Chapter Nine
As Nicholai and Arthur stepped back they noticed that there was an intercom panel just to the left of the gates. It was hidden behind rose stems. There was a little silver button, Nicholai was unsure of what to do, was he supposed to press it to gain someone's attention or was it old and unused nowadays.
The two men stood contemplating pressing it for a moment, suddenly a voice came through the intercom. “This is Tryxon, how can I help you?” The voice asked. “We got lost, we thought we saw a fountain but as we got closer to it something happened. We could not see each other. My name is Nicholai and this is Arthur.” A noise came from the intercom, it was a high pitched squeak then the gates opened slowly. They edged forward slowly through the gates.
As the men stepped into Tryxon they peered around and realised that the buildings were all mansions, each with a different colour of roses in their garden and a path the same colour as the flowers. The front doors a slightly darker shade of the colour the paths and flowers were. It was like a rainbow as they looked around, never before was a village so colour coordinated. The mansions were in arches. Each arch was a different colour of the rainbow. It even went from lighter colour on the left to darker colours on the right. ‘this is weird’ Nicholai thought to himself.
“Excuse me, you must be Nicholai and Arthur”. Shouted a voice making them jump. Nicholai turned his head to look in the direction of the voice. A young boy was running towards him. Nicholai stood still as if he was frozen, the boy stopped right next to him, “I am Marcus, my dad has sent me to bring you to him. He cannot leave his office, he is the one who opens the gates, follow me”. With that he turned and started running away. ”Please wait Marcus, why are you running? Our legs are too tired to run”. Marcus stopped dead in an instant, he turned round and saw they were still where he left them. “Oh, I'm sorry guys I always run everywhere, people call me a busy body as I'm never still for long”.
After a short walk Marcus turned and said “Well, here we are”. Nicholai and Arthur looked at a building that was different to the rest, it looked like a grey shed. It is hidden behind a row of trees, like they are ashamed of this one. Marcus ran through the door, “Dad, I have brought the visitors just like you asked me”. He shouted proudly. “Good lad, go on off you go, your mum is asking where you are”. With that Marcus ran off disappearing into the village.
Arthur turned to Nicholai, “are you okay if I head off and explore by myself?” The man looked at him and said, “yes, this town is perfectly safe to explore. Nobody can get in or out without me letting them through the gates.” He turned to Nicholai, “thanks for the help getting here.” With this Arthur turned and walked away down a road.
Nicholai looked at the gentleman sitting in the chair facing away from him. “I'm Jacob, I’m on gate watch for another hour then the evening staff will come, after this I will show you to the nearest inn. Do you have the correct currency?” ”I have the currency ducat, is that the right one?”
Jacob turned round on his chair “Oh, that's the currency in Marokale but not here, here we use trime”. Nicholai looked at his change in ducat. “Is there anywhere I can change this ducat into trime?” “Yes, we have a post office. I will take you on the way, it will be a bit of a detour.” “Oh, yeah that's great thank you.” Replied Nicholai.
Whilst they were in this building nobody else came to the gate. "We don't really get many visitors, I was shocked when you turned up". “How come nobody comes to visit?” enquired Nicholai. “It's just where we are and the castle in the middle of us all, people hear whispers about it and don't want to risk anything happening. We have had one of two over the past ten years though.” “That's really not a lot is it, but I guess it means less chances of hooligans coming in and destroying the towns around here and less people wanting to go in and explore the castle.”
The door opened and in came a tall man, eyes as blue as the sky, a neatly styled beard.”Well Jacob I’m here now. Much happened today other than this new person arriving?” “Well, Shay, you should know the answer to that.” With that both men started to laugh. Jacob spun the chair around to face Nicholai, “Shay this is Nicholai, he's staying for a few days.” Shay looked at Nicholai curiously. “What has brought you here?” He asked. “Well, I’m nervous to say this as people in the other places around here told me I should not go there.” “If it is going into the castle we are in agreement with them all.” shouted Shay.
“Oh, not just yet, for the time being it was just going to a bridge, my car crashed into a tree near there. I have got my car back and it is being fixed but my belongings were not in it so I will just need to go have a look around for them.” Nicholai looked around at Shay and Jacobs' faces. They looked horrified at what he was saying. “You must not go to that bridge, it is just as dangerous as the castle itself.” “I have been there, it is how my car came to be broken. It started flying then just fell.” “So you know exactly why not to go there, it is dangerous.” Shay exclaimed.
