Chapter 23
“They have the Autumnal Beast Fete every year, you know?” Algar says during the carriage ride.
“Do they?” I ask.
“Yep. I remember reading about it somewhere. It always begins on the twenty-third day of autumn, and lasts for about three days, I think.”
“Hmm. I’d never heard of it until today.” I point my gaze out of the carriage window. “What are they celebrating?”
“Apparently, it’s tradition for the beastials of Bernwood to come together and give thanks to Orvena for allowing them the opportunity to flourish near the Alvanite Mountains.”
Ah, yes. Orvena, the goddess of life and prosperity. Makes sense. It surely is a blessing to have direct access to one of Thelanor’s greatest resources. Many would kill—literally—to have it.
The fete is celebrated in expansive courtyards in the heart of the village. I see the raging fires licking the sky as our carriage approaches. The music grows louder, as well as cheers and laughter. I’m so intrigued that I slide closer to the edge of the bench to get a better look outside.
Once we’re out of the carriage, we take a path that leads us directly to the heart of the event, which is in a massive square surrounded by towering bushes and trees peppered in gold-and-purple flowers. Colored crystals and lumps of alvanite stone sit at the base of the various fires.
“Oh, I forgot about that.” Algar’s voice is loud as he speaks over the music. “Every person in the kingdom brings their own crystal to place around the flames so they can receive a blessing.”
“Oh! Maybe we should’ve brought one out of respect.”
I take a look around. There’s food, drinks, desserts, music—and I love it.
For the first time in a while, I’m actually feeling joy.
I almost forgot what that emotion feels like.
Joy. Such a simple three-letter word that many, including myself, can’t seem to keep ahold of.
It’s only been a few days since I left Meriva, but it feels like so much of my peace has been destroyed already.
A sister slowly dying in a dungeon.
Attacks in Redclaw and Ruvain.
Getting nearly choked to death by a murderous Grim sorcerer.
Almost eaten by a damn swamp monster.
Truth be told, this journey is triggering me. The Ember Coast attacks from my childhood linger in the back of my mind during every hardship.
The reminders of being forced out of my kingdom. Watching the fires swallow our homes and demolish everything we owned. My fingertips lingering on my father’s just before he pulled away to save more people—never returning.
And Mother promising to find us but—
Someone bumps into me, snapping me out of the tragic memories.
“So sorry, love!” A woman giggles as she clutches the hand of her lover and melts into the crowd.
I clear my throat and anchor myself in the present moment.
Beastials make up nearly the entire population here.
It’s such a rare sight. Meriva has a diverse blend of all living beings—mortals, beastials, charmers, and sorcerers.
Apparently skrellins, too. I spotted a few mortals in the castle working as helpers, but as far as the festivities are concerned, I can only spot three other mortals around—one selling hot honey cakes, a charmer making candies levitate for children before giving them away, and that woman who just passed by.
I smile when I catch sight of a beastial with charmer magic as well.
He throws his fingers into the air to light up the sky, creating mini, vibrant fireworks.
The children squeal while the adults applaud.
Some of the beastials who already seem drunk stare up in awe, their glistening eyes reflecting the bursts of colors.
Algar catches up with me in the crowd, now carrying a tin mug of ale in hand.
He walks by my side as we pass a band playing a lively tune on string instruments and flutes.
A woman with gray feathers on her arms offers us skewers stacked with roasted meat and veggies.
I take mine gratefully and bite into it, moaning as the savory flavors explode on my tongue.
I could get used to this.
“Have you ever been to a fete like this?” I slow my pace so Algar can catch up again.
“The closest thing to this that I’ve been to is the Crystal Festival in Meriva.” He scans the crowd as he bites off a chunk of meat.
“Oh, I love that one. They always have so much honey loaf and wine.”
“I do love wine.” Algar raises his mug to his lips.
“Where’s Zephra?” I ask.
“I left her in my chamber,” he says. “She’s got a load of food and a comfy bed. She’s in the Crystal Realm right now.”
I laugh.
From a short distance away, I spot Thane walking into the courtyard. He scans the whole area, assessing, before pressing on.
