Night Festival

Chapter 4 - Night festival

“I can’t believe you actually did it.” I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes. I hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time.

“I wouldn’t be a true werewolf if I didn’t keep my end of a deal.” Audra laughed. As we entered the edge of the village. She took my challenge to heart. She walked back to the village stark naked. Not a single care in the world as she strutted through the forest. I was half tempted to join her. She put her clothes on before turning back to me.

“Now, we have a few hours before the night festival starts. I have a few more things planned, but I’m also still hungry so we need to fix that first.” She said, I shook my head at her.

“Its a wonder how you haven’t grown three sizes with that appetite.” I gave her a smirk. Audra rolled her eyes at me, she could eat most wolves under the table. She could drink a lot of them under the table too, I always wondered where she put it all.

“The joys of having a super fast metabolism. Mom says I get it from dad, he never stops eating. Always going back for thirds, but can you blame him. Why waste perfectly good food, when you could just eat it.” She laughed.

“Where do you want to eat then, we could go back to the palace or your house, or we could go to the market.” I suggested, grabbing her hand and pulling her further into the village.

“I vote market. Avoid both our parents. I don’t want to have to deal with the scolding we going to get for dipping out of breakfast before they finished their discussions.” She said. I nodded in agreement and we turned down a alley, heading towards the market.

The village was beautiful, stone houses lined each street. They all had oak doors with their own carvings, telling the story of each family that lived there. Some houses were tall with chimneys that reached to the trees, while others were a single level and their chimneys looked like spouts. All of the buildings and roads were made with earth magic. Each building unique to the person who moulded it. Some had vines climbing up the side, others has flowers blooming from the windows.

As we walked to the centre of the village, shouting and laughter filled the air. Multiple booths lined the streets. Stores has their bay windows full of items they sold. Orbs of light dancing around every display. There were booths and stores full of clothing, others full of trinkets. Some booths held herbs and potions, another held crafting supplies. All the booths were painted with intricate designs, holding bright and bold colours to draw your eye. Some booths even had enchantment spells, to pull you into their space. The Fae who used enchantment spells, were usually the Fae who travelled throughout all the realms. Bringing back unique and interesting items from their travels. I pulled my gaze from the booths of trinkets and dresses and focused on finding a food stand. At the end of the road sat two stands. Audra dragged me behind her, as she ran to them. A hand gripped my arms, pulling me from Audras grasp.

“Excuse me miss, but you look like you need a reading.” A raspy voice whispered into my ear. I spun around, my eyes wide as I took the individual in. They dropped their hand from my arm  and stepped towards a tent.

“Im okay thank you.” I said politely, taking a step back. The woman look way to old to have the strength she used to pull me from Audra. Her skin was worn and wrinkled, her hair peppered, silver hair poking through her onyx locks. Her crimson eyes were dull and tired. Her teeth crooked and a hairy mole stuck out from the top of her nose and chin. Her dress was old and tattered and the shawl she wore was faded from the sun. The bangles on her wrist jingled with each movement of her arm. Rings decorated every finger, holding different assortments of gems.

“Oh but I insist, the spirits have whispered of your future. Wouldn’t you like to know what is to come of it. Know the secrets your parents are forced to hide from you.” She gave me a coy smile, holding the curtain from the entrance to the tent open. I hesitated at first, biting my bottom lip. I knew most people who claimed to see the future were frauds, but something about her pulled me in. Even if I wanted to say no and walk away, I felt obligated to follow her. As if a rope was tied to my waist drawing me towards her. She stepped to the side, letting me enter first. Crystals and tarot cards were spread out on a table. What looked to be a moon crystal, hung from the top of the tent. The sunlight sparkles off of it, through the hole at the top. Cushions spread around the floor, circling the table. I stepped into the tent, sitting opposite of the entrance. I wrinkled my nose at the strong smell of sage and rosemary. The woman walked in and sat across from me.

“Do you have a name.” I asked, looking closer at the crystals in front of me. I reached forward to grab one, but she swatted my hand away.

“What was that for.” I muttered, rubbing the sting from my hand.

