Where the music night seems to start very well, but a new guest on the table of the 4 friends will bring Geno upside down.

Geno's POV:

"Hellooo and good evening everybody! It is the greatest of pleasure to be here with my friends and see your pretty faces! And I feel that everytime we come, I see new ones, to enjoy the show we give!" The lights suddenly open and the stage shines. A figure now is standing in the middle of it, bowing down and looking at us all.

A few steps behind her there are 2... goblin like creatures? The one has grey skin, yellow eyes and white smooth short hair but seems fairly young. He's holding a... bagpipe was it called? The other has light olive-green skin with yellow eyes. His hair is dark brown and curly, some of them pulled up into a bun.

The rest are reaching down just past his shoulders. He has twirling horns starting from his forehead and bending back around his head. At the ends of each there are two golden rings. He also has a hoop on his nose and a golden piercing. His pointy ears has four piercings, two at the lobes, and two at the tips. He holds a violin.

"What weird looking monsters. I don't think I've ever seen ones like them..." I thought, staring now at the figure in the middle, however more surprised than scared or anything. That must be Danarei Milos. She looks similar to the other 2 monsters and about 5 and a half foot tall. Her skin is red, hair are a burnt gold color and she has yellow eyes too.

There are big twirling horns on the sides of her head and big golden hoops are hanging from her pointy ears. A smaller hoop is pierced through her left ear. Her tail is big and long and there's fur at the end. She has some really long black claws! The boots she wears are having sharp heels! Damn, they could kill and slash if she was to kick someone. She might look attractive, I'm not gonna lie, she does, but she seems cunning and not like someone I could trust. Is it only me?

"Let me see, let me see..." She says suddenly and stares with hands on her hips at all monsters. "My memory doesn't fool me, there are a few new faces here! Won. Der. Ful. New stories and ones that have been told are coming for you tonight! Please, enjoy yourselves and let the rhythm run through your magical veins!" All monsters start clapping. I see Alter doing the same and mechanically I follow. "Oh! Wait a minute!" Danarei suddenly says and we all stop clapping. "I face the same exact problem in every show I'm about to give. The clapping is so out of sync!" We all laugh. "Let's fix this! All men raise your hands!" Danarei says. At the very last moment I'm not raising it and pretend I'm just scratching the back of my head. Danarei looks around quickly with half closed eyes and after a while smiles satisfied. "I see more gentlemen here tonight! Alright, I want you to all clap when I clap! Follow my rhythm!" And there she starts clapping slowly. All men mimic her. "That's it, keep going! Don't stop yet!" She says a few seconds later. "Wonderful! While all men are clapping, I want you all ladies clap hands when I do! Don't loose your rhythm gentlemen!" And she starts clapping but at a faster rhythm men does.

All ladies start clapping too and I decide to follow. After a while Danarei stops clapping but we keep going. Funny enough, with just simple commands she made our claps sound more rhythmic and in order. It's actually cool! Danarei then signs everyone to stop.

"Thank you for cooperating! You're good at this! Now please, give a good synchronised applause like we did a while ago for all my friends to get encouraged and appear too!" She says. We all manage do as she says and for many seconds we're clapping. Danarei sign us to clap louder. Suddenly she laughs loudly and places hands on her hips. "That's more like it! May the vocals and music come in!"

Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa

All of a sudden we see monsters and a few humans walking towards the stage but with every step they stomp the floor loudly and in some kind of rhythm. How long were they among us? (haha, yeah we get it, sus). As they approach the stage they sing in sync just like Danarei does with the other 2 monsters near her, making a cool result.

I see a human with long black hair, scarred face and a red scarf around his neck(!). There's a second human quite similar to the man, but female. A few monsters are approaching the stage, most likely part of the show, but 2 caught my attention the most.

A small fairy like monster flying and a short woman with dark skin, red eyes and pointy ears, probably elf? Something with her clothes gives me the feeling she's a pirate. Brrr, they brought pirates here too for real?! Anyways. When they all are on stage as they keep singing, on the last woah they stomp their foot on the floor one last time loudly.

Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for

Whoa!

The dark haired human with the red scarf sings alone serious and the rest of the bards sing again a loud cheerful woah as they stomp the floor.

Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor

Whoa

And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore
Taking your breath, stealing your mind
And all that was real is left behind

Everyone on stage starts clapping rhythmically.

Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after
Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer
Just surrender 'cause you feel the feeling taking over

It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open

Now the grey goblin starts singing with passion looking at us all with a big excited smile.

It's a preacher in the pulpit and your blind devotion
There's something breaking at the brick of every wall, it's holding
All that you know
So tell me, do you wanna go?

And there in front of my surprised eyesocket, I see some instruments flying in the air and start playing by themselves. Magic can be seen on Danarei's raised hand, she's controlling them?!

Where it's covered in all the colored lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show

They all sing together. Despite a little too loud for me it's so majestic I want to capture every single movement and not loose anything.

Woah

Colossal we come these renegades in the ring

The pirate elf like woman now sings after her friends sang Woah.

Whoa

Where the lost get found in the crown of the circus king
Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after

At that last lyric the fairy joins the elf and they unite their voices.

It's blinding, outshining anything that you know
Just surrender 'cause you're calling and you wanna go

Where it's covered in all the colored lights

And everyone starts singing again.

Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, intoxicating you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show

Suddenly everyone steps aside and leave more space for that green goblin with curly hair. Guess he's going to do a solo short of. And I'm not wrong.

It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be (this is where you wanna be)
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be

THIS IS WHERE YOU WANNA BEEE

The female human suddenly screams and I flinch. However it was funny and I snort as the singers are now clapping their hands others stomping the floor and others snapping their fingers. However the woman still sings in a high pitch.

When it's covered in all the colored lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you
Oh, THIS IS THE GREATEST SHOW

They pause and only the instruments play for a while before they start singing again in sync.

We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you

This is the greatest show!

Danarei sings then.

When it's covered in all the colored lights
Where the runaways are running the night

She joins the others from that lyric and after.

Impossible comes true, it's taking over you.

She sings by herself while the fairy slowly joins her and they sing together.

Oh, this is the greatest show

Everybody sings that lyric but still Danarei's voice is above everyone else's.

We light it up, we won't come down
And the walls can't stop us now
I'm watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
'Cause everything you want is right in front of you
And you see the impossible is coming true
And the walls can't stop us (now) now, yeah
This is the greatest show (oh) x6
(This is the greatest show)
This is the greatest show (oh)
This is the greatest show

I'm confused and excited and thrilled and-... I dunno, my emotions are so mixed as the bards keep singing in such an amazing way. Every second until the last one was di. vine! So much movement, so much joy! When they stop singing I'm from the first ones to start clapping.

I can't control my excitement as I've literally climbed my chair to have higher ground and see the bards. I start whistle loudly the way Markus showed me once and I've master it.

"Eugenia, mi bambina, get down, you might trip!" Alter manages to be heard between the clapping and the excited voices. I look at him, he seems for a moment surprised but then he smiles. "Your little iris is like a star. You liked the first song that much?" He asks. I sit normally staring at him still thrilled.

"That. Was. AWESOOOME!" I yell excited. He and Tefra laugh with my enthusiasm. I'm not even pretending I'm excited because of the role, I really really am from what I've heard!

"See?! I told you Danarei and her friends are amazing bards!" Pyros says, he has little stars inside his eyes. I chuckle. However at that moment something hits me and I realise something... I think... I have the feeling I've heard that bard's songs somewhere... But where?

"OI PUNKS!" A loud tough female voice covers any other sound. Dead silence fills the restaurant as we all look at the opening of the door. I climb again my chair to see better. To the opening is standing a blue fish lady, similar like the other 2 I saw on the table of the skeleton guard brothers near us.

"No way..." I hear Pyros saying. He seems shocked. Why like this?

"Am I in time for the greatest show that came in town?!" The fish lady asks placing hands on her hips.

"Just in time friend!" Danarei says.

"ATALANTA?!" Pyros yells surprised. Before I can turn to look at him he has teleported. I look again around and see him hugging the fish lady, who, funny enough, is taller than him.

"What's up babe?!" She asks and hugs him back, pressing her cheek on top of his head. Wait a minute.

Babe?!

