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Chapter 5 - History lesson

The streets of the center of town were made with cobblestone giving the appearance of what one might think a wealthy town would look like. Crowds still going store to store and stall to stall buying and selling wears. Alan still amazed by the variety of people in what looked to be a rural town.

"Dad what are all these people doing in town?" Alan asked.

"Some just doing business, of course, but a lot of them are here for The Spire." Jack replied as he lead Alan home using a more direct route then he used earlier in the day.

"What so special about a run down looking castle?"

"It's not just a castle, it's a dungeon. One of many throughout the country, one of three here in the highlands. They are not always castles tho, most of them are purpose built to keep everyone safe." his father told him trying to give as much information hoping Alan will remember it all.

"The castle I understand being able to protect people but we are so far from it I am surprised the shadow even touches the town. Even if it only does so early in the morning." he said puzzled.

"It's not to protect us from marauders or foreign armies. It protects us from ourselves. Centuries ago the only thing we could do when someone passed away was burn them on a pyre. I'm not sure the details of it but from what I remember being told there is a darkness in the air. In places where it is too thick it can cause the dead to rise, mindless, lashing out at anything alive. I don't believe that they had any ill intentions, but as they couldn't be reasoned with this was the easiest way to prevent it." Jack explained to the boy before continuing, "It wasn't just people, it was also animals, so as you can tell it could be very dangerous if an animal in the wild died and awoke again to find its way into town."

Alan amazed at the new information, that was both fascinating but very disturbing, couldn't help but be even more confused, "How does a castle or any other structure protect us from something in the wind?"

"The dungeons act to attract that darkness. I misspoke earlier, it isn't something in the air, but in the breeze of mana that flows within the air. That is all I know, if you want to learn more your going to have to find a scholar, mage or maybe a book. I do know that The Spire is special compared to the rest of the dungeons, it was the first one to absorb that darkness. The court mage was investigating the darkness and found someway to attract and concentrate it. Unfortunately when the experiments were finally successful it caused major issues with those living and working there, mainly turning them undead without having to die first, I am not sure what kind of effects that had on the people but the kingdom came to investigate after a scout sent to find out what happened never returned." Jack paused when they had a good view of the castle after just leaving the edge of the town. "The dungeons absorbed the darkness in the surrounding mana breeze the kingdom's top mages finally discovered and by piecing together information found in letters left by the court mage found a way to reproduce the experiment but with better but different results, it was better because it worked in a different way, it absorbed while not concentrating, it slowly releases it back but after it is placed in a dungeon it keeps it contained inside and very close outside. These spots produce creatures that are different from animals and beasts, they keep the ability to think. The Spire is even more special then that on every new moon, when the moon disappears from the night sky, the interior walls and passage ways change. Again I don't know why, nobody really does, but it keeps people from reaching past the second floor, that's why many adventures come to our town to venture inside for wealth, knowledge, and for some honor."

Alan listened to his father like a young child listens to nursery stories, soaking in every word and creating thoughts of great adventure as almost every child does. 'It's decided I'm going to try hard to make it to the top of that castle and find out what secrets The Spire hides,' he thought to himself before saying out loud, "I'm going to do it."

"Do what son," Jack looked at his child confused, before turning in the direction of the house.

"Climb my way to the top and see what is inside the spire, of course." he replied in the most serious tone Jack had ever heard from him.

"The way is long and dangerous and that is before you even reach castle, I don't want to tell you that you can't do something son but it is out of your reach," Alan's father told him with worry in his eyes.

"But I'm only 14, I have plenty of time to train and to become capable enough to venture into it with a group, even if it is impossible by myself." He said adamantly. 'I will not be swayed on this,' he thought, ' if other people can, then I can aswell.'

"Even so but I do not want to see you hurt. Don't bring this up in front of your mother, I want to spare her the worry that I'm sure she will have at the thought of it."

These words were Jacks way of putting an end the the conversation the rest of way home was met with silence as the surrounding trees made the path seem darker then it truly was. Soon the house Alan woke up in this morning came into view, lights brighter then what candles would put off making the open windows and the between the slits on the closed shutters seem like beacons in the soon to be night. 'I bet the lights are even lit using magic crystals' Alan thought to himself before following his father into the house.