“You do not touch them until I tell you, other wise you’ll be cursed.” She warned. “As for my name, I go by many. Old hag, witch, fraud, senile bitch. But you, my child, can call me Ryuu.” She began shuffling her deck of cards. A strange static surrounded us as she placed three cards in front of me.

“Those are interesting names.” I said, as I stared at the cards.

“Yes, I think my favourite so far has been, Wretched whore. The woman wasn’t to fond of the fortune I gave her. When it came true she hunted me down and told me I cursed her husband into cheating on her.” She let out a hoarse laugh that sent shivers down my spine. I still couldn’t figure out why I decided to come here.

“This woman is one ticket away from crazy town. We should leave.” Oren murmured. I stifled a laugh, no matter how weird she was I felt like I needed to hear what she had to say.

“I may be crazy but I tell the truth. Truths that many wish to ignore, but still I share them. Now Imelda, I want you to flip what ever card calls to you.” I looked at her wide eyed, did she hear what Oren said. I was also a little weary that she knew my name. I grew up with many people, that I didn’t know, knowing my name but it still weirded me out. I hesitated before reaching forward, flipping over the middle card. An upside down knight with a wand laid before me.

“Ahh, you are about make an impulsive decision, driven by anger and recklessness.” Ryuu said, motioning me to flip the next card. The next card held 10 cups stacked on top of one another, the card was upside down again. Ryuu frowned at the card.

“This will result in a loss of unity within your home. Many will be forced to choose sides.” I flipped the last card over, this time it was up right. It was labeled the Ace of pentacles.

“This decision will bring you a new opportunity. You will enter a change and gain new ventures and prosperity.” She collected the three cards and placed three more in front of me. I flipped the middle over again. Three of pentacles faced upright. Ryuu’s lip curled up as she looked at me. The last two cards flipped on their own. Ace of swords and judgement, both upright.

“This new opportunity will require teamwork and a strong bond. It will build a stronger connection between the two. You will gain the clarity to help you decide your future. It will be your awakening.” She placed the cards back in a stack and placed both her hands on mine. Before I could ask her anything and  pull away a flash of light blinded me. Wind whipped around me, the smell of earth and smoke filled my nose. The area grew darker as my eyes adjusted. I noticed torches leading down a narrow hallway. I slowly walked forward, my heart racing as I tried to register what was going on.

“I leave tonight, I need you to make sure no one tries to steal my throne while I’m gone. I may have spared your life in the human realm, but if a slip up happens in my kingdom, under your guard, I will kill you.” The man sounded excited about death, as if he hoped the person would fail. I turned the corner entering a huge room. A single golden throne sat in the middle of dais. Gold skulls sat at the end of each armrest, the back of the throne had angels falling from the sky into a pit of fire carved into it. Gold was moulded into bones and created the base of the chair.

A man with silver hair knelt before the throne, his head bowed and arms behind his back. He wore a black suit, rings covering ever finger. I looked to see who he was bowing for, as the throne was empty. A man walked out of the shadows. My breath caught in my throat. He was absolutely beautiful, his eyes the colour of the sky and his hair a pale cream colour. It shined in the glow of the flames. It was short and slicked back. He also wore a fitted black suit. Silver swirls were embroidered into the jacket. His jaw was sharp and held slight stubble. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him. Something pulled me towards him, whispering in my ear, telling me to get closer. I walked closer to him, my fingers itching to touch him. He stood above the man, his eyes cold and focused.

“I understand my Lord, I will guard it with my life. No one will go near your throne, I will be the only one to guard the doors to the room. I will not rest until you return. The man looked up at the king, his pale blue eyes tired, dark circles sat beneath them. He looked too thin and too pale. I felt sorry for him. I felt the oddest sensation, almost as if I knew him.

“I have eyes every where, I will know if you do not hold up your end. You have twenty more years before you are allowed to even walk top side again. After what you did in the human realm, risking the future of many worlds. You should be thankful your sister in law wished for such a short sentence to be served in darkness. Even though you will serve me for all of eternity, you will get some leeway above ground.”The king said, a twisted smile spread across his lips. He slid his hands into his pockets.

