Ch: 96 Drums in the Night

They got Gary tucked in with the kids without further trouble. He snuggled in and passed right out, joining them in his strange other place, while Becky and Shai went downstairs.

#

Wilford and Amy clamped onto his legs when he strolled out into the garden. “Hey, yeah, it’s been scary lately kids, let’s get comfy.”

In the bath, Thirp and Marduk kept casting nervous glances at the flickering shadows in the corners and just out of sight.

The kids were playing peekaboo with Ozzy in the bamboo by the pool. He would push his snarling, bestial face out from between the shady trunks and try to retreat before the kids could lock eyes with him. Good clean fun.

“Gary… you are pretty badly haunted right now.” Marduk had a nervous quaver in his voice, just a little.

“Yeah, they’re everywhere, I’ll get them lined up in a few minutes. Turns out they’ve been hanging out all this time, waiting. Morrigan opened the door, now they’re coming by to say hi.”

“Fascinating, rather than disrupting your tenuous hold on reality, these shades are binding and entangling your disparate parts together…” Thirp chimed in her higher strings. “Are these your ancestor’s spirits, come to aid you?”

“Kinda, I wouldn’t be here without them I think. Focus up, they’re coming over.” Amy and Wilford scooted over in the pool, joining Gary and the others as a group of shadows approached.

“I suspected it would be you guys…Sir Duke, Lady Ella, Count Basie, Mister Miller, Satchmo, Stevie, thanks for joining us. Please meet Marduk, god of Knowledge and She Who Spins in the Void, Thirp.” The shadows did not speak, they simply lurked, watching and listening.

“My friends are the legends of my people, or rather fragments of them animated by my shattered soul and mind…” He smiled and splashed at the kids who seemed to be taking all this in stride.

“Yeah I know, I’m a little nuts. That’s what called them, there’s not enough of me left to fill in all the holes and spaces, so they are jumping in to help.” He saluted the gathering cheerfully and grinned.

Slowly the spirits drifted off, merging with the gathered darkness and shadows at his edges.

“They aren’t whole ghosts or spirits, they’re remnants of the music they made and the magic it created… in me.”

#

Gary was busy sleeping dreamlessly by the time Becky and Shai wound down enough to join the kids elsewhere.

“So these be all… songs?” Shai asked, holding Wilford on her lap and bouncing him to soothe herself.

“Not exactly, you know that thing he does, writing an entities’ name in clay and summoning it? His songs work that way too, bringing the attention of… them.” She waved at the subtle, bustling crowd that always seemed just out of sight or in the next room.

A tall thin man with long curly hair, Gary’s face and an accordion strolled by, silently playing something fast and frisky, with a wink and a smile.

Becky sighed with pleasure. “If you listen close, they will tell you their names, it’s all they really want. Weird Al just wants you to remember him and the music.” The lean musician smiled and nodded, before vanishing into a blueberry bush.

“I do like the look of him… Whae songs do he sing?” Shai asked bashfully. “He do make me feel like giggling…”

“Yeah, he’s fun, but I don’t understand a lot of his songs…” Becky waved to a figure in a strange, skin tight outfit and a short cape. “Mister Dynamite, Come visit Shai, she speaks your language.”

This Gary was short, slim and athletic, with a strange shining and rigid hairdo. His skin tight clothes even included tiny shoes, so small she marveled at his feet.

Feet that never stopped moving. Blinding fast and so intricate, she stared rapt and smiling, until her feet began to emulate his moves.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Ok gang, Shai’s on board.” Becky called into the darkness.

#

Gary was long gone when the rest of the family woke. They found him in the shop with Tallum, working at the tinker’s bench.

“That looks close… I’ll finish it up and we’ll give it a try. Thanks Tallum. See you in a week or two… you are gonna miss my workshop big guy.” He grinned at Shai, waiting for him on the landing impatiently. He was sweaty and dirty, but healthy and alert.

“Come boy, ye must get ready tae travel. Brother, be well, I leave me town in yer hands.” They left the big smth downstairs. He kept working, intent on getting as much done as he could, before he found himself working back at Harlan’s for a few weeks.

