Flying off the Dove went to follow its instructions to fly forth and find the woman matching the description. As the dove flew forth swiftly, the brightmane carried Gabriel back to the king's castle, the remaining guards posted and wary. Two at the gates, and four more at the throne room where the king is instructing the few servants still alive and present about cleaning up the mess.<br/><br/>The path to the library was unbothered, and within it, Gabriel faced devastation. Fires had smoldered down, and water had been thrown on piles, but four guards lay torn apart at the library, as did a man in a shattered mask and an outfit of similar black and crimson colors as the two that Gabriel had fought before.<br/><br/>This man Gabriel recognised.<em>The Son of Marshton, the town's 'mayor', and a bookkeeper serving the king's whims.</em>He was dead as the stones beneath him, the guards had gotten him wounded before he died, and a pair of bolts in his chest showed how he had fallen, his outfit torn and bloody from sword strikes as well. One particular ensuring he could not be even buried in an open casket, his lower jaw torn off.<br/><br/>The books on some shelves had been burnt, including the royal heraldry and the noble family lineage. Burnt, or stolen. Either way, the copies were gone, as were many others, the ashen piles of burnt books hard to say what might have been taken instead of burnt, but nonetheless devastating to the gathered knowledge there.<br/><br/>Fortunately, the knowledge on the strongholds was still there, that shelf turned over and slammed against another, leaving a scattered mess of books on the floor but the books were there still at least.<br/><br/>There were only three choices for him though. No other strongholds were mentioned that were both fairly near and empty.<br/><br/>There was an old Fortress up at the mountainside, that was built for a long siege in mind, with only path down from it easy to defend, snaking around and exposing it to the archer towers at the castle high up before the foe could make its way to the gates. It was placed at the highest point, with sharp fall at the edges of the wall making sure that any kind of regular army would be hard pressed to take it. To avoid treachery being possible however, it had no secret passages that could have become a liability if discovered. Someone that went up there might be imprisoned as much as well protected.<strong>The Steel Peak</strong><br/><br/>The second option was a castle built at a marsh, amid fetid waters and with treacherous ground all over. It was once a stronghold of a villain who adventurers had slain, but the place was a real maze, full of traps, and whispered to be a home of monsters as well, but it had held off heroes for decades before a well prepared group of few fantastical champions had challenged it, and even then many of them had required resurrection after it was all done. The villain even escaped through a secret passage, but the castle still stood, threatening as ever.<strong>The Dark Palace</strong><br/><br/>Third, and last was a traditional keep with a moat around it, standing at a forested area with a stretch of land cleared around the keep to make approaching it noticeable for any guards posted there. It was a small place, but out of the way, and the forest might be both a benefit in hindering cavalry and slowing down any advance, and a problem in covering and hiding an approaching foe. The keep was said to have belonged to a countess that conducted some strange rituals within its walls, but that was generations ago. It was also riddled with secret passages, despite its small size, making defender in possession of the maps into a very good position for surprises. Unfortunately it also left an attacker with the maps able to circumvent traditional defenses and attack anywhere they chose.<strong>The Deceiver's Hall</strong><br/><br/>As Gabriel approached the throne room soon after, he found the four guards allowed in the castle protecting their liege, the young king looked up swiftly at Gabriel.<strong>"There you are! Please tell me you have some good news."</strong>The young king actually looked hopeful, rather than cruel or cunning, as he looked at Gabriel in that instant. Frightened young man without his father.<strong>"The guards at the walls are supposed to send what can be sent to the castle to help guard it, but the quarantine at the town area failed, the soldiers were attacked, from both sides. Protectors fled, but only eight of them remain. They're healing their wounds at a temple nearby, with some half-blind man taking care of their wounds there."</strong><br/><br/>The prince took a deep breath and trembled.<strong>"There was a word you wanted them and me here both, but they are still recovering, and I need them at their best."</strong>