Chương 251: If your song can reach the heart

The Skysinger Priory was, unsurprisingly, filled with song. Whenever you saw one of the inhabitants, you would already have heard them, as each partook in the song in some way or form; from faint humming to glorious crescendo. It was a lot like the choir Kite had seen back in Song's temple in Gilded, where members came and went as they did their daily chores, but on a grander scale as it was enabled by the innate abilities of Songstress' marble that somehow transferred and projected the song even through the walls.

Which led to Kite having a question as they had all seated themselves in a common room, the song still clearly audible.

"Won't we disturb the song by speaking?" he asked softly, looking around at the walls and their pale blue marbling that gently pulsed along with the music.

"The walls seem to carry the sound throughout the whole priory."

"No need to worry. Only carries songs," Gold stated assuringly, taciturn as always.

"Really?"

"Indeed," Serene confirmed.

"So do not feel restricted in your speech, and feel free to join in the song if the mood strikes you. Through the grace of the Goddess and her purview, song and song alone will be transferred through the stone. Which is fortunate, as finding a modicum of privacy would be even more challenging than it already is, and little Lull here would risk keeping half the priory awake at night."

As if on cue, the baby in her arms started making small whining complaints which - if Kite judged correctly from his time spent around little Raven - would soon rise to quite the cacophony unless the hunger they felt in the tiny one's aura was sated, but the little celestine girl was soon slurping happily on a bottle which allowed the conversation to continue in relative peace.

"Well, she's still quite the treasure," Kite noted, smiling at the baby.

"May I ask her full name?"

"Oh, my apologies," Serene said, tilting the baby slightly upwards for everyone to have a better view.

"This is Lulling Hymn on Silent Eve, or Lull for short. She was broken out of the vat just over two months ago, and in around nine more months she should have a sibling."

"Heavens, you work quickly," Dragonfly noted with a laugh.

"Fertility be praised, I suppose."

"There are reasons," Gold replied.

"We are staying here for some time. But after that? We expect to move around a lot."

"Oh?" Kite asked, turning to Serene who picked up the explanation.

"This does pertain a bit to our stay here at the priory," the priestess said.

"If you don't mind a bit of a story, we can start from the beginning."

"Please do," Kite said, leaning back in the simple but comfortable armchair he was seated in.

"I'm quite curious where life has led you so far, because from the feel of it the two of you have kept progressing through silver rank. From the way you spoke when departing, I got the feeling that your adventuring days might have been over."

"Much in the way of the song, life has its crescendos as well as diminuendos. But you are correct in your assumptions, Kite. I too thought that with reaching silver rank, my past feeling resolved and me looking towards more fully dedicating myself to my Goddess, life would quiet down. At least in the metaphorical sense, given the Lady which I serve," Serene explained, smiling a bit at her own joke.

"But life seemed to have other ideas for me and my dear Gold here. I was incredibly honored when my church allowed us to travel to the Priory, but also surprised when they offered it as a time of training and readying myself. I was apparently deemed a candidate to be a high priestess of my Lady, although not the kind presiding over a temple but of our wandering singers; bringing Song's joy wherever I went.

We were offered a decade here at the Skysinger Priory to prepare ourselves, both receiving training in the mysteries of the church as well as our own progression. Given the remoteness of this place, more competent essence-users are always needed, and every wandering singer needs their guardians. Hence that my beloved also found his purpose here beyond contributing with his lovely voice."

The last statement was said with such fondness that Gold - solid, huge and taciturn - actually blushed slightly in his seat before hiding it by preoccupying himself with little Lull, having accepted the baby from Serene during her telling.

"Ah, I see," Kite said, connecting the pieces.

"The life of a wandering singer does sound less suited for small children if I'm not mistaken? Was that part of the reason you mentioned, Gold?"

"Yes," the large man confirmed, Serene once again taking up the explanation.

"While no one would say that such a life would be ideal even with older children, it is still a better option unless we were set on waiting until far later to start a family. And in that, we were of one mind. And so, little Lull and her siblings will spend the first part of their life here in the Priory, with Gold and I acting as local defenders along with some of the other clergy to keep the nearest region safe while leaving the more far-flung or specialized contracts to the adventurers from the city state.

It is not an entirely quiet life, but given our powers and the roles we are to assume, I am grateful for every opportunity," the priestess finished.