Bath and breakfast later, the small band assembled in the garden. Luna came out of the stable, leading a tall dusky mare with a white blaze and socks. Lean and long, she seemed relaxed and confident around the armored band.

A dust brown pony trotted out along with a few other familiar horses. Pickle, Magnus, and a few other friends clopped out into the garden with the two newcomers. “That horse is kinda familiar.”

“She should be, that lancer was riding her last time you met, now she is mine by right of conquest, as that pony is yours. The rest of their mounts were stolen and must be returned.” She stroked the mare’s neck and rubbed her jaw, cooing in the animal’s ears. “Yes, no more bandits riding you…”

Amy and Wilford were already on the pony, climbing up the animal as though she had a ladder built in. “Sandi!” Wilford said, from his place wrapped around her neck. “I like Sandi!”

“Ok kids, aye… Sandi will hae the pulling of the Mystery Machine…” Shai smiled and shook her head in mocking sorrow. “I kinnae believe this be mine life, fer true an all…”

#

“The rest of the company thinks we volunteered for a crap detail. Since they're lounging around the barracks.” Guard sergeant Olan said in his best Nco voice.

“I think we drew a fine run in the sunshine through the fair duchy of Wheatford in spring...” He breathed in deep, making the shiny new brass badges of rank on his cap and breast sparkle in the sun.

Groans and good natured complaints rumbled around his eleven person squad.

“Here is the secret part of our mission now…” He said calmly, as Khan trotted up on Annie, fully armored, with his lance pennant flying bravely.

“I recognize some faces here… this is a strictly volunteer operation, anyone who is uncomfortable around non-human allies or strange occurrences should fall out of formation now. No fault or demerits will be assessed.”

Khan’s voice rattled out across the sleepy gate market, while he waited patiently for a few moments.

“Excellent, you will be escorting a food shipment to Flintspire Town, our local Adventurers will be along to make the journey more entertaining…”

A few cheers rose from the platoon of brown armored town guards. Most were retired warriors, War and Order cultists, or orphans who settled down after indenture. Clearly, they had all heard the rumors of luxurious travel and strange things.

“My ducklings have been splashing about loudly… you may learn some secrets or see some things that are difficult to credit…”

He lowered his voice and walked Annie closer to the troop. “Please consider these things to be state secrets of Wheatford. I assume you have all been briefed on Mykonos’ little misadventure…”

A quiet rattle sounded as they snapped to attention, the casual attitude burning off like mist in the morning.

“We have a debt there, please repay it with your discretion, that is the only repayment they ask.”

He took the volume back up, crisp and professional.

“Seargent Olan will be your commanding officer, My troop will continue on after Flintspire. He has your orders after that. Olan…?”

He grounded his spear and grinned at his troop of restive warriors. “We are expecting a few hundred refugees from the duchy of Shiraz to arrive at Flintspire Town within a few days, perhaps as many as a thousand.”

The small troop remained very still and quiet as Olan continued. “Duke Mubarek lost three villages on the fringe before harvest. The people escaped, they are hungry and headed this way. We will be providing security and order in the camp until their situations are resolved.”

Everyone in wheatford knew that singing jingle. The band of youngsters, with Luna at their head, came rattling down the street, headed for the gate in close formation. They walked their mounts and led the pony and cart in town, only the two tiny children rode.

Armored like tiny Adventurers and sitting proudly on the cart, Amy pretended to hold the reins, while Annie really guided Sandi. Wilford waved solemnly at the gossiping shoppers and storekeepers they passed, looking very serious for a toddler in turtle armor.

The group joined Khan’s formation, creating a significantly less disciplined rearguard. “Hi guys! Olan! Looking good!” Gary cheered as they rolled up.

“Silence in Formation!” Khan barked. Startling Gary into being quiet. “That worked? We have to remember that…” The veteran remarked to his wife and second in command as he dismounted and swept her close for a kiss.

Jeers and moans of delight rose from the brown armored guards, until the pair broke their clench and Luna’s single eye swept the troop. Order returned quickly.

“Troop, move out!” Kahn barked, as the whole party set out at a steady march.

