Chapter 177 - The Festival of the Tides

Dawn rose from the sea over a city that already buzzed with life. Flynn stumbled out of his warm bed, stretching his limbs. He opened the window, the chill air stung his skin and the sounds of the capital rushed in to wash away any sleepiness.

The boisterous caws of seagulls perched on the rooftops, the subtle creaking and groaning of the buildings. Each noise was crisper after a night shielded by the dampening enchantment.

But it was the people he was most interested in. It had become a ritual of sorts to begin each day listening to the city and its inhabitants. In the relative quiet, his skills could pick up distant voices that would be otherwise lost in the later clamor.

The chatter of daily life as people prepared to go about their day. Now and then he also overheard interesting nuggets. Enforcers complained about their superior, a man left his lovers to return to his family, sailors commented on a new merchant ship carrying precious cargo.

Today was different, the preparations for the Festival made the bubble burst with anticipation. Children prattled in high pitches to their families, asking what was going on. Then the milder voices of parents and older siblings patiently explained the significance of the alignment.

Flynn could hear the smiles in their voices with painful clarity. What was his family doing? Would his sister stare at the moons in wonder like she used to? No. The naive toddler with her little nose pointed up at the sky had been replaced by a sour child burning with hate.

Salea would be fourteen this year, a grown woman. No doubt she planned to pick a profession that would help their crusade—just like he did. For years he had wanted to believe his little sister was still there, buried beneath the layers of resentment.

If only he could say the right words or do the right thing, she would come back. He had tried smiling for both, filled the silences with talk and laughs. He had offered the spirits everything he had for a sign. When that didn’t work, he had even prayed to the Seven Moons for help, but the gods were uncaring.

No matter what he tried, she kept slipping away. They had hardly seen each other after he was accepted into the program, and every time they met, she was a little more like their mother. Her smile cold and calculated. She watched him as if he were another piece on the board instead of her brother.

Spirits know where they are now.

No doubt their mother had interpreted the moons as a sign of favor from the ancestors. Had she worried when he disappeared? Come looking for him? She probably did, though he couldn’t say if she had come looking for her son or for the traitor.

‘Don’t disappoint me’ was the last thing she said to him. It had made her priorities crystal clear. He had spent years deluding himself that they could go back, he just had to be patient and do as he was told.

Swallowing the truth had been a slow and bitter process. No matter what he did, his family was gone. They had been irremediably broken the night his dad was murdered, and his words couldn’t do shit about it. His mother was dead, and the sweet sister looking up at him with large eyes only lived in his memories.

I had to leave, they left me no choice.

The wind carried more laughter and smiles. Flynn shut the window, but the dull ache lingered. It wasn’t supposed to hurt anymore, yet it did. The memories refused to leave him alone.

Will they even remember it’s my birthday?

Another stupid thought. Why couldn’t his mind listen? Why would they start remembering now? His best birthday had been at Hawkfield surrounded by the enemy, and his present an extra portion of stew in the mess hall.

It was a very tasty stew though.

Forcing his thoughts on the present, Flynn hurried to the bathroom. While Kai would already be up, he always stayed in his room meditating. That should leave him enough time to get ready. He had promised to show him around the outer city, and he intended to deliver.

He turned the knob towards cold water, letting the freezing jet wash his face till the skin was numb. Drying himself off, he raked a hand through his brown curls to make them intentionally messy and smiled at the mirror. It was his birthday, people expected him to be happy.

Good enough.

“Happy birthday, old man!” Kai ambushed him outside the door, his grin grew wider when he jolted in surprise.

You were supposed to still be in bed meditating. Damn thoughts, Flynn cursed himself, wearing a confident demeanor as if nothing had ruffled him. When had he stopped paying attention? He should have heard the steps, or seen him through the wall with Mana Sense.

Kai was right, the skill opened a whole new world. It was worth the slot just for the secrets it could reveal. Especially in a city like Higharbor, where every second person carried an enchanted item.

He’s gonna be so smug when he finds out.

“Here’s your gift.” Kai pulled out a tiny square package with an oversized golden ribbon. The crimson wrapping of the package looked expensive, likely from one of the shops in the upper city.

Flynn furrowed his brow. Thankfully there was no glow of mana, so it must not have cost too much. “You already gave me one.”

The sea serpent’s fang was the prettiest and sharpest blade he owned, which were the same thing really. He had taken it as part of their game without realizing how much it was worth. He felt a pang of guilt, but Kai would have hidden it in his ring when he got home if he didn’t want him to have it.

