Men and women of various races threw a continual rainfall of coins on the stage as Mal danced. The band played vigorously, unheard by those seated in the general dining area where O’Gannon played and entertained the patrons. The dance hall contained a number of magics that held the music and noise within the room. Mal moved in ways that many folks had never seen before; she was smoothness personified, all curves, flowing like a well fed stream. As she danced she engaged in what could only be called “movements of atypical flexibility.” The audience cheered and clamored to get closer to the stage.
As the noise from the audience crescendoed, an Orc and two Ogres leapt onto the stage and made to grab Mal as she danced. Three of Marcus’s Orc crew jumped on the stage to intervene. Two of them tackled the first Ogre who was wearing a purple tunic and the third tackled the Orc whose head was shaved and tattooed bright yellow. The second Ogre, quickly closed the distance between himself and Mal reaching toward her with sausage sized fingers and hands the size of hams. “Gotcha for myself.” He roared. Mal turned and threw up her hand and yelled an unintelligible word. A blue spray shot from her palms and just as Sausage Fingers touched her he stopped moving. Mal stepped back and performed a spinning heel kick that shattered the Ogres hands but left his arms still intact. She then drove her foot into his left knee with a piston-like thrust kick that shattered everything below the knee. As he toppled she caught his head and gently laid the ice sculpture on the stage.
“Your life’s gonna suck like a gutter whore on payday when you thaw ya sweet and sour swine son of a politician.” She turned a circle staring at the crowd, her glowering face so intense that some ducked their heads rather than meet her eye. “Anyone else want a shot at the champ? Hopefully this display teaches you that the stage is forbidden territory. Keep your damn hands to yourself and then go home and rub it out, ya freaks. This show is done and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Now go home and sleep it off.” She grabbed her costume and walked deliberately to the stairs leading off of the stage where she was met by two more members of the Orc Crew who escorted her to her rooms in the area behind the bar.
Trex turned to the Dwarf standing next to him and said, “That’s my woman.” Then he stood and walked to the rooms behind the bar. He knocked on the door to her suite and said, “Hey Mal, it’s me, Trex. Do you need to talk or do you need anything?”
The door opened and she gestured for him to enter. “I’m pissed,” she said and took a seat on the couch. She ran her hand over the soft black fur and seemed to relax.
“They’ve already taken the other two down to the Reever’s station and they just dumped frozen boy out in the alley.” Trex sat next to her on the couch. The softness of the fur covering really was relaxing. He laid a hand on the back of her head and gently stroked her hair. “How are you?”
“I’m pissed. I wanted to fry all three of them into crispy spots on the floor. I still do actually. I think I need to get out of dancing.”
“Ok,” Trex replied.
“But I really love it, I love dancing.” She turned and looked him in the eye. “I feel very powerful when I dance. I rule the universe when I dance. I can make those freaks do almost anything when I’m dancing. Can you imagine how that feels, Trex?”
“Nope. The only power I held was given to me by my crew. They let me lead and gave me power and authority but I always knew they could just as easily remove that power and leave me shattered. The power that you exert over those who watch you is very different, almost magical in nature.”
“I never use magic when I dance, but it would be so easy.” She laid her head on his shoulder and he simply held her for a moment.
“You are a very powerful woman, by heritage, training, and choice, and no one is ever gonna take that from you.” He felt her relax into him, and her breathing evened. “Anything else? I’m gonna let you stew on leaving your dancing thing, that’s your decision. I love to watch you dance but it’s only one small part of you that I love.”
“You know dancing is part of the magic I learned growing up. My father would beat me whenever I got the steps wrong.” She snuggled into him more. “So many hours of dance memorization combined with singing to learn the deeper and more complicated spells and tap into the inner layers of magic. I hated it, but this type of dancing is freeing and joyful for me.”
“I love you Maloridia.” Trex gently kissed her temple.
“Hmmmmm.” She purred softly and they just sat on the couch quietly for a time.
Trex roused himself after some time had passed. “Let’s go out and see what Trystan can whip up for us. I’m hungry.”
She pushed herself off of his chest and smiled a satisfied smile. “Mmmmmm. That sounds perfect.” They walked out into the dance hall, crossed the floor and paused for a moment to watch the Elvish girl currently performing on stage. “She’s so young for an Elf,” Mal said. “She’s got a lot to learn and I hope this world doesn’t ruin her.”
“I’ve got Marcus and the boys keeping a close eye on her, even when she’s off the stage.”
“Bless you, Trex. You’re a good Terren.” Mal said. They walked into the main hall, up
to the bar and caught Trystan’s eye as he was pouring wine for another patron. O’Gannon’s music was wild and joyful, and many patrons were dancing and singing, fully enjoying the evening.
“What can I get you guys?” Trystan said as he walked over.
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“Can you cook us up something? Make it something that you love to cook.” Trex said.
“You got it boss, but can you pour drinks for me?”
“Yes, yes I can Trystan,” Trex said as he walked around to the other side of the bar and put on an apron. Trystan disappeared into the back room quietly giggling. Trex looked at Mal and said, “This is going to be tasty.”
After thirty minutes had passed, Trystan brought them two steaming plates of food and two pints of Pig’s Dog Amber brew. “This looks amazing,” Mal said. “I love chicken and pasta.”
“It’s my favorite meal of all time. My mom used to make it for me before the thing happened.”
