Carpathia IV: Episode 194 - Your Imagination
Amenaru's Bedroom, Andrast
Kit rolled over sleepily in his bed and, to his surprise, did not bump into Amenaru. He rolled over again. Still nothing. It was a big bed, and he reached out as far as he could and patted mattress until his hand went over the edge. Nothing again. With that, he finally opened his eyes and sat up, blinking with scrunched-up face into the morning light. Once his eyes adjusted to the light he confirmed that Amenaru was nowhere to be found.
Kit rolled out of the bed and stood, rubbing his eyes, and headed to the ladder. As he climbed down, he thought he could hear the faint sound of music, far off into the distance. His ears twisted and turned, trying to find the source of the sound, but it was too distant to make out a direction. Kit didn't bother with the last two rungs and let go, landing with a thump on the floor below, the much smaller portion of Amenaru's room. From there, he just had to go through the door and down the stairs. Once on the ground floor, James waved to him from the kitchen.
James: Hey there, sleepyhead. Seems a month of home life has softened you up.
Kit yawned and tried to speak at the same time, producing a high-pitched squeak of a sentence.
Kit: Where's Amenaru?
James: He's out on the sandbar with his fiddle. I assume you want to go out there, but you should eat something first.
Kit: Hmmm...
A big decision for Kit. He wanted nothing more than to go to the sandbar but, yes, he was also hungry. There was also the look on James's face and he knew, after a month of living there, that he wouldn't be able to escape the house easily without being fed. Not without a fight. A fight he wasn't willing to have. A compromise. Eat something he can take with him.
Kit: Got any apples?
James: Gotcha covered!
James reached over to a bowl filled with fruit and plucked an apple from it, which he tossed to Kit.
James: Out the door, down the stairs, across the boardwalk, and over the swing bridge. Eh, just follow the music.
Kit: Thanks. I know the way.
Kit made for the front door, with James sending him off with a smile and a nod.
Outside Amenaru's House
Follow the music indeed, for though Kit knew the way, it was his ears that carried him forward. Soon, he could see the top of Amenaru's head poking up from behind a pile of red-orange sand, unmistakable for the black ears with little tufts of white fur sticking out. As Kit crossed the swing bridge, he became a little annoyed that Amenaru went all the way out here by himself. Though it had been over a month since the incident, Amenaru was not at full strength. What if he fell in the water with nobody around to help?
Sandbar
Though the sounds of the fiddle and the accompanying backup music through the portable speaker he brought with him, Amenaru could still hear the footsteps approaching from behind. Normally, he wouldn't have, but he was making the effort. He knew someone would come. He knew who it would be without even turning to look.
Amenaru: Hi, Kit.
Kit: What are you doing out here?
Amenaru: I just needed some time to think. Playing helps with that. I can't do drums since it hurts and I can't drag them all the way out here anyway. Bit difficult having a guitar pressed up against my chest too, so my fiddle was all that was left.
Kit's face softened as all the schoolmarm pretense melted away and he sat next to Amenaru on the sandy shore.
Kit: What are you thinking about?
Amenaru put his fiddle and bow on his lap and sighed.
Amenaru: Is my role finished? Have I done what I was meant to do? Managing my heart condition was a pain and I don't know if it's going to be better or worse.
Kit: Destiny or something? I don't know anything about what anyone is meant to do. I make my own decisions.
Amenaru: I guess if there is destiny, then I'm going to do what I'm going to do. If not, then I wasn't meant to do anything it really is entirely my decision. I guess it doesn't matter if it's destiny or not.
Kit: I'm staying with the Shadowdancer.
Amenaru's ears pitched forward. No ambiguity in that statement and he got the sense that it wouldn't change even if Amenaru said he wouldn't go. Nevertheless, he wasn't ready to declare his own intentions just yet. Instead, he handed Kit a tablet with a song list on the screen.
Amenaru: What would you like me to play? You pick something, I select the instruments to remove and I play those parts myself.
Kit, however, did not take the tablet.
Kit: Play something fun!
Amenaru pulled the tablet back and scrolled through the list himself. Something fun. High tempo. Upbeat. As he scrolled, he came across a pirate ditty and thought that would fit the bill. After removing the instruments he would play himself, he started the song.
Indeed, the song seemed to lighten the mood and Kit seemed to enjoy it too, bobbing his head to the rhythm. The surprise came when Kit started singing along to the music. Not in words, more of the "la la" variety, keeping with the beat and tone of the song and this pleased him greatly.
