Ch:18 Gotta Pay Your Dues

The hot water and chill air, the steam, laughing children, his new younger sister and his lover all conspired to create a surreal and magical early morning. Gary emerged renewed and invigorated, ready to face the festival and whatever came his way… after breakfast and coffee.

Gary slowly realized, he never got to know most of the orphans. The few his age were either in the Bathers or involved in their own lives. Looking towards ‘graduation’ and being an indentured Adventurer, at the command of the cult of War was a lot of baggage. Even if they did not seem to see the innate immorality of the system they lived under.

The younglings were just a blur, there were about twenty or so and they never stayed in one place long enough for him to learn their names. That needed correcting too.

The teenage crowd was also around twenty strong, but the age gap made everything awkward. They made him feel ancient, while also giving none of the respect their actual elders received.

They weren’t monsters, just frustrated, angry, hopeless and stewing in hormones. He could relate to that, they would need to hang onto those skateboards, weapons and instruments all winter.

By spring they should be on their way, a taste of what they were missing should make them ravenous for more. Some kids need to make a little noise, some need to rough and tumble their feelings, but there are always a few that need something else.

It was those kids that needed help the most. They needed motion, wheels or dance, to feel barely in control. He shuddered to think of Shai growing up to join War. His wild and carefree woman, locked into a regimented life of military discipline, enforced by permanent Contracts would have been the end of her.

Liam’s terrible fate was reflected in several kids' eyes, though others were eager to take Contract with War. Dannyl was one of those, he was champing at the bit to strike back at the forces that destroyed his previous life.

Like most orphans, Dannyl had been sent to live in the city with distant relatives as a young child, slightly too distant relatives. When word came of the destruction of the village in the hills he was born in, six year old Dannyl found himself bundled into the orphanage without fanfare.

He was a very angry young man now, with a chain whip.

Gary jolted out of his reflections when sergeant Becky swatted him on the back as the kids trooped by, dressed for the last day of the festival. No few had their toys clutched close, warming his heart. “No mercy sergeant Becky.”

“No mercy Gary!” She cheerfully sang, strumming her harp.

Outside the shelter of the garden walls, a thin layer of snow crunched underfoot as Gary and Shai headed in to eat with the orphans. They were bundled up even for that short walk, draconic puffs of steam bursting from their lips at every breath.

Gary turned and paused to admire the heroic column of vapor rising from their home. “That’s a thing to see my dear.” He whispered in her ear, enveloping her face in a cloud. “Damn it's cold, why are we standing here? Let's get inside, woman!” He said, swatting her shapely backside and setting bells jingling.

Ivy and Dannyl’s crew put together a feast truly fit for Adventure guild members. There were skewers of groundworm, wallowbear roast with root vegetables and no fewer than two death’s head locusts, dripping with their own juices and a hint of butter.

Vast tables of side dishes and bread were seeing heavy use, while the table of cakes and pies went unmolested, guarded until the time was right by Otho the dog.

In a raucous corner, Liam was staking out some table space for the orphan Bathers near the younglings, letting Becky join them while still supervising her charges. For a surprise, Tawny was there already, seated just across from Liam, as was Tallum. Ivy and Dannyl joined the table just as things got going, leaving a skeleton crew of older teens dejectedly serving food.

“Everybody prepped? We head out tomorrow at second bell. Two weeks on the road, everybody carries a two day supply of necessities.” Liam said, eyeing the Bathers. “It's Dannyl’s first run so he’s guarding Tawny and Ivy with Gary. Shai, you will be on fast attack with me. Tallum, you are our meat shield.”

“I prefer handsome and stalwart defender.” Ivy sang out while playing a quick martial drill on the tabletop with her knuckles.

Gary scooted over to Becky and bumped his hip against hers, trapping her against Shai. “Sooo… Daniel says you asked him to teach you the harp…” He said, giving her a side eye.

She eyed him right back. “Daniel says you make a good harp, but should not be allowed to play them, because it sounds like you play with your feet.” She smiled sweetly. “HE was mean about it though, I care about your feelings, even though it’s true…”

“Keep laughing Shai, I never claimed to be a harpist, besides, you only play the booty bells, you can’t judge.” Gary grumped good naturedly.

