[Jester's Corner]I've got rhythm

[Josiah Bent]

Summer 73, 513 AV Josiah fingered the awl casually, examining its craftsmanship with a skilled eye. He was no leatherworker and had no need of the tool. But his background of a lifetime spent around and about his father’s forge had instilled in him a tendency to curiosity when it came to the work of other artisans, specifically smiths. The awl seemed well made enough, and Joe set it carefully back down in the rack that held others, of varying dimensions. The proprietor of the shop was giving him a look by this point – one that clearly said Buy or be gone, buddy! Feeling that he had tarried long enough, Joe ambled to the exit of the Tool&Trade emporium and back out into the fitful sunshine of the late summer afternoon. He was still at that stage of his sojourn in Ravok that the novelty of all the various things to see in the floating city had not yet worn thin. Each day he had seemed to find yet more unexplored alley ways, or another floating bit of the lake city. So onward he delved, deeper and deeper into the mysteries of all the city of Rhysol held. Some parts he had found definitely closed to his curious eyes. But most were attainable – though sometimes only easily so by ravalosa. He had spent some of his hard earned wages – mostly in the taverns – but on this day he was intent upon looking seriously for a gift to carry back to his mother. It would have to be something very small and light, and easily transportable, and non-perishable. And he hoped it would be something unique – the likes of which she had not seen before. So far, he’d not come across any item that seemed to fit all of these requirements. So he moved on, to the last shop on this ‘block’ – a little space wedged into the very corner of the bit of city that he was now standing on, as it in turn floated placidly and mystically on the lake surface. Jester’s Corner the small hand painted sign above the door proclaimed, and indeed, hung about the door frame were several gaudy, and slightly macabre, masks – the type of thing Joe was entirely unaccustomed to. Nyka took itself quite seriously and he thought these masks were outlandishly facetious – and thus he instantly loved them. Perhaps something like this would look intriguing and exotic, hung on the wall of his parents' home. He stepped inside the shop, ignoring for the moment the various musical instruments that surrounded the doorway. Once inside though, and a few minutes spent in the presence of the bizarre proprietor, he was quickly stepping right back out. The sight of that grotesquely made up individual had sent Joe scuttling to the safety of the back of the store – there to find himself surrounded by items that brought a crimson flood of a blush racing across his somewhat naïve features. Embarrassed and flustered, he had high tailed it outside, trying to avoid what he thought to be the knowing leer of the owner, though in fact it was only the mask, and the awful zipped mouth, that made him appear so lewdly sinister. Once back outside, Joe almost tripped over a lute that was in his path, and stumbling, bumped against two drums set one atop the other. This caused the top one to topple and fall, hitting the ground with a deep boom and rolling away. Joe leapt nimbly after it, catching it well before it rolled right into the canal, thank the gods!. Carefully, he returned it to its place, his eye then being caught by the tiniest set of cymbals he had ever seen. Once again intrigued by their make more than their use, he plucked them up and attached the tiny silk bands around his thumb and middle finger, clinging them together. They made a quite sweet sound, something like a bell. He smiled an put them closer to his ear, striking them together repeatedly. Replacing them back where they belonged, he next looked askance at a thick stick-like item, wondering what it was doing amidst all the other musical things. He reached and picked it up and heard a rattle, then moved it and heard more sound – a cascade of some beads or beans or…something…inside it. He turned it completely upside down and grinned to hear what sounded almost like rain on a roof top. Turning it once more, he listened and then placed that ‘instrument’ back carefully as well. The final item that tempted his fingers to reach out and touch was what looked like a metal pan – again he bent to closely survey the manufacture of the surface, which was concave and held differing “patches” of flattened metal. There was a metal dowel secured to the rim with a cord and he picked this up and gave the steel drum one sharp tap. The mellow note was entrancing. Following no certain pattern, Joe tapped about the various spots of the metal bowl, enjoying the differing tones produced. He became quite engrossed in this pursuit, so much so he didn’t notice that several passers by stared at him – not in approval at his musical skill, but quite the opposite – for he was completely lacking in such. Getting into it, though, he ignored what was going on around him and was bending at the knees and swaying back and forth in a sort of rhythmic movement, as an accompaniment to his “tune.”

[Yonega]

The day was warm and lovely, a perfect day to fly. And that was precisely what Yonega had been doing most of that pretty afternoon, her broad wings tilted to catch the comfortable thermals rising from off of the lake. She'd spent part of the morning at the docks, harassing a few of the fat tabby cats that were there by dive-bombing them every few minutes. For a relatively non-violent nature, this was the best entertainment she had ever known.

Each dive would send the targeted cat yeowling and leaping, twisting in the air to try and swipe at the large corvid that had so cruelly bit its tail before hurrying off under the bark-like harassment Yon concluded with. It was a wonderful time, a time that must continue as her lazy suspension overlooking the city brought her near the merchant ring. On the floatilla below, the raven spotted yet another waiting victim: by far the biggest cat she'd seen that day yet! He had to be fifteen pounds with bright orange fur and white feet, faint cream colored striations running down his back and legs to end in a cropped bob tail. The smashed face wasn't the prettiest thing either, and it looked like the feline had lived through his share of scuffles. Surely this beast was the true Tom of his domain.

