Monster

The grey castle squatted precariously on the edge of the rocky bluff. Below, the dead trees created an ocean of twisted, scraggy branches, desperate arms reaching towards an unforgiving, dirty-white sky. It was this kind of weather that Saber hated most, the kind that he wished he could simply curl up under the covers and sleep the day away. Dark clouds meant thunder, grey clouds in winter meant snow, but dusty-grey clouds in midsummer could mean rain, or nothing at all. In the rugged foothills of Aevetalis, it usually meant absolutely nothing. Humidity hung in the stuffy air like wool and plastered his ash-coloured hair to his sweaty forehead. If the sky had not been shrouded in clouds, Saber would have been able to estimate, by the sun's position, that the ceremonial brunch back at the village would have ended by now, somberly.

It was an honour to be chosen by one's village to defeat the creature in the Castle of Solus. The rational mind would have proclaimed it a death sentence, but, if Saber died nobly enough, he had a solid chance of being reincarnated as a demigod. In truth, nobody had ever returned from successfully slaying the beast, and so the entire village would lapse into prayer and meditation for the chosen warrior.

The chosen warrior. The phrase had resounded in his head as he started down the valley, shrugging his pack up his shoulders, the path finally fogless for one day in a year. He would fight to the death to rid the castle of the beast, it was probably some old, sick bag of bones by now anyway. The king would be able to return to ruling in the Castle of Solus, and Saber would be showered with riches, maybe even dubbed the king's personal champion. Look, the people would cry from below his snowy white stallion, It's the hero of Aevetalis! The one who slayed the wicked beast of Solus!

Saber's daydreams of grandeur soon faded away with the blue sky and greenery, as the breezes no longer blew cool air from the south. It was hard not to notice the dulling sky, as it grew paler with clouds high up in the atmosphere. Or, Saber thought with dread, the colour is simply being sucked from the sky. The cheery poplars and shrubbery had died out, replaced with towering conifers, tips brushing the sky, pine needles carpeting the ground. Though the branches were bare and the bark was flaking, they refused to be uprooted from the forest floor, and Saber could only see trees past more trees blurring into a ruddy grey landscape. He might as well face reality now than in the last moments of his life. His left arm ached, the wooden shield that had made him look ferocious back at the village suddenly seemed too heavy and garish, and the broadsword tugged incessantly at his hip, as if it wanted to be left behind in the dirt. He couldn't blame it, if he was a majestic blade being dragged into battle by a disheartened teenager, he would want to be left behind too.

The path was soon replaced with rocks and boulders, and as Saber began the laborious hike, he noticed the slight incline. Panting, he forced his tired limbs to move up the seemingly endless hill. Maybe he shouldn't have started his journey so jovially, he could use some of that motivation right about now. He swore as his foot went out from under him, slipping on slick moss, before wincing at the ghostly echo. How high had he really climbed?

He could feel the darkness before he really saw it. The light mist--when had that formed?--soon gave way to coal-black stones reaching far higher than he would have liked, and a heavy iron gate. This castle was more of a fortress, what kind of battle king had resided within those walls? Wrinkling his nose against the rotting smell of rust, Saber paused. What was he supposed to do now? He only ever thought about the actual act of slaying the creature, and ceased worrying about losing his way in the forest when the path refused to disappear. Never once did he think that he would need a way to get inside the castle. Cautiously, he knocked the edge of his shield against the iron gate. Nothing. Saber gave an exasperated sigh. How was he supposed to defeat the beast if he couldn't even get into the castle? His quest would be over before it had even truly started! He angrily beat the flat of his shield against the solid iron, taking satisfaction in the thunderous reverberations behind the door as they drowned his discouraging thoughts.