7. Kal: An Offer

  Grade school, middle school, high school – Kal hated them all.

  He had never been an exceptional student, never cared for academics, and never felt like he fit in.

  People always called him airheaded, saying he never listened, that his attention span was nonexistent, that he would never achieve anything if he continued having his head in the clouds.

  It was funny, really.

  How, in his previous life, despite his twin always hanging out with the worst possible crowd – even before they ran away from home – he still somehow managed to get the highest grades in every subject.

  His brother was a genius…

  Kal sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

  “Can’t say I’m excited…” He admitted.

  Reinar had realized early on that Kal was different from any child his age.

  It wasn’t just the music – though that certainly set him apart – it was just the way he spoke, the way he understood things without needing to be told, the way he almost never cried as a toddler.

  His humor, his emotional intelligence, his way of reading people – it was all too mature for a boy his age.

  But Reinar never minded or questioned it. Quite the opposite – he enjoyed it. Having a sharp, reliable son from such a young age had been a blessing.

  Now, with Lucas, he was finally experiencing what raising a regular child felt like.

  “Why not?” Reinar asked, curious what kind of mature thoughts Kal would share this time.

  “I don’t know.” Kal replied. “I just don’t like it.”

  “Don’t like it?” Reinar chuckled. “You haven’t even gone yet.”

  Kal shrugged. “I already know I won’t like it.”

  “How can you tell?”

  Kal sighed. “I just can.”

  He adjusted the lyroca in his arms and started playing again – this time, the melody came out slower, softer, a little sorrowful.

  Reinar read between the lines.

  “I think you should give it a chance.” He kept his tone light. “If not for gaining knowledge, then for making friends. School is the perfect place to meet people you’ll keep for life.”

  ‘Friends, huh?’ Kal mused. ‘How do you even make those?’

  In his previous life, his only friend had been his twin, and that felt like enough.

  Reinar placed a hand on Kal’s head, ruffling his hair with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. “And worst case,” he said, “you can always drop out and work the fields with me.”

  Kal swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure if that was supposed to cheer him up or if it was a threat.

  They reached the first stop in their errand run – the post office.

  The structure sat at the edge of the village square, low and wide, colored gray. A wooden sign hung above the entrance, its letters faded but readable – the only real sign that it wasn’t just a normal house.

  Inside, the air smelled like a mix of old parchment, wax, and ink. At the back of the office, stood two wooden shelves: one stacked with scrolls and bound letters. The other with incoming mail. A large oak counter stretched across the room, its surface worn smoothly.

  Behind the counter stood Maurice – the village’s postmaster, and one of the oldest men in Terenhill.

  His white hair was still thick despite his advanced age, while his face was wreathed with deep lines. His spectacles sat low on his nose, threatening to slip if he leaned forward just a tiny bit.

  Kal loved Maurice. He was nice to him and always gave him candy.

  Beside him, on the other edge of the counter, stood Bella Barnes – the mayor of Terenhill. She was a thin woman in her late thirties with black hair pulled back in a loose braid. She wore tailored trousers and a fitted leather vest, visibly setting her apart from the rest of the villagers.

  Her arms were crossed, her expression tight, as if she had been mid-conversation with Maurice before they arrived – a tense conversation.

  When the door creaked open, both of them turned to see who entered.

  Maurice’s face immediately lit up with a grin.

  “Ah! If it isn’t the young bard himself!” He gestured toward the lyroca in Kal’s hands. “And a fine instrument you’ve got there, lad.” He grabbed a small fabric bag from the counter and threw it to Kal. “Catch.”

  Kal caught the bag with one hand and opened it using his teeth. There was candy there. A lot of chocolate too.

  “Happy birthday, Kal!” Maurice called out.

  Kal felt like he was about to cry. It was something so simple, but already more than he could’ve ever imagined.

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  ‘First the lyroca, now this…” He couldn’t believe everyone’s kindness.

