“Food!” Helen yells toward the bar while still mostly supporting Silver to a table. She had her drink a mana potion, but other than refilling her bar, it didn’t have a noticeable effect.

“I’m fine,” she protests. But she isn’t convincing.

Helen snorts. “You could have killed yourself with that stupid stunt. So, no, you aren’t fine. You need food and rest, and not the magically enhanced version. You’re eating, then going to bed until you feel better.”

“We need to leave,” Brandon says.

“We’re going to leave,” she snaps, “when Silver’s good and ready to leave.”

“They’re going to regroup and—”

“And if they jump us with Silver in this state, what happens?” I ask.

He grumbles his response too low for me to hear, but he sits. The server brings a platter of meats, vegetables, and a glass of something thick for Silver, and I order food for the rest of us.

Silver takes a tentative sip, then quickly drinks half of it. Her color is healthier after that, but she still looks barely able to stay awake.

I’m surprised by how little attention our arrival got. A few turned heads, not even one raised eyebrow.

By the time our meals are brought to us, she’s gone through half of hers.

“Okay,” Helen says. “What was that? You said you didn’t know any battle magic.”

“I don’t. I don’t know what I did.”

“Do you remember the song you played?” I ask.

“Of course not! I was too—” Her eyes flick over system windows. “It’s right here.”

“What’s it called?” Helen asks.

“Explosive Tempo.”

Brandon snorts. “That’s creative.”

“The system named it,” Silver says. “I can rename it to something else.”

“So you didn’t have that song before?” Helen asks.

“It’s not much of a song, a treen of bars set to repeat and built on itself.”

“Until it explodes,” I finish.

“Where did it come from?”

Silver looks at Helen. “I don’t know.”

She glares at Brandon as he opens his mouth, then looks at Silver again. “Okay. How can you not know? Didn’t they teach you how your class works?”

“Of course they did. I spent weeks going over music theory, practicing the simple songs. I was doing that for two years before I was handed my first spell song.”

“So, they never said anything about making up a song on the fly?”

“Of course they did. Improvising in vital to a performance. Not every audience wants the same thing, so I have to be able to adapt.”

“I mean improvising magic.”

“No. We were handed a list of song, then we chose some and practiced them. As we go up in level, we gain more slots to know songs, and I have to go to a bard school to get access to the list and…” her eyes flick about again. “There was this one class. The teacher told us something about how when it came to magic, it drove the music.” She closes her eyes. “How we have to let it drive the music.”

“What does that mean?” Helen asks.

Silver shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t even remember his exact words.”

Helen thinks. “Okay. Do you remember what you were going through during the fight? How you felt?”

“Useless,” she replies with a snort. “The best I could do was boost you two a bit, and it was clearly not enough. We were going to be killed, and I panicked. You ordering me to keep playing didn’t help.”

“But you did.”

“Except I couldn’t find the song again. I kept thinking that if I’d just applied myself more to what you taught me, if I’d just been able to make a spark, create some heat, do something with that. I could have been useful. Then I realized I was playing. I had no idea what, but I was playing and I wasn’t entirely in control…I think.”

“The magic was,” Brandon says, before Helen speaks, and earns another glare. He grins.

“That’s never happened before.”

“Do you have any new ability you didn’t notice when you went up a level?” I ask.

Her eyes flick about. She shakes her head.

“Did your class change?” Helen asks tentatively.

“No, I’m a bard. Can that happen? I thought you kept you class until you died.”

“You hear stories,” Helen says. “But I don’t know anyone to whom it’s happened.”

“I do,” I say. “But it was a very specific situation.” They stare at me, so I continue. “My Grandpa Louis had his original class overridden when he became a Base Commander. The way I remember him telling the story, he wasn’t the first one the group who’d kidnapped him put before the node, but it took to him because his class was already military related.”

“Nodes are weird things,” Brandon says. “I can see one of them doing something like that.”

“What about you?” I ask. “Have you come across anyone who changed class in your travels?”

He shakes his head. “Like Hel, I’ve heard stories. But they’re old. When the system arrived old, so I never took them seriously.”

“And she didn’t change class,” Helen says. “So this isn’t that. Can you think of a reason they might keep that secret?” she asks Silver.

