Excerpt from World Exchange! A novel by K.A. Natos 3
The elf, Mina, pulled me down what was likely the busiest street in the capital. I wanted to pull my hand away from her own, but it was clear we would lose each other in the busy crowd. The rest of our party was already long lost, so perhaps it was best to stick with her for the time being.
That didn't stop me from protesting, however.
"Mina! I'm sure whatever you wanted to see can wait!" I did my best to raise my voice over the din in the streets.
"But, we will be late if we waste time!" she shouted back as she continued to pull me forward.
The event the elf so badly wanted to see was a speech by the country's queen. She was to give a rousing speech about peace and unity. Mina wanted to see 'history take place in real-time.' She put a lot of stock into this queen's words.
I continued to protest our impromptu side quest until we finally stopped. We had come across a wall that blocked our path. It was not constructed of stone or metal, but instead, a wall of people prevented us from getting any closer. Off in the distance, I could see a platform that would have appeared very large up close. From where we stood, it appeared about the size of an ant. It seemed many others thought the same as Mina.
The elf next to me jumped several times as she tried to view the stage from over the tall shoulders in front of her. After a moment of leaping, she huffed and settled for listening with her long, pointed ears.
It turned out to be a favorable plan. In no time at all, a loud voice carried across the city. The noisy crowd was instantly hushed as the Queen addressed them.
"It is fortuitous to see you all hear today," the queen began. "On this very day, our humble city was founded over one hundred years ago. It wasn't long after that war began. We have gone through many trials and hardships for many years, but that ends today."
The Queen began to go one with some fluff about the town's history and neighboring nations, which I mostly tuned out. It wasn't until she got to her actual announcement that I paid attention again.
"And on this day, I can finally announce that peace will come to all our lands. We have officially signed a peace agreement for all neighboring nations."
The crowd, and Mina, clapped as the queen finished:
"A new age is upon us." The declaration rang across the crowd, and everyone happily clapped along to the joyous news.