Lighting up the Rocky Caves

-Gray-

There was singing.

That was the first thing we experienced as we approached the entrance to Almastia’s capital, Rockafell. Large stone gates built into the mountain house an entrance lined with many thick steel portcullises. A few guards were standing at posts hidden within the rocks.

And the sounds of singing were echoing through the stone halls beyond.

The guards began raising the many portcullises when they saw Aurelia approach, recognizing her immediately. “Hail, Princess of Light!” One guard called down as we waited for the gates to rise. “What business do you have here?!”

“My business is with the King and the Son of Stone.” Aurelia took off her helmet and flicked her hair back. Fulgora and I just silently shared a look and a shrug. I think she just likes doing that.

“It is nice hair.” Fulgora whispered to me. “Can’t really blame her for showing it off.”

“You mean like how you love showing off your biceps?”

I felt her tighten her hands harshly around my waist, and I let out a quiet laugh, before having to cover my mouth as I coughed again. One of her hands patted my back, but it didn’t really help.

By the time I got myself under control, the princess had finished whatever ritual she apparently needed to repeat every time she needed to present herself, and the gates were open.

The cities in Almastia were built within mountains, which explained why the song was echoing everywhere. The long tunnel we had to travel through seemed to somehow amplify the song too, making it louder and all-encompassing as we moved through the mountain.

It was an ethereal song that hung over us, one sung by many people, and I think many instruments too, like drums or flutes or bells could be heard in it.

“The people of Almastia pray to their goddess through song.” Aurelia spoke up, seeming a little anxious as we moved through the torch-lit tunnel.

Fulgora scoffed. “Weird, right? Singing? That’s just a prayer with extra steps.”

“Do people sing in either of your countries?” I asked, a little curious about this cultural difference.

“No. My people prefer the hearty whistle, a sign of happiness and a good day.” Aurelia’s head hung just a little even after speaking of the people she was proud of.

“Mhrm… I used to sing when I was younger.” The wolf-girl casually announces.

“What?!” The human princess seemed caught off guard by that. “You can sing?”

“Yeah?” Fulgora snapped back. “I used to sing a lot back on the farm.” A grin began to grow on her face. “What, are you saying you’ve never sung before?”

Aurelia averted her eyes, stammering under her breath as she tried to respond. That was very unlike her.

“She’s pulling your chain, Aurelia.” I spoke up, and I did notice Aurelia perked up just a little bit at my voice. “Fulgora here likely just sang childish rhymes.”

I could practically feel Fulgora’s pout behind me, but thankfully she didn’t squeeze me again. “Hey! They’re not all childish! My mama taught me lots of songs of my people!”

“Oh? Some brutish songs, no doubt, fit for ears larger than a human’s.” Aurelia snapped back. “I sincerely hope that they do have words in them, and not just howls.”

“What was that, Goldie?” Fulgora didn’t seem that offended, more enjoying the back and forth. “For your information, our songs are beautiful, and once echoed across the plains and fields, before humans came.”

“Well then, maybe you’ll show me wrong later.”

“Ha, as if I’d let the ‘brutish’ songs of my people grace your ‘noble’ ears, Goldie!” I felt Fulgora plop her head against the back of my neck. “Nah, I’ll give Gray a private show later, in our room.”

“You know you can sleep in your own room for once, right?” I said, my shoulders sagging.

“I know.” She chirped happily.

I just sighed. Was this what having a sister is like? And is it wrong that I’m enabling this?

Can I even fight it? She could fold me like laundry, and leave me out to dry.

I kind of wanted to share a room with Aurelia. I mean, that night where I slept against her… that was the most peaceful sleep I’ve ever had. But I didn’t see any way that would happen outside of another accident.

The tunnel we were moving through opened up and revealed a vast underground cavern, a whole city of buildings carved out of stone, almost like skyscrapers with how high they reached, and many bridges leading between various levels suspended between two buildings.

The only way I was able to see so much was that there were still ‘highways’ of open space between some of the solid walls of rocks. Roads big enough for two horse-drawn carriages side by side, and room for pedestrians walking too, though most walked overhead in the higher bridges.

It felt like a city carved out of stone, where the only things carved out were spaces needed for living.

At the very end of the central highway, I could see a massive stone palace, almost like a ziggurat, the only building that looked like it was carved out of stone excessively. There were stone gargoyles decorating the outside, and a large clear space around it, filled with many large stone statues and many smaller ones.

The only light in the city came from torches, or bioluminescent mushrooms, or glowing blue water.

“It’s really dark…” Aurelia muttered, and yeah, there were no holes for air or light, except for the many tunnels leading deeper into and out of the mountain.

“It’s not that dark.” Fulgora’s eyes almost seemed to catch the faint lights and shined softly in the dark.

As for the singing that echoed through the city, it all originated from a group of cloaked figures under a stone pavilion in a larger public area near the entrance to the city. Nearly a hundred people, wearing dusty leather cloaks gathered together, and made music in perfect unison.

Some voices were low and deep, while others were reaching the high notes, and many just filled out the volume of the song along with a variety of instruments, many of which were made out of stones or crystals or metal, but all helping the song resonate. And all of them had a brown glow around them, motes of earthly magic floating upwards from the rocks around them. It didn’t matter if they were singing, playing an instrument or both, they were clearly being blessed by the act alone.

And I could finally make out the lyrics now;

“Oh Goddess, Goddess of Earth,

She who provides, who gives no dearth,

Forgive our foolish neighbor,

For this labor they support, which we belabor,

Now with our song, which reaches your ears,

Please, help us fix our legacy before it smears,

Help us drive out the scoundrel,

So our Prince will finally listen to counsel,

And we can bring back stability,

To conduct our festival with civility,

As we say-”

They were cut off by a group of younger men and women throwing rocks with surprising strength.

“Get out of here, geezers! We don’t want your prayers around here! You make the goddess sick with your muddied words!” One boy shouted, running up and grabbing a strange guitar made out of a geode, smashing it against the ground with enough force to crack the stones beneath them.

The earth magic around the singing figures faded, and many of them began to run as guards closed in.

“It’s our right to pray as we wish!” An older man yelled, standing protectively in front of several of his cloaked comrades.

“And it’s our duty to make sure prayers are done right!” Many instruments were getting smashed up by the crowd, some were holding down those in cloaks who tried to run.

“This is the traditional way of-”

“Traditions don’t matter if they’re wrong!” A woman ripped a massive rock out of the ground, and threw it at the group of cloaked people.

Aurelia reacted swiftly, dashing forward in a burst of light, staff ready to defend. “Now hold it-”

Fulgora cracked with electricity and a manic grin, ready to fight as she charged at the crowd of protestors.

But the older cloaked man acted the swiftest, grabbing the rock out of the air, and slamming it into the ground, pulverizing it into a smokescreen of dust.

In the chaos, the cloaked figures were running, guided along by the older man. Aurelia and Fulgora, having rushed forward, were caught in the smokescreen, and I didn’t have time to grab them, so I snatched up the older man’s flute with a quick spell, and chased after the fleeing group instead.

Why would I do this, you ask?

Well, why not? Seemed the most fun to me.