ROYAL BLOOD

INVISIBLE STAIRS

Lore kept looked around him attentively while walking in the flea market. Rufus was walking towards the East and Jackson was walking towards the West with Wisteria. Leo was walking along side Lore. They had decided to split up and look for Grivald in all directions.

"What if we don't find him?" Leo asked Lore.

"We will." Lore replied.

"Expecting too much and getting nothing will hurt you." Leo told Lore.

Lore nodded and did not say anything. He looked around him and could see people trying to sell their products from breads to clothes, everything was there in the market.

"Lore, look!" Leo pointed at a small stall.

Grivald was buying bread and papers for Gary. He looked here and there but hopefully did not notice Lore and Leo.

Lore told Leo, "You're stronger than me so, you go and catch him. Take him to that corner. No one's there. I'll call others."

Leo said, "It's the first time seeing you admit that you're weaker than me."

"Now is not the time to talk about that. Just go." Lore said and ran towards Rufus.

Leo smirked and walked towards Grivald who was now waiting for the shopkeeper to pack the bread.

"Hurry Up!" Grivald cried looking here and there. He did not want to be seen by Lore if he came there.

Suddenly, someone covered his mouth and pulled him to a corner. Grivald fidgeted and tried breaking free but the person's grasp was very strong. Leo grabbed Grivald's mouth from one hand and from the other he grabbed his arms. Grivald tried kicking Leo but Leo pinned him down and put his right leg on top of Grivald's legs to stop him from moving his legs.

Lore ran up to Rufus and said, "We found him."

They ran to Jackson and Wisteria and brought them along. They reached the corner where Leo was pinning Grivald down.

Lore looked around him and saw a torn piece of cloth lying on the floor. He picked it up and tied Grivald's mouth with it. Leo got up while holding Grivald's arms and pushed him to walk.

"That was quick." Jackson said looking at Grivald.

--

Rufus brought a rope from his kitchen and tied Grivald's arms. Leo pushed him on the couch and said, "My arms hurt from holding him." He stretched his arms out and folded his brows.

Lore opened the cloth covering his mouth and Grivald coughed breathing heavily from his mouth.

"We meet at last." Jackson said.

Grivald stared at Jackson and spitted on the floor.

"Disgusting, like your character." Jackson stated.

Lore asked Jackson to calm down and told Grivald, "Speak."

"Speak what?" Grivald asked.

"Tell us about why you did this." Wisteria cried.

"Do you think I will?" Grivald cried.

Leo slapped him and said, "Yes."

Grivald laughed and told Lore, "Fine. You know who I am. Gary sent me there to find you. I was the new kid in the school bus. I pretended to be scared hoping you would help. And you did. Days passed and every day I would go back and tell Gary about you so, that he could know your weakness and strengths. The time had come when Gary asked me bring you here. For this, Gary purposely came before your eyes so that you could tell us about Gary and I would suggest getting in the cabin. Fortunately, Jackson said it before me and I couldn't wait to go there. That Baron was getting in the way so, I killed him. Gary has taught me a few spells and I killed Baron with the help of one of them because he was getting in the way. That is how we played the game. As soon as I fell out of the portal, my purpose was done so, I fled to Gary giving him the good news."

Lore gritted his teeth and asked, "Why does Gary want me?"

"You will know, soon." Grivald replied.

Leo punched him and said, "Say it."

Grivald laughed, "No. I won't let this slip out."

Leo raised his fist again but Wisteria stopped him, "Enough! He's not going to say it. We need to come up with something else."

Grivald watched as the five of them formed a circle and started discussing about the matter. He looked around him and saw the front door partially open. He quickly moved his wrists and tried to loosen the rope. After fumbling for a while, he finally freed his arms and ran out.

"Hey!" Lore cried and ran after him.

"Oh s**t!" Leo muttered and ran behind him.

Wisteria and Jackson looked at each other and ran out. Rufus was already tired of running here and there with the kids. "Not again." He told himself as he ran out of the house.

Jackson caught up with Lore and asked him, "What do we do after catching him now?"

"I really don't know. Maybe keep him hostage?" Lore replied. He picked up pace and shouted, "Grivald, STOP!"

Grivald was shocked to see Lore catching up but he couldn't give himself in again. He turned and ran towards his left. He reached a cliff and started running up. Lore's legs were tired but he didn't stop and kept running, puffing and panting. Jackson, Wisteria and Leo came to a halt. They were extremely tired so Leo asked them to stop there and he followed Lore. Grivald had already reached the edge of the cliff and had nowhere else to go. Lore panted and laughed. Grivald couldn't let go of Gary's secret easily so he decided to jump. He faced the edge of the cliff and closed his eyes. Lore shouted, "NO!" and ran forward to catch him but Grivald jumped. Surprisingly, he didn't fall down instead, he stood straight in the air. It was like there was an invisible platform. He opened his eyes and looked around him in shock. He was standing in air. Lore and Leo looked at Grivald with puzzled expressions. Seeing this, Jackson, Wisteria and Rufus ran up and stood beside Lore.

"What did you do?" Lore asked Grivald.

Grivald looked around him again and replied, "Nothing."

"Did you conjure something to escape?" Lore questioned further.

"I didn't!" Grivald cried looking at the rest of them.

Leo exclaimed, "That's impossible." And walked forward to check.

Lore stopped him, "Wait! We can't trust him again. Maybe he did something to trap us."

Rufus gulped. He knew what that was. He walked towards the edge of the cliff and said, "Grivald's right. He didn't conjure anything. He found something."

Jackson was stunned, "What are you talking about?"

Everybody looked at him with questioning expressions. Rufus added further, "It's the invisible stairs of the secret mansion."

Lore exclaimed, "The secret mansion?!"

Rufus nodded and said, "It is said that before Wyot ruled over this land, The Queen; Violane had built this castle with the help of witches."

Grivald was shocked because Gary had not mentioned about this castle in his story. Maybe Wyot didn't know. He thought.

Rufus looked at Grivald and set foot near him. Rufus was now standing in air too; the invisible stair. Jackson smiled and rushed forward. He tried stepping on the stairs but there was no platform for him. He almost fell off the cliff but Leo pulled him back.

Jackson was scared and asked, "Why isn't it working for me?"

Rufus replied, "This castle holds a special magic. Only the royal blood can walk inside the castle."

Grivald was full of shock when he heard this, "A royal blood?!" he cried.