"So what should we do first?" Larishazza asked us with evident excitement as she sprung about. Her feet leaving traces of water magic on the stone path and garden walls as she passed by them. And the stone even reacted to the magic and gently glowed as it went across it.
"What is there for us to do, for starters." I say to her as I shake the map about. Staring at the water-magic user after she took it from me and rolling my eyes afterwards.
"Dances, ranges, cook-offs, prize hunts, games and food and every possible thing that could make you happy!" she answers as she pushes it out towards us. The local population caused a dense field of wind magic that actively made the map go out. If had been any larger than Larishazza would be slowly sliding away!
"So it's mostly like a normal festival then?" Einervaene asked as she looked closely at the map. Her head soon turned away so she could see what we were near. That being mostly shops as we had only just left the entrance to this town. One of, at the very least.
"Yeah, only difference is Aahtha will be mentioned a lot and she will clearly influence a lot of the decoration." I clarify to her as she points at the map.
"Should we just have a look around first or should we just get straight into it?" she then asked before Larishazza jumped in.
"Straight in!" she declared as she stuck out her hand while balancing on a single leg.
I smiled first and nearly laughed, "This is just a map, so let's find a schedule or something. We might not want to be stuck in something and hear a call-to-arms as it were."
"Wait, hold on, it has a timetable or something here." Einervaene then pointed out as she gestured to where Larishazza's hands had been. They were blocking some key details it seemed.
"Not a very detailed one, though. But, it does give some details of note. For example, it says that at the mid-point of the day, there will be a team-based hunt. One involving halo light and mirrors."
"Is it a race then?" Larishazza asked as she crawled under to look at it.
"It doesn't specify, just says prize hunt." I tell her as I trap her between my legs. Watching her squirm pitifully and intentionally beneath me.
"What sort of prize?" Einervaene asked as it became clear her mind was going places.
"Doesn't say, but, it would surely have to be something related to Aahtha, no? It does start at the Temple of Equals after all."
"But a temple of equals is designed to honour all gods."
"Doesn't mean they can't have an Aahtha-themed event start there."
"I suppose..." Einervaene mumbled as a finger went near her mouth.
"We still have some time before it anyway, see, the clock has about three positions before it reaches mid-cycle." I then said to her as pointed up. No point in worrying about this hunt for the moment. Other things were around for us to do after all.
"Hurry up! I want to do something!" Larishazza then moaned from below as she slapped me with limp-wristed efforts.
"Get up!" I told her as I stepped away from her and made a decision for her. I wanted to do something near the bakeries and gardens! I could smell from here but I wanted the smells to be so much denser!
"Oh, this one is pretty." Einervaene said all of a sudden when she came to a stop. Something that forced us to stop so we did not risk being separated.
"What?" I called out to her before I saw what stopped her. And then, out of curiosity, I moved a little closer as I could not smell it. I was right next to this flower with glass-like colouring yet it was not smellable... Odd.
"Are you alright!?" Einervaene then asked in worry after the flower burst open and spat on me. Initially, I was unable to respond as I was suddenly light-headed and stumbling about. But, after that brief moment, I came to a stop and was suddenly confused. That flower now suddenly smelled like me and had the same colour as my fur...
"And stolen..." I said to the flower as I picked it and put it in my hair. I wasn't sure why, but maybe it was just the gimmick of the flower that made me do it. This flower was now a me-flower and I wanted to enjoy it.
"I don't smell, do I?" Larishazza then suddenly asked as I noted this sudden smell influx. It seemed like she had set several of these flowers off and now the immediate area stank of her. It wasn't an awful smell by any means, but it was a little much.
So I hid my nose and mouth and laughed as I walked by, "Just a little." I giggled out as we walked away from these flowers. Yet the smell would not go away despite how far we moved. And it wasn't because Larishazza was following us! It was because Einervaene had begun to put them in her own hair!
"What are you doing?" I found myself asking her as her coppery hair contrasted with the blue flowers. Her fingers diligently worked non-stop to try and make her hair as suitable for them as possible.
"I'm just putting some flowers in my hair..." she answered while looking away.
"But why ones that smell of her?" I loudly asked back while stabbing a finger at the woman in question. My eyes widened as I watched Einervaene grow nervous.
"They smell like the All-Coast..." she said to me while looking away. Larishazza, for some reason as well, was looking away with a frown.
Only for her to then improve in mood, "Look! Over there! It's a make your own ice cream!" she said as she hopped up and down. Her arm practically waved at the crowd there, the stand and the animal displayed near it. With said animal being fed bits of grass by happy and excited children.
