The solo tournament was over. The group had done well. Jack got 307th, Sable got 360th, Chad got 375th, Ariel got 72nd, and Salem got 130th. Now the city was celebrating one of the four elemental holidays. Today was the day of Fire. The festival was a celebration of the Fire element. Every year they had a festival one for each of the four main elements; Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Each festival was slightly unique and was celebrated in a distinctive way. The Fire festival is famous for being a party all night and having incredible fireworks at midnight. Jack and Ariel had never seen fireworks and were excited to see them for the first time.

While walking around Jack took the time to ask Ariel more about herself. He had found out earlier in the year that she had also absorbed an element naturally. Her tribe was one of the few places in the world that encouraged their people to absorb elements naturally. Although many pass away, their tribe holds that those who are destined to withstand the elements will live. Ariel lost her sister to the ceremony. The technique that her tribe uses is to lay the person down and place the core on their chest. They do it on your birthday and the person is instructed to lay still for three days. Most people only take a couple of hours to absorb the element. A couple of people have taken more than one or two days. Ariel had a scar on her chest from the air element. The scar seemed to sort of follow the flow of air if it were to be drawn. It was in some weird spiral pattern. Jack's scar resembled electricity in that it was extremely rocky and jagged, whereas Ariel's scar appeared smooth and flowing.

They walked down the street checking out all the stalls. A bunch of the stalls were food and it smelled amazing. The gang walks from stall to stall inspecting all sorts of amazing delectables. Their mouths were watering by the time they were finished walking down one street and there was the entire city to go. Luckily for the group, Salem had a dimensional storage bag. These were practically unheard of and incredibly expensive, but of course, Salem’s family is so rich it wasn't a big deal for him. He stored all the interesting foods and treats they found because his bag can maintain temperature and freshness. They were walking along and suddenly there was a loud bang in the sky, Jack and Ariel freaked out. But everyone around them cheered and laughed.

“What the hell was that?” Jack asked confused.

“Ha ha ha relax those are fireworks.” Sable laughed.

“Oh. Really?” Ariel Asked. “Those are fireworks?” She seemed disappointed. But Jack was blown away by their beauty. “You should see the treetops of the Goran canyon glow on a spring night, it’s much more pretty than this.”

Jack looked over at her. “I’m sure it is but we’re not there. We are here, and this is pretty cool too.”

She seemed to mull it over for a moment. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.” Then she smiled looking up at the fireworks. It wasn’t midnight but some people seemed to be shooting fireworks off anyway. The group just stood still for a minute and watched the sky looking at the beautiful display. But then the commotion and excitement of the festival quickly brought them back. For the rest of the evening, they ran around playing and laughing forgetting their troubles and stress from the academy. There were plenty of shopping stalls lining the street. The group walked along marveling at the extraordinary wares that were from all over the world.

“Whoa, look at that.” There was a stall selling elegant clothing. Chad seemed to be enamored with something and walked over. Sable was distracted by a food cart and went to grab some of the treats for the group. Salem, Ariel, and Jack followed Chad to see what had grabbed his interest. He had found a ridiculous-looking hat.

“What the hell is that?” Jack asked.

“It’s my new hat,” Chad said.

“Definitely not,” Jack replied.

“What do you mean? I love it.” The hat was hard leather with a large brim. And on top of the hat was an absurdly long feather standing straight up. “It is elegant, its pure style. I love it, and I must have it.”

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Ariel and Salem were quietly watching Jack and Chad bicker. Jack looked at them. “A little help please.” He said toward the pair.

“Why?” Salem asked.

“Yes, I like it,” Ariel said.

“No, you do not,” Jack said. Ariel and Salem were doing their best to keep a straight face. Chad had taken the hat off the display and was now wearing it proudly. He looked ridiculous.

“I look like an airship captain!” Chad said proudly puffing out his chest.

“Please, for the love of god take it off,” Jack begged. He was beginning to get embarrassed. He looked around to see if anybody was watching them.

“My good sir, how much doth such a fine cap cost?” Chad was putting on a horrible pompous accent. The shopkeeper looked at him curiously, but he could smell a sale, so he went to work.

“Ah, I see you are a gentleman with wonderful taste. The hat looks stunning on you if I do say so myself. I have never seen a hat worn by a finer gentleman.” The salesman was laying it on thick. But Chad was eating it up. Now Chad was attempting to make some ridiculous regal face by sucking in his cheeks and puckering his lips.

“Please, someone. “Jack begged, but no one was listening. The salesman continued his pitch to Chad while Ariel and Salem look at his other wares. Eventually Sable showed back up. Jack couldn’t help but notice he had gone to more than one food stall. But he was starving so he didn’t say anything. Instead, he grabbed a plate and started digging in.

“Oh man this is really good,” Jack said staring down at the food. “What is it.”

“No idea" Sable replied. "But it smells fantastic. So, what’s going on here?” Sable motioned to the ridiculous scene in front of them. Chad was making a dumb face while wearing a ridiculous hat on his head and attempting horribly to speak in a dignified manner.

Sable and Jack just watched the spectacle unfold while they ate. After a few minutes, Ariel and Salem came over and joined them to eat. The four of them just watched while Chad made a fool of himself. Eventually, Chad did purchase the hat and happily wore it for the rest of the evening.

It was an amazing evening, the group continued to try all sorts of amazing foods throughout the fair. There were games to try and vendors selling trinkets and souvenirs for the group to take home as a reminder of their fun evening. Salem found a small carved miniature that he really liked. Chad had bought a pair of fancy gloves that matched his hat. Ariel had found some cheap books with strange stories and explanations that she was excited to read through. Jack had found some special tools he liked. One stall had a large selection of books from all over the world, and another had beautiful artwork from local artists. The group spent hours exploring different stalls and vendors, browsing through the wares on display, and haggling with the vendors in good spirits. In the end, they walked away satisfied with their purchases and full of delicious food.

But there was one more surprise in store for the group. As they were leaving, they heard some music playing from a nearby tent. They stopped to investigate and what they found inside was truly remarkable. It was a show unlike any other; local performers were putting on a special act. There was a woman standing on a stage singing. Her voice was amazing. The group was entranced by her song. Mesmerized by her skill, the group found a seat to enjoy the show.

A single spotlight lit up the woman. The sunlight outside had long since faded and the artificial light was dim and warm. Candles littered the room, filling the space with their slight musk and the aroma of honey and beeswax that was pleasant and relaxing. The singer stood in the center of a candlelit stage bathed in red light and smoke. She wore a long, lacy black dress, and a veil over her face. The dress shimmered with the light, and her dark hair fell to her waist, moving to the music as if it were a living entity. Her voice was soft and smooth. The candles burnt oils and incense, creating a sweet, smoky haze. Jack didn’t know the language, but it sounded beautiful and melodious.

Her singing was a whisper. The room was warm as Jack sat on a wooden bench. He could feel the grain of the wood beneath him, the pieces of loose splinters he could pull out if he tried. The woman’s voice soothed, and each note would caress his ear. By the end of the performance, the group was completely enamored with the woman. They left the tent in a haze.

It was an awesome day, and an amazing evening Jack wished would last forever. By the time midnight came, they were exhausted but they were super excited to see the firework display. It was worth staying up for it was everything that they could have wanted and more. The city not wanting to be seen as anything but magnificent had to go all out with its firework display. The fireworks explosions lasted an entire hour, and they lit up almost the entire sky. The fireworks would do everything they would fly animate and dance. At one point they had two different fireworks fighting each other. They looked like giant swordsmen battling in the sky. Once the display was over, they all sleepily headed back to their dorms.