Prologue – Nocturne
"The rhythm of the city, boy once you get it down, you can own this town…"
The stillness of the night was interrupted by a sound. It rose up above the moaning of the wind, piercing through the darkness and gloom like a bright needle. After a few moments the sound paused, then picked up again, becoming a song. This song drifted in and out of the dark alleys and buildings of the town like a lost soul, its forlorn melody weaving itself into the dreams of the sleeping inhabitants of the city.
The music came from a flute.
A flute played by a young boy.
The boy played with his eyes closed, sitting in a relaxed position on the railing of the orphanage's patio which overlooked the silent city. The night air was cold, and the boy shivered every few moments, as he was wearing little besides some thin pajamas, but he didn't seem to mind, or even notice. His nocturne continued uninterrupted until he heard the sliding glass door that led to the patio being slid open.
The flute was lowered, and the boy turned to regard the man who stood yawning in the doorway. Shaking himself once, as if fighting to stay awake, the man returned the child's gaze. Finally, the boy spoke, turning his gaze away from the adult. "Evening…"
"And just how long did you plan on staying out tonight? Hm? God knows why you haven't already caught your death, staying out late in the cold like this every night." The man cut him off, placing his hands on his hips in the pose that the children often referred to as the 'nursemaid stance'. The boy turned his gaze back for a moment, then looked out at the city again while he replied.
"The others have gotten used to it. Some of the younger ones won't fall asleep unless they hear me playing."
"Well, quite the Good Samaritan, aren't you? And what happens when you get arrested for disturbing the peace? The City Watch doesn't need too much reason to come here and take you away; they're always looking for an excuse."
The boy shrugged, and slid his flute into a case, hopping down off the railing. "Let them come…" he murmured, and slid open the door. He was confronted by a young girl about his age, which was in the process of yawning and rubbing her eyes. The man, having turned and seen her, sighed. "You too? Did someone just decide to dump all the insomniac children of the city at my place? What's your excuse, young miss?"
The girl looked between the boy and the man for a few moments before answering in a tired voice. "I had the dream again. The one where it's all dark…"
The boy folded his arms. "So? You have that dream every other night, and you usually sleep through it. What's so important about it this time?"
This time it took the girl even longer to answer, as she seemed to struggle within herself, looking for the proper way to describe what she had seen. Finally, she spoke, clasping her hands restlessly as tried to convey the feeling of the dream into words. "The darkness… went away. There was this star, and it started shining really bright, and finally it just took the place of the darkness. It made me feel good, and I just couldn't sleep anymore, I was so happy."
The boy blinked, and exchanged a glance with the man. The man shrugged and ruffled the girl's hair. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens, your dreams haven't been wrong yet. However, I don't think it'll resolve itself tonight, so I suggest you two go back to bed." This said, he placed a hand on each child and scooted them towards the door. The girl nodded sleepily and entered, though the boy resisted a bit. "I wasn't done with my song!" he protested, but the man just shook his head. "It's time for you to go to sleep. I was told to watch over you and I intend to do so. Good night, Oliver, Kiara." The boy finally gave in and said, in chorus with the girl, "Good night, Uncle Zazu."
The city slept… but dawn was on its way.