"But please, enough about us for now. Tell us about home. Of the guild and the others. And the stories of Sprite and Laevyeth. Also, there is something new between the two of you, Kite and Dragonfly. Forgive my prying, but it was quite obvious in the way that your auras keep intertwining," Serene finished, smile only half-teasing.

"Well, you're not wrong there," Kite said, taking Dragonfly's hand at his side.

"But as your questions are many, I believe it best to try summarizing the past years in some kind of chronological order. Although it might take a while…" But as it turned out, with no threats or crisis hanging over them and in a location as calm and peaceful as the priory, time was something they had. So the group took turns in relaying their lives since Serene's and Will's departures about three years prior. Kite spoke of his family compound, the astral space and his time with the task group.

Will relayed tales of his time spent abroad getting a feel for the adventuring culture of Rimaros and his time spent with another team, but this was all dwarfed by his grand telling of Laevyeth's appearance in their world and their subsequent meeting after the outworlder was discovered - and rescued - by Kite and the task group. And as for her part, Dragonfly spoke of the guild and its growth, the conflict with the three sects and how she met Sprite.

And they also spoke of Discord and what they had learned so far, from rooting out cells of rogue essence-users to their adventure inside the Queen's gate. Of the audience with a diamond-ranker and then with the current King. And of their plans for the future.

"Well dear," Serene said to Gold as their telling finished, day having turned to evening outside. Time had passed quickly though, seemingly even for Sprite and Laevyeth who had listened with quite some interest as they learned more of the adventurous lives of their companions. Sprite had even dared ask a few questions, something Dragonfly kept encouraging.

"Our life does indeed seem to be more quiet in comparison. And on behalf of our Goddess, I would like to convey her thanks to you all too. She is most pleased with the work you are doing in combating the influence of Discord. Their domain is mostly antithetical to the harmony needed for a truly great song, after all. And thank you for trying to protect my former home. While my life has carried me away from Hua-Xi, where my path has been treated less than well at times, I bear it no ill will.

From the sound of it, the touch of Discord might go deep into the culture, so there's no telling if me being spurned stems from their influence. But I would not be surprised if that is at least part of the truth."

"So that means you aren't coming back?" Dragonfly asked, the sad tone to her voice hinting at her already knowing the answer.

"No, Dragonfly. I don't think so," Serene said sadly.

"The way of the wandering singer is to spread Song's grace across the world. The goddess might guide me to Hua-Xi at times, but it will not be to stay while I am on that path. And while you all are very dear to me, the kingdom as a whole tends not to be. But who knows what the far future holds? Change might be possible. But visiting on the other hand, especially with such an important matter as the wedding of two important friends that we were so kindly invited to? That, I believe, should be quite manageable.

You even had a portal courier who knew her way here."

"I understand… It's just… sad." Gold, having sat mostly silent during the long time spent catching up, nodded empathetically at Dragonfly's statement before rising and clapping a hand to the smaller woman's shoulder.

"Sadness is part of life. And can be part of a song, making beauty even of the pain. Come. We have sat here for a long time now. Let us go listen to the singers of the chapel. Reflect. Think. More time for talking tomorrow."

"Ooohhhmmmm…."

"Kyyyaaaaah!" The deep, bass humming of Gold was surprisingly resonant as he braced himself straight in the path of the living landslide descending upon him. This was no mere mass of descending rubble though, but the working of a Quake Yak; the towering monster stampeding in the middle of the torrent of earth and stone that was dragged along in the wake of its charge.

Given its size and the sheer mass of the accompanying earth and stone, it looked as if Gold would soon be crushed, trampled and added to the debris that followed the monster. But essence-powers, especially ones used well, had a tendency to subvert expectations.

"Mooo– oo?" The bellowing bovine cry was interrupted as the bone growths covering Gold's already massive conjured armor regrew themselves into a latticework that anchored him into the ground while also growing into a much larger extension of his right arm.

A spiked, bony fist the size of a cart met the charging monster in an uppercut that didn't just stop its rampage but even lifted it from the ground as it was flung backward up the slope of the mountain, straight into Dragonfly's leaping attack as two greataxes chopped into it and turned its almost questioning 'moo' into a cry of pain.

The force sent debris flying everywhere, but a few barriers of shimmering force moved with increasing deftness to keep any shrapnel-like stones from coming even close to the observers and their less protected charges.

