Shadows move. Flames flicker. Curls of smoke snake their way in and out of doorways. My eyes move, slowly, heavy-lidded, as I make my way out the castle door and onto the grounds. These are scenes usually reserved for midnight dreams.

From the dark, I hear a roar. I stumble, then I stand. There are beasts hidden within these walls, but I am not afraid. Knights seated around a square table, the creatures resume their place as custodians of the castle as soon as dusk falls.