Curled Horns

1. Curled Horns

Mingi's horns were considered ugly among the demon race. And that was fine, given that a lot of his kin had ugly horns. There were those with the mighty horns that pointed to the sky: the warriors, royals, and beauties walking among them. And there were those whose horns pointed towards the earth, useless as weapons and misshaping their heads. The part of the population with down-turned horns made up most people, and they executed the lower-ranking jobs. There were farmers, and blacksmiths, and many rural businesses run by modest demons with their modest horns. The lucky ones became servants in the palace so they could feast their eyes upon the royal family.

Just like Mingi, starting today.

For the umpteenth time, Mingi smoothed his hands over his white shirt. He had got it by a courier from the palace a few days ago and had tried it on five times ever since and practised how to wear it properly. The last time he had visited his childhood friend Seonghwa to get his horns trimmed at his place, Seonghwa had guided him through the tricks of tucking his shirt in accurately and how to roll up his pants so they wouldn't fall loose to bother his hooves.

Once more, Mingi ran his fingers down the pristine fabric. He had trimmed and filed his claws into orderly stiletto tips and washed his hands at least a dozen times until no reminder of the ashes he usually worked in was left stuck underneath them. He wanted to make the perfect first impression in the palace.

Mingi left his little district hut and pulled the door shut behind him carefully. The dirt street under his feet greeted him as he set out towards the town. He travelled upriver along the lava stream that supplied the surrounding fields with valuable nutrients. Thanks to the river, the black flowers on their apple trees stood in full bloom.

On his way, Mingi greeted a few neighbours that passed him. The two kids of the family merrily bound along with their donkey cart and greeted Mingi with their enthusiastic songs. They lifted his mood, even when he quivered with anxiety over his first day on the job. Not even the many peculiar people and smells enveloping his senses on the bustling main street distracted Mingi's scattered mind.

He didn't know yet exactly what his task would be at the palace. He had applied for work as a servant, but servants were needed for many matters and people. It was Mingi's dream to work together with the infamous palace astronomer, who read their stars and predicted the kingdom's fate.

Not that Mingi put too much trust into earning that rank. He was a jinx, and clumsy as well. The important devices in the astronomer's tower likely wouldn't take too kindly to being hit by his swishing tail.

Mingi withstood the urge to fumble with his collar as he scaled the slope of the street. It led up to the mighty black cliff surrounded by the lava pool that boiled and hissed like a living monster at any time of the day. In the middle of the mountain throned the castle, built from the hands of thousands of unlucky human souls sent to repent their sins in their kingdom. Mighty like an ancient god, it loomed over the city and regarded it with its sinister eyes.

Mingi was the only one on the steep zig-zag path leading through the rough terrain up to the castle. He counted the massive towers of the castle that formed from the vertical cuboid stone formations. They grew naturally from the volcano within and gave the castle sharp edges and corners with flat forms.

By the time Mingi reached the last set of bulky stairs leading to the castle's gates, he was out of breath. Two mighty towers rose from the lava sea that surrounded the mountain, the castle perched on deep below like a fiery moat. Shackled to them, with chains older than time, were the two castle guards. Monstrous demons, both as huge as mountains. They remained there sleeping; their heads sunken to their pitch-black chests as the bulging arms were held by their bindings.