The continent of Tantagel was massive, they realized as soon as it began appearing on the shore and didn't stop appearing. "Where are we going?" Nikado asked as Alex guided the ship into a channel between cliffs. "This place is huge."
"The castle of Tantagel should be at the center of the continent. I'm not sure how far we can get inland, but I think we can find our way there from where we have to land. It should be due east," Alex explained, pointing ahead, "along the shore."
"It's so quiet," Ameko observed. "I mean, the monsters have been out in force, but I haven't seen a single village."
"Probably Tantagel has suffered like the other continents." Alex brought the ship to a halt. "There's a bridge in front of us. From here, we'll walk. Don't worry, I can see it ahead."
The trip to the castle of Tantagel itself didn't take more than a couple of hours, leaving them with plenty of daylight as they approached the gates. "Hail!" Nikado called up. "Can you open the gate?"
"We don't open the gate for monsters," a voice called back.
Nikado frowned. "That's rude. We're a little dirty, but we're hardly monsters."
"There are no other humans on Tantagel, monsters," the guard called back. "You're not fooling anyone."
"We're not from Tantagel," Alex spoke up. "We came by ship. Our ship is parked back by the bridge, you can see it from here. Why would we take a ship if we were monsters?"
That point seemed to make an effect, and at last the gate opened, revealing a contingent of guards, a woman in a practical dress holding a sword eyeing them. "If you are what you say you are," she stated coolly, "prove it."
Alex frowned, but Nikado held out an arm, cutting a line on his skin. Blood welled to the surface. "We bleed like humans," he offered, letting a guard inspect the wound.
"It's blood, milady," he said after a moment.
She let out a sigh of relief, gesturing for them to enter, the guards stepping back. "Forgive our paranoia, but we haven't had visitors in years. I am Malanya, princess of Tantagel. I welcome you, travelers. Your names?"
"Nikado, prince of Lorasia," he introduced himself. Now that he had a chance, he observed the princess up close. She was younger than him, but wore a determined, set expression that made her seem older. Her hair was a platinum blonde, almost white, pinned back partially so that it fell down her back, only a few stray strands interfering with her face. Her gray eyes were intense, and Nikado guessed her intensity was part of her usual expression. She was also tall for her age, though not as tall as the three travellers, and a bit too broad in the shoulder to be ladylike. "These are my companions, Prince Alex of Cannock and Princess Ameko of Moonbrook."
She frowned at that. "Those places are a terrible distance from here. You came by ship?"
"From Liamport. We've traveled the rest of the way on foot and horseback."
"I see. You must be weary, then. I will have my servants prepare a room for you." She nodded to another woman, a slight girl with exotic purple-toned hair, who bowed to the trio before moving away. "I am interested to know what sort of pressing business has brought you all the way to Tantagel."
"We're trying to take Hargon down," Nikado explained. "We're hoping Tantagel might have some information we can use, since it's where the hero defeated the Dragon Lord."
"Compared to Hargon, the Dragon Lord is nothing," she said with a shake of her head. "He never made whole villages be swallowed up and vanish. I'm not sure what we can do for you, but anything we have that you can use, take. I would give you the services of my sword, but unfortunately, I'm not of a house of Loto. We are only connected on my mother's side, through Lady Lora."
"What can you tell us about the Dragon Lord?" Alex asked.
"Not much. My older brother would know more. I will take you to meet him," she told the group. "But after you are rested. I must prepare my brother for your arrival."
"This place is very large," Ameko observed, looking around. "Bigger than Moonbrook."
"Out of necessity. We have had to expand in order to house all the refugees from the other towns of Tantagel that were absorbed by Hargon. It's been a difficult venture."
"We appreciate your hospitality," Alex said. "Are you the reigning monarch here?"
"More or less," she said with a shrug. "My father's run off to god knows where and my brother is not well enough to manage everything. He tends to much of the, shall we say, intellectual functions of the castle. I'm in charge of our defense."
"I see."
"My lords and lady," the petite girl from earlier greeted them at the doorway to the castle itself. "If you would be so kind as to follow me, I shall show you to your rooms."
"Thank you," Nikado said, giving her a smile as the three followed her. "This is a very nice castle you all have here."
"Thank you," she said with a bow to him. "I appreciate your kind comments. Lady, your room is here, if you please," she gestured with a bow before opening the door. "And here are your rooms, my lords." She gestured to each one in turn before opening the doors. "If you have need of anything, there is a bell you can ring. I will bring you food and drink shortly."
