Wagner Rock

Elric was just about to reach for the red 'end call' button when the German spoke again.

"You still have zhe same place?"

Elric's brow furrowed a bit. Did these guys know his father? They had recognized his last name as well.

"Yes, are you friends with Peliston?"

"No, no. You want help, no? We'll come over right now. It sounds like fun."

'...Huh? They're just now deciding to come help? It sounded like he was going to decline.'

Elric knew that Wagner Rock was a solid band, and if they came over to practice and help Ember beforehand, it would definitely boost their performance.

After speaking with them, though, he was unsure what to think.

He wouldn't need long to further develop his thoughts.

Only fifteen minutes after the phone call, he saw a van pull into the driveway.

Three dudes hopped out, one of them carrying an electric guitar and pushing a car, while the other two pushed a larger cart loaded with amps, a drum set, and a bass.

'Damn, they brought their whole setup! It's good though, we don't have all of this stuff at the house already.'

Elric pulled the front door open as wide as it could go, holding it so that they could push their carts into the house.

"Ooh, quite nice! I like your lights!"

The lead guitarist pointed up at the fixture hanging over the kitchen table. It wasn't anything special- just a few lights and a fan.

After leaving the cart behind and wandering around the living room for a bit, the lead guitarist came back over to where Elric was standing and extended his hand.

"I am Hans, zhese are Otto and Paul."

He pointed first toward the bassist, then to the drummer.

Internally, Elric quickly made notes to remember their names.

'Hans is easy, he plays a lot of solos and is always at the front. Otto… I guess that name sounds like one for a dude with a low voice, and he plays the bass?'

As for Paul, it was a pretty common name, and the drums were a pretty common instrument.

All three of them looked to be in their mid-thirties and would pass for average salarymen if not for the instruments they were carrying.

Aside from that, there was nothing to reveal them as musicians.

"I'll bring you over to our music room, Ember is already in there."

Elric led them through the hallway, internally thanking his father for making it wide enough to fit any manner of musical equipment through. It had been a squeeze to get their carts in through the front door.

When he got back to the room and opened the door, he saw Ember pacing around the room. She instantly noticed Elric's return and rushed over to him, holding up a piece of sheet music.

"Look at this! It's almost perfect!"

Hans and the rest of the band arrived behind Elric, and the guitarist peeked over Elric's shoulder at the music piece.

"This has zhe similar style to Alison Melov. Did she write it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Hans reached over and tapped on a part.

"Switch this note to a G. It will sound good."

Ember thought for a moment, then nodded her head excitedly.

"You're right! That fixes my problem!"

Ember walked back over to the piano to double-check on it, and Elric stood aside to let the Wagner band into the music room.

After introducing them to Ember, Elric started helping them hook up all of their instruments.

They said that they were available for the next few hours at least, which definitely wasn't ample time for adapting an entire song to a new form, but it would be possible.

Ember was hurriedly making a new sheet with only the correct notes on it for Elric to replicate with a copy machine, that way they could communicate on revisions and updates easier.

"You are Alison's son, no?"

As they set up their instruments, Otto turned and questioned Elric. Just like the instrument he played, his voice was deep.

"Yep."

The large bassist shook his head sadly.

"She was the greatest, all three of us brothers loved her music. Heh, we even got to meet her and Pelison one time after a performance. They seemed unstoppable."

The bassist glanced between Elric and Ember.

"You are trying to recreate that?"

Instead of answering yes or no, Elric just motioned toward Ember.

"Just wait a minute until you start playing, and you'll see."

Ember finished up making a copyable version of the sheet music, and Elric took it over to a printer a few rooms down to make copies. It was just a piano version of the song, but all of the members of the recently recruited rock band were confident in improvising a version for now, then transcribing and practicing it before the next day.

A few minutes later, when they started playing the song, Otto nearly forgot to continue playing the bass.

Ember's emotional singing voice was so hauntingly beautiful.

By the end of the first improvisation, the bassist had to wipe tears out of his eyes.

'Like, it's really good, but why are you crying so hard? You are one of the people playing it!'

Hans chuckled when he saw his brother, patting the large fellow on the back.

"Otto has zhe weak heart."

Elric's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the dampness around Hans' own eyes, and the lead guitarist quickly turned away.

Paul was the only one who didn't join in, instead starting to scribble down a few notes on a sheet of paper.

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The next day, Ember and Elric skipped out on their last two classes for the day. When they got back to the house, the Wagner trio of brothers were already waiting in their van.

Peliston was also parked in the driveway with his car, waiting to drive the duo to the venue. Sitting in the passenger seat was Ivan, his friend who'd shown up just over a week ago to visit.

'Heh, this'll be Dad's first time hearing Ember sing, right? Let's blow his mind with this performance!'

After taking a quick trip to the restroom to tidy up and change clothes, Ember and Elric hopped into the back of the car, and the two vehicles took off toward the venue.

"You two look excited. Good."

Ember nodded.

"We practiced for a few hours yesterday, those guys are amazing! We got both songs completely adapted, and practiced a few covers, too!"

With such a short time it was inevitable for the adapted songs to not be perfect, but between the Wagner band's skillful instrumental and Ember's intense singing, there was nothing to worry about.

'Heh, everyone at this place came to see Angeline singing, but they'll get way more than they bargained for! This will be the start of our rise!'