Free Web NovelChapter 19: 19: The city
The trees became thinner. The ground became colder and darker. Gray stones appeared more often along the road. Some stones had old carvings on them. Some were grave markers. Some had names so old that rain and time had erased them. The air also felt different. It carried a dry, quiet smell, like old earth after a grave was opened.
Peter said they were close to Ravencroft land.
Jake walked closer to Jenny. "Why are there so many graves?"
Peter answered, "House Ravencroft protects old burial grounds. Their ancestors believed the dead should be watched so they do not become restless."
Jake swallowed. "Do the dead really become restless?"
Lucard said, "Only when living fools disturb them badly enough."
Jake moved closer to Jenny again. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Jenny looked at Lucard. "Do not scare him."
"He asked."
"He is ten."
"He will become eleven if he learns faster."
Jake thought about that and whispered, "That makes sense, but I still do not like it."
They continued walking until the sun began to lower. The third day was near its end when they finally climbed a small hill and saw the city in the distance.
It was not large like a capital, but it was larger than the Vardros estate town. Gray walls surrounded it. Tall, narrow towers rose behind the walls, and black banners hung from them. Beyond the city, Lucard could see many stone structures on the hills. Tombs. Grave houses. Old ruins. The land around the city looked quiet, almost too quiet. Even the wind seemed to move carefully there.
House Ravencroft’s city stood before them.
Jenny stopped walking and looked at it with relief. Jake also looked hopeful for the first time in three days.
Peter let out a heavy breath. "We made it."
Lucard looked at the gray city and the black banners.
They had survived the three day journey.
Jenny and Jake were one step away from safety.
Lucard was one step away from leaving them behind.
At least, that was his plan.
But as he looked at the city of graves, he felt something strange in the air. It was not dangerous exactly. It was not killing intent either. It was a familiar kind of darkness, like old blood buried under stone.
Lucard’s eyes narrowed.
House Ravencroft might not be as simple as a safe shelter.
They reached the city before the sun completely went down.
The city of House Ravencroft stood behind tall gray walls. The stones of the wall looked old, cold, and wet even though there was no rain. Black banners hung from the towers, and each banner had the mark of a white bone raven. The city did not look bright like other noble cities. There were no colorful flags, no loud music, and no merchants shouting from far away. It was quiet. Too quiet. Even the people entering through the gate spoke with low voices, as if they were afraid to wake something sleeping under the ground.
Jake looked at the walls and moved closer to Jenny.
"Sister, why does this city look like a graveyard with houses?"
Jenny looked at him and sighed. "Because this is House Ravencroft’s city. Do not say that loudly after we enter."
Jake quickly covered his mouth with both hands.
Peter looked at the gate with tired eyes. "This city is called Gravehold. It is the main city under House Ravencroft. Their castle is beyond the inner road, near the old tomb hills."
Lucard looked at the city without much expression. To Jenny and Jake, the place might look strange and scary. To him, it looked more interesting than most mortal cities. The air had a faint smell of old death. It was not fresh blood or rotting corpses. It was something older, like bones buried for hundreds of years under wet stone. There was also a weak trace of death magic in the air. It was not strong enough to threaten him, but it was enough to make him pay attention.
They walked toward the gate with the other travelers.
The guards at the gate wore dark gray armor. Their helmets had small raven wings on the sides, and each guard carried a spear with a black ribbon tied below the blade. They looked serious, but they did not look cruel. One guard checked a merchant wagon filled with boxes. Another guard spoke with an old woman who carried herbs in a basket. When Lucard and the others reached the gate, the guard looked at them carefully.
That was normal.
They looked terrible.
Jenny’s red dress was torn, dirty, and stained with blood. Jake’s clothes were covered in mud and ash. Peter’s armor was damaged, and his face was pale from blood loss and fever. Lucard’s clothes were also torn, and although he had cleaned some blood from himself, he still looked like someone who had walked out of a massacre and then forgot to look surprised about it.
The guard frowned. "State your business in Gravehold."
Jenny stepped forward. Even in torn clothes, she tried to stand like a noble lady. Her back straightened, and her voice became calm.
"I am Jenny Vardros of House Vardros. We came to meet Baron Ravencroft."
The guard’s expression changed slightly when he heard the name Vardros. He looked at Peter, then at Jake, then at Lucard.
"House Vardros?" he asked. "Your land is three days from here."
Peter stepped forward with difficulty. "We were attacked. We need to meet Baron Ravencroft. It is urgent."
The guard looked at Peter’s wounds and Jenny’s ruined dress. He did not ask too many questions. Maybe he understood enough. Maybe House Ravencroft guards were trained not to talk like market women when blood was still wet.
He nodded and moved aside. "Enter. The Ravencroft estate is in the upper district. Follow the main stone road until you see the black iron gate. But if you are truly from House Vardros, I suggest you clean yourselves first. The upper district guards will not stop you, but nobles have eyes sharper than knives and tongues worse than dogs."
Jake whispered, "Dogs have tongues?"
