The Renegades

by Vasily Mahanenko

  “I’m not very good at awaking love,” I sighed with mock exaggeration. “And what’s the point of awaking it when I have no use for it?”

  “Yes,” agreed the malignant bard, “it’s clear that you’re much better at awaking sorrow.”

  “Happens to everyone…” I replied philosophically. “Not everyone can be a lover hero conquering hearts and minds. Maybe I’m dreaming of becoming a barbarian with a huge club—a drummer who drums on the skulls of her enemies instilling fear and loathing?”

  Coleus laughed to himself and bowed his head in a gesture of agreement.

  “You’re right. Every bard seeks her own way. Music is omnipotent and capable of instilling joy and loathing, kindling love and hate, inspiring and sapping strength. What your music brings depends on you alone. I am glad that you have understood this.”

  Quest completed: A Bard’s Calling. Step 2.

  +100 Reputation with the Biota. Current status: Friendly.

  Experience gained: +120 XP.

  +5 gold.

  Attention! Class stat unlocked: ‘Introspection.’

  The bard’s knowledge of herself allows her to unlock various skills and spells without resorting to an instructor or a songbook.

  As I ogled the system notification and tried to understand how I’d managed to complete the quest, Coleus produced several scrolls and arranged them in front of him.

  “I promised you one of my songbooks. Choose whichever suits you best.”

  Songbook. Songbook class: Common. Contains ‘Song of Weakness.’ Once you use the songbook, the songbook will vanish and the Song of Weakness will be added to your spellbook. When you perform the Song of Weakness: -1% to target Strength.

  Songbook. Songbook class: Common. Contains ‘Song of Cleansing.’ Once you use the songbook, the songbook will vanish and the Song of Cleansing will be added to your spellbook. When you perform the Song of Cleansing: remove one negative, magical effect from target.

  Songbook. Songbook class: Common. Contains ‘Song of Encouragement.’ Once you use the songbook, the songbook will vanish and the Song of Encouragement will be added to your spellbook. When you perform the Song of Encouragement: +1% magic damage for party members for one hour.

  At first glance, the choice was obvious: Currently, the battles happened so quickly that weakening the enemy would do little good. Meanwhile, our stats were too low for percentage boosts to have any noticeable effect. The ability to remove negative status effects was much more useful, but…In the long term, buffing my entire raid party was much more important, and weakening a dungeon boss by 1% was even necessary. On the other other hand…What’s the long term matter to me? I’m still paying a subscription fee that’s much too high for my budget and the largess of our sponsors was unlikely to hold out for longer than several months.

  Nevertheless, I refused to rush my choice.

  “First of all, explain to me how I’m going to learn new skills and spells? I can borrow some things from the other classes and there are other things that I can learn from the songbooks. But that can’t be everything.”

  “You’re both right and wrong at the same time. Reflect on what the essence of being a bard is.”

  “Music,” the answer popped up on its own, but I thought a little more and couldn’t help generalize it a bit. “Creation. Art.”

  “That’s right. For you, it’s music, for someone else, it’s dance, for another, it’s a recitation, and yet another might create her own unique activity. But the essence remains: Our life is creation. Bards are creatures that live their emotions, expressing them to the outer world. We dedicate our entire lives to the search of inspiration. Some seek novelty, some to the opposite, pursue the unplumbed depths of things long known. Some look outwards, others never leave themselves. But all of us can unlock something within ourselves that will help us on our way. Until you learn this, the only thing you can do is learn from other songbooks and study the abilities of the other classes.”

  “Does this mean that if I find my own way, I will be able to teach myself?”

  “Not exactly. You will merely unlock what is within you already. Only you will determine what new opportunities you will unlock for your talent and how finely you shall polish it.”

  Coleus’ words were odd. Without directly studying skills and spells, an intelligent build for my character will be all but impossible. And yet, on the other hand…Did it matter? After all, had I come to Barliona to earn in-game achievements or to find inspiration? If the latter still held, I should simply go where the game takes me—with eyes wide open.

