Ch: 215 Whom The Foul Fiend Vexes
Adventure’s pensioners and Healer’s lay cultists sailed on Esperanza’s bounty, making an easy and comfortable journey, without stopping at the warcamp. They sailed on into the evening, heading for home with the wounded and otherwise less mobile. An hour outside Wheatford, not long after eighth bell, Water Lotus cut through the night, gleaming white and wonderfully swift. Her windcallers and Waterworkers hurled the yacht forward silently, her sails barely filled, as she raced the wind up the valley.
Mikkel and Hanah leaned on the rail, watching the white ship slip by, enjoying a comfortable silence with Esperanza. “So, elder… This unworthy one hates to ask, where did you get a leg…? You had only one, last we met.”
Hannah giggled and sighed, leaning on her far more stable husband. “That boy… crafty bugger. I owe him now, it’s like having twenty years drop away overnight.” Mikkel grumbled softly into the evening. They watched Falco leap and splash as Bounty slid up the river under a pair of rising moons.
#
Full sundown made things easier on Gary, bringing color back to his cheeks and more lively music from his fingers. The big band with their conjured instruments faded back into his shadow, relieving almost all of the pressure on his shadow and Mana pool.
Sweet shadows and cooling darkness swept over him as the moons rose, filling him with the quiet, eager anticipation of a coming day, full of potential, just over the horizon. As his gifts matured and his abilities grew he could feel ‘The Moon’, that strange fae blessing, beginning to move and squirm.
The Moon: mark of the fae, occult blessing.
Effect: Enhanced ability to manipulate shadows in dim or darkened regions. Shades and shadow constructs will consume fewer resources and require less energy to maintain. Shadow manipulation abilities will be greatly enhanced under direct moonlight.
‘Between shadow and light, dreams and waking, only a razor’s thinnest edge divides, ‘ware, lest you cut yourself.’
That mysterious gift started lightning the load, easing the strain on parts of himself that really weren't meant to be used that way. Shadows aren’t really supposed to be haunted by legions of fondly remembered friends, or scamper around making music unattended.
He could feel its counterpart, ‘The Sun’ pulling in the opposite direction, balancing out his tendency toward brooding and lurking in the dark. That was the source of his feeling of limitless potential waiting with the dawn, just a few hours away...
“Gods damned gods!” He grumbled quietly while tuning up his trusty mandolin. “Gotta admit, they know their trade…”
Deano was out and fully formed, along with his friends. The long, lanky man in the sharp suit holding a cocktail shaker made of shadows and rattling along with the band was smiling and giddily plastered… or was he? Frankie, Sammy and Bing were still a tad shadowy but firming up nicely as the moons rose. Cab was out, wielding his baton. And helping with the changeover. Cloaked and shadowed figures slowly became recognizable people, even if no one recognized them anymore; or almost no one.
“Cab! Tito!” Amy and Rio bolted at the two shades, groping for an insubstantial hug.
Wilf was on Angie’s lap and very comfy… plus he was irritating Rolf somehow, by lounging with his big sister, that was fun, even though he didn’t really understand why...
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He had his flute out, playing along to the simple song Gary was strumming on his mandolin.
“I like this music.” Wilf announced between bars.
“You would… it’s old people music.” Amy shot back. She was playing along on her uke and smiling though.
“Gary’s friend… Hombre Borracho, he is very funny.” Rio rattled his drum at her in mild annoyance. “Tito says he and Sammy are a strong team. Now shush!”
She stuck her tongue out at Rio, but Amy was starting to get why Gary liked this geezer so much, he had a mellow, rich and sweet voice.
Down each avenue or via, street or strada,
You can see 'em disappearing two by two…
On an evening in Roma…
His song swayed and lifted spirits, even those who had no freaking idea what he was singing about. When he switched to sweetly rhythmic nonsense the, confused Warband in the camp shrugged as one being and let it wash over them.
Though there's grinning and mandolining in sunny Italy…
The beginning has just begun when the sun goes down!
Com'è bella c'è la luna brille e strette,
Strette com'è tutta bella a passeggiare…
Sotto il cielo di Roma!
Throughout the warcamp the music was everywhere, as were the unseen but often felt musicians. Up on the hill, a small force of odd figures in wildly varied attire were throwing some kind of performance, linked to the music invading the camp. More than one off duty warrior found a ready hand for a bit of idle dancing.
Duke Belen’s furious overreaction and the crushing level of force brought to the situation had left a positive feeling in the returning troops, even if they were marching to Wheatford, rather than home to Port Fallon. Fresh air, good chow, hot baths and those crazy shithouses were enough for most of the veterans to relax a bit and let things unfold. If the officers said to ignore the creepy shades and nobody was raising the alarm…
In Napoli where love is king,
When boy meets girl,
Here's what they say…
When the moon hits your eye,
Like-a big pizza pie,
That's amore!
Deano had the thing well in hand, so Gary and Shai took a twirl around the garden, dancing together, separated by their instruments, but joined in harmony.
Inspired by the sweetly infatuated pair, Angie slipped from beneath the lad with the flute and offered her hand to Rolf.
“I’m new to the dance… would a brave knight risk trodden toes with me?”
Rolf would, in fact. After that, the evening went in some pretty relaxing directions. Angie and Rolf wound up glued together for the rest of Dean’s set and deep into the night.
#
Gary was wrung out like an old rag by the time the show ended, but his smile was still there, even unconscious and bobbing in the grotto with corporal Harris, the last injured man still afflicted by the taint of mortal iron weapons. Ivy and Dannyl had extracted him from where he’d been dragged by the cannibalistic little monsters. The fragment of blade lodged in his pelvis had been tough to remove, requiring all of Tawny’s surgical skill, now it was a matter of time and recovery.
Much like for Gary, whose Mana, Stamina and other, less normal physical and spiritual resources had been drained dry by the evenings frolics. He floated completely limp, but still smiling as though the world were a toy, spinning on his fingertips.
“Come along kids…” Becky murmured. “We’ll put you to bed tonight. He’s out cold.”
“When’s tia Grace coming back? Wilf misses her…” Rio said, with a shy smile.
“She had to sail with the nobles… it’s the rules. Auntie Celeste will take good care of her with granny Naiomi’s help.” Angie whispered, smiling much like her unconscious brother.
Rolf was waiting patiently outside, wondering whether he was going to regret his offer to help with the children. His experiences in that area were very limited; in contrast Tawny had practically grown up at the orphanage, in addition to her cult duties there…
Knights of Order and their squires had little free time to interact with younger kids and few occasions where that would arise.
‘I don’t think they still wear diapers…’ He thought to himself, as he referenced all his knowledge relevant to the matter.
Upstairs, the mysteries were revealed, for some reason, ‘tucking in’ was a critical step in the process, as were kisses goodnight… it was weird and uncomfortable for the serious young knight.