The Lexicon

"Wow," David's voice, though quiet, echoed around them.

The room they were in- if you could call it a room- was rather large. It was open to the outside world, open spaces in the stone walls acting as windows revealed a rather large city. They stood upon wooden floorboards, and moss and vines were growing all over the area. A gap in the walls opened up to a bridge, leading away from the tower and to what looked like a castle.

Annie and David took a step away from each other, and David kept one arm around her as the two gazed out at the city before them. It looked empty which they both felt very glad for. Annie pulled her bag off her shoulder and placed the stone within, pulling out the map that William had given them. She then placed the bag back over her shoulder.

"So, this lexicon we're meant to be looking for is not even in the castle, which we have to go through anyway to get to it," she said, examining the map. David laughed at that.

"Of course it isn't," he said, smiling at her and stepping away from her, walking over to one of the windows. "I think we should have learned that this wouldn't be easy from the first mission. What part of the city is it located in, then?"

"Well, that's the other thing," Annie smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her neck. David turned back around to look at her again, his eyebrows raised. "It's not even in the city. It's on the outskirts, in what looks like a cave. We should be able to see it the moment we enter the forest."

"Are you sure about that?" David crossed his arms after the question slipped past his lips. Annie lifted the map again, examining it carefully.

"Well... As sure as I can be," she answered. David laughed again and walked to stand behind her, looking at the map over her shoulder.

"Should we get going then?" he asked, placing a hand on the small of her back. He guided her gently over to the bridge.

"Yeah, I'll lead," Annie nodded.

"That was the plan," David agreed with another chuckle.

The bridge was a long one, with only a bit of roofing over it at each end. It was a tiled roof, rather than one with shingles. Annie wondered what the city and sky might look like at night, remembering the City of Weeping Angels and its beautiful waters.

Large wooden doors stood between them and entering the castle when they reached the other end of the bridge. David pressed his hands against the splintered wood. Annie raised her eyebrows, watching him touch the door.

"When you're done feeling up the door, can we go inside?" she asked. David burst into the loudest laughter she had heard from him yet.

"I'm not- I'm not feeling up the door!" he exclaimed.

"Are you sure? Are you really sure about that?" Annie patted him on the shoulder.

"Stop it! You're gross!" David laughed more, inching away from her.

"Come on; get the door open," she placed her hand on it, clutching the map with her other hand. "Help me."

"Okay, okay," he nodded and put his hands on the door again.

Together they slowly pushed open the door, revealing what once might have been a very grand hall, but was now coated in dust and covered in cobwebs. Benches lined the walls, and a staircase lead down to whatever was on the floor below them.

Annie covered her mouth and nose as they entered, coughing and sniffling. David seemed fine with the heavy fog of dust in the air, either that or he managed to ignore it well. Either way she glared at him for a short while.

David had no words for that room; either he wasn't that impressed with it, or he simply had nothing to say. He silently waved Annie on, leading her down the stairs. After one last glance around the room she followed after him, coughing from the dust again, keeping her mouth covered.

"How are you okay like this?" Annie asked, her voice echoing off the walls and sounding somewhat hoarse to her. The lighting they had from the sun dimmed slightly as they made their way down.

"I don't know," David said with a shrug. Annie sighed and furrowed her eyebrows, glaring a hole into his back.

"Well, it's not fair," she grumbled to herself. She tucked her nose into the map for a moment.

A few seconds later she bumped into David, who had stopped walking to admire the huge balcony that opened up before them. There was a small garden decorating it which seemed very well-kept. Warning bells went off in Annie's head; the beauty and neatness of the garden definitely said that the place wasn't quite as abandoned as they had thought.

"David, let's keep moving," she suggested quietly. He looked at her, confusion written on his face.

"Why?" he asked, licking his lips. "This area is intriguing."

"I know, I know," Annie nodded. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "This whole place is going to be. But if you haven't noticed yet, that garden looks very well-tamed. There are no weeds, and everything looks so... well, not like it's been abandoned."

