“...and here’s your change mister Bowman. We set off in four days at daybreak, if you’re not here, I’m not waiting for you and there’s no way that you’re ever getting your money back. Understood?” The weather-beaten man said through a mumbled drawl.

“Don’t worry Captain, I’ll be here. I’ll see you in four days”

With that bit of business now done we both waved each other off and said our goodbyes until we next saw each other in the agreed upon four days. The Captain went back to his ship, and I went back to the city to wait it out.

I had left the farm and everything else there a couple weeks ago and have since found myself back in Mellawin again, for what may very possibly be the last time.

Though I had gotten glimpses throughout the years on my occasional trips here and there, I hadn’t really taken the opportunity to refamiliarise myself with the city and how it has changed compared to how it once was.

To be honest, there was no real difference. Everything looked a little bit more tidy and new, but the place had maintained most of the old city’s layout and so while many of the little things had changed, the core parts had remained as they were before.

The town square was long since repaired and revitalised, its business eclipsing even that of its previous era. The docks were still in the same spot but except for some of the stonework that had endured it had been rebuilt from the ground up everywhere from the wooden boardwalks out into the water beside the ships to the shops and stores that line the broadway.

And of course finally, there was the Tower. Tall, dark, grim, and stalwart. With no perceivable change having transpired even till now, even from the very first moment I beheld it.

Looking at it still puts me in a foul mood.

However, soon, I will no longer have to see it again. A few days ago I had arrived and after securing myself some accommodation I have been seeking out a means of transportation to the new continent for as soon as possible.

I know that the body of the old beggar I had put in my bed is not likely to be discovered until next year when the Trade Association sends someone out to inquire about my overdue taxes, but I still want to get out of here as quickly as possible anyway.

I had too many memories of this place. I needed some new ones, with some fresh sights to go alongside them as well.

So a couple days ago I went through the outgoing ships until I came across Captain Koll. Though his speech is lacking, his sailing skills assuredly weren’t. Because he just so happened to captain and sail with the best, most safe, and expensive private cruise line between the two continents that money could buy.

Though I didn’t necessarily need to buy a room on this ship and could make do with one of the more modest transportation services to my new destination, I didn’t want to risk it.

Far be from me to tempt fate at this point in my life, and Elde’s story of his shipwreck had planted in me a strong wariness of the dangers of the ocean. I had escaped three monster waves and a Galecat so far on my own. But out there, on the open ocean, I will be completely reliant on the sturdiness of the ship and the skill of its sailors. So though it would be cheaper and maybe more sensible anywhere to go with someone else, I still decisively decided on Captain Koll’s ship. The money after all was no issue with my still large reserve of funds from the remainder of the Wizard’s money and a few other income sources picked up from the farm over the years.

So, that sorted, I now had a few final days left in Mellawin before I shipped out. And I knew just how I was going to spend them.

A long time ago I had set four goals for myself; set up the farm, practice the Baptisms, become well versed in the bow and arrow, and become an able musician.

The farm had been achieved and served its purpose. The Baptisms had ended in disaster obviously but I was now setting off to a new land to explore another avenue of hope to accomplish it, so, that was still in progress. And my skills as a bowman had also been well proven during my duel with the Galecat. But with regards to the fourth…

I am still untried as a musician.

And that’s what I’m going to prove to myself in the days before I set sail.

So after booking the boat I went around and visited all the high end taverns and bars lined up along the docks and further into the city.

The reason I was only trying out the high end ones was because aside from them, as opposed to many other venues back on Earth, they were the only ones with the spine and backing to go ahead at all and employ bards and minstrels to play music at their venues.

The reason for this phenomenon could in fact be traced back to the Bordello.

The Bordello maintained a firm grip on any type of form of entertainment, considering the industry its domain and solely owned monopoly and possession.

This naturally included music and musicians, and so the members of the Bordello altogether had a very negative outlook on musicians that didn’t operate under their governance and outside of their establishments.

The rare minstrel not under the Pleasure Association’s umbrella only existed at all because of these wealthy hospitality establishments willing to employ them. The reason this even occurred was because their financial success had more strongly tied them to the Bank faction of the Coalition rather than the Bordello’s.

It’s well known that, though the Coalition was a whole and unified government, Martus and Selene of the Scholar and Pleasure Associations respectively stand on diametrically opposite sides when it came to the issue of the Magical Kingdoms. Therefore, while the order and unity of the Coalition was always to be put first and maintained, where possible, the Institute and the Bordello always took the opportunity to snub at the other where and whenever an opportunity presented itself.

Hence, wealthy establishments with ties to the Bank might try to curry favour with the Institute as well if they were bold enough, as their backing would shield them from the displeasure of the Bordello and let’s not forget that the Bordello were against independent bars and taverns anyway in the first place as they saw them as a eyesore working against their dominance over entertainment and hospitality industries.

So, well to do independent drinking establishments would host and employ bards and minstrels wherever they could to fight against the Bordello’s monopoly so as to snub at them as well.

Of course, this hardly works out as the minstrels that are employed only really pursue their profession in the first place with the hope of being accepted into the Bordello eventually. What this really ends up being is that either any minstrel that gets employed by a well to do drinking establishment to perform there is swiftly scooped up by the Bordello, or is left alone because their talent is so mediocre that they wouldn’t stoop to accept them into their ranks.

But of course, none of this mattered to me. Sure, if I stayed in town for a certain amount of time the Bordello may notice me and then try to poach me, but I’ll be gone in four days and so don’t really have to worry about that possibility happening.

