Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 47: Songs for the Road

"Phil?" she called, making him wince again. "Can you sing something from America?"

"Why?" he muttered.

"Because I'm COLD!" she wailed. "I need a distraction! Please, Phil!"

Xaphile furrowed his brows, then let out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine," he grumpily called. "I'll sing something."

Ella let out a cry of relief.

"You have my deepest gratitude!!"

He bitterly rolled his eyes, then let out another sigh while he thought about some songs he could sing. Eventually, he decided to go with some Katy Perry. He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with air... then...

"I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath, scared to rock the boat and make a mess," he smoothly belted out, making everyone jump. "So I sat quietly, agreed politely, I guess that I forgot I had a choice. I let you push me past the breaking point."

His powerful voice rang across the mountainside with a gorgeous vibrato, echoing off in the distance. Which was fitting considering he was singing Roar, by Katy Perry.

While they trekked through the snow, the upbeat song made it easier to move, and it even put a bit of a bounce in Vrael's steps, since the halfling seemed to be enjoying it immensely.

"I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire!" he sang, walking in time with the beat. "'Cause I am the champion, and you're gonna hear me roar! Louder, louder than a lion! 'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!"

The song was over far too soon.

"I liked that one!" Amelia happily called. "Sing another!"

He obliged.

"Where Is the Love?" sounded half like a prayer and half like a vicious demand when he sang it. Maybe his mood was too dark for the song thanks to his situation, but he didn't care. He didn't have the best voice, of course, but he felt more than a little pleased with himself as he belted out the lyrics that the original singers tended to coat with happiness and sunshine.

After all, the words were super cynical, speaking of war and hate and starvation...

He let himself get lost, for a time.

When he finished, Vrael turned around with a huge smile.

"Amazing! Sing another!"

"You guys want more?" Xaphile asked, giving him an exasperated look. "Well, whatever."

And so, he went through a whole playlist of songs using his memory.

Top 40 hits and obscure indie folk pieces, rap tracks and country blues, R&B crooners and hard rock ballads, all tweaked to fit into his vocal range. Vrael and Amelia got pretty excited during a few of them, swaying around as they walked and egging him on when things got intense.

As they descended the mountainside, the scenery began to change... going from open cliffs and snowy crags to pine forests.

But even his deep, well-used voice got rough after a while, and when Xaphile finally ended Matt and Kim's "Good Old Fashioned Nightmare" with a croak they let him have some peace.

By the time he stopped singing, it was well past lunch time.

"I've never heard any of those ballads before," Amelia called, glancing over her shoulder. "Did you write all those yourself?"

"No," Xaphile explained, shaking his head. "Other people from America did."

"Oh. Well, people from America have very good taste in music. I've never heard anything equal to it! Most songs around here tend to resemble poetry!"