BoZV - Arc 2

[Arashi]

"Yeah. Well, the world is big. Somebody has to know something, right?" Silver smiled at Rion as commented on her never seeing anything like those sort of powers before. "I have wings and all the time in the world, so let's find them."

He then looked a little surprised about something she said, but she wasn't exactly sure for what reason. And then he seemed to look away, at his arm again. She tilted her head a small bit, still smiling. Her smile grew a bit at what he said next, about looking out for each other.

"I don't mind it being a difficult path. I'll look out for you as much as I can, especially now that I know about all of this." She continued smiling. She had a new sort of determination now, and a new goal. Her condition was something very linear and simple compared to Rion's, and his seemed to carry much more risk. She wanted to get rid of that risk and learn as much as she could to help him with it. "Dragons are loyal y'know. We're pretty determined at helping those we are fond of."

Rion then informed her that they were in Eulene. Eulene...that name sounded familiar. Where did she hear it before? And a festival? Waaaaiit...

Her face lit up.

"Eulene? We're where you came from, right??" She smiled again. "You gotta show me things!"

And then the other word registered. Festival?

"And a festival? Isn't that where people do like...fun stuff? Can we check it out?? Pleassee?? I've never been to one before!" She just seemed excited now.

In the past, she would just ignore festivals and leave whenever they popped up. Too many people. But...she thought that maybe having Rion with her would help her out with that. Plus, she was almost certain at least Aqua would want to check it out, too. She seemed like the kind of person that would enjoy a festival.

[Bloodbane]

Rion laughed a bit and smiled at Silver's mentioning of having all the time of the world. It seemed that explaining how he could hopefully keep her from going through another transformation had indeed cheered her up a bit, even if she was more concerned for him than before. "I can't argue with that logic..." He admitted, though after a few seconds she said something he really hadn't expected. 'Loyal to those they're... fond of...?' Fortunately before he could dwell on that statement too much she got excited at the idea of being in his hometown.

"U-uh yeah, sure... it's been a while since I've been around but I'm sure the town hasn't changed too terribly much. Couldn't tell you what the festival's about, though..." He explained before she wanted him to confirm what a festival was. Had she never been to such a thing before? He tilted his head briefly at Silver's pleading with him to check it out, before chuckling again. "All right, all right... like I said, here's as good a place as any to take a bit of a break while we try and find someone who can inform Shin that we succeeded. He'll be more likely to help us find where to go next than anyone I'd imagine; he's had eyes on this thing for a while... I suppose it pays to be involved in intel." From what he understood, Shin was involved in reconnaissance, primarily for one of the major military forces in the world though that entailed having a good relationship with those in other nations. For something like a resurgence of blight, it was at least some comforting news knowing that people were working together to get more information.

"That's still not for a few hours I'd imagine, we'll see how everyone's feeling in the morning and go from there." He said, sighing after a few seconds. "Think the worst of the recovery's over with, so hopefully I can get back to sleep until the folks running the place wake us up for breakfast. Are you gonna be okay?"

[Arashi]

Silver didn't really think much about the implications of her words, stating her loyalty. It was just how she talked; with honesty. It probably would have been better if she thought about that a little bit, but it was just second nature to her.

Rion then responded to her excitement over...everything. It was interesting; she seemed to have two very contrasting natures; one being very wary and angry at everything, and one being very curious and playful about things. It may have become obvious at this point that the second one was who she really was when she was comfortable with people and not under pressure.

"Cool, I can't wait to see it then." She grinned as Rion told her that he would show her stuff in his home town. That made her quite happy for some reason, she didn't really even know why. Learning things about people she likes, perhaps? Then he also said they could check out the festival and that made her even more happy.

"Yay!" Silver spoke with enthusiasm. "I'm all excited now. It'll be nice to get away from the fighting for a little bit, and I think the festival thingy would be fun. Can we find whoever is in charge of this town and make them tell Shin? And then maybe he can uh...send us a message or something?" She tilted her head a bit. If she was being honest, she didn't really understand military stuff. Enfurnus never explained it to her; but that wasn't his fault, she never really cared to learn. She kinda wondered now...what did she miss out on by choosing to just shut out everything?

"A few hours? I guess so. I'm not even tired now, so I have no idea what to do with myself." She laughed a small bit. "I hope you can get some rest. I'm sure you need it. I am sorry if I woke you up...I didn't mean to. I wasn't thinking clearly. But...at the same time, I'm glad I came to you, too. Thank you. I'll pay you back for your kindness somehow." She smiled at Rion. "So, yes...I'll be fine. Don't worry."


