The only respite the drab winters of Salrest brought was the horribly gaudy, terribly loud, yet immensely fun Moonsong festival. As three moons climbed the clear mid-winter sky, people gathered in the crowded plazas of the city. In midst of the thick smoke of grilled meat and raucous cheer, people would sing their heart out at the moons, wishing for a year of prosperity, togetherness and a happy Moonsong.

 The day before Moonsong, women from all over would crowd the markets and shout down the shopkeepers to wrangle the best offers. It was a common scene every year; the men lounged and strolled nearby, while their female companions duked it out. That is exactly where Rigel was this year, dragged to the market by Suri.

Rigel felt tired as he saw Suri charm her way into getting several heavy discounts.

 Soon, Suri came prancing with a mountain of boxes. “Hold these”, she commanded, “and follow me”.

The two took the narrow roads to the pleasure-quarter at the city slums. A far cry from the upscale pleasure-quarters Suri worked at, this bore signs of neglect, disease and poverty.

 A shrill shout brought the two running around a corner. A burly town guard in light armour stood with a nasty smile on his face, a tattered book in his hands. A little girl sat on the ground, bawling loudly with little shrieks.

 “You can have this junk back when your mother pays her debts”, the guard spat.

 Rigel was about to rush out when Suri’s hands blocked him. She nodded her head sideways.

The guard saw Suri’s reining Rigel in and sneered before walking away.

 “Nothing good comes out of angering them”, Suri whispered. “It’s the rule in pleasure quarters”. Her watery eyes, however, told a different story.

A nearby window flew open and a woman peered out. The woman smiled, the lines on her face spoke of a beauty long past. “How many times have I told you, Suri, to not come here?” She gently chided. “You got out. That’s it. Don’t look back”.

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 “Mama Song, and I ‘ave told ja it ain’ ‘appenin”, Suri’s reverted to the heavy accent of the slums. “I ‘ove you an Mama Ise, Mama Gurel, Ol’ Man Padjie…”

“Alright, alright”, Mama Song cut in. “Who's the handsome young man? Your master?”

Suri’s fox ears assumed a furious shade of crimson. “Na”, she said, “I ain’ got a permanent master yet”.

“I see”, Song whispered.

Suri got buried in an avalanche of neighbourhood children. Born to the women of business, they had little in way of comfort. Each small gift Suri had bought from the stalls was received as supreme treasures in their little hands. Rigel spotted the little girl from earlier. Even as she clutched a new ribbon, her eyes swam with tears.

 “Why did he take her book?” Rigel whispered to Song. “Didn’t seem like it was valuable”.

 “It wasn’t”, Song replied. “Just a children’s tale about the Princess of Moons coming out on Moonsong, kissing all children goodnight and then reincarnating with their love. Men like him do cruel things for no reason. And the kids’ mothers end up getting the bitter end of their frustrations”.

 Rigel nodded; a strange fire burned in his eyes.

After dropping Suri, Rigel took the sun-dappled cobblestone lane leading to the Old Dwarf’s Workshop. He jangled the two monster cores he had in his hands. I hope that'll be enough, he wished.

 The bearded dwarf shouted as he saw Rigel, “I told you, there’s no such thing as a magic automaton gun!”

 “Nah. Need to borrow that…quirky red armour you have, and some of your inventions”.

The night of Moonsong bathed all Salrest with laughter and light, save the slums. The children stared wistfully at the celebration they weren’t allowed in.

 POP!

A small firecracker lit up, banishing the darkness on the children’s faces. While little heads swung back and forth in confusion, a red figure descended from the sky.

The red figure in horribly gaudy red armour stood imperiously. “I am the Knight of the Moon Princess!” it declared, “I have come on her orders!”

 Fireworks shot out from his hands, colouring the sky above. Children laughed and celebrated as raucously as the men in the city plaza.

The figure knelt down in front of a little girl. “The Moon Princess told me to give you this”, he whispered while handing a book to the girl with the new ribbons.

It truly was a happy Moonsong.