In the two long weeks that I had spent at the Cairnholm Castle, I had done at least a thousand things I'd never dreamed of in my life. I ate foods so wealthy, they could be gold. I rode a stallion—or at least tried and failed miserably. I slept in a proper bed, one with pillows and blankets. One that was definitely an upgrade from the floor. I drank from goblets, which were filled to the brim with pure water made of Elements, tasting brilliantly as it dissolved in my mouth—a vault compared to Shlaido. I clambered onto trees and rolled down hills, and wielded swords and blades beyond my imagination. I shot the king's crossbow and hit an applause-worthy bullseye. The books I read on kingdoms didn't even contain half the stuff I rejoiced myself in.

The palace life I imagined would be crappy turned out to be sublime.

The only problem was my trainer, Peter, whom I had a major bone to pick with. That was one crappy thing about this place. He constantly hounded my back, insisting I spent far too much time drooling outside, or too much inside, and that I needed to grow my magic and be consistent with it, that I had to learn to fight and to fend for myself, instead of beseeching some other dull Magick or swordsman to do such for me, like "the puny beggar wimp" I was. He endlessly talked my ear out and complained it was a choice for him to train me, and that he wasn't forced to teach me sorcery—yet here he was, doing just that so voluntarily. And it never ceased! Once.

"You are never going to learn to control that ability of yours if you keep dawdling like a dunce, boy," he tugged the silk robes that the king and queen's daughter, Princess Emma, had provided me with.

"I told you before," I spat, brushing the spots where he pulled. "My name isn't boy. It's Dylan."

"Are you honestly scolding the man who is willing to help you gain control over those horrendous powers of yours?" He crossed his arms and lifted a brow. "That's rather discourteous of you, boy."

"I don't believe you have the right to talk of discourtesy, given who you are," I retorted.

What a pain in the rear end, I mused.

Yet he was the only one that understood Elements in a way that nobody else seemed to. He could work with them and fix them if they had a malfunction, as well as train and control them to be obedient and useful when necessary. As displeased with myself as I was to admit it, I required Peter if I was successfully going to be the Chosen One.

That day of training had finally concluded and it was time for supper, much to my gratefulness. I heaved a sigh of relief, for another day had passed where I hadn't been slaughtered by Sir Snarky.

"Hey!" said one of the many friends I'd made in the fortnight I'd been here.

His name was Jake. Jake was a knight of the Royal Guard, and a proficient one, too. All the maidens admired him after they wasted their time driveling at me. I once heard a lass say, "He sure has those looks that are unmatched, save for the hunky Chosen One."

It was confirmable. Jake was indeed handsome. At least handsomer than what I could offer. Not to mention, more muscle than bone and everything I ever desired to be. But he was also a delightful friend.

"How was Mister Grouch?" he asked, referring to Peter.

"Abominable," I responded with a yawn. "That spineless git is exhausting me quicker than Betta the Librarian."

Jake gave way to a little chuckle at this.

"Of course he is," he said, then added, "What's new?"

I rubbed my eyes of tired. "Nothing is."

A whoop came from behind us. "Time for practice, Jake."

"Welp," Jake sighed. "I got to go train with Harbin. I'll be seeing you at supper?"

"Yes," I said. "Farewell, Jake."

"Farewell, Dylan." He waved a veiny hand at me and I waved back with my bony one. Then he shined a last grin and whisked off to the grounds with Harbin.

See what I mean? Enviable. Without even attempting. Oh, to be as Jake was... Instead I was this frivolous commoner with a strict, stuck-up mentor, preparing to be "the Chosen One." It certainly sounded stylish, but it didn't change the way I felt. Jake, on the other hand, got to train and become a swordsman, happening to work with blades sharper than fangs and patterned shields and learn about ancient knights and lieges relating to armory and weaponry. Now that was something. Me? Nothing. Feeble.

"Hey!" the king and queen's daughter, Princess Emma, said as soon as I entered the castle doors. "How was your day?"

She was somewhat of another friend I'd made overtime.

She had blond hair that snaked down to her lower back, and even eyes that were bluer and deeper than the sea. She had fetching features and a tiny button-like nose and florid cheeks. She typically donned her formalwear, but today she was wearing nothing but a plain blue blouse and some boots.

"Okay," I answered. "How was yours?"

"Fine, I suppose," she said through a weighty sigh. "Mother has been on my back quite a bit lately. 'No, no Emma. You need to do this, not that. No, Emma, you need to sew like this and chew like this and wear gowns and dresses like this.' It's all so vexing, you know." She said in an irksome voice that was meant to represent the queen's. Vexing.

'Vexing' reminded me of Vex, who I hadn't happened to see since the day he delivered me at the gatehouse. I had not a clue where he was, or what he was doing currently, but I just knew I missed him. That one flight we took together had truly bonded us, and now it felt as though that bond was slowly fading as the days rippled by.