A thought entered her head at that moment. She wanted to hug him again; that was the thought. Why was she thinking of doing that all of a sudden again? That was rather unlike her. She didn't usually like being that close to anybody. She looked away a bit.

"U-uh, I'll get going now! Get lots of rest, because tomorrow we're doing fun stuff!" She smiled, a little nervously likely much to Rion's confusion, then walked to his door and exited his room.

She began walking back to her own room, which was on the same floor. She was a tiny bit flustered by her own doing, and she didn't even understand why. Well...she kind of had a thought, but it was something she would rather push to the back of her mind for now. This sort of thing had never happened to her before. Nobody was ever like that towards her before. Sure, Enfurnus took her in, but he treated her more like a father would treat his child. Rion was just nice, despite all of her...qualities. And he could relate to her, too...and they sort of relied on each other to survive through this. It all kind of added up to her. She kind of couldn't believe herself for hating all humans without much thought on the matter.

She stopped in front of her door, kind of worked up over her thoughts. She unlocked the door and went inside with a sigh, though she smiled a bit. It didn't matter at the moment what her thoughts were, she figured. Tomorrow was a big day, after all. At least, it was to her.

Silver sat down on the bed in her room and looked at herself, still far too awake to sleep. She was all covered in armor...that seemed like it would be a little odd at some social event thing. She honestly had no clue if that thought was true or not, but it seemed logical. They aren't going to fight anything, anyway.

So, she made the decision to take her armor off. She unstrapped all of it, leaving her in a t-shirt and shorts. She opened her backpack and pulled some black pants out, and proceeded to change in to those. Luckily, her boots were fairly standard and plain looking, so they looked normal with her pants.

It felt odd, not being in armor. And it felt even more odd not having her face mostly covered. She strongly considered putting her face mask back on...but it was about time she tried not wearing it for once. She could put it back on after the festival and proceed to leave it on forever then.

Silver then looked at her cloak, which was on the bed now. She remembered Rion mistaking her for a bestia...would other people do that too if she refrained from using her magic? It would be nice to not walk around all covered up for once. She had never done that before, though...

But she had back up now, too. She was certain that if anybody picked on her, Aqua, Rion, and Enfurnus would have her back. She wasn't too sure if Terra would, but 3 was enough. Besides, if it got too scary for her, she could just go back to the Inn and get all her stuff and put it on. It's not like they were going to a different town or something.

So...she left it off, and walked out of her door a little early. She walked down to the lobby of the Inn, which was currently barren, and looked out the window.


From what she could see in the dim light of dawn, there were hundreds of small wooden stalls set up. Some looked like games, maybe, and others just looked empty. They were awaiting their vendors to arrive and set up. There were streamers hanging from them, and paper lanterns hung on some of the streamers. Everything was the color of fall leaves; in hues of orange, brown, and yellow. It looked so...colorful.

~
Beyond what she could see, there was much more. Various food stalls littered the streets, serving all sorts of different delicious things. Some had sweets, some had savories, and some had everything in between. Carnival-style games were set up; many different varieties among them. There was a dunking booth, several shooting ranges that had bows with blunt-tipped arrows, bean bag toss, and many others. Vendors selling everything from winter coats to luxurious scarves; some even selling weapons like swords and knives. Further along, there was a large plaza where an area for a band to play music and for watchers to dance was set up.
~

Silver looked at it all in excitement, just staring for several moments. What cool things would she get to see?

And then she was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. She jumped a bit, then turned around. It was Enfurnus.

"What...got in to you?" He looked her up and down, then laughed a bit. "I have never seen you without armor in any sort of city."

Silver scoffed at him.

"Nothing. I just wanted to fit in for once. Besides, they're just gonna think I'm a bestia. And now I'm not by myself, so maybe nobody will pick on me anyway." She crossed her arms and looked at him.

"Well jeeze. Okay. I can't say I expected this out of you after yesterday especially." He paused for a moment, realizing what he said. "We don't need to talk about that for now, though. You're okay, right..?"

"...Yes, I am fine. I went and talked to Rion about stuff and now I'm better." She smiled a bit.

"Oh, I get it." Enfurnus replied with a bit of a smirk. "Well, come on. It's time for breakfast. Everyone will probably be there, and I feel like they are going to wonder who you even are at this point."

"H-hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Silver glared at him a bit. "Fine, lets go."

The two walked to the dining area, where the others were waiting. Silver waved at everyone with a nervous smile, then sat down to eat. Enfurnus waved at everyone as well.

~

After enjoying a nice breakfast, the group hung around at their table in the dining area to talk a bit about their plans for the day.

