Project Schemer - Salvatore Trilogy: Prelude

Arc 1 - Chapter 4: Amazing adventure.

"I know he is eager to see the world but i still have no clue how can someone taking care of a someone like him. You must be some kind of superhuman."

"If i don't take care of him then who will ? We care for each other, that's all. People may think it is an agreement but our power come from the fact we care for each other."

"He is my performer and i am the conductor, that's all. Maybe a little bit childish but that is my way of acting."

The capital of Soleil has a different kind of atmosphere, it is also a city but Tyerran is much more colorful than the old city. Even during the cold war people in the city still having smile on their faces, i checked the library for the story about the rebellion of Soleil. The book title "The grand Soleil Rebellion" appeared before me right on the first shelf, but let read it for another time. Now, i will need to present myself to master Hardelbert, a musician still need a place to live after all, beside, Siorre did promise me.

"Hey, i know this is wierd but can you wait outside for a moment, father can be emotional sometime."

Siorre enter the house first, what after that is much more interesting. I sense a presence behind, not one person but two of them. A strange tap on my shoulder and Sou is alerted, i gave him a cue not to express his killing intent cause it may worsen the situation. A tap on the shoulder is not something really threatening, maybe it is just a cue for attention. The first thing i saw when i turned back is a pair of blue eyes, white hairs and beard, the man is really high but his none of action is brute. Every of his gesture, even his gaze is filled with kindness, maybe it is depend on different people but i felt no threat from him. The other man is slim but have the same blue eye and long white hair, but he is much younger.

"Who are you ? I don't think my daughter have interest in another fiancé."

"You must be General Abrelard, i am Higeki. It's a pleasure to meet you sir. And i am not a fiancé, i am too young for that you see."

"It is the truth that many young lad wanted a glimse of my daughter but you are the first to know a lot. Tell me young stranger ? What happened during your journey ?"

"Well, i think it is the best decision for her to tell you everything. I am just a strange musician you see."

"A strange musician with a strange instrument."

"I can give you a song if you wanted to. It is a dream of a musician to perform before his audiance but i would perform for you when Siorre introduce me to you so, can we play like we just met."

"You are just like him can't get enough of teasing people don't you ?"

"I am a child of course i only do something if it is fun."

Siorre finished her preparation, her light armor is changed into a dress and it look amazing, the main color of the dress is deep blue with some golden paterns to decorate it. Different from normal Siorre with a certain charm, the current Siorre appear before me is graceful but on her face it is another tale.

"You seem distress, dear. Your father made you do something you don't like again ?"

"No it is not that thing, uncle... Wait, you try to make me forget about thing i am going to say right, now you are just mean."

"Now that's more like our Siorre, well, you should introduce your guest to us right ?"

"Yes, father, uncle, this is Higeki, we met during the harvest festival, he is a unique musician."

"A musician... So, are you interested in politic ?"

"Ease up a little bit will you, Othelio ? For the first time in my life i learned that my daughter can make friend, and not just some kind of her sparring parter. A musician, so Siorre my child, are you thinking about acting more like your mother already ?"

"Snap out of it dear, she can do whatever she want."

Teapot and deserts brought to all of us by a woman, i can assume that is Siorre's mother. Different from the old general, the lady in front of us is really young, not like Siorre but compare to Sir Abelard she is much younger. Sometime i must think again about the defination of age gap.

"Nice to meet you, Higeki and your friend, i am Raphia Hardelbert. It is a great pleasure to see that you are my daughter's friend and most of all, it is a pleasure to see a fellow artist, or two."

"How rude of me, i forgot to introduce my friend, this is Sousuke, it is a pleasure for both of us to be here."

"To be here is to be in our house or to be on the right side."

"Would you knock it off Othelio, i know the situation is complicated but there are no reason for doubt."

"You are right to doubt sir, cause i am still a stranger. But most of all, i am a musician, and art is not bound by politic but to ensure you, i think to dethrone a king because of his health is a foolish reason. This is the time to show utmost loyalty."

"I see, finally Siorre you pick the right friend to play with, not some brute at the local tavern like your father when he was young. And Mr Higeki..."

"Oh please i am not worthy with Mr, like i said, i am a child just call me by my name is enough for me."

"Very modest, well then, Higeki, could you do both of us a favor and make Siorre a little bit more like a true lady ?"

"Uncle...."

"Well then, that's enough of delay, i promised a melody and i am a boy with my word but i don't like when my performance or my audiance is interrupted, can you take care of them Sou ?"

"Don't worry about that and perform with all of your emotion, and i am the security, no hooligan can stop your performance so don't worry about that."

The song i choose, that is important, graceful, cheerful while mysterious at the same time, but why choose a song in my album while i have the inspration to write a new song here and now. So i decided to go toward the second option, i will write a new song here and now, no, it is much like i play without direction. It is much like instinct now, a cheerful song while remain graceful and mysterious. The passion and inspration inside my heart, they are beautiful in their own way, and i will use both of that and let my instinct guide me toward my beautiful melody.

"(Your song, they are so beautiful, no your mind is so beautiful. Thank you, because of you i can return to the mortal world, i will come to you as fast as i could.)"

Whisper in my mind, it is the voice of a young child, joyful and yearning, but i have to keep performing, the audiance is watching. My melody must reach further, it must reach further than just the purpose of hearing, i want my audiance to feel they are sitting in Wonderland. Only the tune that transcend reality worth the praise, if i can't reach that, my melody will be nothing more than a choked up performance. My instinct is guiding me, i am no longer control my movement, i let my instinct, my passion guide me. This shall be a performance worth the praise.

"Bravo."

