“What happened here?!”

In front of me, a colourful snowfall illuminated the festival grounds in vibrant colours I only saw on spirits. A pair of children playing tag ran beside me causing the gently floating specks of light to suddenly swirl into a vortex trailing behind the two children.

Looking around everyone was gazing upward at the colourful sky with the notable exception of my Bauha who was focusing her green eyes on a certain strange human currently playing with an even stranger elf.

Siri resembled a terror chick as she seemed to be fascinated with the elf’s palm but with a lot less pecking and more exhaustion in her eyes. Ba seemed a little bit off as his body was slouched in disappointment also watching the two outsiders.

Sighing at my hopeless brother I quickly ran toward the main seat with Bauha and Ruu or rather our new Tserei seating in the centre of the low table with his family to his left.

“Did you get it?” Bauha slowly turned toward me as I approached her.

"I did." I placed the small slightly greenish strongbox on a fur beside Bauha.

I didn't know what was inside that box and a curiosity burned inside me but I couldn't just peek inside even if the lock on the box was a simple latch. I suspected that that strange box lacked something since the latch had a large hole made inside it, maybe for tying the latch close with a strong rope? Nevertheless whatever was inside was very precious to Bauha since she was always sure to hide it well when she would go out of the village.

I saw Bauha's hands try to pry open the old box causing her scars to become more visible. Her hands alongside her feet and face were the only parts of the body forbidden from being tattooed unless the spirit we were bonded with required them, for example, if my spirit was to be an air spirit I would have to extend my tattoos to the balls of my feet to allow me to effectively manipulate the power gifted to me. Zipping around without having to walk... I kind of want my spirit to be an air spirit now.

Bauha's hand and face became red as she put all her strength into opening the strongbox, causing the silky fabric on her sleeve to take the shape of the strained muscles underneath. I know that Bauha used to be a great hunter in her prime and still is, I should not be slandering someone who had taught me everything I know but I had never noticed the three large scars running down her entire forearm which easily blended with her rigid tattoos. What was she hunting to get these?

"You brought that? I thought you will never drink it." Ruu suddenly said to Bauha while offering to help her with opening the metal box.

"You remembered I bought this off the outsider for all this time? That was like twenty seasons ago."

What are they talking about? That is almost as old as I am.

"Hard to forget the moment someone had traded most of their belongings for a small metal box and then bragged to Ruu about it for a season, wasn't it?" Ruu's wife chimed in. She was a woman his age with lovely long dirty-blond hair and a mask hanging on her hip painted in many the many hues of orange and red giving it the impression of being on fire.

"Don't make me remember those days." Are my eyes fooling me? Is Bauha embarrassed?! For the first time in... forever actually, I saw my Bauha's face flush a little as she hid her face with her hands.

"Come on Kasheng we old people don't have much except reminiscing about those days. You and Ruu looked so nice, together back then. What you say, husband?"

"I-I don't like where this is going." Our new Tserei looked uncomfortable as his wife leaned onto his sturdy frame before he grabbed the box from Bauha's hands.

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*Clang*

With one swift move, the metal latch jumped up as Ruu was left with a flat greenish sheet in one hand and the box in the other.

Inside the box, I saw a clump of grey which crumbled into dry dust when Ruu touched it. Dusting the hey aside he pulled out a glass bottle filled with golden brown liquid.

Alcohol, of course inside was filled with booze.

"So?" Ruu lifted the glass up to the moon and shook it causing the golden brown liquid to splash inside the bottle.

"You can't drink it now. We have to wait until Spiritwalker arrives," Kasheng snatched the square-ish bottle from Tserei and hid it in her sleeve. "I can have you drunk in front of the Spiritwalker."

"Why are you singling me out, mmh? Ruu said. "Wait, why can you drink, shaman?!"

"Thank you very much, Nu. You can go," Kasheng smiled as she looked at me. "Keep an eye on the elf and her slave, don't allow them to do... whatever this is again while the Spiritwalker is with us. You know the rest."

"Hey don't try to change the subject." I heard Ruu shout from behind me as I quickly backed off not wanting to be involved in another of their arguments.

