The movement of the bed woke Serena as Werond got out of it, letting her make out Werond’s hand as she reached for the tip of her ear.

Werond yelped and jumped backwards as Serena swatted her hand away. She stuck her hands on her hips and glared at her, though a smile crept up her lips.

“How did you know?” She asked.

“Y…ou.” Serena’s signs were always clumsy, first thing in the morning. “shook the b…ed when you g…ot up.”

“Ah. Have to get out slower next time then.” Werond shivered, her underclothes offering nothing against the chill of the air. Without waiting for a response, she turned towards her closet.

Serena watched as Werond strode across the room and opened the closet doors. She snapped her fingers, causing a magical light on the ceiling of the closest to spring into existence; Serena blinked and squinted as it illuminated half the room from the early morning darkness.

As Werond rifled through her outfits, Serena pushed herself up in bed and rubbed the sand out of her eyes. The cold air immediately washed over her bare skin – she didn’t like sleeping in anything – and she yanked the blankets over her chest. She left her arms exposed though, sending goosebumps down their lengths as she rubbed a bit of heat into them.

Her gaze flicked to Werond as she took her time picking through her clothes, though with how many outfits she had hung up, Serena couldn’t blame her. When Werond did finally turn back, outfit draped over an arm, and walked towards the bed, Serena snapped her fingers at her.

With a small sucking noise, the dried sweat vanished from Werond’s body. She stopped and glanced down at her now clean skin, then offered Serena a raised brow.

“Uhm…thought it would be faster than washing. You do have to leave soon, right?” Serena signed.

“It is, and you’re right. I just didn’t think about that. Huh.” Werond raised her leg up and ran a hand down its length. “Better than a bath, honestly. Oh!” She straightened up. “Can you do that to my mouth?” She opened her mouth wide.

Serena rolled her eyes but dutifully snapped her fingers. The sucking noise was muffled this time. Werond cringed.

“Ah…ah.” She mumbled, licking her teeth. “That’s weird. Let’s not do that again. But thank you.”

Serena chuckled. She knew that would happen.

Werond pulled the outfit off her arm and threw it onto the bed; a pair of straight black pants, matched with a tunic of light blue, collar and cuffs accented in a darker blue. It was stylish, and completely different from what Werond normally wore.

“No purple today?” Serena asked.

“I like to change it up sometimes.” Werond said, grabbing the pants and slipping them on. She grabbed the tunic and shook it out. “Plus, it’s Brightswords today. The decorations are all blue, so I thought I’d match it.” Werond pulled the tunic over her head and brushed out the wrinkles. She took a step back and planted her hands on her hips. “How’s it look? Better or worse than the normal purple?”

Though the pants looked the same, the tunic seemed to cling to Werond more than others did. It accentuated the curves of her body, but in a modest way, making her look…

“Uh…you look good in both.” Serena blushed.

“Safe answer.” Werond grinned.

She flipped around and walked back to the closet, fetching her normal pair of boots, and snapping the light off. Serena shifted to make room as Werond came back and sat on the edge of the bed, beginning to tug her boots on.

Her thoughts from the night before drifted to the forefront of Serena’s mind. A small bit of anxiety filled her chest, but she figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. Her fingers twitched; a ball of blue light sprang into existence above her head, shedding a soft blue glow over them.

“What’s up?” Werond asked without looking; by now, she knew what that meant.

“I know what you said yesterday but…are you sure you have to work today?” Serena’s heart thumped just a bit faster. “I know you’re…probably really busy, but I don’t want you to miss the ah…the festival today.”

“Oh darling, I’ve seen the festival every year!” Werond laughed as she finished lacing up her boots. “I’m really not missing anything, I…”

Her words trailed off. In the light, Serena could make out a wave of understanding that washed over Werond’s face. It snapped away the moment it appeared, and as Werond turned to face her, Serena’s heart jumped.

“I really can’t miss work Serena, I’m sorry.” Werond spoke quietly. “I wish I could.”

