They found themselves in what appeared to be a well-kept garden. As far as they could see, it was nothing but hedges, flowerbeds, sculptures, fountains and trees. The sky was as real as any other, with feathery clouds, distant birds and no sign of flying monsters.
It was a bright summer day, inside a windowless tower and It simply did not look like a place where they'd meet any adversary bigger than a ladybug.
With little finesse, Crow dropped Dot under the first tree she came across and sniffed the air. "What is that? Smells like a bear's vomit."
"It's the flowers," concluded Nean, after kicking one of the bushes. "Harmless."
"Not entirely. These look like Stormflowers," said Kama examining the flora with his eyes, rather than his boots. He poked the pale blue flowers with a claw and tasted the petals until he nodded in confirmation.
"So?" inquired Crow. "What's the problem?"
"Well, there are quite a lot of them in here so we should keep that in mind. Fortunately, they are not as potent as the Nightflowers, but I'd still advise you to keep your distance. They are quite effective in their mildness."
"Weren't nightflowers made illegal because wizards liked to get high on them?" Crow chuckled and went to check out the nearby gazebo. Having found a decent place to sit, she unbuckled her battleaxe and laid it across her lap.
"People will say anything," returned Nean sourly.
"And then made a whole lot of messes like I don't know, starting wars?" Crow continued, now in a loud tone, making sure she was well heard. "Guys, there's tea here. A whole tea party."
"No, thank you," returned Nean, like she was hoping the tea was poisoned.
"Hello? Anyone there" yelled Bax from the distance. Instead of lingering around, he had gone exploring the garden. The long lanes paved in stone, bridges with elegant wooden fences and tiny avenues that connected everything made it all look like a labyrinth, whether or not it was meant to be one.
He tried to find some logic in the way it was designed, some hidden sign that was pointed forward, so he wandered around in circles, always returning to the oak tree in the very middle. There was something about it that kept him coming back, but he'd long forgotten how to read the language of the trees.
Hundreds of paper ribbons hung from its many branches, nearly outnumbering the leaves. They had to have some meaning, no matter how obscure.
"No coincidences in the tower," he said to himself as he examined a tall white post standing underneath it. It carried a small bell on top, the kind used to announce things in villages and city squares.
He rang it a couple of times but it did not seem to do anything other than hurt his ears.
"Did you find anything?" Flarion said hearing the bell. He'd been walking about trying to figure out if the statues and the hedge sculptures had any purpose other than being pretty. With the sun in the zenith, he greatly regretted his decision to trade sunglasses for a blanket back in prison.
"No," said Bax. "I don't see a way out. The whole garden is surrounded by one big wall, and it all goes around in circles."
"Like the tower? Well isn't that a funny coincidence?"
"Just keep looking. There must be something," said Bax as he abandoned the tree and went on to explore some other part of the garden.
"I have an idea," Crow said polishing her battleaxe. The blade itself was chipped in several places and the handle was wrapped in layers of leather straps with a long red ribbon hanging from the top. The sheer size of the weapon was enough to make everyone question any encounter with the two of them.
"We should wait," said Nean, as she fixed her hood and cracked her fingers until they were nimble enough for anything that may come. "For what? This isn't a bathhouse. We either act or be… acted upon… whatever, you know what I mean."
"What are you going to do? What could possibly lead you to think there's anything beyond those walls? The magic that built this cursed tower is not of this world."
"You really don't let up, do you? I never said I wanted to break a fucking wall."
Nean laughed, intentionally or not, she could not hold it in. "Just look at the door."
"What door?" Crow asked in confusion.
The front door to the tower was nowhere to be seen. It was nothing but a curious pattern of stones resembling an arch, in an otherwise solid wall.
Crow jumped from her seat, now fully unnerved.
No one noticed when it disappeared.
***
Having been given some time to settle his emotions, Dot wiggled around in the moss, which somehow gave him more comfort than anyone else could at that point. He knew he had to gather all his wits in one place, however few of them were left. The odds were against him, no matter how he tried to look at the situation.
After recording a few videos and taking a few pictures, of everything and everyone around, he set the phone up to record his voice.
He used his free hand to solidify some facts once and for all.
