Arthurian Cultivation

The mad conversation dissolved into anarchy. It took a lot of pointed questions, but slowly we were able to discover that their kingdoms were not quite the monster-infested, perched-on-the-edge-of-immediate-destruction places they had initially described.

There were indeed a lot of monsters, and there was a lot of support needed. However, people were sensible and the threats were mostly affecting isolated hamlets and villages. This forced people to retreat or gather together, which in turn affected the harvests and the stability of their realms.

The reason it sounded as if the world was ending was because it was physically impossible for any of the three representatives to say something without another tearing them down and propping up their own situation as worse.

It was like children arguing about whose dad was strongest, only with entire kingdoms on the line.

The real concern was just how much of it was spread around. Each one was able to share a litany of threats, from feared Iron Rank monsters who had taken exception to orchards, to wandering groups of bandits plaguing the roads. They had their own ways of dealing with most of these issues, but each kingdom found itself overwhelmed by the sheer number of threats.

It was like pulling teeth, but we finally got them to concede that there was no single threat that required us to ride out to handle it tonight.

Though I could already tell that just these kingdoms alone would keep the Round busy for at least a couple of weeks, even if we split up. A bit of worry wormed its way into my gut. Was it like this everywhere in the mountain kingdoms? Asking questions about the other kingdoms did not go down well, the three representatives pausing their arguments to present a unified front of extreme ignorance, ensuring we remained focused on more local problems.

Koko and I only managed to escape by explaining that we wanted detailed information from all concerned parties, and that three people yelling over each other did not seem a likely way to get that.

We both agreed to stay in town for a couple of days. The Round needed to work out the path it was going to take through their territories, while the Golden Keep wanted to gather as much information as possible about the disaster sitting on its borders. I could tell Koko was keen to hunt down more threats in her territory.

We managed to get back to the small barracks we had taken over on the edge of town, both Koko and I collapsing from exhaustion after days on the road, our reserves finally emptied by handling the frantic representatives. Between us we had just enough brain left to relay the situation to our cohort.

Despite folding myself into a small cot with a straw mattress I slept well.

A bit of luck, as fresh challenges to my sanity were waiting for me almost as soon as I opened my eyes. The first was an edict by the mayor, delivered by the captain I had spotted as part of the council last night. He saluted when we arrived, dragged down from our respective beds by our fellow Knights, who had decided to avoid getting involved in 'this clearly complex political situation'.

I might have believed it too if I had not seen Bors hiding a smile.

With some pomp and ceremony that did not suit the grizzled veteran, who had scars creeping out from beneath his beard and sharp eyes that watched shadows, he relayed his message. The mayor had declared an evening of festival on the following eve to celebrate the safe return of the caravan and our slaughter of the Unseelie Hounds.

As the man dragged out the proclamation, I found my attention drawn to the other challenge.

A trio was waiting behind him. Though waiting was a strong word. I had seen toddlers with more decorum.

The Captain did a fine job ignoring the three impatient souls dressed in rich clothes who scuffled with each other behind him. Their clothes, the sharp nasal tones and the air of self-absorbed pomposity marked them all as some form of mid-level bureaucrat. Their colours matched the representatives of the local monarchies we had met last night.

As the Captain dragged out his speech, they spent their time trying to elbow their way to the front of an imaginary queue, competing to be in position to step through the rough gate in the fencing that ringed our little barracks. As their squabble rose, their pointed whispers climbing to muffled squawks as one stepped on another's foot, I saw the Captain smile. We shared a look, and I gave him a gentle nod to let him know he could continue padding out his speech.

If people were going to try and harangue us at the crack of dawn, I could at least get some entertainment out of it.

As the soldier was wrapping up, I tried not to laugh when one of the bureaucrats tried to sneak past his compatriots by slipping over the fence that hemmed them in. At that point the two who had been busily elbowing each other in the ribs put aside their differences and hauled him bodily back over the wooden posts. The man squawked in protest and fought to keep his position.

"Thank you, Captain Samson. Let the mayor know we will be pleased to accept his invitation to the feast, and will wait on you to share any local challenges that our Knights may deal with." Kovax, her face a mask of professionalism, even as the trio froze in place, one of them suspended half in the air by his fellow.

"Gentlemen, I see you all bear marks of the kingdoms. I assume you are here to relay the challenges that your territories have been facing, and not to damage our barracks fence posts."

Caught in the act, and realising that the attention of multiple Iron Rank cultivators was bearing down on them, the three fools looked at each other, took a step apart and dusted off their clothes. Then they began to try and answer simultaneously. As they realised their mistake they then tried to speak louder, to overwhelm the others.

The result was that by the end of their customary greetings they were all yelling.

Wincing at the assault on my ears, I stepped up before they could start arguing again.

"Gentlemen, I appreciate your enthusiasm. We will see all three of you at once. Lady Kay, Lady Kovax, I suggest we each select three members of your respective Orders to speak to these fine representatives. What say you?"

