Voices Raised in Song - With Olde English Meade and Marshmallow
Author:Jon
Rating: PG
Challenge: Marshmallow #15 - Kids at Play
Olde English Meade #18 - All the World's a Stage.
Word Count: 1112
Story: Separate Paths
Notes: This is the first time I've ever written lyrics to anything. I really wanted to cheat and not do it, just how it sounded, but it felt too cheaty even for me. So I did it anyway. Please don't throw things at me. Except for money. Money is good.
The meal went relatively well, Emala decided. No one challenged or tried to murder anyone else, and that was probably about the best she could hope for. Some of the tension had eased out as well. The shoe had dropped and it hadn’t been as bad as some expected. No one had taken up the offer to back out, at least. That was a promising start.
She was worried about the fact that Lethia and the Golem both were so comfortable holding secrets back from her. Whatever had sparked the duel was obviously personal between them, but she didn’t like that they felt no need to tell her anything. Or at least felt comfortable keeping secrets like this. Unless it involved world domination, though she couldn’t imagine Lethia’s secret would affect her, but it was concerning.
As the drink flowed among those that hadn’t been placed on guard duty for the night and the singing began. Emala had to smile. The singing always seemed to break out in camps like this once the alcohol started to flow, and as per usual most of them were fairly useless at anything but bawdy drinking songs about men and women of ill repute.
Still, there were some surprises to everyone. Raziela apparently forgot she couldn’t sing a note, her voice as awful as her face beautiful. Sskaris...didn’t exactly sing. As a Saurian his vocal cords wouldn’t allowed such a thing. Instead he made a strange whistling tune like a flute but much deeper, creating a soft lullaby of a song that entranced everyone there. Others were more raucous, like children at play, with laughter and joking jeers.
Pedah Tzur, after his own passable song, nodded towards the Golem. “And how about you? Can your kind even sing?”
“Oh, yes.” The Golem’s voice, tainted as it was by the mechanical filters, held amusement. Emala wasn’t sure how he could sing. She’d never seen him remove the mask that covered his mouth. He didn’t even eat where people could see.
Still, when the Golem made no move to do so, Pedah smiled. “Ah, too beautiful a voice for us common sort to hear?”
“Yes,” the Golem replied, “But I’ll grace you with it anyway.” He pulled a long strip of black cloth from one of the assorted pouches on his belt and tied it around his lower face before removing the rebreather. It came away with a click and a hiss of escaping air before being turned off again.
“Can you manage without that?” Emala was concerned. The main flaw in making Golem’s was the drugs used to grow them damaged the lungs. They were huge and strong, but very sensitive to dusts and pollens. Breathing air normally would see them swell to a point where the Golem would choke to death within a day.
The Golem waved her concerns away with his mechanical hand. “For a little while, anyway.” Without the machine his voice was...normal. Deep, powerful with an accent she couldn’t place, warped as it had been over the centuries. But he sounded...normal.
After a moment, he started to sing. Emala had no idea what the song was about. It was in a language she didn’t know. She suspected it was one that most of the others didn’t know either. But it was haunting. His voice laced with sadness and unshed tears, the Golem sang his dirge in a forgotten tongue. Within moments the camp was silent, conversation stopping dead.
It wasn’t, Emala reflected later, that the Golem was a great singer. He was a strong barritone, and sounded good, but his voice was normal, not exceptional. It was the emotion. Four thousand years of emotion, of loss and loneliness and waiting. He poured those into his words and let them flow.
After a moment she heard Lethia speaking softly next to her, and realized she was translating the verse under her breath so Emala could understand the words.
The world has moved on so very far.
From when I was once young.
Everything has changed, my heart.
And now I wish it done.
Everything that I once knew.
Everything about which I cared.
Everything you smiled upon.
Everything we shared.
But fate is not to be denied.
No time to wilt nor tire.
Destiny has other plans.
Made upon your pyre.
Everything may now be gone.
Everything I now shun.
Everything I no longer care about.
Everything is done.
But then again forever bound,
By strings stronger than steel.
It matter not what I desire.
It matters not now what I feel.
Everything must carry on.
Everything must continue.
Everything must know true joy.
Everything is within you.
And so I raise this weary head.
And bring forth this weary heart.
I know that I shall keep on now.
For I still recall the start.
Everything was for you, my love.
Everything we shared, my soul.
Everything will continue forever.
Everything for what we know.
The Golem drew in a deep breather after a moment before looking around, the machinery within the goggles whirling to adjust. He focused on Pedah Tzur. “Was that...suitable?” The other man’s silent stare seemed a suitable answer. “Good enough.” The Golem replaced his rebreather and removed the strip of cloth. “All the world’s a stage, and we are but the players. But this player is tired for the evening. Sentries, I will be making random checks and no one will find it pleasant if they’re asleep. Everyone, rest when you can.”
Emala breathed out slowly and turned to Lethia. “Do you have any idea who he was singing about?”
Lethia shrugged slightly. “No. It’s an old song, though. He says it’s just that - an old song. But you heard how he sings it.” She smiled lightly. “Of course, he is just as good at singing others. But that one seems a favorite. I think it reminds him of someone. I had to ask him to teach me the language once I heard it. Apparently it’s an off shoot of Dragonspeech, although I know no more than that.”
The song...tickled something within Emala’s mind. Something about it seemed...not familiar. She’d never heard it before, she was sure. But it seemed important, somehow. A look into how the Golem’s mind worked?
She’d have to think about it.
“Alright,” she said, “Let’s get some sleep. I want to be up nice and early.”
Lethia waved her away. “You go. I want to sit up a while yet.”
Nodding, Emala rose and bid her a good before she headed for the cabin. As she walked away she realized Lethia was humming the tune the Golem sang under her breath as she looked up at the stars...