A mile from town they paused for a break, as the Bathers all took the tack and saddles off their animals. Only Sandi remained in her harness, to draw the small blue cart full of children down the road. They piled the gear onto the red armored warrior in their midst, making it vanish.

As they worked, a dark armored form slipped from the woods and climbed into the back of the cart. “Nara!” Amy shouted with joy, as the catwoman burrowed into the blankets in the cart bed.

“Shush kitten, It’s naptime.” She mewed softly, dragging the kids down off the driver’s bench and into the bedding for a snuggle.

Moments later both giggling children were back on the bench seat, while Nara’s tail twitched behind them in mild annoyance. “So cruel to make me nap alone…” She said, from somewhere warm and comfy.

“We will be picking up the pace now…” Khan said as he stripped the tack from his mount. “The horses will have an easier time running at their own pace.” He answered their silent questioning eyes.

“Just go with it, it’s easier that way.” He said, with a very disturbing smile under his mustache. “I really enjoy being on this side of these things…” He called to the red armored man who was bustling about, distributing objects to his crew.

“Hey, do any of you folks play an instrument?” The lobster armor asked.

“Gary?” Olan asked, stepping out of the group of guards. “Are you fit to travel? I saw…”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Twas chaotic and wild in the market, sergeant, mayhap t’was nae as bad as ye feared…” Shai interrupted. “Let us be away…” She raised her violin and began a slow swaying song.

Gary found a few takers, one drum and a couple tambourines. Guard Firth had her own ukulele, traded from Gary for a stack of bronze ingots and a walrus tusk. Firth uncased her instrument at Khan’s nod and smiled wide.

As soon as she was tuned up, everything started happening at once.

“Are ye ready kids?” Shai called over the music as it picked up pace.

“Aye-aye Captain!” The two tiny children shouted with obvious joy.

“Oh! I know this one!” Becky cheered from her shadowed hood.

“I kinnae hear youuu!” Shai sang out loud and long, cupping her bow hand to her ear as though listening to a distant whisper.

“Aye-Aye Captain!” The whole troop shouted, surprising themselves, as the song took hold.

Whoooooo… lives in a pineapple, under the sea…?

The short, silly song built up to a climax, then dropped, as the boy finished with a simple piping flute part, childish and joyful. The sweet little riff tooted out, in three part harmony.

The two tiny children bobbed their heads along, sang and on cue, raised flutes to their lips and piped along. The final flourish drifted away in the springtime sky, as they collapsed in happy giggles.

“You kids… how long have you been working on that?”

Shai giggled along with her children, climbing nimbly aboard the moving cart, to hug them, up on the driver’s bench.

The song didn’t end, it simply shifted into a new song, as the warriors chased the music over the roads and up into the hills of Wheatford duchy. The man took over singing for a while, as he spanked his guitar down the road.

Got an old slouch hat got my roll on my shoulder

I'm as free as the breeze and I'll do as I please just a bummin' around…

Got a million friends don't feel any older…

Got nothing to lose, not even the blues, just a bummin' around!

Shai started vibing on the lyrics hard, She hopped down and took to dancing around and around her boy, lost in the sheer joy of travel.

Whenever worries start to botherin' me

Well I grab my coat my old slouch hat, hit the trail again you see…

Somehow as the nimble smith danced circles about the man in red, it almost seemed that their shadows were dancing along. Holding each other cheek to cheek, not playing instruments or running down a long, dusty road…

#

They paused for a fine picnic lunch, from baskets that appeared out of nowhere at all. They lounged on pillows and blankets, eating and enjoying the small measure of decent quality beer they each received.

“Hey, Olan… where’s the food shipment we are supposed to escort.” Thurman asked, chuckling in his deep bass. “You won’t keep your rank if we ran off without our teamsters.”

Suddenly, Olan looked far less confident and secure. “I’ll… be right back… officer’s meeting…” He murmured as he scurried over to Khan and the ‘ducklings’.

“It’s in the pony cart.” He said confidently when he came strolling back to his troop. “Do you think I’m new here?” He asked Thurman with a smirk on his lips.