"Oh, can you feel the love?! How sweet! Don't forget to hug your loved ones folks! We'll be back in 2 minutes!" Danarei says and in fact some monsters are hugging with each other already.

I see Fuku hugging with a human like monster, however she has purple skin and tentacles as... her hair. She's dressed similarly like Fuku but wears a hat on her head. She kisses Fuku's forehead. Girlfriends huh? I suddenly feel arms wrapping around me from behind and I yelp.

"What? Loved ones she said, why not hug my bambina?" I hear Alter asking and I pout as I let him hug me. I see Tefra trying to cover her laughter.

"But I thought you had duties to do!" I hear Pyros approaching at that moment, now hugging the fish lady from her waist and looking up to her happy but also in wonder. Atalanta's grin grows wider as she looks down to Pyros and I see sharp teeth. The urge to hiss almost gets me. It's not just her teeth, something about her feels all of a sudden...

Off. But why didn't I feel anything with the other 2 fish ladies on the skeleton brother guards' tables? They look alike as species! Perhaps because... she's much closer to me! I start shaking. She hasn't pay attention to me yet. But the way she talks as she's only steps away, it freezes me in one place.

"I swear, I didn't even think she's a mermaid. Some monster species might look like sirens or mermaids but they aren't! Water is just their strong element!"

"Geno, you're gripping my wrist too hard." I hear Alter whispering to me, who's still hugging me. I look down and see that indeed I'm gripping his wrist as if I hold for dear life. I nuzzle closer to him still having that weird agitation. I hear nothing anymore, I pay attention to nothing around me. I just stare at the fish lady as she keeps talking.

No one's POV:
-

"Indeed I had. However... " Atalanta said and then looked at Tefra. "You gotta thank your sister and our good bestie Bernie for taking care of that problem so I could join you too!"

"Oh, that's why there was an extra seat!" Pyros said staring at Tefra supposedly strictly. Then he sighed. "But that's ok. Since you surprised me pleasantly like that I'll accept it!"

"There's no way I'm left behind and not with you guys!" And then Atalanta smacked a loud kiss to the side of Pyros's head, who chuckled. But suddenly he got serious and maybe surprised.

"Speaking of left behind!" And he started shaking Atalanta from her shoulders in panic. "What about our babyyy?!" He asked.

"Relax, relax! The little warrior is to uncle Bernie's house. He's in absolutely trustworthy hands!"

"Poor Bernard..." Pyros murmured.

"Naaah, he'll be fine." Atalanta said and laughed quietly but in a way as if she was blowing air towards something to cool down. Then she finally decided to see the 2 hugging skeletons and she raised eyebrow. "And who are these 2 punks?" She asked.

"Chill Atalanta. They're some new friends brought from Italy. The little one is Eugenia, Guido's adopted daughter." Tefra said pointing with her head at Geno's direction. Atalanta looked at him at first smiling, but soon it slowly dropped and looked at him with a questioning suspicious look. There, the small skeleton started sweating bullets even more.

"Is she sensing me?! Definitely!" He thought but stood up and gave his hand for her to shake it. Atalanta shook his hand very gently.

"Is something wrong?" Pyros asked looking at 'his babe' confused once Atalanta gathered her hand back. For a few seconds she didn't speak. But then smiled rather awkwardly.

"Nice shirt little punk." She just said. Geno nodded, grinning like an idiot.

"T-Thanks Miss. But your hair is prettier." He said while he was screaming internally. Atalanta stared at him silent for some more, not responding to the compliment.

"May I see something?" She asked suddenly and stretched her arm towards Geno who froze in one place unable to react. Still screaming internally. Suddenly Alter stood up in front of Atalanta. He was by a few points taller than her.

"Buonasera Signora Atalanta. My name is Guido Siracusa! It's nice to meet, I can assume, Signoro Pyros' wife!" He said with such casual cheerfulness even the best actor would feel jealous about. He gave his hand. Atalanta stared again at Geno for some more but finally shook hands with Alter trying to smile as if nothing had happened.

"I've heard a few things about you from the other monsters! Fu Hu Hu! Do you like the sights?!" She asked not realising how much strength she was putting and making Alter unable to stand normally. He was literally jumping up and down from the fish lady's grip.

