Soul Bound

1        Soul Bound
1.3      Making a Splash
1.3.3    An Unrequited Love
1.3.3.30 Declination

Maybe the palm slamming thing had been a mistake?

Almost everyone in the audience had said "Aye", but they hadn't stopped there. They'd slammed empty wine barrels, shouted, stood up and stomped. They'd turned from an audience into a mob with a single mind, and were now roaring like victorious lions. And she'd been so careful not to use skills or magic on them. Damn, but she felt good - pleased with herself, and a little guilty about that, but also rather proud and even a bit awed. Being on a stage like this, performing - it was her thing, it really was.

There were even two short figures at the back who were turning somersaults. Hang on, Alderney? And was that Harlequin with her? He wasn't wearing his customary diamond patch outfit, so it was hard to tell. She asked Sys to un-mute the private group chat channel.

Kafana: {Alderney? Are you encouraging them? At this rate, they'll never quiet down.}

Bulgaria: {I asked her to. The meeting has to approve not just you as leader, but at least two others for your council, so there's a quorum. I need a little longer to explain it to Madero - since he's here it would be a little rude to nominate and second him for a role that might get him killed, without first seeking his permission.}

Kafana: {Who else?}

Wellington: {I've suggested Morelato. I discussed conditions for workers hired by Enduring Edifices with him in the past, and I'm confident he'll accept a position on the Fraternity's ruling council - the Charter is very much in line with his own personal beliefs. The meeting in the Boemo area that Grattelard the bardic assassin attacked with mind magic? Morelato was holding that to discuss workplace bullying with like-minded senior members of other guilds. He's got a lot of contacts, and he'll follow your lead.}

Tomsk: {I think Melafon would accept it as an honour. He may be old and dignified, but he's sharp, well liked and widely respected; he's got presence - nobody argues with him, even brainless thugs or bratty kids. And as a guard come handyman employed by Cov's Sanctum, Pazzi's lot won't openly try killing or arresting him.}

Kafana: {A pity we can't get the Raggedy Man. If the watch attacked him, he'd positively enjoy making fools of them. Alderney, what happened about inviting him to meet with me to discuss the Sword Laws and Basso Renewal Project?}

Alderney sounded uncharacteristically like a child caught with her hand still inside the sweetie jar: {Err, something came up? I'll get right on it, promise!}

Wellington: {Pazzi's guards have just left their staging areas and are on the move in force, aiming to surround us. Alderney, end the applause. Kafana, start with Morelato and Melafon while Bulgaria finishes persuading Madero.}

Bungo: {What is this, the M-name appreciation society?}

He sounded frustrated about more than just confusing names. She looked around and spotted him in the shadowed area created by the fireplace, near the sewer entrance they'd entered by. He was arguing with three figures bearing crooked wooden staves, thin strips of white cloth tied across their eyes like blindfolds. Well, none of her business. Kafana raised both her hands, palm outwards to request silence, and waited until the audience would be able to hear her speak.

Kafana: "Thank you, thank you."

Kafana: "Listen up. There's still one thing that must get done before we can close this meeting. Let's keep interruptions to the minimum, so we get to safety as soon as possible, okay? Okay."

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Kafana: "The formal rules say the council running our Fraternity must have at least three people on it. These are not lifetime positions. We just need people who can and will do what's needed over the first dozen days, and who then will step aside next month if more perfect choices come to light and win the trust of the members. So with that in mind, raise your hand if you've got a serious candidate to nominate that those standing next to you are willing to second. I'll pick people to speak, one by one, and we'll vote on suggestions until enough have won approval from an obvious majority. Sound good?"

She waited for people to nod. The other wombles didn't wait; they had all raised their hands before she'd even stopped speaking. Well, all except Bungo.

Tomsk: {Bungo, need backup? Are they spies?}

Bungo: {They're Blindmen. Not actual blind men; their eyes work and they can see through that bandage. No, I mean they're followers of Irus, sent here to gather intel for him. But they've been swept for magic beacons giving our location away, so they're not spies in the sense you're worried about. I'm keeping a lid on them, no backup needed.}

Not her problem. She put the exchange out of her mind and carried on with chairing the meeting.

Kafana: "Let's go! Gentleman by the stairs carrying the weird deer antler thing, you raised your hand first; who do you nominate? Remember people, no interrupting, and keep your words much briefer than mine. Like under half a minute, if you can!" She held her left arm out, pointing straight at Wellington, while holding her right forefinger to her lips, forbidding anyone else from speaking.

Three minutes later, both High Master Carpenter Morelato and Melafon the Fidelis had seats on the council.