[Swim]

After she'd finished bathing Terra's skin had reverted back to its default soft and pink state. By this time Terra had a pretty good idea about what had happened and was no longer worried. She felt great in fact. As she toweled off her gaze fell to the armor she'd peeled off, it was time to give that a good cleaning too. And after what had happened last time Terra had vowed never again to put the task off, there was no telling how soon her group would be chasing down another Blight crystal.

She had just finished up with the armor when as the sun peaked over the treetops outside. There was a soft knock on her door and a housekeeper announced that breakfast was being served. Terra wiped away a bead of sweat and quietly reflected that she'd done those tasks in the wrong order before stowing everything away and heading downstairs for some food.

Several members of her company were already seated and eating. When she sat down to join them there was some relief expressed that she was back up and moving around, and then conversation turned to a festival that was apparently going on in town and the activities they might partake in that day. It all sounded exciting but there was one problem that Terra could see. "Hey this festival sounds like a lot of fun," she began, blushing slightly as eyes swiveled toward her and faces waited for the 'but' that would surely accompany that opening. "This is a little embarrassing but I guess it makes sense to bring up now. I've enough coin to buy ammunition, a couple of days worth of rations but I don't know if I can afford something, er, nonessential right now. I didn't make any money in Aldur on account of the town being attacked and none of us has worked since we started chasing Blight Crystals. I guess I'm wondering if the rest of you are independently wealthy or if you're counting on Shin to find some coin somewhere to pay us for what we're doing now? Sorry to be a downer, I just know what its like to go without food for awhile..."

[Sorrum]

Aqua woke up to the sound of knocking on her door. "Breakfast will be served soon!" A joyful tone came from the other side, then silence. Aqua looked at her armor strewn across the floor and narrowed her eyes. Armor was not appropriate at festivals.

She remembered passing the stalls and the streamers from the lamp posts, but imagined her group would want to keep moving. She would love to join in on the fun, but felt that they were still on a mission. After her shower, she grabbed some clothes from her sack, the same one that had her camping gear in it. Before long she was standing in front of the mirror wearing her favorite blue blouse and a black skirt. Maybe she could get them to stop and enjoy the festival for a little while. She headed out the door and down to the lobby. Her friends were already sitting there, so she smiled a bit. She hadn't even thought of checking on Terra's and Silver's conditions after the battle, though she believed Rion or Enfurnus would have noticed something.

After a bite, she made mention of the festival. The group seemed interested, so she continued. Terra spoke about money being a problem, but Aqua was prepared for this hurdle already. "I've got you, don't worry about it. These things won't cost a lot I'm sure. And I'm sure we'll have some monetary compensation for a mission complete, right Rion?"

[Bloodbane]

After waking up a few hours later and taking the time to clean himself, Rion checked his arm one more time before putting the armor back on over his arm, confirming that the light color had already nearly overtaken the recently-formed crystal and that he had regained full movement. Whether the group decided to take some time to enjoy the festival or not, he had little choice but to wear the armor to hide the secret he had revealed to Silver; even if he could get away with something like bandaging the arm heavily he did not want to risk that, in the presence of the darkness Silver carried with her, that the glowing would give it away given that they would be in the presence of the general public. When the call came for breakfast, he made his way out to where the general dining area of the inn was located, soon joining back up with the others. Judging by the appearances of everyone, it looked like the answer to his question would be obvious; until they had a new crystal or otherwise some other mission to take on, they could spend some time relaxing with this festival. Interestingly enough, even Silver appeared to be dressed casually, which caused him to briefly take pause as from what he knew of her she did not seem to be much of the type to deviate from her armored appearance in public.

"Well, looks like we're all back up and moving, and back to normal..." He said, referring not only to whatever Silver went through, but it looked like whatever Enfurnus was talking about regarding Terra was taken care of. While the group ate, the talk came up regarding the festival and whether they should partake, which then led to the necessary matter of funding. It seemed he was expected to have an answer, at which point he looked across the table, before putting his unarmored hand to the back of his head. "W-well, while it wasn't exactly anything official, I'm sure Shin would agree that what we're doing would be worth something like that; it's close enough to hiring mercenaries to keep the zombies off the roads I'd say. Of course, there's still the matter of getting word out to him..."

"Word out to who...?" Another voice chimed in from the table over, before Shin turned in his seat, chuckling briefly as his gaze met Rion's. "You guys didn't think I'd stay in Agrova, did you? My scouts and I were keeping eyes on the mountains to make sure things weren't getting any worse." He stated, though oddly enough he was the only one at his table before he brought his chair closer.

"So the dragon...?" Rion asked, remembering what he spotted in the sky after they had escaped the cave.

"Spotted him, did you? Helps to have an eye in the sky, hehe... Anyway, I couldn't help but overhear you all talking about taking a breather, and I also share in your thoughts on the finances behind all this. You can rest assured I'll make sure you guys have no worries there, as long as you feel you can keep doing what you're doing."

