“I’ve seen war first hand with my very eyes. A sight so beautiful… yet gruesome. Both sides are fighting to protect their loved ones. How many deaths will be accounted for? Who will be the one to put an end to this misery of ours?”

A young girl awoke from her slumber. Beads of sweat trickled down her face as she struggled to catch her breath. It’s been a pattern now, these night terrors. She’s been having the same one over and over. Left behind in her cottage while the fire within it raged on, her family completely abandoned her without a second thought. It was just a nightmare… and so Avina hoped it had stayed that way. Calling her name from the other room was her father, Aermith. In a hurry, she jumped from her bed and ran to where her father was. He surprised her with an unexpected meal, a beef stew, even with a side of wheat bread. Avina couldn’t help but wonder what she had done to be spoiled this time. Were the dishes spotless? Or perhaps it was her latest work with the decoration of the cottage? That couldn’t be it either… just what was it? Her facial expression was as confused as ever, yet she didn’t bother vocalizing her concerns. He glanced at her while a light smile formed on his face. Aermith chuckled to himself while reaching into the cabinet to grab two bowls.

“Ya’ know, you could ask what’s the special occasion. Being a little curious never hurt anyone.” He said. Avina now sat at their little round table while her father spoke. “Still don’t wanna ask huh? Are you sure Avina?” She didn’t even budge. She became more curious about how he even gathered the funds to purchase it. Winter was the current season so any sort of vegetables for sale would’ve been bought out immediately. Before her thinking could go on any longer, a bowl filled with the stew was set down in front of her. It looked good… but it felt too good to be true. The potatoes, carrots, and various spices mixed into the broth gave the beef a rich flavor that was completely foreign to Avina. Her father had already dug in, grunting here and there with every few bites. She pushed the bowl a few inches away from her. As much as she wanted to have it, it would be wrong of her to eat it. Aermith caught on quickly, not hesitating to question Avina.

“You’re not hungry?” He asked while chewing.

Avina’s eyes met her father’s. Her eyebrows furrowed before going on to speak, “Father, did you steal this? I just don’t see how you would pull together the funds to buy something at a time like this.”

Aermith was quiet. Not a word left him while he stared at his daughter. He dropped his spoon into the stew before answering, “I do something nice and you think I stole this?” There was a hint of disappointment in his tone. “No, I did not steal this meal for us. I’m disappointed you would even think I’d go that low.” He’d pick his spoon up again before resuming his eating.

“But I-” A sigh escaped her before pulling the bowl back towards her. “I- I’m sorry for thinking that Father…” Assuming the conversation was over, Avina used her spoon to dip into the stew before pulling out a single piece of beef. Steam was coming off of it. She’d blow it a few times before stuffing it into her mouth. In an instant, Avina’s eyes lit up. Meats were expensive, it’s not something she had often. But in the scenario she did have it, it surely didn’t go to waste. She dipped the spoon in the stew five more times after. At this point, she couldn’t get enough of it.

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Aermith watched her in amazement, “Woah slow down there kiddo, it’s not going anywhere.” He let out a laugh which was then followed by Avina’s laughter. It continued for a good amount of time before Aermith spoke once more, “Hey, how does heading down to the festival sound? I know we couldn’t go all the other years since I was working but I have time today. Go get ready, I'll handle the dishes.” He smiled at her.

She nodded in excitement. The rest of the beef stew was scarfed down before she hopped out of the seat. Avina ran to her room to get ready, making sure to put on a wool sweater and hat for warmth. Aermith’s smile quickly faded. The leather gloves he wore were taken off before deciding to take a look at his hands. His knuckles were bloody. They stung and hurt to the touch, but he didn’t have the time to tend to them. Before he knew it, Avina came running back in.

“Are you ready to go? Come on, let's go!” The child was impatient, eager to see the festival with her very own eyes.

Aermith concealed his hands from his daughter before slipping his gloves back on. “Alright! Alright! Let’s get out there then!” He stood from his chair while grabbing both of the empty bowls. They were left to soak in the sink full of soap and water. The two headed out shortly after, immediately being hit with cool brisk air. Everyone from all around began heading out towards the main town square. A thin layer of snow littered the streets. White flakes from the sky made their way down, collecting on the heads and even shoulders of people. Avina’s hand gripped her father’s while they walked. A slight wince came from him but it wasn’t enough to alarm his Daughter. It took a total of twenty minutes to reach the main square. Up ahead was a group of people that were huddled around someone. Avina was too small to see what was going on but her Father knew exactly what was going on.

“Quick, get on my back. This is something I don’t want you to miss!” Aermith crouched down with a sense of urgency. He gestured at Avina, signaling her to get on him. As he instructed, she climbed onto his backside. Her legs firmly wrapped around his abdomen before placing her hands on his shoulders. Aermith stood up before jogging up to the group. With Avina now being the height of her Father, the middle of the huddle could now be seen. There was a man in the middle holding a bow in one hand while an unfamiliar item was being held in the other. It was an arrow with something attached to it. Unbeknownst to Avina, it was fireworks. The fuse was lit before the arrow was brought to the string of the bow. It was then aimed up at the sky while his hand reeled the string back.

The string was let go which shot the arrow high into the air. It took seconds before a flash of colors went off. All sorts of colors illuminated the sky. Avina followed the arrow the entire time up until detonation. She slightly looked away before slowly looking back up. Her eyes met a beautiful display of colors. Avina just stared while taking her hands off of her Father’s shoulders. They raised into the air as if she was reaching to grab something.

“They’re… Beautiful.” She whispered.