The street lights illuminated the hardwood door. Cantina la Terra was one of the most famous establishments in the whole Terra Conglomerate. Jeff was happy that all other nations finally accepted this new republic and allowed free passage between borders. Maybe it was because the Conglomerate managed to create a pathway straight through the mountain range, dividing a continent in half. I was waiting for this opportunity long enough, especially since the star of the show was an acquaintance of mine. I left without warning, who knows how she might treat me. Two huge bouncers stood in foyer questioning anyone entering and maintaining order in the restaurant. And of course I was questioned as well.

  "Name," barked one of the bouncers.

  "Jeffrey Silvertongue" I said showing the holographic badge.

  "What's that... Oh, pardon my manners, sir Silvertongue. I wasn't expecting a High General from Conflux to be here."

  I smiled, "No need to worry. I have a seat booked in advance. You see, my old friend is going to perform here"

  "Say no more, sir. Allow me to lead you to your table."

  "Sure".

  The bouncer led me to the table, clanking lightly every other step with his prosthetic leg. It wasn't uncommon in here to have metal replacing a limb or two, the Terran Conglomerate was very generous when it comes to keeping the mines operational. Finally, we arrived to a seat in the front row, right beside the stage, taking the middle of the cantine. The sweet smell of wine and savory aroma of steaks attacked me from all sides. Very intriguing, must I say. Not something you might expect from an underground city.

  "The performance will start in roughly 10 minutes. I wish you a great time," the bouncer bowed a little and went back to his duty near the entrance.

  While waiting for the start, I ordered a dinner and a local drink, strong whiskey of some sort. The waiter described it as an extract of underground flowers grown with strong presence of mana flow, which sounded quite interesting to me. My order was delivered incredibly fast, not even a minute have passed, but for this I was ready to wait for the whole evening. The alcohol felt tingly on the tongue and somehow agitated my very soul, while the meat was saturated with local spices. Some gave a weird aftertaste, but somehow the combination of every detail left a pleasant impression. The strong drink was my savior though. The ten minutes felt like ages, and I desperately needed something to relax a bit. Soon the lights in the room dimmed and white cloudy crystals with soft edges, that took up the center of the table, began emitting warm glow.

  "Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you had a great time this day!" began the announcer, "You waited for her arrival for so long, and it be sure, no one will be disappointed today, for she is here! Dear audience, please meet, the world's famous, Lady Isabella Erzivald!"

  The whole audience exploded in cheering, applauding and greeting Lady Isabella on the stage, as she lifted up from the middle with her band. Gods, so many years passed and she matured. Her demeanor radically changed from clumsy recruit, I used to remember, to the confident celebrity. Not a single time have I regretted that I listened to her songs back in the training camp. So much went into making her pursue the music career, I thought I'll go bald.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  "Greetings, dear audience!" started Isabella, as she strode on the rim of the stage, walking around her band, "It is my pleasure to finally be here, in the greatest city of the Terran Conglomerate! So many technological marvels, my head begins to spin!" she jokingly pretended to faint. After a laughs died down, she continued "I hope you all will enjoy today's performance just as much as I am enjoying your company today! The first song of today will is called "It's been a long time", so let us begin!"

  The audience cheered, welcoming the long-awaited music into the cantine.

  She weaved a spell, which intrigued the public and unnerved the guards. By the end she held a cyan rotating ball. It sprouted tendrils of mana, intertwining with her fingers and extending down her arm, as she took control over it. She adjusted a little and began playing on the strange instrument of hers. It vibrated the surrounding air, like the powerful spells I only heard during the war. But this sound... While unnatural it was rather pleasant. After a few notes to get used to the feeling, Isabella started the song.

  The simple melody reverberated in the room, extending past the material world, at first soft and melancholic, akin to the sorrowful weep of longing. It gained and lost strength, emotions imbued into the vibrations of both air and mana, emanating from her magical instrument. It grew in complexity, becoming more rich as time went, as if maturing. The audience was captivated, I even heard a faint sniff from the back rows, but it was impossible to look away from the stage. Suddenly, she stopped, the music sounding a bit questioning and disbelieving. The sad theme became jovial and the band joined her one by one. The whole cantine was now filled with irregular swinging beats of drums, bulky and rich bass of metal strings, and faint melody of some kind of trumpet. The trumpet grew louder, as if approaching Isabella, intertwining with her melody, going in unison with her theme and distancing itself.

  There was not a single word in the whole composition, but I could feel it was a song addressed to me. Memories flooded my mind, when I once overheard her experimenting with the sound of different magic in her tent. Back then I was angry with her ignoring my orders, but curiosity took hold of me and I listened to the very same melody for the first time. And now she was now performing that melody in front of dozens of people. It was only after that I recommended her to the superiors of mine, that she got a support of the Council itself. There she could continue her experiments without financial difficulties, which was why she got into army in the first place.

  Meanwhile something in the music snapped. The trumpet disappeared from the composition, leaving empty void right in the middle of the song instantly sounding not as colorful and even bleak. Every person noticed this, but only I knew the meaning. I supported her aspiration, and visited her every rehearsal. As a consequence, we grew closer, but our happiness was interrupted by my duty as a Captain. Our division was dispatched to the North, leaving her alone in the capital, with only her band supporting her.

  The song came to an end, still missing its key element, but suddenly the trumpet's quiet theme sounded. The whole band stopped, as if listening attentively. The trumpet repeated its call, louder this time, and band answered. They intertwined again, now even more joyful than before, as the feelings of reunion emanated from her invention. The song abruptly ended, leaving everyone eager to learn the rest of the story, but alas, for now it was all she had to tell.

  A couple of seconds later, audience remembered their place and time, and people, stunned from the unique experience, began clapping. Like a tide, it consumed everyone, but I didn't join them. I was too preoccupied staring blankly at Isabella, admiring her bright shine, like a moth admired a beacon in the night. It wasn't until she looked directly at me, did I notice tears streaming down my face. Our eyes met. I stood up and began to applaud, involuntarily causing a chain reaction among the public. Like in trance, I looked at her, as a proud father would look at his child. I would really like to know the ending of this song...

  It has been really, such a long time...