  He eventually smiled. “Thank you, Maurice!”

  “Six already, eh?” Maurice shook his head with a chuckle, turning to Reinar. “They grow up too fast. One day he’ll be traveling and playing all over the kingdom, I reckon.”

  Reinar grinned, patting Kal’s back. “We’ll see. He’d have to survive school first.”

  Maurice let out a laugh, but before he could say more, the mayor joined in.

  “Reinar.” She said with a nod, her voice calm, though there was something strained behind it.

  Reinar gave a respectful bow. “Bella.”

  Her gaze flicked to Kal, and though her expression remained troubled, she managed a quick, polite nod.

  “Happy birthday, Kal.”

  “Thank you, Mayor Barnes.” Kal replied, giving her a smile.

  She returned a brief one back, but her attention had already shifted back to contemplation, her fingers drumming against the counter as if deep in thought.

  Reinar, noticing the tension but choosing not to press just yet, turned to Maurice. “Any letters for the Varren family today?”

  Maurice perked up, adjusting his spectacles. “Aye, there is.”

  He turned toward the shelf of incoming letters, running a wrinkled hand over the labeled slots before pulling out a sealed parchment.

  “It looks like your letter to the Ministry of Agriculture got an answer.” Maurice squinted at the seal. “That was fast.”

  Kal blinked. ‘Letter to the Ministry?’

  He had heard nothing about that.

  Before he could ask, Mayor Barnes spoke up.

  “Is this about the mage you requested from them?”

  Kal’s brows furrowed. ‘Mage?’

  Reinar nodded, taking the letter and slipping it into his satchel. “That’s right.”

  Kal’s curiosity burned but he knew this wasn’t a good place to ask him about this. He’ll wait until they exit the post office.

  Meanwhile, his father turned his attention to the mayor. “You seem troubled, Bella. Something wrong?”

  The mayor sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s about next week’s festival.”

  Kal’s mind instantly went to the Festival of First Harvest.

  A yearly celebration marking the end of summer and the start of the school year, the festival was one of Terenhill’s bigger events. The square will be decorated, a stage will be set, food stalls everywhere, as his father and his farmhands brought their first harvested goods of the season to sell. The festival was an open event and was visited by people outside the village as well, sometimes simple travelers too.

  Mayor Barnes exhaled sharply. “Baron Rodan is coming.”

  Reinar’s brow lifted. “You’re kidding me…”

  Bell shook her head. “I wish I was. We always invite him, but he never comes. This time, he confirmed his attendance. Two days ago. And now I have to make sure everything is perfect for his arrival.”

  Kal narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn’t know much about the Baron of these lands, but he assumed that having such a figure visit the festival would definitely be a cause of anxiety for someone like Mayor Barnes.

  Reinar exhaled sharply. “Damn…” He turned to the mayor, offering a hopeful glance. “You got this, Bella. Every year it turns out perfect, and this time won’t be any different.”

  She shook her head. “That’s where the problem begins, dear Reinar. You know how crazy Rodan is about the arts and music in particular. Well, guess what? The band I invited from the capital had canceled at the last moment.” She said, throwing away the letter which sat on the counter in front of her. “Fucking great…”

  Her gaze quickly turned to Kal, and she apologized. “I’m sorry, Kal.”

  “Isn’t there anyone else?” Reinar asked.

  Mayor Barnes sighed. “I sent letters to the capital, but I don’t expect anyone to come here with such a short notice. And nearby villages and towns don’t have talented enough musicians I could trust.”

  Maurice let out a low whistle. “That’s a real mess, that is.”

  Mayor Barnes shook her head. “We need music. We can’t have the Festival of First Harvest without a musical act, not with Rodan present.”

  She suddenly turned toward Reinar, her eyes lighting up with an idea. “Wait, Reinar. You play the voutar, don’t you? I’m sure we can pair you up with Bertan for a duet. Just like old times.”