"It does sound rather stressful," I told her, noticeably unfocused with the conversation. "I believe I'm going to head off to dinner now, Emma. I shall be seeing you."

"Might I join you?" she said with a curious smile, then rolled her eyes. "If my turnip for a mother doesn't snatch me away first."

I let out a laugh and said, "That would be lovely, except I'd prefer to eat alone tonight."

She gave a curt nod. "Very well."

And at that, I was on my way again. Except I wasn't going to dine. I was going to find Vex.

I had to ensure that he was all right, that he was just doing normal creaturely things, that he wasn't being mistreated by a Magick or a knight or something of that sort.

I snuck to the Taintside Gates, which were two gateways at both ends of the Entrance Hall in the castle, both leading into big long passageways that got darker and darker with each footfall. Nobody dare take the route of the Taintsides. Cobwebs and filth begun to sprout in the creases of the walls, the deeper I went in. It was borderline repulsive for a castle, and that's saying something considering I myself had been poor.

I had never traversed the Taintsides, but I'd overheard them being discussed by Emma and one of her friends, Daila.

"Legend says that beyond those corridors are the most petrifying atrocities of them all," Daila whispered to Emma, who gasped at this. "Even more minacious than the Silent Siren."

Emma clapped a hand to her mouth. "That sounds terrifying."

"Indeed it is!" Daila started to curl her hands in a malicious way. "Legend also says every person who has ever crossed those gates has never come back, as they were likely eaten by the Vile Vermin!"

Daila tickled Emma with her snakehead hands, who shrieked, then the two laughed their heads off.

I had heard this during lunch the other day, and I didn't believe a single one of the lies Daila had spoken about. But if there really were "petrifying atrocities" past the Taintsides, Vex must be there too, right? Not that I think Vex is an atrocity, but considering his size and appearance, many people would agree otherwise.

So instead of heading off to supper in the Dining Hall like I was meant to do, I marched my way to the righthand side of the Entrance Hall, where one of the Taintsides likely was. I made a point to be unseen through all this and was gentle with each pace I took.

Once I had reached the hallway, I slowly crossed through it, trying to appear casual so that if someone were to find me, I wouldn't seem dubious. There were numerous doors down the corridor, such as the entrance to the library and study hall. Emma and Jake had shown me down this hallway when the king ordered them to give me a tour, but that was as far as they went. They never went beyond the library... And I always wondered why...

I didn't stop, though. I passed the two rooms and extra washrooms. Jake had gestured at them during the tour, but he hadn't actually shown them to me. Could it be he was afraid?

Well, either way, I surely wasn't. I carried down the hall. It didn't seem frightening whatsoever. Quite the opposite actually—the castle was expectantly noisy and always teeming with royals and servants, knights and Magicks alike, so it was a bit calming to have a change of environment for once.

At last, I'd gotten to the part of the hall where there was no more illumination. This was about halfway down, and hardly a soul went past this point, not unless they had a death wish.

Though I didn't have a death wish, I had a wish to see Vex, and so I carried on down the hall until I'd reached the dreadful dungeons. I could hear noises of the utmost absurdity, echoes of gurgling and croaking in between the eerie scratching which came from the sealed doors that led to the kingdom's prison.

With a start, I realized that beyond this, there wasn't a single door in sight. It was all so murky now that I was forced to conjure a tendril of my magic, a skill which Peter had taught me, simply so I could have just a shred of illumination.

That was when I saw them; the Taintside Gates. Or, at least, what I presumed them to be, as they fit the description in a volume I'd read prior: "Esoteric and glowing grey, the Taintside Gates have an archway crossing just over the top of them, decorated with abnormally-sized spikes and a large sign that which reads; CONTINUE, IF SUCH DARES. They are stupendous bars that prohibit a Regular of any means from taking passage through them. Beyond such, there lies the direst of matters within the whole of the Cairnholm Kingdom, or so legend speaks. In humble truthfulness, it is infamously believed to be nothing more than a place where the monsters are kept, cages confining ferocious beasts  until they are provided a task. Such is unbeknownst to most, as only a select few made do by King Hallis are even so much as disclosed concerning the Taintsides, as not just about anyone can trek through them due to their hazardous uncertainty."

The gates before me were indeed mysterious, on top of everything else. The archway which ran the length of the bars was ornate with spikes much larger than my head, and a sign was set just beside the glowing structure, reading luminously: CONTINUE, IF SUCH DARES.

If these didn't happen to be the Taintsides, then I must've been a magenta reptilian. They matched everything which the chronicle possessed in full.

I had an element yet I couldn't quite understand how that would I was supposed to open the gates. There had to be some kind of special thing you were required to do before such, right? It couldn't have simply been 'Own magic and you can cross the Gates freely', could it?

I determined this when I created a spiraling arc of light and spun it slowly at the Gates. They opened almost instantly, rumbling and scraping the stone floor. I supposed that answered my question...

