Zilo, Maldrek, Aria, and Leo approached the center of the city of Deneval. The courtyard of the castle looked beautiful as the wind blew and the petals of the flowers in the garden danced along the wind. Surrounding the edges of the courtyard were dozens of humans, a few half-elves and even a dwarf or two stood watching as the bard approached. Along with the nobles were just as many guards eyeing up those entering the court.
Zilo and his other friends watched as Maldrek walked to the middle of the courtyard. Out of a group of the human nobility walked Luther Strain, royal tutor of the prince. Zilo's eyes then stared along the humans before finally settling on prince Kranoc.
The young man was dressed much more like his title would imply. His outfit was slim and well fitted with a overcoat of purple and rope embroidered golden weave. His slacks where the purest white and his boots stained purple to match his coat.
The prince stood firm and resolute, not looking to Zilo in the same fashion the bard looked to him. Aria squeezed Zilo's hand, grabbing his attention away from the prince. The fetchling looked at his apprentice as her hand squeezed, a note of both worry and disgust lay upon her face with her unerring gaze.
Zilo moved his hand to her chin and directed her gaze up at his face. The bard gave his light smile and said no words. She understood his meaning. They hadn't spoken much since their argument days ago, but as the two of them smiled the past seemed so distance that it mattered little.
Maldrek and Luther shook hands in the middle of the courtyard and both turned to their duelists, once Maldrek arrived Zilo asked, "So, what's the verdict?"
Maldrek smiled to the bard and said, "It's on, no peace I guess you get your wish." Zilo smiled back and then followed up with, "Fantastic, how is it to be done?" Maldrek handed Zilo a short list. The bard looked through it and rose his head.
"Which one?"
"All, One by one until 7 have gone by. If you lose even one then the prince wins it all."
Leo and Aria's expressions widened and Leo exclaimed, "That's crazy! Zilo has no chance then who would agree to-"
"And I thought this would be too easy." Smiled Zilo handing the list back to Maldrek. Maldrek nodded and said, "I figured you'd think so. They name the challenge as it comes."
"So what is up first?"
At that moment the prince waltzed forward and addressed the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen of the court. The first challenge shall be one that the lowborn, such as my opponent, can hopefully keep up with me in."
Maldrek spoke under his breath, "Just as planned." and the prince looked to one of his servants nearby and motioned him toward him. The servant picked up a case a bit more than 2 feet long, the perfect length for a short dueling blade.
"Zilo's an absolutely devastating swordsman, this will be easy." Remarked Leo, but then the prince undid the latch on the case and out he produced a flute which he held aloft as he looked to Zilo. Toward the side Luther and Maldrek walked to line up and place the scroll of Breath of Life.
Luther grinned and looked to Maldrek, "What instrument will your employee like for the duel of music?" Maldrek smiled and responded, "No need to worry, Zilo is already prepared."
Zilo spun forward and kicked up his leg, freeing his violin from it's spot hooked on his leg. His lift also loosed his bo from his right metal boot. With his spin he snatched both from the air and he came out of the spin with a bow.
The prince hesitated, but Zilo reminded him of the competition and waved his bo toward the prince. The prince shook his head and began to make the first performance. He was practiced and had talent no doubt, but he was stiff, learned in too formal of a way. His melodies had no passion, not flow or adaptability.
As a musician he was skilled much as Aria was, but to a bard like Zilo he was only an amateur. Zilo and the crowd gave a short round of claps to the man and then all looked to Zilo. the bard smiled and spun his bo about before resting it on his violin.
Zilo stood stock still much like the prince did. His playing seemed stunted, his whimsy and vigor absent. The man seemed to not even be making used of his ability for Bardic Performances. That all said, Zilo seemed to be presenting tunes just on the level of the prince.
Aria frowned and spoke, "He's holding back, he's not even dancing or ghost performing at all." She turned to Leo who was in thought since the start of the performance. She then looked over to Maldrek who simply was smiling next to Luther.
Leo finally spoke up and said, "I think he's trying to tie the match."
"Ye'd be right bout dat." Said a wobbling monkey man from behind them. They both turned to see Jin who hugged onto Leo's back to stay standing and said, "Sorry I'm late, long night. What I miss?"
"Forget that, what do you mean I'm right?" Jin gripped onto both Aria and Leo and with his drunken strength he forced them both closer into a huddle, "Zilo tells me he wants tah tie de match so dat Swords and Sworcery don't go down burnin."
Jin explains Zilo's reasoning to Leo as Aria turns to the match again to see Zilo beginning to finish his performance. The prince returned with another score and Zilo matches him piece for piece. The crowd seems torn. After both sides are finished The prince grins and speaks, "Well that was quick."
Zilo raises an eyebrow to which the prince says, "I've already won, if that is the best you've got then I've got this by default. Can't see what that girl there sees in you with such meager skills."
"But we are evenly matched!?" Shouts Zilo.
"Please, like the crown prince would be equal to a common tavern worker." The prince says with a dismissive shrug. Luther and Maldrek grab the crowds attention. Zilo can't hear what they are saying, as he is thinking over and over.
"HE'LL WIN!?"
"That's not right!"
"It has to be a tie!"
"Why do I lose for holding back!?"
"ZILO!" Shouts a voice from the sidelines. Zilo turns to see the voice is Maldrek's. The wizard crosses his arms and states, "You didn't hear a word of that did you?"
Zilo rubs the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. Maldrek smiles and restates, "To settle this you both get 1 more round, if you are evenly matched once more then the prince will be declared victor." Maldrek gave a curt nod and a smile, saying, "There will be no ties."
Zilo looked to his second, shocked, but nodded in response. The prince gave another performance, it was clear he put more into this one, but he was still stiff, and he hadn't been trained to make use of his passion, making a few notes fall to the side. Zilo breathed heavy as the prince finished.
In a flash Zilo made a darting motion over to the prince, throwing his own violin into the air as he did. Zilo was too quick for the prince to react and the bard kicked the flute into the air. The prince was frozen in shock and Luther began to look back to the nearby guards. Maldrek put a hand to the tutor's shoulder and said,
"Fear not he's not attacking the prince." Zilo snapped his hand up at his violin and let loose a Mage Hand to hold his violin in place in the air.
"Then what on earth is he doing!?" Zilo flipped back and snatched the flute out of the air and stood with his body loose and reach to move with his tunes.
Maldrek smiled and said, "He's performing."
Meanwhile in another realm at the table that held these characters the man in the hat with Zilo's sheet looks to the man known as Jones and says, "If Zilo's skill doesn't win this the song he plays will."
The man known as Jones raises an eyebrow and the man in the hat presses play on a song he found "Game of Thrones Theme (Flute/Violin)," the man known as Jones smiles and bites his lip.
Back at the duel Zilo waltzes to the epic melody. His violin plays to his waltz, moving with him as though they are dance partners. Zilo's foot work hits every tune, dancing and stomping to each tune, but his movements still move as though planned and part of the single performance. The stolen flute is the weakest part of the three simultaneous performances, but Zilo's skill with it puts the prince's formal practice to shame.
Zilo whips about and lightly tosses the flute back to the stunned, and frozen prince who barley manages to catch the flute. Luther and the rest of the crowd like the prince are speechless. Aria, Leo, Jin and Maldrek had to be the ones to begin the applause.
As the clapping and cheering die down Luther grimaces and speaks to the Tiefling, "What kind of tavern worker is your man, wizard?"
Maldrek looks to Luther with a smug smile and responds, "The Umbral Bard, Zilo Realms, Master of Strings."
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