Amenaru: That was fun!
Kit: What was that song you were playing before?
Amenaru: Ah, that was The Coors. Regular popular music, but occasionally, they do a whole song that's a violin solo.
Kit reached over for the tablet and Amenaru handed it over.
Kit: I know them. Can you do this one?
Kit handed back the tablet and pointed to the song he wanted. "Breathless," one of their most famous. Amenaru selected the song and started removing the parts that he would play himself.
Kit: Take out the vocals too.
Amenaru's ears twitched and then he smiled. Kit was already good in the pirate song and he looked forward to hearing him in this one.
Amenaru: Let's go!
Amenaru started the song, going through the parts almost on autopilot in gleeful anticipation of when Kit's part would start. He was not disappointed.
Kit: ♫ And if there's no tomorrow
And all we have is here and now
I'm happy just to have you
You're all the love I need somehow
It's like a dream
Although I'm not asleep
And I never want to wake up
Don't lose it (don't lose it), don't leave it (don't leave it) ♫
Amenaru had heard Kit hum before. He just heard him sing vocables. This was the first time he'd ever heard Kit sing words and it was glorious. If Kit weren't working in the fleet, Amenaru thought, he could make an excellent career as a singer.
Amenaru: You're so good! Do another?
And on this went, with each taking turns to select songs and Kit's vocals only got better and better with each one. Kit's confidence soared, finally standing up so he could project even better than before. Still, it couldn't last forever and Amenaru was getting hungry.
Amenaru: Maybe one more and we go back and eat? You choose!
Kit nodded with a wide grin and scrolled through the tablet, taking his time to find just the right finale.
Kit: This one.
Kit handed back the tablet while pointing at the song he wanted. Amenaru saw it and did his best to hide his nerves. It was a slow song, sweet, happy, but also emotional and he wonderered if he could make it all the way through, especially with Kit singing. Nevertheless, Amenaru carefully selected the parts he would do himself and then, after removing the vocals, he was ready.
Amenaru: It's ready.
Amenaru started to play, drawing his bow fluidly up and down over the strings and waited for Kit to get started. Kit did and it was as beautiful as Amenaru imagined and feared. Amenaru managed to keep playing through the first few verses with little difficulty, but he knew it would get harder for him as the song came to a crescendo.
Kit: ♫ Take this chance
And let go of the lie
One bright feat
One time to shine ♫
Amenaru powered through, not playing his best, but at least keeping the rhythm and the notes.
Kit: ♫ And when you're down for the count
And you lost all your will to survive
On your own
I will fall from the sky
Wipe the tears from your eyes
And remind you you're never alone ♫
This was it. The part of the song where it truly soared and if Kit could reach those notes and hold them, Amenaru wasn't so sure if he could hold onto himself.
Kit: ♫ I am rivers and forests
I'm winds and I'm earth
I am oceans and mountains
A whisper unheard
And before you lies everything you'd ever want
I am your, your imagination ♫
Hold onto himself, Amenaru did, and it was difficult. Kit indeed hit all the soaring notes perfectly and as much as Amenaru wanted to stop right away and grab him, he didn't. Somehow, it seemed just plain sacrilegious not to finish after that magnificent performance and finish he did. When the final note dropped, Amenaru lowered his fiddle onto his lap and wiped his eyes.
Amenaru: That was amazing!
Amenaru's next question was going to be when Kit learned to sing like that, but he never got the chance, interrupted by the faint, but unmistakeable sound of applause emanating from somewhere not too far away. His ears swivelled for the source and locked on to the sound behind him. He had to turn not only his head, but his entire body to see.
On the bow of the Great Eastern replica, a moderate crowd had gathered and they had been silent, or, at least, not loud enough for either Amenaru or Kit to hear, up to now. With that last song, however, they erupted into cheers and applause.
Amenaru: Oh hey! We have an audience!
*Piff*
From behind, Amenaru heard something heavy hit the sand and he turned back to find Kit splat all over the sandbar. Fainted. Passed out. At any rate, he wasn't going anywhere under his own power for awhile.
Amenaru: Ah, shit.
Amenaru took out his phone and dialled.
Amenaru: Hey, Dad? Is Sylvar around? Or anyone else? Need some help over here... It's Kit... No, he's fine... It's just that I can't carry him back on my own... Yeah, need some help... Okay, see you and Sylvar in a bit...
Amenaru tucked his phone into his pocket, packing his tablet and speaker into his bag while he waited.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
Falke2009
