Luc POV
Queen Rosina's Watchtower loomed above the landscape, a long shadowy finger pointing across the landscape in the late afternoon light. Weathered, with moss and vines climbing up the stone walls, the watchtower stood, eerily silent. The Lammas soldiers hesitated, gazing at the forbidding sight dubiously.
"Rumored to be haunted by the humans that died here," one of the soldiers said in a low voice. "Looks creepy."
"I wouldn't go in there," another soldier commented.
King Oliphant's commanding voice rang out. "Some of you can stay behind and guard the tower entrance discreetly ... if you're too afraid to enter."
The complaining soldiers stood at attention, guarding the tower with enthusiasm and dedication. Luc, meanwhile, strode toward the narrow arched entrance to the tower, with Oliphant on his heels. The king's hot breath, all too familiar by now, bathed his neck.
"Watch your head," he said, ducking low and slipping into the gloom beyond.
