Lucian

It was dark outside. Heavy clouds covered the skies and rain hammered against the castle walls, announcing the approach of autumn. Strong winds whistled and fallen leaves swirled through the air.

Sheltered in the warmth of the living hall and guided by the dancing flames in the hearth, Lucian sat facing Hans, staring intently at the chess table before them. He was focusing not to make another wrong move, when Hilda entered the hall, followed by two beautiful maids, the first one Serene, and the second none other than Daria... Just how could he focus now?

"Good evening little boys!" Hilda said festively as she walked in towards them, followed by the two girls. "Care for an extra player?"

"We already started the game," Hans replied curtly.

"You are as unfriendly as your brother," Hilda teased as she reached the chess table.

"That's not true. I am even more unfriendly than my brother," Hans said, and he rolled his eyes as Hilda allowed herself to sit with them without waiting for an invitation.

Lucian could only smile politely at her, but his voice was far too lost to say anything. His eyes turned towards Daria who stood behind her, and he held his breath as he watched her get down on her knees, her head lowered and her soft breasts bouncing lightly as she took her place next to Hilda. 

Lucian did not realize that his hands were trembling, until he accidently dropped the chess piece he was holding onto the chess board, which sent the other pieces tumbling into an unsightly mess. 

"Are you stupid? What have you done!" Hans groaned.

"S-Sorry..." Lucian stammered.

"Sorry? You just ruined the game, damn it!" 

Lucian lowered his head, silently scolding himself for doing such a stupid thing. Hans started  rearranging the displaced pieces, still muttering grumpily. Hilda joined in to help him, while Lucian only sat there helplessly, throwing unnoticed side glances towards Daria.

"What do you think you are doing?" Hans said as Hilda held up a piece of chess after they had finished resetting the game.

"Playing?"

"No. It's my game with Lucian. You play the next round against the winner."

"Alright, fair enough," Hilda smiled as she sat back to watch them play, yet she did not stop leaning in close to Lucian every now and then, whispering advice into his ears.

"Stop it!" Hans shouted. "That's cheating."

"It's not," Hilda defended. "I am on Lucian's team."

"Team? This is not how you play chess," Hans complained. "Stop ruining the game!" 

A short while after Lucian and Hans resumed the game, a sudden gust of rain laden wind had forced the terrace doors open, showering the floor inside the living hall and blowing away a few items. Everyone gasped in alarm. But no one moved.

"Shut the doors!" Hans shouted. Serene and Daria stood up at once and hurried towards the terrace. "Stupid slaves," Hans scoffed. "Can't do anything without being told. I bet you if the castle was being torn down into pieces they would keep sitting still like damn gargoyles." Hans made a move. "Check mate!" he teased.

"Damn it, I told you not to make that move!" Hilda complained. "You're not concentrating at all Lucie."

"He did not stop talking," Lucian defended as he pointed at Hans. "He meant to distract me." 

But in fact, Lucian was not distracted because of Hans. He was distracted by constantly looking up from the game to have a glance at Daria who had been sitting quietly next to Hilda. He could only see her side profile, yet it did not matter. Her mere presence made his heart flutter. And now, as she turned after closing the windows, he could fully see her face. Heavens she was very beautiful. Lucian was lost in her warm hazel eyes, her sweet soft lips, and without noticing, his eyes had slid down further to her breasts. His eyes lingered a bit too long...

"What are you gawking at?" Hans asked out of nowhere, startling Lucian.

"Nothing!" Lucian said quickly as he turned his eyes back to the game. He could feel his cheeks glowing. He shut his eyes tight as he found Hans turning to see what Lucian was looking at. And a wicked laugh followed.

"Ah it's miss titty!" Hans teased. Lucian scowled at him. "Lucie likes miss titty!" Hans sang out loud.

"Stop calling her that!" Lucian cried at him.

"Miss titty, Miss titty, Miss titty!" Hans teased on. Lucian suddenly rose and leapt at Hans, knocking him off his seat and covering his mouth. Hans laughed as he tried to wriggle free of Lucian, while he continued to sing miss titty in a muffled voice.

"Boys, cut it off," Hilda yelled.

"If you don't stop it I will tell everyone about Agnes!" Lucian said, and Hans instantly turned still. He pushed Lucian away and got up to his feet, a serious expression on his face.

"Ooh who's Agnes?" Hilda asked teasingly.

