Chapter 8

"Alben" Miguel yelled as he quickly caught up to his short legged friend. "Alben, you can't just go walking into the holy treasury! We could be murdered… or worse!"

Alben ignored his friend's pleas, and quickly arrived at the treasury's door. The door was made from solid granite, but had a gold leaf lining. The inscriptions on the door were select chapters from the Catholic bible. It looked as though the door alone would have cost as much to put there as it did to build the church. Even the hinges on the frame appeared to be made of hardened gold.

The key insert was not a normal key fixture. It was rectangle in shape, with four slits on each side. As Alben got closer, he slowly pulled the key he had lifted from his companion from his pocket and examined it. When he put the key to the door, he realized the key was made from the same material as the door. His eyes widened as he thought, almost aloud: This key would be worth thousands alone! What could they possibly be hiding behind these doors?

As he attempted to put the key into the slot, he noticed it was specifically made to fit one way only. Each little sliver extending from the center rectangle was a different length. The center piece could easily fit two ways, but the pins of the key would easily break off should the key be forced in the wrong way. The point was to make the door as "lock-pick proof" as possible.

Alben slowly maneuvered the key until he found the proper way it would fit, and gently slid the key into the opening. Once the key was in, he tried turning the key, but to no avail. Turning the key seemed impossible… as though for some reason, the tumblers didn't stay in place. He studied the door a little longer and looked for a type of lever or something that might lock it from the outside. After finding nothing, he stared back at his friend with a puzzled look.

Miguel just shrugged, and quickly reached for the key. As he put his hand on the key, Alben quickly grabbed his arm and shook it away.

"Careful! That key is very valuable! Forcing it too hard might break it."

"I'm careful, little one," Miguel said as he reached again for the key. Alben pushed Miguel backward, quickly throwing him off balance. In his struggle to regain his balance, he violently forced his arm outward. His hand, waiving about, landed straight on the back end of the key's handle, pushing the key into the door all the way until the key was no longer visible. Both of their eyes widened, and a small shriek came from Alben's mouth.

The door, however, adjusted slightly, and a faint clicking noise could be heard from the other side. After a few moments, the door slowly started opening outward, almost knocking Alben off his feet. He backed up a ways as the door completely opened, revealing what was inside. Both of the guard's jaws dropped as the gaped into the room.

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Many of the guards wandering around the castle grounds didn't seem to even notice the woman walking with the two men. Of course, this was because all they saw the watch keeper walking by, and quickly ran to one of two things: The job they were supposed to be doing, or to hide for fear of being reported as a slacker in the ranks. If one thing was always made clear, the King's personal guards were never to appear to be relaxed. Showing signs of relaxation only showed signs of weakness in the King's eyes.

Alexia was confused to see a large group of men, all gathered around, laying back and enjoying the day, quickly jump to their feet, issue a salute, and run in the other direction. There was no doubt in her mind that the watch keeper enjoyed his prestige to the fullest. Perhaps that can be an advantage to me…

As they approached what appeared to be the main door, their movements slowed. Stepping upon the steps, the two guardsmen dipped their hands in the basin filled with holy water and crossed themselves. Each took a knee, said a silent prayer, and returned to their feet. Again, they crossed themselves, and began to march up the staircase. Just going through the motions, the watch keeper thought.

Before Alexia stepped on the steps, she gently knelt down and said her personal prayer. She then turned her back to the basin, and attempted to dip her hand in the holy water.

This startled the guardsmen because they had never seen any of the other "blasphemers" even notice the holy water basin before, let alone actually say a prayer and use it. In utter confusion, they looked to their watch keeper, who gently shook his head and waved them on as if there was nothing to see.

Just when they started to ascend the staircase, the church bell gently rang eleven times. By the completion of the tenth ring, they had reached the top of the stairs. On exactly the eleventh ring, both men stopped, bowed their heads… and waited. Alexia did as well, for she knew it was the eleventh hour; the time for which prayers are spoken. The watch keeper always was amused with how easily most of the men and women of this city were controlled by something as simple as a church bell. But he figured he'd muse himself and go along with the ploy.

There, just feet away from the entrance to the castle, Alexia stood… waiting for her right moment…

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From the other side of the hallway, Jack could see the puzzled and amazed faces of the two guardsmen. They seemed to do a double take; each looking at each other, then back at the open room. Alben was the first to move. He gently inched forward into the room. Not before long, Miguel followed his short companion. When they were fully in the room and both out of sight, Jack moved closer through the hallway, making sure to stay within inches of the nearest shadow. He continued creeping down the hallway until he was on the side of the entrance. From inside the chamber, he could hear the two arguing over what they were to do.

"If the thief is anywhere, he's definitely here," Alben said.

"I don't know, little one. I'm not sure how he could get past that door. That lock looked mighty tough…" Miguel's voice seemed to trail off in thought.

"You call me little one again, and I'll cut you off at the knees… then we'll see eye to eye, friend." His sharp remark came quicker than Jack expected… or Miguel apparently.

"Want to put your blade where your mouth is, tiny?" Miguel retorted.

Though he couldn't see them, Jack could imagine this big dumb grin on Miguel's face. He knew he had to move soon if he was going to make it into the room without them noticing. It had sounded by now as though they had walked a bit further into the room by now and that there might be something in between them and the door. He crept low, pulled a piece of glass from his pack, and angled it just above the ground around the corner of the door.

When the image came into focus, his lips parted, and the largest grin he'd ever conjured formed upon his face.