"Zilian. We're here. Wake up."

Zilian blinked his eyes open. Piecing together his surroundings. Took him just a few moments, but he recognized Mauris shop just to his left.

"How long was I a sleep?" Zilian asked.

He couldn't recall anything of the trip, he was exuasted from the long day of work and just wanted to forget what he was about to do. He shuddered to how his mischief were coming back.

"Pretty much when we left." Erica replied.

She was seated in the front, next to her grandfather, who steered the horse the aged leather rein.  Bits of what happened, recalling that Farame wanted to steer, and he decided to sit in the back.

"I didn't want to wake you, was that ok?" Erica asked with a hint of concern.

Zilian sat up right, "Nah, it's fine. I needed the sleep."

Stretching himself, with a relieved sigh. Standing straight up, lept himself right off the cart. Zilian takes one last stretch out of the cart. He followed Erica and Farame up the two short steps.

"You're surely are trying to take it all in." Erica said teasingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zilian replied.

"Oh nothing."

"That didn't sound nothing to me."

"I didn't say it was nothing about you."

Before Zilian could give his retort. Mauris appeared from the shop, a which Erica jumped at her uncle and he fell back, again. Seems to be a habit between them two.

"Uncle!" Erica cried out.

Mauris was happy to see Erica again, "Ha ha ha. Good to see ya again Eri. Old Far doing good I hope."

It was then he noticed his brother, standing in front of him too. There was a tension and awkward silence between them two, it was Mauris who broke the icy ambience.

"Well look who be here too, what you feed this girl of yours? Every time she sees me, she just has to pounce me." Erica a giggly laugh.

"I don't know, Eri tha' one who does them cooking." Farame answered coolly.

Zilian couldn't help but notice there's was small hint of tension still running. But both Farame and Mauris were setting it aside, they didn't want it to be shown.

There's nobody else to see it, except... me and Erica.

Farame dismissed them, "You and Erica can go and see that festival now, me and Mauris have a lot to catch up on."

"Ok," Zilian replied, as he was about to go, a thought crossed his mind, "What about your shop Mauris? How are ya gonna sell?"

He just said 'ya'. Too much time around these two is starting to affect him.

And Mauris noticed it too, "Hahaha, before you know it Zil, you gonna be like old Ferry here. Not to worry buddy, my guys can handle it. You two have fun. See you guys later." Mauris then opens the door to his house, which happened to be right next to the shop. When he and Farame went inside, two young boys opened up the shop.

One of them took note of Erica, "Erica! Been a long time, how you been?"

"Hey Charlee, I've been fine. Actually better then last time we met." Erica answered.

"Oh yeah, why's  that?" Charlee asked.

"Got company at home now. Hey Zilian, come here," she introduced them, "Zilian this is Charlee, Charlee this is Zilian. Charlee and me used to play a lot together back before I had to work hard for Ferry." And turning her attention to Charlee, "I found Zilian on our property, out cold. Brought him back to life. Now he is with Ferry and me."

Charlee gave a sharp look at Zilian. Sensing an uneasy hate coming from him. Charlee asked Zilian, "So where you from?"

He tried to give a calm reply, "I came from a small town, but one day everyone was gone so I went to look for somewhere to be at." Zilian came up with quick and a stretched out half truth, hoping that Charlee wouldn't press on.

Thankfully, he did not take it any further, although he seemed unsatisfied the reoky, "Well, I hope we can be good friends." He stretched his hands out for a handshake. The exchanged a firm handshake. Charlee then asked, "Hope you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"I'm 14."

"Nice, I'm 16. So what are you guys up to in Forest Mist?"

Erica piped in, "We're going to Ferdan Festival!"

Charlee gave a surprised look, "Sweet, you wouldn't me tagging?"

"Sure, but don't you have to watch after the shop?" Zilian said.

He did not like him, so he is making an excuse for them to not tag along.

Charlee called into the shop, "Yo big bro! Can you fill in my place?"

