Agnisotra: Origin Tails

The bounty got removed but there were still Silent Nights that didn't know yet that the bounty dropped. I had been stuck for almost 2 months in that palace and I had enough of this.

I created a passive skill that made perceiving me difficult. It made it hard for people to notice me. Not impossible but just hard. I could walk in front of someone and they wouldn't notice but when I would snap my fingers or talk to them, they would notice. It made it easier for me to avoid all these assassins.

I was hiding on Zanyr Mountain (name pending) to make sure I wouldn't get caught or assassinated before the Silent Nights realized that the bounty has dropped. This was a perfect moment to practice my [Boss music]. I had been neglecting it for too long. While it is easy to use this with magic this is not the case with leyline. The sounds that get produced are different.

Does this mean that magic in itself produces a certain sound? Magic keeps becoming more and more abstract. My time with the Misha had proven that magic can be quite logical and scientific just like physics and chemistry but on another side it's also logic-defying. Like Nilah. I guess magic wouldn't be so popular if it weren't for that it would have just been another science just like physics. The setup for [Boss music] was ready but it needed to be tuned.

This works for magic but doesn't for leyline energy. I played a song with magic. A bit rusty but 4 repeats was all that was needed to fix that. Now for the leyline version, terrible, my ears hurt. How is there this big of a difference? I am not a musical talent so I have no clue what the problem is. I think I should just get accustomed to which action creates what sound. I spent days trying to figure this out. Maybe I should've taken that mission with the idols.

This isn't easy. The strings were the hardest part, the other instrument types went pretty easy but the strings were inconsistent. Is it because of the dragon beard?

“You need to change the length of the strings.” Whoa! Stop sneaking up on me.

Some old random dude sneaked up on me. He was holding a lute. A bard? Perfect!

We talked a bit and he revealed his bard secrets.

Huh, so the length of the strings is responsible for the sound not what color lightning I run through it?

“Yes, who told you that the color and intensity of lightning changes the sound…” He played a song on his lute and pointed out that the fingers of his left hand were making the strings shorter and longer to create different sounds.

Huh, so that’s how it works.

“You have an interesting setup here, mind if I tinker with it a bit?” He helped me adjust the setup of my wires.

It seems that I just need to keep the strings vibrating at a certain length. I can make them as long as I want but the length is only important if it’s vibrating. So, you musicians were holding this cheat all to yourself?

The bard shook his head. “I think everyone knows about this except for you…”

Well, I didn't need to with magic, look! I played some [Boss music] with magic and it sounded great and the bard enjoyed it.

Now when I switch over to some non-magic this happens. The same song it sounded better than before but it still sounded bad.

“Hmm, maybe you’re conveying the song you want through the magic and it plays itself, with the non-magic you will have to play like anyone else.” Interesting, thank you.

“What is this non magic by the way? You could be mistaken for a performer as you create music and you dance.” Uhh long lost secret art. Can't tell you much about it sorry.

“Hmm, alright, how about you teach me a song and I teach you a song, after you improve of course.”

Days passed and I got better. The bard was a strict teacher.

So how come you, bards and musicians, don't use magic to play, and why did only my strings have this problem?

“Music has been an art way before magic became so common. Just like how many people prefer to walk over augmenting themselves and running everywhere so do musicians prefer to play music by hand and instruments. About your string question, it seems you are aware of how the other types of instruments work but not how string instruments work, that is my hypothesis.” Hmm, so music just boils down to finding different ways to make things vibrate.

“Pretty much yeah.”

I almost nailed the song I had been practicing, I only made 2 mistakes. The bard played it without any mistakes. Such a tryhard, what song are you going to teach me?

“It’s a magic lullaby.”

I thought you guys didn't use magic to play!

“That’s correct but our instruments are magical. It is possible to tune it to bring out effects related to the song. Let me turn it off, it will be a problem if you fall asleep.” The bard messed with his lute. The lute seemed a bit similar to a magical weapon. It's mana signature dissapeared as the bard had turned it off.

Hmm, using [Boss music] to attack eh, whoa Bard you are a nasty little fella, even I never thought about that!

“I said lullaby, not attacking… either way, this is the lullaby.” He played the lullaby; it wasn't laced with magic but it did make me sleepy. That's how good the song and its player were. It also had some sadness, as if a loved one got sucked into a mire of depression and I was unable to pull him out.

“What do you think?”

It’s good and sad! Let's see.

I had paid close attention to how short he made his strings while playing. It was rough but I got something decent on my first try.

“Not bad! Keep trying!”

At the end of the day, I had somewhat mastered it. My ability to copy and impersonate were invaluable as usual.

“You’re a fast learner.”

Thanks, it has kept me alive so far.

“Now for the component to make others sleep…”

Uhm, won't you fall asleep if you do so?

The bard smiled. “Look at me, I’m an old man, I have trouble falling asleep lately. I wanted to find a good place to sleep.”

You sound as if you’re talking about a different kind of sleep, does this lullaby really put you to sleep?

The bard approached me.“ It does, don't worry.”

He put his hand on my shoulder. “I am just old and tired; I can't play this for myself because the users are immune to their own songs. Will you do an old man a favor and put me to rest with a beautiful lullaby?”

Is there really nothing else?

“I had chosen this mountain; it holds a lot of memories. I would like this to be my resting place, I got lucky to meet you here.” Don’t teach me, show the magic circle, I can figure it out, I’m not going to put you to rest with a practice song, it should be when I’m at my best.

The bard toggled the effect on and handed me his lute. I inspected it and determined that it was more than just a lute. Whoa, this is complicated.

“That’s why it's better if I teach you.”

You helped me out a lot, I’m not going to put you to rest with an imperfect sound. I’m sorry but can you wait a bit, I will make it worthwhile I promise.

“Very well, I’m in no rush.”

I carefully studied and dismantled the runic structure and made slight improvements to it and applied it to my [Boss music] setup.

I practiced the lullaby with the special effects off and on day 205 I was ready. I had conversations with the bard in the meantime, he also taught me other songs, most were just songs and had no special effects.

Hey, are you really sure Liam?

“You finally called me by my name. I am, thank you for giving this old man a good time.” He went to sit down and closed his eyes. He was still alive but the fatigue and stress accumulated in his body was insane, what kind of life did he lead? He kept refusing to tell me.

Liam, please open your eyes, I told you I was going all out. I had my tails out and the tips were covered in foxfire. I also canceled my cosmetic illusion.

“Is... is this a dream?”

I turned on the special effects and played the lullaby. Tears started to roll over his cheeks but I don't think I was playing badly. He fell asleep halfway but I kept playing the song. And near the end, he passed away.

I finished the lullaby and found a good spot on the mountain and buried him there with his lute.

He never told me the name of the lullaby. I decided to name it [Liam’s Lament]. I’ve had humans loathe and be ashamed to be born as a human in Thalia and Kyle and now an old man who preferred to die alone on a mountain. What is going on in the world? Are there things that I’m missing? I covered myself in illusions and practiced my other songs. I didn't feel like hiding my tails so I had to resort to illusions.

I mastered [Boss music] on day 210 but I wasn't happy about it. It seemed to become a trend now. Achieving something but not being happy about it.