“I do my Lord, I thank her everyday for being so kind hearted. I deserved much worse and losing my child and mate was not enough to punish me for my sins.” His voice was weak as he spoke, drawing a shaking breath with each word. He was terrified and my heart raced as I listened. As I looked closer at his eyes, I realized the man was blind.

“I will be gone for a while, I need to slowly insert myself into their world. When I return I expect everything to be as it was. I have killed for much less and depending on how this plays out. I might not be so understanding when I get back. Do I make my self clear Phillip.” The king asked.

“Yes my lord.” The world was ripped away from me. I almost fell over as I was brought back to reality. I gasped for air as I looked around me frantically. Ryuu smiled back at me, letting go of my hands.

“What in the goddess was that.” I shouted, my head began to pound. She cackled at me, clapping her hands together in excitement.

“I’m so happy it worked, normally it doesn’t work and everyone just thinks I’m a crazy old bat.” She murmured, I looked at her confused.

“Ahh I forgot, you don’t have sight like your mother, only Balor does.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “You weren’t suppose to know that yet. Please disregard that last part.” She laughed.

“What kind of freaky magic did you use on me, who were those men.” I asked, ignoring what she said.

“I didn’t use any freaky magic, I just shared my vision with you. Your mother does it all the time. I’m surprised she never showed you anything.” She said, her dried lips pulled into a smile.

“Mother doesn’t like others to see what she does, unless it’s absolutely necessary. She doesn’t want to risk someone trying to alter the future.” I explained, my brows furrowed as I looked at her. Was this woman truly mad, she just shared a personal vision with me.

“Your mother is a wise woman, me on the other hand. I like to mess with fate and give people a chance to choose their own destiny. That king is your future husband, a man of destruction and death my dear child. I’m giving you the chance to see through his lies and pick your own future. Balthazar is a dangerous man, he may promise to love you but that is something he is not capable of. He craves blood and power and tricked your own mother into giving you up. She is forbidden to talk of his true nature, everyone in Gardenia capital is forbidden.” She explained, picking up her cards and placing them into a bag. I couldn’t think straight, my mind was working over time trying to process what she was saying.

“You must go and enjoy the festival, you brothers ceremony is in a couple days and your life is going to change dramatically. The great divide is coming and you need to think about what is best for you.” Ryuu snapped her fingers and I was standing in the middle of the market. I looked around in a daze, the tent and Ryuu were gone. I spotted Audra and rushed towards her. She was paying for a basket of food, as I approached.

“Oh what did you get.” She asked me, a huge smile on her face. I arched my brow at her. She read my expression and then pointed to the bag in my hand. I looked down and opened it.

“I’m not sure.” I mused.

“What do you mean your not sure, you obviously had to pick out something to buy it.” She looked at me suspiciously, concern flashed across her eyes. I shook my head and let out a dry laugh. Pulling out a blue and white stone, flakes of gold was speckled through out it.

“Are you planning to travel between realms.” She asked.

“What do you mean.” I asked, looking up at her.

“That’s a Lapis Lazuli stone, it’s used to gain information when entering a new realm. It has special abilities that act as a gateway to your mind and give you knowledge of how the species live in each realm. It’s a useful stone for tradesmen. Protects them from encountering any shady Fae or creatures.” Audra explained. I furrowed my brows again, rubbing the stone.

“Oh I didn’t realize that, I just thought it was pretty.” I lied, I wanted to tell her about Ryuu and what I saw, but I didn’t quite believe it myself.

“Let’s go eat and then we can head closer to the palace where the festival is taking place.” Audra suggested, grabbing my arm as we headed away from the market. We ate our food in silence. Audra kept sending me concerned glances, but didn’t push me to speak. When we finished eating the sun was beginning to set and the festival was starting. Orbs began to float in the streets dancing around as they changed colours. People were dancing and laughing, a giant fire was started in the centre of the festivities. Flowers and ribbons were wrapped around posts. Children danced around them, twirling the ribbon back and forth, as they changed direction. Petals floated around, air magic keeping them in constant movement.