“Is she the one who taught you to cook? You are an awesome cook.” Mal asked.
“I loved cook with mom. All the time we cooked. Now, I love cook for everybody.” Trystan said quietly, looking at the floor. “And beer. I love beer -- drinking beer, pouring beer.”
“And you’re getting rather good at making beer, when you follow the directions,” Trex said through a big grin.
“Beer-making rules,” Trystan said, giving Trex and Mal high fives. “Got to go pour more beer now and make more food. Everyone loves chicken and noodles night.” He walked back to the bar with a spring in his step. The noise in the room subsided a little as O’Gannon took his next break. He wandered over to Trex and Mal’s table amidst many high fives and “well dones”.
“You’ve got a right lovely place here boss,” O’Gannon said as he sat down next to Trex, “and I love your outfit.” He motioned toward Mal. “I’m Gannon O”Gannon, bard of the voice, flute, and violin.”
“My name is Mal, and you play divinely, Gannon. Where did you train?” Mal looked at Trex and giggled.
O’Gannon smiled and spoke as if orating a piece by the great bard himself. “I trained and learned as I traveled this great land of Absinthia. My Father initially trained me in the manly arts of swordplay, grappling, striking, and hunting and my mother taught me to use my voice as an instrument. They both taught me the academic arts of reading, writing, mathematics, and philosophy. But alas, I surpassed my parents and stagnated in my studies, so at the age of thirteen they sent me out into the world to find those who could and would train me further.
“I took with me a letter of introduction from my father, MacOl’wayne O’Gannon. I found my first teacher rather quickly, a member of the great musicians guild in O'oranos. He taught me to love the violin, to embrace creativity, and to engage with the divine through music. He provided me with knowledge and I provided him with a clean home, well cooked meals, and companionship when he desired such.
“After several years with Armound, I took my leave and traveled to the Dwarven realms where I happened upon an oldster Dwarf sitting alongside a road playing a large recorder and there was a flute lying next to her. I stopped to listen and eventually sang and danced as she played. When we were done she invited me to sit and asked about my training, upon hearing about my previous engagements she invited me to learn the ways of flute and recorder and introduced herself as Madam Joslyn. As you know the name is infamous in the annals of music and I jumped at the chance to train with such a one as she. Oh, those were times of great learning and exploits of debauchery.”
O’Gannon paused to drink from his pint and catch his breath. As he opened his mouth to return to his tale, a woman of possible Elfish descent walked past their table, caught his eye, and ran a finger across his back. “Join me,” she said and walked to a table cloaked in shadow.
“Ah, yes, well my lovelies, the rest of my tale must wait. I loved meeting you, Mal my darling. May your energy and hope never fail.” He laughed merrily and followed the woman to her table.
“Wow.” Mal said. She looked at Trex as if she were a deer stunned by the sight of a hunter.
“What was that?” said Trex. “Who in heaven have I let into my tavern?” He laughed. “I can’t wait to hear the end of this tale.”
“You need to keep that one around as long as possible, dear.” Mal laughed. “You’ll need to expand the size of Low Places with all the new patrons he’ll bring in, once word gets out. What a bard.”
“So I chatted with him about that first song he played.” Trex said.
“Really? What did he have to say?”
“Said he had no idea it was having the effect it had on us. He newly acquired the song in an old book store or some such place. Said it was hidden back amongst some old scrolls. He promised he’d never play it here again, so I told him I’d continue his contract. Seems like a good enough bloke.”
“Interesting. When you looked at him while he played, did he appear blurred as if you were seeing him through tears or rain?”
“Yes. That’s exactly how he appeared. I told him about the effect and he seemed genuinely clueless.”
“He probably has no idea what that song is or was or what it does. He said it was the first time he’d ever played it?” Mal asked.
“Yep, that he did.” Trex commented as he waved at one of his servers to bring them another round. “Said he’d been quite excited to play it.” He took a pull from the new pint placed in front of him.
Mal finished her pint and started in on the fresh one placed in front of her. “You know the greatest or most complex magic of the Ragamuffin Players is weaved into song and dance. Allegedly, some of the spells could destroy worlds, construct portals, or give the caster the ability to mess with the probability of events as they happen. Of course, most of this was theoretical and according to my father, no one had actually constructed any of these types of spells or at least not to their greatest extent. Historically we know that the Players tossed around some serious magic during the days of the dragon war. Some serious magic.
“There is a myth that the Mage-Lord at the time, Eythor Nevyr and his council, had been in the process of creating what my teachers referred to as the OverSong. A song and dance that would have unlocked the deepest magics and over-ridden all other magic in Absinthia. The myths say that the dragons destroyed him and imprisoned his council before it could be completed. No one really believes the myths, although Eythor and his council were very bad and very powerful. Of course, the myths also say he loved kittens, contributed money to orphanages, and helped build religious centers, healing centers, and enjoyed watching competitive games of strength.”
“Maybe we should ask him to have the song and the paper it’s on assessed or whatever it is you magic types do with old scary spell stuff?”
‘Hmmmmmm?” I’m not sure I know anyone trained enough to do such a task. I’ll ask around.” Mal laid her hand on Trex’s. “I need to sleep. I’m going upstairs.” She finished her beer, stood up, and walked upstairs.
“I’ll be up shortly,” Trex called after her.