Flins’ reaction to 'Song of the Lantern Man'
Tap tap tap
Flins’ attention was drawn from the idle chatter of his colleagues by the sound of someone rapping their knuckles against wood. Moving his gaze to the bar, he saw Demyan trying to draw the attention of the room. And… the foreign woman whom he’d guided through the Barrowmoss Barrens just a few hours earlier. So she was staying at The Flagship, too...
The woman had placed a wooden case on the bar, fiddling with the clasps. Then she pulled a… thing from the case. Flins assumed it was a musical instrument of some sort. His hypothesis was confirmed when his sensitive ears picked up soft metallic tinks and grinding noises over the soft chatter still lingering in the corners of the room.
Then the woman leaned against the bar, the instrument situated on her lap, a strap looped around her back to secure it from falling. She began spinning a wheel at one end of the instrument, drawing forth a low, haunted hum.
A hush fell on the room, people looking to her for the source of the sound. Then she began to speak.
“I had an interesting experience earlier tonight; I got lost on the Barrowmoss Barrens after dark, and I was guided back to town by a blue flame.”
Flins felt a twinge of guilt at his decision to stay hidden while guiding her back. He had had some puzzling thoughts to deal with regarding a new occurrence of The Wild Hunt, and had thus been unwilling to hold an insipidly polite conversation with her. But leaving her behind, lost in the dark, had been out of the question. Guiding her in flame form had seemed the easiest way to deal with this new conundrum. But it might still have been the wrong choice. Though the woman sounded more curious than fearful about the event. Or maybe rather matter-of-fact.
“It may have been a Kuuhenki,” she added. “I don’t know enough about them to say for sure.”
Oh. Well, that absolved some of his guilt.
“But no matter what it was, Kuuhenki or flame spirit, it kept its distance, never once letting me catch up. The experience reminded me a lot of a creature from my homeland, called a Lantern Man.”
Well now, this was interesting! Flins listened intently as she spoke of the blue-purple Lantern Men --how peculiarly similar!-- who would lure people who came in search of treasure to drown in bog holes. And while she spoke, her hands slowly began weaving a melody with the keys and the spinning wheel of the instrument. A melody which, mixed with her story, seemed to lure the room into something of a trance.
She met Flins’ gaze for a moment as she spoke on, explaining more about the Lantern Men. All he could do, all he wanted to do, was listen to her voice.
Then she closed her eyes and began to sing.
Forever I've been walking on My feet are ever so sore The dark is dense and winds are rough Shine, Lantern Man, shine! Show me the way – I will find the treasure. My feet are ever so sore I walk through the forest, and through the town run Visions of gold in my dreams have begun One night I reached the shore of the lake The meadow was tranquil, the waters opaque
What an image, Flins thought. He almost felt like he could smell the moist night air of the meadow, laced with scents of night flowers.
There in the dark was a purple-blue gent From water to tussocks his mire-dance went Up and down the Lantern Man leapt The essence of my name from my mind was swept All at once he split into three I raced around quite aimlessly
He edged forward in his seat, trying to hear her better. This story was somehow both familiar and completely new, but, oh, it was fascinating!
Glowing like coal, he lured me near Before me a miry pit did appear Instead of the treasure I thought I would find Mud and duckweed coats my behind My head it ached, my back was in pain All around me the lights danced again
Flins tried to quell the snicker bubbling in his throat. Being coated in mire seemed like a rather benign end to this adventure.
He had no need to worry. Varka, sitting with a few of his soldiers at the opposite end of the room, let out a bark of laughter which easily drowned out Flins’ much more subdued snicker. It was accompanied by whoops from a few of the soldiers. It seemed like they had all waited eagerly for this part.
But this woman was a Mondstadter, too, was she not? So it would likely be correct to surmise that Varka and his soldiers were indeed familiar with this song.
Visions of treasure and gold haunt me still Looking and searching all my nights fill On my journey all people I greet Yet not one Lantern Man did I meet
When the last few notes slowly died out, Varka and the other Montstadters clapped loudly. They then began requesting more songs, which the woman happily obliged to. The spell of the room dissipated, the spirits lifting with a more lively melody.
Flins sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. Much like the protagonist in the song, the idea of Lantern Men was dancing around in his head. The similarities were almost eerie; he could fully understand why being guided across the Barrens by his azure flame reminded her of these beings.
He would love to learn more about them. Maybe he should seek her out later tonight.
