19 Festival II

I clap my hands together with the beat of the percussion. My enjoyment reaches my eyes as I watch a dwarf couple dancing and prancing on the dance floor. Both of them look to be blacksmiths; they wear matching leather aprons with a belt around their waist that carries their tiny equipment.

Watching their bright smiles and loving eyes locking is making me envious. I regress my gaze to scan the rest of the dance hall, spotting the usual creatures and some new to me. A group beside the banquet table chatting and laughing away with each other takes the form of a half human-half goat.

"Fauns, they come from the mountains near Thapabia's Sea," Rhys settles down beside me, bringing with him two bowls of fresh fruit. He hands me one, and I thank him before stabbing a deep pink colored fruit and popping it in my mouth. The soft texture and the sweet taste of this unknown fruit made me see stars.

Letting out a soft satisfied moan, I exclaim, "this is delicious!"

"Don't go near fauns," Rhys replies while wiping the side of my mouth with a clean white handkerchief. I'm taken aback by his sudden peculiar actions, but I let him continue and pop the question, "why?"

He inches his face near mine, "they kidnap beautiful women and bring them to the mountains," he whispers.

A shiver runs up my spine at the moment I watch one of the fauns creeping behind a striking woman with long blonde hair and seashells pinning her half braided hair, her ears like a pointed elf ear, but hers looks much different. It's webbed out similarly to a fin on a tail. She wears a simple vintage gown, a white off-shoulder corset, and a green bottom skirt with a slit that exposes her long beautiful legs.

The old-looking faun with a long beard sneaks an arm on the woman's waist, I watch her flinch, turning towards the predator, and I can finally see her face.

The faun looks to be coaxing her by whispering in her ears, but the woman appears uninterested. For a second, I catch her ocean-colored eyes glow before she pours the drink she's holding on the faun's head.

Laughter broke out from the group of fauns. They were silently watching the whole scene taking place. I can't help but laugh along with them while I watch the woman storm off with a contented smile on her face leaving an upset faun.

I shake my head, "they won't be kidnapping fierce women."

"Don't worry, if a faun chose to capture between a tree or you, they would take the tree," Rhys snickered, earning a glare from me.

A gleaming, flying creature came to my attention. From afar, I can't tell their physical appearance, but those flying creatures are as small as my hands, "what are they?" I ask, pointing towards the two of them.

Rhys follows the tip of my finger before pushing my hand down, "don't point; they are flower fairies."

I follow as they fly out of the hall and into the crowd of creatures and people flying blue lanterns. I gasp, remembering the lanterns.

"Hey, I thought we would be flying those," I tell Rhys pointing at the stalls.

He gets up from his seat, "I'll get it, stay here. I mean it, do not leave this seat," strictly, he tells me like I'm a child. With a small laugh, I nod my head and watch him disappear in the horde of people.

Following Rhys' orders, I stay inside this hall to the far corner, sitting on a wooden bench. I already finished my bowl of fruits, so I carry on watching creatures dancing until I spot someone's eyes on me.

Those burning eyes behind the large potted plants where a dwarf lady appears to be spying on me. She looks familiar when I recognize her; she's Frida from the cake stall. The minute we meet each other's gazes, she points with her head urging me to follow her. Puzzled, I continue staring at her until she starts walking away in the opposite direction where Rhys went.

I got up from my seat, the empty bowl falling off my lap. She stops walking, looking back at me. She wants me to go with her. I try looking for Rhys in the crowd of beings or the stalls, but he's nowhere to be found.

Leaving with no choice, I disobey Rhys' orders and follow Frida. As soon as she sees me walking towards her, she picks up her pace and continues walking.

"Wait," I try to call out, maneuvering past creatures. I pick up my speed, trying to go after her when I roughly collide into something or someone causing me to fall backward.

I yelp as soon as my bum touches the ground, my hood falling off my head. Such a familiar scene when Rhys decided to try and kill me during our training. Though this time, I wasn't intentionally pushed.

A hand reaches for me, and I look up to meet with a hooded man. Hesitant to take a stranger's hand, it takes me a while to have a debate in my head before finally coming to an agreement that I need help.

I take the stranger's hand, which surprisingly feels warm to my touch, "thank you, kind Sir," I say, and I meet with a gorgeous looking man I've ever seen.

Since it's night time and even with the streetlamps, it is still hard to see the full detailed features of every being here. Much more, this man is wearing a hood that conceals most of his appearance.

Still, I'm captivated by his glowing, ocean blue eyes. It's similar to the woman I've seen in the hall. His eyes represent the crystal clear water of the sea on a bright sunny day. It's a shame I can't see his entire face.

"Are you okay?" he asks with a worry-filled voice, "what hurts?" he asks again, turning left and right inspecting me.

"Don't worry, I'm alright," I put both my hands up, kindly smiling at the stranger, "I'm chasing after a-" I peek over this man's tall physique looking for Frida until I spot her. She watches the man and me while crossing her arms.

"I have to go," without hearing the man's reply; I start walking past him when he grabs me by my wrist, halting my steps.

I look back at him as he bends down, picking up the familiar-looking pouch with a torn strap. My pouch, my necklace. He hands it to me, and with wide eyes, I accept it thanking him before rushing off.

Frida walks toward the street of houses, and I follow her. I check the pouch I'm holding to see if my necklace is still inside, and thankfully it is. I get rid of the pouch, throwing it away before wearing the necklace on my neck and hiding it inside my cloak.

I slow down upon reaching a quiet street with houses; Frida is nowhere to be seen.

"Hello!" I call out, observing my surroundings while I continue walking.

My eyes travel to a nearby garden between one of the houses—a fenced wide garden with plenty of trees. My instincts tell me that Frida is in there, so I push open the white wooden gate and step inside, following the cobblestoned path.

The blue moon shines down, brightening the garden making it easy for me to see. It's completely silent; I can no longer hear music from the festival, which means I strayed quite far. Rhys is going to murder me.

Even with a cloak, I shiver from the chill—the chill from the night or someone's presence. I turn around, hearing footsteps behind me but to find no living being. Eyeing the nearby tree, I walk closer to find the person who's hiding behind it, but to my dismay, there's no one.

My forehead creases. Why is Frida playing around?

I heaved out a frustrated sigh about to head back when I turn and come face to face with a brilliant, blazing fire. My loud, piercing scream awakens the silent atmosphere.