#

Evening found them in a pleasant meadow graced with a fine lawn of fresh new clover and a bubbling stream. Ringed with mature trees and at the foot of a high buff, it made a lovely camp.

A small magnolia tree stood proudly on a low, rocky mound at the center of the flat space. Perfuming the garden with a summertime fragrance, despite the early season.

A tiny red haired girl jumped out of the cart and dashed to the tree, hugging it close for a moment before vanishing into a small cave at the base of the hillock.

She emerged a moment later with a gray squirrel around her shoulders and began directing the troopers like a seasoned quartermaster.

“Gary, over in the northeast quarter please, the soil is rather poor there. Mortal Olan, don’t dig a privy trench in my meadow! Put that sod back this instant!” She barked in a voice that boomed across the clearing like thunder.

“Yes Annie, wherever you like. Such a dear…” The horses scattered to the perimeter of the clearing, grazing on the fine sweet growth.

“Amy, Wilford, come into my sitting room while they make a mess out here, Becky, you and Dannyl too. Come along!” Solange had them seated on her bed and petting her squirrel friend in short order.

“Yes, I will bask in your… keep you company while the grownups toil. See we are very smart!” She shook herself out of her doll body, leaving it hung on the boy’s clever rack.

She took a moment to preen her carapace back to lustrous perfection and chittered her mandibles at the sweet innocent human kids. The ancient being clung to the bedpost, contemplating the nature of mortality and life.

“Did you filch me a jug, Wilford? Good lad…”

#

Wheatford’s residents and especially her guards, had become as accustomed to strange happenings as one could hope, over the last several months. They took most of the evening in stride.

The kittycat woman in a pink sundress dancing with journeyman Shai was a challenge. The stick insect hanging silently from the ceiling caused some worry. When their host began having a one sided argument with the bug things were getting strange.

“Solange, please give that jug back… seriously, my kids are here. Wilford, we will talk upstairs.”

Apparently it was refusing to surrender a small jug of something vile smelling. The creature swayed drunkenly and kept drinking in a very disturbingly human manner.

“Sorry Gary, I’ll keep an eye on her until bedtime.” The young priestess with the harp coaxed the creature down with a cup of honeyed milk and continued the madman’s one sided conversation with the thing.

“Really… after all your ‘I watched your ancestors fling their poo’ nonsense…”

#

A strange evening became a restful night as the odd inn became a place of peace and tranquility. Dim paper lanterns made the garden a quiet dreamscape in the low hanging fog.

Inside a snug and warm common room, guards and Adventurers chatted, ate and danced while the band played simple country tunes… mostly.

Tea, cocoa and weak beer joined a rich, dark wallowbear stew and roasted winter vegetables on the tables. Pillowy biscuits, butter and honey sent the happy crew off to their bunks sleepy and mellow.

Firth, Olan and Liam were lounging in the garden, while Tawny and Shai were off plotting something with Becky. Gary was safely behind the pianoforte playing that ‘Linus and Lucy’ number that the kids loved so much.

Liam pulled his guitar from Gary’s storage and began to play along…

“Gary… did you do that?” Liam called through the ridiculous open doorway into the garden.

“Do what?” He asked, distracted by a tempo change. “I mean, probably. I’m all over the place right now. Nice chord shift, very sweet… and b flat major, follow me down Liam!”

Olan and Firth were red eyed and a little goofy, his new cultivar was not for beginners. “Did you see where my guitar came from?” He asked Firth, who seemed to be staring in that direction.

“Uhh, no… I wasn’t looking… I swear…” She was still staring, Liam followed her gaze directly to the place between his chair and guitar. She had a confused and hungry look in her eyes.

“Damn you and your haunted guitar, Gary!” Liam scolded his friend, who only giggled madly behind his own pipe. Without thinking about it, he traded for Gary’s Teleblaster.

With a deft move, he stashed one and drew the other, picking back up on the next bar.

“Gods damn it Gary stop doing that!” He barked.

“I’m only changing the key, you can keep up… how did you get her? The banshee was in my Pockets!...” The musician began.