Around us, the Knights who had gathered to watch the show discovered tasks that needed immediate attention. They were too slow to escape the watchful eyes of our marshals, and with some grumbling a few minutes later we had packed off all three representatives with the most patient and diligent Knights of our respective cohorts.

It would be on them to collect the threats, their locations and any other relevant information, and to sieve out the bias and bluster that was sure to colour every word.

As they finally left, I turned to Koko.

"Are the relations between kingdoms really that bad?"

"For the most part kingdoms either love or hate each other, those who are neutral mostly pretend to ignore each other. If anything that is more civil than I was expecting. This was far more amusing than the usual duels of honour that tend to crop up. There is something unpleasant about how mortals duel, it is so permanent." Koko sighed.

I kept my words short as I had noticed that the scarred captain had not left. He had been quietly waiting in the shadows, smoking a pipe out of the way and enjoying the show.

"We should gather information from the local mayor. I hope that he at least might give us something to weigh their complaints against." I nudged Koko and pointed to the Captain.

"I suppose you are right. Captain Samson, should we join you for a chat?"

The man nodded and gave us a warm smile which made his scars dance. We then set out towards the town hall.

In the two days since the meeting at the fence, I thought I had turned down more invitations for meals than I had in the last year. Koko and I were besieged by requests from the kingdoms' representatives. They all seemed to have decided that speaking to us would raise their standing or elevate their requests, believing that we were somehow more important than the rest of our cohort.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I really hoped I would get to see the moment they realised they were trying to gain the attention of a nameless Bard, rather than accepting the attention of a mere prince or lordling.

Their frustration at our refusal to respond to their requests had culminated in a frantic dash to show off in the hastily arranged 'festival'.

I felt the mayor and the people of Oakwall were the biggest winners, as all three representatives had thrown themselves into trying to make the biggest impression, turning what most would have expected to be a busy but humble night into one filled with the smell of rich sauces, the sounds of music and decorated with bunting in the clashing colours of their houses.

Captain Samson had privately told me that he had to intervene several times to stop people from 'rearranging' the decorations.

I would have felt bad if the representatives were merely desperate for our attention, if things were so bad they were willing to go to any length to protect their people. However, from the conversations reported back to us, at least half of what the representatives concerned themselves with was explaining why the other kingdoms did not 'deserve' our support.

Any group who had the time to waste on such petty grievances were not on the precipice of destruction.

I tried to ignore them as much as I could. We sat together at a long table in the middle of town. This high in the mountains, even though it was the height of summer, the air could get cold at night, so fires were spread around the square. The table was laden with food, all of it on coloured plates or otherwise subtly labelled so we knew who had donated it to the festivities.

The town itself was packed. The arrival of the Orders at Oakwall had stirred up a frenzy. It was the midst of the busy season in the surrounding farms, but everyone had taken the excuse of the festival to come and see the Knights.

It had a convivial air to it. It reminded me of the town where we had met Squire Lucan and scared away Sir Spendlove. The celebration when the Knights returned from slaying the Ice Weasels had the same feel to it.

The town had really gone all out. Tables lined the long central street, the food was mostly home cooked, with people opening their stores to bring out the good stuff, encouraged by donations and the shared party atmosphere. The mortals gathered around, keen to hear stories of us, and the bravest approached the Knights to share their well wishes and thanks.

A band played on a simple stage, a collection of basic instruments offering a pleasant background of pipes and drums that did wonders for the mood. Though it could not drown out the wheedling representatives, they were thankfully silenced when the mayor stood, looking across the square and down the long street along which the rest of the festival stretched.

He answered the cheers that followed with a flowing speech, his tone much deeper and broader than his reedy frame would have led me to believe was possible. I listened along, enjoying the brief respite he offered.

The mayor and Captain Samson had been a much-needed balance to the chaos of the representatives. Not only had they provided an unbiased view of the various threats facing the wider territory, but they had both shared insights on how to manage the different factions.

Sadly, his speech, like all good ones, was short, and so the badgering continued.

"As I have explained, the plan is that we split our forces. Some of us will go to each of your kingdoms to aid you. You all have problems that need our attention." Kay snapped at the fat man who represented one of the kingdoms and had been pestering her about the Round's plans. He had been whining endlessly.

The last few days had been a flurry of planning. Between hearing the tall tales, scaling back the exaggerated stories to sane descriptions and then plotting it all out on a map, we had come to the conclusion that the only way we were going to make headway was to divide and conquer.

While none of us wanted to split up, we all agreed that none of the problems described required the full force of the Round. The biggest threat was the owl-faced bear, but even then that threat sat near a road that ran along the border between two kingdoms. It would be handled first, and then the two groups would split.

I would be with Sephy, Maeve and, thank Kay for small mercies, Bors. Our group of four would help Queen Asmoln with her threats. Gaz, Lance and Kay would go to the lands of King Brolst. Finally, Arthur, Gawain and Tristan would take on the challenges in King Frank's realm.

"I still cannot get over a king called Frank." I muttered into Sephy's ear, getting a giggle out of her. She was sat beside me, drinking from a hearty mug of ale and looking tipsy. I was certain it was an act, she would need to drink a gallon of the mortal brew for it to have any effect, and that was if she was not cleaning out her blood the whole time.

