Bud kept a count as they went. There were at least fifty guards per floor, and that didn’t include the actual ghosts who were maids, butlers, or servants. All of those carried ghostly knives in addition to their other supplies. It would have been a nightmare to fight through them all.

According to the Knight Captain, they had kept all their defenses on the ground level, bar a few higher-leveled ghosts to guard the upper floors.

They left the first floor to the shadow creatures; not even ghosts went there these days, as several had been banished as a result of being eaten,

“How does banishment work?” Lily asked suddenly, “From our side, it looks like the ghosts are destroyed.” She looked worried.

“Their ectoplasm is destroyed, but it will regrow over time. They simply lose the ability to interact with this world until then,” The Knight Captain said, somewhat wistfully. “The luckiest will lose contact with this world and cross to the afterlife.”

“So it is not a bad thing then?” Lily asked.

“Depends on what awaits you on the other side,” The ghost said with a wide smile. “Each and every soul gets what is owed to it, after all.”

“Do you long to cross the barrier?” Bud asked.

“I do,” The Knight Captain said simply. “I have served for so long I do not even remember who is waiting for me anymore. But I do remember that I love them.”

“Did you ever consider attempting to cross on your own?” Bud asked.

“No,” The Knight Captain said simply. “I will not abandon my duty.”

Bud simply nodded as they arrived, once more, on the ground floor of the Castle.

“No sign of a Lady,” Lily said, looking up at the stone edifice stretching above them.

“Not yet,” Bud said.

“Yet?” Lily asked.

“We went up; now we have to go down,” Bud said.

“The dungeons?” The Knight Captain nodded. “But why would the Lady be there?”

“Who knows?” Bud said. “Maybe she went to explore?”

Lily looked back and forth between the two, then threw her hands in the air.

“Hello?” She pointed over the wall, “Down is underwater, isn’t it?”

The other two simply nodded. She shuddered.

Lily hadn’t minded being underwater at first. Her pixie body was as capable of breathing water as air, but that didn’t last. Once the creatures had begun to attack, she had rapidly come to dislike the water.

Then that thing had come. She could still see it if she closed her eyes. A long, powerful body, three pairs of fins, ridges that ran down both sides. It was ugly even before it opened its mouth.

Mouths.

Two vertical mouths, one on either side of its head, had opened, revealing rows of viscous teeth. Between those mouths, a line of wicked eyes had glared at her and Bud.

Lily was sure she would be seeing that creature in her nightmares for years to come.

And now Bud wanted to go BACK in the water?

“Yeah, no,” Lily said, smiling frantically. “I will just wait up here, okay?”

Bud's grin said it all.

A line of armored ghosts marched ahead of them as they descended into the flooded dungeon levels. The pale light from their ghostly bodies lit the way as they moved.

Bud gestured to her, so she conjured light orbs, sending them ahead of them.

A watery world lit up around her as they stepped off the last of the stairs.

Chains floated forlornly around the walls, clutching the ghosts contained within them. The agonized faces screamed silently or raged, straining against shackles that should not have been able to hold them.

Worse still were the empty stares of the faded ghosts. They flickered, fading in and out, features smoothed and blurred until they were nothing more than vague shapes with empty eyes. Those ones didn’t move; they merely stood and stared ahead.

The other ghosts turned away from those ones, their faces set and immobile.

Rusted bars lay here and there, the long destroyed remnants of cells.

They marched on, heading past the eerie tableau and down another set of stairs, the water an ever-present pressure against her skin. It did not impede her or slow her as it did Bud, but it was always there, reminding her of where she was.

It took everything in her not to flee back up into the sunlight and open air above.

Thinking about those strange faded ghosts, she wanted to fly all the way back to the Waystation and never leave it again.

More rusted cells awaited them on this level, with a single ghost still remaining in there.

It was not chained like the others. Instead, it was walking in an endless circle, empty eyes staring ahead as it pushed against a wheel that had long ago rotted away. Of its companions, nothing remained but the occasional flicker of light. A strained, blurry face appeared for a fraction of a second with every turn of the nonexistent wheel.

They edged around the circle, even Bud too creeped out to enter the area.

Moving on, they descended again, and Lily gasped as they broke clear of the water.

She looked up above her, seeing the water above her head, then down at the stone stairs, and watched the water run off her arms and fall UP to the water above her. The air was stale here, any oxygen having long ago been used up.

Lily reached up and scooped an armful of water, casting a coating of mana to contain it. Then she settled it on her back and continued to breathe the water.

Bud looked pleased with her ingenuity, having no need to breathe himself.

This room was the smallest, with only a single room of space.

It was also the answer to why they had come down here.

A pile of bones lay crumpled on the floor, a tattered and moldy strip of fabric all that remained of the clothing the Lady had worn.

“She was young,” Bud commented as he examined the bones. “You were right.”

Lily assumed he was right; after all, who better than a skeleton to judge bones?

“What happened to her?” The Knight Captain whispered.

Lily pointed to a small altar near the far wall. A soft glow was coming from it, almost hidden by her light orbs. They stepped aside as Bud and she went over to examine it.