  “I think I understand you.”

  Coleus gave me a curious look.

  “A fairly rare quality for a free citizen. The majority of you prefer to cause trouble and demand to be taught the skills and spells their levels have qualified them for.”

  “My kind are a pretty strange crowd in general,” Reed suddenly joined our conversation. “You shouldn’t pay us too much attention.”

  Engrossed in our conversation, I hadn’t noticed him place his bow aside and start following what we were saying.

  “I was getting accustomed to you,” Coleus laughed. “You contribute a certain playful dissonance to life’s customary harmony.”

  “Your play is lovely,” I used the opportunity to praise the cellist. “Many years of stubborn practice?”

  A smile that was at once embarrassed and flattered appeared on Reed’s face.

  “You could say that again. I fell in love with the instrument when I was a child. I fell out with my parents over it and went to the conservatory. Couldn’t find work after that. Who needs a cellist in our day and age?”

  “Sounds familiar,” I nodded. “It’s a well-worn story. I had many a friend who struggled to find his place in the sun and ended up discarding music for more earthly, in-demand employment. Where are you from? I have an acquaintance who’s a talent agent. He’s a real toad but he should be able to send some gigs your way—for a fee as steep as highway robbery, of course. It might only be once a month but it’s something.”

  Reed hummed oddly and shook his head.

  “Thank you, of course, but it’s no longer necessary. A while ago, I got myself involved in a very unpleasant affair…And, well, they broke my fingers. Out there, when I hold my bow I may as well be a crab trying to eat with chopsticks. I thought I was done for. But my brother saved me. He gave me a capsule and sent me into Barliona. If I find work playing music again, this will be the only place. I don’t know if I’ll find it, but the chance to play again…”

  Reed trailed off, smothering his roiling feelings beneath an expression of outward calm. Even I had a lump in my throat. I could only imagine what it was like: First no one has any need for you and your life’s dream and later even that dream is taken from you. From a musicians’ perspective, Reed was a person of disability out in meatspace.

  I recalled the passion and hunger with which he played the first time I’d encountered him. It had reminded me of the way a drowning man gulps air, trying to satiate his lungs. You can’t force that kind of thing, nor fake it. This was why I believed Reed’s story instantly and without a shadow of doubt.

  “Listen, I’m planning on heading out with my party later. We’re going to leave the Tree and check out the surroundings,” I said once I’d calmed the emotions that had filled me. “If they’re okay with it, maybe you’ll join us?”

  Neither Chip nor Sloe seemed like soulless bastards who’d simply take this person’s story in stride. A trifle like another party member and therefore a diminished share of the overall experience wouldn’t bother them.

  “Well I seem to be progressing all right here in the city, but it would be interesting to leave its limits,” Reed agreed politely. “But you should first ask your party. What if they don’t like the idea?”

  Here I recalled Reed’s mysterious fourth level and couldn’t help but ask:

  “How did you manage to level up? I saw you a few days ago and you were sti
ll at Level 1.”

  “I’ll tell you something more,” Coleus popped into our conversation. “He’s basically been in here the entire time. He’s progressed much further than you along the bard quest chain and did so without budging from his spot.”

  I looked at Reed with bafflement but he just shrugged his shoulders.

  “To be honest, I didn’t even give it any thought. I was so happy that I could play again that at first I simply played. I remember there were messages about new abilities, spells, traits…Coleus handed me several rewards, experience, songbooks…”

  Seeing my scandalized face, the bard instructor simply spread his arms helplessly:

  “It’s not my fault he has a keener sense of his calling than you. There’s a story of an unparalleled flautist who once lived in a village. He was a shepherd who took care of the village sheep from the day he was old enough to walk to the day he was too old to walk. He earned worldwide renown. Kings and emperors who wished to hear him play were forced to travel to a little Sylvyn-forsaken hamlet because the bard simply refused to leave it. And it should be mentioned that this village never experienced a war because all the neighboring kingdoms declared themselves the protectors of the legendary flautist and his village. If the current situation keeps up, Reed here will turn our Tree into the center of Barliona.”

