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Brrong………
The gong echoed throughout the valley, signalling another long, cruel day of grueling work. Reluctantly, the villagers one by one lined up and stumbled to the fields to further dig holes and plant seeds. However, one shadow slithered away from the fields, sneaking between narrow spaces between walls, until it reached a small, rickety shed in the middle of unwanted wooden furniture suspiciously moved around so it was somewhat organized. A small, lithe silhouette slid into the shed without a sound, and disappeared.
Meanwhile, up at the very top of the huge, blood red and bright gold palace, a very different scene was taking place.
“WHAT!!! How dare they!” a deep voice roared. The sound echoed throughout the enormous, golden room bouncing off the deep, crimson colored velvet walls.
“B-b-but sir, i-it is o-only a r-rumor f-f-for now. We c-can still put and end to it,” a nervous man stuttered out. A bead of nervous perspiration could almost be seen dripping from his bowed head down to the marble tiles below. It was a skinny young man who was dressed much too lavishly for someone his age. The heavy hat, droopy robes, and the pointless, extremely long gold beads around his neck made him look as though he was a little girl, dressing up in mommy’s clothes, pretending to be royalty. It was, as you may imagine, quite the ridiculous look.
The other man snorted. He was a large man, not exactly wide, per say, but huge overall. Black and gold satin robes hung from his awkward figure, while he lounged lazily in his deep red throne. “A rumor, you might say, but soon it will be true, you fool,” he drawled.
The younger man had no response.
The man snorted again. “Leave! Now! Go do something more worthwhile instead of bowing here, stuttering your head off! And, you, boy, get over here. I have another mission for you.”
The young man quickly an off, and a new young man, one on the brink of manhood, but still young enough to be considered a boy, stepped out from behind the throne, and took his place.
“Yes, Father?” the boy bravely asked.
“Go out and spy around or this, this, this rumor of a rebel leader. We must put a stop to this madness.”
“Yes, Father. As you wish.”
The boy swiftly stood, spun around, and stalked out of the room, hand on the hilt of his sword, which was hanging loosely from his belt at his waist.
Meanwhile, near the center of the village, a quite different scene was going on inside a ratty, shaky, old wooden shed of a restaurant. It had no doors, just a wide open hole in the wall. Rickety chairs littered all around inside, and multiple gray, quickly crafted looking tables we scattered about. Near the back of this place, a few strips of worn out, light brown cloth draped down from the top of the frame of a lopsided doorway.
“Ivy, more tea, table 7!” an old, but nimble woman cheerfully called out towards the back of the room.
A muffle reply was heard, and seconds later, a skinny, average height girl with long, silky flowing chocolate colored hair rushed out holding a scalding hot can of freshly brewed black tea.
“Hey, Ivy, long time no see!”
“Yeah, how’s life been for ya’?”
“Ivy, hey, how ‘bouts another round of this ‘ere sauteed vegetables!”
Laughing, she replied to each of the shouts with a calm, familiar ease and joy. More and more villagers, some wearing nothing but ripped rags, others thick robes, all dirt covered and tired, streamed steadily into this over populated restaurant. Each one, as soon as they saw her, greeted Ivy with a grin and a salute.
Sliding into this jovial scene, was the same boy from that gloomy scene before. Scanning the room, his stomach growled loudly, causing quite a few eyes to turn and stare at him. Villagers shied away from him as they noticed his clothing, the cleanliness of his shirt, and the stainless pants. And, most of all, the sword, dangling at his side. His gaze flicked to and fro unsteadily, as if he didn't know how to comprehend all this happiness. Then, he saw her.
“Welcome, sir, would you like a table?” she asked innocently, as if getting a seemingly general of the imperial army was an everyday thing here.
Opening and closing his mouth once or twice, the boy managed to mutter out a meek and awkward, "Uh, yeah, that would be great."Slipping an easy smile onto her face, she guided him to a small, lopsided table that was crudely sawed into an uneven square, with one leg propped up with a wedge of wood to keep the table level. Sitting down onto a creaky stool, the boy blushed hotly, trying his best to ignore all the stares and gawking from the other customers. As the girl gently place the water stained, hand written menu down in front of him, she observed him quietly, with a friendly smile on her face.
Or so it seemed, for there was a gleam in her eyes that contradicted the softness she radiated.
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