Ferrous Moon
Summary – As the inheritor of the eerie Midnight Castle, Dana has become accustomed to the quirks and strange demands of the castle inhabitants. While she still planned to find the Mystery Chamber and determine what happened to her uncle, she also finds herself drawn into the lives and destinies of those who dwell in and around the castle. One, in particular, captivates her attention as no one has before.
Disclaimer - I am only a player of Midnight Castle. I am in no way, shape, or form employed by Midnight Castle, Big Fish Games, or Elephant Games. I do not claim any sort of rights to any element of Midnight Castle with this story. It is purely for amusement. Events that occur in this story are not canon - that is they are not part of the official game. They are extrapolations based upon my experiences and thoughts about some of the characters in Midnight Castle.
The Fandom – Midnight Castle is a Hidden Object/Adventure Game hybrid offered by Big Fish Games (and with this information, you can find it if you'd like to give it a try). About a month after I started playing, I got bit by the writing bug and this story is the result. The character of 'Dana' is a persona to take the place of the player character in this story.
To sum up - this story is just for fun and nothing in it is official. Oh, and for any who haven't played up to level 14 in the game, it might contain spoilers.
The full moon is nigh. Many rune stones are active now - we can't let our chances slip away! Henry picked up a soaked wet puppy at the doorstep of the castle, and he was naught but a wolf cub - and now, completely tamed. He already tries to protect little Anabel. March 1985
Prologue
The Lord Chamberlain stood in front of the Wise Dragon, and while it seemed he was in the place of supplication before the mighty mythical beast, the argumentative tone he took showed that he, at least in his own mind, was the dragon's equal.
For his part, the dragon permitted the greater vampire the vanity, knowing that if it came to it, the Lord Chamberlain would never disobey one of his commands. Still, if holding a discussion permitted the issuing of the commands to be more palatable to the volatile vampire, and allowed him to keep his delusion of equal status, it didn't matter to the Wise Dragon. As long as his plans were completed, he didn't care what means were used.
"Transfer of Affection? A risky spell at the best of times and the knight's affection is rather - ardent," the Lord Chamberlain noted.
"No, the long way around. Unless I am completely mistaken, our latest young quester for the Mystery Chamber holds a measure of fascination for our earnest knight," the Wise Dragon replied mildly.
The Lord Chamberlain wrinkled his nose in distaste. "An ancient dragon and a greater vampire matchmaking - our involvement must never become widely known."
"Oh, I don't know. Who better than a Wise Dragon to help humans find true love?"
"As you wish. My involvement must never become widely known."
"I know very well that for all your demands and brusqueness with our knight you are actually rather fond of him." The dragon managed to pin the Lord Chamberlain with a steely, yet indulgent stare.
"Hmph. The way he keeps waving that stupid rose of his around - makes me want to haul off and hit him," the Lord Chamberlain grumbled crossly.
"He has a good reason for it. You are the one who insists that he maintain his position in the Castle Entry. Anabel would not have the same difficulty he does, and he would be happier outside guarding the castle gates - not to mention keeping anyone unsavory from getting close to his beloved Anabel."
"She'd be that much closer to me. She drives me batty enough where she is."
"So, in the final analysis, you don't get along well with anyone."
"I tolerate you."
The dragon laughed, a deeply rumbling sound filling the chamber and shaking spiders loose from their cobwebs. "Yes, very well then. While we will not use magic to directly change our knight's feelings, we must still ensorcel him."
"How do you mean?"
The dragon became pensive. "Even for one of his kind, he is unique. Extraordinary, actually. Things would have been much simpler for him if his mother had survived, and he never found this castle... Still, this old dragon will do his level best to help - as I have since the beginning. I think perhaps he has forgotten his own nature, due to our needful interference in the natural way of things. Perhaps it is time he be reminded of that."
The Lord Chamberlain was one of the few beings who could follow the intricate twists and turns of the Wise Dragon's thoughts. "I suspected this day would come. We need to craft the Argent Collar."
"And do you have the items you need?"
"When do I ever?" The Lord Chamberlain sighed.
"Have the Iron Knight give the quest to find them to our young quester - Dana, is it?"
"That is her name, but why?"
"They must interact with each other if he is to lose his singular focus on Anabel. I won't employ force, but I have no compunction about using proximity to start the process rolling. Besides, our young knight will soon have a drastic change in his circumstances - why not give him some 'normal' memories to comfort him during the hardships he will soon face?" the Wise Dragon suggested. "I will leave dealing with the Iron Knight to you. Make certain that when the next phase begins, young Dana visits me."