Payment by the Melody

Blaine glanced at his ten-stringed lyre on the bar table, then back at the ragged letter from his parents. He sighed. Nero Tryssee sensed his dismay and set down a glass of honey mead in front of him. The sweet aroma pierced the stench of stale ale in the air. Blaine enjoyed playing at Tryssee's Place, and he had fun doing it. On the other hand, he wasn't making as much money as he'd like, and the recent goblin invasions haven't been helping anyone.
"So, what does it say? You're not looking so wonderful there," Nero replied. "Your parents suddenly snap and try to recall you home or something?"
Blaine held a hand up to his head in dismay. "No, no, not at all. They've been really supportive. It's just… I know they've struggled ever since they gave me all of their savings, just so I could come to Mythrite. I know I''m not sending them enough, and it feels like I'm barely making the cut. I don't feel like I'm succeeding enough to pay it all back, to make their decision worth it." He looked over to the stage where his halfling performing partner, Ginka, still danced with jewelry bouncing along her body. He wished he had the choice to be as carefree.
"We're doing what we can with how many patrons we got. There's a lot less people here and a lot more in the clinics, but we still need to make our coin. Things are tough all over, you know," Nero said. He looked past Blaine and saw his sister walking over with a girl in red and white - an uncommon color. "What is it, Gabs?"
Gabrielle Tryssee walked behind the bar with a frown on her face. The timid girl handed Blaine a card.
"Someone new was in the crowd today. They really liked your playing, it seems," Gabrielle responded before sitting down next to Nero. "Said they didn't want to deal with 'ruffians' on stage. Apparently our establishment isn't refined enough for their tastes."
"Um… Master Virio said to meet him outside at the side entrance," the girl said. With her message relayed, she rushed outside.
Blaine nearly spat out his honey mead when he read the card. Ginka had finished dancing and trotted in his direction.
"Whatcha lookin at there, Blaine?" Ginka asked.
"I've been invited to play in Charlemaine Hill next week for Lutegarde Whitfoot," Blaine responded in disbelief. The gig would be in Charlemaine Hill for one of the very few people who worked their way up from poverty to upper class after arriving at Mythrite.
Nero whistled as he refilled Ginka's mug with beer. "Damn, talk about a fortune right there. Take the opportunity and see where it takes you."
"Oh, come on, Nero," Gabrielle sighed. "You know as well as I do how awfully boring those bunch are. The costs they pay are nothing compared to the price of your sanity- Blaine?"
Blaine had already gotten up and left, letting the doors close behind him. Surely enough, next to the timid girl from before, a red-haired man in a remarkably clean silver vest and jacket waited for him just outside of Tryssee's Place. If someone didn't know better, they might have thought they were brothers, living very different lives. A look of discontent sat upon the man's face. Blaine approached him with the white card in hand.
"Hello, I've been invited to play for Lutegarde...?"
"Indeed Mr. Lohk. My name is Virio. Now, I'd like to make this quick. Lady Lutegarde has entrusted me to meet with you and present an opportunity. You're familiar with the works of Vach, Catalogg, Knob, Jhopin, et cetera, correct?"
"Of course," Blaine responded cautiously. Vivian drilled three new pieces into my head every week.
"Play Jhopin's Grand Valse Brilliance, please."
Blaine detached his lyre from his waist and played what he could, considering the piece was meant to be played on a piano.
Virio nodded. "Not bad. The venue will be in Lady Lutegarde's estate, one week from today. Arrive at 1:00 in the afternoon with lute and lyre. Piano playing will be expected as well. Lady Lutegarde estimates that you will play for six hours. It will be a very long day. Do you accept?"
"Six hours?!" Blaine's eyes widened. He'd never played more than 90 minutes. "How many acts?"
"Acts? Just one: you," Virio replied with a smirk. "You will be granted breaks at hour two and four, and you may drink and dine in the-"
"How am I supposed to dance along?" Ginka asked, as Blaine looked down and behind him in surprise. "I dance with Blaine's playing all the time when he plays on stage."
Virio glared at the halfling. A noticeable irritation entered his voice as he spoke. "Miss Lutegarde only requested Blaine Lohk, here. No instruction to invite anyone else. I believe I made that explicitly clear?" He directed his gaze to his quivering servant, who apologized in fear.
"...Ah. Well, okay then." Ginka sunk her head and walked back into Tryssee's Place.
Guilt panged in Blaine's heart as she left. Would she be okay with Blaine leaving her so he could play for the upper class?
It'll be fine. Besides, there's no guarantee that I'll still be playing at Charlemaine Hill for long. Ginka has other people she can dance for, Blaine assured himself. He faced Virio.
"...I accept. I'll be there next week, at 1:00 in the afternoon, with my lute and my lyre," Blaine confirmed.
A scream could be heard in the distance, accompanied by the shouts of guards and goblins, gradually getting louder.
"I shall take my leave now," Virio replied swiftly. "I wish not to involve myself with any ruffians or goblins any time soon. Come, Kavra." He quickly left with his servant trailing behind.
Blaine rushed back to the front entrance, uneager to get involved with goblins as much as Virio had. He nearly knocked Ginka over as he entered the doorway.
"So... you're gonna end up playing without me, Blaine?" Ginka asked.
"Ah! Sorry, Ginka. I… I need to step it up. I came to Mythrite to make it big, and to earn more money for my family. I want them to be able to relax, and enjoy what they want without having to work the farms for every day of their lives. I was able to come here with money they saved, and I need to make it worth it."
"I know it'd be wrong for me to go against that, but… you're not going to leave us for Charlemaine forever, are you? I know you've been getting bigger an all, but… just don't forget us little people, alright?"
Blaine laughed. "Of course not, you're my friends! A few performances in Charlemaine Hill won't to change that, and I'll still be back at Tryssee's Place!" He walked over to the Tryssee siblings to explain the situation. But, Ginka wasn't any less worried for the rest of the night.