“I…know.” Serena waved a hand. “That was…stupid of me to bring that up, I just –”

“Wanted to spend the morning with me? At the festival?”

A wave of heat rolled over Serena; when Werond said it like that, it sounded childish.

“I…yeah.” She broke Werond’s gaze and stared at her legs under the covers. “Our tournament doesn’t happen until later so we’d have nothing to do…I mean, being with everyone else is fun but…I was thinking last night about what we could do but I remembered you had to work, so…I don’t know…”

Serena glanced back up at Werond, only for her fingers to freeze in her lap; a hard look was in Werond’s narrowed eyes, boring a hole through her.

Serena’s heart smashed against her chest, another wave of heat rolling over her. She broke Werond’s gaze.

“I, I know, you said you couldn’t – I need to respect that. I’m sorry, I –”

“No, no, you’re fine.” Werond mumbled; she reached out and squeezed Serena’s thigh. “Sorry, I’m…just thinking.”

“Oh…about what?” Serena shifted about; Werond’s fingers tickled.

“About my schedule…”

Werond turned away and stared across the room, biting her lip, not looking at anything in particular. The hard look remained, however, as though something was digging at Werond. She began to chew her lip and glanced away, towards the balcony doors. Werond pulled at her face with her free hand, grip loosening on Serena’s thigh though she didn’t remove her hand. Despite the reassuring words, Serena feared that she’d said something wrong.

After a moment, Werond closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath; She turned back to Serena and smiled, squeezing her thigh again.

“There’s no way I can get around having to work today.” Werond said. “They really need me to be there, and if I just take off, it’ll be rough for them to find someone else. Can’t get around that. But…” Werond nodded. “I think I can sneak off around midday…maybe a little after lunch or so. Won’t need me as much after that. You’ll be in the coliseum around then, right?”

Serena perked up, excitement flooding into her chest.

“Yeah!” She signed, a bit too quickly. “Yeah, I can be! I signed up as a healer, so they’ll probably need me to hang around.” She frowned. “How will you find me though? I don’t even know where I’m supposed to go, honestly.”

“Oh, that won’t be difficult. And Graham will take you over there, he’ll show you.”

Werond stood up from the bed and stretched her arms over her head, letting out a satisfied grunt.

“I think they section off one side of the coliseum for the doctors and healers. They’ll probably keep you there, so it probably won’t be hard to find you. We can watch some of the fights together, and then I should be free once that’s all done. The festival,” Werond waved hand. “is an all-day event, so there should be plenty to do. Sound good?”

“Yeah!” Serena signed, heart thumping with barely contained excitement.

Werond smiled. She leaned in towards Serena, placing her hands on the bed around her legs.

“Don’t get too excited without me, okay?” Werond asked. She laughed as Serena nodded. “Alright. I’ll see you in a couple of hours then.”

She leaned in the rest of the way and kissed Serena; as she pulled back, Werond gently bit Serena’s lower lip, pulling just enough for it to snap back when she released it. She laughed as the blush deepened across Serena’s face.

“Bye darling.” Werond said, turning to walk out of the room.

Serena watched her leave, closing the door behind her. She sunk back down into the bed, hoping to get a little more sleep before they had to leave.

The rising excitement within her, however, made that difficult.

…

The second tournament of the Brightswords Festival didn’t start until a little before midday, allowing Graham time to prepare a moderate breakfast for everyone. Despite that, however, Serena was the only one to eat anything beyond a few slices of toast and fruit. Pavel and Jo, dressed in their splint mail and leather armor, seemed tense, as though the prospect of fighting, once exciting, now seemed too much. Cruck’aa, however, felt no such tension, and in fact berated the two for not eating as much as he did – despite only having an apple for breakfast.