"I guess we could do with something cool, it seems to be a bit humid here." Einervaene said, her agreement clearly only existing to get out of the questioning. But, fine, ice cream was ice cream...
"Ah, hello you three, you here to enjoy some self-made frozen delicacy?" the man running the place asked as he stepped out. His large belly jiggled as he smiled at us while patting his hands down. And it was clear he had been busy, he was covered in milk and flavouring stains.
"Indeed we are! What do we do!?" Larishazza asked as she went to a stall and sat down. The narrow, tall seat spun around rapidly when she got on it.
"Well, first, we got to ask Hammia here if she'll bless her milk for us."
"This all comes from her?" I asked as I too sat down.
"Indeed! Every bit of ice cream I will sell today came from this mighty fine animal of mine." he says as he rubs the bloated creatures head. But, it wasn't bloated because of overfeeding, that was just how it was. A sack-covered animal that evolved to survive slipping down mountains... Not really sure how it learned to get up mountains at all, though.
"Mrrrrrraaaaaahhhh!" Hammia let out before it bit down on more feed a child was offering it.
"Interesting." Einervaene quipped out as she stared at all the machinery near us.
"Alright, so how much do we owe you then?"
"Oh, as it is a festival to one of the goddesses. I'll let you have a small portion for free. Especially if you use it to bring a smile to someone else's face. It's my, pleasure." he explained, his head nodding at the end before he broke out laughing.
I smiled and shook my head, "I think we'll take more than a small portion then." I said before I put some money out as Larishazza dumped it all on me. This wasn't even when we arranged something for Nin, it was as soon as the bank gave it to her!
"This is enough for four large portions." the man repeated as he counted the blocky money.
"Yeah, we have a friend who is a bit behind, so we'll get it for him."
"Oh? Him?" he repeated with a smile once he caught on to that word.
"Ask her for the details." I then deflected away from me while gesturing to Einervaene.
"Well, I wish you all the luck with your friend then." he said with a loud laugh as Einervaene boiled up. Her face was soon being buried in her hat so she could hide behind it.
"Don't worry, ice cream will calm you down." I tell her while gently patting her back. Moving my hand away, however, when I felt a subtle shock go across me. It wasn't much, just a static shock, but I knew it was a warning.
"Oh! We can use magic on the machines here and make it more unique!" Larishazza let out as she began to fling water everywhere.
"Indeed you can, so how about it you three, want to show me what you can do with a tub of ice cream?" the owner asked as he lifted up a reasonably thick piece of wood before he let us in. His hands and body guided us towards the machine in question before a slot opened up.
Something that caused me to jump as it was far too familiar, "Oh, no, no, no, no..." I repeated over and over while waving my injured hand ahead of me.
"Ah, I see, you have one of those kinds of airships. Don't worry, nothing will hurt you." the man said in understanding before he put his own hand in. His face not even flinching as the machine came to life. All before it squirted out some slightly green and soft cream. And then he showed off his hand.
"I... I think I'll wait for those two to go..." I muttered nervously before Larishazza dove in and hummed a tune.
"It tickles." she giggled out before the machine let out what looked like half-melted ice cream. Only, it wasn't, it just looked like it as it took on her magical properties. So it looked like I was staring into a tub filled with a coastline.
"Interesting..." I commented as Larishazza put a spoon into it which made the ice cream suddenly stop moving. It now looks much more like ice cream, only blue with a bit of yellow.
"Wait! I didn't pick any flavours..." Larishazza then says as she held the ice cream tub.
"Don't worry about it, the machine can alter flavours if you wish. Just pop it into that oven-like bit." we were informed by the man. All the while, Einervaene stared at the machine.
But, for now, I focused on the grinning Larishazza, "Oh, I have an idea!" she sang out before she put it in. Her hands going to work as she pressed various buttons before she stepped away rubbing them.
"What did you do?" I asked her to which she just smirked.
"I prepared a surprise!" she vaguely informed me with before she took it out and tasted it. Her smile grew even wider before she sealed the tub shut.
"Einervaene, something wrong?" I then asked the other one as she continued to stare at the machine. Walking up to her just in case she wanted to whisper the answer.
"I don't know what flavours Nin likes..." she mumbled which reminded me of the fact we bought four tubs.
"Just get him something sweet, I'm sure he'll like it."
"But I haven't really seen him eat sweet..."
"He's eaten honey before, get him a honey-flavoured one."