"Speaking of that... what happens now? Where should we be heading next?" Rion decided to try and ask the question sooner than later.

"I'm still working that detail out. The crystal in the mountains we had known about for a little while, so it was our biggest concern and our best chance to confirm that someone out there could stop it. Needless to say, after what happened it hasn't been easy to find folks with your group's talents, much less talk them into doing anything other than damage control." It was pretty clear what Shin was referring to as Rion frowned, looking back to his arm then to the others as Shin continued. "I'll get back to you when I have something, but I've already checked it in with the owner; your rooms here are covered and I'll have some traveling money for you all next time we meet. In the meantime, go have some fun, you all have more than earned a break!"

[Sorrum]

A smile beamed from Aqua's face at her friends. "Yay! That settles it then." She was more than pleased with this turn of events. After all, she had agreed to this venture for Silver's sake, but it lined up with her own goals of experiencing life outside of The Frontier. Now she could take part in that with these fine people she's been running around with.

"Hmm, what to do first though.." Aqua pondered. She looked around the table at the different comrades she's made. Silver, Rion, Enfurnus, and Terra. Their journey together has been tense, so she figured that there had to be something the five of them could do together to really build those bonds. But what?

Outside, the wind picked up as if on cue. Flying in from the open window came a piece of paper that flipped through the air and landed right at Aqua's feet. She picked it up and looked it over. It was an advertisement for another fight, not unlike the one she'd seen in Aldur.

Her face turned a bit sour, she didn't care for violence as she got enough of it in her line of work. But there was something different. It wasn't a tournament, it was a challenge.

"...Yung Fueg's Ring of Doom?" Aqua read aloud. She looked at the others and shrugged. "Well, there's no price to watch. Could be fun?" she said optimistically.

[Arashi]

Both Silver and Enfurnus stayed relatively quiet as everyone talked. There was a discussions of funds, and how they would pay for the festival. Silver tilted her head a bit. It costed money? Weird. Aqua then said she would cover Tera, which Silver smiled a bit at. That was awfully nice.

And then Shin came out of nowhere. How did he do that? Silver listened as Rion and Shin discussed the mission and what was going on next. She had wondered that herself. She kind of eyed Shin; she still was a little annoyed at him, but less so. He seemed like a good person, but she wasn't the kind to forgive easily.

Enfurnus crossed his arms and looked at Shin. He smirked a bit.

"Look at you, magically showing up. Celestrus may know things if anybody can find him. I haven't heard from him in awhile, so I assume he's out finding things for me. Hopefully...sometimes I wonder why I made him my captain" He sighed a bit.

Shin then mentioned covering their costs. This made Silver smile the slightest bit. That was cool at least; maybe she should forgive him slightly more.

After a few moments, Aqua said something about a 'Ring of Doom'. Silver looked over at her and saw she was holding a paper. What was a ring of doom? That didn't sound very fun or festival-y.

"Uhhh...okay." Silver scratched her head, mildly confused.

~

The group then headed outside to the festival, saying farewell to Shin as they went. Outside was very busy; the streets were filled with people at various booths and walking among the streets. People were playing various games and looked to be having a lot of fun. Everybody looked happy.

Silver scooted over behind Rion. She stood close to him. That was...a lot of people. And she had no armor. The regrets were starting.

Enfurnus looked around and smiled. He hadn't bothered to go to too many festivals, but he always liked observing them. He didn't quite like straying from the mission, but...the group deserved a break. He wouldn't want to take that away from them.

[Swim]

The group seemed to have moved swiftly past Terra's comment about money, however embarrassed it made her feel to say it. Frida immediately volunteered to pay for Terra, who blinked, surprised. Terra had been joking but maybe Frida really was wealthy. Either way it was incredibly generous. "Th-Thank you," she stammered, seeming temporarily lost for words.

Moments later they were joined by Shin who assured them that finances at least would not become one of their concerns. He had curious timing but it made Terra feel much better. Mercenary work was an honest living, maybe she wouldn't have to return to the fight pits after all. She was starting to grow fonder of the members of their group, Frida in particular was definitely a friend. And beyond that, what they were doing actually made a difference in the world, and that meant everything to Terra.

Just after having the thought that her pit fighting days might be behind her Frida declared her intention to spectate this 'ring of doom.' That sounded like a fight pit to her, one that might draw a few unkind eyes from out of town since it was for a large festival. Still, spectating probably wouldn't hurt. The party got up to explore the festival, and against her better judgement Terra decided not to dash upstairs and grab her cloak. She was among friends, had no intention of fighting today and the sun felt so nice it would've been a shame to cover up.