Nikado gave her another smile before stepping inside, Ameko and Alex following and looking around. "These rooms are very old," Alex observed. "Then again, Tantagel is an ancient castle. Much older than any of ours."
"Has quite the history to it, doesn't it?" Ameko commented.
"It does. I'm looking forward to talking with this prince on the morrow," Alex said. "I wonder what he can tell us of Tantagel."
The next morning, the servant girl, whose name they learned was Taiji, came to fetch them after they had taken breakfast. Malanya was waiting in the throne room for them, nodding to them seriously. "Good morning. I hope you slept well."
"We slept very well," Ameko said with a bow. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Think nothing of it." Malanya turned, Taiji taking up a deferential position nearby the princess. "Shall we go visit my older brother, then?"
"We'd appreciate that."
Malanya nodded, leading the way, the other princess and princes following, Taiji humbly bringing up the rear. Stopping by a door, she knocked, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for a response.
The man that opened the door might have been related to Taiji, for his hair was oddly colored as well, though a darker purple than Taiji's. "Lady Malanya," he said with a bow. "The prince has been expecting you."
Malanya gestured to the three behind her. "I've brought the royalty from the houses of Lorasia, Cannock and Moonbrook. They desire an audience."
The man opened the door, bowing as they entered. The room was finely decorated, but not opulent or gauche, the main piece in the room the large canopied bed in the center. On the bed, a young man was sitting up, smiling as he spotted them. He had short blonde hair, a darker shade than Malanya's, and his eyes were a similar shade of gray. "Greetings, prince of Lorasia, prince of Cannock, princess of Moonbrook. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Saturi, the prince of Alefgard, the castle of Tantagel."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Saturi," Alex said with a bow. "We've heard you know something of the old legends connected to Tantagel."
"You're referring to the battle of the hero and the Dragon Lord," Saturi said with a nod, quirking a smile. "It's about the only claim to fame we have."
"What can you tell us about it?"
"Aside from the general gist of the story? Most of what we know about it is pretty common knowledge. The story of his arrival, the kidnapping and rescue of Princess Lora, our family's ancestral family. What I can tell you is that the final battle between the hero and the Dragon Lord occured in Charlock."
"Charlock?"
"Yes. The castle that is just south of here, on the northernmost tip of land, set in the cliffs. It's a crumbling, decrepit castle that the Dragon Lord used for his base of operations. That's where their battle took place. And," he added, "I have reason to believe that his sword, the sword of Loto, is still there."
"The sword of Loto?" Alex asked intently.
"Yes. I understand you're looking for a way to defeat Hargon," Saturi said. "Unfortunately, I know of no secrets that may help you with that goal. However, seeing the battlefield where the Dragon Lord was defeated might be beneficial to your quest."
"Thank you. That's very valuable information," Alex said with a nod. "We'll be sure to check it out."
"Charlock Castle," Nikado mused. "I wonder what it's like?"
"That I can't say for certain. I have never been in there myself," Saturi said apologetically, gesturing to himself. "My legs are barely strong enough to get me around some days, let alone face the hazards of Charlock."
"If you liked, I could come with you," Malanya offered.
Ameko shook her head. "We appreciate the offer, but you're needed here to protect Alefgard. We'll manage on our own."
"I also have something that may help you in your quest," Saturi said, nodding to the male servant standing next to the bed. "Kestrel?"
The man bowed before stepping away from the bed, opening a small chest perched on a table nearby. With a bow, he handed the folded parchment to Alex.
The prince opened it up, Ameko and Nikado peering over his shoulders. Alex blinked in surprise, then his eyes widened. "This is a world map."
Saturi nodded. "The hero returned it to Alefgard when he had vanquished the Dragon Lord. I find it fitting that it be passed on to you."
"What's this dot?" Nikado asked, pointing to a small mark on the page.
"That's where we are," Alex explained. "It's an enchanted map. These are very valuable. Thank you, prince Saturi. This is an incredible gift."
He smiled, bowing his head slightly. "It is the least I can do for the children of Loto. Unfortunately, we only share the blood of Lady Lora, otherwise I would gladly send my sister with you."
"If there's anything else we can do," Malanya said, hand on her sword, "please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you for everything, Malanya, Saturi," Nikado said with a smile. "We will bring peace back to the world."
"I look forward to it," Saturi said with a smile.
The recall whistle did its job; the ship readily appeared on the shore when Alex blew it, and from there it was a short trip across the channel. "There," he said, pointing as he steered the ship. "I can make out windows in the side of the cliff."