A head popped out from a fruit booth, "No prolem little C. Have fun. Be sure not to be out too late, we have to be here by midmorning tomorrow! And I want an I.O.U."

"Gotcha. Thanks!"

Charlee now free, "Yeah, they can do without me. Lead the way Erica."

"I want to see the Parade first!" She took off running.

Zilian and Charlee chased after her. Erica stopped after crossing several roads, at where the Parade is at. After pushing through the crowd, he sees great variety of everything in general. Men in colorful floppy clothes goofing around, behind them people with legs the size of a house with pants covering them. He never saw anything like this, all of this is new and exciting to him.

"Are those real people?" Pointing at the ones with long, straight legs.

Charlee replied, "Of course they're real, what you think?"

"I wonder how it's like having long legs?"

Charlee cracked up laughing.

"The legs aren't real though. They have sticks in there that they call stilts and learn how to balance on them."

Zilian never heard stilt, he just said, "Oh cool."

Next came dancers, boys and girls dancing with each other and exchanging partners. Next came drums, trumpets and flutes, hundred playing the music in perfect harmony. Everybody around the parade were cheering, waving little flags and sticks with colorful strings on the edge of them. After an hour watching, the parade was ending on this road, it continued going on to the next road. They saw all there was to see to a parade.

"That was amazing!" Erica cried out, "What else can we do?"

Charlee answered that question, "They have a bunch of games in the City Squares. The nearest one from here is Southbreeze Square. Ten minute walk." he smirked, "maybe four if we run."

Erica then said, "On the count of three."

They all positioned themselves, waiting for her to count to three.

Instead of counting, she skipped one and two, "Three!"

Both Zilian and Charlee cried out, chasing after her, "Hey! No fair!"

They raced down a straight road, running accross a couple of streets. Zilian bumped against a couple, who sweared at him. As Zilian was picking up speed, just about to pass Charlee on his right. Then Charlee pushed him aside, into a pile of hay. Zilian picked himself up, raced down the road again. When they reached Southbreeze Square, they all stopped to catch their breath.

"That... wasn't... fair... Charlee..." Zilian said in between each breath.

"Hehe... We didn't agree to any rules..." Charlee replied more coolly.

Finally catching his breath. Zilian looks at all the games the have around. Erica grabs both Zilian and Charlee by the hand, taking them to a 'Toss the Ball in the Jar' game. Erica grabs her coin bag from her pants pockets. She gives money to the the booth operator.

The operator takes the money and explains the game, "You get three balls per game, you try to throw a ball in a jar, the jar that it falls is reward you get. Enjoy!" Stepping aside.

Erica searching for her target, to find the reward she wants. He thinks she wouldn't know what to get. This game has a great variety of rewards, they have minifigurines, rings, deck of cards, necklaces, spining tops and lots of other trinkets.

"I want the Necklace!" Erica claimed. She tossed one, missed. She tossed her second, missed. She tossed her third, still missed.

"Bummer. Better luck next time missy." The operator said.

"I want to try again." Erica said. She paid him again and the manager gave her 3 more balls. Erica tossed all three and still missed all three times.

"One more time." Erica paid him a third time. She tossed her first two shot, missed them both. She held her third ball close to her, she tried to aim at the jar. With an arced toss, the ball almost made it in, but bounced off the edge and fell into a jar that has a coin token.

"What you know, the missy got a Be Back token!" the operator grabs the token from the jar and gives it to Erica. "Here you go. Have fun in the Ferdan Festival!"

Erica took the token. It didn't look like anything special. It just says 'Be Back' on it. Erica asks, "What is so special about it?"

The manager replied, "We only have one of those in stock each year. Made out of real gold! There more for reminding someone of the good time they had here, but the only token we have in stock. Really worth more then what you think missy."

"Ok, thanks." Erica said. She then took off to go to the next game, really not that excited for having the coin.

Zilian was going to go after her, that if he had not noticed Charlee pay the operator to play.

