The Lone Wanderer-Chapter 237: Ocarina

“Start by splitting them up.” Elaine said.

Following her instructions, Micky spread his wings wide, channelling mana through them. Percy watched as two streams flowed from the crow’s abdomen, each following a distinct set of channels. With a single flap, Micky sent a harmless spray of water over Percy and Nesha, the droplets dancing playfully in the soft breeze.

“He still needs a lot of practice if he wants to use magic the traditional way.” Elaine remarked.

Micky had always used his second core in tandem with his mutation, taking advantage of his glowing feathers to enhance his air affinity. Unfortunately, he hadn’t developed any mutations to complement his new mana types yet, meaning he’d have to put in more effort to make them work effectively.

“What about the ice affinity? Is that any good?” Nesha asked.

“Better than the others, at least.” Elaine said, before elaborating. “It doesn’t need any preparation since it’s technically his default affinity.”

Right on cue, Micky gathered more mana into his wings, this time directing it through a third set of pathways. A thin layer of frost formed over his feathers. With a sharp flap, he sent a flurry of tiny ice shards toward Percy. They didn’t carry much force, but the technique showed promise.

“What about Circulation?” he asked.

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Elaine shrugged.

“His channels will be tempered in a few weeks, but I can only teach him the water pattern. He’ll have to figure the ice one on his own.”

Percy nodded. That was about what he had expected. Neither he nor Micky were novices. Given some time, he was confident the crow would get there by himself.

With that settled, he brought Elaine and Micky up to speed on the day’s events, warning them to stay alert for any signs of the Divine Root. They were more likely to leave town via one of the roads than to stumble upon their remote lakeside camp, but there was no harm in being careful.

“There was something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Elaine said.

Percy looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

“I have a little gift for you – to make up for all the birthday presents you’ve missed over the years. I was planning to give it to you before you left the mansion, but with everything that happened, I completely forgot. I only remembered it today when I accidentally saw it in my spatial amulet.”

“Elaine… you didn’t have to do that. Just having you here with us is more than enough.” Percy said, feeling a pang of guilt. “Besides, I’ve missed all your birthdays too, and I didn’t prepare anything for you.”

But his cousin just waved off his concern.

“Are you kidding? You’ve been giving me free elixirs for months! I’ve already shaved half a year off my next promotion! And then there’s Circulation – I never even repaid you for that! Compared to all those things, this is just a cheap trinket.”

Percy sighed. He didn’t agree with her assessment. As far as he was concerned, having somebody who genuinely cared for him throughout his childhood was worth more than anything. Everything else was just stuff. But he let it slide, knowing how stubborn his cousin could be.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Elaine rummaged through her belongings before pulling a small object out of her amulet. It looked a lot like the pinecones from the Whistling Woods, though it was among the largest Percy had ever seen. Its shape was almost perfect, free of deformities or scars – at least, none that hadn’t been placed there intentionally. Small holes dotted its surface in a careful pattern, one that looked strikingly familiar.

“Is this what I think it is?” he raised an eyebrow.

Elaine grinned.

“I noticed you never got around to replacing your ocarina after gifting it to Owain. While I was staying with Micky in the Whistling Woods, I had some free time and thought the cones would make a perfect material for one.”

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Percy brought the instrument to his lips and blew a gentle note, listening carefully. The sound was remarkably similar to his old ocarina, though it also carried the nostalgic undertone of the woods. He spent the next couple of minutes experimenting, testing each hole one by one.

“Wow! How did you get it to sound right?!” he asked, genuinely impressed. “And all the holes are exactly where I’m used to!”

Elaine’s smile widened.

“I took note of the pattern from Owain’s ocarina and made sure to punch the holes in the same spots.”

Percy remained sceptical.

“And that was enough to make it sound right?”

“Of course not!” Elaine exclaimed. “The first one was awful. I went through hundreds of cones, experimenting with different hole sizes, until I got the sound just right!”

Percy felt a warmth spread through his chest. The ocarina itself wasn’t anything flashy, but the sheer amount of effort Elaine had put into making it was staggering. She hadn’t just made him a replacement; she had gone above and beyond, crafting something even better than the original. She’d clearly avoided many of the little girl’s mistakes too. Every note was crisp, every hole perfectly placed. He turned the ocarina over in his hands, his fingers tracing the careful craftsmanship.

