The messenger

Five years ago, I eagerly assumed the role of a translator for His Majesty, enticed by the impressive remuneration. Over the years, however, my responsibilities evolved significantly. I progressed from translating language to conveying messages on behalf of King Alexander III.

Initially, I perceived this promotion as an enormous privilege, providing me with both, monetary benefits and the opportunity for direct communication with His Majesty.

Upon accepting the proposition from His Majesty, I was required to ink an agreement forbidding the disclosure of any critical data or elements related to the role. Scrutinizing the contract, I found it quite ambiguous and filled with superstitions. Nonetheless, an annual salary of 25 gold coins influenced me to consent to the stipulations.

Initially, my duty was quite straightforward; I was to visit various provinces and solicit their perspectives whenever the king made determinations that would affect numerous villages and municipalities. However, while serving as a courier of the king's handwritten communiques, I began observing the rising peril associated with my position. Upon delivering some of the missives to the village chiefs, there were attempts to locate and assassinate me.

I approached the king and expressed my growing concerns about the escalating danger of the task while wondering about the contents of those documents. Despite my apprehensions, he insisted that the job was inherently challenging due to the resistance from some villages to accept his ideals.

Luna's expression exhibited deep worry for her companion. She questioned, "If you deem the job to be that perilous, why not consider resigning? By now, you must have accumulated sufficient wealth to sustain a comfortable lifestyle."

Darren displayed the fatigue of an individual who hasn't slept for countless nights. Leaning in, his voice was hardly above a hushed tone as he confessed, "Two days ago, I was assigned to deliver a message to the leader of Union Valley. I was intrigued by the nature of the message that would jeopardize my life, and I questioned the king's decision to forego the straightforward usage of travellers' papers. Tempted by my curiosity, I took the envelope and opened it."

Drawn in by curiosity to miss no detail, Reo inched nearer as Darren's voice dropped lower.

The envelope contained a single foreboding note that read: "I will beseech the elemental gods to cloud your town in chaos, as they did to Netherwick, Rivergate, and Whitecrest."

The mention of elemental gods immediately piqued Reo's interest as his only knowledge of such a concept came from a single diary entry.

Faced with confusion, Luna inquired, "What does all this mean?"

Darren answered her query by further revealing that he had sealed that mysterious note with an undeciphered significance and had intended to deliver it the day before. However, he experienced an unnerving sense of being under constant scrutiny. As an unwelcome consequence, he made a conscious choice to only traverse areas with heavy foot traffic.

As I rented a room, I contemplated about the mysterious disappearances of the former royal messengers. I soon realized that my neglect to visit Union Valley might have aroused the king's suspicion, leading him to dispatch a multitude of individuals in my pursuit.

Luna queried, "What action do you propose we take?"

Darren slightly elevated his tone and responded, "There's only one course of action. You will have to close your shop in fear of them possibly using you as a hostage. Henceforth, I earnestly request you to vacate this city before they make that decision. You can return post the resolution of the situation."

She asked, "What specifically do you mean by resolving this 'situation'?"

"I plan to depart from the city as well and venture farther west, towards the town called Ark Vill."

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Luna opted to depart that same night instead of postponing her departure till the following day. This decision alleviated Darren's discomfort since he would now only need to escape the city prior to being discovered by the king.

Post their discussion, Darren arose and offered a cordial farewell, stating, "As I won't be able to see you off, I wish you safe travels until we cross paths again in the future." Prior to exiting, he briefly turned around to embrace Luna, cognizant that it might be his final night alive. Lastly, he provided Luna with his briefcase, containing 70 gold coins to assist with her journey.

Once Darren had closed the door, Reo instantaneously halted his meditation. Numerous questions arose in his mind, however, he dismissed them before returning to the front desk. There, he encountered a noticeably anxious Luna who stood up and approached him.

She handed him 20 gold coins. Despite understanding the circumstance, the magnitude of the amount left Reo slightly bewildered and he asked, What's this for?

Luna responded, "From today onwards this store will cease operations. I wish to alleviate your concerns about finding new employment. As such, you may use this money."

Subsequently, he inquired about the rationale behind her decision, as he had observed their entire dialogue with Darren.

She responded, articulating she had no further use for the shop due to her lack of necessity for money. However, observing her facial expression, he discerned that parting with the shop wasn't an uncomplicated matter for her. Therefore, he accepted his compensation and assured her of his intention to persist in his work for the day.

After most patrons departed, it was Reo's turn to quit for the day. He courteously thanked Luna for the opportunity to collaborate with her, followed by a casual wave as he left for his dormitory.

On reaching the dorm, he found Michael immersed in meditation. Reo proceeded to the kitchen, took a seat, and reflected on the discussion revolving around Darren and Luna. The phrase "elemental gods" piqued his curiosity; he speculated their existence and their conceivable relationship with the king. However, of immediate importance was to bring a diary page to school for review by Kalyan, leveraging his distinctive ability.

In the kitchen, he commenced assembling the necessary ingredients for preparing soup. As he embarked on the culinary task, his thoughts gravitated towards the enigmatic message received from the king. The uncertain depth of conflict that may exist between him and the commander of Union Valley was a plaguing concern.

His contemplation took an even darker turn. He began to question whether the king was responsible for the obliteration of the three towns. If this conjecture turned out to be valid, he would be compelled to dissuade Sonia and John from their dwelling, at least for the time being.

Next, he approached Michael, who was deeply engrossed in meditation. He gave Michael a gentle shake and alerted him about the prepared meal. Subsequently, he uprighted himself and traversed towards the kitchen, accompanied by Michael, for their shared meal.

I queried Michael about the existence or any knowledge of elemental gods, however, his response was negative. He also expressed feelings of betrayal due to my decision to join the student council, despite his prior warnings. After we dined, the lights were turned off by Michael. I then ascended the ladder to occupy the top bunk bed. From this vantage point, I had planned to meditate and keep vigil on the muffin shop during Luna's impending departure..