  “In that case, perhaps it’s a mistake to draw you into our dubious venture?” I glanced at Reed askance.

  “It’s time to test his mettle,” Coleus announced dogmatically. “Even the flautist of yore would leave his village to reach the pastures.”

  “Let’s not confuse the forest around the Tree for pastures,” I grinned. “By the way, on the topic of leaving the Tree. Coleus, are you aware of the strange happenings in the forest? Some mysterious blight has affected the creatures. They’ve begun to attack whomever they come across, ambushing peaceful travelers.”

  “I have heard,” the bard nodded with an odd indifference.

  “Well in the meantime, my companions and I are risking our lives to go down there and figure out what’s happened to the animals! To try to cure them of the mysterious plague or at least kill them to keep the Tree’s residents safe. Alas!” I injected a dose of pathos into my voice, “Perhaps you’re seeing me for the last time and before the sun sets today, I will be lying fallen and torn by the merciless claws of the rabid beasts. Or perhaps we will discover the source of all evils and save the forest after a heroic battle. Then I shall pen a ballad of our deeds and relate in it how you, instead of properly preparing your student for the dangerous trial, offered her one of three COMMON songbooks. In the great myths and legends, teachers impart great wisdom to their students and equip them with legendary weapons like the Vorpal blade or some other magical weapon. But you’ve decided to discharge your duty with a tattered songbook containing a weak spell! The memory of your parsimony shall live for all eternity, mark my words…”

  You have increased your Charisma stat. Total: 2.

  You have received another training point.

  Unallocated training points: 3.

  At the end of my blistering speech, Coleus burst into raucous laughter and raised his hand:

  “Enough, enough, I see the full breadth of my failure. You took it a little too far with the part about seeing you for the last time. Free citizens have the enviable blessing of being able to return from the Gray Lands, and yet there is truth in your words. You really are on your way to accomplish a vital deed and it would be dishonorable not to help you.”

  Items acquired:

  ‘Song of Weakness’ Songbook

  ‘Song of Cleansing’ Songbook

  ‘Song of Encouragement’ Songbook.

  “This is more like it! Worthy gear for a great battle!” I said happily, activating one songbook after the other.

  You have learned ‘Song of Weakness.’

  Attention. Because you have the Charisma and Fame stats, this spell has been altered.

  Song of Weakness: -(1 + Charisma + Fame)% to all enemies that hear your performance, not to exceed -50%. Effect duration: Intellect × 5 seconds. Casting time: 4 seconds. Cost of performance: Character Level × 10 MP. Range: 30 meters.

  You have learned ‘Song of Cleansing.’

  Attention. Because you have the Charisma and stat, this spell has been altered.

  Song of Cleansing: Your performance removes 1 + Charisma negative magical effects. In addition to the song’s target, you may choose extra targets for your song, whose number is equivalent to your Charisma. Casting time: 2 seconds. Cost of performance: Character Level × 2 MP for each target of the spell. Range: 30 meters.

  You have learned ‘Song of Encouragement.’

  Attention. Because you have the Charisma and Fame stats, this spell has been altered.

  Song of Encouragement: Your performance increases the physical and magical damage of all party members by (1 + Charisma + Fame)%, not to exceed +100%. Effect duration: (1 + Charisma + Fame) hours, not to exceed 48 hours. Casting time: 1 minute. Cost of performance: Character Level × 7 MP. Range: Charisma + 20 meters.

  Reading these updated descriptions for my new spells, I all but jumped from excitement. Now this I could understand: My secondary stats affect my spells! With buffs like this, I’d actually have a tangible impact on my party.

  “In addition to this trifle,” Coleus interrupted my silent exaltation, “I can teach you an unusual spell that I learned in my travels. However, in order to learn it you will need to spend one training point.”

