“Your head isn’t in it today,” Katarina chided me as she bent over, taking my hand and pulling me back up from where she had sent me sprawling moments before.

  I dusted some sand from the practice ring off of my backside, glancing around. We stood in an open-air training courtyard nestled within the Guildhall. Seven sand-lined training circles dotted the area, separated by a smattering of benches and covered sitting areas. Colorful fabric awnings stretched between large wooden poles, providing a little bit of protection from the relentless desert sun.

  “Sorry, sorry,” I muttered, shifting my stance to mirror Katarina’s. “I feel like I hit a wall with my progression.”

  “It’s only been a day since you moved past basic unarmed combat. Don’t be in such a rush! With me. Kata of the Falling Leaf.”

  I shadowed her motions as we worked through the kata. They were broad, smooth gestures.

  “It’s different, though.” I responded as we worked our way through the kata. “I can feel my skill increasing when I practice things. It’s why I am always practicing songs. It’s addicting, that small, incremental increase in skills. I haven’t felt it since unlocking martial arts and meditation.”

  “You’re screwing up this kata nine different ways, too. Alright, let’s take a break.”

  “I’m sorry Kat, I want to train more. But you’re right. My head’s just not in it.”

  “I’m so confused.” Sebastian chimed in as we walked over to the bench he watched us from. “You’re a bard-class, right? Bombastic Busker? Why the focus on hand to hand combat?”

  “It’s useful to know how to defend yourself. You might find yourself without weapons some day.” Katarina replied.

  “We have a seemingly infinite inventory. How would you run out of weapons when you can carry as many as you want?”

  “It’s not that.” I drank some water, thinking about my response. “I’ve seen Katarina do some incredible things. Like take on a dozen people at once and absolutely wreck them. She offered to help me improve my unarmed combat skill. How could I say no? I want to kick ass like that some day.”

  I glanced around at Kat with a small smile. Her face was a deep red, and not from the sun. She had a small, almost private smile. “Honeyed words, lute boy,” she whispered.

  She cleared her throat. “I have a lot of experience with fighting. Martial arts. That kind of thing. I would be happy to train you as well, if you want.”

  Sebastian held up both hands in a warding gesture. “Noooo thank you! Nuh uh. If something gets close enough to me to punch, things have already gone terrible wrong and I’m either running or dead. It is really interesting, watching the two of you go at it. You shouldn’t sell yourself short, Chanter. No way I could have kept up with those kung-fu mantra things you were doing.”

  “Katas,” Katarina corrected. “They are katas.”

  “Right right. Kata, mantra, potato, pot-ah-to. Man, you’re scary. Can’t wait to see what you can do in a fight.”

  “What about you?” She replied. “Why don’t you show us what you can do?”

  She nodded her head to a different area of the courtyard. Four rectangles about ten feet wide and twenty feet long lined the far wall. Wooden training dummies stood at the far end of each rectangle. A polecat npc with a short bow was practicing at the distant block, the other three were empty.

  “How about a little preview? Lil’ of the ole’ zappy-zappy?”

  “Zappy… zappy?” he asked, glancing over at the dummy. “Sorry, but if I unleash lightning out here, it will likely get everyone in the courtyard. I’m not trying to get kicked out of the Guildhall.”

  “Can you actually fight?” She eyed him warily. “What benefit do you bring to the party, if your lightning hurts everyone. I’m not trying to be rude, I’m really curious.”

  “There are a few things. It isn’t a whole lot, but I do have a few chronomancy spells. I can slow enemies. I can speed up my allies. Again, it isn’t really a lot. And it might seem like a small thing now, but I like to think of myself as a long-term investment.” He winked.

  “Your… track record of previous parties doesn’t exactly align with that thought.” She snorted.

  Sebastian deflated some, shrinking down on the bench. He brought his feet up and wrapped his arms around his legs. “Just because the other groups didn’t see my worth, doesn’t mean I don’t see it.”

