Chapter 69 — The Festival of Fear
An apology and the promise of a seasoned meat-stick was enough to lure Ranger out of his sulking—something Ria didn’t understand since Grandma Fana’s cooking was surely better. Or maybe it was an excuse since everyone was busy and he didn’t want Ria going on her own?
She had half-heartedly asked if anyone wanted to go with her after receiving the summons but with no favorable results. Jarrel left to update Guildmaster Verani as soon as she was safely home. Grandma Fana and Yuri were working in the kitchen repurposing leftovers from the previous feast into a new feast worthy of Jarrel’s return, taking advantage of Toben and Sammy napping after wearing themselves out annoying a certain curmudgeony old dog who took his responsibility way too seriously. Grandpa Orlan was dealing with the rush of customers preparing for the festival. Oscar was butchering newly hunted and freshly slaughtered carcasses as fast as they came in. Leon was helping Emily with a similar situation at their shop, and Ria didn’t want to bother him anyway when he wasn’t invited in the summons and would probably have to wait around for her to finish.
With Jarrel back, the promise to take someone with her was no longer an issue, but after what had happened, she was feeling understandably more vulnerable wandering the streets—streets that had become more crowded as outlanders had apparently begun arriving for the festival by the wagonful throughout the day and were now milling along the streets, doing early sampling of the stands and stalls that had been set up along the wider ways.
Ria sighed and pulled the hood of her cloak down to hide her face more.
And beyond any of that, she wasn’t particularly keen on seeing Lord Vorshan anytime soon with the way he left her to fend for herself at the trial, putting her at unnecessary risk when he had already pre-arranged the outcome. Not to mention, that scary inquisitor guy was there too!
A bark from Ranger brought Ria back to the present. Ah! His meat-stick. She had almost forgotten.
Since bonding with Ranger, her own sense of smell had greatly improved, and she was fairly sure which vendor had caught Ranger’s interest. Ria bought a stick for herself as well since to only buy one for her dog would’ve been rude... yep, definitely rude.
Though feeding the so-called beer-braised sewer rat to a dog would seem appropriate... not that it really was sewer rat. That was just the silly name for the festival... hopefully. Since Vorshan’s Hills didn’t have sewers…
After holding Ranger’s stick out for him to pull the meat off of, they resumed their march of doom. Nibbling the warm mystery meat did help her feel a bit more festival cheer. The Festival of Fear was Ria’s favorite festival that she looked forward to each year. Of course, Shadewood’s Festival of Fear couldn’t compare to the effort that the residents of Vorshan’s Hills were putting in, and by the time she and Ranger reached the circle where the trial had been held, Ria was starting to look forward to a day spent touring the festival with Keira.
She couldn’t help a weak smile and a chuckle when she saw the manor staff on ladders adding fake spiderwebs and spiders to the village founder’s statue—even if a brief glance in the direction of the Clearwells’ sparsely decorated house sank her mood again.
Hopefully, the meeting with Lord Vorshan wouldn’t take too long. As it was, because she couldn’t muster the motivation earlier and lazed around, finishing her costume was going to take most of the night.
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“Unlicensed spirit magic and endangering the village by harboring a shapeshifter. I believe those were the crimes that Amilee was found guilty of,” Lord Vorshan reminded Ria when she entered his office.
She froze in place.
“So, what did you discuss with the Shapeshifter this time?” he asked conversationally.
This time?
Three beats of time passed before she noticed her heart beating again. Lord Vorshan’s eyes were sharp, closely watching her reaction.
Not daring to lie, Ria told Lord Vorshan about the recent encounter and the prior as well for context.
“Good,” Lord Vorshan responded. “If you had lied, I would not have been pleased. Make sure you take that horn to be looked over by Rigure, and next time, inform me or Bastach right away when something like that happens.”
Ria vigorously nodded. “I will! I’m sorry I hid it. I didn’t think you’d... approve...” She let her excuse trail off as she realized what she was saying.
Lord Vorshan let out an annoyed sigh and rubbed his forehead. “You know... if you put yourself at such disadvantage while at the academy, not only will you risk being made a pawn of someone’s scheme, but it will reflect poorly on House Vorshan for sponsoring you.”
Did that mean...
“No. It doesn’t mean I’m giving you the sponsorship,” Lord Vorshan anticipated her thoughts. “But it does mean that I’m expecting you to keep working hard and earn it. You have until spring to become passable at modern magic casting methods, improve your etiquette and your knowledge of the major aristocratic houses of Crysellia, and—gods grant me—learn how to better avoid putting yourself and those around you at risk.”
