.”
“I knew Kennith was fooling around. ‘Check the gargoyles’ he says.”
The three appear in front of Harold. Harold tries with all his might to make something move, to make any noise or gesture that would cause them to notice him.
The woman finally turns and looks at him. She gives him a once over then turns to her companions. “I swear these things get creepier and creepier everytime I see them. This one looks like it might try to fly off at any second.”
“Enough foolin’ around. We’ll double check the south tower and then report back to the captain.”
“Alright fine. Hey did you hear about Annabelle from the bakery. She was…”
The rest of their conversation faded as they disappeared from Harold’s view.
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