-----

From the moment Blaine put on his borrowed suit and walked into the foreign atmosphere of Charlemaine Hill, he could feel the sweat at his sides. The goblin invasion worsened by the week and more people were getting injured, but it was almost as if all of those problems disappeared behind Charlemaine's walls. Lutegarde's home was difficult to miss. On a scale from 1 to 10 on lavishness, her estate sat at roughly an 11, though it was much more modest than the 15s in the distance that Blaine wouldn't dare walk near. He skirted around the fountain, walked past the stone busts, and approached the grandiose entryway, before staring at the door knocker. The two guards glanced at the newcomer as some servants opened the doors. Virio and Lutegarde sternly looked down from the mezzanine at their guest. Despite her short stature as a halfling, Lutegarde radiated an intimidating aura.
"Hello, Ms. Whitfoot," Blaine greeted himself. "My name is Blaine Lohk. I'm here to perform." A hint of a smile escaped Lutegarde's stoic expression. "Now now, no need to be so formal with me. You may feel free to call me Lutegarde, alright Blaine? Virio, be a dear and help him freshen up before the performance. I'd advise you to bathe before performing for the others."
Virio nodded, leading Blaine away as Lutegarde retreated back to her quarters. Virio showed him to a bathroom, handed him a towel, and shut the door.
...This is the largest bathroom I've ever seen in my life.
Figuring that the best thing to do would be listening to Lutegarde and realizing that perhaps he wasn't fully up to upper-class standards, Blaine took a bath. As he slipped into the heated water, Blaine felt the past weeks of grime and sweat properly release off of every square inch of his body. This was the first time he's ever been able to take a private bath that wasn't in a shared bathhouse, and it was magnitudes more effective than any bathing he could've done anywhere else he had access to.
Upon exiting the bath, Blaine felt unbelievably clean and fresher than he's ever been. He gave off a pleasant floral aroma that he would've never been found outside of Charlemaine Hill. After cleaning up, he left the bathroom to be greeted by servants trying to contain their excitement as they coated Blaine in perfumes and oils before brushing his hair.
"Ah- thank you, but I need- I need to practice," Blaine remarked, overwhelmed by his treatment. "Please don't get any on my lyre either, I don't know how it'll play…"
"Good luck on your performance, Mr. Lohk," Virio said. Shortly after, he escorted Blaine back to Lutegarde.
"Much better," Lutegarde noted with a nod of approval. "Now... right this way. You have guests to entertain."

