"Roy, have you seen my ankle shoes? I swear I kept them outside after cleaning them yesterday."
Anna searched the house frantically as she spoke.
"Mom took them," Roy began. "She packed all our festival clothing into a bag. Erui is pretty far, so it's better to keep everything safe until we get there. Avoids unnecessary issues."
Anna stayed silent for a moment, looking at her brother with a sad expression. "I understand… but I honestly wanted to wear them now."
Roy stepped closer and stroked her hair. "Just wear a simple gown and sandals. It's about time for us to leave. The roads will be extremely busy, and we need to secure a wagon quickly."
Anna nodded and headed to her room to change into a plain black gown and sandals before waiting outside for her family.
About fifteen minutes later, Roy appeared wearing a grey, ankle-length tunic and sandals, his golden hair tousled yet handsome. He went over and sat next to Anna in silence as they waited for their mother.
Another seven minutes passed before she appeared, her onyx hair perfectly braided. She wore a black gown identical to her daughter's.
"Alright, let's head out," she said, holding the bag of clothes. "There should be transport wagons on Eclair Street around this time."
Roy took it upon himself to carry the bag as they walked.
For the next twenty minutes, the family walked in silence, offering only occasional greetings to other pedestrians headed to the festival. Upon arrival, they boarded a wagon already carrying three people. Their mother took out six grey soul stones—equivalent to thirty Declans—and handed them to the coachman.
'At this rate, I'm going to be poor', she thought before gesturing for her kids to get in.
The journey to Erui took two hours due to the massive crowd of people heading there. The family disembarked at the town entrance and followed the crowd toward the central square where the festival was held.
Anna clutched Roy's hand as they stepped into the heart of the square, her eyes widening at the sight. The Festival of Aaro Eeu had transformed Erui into a shimmering tapestry of light and color. Soul lanterns glowed with a soft bluish-white light, floating from wooden poles and doorways, casting ghostly halos against the dusk. Ribbons of purple, gold, and white silk swayed overhead, catching the evening breeze like streams of living color.
Bright chalk murals sprawled across the cobblestones, curling into spirals that resembled constellations and rivers of starlight. Children darted about with flower garlands perched on their heads, their laughter rising over the music of drums and flutes. Anna's gaze lingered on the soul stones strung above merchant stalls, each one glowing faintly as though whispering to the living. In the square, wooden effigies of winged birds stood guard, their carved wings spread wide in silent blessing.
Roy adjusted the hem of his tunic, his blue eyes sweeping over the scene with quiet admiration. "They've outdone themselves this year," he said softly.
Anna, her glossy black eyes reflecting the lantern-light, could only nod. Her simple gown brushed against the painted streets as she leaned forward to glimpse the Temple, where priests in ceremonial black and gold robes stood ready beneath a star-painted canopy.
Two bronze bells hung from the sides of the temple pillar. Each bell had a distinct marking. The moon and stars on the one one the left temple pillar and the sun and a calf engraved on the one on the right.
"The moon and stars depict the peace Lord Noise had promised the world after the Celestial war", Their mother began explaining to the kids "The sun and the calf on the other hand depicts new beginnings and new birth, morning comes before night is the belief, new beginnings bring about peace that's the meaning."
The kids looked enlightened and simply nodded
A hush fell as the first notes of the evening chant began. Lanterns swayed, flowers rustled, and the festival's heartbeat seemed to rise from the ground itself. For Anna, the very air felt alive with souls, watching, blessing, and guiding.
Four Derons were chained to the temple pillars, each resembling a bison with pale grey skin and hollow eyes.
"Mother, are those Derons?" Anna asked curiously. She had never seen a Deron before, only heard and read about them.
"Yes they are, I've seen them during previous festivals." "You can always tell by their grey skin." Her mother replied absent mindedly. Roy chimed in. "They are here as sacrifices for Lord Nous."
As Roy spoke, the great bronze bells of the temple rang, and the festival grounds fell into a hush. A ripple of silence spread through the crowd as the Orven, the title of the Bishops of the Temple of Nous emerged onto the altar.