“Wonderful. The sorcerer has arrived,” I announce sarcastically.
He spots us rather easily. I mean, it’s not hard to find a mortal and a charmer in a scattered crowd of beastials. The woman who offered us a skewer also gives him one. He accepts it and bites right into it.
“What’s the story between you and Thane, anyway?” I ask as we approach one of the fires. I sit on a smooth slab of stone, and Algar joins me, taking another hefty sip from his mug.
“The story?” he repeats. “We’re friends—well, we were. That’s all there is to it, really.”
“Close friends, right?” My eyes dart to Thane, who now has his back to us while he requests an ale from one of the stands.
“We used to be. Before I stumbled across you two in that leaky building, I hadn’t seen Thane in almost three years.
” The flickering flames make Algar’s face seem fiercer, as if it has hardened all the features that make him appear kind and approachable.
“When we bumped into each other the time prior to this one, he’d changed.
I could see it in his eyes. He wasn’t the same person from all those years ago. ”
“What do you think changed him?”
“I don’t know.” He takes another gulp before consuming more meat.
After chewing and swallowing it down, he goes on.
“Truth is, Thane didn’t have a great life when he was younger.
We were neighbors living in the Scraps. Neither of us went to school, so we spent most of our days teaching each other stupid things, like how to strike with cheap wooden swords, or throw rocks at wealthy people in the Commons so one of us could keep them distracted long enough to steal their food. ”
I chew slower, too busy digesting his words.
“My mum, Orvena rest her soul, was a good person.” Algar’s smile is soft, eyes lost in the fire, as if he’s remembering her.
“She knew Thane was troubled and that his father wasn’t a good man, so she’d tell me to sneak food through his window.
If you’d seen him then, Zaira, you would’ve wondered how he was even breathing.
He was skin and bones, that one. Being so naive back then, I used to wonder why I could see the imprint of his ribs on his body.
In fact, at one point, I thought it was interesting that they were so visible, so I poked them, and it made him incredibly angry.
As I got older, I realized it was no interesting feat at all.
He couldn’t help it. I mean, we were both poor, but my mother never allowed a night where we didn’t eat something.
Even if it was half a loaf of bread.” Algar presses his lips together as he darts his eyes toward Thane, who is swapping coins for the ale.
“His father was a shit person who was even shittier with his coins. His mother wasn’t around at all.
During his ninth year, I stopped seeing him altogether.
Weeks went by, and it got to a point where I had to knock on his front door and ask for him.
I received a rather ignorant greeting from his drunk father, who shouted in my face for me to fuck off. ”
I lower the skewer as my stomach churns. “Did you find out where he went?”
“Didn’t find out for a few years,” he says, along with a humorless laugh.
“Not until I spotted him one day. This was back when I was trying to live a decent life by making my coin the ethical way, yeah? I was hired as a tour guide for the Crystal Palace grounds. Showing people the gardens, courtyards, and what have you. But on my first day of work, I saw Thane marching with The Divine.”
I blink at Algar, stunned. “Wait…are you serious?”
“I wouldn’t lie about this. I saw him but couldn’t bring myself to go over and speak to him.
I walked away instead. No one approached The Divine without consequences anyway.
Five years later, I stumbled into him again, only this time he wasn’t wearing the same white uniform The Divine wear.
He was in all black. He didn’t have those scars on his face that he has now, but his eyes were lost. There was still some innocence left in them, like what I saw when we were children, right?
But he tried really hard to hide that softer side of him.
He hardly spoke to me that day. He kept looking over his shoulder every few seconds like someone was coming after him.
Then he disappeared when I offered to buy him a pint, and I never saw him again.
At least not until yesterday. And, oddly enough, he was with you. ”
Algar turns his head so his hazel eyes lock on mine.
My heart drums a beat faster.
“I saw him with you and had even more questions than before. But I have to tell you, Zaira, I look at him now, and I don’t see that lost boy anymore.
I see someone who’s been hardened to the core.
Someone carrying way too many secrets. I see a person willing to risk his life over and over again just to prove something to this world.
I don’t know what that something is, but I know it’s dangerous, and that’s why I worry for you. ”
“For me?” I gape. “Why?”