"Here ya go sir." The manager gave Charlee three balls.

"I only need one." Charlee said.

"You think you're that good Charlee." Zilian teased him.

"That's what makes me better then you. I know I am that good." Charlee set the two other balls aside. Licking his finger to test the wind.

"Show off." Zilian grunted.

Charlee tossed the ball. The ball arced steeply, bounced off from the edge of the jar with the necklace.

Zilian spited quickly, "Ha! Good try Charlee." But just as soon he finished, the ball bounced off the edge of another jar, arced again fell straight into the jar with the necklace, the one Erica wanted.

"How you do that?!" Zilian exclaimed.

"Nice shot as always Charlee. I wonder why I even let you try if I know you gonna do it?" The operator said.

"Probably because you want to see me fail one day."

"Maybe you're right. Anyway, here's your reward. A girls reward, but you could give it to your mother or something." The operator handed Charlees his reward.

"Thanks, I know exactly what to do with it." Walking away from the stand, placing the necklace in his pocket. Now heading towards Erica.

"So what are you gonna do with it?" Zilian asked.

"I'm gonna give it to Erica as a surprise, but not today. You better not tell." Charlee glared at him.

"No problem. I won't tell." Zilian more out of fear then sincerity. Kid is dangeruous, he can tell.

"Hey guys! Over here!" Erica called them over.

Erica was now at a booth that has sign that says 'Target Dart Game!'. Zilian walks up next to Erica, looking on the table, 'Rules: Three Darts per game. You get a compensation prize for every game, along with each ten points you get a higher grade prize. Along with the typical ten ring score points, there's a small dot in the center ring bullseye that worth 11. If you get the the perfect score of 33, you will be awarded with our Target Dart Champion Trophy.'

Zilian asked the booth operator, "How many guys won the Trophy?"

"Up to this date, not one!" The operator exclaimed excitedly, "You wanna try mate? Only 5 Semps."

"Sure." Zilian paid him up. He grabbed his three darts. Grabing one dart, holding his hand back; launched his first dart.

The dart gave a muffled thud, he hit the score in dead center.

"Nice shot mate! But can you do the next two?" Said the operator.

"We'll see." Zilian replied.

The manager pulled the dart off the board, so he has space to hit the small dot. Pulled arm back, same as before and launched again. Along with another muffled thud, perfect 11 again.

"Nice shot, simply nice! But not perfect, at least yet." The operator said, pulling the second dart off the board.

He repeated a third time, keeping his eye on the target. Launching his third dart, Zilian felt something weird, while the dart in motion, he can see images of the dart slightly ahead of where the dart is at. The faint image of the final shot missed the perfect bullseye. Zilian blinked his eyes, opened them, then the images were gone. But he sees he missed the shot.

"Ha, nice try Zilian." Charlee said next to him.

"I want to try." Erica said.

"Anything for the missy." The operator said.

She took the darts that the operator handed to her. Without any hesitation, she launched her first shot,  perfect score. Without waiting for the manager to take the dart off, she launced her second shot, another familiar thud, another perfect score. Taking her third dart, launching it, and without single bit of sign of doubt on her, she shot her three perfect scores.

"Lovely! Splendid! Fantastic even!" The operator cried out, "You broke our 13 year no champion streak. Here's your trophy in honor of winning our game." The manager handed the trophy to Erica, "I do hope you come by again next year."

"Wow. How you do it Erica?" Charlee asked.

Zilian was curious himself. He did good because back at home, he trained a lot on his own dart board. Erica mus have had more training them him, to do it with such determined, focused ease. 

"I don't know. I just saw it. Don't know how else to say it. It just seemed natural to me." Erica replied.

"Well, it doesn't matter. You won and that's good."

Zilian looks up into the sky and sees the moon is high. It is getting late and they'll be needing to get back to Farame soon. He remembered there was that strange tension between Farame and his brother. What could possibly be wrong that would keep Farame not want to see his younger brother for years?