Chapter 41: 3.3 – The Keep Over the Borderlands

The room around Robin was suddenly both cold and hot all at once. He was conscious of the greasy wood beneath his fingers, smoothed by the elbows of untold patrons over unknown years. It was a stark contrast to the sharp, pricking attention of everyone in the tavern.

‘We’ll, I’m due a break,’ Lena said in a voice that positively dripped with derision. ‘Why don’t you hop on up here and show us what you’ve got while I have a glass of something to restore my voice?’

It was challenge, pure and simple, and between Robin’s need to get closer to completing his bardic initiation quest, the two old codgers next to him egging things on, and the inescapable idea that Marq would never refuse such a challenge or such an opportunity, Robin had no choice but to stand and accept.

‘I suppose I could share a song or three,’ Robin said lazily, shouldering into his stage persona like a new coat. It was a bit stiff, and tugged at him in directions he wasn’t used to yet.

He ignored the sympathetic look Avanus shot him from near the bar. Robin—Marq—strode up to the stage and stepped lightly onto it. He executed a sharp heel turn, taking full command of the attention Lena had given him. If she thought he’d stumble in front of the unexpected scrutiny, she was going to be sadly disappointed.

In fact, as Robin looked at the red-headed bard, he knew exactly which song he was going to open with.

????Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jo-leeene????

Swaying gently along with the rhythm of the song as it built, Robin slipped in the gestures for [Lesser Phantasm] and hit that final ‘Jolene’ with illusory duplicates of his own voice in three-part harmony. The crowd perked up, in spite of the unfamiliar words and music, and Robin saw Lena shoot him a startled glance out of the corner of his eye.

That’s right. Not just a pretty face.

Robin gestured again, and more voices layered themselves into the song, providing rhythm and texture and backup vocals in the grand tradition of a cappella everywhere. He was just doing it all himself, nine voices joined by a single will. His will. His magic. His performance.

????I’m begging of you please don’t take my man!????

Robin willed the ghostly image of a handsome man—looking remarkably similar to Avanus—to appear over his right shoulder, while a breathtakingly beautiful woman—looking remarkably similar to Lena—appeared over his left. Thank you [Chronicles of Infinite Visions]! It gave the performance a nice ’80s rock ballad vibe.

The images faded after just a moment. Can’t peak early, after all. Gotta keep some room to build.

And build he did. Robin took all of the classic longing that infused that song, amped it through an increase in tempo, and twisted it slightly over the top. This crowd felt like it would respond better to camp, glam, and high energy, so he gave it to them.

????It’s all that I can do to keep from crying????when he calls your name Jolene!????

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Robin conjured illusory tears which sparkled impossibly in his eyes. He flirted outrageously with both Lena and Avanus though the song, eliciting first a few chuckles, then roars of approval. Flashes of scenes, ghostly and flickering, appeared and disappeared as the music ebbed and flowed until he brought the song to a beseeching, clarion end.

????Please don’t take him even though you can!????

He reached his hand out toward Lena in supplication before letting it fall gently to his side with a final two whispered words to end the song.

????Oh, Jolene.????

The room was quiet for a moment. Robin let the silence ride for no more than a breath or two before he launched into his next song. He was going to fit in at least three.

Lena and Avanus exchanged a glance. Robin ignored them. There would be time for dealing with whatever that was after his impromptu set. Now that he had their attention, Robin dispensed with the visual illusions, keeping instead to simply duplicating and enhancing his voice with [Lesser Phantasm].

The next song he performed was ‘She’s a Rebel’, because who didn’t love a little pop punk? And he wanted to watch Avanus’s reaction. It might give him a hint as to whether or not the barswain actually had a connection to the restive elements of Bordertown.

Oh yeah. There was definitely something going on there. Avanus maintained a stoic demeanour for the most part, but when Robin locked eyes with him on the word ‘rebel’, the barswain flinched.

Bingo.

Best not push it for now, though. Robin wanted at least a little plausible deniability so Avanus didn’t run off before he could corner the lad for a conversation.

Robin finished up the song with a flourish and then immediately launched into ‘The Lusty Young Smith’. There was enough energy in the room, it fit better with the whole medieval fantasy vibe this place had going, and it had an easy chorus that everyone could sing along with. And in no time he had them singing along, when they weren’t laughing at the cheeky innuendo of the lyrics, all the way through to the final repetition of the chorus.

????Rum-bum-bum, rum-bum-bum????in-and-out, in-and-out????Ho!????

He finished with a flourish, let the laughter settle just a tad, then called out over the (admittedly rather small) crowd, ‘Thank you! My name is Marq, and you’ve been a wonderful audience!’ He smiled broadly at Lena. ‘And I will now return your stage to the lovely Jolene—I mean Lena!’

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