Tyranny Short Story Series, Part Five: The Songbird

After the announcement of the game’s release date, Obsidian and Paradox have published a new short story for Tyranny, titled The Songbird. This time, they deal with yet another possible companion, Sirin, a 15 year old Archon capable of entering people’s minds. Here’s an excerpt:

A crowd had gathered in the street, but Sirin hardly paid attention to them. She was too busy watching the bird. It had landed on a fence across the street from the group and she was trying to come up with a new song to lure it over. Her mother slowed which made her happy, it would give her more time to finish the song and make the bird be her friend. She didn’t think anything of the crowd; people came to greet them every time they got back from one of her trips to be the Songbird. Everyone always wanted to know what town they traveled to and what miracle she had performed this time. She let her mother tell the stories. She still didn’t understand how a simple song could make bones heal or the corn grow, but if they wanted to give her parents rings for her song, she would sing. If being the Songbird helped make them money, the she would be the Songbird. It made her mother happy and Sirin loved taking trips with her.

“Sirin, stay here,” her mother commanded and the tone of her voice pulled Sirin from her concentration. She looked at the crowd and immediately knew something was different. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary, but… yes… this was different. Why were they holding stones? Why did they look upset? Her mother turned and knelt in front of her. “No matter what happens, baby, stay behind me. Okay?” Sirin opened her mouth to protest, but her mother put her hands on her shoulders and gripped them tightly. “Promise me.” Her voice allowed no room for refusal. Sirin nodded quickly. “I promise.”

Her mother stood and turned as her father stepped from the crowd and approached them. Things didn’t just feel different anymore. Something was definitely wrong. Her father looked upset and anxious. “Marin,” her mother said, stepping forward to intercept him, “what is going on?” She had lowered her voice so Sirin could barely make out what she said. She was trying to keep the others from overhearing their conversation.

“Kellisandra, you know full well what’s going on. You had to know this day would come. You had to know Sirin couldn’t be our Songbird forever. We have to do something before anyone gets hurt. Well… Anyone else.” Her father smiled at that and her mother flinched from his words. His voice was… She didn’t have the word for it. When they traveled to bigger towns that had marketplaces, Sirin loved to listen to all the salesmen calling out to people, trying to get them to buy their goods. They’d talk about how fresh the produce was, describe how sweet the fruit was, detail how perfect the bread tasted. Everyone had something to say, had a special way they’d try to get you to listen to them. That’s what her father was doing now. He sounded like he was trying to get his mother to buy something. “Sirin is so much more than we ever imagined. There is so much power in her and it’s only a matter of time before that power causes an accident. So, the Overlord demands a demonstration of that power, Kellisandra. We need proof of what she can truly do and then maybe she’ll have a better life because of it.” He raised his hand slightly and brought it down in a quick side-to-side action.