  Reinar’s eyes widened slightly, then immediately darkened. “Oh no. You can take anyone else from the village and they’ll do better than me. Hell, take Alphonse and Theresa. They’ll make a perfect duo.”

  “I already have Alphonse and Theresa playing throughout the event, but – and it stays between us – they’re not talented enough to be put on the main stage.” The mayor leaned forward, trying again. “Come on, Reinar. I’ve heard you play before. You’re more than capable. And, more importantly, I trust you and Bertan both.”

  Kal was curious, and excited to hear his father play before a big crowd, but Reinar wasn’t.

  He held up his hand. “Absolutely not. We’re not nearly good enough to impress Rodan. And we don’t have actual time for practice. With the festival coming, I need to make sure the yields are ready – that is my number one priority.”

  “We can send more men to help you out.” She countered. “And it’s not about impressing him. It’s about putting on a good performance for the festival.”

  Reinar crossed his arms. “You know Rodan better than I am. If you put a musician before him, he expects greatness, or else he’ll snub us for years to come. Bertan and I can play, sure – but we’d never satisfy his standards.”

  Maurice’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he cut off their discussion.

  “Then why not let the boy do it?” He asked, nodding toward Kal.

  Kal froze mid-strum, not sure when he even began strumming the lyroca.

  Reinar’s face twisted immediately. “Absolutely not.”

  Mayor Barnes blinked, confused. “Kal?” She looked at him, her gaze skeptical. “He’s talented, sure, but he’s just a child.”

  Kal’s jaw clenched. ‘I’m not a child, woman!’

  He bit his tongue, holding back before he could say something that would get him in trouble.

  Maurice, however, waved dismissively. “Aye, he’s young, but hear me out. With such a short notice, putting up a young, talented musician such as he – advertising him as a local talent – could do wonders.”

  Reinar shook his head firmly. “That’s not happening.”

  Mayor Barnes tilted her head. “Why? Is he not good enough?”

  Reinar hesitated.

  Maurice grinned, leaning over the counter. “Think about it, Reinar. Worst case scenario, even if Kal’s performance isn’t the most spectacular thing in the world, the Baron will still be impressed by the skills he already possesses at his young age.”

  He gestured toward Kal’s lyroca. “We’ve got a prodigy on our hands, Reinar. Might as well let him prove it.”

  Reinar sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his jaw. His eyes flicked to Kal.

  Kal clutched his lyroca a little tighter, his mind spinning with plenty of different thoughts.

  ‘Could I even play in front of a public?’ He thought, his heart threatening to explode. ‘And in front of a nobleman?’

  Kal still had no idea how nobles and commoners interacted in this world. He didn’t’ know what counted as an offense.

  ‘What if I played terribly? Could bad music be punishable by death? That would be such a pathetic way to die!’

  And yet…despite the fear forming in his stomach, he felt excited.

  An actual performance.

  Before Kal could sort out his emotions, Mayor Barnes clapped her hands together. “Maurice, you old genius. Now that I think about it, that’s a brilliant idea!”

  Reinar turned toward her, expression flat. “Oh, don’t you start too, Bella.”

  “Why not, Reinar? You can’t deny it covers all our concerns.” She leaned forward. “Kal’s young, but that’s exactly what makes it work. If we frame it as a young village talent stepping up to play, we don’t need him to be a master musician – just impressive for his age.”

  Reinar sighed again, deeper this time. “Sure, but…I don’t know.”

  “You know I’m right.” Mayor Barnes added.

  After a long moment, he turned to Kal, his shoulders still tense. “What do you think, son?”

  Kal’s heart pounded. He swallowed. The right answer was probably to refuse – to avoid the risk and all the pressure.

  But he knew himself.

  And deep inside, beneath his fears and uncertainties…he wanted this.

  “I’ll do it.”

  His voice came out steadier than he expected.

  Reinar’s brows lifted slightly, but he didn’t protest.

  Mayor Barnes grinned, satisfied. “Well, then it’s settled!”