it's a nightmare but it's one exciting ride

of-the-night-sky

He assumes the Beast will be able to locate him if needed. Getting lost doesn't worry him; he wants to investigate as thoroughly as possible. If he encounters more of the Beast's creations, so much the better.

Eventually he comes across an old man whose body appears to have been carved of stone, going over some papers.

of-the-night-sky

He approaches. "Who are you?"

He looks up.

"I'm Old Liu. You must be the new...guest."

of-the-night-sky

"Prisoner."

He shrugs. "Fair enough. I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

of-the-night-sky

"I wasn't holding it against you. Have you always been made of stone?"

"No. All of us change, who choose to become bound to the castle. A-Fei is the most enthusiastic about it, but none of us mind it enough that we didn't choose to stay anyway."

of-the-night-sky

"Is it painful?"

"No. I don't feel pain at all, anymore."

of-the-night-sky

"How did he bind you to the castle?"

"I don't think even he understands how the magic of this place works, or how it is that he can do what he can do, or why he can do some things and not others."

of-the-night-sky

Hrm. That's not very promising. But there still must be other clues to how the Beast was first bound here if he looks closely enough at these other "guests" and the Beast's magic.

"How long have you been here?"

"A little over two years now, I think. What's the date?"

of-the-night-sky

He provides the date of his arrival.

"Yes, two years and a bit less than a month."

of-the-night-sky

"Do you know how long the Beast has been here?"

"The summer before I arrived. He doesn't remember anything from immediately before then."

of-the-night-sky

"And no one was here before him?"

"He was alone when he woke up. There might have been people here who left before then."

of-the-night-sky

"Hm.

Do you know where he is right now?"

"No. But I know how to find him."

of-the-night-sky

"What does that mean?"

"The beast has a magic mirror that will show you whatever you tell it to show you. He created it with the intention of alleviating some of the effects of being trapped here, but its use for that purpose proved limited, as he couldn't remember very many places to tell it. I have standing permission to use it to locate him."

of-the-night-sky