Ch1-2: The Water Festival
“I don’t get it! Why does it take girls three centuries just to get dressed?” Palom complained.
The Black Mage leaned back against the nearest tree with a frown. His twin sister, Porom, was never on time, and he just couldn’t understand what it was that took her so long. After all, he could be out of bed, into his uniform, and combing his hair (with his fingers, of course) as he ran out the door, all in the space of seven minutes flat.
He usually still made it to class on time.
“Don’t you know anything?” Mich Suksley warbled self-importantly. “All the dames get decked out for the Water Festival. I mean, it does come only once every ten years.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So? What do you mean so? It’s a prime place to scope out the girls!”
Palom snorted.
Like any girl is going to look upside-down-sideways-or-backwards at you?
“Oh. I see,” Mich leaned back against the wall, threading his teeth with a toothpick. “You’re into that sort of thing.”
“Go soak your head, Suksley!” Palom snapped. And he meant it.
Mich was laughing about it, thinking he was pretty clever.
Great… why I have to run into him, today of all days?
Of course, Palom knew he was nothing more than a big suck-up. The moment that Mich heard Palom was under special training by the Elder of Mysidia, he instantly chose Palom as his new “best friend.”
Probably because he thinks I’m gonna be the next Elder someday. Well, I hope that I do get to be. ‘Cuz then I could banish the whole Suksley family to some island or something and we’d never have to see them again!
Palom had already made up his mind. As soon as possible, he and Porom would ditch the Suksley. Of course, Porom wouldn’t know about it or she’d chide her brother on being rude. Palom was sure that if she spent a few days with Mich in her class, she’d probably change her tune.
As if his thoughts alone were enough to trigger her appearance, Porom was suddenly there, stepping reservedly down the front steps. Palom’s head jerked up at the sight of her. All the impatient jabs he thought up during his wait flew out of his head. It was the first time that he realized that his twin sister could actually look pretty.
And she did look nice, all dressed up in a white ceremonial robe. Something about the simplicity of the outfit really brought out the girl’s kinder qualities. Porom even took the time to weave little white-blue flowers into the braid of her brown hair. When she saw her brother standing there, she gave a pert smile that completed the entire picture.
From the look on Mich’s face, he noticed, too. The boy gave a low, crude whistle.
Hey! What does that slime think he’s doing?
Palom’s brows drew down in defensive irritation.
He better not be trying to hit on MY sister!
Porom’s face shifted to mirror the expression exactly.
Palom was thankful that she had enough sense not to let herself fall for a dork like Mich. He made up his mind long ago that he’d never let a loser date his sister.
I’ll beat the tar out of whoever tries…
“So, Miss Porom,” Mich began smoothly, “I heard you don’t have an escort to the Water Festival.”
“Whatever gave you that impression?” she replied with an unconcerned voice.
In a few quick steps, Porom was standing next to her brother. Purposely, she wove her hand through the crook of his arm in a very genteel fashion. It was enough to make Palom want to gag, but if it shooed off the Suksley, then he was all for it. With a little nudge from her, they began to walk down the path towards town.
Mich wasn’t one to be put off so easily. He dogged their steps relentlessly.
“What girl in her right mind would pass up the chance to spend time with the richest Apprentice in town? You do know that my daddy’s so rich, why – he could buy the whole city of Mysidia if he wanted to!”
When there was nothing but silence in return, he added.
“And all of Baron, too! Every last airship!”
Porom congratulated, “I’m very happy for your father.”
The two of them kept walking. Porom was obviously less than impressed, and Palom was having a ball watching Suksley deal with getting shafted. All in all, it wasn’t a bad start to the day.
“Oh, I see!” Mich finally retorted, face growing heated. “You’re holding out for Cromwell, aren’t you? Well, there’s no fortune to be found in him — his family’s long since disowned him from any money that he might have inherited, you know?”
“Cromwell?” Palom frowned.
The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He was determined to get to know why real fast, especially if it was some other guy wanting to hit on his sister.
“Yeah, Alexander Cromwell? You’ve had to have heard of him. He’s the biggest A-rate loser in all of Mysidia! He’s failed the intro class three times already and still can’t cast a fireball’s worth of magic.”
Porom’s face set sharply, but she remained silent.
