-Maki

I glanced over at the window as light touched the page I was reading. Ah, this was the best sight in the whole Kingdom, with my room being the second highest this view couldn’t be beat. Two of our suns were rising in the sky followed by our smallest light blue moon, giving the sky a brighter blue hue as they lifted.

Snapping my book shut, I stood with a stretch and a smile. Another sleepless night, Mom wasn’t going to be pleased. Well what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her and I couldn’t sleep and chance seeing them off.

Turning from the window seat I watched as the light played around in my room, my hand drawn maps, the many piles of books on both on the floor, my desk and shelves all on the different languages of Elementaya, and many handmade figurines of the creatures that call this world home.

But like any long restless night I could feel the pillow creases on my face, not a very becoming look for a Prince.

Huffing my hair out of my face I made my way to my basion to wet my face and hair making myself presentable. My reflection stared back. My dark brown hair couldn’t decide whether to be brown or black depending on the light, it wasn’t long enough to braid like Mom wanted but I wanted it loose and free like fathers but my hair was wild at the best of times just long enough to hide my pointed drooping ears.

Underlining my pale green eyes were these markings that oddly only I had. They contrasted with my tan skin greatly but the marks weren’t a form of skin pigmentation at least not that the royal doctors knew of, they simply lacked color being a pale white. I poked and pulled at my face but as always nothing happened except my now pinched red cheeks.

Shrugging on a fresh green shirt I flinched hard as my hand snagged on the sheer fabric. Wiggling my hand through I stared blankly at the rough unpolished hunk of stone on the back of my left hand.

All Earth Wielders had beautifully polished gemstones or crystals growing somewhere on their person, the more they had meant many things but mostly that they had power. But this rough uncolored stone on my hand marked me as a Shell.

Sighing I tugged on my trousers stuffing the book I was reading into my hip pouch, tied up my sandals- though I’d like nothing more then to walk around barefoot- grabbed my crown slipped it on then grabbed the last thing. The emerald dagger my father gave me years ago, never went anywhere without it.

Satisfied I was out the door.

My two personal guards quickly stood at attention on the other side of the door.

“Morning, Simon, Cast.” I greeted them.

Simon and Cast have been my personal guards and friends since I could walk. Both of them were four years older then me and loved to remind me- the goofballs. But still I wouldn’t change them for the world.

Simon had short slicked back black hair and the normal for our races green eyes but his were sharp from years of watching over me, his clear calcite gemstones gleaming where they peeked out from his uniform.

And there was Cast, he had straight blonde hair that he normally wore in a ponytail, his eyes reminded me of fresh honey, he was a little on the shorter side but everyone was short standing next to Simon. But like me he too was a Shell.

“Morning my Prince.” They greeted with grins and wordlessly they trailed behind me.

“You're up early.” Simon whispered.

“Did you forget what today was?” I asked.

He shook his head with a soft chuckle. “Of course not my Prince.”

We walked quickly down the halls then down a familiar six flights of the tree branch stairs, their moss covered limbs muffling our descent to my most loved place in all the Kingdom.

If I wasn’t in my room or doing my studies in the castle gardens I could be found here, nose buried in dust covered tomes, old weathered maps piled high around me, my fingers and clothes stained with ink living the life I not so secretly longed for through these long passed adventures.

I greeted everyone we passed hoping not to round a corner and run into my mother. She’d understand why.

Simon opened the doors when we neared. “We’ll wait here, my Prince.”

Nodding I stepped through immediately feeling the pressure change, the air was thicker here- probably from how far down we were. The air smelled heavy of dirt and paper, dust particles drifted in the low rose colored light given off from the glowmoss.

Giving a half spin I looked straight up, watching as the bookshelves grew in height. The bookshelves were carved from the fossilized roots of The Primordial Tree, every shelf was fully accessible by specially made ladders to reach the tippy top of these ever growing shelves, but they were needed since every year or so more space was needed as more books were written and new maps made and new animals discovered.

This place was beautiful. I wished so badly to add my own contributions just like my… father had.

With a sigh I made my way over to the large oak desk located a few turns inward, where behind it hunched over a book that was as big as I was tall was High Scholar Travis- Head Researcher of the realm of Elementaya but he lived here in BrightEarth.

Travis stood at my shoulder, his hair was whiter then the pictures of snow I had seen in books and wild like he never bothered with it- standing at impossibly odd angles, his thick rimmed glasses took up much of his aged face.

Around his throat and on the back of his hands were his stones but unlike most his gemstones were also joined with crystals. Both not only showed his status but a peek to the level of his true power, their bright sheen almost blinding in their greenish gold brilliance. He was dressed in the robes every BrightEarth Scholar wore but his were a vibrant green with four stripes representing the four great Kingdoms.

“Good morning, Travis.” I called out.

Travis looked up slowly meeting my gaze over his glasses, his wrinkled face was confused at my call- which wasn’t all that odd Travis had worse insomnia then I did and it was normally super quiet here.

He blinked coming back to himself then grinned happily. “Ah! My Prince.” He straightened his hunched posture- back popping as he did so. “How may I help you this- morning right- yes? This morning?”

Smiling I stopped by the desk. “They haven’t left right?”

He cleaned his glasses on his sleeve, slipping them back on. “For the Dig? No they’re still packing in the courtyard I believe.”