"Atalanta enough! You're hurting him!" Pyros got on the way to save poor Alter, who sat back dizzy and confused. He was funny and Geno couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mamma mia! Women here are sure... stronger than in Siracuse!" Alter said fixing his glasses. Everyone laughed with his comment. Suddenly Atalanta stepped back and pressed her hand on her forehead.

"Babe? Are you alright?" Pyros asked concerned.

"Woah. I don't know what just hit me! But don't worry, I just got dizzy a little!" She said smiling wide. Geno started sweating bullets again. Not only for seeing again her bare teeth.

"Sh*t. She really did harm Alter a little and it got reflected because of the Siren Symbol. That means she's really..." He thought and felt in an instant this night was gonna go downhill. "Why why why, why there has to be mermaids too?!" He might did not have enough experiences with mermaids.

But a few times were enough for Geno. They took everything from his mom. They killed his dad. They were the reason mom had to leave him and his brothers behind. Plus, he got choked almost to death. Twice. First by Morganna and the second near the Tearful Cave. Yeah, not really helpful with the stress Geno was feeling eating him whole.

"How could you rescue mermaids once dad?!"

"Let's sit back and enjoy the night, shall we?" Tefra asked, finding everyone agreeing to this. Now Atalanta was sitting between Pyros and Alter. Before they could sit for even 10 seconds Danarei appeared on stage again, receiving the applause of the crowd.

"Thank you for waiting! The music menu has a lot to offer tonight..." And there she paused and her expression became a little more playful for a moment. "... but you will add what you wanna hear! Any song your ears desire to hear tonight, will be heard! Whether it's songs of ours, whether other songs!" Excited whispers began among the crowd of monsters.

"Fu hu hu. Now this is getting interesting!" The one of the fish ladies said from the skeleton guards' table. Geno would have agreed openly with that. Indeed it was interesting and nice many monsters would have a chance given hear songs of their choice. However in the next hour he was simply agitated.

Atalanta wouldn't stop staring at him intensively and thoughtful, almost glaring. Barely she was paying attention to Pyros or Tefra, well, she was paying enough attention, to make them not think something was off. But it was clear, from the time she saw Geno something went downhill.

The only from the few times she would not stare intensively was after every song Danarei and her crew was done singing. Once the demon woman would ask who wants their song be next, Atalanta would turn and like crazy raise her hand so she could be noticed. Even Alter was raising hand!

Except he wasn't going crazy and staying quiet. As for the goat siblings they didn't seem to want to hear something specific tonight and just going with the flow of the music night. Geno wasn't raising hand because he didn't want to get the demon lady's attention or become the center of attention tonight.

"Oi, Guido! If you don't make some noise she won't notice you not even in a thousand years!" Atalanta told Alter at some point after another failed attempt to get Danarei's attention. Alter chuckled quietly.

"That doesn't bother me. I'm patient and there's no need to go crazy! Sooner or later she will see us too and decide pick one of us. After all, the more I wait, the more I'll enjoy the song I desire to hear when the time comes."

"But I'm impatieeent!" Atalanta huffed. Pyros held her hand gently and bumped her shoulder with the side of his head tenderly.

"Don't complain Atalanta! Danarei will notice you eventually! Or, who knows! Someone will suggest the same song you want to hear the most!" He said.

Other times Atalanta wasn't death staring at Geno was when her or Pyros had to answer questions. And especially when she talked about herself. As she said she was trained to become part of the Royal monster guard from the island of São Miguel. However she wasn't born there.

It was all thanks to Bernard who gave her and many other mermaids an as easy as possible life. Yes, she said it freely, she was from the mermaids' generation. Years ago, Bernard was doing something that reminded Geno... his dad! There were stories that when he was still living with the monks, he would sometimes go by himself to the sea.

As he said he wanted to pray alone. Despite a child he could stay near the sea for days and return by himself to the monasteries as if nothing had happen. As Bernard later confessed himself though, praying wasn't the only thing he was doing away from everyone.

At first yes, but then he met and managed to form friendships with... mermaids! For years he was interacting with these creatures without getting harmed. But even when he entered the aristocratic life he still found and interacted with them.

