Friday, April 27, 2012

Xavier's Xylophone #atozchallenge

 

For the A to Z Challenge, I'm featuring twenty-six flash fiction pieces from my Foxwick Kingdom and its surrounding neighbors. A to Z Flashes of Foxwick is now available from Smashwords and Amazon and includes the bonus short story "Lady Death." You can add this to your Goodreads list here.

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Xavier’s Xylophone


Xavier had crafted his xylophone from the finest rosewood located in Lochhollow. The instrument’s tone was unrivaled throughout the lands, so he wasn’t surprised when he received the summons to the castle to play his world-renowned xylophone.
The mule traveled sure-footed over paths into Foxwick, but Xavier cringed at every slight bump and jostle. His gaze flicked toward the wagon behind him. The xylophone rested amongst the hay like a baby snug in a crib. Why did Foxwick have to be quite so far away from Lochhollow? If anything happened to his instrument, he’d never forgive himself, or the king.
He rode all night and into the last part of the day until the stone towers loomed over him. He passed through the castle’s gates. No great reception greeted himself except for a lone knight.
“You’re the xylophonist, right?”
“Aye, I am. Xavier of Lochhollow at your service.” He removed his hat and nodded his head toward the man.
The knight clapped his hands, and four servants emerged on the wagon to transport his xylophone into the castle.
“Be careful with that. It’s a delicate instrument.” Xavier climbed from his perch, but he got no further than a step away from the wagon when the knight snatched his arm.
“Take the instrument to the prince’s chambers.” The man’s eyes narrowed, but Xavier could only imagine his fortune in staying in the prince’s own chambers. “You have an appointment with the king before we test your talents on this instrument.”
“Lead the way, good sir.” Xavier grinned. What kind of jewels would the king grant him for his talents? Would he sleep in a bed as lush as the prince’s must be? The excitement snatched him, and he swirled in its pleasurable embrace as he danced to his destiny.






Now if you want to learn more about authors, I’m featuring up to three per day on my blog Surrounded by Books Reviews. To find the other participants, click here.

13 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Don't get too excited just yet!

Torggil said...

why do I think something's rotten in Foxwick?

Julie Flanders said...

I'm afraid that Xavier is going to end up with a rude awakening. Something seems very fishy about all this.

Anonymous said...

Something tells me that there's a new owner of a xylophone soon.

M.J. Fifield said...

Yeah, this one's left me with a feeling of dread. I feel like yelling, "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!"

Nicole said...

Uh oh - trouble is brewing in Foxwick!

Christine Rains said...

I get the feeling of something looming overhead too!

Golden Eagle said...

Stay on your guard, Xavier!


The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

Unknown said...

Oh, is he going to get what he deserves or is he in for a surprise. Great piece.

Deena said...

Great blog!

Unknown said...

Hmm. Things don't usually turn out the way a character expects them to, so I suspect there's some surprise (probably a bad one!) waiting for him!

Fairview said...

I get the sense something bad is going to happen to him, which I see others also feel. A testament to your writing ability!

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, there's gonna be trouble... Prince's bed, indeed. More like a cold, damp stone floor far below the earth.

Xavier's xylophone. I just love the way that sounds! I'm sure it's going to be stuck in my head the rest of the day!