“Be that so boy? Are ye sure?” Gary felt her reach behind Becky, for his lower back. “While ye do float unconscious, I hae been poking me nose in things, Taking mine liberties, as we discussed.”

The sound of his violin tuning up stilled conversation in their quarter of the room suddenly. “When I did first hear this, I knew t’would be the thing fer me.” She half sang, while warming up. Ivy had a pair of spoons and was tapping out something familiar.

“Shai, what are you up to?” He asked when his gift started without him. It enfolded her immediately, like a favorite old coat. Liam’s uke started up, strumming in a very, very familiar pattern. “Shai!” Now Liam and Ivy were tangled up in his magic. No one paid any attention to his call.

Shai was up and dancing, shimmying her hips in time, and laying down a respectable ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’. More than respectable, she was getting down. Gary just clapped and stomped along in wonder, more hopelessly smitten every day.

When she collapsed back onto their bench by Becky, she was glowing with a sheen of sweat and breathing just a little hard. “Myrna Dering hae been helping, she said she did owe ye fer some trifle ye helped her wi.” She settled in leaning on them both somehow and whispered; “In that other place, time and mortal senses do nae exist properly, tis a hole in the rules o the gods that I do plan to exploit mercilessly.” She grinned with pure greed.

“So you have been rummaging around in my head and learned the violin?” He asked confused and a little put out.

“Nae, I hae been rummaging in yer head an hae learned many things… ye shall see a few ere long.” Gary tried to do a panic stricken inventory of all the troublesome or dangerous knowledge he might have accidentally unleashed. Nope, nothing.

“Is that what it feels like to be around me on a regular basis?” A thought struck him. “Shai, that violin… I haven’t looked at it in a while is it…”

“Aye, tis insistent too. Ye must make me one that be mundane.” She sassed. “I kinnae practice ere this thing be trying tae grab hold o me. Tis as handsy as thou art boy!”

“Eeew, gross Shai, and you two make even less sense than usual.” Becky complained. “I feel like there’s this big secret right there in front of me and the pieces don’t fit.”

Gary grinned. “There is, and we decided to keep it just a little longer, because you were mean to me this morning.” Shai cuffed the back of his head sharply.

“Dinnae be mean tae me sister boy,” She barked at him, before turning to Becky. “Aye there be secrets aplenty, ye shall learn them betimes, bide a while an we return ye will be shown much.”

The girl snorted. “Gary would spill the beans any minute if you guys stuck around, I guess you gotta take him outta town to keep anything to yourselves…”

Gary turned an amusing red and began to sputter. “I keep secrets better than anybody! There’s only like five people in the world that know I’m-” Shai put her hand over his mouth, when that failed she simply shoved her hand in the offending orifice, silencing it for good.

“That were clever Becky, now ye know why ye shall be the sixth person in tha world tae learn a thing, be patient my love.” Shai stroked the tiny girl’s head with her dry hand, making her beads clatter softly. “An we come back frae hunting, ye shall be joining our band.” She hugged the tiny girl close and squeezed tight. “Next year ye shall join and adventure wi us an ye wish, I would that ye could now.”

Ivy began coughing awkwardly and turned a pale red. “She could…” She mumbled. The whole group quieted and turned on the blonde mage. Under their gaze she whispered the answer to their silent query. “Otho has created the illusion that he is an idiot with paperwork… any kid small enough to pass gets their record… ‘lost’, Becky had her second birthday three times.”

Gary snorted a loud barking laugh and fell off his bench. “Otho is really turning me around on this whole priesthood thing, that guy…”

From nearby Otho’s melodic voice sang out in rising tones of mock outrage. “I am a priest of Joy, not some ink scratching scribe to be noting every detail of where or when these loathsome waifs did this or that…” He waved his free hand gracefully, in eloquent dismissal, jostling the two babies in his arms. “Such details should be handled by my secretary from the cult of Order…” He said more softly as he eased them back to sleep. “Who retired some two hundred years ago and who’s replacement was refused by that cult.”

“If only War valued record keeping and literacy…” He said with a vicious smile that seemed strangely comfortable on his face. “War, Order, and Crafts decided together to remove all academic lessons from the curriculum centuries ago. As a result, most of War cannot read or write.”

The entire room heard Otho’s words, and listened as was proper, due his status. Though only one table heard more than a bureaucratic staffing complaint.