He would make the perfect source to torment...

Yon tilted her wings to guide her overhead and then began the descent; not being a raptor, it was not as fluid and beautiful as it could have been, but it got the job done. She landed directly in front of the cat, startling him briefly enough to make him arch his back and give a hiss. However, the raven hissed back, lowering her head and dropping the beard of feathers on her throat to make her head look larger. The cat was clearly unimpressed. He was lord and master of this strip and all queens here were his; as were all treats that hit the floating boards. The passing patrons cared only that the two animals not bother them or it might have been unusual to see the cat vs. bird standoff.

Again, Yon hissed at him, trying to intimidate the bird by ruffling all her inky plumes and arching out her wings. Still, the cat remained unphased, deciding that this silly bird must be gotten rid of now. The tom cat sprung forward, but the kelvic simply hopped to the side, jabbing at the cat as it landed and plucking a fine chunk of orange fur free. This certainly didn't please the feline as it turned once more and swatted at the unruly bird. But again, Yon just hopped to the side, jabbing at him once more. The tom was quicker this time, growling deep back in his throat and swatting back at the offending beak before it could take another chunk of messy fur from his form.

"RAAAAWWWWKKK!!!" Yone called at it, nipping back. She pushed with her legs and hopped herself even closer, standing tall with wings stretched like some absurd dance that was about to be taken from the offended cat. But again, the cat simply hissed back and swatted that paw at her head once more. It was determined to frighten off this stupid bird so it could resume whatever duty it had previously been enjoying!

And were it not for the distraction of a strange noise coming from some business a bit up in the ring, this stand-off likely would have continued until either the cat killed the bird or the raven scared the tom away. Both animals ceased their dispute to turn heads towards it. Yon recognized the music for what it was immediately (albeit poorly manufactured) and stretched her wings out, thrusting them down and pushing off the ground to lift off, henceforth ignoring the damnable tom.

Another day, ye foul feline! She thought, jabbing at its shoulder as she passed low overhead after take off, and headed up to where she heard the sound.

The patrons that were around the little shop did not look too pleased at the nonsense rhythm that Josiah was producing. Overhead, the raven circled briefly then landed on the top of an adjacent shop, looking down upon the display with mild interest. The man had just picked up something that sounded strange. It had sounded extremely similar to the way that which had happened back near the middle of spring. The sky had been crying that day and even growled after splitting open with jagged light! It had frightened the bird terribly, having not experienced a thunderstorm in the open before (though the terror of having to listen to the howl of winds from inside the research facility for two bells during the spring of 512 was rather bad), and she'd had to shelter in the hollow of the tree she commonly roosted in outside the city.

The similarity in noises unsettled the raven enough to give a rawking bark from overhead at the man before he appeared to lose interest and move to a new instrument. This one looked like a giant shiny bowl; maybe it was some kind of reflecting bath? The surface was shiny but didn't mirror the sky very well... It also made strange sounds, not unpleasant, of course, but unusual. The raven cocked her head to one side and centered a beady eye upon the drum and the tool the man used to beat out a rhythm with.

He doesn't have very much of that...Maybe he needs help! She thought, opening her wings once more and hopping off the shops roof to descend.

The raven alighted on the edge of the steel drum, opposite Josiah, and peered at him curiously. Her throat puffed, the quills of the feather-beard flaring, and a warbling 'cluck-cluck-cluck' sound ensued. Three of the cluck's and then silence as the raven turned her head away, looking around in the cautious awareness typical of avians. This revealed the dark brown splash of color on the back of her neck and the iridescent emerald that blends with the black on the top of her head. Wild ravens in the area tended to be solid black with only slight iridescence to their plumage; this one was clearly different, though not so much so in size. Her head turned back, whatever lookout she'd done now finished and the bird re-focusing upon he who'd caught her attention. She watched the way he tried to dance and then tilted her head down into the bowl, studying it first with one eye, then the other as her head turned this way and that.

Straightening, the ink-feathered corvid fixed her gaze on Josiah and shook. Her whole body ruffled itself up and the gruff mimic of a 'voice' craa'd at him.

"Wraawn!" It was hard to tell what she had said exactly, but the attempt at communication was obvious; this was emphasized when the raven began methodically walking around the rim of the steel drum towards him, side stepping easily. Assuming he did not simply shy away from her, the bird would stop and look up at him, look at the stick with which he'd been playing the drum with, and reached for it with that big black beak, craa'ing a second time that 'wraawn' sound that sounded suspiciously like wrong. If she managed to take said dowel from him, she'd hold it carefully in her beak, its weight enough to make her head sag a little before she simply dropped it into the middle of the drums bowl. A third 'wraawn' noise was made, quickly followed by a sharp two-syllable sound that sounded even more suspiciously like...

"BAHD!