The bard's heart skipped several beats. His white pupils shook with each exhale he took. The women went to comfort him, but he gently took himself away. He strummed his instrument with quick intensity.

"Help me be nimble and quick,
Faster than a two ended candlestick!"

The Knights' horses were startled by them seeing a glimpse of the mage pass by them. His boots barely kissed the ground....

As he neared his parents' home, he almost coughed up a lung. The black smoke almost suffocated his throat. The taste was something he never wanted to know. His face felt the heat of the roaring flames that were devouring his home.

He plucked his mandolin at an intense pace while backing away.

"May a rain cloud pour down on this home,
Don't let the fires roam!"

An overhead cloud poured like a waterfall onto the flames.

"Mother! Father!" he yelled with a strained voice. No response. His heart pounded faster than a running horse. "Mother! Father!"

Coughing

He followed the sound and desperately hoped for the best.

"Mother?"

He heard their lingering footsteps. He embraced them with all of his strength. Something wet and cold sticked to the bottom of his shirt and face. The scent of iron told him everything.

His parents almost hunched over from coughing. He stepped back and strummed the mandolin.

"Undo this pain that has them reeling,
May they be restored by proper healing!"

Black smoke exited their nostrils and mouths. The bruises on his father's face left him as well as the wound on his mother's ribs.

"Thank you, son!" his father expressed.

Will's face overflowed with tears from almost losing them. He sank to his knees as they wiped his face clean.

The knights arrived shortly after and investigated the scorched area. Not one vegetable nor animal survived the flames. The ground was heavily salted, killing off any potential growth. Everything his parents had worked hard for was gone.

The knights checked on his parents. Dorothea was being held by Will to comfort her trembling body.

"Mr. Bennett, were you here at the time? Can you explain what happened?"

James motioned with his head. The knight followed him, and they stopped.

"Bandits threatened us for our money. I gave it to them since my wife was in danger. They promised to let us go afterwards, however.... One of them stabbed my wife."

Will's eyes shot wide open.

"I tried to fight, but they overwhelmed me. They torched the place afterwards. Fortunately, I woke up and dragged us out. Our boy healed us after finding us outside."

"Which group was responsible? Did you get a good look at them?"

"They had black hooded robes with black daggers."

The knight's blood almost froze as he knew. "The Black Iron Gang. We will keep on the lookout for them. Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"This was all we had."

Will gripped his knees.

His mother laid a hand on his to calm him down. "Don't worry, dear. We will be back to normal one day. Let's count our blessings."

"Mom, your legacy is gone. Even with my magic, I can't bring back what's destroyed."

His father returned after talking with the captain. "Good news is that we have a place to stay. The captain says we can stay at a tavern for free until proper accommodations are set. Let's go."

The innkeeper welcomed the unsheltered family with open arms for their previous successes together. Will's mind was focused on something else.

---

He stops playing to the Skeleton Queen's confusion.

"I'm sorry. I forgot children were here. Can you tell them to leave?"

He doesn't want them to witness the horror that was going to unfold.

"I will do that." She waves her hand and the small skeleton children run off.

The closing of doors reassures him to continue.

---------

As day turned to night, Will slipped out while his parents slept. The only lights that welcomed him were hanging torches on the bank nearby. He plucked his mandolin to ready himself. His ears perked up.

"I will pay up! Just give me-"

Thud! Groan

"You had enough time! You really want to make our leader furious?"

"Just give me-"

Another punch landed on the stranger.

"The Black Iron Gang will not be disrespected," the henchman whispered. 

The blind bard's heart rattled akin to a snake wanting to escape a jar. His mind argued with his heart on what could go wrong, but what happened to his parents....

A fast-paced tune made the three gang members spin around. They turned to find a young man with narrowing eyes. The melody got sharper and low pitched. Their bodies shuddered from what's to come. One of them was relieved after seeing the white pupils from the lit fires.

"He's blind. No need to worry about him."

They went back to scaring their client.

"Were you at the Bennet Plantation?" Will asked with an underlying growl.

"Why do you ask, blind man?"

"It was a lot of fun what we did. That old couple didn't see it coming."

He sung with a rising anger from his throat.

"The pain you have dealt will be returned back to you,
I need only one, not two."

Before they could silence the musician, two of the gang members knelt down with arched backs. Their black robes unstitched by the deep cuts left on their ribs and chest. Vermillion from their motionless bodies stained the street.

The final member jumped back as he fumbled for his black knife. The client took his chance and ran without looking back. 

Will forced his face to be stoic. He shouldn't show any fear. "Where are the rest?"

The BI member's body trembled. He then laughed after seeing the man's hands tremble.

"How does it feel to take a life? It's exhilarating, isn't it? Once you start, you never stop."

Will plucked his strings which made the member lose all of his bravery. His blade shook from his grip.

"T-They're at The Flagon 5 miles straight ahead of you."

A bone chilling tune permeated the air.

"Death will end your gang,
By the neck, you will hang."

The BI member took rope from his knapsack meant for the client and threw the hook onto a rooftop. He couldn't resist climbing up, securing the rope, and tightening it around his neck. William walked briskly as the man ended his life with a snap. He plucked his strings to head towards The Flagon.

---

William takes a break from playing. The Skeleton Queen knows what will happen next but imagines the mental turmoil that will open back up.

"If you want to take a break, that's okay."

"Okay," he said with a heavy breath. He goes to his knapsack and brings out some dark chocolate, cured bacon, and soda bread to eat.

He breaks off a piece of chocolate and offers it to her. "Have some, Melody."

"Did I give you permission to use my name?" she stares with her magenta eyes.

"No, but it's fun to say. Want some?"

"I don't have to eat because of my transformation."

The bard picks up some sadness tied to that sentence. After eating, he rests his head on the knapsack and closes his eyes.

"That is foolish of you to let your guard down," she warns.

"You could have killed me at any time. If you're going to do it, I prefer a kiss," he replies with a smirk.

She bites her bottom blue lip, but lets it go. She motions with her hand. A small skeleton with a gaping hole in its chest arrives with a soft pillow and blanket. It taps the bard's boots and he wakes up.

"Emilia wants to give you a pillow and blanket."

"Thank you, Emilia."

He lets her cover him with the blanket and put a pillow under his feet. He then feels a small and cold, boney hand in his gloved hand. What used to be the little girl looks at him until she lets go and runs back to her parents.

"She likes you," Melody explains with some doubt in her voice.

"I like you too," the bard states. He closes his eyes as he nestles into the heavy blanket. Melody watches as the bard takes a nap. Despite being within feet of her, his face is at peace. This whole time, he's not disturbed by the nightmare he's going to describe.....

He wakes up and yawns. He hears the groans of the undead nearby.

"How much time has passed?" he yawns while stretching.

"It's the morning of the 3rd day," Melody answers.

"Morning, everyone!"

The skeletons shake and rattle in response. He eats some soda bread and chocolate with mint tea in a canteen.

"I'm glad to wake up to good company right now. Even as beautiful as you." He can feel her glaring at him. "What color are your eyes?"

She stays silent.

"It would have to be something rare, like an ocean blue. White as winter? Oh, where's the latrine?"

"Hector will lead you."

She is surprised to see that the bard is leaving his mandolin and wires behind.

"Just some goodwill to you," he explains as Hector leads him by the wrist. After he's done, Hector gives him some soap and some clean water. The captain then leads him back to his queen.

He sits down and strums the mandolin with a full storage of magic. His fingers shake in anticipation, but he must convince the Skeleton Queen. One more day until the armies of the kingdoms arrive.

He recites the same spell to summon the orb to continue. He has to convince her today.