Chapter 11 (Bard)

My first song would set the tone for my time in Grog’s Table. I wanted to start off on the right foot and make a good impression too. My former band and I had learned long ago that we couldn’t just play what we wanted to play. Our song choices needed to match the venue and audience—until we made it big, at least. My audience in the dining hall wasn’t Dirk or the general population. It was the ‘pretty’ goblin and her friends that I needed to impress. That didn’t mean I planned to whore myself out to survive—things weren’t that dire yet—I just needed to appeal to their delicate side.

I hadn’t yet introduced Arena Disk to any one of my original creations. Neither the goats nor the goblins had heard anything I had written for the band or my ‘solo career’.  So, I started with one of the slower, sweeter arrangements my former lead guitarist and I had written as the necessary love song for all debut albums.

At first, the mana in Sasha’s core resisted. It refused to budge and follow my instructions no matter how much I pushed. Then when I centred myself, focusing on the mana’s presence and transitioned out of the two-chord intro, it gave in.

Mana Sense has progressed to Novice Rank 3!
Mana Control has progressed to Novice Rank 2!
Mana Wielding Mastery has progressed to Novice Rank 2!

A mental prompt swiped the screen away, and I focused on twining the strands of purple mana around my strings. Once they’d settled, the pink energy eagerly followed the path already set by its counterpart. I didn’t yet understand what the two colours meant. Perhaps one represented the Ego and the other the Id? Maybe purple was hard to manipulate subconscious while. Meanwhile, the east-to-mould conscious showed itself as pink.

Mana Sense helped me feel the mana as it radiated outwards from where I stood, washing over the room. I hoped the slow tempo and sombre tune would calm the goblins and convince them that I didn’t mean them any harm. They needed to see me as friend, not foe.

Much to my disappointment, when I opened my eyes, the audience looked bored. Many had returned to their conversations and meals. My heart dropped. We had poured everything into the lyrics and riff, and our local audiences had received it well. Was it me or the lack of other instruments?

I glanced at Dirk. He hadn’t moved an inch during the song’s three-minute duration. His clenched jaws and flared nostrils confirmed my decision to attempt a tried-and-tested piece. I hated the song that popped into my head. It wasn’t a bad one by any stretch but overplayed. Nevertheless, audiences loved it and would often hound musicians to perform it at open mic nights. It felt like my only choice, so I transitioned into it straight away.

“Fuck Wonderwall,” I mumbled under my breath.

Instead of singing to the room, I directed my attention at the female goblin and her friends. Unfortunately, Sasha didn’t direct her effects towards them. Perhaps it was my lack of necessary stats or the low Mana Control. Wonderwall and the Mind Mana’s effects pulsed over everyone present.

“You’re going to be the one that saves me,” I sang, looking my saviour in the eye. She had a broad smile on her face, and her long ears had reddened.

It wasn’t just her. The gaggle of female goblins around her were looking at him with widened eyes too. Dirk no longer looked at me with the burning fury of a thousand sons. Instead, tears streamed down his scarred green-grey face. Gark swayed to the music, and others joined in. It was working.

Music Mastery has progressed to Journeyman Rank 3!
Dexterity + 2
Charisma + 1

Congratulations!
By advancing two tiers in Musician Mastery in a single day, you have attracted divine attention.

Achievement unlocked!
Prodigy of the strings!
Primary and secondary aspects not selected.
Points deferred until after the trials.

Despite the prospect of more stats, the notifications left a sour taste in my mouth. My music wasn’t good enough, but Wonderwall had done the trick. Even though I had left earth and travelled to a different Universe where Oasis didn’t exist, people were still in love with the overplayed-to-hell song.

“That was amazing!” The female goblin exclaimed, pushing through the crowd to get to me. “Where in the world did you learn that?”

“My master picked up the tune from the famous Gallagher brothers. Apparently, they were arseholes but excelled when it came to putting together great songs.” I believed in giving credit where it was due. That would soon need to change, though. Any champion from modern earth would recognise the name straight away. “I’m still a bard-in-training, you see. My music training is still underway.”

“If you’re just an apprentice, I can’t wait to see how you’ll do once you unlock your class mastery!”

That was another question that needed answering. I didn’t let my cluelessness show, though, but I just smiled instead. “Well, if I’m not too much of a threat and get to stay in Grog’s Table, I’d love to stay and hone my craft. Someone needs to sing of these mighty halls and the goblins that dine in them.”

The goblin woman turned her attention to Dirk. “I think the matter is settled,” she said. “Leave the halfling alone. Given his quest, his questions make sense.”