Ria’s eyes widened and her chest became tight with relief and excitement as realization sunk in, but she knew the proper response from the first time she met Lord Vorshan. “Yes, my lord!”
“There's hope for you yet,” Lord Vorshan approved with an amused chuckle.
“Um...,” Ria wasn’t sure it was wise to ask, but if she was to avoid such situations in the future... “How did you know?”
“That you met with the shapeshifter?”
Ria nodded.
Lord Vorshan smiled a dark smile as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, but he did choose to answer her question, “Master Harlow has a scrying crystal. Naturally, I had him keep an eye on my granddaughter during the slime-hunting outing. It was mostly by luck that he noticed your encounter with the shapeshifter. And I have tasked him with keeping an eye on its movements since.”
She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. Relieved that she wasn’t the one being watched, maybe. And annoyed about having felt pride at being relied-on to help protect Lord Vorshan’s granddaughter when Master Harlow had been looking out for Keira the whole time. That, and in addition to protecting against divination, she would need to find a way to block out scrying as well.
“Now, let’s move on to the trial.” Lord Vorshan leaned forward and did his steepled fingers thing. “Tell me how you think you did.”
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. The part she least wanted to deal with.
“I thought my argument was good, but… I presented it too simply and couldn’t win over the others,” Ria began, and at his appearing to want more, added, “I should have done more to prepare for defending myself.”
“Indeed,” Lord Vorshan agreed. “Your performance wasn’t entirely without merit and, for a child lacking the education and experiences that Keira has received, might even be considered better than could be expected, though I was rather disappointed that you lost your composure and were overcome by fear at the end. The scheming, false accusations, and incitement tactics that you faced today are what you can expect every day while at the academy. If you don’t want to be a weight dragging Keira down and constantly needing rescue, you will need to become better at not just deflecting such attacks and winning people over to your side but anticipating and preempting the schemes of others, whether that is by leveraging carefully cultivated relationships or by setting in motion events of your own.”
Ria gulped. The trial was already a traumatic experience for her. If she had to experience that sort of thing every day… No. Ria shook her head to clear the hesitations. Her easy time in Vorshan’s Hills had softened her. She wasn’t attending the academy to make friends and have fun. It was for her revenge.
“Thank you, Lord Vorshan. I thank you for this opportunity to improve and will work hard to exceed your expectations.”
“I see we will need to work on making you better at not revealing so much with your expressions and gestures, as well. While being honest and trustworthy is a laudable trait, being an open book is not,” Lord Vorshan advised. “That said, your motivation is encouraging. You may spend tomorrow's festival day with Keira, but afterward, I want you here at the manor first thing in the morning. You will be assigned tutors that you will meet with regularly. There is work to be done.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“I’m sure Jarrel’s family is rather busy at this time. Unless you have any questions, you may return to your festival preparations.”
Ria considered for a moment and asked, “What’s a Lesser Oath?”
“What do you know about the Oathbound?” Lord Vorshan asked.
“Mostly just what I’ve read in stories.”
Lord Vorshan nodded, as if he expected as much. “The Oath is a binding that is inscribed onto both the body and spirit, part enchantment, part spirit magic. A Lesser Oath compels obedience. A Greater Oath compels loyalty. Does that answer your question?”
After thinking about it, Ria nodded.
She turned to leave and made it as far as the door before Lord Vorshan had parting words for her.
“Oh, and Ria, you should be more careful when making agreements with the familiars of spirit mages,” he cautioned. “Often when they form such agreements, it becomes a contract that they can use to find the other party no matter how distant they are.”
Ugh. There was so much she didn’t know.
“Thank you, Lord Vorshan. I’ll endeavor to do better.”
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The greatly-anticipated day of the festival soon arrived, and Ria woke to a glowing ghost poking her cheek…
“Whaaaah?!”
“Hey, droolie. It’s past afternoon! What are you doing still asleep?”
Says the girl who just the other day slept in even though she invited a friend over, Ria grumbled to herself. Wait. Was she really drooling?!
A quick wipe with her sleeve as she slipped out from the bedcovers confirmed it to be depressingly true. “Deactivate #40.”
The shadows in her room confirmed that morning had long since passed. Still, Keira was earlier than expected.
“So, what kept you up so late?” Keira asked as the glow faded and she took off her mask, slipping it into the rain-frock’s hidden interior pocket.
Ria motioned toward the costume hanging from the armoire’s handles then reached over to her staff and stored a good portion of her energy as had become her usual morning routine.
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“Oh! I was wondering.” Keira freed the wire hanger and held up the witch outfit to get a better look.
“The hat’s over in the chair,” Ria added as she stretched.
“This is really well made…” Keira noted as she parted the scraps of fabric used to give the skirt a tattered appearance. “Like from a picture book, but cuter.”