"Gold has indeed worked on his technique and timing quite a lot since last we met," Kite noted as he directed his barriers to once again fall into formation around where he stood next to Will, Laevyeth, Glint and Serene. Both Sprite and little Lull were with them too, but behind more stable barriers Kite kept in place.

He had grown more proficient with his new evolved racial gift over the past month, but not enough to have the two normal-rankers depend on only his skills this close to where Dragonfly and Gold kept clashing with the Quake Yak. The distance was still enough for Sprite to require a farsight crystal to be able to see what was going on, but in a battle between silvers the motions were quick and the areas covered in destruction large.

"He has kept up his practice, although you can see and feel that you all have grown further given the intense conflicts you seem to have been embroiled in," Serene commented in return.

"There is a firmness to your auras that only long tempering through battles seems to be able to produce. Given what you told me of only the venture inside the last gate, I am not surprised. To think that subverting one of them would even be possible. But now it seems that you won't only have to contend with contracts, personal growth and the looming threat of Discord and the forces they've turned Hua-Xi into a haven for. Not after that audience."

"No, no you are correct. With how public that audience was and certain wordings from the King, I suspect that the guild will be quite interesting to a lot of parties with all kinds of intentions," Kite sighed, remembering how his clearing of the gate near Gilded caused all kinds of invitations and intrigues. And that was only a small city, not the nest of connections, old feuds and rising stars that was the more metropolitan capital. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

"Do not fret, friend!" Will called, speaking while still keeping an eye on the violent proceedings in the distance "We shall stand by your side through thick and thin. Let any who would oppose us impale themselves on my Heavenly Shaft, only proving the north stronger than any of them could possibly expect. The moment my Lady touches them, their treacherous hearts shall be known."

"I honestly hope that duels will be the only thing leveraged against us. At least that is an arena we know how to fight in. No, I rather fear other kinds of traps and the like where no perception power in the world can trump the experienced players," Kite replied.

"But your words are heartening, Will. Thank you. I might be leaning more on your expertise in dealing with the higher stratas of society in the days to come." Will was about to reply when Serene silenced them both with a gentle nudge of aura, eyes clearing after seemingly having been distant for a moment.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it seems like the companion of the monster has finally heard this one's distress and is moving over to interfere."

"Then that is our cue! Some good, honest monster hunting in far away lands! This is truly the vacation of my dreams! Come, my Lady!" Will called, Laevyeth only smiling fondly towards her wielder before shifting into her spear form.

"Glint, would you mind assisting them? You too, Sage," Kite said, Glint nodding after a moment's consideration while the astral gatherer manifested next to them.

"Affirmation Vantage Observe Assist""I think that Sage means to assist you from above," Kite translated, the alien familiar's emoting still hard to comprehend at times. While its rising in rank had allowed for more complex concepts to be translated, it also seemed to make Sage feel even more alien in what it found fascinating. Still, the familiar recognized the need for conflict and seemed to find purpose in doing its part.

By now, all of them had started picking up the aura of the incoming second monster, so Will took to the skies on wings of spears while Glint grew to her serpentine dragon form, following with Sage floating in tow. Kite wanted to join them too, but the still stiff and rigid arm at his side was a constant reminder that the priestess of the Healer had urged rest, or at the very least to not risk it being bludgeoned and crushed in the press of combat.

And given who he was standing next to, he wasn't surprised when Serene reached out a hand and patted the crystallized appendage.

"You've done well, Kite. While I feel your frustration, the Goddess teaches that sometimes one needs to shift their role within the harmony to fit one's circumstances. No song is worth hampering one's future."

"Your Goddess is wise," Kite agreed with a sigh, though he smiled towards his friend.

"At least I will be recovering in good company, and in a beautiful place. I suspect these two weeks will have passed in a flash before I know it."

"How long was Kite going to be away again?"

"Around two weeks, dear. Walker, you're a silver-ranker. You don't forget things that easily," Second Spring remarked from where she sat handling part of the increasing load of paperwork the guild had found itself with after their members had grown steadily over the years since its founding.

"Given these invitations that have started arriving from the capital and that some need responses quite soon, it feels like two months. Some are addressed to him personally, after all, and the senders don't seem like the type of people one keeps waiting," Walker grumbled in turn.

