Chapter 44

The hauntingly beautiful notes of the first movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” resonated in the minds of every sentient mind in Pearlview, halting all thought and motion. The music was both like and unlike every rendition before it: while the notes stayed the same, it had never before been performed through telepathy. Sirena, Requiem, Fey, and Blade were gathered in the top floor of Pearlview’s performing arts guild, along with Songsmistress Gwenna and the quest-giver Wellia. The NPCs were as enraptured as the rest of the town as Sirena and Requiem wove music into magic. It was a masterful performance. At Fey’s request (she’s such a softie), Sirena had arranged a piece of music to be performed as a duet with Requiem so that they could simultaneously complete the quest. Requiem’s part was much simpler, barely complex enough to fulfill the overlimit requirements for Siren’s Song and within his mental limits for creating harmonic lines. Over his steady accompaniment, Sirena played with the melody. Intuitively matching the mood of the music, she smoothly transitioned in instrumentation, tone, volume, and harmony. At times, she sang with the pure sweetness of a single violin, then swelled into a full orchestra. She borrowed the crystal clarity of Fey’s idealized voice, then dazzled with the brilliance of a four-part choir. Mesmerizing and powerful, the music held all who heard it under its sway until the very last note faded away into silence.