  “What spell is it?” I inquired.

  “‘Canopy of Silence.’ You saw me use it on that noisy free citizen with the tympani. It may help you travel through and perform in a dangerous territory without attracting the attention of nearby enemies.”

  “Actually, I was quite worried about just that,” I admitted.

  Coleus has offered to teach you ‘Canopy of Silence.’ If you agree, you will expend 1 training point on learning this spell. Do you wish to learn the new spell?

  Of course I do.

  You have learned ‘Canopy of Silence.’

  Canopy of Silence: At your performance, a canopy descends on the target area or creature, absorbing all sounds emanating from the area within the canopy. The canopy’s Area of Effect may be chosen at will, but may not exceed (Intellect) meters in diameter. Casting time: The canopy is conjured as soon as your performance begins. This spell is channeled, though you may perform other songs during the channeling of this one. Mana cost: (Canopy AoE × 2) MP. Range: (Intellect) meters. Mana cost for maintaining the spell: (Canopy AoE) MP per second.

  Unallocated training points: 2.

  Achievement unlocked: ‘Student Level 1.’ +1% chance to persuade an NPC to teach you a non-standard skill or spell. Learn 19 non-standard skills or spells to reach the next level.

  “The canopy is cast as soon as your performance begins. As a result, you won’t divulge your location. The canopy traps all sounds within it, meaning that if you are inside, you will still be able to hear sounds produced outside of it as well as inside of it.”

  And so the issue of extra noise has been solved and all I need is enough MP to channel the spell.

  “Thank you! I am certain that this will be a great aid in our journey.”

  “Just be so kind as to present me in a positive light in that ballad of yours,” the instructor winked happily. “And since you’re on your way to a dangerous part of the forest, you should stop by Master Pirus’ place. He was just recently complaining to me that he’s run out of the wood he needs to make his instruments.”

  “I’ll be sure to stop by right away,” I promised. A companion quest is just what the doctor ordered. “Let me ask you one more question. I’m a cartographer and a scroll writer, which means I can create my own songbooks. Does this mean that I can compose songbooks only for the spells I already know?”

  “No—songbook composition works a little differently. You may fill songbooks only with music you have created.”


  “And what does that grant me?”

  “You will be able to pass it on to any other bard, teaching him the spell you have created.”

  “Are you saying I can create my own spells?”

  “At the moment, no. But I am certain that one day you will learn how to. Now it’s time you go and save the world.”

  “Can you teach me Canopy of Silence too?” Reed asked. “I’m going to save the world too.”

  “No. You do not yet have the required qualities. Besides, you don’t have a single training point yet.”

  “That’s true,” Reed nodded in mild perplexity. It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn’t the slightest idea what this person, whom I’d just invited to my party, was capable of. Sloe would definitely want to know what this bush in a bag was all about.

  “Listen, what do you know how to do in general?”

  “What do you mean?” Reed replied.

  “Well, like spells, skills…that kind of thing.”

  “Ah, that’s what you mean. Let me check…”

  I sighed to myself and began to sort through the arguments I’d have to use to convince Sloe to allow yet another newbie into the party. The most convincing line that popped into my head ran something like: ‘One newb more or one newb less, what’s the difference?’ But something told me that the necromancer wouldn’t be very receptive to this.

  “Magic Missile and Song of Healing,” Reed reported predictably. However, contrary to my expectations, the list did not end here. “Song of Demolition, Charming Song, Stunning Song, Heroic Song. I think that’s about it.”

  “All that at Level 4? How?”

  Reed shrugged as usual.

  “I was playing.”

  “I heard gunfire…” I muttered a well-known phrase from an ancient movie. I suppose Reed really had completed a part of his class chain without leaving the tent and progressing further than me. In this manner he had unlocked different songs, which would help the party a great deal. The two bards wouldn’t be singing over each other. “All right, Sayid, what do all these songs do?”