As Cypher walked outside, the light from many torches and a large bonfire shone brightly. The glare dazzled him and left a quick flash of the color spectrum burning into his eyes for a few moments. He lowered his head and shielded his eyes from the harsh light with the rim of his ridiculous hat.
The celebration was to take place in the square of the city where he had defeated Gaizeal. As he arrived, many people from peasants to nobility were stationed around a platform built where the killing blow had been dealt.
A long rectangular table with chairs set evenly around it spanned the better part of the platform and was laden with plates of food and decanters of drink. A large roasted boar lathered in sweet-smelling sauces sat in the middle of the table, and below the platform sat twenty tables of equal length and grandeur. Today, all were equal in light of the evil that had terrorized the people, both rich and poor.
During the two days that Cypher had been unconscious, the townsfolk had returned to bury their dead and try to regain some semblance of their previous lives. The work had been dreary, and afterward, they all needed a chance to unwind and enjoy a peaceful atmosphere.
Gaizeal had been terribly ruthless in his assault on this region, and it went without saying that everyone was glad he was gone. The price may have been high for such peace, but most were grateful that the number of casualties had not been higher. Buildings could be rebuilt, and homes could be rethatched, but the lives lost were gone forever, and this celebration would also serve to honor and remember them.
As he arrived, the crowd grew silent as they took sight of him. They stepped aside to allow him to walk through unhindered. As he walked, people would bow or otherwise show quiet signs of respect for killing the tyrant Gaizeal. It was praise that Cypher felt was unneeded, but as Syntinnial had instructed, he bowed or nodded his head to show he appreciated the gesture.
After he moved through the crowd and reached the platform, the people assembled burst into applause and cheers of praise. Cypher walked up the short staircase that led to the top of the platform and turned to face the eager crowd. Their applause rang throughout the large square.
Signs of destruction still lingered about, but the damage around the city was minimal compared to the damage that Gaizeal had done to the masses as a whole. Grendewald approached Cypher then, followed by a procession of people dressed in clothes of the finest materials. The mayor of Dungor laid a hand on Cypher's shoulder, which was a difficult task since he stood a head taller than the short, portly man.
Each of the nobles turned towards the crowd as Grendewald began speaking. "G-good people of D-dungor, we are gathered h-here today t-to show o-our gratitude to t-this f-fine young man! For y-years our country h-has b-been plagued by the e-evil of that wretched madman! But no more! N-now we u-usher in a new age of p-peace and prosperity. No longer will our c-crops be destroyed! No longer will our people be o-oppressed and forced into servitude! I present to you, y-your hero! Cypher Ceraunus, son of Zylofenix and Serenade C-Ceraunus!"
Despite his stuttering, the people cheered and applauded, "Let us begin the celebration!" As Grendewald finished talking, the people took their seats among the many tables and began eating and conversing. As Cypher reluctantly took his seat in the middle of the table, facing the crowd, the nobles that sat around him began addressing themselves.
They each told him their name, title, and what lands they owned. All of them granted him sanctuary in their estates should he ever ask, and offered to give him boons of gold and jewels from their respective treasuries. Cypher had respectfully declined the offers of material goods. He told them that he needed no reward for killing Gaizeal and that their thanks were rewarding enough.
The evening continued to roll on as they ate and drank. Various jesters and performers would appear throughout the celebration. Each was sporting ridiculous clothes with bells in odd places that made Cypher feel better about his own attire. Each gave an amazing show that, after the many goblets of wine and mead, left him laughing so hard, his chest began to hurt.
The most memorable of them was a performer named Halagan, who used flaming rings. He would throw them and watch as they rolled across the ground, moving as he willed them to. Then he would, with a touch of real magick, stack them in towers and other shapes for him to jump through. The climax of his performance took Cypher by surprise, as he pulled forth nine flaming swords and began juggling them with perfection.
With a final, "Hyah!" he tossed them into the air and caught the pommels of three swords between the fingers of each hand, and one in the middle of each of his palms. The final one he caught on the top of his head. With a swift spin, they all vanished in a flurry of confetti and sparks, and he took a bow.
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The crowd applauded him as he and his two assistants left, and the feasting continued. As the night began to grow later, the party came to a close as Lord Fayaldin took their attention, his gold-gilded maroon robes swaying as he moved. "My fellow citizens of Farnor, if I may have a moment of your time."