“But, Miss Moreg, this could be a matter of the chief or your father’s security!” Dirk protested.

“And I, as the shaman’s first daughter, am telling you to back off!” Moreg placed her hands on her wide hips. “Did you not hear that song? Imagine a bard spreading similar ballads about us around the lands. It will bring more caravans and travellers to our lands! We can get away with only raiding a tenth of them and roll in the riches. Do you not want to make your chieftain’s horde bigger?”

Dirk fell silent. He glanced between us and then sighed. “You’re free to go, halfling,” he said, furrowing his brows. “That was an excellent song, but I’ll be keeping my eye on you. If you step out of line, I’ll be there to drag you into the dungeons.” Dirk bared his teeth at me. “We break their toes one by one until they answer their questions, but if you wrong me, I’ll start with the fingers. Then we’ll see how you finger your way out of trouble.”

“Understood, Commander Dirk,” I replied, flashing him my friendliest smile. “Believe me. I bear no ill will to goblins.” I placed a hand on Gark’s shoulder. “This lovely spirit caller saved my life and taught me a lesson my master failed to finish. I owe goblin kind. There is no ill will between us or me and your chief.”

Silence fell upon the hall. I could feel the many pairs of eyes drinking in our exchange. It felt like forever passed before Dirk nodded and returned to his friends. Then the room exploded into cheerful conversation and laughs once again, and I returned to my seat next to Gark. A notification appeared in front of my eyes soon after.

Trial of Wit complete!
You might not have won the commander over all the way but managed to impress a goblin with more social clout.
Charming test passed.
Convincing test passed.
Befriending test passed.
You receive 10 out of 10 attribute points.

Intellect + 5
Charisma + 5

Would you like to select Wit as your primary aspect?

The system had my approval straight away.

Charisma + 2
Dexterity + 1
Unassigned Attribute Points + 2

Music had saved my life three times now since my arrival in Arena Disk. Since Sasha’s power scaled with Charisma, I put the two unassigned points in the attribute too.

Brawn: 2
—STR 1| VIT 3
Control: 7
—DEX 9| ARC 4
Wit: 9
—INT 6| CHA 12

More notifications populated my vision but seeing Moreg approaching through them. I swiped them away for later. Much to my surprise, the goblin plopped down on my lap and wrapped an arm around my neck. Then she kissed me with a pair of rough lips, and her warty nose rubbed against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I pulled away on reflex.

“What was that for?” I asked, wide-eyed.

“You sang that beautiful ballad for me, didn’t you, bard?” She batted her murky green eyes at me, tossing aside her braids of ginger hair.

“Yes. It was for your benefit.” My shoulders stiffened. “You looked like one of the few sensible individuals willing to hear me out,” I told her. “Thank you for your support, Miss Moreg.”

“Oh, just Moreg is fine.” A soft laugh escaped her lips. “Now, it’s time for me to see what they say about bards is really true.”

When she came in for a kiss again, I recoiled on reflex. Moreg kept leaning in, and I leaned as far back as I could. Before long, I ran out of bench and fell to the floor, taking Sasha with me. Her wood audibly cracked under our combined weight, making me wince—a knot formed in my stomach, trying to picture the damage. Then I found myself trying to avoid the young goblin woman’s lips once again.

“Why won’t you kiss me?” Moreg asked, her brows furrowing. “I just saved your skin, didn’t I?”

“I didn’t know your benevolence had strings attached,” I replied, once again avoiding her lips. “I’m flattered. I truly am. However, if I knew your support would—”

“Are you trying to say you’d rather let Dirk drag you into the dungeons than lay with the high shaman’s daughter?” Moreg’s face contorted into an ugly snarl as she sprang onto her feet. She bared her pointed teeth at me, and her long fingers curled into ugly claws. “No one humiliates Moreg, daughter of Merga.”

“Believe me. Humiliation wasn’t my objective!” I protested, scrambling upright. My volume remained low, but it didn’t help. We had the room’s attention. “I’m just too tired to process any of this properly. Bandits slaughtered my master and our mounts, and I’ve been in the wilderness for days. Just give me a night to myself.”

When I tried to approach her, a pair of goblin soldiers stepped in between us. “You could’ve lived comfortably as one of my male concubines and comfortably written all the ballads you wanted.” She clicked her fingers, and Dirk snapped to attention before rushing to my side. “Now, you can join my father’s pool of sacrifices. Take him away.”

“Hold on a moment—”

For the second time since my arrival in Arena Disk, a blunt force struck the side of my head, knocking me out cold.