Memories of Azura

Beneath the Mandrakes

Chapter 19: Beneath the Mandrakes

I’ve been thinking about it until I reached a vestibule. Am I willing to risk my humanity for this guy? I know he’s adorable and perfect in every way but am I willing to become one of his kind just for him?

I was too into it that I didn’t realize were exactly I was going. Gold ran away from us with flaming determination of making up to their ‘togetherness’ quota for this month. Troy on the other hand went to ‘hang out’ with the archers on the watchtower.

Great. Now I’m lost.

The vestibule opened to a seemingly secluded backyard. It was a small walled area that almost looked like an isolated bird sanctuary without birds and stone walls instead of glass. All that’s there were dry lifeless vines clinging into a small gazebo and overgrown mandrakes in every inch of the ground. The place was only as wide as my room back home and the high walls just made it looked even smaller than it actually was. The walls were as well too high for the sunlight to reach the ground so it was quite dark and undeniably quiet.

I looked back at the vestibule and saw no one. Not even the maids or the roaming guards. I continued walking down the two steps to check it out. The mandrakes gave disgusting squishy sounds when I step on them. Their purple flowers were either dull or dead.

It was the smell of wet soil- wet loam soil and not mud. It was pungent. I walked further as the smell of dry dirty leaves and humus came to my olfactory. The smell of decaying animal flesh and rotting unknown scents; death. This is the smell of death.

“âme” I read the words embossed from above the gazebo’s arched doorway. I didn’t know what it meant. It wasn’t Spanish, and surely not English. I tried to think what language it is that they use as I came towards it but before I could set foot on its oddly squeaky clean floor…

“I won’t go there if I were you.” I turned back and found the Elder Baskerville. I just don’t exactly know if it’s evil Valtore or good Elliot.

My hand flew to my head to check if I was wearing my crown, remembering Reece’s words: “They cannot hurt a Crowned Head”. It was a relief I was wearing it.

“And may I ask why that is?” I asked in the most medieval way as I walked back to the castle doorway.

“Forgive my intrusion Princess, but I have just saved you from eminent death.” He said, then gave me the most panty dropping grin I’ve ever seen. But even if he was a drop dead gorgeous incubus, my life is still the most important thing. I was silent but I know I my facial expression was giving out exactly the same amount of confusion I had in mind.

“That’s a cursed ground; a gift from a witch to the Queen Dragomir. It served as burial ground for those that get trapped in it.” he said.

“Trapped?” I finally found my voice as the awkwardness dissipated through the air.

“It takes whatever is written in it from the person who get’s inside it. Do you know what you have just read in its guttering?”

I nodded in understanding and shook my head as answer to his question. “What does it take, then?” I asked.

“âme” He answered shortly.

“And what’s that supposed to be?” I asked as I looked at the filthy unkempt gazebo.

“soul”

My eyes widened the instant I heard what the gazebo takes. I’ve been nearly killed twice within 8 hours. Whose life can be more thrilling than mine now? Soldiers, fighting for war. My subconscious answered. I guess this is fine after all.

“And those mandrakes are the people who got trapped. Try pulling one of those and you’ll see them in the roots.” He said as I looked at him in my most creeped out face. “Oh don’t worry. What you’ll see on the roots are just their forms. But when you slice inside it, you’ll find the human soul and you suck it in or put it in a bottle.” My expression turned from creeped out to horrified. “Oh, oh. Don’t be scared. Their bodies are underneath the plants. One body for one plant so they might already pile up in that crowded sight.” My horrified expression turned into grim.

“Jesus.” I whispered.

“You’d be a very pretty mandrake if I hadn’t been here princess.” He said as he patted my shoulder. As he turned to walk away, I found my normal voice again.

“To whom exactly do I owe my gratitude, Elder Baskerville?” I asked, halting him to look back.

“My brother Valtore would just let you turn yourself into an Azurian Delight. You’d be dead by now if he was the one who saw you.” He said.

“So it is Elder Elliot. Thank you.” I said as I bowed at him just like how Gold taught me.

“I prefer to be called with just my first name. Just Elliot is fine.” He returned the gesture and drifted on the end of the hall where I came from.

My heart pounded in fear as I looked back in the cursed ground. The mandrakes I just stepped on when I went to the gazebo were dead. And beneath them, I saw a rotten arm. Crap. I ran towards the hallway, totally creeped out from everything I saw.

I ran not knowing where exactly I was headed. I just needed to get away from that God forsaken place. Literally. I ran like I was chased by the souls of those trapped in the mandrake roots that I’ve stepped on. I rubbed my bare arms with my laced gloved hands in disgust. I ran until I bumped into someone.

“Oh my God, Elliot. I’m so sorry. I saw an arm under the mandrakes and it’s rotten and it’s disgusting. What you told me really creeped me out so I’m never going back there. God, I nearly died out th…” I stopped blabbing out with a sudden fatal realization.

“So my brother has been up early.” He said. Crap.

“Elder Valtore. I’m so sorry, I have been mistaken.” My voice is trembling. Double Crap, he’s quiet.

“I see your apology is sincere. It is accepted.” He said in a tone so sinister that he could kill me with heart attack without doing anything. I bowed in gratitude then looked at him in the eyes. Just like my Speech tutor taught me during the Public Speaking lesson. Look at them in the eye. It would show no fear, no dishonor and all the due respect they deserve. It’s a good weapon Use it. His eyes were brown; the color of dried blood on a white shirt. I smiled my sweetest smile at him and turned my back to walk away.

“Your thoughts are too loud for me not to hear, dear Princess.” He said. If my eyelids were a little bit loose, my eyeballs could have popped out of the window. My hair flipped as I looked back at him. “I’ve already heard that from someone though. I see you two have shared the same mentor.” He smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“I have only shared Mr. Secor with one person, Elder Valtor. And that person has been dead for almost seven years.” I smiled back at him, now sincerely with the thought of my late sister Tamika.

“How unfortunate. You share the same scent as well.” He said but before I could even react, he vanished.

Damn he’s creepy. Elliot is creepy but it’s the geeky innocent nobleman creepy. Valtore is the real deal creepy.

I continued walking and finally saw Ebony. She led me back to my room on the Southern tower. There, she helped me fix myself up as I told her the ‘Mandrake’ incident and the ‘Switching Baskervilles’ accident. She said she was glad I was alive and I appreciated that. I too was, well more than glad I was still walking with my head attached on my neck.