Beyond his complaints, none of them spoke while they ate, a trend that continued once they all stood in the foyer, waiting for Graham to get ready. A tense air had befallen them, one that Serena hadn’t been expecting. Before, Pavel seemed eager to compete within the tournament, as though he had something to prove. Jo hadn’t cared as much and saw the tournament as nothing more than a way for them to earn a little more coin. Now, both seemed apprehensive regarding the tasks ahead, almost as if they were afraid. Serena couldn’t imagine that it was fear, though. They had all faced much worse than a controlled fight inside coliseum walls. Thankfully, the apprehensiveness that clung to Jo and Pavel seemed to melt away once they had stepped out of the house and into the city.

Which, somehow, had gotten busier.

The city of Waterdeep had somehow transformed overnight, with the stone houses, restaurants, and stores that lined the road along Waterdeep Way all having been decorated for the festival. Bright blue banners adorned every other window, the symbol of Waterdeep etched across them in silver, with a pair of crossed swords underneath. They matched the blue strips of cloth that ran the length over the road, sticking out from one window and connecting to another across the way. On the street itself, blue ribbons with silver trims were tied in neat bows around every streetlamp, a cascading line of blue flowing down the road. The street remained clear of wagons and carriages, allowing the denizens of the city to congregate in them, talking and laughing together as they celebrated the day. Many wore blue ribbons that were identical to the ones on the streetlamps, tied somewhere around their bodies, mainly their arms. Those who didn’t have one pulled them off the streetlamps around them, a practice that was common enough for Serena to take a ribbon of her own, tying it to the end of her ponytail.

More people than usual seemed to flood into the road, congesting it enough to slow their walk. As they wove their way through the crowds, Serena glanced down each of the streets intersecting theirs and was surprised that many were identical to the one they were on. The excitement from the people that filled each of the crowds bled into theirs, and it wasn’t hard to fall into a good mood, especially for Serena. Never had she seen something like the festival, and it was difficult not to smile at the merriment that everyone had around her, from simply talking and enjoying the presence of others. Her friends seemed to agree as well; much of the tension held within Pavel’s chest had slipped away, and he regarded much of the festivities with the same smile that Serena held. Jo had stuck her hands into her pockets, and though she didn’t seem to care much for the festival, she had tied one of the ribbons around her arm. Cruck’aa remained grumpy, but less so then he normally was – the best they would get out of him.

Even Graham, normally so formal, seemed to have been affected. He had grabbed a ribbon of his own, tying it about his arm, and when Serena fell in line with him – Graham walked further ahead in order to lead them – he regarded her with a smile not of a servant willing to help, but as a friend happy to see her.

“Nice, right?” Graham’s voice had lost its typical stiffness. “I know I’m hurrying a bit, but it’s nice to soak in the atmosphere.”

“I’m…a little surprised.” Serena gestured towards the crowded street. “Everyone seems really relaxed. Is the festival a holiday?”

“In a way. The city tries to push it as a city-wide day of entertainment. Everything is set up overnight, and an agreement is put into effect so that there won’t be any vehicle traffic clogging the streets. Many places of business schedule all their workers to work shorter shifts, so that everyone has a day to relax and enjoy the parades and tournaments and so on. It’s quite involved, and everyone always wakes up feeling a little more refreshed than usual. It’s ah…” Graham breathed in deep, a wide smile across his face. “Well, it’s my favorite day of the whole year. A shame Miss Torohar won’t be able to experience it with us. But she’s quite the busy woman these days.”

“Yeah…tried to talk her out of it but she said it was important she show up today.” Serena moved closer to Graham as they stepped out of the way for a roving pack of children; behind them, the children threaded their way through Pavel, Jo, and Cruck’aa, laughing hysterically at the sight of Cruck’aa – much to his vocal annoyance.

“She did promise to sneak away later today though and meet me in the coliseum, so that’ll be nice at least.”

Graham started and glanced at her; his eyes were narrowed, looking at Serena with a penetrating gaze, one she’d not seen before from the old man.

“Werond said that?”

“Uh, yeah!” Serena signed, slightly surprised; that was a first for him. “She felt pretty bad about ditching us, so she wanted to make it up to me. She said she’ll find me at the coliseum, but I don’t know how.”

Graham held his gaze for a moment, before looking forward and shaking his head. His eyes remained narrowed, and he chewed on his lip, as though lost in thought.

