Before long, we had broken through the thick forest at the base of the small mountain that the Albion estate was built upon. The wagon worked its way up the steep mountain path, past the impregnable Albion keep and straight to the ancient manor. The mountain itself was covered with lush green grass, uncultivated and open. Birds' chirps pierced through the crisp morning air, and I could see the sun rising on the horizon, hovering just above the edge of the vast ocean. August's stately manor was roosted impassively on the very top of the mountain, as if it was silently inspecting its untouchable domain. The building was extravagant and royal with red-topped towers and roofs. Enormous glass windows lined the front of the manor, allowing the sunlight to stream in freely.
The man driving the wagon got off and cautiously made his way up the steps and to the front door of the manor. I could see now that he had a rusty sword and an old flintlock pistol strapped to his waist. He was wearing a worn overcoat with a white bandana. I took this opportunity to untie myself from the bottom of the wagon and sneak towards the entrance, making my way along the sides of the walled lawn. I could still hear the pigs squealing. Poor things. The man knocked on the door, and after a few moments, I saw Augustus himself answer. What happened to his servants?
They began to converse. I tried to listen in, but I wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying. By the time I got close enough, they had finished talking and the Augustus had closed the door. The man suddenly spun around. I hit the ground in an attempt to stay hidden, but there was only well-trimmed grass there for cover.
"Hey! You. Come over here."
I immediately got up and began to run.
"Oh no you don't!"
I heard his swift footsteps galloping towards me. How was he so fast? Even with my head start of a few seconds, he was able to advance onto me in no time and grab me by the hair. He jerked me backwards and I yelped in pain..
"So, what did you hear?" he rasped.
"Nothing, nothing, I swear!"
"I've got a little friend right here that's telling me you're lying." He unsheathed his rusty short sword and placed it at my neck. In its dismal state, I was more concerned about contracting a disease from the rust rather than being cut.
"No! Mercy, please!"
The man grunted and paused for a few moments before letting me go and sheathing his sword.
"Care to explain what you're doing here?" he muttered through the bandana covering his mouth.
I turned to face him."To be honest, I just wanted to see how Lord Albion lived. I heard that his estate was wonderful."
"Yes, wonderful on the outside. You should leave."
"Why?"
"This place is more ominous than you know. Trust me."
He looked at me for a second and averted his gaze. He talked tough, but one look in his eyes showed that he was afraid of me. No, not afraid… it seemed more like my presence reminded him of something he wanted to forget.
"Are those pigs yours?" I inquired.
"Not anymore. I've sold them to your great lord."
"No offense, but you don't seem like the farming type." He was lean and a little short. The farmers I knew had an air of quiet strength and honesty born from years of toil in the fields. This man just seemed shady.
"Consider me more of a merchant. Now, time to go. I've got places to be."
He gave me a curt nod and made his way back to the wagon. I considered asking him for a ride back to town, but I wasn't sure if traveling with an armed stranger was safe, especially considering since he could have just killed me. Instead, I watched him disappear down the slope and towards the forest. Walking back wouldn't be so bad. The forest was beautiful at this time of the year and the roads here were considered the safest in the land.
I began to head back to town. Once again, I passed by the Albion keep. It was a grand affair of marble and stone. Even a small invading army would have trouble penetrating its defenses if it was fully manned. Past the keep and further down to the right, there was a hill, a protrusion on the side of the mountain. All kinds of animals lived around and within that small hill, but it was mostly populated by moles, gophers, groundhogs, and rabbits. They were all burrowing animals and they loved to dig complex networks of tunnels and burrows throughout the hill. I always wondered how deep into the mountain their tunnels actually went. Directly underneath Augustus's manor was a small coastal inlet with a beautiful beach and clean water. There was no direct path to it, so one could only admire it from afar, atop the mountain. Finally, there was the forest. Giant trees stood proudly in their groves, the path to town timidly winding its way through the treeline as if not wanting to disrespect the mighty woods. The leaves were as green as ever. Truly, Lord Albion's estate was magnificent!
It was on the stone path back to town in the forest where I encountered the first group of workmen. It was a band of around sixteen tanned, muscle-bound workers trudging through the forest, armed with stout shovels. The complete opposite of the merchant. I waved to them and said "good morning," but they ignored me and kept marching on. Their unfriendliness did remind me of the merchant, however.
At first, I paid no mind to the workers that Augustus hired. However, I never saw any workers returning from August's estate, and every month I always saw a new band of workmen heading there. What was going on with the workers? Were they being sent to build something or to destroy something? It wasn't just me wondering these things. I began to hear talk around town about Augustus performing excavations on his land. I wanted to go investigate, but I decided that next time August was in town, I would ask him personally.