Nicholai walked off, wondering what to do. As he walked towards the gates Jacob shouted “Nicholai, wait!” As he turned Nicholai seen Jacob running to catch up to him. “Where are you going? I was showing you the post office for currency exchange.” “Oh, yeah I will be right behind you.” Nicholai turned to Jacob and walked behind him.
They walked towards a building, it was plain white. No colour on it, completely different to the rest of the town. The words ‘Post Office’ were written above the door in a light purple. Nicholai was in awe of the whole town, it was so neat, clean and well kept.
As they went into the building Jacob spoke to the lady behind the desk. “Hi Margaret, this is Nicholai. He is visiting our town for a few days. Could we please change his money so he has our currency please?” “Yes, of course. How much is it you are wanting to change?” She asked.
Nicholai walked up to the desk and handed Margaret whatever money he had in ducat. “This is all I have left. I’m not sure how much there is and how much of it can be changed.” Margaret looked at the money and changed everything into their currency. “You have enough for two nights at the inn and some meals in the cafe, if you need anymore please do not hesitate to return and I shall change it for you,” Margaret told Nicholai.
Jacob and Nicholai both thanked Margaret and left the post office. “Now to the inn.” Jacob said as he turned right out of the door, followed by Nicholai. They walked down the road, “Nicholai, do you know how long you will be staying?” “Oh, I have not thought about it, I was just going to see how it will go and explore the town.” Nicholai said.
They got to the inn, Jacob went up to a desk and pressed a bell. Nobody came. “I’m just going to see if I can find someone, there is usually always a staff member here.” With that Jacob went down a corridor. Nicholai waited at the desk in case somebody came to the desk why Jacob was gone.
Jacob walked around checking all empty rooms to see if the staff member was cleaning any of them. A woman appeared behind him. “Jacob, what are you doing here and not at home with Angela and the kids?” She asked. “Oh, hi Elouisa, I have brought a visitor who will need a room. He is staying for a few nights.” Jacob explained. They both went downstairs and found Nicholai talking to a man.
Jacob and Elouisa walked towards the desk, he heard Nicholai talking. “Yes, I am around for a few days. Some exploring and seeing what’s around here.” The man he was talking to went behind the desk. “Thomas, what are you doing? You cannot book rooms, you no longer work here.” He stepped from behind the desk. “I’m sorry, old habits die hard.” Thomas replied.
Elouisa looked on the sheet to see what rooms were available that night as a lot of the locals needed to use rooms. Their houses had been freshly repainted so they didn't want their children to be around paint fumes. Oh, you are lucky, we have one room left. This is only a small inn.” She said looking at Nicholai. Nicholai looked at her. “Is this like the other hotels and pay on leaving or do you require the money up front?” He asked. “We are each day, so once you have been here overnight you pay in the morning.”
Nicholai signed the paperwork for the room. Jacob turned towards the door, looked over his shoulder and said goodbye and left the hotel. Elouisa showed Nicholai the way to his room. It was a blue door, with gold outlining the four panels on it. In the middle was the number eight. Once he was inside the room he saw it was a big room. The bed was to the left on the door, next to it a little chest of drawers with a lamp sat on them. At the end of the bed was a door, it led to an en suite. There was a walk-in shower, toilet and sink. The sink was porcelain with a purple cupboard underneath it, shaped around the stand of the sink.
He walked back into the other room then looked around again and sat on the end of the bed. This was going to be his home for the duration of his visit to Tryxon. He put his bag down next to the bed. He turned to look around the room, it was bigger than the other one he stayed in. A double bed instead of single, a bigger wardrobe. There was a desk and chair in his one so he picked up his bag and placed it on the desk so it was not on the floor. The ensuite was also bigger, it had a bath, walk in shower, toilet sink and more room to move around.
He got up and went to the window. He just stood looking out of it, he could watch the sunset, there was nothing blocking his view. It just stretched out across a field. A knock at his door startled him. “Yes, who is it?” He asked. “It's Elouisa, just coming to make sure the room is okay.” She said through the door. “Yes, it is lovely. Thank you.” After this he heard her walk down the corridor. He changed into shorts and top, climbed in bed and just lay there looking out of the window. The owls hooting in the trees outside is all he could hear it was so peaceful.
He opened his eyes, the owls had stopped and birds were chirping. The sun has risen and is shining through the windows. Nicholai sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He put his head into his hands, just sat there for a while. There was a knock at his door. “Good morning Nicholai, would you like any breakfast? If you do, we will stop serving it in forty minutes.” A voice came through the door. Before he could answer he heard them walking away. He stood up and walked to the bathroom.
