The Shadowseeker - Victor Kloss Page 0,57

Charlie turned their attention to the gate and the guards blocking them. There was a steady flow of people coming in and out. Ben counted four guards, but they weren't stopping people; perhaps the pin's badge was security enough. Ben saw the badges light up when they passed through.

“Will ours do that?” Charlie asked, looking down at his badge anxiously.

“They should do,” Natalie said. “Rolan was supposed to replicate their functionality.”

Ben smiled. “Well, he knows you'll never speak to him again if he messed up, so I'm sure they're fine. Just walk confidently through, and don't stare at the guards.”

But as they approached the gate, Ben found that was easier said than done. They had to slow to a crawl, as there were people ahead of them, including a couple of dwarves riding what looked like warthogs. The mounted dwarves caught the guards' attention, which suited Ben just fine. As he passed through the gate, the pin suddenly warmed against his chest and, to his great relief, glowed green.

“That wasn't so bad,” Ben said, giving them both a grin. The wide road eased the traffic congestion and Ben set a good pace towards the castles.

Charlie wiped his brow with a handkerchief. “I'm fairly sure I'm going to have heart problems when I'm older. So, what next?”

“We head to Gaia and begin our search for Mr. Lornor Taren.”

“How do we know which castle he's in?”

“If he's a beastmaster, he should be in Gaia. Earth is the primary magic used to tame and train beasts,” Natalie said.

“Except the book said he had been relieved of his beastmaster position,” Charlie said.

“Minor details,” Ben said, with a wave. “When we get into the castle, we'll find a way to track him down.”

Ben's confidence wavered slightly as they neared the castle. The sheer size and splendour of it was both intimidating and awe-inspiring. The faint green turrets and towers were so tall they seemed to touch the sky.

“The doors are open. That's a good sign,” Natalie said.

In actual fact, there were no doors, just a large archway for people to come and go. On top of the arch the words “SpellWorks Inc.: Gaia” were elegantly engraved.

“Maybe they don't need a door,” Charlie said. “Maybe they have magic security instead.”

“Ever the optimist,” Ben commented.

But Charlie had a point, and Ben fiddled with his badge as they climbed the stairs towards the arched entrance.

“When we get inside,” Ben said, now talking softly and quickly, “it's important that we don't look like a bunch of tourists. We will have only moments to decide where to go and what to do. Who wants to lead?”

“You,” Natalie and Charlie said in unison.

“Okay, but if either of you sees something, feel free to take over. Natalie, you know this world better than us and, Charlie, you can read and observe like a wizard.”

Ben couldn't help flinching as he stepped through the archway, half expecting some magical barrier to stop them in their tracks. But they walked through unopposed and entered a huge circular atrium.

“That was easy,” Charlie said, looking around uncomfortably. “Am I being paranoid or does anyone else think that sneaking into one of the most magical places in the Unseen Kingdoms should be a little harder?”

“Don't be such a pessimist,” Natalie whispered. “We have the security badges, remember?”

Ben couldn't help feeling Charlie had a point, but he had no time to worry about that now. He quickly took in the scene. Everything was a pristine white or made of crystal glass, reminding Ben of some futuristic space age. There were three staircases: one ahead, one left, and one right. In front of the central staircase was a signpost with a sign for each staircase. The left said “Research & Development”, the middle one said “Production Labs” and the one on the right said “Enchantments & Artefacts”.

Without breaking stride, Ben steered to the left staircase and started climbing.

“Good choice,” Natalie said.

“What is it with stairs?” Charlie huffed. “I would have thought a place like this would have magical escalators or something.”

The stairs ran deep into the left section of the castle and they emerged into a small room that was clearly located in one of the many towers, with its curved walls. There were two doors, in front and behind them. Neither were marked and both looked identical.

“Which door?” Charlie asked.

In answer, Ben led them through the front one.

Ben had told Charlie and Natalie the importance of acting like they belonged, but the moment they stepped through the door, Ben