Chapter 12 Statues

Lowenna couldn't hold her breath any longer and slowly stood to allow her head above the water. She breathed deeply, trying not to make a sound. The bottom of the pond was made of the same black stone she had seen around the city. Her cape had blended into it hiding her.

She looked around making sure she was alone before getting out of the pond, her drenched clothes now sticking to her skin, and her shoes squelched.

Lowenna had to get out of there. She removed her hood and squeezed as much of the water out of her red hair, before recovering it. She had to get back to the inn “So much for finding out about lost ships,” Lowenna whispered to her crystal, as she headed to a marble archway to leave the area. She looked left and then right, there didn't seem to be anyone so quickly went through it.

Lowenna had seen this garden before. She recognised the plants from her dreamscape, but not this part of the garden. A path led through another marble archway. Lowenna silently walked along, keeping her eyes out for guards, until she came to a choice of route. Ahead was the arch but a small path led to the left, which Lowenna just knew she had to take.

Lowenna walked forward a few steps it was a dead end. She was in a large floral area with three black stone statues, each one more monstrous than the last. One was a giant sea creature, made up of many of the waters beasts. It had scales, crabs like claws and rows and rows of teeth. Tentacles seemed to come from under its neck, and it had a single eye in the middle of its fat fish like head. Lowenna looked at it for a moment before walking on to the second statue.

A giant half wolf, half man figure, now stood before her, it was larger than an orc, and its claws looked sharp and deadly, but its eyes looked the scariest. Even though it was a statue, they looked alive. Lowenna shuddered as she walked on to the third statue. A tree slightly obscured it from Lowenna's view. When Lowenna walked around to see it, she jumped back in terror.

It was the beast from her first vision, the lion beast-man with wings and horns. She remembered the heat from its firey breath; it's sharp claws that would have cut her apart and the magical energy which crackled in its main. “Are you real?” Lowenna asked the statue, “or just an evil, scary dream.” She knew it was real, and although she didn't want to admit it, she knew she was going to meet it, hopefully not for a long, long time.

Lowenna left the clearing and returned to the path, she shuddered, feeling cold due to the wet clothes and the cool breeze. She cautiously made her way through the garden peering around corners and checking paths. She avoided a few guards wearing golden uniforms until she made it to the main wall. Lowenna was about to leave the garden through an unlocked gate when she stopped and narrowed her eyes. She felt there was someone there.

Tapping her crystal Lowenna's eyes flashed pink and a light, which only she could see, surrounded everything. Someone was standing on the other side of the wall. Lowenna believed it was a lawman, possibly Erkut due to the size of the man, so Lowenna quietly followed the wall until she was in a corner and could see no one.

Climbing the wall Lowenna landed outside of the garden with a squelch. She looked around frantically and scoured the skies for any sign of Nera or any other lawmen. Fortune was on her side. There was no one around. Lowenna taped her pinkish grey crystal to cancel the seeing spell and crossed the cobbled street. Only now did she wonder where she was and which way was the inn. She decided to head down an alleyway, keeping off the main streets.

Lowenna was extra cautious, looking around every bend and looking to the sky every few moments to make sure she was alone. The sun would have been high, but dark clouds now shielded it from view. There was a clearing up ahead, which Lowenna tentatively entered. To her left was a large metal gate, which led up a winding path to a large house or mansion, Lowenna wondered if it was the mansion Carinthia had been told to take her to. To the right was a large church. Several statues and winged gargoyles stood guard on the path and the roof. None were as scary or as real looking as the black stone figures she had seen in the palace grounds. There were several people in the doorway, one had a grey robe, and was stopping two women gaining entrance to the church.

Lowenna recognised the robe, he belonged to the order of the white light but wondered why he was stopping the women from entering the church.

The rain started to fall, not that it mattered much to Lowenna as she was already soaked through. She needed to change her clothes, but she decided to see what was happening at the church first. She positioned herself at the bottom of the steps, the rain running off her. “As I said anyone who disrespects our queen is not welcome in the church,” The holy man arrogantly stated.

“Please I only want to find out what happened to my son,” one of the women said.

“We are to be married soon, but he has not been home since he went to the palace,” the other woman tearfully added.

There was a pause before the holy man continued. “I can not disturb the leader of our order with something so trivial. If your son met with the queen and hasn't returned, then I assure you he will be performing an important charge for our new ruler.”