When he came out he put some socks on, grabbed the room key and left his room. As he was walking down the corridor he walked past a little girl who stood still, staring at him as he carried on past her. He turned left and headed to the stairs. He descended the stairs and walked into the main lobby. A man was sitting behind the desk. Nicholai walked up and asked where he needed to go for breakfast. The man said “oh, I will show you.” With this he got up and led Nicholai to the dining room.
When he got there he waited at the host stand. A woman came very, “welcome to the dining room, table for one or is anyone else joining you?” She asked. “Oh, it is just me.” Nicholai said. She showed him to the table and gave him a menu. “I will be back in a little bit to take your order.” Nicholai nodded and started reading what was being served.
After he finished eating Nicholai looked around. He noticed he was the only person left in the dining hall. He collected his dishes into a pile and took it to the lady. “Oh, thank you. You didn’t need to do this.” Nicholai looked at her and replied, “it was the least I could do, I've kept you here longer than you should have been.” The lady took the plates and walked away.
He walked back towards the lobby, where the same man was still sitting at the desk. "That was quick," the man commented, looking up. "Did you enjoy your breakfast?" "It was excellent, thank you," Nicholai replied, walking over to the desk. "I need to pay for the room now, correct? And perhaps I could get some directions?" "That's right," the man said, pulling a ledger towards him. "That will be 15 Trime."
Reaching into his pocket Nicholai grabbed the money he had. He placed it on the counter, just the right amount. “I was hoping to go and explore today, see if I find any more of my belongings.”
The man counted the money then nodded to Nicholai. “Where is it you are wanting to explore?” The man asked. “I thought I would start by retracing my steps from yesterday,” Nicholai said. “From the gates toward the fountain, or whatever that thing was that made everything so strange.” The man replied with just be mindful of where you wander. The village is safe, but the outskirts… well, you’ve already had a taste of that.” He pushed the ledger aside and offered a polite smile.
Nicholai noticed the man's expression change, his smile changed. A look of wariness. A quiet warning. He started talking again but this time in a serious tone. “You’ll want to stay within the coloured arches. Past those, the terrain becomes less predictable. The boundaries of Tryxon don’t behave like normal land. But if you want landmarks…” He pulled out a rough map, hand-drawn and surprisingly neat. “This should help. It’s not to scale, but it will keep you from getting lost.” Nicholai nodded, grabbed the map and folded it so it would fit into his pocket. “Thank-you.” was all that was said.
As Nicholai left the inn he stepped into the fresh morning air. The sun was in the sky, glowing on the rainbow arches of the mansions. Each colour of the buildings shine brighter with the sun's rays. Children skipped by him, their adults walking behind summoning them to stop and wait. They were all in their work and school uniforms just starting their days.
Nicholai took a deep slow breath. This place was peaceful. Beautiful, but there was still this off feeling about it. Too organised, too planned. The quiet shined through from beneath the children's laughs. He just stood there watching the world move around him. He felt at peace.
Once they had all passed he began walking down the path to the street. He turned left out of the gate. He walked towards the main road. As he rounded a corner he noticed a little girl. It was one he saw passing by. She stood on a doorstep, watching him intently. He tried to read her expression, but he was unreadable.
Nicholai stopped, turned towards the gate “Hello,” he offered gently. She didn’t speak, just tilted her head, as if observing him the way someone might study a strange animal. Then she turned and slipped inside the house, the door closing behind her without saying a thing, he didn't even hear any footsteps.
Nicholai turned back around and started walking again. As he was getting closer to the village he noticed Jacob. He was standing near a rose-covered lamppost. There was an older man standing next to him. They were conversing. Jacob looked up as Nicholai approached.
“Good morning,” Jacob greeted. “Sleep well?” “Very well, thank you,” Nicholai replied. “I was going to do some exploring today.” Jacob exchanged a look with the older man, who quietly excused himself and walked away to the side, waiting for Jacob to talk to Nicholai.
“Well,” Jacob said, lowering his voice slightly, “just stay away from the bridge. And don’t go into the forest behind the fountain. The village is safe, but those places. The safety changes.” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “Tryxon is stable. The land around it is not.” “I understand,” Nicholai said, though he wasn’t sure he truly did. “I’ll be careful.”
Jacob nodded and stepped back. “If you need anything, just ask someone. Most of us will help. And don’t wander out after dark.” “Is that dangerous too?” Nicholai asked. “Only if you’re alone,” Jacob replied cryptically. With that, Jacob returned to his conversation, leaving Nicholai to continue his walk.
He followed the path out of the village toward the fence line, the tall silver gates now behind him. The rose-wrapped arch shimmered in the sunlight, and beyond it lay the forest he had come here through the previous day.