  “Your skills sound incredibly strong,” I interjected, sensing Katarina about to pounce on Sebastian’s insecurities. “And honestly, Sebastian, I think your abilities will mesh perfectly with ours. Though I would feel better if we had another front line fighter so it wasn’t just you, Kat.”

  “That’s why we are training!” She smirked. “So you can be up there with me, punching monsters in the face!”

  Sebastian and I laughed. “Sure, but then who is going to make your punches explode?”

  “Encore! With his fancy new back-lyre.”

  “Back… lyre?” Sebastian asked.

  “Let’s go see how Abe is going with Jules, then see about getting settled for the evening. We can tell you all about it.” Katarina replied, stretching. “Looks like we are done training for the day.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I agreed. “I can practice my songs anywhere.”

  “Ooh, maybe you can play for our meal and stay at the Oasis!” Katarina laughed as we made our way back into the dining hall side of the Guild.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  The dining area was beginning to fill up with people. A small line had formed at the counter. A general din of friendly conversation filled the room. I glanced around but didn’t see Abe or Jules.

  “Hmm, wonder where Abe went with his date. Think she tracked him down?” I asked.

  “Oh definitely.” Katarina laughed as we wove our way through the tables and people. “Did you see the look in the girl’s eyes? She was thirsty.”

  “Thirsty?” Sebastian asked. “Wouldn’t they be here drinking, then? I don’t see them. Maybe they went to one of the local places.”

  “Maybe, but but I don’t think that’s the kind of drink Jules had in mind. Good for Abe. Maybe it’ll loosen him up a bit.”

  I didn’t see Abernathy in the lobby or the adjacent area that led to the crafter’s section of the Guild. We made our way out and began heading towards the Oasis.

  “I would like to stop by the Guild in the morning, before we go,” I said as we walked past the water station in the center of town. “Just to see if there are any other missions we can pick up and complete on our way to the Keep.”

  “Good thinking, Chanter.” Sebastian agreed.

  “Yeah, sounds good to me. Should only add a few minutes anyways. Arid Spur is a quaint little town.”

  We walked for a few more minutes in comfortable silence, just taking in the sights of the village. I was a little worried about Encore, so I decided to send a message and check in on him.

  Chanter: Everything going alright, Encore?

  Encore: Yes, quite well. Arjay has 45 questions remaining. 44. 43. It will not be much longer.

  Katarina: Hahaha!!! At least he isn’t wasting time with the questions.

  Chanter: Alright, good. Glad you’re alright. Be safe.

  Encore: You, too. Don’t get into too much trouble in my absence.

  Katarina: We wouldn’t dream of it.

  Encore: I sense sarcasm in your words.

  Katarina: Not at all!

  Katarina: How you doin, Abe? Having a good time with Juuules?

  There was no response for several seconds, which drained into minutes.

  Chanter: Abe? You alright, buddy?

  Katarina: He’s probably fiiiine. Otherwise preoccupied with his lady friend.

  We laughed as the Oasis came into view down the road. It was three stories tall, a full two stories higher than most of the other buildings in the Arid Spur, and painted sky blue. The windows, trim, roof and doors were all painted white, and appeared to be painted regularly from the vibrant, clean look the color had.

  The first floor contained a mural depicting palm trees surrounding a pond amidst sandy dunes. The front door and wide windows on the first floor were all open, and I could hear muted conversation as we approached and made our way in.

  Most of the first floor was a wide, open space lined with neat rows of round tables surrounded by chairs. The distant corner held an empty stage, elevated a few feet from the ground. A bar ran along the left side of the room, a multitude of alcohol bottles and barrels lining the floor and shelves behind the counter. It wrapped around the left side of the room in an inverted ‘L’, with a doorway leading into the kitchen area near the back hall. A set of stairs led up along the right wall.

  The room was half full of patrons, a mix of beastkin (mostly polecats, with a few coyote looking variants and one armadillo), a handful of dwarves, and a small group of rugged looking wood elves that sat apart from everyone at a distant table.