Serena raised a brow; never had she seen Graham as apprehensive as he was now.

Just as it had appeared though, it vanished, and he raised a hand to point in front of him.

“We’ll need to stay on the sidewalk here.” He said, voice now even. Serena followed his hand.

A large crowd had flooded into the intersection ahead, where Waterdeep Way met the High Road. People of all kinds packed the cobblestone street, shoulder to shoulder, face to face with no space in between, talking and mingling with everyone around them. Many had to elbow their way through to get anywhere within the crowd, yet no one seemed to mind. Parts of the crowd, like vines along a brick wall, seemed to snake towards them, breaking away from the main section for a little more breathing room. These tendrils of people were far and few between, as most stayed packed in the middle of the road. Had there been any wagons trying to get through…well, they wouldn’t have gotten through.

“Why is everyone in the road?” Serena signed as they continued forward. Even when they had first arrived within the city, the streets had not been as packed.

Graham grinned. Serena looked at him expectantly, but he simply shook his head.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“You’ll see.” He said. “Just know that it’ll be loud for only a moment.”

Serena shot Graham a bemused look but said nothing more.

He turned slightly and aimed for the sidewalk, stepping onto it as Serena followed. She glanced back at the three behind her, who remained just a few paces away, then turned back around as they rounded the corner onto the High Road.

She gasped.

The mile long road was packed to the brim with people, a massive column that stretched from the corner of the sidewalk all the way down to the distant northern gates – a length that Serena knew to be half the city. The sea of people – from humans to elves and half-elves, dwarves, Tieflings, and everything in between – was barely ten paces wide, but so dense that the sheer volume of the crowd threatened to overwhelm Serena. Shouts of excitement, of glee and wonder, of anger and befuddlement, echoed off the long lines of buildings on either side of the road, washing over her like the tallest wave of an angry ocean, threatening to pull her down and drown her in noise. Instinctively, she cringed back and covered her ears, bumping into Pavel and the others.

At the edge of the sidewalk, a massive line of wooden stalls, covered in canvas cloth stained blue, had been erected. Facing the stores across from them, they spanned the entire length of the road, narrowing the street itself. Barely visible over the ocean of people, Serena glimpsed the tops of another line of stalls that ran the same length on the other side of the road. With both sides containing stalls, then, the High Road had been narrowed considerably, which more than likely led to the congestion.

As they remained in place, watching the sea of people, Serena noticed jets of flames that roared over the crowds, coming from inside the ocean. With them, colorfully dressed people on stilts maneuvered through everyone, accompanied by the occasional sword that was tossed up into the air. How anyone managed to find room to do any of that baffled her.

From behind, Pavel whistled – almost drowned out from the cacophony in front of them – and gestured at Graham, who waited for them a few paces ahead. Very few people were on the sidewalk with them, instead preferring the cramped ocean.

“We’re not going in there, are we?” He asked, voice raised over the commotion.

Graham shook his head, sending a wave of relief through Serena.

“Oh no,” he shouted. “just follow me.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and continued down the sidewalk. Shoving her anxiety down, Serena quickly followed, with everyone else close behind.

After a few steps, all noise from the High Road became muffled, transforming into a quiet, almost pleasant murmur. Serena almost halted in shock, though Pavel pushed her along, equally surprised. It was as though the sound was coming through a window that was shut tight.

“That’s magic.” Jo said without having to raise her voice.

“Well of course it is.” Cruck’aa snapped. “What, you think sound just does that?”

“Cruck’aa, I’ve never seen something like this before, I’m trying to figure out what it is. Don’t be an ass. It’s a special day anyways.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

An all too familiar sense of irritation washed over Serena as Cruck’aa and Jo descended into another argument. She glanced back at Pavel, who seemed to share her feelings.

“I’m going to ask about the sound…thing. Want to find out with me?”

“No.” Pavel said with a sigh, glancing back as Cruck’aa and Jo fell behind. “I’ll see if I can get them to stop. You go on ahead.”