Ria puffed out her chest, feeling even more proud of the effort after receiving her friend’s compliment. “Well of course it is. I made it!”
Keira laughed and thrust the outfit toward Ria. “Hurry up and put it on! I want to see how it looks!”
“Patience, patience,” Ria advised with mock seriousness, gently stiff-arming Keira out of the way and opening the armoire. “I can’t wear it over my nightgown after all, silly.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll admit that,” her friend huffed and, after carefully laying the outfit on the bed, began separating the individual parts from the hanger. “I’ll get the pieces ready while you’re changing.”
Ria grinned at Keira’s enthusiasm, shimmying out of her sleepwear and exchanging the nightgown for black fancy bottoms like the ones Grandma Fana had teased her about after shopping with Leon. She figured the black would be less obvious if the outfit’s short skirt got blown upward by the wind.
“Hold your arms forward,” Keira demanded and slipped the short black dress over Ria’s head, tugging it down and working the lacings to pull it snug against her waist and hips.
Ria was planning to have Grandma Fana help her, but having Keira do it left Ria with a warm feeling. It reminded of the times when she would get ready for events together with Jeni. “Thanks for helping me get ready.”
“Sure. Miela normally does this for me, so I’ve seen it done often enough.” Keira held up one of the arm sleeves next. She worked it on far enough that Ria’s hands exited the flared opening at the end and carefully secured the sleeve around Ria’s upper arm with the stitched-on fabric ties, making nice draping bows with each. Once the sleeve was tied, Keira motioned to the dress’ thin shoulder straps. “Is this a style that is popular in Revant? Exposed shoulders and separate sleeves?”
“My mom has made some dresses like this,” Ria confirmed. “More usually for younger ladies rather than their mothers or aunts. Though the shrine girls sometimes wear something similar in the summer.”
“Oh? I’d like to see that,” Keira mused as she secured the second sleeve then asked, “But isn’t it embarrassing to show this much skin?”
“Yep,” Ria agreed with a laugh. Before she had gotten used to wearing her ‘barbarian’ outfit, she would certainly have found wearing an outfit like this embarrassing. Though now, even if she was more comfortable showing this much bare skin, her more-prominent-than-would-be-graceful muscles gave her a new reason to find it embarrassing. “That’s what the mantle is for.”
Keira nodded and held up the mantle to get a better look at it before draping it around Ria’s shoulders and buttoning the top button, adjusting it so Ria’s medallion of faith showed. “Like this?”
“Let me check,” Ria said and moved over in front of the mirror to see.
“These stockings are ridiculous, you know,” Keira commented as she presented the knit stockings and stood behind Ria so she could also see the reflection.
The purple-and-black-striped stockings were that, for sure. Ria grinned, but her grin faded at the thought that purple and black were the colors for necromancy when marking restricted materials.
“Were you able to see Amilee off?” Ria asked, and Keira’s happy mood seemed to deflate.
“Yeah,” Keira confirmed then shook off her melancholy and continued with a bit more energy, “Duelleres made a horseless carriage appear from nowhere, and apparently the attendant that was with him was the driver. But that wasn’t the only surprise. Amilee’s familiar showed up overnight and was allowed to ride in the carriage unrestrained for some reason. Zoe went back with them as well.”
Ria’s eyes widened at the thought of a horseless enchanted carriage and was regretting staying up late to work on her costume instead of seeing Amilee off. She really wanted to ask about the carriage but… “How was Amilee?”
“Much better. Grandfather had prepared a letter explaining what would happen and the opportunities that would be provided to Amilee should she complete her recruit training and become an initiate in good standing. I’m still really worried because, even if Duelleres is a cousin thanks to my aunt’s marriage, that weirdo is going to be in charge of her and her training. But, grandfather told me that the High Council’s inquisitors have the best spirit mages in Crysellia outside of the Order of Soulkeepers and that Amilee will have access to knowledge and opportunities unavailable to most academy-trained spirit mages.”
Ria grimaced as she tugged the stockings up to her thighs and tied them with the ribbon she had threaded through the knit. Amilee’s situation sounded better than she was expecting, but surely, the reason such knowledge was made available to Oathbound was because they were Oathbound.
She had just the thing to cheer Keira back up, though. “Keira, check in that sack hanging up by the door. There’s something we’re going to need before setting out.”
As the item came free of the bag, Keira held it up and looked askance at Ria. “Horns?”
“Not just any horns,” Ria said dramatically. “That’s ranger’s costume!”
Jarrel and Oscar had worked together to make the headpiece that ranger would wear strapped-on like a helmet. They had even glued bristly clumps of fur on the wooden brace between the horns to make Ranger look fiercer.
