Finally, I felt comfortable enough to ask him about my newfound status as a Bard. "So, what I am, what exactly does it entail? Being a Bard, I mean." I could hear the hesitation in my voice as I spoke.
He looked into space for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Oddly enough, most of the tales about a Bard's abilities are true. But beyond the usual abilities to influence people through song, they can prepare some of the best wards and defensive magics. Not many can turn the music into elemental magics, but a few can. Influencing people is often enough to stop most fights, anyway, unless your opponent prepared themselves against a Bard first. Since you are the only one I know of in New Zealand at the moment, that's unlikely," he finished with a yawn.
He tried to cover up his exhaustion, but I could see it on his face. "Would you like a lift home?" I asked him graciously. He was trying to be kind in his own way, I could see that. The least I could do was be nice to him. He was a massive improvement on the fool I'd been partnered with just a few days ago.
He paused, then said "Just give me two minutes. Someone I gotta talk to." He rose from his chair and walked across to the lady he had signaled before. There was a bit of back-and-forth, then finally she nodded he went searching through his pockets until he pulled out two identical coins of some sort. She nodded to him and I think I caught her saying four days. He gave her an answering nod and walked back to me.
"Okay, that's that business sorted." He let loose an enormous yawn which he politely covered to the best of his ability. He shook himself and blinked owlishly. "I'm far more tired than I realized." He handed me a card with an address on it "Your boss has me staying here," he said, and we walked out of Charlie's grill by a side exit.
Chapter 4
The next few days were decidedly odd. I'd expected Thal to be gung ho about getting the WereEagle, but found him to be calm and relaxed about that situation. He said something about we'd sort it next time we were back at the office, then made sure we didn't head back to the office. It was fairly frustrating, but I had to go with the flow.
What made it more frustrating, was the fact that for the first day, he'd arranged music lessons with a fairly famous local singer. I spent the entire day learning how to use my diaphragm properly, and learning how to use what she called lyre. The instrument was tuned to a piano's notes and middle C. By the end of the day she was satisfied with my progress and talked to Thal. He handed what looks like a fairly thick envelope over to her and she walked back over to me smiling, and told me I was welcomed practice with her any time she was home. She then handed me the lyre and a case.
"What was that about?" I asked him irritably as we went to get some Chinese take-out for dinner. I had no idea where he was while I was having eight hours of music lessons. I was annoyed by that. Partners should communicate more.
"You needed to gain some practice, and basic knowledge, of how to sing before I can teach you the theory of Bardic magic. Like all magic, everyone with the talent has some unique twists and turns in it. But without giving you the tools to use it, I may as well push you over a cliff." The urbane and calm tone he said that in hammered home the simple fact of the matter. He was not going to leave me without the basics at the very least.
"So, for the next several days, I'll be teaching the basics of Bardic magic and exploring how you use it. Maybe the lyre won't be the tool of choice for you, but it's a good starting spot. Traditional even. It'll keep any Fae that don't already have word that you are under protection at bay. They will assume you have more knowledge than you do." I winced at that, as bluffing people could end badly. But it wasn't like I had much of a choice at the moment. If my parents had let me learn an instrument I'd have been in a better position, I could tell. At least I had some self-taught skill at singing.
I also learned he was far faster than he looked. A couple of times I got so frustrated with some of the things he was trying to teach me I threw a punch or slap his face. It was never there when my blow should have landed, and often left me let landing on my arse. He simply took it in stride.
I could go into greater detail on the training. I won't. It was boring, but I understood its necessity. Since very few of the people looking at this will be a bard, there isn't really much point. And if it does get into the hands of the normal, they definitely don't need to know the details of the supernatural world that were discussed.
It was on the afternoon of the fourth day that he nodded to me, and told me to rest up. That he had a test for me that night. Did I mention that I hate short notice tests?
We went to a hole-in-the-wall bar across town from Charlie's. It was much larger on the inside than the outside. When I asked how that was possible, Thal simply winked at me and said, "Magic." His grin as he sprung another aspect of this new world on me was getting a little irritating. I could see why he was doing it the way he was doing, but that didn't make it any more fun feeling the butt of the situations he placed me in
He then gave me my task for the night. To influence the crowd in the bar through the karaoke machine. He moved to a table for three, took a chair and gestured towards the machine. He'd decided I was ready, obviously.
I went over to the music listing for the machine and went through the songs. The barman brought over a whiskey on ice with water, and I sipped it as I flipped through the available choices. No one else seemed interested in using the machine so I took my time. Eventually I settled on the Rolling Stones 'Paint it Black', and by the time I reached the machine I could see the lady that Thal had talked to that first night at Charlie's sitting at our table. I had no idea of why, and it put me off my game, a little, at first. Then I became convinced that this was part of the test. By the second verse, it was game on. I gave a performance that would have had the Rolling Stones themselves buying copies of the cover.
When I finished I could see glances between the patrons that were furtive and hostile.. Apparently my performance had also been influenced by my paranoia towards Thal and his motives. Damn, it had worked, and worked to such a level that I felt it necessary to hum a soothing calming tune as I walked to Thal and his companion's table. They and the barman seemed to be the only people in the room unaffected.