Serena nodded, and quickened her pace. The further they walked in, the busier the sidewalk became, though it wasn’t nearly as bad as the High Road itself. Many of those who Serena weaved around seemed to be out with their families, perhaps enjoying a walk that was a little more peaceful than whatever that ocean of people was supposed to be.

Graham had somehow gotten a small way away from them, and it took Serena a moment to catch up, almost tripping over small packs of children who ran about. As she passed by more of the stalls, it occurred to her that many of them were food stalls, that realization coming from the mouthwatering aromas that drifted from them.

Graham smiled at her as Serena fell in beside him again. She couldn’t help but continue to glance at the stalls.

“This side of the road is mainly food stalls. Other side is mostly little souvenirs. I thought coming up this way would be alright, considering we just ate, but your eyes look a bit hungry.”

“Everything smells amazing!” Serena signed as they weaved their way through a queue that clogged up the sidewalk, one that led to a stall serving…something wrapped in bacon? “What all do they have?”

“I’m not sure, but I know it will be fried.” Graham’s face twisted in disgust. “It’s a new fad around here. They dip the food in oil or something similar and it comes out with crust around it.”

“Ooh.” Serena’s mouth began to water.

“Ma’am, those foods will kill you if you eat too much.”

“Oh.” She grimaced; Ned had said something similar once, though she couldn’t remember what it was about. “Ah…well aside from that, I was wondering, why can’t we hear what’s happening over there?” She gestured at the crowded High Road.

“Simple, though not entirely obvious.” Graham smiled. “The stall owners set everything up the night before, and once they’re done, a few wizards employed by the city come out and set up a rather complicated wall of silence between the stalls and sidewalks. From what I understand, it’s a large magical barrier that prevents sound, and people, from going through either side. Ingenious spell, really. It makes it so the sidewalks are more family friendly, while if you’d want to wade into that mess…well, you can. But neither disturb the other.”

“That is pretty clever.”

“Yes, I do hope they gave a raise to whoever thought that one up. Rather new spell invention too, from what I understand.” Graham glanced behind them, and Serena followed his look; Pavel had now joined the argument. “Did any of you wish to stop anywhere? The walk to our intersection takes a bit of time.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out if they all stop arguing.”

“Indeed.”

The rest of the walk to Bazaar Street – their destination – did indeed take them quite a bit of time. Pavel eventually managed to untangle himself and Jo from whatever ridiculous topic Cruck’aa was arguing with them, allowing both to catch up with Serena and Graham. Now free, and in somewhat better moods, all of them, save Graham, quickly became distracted by the stalls and shops around them. The mixture of roasted meats and steamed vegetables that wafted over Serena elicited one too many growls from her stomach, much to the amusement of her friends. Each time they passed by one of the stands, vendors calling out with their cooked goods, she had to fight against stopping and asking for some, though Graham had offered to pay several times for her. The fight against temptation became much easier, however, when they passed by a stall that was serving cooked rat on a stick.

Pavel and Jo weren’t any better. While Serena remained fixated on the foods to her right, the pair remained fixed on the goods to their left. Many of the shops had displayed their wares on the sidewalk, gesturing and bellowing about their finely crafted arms and armor. All of them, of course, crafted with the finest smithing techniques. Serena caught snippets of their conversation and could barely understand a word they said. It must have had something to do with them both being in the military. Many times, they stopped and asked the shop owners a series of questions that left many baffled, Jo and Pavel both leaving with frowns. Evidently, as Jo later informed Serena, many of the shop owners weren’t actually selling anything worth more than a silver piece.

And Cruck’aa, of course, remained grumpy the entire walk, trailing behind them a few paces. They all kept an eye on him, and the only time Jo had to turn and grab him was when they’d passed by an exotic animal shop; the windows displayed a plethora of multicolored birds, gorgeous compared to the dull pigeons that filled the city. Cruck’aa had stared at them for far longer than one should, the owner of the shop nervous with his silence.