The first one return to reality is master Abrelard, and then everyone after that. They all praise me for my performance, not too bad for the first impression, but the stranger is not a very delicate person. To intrude a musician when he is performing, that is a serious crime, legato, my performance shall not be stopped. My song shall be eternal, i won't let anyone stop my melody, my passion lead me toward this my ultimate creation of joy. 

"Please continue your performance, i will protect you and everyone else."

That is the same voice in my mind, before a knife hit me it is stopped by a water curtain, if i can continue with my performance then i will continue with it, the water curtain stop the knife while Sou handling the trouble behind me. But there is something else with the water curtain, the song make the water barrier stronger, i not just stop the knife inside it, it reflected any weapon thrown toward us. But not all song lasted forever, the melody ended while some of the assassins flee, while some of them are captured by Sou.

"That water spell, is that your rule ?"

"Don't worry, i will explain everything."

A cloud appear before us and then from the cloud, a cute little boy appear, well his age as a boy but his appearance is not a human. Round face but look quite like a puppy with a horn on the forehead, his fur is pure white like snow, he has a mane like lion while his clothing - a kariginu-like outfit with the upper part in light blue with no hat and white sock. He doesn't have footwear since he didn't touch the ground anyway but he still puts on white socks. But still very cute.

"Greeting everyone, i am Tomoe, the spirit of water. For you Higeki, i already paid attention to you, i always want to see you, meet you in person but i can't until that song."

"My song ?"

"I think it have something to do with my state of being imprison in the spirit realm. The first song, the song you play in the harvest festival, it somehow break a small hole in the box, it allow me to speak to you. And this song break the entire box, allow me to be free. I felt like..."

"We are linked, somehow. I felt like, i was meant to see you, to meet you." (Higeki.)

"This is interesting." (Othelio)

"What is it brother ?" (Abrelard)

"Spirit mages took more than five years to make a contact with a small spirit. But make a grand spirit like Tomoe pay attention, no, a link with the spirit, no much more than an experienced spirit magus who beg for aid from spirit. They devoted to each other, a child beloved by spirit ?"

"You overcomplicated thing again, people's emotion, spirit's emotion nothing is different. This is just like when i met you right, Raphia ?"

"I was so blind in the past. I thought you would be like a gentleman and finally i end up taking care of a child who has white hair and beard and still wrestling in the local tavern. But that is what i like about you dear, straight and honest so i end up taking care of two children. Don't learn your brother, Othelio."

"Don't worry, sister. I am much more refine in manner."

"Mother, Father, i have something else to ask."

"Yes dear ? Anything you like ?"

"Well, i want to ask your permission for Higeki to stay in our house, he is a wandering musician after all so i want to make a request for him to stay here."

"My condition is a duel with his friend Sousuke." (Abrelard.)

"I can agree with that condition, to protect Higeki in this world i need new technique, maybe i can use this opportunity to learn more." (Sousuke.)

"Of course, any musician is welcome in our house. Of course that is just my condition, have a fellow artist is nice." (Raphia)

"Of course, milady. I would like to perform and practice as much as i could."

"Don't look at me, of course i could agree, not everyday i met someone interesting like both of them, with all those corrupted people i met in the palace, i would like to meet someone interesting like him." (Othelio)

"Then it would be my utmost pleasure to be here. I want to give everyone my utmost gratitude for me and my friend to stay here. Of course i will help with everything if i can."

Today is amazing but the sun is not set yet, there are much more thing to do, so much place in the city to explore. I notice that the house of the general is not different that much from houses in the city, actually every house is the same and everything is organized in perfect order. It seem like the emperor did a lot of housing management, the palace is the only place diffent, maybe it will change in the future.

Another thing i notice is the fact that everyone in the city have equal life condition, all of them working with equal condition. Looking at the state of the city, i think the only problem here are those power hungry nobles, an emperor with weak strenght doesn't mean he is not able to rule. 

"Why do you have to be so adorable Tomoe."

"Eh, but please praise me, since the moment you enter this world, i can felt your presence, Higeki, i want to meet you so much. Can i stay with you ?"

"I don't see anything wrong with that but i want to venture more in this world, can you endure a journey ?"

"Endure ? I would love that, an adventure with someone i felt like i can share everything with, witness the world, experience everything a normal person would do. That will be so much fun. But when do we leave ?"

"I don't know much like you i am new to this world, i want to wait until my rule awaken and the problem in this country is solved first."

"Do you want to see a cool trick ?"

"A cool trick from the spirit of water... sound really fun, okay, show me."

We are sitting by the riverbank, just me and Tomoe, Sou is practing with master Abrelard, while Siorre is there too. Othelio has some matter he has to solve on his own, while lady Raphia told us to go outside while she prepare for the dinner. We do ask if you need our help but she just say that we are our guest, we should enjoy ourselves while the host showing their grace and talent. Well she is not wrong. 

"Almighty law of water, I Tomoe command your service to me."

"I thought spirit can command the element they control, why do you need to cast like that ?"

"Well, i thought it would be really cool."

"Well, it is."

Water follow Tomoe's command and slowly manifest into shape like wolves or foxes, dancing around the plain, and with another control, the foxes and wolves stopped and turned into ice statue, creating beautiful ice sculpture. With another command, the ice sculpture become heat resistance, they stopped on the plain and will remain there forever.

"Let make this our secret garden, i believe in your old world, they are called sculpture so i want to make a few of them."

Time fly and dusk paint the world in red, the beautiful world reflect on the ice statues, our world around us is miraculous. Maybe a new friend to go with is not something too bad, beside Tomoe is really cute, we sitting by the riverbank while he is sitting in my lap. Even if this world is not a real world then i would appreciate what is happening in this very moment.