Keira’s eyebrows rose comically, and then the girl made her decision, “Oooh, oooh! Let’s go test it out!”
Laughing, Ria barely grabbed her newly-blackened boots and oversized floppy hat before Keira was already rushing down the stairs.
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Ria made the crystal atop her staff glow as she held it aloft and loudly called out, “Come one, come all, and be entertained by the Young Witch Mia and Her Ghostly Companion performing feats of magic and a cautionary tale! Be awed! Be amazed! And maybe even bewitched.”
The traveling theater that stopped by Shadewood was one of her fondest memories, and grinning from ear to ear while imitating the barker from then, Ria hyped her and Keira’s planned performance from atop a stage that had been erected in the market square near the north gate to provide entertainment for the villagers and visitors.
Her pun didn’t just make Keira beside her on the stage groan but nearby adults as well. It was worth it though, as children began to tug on their parents’ hand or clothing or simply ran over, quite a few wearing masks from Gerard’s shop.
Maybe calling it ‘planned’ was a bit of a stretch, as the idea had popped into her head after seeing the stage hosting a puppet play earlier in the day. When she found out there was an evening slot available, Ria convinced Keira they should put on a show. Coming up with a tale to tell together with Keira was really fun, and between the three of them, not forgetting Ranger, they were able to divide up the rolls to fit their strengths. There was only one part for which Ria needed to make a simple scroll so she wouldn’t have to attempt two different magics at the same time.
“Guys! It’s Witch Mia!” a mask wearing kid called out to his buddies. “This is gonna be brill!”
“Think she’ll hand out more candied sweets?”
Ria chuckled to herself and waved as she sent a flare of fire into the sky above and gave another over-the-top pitch. She and Keira had already spent much of the afternoon doing little magic tricks for the younger kids impressed by their costumes and handing out starfruit candies made by Grandma Fana and Yuri. Of course, the glow around Keira’s costume looked even better now that the sun was setting.
“Gather round! The show will be starting soon!” Keira called out from her side of the stage, waving an arm over her head to catch the attention of anyone looking for the source of the voice. The sight stretched Ria's grin further. Her mood had been soaring all day from how much her noble friend had become caught up in the excitement of her first festival.
Their chaperones were Harvin and Miela just like the last time Ria took Keira out for an outing. Ria was glad for their presence, as not all of the outlanders took kindly to her and Keira performing magic in town, especially with Ranger looking like a rift-fiend. Having a guardsman nearby made it clear that they weren’t actually up to no good.
Currently, Harvin was guarding the front of the stage and Miela and Ranger were blocking the stairs leading up from behind.
Ria gave one more call and, having gathered a surprisingly large crowd, decided it was time.
"Ready, Kay?"
Keira took a deep breath with a hand pressed over her heart and gave a nod. "Ready, Mia!"
The crowd quieted with anticipation and curiousity as she and Kiera took their positions.
Closing her eyes for a moment, Ria took a deep breath of her own to settle her nevousness and excitement.
This was it. Her chance to make a precious memory for the outlander children and the children of Vorshan's Hills, just like that traveling theater had done for her.
Taking one last deep breath, Ria worked her shadow magic to make a spooky forest background and began the narration, “This is a story that begins with four friends who were bored and decided to explore a forbidden forest. The forest was dark and scary, but they bravely snuck inside anyway, finding strange star-shaped fruits growing on the trees. They gathered as many as they could carry and rushed back home.”
Accompanying Ria’s narration, Keira created boys made of light and had them wander through Ria’s forest made of shadows and pick glowing fruits. Once the figures returned to their village made of shadow, Ranger jumped out from the forest and struck a menacing pose, drawing gasps from the watching children and a few of the adults.
“Rawr!”
Kiera picked up the narration next, “That night when only the dark moon was hidden in the sky, a great fellbeast emerged from the shadows and proclaimed:”
“You have taken the fruits of my forest, I demand the fruits of yours in exchange!” Ria growled out, making her voice gruff and monster-like as she gave the beast’s line.
Continuing his acting, Ranger snapped his jaws and snarled at the villagers made of light, and while having the villagers bring out baskets from their shadow homes, Keira resumed narrating, “The terrified villagers brought the fellbeast bushels of apples, but the fellbeast was not satisfied and it raised flames around itself.”
“Is not the fruit of the village your young ones? Why would I be satisfied with the fruit of trees?” Ria sneered in the beast's voice then whispered, “Activate #51!” and the scroll under Ranger caused fire to whoosh in a ring around him.