“Everyone knows that he’s got an eye on your sister, but he’s just too much of a wuss to get up and say so,” Mich continued, laying it on thick. “I’d be sorry to be Miss Porom, having to deal with such knocks to her good name. It’s a real pity.”
The whole talk got Palom’s mind going. If there really was a Cromwell-dweeb after Porom, he decided to give him a good bloody nose before he took another look at her. Mich Suksley was bad news, but a guy who was a Mysidian-failure and disinherited from his own family sounded ten times worse.
As they emerged from the alley, they were instantly struck by the sight of festivities. Despite the fact the city was known for its mystic nature, for Mysidia was the heart of magic upon the Blue Planet, nothing quite prepared them for the wonder that the Water Festival had brought.
The Mysidian streets were transformed. Silver streamers lined the main square, dancing in the late-spring sunlight. Some of them were merely paper made to represent the motion of water. Some were actually enchanted fountains that sparked rainbows in wide arcs over the streets. The people passing below the watery displays remained perfectly dry.
Colors abounded not only skyward, but also in streams of motion through the streets. People from all nations attended the fabled Festival. There were the up-right Baronians, the proper Damcyans, the proud-hearted Troians, the mighty Fabulians, the stout Agartians, and even a few of the secretive Eblanians.
Wow… everyone from all over the Blue Planet is here!
The Apprentices’ eyes grew round as they passed between the huge decorated tents and booths that lined the streets. The scents of strange foods sizzled up from every side. Merchants of all shapes and sizes advertised their wares in booming voices.
Man, and all the Elder gave us was two gil to spend!
Younger children ran dodging between the adults’ parades. Their faces were covered with large glittering masks that bore a remote resemblance to the great Serpent of the Sea. In their hands they trailed rainbow sparklers or toy fish strung on sticks that danced as they dangled in the air.
Magic tricks were on every corner. Bards performed on impromptu stages as if they couldn’t help but burst forth in merriment. Large group dances broke out in front of the Inn. It was a river of color so brilliant that Palom swore he’d never see the likes of such again.
Porom’s eyes were bright in the glow of surrounding joy. She tugged at his hand mirthfully, “Let’s go!”
Palom decided his sister had better timing than he gave her credit for. A few quick dodges through the crowd and the two of them were far out of sight of Mich Suksley. It was times like this when he wondered if his twin was really as sweet and innocent as she appeared.
I couldn’t have done that better if I had planned it.
Her braid bouncing behind her, Porom pulled her brother through the spinning light and color to the safety on the other side of the street. Finally stopping to catch her breath, she called out, “Have you ever seen such a thing? We’ve always heard how wonderful this festival was, but I had no idea!”
“You can say that again!” Palom gave a huge grin.
“So what do you want do first?”
There was only one thing on the boy’s mind. “CANDY!”
They passed a cart of clouded sugar and crème drops on the way through the crowds. The image was stuck in Palom’s mind. It must have been stuck in his sister’s too for she turned without objection and headed back down the street with a cheerful laugh.
Somewhere along the walkway, a voice chanted in high-verse. One of the mages of Mysidia was trying his hand at entertainment. “It was then that the great Sage Tellah stepped forward to unleash upon the Dark Lord Golbez the forgotten power of Meteo!”
Palom pulled to a stop.
“What?” Porom was jerked back.
“Do you hear that? Someone’s tellin’ a Crystal Wars story. I wonder if we’ll be in it?” the boy chortled. “Maybe we’ll get asked for autographs?”
“Don’t be silly!”
“I’m serious! Come on, let’s hear!”
Palom pulled her towards the small crowd of children who were sitting in a semi-circle at the foot of some steps. A black mage lifted his arms skyward, fingers imitating the motion of raining star-dust to accent the concept of Meteo.
Everyone on the Blue Planet knew about Meteo. It was a legendary spell, the most powerful gathering of magical force that could be controlled by a single human caster. Very few wizards were strong enough to learn it, but the Sage Tellah had been one of them.
“The clouds churned and seethed in Tellah’s fury! It shifted into a massive vortex of light, then broke open, bearing down upon the Evil One, pounding him with streaking white flames from the heavens!”
Palom wasn’t there to see the showdown between Tellah and Golbez, but it probably was pretty close to what the black mage described. He thought it was a real shame to have missed it. There was no one else in the world that he’d liked to have seen pounded into the ground more than the Dark Lord Golbez.