Once outside there were rows upon rows of merchants selling their wares and booths featuring games of chance and skill. And the smell of delicious food wafted at them from every direction, if they hadn't just eaten breakfast it would have been impossible to resist. As it was, she counted a dozen vendors she would like to return to later in the day. One of them showcased jewelry and polished stones which were displayed to catch the sunlight. Another vendor had traveling gear, a new satchel wouldn't be a bad idea if she could negotiate a fair price. Still others had armor enhancements, boots, scarves, recipes and cooking spices- it was impossible to take everything in. Terra didn't want to halt the group now, but after they spectated this show she'd definitely like to circle back.

[Sorrum]

Aqua took her first step out of the hotel and nearly leaped forward. She was so thrilled to explore this festival. It hadn't even occurred to her that she'd find an event like this so early into her trip. She glanced back and forth at the stalls, admiring different foods that she'd never had before that seemed to be cooked in frying oil. They gave off a tantalizing aroma that would have made her weak if she hadn't already eaten. Particularly she was moving in the direction toward the Ring of Doom, but her eyes darted toward each and every stall.

Across from the fried foods stall was another stall selling silks and cloths featuring beautiful patterns and designs. Aqua particularly noted a deep violet sash that had fallen and unfolded from the rack, the sun shined off of its' threads in flashy glory. She approached the silk but immediately caught the price with her eye, and was quite dissuaded at the prospect of purchasing said sash. A real pity that underlying the festive nature was the hunger of business. It was not any better in the Frontier, however. Aqua appreciated the beauty of the cloth for a moment longer before moving on.

They passed another stall that contained beautiful cut gemstones and jewelry, clothings, weapons, armor, and even a booth that had children's toys. She specifically noted one toy that had an sharks's head attached to a stick with a switch, which controlled the hunter's jaw. She thought it looked rather silly, like a children's version of her own staff Sharksbane. Definitely had to come back to look at more of these.

She hadn't said much to the others as she was taking in the scenery, but before they reached the ring she noticed a stall selling cider. Before it's sweet smell she was powerless, especially between the warm sunlight bearing down and the walking. Aqua lead the others toward the booth, where a serviceman stood. He was a portly fellow sporting a thick, brown handlebar mustache and a head vacant of hair, save for his temples. His bulbous nose and thick eyebrows gave him a dwarfish look, but his gleaming smile and welcoming disposition perished any sense of wariness. He was dressed in a white apron, spotting a few splashes and stains from the cider he poured, a yellow sweater with green pinstripes and dark green pants. His boots were brown and dirty, and had obviously been worn from time spent working in the pasture, as his burly build had also suggested.

"Hello there, young people!" The vendor started. "I have with us today some of the finest apple cider to serve the people of Eulene. Have you ever had Honeyfarm Cider?" He addressed Aqua. Before she could answer, he continued. "Finest cider in the Eulene region, we've been making cider, among other products, for the city for generations. As our first customers of the day, I'd like you try some for yourself!"

The man turned and pulled out glasses for everyone in the party. Aqua looked to the others with a smile. "Hey, our first stop and it's free. Lucky us, right?" Aqua grinned. The man poured a light brown liquid from one of several barrels he had put up in his stall, filling each glass to the brim.

"Here you go!" He handed the drinks over to Aqua and the others. Aqua took her glass and stared down into it. "Enjoy your drinks, and tell everyone you meet to come on by!" The man said. He then quickly disappeared, out to another group of people walking by.

Aqua took a sip of her cider. It was sweet, sweeter than apple cider should be. She thought it was a little too sweet, in fact. Like pure honey, yet not thick and without the sticky texture. She wasn't sure how to feel about it, but held onto it anyway because she didn't want to be rude. "Let's get to that ring, shall we?" she prompted, then stepped ahead.

~

The Ring of Doom was in fact placed in the theater of the fairground. Wood benches lined up in front of an empty stage far back for a large crowd, which was had formed and was getting larger. With a show like this being outside, it was hard to believe they wouldn't start when the sun was high in the sky. Aqua's suspicions would soon be proven correct.

The stage was a plain wooden floor built a meter above the ground and a large backdrop with a painted background, all of which was in front of an open area where performers would jump around and dance and interact with audience members pulled into the show. It was here that a ring about three meters wide had been drawn with white chalk and given several markings. Guests and viewers clamored for the seats closest to the ring, ignoring the stage in both conversation and mind. "C'mon c'mon, I see seats there so let's get closer to the ring!" one man urged his friends. Aqua instead opted to jump for those seats for her friends.

