Arcene: The Blue Castle: Arcene, #1

By Al K. Line

Arcene, Awoken and trapped in her own body as a perpetual fifteen-year-old, gets a lot more than she bargained for when she finally finds herself behind the walls of the blue castle. Run by the dangerously inept twins, with the mysterious, skeletal Whip manipulating castle life from the shadows, nothing could have prepared her for what was to come.

Soon, it's girl against insanity and stupidity as she uncovers the truth about the castle's inhabitants.

If you want a heroine that kicks ass and isn't afraid to use a sword then grab your copy now. There's no hanky-panky, just a gal and her wits against the world. Plus some downtime for eating. She likes to eat, a lot.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Al K. Line
• Release date: Oct 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781516374250

Al K. Line

Al K. Line is a British author who lives in rural England with his wife, son and dogs. When asked to describe himself for this bio all we got was the following: "Who am I? Degrees, jobs, living in other countries, fighting squirrels, cuddling monkeys, amused by penguins, all the usual stuff." Best newsletter in digital make-believe land: http://www.alkline.co.uk (discounts and cool stuff) Facebook thing: https://www.facebook.com/authoralkline

Book preview

Arcene

& The Blue Castle

Copyright © 2015 Al K. Line

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All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Stupid Dog

Leel. Leel! You stupid dog.

What's wrong with her? Why does she still keep doing this? Ugh.

Arcene managed to grab hold of Leel by a floppy ear almost as big as her own neatly plaited pig-tails and the huge Great Dane finally stopped, whimpering slightly at the rather painful end to her antics. The sound was muffled somewhat because she couldn't actually move her mouth — the stick was wedged in tight, forcing her jaw open wide, pools of sticky slobber hanging from her muzzle like wobbly weapons.

You need to be more careful. What if I'm not here when you get something stuck? You'd starve.

Leel stared at Arcene in shock; she definitely didn't want to starve. Leel loved her food almost as much as Arcene, the pair of them finding it hard to think of much else for a good proportion of the day.

Stay still, stop moving. Arcene took hold of Leel's jaw, her pale hands looking like a small child's against the massive head, and tried to ignore the coating of warm saliva sticking to her fingers like honey. Leel panted heavily, the odor of the morning meal engulfing Arcene, making her stomach rumble even though it had only been an hour since they ate. Leel, I'll leave it there if you don't behave, and that means no lunch for you. There was a pitiful whimper but Leel stayed motionless, so Arcene took the opportunity to grab the stick that was supposed to have been fuel for the small fire and with a twist it was free.

Oi, geddof me. Geddof, shouted Arcene, laughing as she was pinned to the floor, Leel towering over her licking wetly and barking with joy at the freedom. Arcene wiggled about beneath her friend, pushing ineffectively at the dog's belly, but it was like pushing a brick wall — Leel may have been a real softy but she was one big dog. Not just big, absolutely huge.

Arcene was of average size for someone of her biological age of fifteen, and Leel came almost to chest height when stood next to her. When she sat then her head was almost on a level with Arcene's. In other words she was gigantic, and when she was in play mood Arcene found there was only one course of action: go with it and suffer the slobbery consequences.

Leel sat and pinned Arcene's legs, then went in for one of her favorite moves: the full face lick. Arcene could see the mischief behind the huge hazel eyes of her permanent companion, a twinkle of amusement at what she knew was sure to be great fun, and, of course, just what Arcene wanted — who wouldn't? The head lowered, the tongue extended, and in one fluid motion Leel licked from Arcene's chin right up to the top of her head and across her silver hair.

Haha, that is so gross Leel. Ugh. Now shift it you big lump, we've got things to do today. Arcene waited; Leel just sat there, wagging excitedly for the next game.

This dog is so stupid, it's like she's forgotten everything I've taught her.

Come on, up. Up.

