Chapter 9

It was late afternoon when Bartz and Falca reached the castle. A huge magically charged stone wall surrounded the castle grounds. This wall, along with the moat that circled it, was legendary in its ability to prevent anybody or anything from entering except through the main gate.

The moat was filled with crocodiles, genetically engineered for extra nastiness. These crocs were extra big, extra green, and had twice as many teeth as an average croc. King Lary may have outlawed engineering creatures, but since the royals made the rules, they could bend them if they had enough scrollwork to back it up. These crocs were the result of such scrollwork, their official justification being that they existed to protect the general populace seeking shelter inside the castle in times of crisis. The unofficial justification was, hey, we’re royals, we have the technology, we have the zinc, and we can do what we want.

Bartz peered at the castle rising above the wall. The press guide was