“The villagers begin to bicker over whose children would be sacrificed to the beast, quickly coming to the decision that it should be the ones who stole the fruit from the forbidden forest.”
Ranger suddenly chomping the four boys made of light elicited cries of dismay, and Ria barely held a chuckle back while delivering the beast’s final line, “The taste of fear is delicious! Maybe I will come again!”
As she and Keira let the magic dissipate and stepped forward to wave and bow, they were met by a good amount of applause from the adults and cheering from the kids. Their performance was going great!
Now for the final part!
Keira glanced Ria’s direction and signaled she was ready.
“So… who among you would dare a forbidden starfruit candy?” Ria sinisterly called out with an evil smirk as Ranger brought forth the basket of candies, the handle gripped in his mouth. “The fellbeast is satiated, so fear not.”
“Roof-rawr.”
“Me! Me!” begged the masked boys she overheard earlier, and with their eagerness, other children joined in, bouncing on their tippy-toes and reaching with their hands.
Ria cackled like a witch and, cradling her staff in her elbow, tossed out handfuls of candies while using her Wand of Air Shield to catch them in the air before letting them each drop into an eager kid’s outstretched hand waiting below. Keira used a more ghost-appropriate method of levitating the candies to their recipients.
The difference from the muttering, fearful eyes, and chants of ‘Stone the witch!’ not even a week ago… was it because of the trial? Though happy that she no longer seemed hated, Ria couldn’t help but wonder.
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“Isn’t it dangerous to go into the back alleys at night?” Keira asked between labored breaths as Ria dragged her exhausted friend along by the hand. “Shouldn’t we wait for Harvin and Miela?”
“Don’t worry. Ranger’s with us. There’s one more place I want to go, and it’s not far!” Ria insisted. Ditching their chaperones took some trickery, but it was all in good fun.
“Woof!” Ranger agreed, as he scouted ahead.
Keira sighed, doing her best not to step in anything too objectionable as they rushed down the alley, the glow of the festival lights barely reaching past the narrow entrance.
The savory smell of spices and meat greeted them long before they arrived at Sal and Marlene’s well-lit stall. The meat vendor couple had mounted fearsome wolf heads on top of the stand, and a sign painted in blood and flanked by a pair of vigorously flaming braziers proclaimed, “Dire Wolf Flaming Hot Special!”
“Um, Ria, I think this might be too much for me…,” Keira balked.
Ria gave a big grin, resting her staff against her shoulder and tucking her skirt under as she eagerly took her seat on one of the stools. “Two of your best and ales to match! Plus one regular for my fiend buddy here.”
“Woof!”
“Oh! If it isn’t the young miss who Leon brought! I see you brought a friend, so I’ll give you one of those free like I promised,” Marlene greeted with a welcoming smile then turned to Keira who was still hesitating. “Come on, lass. It’s not going to get any less scary if you stay over there.”
Keira humphed and marched her way to a stool. “This had better not be a trick, Ria.”
Ria didn’t hold back from snickering at her friend as the ghost-costumed girl took the seat next to her. “Oh, it’s definitely a trick, but it’s sooo worth it.”
“Ho-hoh, another beauty. Young Leon sure is reaching above his station.” Marlene whistled and chuckled after seeing Keira’s face when Keira tucked her mask away. “Here you go, ladies.”
Three meat-stuffed breads and two ales. After passing Ranger his, Ria eagerly took a bite of hers and washed it down with a modest gulp of ale. The butcher shop customer that said monster meat had more flavor was right! Ria gave Keira a challenging grin, desperately hoping she could keep her eyes from watering before Keira took her first bite… and victory!!
Keira reached for the ale and gulped down mouthfuls immediately. When Keira came up for air, she puffed out air in an attempt to cool her burning mouth and lips.
Ria wanted to roll around laughing, but instead mustered all her willpower to nonchalantly take another bite and gulp of ale—though there was no holding back her eyes from watering this time as she gave Keira another challenging grin.
“No way… How are you-” Keira started to say. “Wait! You’re not fine at all! You big meanie!!!”
As Ria stopped trying to hold back her laughter, she thought of how much fun the day had been. There were silly foods and drinks to be conquered, festival trinkets to buy, stalls with games to win prizes, and people having fun all around. Each shop tried to out do the other with ridiculous displays, and the whole village was lit up with decorative lights that cast a spooky glow in the crisping evening air. Even the stream that ran through the village was filled with floating paper lanterns.
Sure, some of the outlanders had kept their distance and hid their children or said mean things, but more had gathered around to watch the magic show she and Keira put on.
By the end of the evening, Ria had met and talked to enough nice people who didn’t hate her that she felt like maybe she could begin to call Vorshan’s Hills home.