"There is apparently one king called King at the far edge of the pass," she whispered back conspiratorially.

"You are joking?"

"He is fairly new. Apparently his parents had aspirations, and he lived up to them." She replied, and we slipped into some discussion on the baffling collection of different kingdoms we were to campaign across.

I split my time between talking with Sephy, Maeve and occasionally joining the band to sing a ditty. I had managed to rope Koko into agreeing to a performance. She had three songs she thought might work, and I was steadily leading the crowd towards a mood in which they might properly appreciate it.

Though eventually I had to quicken the pace, as fresh kegs of ale were wheeled out. There was only so much drink one could consume before any song became an invitation to sing along.

I stepped back up onto the stage. I got a sense of the crowd, they were in good cheer. If Koko tried to play that first haunting symphony I had heard in Fash's alehouse it would have clashed with the mood. Thankfully she had a more upbeat option, an Ode to Conquering Heroes.

I just had to set her up.

I walked up to the stage, the musicians, just local lads who could hold a beat, all nodded in thanks at being given a break.

"Hello, fine residents of Oakwall, lucky travellers, and the excitable and effusive retainers of nearby monarchs." I bowed to them all, getting a cheer from everyone. I could see Sephy chuckling at my hidden jab at the representatives.

"Tomorrow we ride out. The Order Round Table shall begin its quest to calm the chaos brought about by the foul cultists who have corrupted the once trusted protectors of these mountains."

A round of boos and hisses followed the mention of the Divine Cultivators.

"We are here with the most noble souls of the Order of the Golden Keep, who shall remain to settle some local challenges and escort your fine caravan through the perilous hills."

A cheer rose up.

"Before we go, I must tell you tales of our majesty, and introduce you to fine members of the Order of the Round Table. After which Lady Kovax will play a song of triumph, as befits the hallowed halls of the Order of the Golden Keep."

I began the same song I had played in Fash's, the one where I celebrated each member of the Round. I could feel the resonance grow as I played. The wall of power that was the Knights, the Round who accepted the accolades with various degrees of embarrassment, added to by jibes from the Golden Keep Knights who needled them using the descriptions I had woven.

Their power was strong, it crashed into me like a wave. Yet it was familiar, they had all heard this song at least once before. The power was there, but there was a familiarity to it, and I could feel instinctively that I took less from it than I had the first time they had heard it.

The power from the mortals was different. Where a wall of water had crashed up to my knees from resonating with the cultivators, the power that came from the mortals was like the gentle lapping of water at the edge of a shore.

It was small and soft, but constant and fresh. It rolled over me again and again as more minds connected with it. More souls took my song into their hearts. I smiled to myself. Fash had the right of it. This was what I wanted. I did not want only cultivators, nor did I seek only mortals. A mix of power to challenge me, and shared whimsy to delight me. That was the wonder I sought.

As I finished my tune, I bowed to raucous applause.

"Now I must concede the stage to a most gifted musician. Lady Kovax of the Golden Keep."

The song swung out across the waiting crowd, their appetites whetted for something more, for a song of heroes.

I retreated back to the table and quietly enjoyed the rest of the song. She truly was a talent.

The music rang out, mesmerising and warm. It had a triumphant march to it, and I could see the crowd shifting in rhythm. Kovax looked as though she was enjoying herself, and out of interest I tried to reach out, to sense her resonance. I knew I could sense mine, and I could sense the glamour of others. It had just never occurred to me to try and sense it in others before.

To my surprise, it was not the senses I associated with glamour that perked up. With those senses all I could taste was the power of those around me, but not that stirring sensation of shifting glamour that came when I performed.

No, it was my sense of aura. With that I could sense the faintest shift in power, little more than ripples on the surface of a pond.

The ripples flowed out from her fingers, and I could feel them rolling over the people, growing in height as the music connected with a listener. I could even sense the difference in power between the cultivators and mortals. Yet I could not sense it returning to her. I did not know if that was because there was something I was not understanding, or if she simply was not drawing on that power as I did.

It was beautiful though, in its own way. Watching a crowd I could see my music connect from the way they danced or smiled, but this was like seeing music touch a soul.

As the song rose to a crescendo, the ripples increased in frequency. The audience was captivated, I knew from this resonance sense, but also through the reverent stillness that filled the square, every person in earshot giving their undivided attention. A feat even I rarely accomplished.

The last notes died out, and then there was just silence as the memory of the tune settled in.

"KOKO, that was amazing!" Yolanda's bellow snapped everyone out of their private reverie, and similar shouts and applause washed over the crowd.

I cheered with the rest, laughing as I spotted the unshakeable former princess blushing at the overwhelming wall of attention. It seemed that I was correct in my belief that ensuring she was properly introduced and built up would work. And now I could sense the flow of this resonance, I knew it had potential as a tool to aid us in our quest if I could just grasp it.

I still had a lot to learn about my craft, but just like this latest adventure I couldn't wait to get started.