“No. I mean, if I make up a reason, it could be that bards don’t throw themselves into the wilderness. We’re entertainers. When we travel, it’s always with large groups. Our magic’s about that entertainment and helping with the traveling. I picked up strength of the underdog because I knew I wanted to adventure and it was the only song of those available that could help if those I was with got into a fight.”

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Did you tell anyone you were going to adventure?” Brandon asks.

“Sure, we all talked about our plans for the future. You can’t imagine the looks I got when I told them I was going to have songs about my adventures in the wilderness.”

“I mean, did you tell any of your teachers?”

She opens her mouth, then closes it. “I don’t remember. I must have.”

He shrugs. “If you did, and they didn’t give you access to better songs, or explain about what happened, then they’re not interested in your survival. If you didn’t, then you gave a good reason why they might not bother. Did any of the bards you played with hint at having battle magic?”

“No, but we were jamming and just having fun. No one talked about how we ended up in Toronto or Detroit. I guess they just took for granted I traveled with one of the caravans.”

“Which is reasonable on their part, if hardly any bard is as brave as you.”

Silver’s pretty when she turns pink like that.

“With your other magical songs,” Helen says. “Did you have to learn to not dump all your mana into them, or is it something specific to this one?”

“I think…That it was the situation. I was angry with myself. I didn’t care what happened; I just wanted to do something to help. I didn’t even try to restrain the song.”

She nods. “Then, the first thing we’re doing once you’re feeling better is running you through a few tests to check that. Then, you are sitting in with Dennis’s Aether training. If you’re able to perform combat magic, you want the largest mana pool possible, as well as a reserve of mana potion. So clear one of your personal inventory slot for them. We can never have too much mana potions.”

“And Stamina ones,” I state. I stand.

“Where are you going?” Brandon asks, eyes locked on me.

“To the bar, to buy some. Don’t worry, I’m not leaving the club. As nice as this city is. I’ve had enough of random people.”

The woman behind the bar ribs me somewhat when I explain it wasn’t until I saw how fast I was losing it in the fight I realized I needed some, and they aren’t cheap. Four of them set me back a thousand dollars.

When I return to the table, Helen escorts Silver to their room. Brandon finishes his food and moves to another table. He spends fifteen minutes there, then he and one of the guys head for the door leading to the rooms.

And I…

Spend the rest of the day reading.

*

Silver is barely awake when she and Helen come for breakfast, then she heads back to their room. Helen goes out alone, against mine and Brandon’s protests. He doesn’t object when I suggest we follow her to make sure nothing happens.

*

Nothing happened. She shopped, so did we, and I learned not to buy at the club if I can avoid it. The stamina potions are half the price at the market. I kind of wish Brandon had stopped me from spending that money at the club, but he had told me, before, to plan and shop, so it’s on me, really.

Silver doesn’t come down for lunch, and Helen checks on her. She’s sleeping normally at this point.

She’s up an energetic by the time dinner comes around, putting on a performance for the people in the club. We agree there’s no point in leaving now, so we go out with her as she goes from bar to bar, performing.

She’s exhausted again by the time we return to the club, but a lot happier about it.

*

It’s a cool, but sunny morning, when we set out, and I’m as upbeat as the others about traveling again. Until we step into the deserted construction zone. I keep walking as I bring up the team chat.

Dennis: Anyone else have a bad feeling about this?

Brandon: I am so glad you’re learning to listen to your gut.

Helen: What are you talking about?

Silver: I’m guessing this is about the lack of people?

Brandon: Exactly. What do you want to do, team leader?

Dennis: We’re already inside the trap, if it’s one. We stay on our guard and hope this is just Detroit still making me paranoid.

I can’t keep from looking around every corner, probably giving away I suspect something, if anyone’s watching. But the alternative is that unshaking certainly I’m about to get an arrow in the back when I don’t.

I’m still surprised when the group step before us. It’s so quick the only reason I recognize the kid holding the ball that’s shoved forward is that when our eyes meet, he looks away.

“Do it,” the man who shoved him says. “Show us you deserve to be one of us.”

The kid straightens, I see resolve in his eyes as he holds the ball up and I ready myself for whatever’s about to happen. I’m pissed that this is just going to make Brandon—

I’m stunned by the flash of light the spiderweb of lightnings causes as it travels over the kid and his allies, causing them to drop to the ground, twitching.

