Reign and the Two Crowns

Reign Chapter 1

The hot orange sun walked along the cratered land tracing its way across the bottomless pits where darkness is warm. I looked out the brown tinted window as the sun shined through, painting shadows like cow prints on my copper skin.

Soft rushes of excitement tingled across my nerves lifting the skin and hair as it passed by and a heavy knock echoed from the door across the walls stone walls of my room.

"Reign are you dressed yet child, You'll miss the ceremony?" Lady Dhalia's voice peeked into the room before she opened the door with a creak.

I glided across my slab thin bed and pulled my decorated leather vest off the floor and draped my arms through the quarter sleeves. Small clawed feet pattered across my floor as Tskiki my small foxcoon bounced in chasing behind lady Dhalia's with his grey spotted snow white fur glistening in the rays. Lady Dhalia's smile greeted me first, big and warm as she moved past the door decorated in her deep blue and black robes. She glided across the floor, making no audible sounds and sat on the side of my bed.

"I'm glad you came by" I started as I fidgeted with the coat and smiled at Tskiki as she jumped up to the perch on my window and let out a small roaring yawn. " I wanted to talk to you about the waterfall."

The sound of the waterfall at the end of the world roared loud enough that I could hear it through the thick layers of stone and tile that made up the wall of my room. Ever since I could breathe I could hear the roar of the falls no matter where I was but I was the only one that could.

Lady Dahlia lifted her hand and scrunched her nose, and the intoxicating smile she entered in with slowly began to vanish. "Not today Reign, I know what you're going to say but not today" She started as she stood from my bed and walked over to me and ran her fingers through the short golden curls on my head. "Everyone but you will be going out to do manic round-ups today and to survey the cratered lands to see if there is any where for us and the kingdom to expand to, and I don't need you filling their heads or anyone elses with your gossip about the waterfall talking to you!" she moved a curl from my forehead and hiked a soft robe from her foot.

"But it's not gossip, I really do hear it and it's been telling me for days now that something is coming, I don't know what but it's big." I animate with my hands as I grab on to her shoulders and look her in the eyes.
"Dear child do not make me regret taking you in all of this time. Now no more talk of this until after the ceremony or so help me I will have the other elders ship you off do you hear me?" Her words pierced right through and made my heart drop into the seat of my pants. I know she would never, she's always wanted me close but just the thought of me being along was enough to quiet me.

"Now I need you to run this Eilon, I was supposed to give it to his mother last night after the repairs were done but I figured he would much prefer to receive it from you." Lady dahlia quickly reached behind her robe and revealed a medium size compact bow that folded into a small box from her waist, she turned me around and attached it to the equipment ring on my belt and gave me a small pat on the back sending me out of my room. "And make it fast I don't want you both to be late, and no talk about the waterfall...until after the ceremony." She added.

I turned over my shoulder to see her smiling again and returned it. "Yes ma'am but after the ceremony you promise to listen and check it out with me?"

"Yes child I promise. Now hurry before he has to join the others, and take Tskiki with you!" I forced another smile on my face and began down the hall, the sound of Tskiki's feet following closely behind as I greeted neighbors with silent nods and smiles. Grade school students practicing climbing on the thick roots that meshed with chipped and cracked stone leading them up flights. They all laughed when one would fall and proceed on to pass the other. I waived to the girl with the buzzed haircut and chubby face as she nursed her fractured elbow. Side stepping a small gap in the ground and made my way down the makeshift stairs leading from one ceiling to other floors. I quickly traversed the flights of stairs down to the gaited exit. I lifted up my hand to a small trim of glass that lit up and formed a graph on my skin causing the gates to slide open with a squeal and grind.