I quickly ran through the colourful specks of light unable to stop a smile from appearing on my face as I felt like a child in one of these stories mothers sang about around the campfire.

"Nu, where were you?" Ba shuffled to the side as I sat down beside him.

"I had to run an errand for Bauha but I am free now."

"Mmn." He hummed his acknowledgement.

"What happened to her?" I turned to the smiling elf with the sickly pale girl who leaned heavily on her unhuman companion with a similar complexion.

"Wanted to show off." Iris said while pointing her finger at the earthly stars slowly rinsing to their heavenly counterparts.

That girl. *Sigh* at least the others are distracted with the lights and not swarming her.

*Yawn* Ba loudly yawned while opening his mouth fully to let it out.

"Cover your m-*Yawn*th."

"You too."

"Ba?" When did he become so cheeky with his older sister?

"Yes?"

"I think you should do what you did for the start of the season of fire and go to sleep."

"No." He answered before laying on the furs with his hands under his head, watching the stars above.

With all honesty, I rarely stood awake at such a late hour. Unlike some people my age, my vocation didn't allow me to wake up after sunrise. Bauha would probably have killed me if I had not gotten a proper amount of sleep prior to our classes before dusk in the chilly morning air.

Looking at Siri the girl had sat up straight again sitting just like the elf beside her with her knees tucked under her and her hands laid flat on her lap. The girl swayed from side to side as she yawn loudly flashing her snow-white teeth at me.

Mmm, is she filling her front teeth to be this sharp?

*Thump*

"!?" I felt my heart jump into my throat as I found myself laying on the ground.

Why did she head-butt my stomach!? It hurts so much.

"Siri?" I felt the elf nudge the girl on top of me with little results. "She really overdid it today."

Why are you shuffling closer let me have this! I didn't get to play with her at all.

"Do you want me to peel her from you?" Iris talked as I adjusted myself into a more comfortable position to sit with a surprisingly light girl nestled on my lap. Don't make me sad for refusing you! Your tone didn't even change a bit why am I feeling guilty over this?

"It's fine I can manage," I answered trying to hide the grin on my face. "Soo soft." The others didn't lie about her being as soft as the clouds appeared to be and her skin is also so smooth to the touch.

"Ahem." The elf's fake cough was accompanied by a feeling of looming dread which slowly seemed to separate me from the outside leaving me at the mercy of the frowning elf.

*Purr*

A ticklish noise dismissed the dread aura radiating from the elf as the girl separated her half-awake body from me. Iris's frown deepened even more after a brief break as Siri slammed into me again with the full force her small body could muster.

"Wait, until tomorrow," Iris muttered as she sat in her old seat. "You traitor."

Is Siri going to be punished because of me? Should I do something?

*Purr*

No, how could anyone think of harming this precious little chickling? Like she is even nestling up to me like those little ones Ruu once showed me.

The time flew quickly as I spoiled the girl with everything she muttered under her breath. She seemed to love being scratched right behind the ear, her body squirmed from my touch causing her pale face to pucker into many fascinating faces. I kind of felt like a pervert engaging in some forgotten pleasure only Siri could provide. No, wonder Iris was giving me death stares.

I will never give her up she has everything she needs with me!

"Warm?" Except that.

Since Siri's spirit was an ice spirit her body was extremely cold to the touch and it was greedily absorbing all warmth inside me. I tried to cover her with furs but no matter how many layers I bury her under the strange girl would complain about being cold.

"Nu?" Ba leaned toward me. "When will they start the feast?"

"Deliciousness?" Siri muttered before falling asleep again.

"I think the ceremony is about to start." I pointed at Ruu and Bauha who were talking to a few of our elders who looked both content and nervous.

Before I could finish my word the wind picked up, scattering the colourful lights which had floated into the night sky and filled it with a second, more colourful starry blanket.

Hushed whispers from the people close to us reached my ears but the roar of the wind mumbled their words into worthless jargon. Like lightning the night got completely dark, surrounding us all in a blank void before returning to normal with the wind calming down.

I heard Bauha barking orders at everyone around her while from the endless grassland and Wyrm's dominion, a figure emerged from the darkness and stepped into the warm light.