All eyes turned back to Becky, who bore up well under the revelations. “Ivy, you and Shai taught me how to read… and count. I know I’m one year older than the record says, two is a surprise though.” She looked thoughtful, then fixed Gary with a hard look.

Her whisper came low and fierce; “Shai says her chimes are a Contract item and you made them. From what you said earlier, that violin is too.” She looked stormy as though lost at sea. “Gary, I want one, I’m not taking War as my first contract no matter what. I will do whatever it takes. Whatever you need. Any thing at all.”

She leaned closer catching him up around the neck. “You want me to murder Theophus? I’ll do it, they trained me to kill.” Her voice was glacial, a bitter arctic wind from the sweet child he thought he knew. The intensity knocked Gary back. “I’ll make sure Shai never finds out, it'll be our secret.”

That last word rattled in Gary’s brain like a thunderclap. “Don’t hurt anybody Becky. No hints, no winks. I promised that you would get your shot, it's just happening sooner than I thought.” He looked up to catch Liam’s eye. “Guys, emergency meeting?”

They huddled close, with Otho scooting down to join. “We should bring Becky in now, OK? Otho’s shitty record keeping cost us valuable training time.” Liam said, glaring at his elder.

“Othos shitty record keeping,” The old man said with an impish grin. “has allowed hundreds of orphans to find lives untouched by War.”

He smiled fondly as he spoke. “When a child comes to me without records or who might escape notice, I may allow some clerical errors to slip into the record.” He reached out to clasp the tiny young woman on the shoulder.

“My dear Becky is a true foundling, discovered alone and naked in the wilderness.” He smiled, remembering fondly. “So tiny and lost, she was perhaps a year old and found miles from any human habitation or road.”

“I probably got bored listening to geezers wag their chin wattles and left.” She grumbled. “Either way, Gary is going to set me up like he did Shai. I’m making choices now, so that’s my call.”

Otho snorted at the mite biting at his ear. “Silly child, Gary can’t ‘set you up’ no one knows the conditions required for a fluke like that to reoccur, it might even be a result of their unique bond…” As his tirade went on, Gary and Shai started to look more and more uncomfortable.

Otho noticed and began to slow his rant. “... because, if two responsible and upstanding young people found something important and did not share it…” He began to look mildly furious.

“I move that we adjourn to the secret clubhouse and continue there.” Tallum boomed out, drawing a glare from Gary. “It’s the least secret society in town, Gary. You put up a sign.”

He looked put out at that. “Most people can’t read.” He snorted.

Becky flicked his ear, hard. “Don’t be a snob Gary.” She whacked him again. “You put up pictograms too, dummy.”

Back at home they settled into the bath, happily making room for a new member. Otho took the floor immediately, speaking what was on their minds. “I thought the same when your nature was revealed Gary. Alas, it is a difficult thing to prove or disprove. She shows no signs of abnormal gifts like yours, I have been observing carefully.”

Becky was growing more and more agitated at being talked over. Gary and Shai slid up and bracketed her again, easing her tension. “I hate being talked around too, but it will all be clear soon.”

“Becky, my dear, Gary is also a true foundling, with no known place of birth. He wandered into town after waking in the wilds, naked and lost a few short weeks ago.” Otho pronounced, as though that made everything obvious.

“Uhh, you can ask him where he’s from… are you losing it Otho?” She asked, poking the old man in a bony rib.

Otho grinned mischievously while Gary groaned. “Ask him Becky… just ask him where he was born.” While Otho spoke, Gary hopped up on the curb of the bath with a manic grin.

“No way old man, he’s already got that weird guitar out. I’m not asking.” Becky said firmly.

“Aww… just ask… you wanna know.” Gary implored, strumming something strange on his weird instrument.

“This is clearly some kind of trap, Shai, a little help here?” Her closest friend grinned wisely and shook her head, hanging Becky out to dry.

“Ok hint, how do you wanna find out? Do you wanna hear about my… He strummed something haunting that echoed in the bath. “Home By The Sea?” He switched to a twangy to and fro swaying strum. “Or how ‘I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive’?”

His grin got wider. “They all went through it, ask and you shall be answered” He gave a mysterious wink. “How you ask might just change how you get your answer!”