"So the castle's built in to the cliffs itself?" Ameko noted.
"So it appears. Saturi said the battle took place in the bowels of the castle, so we'll have to go down," Alex said, finding a break inbetween the rocks where he could guide the ship to the shoreline. "I only wish the hero had left more detail about the castle itself. Like the path he took."
"That would have been handy, but I guess we can't have someone walk us through everything," Nikado said with a shrug. "Let's look around."
The castle itself was set among soggy, muddy ground that was seething with poisons. Alex cast the spell he had used in the swamp of four bridges, paving them a clear path to the castle, and the three walked up, Nikado pushing the decrepit doors open.
The interior of the castle was dim, only lit by occasional torches, and Ameko pulled out one of her own, holding it up high. A few skittering sounds indicated the presence of monsters, but nothing moved to attack. "Apparently our reputation precedes us," Ameko noted dryly. "Let's go inside."
"Watch your step," Alex said, casting the spell again over the floor. "This poison's seeped into the floorboards itself, it's everywhere."
"Makes you wonder," Nikado noted. "Was it always there before? Was this the state that the castle was in when the hero came here?"
"Who knows? He wasn't exactly talkative about it."
Ameko held up the torch. "There's a throne room ahead. Look."
Alex did so, casting the spell across the floor, and the three approached the throne. "Sort of a tacky looking thing," Nikado noted. "Wonder if it was the Dragon Lord's."
"No way to tell," Alex said with a shake of his head. "This castle was probably here before the Dragon Lord. Castles don't just pop out of thin air, you know."
"You never know, I'm sure someone would manage it," Nikado said with a shrug. "Maybe a vampire could."
Alex gave him a look. "Vampires don't exist."
"Well, if they did, maybe they could."
Alex rolled his eyes. "Hey, look at this," Ameko said, kneeling next to the throne. "There's a lever here." with a grunt, she gave it a steady tug, pulling it down. With a rumble, the chair shifted on rollers set underneath the stone, revealing a staircase.
"Well then," Nikado said, raising his eyebrows. "Guess we found the bowels."
"Let's go," Alex said. "And keep your weapon at the ready."
Nikado nodded, sword in hand as the trio ventured down the stairs. The paths underneath were twisting and dark, the torches set in the walls more sparse underneath the main floor. They went down a few more sets of stairs, and then after five or six floors, the next set of stairs opened up into a large room. "I smell the sea," Ameko observed suddenly.
"There," Nikado pointed. "There's light over there."
"That must be the cliffs," Alex said. "Let's look around. Be careful, there's more of that poison on the floor."
The other two nodded, Nikado with sword at the ready and Ameko with torch in hand. It was barely needed with the evening light streaking through holes in the crumbling walls, a bit of moss and grass growing at the edges of the walls where they had fallen in. "This is a much nicer floor than before," Ameko noted.
"Look, ahead," Alex said, pointing. "There's something in stone up there." Gesturing for Ameko to hand him the torch, he moved forward. As he approached, he could make out the shape of draconic features on the lump of stone, and with a jolt, he realized it was a statue of a dragon, crumbling and falling apart.
"Is that...?" Ameko asked, looking at Alex.
"I think so."
"Look!" Nikado pointed ahead, to something laying on the floor at the dragon's feet. "There's a sword."
Holding up the torch, Alex approached, kneeling by the sword. "I've no doubt," he said in a breathless tone, "that this is the very sword of Loto. It has to be."
"The sword of Loto? It really is?" Nikado asked excitedly. "I can't believe it's here after all."
"Ah, someone's come at last for the sword," a voice behind them said. "It's about time. You've kept me waiting quite a long time, heroes."
Nikado turned, sword raised, and behind them, they could see a throne, and in the throne, a young man sat. "Hello, princes, princess," he greeted with a smile that seemed to have no human warmth, but rather a cold, reptilian feeling. "I've been waiting for you."
"Who are you?" Nikado asked curiously. "Why have you been waiting for us?"
"Me? I'm the heir. To that," he said with a gesture to the crumbling dragon behind them. "Not much to look at now, though."
Alex's brow furrowed as he considered the words. "You mean you're the Dragon Lord's descendant."
"Aren't you a smart one? That would be it exactly," the man said with a nod. "And you've come for the sword and advice on how to beat the tyrant of monsters. Hargon," the name was spoken with a sneer, "is becoming quite the little pest, isn't he?"
"That's one way of putting it," Ameko commented, looking to Nikado and Alex for an indication of whether they should attack or not.