While the aristocrat humans think of them only as vile, aggressive and uncivilised creatures, Bernard could sometimes find more understanding in them. And before the 3 Aces form, he had made a special deal with them. There were some orphaned baby mermaids that the others couldn't raise.

Since Bernard had good interactions with the monsters of Azores he suggested that each island, if they agreed and were eager, could hospitalise a few from the orphaned mermaids and raise them. However only if they were trusting him enough and agreeing that the babies could be raised by landlubber monsters he would proceed.

But that found the mermaids agreeing quickly enough. They were trusting Bernard. And so, after long conversations and planning, Bernard had managed to get every island of Azores 'adopt' at least 3 or 4 mermaids. The plan went very well and fruited.

The babies grew up comfortably, learned living with the landlubber monsters and of course they could still keep contact with their kind. Most of them in fact got big support from the monster Lords and Royalties and entered the Royal monster Guard, which serve also as backup army for the state of Portugal.

"I'm part of Sao Miguel's monster Guard. Just like these 2." Atalanta said pointing at the goat siblings. "In fact despite I was very young, I proved to be the best fighter so I quickly got promoted to the head of the monster Guard. And also I train other young monsters! Fu hu hu! Training a bunch of babies and watching them improve as they grow up is poggers! Somewhere at this point of my life I met this man..." She suddenly leaned and hugged Pyros tightly. She started noogying him.

"Don't noogie the goat!" Pyros bleated panicked and at the same time laughing.

"Despite a position lower than me, he still won my heart, we feeeeell for eeeach otheeer and we are married for 6 years!" Atalanta said eventually and gave a quick kiss at Pyros' lips, which Geno didn't see though because Alter did THE perfect timing and covered the smaller's eyesocket. But even like that:

"Yuck! I know they kissed either way!" Geno said sticking his tongue out a little. Everyone laughed. Except Atalanta.

"Got a problem with that fishy?" She asked suddenly with holded aggressiveness showing her teeth and in the last word Geno caught the innuendo. He shivered and gulped silently.

"Ok, she definitely knows."

"Babe, no need to get mad!" Pyros tried to calm Atalanta down. "It's ok if Eugenia feels that way! But when she grows up more, she will find a wonderful man too and then she won't find kisses that bad!" He completed and everyone laughed again. Geno laughed awkwardly with that too and looked down with his cheeks cyan.

"If I'm alive after everything..." He thought though. A question popped in his head and he turned to look at Tefra. "What about you Tefra? Are you engaged too or not?" He asked with an 'innocent' and 'pure' expression only young children know many times how to give.

Alter rolled his eyesockets secretly and Geno got the message that he was probably annoyed because he was still trying to pair him up with Tefra. He fought to not laugh as the small female looked at him with a questioning look. Why?

"Attention everybody please!" Danarei said loud enough, after she was done singing another song, to bring silence in the restaurant. Everyone turned to look at the stage. She started scanning the whole room and after a while she placed hands on her hips. "Do we have by any chance any monster from another land? Guests from another nations? Anyone?" She asked. Immediately Pyros, Tefra and Atalanta nailed eyes on the 2 skeletons.

"Go on, say it! For asking this all of a sudden, she might give you your turn for a song!" The male goat said staring at them excited. Geno still didn't want to raise his hand, he wasn't sure. No one else in the restaurant seemed to raise hand either, they were all locals probably. Danarei kept looking around carefully.

"Let's find out what she does." Alter said and shrugged his shoulders. He stood up and waved towards the stage. Danarei spotted him waving and her expression immediately turned excited.

"We have a guest! Brilliant!" She said and started clapping. All monsters literally turned their attention on Alter and started clapping too.

"Oh my, such attention!" Alter said supposedly flattered.

"Now that I observe better, your clothes definitely say you're coming from a different land! Let me guess... I sense Italy!"

"Correct correct."

"Who are you? Have you've come with someone else?" Danarei asked.

"My name is Guido. I've come with my daughter Eugenia, right here!" Alter said pointing at Geno.

"Aaaw, she's so adorable!" The fairy from Danarei's team said making Geno look down blushing. Especially when many other monsters' comments were showing they were agreeing with that.

