ThatHumanMage
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137. Sing Me a Song of Gathering
🕑 Added 2025-06-13 12:47:20 +0000 UTCIf Wyn was being honest, his acceptance of Bruno’s offer had mostly been out of politeness. It wasn’t that he had no interest in talking with the bard and his sister, but his mind was taken with other things. They had made it to Liresil, they were at the spirit tree, he was so close to answers he could almost taste them. Thus, the bard twins hadn’t been of much interest to him at first.
That was before he’d seen Aria Virellian’s effect on the spirits. During the performance—which admittedly was entertaining, even if Wyn thought it missed some of the points of the original—he’d seen song spirits gathering in numbers he couldn’t have dreamed of. Song spirits were remarkably common in Liresil from what he’d seen, especially considering they were quite rare elsewhere. But even still, a single person accumulating dozens was basically unheard of as far as Wyn knew.
While that had piqued his interest though, it was the use of a spirit to convey a message that had really gotten him. It spoke to something greater than the ability to simply gather spirits, and given his own abilities, that was more than worth looking into.
The spirit led them further up the tree, and Wyn gained a better appreciation for the layout of the city. The leaning nature of the trunk, along with its branching, segmented structure made for easy support, allowing for the countless elevated stone walkways and platforms to wind amidst them. Ascending the streets naturally led to a better view, with the sprawl of Liresil’s lower city creating a beautiful glow against the night, and it seemed that vista points overlooking both that and the river were common.
It was mostly quiet, but from all around, the sounds of performances could still be distantly heard, and from every home, the sounds of chatter seeped out past elaborate wooden lattices set into the windows. Unlike Titan’s Pass, even at night, Liresil was alive with light and sound.
Finally, they arrived at a high-end apartment in the middle-branches, a comfortable two story building at the edge of a plaza overlooking the river.
Corrin knocked on the door, and a few moments later a muffled reply came back.
“What’s the password?”
Without missing a beat, Corrin replied. “The fox wakes when the hen sleeps.”
The door swung open, and Bruno grinned. “Good enough for me. Welcome friends, to our humble abode!”
From down the hallway, his sister poked her head around the corner, and Wyn once again had to give a long blink. He’d grown used to it over the course of the show, but she really was breathtakingly beautiful.
“Good evening,” she said softly, her voice musical.
“G-good evening to you as well!” Corrin blurted.
Wyn stifled a snort, and Kei’s eyes lit up mischievously.
Bruno just smiled. “I’m grateful you came, did you enjoy the show?”
“The show was excellent,” Wyn bowed politely. “I should once more thank you for inviting us. I’d never heard music like that before.”
“It’s a style from Eastern Khadat—I thought it fitting considering the story.”
“Eastern Khadat?” Wyn’s eyebrows rose. “You must be well-traveled!”
Bruno laughed though, waving a hand in front of his face. “I could only wish to have made it so far. No no. We’ve travelled some around the central basin, but I learned the style from another, a refugee from Aleris.”
Wyn winced at the reminder of such a terrible place’s existence. Having met Ven and now heard of this, he wondered at just how many people had been displaced by the Colossus of the South.
“Well-versed then perhaps?” he offered, pushing the thought aside.
“Ha! Well I wouldn’t turn down such a compliment. But please, come in! We have food.” Bruno gestured them into the apartment, stepping back to give them space. In the main room at the end of the foyer was a low, circular table, where woven mats and floor cushions took the place of chairs. Atop it was all kinds of foods Wyn had never seen.
Corrin strode forward. He held out a hand to Bruno’s sister. “It’s lovely to meet you by the way, my name is Corrin.”
“Aria,” she took his hand and smiled.
Corrin turned back as he walked in. “You should’ve said you had food from the get go! That’s the way to get me to show up.”
“It’s like I always say, if you try to buy friends with money, they’ll get offended. So buy them food instead!”
“That’s what I’m saying!” Corrin immediately went for the strangest looking food on the table, a curled piece of white meat half-dipped in a green sauce.
“This place is nice,” Wyn remarked as he entered the main room. “Though I shouldn’t be surprised, your show seemed quite popular.”
“We’ve done well for ourselves since arriving here. Though for the first few weeks we lived out of a veritable closet!” Bruno laughed.
“Even still,” Kei said, “You don’t charge for the shows isn’t that right? How do you make any money?”
“Mostly donations, as well as a stipend from the city,” Aria answered. “Performing arts are free in Liresil, everywhere except the Ecclesterion. Frankly we don’t make much on paper, but well-known performers get special treatment in the city. We only pay half of what we should for this place.”
Corrin looked over with his mouth full. “That’s a nice deal. And did you say the Ecclesterion? What’s that?”
“The highest building in Liresil, and the largest, where the Ecclesia meet. It doubles as a performing hall for special events, like the summer festival.”
Kei tilted her head. “Isn’t that coming up?”
Aria nodded, her eyes brightening. “It is! It’s supposed to be a special year too! There’s going to be a solar eclipse!”