“Thank you, Elaine. This means a lot.”

She shrugged, but there was a pleased glint in her eyes.

“Just don’t go gifting this one to the next toddler you meet, alright? I’m not making another one.”

Percy chuckled, but didn’t say anything else. Calling everyone over, he sat by the lake’s shore with his companions, dipping his feet in the water. Falling back, he relaxed on the cool grass, his eyes scanning the starlit sky above their heads. Placing the ocarina on his lips once more, he began playing, having missed the feeling a lot. The last time he’d had the chance to do this had been before Rambert’s attack in the Grisly Bog.

At first, the tune was a little clunky as he was a bit rusty. However, he soon improved, recalling all the practice he’d put into the art. It was oddly soothing. The only skill he’d ever invested time into, that didn’t have anything to do with his magic or his combat prowess. But he’d stuck with it regardless, still trying to grasp the beautiful melody Micky – the original Micky – had played for him all those years ago.

‘I’m still a long way from that, aren’t I?’ he couldn’t help but think.

His friend had practiced for decades to get there. Not to mention that the kik’lit was a vastly different instrument to his shoddy ocarina. Sporting two shafts and handled with four hands, it could play tunes no human was even capable of. But Percy didn’t aim to recreate the whole thing. His goal was much more modest than that.

Skipping the first part at the forefront of Micky’s performance – the uplifting melody a mother might play to cheer her child up – he instead focused on the other part. The deeper, more beautiful tune. It was a sad one, but the sound had touched his soul that day, remaining with him for years. This was what he’d tried so hard to recreate back in the swamp – with limited success.

Still, his companions didn’t complain, enjoying his music as he gave it another shot with his newly upgraded instrument…

This hidden layer spoke of struggles against adversity, and of the fight for one’s place in the world. Like a people cursed without an affinity, trying to protect their home. Or a boy born with a Red core, looked down by all.

‘Well, Micky has plenty of affinities now, doesn’t he? He has a new home too. And I’ve got quite a few people who don’t look down on me anymore…’

Percy continued to play, getting closer and closer to that day’s tune. Suddenly, he felt some emotions seep through the bond, Micky’s thoughts inadvertently spilling over. At first, it was just the cone’s whistles reminding him of his time as a chick. But soon, the feelings grew deeper still. Older still.

Percy’s heart skipped a beat as he realized what was happening. But he didn’t allow himself to stop, sinking deeper into the music.

Micky’s emotions intensified, as vivid memories began to accompany them. It started with flashes of the damp cell. The bloodstained arena. Those could have just as easily come from Percy.

But more kept flowing through the cord, as the crow started to lose control of his mana. Ice spilled forth from his abdomen, drawing the girls’ attention. Percy nodded at them to calm them down, his focus returning to his familiar.

A cold feeling spread through Percy’s chest. Initially, he thought it was due to what Micky was currently experiencing – the mana flooding his body. But the cold felt stronger than it should be, given Micky’s resistance to his own affinity. It was as if he was standing amidst a blizzard, hellbent on freezing his very soul.

Percy’s fingers trembled, nearly missing a note or two, as the ethereal cord shook, clearly disturbed by something. The memories kept ramming into his mind, too fast for him to even retain, as a wave of worry began to sprout within him.

‘This is starting to get dangerous… Maybe we should sto–’

But he didn’t even get to the end of that thought, when he suddenly lost control of his body. Everything around him turned dark, as a frigid wind blew against him, almost strong enough to lift him to the air. Instinctively, he dug his heels deeper in the… snow?!

‘What the hell is going on?!’

So unsettled was he, that he hadn’t even registered he wasn’t alone. That only changed when he felt something clench around his hand. Another person’s hand. It was warm. Comforting. Familiar.

Percy glanced at them – no, her! – trying to piece together her identity. It was a little difficult, given how dark their surroundings were, but he just about managed to make her face out – probably thanks to his Yellow core. He recognized her too! Well, he didn’t. But Micky did. Sporting a long beak, shoulder-length black hair and two pairs of arms, she stood a couple heads taller than he was.

‘Micky’s mother…’