A Rocky Start

-Gray-

I followed the singers all the way to a room hidden within a plain stone wall on the side of a building. The older man, likely the leader, merely pressed his palm to the wall, a brown sigil appeared, and the wall opened up with a grinding sound.

The group didn’t even wait for it to fully open before ushering people inside. Which made it surprisingly easy to slip into.

And when the door closed, it was much harder to escape.

Not that I wanted to escape, in fact, quite the opposite.

“Sir! We’ve caught an intruder!” A man grabbed me by the arms, restraining me with a quick movement. “One of the mud-licking ‘Purists,’ most like!” The way he spat out ‘purists,’ I’ve never heard such scorn.

Only then did everyone else seem to realize I was here, and panic rolled through the group, as they tried to clear distance from me, some trying to escape while others covered their faces.

“Out of the way! Let me see ‘em!” The older man yelled out, and people tried to clear a way in the large room we were in. A sort of foyer leading to many staircases and hallways.

The older man flipped back his hood, staring at me with amber eyes like a hawk. Salt and pepper hair was frizzy and unkempt, kept out of his face by a simple crown made out of pure craggy rock, with a sturdy and well-designed shape.

Wrinkles lined the man’s face, making him look older than his years, and the patchy unshaved beard didn’t help. He wore a brown leather suit, covering up most of his torso up to his neck, and leaving his bulky arms and legs exposed. A tapered mask, almost like a really small plague doctor’s mask, hung around his neck.

As he looked at me, he moved his cloak back just enough to expose an ornate hammer and chisel at his waist, like he was showing me he was armed or something.

He had earth magic, so it might be a decent weapon in his hands.

“Who are you, boy?” His voice was strong and deep, no sign of weakness. “Why did you follow us?”

“You dropped your flute. I thought it’d be a shame to leave it behind.” Even with my arms restrained, I was able to float the flute out of my jacket up into the air.

It was a marvelous metal flute, the details and design made it look like artwork more than an instrument.

The man suddenly patted his body, trying to feel for his flute, before realizing he really did lose it. His stern look morphed into one of embarrassment and gratitude as he took the flute back and looked it over.

“My apologies then.” He nodded to the guy holding me, who let me go with a scoff. “Not many youths care for instruments these days, so allow me to give my thanks, as King of Earth.” He bowed slightly to me. I just nodded.

Not like I was going to mention I stole the flute out of the guy’s jacket while we was running through the smokescreen. I needed a way in, after all.

Seeing the king accept me seemed to relax those who were still nearby, watching us, and a few even lowered their hoods.

And wow, I fit in pretty well here. Sure, they all had darker hair colors, but pale skin was the norm, fitting for people who didn’t get much sun. The ages made me stand out however, since everyone looked at least twice my age, if not more.

“I’m Gray, nice to meet you, Your Majesty.” I didn’t bow, just gave a deep nod.

I still didn’t know much here, so I decided not to mention my affiliation with the two princesses. Were these guys pro-Trifecta, or anti? A golem army was being made within this kingdom, so the smart money was on these guys being enemies.

Which meant keeping an eye on them was a good (and fun!) idea.

He nodded in return, walking down a hallway, making a gesture for me to follow him. Two cloaked guards followed us not far behind, while the rest of the group seemed to go their separate ways down other tunnels.

Here I was, hoping that my introduction would at least get me his name. Only to fail…

“So, Gray. I take it you saw our performance?”

“Uh, yeah, I did! It was… nice!” I didn’t listen to music much, so I decided compliments were better here. “Except for… you know, the whole riot that gathered. Is that normal in this kingdom? Uh, Milord?” Of course, no one taught me how to talk to royals. Both princesses were really chill, and Boranus wasn’t worth the energy it would take to respect him.

He let out a deep chuckle. “No need for honorifics here, lad. As far as the kingdom’s concerned, I’m yesterday’s rubble.” He turned and gave me a wry smile. “Besides, there was a time when I was just a humble miner, so I find it a hidden blessing from the goddess that I’m able to interact with my people on their level again.”

Yeah, such informality really helps when I still don’t know your name…

“A humble miner with godly powers?”

“Pfft, nah. Plain as the day I was born. But I guess something must have been up with me to attract the attention of the goddess, because before I knew it, she appointed me the new king, and handed me a baby not long after.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

The king grinned. “Outsiders are always caught off guard by our traditions, it seems. Perks of living in mountains.” His smile fell from his face, and he stopped walking, his head hung. “And now… that’s coming back to bite us.”

He left that cryptically, leaving me to bite my tongue from how irritating I was getting. Why can’t he just give me all the exposition at once!

It feels like playing a game where I have to ask the right questions to get the answers I need, so I rubbed my temple with my right hand, rolling through today’s events, looking for things that stand out.

Such as;

Why did the crowd respond to the music like that?

Why did the instruments seem to be part of the problem?

Why is the King not in charge anymore?

How far do these secret tunnels within buildings go?

And why do the sides seem divided by age?

So if he’s in an answering mood, I’ll just have to figure out how to lead the conversation where it suits me best

“I was rather intrigued by the variety of instruments that were being-” My perfectly formulated question was interrupted by my lungs deciding to spasm again.

I placed a hand on the smooth wall of the tunnel to keep still, while the other covered my mouth. I tried to catch my breath, to steady myself, but it felt like it only made it worse. A few tears pricked my eyes.

“Here, take deep breaths.” The king held the mask around his neck to my mouth, and I could smell some sort of aromatic herb, like a cool breeze. Taking this air into my mouth, I felt like I was chewing a mint, as the air cooled down my throat and lungs, and filled me with a feeling of relief as things calmed down.

Yet even when I was done coughing, the king had me breath a few more times. He had a calm and caring look on his face, like he’s done this a million times before. “Feels nice, right? Fresh from our neighbors to the east.”

East… that would be the Kingdom of Air, I believe. Or was it wind?

“Lately, they’ve felt like our only allies we can count on. When the crops began to slow down to a trickle, they gave us their food, and with all the cave-ins lately, have been incredibly generous with their god’s gift of fresh air. Believe me, the dust in the mines can really hurt you if you’re not careful.”

Hold on, what was that about the crops?

The king took the mask back when I was stabilized, wrapping it back around his neck. I cleaned the spit and phlegm off my hand and arm with a quick spell, taking only a brief glance to assure that it was still normal.

But I was starting to develop the idea of what was going on.

“Thank you…” I give a nod. “It sucks about what’s happening to your kingdom. Anything I can do to help? I’m just a humble traveler, but I’ve got my own tricks.” I flicked a flame into my hands, before letting it fizzle out.

He rubbed his chin, making a deep humming sound. “Perhaps… Perhaps… But it’ll be dangerous. Very risky. I can’t ask you to risk your life for my people, however.”

“Your people, my people, what’s the difference?” I shrug. “The important thing is that people get help, from wherever they can.”

The king was silent, staring me in the eyes, testing my resolve. But my smile only got wider, until he nodded. “Very well. Come with me, and I’ll run you through what we need done.”

“Yes!” I whispered to myself, fist-pumping.

“Tell me, Gray. How good are you at playing an instrument?”

Crap… How to phrase this?

“Always willing to improve myself.” I gave my best smile.

Hey, it was true. I may suck, but if it means learning a cool new skill, then I’ll do whatever I can.