Leel finally obeyed and jumped off, running around barking as Arcene got to her feet and smoothed down her tartan kilt, knees slightly grass-stained. Arcene frowned at the mess she was in, something she would definitely not have cared about a few years ago when she was little but a feral child trying to survive on her own in a world that showed little sign of caring. Things were different now though, and Arcene smiled at the memory of the scruffy child she once was.

Reaching down, she picked up the stick and grinned wickedly as she threw it as far as she could, shouting, Fetch, rather pointlessly at the wobbly rear end of Leel, who bounded into the bushes surrounding their makeshift camp, startling a pheasant as she jumped over the squat growth, turning fast to chase the bird.

Stupid dog, muttered Arcene, walking back to the fire, burning clear and strong, contained by a ring of rocks to stop any more unfortunate accidents — Arcene had learned long ago that fires had to be treated with the utmost respect, there had been an 'incident' when she was nine and it had taken a long time for her hair to grow back. The surrounding forest had fared a lot worse.

She rummaged around in her leather backpack, a gift that she absolutely loved. She'd never really been much interested in anything apart from food for many years, but the older she got the more she appreciated style and how well things used to be made many centuries before she had been born.

Sitting down next to the fire, feeling nice and warm despite the sharp breeze, Arcene unlaced her boots, then pulled off her socks. She replaced them with a new pair from the backpack, same color, same style, her absolute favorite, and part of what she now felt was her 'look,' and one that suited her outward appearance, if not her actual real age. She pulled on the knee-high black socks and retied her boots, then stood and admired the little pink bunnies intricately stitched up the outer side.

Cool.

Arcene stomped down on the short grass — they were nice and snug — the boots as well-worn as her winter gloves. She twirled once, never tiring of the feeling of the kilt swishing around her thighs, loving the sound as it lifted slightly — drama, it was all about the effect. Her arms were bare and slender, those of a child. Years of obsessing over her next meal, fending for herself since a youngster, meant Arcene's figure still showed traces of the undernourishment she had endured: her frame was willowy, her chest quite flat against the skin-tight black vest, her hips quite narrow with little sign of the almost-woman that she was in body, and in mind really, even though she was older than her biological clock showed.

Woof, woof.

Turning at the warning, instantly alert, Arcene's eyes darted off into the forest a short distance away, eagerness governing her movements as she put a hand up to her face to shield her eyes from the sun. Leel might have caught the pheasant, their favorite meat. At least one of them anyway: rabbit was a favorite too, as was boar, deer, fish if she could catch it, well, anything really — if she could cook it then they would eat it.

Woof.

The smile of anticipation turned into a frown. That was not Leel's bark of happiness. She wouldn't come trotting out of the woods with a prize, this was her warning bark. Something wasn't right.

Arcene snatched up the plain wooden scabbard holding her sword then dropped it quickly as she'd forgotten about her hair; she grabbed both pigtails, now long and coming to her belly, and flipped them over to one side, holding on to them as she picked up the scabbard again, fastening the leather buckle before adjusting it quickly.

She reached over her shoulder to check the position of the sword, ancient and one of the finest swords that had eve been made in a place named Japan — somewhere far away where men used to defend their honor and the lives of those they were charged with protecting with blades just as deadly as this.

Satisfied with the position of her weapon, comforted by the red pommel so soft in contrast to the harsh steel, Arcene readied herself for whatever Leel had found in the woods.

There was the snapping of twigs and the sound off branches whipping back into position after the passage of Leel, the barking becoming more incessant, with a repetitive yip, yip, getting closer as Leel either ran from whatever she had found or was chasing it out from its hiding place in the dark cover of the forest.

Hope it's not just some poor animal Leel's playing with.

It was doubtful. Leel may have still been young at heart but she showed the proper respect when it came to hunting: she never toyed with prey, just dispatched it quickly and efficiently, never teasing it, or scaring it more than she had to before her thick jaws delivered the death hold quickly.

Midnight flashed close to the edge of the forest, a blur of a shape weaving between the trees, lost in the twilight world of dense native trees that made it impossible to see more than a few paces into the thick growth of oaks.

