The Box

“Explain yourself,” Arliden says, looking down from his jewel-bestowed throne onto the poor beggar standing underneath. He has ragged clothes and sweat-streaked hair, making the contrast with the object he holds all the more apparent. The beggar fidgets with a small and colorful cubic box, intricate patterns woven across each side. “Th-this is something for you, my king. A great treasure that I found in the ruins of Arleyna to the west of our grand city”. Arliden lifts an eyebrow “Hmph, very well then, show me what’s it about. And if you are another fraud, well, you know very well what fate awaits for wasting my valuable time”. A smile widens on the beggar’s dirty face as he blurts out words of admiration. “Thank you so very much my king, I am pleased, oh so very pleased, your honor and greatness far outweigh the words of adoration spoken by gents on the street”. The king straightens his back, conspicuously flattered by the praise, and motions for the dirty man to open the box. The beggar places his fingers in the small ridge between the upper and lower level lid and inhales deeply before pulling. An explosion of colors and light is emitted, a ghastly blue light reflecting against the king’s magnificent beard as eerie shadows dance on the walls. The open box gives to existence also a melody, one of a hypnotizing beauty. “That’s enough, close it”. As the beggar closes the box he is propelled backward to the wall, barely managing to stay on his feet. Arliden nods in approval, but it is apparent that even as he is trying to stay composed, he was clearly also flabbergasted by the box’s powers