  A pudgy polecat beastkin in an immaculate apron hurried around behind the bar, taking orders and filling glasses. He wore a twisted bit of cloth tied around his forehead and squinted through a set of thin wire-frame glasses.

  Another polecat, much taller and lithe of figure, wove through the tables and people with practiced ease. She also wore an apron, hers a pale pink that accented the pale blue shirt and shorts she wore. She saw us enter and called out.

  “Hallooo, welcome to the Oasis! Oh, Sebastian! You have friends! Have a seat and I’ll be with you in a moment! Sit anywhere you’d like!” Her friendly eyes danced between us, circled back to me and lingered on my lute for a moment, before she was called away by the armadillo beastkin asking for a refill.

  “I have a regular table I usually have dinner at, away from the crowd but with a good view of the inn.” Sebastian murmured.

  “Sounds good! This is a nice place.” I said as we followed Sebastian around a few tables, settling on one near the back wall, only a few feet from the stage. “Friendly! Do they have entertainment often?”

  Sebastian eyed the stage. “Haven’t had any in the few days I’ve been here. Patty seemed excited when she saw your lute.”

  “I saw that,” Katarina intoned with a hint of mischief. “Maybe you really can play for our room. Really bat those lashes, lute boy.”

  Her playful smile faltered and her eyes took on a sad cast as she continued. “And maybe play that song you wrote.”

  “You wrote a song?” Sebastian asked as we sat around the table.

  “Not only did he write a song,” Katarina cut in, before I could respond. “He wrote a bardic song.”

  “Aren’t all songs bardic?” His brows furrowed in confusion.

  “No, I mean it is magic and stuff. It is amazing, really. Are you going to play it? Please?”

  I smiled. She sounded so proud of the song, the way she described it and the tone of her voice when she spoke of it. It warmed my heart, and made sense in a way. She had been there when it was formed. Her tears had gone into quenching it from the flames. “If they let me perform, I would love to play. Maybe you should learn it! I could give you music lessons after our training.”

  She laughed. “That’s sweet, but no thanks. There isn’t enough time in the day. And I have the musical talent of a wet noodle.”

  “I didn't know anything about music before Veil,” I admitted.

  “Really? That’s… that is incredible. This game really is something else.” Katarina whispered the last part, glancing around.

  “It really is,” Sebastian agreed. “Doesn’t feel like a game at all. Nothing like anything I’ve ever experienced. Except for real life.”

  I was about to respond in the affirmative when Patty approached the table. She sat a cup of amber fluid in front of Sebastian. “Here ya go, sweetie. The usual. Who are your friends?”

  Her eyes once again lingered on my lute for several seconds as Sebastian introduced us, letting her know we had another friend on the way. She took our drink orders and was turning to walk away when she hesitated and turned back to me. Katarina kicked me gently under the table and I spoke up.

  “Would… would you all be interested in some entertainment today?”

  Her smile widened considerably. “I’ll talk to Dagut, but I’m sure we can arrange something. Room and a meal in exchange for a few hours of playing?”

  “For me and my friends, if you are impressed with the performance,” I countered.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Will have to be an incredible performance to cover three rooms and meals. I’ll see what Dagut thinks. Be right back with the drinks.”

  “It’s funny how fast you no longer count as a ‘friend’ when Chanter brings up free room and dinner,” Katarina whispered as the beastkin made her way behind the counter, approaching the shorter barkeep. “Notice she said three rooms and meals, not four?”

  “Oh, I already paid ahead through the end of the week. They offered me a discount, the caveat being it is non-refundable. But it’s okay, I still think I made out better than paying daily.” He shrugged.

  Patty jumped up and down, clapping her hands and laughing at something the barkeep, Dagut, said.

  “Looks like you’re going on stage lute boy.” Katarina smiled, leaning over and gently pushing me with her shoulder.