Even if he is supposed to be Cecil’s brother. I don’t think Cecil would mind much if I pounded him just a little bit.
“The Dark Lord was thrown back under the massive power, tattered, weakened, and on the very verge of destruction,” the mage threw his arms wide, staggering in the image of badly-acted death. “Tellah, however, had so valiantly given the last of his life force to summon up the forbidden power of Meteo, and there he passed from the world in glory and peace, having avenged the death of his daughter.”
Porom wrinkled her nose, obviously not very comforted by what she heard.
The storyteller finished with a low flourish to the astounded children. “Sage Tellah was, no doubt, one of the greatest heroes of the Crystal War.”
“That’s not what the Elder says,” Porom intoned quietly to her brother.
“Whaddya mean?”
“The Elder says that Master Tellah was eaten up by his anger and desire for revenge,” she walked him away from the group. “Though he made a terrible sacrifice, it was a foolish one.”
“Aww, come on, Sis. You know the Elder’s such a stiff! Tellah kicked some major ass, and he didn’t. So he’s just jealous that he didn’t think of it first!”
“Palom! Watch your language!” she snapped. “Besides, that’s not true! Without the Elder, Cecil would have never been able to find the Big Whale. And you know it!”
“Yeah… yeah… I guess so,” Palom grumbled an agreement, mostly because he heard the slightest hint of nagging in her voice.
Though he figured she was probably halfway right. The Elder was a pretty powerful guy, considering he was the leader of the entire Mysidian wing of the Magic Academy. Just about every orthodox mage in the world answered to him. Despite his lofty position, the Elder remained a good-natured and humble man. He always treated the Twins like his own grandchildren.
Well, when he isn’t piling us up with homework.
That’s what the whole Water Festival was about in the first place. It celebrated the Elders of the past who had fought so hard to preserve Mysidia against the unruly ocean tides. Palom knew that throughout history the city had been pounded by terrible storms and tremendous tidal waves. In the recent years, that fear subsided and the sea had rested calmly.
Probably because of the Water Crystal.
No one knew a whole lot about how the Elemental Crystals had come into being. History just marked them suddenly there. No one actually knew the effect of such items of power upon the nations which held them, either. It was obvious that they were valuable since the war between two great forces who wanted these Crystals just ended only five years ago.
There were four Light Crystals in the Upper World and four Dark Crystals in the Underworld. Each pair of Crystals held the properties of one of the key elements of the Blue Planet — Earth, Wind, Fire and Water.
Currently, the Crystal of Water was housed within the Tower of Wishes of Mysidia, just as it had been since long before Palom was born. The Mages of Mysidia watched over it in complete reverence and fidelity.
“Palom, look!” Porom’s voice jerked him back to daylight-reality. She was pointing to a brightly painted sign that was leaning against the wall. “There’s going to be an acting troop performing this afternoon. And dancing afterwards!”
He couldn’t deny the joy in his sister’s voice. Something made him wonder exactly why she was so glad about something as pansy as a dance.
“Well… that’s… really cool, Sis. I guess?”
“Oh, come on! You have no sense of culture, Palom!” she scolded softly. “A dance would do you good, I think.”
“What, me? Dance! You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
“How do you expect to charm the girls if you don’t know a few dance steps?”
“I don’t need dance steps to charm the girls, spank-you-very-much!”
“Nonsense! Every girl is triply charmed by a guy who knows how to handle himself at a dance. It’s just so refined!”
Palom wanted to tell her exactly what the word “refined” threatened to do to the undigested food in his stomach. But he figured she was being serious, and due to the festivities of the day, he didn’t really want to hurt her feelings too much.
“This is so exciting!” she chirruped.
Leave it to Sis to find the dullest things to do, even at a festival.
Visions of clouded sugar faded in front of his eyes, as did the really sweet-looking cart that had all the wicked enchanted staffs and daggers they passed. As much as he would rather be out running the streets, just for this once, he decided to humor Porom and follow her into the tent.
I guess the festival will be around for a few days. I can hit that stuff later.
“This will be the greatest night ever!” she told him in an excited whisper.
“Yeah,” Palom fought to keep the sarcasm from touching his voice, “It sure will be.”