Ikrei P.O.V.
We were walking down the corridors of the castle, we were heading to the soul music class with sister Kuyun. Puri had a very somber expression on his chubby face.
‘That was one heck of a history lesson and a scary reminder of what is to come. I need to write down some notes in a personal secret code. I need to remember and this can never leak.’
I was reflexively and intuitively opening and closing my fingers into a grab. Completely unnatural, it happened during class too.
“Wait up, my fellow delinquents!” Krigsain came saluting from behind.
The pads on the back felt like a ton of bricks. Puri almost fell over.
“Sorry, I am in a pinch. Ikrei come with me, we need to talk. Puri tell sister Kuyun that the troublemaker leader took the troublemaking accomplice for a little chat. He’ll be a little late.”
Puri agreed readily. He didn’t want to linger too much. The class had left him scarred and scared down to his bones.
‘You didn’t have to fight in a spider den chubby. Cheer up a little.’
“Let’s go to my room. I got wards made by Akathos. They cause severe headaches, so they are really good.” I told the muscle mass.
“We can talk the little stuff while we walk. You were utterly out when I went to pick you up. Did you partied out a little too much?”
“To be honest, I have no idea. The last thing I remember was getting ready to…well, you know, the night before you came. I woke up in my room inside the castle, that’s pretty much it.” I was embarrassed to speak in the corridor.
“Got it. Let’s get to your room quickly then.”
“Why you need to ask me stuff, doesn’t the Will allow you to know the unknown?” I was curious.
“As with everything, there are conditions. Communing with a god isn’t for everyone and my current state has its limitations. I don’t want to exert myself on minutia.”
“Minutia?”
“Little things my man. Don’t take it to heart. Let’s go!”
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Sitting upon my bed I recounted the happenings in the private villa in the briefest non sexual summary ever.
“Let’s go over the main points. Did you follow the plan exactly?” Krigsain asked leaning on my table.
“I improvised a little. The poker face thingy was tough, really tough…Also, I did use your song though, the way we talked. I changed the lyrics to adjust for the situation and the chord progression to my liking.” I was honest.
“See, when talking to beautiful women all you have to do is imagine them taking a shit, after that everything is easier. Now, if your libido gets worked up with that, then you have a very serious problem.”
We laughed our hearts out.
‘Too much. Muscle mass is too much!’
“Whatever happened, happened. She was there to see you off, little lord. You did good, you are almost there. Your probability range still holds up.” Krigsain wore a happy expression.
“Almost there?! So, it didn’t work?” This wasn’t good.
“Almost, listen to the operative word, almost. She just needs a little push. She requested something from you, once you do it, you are in. In more ways than one.”
“Spill it man, don’t leave me hanging.” These people, always with the suspense.
“You have to write a song for her. You need to go to her with song in hand and if she likes it, you will have what you need. It better be good, kid. You cannot use soul arts. Your playing and your original work is what matters. That’s it.” He gesticulated happily.
“A song?”
“Yes, something about the author might have slipped during your hard sex, my man.”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
‘Oh, shit.’
“You’ll help me, right? Friend.” I said.
“No can’t do. The order opened her legs for you, I opened her heart for you. It is time for you to keep her by your side with your own strength. It will do wonders for your training.” He explained.
“How the hell I am supposed to do that?! I play but write? Compose? Hunter turned broke corner musician, unbelievable!” I was feeling discontented.
“The elders are probably planning extensive hunting activities that will test your mettle once you leave the castle in a couple of days. You will have to fend for yourself for a while. I am pretty certain the big test will come in after completion. Sarkan likes to push it, a lot.”
“How do you know? Didn’t you say you weren’t using your powers of communion?”
“Freslia told me. She wasn’t too happy with your appearance when you arrived. She paid you a visit from what I hear, it didn’t go well, seems you reacted strangely… get ready for more pummeling. A little heads-up for what’s ahead.”
“Taskmaster saw me? What?!”
“You two have a very strong connection from what I can tell. That patch of hers is quite eye catching, pardon the pun. Know anything about it? Care to share?”
‘Need to know basis. Keep things to yourself as much as possible, specially about my clothes!’
Freslia’s last words after I woke up the days after the cave still ringed in my head.
“I can’t say wicked heart. Sorry.” I apologized with even more embarrassment.
‘Freslia is at a higher level than Yun Hee in pectoral fortitude. Way too blessed for someone so merciless.’