Aqua sat and motioned the others to join her. Once they did, the conversation and noise around them died down quickly. A figure in a purple cloak had appeared on the stage, their face covered. What discernible features were that of wrinkled skin and a grey mustache. Behind him sat a medium sized object, but it was covered in a white cloth. "Humans, elves, bestia! Welcome to the city of Eulene's Annual Festival of Autumn!" He began in a fuzzy, screeching tone. His opener was followed by shrieks from the crowd, excited claps and shouts.

"For this year's theater presentation, we are excited to bring you the exotic sport of sumo wrestling from the lands of the far east!" Another round of applause that soon faded. "Featuring a man you may know. This martial artist has been making his way around the country, serving challenges to renowned kingdom knights, performing feats of awe, slaying titanic beasts, and of course, slaying the hearts of women!" A mix of cheers and wooing from the crowd. "I introduce you to the one, the only, Yuuuung Fueeeeg!"

From the ring in front of the man, in front of the audience, the ground seemed to liquefy and separate. Emerging from the ground was a humongous man clad in a purple tunic and black loincloth. His expression was rigid as he seemingly floated through the mud, as people cheered and drums beat in the background at a rapid pace. As his feet fully left the ground and the drums reached their climax, his chest expanded widely as he took a deep breath. His left foot pointed to the sky before it came crashing down on the ring. "KEEE-YAH!"

Yung's foot slammed into the ground as he bellowed. The spectator's benches shifted as the ground shook and elevated them into layers around Yung's ring. People shouted and screamed in excitement as his right leg repeated the action for the other half of the theater before he stood tall. He smiled widely and opened his arms just as wide. "Everyone, it is my pleasure to perform for you in today's event, The Ring of Doom!" He shouted to the crowd with enthusiasm, who's response was just as every bit enthused in kind. "Now then, as this is a relatively new event for you and I included, let me explain. This is an exhibition match for testing brave warriors of different cities and regions their mettle against myself, a great sumo warrior. There are prizes to be won for those with the power to defeat me, and wisdom for those unable to! Such as an invitation to join my future school! Hahaha!" Yung chuckled. Already there were men jumping up and jeering at Yung from the stands.

"For those who'd like a swing, step right up! I will welcome all challengers! Of course, if you're too afraid, you may simply pick up a pamphlet from my assistant Gregor! With this, Yung pointed at the man in the purple cloak, who was waving at the crowd with a friendly grin. "With that said, let's begin!" Yung cried. A man stepped into the ring with Yung and faced him. On stage, Gregor pulled the cloth off of the object behind him, revealing it to be a large gong. He looked to the two men in the ring, who both looked at him. They each nodded, and with a swing, the gong rang out over the crowd's cheering and the two men clashed.

~

Aqua looked at the two men battling in the little ring. It wasn't necessarily combat, but entertainment for the people here. She smiled a bit. It seemed barbaric, but perhaps there was something more to it. If she was going to get a better understanding of humans, she should try to immerse herself in their culture just a little more. She looked to the others and wondered what they were thinking.

[Bloodbane]

After Shin had left, Rion and the others made their way outside, where it quickly became clear what the purpose of the festival was as signs and banners were all over the place. "The Autumn Festival... it's that time of year already...?" He said aloud, more surprised at realizing he had lost track of the days somehow. Saying nothing else, he walked with the others as they stopped to check out the sights and smells the festival had to offer. It was good that they had already eaten, but he had a feeling they would be back to indulge in some of the festival food as the day went on. First, however, he paused at a familiar scent, one that Aqua followed to the Honeyfarm Cider booth. "Oh, wow, it's been a while since I've had some of this..." He said quietly, following her in that direction. He looked back toward the group as he did so, blinking a couple of times as he did not seem to see Silver, until he realized that Silver was standing rather close by. Given she wasn't wearing her armor, he found himself slightly startled to see her so suddenly, a brief 'ope!' escaping before he laughed a bit. "S-sorry Silver, almost didn't see ya there! What do you think so far?" She seemed happy enough wandering around Agrova, though the streets were not nearly as busy as they were at a time like this.

After a few seconds, Rion overheard the vendor offering a free glass to the group, a wide smile forming on his face. "Awesome, thank you sir!" He said, though upon taking the glass the vendor tilted his head briefly, as if curious about something. "You look kinda familiar... You from around here, boy?" Blinking a couple of times, Rion put his free hand to the back of his head, laughing a bit. "I, er, stop in from time to time... eh-especially around the festival; I love this stuff!" He said, raising the glass and taking a drink which brought a wide smile and hearty laugh from the vendor. "Glad to hear it, spread the word!" Rion heard the man say as the group continued in the direction of the 'Ring of Doom', arriving and taking seats just in time to see the star of the attraction form the ring using what appeared to be Earth magic. "Hmm, very neat..." He watched as Yung announced the purpose of the event as a showcase of strength. As Yung took on his first competitor, Rion looked around the group. "Quite a spectacle, I've gotta say... I don't think I've seen any earth mages move quite like that." He said, referring to how Yung seemed to move through the earth as if it was not a solid mass.