“Nae Becky, nae matters how ye ask, twill be a song an dance. Prepare yerself and ask, sister o mine.” Shai said. “Be brave, there be no harm in humoring those touched by the moon. Surely they are beloved o the gods an spirits… an this one by meself as well.”

“Ok Gary… what do you want to tell me?” She asked with a deep sigh.

“Ahh, introspective, are we?” His guitar began a melancholy tune, breathy and sweetly sad.

I close my eyes.

Only for a moment and the moment’s gone.

He finished ‘Dust In The Wind’ and the group murmured appreciatively… except Becky. “How was that an answer?”

“He did hit many o the important points wi that, Becky.” Shai insisted.

“Nope, what’s the big secret? where were you born Gary?”

Now his guitar was strident and clanging, roaring out a feral wail.

I was born…

in a crossfire hurricane…

He only got through three bars of ‘Jumpin Jack Flash’ before the Bathers flagged him down. “No? Not that one?”

“I like that one.” Ivy grumbled.

“All right, we will put the musical number on hold… you owe me one though.” Gary complained and Shai nodded along.

Without further preamble Gary unloaded the whole story of his origin again, leaving her grinning in wonder. “You really are a freak.” she sighed hugging him and Shai close. “I was beginning to worry Shai joined some weird secret cult…”

They both looked awkward at that. “Well I am the highest ranked cultist of a certain god on the planet… does that count?” He looked thoughtful. “Oh, and a good friend of mine is a jumping spider. Shai hangs out in my soul outside reality at night and there is an extra moon in the sky that only we can see.”

Something in Becky’s face told him she was shocked and would have turned pale as a ghost were that possible for her. “You see it too? The little gray one?” They nodded and an immense weight seemed to lift from her. “I thought I was going crazy, but Shai sees it too…”

“I see it too!” Gary complained.

“Yeah., but look at you, not really an exemplar of ‘not crazy’. Shai spends half her time telling people you’re moon touched and harmless.” Shai nodded with a much put upon look.

Gary grumbled quietly to himself before snorting; “Well, since you two are so tight, Shai can give you the ring and explain what happens at bedtime tonight.”

Both girls said; “Wait what?” at the same time for completely different reasons.

Gary was oblivious, deep in conversation with Ivy on some esoteric matter of enchanting. “...so inverting the signal runes reduces range but increases fidelity? That really helps!”

Becky cornered him and unloaded. “So I’m supposed to put on this janky ring and go into your transdimensional dreamworld. Then I’m supposed to Contract to a god to be named later… and you think that is a winning strategy for me?”

“That's a tough one, I get it. We tried hard to find another way, but it’s all about the process with this entity. Just come talk to them, at worst you might see some things you would never otherwise. Wanna meet a spider that plays a silk harp?” Gary’s half mad eyes and goofy grin did not do much to sell her on the idea, but Shai standing nearby nodding did.

“I’ll talk, but this spider better be as cute as you say.” Shai was looking gim and shaking her head with slow deliberation. Until Gary looked her way, she quickly feigned a smile and said something incomprehensible that sounded positive.

Closeted alone upsairs in their chambers, Shai sagged against Gary and said; “Be ye sure tis Becky wahe needs ta see Secret? Ye did nae speak tae me of this.”

“Yeah, sorry. It hit me at the table, when she offered to murder Theophus for me… for you… for, us?” He shook his head in wonder and horror. “She is gonna be pissed I told you, but that’s her problem. Keeping secrets from you is hopeless anyway.”

Shai stared at him in dawning horror, followed by anger and disappointment. The whole cargo of emotions that might possibly fit the situation ambled across her broad, open face.

In the movies, when the girl gets driven beyond frustration and drums her fists on her boyfriend’s chest in impotent fury, it’s super cute. Less cute when the girl is as big as most grown men, a blacksmith and a trained warrior.

“That’s fair, caught you by surprise on that one, it surprised me too. I wasn’t expecting an assasination plot at breakfast.” Gary said as he got up off the floor, rubbing his bruised torso. “I decided we needed to get her in out of the cold right away. Sorry for the executive decision, I kinda panicked… with the murder and all.”

“Whae do it all mean boy? Tis madness… I hae known Becky since she were small… well ye know.” Shai shook her head in distress. “She is nae like thee, all stuffed wi magic an madness. I should know an I see more o either of yours than any other.”