"Come on, shall I tell them?" Lucian threatened.

"Don't you dare!" Hans hissed.

"Poor Agnes, she must be shivering now in the cold rain," Lucian teased him. And the next moment Hans gave him a sudden shove before he turned and hurried outside the living hall. 

"What was that all about? Who is Agnes?" Hilda asked as she started rearranging the scattered chess pieces which were upset by the earlier brawl.

"I... I can't tell you," Lucian stammered. "Hans wouldn't be happy about that."

"Come on Lucie," Hilda urged. "He doesn't have to know that you told me. I will keep it a secret, I promise."

"But..."

"It's his imaginary friend," Serene said as she sat closer next to Hilda and started helping her arrange the pieces, putting an end to Lucian's hesitance. Lucian threw her a look of reproach. "Come on Lucie, it's no secret. Everyone knows about it," Serene continued before she turned to Hilda. "Hans thinks the gargoyle on the top of the sky tower is a girl named Agnes and that she speaks with him."

"Is that true?" Hilda asked with a serious expression. Strangely she neither laughed nor mocked what Serene said. Her face was dead serious.

"Yes..." Lucian answered hesitantly. "It... it started... when he was five," Lucian hesitated as he started the story, but once he spoke, he felt relaxed, and his passion for chattering took over. "At first we laughed about it too and played along with him, you know, all children have imaginary friends, so it was normal. But it became weird when he started getting bigger and he still went to speak with her. We thought maybe he was just fooling us, you know him, loves nothing more than playing pranks. But it is really getting creepy now. If it were a prank he would have gotten tired of it. But he is fifteen and he still continues to go speak with her and hug her."

"Hug her?" Hilda looked appalled.

"Umm, yes... He thinks that gargoyles are always scared and crying all the time. And the only way to make them stop crying is by hugging them. And if anyone dares tell him that the gargoyles' cries are not real..." Lucian sighed in exasperation. "I have tried once to explain to him that this crying sound is just the wind colliding with the gargoyle stone, and then he broke into a rage like he did now. He doesn't want to understand that no souls are trapped inside like old people say or anything. He would never believe that these are all just myths."

"But they are not myths," Hilda said, to Lucian's utmost shock, and it was not in her light teasing manner. She was dead serious. Lucian looked at her with caution. It was enough already having to deal with Hans. How could someone as well taught as Hilda also believe in that nonsense? Or was she only playing along trying to scare him off?

"Gargoyles are real," she continued. "They were created by an ancient curse, hundreds of years ago. Yes they do hold the souls of sinful Engelmen. Agnes you say? Isn't that Agnes Nordstrom? Your ancient ancestor who lived here six hundred years ago? Her father sentenced her to be cursed into a gargoyle because she was caught sinning with a human slave. The curse is called 'the eternal sleep of terror'. If you studied your history books well you would know it is real."

A sudden thunder explosion made everyone start, heightening the terror they already suffered from Hilda's disturbing story. Lucian was literally shaking. He looked at Hilda for a long moment, trying to catch any hint that she was joking, but he could not.

"I...I think I should go find Hans," he said as he got up to his feet, and he went hurrying away.

Lucian was deeply unsettled. As if the ominous weather and pouring rain were not enough already... Trying to dismiss the disturbing things Hilda had just said, he started humming joyful tunes as he hopped along the parapets and leapt over the walls on his way up the sky tower. His heart twisted with guilt as he saw Hans's small form in the distance, curled around the cold stone gargoyle and soaked beneath the pouring rain. It was all his fault. If Lucian hadn't teased Hans about Agnes, Hans wouldn't have come up here and suffered in this horrible storm.

"Hans!" Lucian called as he leapt towards him.

"Go away!" Hans cried without looking up at Lucian, his face buried against the large monstrous gargoyle. 

Lucian hesitated for a moment, recalling what Hilda said about the gargoyles, wondering if a real soul really lived within the very stones where Hans had his arms wrapped around. Lucian shuddered at the idea and he shook his head as if trying to dismiss the terrifying thoughts, before he bravely approached Hans.

"Hans, I'm sorry," Lucian said gently as he put his arms around him and spread his wings, shielding him from the hammering rain. He was surprised enough that Hans didn't resist or shove him away, but what shocked him even more was finding Hans's body shaking, and Lucian realized with that he was crying.

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