Or knock me down…

It was amusing to think a kid who was a head shorter than him could beat him up to a pulp. Time and painful sparrings had made that lesson clear. His pride hung on the fact he could do the same with most adults.

“I can bring it back if you don’t want it.”

Flynn clutched the little box and sighed. “It’s fine. I’ll make this sacrifice for you.”

“Such honor, I’m not sure I’m worthy.” Kai rolled his eyes, watching him in anticipation.

“Don’t worry, you’ll make it up to me.” He graciously conceded.

Untying the ribbon revealed more wrapping, and a second box inside, and then a third, smaller box. Finally, his present stood in the palm of his hand: the tiniest and cutest pastry he had ever seen. It wasn’t much larger than his thumbnail but had been decorated like a real cake. Tiny red and white stripes with a golden fifteen on top.

“Do you like it?” Kai grinned, letting a speck of mirth show.

I wish I could see what poor clerk was forced to package it.

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Flynn hid his relief and pursed his lips. “Are you trying to tell me that I’m fat?”

“I—”

“Kiddin’, I love it! Since I was a child, my deepest desire has always been to celebrate my birthday with a tiny cake. How did you know?” He took one of his pocket knives to cut the pastry precisely down the middle. “Here, your share.”

“Do you sleep with a knife?” Kai delicately picked his half between two fingers.

“You don’t?” Flynn threw his present in his mouth. “Mhmm… for a moment I could almost taste it on the tip of my tongue.”

“I know, can you believe it cost one silver?”

Flynn almost choked. “Rich people are crazy.”

“I’m rich.” Kai smugly grinned, bringing out the gold mesar he was obsessing over.

“Exactly my point.”

Midway through breakfast, Kai brought out a normal-sized mango cake. It was always mango with him. Flynn preferred almost any other fruit, but it was the thought that mattered.

“Let’s go! I’ll show you the Festival.”

Kai groaned. “Do we have to go this early?”

“I know it must be horrifying, but you’ll survive a day without training.”

“How do you know? Are you going to take responsibility if I drop dead?”

“No, I’ll leave you in a ditch and deny knowing you. Now get ready. Today no reading dusty tomes, no designing runes and no alcheming. My birthday, my rules. We’re going out.”

Kai flinched at each word till he slumped defeated. “As you command, birthday boy.”

~ ~ ~

Despite the daylight, Kai could see the shadows of six moons inching closer among the clouds. The alignment wouldn’t be till the evening, but the effects were already notable.

The port was the first destination for the day. Theirs and of another few thousand people, judging by how packed it was. The smell of salt filled the air like when tropical storms blew from the sea. Everyone wanted to check the mysterious seawall.

“You okay?” Flynn shouted to be heard over the crowd. “We can come back when there are less people.”

Kai forced a nonchalant smile, pushing away the claustrophobic feeling of the crowd. “It’s fine. I can do it.”

Despite his words, he felt immediate relief when Flynn led him away from the human wall. They headed for the statue of an imperious Merian hero on horseback. A dozen teenagers had the same idea, waiting their turn, they managed to climb on the horse.

Who would have thought these statues weren’t completely useless?

Flynn watched with wide eyes. “I didn’t think it’d actually work.”

“It’s not bad,” Kai begrudgingly admitted.

Everyone knew the governor had promised to stop the high tide from submerging the city, though it was different to see it in person. A line of meter-high pillars had been planted along the shore. The sea stopped against an invisible wall like in an aquarium.

A few spurts hit the crowd when the waves surpassed the boundary of mana. Schools of fish and large hulls were visible through the barrier, swimming and floating over the children. Even knowing that each vessel was firmly anchored, Kai couldn’t stop the feeling that the ships were about to crash over everyone’s head.

Fine, it’s quite impressive.

He squinted and activated Mana Sense. The network of runes on the pillars morphed as he watched, never making any sense. The enchantments had been obscured and covered in white plaster to hide the physical engravings.

According to Edgar, it was a mediocre cloaking that could be pierced by anyone with a little time and patience. It was the only part of the project for which the Republic hadn’t consulted the gnome to cut costs.

Either way, Kai knew he would have no luck, the line of enforcers didn’t allow anyone to get close enough. “I think it’s some kind of movable array, linked through an elemental resonance to—”

“Don’t make it boring,” Flynn complained. “Magic doesn’t always need an explanation.”

“Actually, it does.”

“Not today, I invoke my birthday privileges!”

Power is already going to his head.

“Looks like I was wrong. A mage wrote magic scribbles on the ancient stones and waved his wand to push back the sea.” Kai delivered with a flat tone.