“No matter. I kind of like her new look. Makes me see her in a brand new light. Strong to dish it, strong to take it…Your heart seems more stable thanks to your paramour. Anyway time to go on, you need all the music lessons you can get. You have a lover to swoon.”
“Did you calculate this? Probabilities and all that?”
“Even if the horse is put in front of the water, it is the horse that has to drink it. Now is your turn to excel, figure it out. Less fuckboy more wild stallion, apologies for the crudeness. It has been hard for me too, these past days.”
Krigsain pushed me towards the door.
“Sister Kuyun is going to make you stay for extra practice for this…Not sorry, you need it. Probabilities and all that.” He laughed.
“Monster, I tell you, you are the cookie eating monster.” I rebuked him.
He laughed even more, almost gasping.
“Darn right my man. I eat the cookies that are hidden in the jar. Yum yum.”
‘I knew cookie was his word for getting the girl. It felt good having a friend again.’
“What do I do about the Heart of Malgrun?” This was bothering me.
“You wanted your 99 out of a 100. Complications, ring a bell? Take care of what’s in front of you. There is nothing to gain by knowing how it works. That’s far into the future. Here and now, Sachear.” Krigsain pointed at my forehead.
“Fine, fine. I get it.” I waved my arms in defeat.
“Say chosen, if women are cookies then Yun Hee is a pink scented vanilla crunch???”
“You ate it but then again you forgot about it.”
We laughed together again but for very different reasons.
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After doing extra training my control. I was getting within an acceptable level according to my displeased instructor. Puri was reading his parchments, he was training to be an Andurian scribe. After Sarkan’s class, we understood the importance of keeping indestructible and unchangeable records.
‘The scribes are key even if they can’t fight. They do what they do because they are truly bestowed by the Will in a secret way.’
“Say sister, is there an easy way to go about writing good songs?”
“You want to pick up the bard profession seriously?” Sister Kuyun asked back.
“Let’s just say I have the urgent need to express myself.” I tiptoed.
“Well, your technique is proficient for basic to low intermediate songs. So mastery and flowery play is out of the question. You will have to draw from your experiences and tell a compelling story. Your voice isn’t good enough to be a passionate belter or deep enough to go low. It is like a warm blanket on a windy night, just sing with feel, people will like it.”
“Sheesh…that kind of limits my options sister.”
Kuyun just gesticulated away my worries.
“You will have to take up some work when you are out and about. Don’t limit yourself to the prescribed training. There is some maneuverability in the orders we must follow. Read yours carefully and figure out a path.” Puri suggested with his eyes glued on another parchment.
“There is? I must have missed that part.”
“I read documents every day. Whatever is not prohibited explicitly is allowed intrinsically, as long as you do it within the available time frame. Read your instructions until you find the loophole. This is also part of the test. Liberty, freedom and all that, as you say. The leaders are gracious enough that way, even after what we did.” Puri looked a little dejected.
“Krigsain will get you a fine, fine woman, you can be certain.” I offered true words.
“You two been talking a lot more often since you returned. Don’t leave me behind.” He added.
“I wouldn’t dare, wing bird. I’ll be here when all others are gone.”
I grabbed my ketar again.
“I’ll remember that.” He finally smiled a little.
“Sister, how about you teach me Road to Lemuria, the proper version this time.”
“Sure, you want to inspire the troops?”
“Nah, just pump up myself a little. I need all the help I can get.”
Sister Kuyun threw me a white glyphic cube.
“That’s a music recording device. Well, sound recording but it specializes in clarity and noise pollution reduction. It’s an interest free loan until you can pay me, seven hundred Ucra, brother. Use it well.”
I stored it inside my untampered runic temporal ring. My thoughts going all over the place.
‘I have two rings in my left hand now. Two silent fist pumps for expensive equipment! I don’t love her; it is bestial desire. What to do? All my ideas have to do with sex.’
I started to contemplate doing reworked versions of “Road to Nowhere”, “Pay up for the Coochie” or the surefire classic “Wet, Wet, Wet”. If a vulva is your inspiration you are death on arrival. I was stuck.
‘Not very good ideas for a fifteen-year-old amateur ketar player. Does anyone think someone out there could at my age with my situation do any better? Yeah I know, that’s exactly my point.’
We started practicing while I fell into more debt and thoughts about an alluring figure under the skylight.