"Wait until I take off the patch. Pretty sure everybody then will start screaming,

(earape warning)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HijVdqQQQk8

Geno thought pessimistically at the end however.

"And how is Lisbon so far?"

"Well, me and Eugenia might did not have a good first impression from the humans' side, but here!" Alter opened his arms. "The monsters are all absolutely friendly and kind! Despite the problems you all face, there's still room for fun and smiles. I like that! Me and Eugenia must thank you all, this whole monster town, for the acceptance and warm welcoming you gave us!" He said. All monsters started clapping again.

"You're right. Screw the humans here, they care only about money and themselves!" Danarei said, causing monsters to start murmuring hate comments for the humans. "But my bad. We're not gonna discuss politics here and ruin our hearts and souls everybody! We're supposed to have fun tonight! So, Guido. Is there any song you would like to hear? Perhaps a song from your home town if you please?"

"Ah maaan! He got chosen without even trying hard!" Atalanta complained but smiling. Alter placed hand on his jaw looking up thoughtful. After a while he turned again at the demon woman.

"Grazie for giving me a turn. However I would like to ask something else." He said.

"What is it?" Danarei asked.

"There's a fish lady who was desiring more to suggest a song tonight and so, I'll give up my turn for now."

"No way!" Atalanta shout-whispered staring one at the goat siblings and Geno and then turning to look at Alter.

"Atalanta, now is your turn!" The tall skeleton said and winked.

"Guido, you've got a big soul of gold! This, this is a gentleman everybody!" Danarei said laughing.

"HECK YES! YOUR DAD IS THE BEST!" The fish lady yelled, turning to look at Geno for the first time not hostile, just excited.

"Alright Miss! Guido gave you his turn. What would you like to hear tonight?" Danarei asked. Atalanta didn't hesitate.

"Sing that cool song where you survived getting eaten by the giant fish! Maw of the King!"

"Ah yes! That song is awesome!!!" The fish ladies from the near table started commenting excited. A few others around seemed to share the same enthusiasm. Danarei laughed.

"Very well then! I thought nobody was gonna ask for this one! Guess it never gets old for some." She said and turned her back, temporarily leaving from the stage.

"Hope you're satisfied Atalanta." Alter said grinning wider.

"Are you kidding man?! You gave up your turn for me?!"

"I don't mind. Like I said, I'm patient." Alter reminded. At exactly that moment Danarei appeared again on stage. It took for Geno a few seconds to remember that the instrument the demon was now holding was called accordeon. She played a few notes and then wearing her best smile started singing while playing.

Geno's POV:
-

Beware his maw, King of the Undertow
One who takes the strongest below
Tale of one who creates the thunder
One who brought me under too

Atalanta started clapping rhythmically. More and more monsters mimicked her until almost everyone in the restaurant was clapping in sync. Drums started playing and suddenly many monsters screamed all together,

Heeey!

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Together with the accordeon and the clapping they screamed Hey 3 more times. After playing a few more notes Danarei kept singing.

I'll tell you the story from many years ago
Before we had taken this town for our own

Hey!

A fearsome monster of the ocean was lurking
Upon the shores of our home

Not gonna lie, this song is a jam! It didn't even begin well! Now I see what Atalanta was waiting for to hear with such excitement.

Our crewmen would leave and they'd seldom return
And those who did told of the beast who incured
The wrath of the gods who lived beneath the sea
The one they only call the King

"Your turn folks!" Danarei suddenly says. And then, Atalanta and a few other monsters from near tables start singing too but much quieter:

Beware his maw, King of the Undertow
One who takes the strongest below
Tale of one who creates the thunder

The one who took me under too!

Danarei sang that last lyric and kept going.

No one from that city would come to our aid
As our children would suffer day after day!

Some monsters from the crowd say something I don't quite get. Anyways.

Our supplies would soon drain, only there for their gain
Lack of supply made for a great pay

Now I realise that to these lyrics the crowd reacts rather negatively. But now that I quickly think about the lyrics, plus the fact Danarei sings real stories of hers, I would be angry too.