"You're saying that whatever William warned us about-"

"The elves," Annie interrupted.

"Yes, the elves," David nodded. "The elves that William warned us about could be awake."

"They very well could be," the panic and irritation in Annie's voice amused David. She tugged at his shirt, attempting to pull him along.

"Well, what if it's someone like us who decided to live here? You know, since it's abandoned and, I don't know, free?" David wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, shut up," Annie rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. David let out a yelp of pain that seemed to echo on forever. "Oh, sorry!"

"It's fine," he said, though his voice was strained and his teeth were gritted. He rubbed his arm slowly and kept it away from Annie. "You're right, let's go."

He took the lead again, moving away from the source of light and toward another darkened staircase leading further down in the castle. Annie smiled and marched after him. She hoped that this way they'd have less of a chance of running into any elves.

What would they be like? William made them sound like a vicious people. Or was it that there was something else that the elves would protect them from, if Annie didn't lose the documents they had received?

She slapped herself, earning an odd look from David. There was no sense in scaring herself though.

"You doing alright back there?" he asked, one eyebrow raised when he glanced over at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "I'm just having some really weird thoughts. Scaring myself. I shouldn't be left alone to think."

"I know that feeling," David muttered to himself.

"What?" Annie called out. She walked faster in an attempt to keep up with him.

"Oh, nothing," he said. He finally reached the end of the stairs, stopping and holding his hand out to her, waiting for her there. "Don't scare yourself. It's best to be calm right now. Save being scared for when scary stuff really starts happening. Also, watch your step, the last two steps are-"

Annie shrieked and stumbled, grabbing onto David's good arm for support. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears while David laughed and held her close.

"-missing," he finished.

"Yeah, I can see that now," she sighed heavily, trying to calm down. "A bit of an earlier warning next time?"

"Sorry, I had to sacrifice an early warning for an attempt at quieting your fears," David said. Annie sighed again.

"Yeah, well, you managed to fail at both," she said as she stepped back from him. She looked at the map for a moment and then pointed off where it started growing very dark in the castle. "We need to head that way."

"Sounds good to me," David nodded.

He stepped ahead of her and grabbed her hand as they walked. Annie let out a surprised sound, but didn't attempt to pull her hand from his. It was definitely much more comforting than his words; the fear of being separated lessened.

There were less and less windows letting sunlight in as they went along. Normally Annie wasn't one to fear the dark, but she was definitely starting to get a creepy crawling sensation along her skin. She considered pulling one of the flashlights from her bag, but decided against it, considering both of her hands were occupied.

"Hey, you got a light?" David finally asked after what seemed like forever of walking in almost complete darkness.

"Yeah, um, can you hold onto me- and the map- for a moment while I get it?" she smiled sheepishly.

"Are you scared of the dark?" he teased, though he took the map from her and draped an arm around her. Annie made a sound of annoyance.

"Shut up," she demanded quietly.

"Don't worry, I'm right here," David cooed. "I won't let anything happen to you; no darkness monsters shall do you harm."

Annie rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to elbow him while she looked around in her bag for a flashlight. A breath of relief escaped her when she found one. She shook it before flipping the switch, smiling at David over the new beam of light.

"Listen up, ladies and gentlemen," she began, "for I have a story to tell that is so scary it will make you wet your pants."

"Oh, stop goofing around and give it here," David chuckled.

They exchanged the map for the flashlight, and David took Annie's hand again. He aimed the light at her for a moment, smiling and then turning back in the direction they had been headed.

David let out a startled sound, Annie screamed, and the hideous creature that the beam fell on let out a hiss. David stumbled backward, taking Annie with him. The creature spread its wings and hissed again before dropping from the ceiling and flying off. From what they could tell in the dim lighting it had pointed ears, fangs, and wrinkled gray skin.

"What- what was that? Is it gone?" Annie cried. She gripped David's arm tightly.

"I don't know, and I don't think we should stick around long enough to find out whether or not it's still here," David answered. Annie decided that was good enough for her and allowed him to lead her further along.