[Arashi]

Silver looked around as they walked through the streets, sticking pretttyyy close to Rion. She didn't really even realize she was doing it. Everybody in their little group seemed cheerful about this 'Autumn Festival' though, so that was nice to see. She was pretty much entirely overwhelmed though by all the people, but at the same time...it was so interesting. There were so many things to see that she had never seen before in her life. And...nobody really even seemed to care about her tail or ears. In fact, nobody was really looking at her at all. Everybody was too busy.

Enfurnus seemed pretty much not phased by all of the action; he didn't look super thrilled or freaked out. This sort of thing was not new to him at all. He didn't care much for festivals, but would go along with everybody else if it made them happy.

Silver looked at the cider booth as they followed Aqua to it. It smelled...weird. Sugary. Certainly not like things she would usually eat.

Rion then turned and seemed startled by her, which in turn made her jump slightly. He then laughed...which made her laugh a bit too after a few moments.

That was kind of...somehow cute.

Wait, what?

She scratched the back of her head and looked away a bit as he asked her what she thought of the festival so far, after apologizing.

"I-it's okay! Uhh, well...it's a little bit scary to me, but I also...kind of like it. It's interesting." She smiled a small bit.

Soon, the vendor was passing out glasses of the strange smelling liquid to the group. Silver took one and stared at it in a scrutinizing manner. She had drank plenty of fruit juices, but had never really come across anything like this.

The vendor then gave Rion a glass, and she couldn't help but overhear the man say that Rion looked familiar. Rion didn't seem to want the vendor to know he was from this city; or at least that is what she assumed by how he replied. Huh. Interesting. Must be a reason for that.

Silver looked at the others as they drank the cider, then finally decided to sip it herself. She blinked a few times. It was certainly...something. She didn't quite know what she thought of it yet, which resulted in her looking at her glass funny.

Enfurnus took a few sips out of his glass, then raised an eyebrow and looked at Aqua. As they walked away, out of earshot of the nice vendor, he looked at Aqua.

"Dude. This stuff is like pure sugar or something. What's up with that."

Soon enough, Aqua had grabbed them all seats at the 'Ring of Doom' thing. Silver sat down, seating herself between Aqua and Rion. She felt okay in the crowd between them. She quietly watched as the show began, and as Yung did his thing. She tilted her head a bit, and then leaned over to Aqua and whispered to her. She figured Aqua would probably get it...

"Humans are weird."

She then looked at Rion, who commented on the event.

"Uhhh...yeah! It's definitely a sight to see." She laughed a bit.

Enfurnus leaned over a bit and looked at everyone in the group with a smirk.

"One of you has to go up there. It'd be amazing."

[Sorrum]

~

Aqua turned to Enfurnus with the glass still in her hand. "It's really, really sweet. I'm so used to drinking tea and water that this just feels like overkill." she lamented.

~

"Humans are so weird." Silver whispered to Aqua. Aqua blinked and looked back at the half dragon, half human.

"You think so too? I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm not used to them being so.. eccentric?" Aqua struggled to find the word most flattering for what she was seeing. "He's got a really good control over the earth if he can do stunts like that. I don't think it'll be an easy fight." Aqua chuckled. Just as he said that, the man Yung was fighting was being thrown out of the ring and into the nearby crowd. Aqua put a hand over her mouth to hide her giggling face. "Oh my.."

"One of you has to go up there. It'd be amazing" Enfurnus said.

"Absolutely!" Aqua seconded. She looked between her friends. All of them were capable fighters, though it looked like Silver and Terra weren't at all likely to jump in. Enfurnus's cuts may not have healed yet, and she didn't want him to strain himself. That leaves..

"Rion, get in there!" Aqua said while turning in her seat.

[Bloodbane]

Rion smiled briefly when Silver seemed interested in the festival. "Yeah, the Autumn Festival is a pretty big event; while Eulene itself in the mountains a lot of the folks in the valleys meet up here during the harvest season to get their crops shipped all over, so you're likely to see a lot of people selling food and treats." He explained, the cider booth being just one of many farm-related booths and vendors around town. Speaking of the cider, Rion couldn't help but smirk when everyone seemed put off by the sweet flavor. "It takes a bit of getting used to, but you'd be hard pressed to find a cider quite like Honeyfarm. It's also one of the best ones to go for if you're trying to make a hard cider... but I might be a little biased, I grew up around the stuff." He said, before downing the rest of the glass with no real trouble.

