Kael stirred comfortably in his warm sheets while he slowly gained consciousness. He wanted to go back to sleep but pressing thoughts surfaced in his mind such as: Wasn’t I playing a song just a minute ago? Goodness, this is comfy. Oh, didn’t I just pass a threshold? Ah yes, that explains why I was asleep. I really don’t want to move right now. Oh crackers, where am I? He grumbled to himself as he slowly rose, rubbing his eyes before glancing around blearily, he was back at his uncle’s shop in his own bed. He didn’t see his uncle around up here and heard a lot of chattering downstairs. Climbing out of the sheets, he realized he was in the same clothes as he was wearing the night before, minus his overcoat.

“This won’t do.” He remarked aloud, projecting his inner thoughts, finding his words came out smoother and silvery as he went through his wardrobe, settling on a simple white long-sleeved shirt and black linen pants, he promised himself to do his laundry later. When he went to open his display window his eyes widened as he saw himself. His facial features were sharper, cheek bones were more pronounced, his blonde hair was smooth and glossy as it ran down the back of his neck and his skin was pale but fair, free of any blemishes. “My god I look like I belong on the cover of a cheesy romance novel.” He joked, trying to get used to his new voice. “I guess this is what a sixty in charisma looks like, can’t imagine how I’ll look when it’s any higher.”

After admiring himself for a few more moments, he shuffled down the stairs to find customers all over the place, his uncle struggling with the long line. Now with purpose, he went into full work mode as he began assisting customers left and right, answering questions and getting extra inventory from the storage room. When he finally finished with the customers on the sales floor, he made his way to the checkout station and assist his uncle with ringing up customers one after another, using a spare violin case as a till until the line finally became manageable for his uncle, only to go and assist the new customers that were gradually trickling in. As time passed the number of shoppers gradually shrank and before they knew it, so did their inventory. When the last customer went out the door the two elves were leaning back into their chairs, utterly exhausted.

"Uncle, what just happened?” Kael queried. Never before had he seen such an influx of people gathered in his shop.

“Well my boy, from what I gather through conversation and small talk, your show had a big impact on some folk. A lot of them were asking about lessons and where to start and I ran out of the introduction books so fast I had to start making rain checks.”

“That show wasn’t that good, was it?”

“Are you kidding? It was fantastic! You’d be surprised how impressionable people can be.”

“So, what happened after the show?”

“Well after you collapsed Moe was kind enough to let me borrow one of his busboys to carry you across the street. I had him put you in bed, I gave him a tip and that was that. I’m not sure what else happened after, but there was a nice girl who asked about you, making sure you were well. I think her name was Kendel? Maybe she wanted a private lesson?” He suggested with a wink and a sly grin, causing Kael to blush.

“I know not what you’re talking about, uncle.” Kael replied, dismissing that comment and getting a chuckle from his uncle.

“So be it then! I think I’ll turn in for the day and may count the till. Ah, who am I kidding? We’ll probably close for tomorrow and I’ll count it then and see what is left of our inventory. Think you can hold down the fort for the laaast, hour? My goodness time flies, if they’re looking for something we don’t have, see if they want a rain check, I have the book here.” He said, gesturing under the desk. Kael nodded and locked the extra money in the chest hidden under the stairs before heading to bed. The hour dragged on and Kael enjoyed the calm after the storm, spending the remainder of time sweeping the floor and tidying up. When he finished, he was much too tired for anything else, so he plopped back on the chair, pulled up a clock window and placed it in the center of his vision, watching the seconds tick by.

Time:

6:58:13 P.M.

7/03/727

He heard the ring of the bell above the door but when he turned his head to say his greetings, no one was there. He leaned forward thinking it was someone too short to see from his position but there was only empty space. He was about to shrug it off as just the wind but when he heard a flick of a lighter, he turned back to see a figure leaning against a display table facing away from him, Kael did a double take. It was wearing a black duster coat with a matching wide brimmed hat, sharp teeth decorating the hatband, hiding its face by looking upwards. One hand in the pocket and the other taking a drag from a cigarette. The figure picked that moment to look over its shoulder, revealing its orange and grey feline features, its yellow eyes locking on him like a predator who found its prey.

