1 Soul Bound
1.2 Taking Control
1.2.1 An Icy Welcome
1.2.1.9 Rehearsal
Hmm, now, where to go? Sand was busily being spread over the amphitheatre by some players she recognised as Tomsk’s hunters from Villa Landi. She waved to them and headed towards the river. Perhaps they could find a quiet spot by the bank?
But, as she got closer, an idea came to her. She’d discovered when fighting the troll that the Ring of Francis the Navigator had water shaping, but she’d not really experimented with it yet. She put it on.
Kafana: “Nicolo, will you trust me?”
Nicolo unhesitatingly: “Sure.”
Kafana willed the water to rise, and harden, forming a straight walkway leading out from the bank. It obeyed.
They walked together, gingerly at first, but then with more confidence, out into the middle of the river. She let most of the walkway behind them dissolve, but raised a wall between them and the shore, so the people back on the plaza wouldn’t be able to hear them practice.
Kafana: “You know the people here better than I do. What sort of songs go down well at festivals?”
Nicolo: “Comedy can be hit or miss. Love songs do well. And the sea. Torello is founded on the sea.” He looked down at the fish swimming below him.
Kafana: “Ok, I’ve got one that matches that. I’ll transfer it to you and we’ll sing it through together a couple of times. Then, are you up to trying it without me touching, just our voices, no magic?”
Nicolo: “Yes.”
Kafana: “This is a love song, between a lady and her lover. The song is called Here On This Night, from a musical play called The Pirate Queen, but let’s not tell anyone that it is about pirates. That can be our secret, ok?”
Nicolo grinned and nodded. She transferred the song to him, and they sang it through. It was good, but something was missing.
Kafana: “Nicolo, how high does your voice go?
She listened while he showed her.
She nodded. “Let’s try it with you as Grace and me as Tiernan. We’ll kick it up a bit. Don’t try for perfection. Put as much emotion in your voice as you can, pull their heart strings.”
They tried again, giving themselves license to just have fun with it. This time there was a real zing to it. They tried it again, this time without the gem. Nicolo nailed it. If anything, he was better than before.
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Kafana: “Happy with that? Or got anything you’d like to try with it?”
Nicolo: “It’s meant to have musical accompaniment, isn’t it? I can feel it in your mind.”
Kafana: “Yes, but I don’t think we have time to gather an orchestra or rehearse them.”
Nicolo: “I can’t explain this in words. Let me into your mind, please?”
Kafana held out her hand, and this time she invited him into her.
Nicolo: =Don’t be scared, Kafana. I would never ever hurt you.=
Kafana: =Thank you! What was your idea?=
Nicolo: =Combine this *sound amplification spell* with this *image of her making accompaniment in the Inferno* using this *image of mental link*=
Kafana: =I don’t know how to do that=
Nicolo: =Yes. You don’t know how yet. Willing to let me experiment?=
Kafana: =*curiosity* sure, you drive *hand over control*=
She felt herself sketching some runes, singing a little, wiping the runes out and try again.
{Minion, analyse magic books in The Burrow's library please. Any suggestions?}
[Air-order linked to water-chaos linked to Wellington’s existing runes by altering their input path *diagram*]
{Minion, oh, I didn’t know you could show me diagrams like that rather than speak it via words.}
[Wellington has been reading up on what can be done safely without counting as cheating.]
Kafana: =Try this *diagram*=
Nicolo: =Oh! Yes, of course=
He sketched for a bit, sang to power it up, and then imagined a sound towards it. There was a bleat of a goat.
Nicolo: =Now, let’s try the song again=
This time the result was extraordinary. A show stopper.
[Skill “Sonic Magic” acquired.]
Kafana: “And now we need an encore. Always have an encore up your sleeve.”
Nicolo: “I liked the one we did in the tent. Not everyone will like it, but the musicians will, and I think the nobles will. Or at least Lady Pia Trinci will, and the others will all follow her lead.”
Kafana: “Well, now we can do our own orchestra, the sky’s the limit. Let’s try one that’s popular where I come from. It will be new here.”
They held hands, she shared the Flower Duet from Lakmé, then they sang it through.
Kafana: “There. We won’t do more than two, or the volleyball players will rightfully be annoyed at us. Anyway, always leave ‘em wanting more.”
Nicolo looked up at the sky. “I want to stay here singing, but we can’t. Sing with me again another day? Just the two of us? Share as much of the music from your world as you can?”
Kafana: “No promises, but let’s hope. I’d like that too.”
Drat this threat-of-divine-curses-for-breaking-taboos thing. She’d have to be very careful about making off-hand agreements. Did telling Mary-Lynn “I’ll manage” in the tent count as one? She lowered the barrier, and found the monks in a gondola, waiting for her.
Dino: “If you please, Suor Kafana.”