Leel let out another high-pitched yip, and ran after the creature.

Arcene caught a glimpse of her pale-gray, almost blue coat, the white patch over the dog's eye making her stand out even without the huge bulk that was the adolescent's body.

Silence.

Leel stopped, her excitement swept away in an instant.

What's she doing?

It was hard to see, so Arcene crept forward cautiously, hand at the hilt of the sword, ready for action. She could just about make out the dark shape, motionless. It had stopped, turned to face Leel. Clearly the chase had not resulted in the outcome Leel had taken as a given.

Here Leel, whispered Arcene, her friend emerging instantly from the woods into the bright sunshine where her short fur practically glowed blue in the warm morning sunlight.

Leel padded over to Arcene obediently, obviously happy to have been given instructions that would get her away from the chase that hadn't gone according to plan. Leel sat next to Arcene, her fast panting hot on Arcene's neck. Good girl. What you been doing eh? Not being naughty are you? Leel just sat there, keen eyes staring straight at the dark shadow lingering at the edge of the woods, where a glint of angry orange was staring right back at her menacingly.

What is it? It must be something bad for Leel to want to get away from it.

There was slight movement from the woods and Leel stood, head craning forward, fur bristling along the ridge of her back like a mountain erupting from the sea.

You not going to go check it out then? asked Arcene.

Leel didn't even turn her head to look at her, just kept on staring, a deep rumble from her expansive chest giving warning to whatever it was that it better not try anything funny.

The silence made time slow, almost as if the birds, the other creatures of the forest, the very air itself were waiting in anticipation for events to unravel.

The heat built as the sun burned away thin wisps of intrusive cloud and the lethargic breeze brought with it the smell of decay from the forest, tinged with the scent of oak and rich loam. As Arcene squinted into the woods she saw the shadow move once again. She knew what it was, had encountered one before, actually got scared — something that didn't happen very often and hadn't for many years. When you grow up alone and your main concern is your next meal you learn very quickly that nothing is quite as terrifying as not knowing if you are going to eat again for days.

Experience told Arcene how to act, so whispering soothingly to Leel she got her companion to lie down on the ground, reaching to tickle her friend's belly until she did as was asked, resting on the warm grass with her legs extended out front of her, the huge paws comically large, nails as long as Arcene's own fingers. Arcene crouched down beside her friend, controlling her breathing by thinking of nothing, just letting the moment wash over her, accepting the situation for what it was, feeling in-tune with her natural surroundings.

Nothing to worry about, just nature doing its thing. I'm fine, we're fine, and that... that panther is fine too.

Arcene waited; Leel waited. The forest waited.

Birds resumed their chatter, as if they too understood there was nothing to be afraid of.

Except there was, there was always something to be afraid of. Arcene was simply too innocent in some ways to understand when danger was very real — her positive outlook had saved her on numerous occasions, her intense curiosity and lack of sense of risk had also got her into many hazardous situations that she could have avoided if she hadn't simply had to climb 'that' tree, or pull 'that' lever just to see what would happen.

A bee buzzed around Arcene's face, freckles dancing wildly as she wrinkled her stubby nose when pollen-laden legs tickled a nostril before it buzzed away toward a patch of bright yellow buttercups.

The panther crept out from its hiding place, either curiosity or hunger driving it forward.

It's like watching a shadow. Look at those muscles.

Arcene stared in fascination at the creature, a large cat she had learned, once taught how to read, was not native to the British Isles, but rather used to be found only in what were called zoos — which sounded like terrible places where people gave what was called money to gawk at poor animals behind bars or in pretend natural habitats for no other reason than to be stared at or shouted at by kids that were eating ice-cream, something Arcene would very much like to try: it sounded delicious. It was only once The Lethargy came and nobody bothered to go to zoos, or anywhere else, and the people that were in charge of the animals never showed up for work, that some of them escaped. Over three centuries later some animals had bred and settled into the countryside until they were as natural as any of the native creatures — just a lot more dangerous.