"I'm alive," he said folding the first finger. "That's good. I'm alive and I'm somewhere, can't say for sure where that is, but I've been told it's called the Citadel." He folded the second finger. "This is a solid... reality, no doubt about it. It does not make much sense to me but I cannot negate that I have somehow, through whatever inexplicable process, ended up in here and that things are happening."
He folded the third finger.
"The people I'm here with are weird, not to say violent or insane. They do know things about this place, and I'd say they are the natives of this world. I can't believe I'm saying that word. Anyway..."
He folded the fourth finger.
"I cannot leave the so-called Citadel until a condition is met. Which is.. what was it the scroll said? I must-".
Honk.
He flinched as the disturbing sound pulled him away from his rationalization. He looked around frantically until he spotted something familiarly white.
Wait… No way.
Honk.
Honk.
Honk.
A goose stood underneath a delicate archway interlaced with vines and serving as an entry to a small plateau nearby.
It was bigger than a regular goose and shared the same menacing look in its eyes as the one he'd met by the elevator that fateful night. He could not be certain of its identity, but the chances of it being a random encounter were non-existent at that point.
"What do you want from me?" he said, even though he knew it sounded foolish. There was no sincerity in his words, as blaming a poor animal for his distress made no sense. He just needed something to point a finger to.
Honk.
"Don't you move. I have questions." This time he did not intend to let it go and he sprinted forward like his life depended on it.
The animal, seeing a deranged person heading in for a kill, flopped its wings and wobbled back.
"Nowhere to run now."
Honk.
"Who are you? Who sent you to me?"
The goose stuck out its neck and hissed at him, as he lounged forward again with open arms trying to grab it any way he could. The hedges and bushes surrounding the opening were tall enough to keep them both locked in for as long as it took.
Somehow hoping the goose would give up the fight, he prepared for one last attempt to grapple it from above. During those fateful moments, he failed to notice the feathered animal disappear from under him and leave him to hit the ground face-first.
Something got broken, but it wasn't any of his bones.
Damn you stupid honker. Damn you to death.
The smooth marble warmed his face as he spotted the bird flying off into the sky, further away than it was possible in such a short time. Admitting defeat, he sat up, cradling his hurting face in his hands.
He began to notice something about that delicate corner of the garden. It was full of statues resembling tiny people with pointy hats and colourful clothing. They were undoubtedly a form of garden gnomes, though these looked a little less friendly than the ones he'd seen before.
He could not put a finger on it, but his gut told him that something was different about them. He went around the plateau, examining their faces, lifting them up and looking for whatever secret they were hiding. Ultimately he concluded they were of no greater importance than any other lavish statue in the garden, safe for the one that was missing its head.
"Sorry fella. It's the goose's fault."
After spending a few minutes looking for the head among the shrubberies, he decided it was not worth pursuing and went on to see what the others were up to.
***
"For what exactly?" Nean said under her breath.
They had gathered in the gazebo and were inevitably lost in a heated argument.
"For… for something, There's got to be some kind of logic here, some hidden door or a clue right under our noses. We are missing something." Bax's ears had now become quite red with agitation, as he held his cup of tea with one finger. "I just don't see what it is."
"Not that I ever said this, but breaking the wall now seems like the best option," Crow insisted like it was a logical thing.
They let out one long, collective sigh in response.
"Does anyone else hear that?" said Kama, suddenly startled by something in the garden.
"What is it this time?" asked Flarion, eying the sky for another flying predator. "I don't hear anything."
"Hey, whimsy, come here," Crow said in a serious tone, the moment she spotted Dot approaching.
What does goose meat taste like?
Turkey? Chicken? Is there even a difference?
"Whimsy!"
"Why do you call me that?" Dot protested once his dark thoughts dispersed. "What did I ever do to you?"
"Get behind us, and do it now," Kama added with his tail puffier by the second, and his eyes locked on something other than Dot. "Quickly."
He listened, mostly because he was more afraid of Crow than whatever was behind him. He did hear it though, quick rustling in the grass, inching closer like a swarm of insects. It was hard to tell exactly what it was, but the presence of something else became obvious in mere moments.