THE MOMENT
Barry's throat burned away any sounds before the words left his mouth. He was hoarse, exhausted, and defeated. He didn't mean any harm, but the townspeople wouldn't listen to reason. He'd invented, or maybe discovered, something that made him happy, and he was only trying to share it with others. The worst part was that even though he'd already given up and accepted that he was going to be punished for no reason, he still had to burn to death. And, his shoulders hurt. His arms were pulled backward, binding him to a wooden post, surrounded by kindling.
"... you are hereby charged with the crime of sorcerous mind-alteration," said the Royal Captain. He was a fit, older man with at least a decade of sword experience more than Barry had been alive. Barry grew up with the Captain as local celebrity and someone he looked up to. He was honest, friendly, and most of all encouraging. But, there was no trace of that man behind the black helmet as he read the decree. There was no empathy, he clearly saw Barry as something completely other. "The penalty for sorcery is death," the grim man said. But, maybe Barry had misjudged him. Maybe there was a trace of humanity. "You may choose to be burned at the stake, or beheaded." He had a choice! He didn't have to suffer.
"I choose -," he tried forcing out the words past the sandpaper.
"I'll play you for him!" Barry blinked as he made his choice, and suddenly he was interrupted. A young woman with raven ringlets and brilliant orange eyes stood by the pile of wood with everyone focused on her. She hadn't approached and pushed through the crowd, she simply appeared in the blink of an eye.
"What do you mean?" The Royal Captain asked.
"A contest. If I win, I get to save his life, if you win, you get to kill him," she said.
"He has committed an abomination against the gods, death is already his destiny."
"Then, you'd think the gods would make sure you win, huh?" she asked with a smile.
"If I win, I get to take your life as well," the Royal Captain said. She was an unknown innocent speaking up for Barry, and that was enough for the Captain to want her dead. That was the story Barry decided on because the other version was much worse. To imagine that he might be eager to kill did not fit the man Barry once knew. Although, he did consider it odd the discussion was happening at all.
"I will agree to that," the young woman nodded. "And, you've introduced a new outcome, so I get to suggest the game," she said. She made a show of appraising the Royal Captain up and down, then nodded. "You look like you can fight, how about Derby Combat?" she asked.
"To the death?" The Royal Captain asked. He didn't know what 'Derby' was, but he knew all about combat, and she was no match for his experience.
"Sure," she shrugged and nodded. "Derby Combat to the death. Winner gets to keep their life and take that of the other, as well as the life of this talented gentleman," she gestured at Barry. "Do you Accept?"
"I do," the Captain drew his sword and took a defensive posture out of habit. Then, he realized who his opponent was and shuffled himself into a more offensive stance.
"And, Begin!" she said. The Captain's arm was in motion as soon as she gave the word, but even then, he never completed it. He felt intense, agonizing heat for an instant, his vision went blind, but the pain carried on seemingly forever. Then, as instantly as it happened, he blinked and everything was back to normal. Except, he could see red text hovering in the air clearly. He was several feet away from where he started, and his sword was sheathed again, as if he'd only just arrived. And, the gathered crowd was abuzz with murmurs.
[Dirge Wins!]
"What happened?"
"You lost," Dirge smiled as she walked around behind Barry to begin untying him.
"I still live!" the Royal Captain drew his sword again and stepped forward.
"You lost the game, I'm not out here trying to kill you," she giggled with a shake of her head.
"You'll have to if you want to take hi-,"
"Nah, I already won," she said as a hole in reality appeared next to her. A black oblong portal opened vertically like a doorway, and Dirge was helping a weakened Barry across the uneven wood to the hole. "Later losers," she giggled as they went through the portal, then it closed behind them.
Barry went through the portal at Dirge's encouragement, but he didn't know what to expect. He found another sunny day, except he was on the coast instead of the center of town. Deep purple water lapped at the white sand, and the sky had an almost pink quality that he hadn't seen before. As amazing as all the sights were, he hadn't realized the pain was gone until Dirge introduced herself to him.
"Hi, I'm Dirge," she said. "You doing okay?"
"Fine...," he spoke slowly at first and marveled at the lack of pain. "Yeah, I feel fine. Who are you? Why did you help me?" He had a dozen more questions, but he had a feeling the answers were going to be big and he was taking it slowly.
"I'm a music fan," she smiled. "I hate to see humans try and kill it."
"What's... music?" Barry asked. Dirge grinned and mage a gesture with her hand. Barry saw a grey glass pane appear in the air in front of her. It looked solid grey and impenetrable to him, but her eyes easily focused on something, and she navigated the surface deliberately with her hand. "It was illegal on your Earth, and they tried to make sure it never developed, but you figured it out," she said. She pressed the grey pane one more time, and an unusual sound filled the air.
"Who put the bomp in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp. Who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong." Barry couldn't help but move along with the rhythmic thumping as he sang along with the words that were familiar to him.
"Who put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop. Who put the dip in the dip da dip da dip," he grinned with ear to ear as Dirge giggled.
"There's more of it out there?" He asked as she turned down the song.
"More than you can hear in your lifetime," Dirge replied. His discovery was already widespread. Who knew how many people were smiling because of music? It was a staggering thought, and it helped him realize something. Sure, it'd started out kind of rough, but there was no denying it now. "This is the best day of my life...," he said. "Thank you."