The Fellowship of the Band Nerds

Chapter Three

The four band nerds entered a noisy room.

"Where's the inn, Miss Sami?" Eric looked at her.

"You're in it," the blonde girl said. "My name's Amanda, innkeeper of the Mony, Mony."

"We're looking for Elizabeth," Sami told her.

"Elizabeth?" Amanda raised an eyebrow. "Brown hair? Senior? President of the chorus? Euphoniumist?"

"Yes!" responded Sami.

Amanda shrugged. "Hasn't been around for a couple of weeks."

"What are we gonna do now?" Eric asked.

"She'll be here, Eric," Sami reassured him.

Minh-Bao came and sat next to them. She set something small and black on the table.

"What's that?" Melissa peered at it.

"This, my friend, is a QuikTuner!" Minh-Bao replied.

"They have QuikTuners?"

"Mm-hmm."

"I'm getting one!" Melissa cried, dashing off.

"But you already have a metronome/tuner!" Eric called after her.

Soon, Melissa returned with three more QuikTuners. She handed two to Sami and Eric, keeping one for herself.

"Hey," the innkeeper said suddenly. "Band nerds!"

"Wha?" asked Minh-Bao, busy tuning her piccolo.

"D'you know any oboists?"

Sami turned pale at hearing this.

"Sure," Melissa replied. "I know an oboist. She's right over there." She pointed to Sami.

"Shit," Sami muttered, quickly trying to think of a distraction. Suddenly, as if compelled by a dark force, she began putting together the One Oboe of Power. She jumped up onto a table and started playing "Concerning Hobbits."

Suddenly, Sami found herself being picked up and taken to another room. Whatever was carrying her from the main inn dropped her abruptly.

"OW!" she cried from the floor. "What do you want?"

"A little more caution from you! That is no ordinary oboe you carry."

"I don't have anything!"

"Oh, yeah, sure, and the world is flat! I can try tuning my instrument if I wish. But to play in tune entirely...that is a rare gift."

"Huh?" she asked while slowly backing away.

"Never mind. Are you scared?"

"Er, well, no, not really, because you look rather ridiculous dressed in lime green and purple," Sami told the cloaked man. "And it clashes terribly with your hair."

"Well..." He thought for a moment. "You should be scared. I know what is after you."

Just then, Eric, Minh-Bao, and Melissa burst in the door.

"Let her go, let her go!" Eric cried. He then realized that they were standing on opposite sides of the room. "Oh. Okay."

"You better all stay with me," the mysterious mad said.

"Who are you?" The four band nerds looked up curiously.

"Here, I am called Jazzrunner," he replied simply.

The band nerds crowded onto a couch in the corner. Jazzrunner paced back and forth, as if he were expecting something - or someone. Then, they heard it.

It seemed to start from a distant place, but it kept growing louder. Music floated nearer and nearer. It sounded suspiciously like a flute, a piccolo, two clarinets, a tenor sax, an alto sax, a trumpet, a trombone, and a snare drum.

"What are they?" asked Sami, who was sitting on the edge of the sofa, staring intently at Jazzrunner.

"They are the Reedwraiths. They are after you."

Melissa gasped. "Dun-dun-dun!" she added for special effects.

"Reedwraiths?" Sami repeated.

"The Nine, section leaders given instruments forged by Mullins. They are his minions, obeying his every command."

"Okay...sure," said Minh-Bao, who was quite confused.

Jazzrunner shook his head. "Never mind. You're spending the night here."

"With you?" Melissa said in surprise. "Ewww!" Everybody else gave her a weird look. "Never mind."

Suddenly, they heard the room next door being destroyed, followed by cries of frustration from the Reedwraiths.

Minh-Bao looked at Jazzrunner. "You saved us. Thank you."

He shrugged. "I'm a section leader. That's what I do. Now, we must leave." Jazzrunner walked out the door, not waiting for the band nerds.

"But what about breakfast!" Melissa called after him.

"I don't think we're going to get breakfast," Minh-Bao told her.

"No breakfast? But what about elevenses? And brunch? And an afternoon snack? And teatime?"

Minh-Bao shook her head sadly. "Nope, none of those, either."

Melissa sighed dejectedly, barely managing to catch the Pixy Stix Jazzrunner tossed her.

"Where's Eric?" Sami asked as they walked out of the inn.

"Here I am!" Eric ran up to them, pulling a pit cart behind them.

"What is that?" Jazzrunner asked incredulously.

"It's a pit cart," he explained. "Isn't it a beaut? I'm gonna call it Bill! Can I keep it?" he pleaded. "Pleeeease?"

Jazzrunner rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine. I guess so."

"Yippy-skips!" Eric exclaimed, hugging Bill.