He waited for the merrymaking to fade into the night before continuing. "We all know why we have gathered here, and I would like to say a few words in honor of our hero." Everyone waited in anticipation.
Lord Fayaldin turned to Cypher and said, "I once had the fine pleasure of meeting your parents during the battle of Shimmermist, Cypher. It was they who helped to save most of the citizens of that fallen city. I count myself among the lucky few who were personally helped out of the city by them in the lulls between the fighting.
“If not for them, I would have lost my life in the collapse of the temple of Celestique. Your father was a proud and strong warrior, much like yourself, and it pleases me to see that his son is no different. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you have done for this kingdom and hope that in the future, you return to us even stronger and more powerful than any who came before you."
Cypher felt a tingle as the noble said these words and Cypher stood to join him. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "I thank you all for your kind words and praise. But I wish you all to know something and it is not easy to say."
He took a deep breath and continued. He was not used to speaking in front of so many people but, emboldened by the strong alcohol he had been drinking all night, he gulped hard and gave a small speech. "As you may or may not know, I am a native of the kingdom of Dellorim. My journey to Farnor was not one of my own design but here I stand all the same. However, when I arrived here in Farnor, I was dismayed to discover that the entire city of Stratos had been destroyed, and its people slaughtered down to the last child.”
The crowd was suddenly filled with gasps of horror, disbelief, and sadness, but shortly thereafter a grim silence filled the air and Cypher continued, “I laid everyone I could to rest in the center of town and marked the site with a headstone. It was long and solemn work but I could not simply leave them to rot in the sun. If you had family or friends in that once great city I am deeply sorry for your loss.
“However, it was clear to me almost instantly that Gaizeal and his men were the ones responsible for such an atrocity. I say this so that you may understand that it was not for glory, fame, or reward that I put an end to the tyrant Gaizeal. In truth, I was angered by what I saw in Stratos. The chaos that Gaizeal and his men wrought there was beyond what I had ever seen before. As much as I want to claim that my actions were purely noble, they were in fact tinged with the desire for revenge.
“You might see me as a hero but in all honesty, I do not feel I deserve such praise from you fine people. All that said, Gaizeal is dead and the people of Stratos have been avenged. You have all been through a lot in the past few days and the hardship ahead is sure to test you even more. However, for now, you are safe. Still, the loss of Stratos and its people is a great one indeed, so I ask that we all lower our heads and give a moment of silence to those who fell."
At these words, the people below and the nobles around him did as he asked. The moment of silence was long and undisturbed save for the silent sobbing of many of the assembled townsfolk and the hurried whispering of the assembled nobles. When at last it passed the men had returned their various hats to their heads, and the women wiped their tears and stifled their sadness as they returned their gaze to Cypher.
"I will be leaving Dungor tomorrow. I have other engagements that I must see to. But I leave knowing that you will rebuild what has been destroyed, and grow grander than ever you were before! As I have proven, I am a Conductor, and before I leave, I plan to place wards around the walls of your city so that another calamity of this kind should not happen again.
"I cannot in good conscience, say that the spell will fully protect you from harm. I am still learning my craft. But it will warn you if any danger is about to befall you. This will give you precious time to save your women and children, as well as rally your warriors for battle."
After Cypher finished his speech, the crowd erupted into a storm of questions. The nobles assembled quickly took control of the situation and after calming down the townsfolk things began to settle back down. There were many who wished to speak with Cypher and ask him questions, but the assembled nobles quickly took hold of the situation and calmed the citizens enough that the celebration could continue.
Where before it was one in Cypher’s honor, now it was also to remember those who had fallen in Stratos and to celebrate their memory. It wasn’t long before the drinking had begun anew and the tables were pulled to the side to allow room for the dancing to begin. The bards took their places and began playing not only songs that spoke of adventure and wonder, but ones of mournful loss and remembrance as well.
Tales of past and present heroes rang through the city, even some dedicated to Cypher himself, and the people danced the night away. Cypher finally took his leave around midnight. He was weary and wished to be alone with his thoughts. He felt terrible about dropping such a bombshell on these people now of all times but it had to be done and it was better to do so now while they still held feelings of relief at their own survival.
The nobles would handle the rest of the details and Cypher would offer whatever information they might want about the fate of Stratos. His part in all of this was over and he was ready to move on. With a final bow to the people, and after saying his farewells to the many lords and ladies, he departed.