"Like this one; 'The Sentinel of the Gates and the Guild Master of the Autumn Wanderer's guild are hereby invited to the Eve of the Saffron Cicada. This soirée will feature a dueling arena, allowing evening entertainment and socializing,' " he read aloud.

"And we have three more like it, all looking for prompt confirmation. Oh, but that's not all. The number of people coming here only to end up in Soul's arena has increased by quite a margin, and others have started sending messages demanding duels with Kite - or even me - to circumvent her. Then there are meetings to discuss collaborations and some kind of business exchange that sounds quite suspect. And look, there's even a few love letters!"

"Oh? To whom?" Spring asked, perking up from her paperwork.

"Kite, dear, you don't need to worry. Your rakishly handsome lover saves his attentions for you and you alone."

"Oh, he'd better. But I do want to show Dragonfly some of them. Might be good to have her fight a bit in public too and show the people of the capital Kite's type," Spring replied, her smile just a bit dangerous as she regarded her Walker-shaped prize which she had caught after years of pining.

"She can raze the place for all I care at the moment. I just need to confirm if he can actually attend and…" Walker began, trailing off as his eyes seemed to light up while his smile grew more mischievous.

"Or… Perhaps… Yes, boy. Time to repay you for dragging all of this to my doorstep. Oh, yes. Little Kite, your guild master will need your presence for a few important tasks for the guild in the months to come. Very important. In the capital no less. Will I join you? Sorry, I'm preoccupied. Guild master's business. Very important indeed." The sound of confirmations being signed was soon overshadowed by chuckling. Chuckling simply oozing with schadenfreude.

Laevyeth stood in the priory's main chapel, listening to the current members of the choir go through a slowly rotating series of harmonies. One might think that one would grow weary of the constant songs of this place, but so far the outworlder had only found that her admiration for the art had kept growing. There was something special with that harmony, something that seemed to resonate with her.

This was not a resonance like that between her and her wielder, but something even more personal which Laevyeth had come to discover; it was simply something she really liked. Having such preferences beyond finding a proper wielder was still novel to the spear, but she had found life to be quite the collection of likes and dislikes, along with a wide swathe of indifference.

She'd found joy in wearing the color blue, in seeing people really laugh in a way that made their aura all jittery and joyful and in the sensation of Will throwing her high into the air - no matter her form - only to catch her every time. Those things and many more had sparked joy for Laevyeth, and this singing was something to add to the list. And while she did have a small, budding ambition of perhaps one day trying herself, surely it would be many years before-"Come! Let's join in!"

Laevyeth had, of course, felt the young runic boy - a local child of the priory - step up to her side, but him extending the invitation through an excited whisper while reaching out and tugging her sleeve caught her by complete surprise.

"I…" she began.

"I am sorry, child, but I do not know how to sing. And especially not in a way worthy of this congregation here."

"Huh? Nah, everyone can sing. The Goddess knows this. Come! My mom's over there, and she's great at helping me get better. She'll teach you." Another tug at Laevyeth's sleeve had the outworlder follow in the boy's wake, his pure enthusiasm overpowering her apprehension for just a moment; enough so that when Laevyeth caught herself, she was already among the singers while receiving gentle instruction from a runic woman with pretty blue markings.

After having found her there a few hours later, Will cried tears of joy for days at the sweet memories of his Lady's voice.

"Come on, big man! Bring it!"

"Hmph. Leverage is on my side." The poor stone outcropping started groaning and cracking beneath the strain of Dragonfly and Gold armwrestling, looking quite comical with the much shorter woman squaring up against the mountain of a man.

Gold currently also wore his armor, as the point of this whole little experiment was to see how the strength-enhancing powers of his armor stood up to Dragonfly's Mighty Strength, even though the big man had been quite hesitant, insisting it to be an unfair method of measurement due to the aforementioned leverage.

But Dragonfly was nothing if not persistent, leaving the pair crushing the poor stone between them while their feet started digging furrows in the mountain soil to the degree that Kite actually had to summon some barriers for the pair to brace their feet against or they would simply fall flat. For a while, things looked to be quite even, with Dragonfly's inner fire actually sputtering to life from the strain on her body.

But then Gold heaved, a motion made with great effort, but the results were still quite conclusive.

"As I said. Leverage," the taciturn man stated somberly as he stood with the rest, watching Dragonfly still bouncing down the slopes at an uncontrolled roll, her wild giggling reaching them even still.