-----

Request after request came for Blaine to play the classics, pieces that stood the test of time, but by no means were they what he wanted to play. He flipped through the various pages provided for him by Lutegarde and his audience and played piece after piece.
Jhopin's Nocturne Op. 32 No. 4.
Vach's Etude Op. 11 No.1.
Liongang's Symphony Op. 3 No. 2 - that one was particularly outrageous. Who expects someone to play and interpret a symphony on their lonesome?
The audience's demands invoked the classical repertoire that Blaine had built up and chosen to lock away, playing with what feelings he could attempt to replicate from each piece. His strings reverberated throughout the night, only dimmed by posh applause from his listeners, suited in spectacles and vibrant eyesore colors.
Schuvan's Serenade Op. 19 No.7.
Vivandi's Etude Op. 3 No. 4.
Sydebu's Engulfed Cathedral - at least his music felt more interesting to play. But, with any note or rhythm he tried to deviate from the original, he felt the intensity of Virio's glare along with hand signals that appeared more threatening than helpful.
"Break time, Mr. Lohk," noted Virio at the end of the piece. How long was it for a break again? How much longer did he have to go?
"That was simply stunning, Mr. Lohk!"
"Wonderful, marvelous!"
"Oh, how pleasing to my ears!"
"Thank you, thank you, you're all much too kind," Blaine replied insincerely. But, despite how bored he was of these pieces, he couldn't deny that their tips were in gold coins, not silver. After his break ended, he drank some water before pleasing the rest of his audience for the day.

-----

"You performed quite spectacularly," Virio remarked. "Congratulations on completing your trial by fire. That was 67 piece requests you took on. No other musician who's played here could perform nearly as well."
"I see that the requirements for playing the classics was necessary," Blaine sighed. He felt battered after his performance, having used everything his mentor had taught him over the years.
"Impressive indeed," Lutegarde said as she walked over, looking up at Blaine. "However, I could've sworn I heard you attempt to deviate from the original pieces quite a bit, is that correct?" Her eyes narrowed.
Virio stepped in quickly. "Now now, Lady Lutegarde. We did spend a lot of time with cleansing earlier, and he noted that he couldn't practice," he interjected. "It's been a long day, hasn't it? Surely you've found that he's played better than every other musician we've had."
"I suppose you're right," Lutegarde sighed. "Your repertoire surpassed our expectations. But, as a precaution… the classics are meant to be played how they were written, understood?"
"Understood. I apologize... for my performing mistakes," Blaine responded cautiously. After Lutegarde left, Virio leaned in close and spoke.
"In Charlemaine, you stick to the composer's script, Mr. Lohk. The Hill is not forgiving to those who stray from it. However, despite its harsh rules, never forget where you come from. Never lose your sense of self, unlike Lady Lutegarde, who has lost hers."
As Virio walked away, Blaine put a hand to his heart and firmed his resolve. Charlemaine would not strip his identity away.

