Castle Black

Castle Black. That’s what the locals call it. Beautiful on the outside,deadly inside. It has been built a long time ago and it’s history is unknown. It is beleived, that duke and duchess of the land were living there, until one day, they vanished. Nobody knows where they have gone to, and if they are alive. Since then, the castle stayed empty,hollow construction,cold hard stone. It is a beautiful old structure on the outside.Vast, beautiful, intricate detail all over the castle exterior. Inside,it is belived to be lavish and luxurious,beautiful and image of the fairy tales. Nobody knows for certain, as the castle harbors a dark secret:whoever enters,does not,come back..

   It is believed that a treasure of great importance and wealth is housed within. A prized possession of the previous owners,left behind in mysterious circumstances. Since then,many have tried to breach the castle,enter it and claim the prize for themselves. So many warriors and hopeful knights have been swayed and mesmerised by the tale of the castle and the treasure within. So many hopeful young men, have tried to conquer it,beat it,an impossible feat and so it has been proven thus far. The story is always the same..The locals,terrified of the castle and what it holds,warn off the travellers and the brave knights who pass through town, but they never listen.Hopeful,intrigued and excited,eager,they march on to try their luck,to test their sword and resolve. Some want to explore the castle within,some want the treasure while the others want the castle itself. With no owners present,who ever takes over, has the right to claim it as their own,only locals are smart enough to not even try. Knights,determined and driven push on,young and naïve,they enter the castle grounds making a step towards their untimely death.

   Many of the warriors left it behind,simply because they could not workout the way in.The castle is locked,sealed shut and there is only one,special way in.Many tried many ways,looked around for levers and switches,and tried weapons, but all to no avail. They all gave up and walked away. However,those who have enter the Castle Black,they never came back. Castle,as if a living being,swallows whole those who enter it,they never see the light of day,they never come out and never heard of. Now,a brave new knight stands tall,ready and eager to enter the castle and claim the treasure for himself. He heard the stories,he has been warned but to no avail he marches on. Having entered the grounds of the castle, he is mesmerised by the beauty before him.Seeing the grandeur of old, just ignites his interest and pushes him on. Eventually,after taking multiple days to figure out the way in,he cracks the code. The castle is open,he is ready to go in,he is ready to conquer. The doors open up,wide open,inviting but something is not quite right. Knight is feeling uneasy,the feeling of dread,death and fear washes over him. The castle has a hold on him and does not let go and yet he persists,he pushes on,marches forward towards his inevitable death. The doors close behind him as if by an invisible force.The only way out,is to get that’s what’s within,the treasure of the Castle Black.

   Many weeks have gone by since the knight was last seen. People say they heard his screams in the night.They claim they have heard noises and sounds of struggle, coming from deep within but alas,another brave soul goes down. Another one is gone,perished,swallowed by the legend,lost in time,one of many. He was warned,they all were warned and now,another young soul is swallowed up by the beautiful darkness. The all consuming hunger for the unknown,curiosity,pride and arrogance are the real enemies of these men. Castle still remains a relic of the past with the mysterious dark secrets and yet,more travellers wish to try their luck. People hear the story of the knight, who screamed for life that night only to disappear into the darkness and be gone forever and yet,they all dismiss it as a fairy tale only to repeat that which is inevitable.