“Good evenin’” He said cheerfully with a deep southern drawl, turning to face Kael. His face and long fur made him look like he crawled through a construction yard. “The names, Dirt” he continued. “I’m here to represent my company.”

“And what company would that be?” Kael asked in bewilderment.

“Well we’re a new family run security business. We fill the gaps of normal city guards and we believe your store is at risk of looting and terrible acts of violence!” He continued dramatically. “For a small payment of six-hundred gold a month we can guarantee you’ll sleep like a baby knowing you’re under our watchful eyes!” Dirt pitched, taking another long drag.

“Uh, that’s wonderful and all but we never needed security and we’d never be able to afford that. Thank you for your offer but I’m afraid we’re closing now.” Kael said, trying his best to politely get him to leave.

“Well I’m afraid I wasn’t offering, boy.” Dirt said, pulling back his duster, revealing a large revolver holstered on his hip. Kale took a step back at the threat and backed into something large and fluffy. He slowly turned to see a heavily built snow-white cat person towering over him. Kael shrieked and fell backwards, landing butt first and back tracked against the wall.

“This is Milk.” Dirt stated. “He’ll be the one watching over your lovely shop. He’s not much of a talker I’m afraid but he’s a great listener!” Dirt swaggered over and crouched, eye level with Kael while Milk loomed in the backround. He maintained eye contact as he took yet another long drag before speaking. “Payment is at the end of every month and we charge interest.” Then he flicked the cigarette stub, bouncing it off Kael’s forehead before heading out the door.

“I’ll be seeing you.” Milk said in a deep voice, speaking for the first time before shrinking and going on all fours, taking the form of a normal yet beefy white house cat and following Dirt out the door. Before he could get up his uncle ran toward him, sliding across the floor to check on him.

“Kael! Are you alright?”

“I’m okay, uncle. Did you catch any of that?”

“Only that last bit, I was afraid that my presence would have escalated the situation. You did well. What did they want?”

“They want six-hundred gold a month for ‘protection’ services.”

“Extortionists! What has this city come to? Come on my boy, let’s lock the door and we’ll discuss our plan of action over tea.” The pair retreated up the stairs after locking all doors and windows as well as closing all curtains. Once they felt they had done everything they can Kael sat in his chair going over the encounter that took place not long ago, his uncle nodding and sipping tea as silently as possible, taking mental notes.

“So what shall we do, uncle? They’ll bleed us dry before long and I suspect there’s more of them than us.” His uncle sat back calmly and pondered for several long moments before speaking.

“I can guesstimate that combined with our current savings as well as what we made today that we have at least two months before we run out of funds. Which is a shame, I was planning on buying one of those new gnomish mattresses that are made from foam, but I digress. Problem is replenishing our inventory. We pride ourselves with handcrafted elven-made instruments so we can get away with charging, but they take so much time to craft.”

“What if we pack up everything we have left and move somewhere else?” Kael pleaded, the first thing that came to mind, but his uncle shook his head.

“Kale I’ve been here long before you were born, this is my home. I’m not going to pack my bags because some bullies moved in waving around their boom sticks and flexing their muscles. No, we’ll think of something.” Kael chewed on his uncle’s words and a conversation with Oskar came to mind.

“Oskar mentioned a job somewhere, Thunder-something Keep? Something along those lines, I can ask him about it, but I don’t want to just abandon you here.” His uncle raised his eyebrows at that mention.

“Are you by chance talking about Thunderstruck Keep? Home to one of the most successful adventurer guilds? The Super Squishy Squadron?”

“The… what? Is that their guild name? Wait, better yet, how do you know that?”

“How do you not!? Guild names are hilarious!” he wheezed as he grew into a fit of laughter at Kael’s confused expression.

“I wish you would take this more seriously, Uncle.” Kael scowled, crossing his arms and waiting patiently for his uncle to get his laughter under control.

“It’s a… It’s an age-old tradition that adventurer guilds seem to have a reputation for as a recruitment tactic. The more ridiculous the better. My personal favorites are the Fuzzy Wuzzy Panda Bears and the Illegal Danish but those are far East, again I digress. Being part of a guild like that is a great career path, Kael! You should pursue this!”

“I suppose I can send some of my funds over to you to help out, but I know it won’t feel right leaving you here alone with these cat bandits!”