Once the party was seated, Rion listened to the others as Enfurnus mentioned that someone should jump in and fight the earth-bending sumo. After a few seconds, Aqua looked over at him, much to his surprise. "U-uhh..." He put a hand to the back of his head, looking around the rest of the group who seemed eager to see him fight. "H-hey come on now... low profile, remember?" He replied, appearing to be less than willing to jump in.

"Sounds like someone's chicken.~"

"Who're you calling chick--" Rion turned to the sound of the voice, his eye twitching slightly as he realized who it was. "Shin, what the hell?!" He growled, a smirk forming over the silver-haired man's face. "What, a guy can't enjoy some arena combat? This is a good opportunity for you to keep your skills sharp, you never know when you'll run into something smarter than a drone at this rate." He said, before poking Rion's forehead and pushing lightly to nudge him back. When Rion blinked and opened his eyes, he would see a small ball of light hovering in front of Shin's fingertip. "Besides... it's not like you're the only light mage around, nobody's gonna bat an eye."

Rion's eyes widened briefly, as up until this point he had never seen Shin cast any sort of magic... though he seemed somewhat understanding and even, as if it had explained a few things before crossing his arms. "S-so you're also... y-you sly son of a--" He grumbled, muttering under his breath before sighing. "All right, fine. I can't argue with any of that... I'll be back." He stated as the light dispersed, Shin chuckling afterward. Rion then got up from his seat and walked over to where people were registering, only to come back rather quickly afterward.

"So it turns out quite a few folks want a piece of this guy... I'm signed up but we'll need to come back later. They gave me one of these though, supposedly it'll buzz and go off when it's time." He said, holding a small device in his hand. When he looked back up at the party, Shin was gone as quickly as he came. "He's gone again isn't he... Ugh, seriously. That man's always trying to push me into stuff like this... 'good practice' and all that crap. I can't believe he didn't tell me he used light though..." Rion kept a frown on his face for a few seconds, but then shrugged it off. "Anyway... let's go do something else, by the looks of the sheet we'd be sitting here all day otherwise."

[Arashi]

Silver tilted her head as Rion talked about the cider. He seemed to really like it, so there must be something redeeming about the sweetness. Hm. She held on to the cup as they walked, still looking at it every once and awhile.

Enfurnus shrugged at Aqua. "Yeah, me too. I like me some good tea, not a sugar bomb. Oh well, I guess it is nice to try new things every once and awhile, right? I've been to many festivals and never had a drink taste quite like this."

~

As they sat in their seats, Aqua replied to Silver's comment about humans being weird. Silver nodded at her words, agreeing entirely. Her lack of experience with being around humans made this event seem so odd, but also kinda charming in a way.

"I know...I don't know how I feel about this. It's kind of weirdly adorable though. The guy is trying soooo hard to show off his strength...and it's just...adorable." She spoke low still to Aqua and laughed quietly.

She scoffed at Enfurnus though of his encouragement of getting someone in the group to go in the ring. While she found entertainment in watching, she didn't really agree in participating in such activities; it seemed silly to her.

...And then Aqua encouraged Rion to join. Enfurnus grinned and vigorously nodded.

"Yes. Do it. Beat him up. It'll be hilarious." Enfurnus smirked. He would never admit it, but he kind of loved how humans behaved at these festivals. It was funny and great to watch; much to the stark contrast of what his military life is like.

"Why don't you do it then if it'll be so hilarious, huh? You go up and participate in their weird sport game thing." She glared at him, not Aqua. Just at him.

"Oh come on...it'll be funny!" Enfurnus said in reply and grinned at Silver. As if he knew something.

Silver continued giving him a dirty look, but before she could say anything further, Shin showed up. And also egged Rion on. Maybe she kind of hated him a little bit again. He did have good points though, maybe sparring was useful? Whatever though. She turned to glare at Shin a bit, while Enfurnus quietly snickered in the background. Much to Silver's surprise though, Rion agreed to sign up.

He soon came back from signing up, and said the list of challengers was long.

"Aw, lame. Oh well, at least I get to watch it later. Shin did a good job." Enfurnus looked at Rion and grinned.

Silver looked at Rion and crossed her arms.

"Well...not much we can do about it now, can we?" She sighed. "I'll at least cheer you on...not that I approve or anything." She grumbled a bit.

She glared at Enfurnus again.

"If he gets hurt, it is your fault. And Shin's fault." She seemed to be leaving Aqua out of it.

The party then got up from their seats and went back off in to the streets of the festival, lead by an enthusiastic Aqua.