Wyn’s eyes widened. “Really?” That was news to him, and exciting news at that. The last eclipse in Straetum had been… before living memory, maybe three-hundred-some years ago? He’d heard of them though—day becoming night, the sun falling into darkness…
Wait, that all actually sounded quite ominous.
“That’s what I’ve heard,” Bruno said, sitting down at the table, gesturing for them to do the same. “I’m quite excited to see it myself. A sight like that is sure to inspire a song.”
Kei took a seat next to the bard, reaching for tongs and a skewer rather than going for the finger foods.
They gathered around the low table, Wyn sitting cross-legged on the remaining cushion and looking at the spread. The meal was as eclectic as the music had been—grilled roots drizzled in oil, dried fruits soaked in spiced wine, and wraps unlike any Wyn had seen, bursting with meat. He and Corrin had long since been divested of any picky eating habits though, and he dug in without hesitation, savoring the flavorful meal.
“So,” Bruno said between bites. “I must admit I’m curious. What finds you traveling to Liresil?”
Wyn caught Bruno’s eye, which was searching. Perhaps the bard intended to make them reveal their real reason for coming. He debated how much he should reveal, or how much of it was even secret.
Corrin answered before he could though. “We’re passing through on our way to Taravast. Just taking a bit of time here before heading on.”
“Taravast?” Bruno asked, smiling. “Then you’re men after my own heart! What ambition carries you so far?”
Kei raised a hand. “Well, I’m actually returning. I’m from the city, but traveled for business. Met these two on the road and now we’re traveling together.”
“Corrin and I intend to enroll in the academy there,” Wyn explained. “We’re planning to become spirit knights.”
Bruno leaned back and whistled. “A lofty goal, but that’s good! What’s a man without ambition?”
“Ven,” Kei coughed. Those in the know chuckled, but Aria and Bruno gave them confused looks. “Sorry, inside joke. But yes, these two are quite skilled already. It was fortunate I ran into them, they actually saved my life when we first met.”
“That must be a story!” The bard declared. “And one I’d be happy to hear!”
Kei beamed with… pride? “Okay, so the caravan I was travelling with had been attacked by bandits…”
The distance between them slowly closed as they swapped stories, Kei telling most of them, though she seemed to embellish Wyn and Corrin’s achievements a bit. But the bard twins were not without tales of their own, talking of times they’d been chased out of town after particularly ‘controversial’ plays, and how Bruno had once gotten into a duel with a man who’d demanded Aria marry him.
“I can’t say I compare to the two of you, but I’m not uncomfortable with a rapier in my hand. I’ve gotten into my fair share of scraps too,” he brandished his fists before taking one of the skewers and demonstrating how he’d gotten the better of his opponent in the duel.
“And when I say it was big, I mean it was really big!” Corrin said, gesturing emphatically as he described the battle with the colossus. “Everybody’s shaking in their boots, and I’m like, ‘Don’t worry guys, we’ll cut this thing down to size’. Which really boosted morale I’d say…”
Eventually though, the past ran dry, and they found their way back to the present.
“You know,” Bruno said, nibbling on a piece of bread that had long since cooled, “I intend to make it to Taravast myself someday.”
Corrin looked up from his sixth plate of nashta, bite-sized fried balls of… something. Wyn wasn’t actually sure, but they were tasty.
“Oh yeah? That’s cool. Seems like it’s the place to be.”
“Liresil may be the singing city, but the grandest stage of all still exists to the east,” Bruno said, looking out the window.
“Could you mean Theatre Caelestis?” Kei asked. “I’ve always wanted to see a show there, but I—I never have.”
Aria smiled, nodding. “He’s talked about it since we were little. At this point I’m not sure the real thing can live up to his hopes.”
“Silence! You spoilsport! It will be as wonderful as I imagine, if not even more grand!” Bruno wagged a finger at her playfully before settling back into his cushion. “But yes, I’ve desired to travel east for many years now. We’re close I feel, but we’ll have to stay in Liresil a bit longer.”
“Why’s that?” Corrin asked.
Bruno grinned evilly, rubbing his fingers together. “Money my friend! I’ve never known so much of it! Money and fame and girls! It’s everything I could dream of!” He laughed boisterously for a time, but quickly calmed back down, his eyes growing a bit distant. “Our time here is precious isn’t it? I’ll enjoy it each step of the way. I’ll take my time. But make no mistake, I’m going to play in that theatre some day.”
Wyn looked into the bard’s plain brown eyes as Bruno took a long swig of wine. There was something in them, something he recognized. The way he talked, the way he laughed. They were so obviously familiar.
So why?
Why, when he looked into those eyes, did he see his own reflected back instead?
“But enough about me,” Bruno said, brushing the topic aside. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about your secret search.”
Wyn grimaced, it wasn’t exactly a huge secret, but he also didn’t want to go around advertising the reason they were there.
But Kei, apparently, had an easy lie at the ready. She sighed as though he’d wringed it out of her. “To be honest, Wyn’s been looking for great spirits on our trip. Meeting Ein’al in Titan’s Pass really inspired them. Then we tracked down a great river spirit in Rūdkhān, and now we’re looking for one here.”