Grrr.

Hush Leel, you'll frighten it. Arcene bent before reaching out and reassured Leel until she rested he head on her legs, never taking her eyes off the panther.

The sleek cat moved cautiously out into full sunshine, eyes taking in everything, senses acute. Deadly. It watched Arcene and Leel intently, moving like a predator waiting to ambush unsuspecting prey. Dense muscles made every movement precise and perfect, like water flowing over rocks, its head low, nostrils flared and tail bowed. It was almost crouching its belly was so low to the ground, but Arcene could see the bunched energy, muscles coiled and ready to allow the panther to move at killer speed in a split-second.

Arcene watched; waited.

I hope it's alone, if it's got little baby panthers it might attack us.

Leel let out a quiet moan, wanting to please Arcene by being good, but also aching to stand tall and proud, to show she wasn't scared — Arcene knew her friend, and it was obvious she ached to be the one in control of the situation.

A bead of sweat tumbled into Arcene's eyes but she didn't want to risk startling the creature so she just blinked it away, staying motionless. The panther moved slowly to the west, heading towards where Arcene knew there was a fast-running stream. It had probably simply been on its way for a drink when it had met Leel and found its peace shattered by a very large and over-excited puppy. Hopefully it would keep going and that would be that. Slowly it moved away, walking almost sideways to maintain eye contact, until eventually it was past the cover of the woods and out in the open.

With a final look at Leel, then a glance at Arcene, it suddenly sprang into life and moved away fast, heading for the cover of long grass further away from the clearing.

It was gone.

Good girl Leel, good girl.

Leel let out a joyous yip and jumped to her feet, almost knocking Arcene over in her eagerness.

Woof. Woof.

Okay, okay. We just have to tidy up first, and put out the fire. Hey, what shall we have for lunch? I'm starving.

Leel ran back to the camp excitedly, grabbed Arcene's dirty socks and threw one into the air, catching it and covering it in slobber.

Leel! Now I'll definitely have to wash them. Hmm, maybe not at the stream though, maybe somewhere else.

Arcene busied herself breaking camp. It was promising to be a very nice day, and her adventure had only just started.

Being stuck in the body of her fifteen-year-old self and having a small child to care for had taken some serious getting used to, but after seven years she had finally been given a break — Letje, her very best friend, ruler of The Commorancy and probably the most powerful person alive, had offered to care for Lucien for as long as Arcene wanted, and although Arcene missed him terribly she had to admit it was nice being off on her own, having an adventure with Leel, who never seemed to grow old either, even though the daft dog was almost nine now.

But it would be decades until Leel was properly grown up — she was part of a breeding program that had been going on for centuries so the dogs lived as long as the average human. Leel was just a puppy really, a perpetual child, just like Arcene. The difference being that Arcene had done it to herself, controlled her body chemistry to lock her physical age at fifteen after she had been taken against her will by a terrible man and given birth to a child that had been stolen from her, re-united eventually when she, Letje, and a bizarre nun with pointed teeth of less than three feet tall finally caught up with the thief.

It brought a smile to her face just thinking of the final act of revenge, but Arcene had paid a terrible price for the violation of her body: she had Awoken and the first thing she did was ensure that she would never become a grown woman. Now she could never have another child as she stopped her body producing eggs, and although her actual age may now have been over twenty, because of the chemical balance she had locked into place it meant that she would in many regards always remain a fifteen-year-old in spirit as well as body. She didn't mind, it meant she was always full of energy and perpetually inquisitive, just as she had always been. Some would call it naughty; Arcene liked to think of it more as just being curious.

She smiled at the thought of her child, but had to admit she was relishing her freedom.

Come on, we've got an adventure waiting for us. Now, what shall we hunt for lunch?

Woof.

