A Song To Save

A beautiful melody sprung forth as Raymond played with the strings of his guitar, but still, it wasn't enough, it wasn't the melody he was looking for. "Again," he told himself as he played the notes again. It still didn't sound right. Why wasn't this working? Why was the melody always the same? He knew that the notes shouldn't sound like this but he couldn't figure out why they did anyway. Why did the notes insist on rebelling against him?

The musician took a deep breath and remembered his late mother's words. She wanted him to play not to make her or his father proud but for the love of playing. Raymond often forgot that, lost in the haze of trying to live up to his late parents' expectations. He took another deep breath and started playing, this time a different tune that he enjoyed much more. The tune had an undertone of country while having a generally sad mood. It brought to mind the old farmer movies he would watch as a kid, specifically evoking a scene they all seemed to share. A moment around the fire where everything was at peace, the problems of the day forgotten for a moment leaving room only for joy. The scene was sometimes at the beginning of the movie before the conflict, sometimes in the middle as a pace breaker, or sometimes even at the end. It didn't quite matter where it was, Raymond always looked forward to it. Instinctively, his lips began to move adding words to the melancholy melody. Words that seem to pour straight from his soul, words so pure that not even Raymond himself could've said where they had come from. The strumming of the strings and Raymond's gentle voice created a beautiful song, one that would move even the coldest to tear.

In the heat of song Raymond had closed his eyes and begun to cry, powerful words still leaving his lips. When he was done only three words came to mind, "Not good enough" he said as he opened his eyes.

Raymond's pupils dilated, "Where am I?" He thought as he looked at the scenery around him. Around him was no longer his house but instead a bustling street. Under his feet was a cold earthen road, around him were old poorly built buildings akin to those of a 15th-century peasant town, and above him was a grey sky. Sadness hung in the air. "No," Raymond thought, it wasn't sadness that hung in the air, it was something more akin to a quiet depression or the death of an ambition. Interesting figures decorated the street, only half of them human. The other half were what Raymond could only describe as human-animal hybrids, the kind you'd see referred to as demihumans or beast folk in media.

The sound of a poorly played flute brought Raymond back to reality and he quickly located the source of the sound, a wolf-like demi-human was aggressively playing a reed pipe towards a woman and her child. Raymond watched with a hint of amusement as the demi-human struggled to play his reed pipes. "What was he trying to do?" He wondered, not understanding the fear in the woman's eyes. That was until the demi-human managed his first proper note. With the help of an invisible force, she was violently pushed back, falling on her butt with her child still in arms. The demi-human smiled and said a few words which Raymond was too far to hear before playing another note, the same force from before slapped the baby out of the mother's hands. "What's going on?! He asked himself as he ran to the woman's aid. He didn't quite understand what was going on but quickly got in between the woman and her aggressor. Holding his guitar like a weapon, he prepared to fight. "What the f*ck dude?!" Raymond said incredulously. The demi-human glared at him "Mind your own business" He said as he brought his reed pipes to his lips. Remembering what he had done before using those pipes Raymond slapped the demi-human with his guitar. The demi-human was thrown off, "You little-" he started before looking down at what he had just been hit with, his face went pale. Slowly he began to back up against the wall. Raymond didn't understand but he used the wolf's fear to his advantage, slowly drawing closer and closer to his foe. This caused the wolf to try and pin himself closer and closer to the wall, not wanting to be touched by Raymond's "weapon". "H-hey! Be careful where you point that thing you psycho!!! You tryin to blow up the block or something???" The demi-human's fear was evident. The addressed gave the wolf a confused look, "Blow up the block?" he asked, puzzled. The wolf didn't answer instead trying to put as much distance between himself and the guitar as possible despite the wall press against his back.

Raymond took the chance to turn around and check on the mother, this gave the wolf an opening to run. Confused, Raymond decided to ignore it. He turned fully toward the mother and offered her a hand. She looked at him with shock before getting on her hands and knees and bowing to her savior, "Oh great First One, you have returned!!" she said with the zeal of a fan who had just met their all-time idol. "What?" he responded, not understanding her attitude towards him. "You bring the Cithara, you must be him!!" she said as she continued to bow avidly.

He helped her to her feet and returned her baby, "Truly miss there's no need for all that, I don't understand what you're talking about but I hear gratitude in your voice so for that I say thank you." He offered her a friendly smile. She collapsed to her knees again and began to bow "Oh thank you First One, you show such kindness to one such as myself!!" she bowed several times. "Please miss, stop that. If you really want to show your gratitude then answer my question." The lady hurriedly got up and responded with a "Yes, my Lord." Raymond sighed, "Where am I?" he asked. She looked at him with confusion, "Well you are in the shadow kingdom of Palmarius my Lord, you must know this already?" Raymond knew nothing of such a place but he nodded as if having remembered something and walked off with a "Thanks."

"Palmarius?" He asked himself as he walked through the streets. He took a seat at the foot of a house. "There's no such country. Even if there were, she referred to it as the 'Shadow Kingdom of Palmarius'. Will I have to figure out when I am too?" He leaned his head back against the building and grabbed his guitar, the feeling of the wood gave him comfort. Not long later, he heard the sound of footsteps to his left and right. Many footsteps. He opened his eyes to see men in armor and bell-shaped hats "The police" He guessed. "I wonder who they're here for?" he asked himself until the policemen began to surround him, a myriad of instruments in arm.

He stood up hurriedly and placed his hands in the air. A larger police officer spoke up "Sir, you are to come with us. You are under arrest for possession of a weapon capable of destruction on an apocalyptic scale." Raymond was stunt, the only word he could expel from his mouth was a panicked "What?!?!"