His companion sighed in disappointment and handed across the two coins. "Yes, Thal. You were not wrong. I accept the full deal." She turned to the barman and ordered something unpronounceable all round. The she turned to me and introduced herself. "I, Berada of the Strait, will represent and defend you in the courts of Fae and Fairy, and prevent contracts being placed, for the next five years. If you swear to never wilfully attempt to enthral me, I will also teach you the ways of the Fae, so you may protect yourself."
I looked to Thal who gave me a slow nod. Without realizing it the formal words came out of my mouth. "I do so swear". Then the drinks arrived. They were pleasant, but didn't seem to have much kick. After what I'd just done my hands were shaking and I felt the need for something... Stronger. When I ordered a whiskey, One of Thal's eyebrows rose. When I got another, I could feel the mild rebuke coming from him. I didn't care. I wasn't ready to have the power that had been thrust upon me. I don't recall how, but suspected he got me back to my house, or called me a cab. He is still gentlemanly about that night and refuses to comment to me or anyone else about it.
Chapter 5
I woke up, startled. Head throbbing, mouth dry. A sure sign of a hangover, though I didn't remember drinking the night before.
Actually, I didn't remember the night before at all.
A flurry of urgent knocks pounded on the front door. They vibrated down the hallway, and rammed into my tender eardrums. A man, no doubt about that. A woman would have gently tapped her knuckles. This brute used the palm of his hand.
I began to sit upright, then my dismayed stomach warned me under no circumstances should I move. My hands curled into fists as I fought against the rising tide of bile in my throat. My heart beat sped up into a Buddy Rich solo.
Finally, my tensed stomach relented. I cracked open a ca
utious eyelid to scan the room. It was dark.
I closed my eyes, groaned, and let my aching head sink back into the pillow. Unless I'd gone blind overnight, it wasn't even dawn. Whoever was at the door could go hang.
Then another round of thumping shuddered my front door and I gritted my teeth together in frustration.
"Fine," I shouted out, feeling anything but. I dragged myself up to the edge of the bed and pulled on a T-shirt and jeans from the pile of clothes discarded on the floor.
The thought of some man--and I had a good idea who--seeing me naked was as repugnant as the alcoholic fumes leaking from my pores.
I pulled the front door open to reveal a ginger-bearded man standing there. His hand was raised ready for another thumping. He sported Thal's tattoo, though his mocking grin was a better giveaway of identity.
In a bright voice, he said, "Training time." I clenched my hand behind my back to stop myself smacking it across his amused face.
He was halfway down the driveway before my addled brain worked out how to close the door. The second after the lock clicked into place, I frantically dug into my pockets. My search for the keys ended with nothing.
Oh well. That was why I'd left a set with the neighbours. At least, it seemed like the kind of thing I should have done.
Thal generously offered me the passenger seat in my own car. He drove us out to New Brighton beach, empty sand dunes lying lonely under the night sky. When I hesitated by the car, he used an orchestra of curse words to force me down the long pier.
At the end of the walkway, I slung my arm around a pole while leaning out over the ocean. A cool breeze blew fresh salt air into my mouth. As I watched the faint line of pink dusting the horizon, I started to feel better about the whole day.
Then Thal shoved me into the water.
For a moment, chest constricted with the cold shock of the water, I felt certain I was drowning. Then a powerful instinct for self-preservation overwhelmed my fear. A split-second later, I bobbed back up to the surface.
Shaking my head to blink away the saltwater prisms from my eyes, I wanted to clamber up the pier and tug that bastard into the water. I might have too, if the louse hadn't already jumped in beside me.
"Refreshing, isn't it?" he said, laughing as I showed him my teeth. The hipster beard he wore this morning looked incongruous above broad shoulders stolen straight from a lumberjack.
Still feeling vulnerable, I swept my forearm across the water, splashing a spray of salty drops into his brand-new face. Saltwater dripped in beads from his ginger beard while wet tendrils of hair curled either side of his face.
"Come on," he said, spinning his body around in the water and striking out for the beach. As I walked dripping out of the water, my ears filled with the sound of the ocean, then drained away like an empty shell.
"Have you woken up yet?" he yelled across with a cheeky grin.
As words failed me, I settled for poking my tongue out in return. Then Thal's face grew more somber. He took me by the shoulders and positioned my arms down at my sides.
He stamped his feet in place, standing beside me. "Follow my actions."
Thal began to twist and turn his body in a slow, liberating ritual not unlike Tai Chi forms or Savate katas. For at least five minutes he led me through each step, finally ending with his closed hands gathered at his stomach before throwing his arms and fingers wide. The gesture looked as though he'd thrown his invisible frustrations into the sky.
I mimicked him, hoping I did okay given the state of me. A sepia memory of a yoga class for expectant mothers tightened my throat. Nostalgia flooding my chest until it became waterlogged. As I flung my hands open, I had to admit--the routine made me feel pretty good.
Then I leant my head to the side and threw up a glut of last night's whisky onto the sand.