By the time they reached the intersection of the High Road that split to Bazaar and Suldown Street, despite the enjoyment, Serena felt as though she’d seen enough of the festival. Every so often a stall would be missing from the lineup, allowing her to peak into the throngs of people that crowded the main road. Knife jugglers and sword swallowers seemed to be the main attraction on the street, though she did catch a glimpse of a few fire spitters she’d seen earlier – all of whom paled in comparison to what Serena had seen before, living with Ned and Bron. But all of that, coupled with the somehow orderly chaos of the sidewalk market, seemed to drain Serena. Though she enjoyed it all, despite walking for barely an hour, she felt ready to put it all behind her. And when Graham gestured to round the corner, Serena couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

Perhaps it would have been different with Werond. Perhaps Serena wouldn’t have felt so drained had she an arm to hold onto. But thinking of that served only to drain her more, so Serena shoved it to the back of her mind. No point in dwelling on it.

The walk from Bazaar Street to Calamstyr Lane – names that seemed utterly ridiculous to her – was similar to the walk down Waterdeep Way, much to her relief. The same banners hung along the buildings, most of which seemed to be shops, though Bazaar Street seemed somewhat emptier than the others had. To their right, a large market square was formed out of several shorter, more squat buildings. A low roar of cheering and applause came from the middle of the packed crowed that filled the square, though none of them could see what the cheers were for. Graham mentioned that a boxing exhibition typically took place within the square, though it wasn’t as exciting compared to the tournament.

Calamstyr Lane stood mostly emptied as well, blue banners and cloths almost depressing in the absence of people. At the far end of the lane, however, a small crowd loitered in the opening between the walls of two buildings, and as they approached the end of the lane, Serena understood why.

If half the city had been standing in the High Road, the other now stood around the Field of Triumphant.

What seemed like another ocean of people flooded around the coliseum, completely packing the square around it. While Waterdeep had been designed to be as compact as possible, extra space had been made around the coliseum to facilitate large crowds of people. Even when that extra space was being utilized, however, there didn’t seem to be enough space. Much of the crowd spilled into the openings of the streets that lead into the square, clogging them completely. In fact, every direction that Serena could see – as much as she could see over the shoulders of those in front of her – seemed flooded with people. She couldn’t even see the arches that stood at the bottom of the coliseum.

That, however, didn’t faze Graham. He marched forward, utterly unimpressed at the packed crowds in front of them. Unable to hesitate, Serena jogged after him, Pavel, Jo, and Cruck’aa close behind. What she expected to be a fight to the front of the crowd, however, turned into nothing more than a quick – albeit nervous – walk. Somehow, Graham had managed to part the seas in front of him, creating a small but easily followed path. Had she not known better, Serena would have sworn that magic was involved.

The crowds seemed to thicken as they approached the arches, forcing Graham to slow a bit. A series of ropes, held up by short metal poles, created a large perimeter around the front of the arches, stretching around the entire coliseum. Every so often, a gap was cut into the rope, where a pair of coliseum attendants, dressed in their usual dusky grey outfits, ushered people into the arches. Much of the flow of the crowd, then, moved towards those spots.

“When you get to the entrances,” Graham raised his voice as he spoke over his shoulder. “inform the attendants whether you’re planning on competing in the tournament or have signed on as a helper. They’ll direct you to the right places.”

“Don’t they need our names or something?” Pavel yelled next to Serena; everyone had been shoved together as they followed the flow of the crowd, yet they still had to shout in order to hear each other.

“Not the ones here. You’ll be checked once you get through the arches.” Graham glanced at Serena. “Unfortunately, ma’am, you’ll be separated from them. Helpers and medics go to a different side than the contestants.”

“That makes sense.” Serena cocked her head. “Where are you going though? You’re planning on watching, right?”

“Oh, I’m sure I can slip in over here, don’t worry about me.” He grinned. “Hopefully you’ll hear me rooting for everyone.”

Serena grinned back; the thought of a man like Graham shouting his heart out seemed rather odd.