"But is that really something he likes?" Einervaene questioned as she kept on making herself more worried.
"Just get it!" I told her firmly, something I kept up until she nodded.
"C-Can this one be honey-flavour please..." Einervaene then asked the man quietly.
"Sure, what kind?" he asked back and Einervaene froze and looked over at me.
"Whatever one is not overpowering but still flavourful." I said with a shrug as I really didn't know much about honey variations.
He smiled, "Sure, I can do that." he said before he went about sorting it out. And while he did that, I returned my attention to the stationary Einervaene. Briefly watching her hands like she was before she moved.
"Alright, let's try and do this." she uttered quietly before she suddenly turned into lightning. Her new form had made her the centre of attention for this brief moment. And once that was done, the crowd around the ice cream stand cheered for her. Clearly impressed by her display of magic or it might have just been the spell that got to them.
I had to admit, it was a strange experience. You got so used to seeing people use magic at Suhurlodst that you forgot what most people could not do. Magic may have been present in all the people of this land but so few actually used spells. But, to bear it in mind, that few were still quite the number.
And with how technology was progressing... How it made using your magic so much easier. I would not be surprised if even the common individual could cast minor spells. Like, perhaps my current arcane talents would be a new bare minimum standard in the future?
"C-Can we go somewhere quiet?" Einervaene then asked me, her face slightly red as she realised her circumstances.
"Right, sure, we got what we want." I said to her before making sure we had Nin's ice cream. Only, we had forgotten one thing, my ice cream. And, well, I did not want to use that machine with the hand slot... So I just scooped up a pre-made flavour and left.
"Enjoy the festival you three!" the stall owner called out to us with a wave. Something Larishazza returned while Einervaene and I focused on leaving. But, I did offer a small gesture of farewell. Just not as grand as the grown-up child next to me with blue hair.
"WE WILL!" Larishazza screamed back before she began to dig into her ice cream. Only to stop and clutch her head after she went through probably a quarter of it.
"Stupid." I commented before I looked at the map again. Ignoring the pout I was getting from Larishazza as she returned to her ice cream. An expression she kept up until I looked at her and that spoon in her mouth. And then she just smiled and went back to doing what she was before.
"I think we should start heading towards the temple now." Einervaene suggested once she had finished being her.
"We still have plenty of time, it can wait." I said back to her.
"But look how crowded this place is, we might get stuck in the queues and not get anything done."
"So why does that mean we should head to the temple?"
"Because that way we can still make it to the big event but also look at everything else on the way." she said just before she twirled some of her hair.
"Hm, fair." I replied with a pop, folding up the map slightly before putting it away again.
"Where to? Where to!?" Larishazza asked me as she let her head direct the way her body walked. A risky endeavour considering how crowded this place was. Yet, somehow, she was able to not hit anything with the top of her head.
"What about that, that seems like it could be fun." I then pointed out when we came by something with a rather small queue. For some reason, it only had a few pairs lined up for it.
"Hey! You three! Would you like to partake in this pad-hop race? We just need one more team to have a full set!" a member of staff for this event asked us while we got closer. I was intending to read the sign they had up, but this would do.
"What do you do in a pad-hop race?" I asked first just to clarify anything for the other two. But, admittedly, I had never heard of this either.
"Simple, we tie you up here and here," she said as she gestured to her wrist and then her ankle, "and then we have you make it across this pool by running on the lily-pads!"
"And if you fall?"
"You get wet!" she said with a giggle.
"Do you have to stay on the lily-pads?" Larishazza then asked as she skipped over. Her blue hair made the staff member become all excited as well.
"If you want to win, but with you I suppose only because it is fair!" she giggled out while twirling this bit of blue in her own hair. As if she was trying to impress her hero or something.
"Alright! A challenge though..." Larishazza initially started with excitement before she looked at Einervaene. Her mood took a sudden dive in the process when she did that. And I was stuck in the middle of it as the pair was awkwardly staring at each other.
"Come on you two, give it a go, you might have fun." I said to them in encouragement. I may have put on the outward appearance of kindness, but it was mostly because I was sick of it. Before we did that dance days prior those two kept bickering. I needed to help them get over their animosity.
"This is too much water... I can't!" Einervaene tried to warn before I started guiding her. Having just taken away her items and loose clothing so the pair could go ahead.
"Enough excuses, win that race!" I ordered her and Larishazza by extension as I left them in the line. Smiling cheekily as the members of staff got them sorted before they guided them up. The pair soon standing awkwardly on a platform near what seemed to be seven other pairs? I could not really see.
