Whispers of A Dead Empire

Chapter 24

I looked the violin over once more to make sure that it was alright. It wasn't the best-looking one ever created. But once I get better material in, I would create a far superior version of it. I slid my fingers across the bowstrings and felt a strange substance across the steel wires. I think that may come from the resin that coats the wires to help make the sound. At least that's what my memory was telling me.

I picked up the violin bow and ran my hand across its smooth wooden surface. It looked good as well. Hopefully, the resin on the violin holds for a while. Maybe if I were lucky, it would be some magical stuff and last close to forever. The bow for the violin seemed to be alright too. Nothing inherently fancy, but it would get the job done. I grabbed the instrument and spun around, tucking it behind my back. "Oh, Kharon, I have a gift for you." I chirped out.

The moats of light finished spawning, leaving my skeletal companion clad in a long, flowing black cloak that stopped right at his ankles. "Oh? What would that be, mistress?"

"Well, you said you were a maestro and used music as your medium, right?" I clenched the neck of the violin as I spoke, and a twinge of anxiety coiled around my heart.

"I did; I was just in the process of finding an instrument to use for the class."

"I know, so I made one for you." I pulled the violin and bow out and presented it to my companion. "It's an instrument from my world called a violin."

Kharon stepped forward and gingerly took the items from my hands. His red eyes pulsated with colors as he stared at it. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, Calixa, for this gift." His voice quivered slightly, and it overwhelmed me with happiness that he liked it. "Though the question I have is how do I use it?"

Mentally, I was ecstatic. I got to teach my companion how to do something for once, other than it being the other way around! I grinned and nodded my head and hid the fact that I didn't actually know how to use it. "Okay, so you rest your cheek against the black piece on the bottom. You place one hand on the neck and touch your fingers to the string. With your other hand, you use the bow and slide it across the strings near the middle of the instrument."

Kharon nodded his head and placed the item on his cheek, and did as I instructed. He slid the bow across the strings, and a shrill filled the room. It was a sound that grated on my nerves and really bothered me, though I did my best not to snap at him. "What a hideous sound." He said nonchalantly as he studied the instrument for a moment.

"You did it wrong, but don't worry. On Earth, it takes people years to play that instrument to its full potential. Trust me; once you master it, it's such a beautiful thing."

"I see. I thank you for the gift. I will master this violin. If you excuse me, I am going to go practice for a while. Good luck on your endeavors." I was happy for him, though I was slightly miffed at being left on my own after asking for help.

"Good luck, Kharon!" He nodded his head and vanished in a display of light, and I sat back into my chair. He was right when he told me I needed to patchwork my amour. I couldn't afford to outfit every single undead in my domain with armor. Really, the only ones that I could were the ones that mattered the most, like Kharon, Alessia, and even my honor guard since they wouldn't be fighting as much.

Was this what it was like to run a country? I couldn't even imagine how it would be if I had to worry about things like money, morale, or housing. Hell, I didn't even know how to do city planning. I grabbed my pen and clicked the top of it rapidly as I thought over everything before setting it back down and pinching my nose. I was thinking too far ahead. I needed to do right now was worry about making sure my domain was good enough for adventurers to visit.