"Greetings Abbess. I'm pleased to inform you that we have another one," Kite said politely, the humming silver-ranked woman already having perked up at his approach.

"Truly? Oh such a wondrous blessing indeed," she sang, her blue robes and headdress fluttering as she swiftly made her approach.

"That is the second one today even. A true crescendo of good fortune!" During her approach, Kite had already produced the object in question; a cube whose pearlescent insides seemed to be shuddering with unheard tones. Or, more precisely, a song essence. Because, to nobody's surprise, they turned out to manifest quite a lot in the valley around the priory, even though - essences being essences - this still meant that it could be months between the occurrences.

"Oh young man, you and that familiar of yours are Goddess-sent. With these five essences you have gathered for us, Song's grace will bless even more of our young. While she is ever generous with her divine essences, there are those who wish for the song to have another role in their lives. These will make sure they carry the Goddess' purview wherever they go."

"You are too kind, Abbess. As I believe I said, these would have manifested in time of their own volition. Sage was merely able to give them a nudge, as well as help us clear out a few budding monster manifestations. It is I who should thank you. The two song essences you've let me bring back to the guild will be of much help to us too in the years to come."

"As I said, young man; to spread Song's gifts around the world is our calling. Hopefully, these will help bring a bit more harmony to your homeland. My Goddess has told me that it might be sorely needed." In the end, Kite felt that his thoughts had turned out rather prophetic.

Two weeks spent at the priory along with Serene, Gold and little Lull went by in a blur of traveling around the nearby mountains, hours spent in conversation and - of course - plenty of time spent enjoying the beautiful harmonies of the place. But as the date of Riz's return was upon them, so too was the time to say farewell.

"Dear friend, your visit was wonderful," Serene chimed happily as she embraced Kite, Dragonfly and Will saying their farewells to Gold and the baby the huge man gingerly carried. A bit off to the side, Laevyeth and Glint stood with their eyes closed as if to properly take in the music of the place just a bit more thoroughly while Sprite sat turning an awakening stone of the singer in her hands; a gift from Serene to the student of her friend.

"It was indeed. A reunion long overdue," Kite agreed.

"And you think making the trip in a year will be manageable even with two little ones?"

"It is for the wedding of two of my dearest friends. We will make sure to be there. And as they both seem to be celestines like myself - at least that's what the priest of Fertility told me of our growing second one - then it will only be Gold who will have to steady himself after the portals," Serene replied.

"To think that the two of you have come so far after your first little dalliance back in Gilded."

"Something about which you were none too subtle," Kite jibed teasingly.

"I remember almost choking on my noodles when you congratulated us after the deed in question."

"Ah," Serene said, looking slightly abashed.

"Another memory from a time where I handled my aura with less… tact…"

"Honestly, from what Dragonfly told me of your conversations it was just the shove we needed. So a blessing in its own way, even after some moments of embarrassment," Kite said, looking over Serene's shoulder at the priory in the distance.

"You seem to have a good life here, Serene. I truly am happy for you."

"As am I, Kite. As am I."

"Something I have been wondering about though… The place is so harmonious, to a degree where it feels like my aura and emotions are affected simply by being here. Yet as far as I know, there are no ways to directly influence the mind even with essence powers. So how can this be?" Kite wasn't bothered by the tranquility he felt, a sensation which really sunk in after a few days, but simply curious. And fortunately, Serene did have some kind of answer.

"It is easy to get caught up in the thoughts of magic, especially our essence powers, and forget that there are other ways to influence people. Do we not sing, laugh or create beautiful works of art to invoke feelings even without magic? And does it not still work?"

"Well, that is true," Kite said, a little embarrassed as his friend pointed out the obvious.

"My training with Gauntlet just tends to have me look to the source of any such phenomena I don't understand. Even though this one should have been obvious."

"Then let me send away with you a few words of wisdom from my goddess," Serene chimed, wispy voice turning even more melodious.

"The first chord in a person that is struck is one of the heart, not of the mind. Emotion will ever be the filter through which we perceive the world. If your song can reach the heart, and through it the soul, you can lay the foundation for future harmony." Seeing her words having had the desired effect of leaving Kite with a thoughtful expression, Serene smiled as she fondly touched his arm.

"Safe travels, friend. I look forward to seeing you again at the time of your wedding."