Infinitesimal: A Tale of Dragons and Daring Deeds

Chapter 16: Castle Gates

On the way to Cattail Rue, Lou tested her newly altered scythe on a deer that they ended up eating afterwards. Cattail Rue's roads were wonderfully paved, and there were hardly any trees around, and little to no roots to cause another trip by Cookie.

It felt like nearly no time at all. They were out of the college and into the Cattail Rue province before the sun even set.

When it did set, they sat outside the city limits. Lou had gathered firewood and Cael made them a small fire. Each rock glowed a faint blue, and kept the fire warm and contained the whole night.

Lou huddled next to it, Cael's head obstructing the view of the city behind him. He didn't look back at her, just at the fire he constantly tended. The stick he held in his hand didn't glow brightly, but Lou suspected he enchanted it somehow. It never burned or charred.

They sat in silence for a good long while. Lou considered starting conversation three or for times, her mouth opening and gaping like a fish. He never once looked up at her. He stared at the fire like it was all he knew.

When Lou looked into it, she thought she saw her mother's face, smiling warmly like she did when Lou came back with a wonderful story from training.

Lou leaned down onto the ground, her head facing the fire and her mother. She blinked twice, and was asleep.

When she awoke Cael was staring at what used to be the fire pit. The glow on the rocks had not faded, but the circle was broken and the fire long out. Lou rose and rubbed her sleep-infused eyes.

"Good morning, Princess." Cael nearly sneered. "Sleep well?"

"Well enough," Lou replied. "Did you even sleep?"

Cael snorted. Lou took her answer.

"Do you even want to go?" Lou asked tentatively.

Cael's eyes never left where the fire used to be. He cleared his throat, stood up, and fished an apple out of Lou's bag to feed to Cookie. Lou walked over and mounted her and pulled Cael up along with her. He took an uneasy breath, which Lou mimicked, and they were off.

Cattail Rue was merely a forty-five minute ride away. The brick walls looked like they were carved out of blood the closer they got to the city. A huge archway opened up and Cael and Lou were allowed to just walk under it. The guards stationed at the top of the wall didn't even seem to see them.

They broke the city, and were mildly shocked. No one was in an immediate cry for help. Beggars lined the streets, of course, it was Cattail Rue and royals walked the city like no one's business.

But most shops had their lights on. Beckoning. Inviting. None of them seemed to notice the swirl of black smoke puffing out of the royal palace, or if they did, they didn't care.

The castle, like the college before it, was spiny and fragmented and dark. Spires that had a sharp, pointed edge topped towers that otherwise looked normal. The gate was covered in black, spiny bars. The whole thing was elevated over the rest of the city, only accessible by a connection of stairwells surrounded by more inky black gates.

"I haven't really..." Lou trailed while they searched for a stable.

"Been on the lowest level of the city?" Cael said.

"Yeah."

"It's too quiet here," Cael muttered. "There should be more... Conspicuous people."

Lou pulled on Cookie's reigns to avoid another person nearly starving on the ground. She sneered in disgust. How could someone leave all these people for dead?