It was a compact little thing, Lily noted but covered in a complex script with long, flowing letters. She didn’t recognize even a word of it, but Bud did.

“This is the necromantic script,” He pointed it out to her, “I think we know why the ghosts are here now.”

Lily looked back over her shoulder, noticing the ghosts themselves were avoiding looking directly at the altar. She pointed to the altar, then the body.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Bud said, “She said she called them; I assume she meant this.”

Lily rolled her eyes and pointed again.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Why didn’t she come back?” Bud asked.

Lily nodded.

“Good question,” Bud looked thoughtful, turning his skull to one side. “Let’s have a closer look at the body.”

They sorted through the bones, finding a pair of small rings, a broken necklace, and little else of note. Finally, he stood.

“We can release the ghosts,” He said to the Knight Captain. “All we have to do is destroy the altar, and you’re free.”

“And the Lady?” The Knight Captain asked.

“She is long dead,” Bud said.

“Did we fail in our duty?” One of the Ghosts asked.

“I don’t know.” Bud looked away.

“Then we can not go.” The Knight Captain insisted.

“Wait!” Lily said, looking closely at one of the rings. She had seen it before. “Look at this!”She held the ring up for Bud to see, and the light in his sockets flared in recognition.

“She was in the ballroom, wasn’t she?” He asked.

Lily nodded.

“Captain,” Bud said. “There is a maid who wears this ring; bring her here immediately.”

Three of the ghosts left, floating straight up through the roof. Lily would never get used to that.

===========

Bud stared at the maid as she came slowly down the stairs. She looked terrified and young.

“You sent for me?” She asked.

Lily handed the ring to her, and she stared in confusion at the little ring of corroded metal.

“Miss?” She asked.

Lily pointed at the same ring on the ghost's finger. The maid marveled at it as if seeing it for the first time. Then, slowly, she slid the real one in place.

As the two rings lined up, the maid changed.

Her clothes shifted and flowed, going from a maid's drab uniform to a Lady's ornate dress.

“What happened?” The Knight Captain jumped back from the young woman as if scalded.

“This is my ring,” The young woman smiled. “I had forgotten it after all these years.” She looked around the room, blinking as if she was waking from a dream.

“How long has it been?” She asked, then saw the bones. “Oh.”

“Lady, you have returned!” The Knight Captain and his troops knelt immediately.

“It seems I have,” She smiled at the man. “Wait for us above, please.”

The ghosts hesitated, then disappeared into the ceiling.

“It seems I have a lot to make up for,” She shook her head. “Are you one of mine?” The woman looked at Bud, then shook her head, “No, you are quite different, aren’t you.” She looked closer. “Quite alive as well, so definitely not mine.” She gestured to the bones and waved the ring. They vanished. She did the same, and the altar floated up from the floor. “Shall we talk above? I died down here and could do with a brighter setting for my story.”

Bud nodded, and they set off back through the dungeons. The young woman winced at the ghosts in chains, more so at the faded ones.

Finally, they broke above the water, and she led them out into the fading sunlight and icy winds.

“My parents were the true Lord and Lady here; I was simply left behind.” She grimaced as they sat on chairs brought out by the flustered ghosts. “They went to answer a summons by the local king only to be murdered by the same man.” She looked fondly at the Knight Captain as he stood behind her chair proudly. “I was barely thirteen at the time.”

“Sorry,” Lily said, feeling something was called for.

“It wasn’t so bad at first,” The Lady said. “I had my guards and my Knight Captain. All the servants I could want and lots of money. I missed them, but I was safe. Or so I thought.” She sat forward in her chair, fidgeting with her ring. “On my sixteenth birthday, I became a true Lady, class and all. That was when the King came to demand my hand in marriage. He came with a small army, surrounded the castle, and laid a bed in front of the gates to the cheers of his men.”

“Bastard!” Lily hissed as Bud clutched his bow tighter.

“He really was,” The young woman smiled. “He said it was him or his entire army.” She grinned. “My mages had other ideas. We couldn’t fight… they were earth mages, builders, not soldiers. So they altered the land, sinking everything below the waves. The King and all his soldiers drowned in the flood!” She laughed. “I was ecstatic; I was safe and got revenge simultaneously!”

She stopped, and her face fell.

“I was an idiot because I forgot to take into account one thing.”

“The sea is full of monsters,” Lily whispered.

“Exactly.” The Lady sighed. “I was cut off from the land, from everything. I was safe but trapped.” She slumped. “The food ran out after a few weeks, then we fished, then… even the fish stopped coming near us. We could barely catch enough to feed a dozen, let alone hundreds. Some tried to swim to shore; some tried to make boats… no one made it.” She looked guiltily up at her Knight Captain. “They killed themselves one night while I slept. Only five remained to care for me.”

Lily heard herself gasp.

“They gave their lives for me so that I could survive a few more months. Months. I couldn’t have that, but it was too late… and I did not react well.”

“We only tried to serve, Lady,” The Knight Captain said with a distant look.

“I know, Daniel, I know,” She patted his hand fondly. “And having lost so much, I turned to my family's secret to recover what I lost.”

“You’re necromancers,” Bud said, awed.