I rocked back on my heels in relief.

Travis chuckled. “Your right on time if you wanted to head on in I’m sure Herm-”

“Master Travis! Master Travis!” A familiar voice called from deep within, their cries echoing loudly.

Travis and I turned as the voice took the form of my friend, Herminius or as I called him Hermes.

He was dressed the same as Travis though the color was a dark green instead, the rodes stopping at his ankles showing off his wrap around sandals. His sandy brown hair was styled in an undercut and pulled back into a messy bun, behind his glasses were his hazel eyes.

Hermes gasped about to speak as he leaned against one of the shelves, he looked up noticing me next to his teacher, he grinned. “Travis you weren’t hoarding Maki all to yourself, were you?”

“No no he just arrived. But what were you yelling about?”

“Oh yeah, we have an infestation in the West wing, I already gave them a crystal to hold them off and came to get you but you know how those little buggers are, they’ll eat through that crystal faster then Maki with his mother’s strawberry oatmeal-”

“Hey!”

He smiled. “Still they already ate through most of the A’s west wing.”

Travis frowned, nodding. “I’ll look at it.” Travis said as he walked to Hermes pulling him into a hug. “In case we don’t get the chance to later- have fun when you’re on the Dig.”

Hermes hugged him back. “I’ll make you proud.” Then before I could say anything Hermes took my hand towing me after him deeper into the archives.

We walked in comfortable silence till we came to the Scholar’s dorms nestled within the naturally twisted giant roots, he led us to his room, shutting the door behind us.

“So today’s the day huh?” I asked.

“Yup!” He crossed over to his bed, chucking his travel packs to the floor as he flopped into it, I took a seat at his desk. “It’s going to be great!” He said, throwing his arms up. “Ten months total is my guess till we come back.”

“Ten whole months!” I gasped. “That’s- a... really long time, isn’t it?” A pinch of sadness slipping into my voice.

He shrugged not hearing it. “It could be less, it all just depends on what we find.”

“Where are you going this time?”

“The ruins Travis found in the Tea Leaf Jungle, Travis said that they’re not Old World but something else entirely!” He paused fiddling with his robe sleeve. “I-I’m sorry Maki. I’ll try to either come back for your birthday o-or I’ll send something.”

I waved away his apology.

Feeling bitter with his pity and for even thinking this but as his Prince I could order him to stay here and not leave- leave me. Spirits! I’m a terrible friend!

Hermes would if I asked- I knew he would but as his friend I needed- no I wanted him to be happy. Happy no matter my feelings. Hermes has been excited for this trip ever since Travis returned and told us about it, and if I ordered him to stay I knew he’d be heartbroken.

My gaze went to his overflowing shelf full of books from his studies and replicas of artifacts from the other Scholars along with a few real ones.

 And that was the thing, Hermes was living a life I longed for. He was free- free to travel our world. I took a breath. I shouldn’t and wouldn’t blame or take it out on him it wasn’t his fault I couldn’t leave the Kingdom.

I forced a smile. “Well we knew you’d be leaving... it’s just longer then we thought, right?”

He returned my smile though sadly. “Right.”

I went to speak but a wild loud yawn cut me off making him smirk. “Another sleepless night, huh?”

“You can’t blame me, the book was good.”

“How many nights has it been now?”

I thought about it. “Um… twoish? Maybe three?”

“Maki! That’s not healthy.” He sighed. “You were reading that book again weren’t you.”

I covered my mouth from another yawn. He didn’t need me to answer that he knew.

I was a Shell just like my mother. Shells are people born without the elemental powers of our world. There were countless Shells living within the Four Great Kingdoms.

Then there were people like Master Travis who’ve been researching Shells and why they didn’t have powers and what the cause was. But even if people like him were looking into it that didn’t stop me from wondering why I was like this myself.

“You don’t understand. I found it, Hermes… I found a passage last night that says a Wielder can… test or rather sense if another Wielder is near and-”

He took off his glasses and cleaned them on his sleeve before looking at me. “Maki… we’ve been over this-”

“Oh come on! You can’t be like them too!”

“Them? Who else did you say this to?”

“Mother and Travis, Cast and Simon as well. They wouldn’t even listen.” I looked away. “You don’t want to help do you?”

“What! Of course I want to help. Maki you know I trust you- especially on this.”

“I… I know sorry.”

Hermes stood kneeling next to me. “No I am, I know how important this is to you. Tell me what you found?”

“In the book I found one of Travis’s old theories-”

“What! But Travis keeps all his theories carefully guarded in the Locked Wing-” He looked at me sharply. “You broke in?”

“No, of course not! It was unlocked. Probably when he was cleaning it the other day. Anyway he saw me and gave me a random book off his shelf. Though I don’t think it was so random now after what I read.”

He waited so I went on.

“I read the theory and told Mom and we got into another argument. All I wanted was to try out the theory, she’s a Shell too so I suggested that we ask Travis when he came back from the ruins but she wouldn’t have it. So we argued and all this other stuff came up.” I fiddled with the stone on my hand feeling it uncomfortably in my arm. “You know... the usual.”

Hermes nodded because he did know, this wasn’t the first time.

“I mean she has artificial powers from the crown she got from father, but why won’t she-”

“Give you your own crown like hers?” Hermes asked.