Thea counted her steps as she walked down a dirt path in the warm morning sun. It was a habit she had picked up since she was little. Thea loved to invent little games to pass the time. If there were cracks in the pavement, she would dodge them, preferring to land her feet on solid sections, pretending the gaps were poison or lava. For now, she only dodged loose rocks on the dusty trail.

One, two, three, four, she counted silently as she made her way up the incline that led to the top of the inner-city park. In her arms was a large package covered by a sheet. The result of the side project Thea had completed with Derrick just moments before. When she reached the top, her gaze turned to the scene below, marvelling at the grassy hill she had climbed.

The local citizens had taken tremendous care in the park's upkeep. Sculptured bushes of men at arms dotted the field as a herd of snow-white sheep grazed nearby. A large blue bow hung from each of their necks. The short grass was perfectly manicured, like a green you would find on a golf course.

Below, sitting alone, was the reason she had ventured to climb the hill.

Clemiticus lay on a red blanket beside a sleeping magical whale. In his hand was the plastic guitar. He Idly pressed buttons, sending his blue fairy into soft melodic convulsions.

Thea looked down and gripped the package she held a little tighter.

He’s going to love this! She thought.

Clemiticus looked up with a friendly smile as she approached.

“Hey! Got a song yet?” she asked.

“Kind of,” he replied, pausing his practise. “I have the music and lyrics for this duel thingy. But it’s not good enough.”

“How so?”

Clemiticus held out his plastic controller and explained, “This is great and all. But it just can’t hit the notes I need. Even with my luck stat.”

Thea grinned. Her suspicions had been right. When she first heard him play, she noticed the song wasn’t complete. It was as if some notes were missing.

Thea gestured towards the veiled package in her arms and lay it beside the bard.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Why don’t you take a look?”

Clemiticus, noticing Thea’s excitement, placed the toy guitar aside and carefully unwrapped the surprise gift.

His jaw dropped.

Varnished crimson was a polished wooden body, a long-darkened neck and a stylish yet menacing head. With six metallic strings and a range of buttons, dials and two midnight black pickups, the guitar looked more like an ‘axe’ than any other.

“Clemiticus has gained the item: Custom Lute! Rarity, EPIC!”

The back of Clemiticuses’ hand brushed down the width of the strings, sending Fairy into a harmonic spasm.

“Holy cow!” Clemiticus said in awe. “Thanks!”

“Do you think you will be able to play it?” she asked.

Clemiticus flipped the guitar over, tossed the shoulder strap over his head and muted the strings. Fairy fell silent as the Bard redirected his attention.

“Can I use my prize now?” he asked.

The blue announcer smiled.

“Yes, you can. This new item is compatible with your silver triangle.”

Clemiticus spun the guitar behind his back on its strap then swept Thea in a big hug.

“You’re a champion!” Clemiticus shouted.

Dog stirred from his slumber and watched the two humans with sleepy eyes then promptly fell back asleep.

“Ok Fairy,” Clemiticus began. “I wish to use my luck stat with the silver triangles hidden bonus.”

“Hidden what?” Thea asked in surprise.

Bing!

“Clemiticus has used the hidden bonus: Bards Silver Triangle.”

“Clemiticus has gained an increase percentage - instrument proficiency - for each point of luck.”

“Clemiticus has an increased potential of music experience depending on instrument proficiency.”

“I’ll take that as you can use it!” Thea said, laughing.

The new and improved musician held out a fist with his thumb and pinkie open, then strummed the strings.

“Clemiticus has gained Musical experience!”

“Clemiticus has gained instrument proficiency: Custom Lute!”

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Within a few notes and even more unbearable noise, Clemiticus played something that actually sounded like music. Before long, he had picked up the basics and was performing nursery rhymes without difficulty.

Fairy was no longer sent into convulsions from the sounds, instead the notes hummed with its wings as they flapped.

“Sounds pretty good, but I don’t think it will win you any medals,” Thea commented. “When’s the Battle of the Bards?”

Clemiticus strummed once more, gaining enough experience to level his proficiency to the next level before saying, “Tomorrow night. Should be just enough time to get my song, just right.” Clemiticus turned towards the fairy once more.

“Can I cast the bard spell yet?”

Fairy nodded excitedly.

“Awesome!”

“Spells?” Thea asked.

“I only have one for now. A simple buffing spell and the more I cast it, the more I learn.”

“Like practising music?” she asked.

“Exactly!”

The bard once more marvelled at his new guitar, then grabbed his old instrument. The black plastic vanished as it fell into the infinite recesses of his pocket.

“I’ll keep this one just in case! Hey what does this do?”

He pointed towards a red button that had a small picture of an axe painted on it.

Thea grinned, “Oh, that’s my idea. It’s the battle mode. You should try it out later.”

Thea then lay beside him on the blanket as he practiced. The warm morning sun, the fresh air and the now coherent notes of the guitar were soothing.

It allowed her thoughts to wonder, while she stared off into the clouds above.

“Hey Clem?” she asked.

“Hmmm?”

“Why do you think we are here? On Fanswald I mean?”

The music stopped as the Bard pondered the question. He turned to her and gave her the first serious expression she had ever seen on him.

“Thea,” he spoke softly, “I don’t know. At first, I thought I was playing a game. But then I found I had been swept up into something much more interesting.”