Fog and moss covered nearly every aspect of just the entrance, and so it was more than cinch to take even a peer at what was inside. The only way to know was to do.

I approached the Taintside Gates carefully, eyes latched open for any sign of danger. Regrettably, I took a single step forward and was completely engrossed in shrouding mist.

It was a circular room which I found myself in, paintings and relics of all sorts displayed against the walls, runes lining the frames and writings scribble on the walls all around the room. Just as the Great Hall, it felt like a museum or an ancient library.

There was not a being in the room—but that wasn't what baffled me. Where were the 'ferocious beasts'? Where were their cages? Why was this just some display room of historic crap, instead of the keeping of the 'monsters' place, like the book had discussed?

Nonetheless, my wish to see Vex could not be broken. I remembered the spell Peter had taught me, the one that revealed things concealed from the naked eye, such as a hidden door or even a hidden person. I created the square of magic required to unveil things and said, "See."

Suddenly, the room was bursting with wind and magic. Paintings fell and relics cracked. Artifacts shattered and rune books toppled off of their table.

When the commotion stopped, there were a lot more things that weren't there before. For example, there was an armor stand with a knight statue that wore a bronze helm and chest plate, but the lower half of his protective covering was gold. He held a dagger and shield in hand. There was also a giant medallion lying on the ground, nearly cracked in half.

But the thing that bewildered me the most was the black door at the very end of the circular room. On top of it read "CREATURES". Nothing could have been clearer; Vex and the ferocious creatures were past this door.

I patted myself on the shoulder as I made my way to the entry. I even applauded for myself, feeling quite victorious.

I turned the golden doorknob and, to my surprise, it wasn't locked. It opened right up and in I went. Behind me closed the door and I turned back around, pulling and turning at the knob, but, unfortunately, it didn't budge.

So, there goes my way out. Karma's a bitch like that. I sighed heavily and decided that I would just magic my way out later.

I took in the view. Above me there was no ceiling, but instead the starry night sky. A water fountain, in the center of this area, decorated lightly with crystals, was the only light there was here. It shone the cages on the bottom, but the ones on top remained shadowy. I made my way through the half-dusky, half-illuminated place, and shuffled my eyes through each of the cage's signs:

Blue, read one. Cyan, read another. Teal.. Turquoise.. Navy..

It took me a while to realize that I had had my eyes focused on the Blue Section. I turned them to the Red one, and expected to find Vex's color name, Red, to be the first—boy, was I wrong.

Velvet, Scarlet, Ruby, and Rose were the first ones, followed by Garnet, Cherry, Merlot, and Blood. I continued to trail my eyes down each sign, totally confused by why Red was so difficult to locate. It got to the point where the rest where hidden in the dark, so that I couldn't see their signs.

Even if I casted an Orb of Light, I was sure it wouldn't be enough to show the signs of the cages. I was near ready to give up when I heard a familiar voice.

"Dylan?"

My eyes widened and I looked up at the darkest cage in the whole room, in the very corner where there was no light whatsoever.

"Vex?"

"It is you!" His gruff voice said excitedly.

I grinned and replied, "Yeah. What are you doing in the dingiest cage in here?"

"More important," he said, "what is you do here?"

I smiled.

"I wanted to pay you a visit," I said. "I never got to thank you for... well, everything. The revelation of me being the Chosen One, flying across the sky for me, taking me to the Hark Kingdom. And your repayment is a cage? That's rather cruel, don't you think?"

"Ah, I'm used to it," he said snuffly and, even though I couldn't see him, I could tell he was shedding a tear from his eye. "But it dangerous for you to be here. Very dangerous."

"I don't care," I said. "I came all this way and I'm still alive, right? Besides, I'm the Chosen One. Nothing bad can happen to me."

"Guess so," said Vex. "You are good friend, Dylan."

"And you're a great friend," I told him. "Better than any friend in the castle. Or in Shlaido. Remember that."

"I will," he said softly. "But you must leave. Now, or you in trouble. Big, big trouble."

"Now?" I said. "But I just got here."

"Don't matter," replied Vex. "You must leave now. Sorry."

I sighed and dug into the satchel Emma had also provided me with. I had made sure to sneak him a snack.

"Here," I said, throwing an apple into his cage, hoping I didn't hit him with it. "Before I go."

"Thank you," he said happily. "Goodbye."

"Bye, Vex," I told him before exiting the Keeping of the Creatures and eventually the Sideways Gates.

I was now back in the hallway. Relieved, I sighed. It had been a somewhat successful trip. I wasn't killed and I got to give Vex his treat. It was all I wanted by the end of the night. And it's what I got.

I had finally made it back to the Great Hall when an angry Peter and a confused Jake approached me, both with raised eyebrows and crossed arms.

"Peter," I said. "Jake. Heh."

"Boy," said Peter through a sigh. "You are in trouble. Big, big trouble."

Welp.