“Fine…” Liam grumbled, swapping for a mundane acoustic, the boy was stuffed with instruments…

“Damn you, you did it again! Sneaky wretch!” Liam half complained, half chuckled.

“Whae did he do? Tis another odd manifestation?” Shai demanded, while smacking Firth lightly on her flushed cheeks. “Her condition be the thing?” Shai asked, still ministering to the befuddled woman.

“No, that’s my fault… yeah! Gary did that. He put that haunted guitar in my hands, poor Firth smoked herself dumb and was staring at my ass. Gods now all I need is for Tawny to… Oh, Tawny, Firth is ill.” He backed away quickly, while Olan sat watching the show with bright, stoned eyes.

“I love this house…” He muttered into his pipe.

#

“Gary figured out how to make musical instruments just appear in peoples’ hands… it’s really annoying.” Liam complained to Tawny and Shai.

“Wait! What? That’s awesome! Finally a new gift that’s not all ghostie murdery!” He held out his hand in rigid claw, willing a ukulele into Dannyl’s hands across the room. Nothing happened.

“Nope, nothin.” He sulked a little and then perked up. “Let’s goof around… kids are in bed. Solange is wasted… Olan is on another planet with Firth. What could go wrong…?”

#

Half an hour later, with Liam’s herb safely put away, the gang was in the garden experimenting.

Ok, Liam. Pick my Pockets!” Gary said, from over by the gate. Between eyeblinks, Liam had his guitar in hand.

“Wow! All the way across the garden…” Gary stepped out the gate and a few yards away from his invisible line of influence.

“Try and put it back!” He shouted. When nothing happened and Liam shook his head in denial, Gary started walking forward slowly. “Keep trying, let’s see how far...”

Right at the gate, the instrument vanished, returning to its home somewhere inside the madman.

“Sweeet! Becky, Shai, you try!” Shai dipped in and stole his pipe and pouch effortlessly, happily stuffing the contents of one, into the other. While Shai was contentedly puffing away, Becky was struggling.

“Nope, but I never could do that. Maybe it’s ‘cause Shai has a storage gift she inherited from you. Liam might be developing his own dimensional gift and the compatibility of your auras might be why he can rustle around in your pants… we’ll have to wait and see what… arises…” She fell to giggling at her weak entendre sinking to the lawn in fits, at her own hilariousness.

“Shai, even the contact high from that shit is nuts. Liam is on double secret weed research probation.” Gary said, while plucking the pipe from her nerveless fingers. He handed it to Liam while draping his senseless woman over his shoulders “Yeah, double secret probation. It’s too strong, man.”

When Gary had Shai situated, he looked over and found Liam smoking and looking glazed. “Dang…”

Poor Olan was still there, frozen in time like a bug caught in amber. The terrible burden of leadership fell on Gary’s deeply stoned shoulders.

“Liam, get Becky, I’ll get Shai, Tallum… oh, yeah…” He spent the next twenty minutes, blearily stumbling around with stoned people, trying to sort out who went where. “Too strong, too strong…” He mumbled around his pipe stem, as the job kept getting more complicated, for some reason...

#

Olan woke to the sound of chirping birds and sweet morning breezes. Warm sunshine washed over the thick woolen blankets spread on the lawn, beneath a blooming fruit tree.

Even warmer was the purring cat woman, nestled in his arms and gently kneading his chest with carefully manicured claws. He raised his head and found the whole troop at breakfast, calmly watching the show.

“I came back to put you in bed bro, I swear, but Nara found Liam’s stupid catnip and made you her cuddlebuddy.” The madman laughed. “No, don’t struggle, just let it happen.”

Nara had her broad flat head under his chin, using his stubble for her own amusement.

Tawny emerged from the inn and took in the scene with a jaundiced eye.

“All right Gary, that’s enough. Nara! Nara! Hssst!”

Watching the duchess heir make hissing noises and shooing motions at the feline menace was rough. When She said, “Skit-skat, bad-kitty!” it was too much for even the veteran guards.

Someone (Gary) started giggling, the cascade effect wasted a good chunk of the morning.