“I felt it my first day in the orphanage. She and I are the same, not the same, but we are the same tribe… I guess. It’s hard, you know, the feeling of being different.” He held her close. “You know that, you live among a different culture. When you hear an accent from home on a stranger’s lips and you just know that you have things in common with that person.” Shai nodded in his arms, silently.

“Becky and I had that on day one, we did too love, but for different reasons.” A sudden jabbing pain jolted through his body, as Shai grabbed his ear in her iron hard fingers and pulled, ever so gently. “Ow!Owow!” He yodeled, no doubt in manly tones.

“I did find a box in yer mind, boy… were marked ‘Hentai’.”

She whispered softly. “Twere some dark doings in that box boy. I did see much ‘Harem manga’ in there, no few books o prose pornography as well.” She kept hold of his ear, making him dance to her tune.

“Have ye a mind tae collect women, ye shall be needing tae start yer collection anew boy.” She pulled his head down closer. “Shai can share many things without a care boy, thee I will nae share.” She purred playfully.

“Becky? Eww gross!” Gary choked. “I never had a little sister before, but I gotta assume this is the feeling. That was a weird thought.” He bit her shoulder and nibbled a bit thoughtfully. “I feel like I’m the one who should be worried. You ever notice that most guys our age avoid me? Yeah, I took the hottest girl in town off the shelf. They all hate my guts or hope I will die tragically.”

“Methinks they would be disappointed, tis thee and me til we see what’s next together. Nae tryin tae peek early now. I shall be telling thee when ye may die.” She sank her teeth into his neck just hard enough to leave a mark and dragged him to the door. “We hae a festival, a busy night and a journey tae begin on the morrow.”

Together they marched back down stairs, swept Becky up and dragged her into the bright, snowy morning to enjoy the remains of the event.

As with Order, most of the organized events were in the noble’s quarter. At the uplands gate, there were jousting lists, even more stalls for gambling and tests of skill. Purveyors of luxury goods from afar and sundry other festive booths had appeared as well.

Shai and Becky dragged him through the uplands market, just so he would not feel he had missed much. The real action was in the commons.

War left the market and craft wards to find their own entertainment. As with Order, the commons found this slight to be a blessing, the party was rowdy, raucous and good clean fun.

In the gate market, by the river a few plots were cordoned off and local champions were holding out challenges to martial events. There were boxers, wrestlers and other bare handed martial artists sketching out brackets for the day’s tournaments.

A group of duelists standing by racks of armor and padded swords, staves and axes, seemed put out. They were arguing the finer points of oddsmaking with the representative of Order sent down to manage the whole mess.

“Gambling is to be done only in iron bits and odds may not increase beyond two to one. That is the law, I will enforce it even today.” Paul said politely but firmly. “Please remember that this is a sacred festival.” As he turned and caught sight of their little trio he grinned.

The blonde giant had his helmet hung at his waist, holding colorful wooden prize tokens for the games. “Active adventurers are prohibited from competing in the commons Shai, if you wish to test your steel, the uplands competitions are…” Shai was holding up a bright wooden token, painted blue with a stylized sword carved into it.

“I hae taken third there yesterday, now I come tae enjoy the company o me fellow common rabble.” She smirked. “I did dent your cousin Andre’s helm a mite, tell him tae bring it tae me fer fixing, an he wakes”

“I saw him this morning, he asked me to tell you he will be expecting a dance this evening, you really shook him up.” Paul swatted Gary on the shoulder, sending him for a short stumble. “My cousin has more pride than sense, but is a good man. He has given up his hopes of courting Shai.”

“So why is he sending you to demand things from her?” Gary grumbled. “Sounds like she mopped the floor with him yesterday.” Shai swatted him on the other shoulder, sending him off on another short misstep.

“Aye, he had tae be carried off tae the healers, an his hopes o first place were dashed. But he be among the best dancers in the uplands quarter. Ye do still struggle in that area boy.” Shai began to push him along as Paul ambled his way through the gate market.

“I’m in the band, we don’t get to dance as often…” Shai dragged him into an open area, lined with benches near the food stalls. In the back, by the trees stood a familiar drum kit and harmonium. “Shai, did you have something planned?”