That last part was a complete fabrication, but Wyn realized this was the perfect opportunity to ask one of his real questions. He turned to Aria. “Yes! That’s right! In fact, that’s part of why we came here! I was amazed with how you managed to summon so many spirits during your show. Not to mention commanding that song spirit to relay a message? I wanted to ask you more about that!”
The singer blushed and looked down. “Ah, well you see I wish I could be more helpful, but unfortunately it’s just a natural thing for me. I have a blessing you see—the blessing of song. I’ve always been well-liked by song spirits, as you saw, but I can’t command them. It’s more like… I can ask them for favors.”
She looked around the table, eyes settling on a small slice of bread. Her lips parted, and she began to sing quietly. No words, just sounds, a gentle, weaving lullaby.
When a song spirit materialized near the bread a moment later, Wyn was shocked. When the bread suddenly lifted from the table with a faint chiming sound, his jaw dropped. And when the bread floated across the distance, seemingly carried by the spirit into Aria’s waiting palm, he was, for lack of a better term, completely flabbergasted.
Could you do that? he asked Eia immediately.
Hmm, maybe? If I tried really really hard. She peered over his shoulder, catching Kei’s eye. Strong enough spirits can interact with the physical world more directly. I’m surprised though—if she can do that consistently, it either means that the song spirits she attracts are of a higher power than normal, or her voice somehow directly empowers them.
Wyn looked at the songstress with newfound respect. He wasn’t sure of how useful it was in battle, and it didn’t seem to be an immediate answer to his search, but there was no doubt her blessing was an incredible one. He had to wonder though—was her blessing a result of her talent? Or was it the other way around?
What a silly question. Eia giggled in his head.
Well? Which is it then?
I wonder… She thought mysteriously.
Wyn sent back the feeling of him rolling his eyes.
“I believe Wyn here has some spiritual shenanigans of his own,” Bruno said after everyone finished clapping at the small demonstration. “He began swaying even sooner than you sis.”
“Oh?” Aria looked his way, curiosity gleaming in her amethyst eyes.
“Maybe a little something,” Wyn scratched his head. “I’ve actually heard the spirit—the song of Liresil for years now. I didn’t even know anyone else could until I got here.”
She tilted her head. “Do you have a blessing too?”
“Ah—well, yes I do,” he finally admitted. “But it’s a bit personal, and it’s not music related.”
“I see,” she nodded understandingly. “Well, I won’t press you about it.”
Bruno inhaled deeply, pressing his fingers to his temple. “Fine, but I insist on one guess! It’s personal huh? Hmm… Blessing of Virility!”
Kei, who’d been taking a sip of wine, promptly spewed it from her nose as Wyn dropped the skewer he’d grabbed into his lap. Aria turned a bright shade of red, and Corrin looked around confused as Bruno grinned proudly.
“Huh? What does that mean?” Corrin asked.
Stiff as a board, Wyn leaned over and whispered into his ear.
Corrin burst out laughing. “Seriously? Is that even a real blessing?”
“I’ve heard so!” Bruno proclaimed. “I met a man who swore up and down he had it, and his wife vouched for him! They had twelve children so…”
Corrin howled with laughter, banging one fist on the table as he grabbed Wyn’s shoulder with the other. “By the spirits can you imagine?”
Finally, Wyn cracked, unable to stop a snort from escaping his nose as well. Soon enough, the whole table was laughing, and the night continued on.
But all good things eventually came to an end, and soon enough they were standing at the doorstep as the last embers of conversation burned. The summer night was warm, so they would be able to walk back in comfort.
“Please feel free to come by again,” Aria said quietly from inside the doorway. “It was lovely getting to know you all.”
“I’ll definitely stop by!” Corrin grinned. “I’ll go to another show too! Keep an eye out for me in the crowd!”
She covered her lips with her fingers, giggling.
Bruno bowed to Kei. “It was a pleasure dining with you Miss Hayashi. I do hope you’ll accompany me for dinner another time as well.”
“I’ll um… I’ll let you know.”
He smiled, turning to Wyn and holding out a hand. “Let me know if I can help with your search. We’ve been in town a while longer, so there may be something I would know that would be useful. You can owe me one favor, I’ll cash it in once you make it as a spirit knight.”
Wyn chuckled. “Sure thing, I’ll let you know… Actually, you know, I do have one quick question.”
“Ask away!”
“Do you know where we could find a shrine?”
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[A/N:
Wanted to get two more scenes into this one, but I'm gonna call it here for now. I'm not unhappy with how this one turned out, even if it didn't quite get to where I wanted it to get. Really helped figure some stuff out in my brain.
Anyways, as said, quick break then we're back Wednesday. Gonna take the time to get some things done, relax a bit, and come back refreshed and ready. Idk the one day off a month sounds pretty nice actually. Just knowing one is coming up helps my stress levels a lot I think, which hopefully translates long-term into better writing. Hmm... I'll just have to figure out my aversion to posting less than I am now.
As always, I get yappy at 7 am. Thanks for reading, see ya Wednesday!
]