“What just happened?” Silver asks, as I’m still trying to process that.

“He stunned himself and the others,” Helen says, baffled.

I force myself to move to go check on the kid. He took the brunt of whatever that was.

“Did it malfunction?” Brandon asks.

Crouching next to him, I see the other side of the ball.

“Magic doesn’t malfunction,” Helen says. “When it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, it’s always user error.”

“Or not,” I say, nudging his hand with a foot and dislodging the ball. It only looked like a ball from where we stood; I’m not touching that thing. It’s a cone with a rounded bottom. “Does this look like ‘point this way to shoot,’ to any of you?”

“But it was pointed at him,” Brandon says, sounding more confused.

I check the kid’s pulse. He’s alive.

“Maybe he didn’t know how it worked?” Silver offers.

“That guy seemed pretty adamant he uses it on us,” Helen replies. “If he didn’t explain how it works, he’s more of an idiot than Bran.”

“But it was pointed at him,” Brandon repeats.

I look at him. “He saved us.” I think this kid might just have broken Brandon. I’m going to laugh about it later. Right now, I need to deal with this. He’s dead if—

“Don’t,” Brandon says, as I reach for the kid’s arm.

“We can’t leave him here after he saved us, Brandon.”

There’s mostly the usual Brandon in his expression now. “And what, Dennis?”

“I don’t know. We take him with us. They’re going to tear him apart for this.”

“You said it, Dennis. He probably doesn’t have a class. We’re not going anywhere safe, you know. And what about his family? Are you going to send a message to them telling them that you’re going to keep him safe and all that? What about when it’s time for him to get a class. You going to force him to get one of ours? Or you’re going to stay in a city until it’s time?”

“What do you suggest, then?”

“Let me think.”

I stare at him in disbelief as he looks around.

He catches me looking and rolls his eyes. “Look, I don’t get what just happened, but this is me trying to think of a way to help him.” His expression brightens. “Hel, you were zapping those who got close to you and Silver the other day. Can you do that so it’ll leave burns on their clothing?”

“How’s that going to help?”

“Can you or can’t you?”

“Yes, but to leave marks like that, it’s going to hurt them.”

“Kill them?”

“Only if they’re already near dying.”

“I’ll take it.”

“I repeat, how is that going to help? It’s lightning that hit them already.”

“What if it came from behind them?” Silver asks, and I look at the buildings.

“We turn them on their back, then.” Brandon rolls one over.

“They’re not going to just believe that’s what happened,” Helen exclaims in exasperation.

“Can you zap the side of that building hard enough to leave burns?” I point to the wall.

“Sure, but—”

“Lightning leaves distinctive burn marks. If they see that on the wall, they’ll have a reason to think that’s where they were hit from. My dad had to—I’ll explain later, just trust me.” I turn the kid over, then move on to the others.

“Are you sure this is going to work?” I whisper to Brandon when I’m next to him.

“Nope. But if it’s going to keep you from bringing him with us, thinking you’re doing him a favor, I’m going to hope the system’s on our side with this.”

“He saves us. If you had—”

“Don’t rub it in, Dennis. It doesn’t suit you.”

The flash happens at the edge of my vision, but the thunder is a lot louder. When I glance up Helen is returning us, and the wall as the branching burns I remember from what my dad worked on.

The people jerk and twitch again when she zaps them, leaving their clothing with scorch lines similar to what’s on the wall. When she’s done, and they’re all on their backs again, I pull a worn shirt from my inventory and use it to reach for—

“Leave it,” Brandon orders.

“They’re going to use it on other people.”

“Think, Dennis. What do we want them to believe happened?”

“That someone zapped them from behind.”

“Which means we never saw what that thing can do. We take it, and they’ve got to ask themselves why, and if somehow, we actually set them up, and if so how it was we knew this was going to happen and who is the one person who might have a reason to warn us.”

I look at the kid.

“Look, we’ve done all we can. You’re going to have to hope he’s smart enough not to give away what actually happened. Right now, we need to get out of here before they start waking up.”

I hate that I can’t be sure he’s going to be okay. But I hurry after the others to leave the city.