The Clockwork Fable

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Or so the people of the threshold believed. It was also much more complicated than that. All the unfortunate citizens could know for certain was that life as it was, was no more. They would learn this rather recent development and the truth behind it was much more sinister than they could have ever realized. Now I do believe it is a narrator's job to start from the very beginning. So, allow me to take you back to the Industrial Safe Haven promptly known as, The Valley. It all began when our young hero took note of his grandfathers recently odder than usual behavior.

“A thousand years! It’ll be one thousand years soon!” His grandfather often exclaimed. While Daniel thought he only sounded slightly senile, It hadn’t helped that he wasn’t entirely sure what this was a reminder for. He'd just never fail to bring it up, especially when Daniel let it be known that he was staying out later than usual. This particular night was one of those nights. So as Daniel stepped foot through the open doors of the maintenance shack owned by the great Eleazar L. Prince, his Grandfather, he took a deep breath. Filling his nose with the evocative smell of wildflowers and copper, ethanol and lavender, roses and brimstone. A pure mix of the industrial and nature running rampant. The shack had been located towards the backmost crevice of The Valley, the hill on which it resided allowed for a dazzling view of what this marvel was truly famous for. Daniel loved the nighttime aura of the aperture beaming into the Earth itself, it was well known fact that despite being called the Valley it was more of an incision which was carved into walls higher than the eye can see. No one bothered questioning how exactly it got there, all answers led to that of the impossible. A bustling myriad of booming steam-powered engines and rotating gears, the Valley was quite presumptuous with the technology it was built around. It was beautiful. A nightlife like none other awaited and Daniel would be damned to be left out of the excitement.

Traversing down a cobblestone lane flanked by lamps of gas-powered light, Daniel wondered if he’d be called upon for an odd job tonight as well. His current destination was none other than Jane’s Leaky Tavern, a normal tavern if not for what occurred beneath it. One of many fight club arenas called this place home. It wasn’t long before he faced those cherry red doors once more. On the corner of Valour and Albany, Daniel’s life was forever changed.

Daniel’s eyes squinted for a moment as he took in how much brighter the inside of the tavern was in contrast to the outdoors. He was excited to see the electric bulbs going around had made their way to the tavern. His eyes locked onto the beginning of a brawl between two gargantuan men, one of them clearly not human but its race was one he hadn’t seen before. Its yellow eyes and horns could hardly be hidden. This would quickly turn out to be entirely to the dismay of the drunkard who made a point to bother him about it. “The horns are not to be touched!” growled the yellow eyed man.

“Wanna see muh do it again?!” The drunkard drawled in response. He, in fact, did not want to see him do it again.

Daniel ducked just as the yellow eyed stranger took a right hook without flinching only to counter by lunging toward the other man with enough strength to have him flying airborne in Daniel’s direction. Landing onto the cobblestone road outside, the man looked just as taken aback as Daniel had been.

“Yo! Danny boy!” Cried twenty-one year old James Taylor from a corner booth, seemingly unbothered by the events taking place. Just another day in the Valley. Daniel grinned in return as he made his way over.

“James Taylor, as I live and breathe.” Daniel spoke with a raised eyebrow.

“Nah, trust, you’re gonna wanna hear this.” He said with a rather serious demeanor, peculiar for a guy like James. Daniel furrowed his brow in response but listened nonetheless. “Words been goin’ round that the King’s Guard’ll be popping up in the Valley soon.”

“So what you’re saying is, I shouldn’t bet on Gamorrah’s record to be broken by my new mate over there.”

“Comedy. Howev-” James was cut off by the doors swinging open hard enough to bounce off the walls of the Tavern. Enter, a lady of the Kings’ Guard herself. With copper and auburn hair like that of a flickering flame, she strode forward until she became the centerpiece of the fine establishment. Her emerald eyes began scanning the room before pushing a very fancy black overcoat layered with golden seams to the side, she suddenly moved with a rather elegant grace only to reveal a piece of parchment alongside an orange tipped dagger. They appeared to have been ripped out of the air itself before she tossed them towards the wall, a wanted poster with a great portrait now hanging up directly over the bar.

WANTED:

Eleazar L. Prince

Dead or Alive

Pick Your Price

Daniel blinked rapidly, it appeared he didn’t believe this to be the best news in the world. Daniel's widened eyes met with James just as the redhead finally began speaking.

“See that boys? Money.” She paused scanning the tavern once more. “I’m gonna need you all to keep your eyes open. And come to me first, if anything comes up. Okay? Okay.” She spun in place, her boots against the hardwood being the only sound for a few clicks. Making her way back towards the entrance she just so happened to lock eyes with Daniel and he suddenly hoped he looked nothing like his Grandfather. Then she was gone.