Clemiticuses’ jovial demeanour returned as he said, “The why is not important. The why is not in our control. The what is,” he gestured to the world at large, “What we do now is the most important thing!”

Thea wondered about the potential implications.

“Hey! We are gamers!” he said cheerfully. “Games don’t play us! We crush games!”

Thea returned a broad smile. “You’re right!”

A small weed wriggled next to Dog. It caught Thea’s attention as it spontaneously grew a few inches above the rest of the grass.

“What’s that?” she asked.

The weed continued to grow as it attempted to approach the water surrounding whale.

Clemiticus picked up the water sphere holding Dog and stood away from the weed. The guitar swung wildly over his shoulder by its leather strap.

“It’s still growing!” shouted Clemiticus.

The alien plant was rapidly blooming. With frightening speed, the weed grew the size of a house cat. Wicked leaves unfolded from the stem, followed by four dark flower petals. In its centre was a mouth with razor-sharp teeth.

“Oh! What the shit?” Thea swore.

The plant monster lunged forwards devouring their blanket in an instant, then grew a head taller.

“Stand back! Get out of its reach!” Clemiticus shouted.

As if in response, the monster ruffled its petals and heaved one thick root out of the ground then the other, taking a step forward.

“Well damn!”

“Fight or flight Clem?”

Clemiticus looked around and shook the whale awake. “Time to battle buddy!”

The whale opened his eyes and said, “Good morning!”

“Want to water some weeds?” he asked the marine mammal.

“YAY!”

Dog turned towards the threat and send a jet of salt water.

“Stop, stop, stop!” cried Thea as the creature swelled in size.

The monster had grown twice its size within a second on impact.

“But it’s sea water?” Clem protested. “That’s bull!”

Thea jumped into action with a confident grin, flipping her book open to her favourite chapter.

“Construct turret! Net mode!” she commanded.

The wooden construct whirred into action and instantly shot their foe. The projectile flowered open, covering the target with the thick netting.

“HA!” Thea shouted in triumph.

Her victory however was short-lived. The plant chomped down on the netting and devoured the rope prison.

“Clem!” Thea said. “Press the axe button!”

The bard looked down at his guitar, then back at the town planner.

“Distract the thing for five minutes!” Thea shouted. “I think we need to try out option number C!”

“C is not a number!”

“Just do it!” she shouted.

“I will! I will!” Clemiticus replied. “We just need some buffs first!”

A string of notes rang out as Clemiticus broke into song:

If you want combat buffs, clap your hands!

Clap! Clap!

A yellow light glowed around them as their feet shone.

“Clemiticus has cast minor combat buff!”

“Clemiticus has gained ten percent to all combat stats.”

“Thea has gained ten percent to all combat stats.”

“Dog has gained ten percent to all combat stats.”

How did Dog even manage to clap? Wondered Thea, Never mind. Not important!

Clemiticus looked down and pressed the red axe labelled button.

Click!

The guitar transformed before their eyes. The neck thinned and strings retracted, while the lower edge of the body flipped open to reveal a heavy axe-blade. It was a wonder in Derrick engineering.

“Clemiticus has equipped the item: Custom lute, Axe mode!”

The battle-ready bard burst out laughing as he ran towards the danger. Instead of taking the threat seriously he began to sing, sing, sing!

Oh!

I’m a lumberjack and I’m Okay!

I chop plant mobs and I sing all day!

Thea wasn’t sure if she was more baffled or impressed by the bard’s battle technique. The plant turned towards the frolicking fanatic and swiped at the nuisance with a viny limb. The appendage flew towards his feet as Clemiticus literally skipped with the song.

I cut down trees, I skip and jump!

I’m gonna kill this flower!

“Seriously?” Thea yelled.

Before Clemiticus could finish the song, he struck the monster from behind and split its stem in half. The creature let out a screech as its torso toppled over, crashing to the ground.

Clemiticus moved to stand beside Thea and watched the monster struggle in agony.

“What now?” he asked.

“It’s still moving…” Thea commented.

Below the hill, they spotted a small group of blue-robed individuals running up the hill in a panic. Clemiticus shrugged, then buried his axe repeatedly into the fallen foe.

“Why, won’t, you, die?” He shouted as he cut the plant into tiny bits.

“No, stop!” called out a voice from below, but by then it was too late.

“Um Clem…”

“Yeah?”

“Did you ever see that old cartoon movie with the classical music?” she asked as the plant parts continued to twitch. “The one with the mops and buckets?”

“Uh, oh!” Clemiticus said with an air of fatal comprehension.

Before you could say wizards' trainee, all the little pieces of plants dug themselves into the ground and sprouted their roots.

“Is it time yet?” Clemiticus asked.

“Ten seconds,” she replied.

The bard then swept up his things and shoved them into his pocket. Turning to Dog he picked up the whale and hurtled him down the hill.

“Yay!” Dog squealed in delight as he soared and bounced safely below.

Clemiticus then moved towards the mages and held out his arms.

“Out of the way!” they called. “This is royal mage business!”

“We got this!” Clemiticus replied.

Thea moved towards the weed patch of emerging monsters and pointed towards their roots.

“I didn’t think I would need this so quickly…” she mumbled then commanded.

“Summon turret: BFB mode!”