“I knew you’d see the truth.”

Spirits, what have I done…

It would have been cool to swim through the streets of a flooded city, though it would have caused considerable damage. The last alignment had generated a low tide like the one before that.

He vaguely remembered the high tide during a Festival in Whiteshore. Their village had been high enough to avoid the worst of it, and the wooden houses were easy to move and repair. He had cried when his parents forbade him from swimming through the flooded forest.

“Can we go home now?” Kai had been planning on exploring the Festival, though he was beginning to understand the other boy had no intention of going home before dark.

“C’mon, this is just the beginning. Try to have fun.”

“I’ll do my best.” Kai put on an oversized smile and helplessly followed Flynn. Away from the port, it got less crowded as they entered the maze of streets. Every citizen of Higharbor was outside for the Festival, but they could walk without squeezing other people.

“Here we are.” His friend excitedly announced. Both sides of the road had been filled with colorful stalls with no apparent end. And the air filled with chatter, laughter and merry songs. “You can always get the best deals and food during a Festival.”

Huh… When was the last time I went to a market instead of a shop?

He had stopped by in his first week in Higharbor and he never came back, charmed by the shiny stores in the richer districts. Seeing the improvised stalls and merchants shouting their wares, Kai had to admit he had missed the feeling.

Scour the stalls for hidden gems, laugh at the ridiculous stories of the sellers, and haggle on every piece. The smell of spices and fried snacks. It wasn’t just about buying, but an adventurous experience.

“Here,” Flynn paid a copper and a handful of chips, realizing that Kai only had silver.

“May the spirits smile on you.” The woman manning the stall gave them two coconut drinks with a warm smile.

“So how is it to walk around us mortals again?” Flynn teased him and took a sip. “Think you can survive another hour away from your dark chambers? We can go back if you need to recover.”

The crowd wasn’t suffocating with the winter air. Kai pressed his lips before letting the smile show. “Only one way to know, birthday boy. Show me everything.”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll make sure to not leave any pebble unturned.” Flynn gave him a toothy smile. “This way, we have much to see. I know where we can find an appropriate offering.”

The rising waters meant the Festival of the Tides would honor the great spirit of the sea, Kahali. They bought a straw basket and went browsing for seven offerings that spoke to them.

Symbolism and personal meaning mattered more than value, though the merchants offered plenty of expensive knickknacks. It wasn’t necessary to pick a theme, but Kai went with shells like his dad did on their first Festival.

A purple star-shaped conch for his innocent childhood, a black pointy one for the first year in Greenside, a white spiral for change at the estate. One by one, he looked for the right shape and colors to represent every stage of his life.

Flynn chose a more eclectic mix: a cracked mirror, a blade with no handle, a creepy doll with no eyes. Each item looked to be broken or damaged in some way, except the final spyglass. Though Kai didn’t get the chance to look through before it disappeared inside his basket.

He swallowed his questions, ignoring his burning curiosity. Flynn appeared to be enjoying himself despite his somber collection. They continued to explore the endless alleyways as the moons drew together. If there was something the market didn’t lack was food, especially of the unhealthy variety.

They found an old man who sold some kind of fried pancakes that could be filled with their choice of cream, honey, fresh fruits and nuts. After the third, they were both bursting.

The sun dimmed and the moons shone brighter. With their baskets full, they joined the procession of people out of the city. They had to move inland to bypass the seawall and reach the waters, though they didn’t need to go far since a large part of the surrounding vegetation had been flooded.

When six moons became one in the sky, the islanders walked into the sea to let their baskets float away and reach Kahali. There was no request, the great spirit of the sea would provide as she saw fit.

Flynn looked lost in his thoughts on the way back. A stream of lanterns soared from the upper city, bringing prayers to their gods.

I’m really glad we did it. Now I want my bed, and to not see anyone for a week.

“Thank you,” Flynn spoke up when they got home.

Kai looked for the signs of a joke. His mischievous eyes were strangely innocent. “You’re welcome, but for what exactly?”

“It was the best birthday I had in… well, a while.”

You did most of the work, I should be the one thanking you. Wait! Am I a terrible person?

“Huh…” Kai stared at his feet. Improvisation offered a dozen gracious ways to respond. None of them were good enough. They weren’t honest. “Thank you for not letting me get lost among the clouds. I had a lot of fun too, we should do it again next year. Good night.” He performed a strategic retreat to his room.

Was that the best you could do, brain?

“Good night, Kai.” Flynn echoed after him, a smile in his tone.