Nikado lowered his sword. "If you've been waiting for us, you must want something from us. Or want to give us something."
"A bit of column A, a bit of column B," the dragon lord said with a slight shrug. "I want Hargon removed before he becomes a real thorn in my side. It'd be most convenient for me if you'd do that."
"Wouldn't it be, though," Ameko snorted. "What's column B?"
"There's a part of the legend of the hero you don't know. It's one of the secrets to the Dragon Lord's defeat," the man stated, shaking his head. "Poor, arrogant fool. He just didn't pay attention to the old legends."
"What's that?" Alex asked, curiosity starting to override his caution.
"The hero used the assitance of the elemental of fire, Rubiss," the man stated, leaning forward on his throne as if he was sharing a confidence. "The elemental sleeps in a cave in the sea, protected by shoals that never recede under the tide. The elemental is pledged to Loto and his children. In order to summon her help, though, you'll need to have the proper materials."
"The proper materials? Like what?"
"I mean the five crests, of course," the man snorted. "Don't you know that much?"
Alex frowned. "I've...heard vaguely of them. What are they?"
"They're exactly what they sound like. Crests that summon the elemental. There's fire, star, water, moon, and life. Gather those five and Rubiss will appear before you to fulfill her pact. That should give you some help with Hargon and getting into his stronghold."
"What do you know about the stronghold in Rhone?" Nikado asked him.
"It's inaccessible from here," the man said with a slight shrug. "It's not an easy place to get into, by any means. The entrance will be spelled. You'll have to find something to break the spell. Beyond that, I don't know."
"Okay. How do we go about finding these crests, then?" Ameko asked him.
"Don't you know? That echo flute you're wearing will lead you to them," the dragon lord said, pointing to the shell around her neck.
She looked at it, holding it in one hand. "So that's what it does!"
"Of course that's what it does," the dragon lord said with a roll of his eyes. "'What it does', indeed."
"Why are you helping us?" Alex asked the man. "If you cause trouble, you'll have to know that we'll stop you."
"We can have that fight in the future, when we don't have interference from that so-called tyrant," the dragon lord said with a snort. "I imagine you lot don't want to divide your strength between myself and Hargon, either. Let's agree to work together for the moment, shall we?"
Alex looked at him, then nodded. "A cease-fire, then."
"Which is the most mercy you'll get from me. Savor it. I'll even let you have the sword as a parting gift," the man said with a wave of his hand. "The orb of light, I don't know anything about. You're on your own with that one."
"We appreciate it," Nikado said sincerely with a bow. "Then we'd better set off to find these crests. I'd say this has been a productive trip, don't you guys agree?"
Ameko nodded agreement. "Looks like we have a new direction ahead of us, and some movement toward our eventual goal. We may be enemies when we meet again, but for now...thanks."
The man smirked in response, watching as the trio left. As they exited, the smirk faded, the dragon lord standing and stretching, going over to the holes in the wall. Ahead of him, he could see the evening sunlight streaming in from the west, illuminating the land across the stretch and the castle of Alefgard. "Hm," he mused to himself, leaning against the wall. "It's a shame, heroes. I almost would have liked to join you lot. We do have a common ancestor, after all." He looked back over to the crumbling statue. "Isn't that right...Lady Lora?"
"So where to next?" Ameko asked as the ship moved back from the shoreline, the fins underwater fluttering madly. "We need to find these crests, but where do we look?"
"Let's start with this lighthouse," Alex replied, tracing a finger over the map as he studied it carefully. "Ephemeris did mention the echo flute went off around the lighthouse, right?"
"She did. Where is it?" Ameko stood behind him, watching the map.
"About due south of here, around this landmass. We should hit it by tomorrow afternoon."
"Think that should be enough time to look around in the daylight?"
"Depends on how many monsters might be there. We should probably be prepared for trouble since it isn't used by humans." Alex looked up at Nikado, who was resting on the bow, looking out ahead of them.
"I wonder why that guy sits in Charlock all day," Nikado murmured. "It must be dull and lonely."
"Some people are like that," Alex said with a shrug. "They prefer being alone."
"Or they can't let go of the past," Ameko added, folding her arms.
"I think...I'd like to meet him again one day," Nikado added thoughtfully. "And get him to go to Alefgard. I bet Malanya will like him."
Ameko shook her head. "You're crazy."
Nikado turned around and, in a moment of adult maturity, stuck his tongue out at her. "On to this lighthouse, then!"