“Gary, that was very mean, this is Olan’s first command. He’s your friend!” Tawny fumed, as the ruckus calmed and Nara was peeled off and put in the cart.

“She’s my friend too… that’s why it was funny.” He chuckled. “It’s all Liam’s fault, I’ve been cutting my stash with mint and comfrey just to keep awake. He needs to stop, before he grows Budzilla, devourer of minds.”

“Is that some demon from your arcane studies… Gary you are an idiot.” She sighed happily, as Liam slid an arm around her shoulders.

“I really love that you get there, halfway through and switch to chewing me out without missing a beat. That kind of mental agility is priceless. Your training is nearly complete… you may call me, ‘Sensei’.” He performed a rigid and clearly practiced formal bow, and began giggling again.

“Come on, let’s get to Flintspire, Becky can’t wait to get worm off the menu… too bad, it's one of my favorites.”

“Gary, everything is one of your favorites.” Tawny said with a smile, while he was gnawing on a monster bone of some kind.

“Want some? It’s that giant mole rat from last week, Ivy cured and smoked it.” He sucked his teeth for a stringy bit. “It’s like bacon, with bones…”

When the troops were formed up, Gary trotted to the front.

“Hey gang, I set Olan up the bomb last night, that’s cause I’m an asshole. Trust me, he’s done way more embarrassing things than this… anyway, back to the Adventure!”

Olan pawed at his face in frustration and sighed. “It’s been like this… since I… met that loon… Shai is the best… armorer around…” He dug deep, struggling to keep up with the troop. Olan was still feeling froggy from whatever evil spirit haunted that pipe.

“I woke up… in bed… with his kids… if that helps…” Firth chimed in while they ran.

“No… doesn't help at all, you suck…. Firth…” He gasped

“Steady breathing… is the only secret… to stamina Olan…”

#

They hit the outskirts of town while the ringer was thinking about fourth bell and rode through the Adventure gate while the bell was still singing.

Gary had cut the guards out of the revitalizing portion of his power a mile from town on Khan and Tawny’s orders, to make them feel like they had put in a full day. “That still feels like a dick move Khan… I only do that for the horses cause they get all crampy and cranky if I don’t.”

“Men are like horses. We don’t want to turn a troop loose on the town in the evening, all fresh and frisky. That’s asking for trouble, even with good men and women.”

“Fair point, but half an hour in my bath will fix that right up anyway…” Gary had that damnable guitar out and was spanking it in a highly unusual manner. “Ok Sammy, ok! Let’s go…”

Whether I'm right or whether I'm wrong

Whether I find a place in this world or never belong

I gotta be me, I've gotta be me

What else can I be but what I am

I want to live, not merely survive

And I won't give up this dream

Of life that keeps me alive

I gotta be me, I gotta be me

The dream that I see makes me what I am…

The guild master was on the porch with a towel over his arm, waiting, as were his second and most of the retirees lodging at the Flintspire compound.

The boy wound down and the house came up. This time, a cloud bank crawled over the mountains and in front of the sun. Mere seconds later a flash of lightning burst right over town, with the climax of the mad boy’s song. When they looked back down…

“Missed it again!” Becky hissed in frustration.

Gary opened the door for Gary, graciously inviting himself inside. DoorGary was slim and short, miniscule in fact. So small, Shai wanted to scoop him up in a hug. He had high, sharp cheekbones and a sharp nose, with finer features… but still Gary.

He did a silent dance that took Shai’s breath away and slid out the door, into nowhere, while wiggling a round topped, narrow brimmed hat at her.

“All right Sammy, everybody loves mister Bojangles…”

“I do like him…” Shai whispered, hugging her man close as they watched their children chase fleeting shadows into their home. “Let us see who haunts the private bath boy, it be late.” She turned into the inn and sang out.

“Children quit yer chasin spectres an get tae the bath!”

“This is a deeply weird house…” Firth sang. Strumming her uke on the edge of the bath.

“Feels like a home though… I guess. Never had one of my own. Barracks life sucks.”

Olan had one of Gary’s weird little drums, trying to thump along and enjoying the soft, low thudding sound. It kinda felt like a heartbeat… and just a little hopeful.