Chapter 6

Aris finds a clue to the mine, and also the treasure he has been searching for all this time.

 

Chapter 6

I squatted down to touch the floor, just as assurance I was in fact in a room somewhere. I touched the floor and reached up, I hit the ceiling. So, I came to the conclusion I was in some sort of giant room. Walking further along, the ground turned to water. It became deeper the more I went and eventually I was holding my breath. I swam a little ways further, holding my breath in the darkness that seemed to be never ending. Eventually I came to the end, the room’s ceiling became taller and I was above the water again. I was gasping for breath, coughing and hacking, it echoed off the walls. Swimming just a little bit further I came to were the water ended. It was still pitch black, I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face. However, I could still hear the sound of a crashing wave. It was faint, but the sound so familiar, a beach perhaps.

I finally found a wall and on it was a door. I tried to budge it open, but it was locked. I looked around in my wet pockets for my tools, they were gone. I sighed to myself, and then looked through the peep hole. It was the ocean, birds swarmed by the thousands. Taking a step back I felt around in the dark room, some light came through the hole but not much. The door was made of wood, if I could find something to break it I could slip out. Feeling around I found a small pebble, yet only one. I began to carve at the door and soon became bored. I couldn’t turn back now; I don't even think I could find the way I came in. After the pebble, I found a patch of sticks. I picked two that seemed to be the sturdiest and put my talents as a thief to use. I sharpened the sticks ends so they represented the tools I could not find. When I was finally finished I put the two sharpened sticks into the keyhole and began to unlock it. After a few minutes, it made a sound and I pushed it forward, but walking out I wasnt expecting to see this.

A huge monument stood tall. I walked around it and gazed at it with huge eyes. On it, it read ‘To our dear founder Sir Karil’. I laughed a little to myself, eventually I was on the ground laughing, rolling, and scaring the thousand flocks of birds. The waves crashed and soon I was almost set out to sea. I pulled myself out of it and stood up, facing Sir Karil. “What do I do?” I asked him, as if he was some God and this was his shrine. I was sitting on the coast, staring at the tall statue.

I got up and walked over to it, scanning every inch of it. Hoping to find something of use; it was dusk now, the sky a fiery red. On the statue I found a secret compartment. It was small and fit a key. I looked through my pockets again, no key. I pulled out the two sticks again and picked the lock. It opened and on the inside a gold piece, with another note.

 

Dear Alys,

               I realize now that relying on you to solve my mystery is selfish, you can leave it if you so wish. I leave you this gold piece for all your troubles. However, if you wish to continue let me say this: There is something that only you would know the answer too, from where you are from there is a key. This key may open the door that leads to heaven, I await for you at the gates where the 7 maps of location will reveal the treasure I hid from Arnold

 

I sat down on his monument and starred up to the heavens. “If only I knew what that meant, Alys is no longer here” the sound in my voice was an expression of sadness, which even caught me by surprise. I slipped the note into my sleeve so it wouldn't get wet and climbed the hill. To my surprise I was really close to the village, just a few miles away. The abandoned village was a little to the left of the hill. I turned around to look at the monument; it stood tall, but not tall enough to be seen so far away.

I began to walk back to the castle. I was still soaking wet, and the sun was gone. The air around me became cold as the light vanished and disappeared over the horizon. So cold I began to shiver, and small icicles formed on my sleeves and nose. I could see my breath as I breathed heavily trying to keep moving. The faster I ran the warmer I became, so I ran. Falling a few times, but getting back to my feet. Since I was wet the dirt on the ground stuck to me like glue and I was a mess. It took until night to reach the castle, and by then my clothes were stiff, I was exhausted. Once I got to the gates the guards waved to me, I tried to return the favor but lost all the energy I had running back here. Like a leaf in the wind, I fell over, huddling over and freezing. I heard them call my name, but the cold was too much that I closed my eyes and lost myself in thought.

I immediately opened my eyes and found Tamillia standing over my bed holding a warm towel and placing it over my forehead. My clothes were dry by this point and my muddy boots were worn out so much a giant hole was peering into existence. “You were gone an awful while, what happened?” she asked. I laughed a little and pulled a piece of paper out from my sleeve. “What’s this?” she took it from me and I pulled the covers further, still frozen from the water.

“Did you know that there are many secret doors in this place?” I quickly sat up and watched her as she read it.

“Where is the gold piece” the queen asked, she had been standing over Tamillia’s shoulder, and only now did I realize she was there.

“It wasnt there” I lied.

“That so?” Zane asked; he was sitting on the couch that was once in place of the secret door. “I don't believe you”

“It wasnt there” I said persistently. The queen gave me a look of sadness and sighed dreadfully.

“We found the gold piece when we brought you in” Tamillia said with regret. I sunk in my seat, caught lying? How terrible.

“So you did” I said, looking though my pockets. I stood up, Reno was sitting in the room as well, and her expression showed of sadness, as did Tamillia and the queen.

“You do realize that lying to the royal court is a crime, and stealing from the queens land is illegal?” father asked his voice harsh underneath all of his sadness. All of the court was here and watched as I had lied to every one of them. Some were satisfied, was I to be thrown in jail?

I walked across the room to where the balcony led; you couldn’t see the beach or the monument from here. I sighed; the court was on their toes, Zane ready to draw his sword. “Let him burn for all his crimes” one suggested.

“He’s lied to us now, who’s to say that he hasn’t before or in the future?” another commented. I drew back and watched as they made comments and pointed fingers. I began to think while the court was preoccupied with deciding my fate as a thief. I put my hand to my chin and gazed out, it was morning. I hadn’t known, the sun was high in the sky, still morning. I lend over the side to see how high I actually was, high enough to break a leg. As the thief’s quarters, I imagine they did this on purpose. I looked up; the roof was too high to climb.

“Aris, please, Why lie to us?” my sister plead “you have a home here” she gave me sympathy, I didn’t return it. I was set on figuring this out, and by this point it wasnt because of the gold that may or may not be there when I finish. This was personal, whether the court believes me or not. In all honesty, I had forgotten about my mother’s treasure, but something hit me that seemed rather similar. A key, that’s what Karil said to Alys in the later. My mother’s treasure is also a key. “This is a key to Heaven” she once said. The only words I had remembered; her face was fading from my memory, as was Alys's.

“Do you believe that if you leave me that I will find the treasure and leave?” I asked, the court remained silent and thought it over.

“That is exactly” Zane said, breaking the silence. The queen nodded and the rest followed, even Tamillia.

“When I find the treasure, you can have it, Ari. All I need is the key” I replied, I walked back into the room and took the middle of the floor. “I am a thief, I have stolen many things, and I will admit all my crimes if you wish me too” I promised

“Every one of them” one man asked me, he snickered at my hesitation.

“Every last crime I have ever committed” I said, leaning above the old man and giving my word.

“Begin than” Zane tested me. I took a deep breath and spoke.

“The first crime I committed was after my mother mysteriously disappeared, abandoning me in the middle of market square. I stole a small piece of bread from a stand and ran. Soon they caught me, I wasnt able to eat it and was thrown into a prison block. I gave my mother’s last name and was assigned to become a thief, by the guards” I paused a little to let that last note sink in. A guard teaching me to steal...