“We were tae play both days, ye did take yesterday off, so there be no money fer thee.” She adopted a disappointed tone. “We kinnae win the battle o the bands wi nae work ethic. Ye must pay yer dues ere ye make the big time.”

A wide semi circle was chalked out around the drum riser, creating a stage, Ivy hopped onto the stool in her horned wolf mask and huntsman’s leathers. She barked a short, feral howl before attacking her kit with a throbbing pulsing beat.

Tallum came trotting out of the crowd, already warming up on his bass. Becky had a small anvil on a stump and was hammering along with Ivy, creating a shimmering industrial clamor.

“Ye are fired frae the band fer today boy, keep off the stage lest ye be kicked in the arse. Ye shall dance wi me all the day, till ye drop.”

Dannyl and Liam came in over Tallum’s bass line with a familiar riff, Shai’s grin was huge and excited. Becky kept holding it down with that anvil like a champ while Shai spun his gift around her hips and used him to tie the whole bundle into a tight unit.

Clad in her adventuring leathers,Tawny stood up front with her tambourine and a mask (No noblewoman could perform before a crowd of people in the commons…) fronting with Liam and Dannyl.

A tiny silver button on her collar and the silver cuff on Shai’s wrist was all the warning he got before Shai tapped into his mana.

That voice of warm, rough velvet washed over the crowd, singing ferociously.

She’s a steel town girl on saturday night

Looking for the time of her life…

Shai grabbed him by the hand, using her gift and his own, dragged him off into the dancing mob. ‘Maniac’ ended and they shifted to local favorites for the long haul. After a timeless swirling frenzy, powered by his own mana, Shai finally let him sag to a bench for a few minutes.

Gasping for breath and wheezing like a split bellows, he almost collapsed in relief when Becky brought him a big skin of water and a shawarma. “Thanks love, don’t let Shai kill me before tonight ok?”

Becky flopped down beside him. “Shai could never hurt you… if this is some elaborate prank, she could never protect you either.”

“That is why I will not make you a contract weapon. That, right there. You are too sharp already, I don’t want to see you cut the things you want to protect kiddo.” He said, looking serious for perhaps the second time she had ever seen.

“You made Shai one, she is just as ‘sharp’ as me, cut the bullshit.” She said bitterly. “I’ll run before I let them sign me to War.”

“I will make you one, but no weapons. Armor, Shield, musical instrument, you choose anything harmless. No booty bells like Shai’s, that’s an original.” He grinned at her in that familiar way that always felt like she imagined home would, somehow.

“Shai’s winding it back up for another fast one, she is gonna want you back in there for the next. Gotta go bring the thunder!” She vanished in the crowd with moves that showed Shai’s tutelage.

“They grow up so fast…” He remarked before attacking his sandwich and waterskin like a starving wolf. He only had till the end of ‘The Spring Hymn’, a bouncy liquid number that felt like brazilian jazz guitar to him.

He felt her approaching, cutting through the crowd like a predator among lesser fishes. Damn his woman was scary on the dance floor.

“One more dance wi me boy, then I put ye in the pool tae marinade fer dinner tonight.” she spun herself into his arms as the band slowed down to a dreamy pace. “We shall have a slow one tae cool ye down and to the bath wi ye. I hae more dancing tae do ere the night be done.”

Tawny’s golden voice came tumbling out like a tidal wave of warm honey.

Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night

And wouldn't you love to love her?

Takes to the sky like a bird in flight

And who will be her lover?

“I bet you think you know all my secrets, woman. You are wrong, I have tricks yet to be seen!” He told her as they danced, weaving through the throng effortlessly.

“Shush, I do like this one, an Tawny has it well in hand.” ‘Rhiannon’ ended as they reached the edge of the clearing, where the dancers and spectators mixed freely. He could feel the band shift into an instrumental number that seemed local as Shai pointed him towards home.

“Can they keep it going til you get back? I can get home without help.” He said as the connection to the band became tenuous.

“Trust in yer friends and kin, they will take a break and they need, I did tell Ivy ta take a drum an bass duet an the others get tired. We do know about the stamina o those two.” In a short while he was drifting aimlessly, watching the sky darken.

He felt Shai rejoin the band, his gift attenuated by the great distance. She still held him tight though, making him feel a part of the proceedings. Shai had her fingers all over that set list, so much country and swing.