Horrid Bare Bums

Arcene had been away from The Commorancy for three days now, and she was finding that she adjusted very well to a way of life she hadn't had to live for many years. Now that she came to think about it, she had been living in The Commorancy for more than half her life, only leaving to track down the man responsible for taking the already dangerously low numbers of the remaining population that were known as Whole: those undamaged by The Lethargy.

The result had been terrible, their minds lost, Arcene taken advantage of, her baby stolen.

That was seven years ago and she had stayed home ever since, never having time to be bored with a baby to care for and the crazy Commorancy to explore.

But she had missed the call of the wild, so when the opportunity was offered she grasped it eagerly with her forever-young hands and set off with nothing but her sword, backpack, some water, enough food for a day, and her best friend apart front Letje: Leel. Two crazy travelers off on an adventure.

So far nothing much had happened, just the panther and a 'misunderstanding' due to some over-enthusiastic hunting of rabbits from Leel: the prize was devoured rather greedily before Arcene even had the chance to cook it. Leel was sent sternly off to look for more, this time coming back with three fully-grown rabbits held delicately in her mouth, not a mark on them.

As they walked, reveling in the open spaces, Arcene's mind drifted with the breeze, recalling how it used to be when she was little, dirty, unkempt and almost feral. How different she was now, yet she knew at the same time the crazy child still dominated.

Did she regret halting the aging process? A little; sometimes. But it was for the best. Most men would ignore her now — even with the population so low most men were still interested in women, not girls.

What she did regret slightly was knowing that her mind would never develop into that of an adult, not properly. With a static body came hormonal levels that remained those of a juvenile too. She would never mature into a woman physically or mentally. Her innocence was preserved, but at a cost.

Actually she didn't really mind, she like being carefree and full of the vitality of youth — if she was to live maybe for thousands of years, which was possible for Awoken people who somehow came to understand th world on a deeper level, could control their bodies on demand, even enter and control the minds of animals, see the future, walk through the gaps in time if truly gifted, then what better way to experience it all than through the wide-open and still partially innocent eyes of a child?

No, not a child. She mustn't think of herself that way. Fifteen meant she was almost grown up anyway, but her life experience had been so limited during her true childhood that deep down she knew she was no woman, never would be.

It felt wonderful - it gave her an excuse to be naughty.

Arcene smiled at that. Oh the things she had done, the trouble she'd got into over the years. It was a long list. The weaponized military exoskeleton she'd got trapped in and nearly killed Letje with was one incident that came to mind.

Now here she was, just her, Leel and mother nature. It was nice to be alone. She missed her son but knew he'd be fine, and why shouldn't a young mother have a little break from parental duties and go off exploring for a while? It wasn't like time was precious any more, there was plenty of it to go around, and then some.

She'd been dropped off by Fasolt, the oldest permanent occupant of her home, in the middle of what was once called England, although Arcene had no notion of what that really meant or where the boundary was — such things were once important, not anymore.

The trip had been exciting, the hot air balloon exhilarating, marred only by Fasolt's dreadlocks that kept whipping in the wind, hitting her in the face like she was being flayed, and his bum. Ugh, his horrible bony bum that kept catching her attention every time he bent to do something.

Not to mention his willy. Why he refused to ever wear clothes was beyond her, but he was just stuck in his ways she guessed. Still, who wants to spent their time staring at a man's horrid willy when the views were so breathtaking, so she made the most of it, even though Fasolt spent most of the time screaming and saying he would never, even if he lived to be five thousand years old, go in a hot air balloon again. When they landed Arcene reminded him he still had to make the trip back, at which point she saw fear in his eyes for the first time, but he still left in it, not wanting to leave it behind as that wouldn't be right.

Once her and Leel were alone it took only a few hours for it to feel like she'd never been away from what she felt to be her country. The air felt different: freer, just like her spirits. Leel loved it too, and for the first day they did little but run and fall over in the grass, play games and hunt for food.

Arcene set a simple routine in place, just so she knew what to do each day,