The Black Unicorn

What is Seen

Lord Conrad's keep was... to be simple and honest, Creepy. Not because everything was destroyed or rotting, but simply because of how empty and quiet it was. The upper halls in Master Ambrose's castle were always quiet, for very few servants ever were up there. On the lower levels though there were always people hustling and bustling about to get their work done.

Here there was absolutely no one. It was always quieter than a sneaking mouse, yet sometimes things would move or clean themselves when I was looking the other way.

The four brothers were not taking it too well either. Asher and Varem were constantly looking over their shoulders, weapons in hand, certain that something was going to jump them. Amadeus and Vincent played it off as if it did not bother them, but they could not always hide the nervous sweat and furrow of their brows.

Amadeus and Varem walked behind me, leading me to a certain room at Lord Conrad's request. How many days had we already been here? 3? 4? Conrad gave us a few days to rest after getting here. I was quite shocked when I learned that we had been on the road for almost a month.

I was asleep for the majority of a month?! What exactly did those brothers drug me with?! I was no longer restrained at all however, in fact, I was free to walk the castle. As long as I had two brothers following me.

It was like back at home where I had two guards with me almost all the time. Except these guys chatted and joked with each other.

Varem and Asher were always showing rough brotherly love towards the other two. Amadeus was a little bit harder to crack, but eventually, he would join in the roughhousing. I found that he had a soft spot for Varems puppy eyes.

Vincent however was completely stoic and would not slip up on his duties for even a second. It was like the ride to the castle when I was awake.

The brothers stepped around me and opened the doors to let me in. I did not thank them, I was still boiling pissed at them. They did not seem like bad lads, but they still kidnapped me. To be fair though, Master Ambrose did too.

We entered some type of Observatory and Laboratory mixed into one. It was a large round room with many shelves and tables filled with books and instruments of science. Above us, the ceiling rounded into a glass dome, showing the evening sky and the stars that were slowly shimmering into view.

Lord Conrad himself was looking through the small glass window attached to what looked like a ginormous telescope that seafarers would use. Though this one was on a tripod stand and had a crank to move it.

He made no motion to acknowledge us as we entered, he only muttered to himself as he wrote or drew something down on a piece of paper before looking back through the glass.

Amadeus shifted a little bit uncomfortably behind me. Looking over my head and giving his brother an unsure look before making a coughing sound at the back of his throat to signal the lord that we were here.

He snapped up completely straight as if he had just been shocked, turning around, though it still looked like he was floating, and smiling at us.

" Welcome! sorry about my silence! I was not ignoring you! I tend to get caught up in my studies. Tends to happen when it's the only thing keeping you company for... I don't even know how long I have been here." He laughed as if that was the funniest thing in the world.

I think I heard Varem nervously swallow the lump in his throat at the lord's laugh. Conrad's laugh died down into a chuckle as he smoothly moved his way away from the big metal contraption and more towards the center of the room. Motioning for us to follow.