No longer could we wait for someone to arrive
We decided that we could no longer stand by
With the strongest of us, taking the boldest of us
We'd finally take down the King

Heeey!

The monsters scream again excited.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Boom! Crash! Went the raging storm
Boom! Crash! As we faced down our foe
Boom! Crash! Went the tail of the beast
But we are not easy to beat!

The demon woman sings excited and passionately.

Boom! Crash! As the battle wore on
Boom! Crash! Our men remained so strong!
Boom! Crash! But as we thought we'd won
The bastard, he breached and took one of us down

The music suddenly stops and the lights go out. I look around surprised. What now?

"Yes, go for the climax now!" Atalanta whispers and there's excitement in her voice. A single light appears on stage, Danarei is standing still, with head lowered and her accordeon in hands.

It was darker than night in the maw of the beast
All I could taste was my blood and the sea
But even as I knew the end was approaching
I knew he was waiting for me

And there suddenly monsters start clapping again.

You want to know what I did?

Danarei asks.

SO WHAT DID YOU DO?!

Some from the crowd screams excited.

You want to know what I did?!

WHAT DID YOU DO?!

They scream even more passionately and excited.

I'll tell you what I did! I screamed louder than lightning BURNED THE KING INSIDE OUT!

YA!

"Damn." I think as the lights come back and fill the restaurant.

Heeey!
Heeey!
Heeey!

Danarei starts singing alone in the melody of the music. A little later, more from the crowd and her friends accompany her and sing in sync with her.

Heeey!
Heeey!
Heeey!

Heeey!
Heeey!
Heeey!

The last 3 Hey she sang them alone without playing accordeon and only drums and claps accompanying her. At the last one all instruments and claps pauses. But as soon as she stops singing everyone goes crazy clapping. I clap too excited. Even if I was trying, I wouldn't even be able hide how amazing that song was.

"WOOO!" I yell and whistle loudly.

"Thank you, thank you!" Danarei says bowing down. Some monsters are throwing roses in front of her feet! "Yo, the night isn't over yet, no need to give flowers now!" She jokes making most of us laugh. She turns again to look at our direction. "Guido, do you wish to have your turn now?" She asks. Alter seems to think for a moment.

"Hmmm. I'm still thinking about it." He said.

"Then how about... your daughter!" Danarei said suddenly. I flinch. Wha-?!

"U-Um I..." Shoot, all eyes are on me, what should I say? "Anything I want to hear?" I ask just to have more time to think.

"Anything you want." Danarei reassures. Upon my panicked thinking, I don't even think I can just say that I don't have any preferance tonight, my mind got stuck. But suddenly an idea pops in my head. It was sudden, I didn't expect to come up with this, but... I stand up never stop staring at the demon lady.

"So. Miss Danarei. You... and your friends are adventurers right?" I ask.

"Yup." She says.

"And... any song you write, it's taken from your adventures and experiences as it's said."

"That is correct."

I pause but finally, clearing my throat I reveal my thoughts.

"In your lifetime you met many lands, interacted with humans and monsters, saved them from dangers. Your way of putting music in your adventures is amazing and despite I didn't know about you until you stepped on stage... that is already incredible. However, to all lands' inhabitants you've encountered in your life, do you... have any song that might be giving... courage? Strength? Any song that ignites the wronged ones' hearts and souls and helps them face the future? Gives them inspiration? I desire not to hear something I already know but perhaps something like I ask." I finish waveringly.

Danarei looks at me with hand on her jaw. For a few seconds she doesn't speak and only then I realise the whole restaurant is absolutely silent. Then, she smiles.

"I got you girl! I have something that might be the thing you want to hear! In fact it's a 'singing speech' I made to help the villagers of the city I saved from the giant fish."

"Oooh, right after that!" I say impressed.

"The city was threatened by some armada that wanted to conquer them. They were scared, but I gave them the right words to help them out!" She closed eyes. "Despite so long ago and made it just for that situation... this song has messages that are for all pressured and wronged humans or monsters!" She looks around. "Fellow monsters. In these hard times, you too need more encouragement. Let's hear The Assembly Song."

"So... how does it go?" I ask. Danarei turns to look at her team, signs something to them and the moment exactly she turns again to face the crowd, music starts playing.