“Oh please!” Uncle retorted, waving his hand away. “This isn’t my first scuffle! And I won’t be alone, I can use the extra funds to hire a couple crafters looking to get their skills up and it shouldn’t be a problem finding someone to do lessons. I should be up and running in just a couple weeks. How soon can you talk to Oskar?”

“We’ve already agreed to meet up again tomorrow.” Kale replied. “But are you sure you’re okay with staying here?”

“Kale, crafting instruments is my passion, playing instruments is yours. I would be happier knowing that you're sharing your music with the world than sitting here like a bird in a cage. You have to get out there and spread your wings as far and wide as possible, share your songs with the world!” Uncle finished with his arms wide. Kael sat there for several silent moments before agreeing.

“Okay, that’s all well and good but I don’t even have an instrument of my own. I’ve just been grabbing a display piece and playing with it. And now we’re sold out.” His uncle’s ears perked up, realizing something.

“That reminds me, I have a gift for you.” Before Kael could reply his uncle quickly walked over to his bed and watched as he knelt and dragged out a large dusty black guitar case from under it and carefully handed it to him. Kael took it and examined it closely, noticing his mother’s name etched in gold in the corner. He looked up to his uncle quizzically and got a silent nod in reply, motioning him to continue. He unlatched the case and revealed a masterpiece. The body was made to look like dark brown angel wings with each feather carved in great detail, the neck was long and black with graceful patterns on the in-between its golden frets. Three machine heads on each side of the curved headstock, making it look almost perfectly symmetrical except for the four thick silver strings and he barely noticed three bridges that blended almost seamlessly with the wood to produce different note definitions. A new message appeared in his vision.

Item received!

Nienna

Rarity: Unique

Quality: Sagecraft

Item type: Instrument (Bass)

Self-Mending: This item will repair herself over time.

Heart Strings: 30% chance to influence the emotions of those who hear you play based on intention.

Durability: 2500/2500

Description: Stricken with grief, Lolas Tasar, Sage Luthier, in his sorrow crafted his magnum opus from the oldest rosewood he could find to commemorate his beloved sister, Nienna.

Kael was speechless. This was the most beautiful piece he has ever seen. He gently laid the case down by his feet and ceremoniously brought it up on his lap, surprised by how light and comfortable it felt and ducked his head under the silky silver strap. He was about to play a few cords when he was interrupted by another prompt in the center of his vision.

Caution! Due to the nature of this item, using it will cause it to be soulbound to you.

Allow Nienna to be soulbound?

Accept /// Decline

Kael accepted the prompt without giving it a second thought and immediately felt a deep connection to the bass, as if it were now a part of him. He rested his thumb on the bridge closest to the neck and plucked the second string, feeling it reverberate from his hands into his very being, a connection so deep and natural that before he knew it his hands kept playing as if guided by another presence, playing long deep notes while his left hand waltzed among the frets. He felt a soft compassionate embrace from behind him and he did not fight the lyrics that escaped his lips. Instead, he closed his eyes while he poured mana into every word.

When tomorrow starts without me,

And I’m not here to see,

If the sun should rise and find your eyes,

filled with tears for me.

I wish so much you wouldn’t cry,

The way you did that day,

While thinking of many things

We didn’t get to say

I know how much you love me

As much as I love you,

And each time you think of me,

I know you miss me too.

When tomorrow starts without me,

Don’t think we’re far apart,

For every time you think of me,

I’m right there in your heart.

Kael felt a wet drop land on his hand once he finished playing, followed by another. He raised his hand to examine it closely, realizing that it was one of his own tears streaming from his face. He looked up to see his uncle in the same state, his long ears drooping while he struggled with controlling his own sobs before he finally composed himself.

“That was one of your mother’s favorite poems. Those were her last words, she had it engraved in her burial tree in Elsoner where she was born.” Uncle explained. Kael remembered being in the Mage Corps when she fell ill, guilt from not being there for her preventing him from visiting her tree.

“I think I know what I must do now, Uncle. Thank you, for everything.” Kael said solemnly, before having Nienna rest on his back and wrapping his arms around his uncle, holding each other tightly.

