“Cybele was the only one still playing the piano since my great-grandfather passed, s-so the rest of her sisters didn’t remember which sheet it was.”

  “They didn’t know the name of the song?” Ryder furrowed his eyebrows.

  “T-They did, but- I’ll just… show the problem to you.” Alin stood up, pulled out a sheet from the cabinet, and showed it to her guests.

  Findir picked up the sheet and raised his eyebrow. The rider had the same reaction when he was handed the paper.

  “Are these… even words?” He pulled the sheet even closer to his narrowed eyes.

  “My great-grandfather always had awful handwriting that only Cybele and my great-grandmother could read. My grandmother said he always had an interest in becoming a writer, but couldn’t due to that.”

  “It’s fortunate that yer great-grandfather had talents as a musician then, because I’ve yet to see musical notes drawn more perfectly than this.”

  “Your grandmother and her sisters didn’t try to play every single sheet until they found the tune that matched the one in their memories?” The rider questioned.

  She shook her head. “Like I said, they only learned how to play for fun, so after Cybele’s death, they had already forgotten how to read the sheets. They also didn’t try to relearn it because they were too busy with their lives. My mother and I wanted to give it a try before, but… we couldn’t play it, no matter how much we learned and practiced. We just couldn’t get it.”

  “They didn’t ask other musicians to play it for them?”

  “The musicians were… My grandmother described them as ‘rabid’. All they wanted was to get their hands on the ‘music sheets left by the great Dion Miuzika.' The sheets were the only keepsakes they had left of their fathers, and they didn’t want to risk it getting destroyed or stolen. So, they set up a rule where only those who can survive a fight with the Knight for three minutes, which was the length of the song, can see the sheets . It was something they must be able to do anyway to protect whoever’s going to play the piano.”

  “But the information broker in the Guild didn’t say everyone who challenged the Knight died, just most of them. So why isn’t the curse broken yet?”

  “Because they managed to escape, and they never tried again.”

  “Right, of course. Should’ve thought of that.”

  She sighed. “My grandmother never changed her mind until her death. My mother still wanted to help break the curse, so she changed the rule that adventurers no longer need to prove themselves to access the sheets. But by then, it’s already too late, because my grandmother never played the song. We don’t know what it sounds like.”

  Ryder leaned back. “...shit. So this is why no one ever managed to break the curse? Even with my dragons, I doubt we can try all the sheets one by one in less than a month.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “I-I’m t-truly sorry, Mr. R-Ryder…”

  The human sighed and waved his hand. “It’s not your fault. I knew there had to be a catch for a request to remain incomplete for so long. Tell us what's the name of the song. I’ll try to... make out the words on the sheets.”

  Alin nodded. “T-The tune was called My Truth In May.”

  Ryder’s head jerked up as he blinked.

  “My Truth In May? Sounds like a weird tune to play at a weddin’.”

  “My grandmother said it was the one that Cybele loved the most, so she wanted to play it at her wedding.”

  The teenager covered his mouth and muttered under his breath, “How is this possible? He arrived here over 50 years ago, so how could- Right, the time dilation… Still, it could be a different song…” He removed his hand and locked his eyes on her again. “Are you absolutely certain that is the name of the song? Beyond a shadow of a doubt?”

  “Y-Yes. My grandmother and her sisters were certain that was the name.”

  “What else did they tell you about the song? Even the smallest detail will help.”

  “U-Uhm, she said it was a s-song her father loved the most from a show he w-watched in his hometown. He p-played it frequently, which was why Cybele loved it.”

  “What kind of show?”

  “It’s ani… ani… ani-something”

  “Anime?”

  Her tail whipped. “Yeah! Anime! Wait, how do you know, Mr. Ryder?”

  “I…uhm… Your great-grandfather probably came from the same place as I did.”

  The cat-woman’s eyes sparkled with great curiosity. “Can you tell me more about his hometown? My grandmother’s biggest regret is that she never learned much about her father’s history despite her constant questioning, so-”

  “I’m sorry, but… I can’t tell you, for the same reason he never said where he came from. We’re… bound by our creed. I’m really sorry.”

  “Oh…” She lowered her head.

  “However, I have good news. I know which song it is, but I don’t know how to read the sheets-”

  “That sounds like my time to shine!” Findir stood up with his fist raised before pointing his fingers at the cabinet. “May I play the sheets, Ms. Oriss?”

  “Y-Yes!” Her frown turned upside down and unlocked the cabinet. “I can’t believe I’m the one that’s going to help break the curse! I wish my grandmother is here to witness this…”

  “No doubt she’s watching from the heavens with a smile, Ms. Oriss.” The musician smirked as he sat before the piano and stretched his fingers.

  Alin nodded with suppressed excitement and placed a sheet on the music rack.

  “‘ere we go.”

  Findir pressed on the keyboard and began playing. Ryder could immediately tell that wasn’t it. However, seeing how moved Alin was when she heard the song, he didn’t have the heart to deny her a chance to listen to her great-grandfather’s tunes. Her daughter stopped playing with Green and went back into the house to dance along with the music. When Brown arrived, the dragon rider gang sat at the side and enjoyed their time listening to melodies from a world beyond this plane.

  As the sun snuggled back into its dark blanket, Alin suggested that they could join her and her daughter for dinner. They all accepted her invitation, and Green, once again, escaped his “punishment” as he accepted a big bowl of fresh salad from a stranger. Ryder refrained himself from reprimanding his partner and offered to help out prepare their meal. Brown joined in too. Finally, after going through all the piano sheets in the cabinet, the human heard the song they were looking for. Or at least, that’s what he thought before the musician stopped abruptly.

  “What’s wrong?” Ryder asked as he placed the final dish on the table.

  Findir picked up the sheet and faced the rider with furrowed eyebrows. “We have a problem, Ryder.”