So, knowing that the rich bars and taverns were eager to employ any musician that could mangle out a tune in any way, shape or form, it was only at the second well to do establishment, after playing a delightful little tune of my own composing to the managers great excitement that I was promised board, food, drink, and all my earnings free of dividend as long as I played every night I stayed there.

More than pleased with the man’s offer, I immediately accepted and moved into the room he provided me upstairs to rest before I played publicly for the first time ever the very same night.

My very first performance. Oh boy…

They're not gonna know what hits them.

*****

Martin was in a reasonably happy sort of mood.

He was acknowledging his feelings and how much of a rarity they actually were as he sat himself down in a lowly peasant tavern for the very first time in his life, alone and completely unbothered.

In fact, right now, he felt better than he might have done in years.

This admittance didn’t contribute to his good mood though. Just made it more… a calm sombre sort of one.

The reason for his current circumstance and emotions, could be laid at the feet of his father.

Martin’s father had recently risen to an even higher position in the Trade Association hierarchy, much to his own gratification as he was a Institute loyalist through and through to his core. Deriving his worth entirely from how well he served the Scholar Association and how well his efforts paid off to raise himself through its ranks.

The only difference with his new promotion this time was that it featured a new posting.

The New Continent.

For years Martin had heard about the opportunity and adventure going on in the new continent, and had actually been somewhat happy when he learned of his father’s new posting. He didn’t really have too much fondness for his home anyway and a new environment, let alone a new continent, sounded like quite the good idea to him.

Needless to say his father upheld his duty and as was the customary thing to do, brought himself and the rest of his family along with him to his new posting as well.

The only problem with that was that his father… didn’t really like him.

Martin was an Initiate, so his father could still afford to accept him as his son without losing too much face, but his talent was very lacking and even with all of his family’s backing he will be very lucky if he somehow manages to rise to the stage of Adherent in his lifetime.

Stuck on a ship for months on end, his father having none of his regular duties to distract him, caused him to direct his ire and irritation at Martin in a way that had always been there but had never really risen to the level it was now at currently, now that they were all stuck on the same ship together for months on end.

Thankfully, the ship had met trouble on the seas, and while his father had sorted it out in the end, the ship was damaged to the degree where they were barely lucky to bring it into port, this port as it so happens.

Now, his father was doing his best to arrange passage quickly as possible so that he can get to his posting on time so as not to disappoint his superiors, and while he is doing that Martin now had some free reign and some room to breathe as he was allowed to wander about this small city in this small intermission from his father’s ire.

He had checked out the Institute for something interesting to read, but naturally found everything wanting. Next he had walked about the town, and had even dared to go and have a close up look at the outpost for the Albert Clan, a sight that had immediately put his father in a foul mood the moment he laid eyes on it.

His disgust for the Magical Kingdoms was totally in line with the Mighty Oak’s, the figure he had been named out of respect for but which he had utterly failed to uphold the glory it was intended to carry.

And now he was here, sitting in an ordinary peasant bar where no one was paying him any mind as he ordered a basic dinner and drank some pathetic swill which they raised to the level of drink in this place.

Sure the place was not up to standard, but it was a good enough place nonetheless. Especially considering what he was very lucky to be here for tonight.

In truth, he had wanted to go to the Bordello. Now away from prying eyes for the first time and it very possibly being his only real chance to do so. But if his Institute Loyalist father learned that, even in this small and out of the way little city he had entered into a Pleasure Palace, he may very well take that as the excuse he needed to disown him. And as much as he would like not to see his father anymore he knew he would likewise never see his mother and younger siblings again, which would in turn cause him great pain as he knew in turn that he would miss them terribly.

But that didn’t matter, because the tides of the Wellspring were looking out for him tonight. Because for the first time in his life, he was actually going to hear music being played.

He had of course heard songs sung by peasants as they hummed a common tune from a distance, but he had always wished to hear the music of the Bordello in person. The flute choruses, the cascading sounds of Klo’s, the strongsongs, and most especially… the musical sorcerers that surpassed all other mortal sounds in their delights.

He had always wanted to hear these wonders, but eyes were everywhere back home and if he had gone and saw them then his father may very well have done worse than simply disown him when he discovered such a betrayal.

But all that didn’t matter now. Because his father wouldn’t care about him hearing music sung in some small out of the way tavern on this small little island. He might even approve of it in its inherent opposition to the power of the Pleasure Association and it might even earn him some good will from him.

Not that that mattered now though. All that mattered was the music, and as he sat there drinking that weak and watery excuse for a drink… he came out.

The man was tall. Almost as tall as some of the Corpsmen he had seen back home who were sworn to the fight. Actually, he was surprisingly graceful too, and if Martin hadn’t extended his senses to confirm he might have even guessed that the man was a low level Initiate.

During his mental deliberation about the minstrel the man had taken up a corner of the tavern all to himself with a stool and a very large leatherbound case which he put down in front of him as he sat down.

He made himself comfortable, looked out over the considerably large crowd in the place, bent down, and opened up the case.

And took out… wait? What is that?

A murmur of confusion spread throughout the crowd echoing Martin’s own perplexion. But the man seemed completely unconcerned with that as he pulled up his… wooden box…thing… and placed it on his legs.

He took in a few deep breaths, closed his eyes, raised his fingers to…yes, those were some sort of taut strings… and moved them.

…

…

…music.

…music…like he had never heard… like he had never even conceived.

Whatever the man did it hung over the crowd as one note of music transcended into two, then four, then a melody that moved through everyone and everything that’s beauty silenced all other noise as it filled all that were here with wonder and admiration.

…and then…the man began to sing…

“There’s a lady who’s sure that all that glitters is gold, and she’s finding a way to the Source…”