True to Graham’s word, the attendants directed Serena to the right, away from where the contestants were heading. With a nervous wave, she parted from Graham and the others, and stepped into the arches, finally away from the crowds outside.

And into another crowd inside. Thankfully, however, this one seemed smaller.

The arches that made up the outer wall of the coliseum were accompanied by three more sets further in, creating four rings, one after another, that had to be walked through in order to get to the center. This time, however, wooden walls had been erected against the inner arches, preventing anyone from walking straight to the sands. Those walls spanned the entire way around the inner arches, halting at another wooden wall further down, turning the inside of the coliseum into what felt like a makeshift hallway.

Small balls of magical light floated next to every other pillar, shedding pale light over Serena as she made her way further down the arched hallway. Many of the people with her – dressed in clerical robes and doctor uniforms – congregated towards the wooden wall, making more space for those who walked down the middle. Across the way, towards the outer arches, multiple tables had been set up, staffed by attendants holding thin planks of wood with parchment attached to them. A series of letters hung on the ceiling above the tables, each laden with rows upon rows of what look like oversized necklaces. Many of the newcomers behind Serena had pushed past her, and headed over to the tables, each person briefly talking with the attendants before taking a necklace.

Serena stepped out of the way, towards the inner arches, and watched as people flooded past her towards the tables. Graham hadn’t told her what to do when she’d separated from the others, nor had the attendants at the front entrance said anything. She assumed she’d needed to go towards the tables, but part of her didn’t want to be wrong and do something embarrassing.

She turned and walked further towards the wooden walls, towards a kindly looking man that stood somewhat away from people around him. His white robes lacked a holy symbol, and his wrinkled face and kind eyes seemed inviting.

“Excuse me,” Serena signed as she strode up. “am I supposed to go to those tables to check in?”

The man raised a brow at her signs but spoke with a steady voice.

“Yes ma’am. It goes by the first letter of your first name, so head over to the right one, tell the attendant your name, and they’ll get you checked in.” He held up his necklace, one from the tables – a length of knotted rope, with a small wooden disk on one end. A seventeen was carved into the front of it. “They call us out based on a number range, so everyone gets to help, and no one feels overworked. Nice system, huh?”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Serena nodded. “I was wondering how they did it. No one asked for a name outside.”

“Well apparently, they can tell who’s who by the way they look.” The man shrugged. “If a youth walks up with nothing but the shirt on his back and his father’s old sword and claims he’s there to fight, they’ll turn him away. But if you walk in dressed to the nines, weapons and what not strapped to you, they let you right in. Same with those who are supposed to heal and doctor. Apparently, it works, but it seems rather…chaotic to me.”

“Sounds quick and dirty to me.” Serena said. The man laughed.

“Aye, sounds like something the city would do.” He nodded at the tables. “Best go grab your necklace now though. Don’t want to wait till the last minute.”

“Ah. Well, thank you for the help, I –”

A flash of heat.

Serena jerked as what felt like an arrow pierced her throat, tendrils of bright pain crawling across her neck.

The man in front of her jumped, then shoved off the wall.

“Ma’am?!” He asked, loud enough to draw attention.

She clutched her throat as more pain lanced through it, hotter, brighter, tendrils creeping further. The choker tightened around her throat, strangling a cough.

Serena’s eyes went wide. Wisps of smoke drifted into her vision.

It was as though her throat threatened to collapse.

“Ma’am!” The man yelled, grabbing her shoulders; she didn’t realize she’d hunched over. “Ma’am are you alright, what’s –” His eyes went wide. “Your throat!”

More smoke danced into the air around her. The pain brightened, burned hotter, choker tightening further.

Fighting the primal urge to claw at her throat, Serena reached up and tore at the clasp of her choker.

Just as before, it popped right off.

Serena caught the choker with one hand as she grabbed her throat again, sucking in gulps of air. Her heart slammed in her chest, but aside from that, her throat and neck felt completely fine. The pain had vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

The white robed man raised his hands, palms glowing faintly, looking at her with a mixture of shock and concern.

