Chapter 202: Castle Holiday (Part 1)
Chapter 202: Castle Holiday (Part 1) (Seeking Subscriptions, Favorites, and Recommendations)
In the vast Snowy Forest, Beast's castle loomed like a massive shadow. Vines and rust covered the iron gates, and the castle's outer walls were eroded by time. Numerous monster statues stood as decorative pieces, adding an eerie atmosphere to the surroundings.
After passing through the iron gates, one could see that the area in front of the castle was once a large garden. However, due to the snow, most of the plants were buried under thick layers of snow. Liam kicked away some of the snow and discovered that the plants had withered.
Overall, the castle's grand scale and intricate details revealed its former glory, but now, for some reason, that glory had faded, leaving behind a sinister and terrifying presence.
At the foot of the stairs leading to the main entrance, everyone stopped. Liam and his companions used the Levitation Charm to lift Beast from the horse and float him up the stairs. Standing at the castle's entrance, Belle turned to Liam and his group and said, "This castle is full of interesting people, but they look a bit strange now. I hope you won't be too surprised."
Belle then noticed how Liam and the others were using their wands to levitate Beast. She smiled and said, "Oh, I forgot. You are wizards, so you've probably seen many magical things before."
With that, Belle opened the door. The hall was dimly lit, with only a few candles providing light.
"Where should we take the injured?" Hermione asked, holding her wand aloft.
"I remember his bedroom is in the West Tower. Follow me", Belle replied, leading them up the main staircase of the castle.
"Oh, Miss Belle, you're finally back. We thought you might not return", a Copper Candlestick and a Clock said as they approached to greet them.
This was truly amazing, and Hermione and Liam both looked astonished. Even though Liam already knew what was happening, seeing the objects from fairy tales come to life still filled him with wonder. After more than two years of formal Transfiguration training, he could truly feel the powerful magic that had been cast on these objects—or more accurately, their former servants.
When the candlestick and the clock saw the floating, injured Beast, they became immediately agitated. "Miss Belle, what happened to our master?"
"I'm very sorry. When I left the castle, I was attacked by a pack of wolves. Your master saved me from them and was bitten. Fortunately, these two wizards came to our aid, helping us drive away the wolves and stop the bleeding. However, it wasn't convenient to treat him outside, so I asked them to bring him back here."
"Oh, I see." The candlestick waved its candles to guide them. "Please follow us." As they made their way to the West Tower, Liam could sense many curious but harmless gazes watching them. However, when he followed the gazes, he saw nothing.
These must be the servants who have been transformed into various pieces of furniture, Liam thought. He activated his Life Magic to investigate and indeed found several lives following them. However, these lives were peculiar; in the vision of his Life Magic, their life flames were stiffer and more rigid than those of normal beings.
This situation piqued Liam's interest, but it was clear that now was not the time for research. The West Tower was quite tall, about the same height as Gryffindor Tower. After Liam and the others used Magic to move the Beast to his bed and applied White Fresh Essence to the wounds, a wave of fatigue washed over them.
After all, they hadn't rested all day, especially with the battles and adventures in the Pyramid, which had put their lives at risk and kept them on edge. Not to mention the severe injuries they sustained while passing through the time tunnel and the hours of trekking through the forest afterward.
"I've finished treating the wounds. They should be mostly healed by tomorrow morning. Due to today's injuries and blood loss, he'll be weak and uncomfortable. So I won't lift the Stunning Spell on him. Let him sleep well tonight, so he won't feel the pain from his wounds as much. By the time the medicine takes effect tomorrow morning, he'll wake up feeling much better", Liam shook his head to clear his thoughts and then said to the candlestick and the Clock beside him.
"Thank you. It's already quite late. Allow me to guide you to your accommodations", the candlestick bowed gracefully and said. Liam woke up Hermione, who had started dozing off on a stool, and they followed the candlestick to the guest rooms in the side wing of the main castle, leaving Belle behind in the house.
"Thank you very much for today. Our master would have been in grave danger otherwise", the candlestick said as it clinked along the corridor.
"You're welcome. In a situation like that, anyone with the ability would have lent a hand", Liam nodded at the candlestick.
"By the way, I have a favor to ask, though I feel it might be a bit much to ask of the saviors of our masters", the candlestick said as they walked from the tower down to the main building.
"Go ahead, please."
"You mentioned that you are traveling Wizards. Could you stay in this castle for a few more days?" The humanoid candlestick stopped, turned around, and rubbed its hands together, making a crisp metallic sound.
"Let's discuss that tomorrow morning. We've been busy all day, and our minds are a bit foggy right now."
"Of course, take your time. You can let me know your answer tomorrow morning. We've arrived", the candlestick said as they reached a door with a milky white finish and gold trim.
Opening the door, they entered a Baroque-style luxurious small living room with doors on either side leading to equally opulent bedrooms, though everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.
"We didn't expect so many guests these past two days, but we'll clean everything up quickly", the candlestick said, looking like it was about to call for help.
"Oh, there's no need to trouble anyone else", Liam stopped the candlestick and then pulled out his wand, saying, "Scourgify."
With the wave of his wand, the entire room was cleaned spotlessly.
"Truly amazing Magic. Please allow me to take my leave now. If you need anything during the night, just pull the bell by the bedside. Good night, sir, miss", the candlestick bowed and exited the guest room, closing the door behind it.
"Ha—choo." Hermione covered her mouth and yawned. "Good night, Liam. See you tomorrow morning."
"Alright, good night", Liam replied, then returned to his guest room, took off his coat, and fell into bed, quickly drifting off to sleep.
(End of Chapter)
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