When my retching finished, I lifted a handful of seawater to swish my mouth clean. The overwhelming taste of salt effectively eradicated the lingering acid. It also ignited the dryness in my throat.
Then Thal suggested a morning beverage. The thought of a sweet hot chocolate full of empty calories almost led me to forgive him.
Almost.
* * *
Over my steaming cup of chocolatey goodness, Thal explained the finer details of the case he'd been assigned. Something about a local eyrie of harpies and WereEagles making Christchurch their local haunt. The unfamiliar terms and scant descriptions went in one ear and out the other. WereEagle, I knew--far more than I wanted--but harpies? A fiction wrapped in a feminine parcel tied tightly with a sharp tongue. Or my ex-mother-in-law, to be more precise.
"So, how much did they explain to you down at your department of weirdness?"
I shook my head, while my tongue longed for a retort. Without the brain capacity to think of a good zinger, I kept my mouth snapped shut.
The department of weird, apart from the... well... weirdness, was hauntingly similar to the police ranks from which I'd so recently been pulled. The same unflinching deference to authority. The same lack of promotional opportunities to those who forgot to toe the line.
Not that I expected a promotion after only a few days. But my skepticism allowed me to read the way the wind blew. Someday, it might matter.
"Well," Thal continued, reaching over the table to steal my marshmallows, "I know you know WereEagles. Often they're isolated, just themselves and immediate family. Other times, the supes congregate together for more powerful groups."
"And that's how it is with the harpies and the WereEagles?"
Thal nodded. "WereEagles are great at keeping an eye out, they can spot incoming trouble at ten thousand feet."
"And what to do harpies bring into the equation?"
"They can help keep their populations up, pure breeds are becoming a minority. Also, sometimes you need a companion who is quicker on the ground."
"And why do I care about this?" I asked, feeling that the obvious response was--not at all.
"How did it feel?"
I frowned and took another deep sip of my hot chocolate before his strange questions could ruin my mood. "How did what feel?"
"When you saw your first supernatural?"
I opened my mouth to respond that I'd barely noticed the difference. But the liquid memory of those hours flooded through my system, and I shuddered. Time spent with the world melting out of my grasp. My heightened senses overflowing with information I was powerless to filter. It had felt more like a bombardment than a useful tool.
I shrugged and stared into space over his shoulder. "Not great," I grudgingly admitted.
"Now imagine that everyone in the city felt 'not great' all at the same time. Imagine if these supernaturals were exposing themselves, everywhere."
That time I didn't even need to respond, Thal's face relaxed into lines of pleasure as he saw the open distress on my face.
"So, that's why it's your problem," he finished stealing one of the marshmallows from my plate. "It's your problem because you're one of the few who understands how big the problem actually is."
I spun my coffee cup and quick circles, distributing the remaining contents. No matter how careful, the last mouthful of hot chocolate was always gritty sludge.
"And there's always the fact that your skills may finally come in useful."
I arched an eyebrow. That sounded far more important. "Useful how?"
"Well, just that harpies may be particularly susceptible to your special kind of charms."
"My musical spells or my hot bod?"
Thal snapped his glance back in my direction. "Maybe both," he grinned, "if they swing that way."
* * *
Back at the weirdness department offices, I scrolled through a bunch of files that were requisitioned earlier from police responses. It still gave me trills of surprise that the covert police system--heavily monitored and defended--was fully open to this department, the one I never knew existed.
Buried down amongst the coffee shops was an apothecary. Nothing special
in and of itself, so I'd learned, but the name of a customer caught my eye.
Printing out the information--for all their supernatural powers, the printers still sucked balls--I circled it on the page in case Thal was blind and slammed it on the table in front of his face.
"What's this?" The gall of the man. So much for working this case together. In his apathy, he couldn't even be bothered to shift his head and look at the piece of paper in front of him.
"Well?" he asked, his voice testy.
I reached over the table and grabbed the back of his neck in my hand. I tussled him until his head stared down at the black and white sheet.
"There's your 'well,'" I said, so angry my pulse pounded in my eyes. I drew my hand back and wiped it against my leg with a lip curl of disgust. Didn't want the man to think I'd made the gesture from affection.
I pointed back at the paper. "There's payment from Areanna Thea made out to the local coven. Isn't that the sort of thing you wanted me to look for?"
Thal pushed his chair back from the table. The abrupt action sent a wrenching squeak into the air. I shuddered, still not used to how my skills were overwhelmed by ordinary noise.
He grabbed a jacket from the coat stand--maybe even his own--then held the door wide open. "You coming?"
Thal didn't wait to see if I responded to his query. He was halfway across the parking lot by the time I caught up.
"How do you even know where to go?" I asked. Suspicion reared in my head. Perhaps he hadn't looked at the page because he couldn't read it. Whether a permanent fixture or something to do with the Coke bottle lenses that adorned his newly appointed face, I couldn't tell. I was still getting accustomed to Thal napping and waking up, literally a changed man.
A Mongrel, A Bard and Witches, Oh My!: A Mongrelverse Story (Face The Music Book 2) Page 3