“Your throat…” he sputtered. “It was –”

“What’s going on here?” A voice bellowed.

Serena jumped and turned to face it; as she did, she realized that the people around her, mostly doctors with a few clerics, had frozen to watch her, eyes wide. Some had moved towards her, but many remained rooted in place, shocked at what had occurred. Another man, dressed in finer clerical robes of bright blue, stood in front of Serena, his blue eyes wide with alarm. Silver regalia adorned his robes, making him appear more important than those around him. Behind him stood a bald elf dressed in odd looking black and gold leather armor. He narrowed his eyes at Serena, as though her outburst had annoyed him in some way.

“Your throat was smoking girl!” The cleric in blue said, his voice high. “Smoking! Throats don’t just do that!” He turned towards those gathered around them. “Did anyone see what happened? Speak up! If someone attacked this poor girl, I need to know now! I’ll not have that in this coliseum!”

Not a soul spoke up. Many began to turn away, as though they had no desire to be involved.

“Hmph.” The blue cleric said. He stepped over to Serena, his eyes now filled with concern.

“Are you alright girl?” He asked, lowering his voice. “I was walking over, and I saw you try to cough, but by the gods above, smoke was coming from your throat! Lucky you it happened here though – do you need healing?”

Serena massaged her throat, but her shook her head. She was fine now, if only a little shaken.

Despite the concern in the man’s voice, her answer seemed enough for him. He smiled and clapped her on the shoulder.

“Well, glad to hear you’re fine then!” He said. “Make sure to get one of the number tags though, don’t want to miss one!”

Before she could thank him, the blue cleric dropped his hand and strode off, his elf companion on his heels.

Serena frowned. Who wore black leather with gold stripes like that?

A tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see the man she’d first spoken to still standing against the wall, his eyes wide.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked hesitantly.

Serena nodded, glancing down at the choker in her hand. It looked no different than it normally did.

“Was my neck really smoking?” Serena signed, after stuffing the choker into her pocket. The man hesitated a moment before nodding.

“For a moment. Silver smoke. Makes me think it was a spell or something similar…I mean, I assume, I don’t know what spell would do that.”

“I don’t know either.” Serena turned to leave. “I need to get my necklace thing though, thanks for –”

“Wait, are you sure you’re okay?” The man asked, eyes still concerned. “You’re not…in shock or anything?”

“Why would I be in shock?”

“Well, most people don’t have their neck smoking.” He offered her an odd look. “And you don’t seem phased by it at all, which is why I’m a little concerned.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” A surge of irritation filled her chest. “Is that hard to believe?”

“Ma’am, please don’t get me wrong, but your neck was smoking. That’s a cause for concern.”

“I know, but I’m fine now.”

“That’s not –”

He frowned as Serena waved him away but didn’t follow her as she began to walk towards the tables.

Truth be told, the absence of fear towards the situation did indeed disturb Serena, but she wasn’t about to discuss that with a stranger.

The attendant behind the table eyed Serena as she gave her name and asked for a necklace but didn’t say anything. She paid him no heed, though, as thoughts swirled about in her head.

She felt as though that she should be panicking about what had happened, but not an ounce of fear or anxiety filled her. As though the whole thing was…routine. Yet it was anything but. Afterall, the choker seemed to be trying to harm her. But the fact that the pain came and went so quickly threw her for a loop. As though someone flipped a switch, only to flip it back off a second later. Like a flash of lightning. Serena wasn’t even sure why she still wore the choker in the first place, especially considering that this marked the second time that it had tried to hurt her. But something in the back of her mind seemed to prevent her from developing a fear towards it. Like she should know better, as though the choker had done its job.

Serena frowned, draping her necklace around her neck. The number forty-seven was carved into the wooden token.

It almost felt like the choker was indeed supposed to do that, and it almost felt like…a warning? As though something had happened, and the choker responded. But what could have occurred that would have made the choker attempt to strangle her? And how?

She shook her head. The choker was off, and there was no point in dwelling on it now.