-----

Blaine watched as the caravan left Mythrite for its trip to Waterdeep, knowing it would stop in his hometown, Daggerford. Now that the goblin invasions have ended, he could send a letter and some direly-needed funds back to his family. The money should afford his father's medication, keep his sister in school, and slowly pay off their debts. Perhaps it'd even be enough to let his parents take a break from work for once?
None of his performances in Charlemaine have been as difficult as the first, but they haven't been any more enjoyable to play either.
"Shall we head back now, Sir Blaine?" Kavra asked. Virio had temporarily reassigned one of his servants to Blaine. Though she'd been particularly helpful when he moved out of the Halberd and into Eronia, he despised their visible difference in status.
"Kavra, I told you to stop referring to me as 'Sir,'" Blaine replied. "Call me Blaine. And yes, let's head back to Charlemaine Hill now."
As the two of them walked back from Mythrite's west gate, Blaine encountered two people he hadn't been with in a while. Blaine felt his heart shudder as they looked at him in surprise, which quickly turned to disgust.
"Blaine…? Gods, what'd they do to you?" Nero asked in horror, pointing at his bright vest and straightened hair. "And, is she… your servant?!"
"Ah! ...Hi Nero, hello Gabrielle! Uhh... she's not actually my servant. Virio insisted I have one, so he lent me his-"
"I don't think 'lending' makes it any better, Mr. Abandonment Moneybags! Outside of all the upcoming election talk, we've been getting word that you've become upper class to the point that there's musical asses singing of it!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "It's been a month since you've left Tryssee's Place, and we suddenly spot you with a 'borrowed' servant while restocking? I didn't think you'd actually turn like this!"
Blaine began to tremble. "I swear… I swear I haven't changed. I'm still myself. If it weren't for my pay, you know I would have left Charlemaine Hill long ago by now."
"Business has boomed ever since the goblin invasions ended. If you stopped by and visited, you'd know that. We'd happily pay you more now! The Blaine we know would've come back as soon as those goblins cleared out," Gabrielle spat back.
"Let's head home, Gabs. He's got a new crowd now," Nero said. As the two of them left, Blaine's feet refused to follow. He could only watch as his bridges continued to burn.
A minute passed. Some stared at the still musician before walking past, conducting their daily business.
Kavra finally pulled at his sleeve. "We need to go back to Charlemaine Hill… I'm sure Virio is waiting for us."
Blaine simply nodded, dragging his body back to where it all started going downhill. Once he reached the front doors of the estate, the servants opened the doors to let him inside. As Blaine went to see Virio, he spotted a guest he hadn't seen before.
"Welcome back, Mr. Lohk. A... 'business opportunity' has arrived," Virio said. A frown sat upon his face. His eyes cautiously examined Blaine.
"Hello, My name is Nai Puy. I'd like for your support in Drudi Flintlock's campaign. We'd have you perform in his name. We'll pay you a sizeable sum if you choose to accept." She handed Blaine a card.
Blaine stared at the card in disbelief. Flintlock and his tax-the-poor policy couldn't have been farther from his beliefs, and yet, this candidate had the audacity to ask Blaine of all people to support his crippling ideals? Blaine gripped the card with both hands, and furiously tore it into shreds. Nai stared at him in disbelief.
"I'm sorry- no, I'm not! I've lived in near poverty my entire life until recently, and this man expects me to play for him when he would have happily cast me aside a month ago for a couple of extra coins?! I haven't been forced to cut ties and endure this lifelessness just so a callous fool I've never met could deem me a hypocrite!" Blaine shouted. He turned away from Flintlock's agent. "I'm afraid I've had it, Virio. I will no longer be playing at Charlemaine Hill."
Blaine unstraightened his hair, and dropped his vest on the floor. Kavra quickly picked up the vest and watched as he stormed to the front entrance.
"Mr Lohk- oh for… Blaine!" Virio shouted. "...You'll always be welcome back here. I will make sure of it. Regardless of where you're headed, remember: stay true to yourself."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Virio. The thought is appreciated. It really is. But, I don't think I'll be coming back. If I want to stay true to myself, then I have to leave."
Blaine escaped Charlemaine Hill quickly. He had to make things right again, even if he wouldn't make nearly as much money as a result. He needed to apologize to Nero and Gabrielle, and if they would let him, he'd play for the masses once more.

