Chapter 39

Requiem hid himself in an isolated niche in Pearlview and attempted to unlock the Volume Overlimit requirement for Siren’s Song. He tried various kinds of telepathy: short shouts, yelling words, singing at high volume, anything he could think of. He was sure he was louder than Sirena had been when she succeeded, but the system message failed to appear for him. :Dammit!: he swore, punching the nearest coral wall. He swore again when the rough surface lacerated his knuckles. His frustration and embarrassment only increased when the elf, Fey, swam into view. Requiem did not understand the girl at all. His first impression of her was of her hovering quietly behind that human warrior, Blade, the picture of a shy, passive girl. Every subsequent interaction with her confused him more. Her reactions to his words and actions seemed so bizarre; when he tried to be nice, she reacted negatively, but at other times, she would be surprisingly empathetic and helpful. :What’s up?: Fey asked in greeting as she came within conversational distance. Requiem had nothing new to report, so he made a vague sound of acknowledgement (also known as a ‘grunt’). He immediately regretted not talking more, as Fey took the opportunity to notice the isolated surroundings and small cloud of blood around his scraped knuckles. When she spoke, he braced himself for a comment about his lack of progress with Siren’s Song. :You’re actually a singer in real life, aren’t you?: Fey asked instead. Requiem’s brow knitted in confusion. :Yeah?: he answered warily. Fey ignored the question he implied. :Think of it as turning up the volume on your microphone while singing quietly.: After a pause, she said, :Okay, I’m off to find Sirena and Blade; later!: and swam away. Requiem considered her words. After a moment, he began to sing a low, quiet song. Concentrating on maintaining the velvety tone of his singing, he gradually increased the volume of telepathy until he could be performing for a crowd of hundreds.