“When she discovers rockabilly I am really in for it.” He said to the big gleaming moon, its bright face was cratered and pocked in a pattern that reminded him of a leaping stag… or maybe a duck.

The little moon was down low on the horizon. It’s orbit was highly peculiar. The uniform gray orb seemed to wander the sky without rhyme or reason, drifting too and fro as though it had an eccentric mind of it’s own. Its light too, seemed unsettling and dismal.

The big moon shed a radiance that earth’s never had, it was pale and cool with hints of a golden sunset hue. His thoughts wandered to Shai and dancing in the summer moonlight. Back when life was just insane, rather than completely bonkers with a side of abominations.

As he drifted, just outside a dream he could almost hear the music, or was it the music from his band? They were still shaking their groove things down in the gate market.

His body fetched up on the stairs, where Shai had fed him cake last night and his dream deepened.

The band did not have a deep well of songs that were ready to perform. They ran through the set list before evening fully took hold, bravely they soldiered on. Circling back to local favorites that they had performed earlier, no one seemed to mind.

Shai twirled Gunnar in the open space that always seemed to follow them in the press of bodies. He was liquid grace and easy smiles all the way to his toes, she was the driving force on the dance floor.

To a casual observer Ivy and Tallum were the heart of the band, while Liam and Tawny held forth in joyous rapture at the front. Shai was the source of the energy pulsing through the crowd, jolting the band to greater heights.

Dannyl and Becky were taking a break pounding down juice from a nearby cart. “Is it always like this?” Becky asked, gasping and holding on to her brother to steady herself.

“Yeah, though it does get crazy sometimes. You gotta enjoy the quiet moments like this!” He shouted over the slow rolling riot around them. “Having second thoughts about all this?”

“No chance, I feel like I can finally breathe!” She kissed him and spun into the mob, still clutching a cup of berry juice and a sticky sweet roll.

The tiny girl effortlessly slipped through the crowd and cut in on the beautiful twirling dancers. She pushed the juice and pastry into Shai’s hands and stole her dance partner without missing a step. Gunnar bowed with grace and charm to his new partner and pranced away with her giving a fond wave to the red haired dynamo.

Good intentions were fine, but keeping up with long legged and lithe Gunnar Shah was a job of work. She was only four songs in and her legs were shaking. Just in time, Dannyl swept in and took the older man’s hand with a cheeky grin.

Gratefully she staggered off to the bench of exhausted and blushing young people catching their breath nearby. Almost all of whom had been worn to a nubbin by either Shai or Gunnar.

Every woman and a goodly number of the men were staring in rapt wonder at the thing unfolding before them.

Dannyl and Gunnar were cavorting across a wide open space, reserved for only them by some magic. Each young man performed an acrobatic dance, then paused as his partner emulated and then elaborated on his moves.

Back and forth they spun and lept, challenging each other and the crowd to new heights of abandon. The volatile combination of a cool winter evening, wild and exotic music and strange, mingled magic sent the whole crowd spinning into the night.

Gunnar surged forward on the balls of his feet, invading Dannyls dance space provocatively. Wielding his smile like a rapier, he shot first one shoulder and then the other past Dannyl’s face in an outrageous display of shimmy. He twirled and skated across the lawn like he was on ice, laughing with joy.

Dannyl ran in place furiously as his opponent backed off, he took a wild run up. Halfway there he kicked off into a cartwheel, resolving into a twisting handspring. The young warrior planted in front of his opponent with a cocky grin. The cheeky kid stepped into a spinning dervish dance, twirling back to his side.

No one really noticed when the band retired for the evening, Joy’s acolytes were seldom willing to let a party end just because someone was tired.

Gary woke to find all his friends floating nearby, clearly as exhausted as he was. Shai had one of his hands and Becky the other, floating together among their strange extended family.

“Tell me about where we come from Gary.” Becky said in the quiet that they had settled into.

“Yes,” Liam said, “you never speak of that place, I imagine we are all curious.”

All the ears in the bath were focused on him, though most of the eyes were closed, or gazing at the gathering stars.

“It’s not that much different from here. Except for the everything being different part. You guys can’t imagine a world where there is no magic, any more than I could imagine all this. Assuming I'm not in a coma hallucinating all of you.” That earned him a wet slap from both sides at once.