-----

Blaine gripped his instruments tightly as he entered Tryssee's Place. Gabrielle booked him the day after he apologized, but his nerves refused to subside. His eyes widened as he saw how packed to the brim it was. He could barely squeeze through with how many people were housed. The thick smell of alcohol permeated the bar much more strongly than Blaine remembered last. Loud chatter filled Blaine's ears and prevented his focus.
"Well, look who showed up!" Gabrielle came by with several mugs of beer to bring to a table. "I see you've ditched your fancy attire. Go ahead and hop on stage. The guards'll know to let you up." She rushed off into the crowd before he could get a word in.
Blaine shuffled through the tight space, careful to not hit anyone with his lute or his lyre. As he passed by, people looked up at the musician in disbelief. Once he entered the stage, he sat on a stool, looking down at the bustling crowd of guests with food and drink. It felt abnormal seeing the heads of guardsmen blocking the stage, preventing the crowd from seeping to the remaining space in the bar. He stared at their quarterstaffs rising up, creating a fence that kept people out and kept Blaine trapped onstage. The atmosphere had been choking him, and it hadn't felt the same as it had a month ago when he simply played the lyre while Ginka danced with his routine.
As people noticed Mythrite's star musician before them, the deafening chatter subsided. The opportunity to start playing had arrived. Blaine could feel his heart thump over and over.
Will they still accept me? Will they take me back after I left them for coin? No matter the answer, he had all eyes on him. Blaine had no choice but to start playing.
Storm's Lament, composed by Darian Korb. Blaine rigidly strummed the strings on his lyre, still ensnared by Charlemaine's phantom chains. The crowd stared and murmured as they wondered what was so great.
No… this is not Charlemaine. Blaine swapped to his lute, and his skill began to shine. His strumming sped up and intensified. His chains came undone, one by one, and he felt his music once more. He sung with more power, injecting his feelings into the lyrics.
"Fasten my tether unto thee, so we may rise to sa-ail free. Doooooon't, don't looook baaaaack!"
The guardsmen set down their quarterstaffs and joined the crowd with joy. The audience clapped, cheered, refilled their drinks, and joined Blaine on stage as he laid bare his songs, skills, and feelings. He gave encore after encore, laughing and pleasing the crowd - his crowd. For the first time in a month, Blaine genuinely smiled.

-----

"Blaine's finally ba-ack!" Ginka gleefully sung. Blaine laughed as he sat down.
Nero smiled. "Hopefully the money's finally enough, with how much business we're getting now. Thanks to your performance, we'll have to restock again tomorrow morning. Oh, and by the way, you have another letter." He handed Blaine the letter before cleaning some mugs.
"Yeah… I think this'll work. It might be less than what I got from Charlemaine, but it should be enough for my family. I'm really glad things worked-" Blaine paused as he read through the letter. As he looked through its contents, the despaired look on his face grew and grew, troubling the Tryssees in front of him.
"Is everything alright, Blaine?" Gabrielle asked. "You look like you're getting sick."
"My father's illness, it took a turn for the worse. He's been unconscious since this letter was written," Blaine choked out. He put his head in his arms and began to hyperventilate.
Ginka stood on a stool and put a hand on Blaine's back. "Easy, easy. I'm sure your father's going to be fine! Besides, you've been making enough money so he doesn't have to work the fields, right?"
"Now, he needs experimental medication," Blaine explained. "Medication that costs more than what I sent home last week from Charlemaine. And yet… he's still telling me to follow my heart, and be the best musician I can be..."
Nero set down another glass of honey mead in front of Blaine. "So, what'll it be? You staying with us, or going back to Charlemaine Hill? I think we'll understand if you go back this time." He leaned forward put a comforting hand on Blaine's shoulder.
Blaine looked up at Nero and Gabrielle with tears in his eyes, and made his decision.

-----

Hi mom, hi dad! Don't worry about the medication, okay? I can handle it. You both need to take a break from work! Anyways, everything's going well now. I never thought I'd be making this much music when I came here. It looks like I might be getting popular enough that I might be able to tour Sword Coast! When that happens, I'll be sure to visit home. Tell Zu-zu I made a song for her too, okay? Take good care of yourselves! I miss you all so much!
Blaine set down his pen and stared out the window. Mythrite had quite the view in the daytime. After he had finished writing his letter, Virio placed a paper in front of him.
"Here's your setlist. Kavra's finished loading Flintlock's payment into the chest you'd like to send to Daggerford. Would you like her to put your letter in?" Virio asked dishearteningly.
"Jhopin: Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2. Etude Op. 10 No. 12. Fantaisie-Promptu Op. 66. Waltz Op. 68, No. 1. Followed by Vach's Suite No. 2," Blaine recited in disgust without even looking at the paper. "...I suppose that would be best."
He walked out of the room with his vest on and his lyre strapped to his waist. He couldn't afford to be late for his performance; he had a long future ahead of him.