“But not to come home or even tell anyone where he was going, please you have to help us,” the younger of the two women said, sounding almost desperate.

The door suddenly opened, and another holy man stepped outside, Lowenna moved a little closer, so she could hear better. “Why have you not returned to your duties high brother Knowl?” He asked.

“These women were determined to see you. They disrespected our queen, and you said you were not to be disturbed.”

“We didn't disrespect your queen, we just said Jibranz would contact us before he left on a dangerous mission and we haven't seen him since he went to the palace,” The older of the two women proclaimed.

“She is OUR queen!” High brother Knowl hissed.

The head of the order held his hand up to make his subordinate quiet. “I know it is new, but our queen demands loyalty and respect above everything else, to question her orders or her right to sit on the throne is treason, so for your own good, please show respect and restraint.”

The two women slowly nodded, thinking about what had been said. “Please can you tell me what has happened to my son?” the older woman asked

The high priest smiled, “I saw young Jibranz at the palace, sun before this, he was well and was looking forward to meeting the Queen. She must have had a charge for him, or has asked him to stay at the palace and join the guards there. There is no greater honour than serving the queen.”

“But why has he not returned home or contacted us?” the younger woman asked the high priest.

“The queen possibly told him not to, or perhaps he is too busy,” the high priest replied, “I am going to the palace later, if I see Jibranz I will tell him you are missing him.”

“Thank you, holy leader,” the older woman replied, but the younger woman did not look happy, she was about to protest, but the older woman turned, giving her a look that quieted her, “We should leave.”

“Yes, you should and do not bother the holy order with triviality again.” High brother Knowl stated before both he and the spiritual leader went inside, leaving the women alone on the steps of the church.

“We should go to the palace, find Jibranz ourselves,” the younger woman said with determination.

“We will need a reason to go to the palace. I know someone who might be able to help us,” the older woman replied before both headed off into the rain.

Lowenna didn't move. She didn't understand everything, which was going on. There was suppose to be nine lords appointed by the king to govern a city. The Lords have soldiers and the lawmen to enforce their orders, but Hymdale had a queen, how did that work?

Lowenna suddenly sneezed as she started thinking how cold she was, she needed to get back to the inn, wash and change. She was about to leave when she saw Nera flying in the distance. Lowenna cursed under her breath before slowly making her way around the church, out of her view.

The rain had almost stopped only to leave the churchyard gloomy and dark. Grey clouds covered most of the sky, and the back of the church was bleak and imposing.

From where she was, Lowenna could see the central tower which was in the centre of Hymdale. The inn was off in that direction. She hoped she would be able to find it now but would have to stay out of sight of the searching lawmen.

Walking through the large orchard at the back of the church Lowenna suddenly got the feeling she was being watched. She turned to look at the large church, there on the roof was that someone? Lowenna pressed her hand against her crystal allowing the pink light to flow over everything. She instantly became aware of the robed men attending the trees, the rain not stopping their duties but the thing on the roof wasn't moving, was it a gargoyle or some sort of statue. Lowenna stared at it. It seemed to be perched on the edge waiting for Lowenna to move.

It appeared to have six arms and two legs and no visible wings like other gargoyles Lowenna had seen at the front of the church. Lowenna suddenly heard a noise. She touched her crystal to cancel the spell before turning on the spot to see a holy man standing there with a bucket in his hand.

“Excuse me,” he said kindly, “may I help you?”

Lowenna smiled at the man briefly, before turning back to the roof, but the statue or gargoyle was gone. “Not a statue then,” Lowenna whispered to herself before turning back to the holy man.

“Are you ok?” the robed man asked looking concerned.

“Yes I thought I saw something but, apparently I was mistaken,” Lowenna explained, but the holy man didn't seem too impressed with the explanation.

“You shouldn't be here, the orchard is for the disciples of the white light only,” the man started to explain, but then he smiled again, “You should come into the church, dry yourself, I can see you are cold and wet.” The man looked up to the sky, “I didn't realise the rain had been so heavy.”

Lowenna quickly thought about the offer. She was cold, wet and she wasn't going to find out much about her past today. “I will take you up on your hospitality,” She replied.

“Praise the white light,” the man said.

“Praise the white light,” Lowenna repeated before the man passed her and headed to the church Lowenna following.