“Ok, maybe I’m underestimating you all. So take our world, get rid of all the gods and magic, all the monsters and Contracts.” He waited a while as they thought. “Now move the clock forward five hundred years.”

There was a bubbling sound as Amicus sank below the surface, to be rescued by Otho the dog. “Because we don't have magic, we figured out other ways to do the same kinds of things you guys do. Mostly with mundane machines, like in my workshop.” He continued, ignoring the canine lifeguard.

“Your machines do be magical…” Shai interrupted. “Tis magic makes them run, dae ye use watermills fer all things?”

“...Yeah… lets go with that explanation, we use ‘water mills’ to create artificial lightning, and our crafts to harness it. The whole thing is dangerous and technical, I really have no idea how it works… Tallum, no! No! Put that notepad back!”

Gary glared at his big friend. “If we find you broiled to a crisp because you thought you could capture lightning, Shai will murder both of us.” When the offending notebook was gone he resumed. “I have a bunch of ideas, Tallumz will get his goodies.” He cooed, annoying the big man.

“Capturing lightning was only the first step though, it went crazy from there. We do things on the daily, that would blow your minds. We can move faster than a running horse, all day long while relaxing in a chair.” He smiled, remembering family train rides to San Francisco.

“Going from city to city is a daily event, even other continents if you feel like it.” He grinned even wider. “We fly across the sky, or go to the bottom of the sea. We even went to the moon.”

“None of that made people any better though. They still suck pretty hard; greedy, selfish, ignorant and bigoted at their worst.”

He looked grim. “We don’t have real gods, but we have religion, and they pretty much all hate each other and themselves like it’s a full time job. They get real creative when it comes to hating and torturing each other.” His sigh seemed to last a long time.

“We have art and music, captured the same way we caught lightning, preserved forever.” Now his face was wistful, drawn in melancholy and sorrow. “We can watch the great performers at their peak long after the people have died. That is our real magic and our curse.”

He drew blank stares from the crowd, most of whom were sitting on the edge, watching and listening intently. “Yeah, we can hear the greatest musicians perform for us with a moment’s effort. Want to watch a circus act, or a drama on the stage? It’s yours in a moment. Shai has seen a few.. What do you say?”

“Aye, I hae seen such things, Thirp (he be an acquaintance frae out town…) did make me watch the ‘Casablanca’ wi him. Twas dark and sorrowful, but true art.” she replied, staring off into space.

“Tis the music though, all Gary’s nobility be in the music, there be; Prince, Queen, the king, sir Mixalot… And the dance. How they dance, tis a wonder and miracle, so many new beats, I hae only just begun tae dabble in ‘Swing’ as ye to label it.”

“Ok, Shai is up to speed, any questions so far?” He paused, waiting for the inevitable deluge.

To his surprise it was Shai who asked first. “Ye did say twas a ‘curse’ how kin this be, ye do love these songs above all things?” She seemed deeply distraught by the idea.

He scratched his head for a moment before replying. “Shai, if acolyte Dering was playing her violin in the square, would you set up nearby and try to compete with her?”

“Nae, twould be rude tae interrupt wi mine fumbling skill. An she would play me intae the dirt wi ease.” She said, giving a look that said ‘stupid boy’.

“Now imagine everyone has all that music, performed by the best that ever were, in their pockets, ready to play through a device like my harmonium.” He smiled sadly.

“If the music never stops, there is no room for the kids that want to join the chorus.”

Shaking his head in sorrow he went on. “Hardly anyone in my world plays an instrument, even fewer would dare try in public. Too embarrassing, what if you lose the beat? Hit a sour note? Forget the lyrics?”

“Fear of embarrassment and our willingness to shame each other if we don’t perform like a master level professional is the bludgeon that silenced the music.”

“In many places, if I sat in the square and played my guitar the officers of the law would come chase me away. Some even got violent, if they thought I was vulnerable. Which I was, all my life.”

His guitar was out now, he sat on the curb playing a sweet gentle melody. “I could talk about it all night, but a couple guys wrote a song that really says it all. Becky, this one's for you, I hope you never see what you missed by coming here.”

Hello, darkness my old friend…

At the end of ‘Sound of Silence’ they all gathered up and went down to the orphanage for the final feast of War, lost in their own contemplations.