Bulgaria: {Madero has agreed. If you pick me next, I can nominate him and then, once he's elected, bring him up onto the stage so he can be the one to nominate you as leader. Act surprised!}

Kafana: {Um, yeah. About that... I've also got a bit of a surprise for you.}

She quickly spoke to Sys, muting the chat again and activating all her skills and auras that increased her powers of persuasion. She even sang a couple of lines, "I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky like a tiger", casting a buff to give herself confidence and produce a trail of glimmering sparks behind her, like a firework, with every move she made. Then she used her stash to instantaneously change into the spectacular gossamer dress she'd worn when performing before Lady Pia Trinci in the role of Queen Titania.

Kafana: "And for the third person..."

Kafana felt every eye on her, as she raised her own hand.

Kafana: "...I pick myself..."

She pointed directly at her own head with her other arm, almost forming a salute, then lowered the hand she'd raised.

Kafana: "...to nominate a candidate for the post of leader, for you to vote on."

She beckoned Madero to come up and stand next to her on stage.

Kafana: "A leader needs to be more than willing and competent. They need to be a true representative of their cause; their people. Allies can understand, can promote and support your cause. But they if they haven't walked the walk, lived the problem rather than just learned about it, if they can't pledge to stand with you as one of you even when all looks lost, then they don't have what it takes. And that's something I can't pledge. As a Questing Spirit, Cov might call upon me at any time to leave for some far off battlefield, never to return to Torello. I shine up pretty well when you put fancy clothes on me..."

She gave them a twirl, trying to look cute and winsome, and barely suppressed a grin when the jaws of several of the younger male workers dropped, leaving their mouths gaping.

Kafana: "...but you deserve more than that, from the leader you must select tonight. A man worth supporting with a pledge of your lives, fortunes, and sacred honour. A man such as the one I now nominate, a man who has spent his whole life working among you, the man who brought victory and pride to the whole of Basso at Carnivale: Captain Madero!"

She stepped back, leaving the center of the stage free, and indicating him with joyful arms as he stepped forward into the spot she'd just vacated. Bulgaria's strong voice called out to second the nomination and moments later the Levellers had their permanent leader. She dowsed her magic and un-muted the chat channel.

[You have resigned the rank of "Provisional Leader" with the "Chartists"]

[New organisation formed: "Lawful Fraternity of Chartist Campaigners for Equitable Employment". Size range: 200-499 members; Wealth range: 0-1 zecchi; Influence range: district-city.]

*ding* [Your reputation with the Fraternity of Chartists is: Kindred]

The other wombles must have received the same notifications, because the first thing she hear on the chat was Bungo commenting: {So close. If she'd become their leader, she'd have been the first on the server to reach the Elder reputation level, and that would have got us another boost on the global reputation chart.}

[Skill "A way with words" has reached level 12.]

Kafana: {Sorry Bungo, I just couldn't. It would have made me as fake as those Blindmen.}

[Skill "Rulership" has reached level 4.]

Alderney: {Don't apologise. It would have set a poor example, and every viewer would know exactly how you felt about it. Better to be yourself and feel certain about the direction you want to lead, then take the job for bad reasons then lead them in circles trying to chase what you think they expect.}

[Skill "Etiquette (common)" has reached level 2.]

Bulgaria sounded both resigned and amused: {The blind leading the blind, hey? You're right, Alderney - a little humility isn't a bad thing.}

[Skill "Aura of Power" is already at level 14. Further increase blocked until the next tier in Profession "Ruler" has been reached.]

Madero was already talking to the audience, getting people from each parish to form a group and pick someone for a courier from the Unity Krewe to stay in contact with. Wellington was now attaching the deer antler to the lintel over the opening leading to the sewers where Bungo's monks had just arrived and were moving aside the Blindmen blocking it. The lintel had been made from a wide wooden beam, painted red to match the brickwork, and the way it extended beyond the opening reminded Kafana of a Japanese torii gate.

[Skill "Reinforcement Magic" is already at level 24. Further increase blocked until the next tier in Profession "Spellsinger" has been reached.]

Talking of magic... she stopped feeding her mana to the sonic magic she'd set up earlier when speaking to the audience.

Tomsk: {The important thing isn't who the leader is, but that the Levellers have a leader at all and he'll be able to use the guild response we got back from Mercato to get a ceasefire with Pazzi once he sends an emissary. Our aim was to protect the safety of the innocents, so we should celebrate our plan's success: nothing went wrong!}

*C R A S H*

Every head in the room turned towards the stairs as Kafana's muffling spell ended and the sound of axes breaking down a door rung out from above.