"Would you like a seat?" I was then asked by a member of staff as they waddled over to me.
"Sure, might as well." I said to them with a shrug in part because I didn't want to hold all of this.
"Just make your way over there and join the families of the other contestants." they explained, nodding in acknowledgement before I went over. But, I felt awkward myself now as I was on my own. Everyone else was in their groups but I was on my own. To say nothing of how hearing the f-word made me sad...
But, I just reminded myself of how close I was to seeing them again. How close we were to saving them. So I just needed to set it aside and try to enjoy myself for now. I would hold them in my arms soon enough.
For now, "YOU TWO BETTER WIN!" I shouted out to the team I was watching. This shout of mine also set off a reaction that got everyone else cheering for their teams. And despite the situation I was in, being the only one cheering for my team. I kept on going even if I was getting drowned out.
And then it started with a loud bang and metallic clang. A gun had been fired to signal the start and the platform they were on collapsed. All of the teams subsequentially fell down onto the lily-pads below. With not even my rooted for team getting to their feet quickly.
Everyone was just shaking and trembling and one team had already fallen into the water. And in that moment I saw just how hard it was to get back on. But, there was also another problem. Einervaene was getting spooked by the lack of stability.
She was sparking off bits of magic and the water was occupied by staff and contestants...!
"LARISHAZZA! KEEP EINERVAENE OUT OF THE WATER!" I screamed out to them in worry. Something they thankfully heard and acknowledged. Gone was the awkwardness from before and instead it was replaced with determination. Her expression was hard and did not falter.
She was trying her hardest to keep Einervaene out of the water but it was not enough. The bondage they were put into was preventing Larishazza from doing anything complicated. And as the race went on it only got worse as the lily-pads moved or were overturned by staff. It got to the point the pair stopped, fortunately, they also had the lead.
"Einervaene, listen to me." Larishazza said to her. Something I only heard as I was enhancing my hearing.
"I want to get out...! Can someone let me out!" the worried lightning user cried out.
"Einervaene!" Larishazza said sternly as she held her close.
"What?" Einervaene said with a gulp as her heels were not helping her here. They did not offer much to grip with and she was slipping.
"Follow my lead okay? Just copy what I do." Larishazza said to her while nodding. The worried one nodded shortly after she got some stability in her legs. And then, Einervaene was thrown onto the next lily-pad and the pair spun about. With Larishazza's toes reaching out to the next one as she too spun.
And from there, with the guidance of Larishazza, the pair began to spin to win. Each rotation landed them on a new lily-pad until they reached the end. Right next to this much larger one with a blooming flower on it. Yet, on that final one, it was Larishazza of all people who slipped.
But, they stopped as Einervaene used her heels to her advantage. Having stabbed them straight into the thick green body of the pad so she could anchor herself. And from there, she leaned back until Larishazza collapsed on top of her. Laughter came from both of them before they squirmed up to their feet.
Just in time too, for another team had managed to catch up to them. As they had used magic to propel a pad straight to it. Their hands desperately reached for something inside of the flower. Only for them to then stop as my team got their hands on it.
And my reaction was boisterous, "GET IN!" I screamed in triumph as I began to shake the barricade before me. My team also cheered as an alarm went off. And once they were back on dry ground, I charged them while holding all our stuff.
"Look what we won!" the pair nearly said in unison, causing them both to smile at each other.
"What is it?" I asked as I stared at it. It looked like the lily-pad flower but it was also made of glass or something. Was it a piece of jewellery or was it just a trophy? Going by how I was now watching another be put in by the staff. I was willing to guess it was the latter option.
"It's our trophy, see!" Larishazza said as she gestured to the inscription that appeared when it was put near light.
"Einervaene and Larishazza..." I repeated what I read for their names were now shadows on the ground.
"Alright, I call dibs on the next trophy we win then!" I told them with vocalised determination and expressed envy.
"I want to show Nin." Einervaene then said as she took hold of it and smile at it.
"Where is Nin anyway?" I then asked pointlessly as none of us actually knew where he was. We had left him back on the airship and had been going about the town.
"We'll run into him later, now come on! I want to have more fun with my friends!" Larishazza said as she dismissed the topic and held our arms up. Her jumping body sent slight shakes through the limbs in question.
"Fine, the temple is this way, let's see if we can find anything else we can do." I said.
"Let's see? You make it sound like we'll find nothing!" Larishazza told me with a smile.
"You know what I mean!" I shot back with, a tone of mock annoyance being how I did it.