*****

Kael watched the white cat intensely from the second-floor window, watching its every move. It had been laying on a wooden crate across the street in between The Daily Grind and a fruit vendor for several hours now. He was certain that it was Milk in his cat form, judging by its muscular frame. He watched as Milk accepted random pets and sometimes treats from strangers who were likely unaware that this massive brute of a cat can beat them senseless without a second thought. He noted that Milk never took a cat nap, keeping to scanning the streets for Uncle, who went out to shop for materials needed to make some signs. Kael didn’t like sending him out on his own, but we needed to see if the cat would move. He checked the time for what must’ve been the dozenth time now.

Time:

8:24:46 A.M.

7/04/727

His uncle told him he should be back in exactly thirty minutes, that was twenty-nine minutes ago now. Kael watched as yet another potential customer read the normal closed sign in disappointment. He didn’t like seeing customers go but he knew it couldn’t be helped. Right on cue, he saw his uncle turn into his street wearing a green cloak and cowl to help hide his appearance, approaching from the right side, shopping bag and posterboard in tow. Kael turned to see that he wasn’t the only one who noticed Uncle’s arrival. Milk had perked a bit, but not enough to draw attention to himself or enough to make the little girl stop petting him, he instead watched as Uncle made it to the door, locking it behind him. Kael rushed downstairs to greet him.

“Did he move?” Uncle asked, plan being that Kael watched the cat should it decide to give chase.

No, he didn’t budge but he did notice you come and go.” Kael reported. “He seems very content just watching over the shop. Maybe they actually do security work while they rob us.” He joked.

“I suppose that makes some sense.” Uncle replied, handing him the cloak and cowl to put on.

“What do you mean?” Kael asked.

“Well I suppose they’re protecting their income. Wouldn’t do them any good if our business was robbed or destroyed, then they couldn’t get more money from us. I imagine all the other ‘clients’ get much of the same treatment. Better to rob them for smaller amounts annually then to take large amounts that’ll force them to go bankrupt. I think they’re large in number as well, it might just be me being paranoid, but I think a lot of the cats on the street are the same, as if we’re being overrun. Some stalked me prey, others glared, or meowed, or they could be normal cats! I have no idea!” Uncle explained tossing the shopping bag on the countertop and waving his hands in frustration. He took a seat behind the counter and laid out the white poster board before he ruffed through the bag to fish out some paint and a brush.

“Did you get a chance to speak with Moe or the guards?” Kael asked, wanting to stay on track.

“No.” He sighed. “I had to go through two shops before I could find what I needed, and the guards just laughed me out of the station. I didn’t have the time and I needed to get back here. If you want to go talk to Oskar, now would be the time, here maybe you two can talk to Moe yourselves.” Uncle suggested, handing Kael a small coin pouch.

“Thanks, Uncle. I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long.” He said as he pulled the cowl over his head, getting a scoff in reply.

Kael decided to take the long route to the smithy, finding safety in the large crowds, and being careful to draw as little attention to himself as possible. He had this strange feeling telling him he was being watched regardless, or like in Uncle's case, could be paranoia. Kael always trusted his gut instincts as it kept him alive during his time in service and it hasn’t steered him wrong yet. When he finally got to the smithy the man behind the counter informed him that Oskar took the day off, having spent all of yesterday working on a special order. Leaving Kael to believe he was sleeping the day off at home in his apartment. Thankfully, Kael knew Oskar hates walking, so his apartment was only a few blocks away. He continued walking down the cobblestone street for several minutes, spotting the brown building with yellow window frames, a bold color scheme in his opinion, but the more he looked at it, the more he liked it. It was an older building that wasn’t anything fancy, but owners took pride in the building's upkeep. Walking inside the lobby, his nostrils were assaulted with the smell of lavender, the interior was decorated in such a way that one would think they walked into an old folk’s home. Lace doilies on antique coffee tables accompanied by cushioned purple furniture covered in hand stitched blankets of various patterns. Complete with white walls decorated with landscape paintings and shelves displaying old nick-nacks. Truly, a grandmother’s natural habitat. Kael thought to himself.