“I don’t remember it being this beautiful.” I whispered in awe. I reached my hand out, grabbing a few petals in my palm. They immediately bounce off my hand and returned to the air. Rows of benches lead up to a stage. Bands were playing their songs. As we walked further into the festival, Fae floated in the air, blowing fire from their mouths. Others were making sculptures out of ice and branches. Couples danced and others cheered on competitors in the wrestling tents.

“It’s gotten even crazier as the years have gone on. Now that everyone can travel between realms again, more people are coming to visit and bringing new talents and fun, to each festival.” Audra explained. I felt a pinch of sadness seeing how much it had changed from when I was a child. I was so busy with preparing for my future that I missed out on so much.

“I think Damon in going to be participating in the royal guards show. Do you want to go see it.” Audra asked, pulling me from my thoughts. Her face lit up with excitement as she looked at me. I hadn’t heard about a show being preformed, but I definitely didn’t want to miss it.

“Of course, any chance to see someone fight is a chance to learn new skills.” I said, Audra rolled her eyes and pulled me behind her. We stopped outside the training field. Benches were formed with earth magic, lining up along the fence. A group had already gathered before we got there. Orbs floated around the field making it looked as though the sun was still shining. More and more people gathered as we found a seat near the front of the field. An amplified voice filled the arena.

“Are you ready for the show.” They asked, everyone around us cheered. Audra and I joining in, clapping and shouting. Guards began rushing into the field all taking a fighting stance. One the other side of the field warriors came rushing out, mirroring the guards. Damon walked out and stood in the centre of the field.

“Tonight we find out how well our warriors have been training. We let them fight with honour. Who ever takes down a guard will be welcomed into the royal guards with open arms. Are you ready for a show.” He yelled. Everyone cheered again, chanting. He let out howl, a huge grin on his face.

“Lets go.” He shouted. The guards all stood up. Damon turned towards the warriors. Everyone was waiting for his command. With a burst of fire in the sky above us, everyone began charging at each other. The crowd went wild as they started fighting. People were grabbing each other punching and dodging hits, flipping their opponents and holding in place. Once they were thrown on the ground, they were held down until an orb formed above there head, signalling they were out. One by one the warriors were taken out. The guard charged, showing no mercy. Taking on every opponent who crossed them. Three warriors were left, they charged forward, acting as one as they fought. Just as one of the warriors had the upper hand the guard would push forward, making them step back. They became cornered against the fence. The other two warriors tried to push forward but were disarmed and disqualified in a matter of minutes. The last warrior, dip out of his hold, rolling away from guard he was fighting. He stood up behind him and was able to push him to the ground. He fought to keep him down. The guard tried to get the upper hand, but with each movement the warrior tighten his grip immobilizing him further. An orb flashed above the guards head. Everyone shots up from their seats shouting in excitement. The warrior stood up and was surrounded by his buddies. Damon ran over to give giving him a pat on the shoulder. The warrior pulled off his helmet and my mouth dropped. Apollo stood before me, his eyes finding mine as he looked through the crowd. His smile catching my breath as he winked at me, before turning back to Damon and heading off the field. I stared at him until he disappeared.

“Oh my goddess, was that Apollo.” Audra asked. Pulling me back to reality.

“Yeah I had no idea he was that good. He just joined training the other day.” I was in complete shock, but also excited it meant I finally had someone good to train against. We left the field and enjoyed some more of the festival, dancing around to music and eating and drinking our body weight in treats and alcohol. The sun was beginning to rise as we headed back. I walked Audra home before heading back to the palace. Most Fae had headed home themselves , only a few stay behind to help clean up. I walked back to the palace, slowly making my way to my room. I stripped my clothes, once I entered, not bothering to get dressed. I crawled into my bed, wrapping myself up in my blanket. The events of the night playing in my mind. A smile spread across my face, Ryuu’s voice rung in my head as I welcomed sleep.

“The great divide is coming…”

***