CHAPTER 94 He Went Mostly Unmauled

CHAPTER 94

He Went Mostly Unmauled

Brownie

“Momo?” Slake Drakeford, Adventurer Extraordinaire, sat on the bar at Herman’s. “Of course I know him.”

After spending the entire afternoon at the inn, she and Rufus had ordered a bath, washed up, and gotten ready for her show. She would perform one more night at Herman’s, and then tomorrow she was contracted by Their Royal Highness to play in Juniper Square. She was scheduled for the lunch break, just before the last champion match between the military and the civilian finalists. When Rufus had ordered the bath, he’d also sent a messenger to the palace to ask Slake to join them for dinner. They’d not received word back, but when they’d walked across to the tavern, the grimalcat had been waiting for them.

The establishment let Slake lay on the bar as if he owned the place, and once or twice, the troll barkeep would walk by and pet the grimalcat.

He went mostly unmauled.

“Then we would like your opinion on something.” Rufus held Brownie’s hand and urged her to explain.

And she did.

Slake listened quietly, his tail flicking once or twice but otherwise intent on her story. When she was done, Brownie sat back and waited for the grimalcat’s verdict.

“I see …” Slake stretched then stood up, walking across the bar toward her. When he was directly facing Brownie, the grimalcat reached out a paw and poked her forehead. His eyes began to glow.

She held still, letting Slake do whatever a grimalcat did. He frowned, then shook his head sadly. “I don’t know what Momo will say, but your feelings of guilt will summon him soon, I’m guessing. It’s hard to hide something like this from us.”

Brownie slumped. “What should I do?”

“I will speak for you,” Slake offered, “but I cannot promise he won’t be angry.”

The grimalcat from her memories was her savior, and she didn’t want to disappoint him. “Alright. Thank you, Slake.”

“You’re welcome.” The cat jumped down onto the seat beside hers and proceeded to lick his paw.

“What is Momo like?” Rufus asked them, arms crossed.

Brownie recalled, “He is fluffy, with feathered wings, and bright yellow eyes.”

“He is very fluffy.” Slake agreed.

“You ready for tonight, Minstrel Bronwynn?” The tigerkin Ol’ Malley came up to the group and stopped to politely acknowledge the grimalcat.

Brownie pushed her near empty plate away and finished her light pear cider in one gulp before gently slamming the cup on the bar. “You bet I am!”

Ol’ Malley nodded. “Got any new songs for us tonight? I’ll have Samson run around to let everyone know you’re playing. After yesterday, I don’t think we’ll have a problem filling tables.”

The previous evening had gone harder and longer than any she’d previously performed. “I’m afraid I sang everything I’ve ever written last night. I don’t think I’ll be able to top that.”

“You what?!” Rufus interrupted. “You sang everything ?”

“Nothing you haven’t heard before!” she assured him.

The only reason she’d been able to remember the lyrics to some of those songs with such alacrity was because she’d been singing them for him on their trip from Hearthcrest to Vitol.

Rufus deflated. “I can’t believe I missed that.”

“Serves you right!” Ross exclaimed, flying over and plopping himself down on the counter. “This is what they call karmic justice .”

Brownie waved at Frida as she slowly walked toward them, hands clasped in front of her. The fae woman moved with an unnatural grace. Her Dexterity must have been even above thirty, or maybe she had a title trait that made her presence so subtly pronounced.

“Ross.” Frida smiled. “My friend, do not tease our leader overmuch. Would you not have jumped at the opportunity to travel with Minstrel Bronwynn?” Frida returned Brownie’s greeting with a small bow. The vines dangling from her antlers swayed gently, and her robes barely moved out of place. “How do you two fare?”

Before Brownie could speak her pleasantries to the fae, Ross pointed a tiny finger at Rufus. “He’s positively glowing. I think they’re doing fine. ”

Her beastman smiled a very pleased-with-himself smile, his furless ears only a little pink with embarrassment. He offered Ross his hand, and the pixie hopped onto his palm. “You’re right, Ross; we’re doing wonderfully.”

“It’s true,” Brownie agreed.

Rufus moved the pixie to his right shoulder, and Ross stepped off, taking a seat near Rufus’s ear.

Frida took the free seat beside Rufus, and the bartender appeared like magic. He might have appeared with magic, going by the stupefied look on his face and his hands in the position to dry a plate with no plate to be seen.

“One glass of elven myst dewdrop for my friend here”—she waved at Ross—“and I’ll have the Carol’s mead.”

The bartender blinked a few times then cowered before the elder fae, running to do her bidding.

Brownie resisted the urge to chastise the woman for manipulating the troll without his permission. On one hand, she was a fan who would be more likely to listen to Brownie’s advice … On the other, she was an all-powerful fae elder who could probably separate Peldeep from the continent and set it adrift on the ocean.

There was something to be said for the small number of creatures over level eighty on the continent who walked around like they were ordinary citizens.

There were more who filed into the tavern, and Ol’ Malley called Brownie away to her evening’s performance.

“Fine friends and good gentles.” The tall tigerkin stepped onto the stage as the room filled with more and more people. He smiled, his sharp white teeth flashing. “I would like you all to welcome the one, the only, Minstrel Bronwynn Lyriel!”

Brownie walked onstage to cheers, the lights dimming a bit, though the magical light above the stage remained bright. Three waitresses waited off to the side of the bar: Flow, Faun, and Flora. They would descend about halfway through Brownie’s first song, delivering drinks to tables and then coming around again to take food orders. They had a nice stew, fried potato sticks, a pasta salad, or rice bowls with flying pork cutlets.

Bard

The joy of a bard is in the audience. Bard allows you to target an audience equal to your Level 31 x Charisma 21 = 651. Targets will be able to hear you at your control and will feel the full effects of any Charisma-based abilities unimpeded by distance. When performing for an audience of max capacity, gain additional experience. Unless defended against, automatic success when buffing a member of your party with a level of equal to or lower value .

Her titles let her absolutely slay on the stage. The ability to target her audience and control her own sound were the two she concentrated on now.

Minstrel

What sets a Minstrel apart is their ability to control their sound.

Unlocked: Reverb , Drone , Repeat . Unlocked abilities stack.

Reverb

Creates an echoing wave of sound that trails off.

Drone

Creates a lingering, steady sound that remains constant.

Repeat

Creates a mimic of a select length of sound that can be replayed.

She chose [Reverb] and raised her hand to the sky. It came down strumming a wave of echoing chords off her lyre harp. The room hushed in an instant as everyone drew in a breath.

Then her hands played, and she let her repeat build each section so that her chords were playing behind her as she then plucked the melody to her chosen opening song. She chose this one because it was Rufus’s favorite: “Balthorn Rose.”

How like the rose to wither,

How like the petals to fall,

The blood-red flower is cut down—

And she fell in Eleran’s Hall.