Squeezing through the furniture, he made his way to the hallway on the first floor, Oskar’s apartment happening to be the first door on his left. He knocked gently at first, not wanting to wake the neighbors. When no response came, he knocked a little harder, still no response. Sighing, Kael pulled out his spare key that he “forgot” to return, unlocked the door himself, and made his way inside. The apartment was one decently sized room also decorated grandma style, with a small bathroom and closet. A dwarf-sized bed in the center against the wall with a nightstand, but no dwarf-sized dwarf in sight. Looking around he realized that Oskar’s drum set wasn’t here either, making the room jarringly bare to him. The entire set easily takes up a quarter of the living space. Frustrated, Kael left his friend’s apartment, locking the door behind. He had no idea where Oskar was, and he needed to talk to him as soon as possible. He swiftly sped through back through the lobby and stood just outside the entrance, thinking about where he could be. Rubbing his chin, he began strolling down the street when only a few steps in; his sensitive elf-ears heard a familiar sound coming his left and above. Turning the corner down a narrow alleyway where he could see the fire escape and hear the drums reverberate, coming to a grand crescendo.

BUM-BA-DUM-BAM! BEBUM-BEDUM TSK

BUM-BA-DUM-BAM! BEBUM-BEDUM TSK

Rushing back inside, he trotted up the spiral stairs going all the way up to the sixth floor. With his stamina nearly depleted he made it to the door to the roof, hearing the drumming become louder as he approached. He opened the door to see Oskar facing towards him, still in his pajamas and too focused on his thunderous drums to notice Kael as he picked up more speed. Kael casually strolled up to him, not wanting to startle him, waving his arms to try to get his attention. He stood directly in front of him for several seconds before Oskar finally noticed.

“Oh G’day!” Oskar greeted. “I wasn’t expectin to see yah sao soon!” he greeted.

“Hey yourself! I could hear you from the street.”

“Yeah, landlady gawt too many noise complaints, sao we made a dayl, Oy plie up ‘ere now.” Oskar said. Kael noticed he was obviously leaving out a lot of details but decided not to prod.

“I was hoping we can talk about this guild job you mentioned the other day. Uncle and I ran into some trouble and could use the extra cash.” Kael stated before going over the events of last night and this morning.

“Sao, the guahds can’t help ya either, huh? Must be gettin’ paid off.”

“You think so?” Kael queried, the thought not even occurring to him

“Yeup, happens a lot in big cities like this. Honestly, mite, I’m surprised it didn’t happen soonah and I’m sorry it had to happen to yous. We don’t know what they’re capable of nor do we know their numbers. Devilish feline cunts!”

“So, this job is my best shot then?” Kael sighed.

“Afraid sao, mite, but it ain’t sao bad, toime out in the country will do ya some good, if we’ah lucky I can teach ya how to make me granny’s apple pie!” Oskar said with a wink.

“I have a feeling you’re not talking about a dessert.” Kael retorted, getting a hardy laugh in reply.

“Am I that bad!?” Oskar asked in mock offence.

“You’re a menace.” Kael deadpanned, causing Oskar to throw his arms in the air in mock surrender.

“Alright, mite, yous got me, I’ll be the stubbys, but back to business, how soon can ya leave?”

“I-I don’t know, I thought the auditions weren’t until the end of the month?”

“Yeah, but it’s a real journey! And we want to be there quick if we want to beat out the competition. Let me get my map from me room and we can head out; Oy could use a coffee.”

“That’s actually my next stop!” Kael responded, letting Oskar take the lead. Time flew by as the pair strolled back to their favorite coffee shop after Oskar grabbed his map, the two griping about their day yesterday, finding comfort in each other’s suffering. Kael paused before turning the final corner and pulled Oskar aside, leaned down and whispered. “There’s a large white cat on a crate near the entrance, I’m sure it’s one of them, it hasn’t moved since this morning. Act natural, pretend he’s not there.” Oskar nodded and together they went around the corner, keeping idle conversation while not drawing attention to themselves. Kael stole a quick glance to see if it was looking in their direction, but the cat was focused between his shop and a young toddler aggressively petting him, the mother too busy arguing with the stall owner to notice. Repressing a sigh of relief, Kael held the door for Oskar and followed him in line. After some light flirting with the baristas they grabbed their drinks and took their seats on the opposite side, away from the window.

“Crickey! you see the size of that thing! It’s an absolute unit!” Oskar exclaimed in a loud whisper.

