12.Please don't be afraid(The Minstrel's Audition)

“Please, don’t be scared of me. I’m not dangerous, just big.”

Joshua quirked his eyebrow at the young Giborim before him. The boy had just reached the age of adulthood for the Giborim which was thirteen. He was already quite large for a giant. He was pretty close to seventy feet already. He had dark blue hair indicating that he probably had some cloud giant in his bloodline somewhere. Although with those sea green eyes, it could just as easily be storm giant. His skin was pale though, much paler than it should have been.

“You’ll have to excuse me your majesty.” Joshua said with respectful bow. “It’s just that even here on Gibor, I rarely run into a true blooded Giborim such as yourself.”

Adam, King of the Giants and ruler of Gibor shrugged. Joshua noted the sadness in the movement. “There aren’t many of us left.” The boy said quietly.

Joshua took a step forward. He was standing on raised platform specifically built for the small population of humans who lived on Gibor. Adam was seated on his throne quite far away by human standards, and it was only thanks to an enchantment placed on the platform that Adam could even hear Joshua.

“Well,” Adam sighed. “This is supposed to be an audition.”

“Quite right.” Joshua nodded. He muttered a few under his breath and made a few flourishing gestures. With a slightly off tune twang, Joshua’s lute appeared in his hands.

“You know magic?” Adam asked.

“Of a sort.” Joshua answered. “Perhaps I should introduce myself, since your exceedingly thoughtful steward forgot to do so.”

Joshua smirked as he heard a gruff cough behind.

“My name is Joshua, Minstrel of the Phoenix Feathers, Platinum Phoenix Mage, and humble follower of Eil.” Joshua plucked a note for each of his titles, while bowing deeply. He didn’t expect the boy in front of him to recognize any of those titles, he was too cloistered up in the castle and not aware enough of the other planes to know what they meant.

Judging from the gasp he heard behind him though, the steward was aware of a few of them.

Adam noticed the gasp as well. The boy king looked over Joshua’s head and asked, “What is it?”
“Nothing sire.”

Adam frowned. “Tell me, or else.”

Joshua glanced over his shoulder. The frost giant was old and crotchety looking. He was probably around eighteen feet tall or so, and had deep blue skin and icy white hair. He looked rather uncomfortable under his king’s annoyed gaze, which is perfectly natural when someone fifty feet taller than you is giving you a look.

“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with your majesty. However, I do not believe that this … human, will be able to fulfill the necessary requirements of a court minstrel.”

“Why not?” Adam asked.

“Well you see sir, he’s just too small.” The steward stepped forward. “No one would be able to hear him.”

Adam looked at Joshua and frowned. Joshua could see the doubt in his eyes. “Perhaps you should allow me to play you a song your majesty.” Joshua said. “And in order to show you that I can be heard no matter where I am in the room, I would be happy to play from the floor.”

Adam nodded. “That sounds fair.”

“Very good.”

Joshua muttered a few more words and made a few more gestures. He’d prefer not to use this much of his magic in one place, but it was imperative that the boy hire him.

Joshua vaulted over the edge of the platform, and Adam gasped appropriately. The boy even stood up and made as if to catch the human. Which, all things considered, said quite a bit about the young king.

But of course Joshua was in no danger. He simply floated down the fifty feet without any concern, tuning his lute as he went.

As Joshua landed, he cast two more spells. In the air above him appeared a burning bird about the same size as Adam.

“Let me sing you the song of the Phoenix Magi.” Joshua started. His voice rang out loud and clear, and echoes bounced around the empty throne room. He began plucking the strings and began his story. As his voice rang out, the illusion above his head gave the King a simplistic image of the tale.

There once was an order of Magi
Strong of mind and body were they
Taught in the ways of the Phoenix
In order to keep evil at bay

At their start there were many of them.
Hundreds and hundreds they numbered.
But war against evil arose
Their lives in the war were required.

In the end there were only thirteen
Yet their archenemy remained.
So an Oath they took on Eil’s Name.
For the ages he would be contained.

Eil gave them the power they needed
The Enemy soundly thrown down.
Their Oath still stands true to this day.
Until they at last receive their crown.

As the last notes of the haunting melody echoed around, the illusion of a shining victor’s crown above Joshua slowly faded out. Adam hadn’t sat back down during Joshua’s story, and he was going a marvelous job of gawking at the human.

After perhaps a minute of silence, in which Joshua didn’t move an inch. The king started clapping his hands excitedly.

“That was amazing! You’re hired!”

“Thank you your majesty. Would you like to hear another song?”

Five songs later, Joshua smiled to himself as he walked out behind the steward. In a wonderfully stereotypical move, the steward swung around and picked Joshua up by the front of his vest.

“Now you hear me.” The frost giant’s breath smelled rather fishy. “Daimon won’t hear of any of your fantastical stories getting into the King’s ears. You’ll only tell him the stories that we say you’ll tell him. You understand me?”

Joshua smiled. “Indeed I do. But now you hear me.” Joshua moved his feet into a certain position and was suddenly wreathed in platinum flames. The frost giant yelped in pain and dropped Joshua, but the human stayed floating in the air surrounded by the white silvery fire.

“I am the Platinum Phoenix Mage. I have lived dozens of lives, and thousands of years. I was on the front lines when your kind was thrown from Eretz back onto the Astral Bridge, and I will still be around after your bones have melted back into the oceans from whence they came.”

The steward was now cowering on the other side of the hallway. “I will tell what stories I wish to tell. Know that the King is now under not only my protection, but the protection of the Phoenix Feathers as well. If Daimon has a problem with that, he’s welcome to take it up with me. Do you understand me?”

The steward nodded jerkily.

Joshua dropped to the ground and landed nimbly on his feet. The fire that was around him vanished as if it had never been there. Though the burn on the steward’s hand was evidence of how real it had been.

“Excellent.” Joshua replied. “Then I’m glad we understand each other, and I’m sure we won’t need to have this conversation again.”

The frost giant nodded again jerkily.

“I do believe that I can find my own way out.” Joshua said. He then walked down the corridor, and turned a corner.

A few steps later, and another person appeared next to him walking with him.

“Well that went well.” The person said.

“I thought so.”

“Your agents are in place?”

“Of course.” Joshua said. “They’ve already removed the poison that was being fed to him, and neutralized those responsible. He should be looking and feeling much better soon. Of course I’ll have my people keeping an eye on him round the clock, in case they decide to make a more direct move against him.”

“Very good. Please pass my thanks on to the Commander, I appreciate his intervention in this matter.”

“Oh please,” Joshua waved his hand. “The Amethyst Mage considers rescuing young kings a personal hobby. If the Sub-Commander and the Lady would have let him he would have come and done it himself.”

“I’m sure he would have, and I’m sure the Orphan was begging him to do it too.”

Joshua smiled affectionately. “Well the little brat would have loved to come here, that’s for sure. He actually tried to sneak his way into my group. Honestly, we probably won’t be able to keep him away for long. Especially since Adam is in fact an orphan. Nari actually has a perfectly valid reason to get involved.”

“I’m aware, and if he so desires I won’t stop him. I’m too bound by the Giant’s false faith in me to be able to do much, maybe one of the other Taphael will be more effective.”

“Well,” Joshua said. “The Phoenix Feathers are here now, and you can rest assured that we will accomplish our mission.”

“Thank you.” Without a gesture of any kind, or even a whisper, Joshua’s employer vanished.

Joshua rolled his eyes, “Show off.”