“We were,” She nodded. “So I brought them back, the stupid girl that I was. All of them. It took me months to realize what I had done and try and undo it. I went down to the altar and planned to release them all…” She trailed off. “I was in there when the sea breached the wards and rushed in. I cast a spell to reverse the water, but I could only clear that one room,” Her eyes looked hunted as she remembered. “And sealed as it was, I began to run out of air, too deep to swim out, and no one knew to look for me there.” She shuddered. “Once I was a ghost; I couldn’t just abandon them, could I?” The Lady looked at the growing crowd of ghosts listening to the tale.

“You need not have stayed for us!” One called.

“It was our honor, Lady!” Another called.

Lily wiped a tear from her eye while no one was watching.

“Of course, I would stay for you,” She called back. “You are my family, each and every one of you!”

“But over time, you forgot,” Bud added after a moment.

“It seems I did,” She laughed. “I guess in the end, I simply stopped being me and joined my people completely.” She smiled. “Yes! I remember now. Even in death, they refused to let me work and talk with them as equals! So, I started to dress as a maid. To make a point… and I guess….”

Lily awkwardly patted the ghostly hand; it felt like patting a cloud.

“So, what now?” Bud asked.

“Now?” The young woman smiled. “Enough is enough. It is time my people went to their rest, and me along with them.”

“My Lady?” The Knight Captain hesitated.

“Daniel. It is time.” She stood, every inch of her a Lady, and gestured to the alter. “Smash that, kind people, that we may go to whatever awaits us.”

“Are you sure?” Lily asked.

“I am,” The girl smiled at her. “Just give me one moment.”

Lily watched her summon every ghost in the castle, the courtyard full to bursting with pale ghostly figures.

“My people!” She called to them, “My wonderful, loyal, kind people. My family. Your duties are at an end; your work is done. I thank you with all I have. Each and every one of you. As we leave this world, I ask only that you know that no one in this world or any other has ever served better than you! Thank you, and now, please… REST!” She nodded to Lily.

Lily smashed the altar, and a collective sigh howled through the courtyard as each and every ghost faded until only the Knight Captain and the Lady remained.

“Daniel?” The young woman asked.

“It would be my honor to escort you one last time, my Lady.” He bowed.

“The honor, now and always, is mine, my shining knight, my second father.” She bowed back and took his hand.

The woman waved, and then… they were gone.

The castle was silent, empty, and forlorn.

“How the bloody hell are we supposed to get out of here?” Bud asked after a moment.

===========

“You need a diet!” Lily hissed as she flew, Bud dangling below her.

“Rubbish!” Bud insisted. “And fly higher, will you?” He swore as another fish leaped at him. “I’m not bait!”

Lily laughed and almost, almost dropped Bud by accident.

“Lily!” Bud yelled.

“Sorry!” She called down, unable to keep the giggles from starting. “I’m not doing it on purpose!”

They made it to the beach, but only just. Their Bard was waiting for them there, goggling at the sight of a tiny pixie carrying the skeletal ranger over the freezing waves.

Lily dropped him on the pebbles and then lay gasping on his shoulder as he unfolded himself back up to his full height.

“That went better than expected,” Archie grinned at them.

“How would you know?” Bud asked, hand straying to his dagger.

“Beat of the Farseer,” Archie laughed. “Watched the whole thing from here.” He nodded. “Was quite the adventure, I have to admit.” He winked at Lily. “Say, want to spend the night with me, Miss Pixie?”

“Do you know what a survival instinct is?” Bud growled at the grinning drummer.

“No,” Archie looked confused.

“I didn’t think so,” Bud said. “Get playing, or I’ll rip your hands off and stuff them up your arse.” He turned and stalked off, the laughing Bard following along as the landscape began to blur around them.

Lily closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, lulled by the gentle rocking of Bud’s pace.

The King was waiting for them as they returned, leaning once more against the side of the Waystation.

“I nearly killed your Bard,” Bud said in passing.

“It’s his nature,” The King laughed. “If he makes it to twenty, I have promised him his own keep.”

“He won’t make it,” Lily growled.

“Still, it was a job well done,” the king said, tossing them a small item wrapped in paper. “Your reward.”

Bud caught it, then stopped and turned back to the King.

“Did you know?” He asked, “About the Lady and the rest?”

“I sent the Fae, didn’t I?” He laughed.

“Why all of this?” Bud asked, “Why these quests? Why not just do it yourself?”

The King thought for a moment, then nodded to himself.

“A king is many things, all of them important,” He said solemnly. “But he is also completely useless. Unless his people are worthy… and for that, they need stories. Ones to warn them, ones to drive them, ones to make them strive, and dream, and live.” He nodded to Bud and Lily. “I do these things? They think only a king can do them; you do it… and they try to be as good as the Fae. Is it better, don’t you think?”

“I see,” Bud said.

“Probably, you don’t. Not all of it, but I suspect you will one day.” The king laughed and walked towards the city once more.

“He’s not what I expected,” Lily said quietly.

“Kings and madmen,” Bud said. “The only difference is the crown.”

They heard the king begin to laugh.

“I like that! Yes! I like that!” They heard his booming voice as he laughed.

“See?” Bud offered.