“I know.” Kael affirmed. “You should see him when he’s bipedal. He could probably rip our door off its hinges if he put his mind to it.” Kael said, taking a deep sip from his coffee, his eyes barely leaving the door.

“I wouldn’t doubt it. No wonder you’re trying to leave. Here, let’s go ahead and plan our trip.” Oskar said as he pulled out his map, moving his drink so he can spread it out on the rounded coffee table. “See we’re here,” he began, pointing to our city elegantly labeled; Godnroc. “We be goin’ through Hillwood. If we get a cart, we can get there in about three days.” He explained while tracing his finger along the road that travels south-westwards, pointing almost just south of the mountain ridge.

“Wait, where are we gonna get a cart?” Kael interrupted.

“I’m gonna call in a favor, he’s a merchant, goes by the name Bill. He’s heading to Ravenport soon.” He continued, pointing at a spot on the coast far west. “I’ll see if he can atleast drop us off here, at Darlington, which be about four days from Hillwood. And hopefully, from there we could get another cart to Thunderstruck keep.”

“And how long is it from Darlington to there?” Kael queried.

“It’s ‘bout another four days. So, I’d say pack for two weeks.” Oskar answered, running his finger from Darlington northwards, in the mountains. “And bring something sharp with you, there’s guards that patrol the road but they’re few and far in-between. Rumor has it Orcs occasionally raid trading caravans.” He cautioned.

“You really put a lot of thought into this haven’t you?”

“Hell yeah, mite!” Oskar replied simply. “They say that if you love your job then you never have to work a day in your loife, and I don’t get any joy from swinging a hammer all day, I’d much rather swing me sticks.”

“Oh wow, Oskar, I didn’t realize you were so miserable there.” Kael said, his ears drooping slightly.

“Heh, it’s better than me old postie job! Remember when I had to go up all those steps?” Oskar chortled. Kael smiled at the thought, reminiscing on how he would always claim to climb a thousand of steps a day as a courier, especially if it were on a rainy day. He was about to make fun of Oskar’s tiny legs when he spotted Moe’s reflective scalp in the corner of his vision, carefully setting a drink carrier down for a table of customers and Kael remembered why he came here in the first place. He waved his hand in the air to politely get his attention and beckoned him over.

“Hey guys! Kael, how you feeling, buddy? You were out cold since I saw you last. Man, you’re looking good! And Oskar! I hear you’ve been working your butt off!” Moe greeted, a beaming smile across his face under his curled mustache.

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.” Kael began. “Oskar and I are planning on moving out and my uncle could use some new hands at our shop there, people who are looking to increase their woodworking skill as well as someone to do lessons. We were wondering if you knew someone or could help spread the word?”

“Oh, that’d be easy! I got a few people in mind. But where you guys goin’? Gonna try and go big? I hate to see you guys go.” Moe asked excitedly.

“I-I can’t say too much.” Kael stammered, thinking about how to avoid the subject.

“It’s gonna be big!” Oskar boasted, coming to Kael’s rescue. “You’re gonna be hearin’ about us for years! Word will spread of our sound and people will travel foe miles just to bear witness our loudness!” Oskar finished dramatically, causing Moe to burst with laughter.

“I’ll have to keep my ears out for ya then! And I can boast about how you use to play on my stage!” Moe told them, though Kael had a feeling he was only saying that to be polite. “Can I get you guys anything while I’m here?”

“Nah, we were just finishing up, thank ya kindly!” Oskar answered. Moe gave a thumbs up and winked with a bright smile. Kael once again could have sworn he saw a bright sparkle as he did so before he left. “So,” Oskar started, turning back to Kael. “We wanna go talk to your uncle? Get a date for when we leave?”

“The cat will see us.” Kael reminded.

“And? Will it stop us? I’m sure they’ll get wind of ya eventually, so what’s the point?”

“I’m just worried, for my uncle’s sake, they’ll know he’ll be vulnerable.”

“So long as they get their money, they won’t bother him.” Oskar assured. “The sooner we leave, the better.” Kael hated to admit it, but Oskar was right. They only have enough funds to make it another month on top of paying out new employees. It felt like a gamble, betting on earning enough funds by the end of next month or potentially losing everything. Kael reluctantly nodded and stood.

“Then let’s get going then, the sooner the better, right?” Oskar nodded.

“That’s the spirit!”