Grey

Royal Realm (2)

Yvette Remington sits and listens to the rantings Michael Haggi. "-and he wants me to compete Ms. Yvette Remington! Compete! I don't want the book-"
"Keith." Yvette Remington reminds as Michael Haggi continues.
"-and I don't wanna be famous or rule over everyone! I just wanna stay the same way I am right now! I'm not good under stress either! I just..." Michael Haggj sighs, then he makes a loud grunt if frustration. The he turns to Yvette Remington and asks her a question that requires a well thought out answer. "But what do you think Ms. Yvette Remington?"
"I think that you should do what's best. But that's just me. I have one thing to give you before you go. And I want you to share this with a girl named Riley Fitzworth. And only her. The keyword used to open the book is-" she whispers the word into his ear, then she cups his face in her hands, putting her forehead on his, she gives one final warning. "If you give your father this word everyone will perish."

•••

When Keith wakes he sends a Pepper Spell to Riley Fitzworths' nose making her sneeze. Letting go of Keith, he bounces until he is standing upright in the golden sand around them.
Yvette gave Micheal the word! Yvette gave Micheal the word! Keith cheers happily, wishing he could roll around in the scolding hot sand.
"What?" Riley Fitzworth asks drearily, getting up, brushing out her hair with her fingers.
Yvette. Gave Michael. The word! Keith says smiling, that is if books could smile.
"Then what's the word Keith? What's the word?" Riley asks, turning to the sides popping her back in a slow yet loud chain of pops.
That's for you to find out Riley. Keith jingles, utterly excited. Soon you'll be able to open me!
"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Riley Fitzworth says, waving her hands around. "Isn't the word the thing that keeps me from dying in two months?"
Keith brightens, if books could brighten up, and says: Yes! Exactly! You did learn something!
Riley Fitzworth cocks her head unamused and gets up, dusting herself off. The people of the Royal realm are immune to the heat but not the cold due to the realm being within a wide desert. Picking up Keith, she asks one simple question, "Where do we go to meet this 'Michael'?"
We go down the hill and to the nearest village. That'll be a three hour walk at most, so ya wanna hear a story?
Riley Fitzworth sighs again making Keith think that she must like being alone. "Sure, since I'm walking you, you might as well keep me entertained."
Keith "book-brightens" again and starts to tell Riley Fitzworth about the library.
About how the first King enchanted the library to keep the honey oak polished so the servants wouldn't have to dust.
He told of when he and the Wizards who made the sky light enchantment, which makes sure that the sun's lights is always on Keith even if it's night, died.
He told of how the Wizards had their bones ground up and woven into the carpet. This got Riley Fitzworth to shiver and Keith to laugh.
Keith told of the other books and how they're made of the finest silk and softest velvet, how each page was delicately hand-written by all the Warlocks, Wizards, Mages, Sorcerers, Witches and Sorceresses from since the first blood line was created. He told of their soft papyrus and rough wooden pages. He told of his platform and how he came to be.
He told of how his platform was made of a dark amber wood with signs and writings carved all over that kept him safe and how his podium is made of silver and birch wood. He told of how it was bigger and had desks for studying Wizards and how all of the Wizards eventually left him alone.
He told of how he was a powerful Mage boy, the last of his kind, who was dying. He told of how the Queen and Prince of the time put his soul into the book he so carefully wrote. He told of how no one cried. And he told of his new found fate and how he continued to add to himself.
He told of how glad he was that he found a Mage girl, now the true last of her kind and got her to booknap him. He told of how he eventually made it to where he was right now and by the time he finished his story Riley Fitzworth was already stepping foot into the nearest village. The village of the Milk-Makers.
Welcome! Keith laughs, looking around with his non-existent eyes. Isn't this place pretty?
Riley Fitzworth raises an eyebrow and examines the small desert town full of people who strongly resemble deers. "Where even are we Keith?" she asks, pulling the book closer to her chest.
The village of the Milk-Makers, Keith sighs. Obviously.
"But what are Milk-Makers?" Riley Fitzworth asks turning Keith around to look him in the face. Since books have no eyes... they also technically don't have faces but whatever.
The small desert town has many gardens full of flowers despite the terrain, each hut is made of the tree that grows in the middle of every garden and the roofs are made of ground up Sticky Blooms and sand.
Keith sighs again then responds, The deer people. We're supposed to met Michael here.
"Who is this... Michael?" Riley Fitzworth asks, forcing out the word Michael, after all the use of only first names is against the code of almost every Realm.
Gene's kid. Keith responds nonchalantly, in other words if he could shrug he would.
"Oh shiitake-mushrooms."
Why's that bad?
"Have you met Gene Haggi?"
Well... yes. Why do you think I had you booknap me? Either way both me and Yvette greatly like the boy, he can be trusted Miss. Paranoia.
Riley Fitzworth sticks her tounge out at Keith, then she tucks him under her arm and slides down the hill, luckily gracefully.