Nicholai slowed as he reached the clearing where he and Arthur had first been separated. The memory made his pulse quicken. That strange moment the vision, the disorientation, the sudden isolation lingered in his mind like an unfinished sentence.
The fountain, if it even was a fountain, still stood ahead. But now it looks different. Smaller somehow. Less imposing. As though it had shrunk overnight or pulled itself inward. He stepped closer, cautious. A faint hum vibrated through the air. Soft, almost like a whisper. He felt the hairs on his arms rise.
Then “Hello?” Nicholai spun around. Arthur stood several steps behind him, pale and breathless. “You won’t believe what I found,” Arthur said. “What is it?” Nicholai asked, alert. Arthur held up something small and familiar. It was Nicholai’s missing keyring, the one that had vanished after the crash.
“Where did you get that?” Nicholai breathed. Arthur pointed toward the far side of the clearing. “It was hanging from a tree branch, like someone put it there on purpose.” Nicholai stared at the keyring, a cold crawl running down his spine. Nothing about Tryxon, or what surrounded it, was an accident.
Not the fountain. Not the bridge. Not the strange disappearance of his belongings. Someone, or something, was leaving him breadcrumbs. And now he had walked right back into their path.
Arthur held up the small keyring. Nicholai’s keyring, worn from years of use, the metal charm dangling from it scratched faintly. Nicholai’s stomach tightened. “Where did you get that?” he breathed.
Arthur pointed toward the far edge of the forest. “It was hanging there. On a low branch. Like someone wanted it to be found.” Nicholai stepped closer, studying the keyring as if expecting it to vanish. “But how did it even get out here? I checked the car, no belongings. It didn’t just fly out on its own.”
Arthur exhaled shakily. “I don’t think anything that happens around this fountain is ‘on its own.’” There was a hum in the air, soft, rhythmic, unsettling. The fountain’s surface rippled even though there was no wind. Nicholai lowered his voice. “Arthur. Did you hear that? Yesterday?” Arthur nodded. “I did. It sounded like someone whispering. Like it was trying to talk to us.”
Nicholai stared into the water. The ripples were forming shapes, circles intersecting, breaking apart, reforming. Not random. Almost intentional. “I have a feeling we’re being watched,” he murmured. Arthur stiffened. “By whom? Or what?”
“I don’t know.” Nicholai forced himself to step back. “But whoever returned my keys, they knew exactly who they belonged to.” Silence settled between them, thick and unnerving. Arthur finally spoke. “Nicholai, I saw something else.” Nicholai turned sharply. “What?”
Arthur swallowed. “Footprints. Fresh ones. Too big for a child. And not big enough to be Jacob or Shay. They led right up to the tree where I found this.” He hesitated. “But they didn’t lead away.” Nicholai blinked. “What do you mean? They stopped?”
“They didn’t stop,” Arthur said softly. “They just vanished.” The air grew colder. Even the birds had gone quiet. Nicholai scanned the treeline. No movement. No breeze. No sound except the low hum of the fountain. “Arthur,” he whispered, “we shouldn’t stay here.” “Agreed.” But neither of them moved. Something about the place held them in its grip, some unseen pull.
Nicholai forced himself to tear his gaze away from the fountain. “Let’s head back toward the village. I want to talk to Jacob again. He knows more than he’s saying.” Arthur shook his head. “Nicholai, Jacob knows. But Shay, did you see his face yesterday? When you mentioned the bridge? He knows something worse.”
They started walking, slowly at first. Nicholai clenched the keyring in his fist. “Someone went through my things. Someone put this out here like a message.” Arthur’s voice was low. “A warning?” “Or an invitation,” Nicholai said grimly. As they reached the first coloured archway of the village, Nicholai looked over his shoulder.
The fountain was still. Quiet. Harmless-looking. But as the sunlight shifted, something flickered in the corner of his eye, a shape standing between two trees. Tall. Motionless. When he blinked, it was gone.
“Nicholai?” Arthur asked, noticing him pause. “What is it?” Nicholai shook his head quickly. “Nothing. Let’s just get back.” But it wasn’t nothing. Something had been watching them. And it wasn’t done.
They walked into the village, Nicholai went straight to find Jacob. He was nowhere to be seen, at home, work or in any shop. It was like he vanished. He decided to look for Shay instead. But the same for him, he was nowhere to be found.
Nicholai walked around the edge of the town, looking for the gate at the back of the town. Hoping he could return to Atykla safely. He wanted to check back in on Wilfred, Emilie and the children.