Mizerach Castle

The Performance

Qui woke up the next morning at 7:32.
"Ohhhhhhhhshiiiiii...." She grabbed her clothes in a hurry, put them on as fast as she could, snatched that violin case and ran down the stairs to the courtroom. The others waited for her.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, your highness."
"You're not late. Exactly on time, actually." She smiled nervously. Mizerach smiled gently at her. "Would you play us a song?"
"Do you have a request?" She started applying rosin to the bow. He thought for a second.
"How about-"
"Sir! Sir!" A halfling female in a lab coat ran up to the king, taking deep breaths and putting her hands on her knees as she stood beside Qui.
"Dr Nola, what is it?" The king looked concerned. So did everybody else, but mostly Whisper.
"Isalki...she..." Whisper took a quick step closer. Another. Soon, he was right in front of the terrified scientist.
"What happened to Isalki?" He whispered angrily. He rose a black silk glove near her neck. When she didn't say a word he shook her shoulders. "What happened to my sister?"
"Whisper!" The king grabbed him under the armpits and pulled him back. "Stop this at once!"
"She...she's dead, your highness." The two froze. Although Whisper's eyes were unseen from under the mask for some reason, it was clear he was furious and about to cry. Qui feared him more and more, but she also had high respect for the magic jester. King Mizerach set down the upset Whisper, who stormed past the scientist and down the hallway. "W-wait! Whisper, don't go down there!" She ran after him.
Awkward silence filled the throne room as the king sat back in his golden chair.
"Now that is over with, would you play Ikanaide please? It was Isalki's favorite." Qui started playing the song to the best of her ability as she saw Arthkika wipe tears away from her eyes and Zamika comfort her. A few moments later, Whisper returned from wherever he was to hear the ending of the song. He smiled painfully, exposing large, white sharp teeth. Once the song was finished, the king had her put her violin away and return. She was invited to stand near him with the others while Whisper advanced to where she performed.
"My turn." He said quietly, that smile returning as he crossed his arms over his chest. Although he spoke faintly, his words echoed throughout the silent room. 
Whisper whipped out two decks of cards and rifle shuffled them together repeatedly.
"Does he always talk so quietly?" Qui whispered to Arth, who was no longer crying.
"Usually."
The jester flipped all of the cards into the air like it was nothing.
"I've learned that Arthkika has a large set of chest plates to make her breasts bigger." He said at normal volume. Qui could hear his light Jamaican accent when he spoke louder. Zamika giggled.
"And Zamika, where do I begin with you, you old shedding hairball spitting hag?" Arth smiled. The cards began floating, then they went flying around the room, rapidly disappearing and reappearing out of thin air. "People say 'look at what the cat dragged in', but what dragged you in?" The half elf snorted and the tabaxi smiled. The cards returned to his hand. He extended them to the king, who picked one and put it back. The cards flew around again, then returned.
"Was this your card?" He held the ace of diamonds. 
"It was." Both smiled.
"You, my king, oh, where do I go? You're silly," The cards were rifle shuffled some more. "scaly, smelly, and special!" The king laughed. He did the same card trick with those he had joked with.
"And you, newbie," He said, shuffling the decks normally and looking at her with unseen eyes. Qui waited for it. What was he going to call her? 
Suddenly, all of the cards launched themselves at the doorway, where a soldier was standing. Everybody faced the warrior, who flinched at the cards that floated around him, daring him to advance or do something stupid.
"Second in command Giovanni, what do you require?" The skeletal knight with dragon wings and horns smiled nervously, green scaled bones sticking out of his faceplate.
"My lord," Giovanni started, words laced with a German accent. "There's been an outbreak of cases."
"Of the disease?"
"Indeed."
"Notify Dr Nola immediately."
"I have, sir."
"How many cases?"
"74."
"What?" Gio gulped. The cards moved away from his face. "74 cases of it?"
"There will probably soon be more."
"How much room does Nola have for patients?"
"She has 100 beds. 86 are full."
"Only 14 left." The king mumbled. "What's causing this?"
"We aren't sure, sir."
"Get to the bottom of it."
"Yes, sir!" The knight left, shutting the door behind him. 
"Well, there goes my last trick. The mood's been killed." Whisper....well, whispered. The cards returned to his pockets. 
"The four of you, get to know each other and understand each other. Bond so you can aid each other at a later date. I have business with Dr Nola to attend to. You are dismissed."
"Yes, sir." The four of them went to Zamista's room, which was like Qui's but green. The bard's was dark orange, her favorite color. They shut the door.
"So...who's going first?" The cat man started.