He was resplendent. His white silk robes shimmered like liquid light, flowing with every step, while his crimson cloak, embroidered in gold, blazed like fire. Upon his brow rested a halo-crown, its golden rays framing his head as though the gods themselves had marked him. The great soulstone at its center pulsed with a living glow, casting soft light across the awed faces below.
With each step, his sandaled feet scattered faint traces of soulstone dust that glowed briefly before fading into the air like stardust. Children gasped and pointed; elders bowed their heads.
In his hand, he bore a staff of crystal and gold, its radiant orb blazing against the daylight sky. The runes across his stole glowed faintly as the priests behind him began a rhythmic chant.
The people responded instinctively: some fell to their knees, whispering prayers; others lifted their hands in praise. A voice resounded from behind the Orven, chanting in unison—"The voice of Nous has appeared, show reverence!" The air trembled, as though the soulstones worn by the crowd resonated with the divine presence. The celebration had become sacred, transcendent.
The Orven straightened, looking indifferently at the multitude. He cleared his throat, raised his staff, and with a drawing motion, unsheathed a thin long sword from within it, throwing the shaft aside.
"It is a blessed day today, we have to celebrate Aaro Eeu, the festival to give thanks to Lord Nous for creating the world" he began, his voice resounding across the square. "Today we celebrate our lord Nous, the giver of souls and king over the world. This day marks when Lord Nous slaughtered the tyrannical Lord Abgrund, who used his followers to wreak havoc upon this world."
He stared at the crowd before shifting his gaze to the man behind him, (The Mayor of Erui), who moved to unchain the Derons. Leading them by their chains toward the Orven, the mayor stood ready.
The Orven stepped forward, looking pleased. He grabbed one of the Derons by its horns, forced it onto the altar, and brought his long sword to its throat. He slew it, allowing its blood to flow freely, and repeated the act with the other three. The mayor and his servants piled the bodies and set them ablaze.
"Incense to the lord!" the Orven shouted. "Death to the void!"the people returned joyfully.
The priest beheaded the burning corpses and handed the heads to his assistant. "LET THE FESTIVAL BEGIN!"
The people roared, and the celebration resumed. Shops reopened, and entertainment commenced.
Anna, now changed into her beautiful purple gown, slipped away to find a present for her brother. She knew he was into swordsmanship and intended to get him a sword.
Something cheap will do, right? she thought before heading towards a weapon stall.
She stood in front of the counter, her head barely reaching the top, contemplating what weapon her brother would like most. "Young lady,I don't think this is the place for you," the stall keeper said carefully.
"I'm here to buy something for my brother," Anna replied with confidence. "A sword worth 4 copper declans, sir.
The man looked at her with amusement before sighing. "I don't have anything here worth copper Declans, but… I could make an exception. This steel dagger is just eight copper Declans, but in the spirit of festivities I'll give it to u for Four." He pulled a plain-looking dagger with a wooden hilt and blunt edges from under the counter. "Tell your brother to sharpen it before he uses it," he said, handing it over.
"Thank you so much, sir! Thank you!" Anna said in quick succession before bolting off with the dagger toward her family after paying of course
...…
"Yeesh,kids these days. Hectic creatures," the man said, smiling at her disappearing figure.
At that moment, a loud cry echoed from somewhere nearby. The single cry turned to two, then became a racket. Men, women, and children ran from something the shopkeeper couldn't see.
A lanky man sprinted toward his stall, begging to be let in. The shopkeeper gave him a confused look. "What's going on? Why are you running?"
"The Derons from Mount Serto have all lost their minds! Open up, open…!" The lanky man couldn't finish his sentence.
A ten-foot-tall grey wolf appeared behind him and bit off his head before glaring hungrily at the shopkeeper.
Paralyzed by fear, the shopkeeper watched as blood dripped from the wolf's maw and golden particles flew from the decapitated man's body into the hound's. The shopkeeper, unable to act even in his own weapon shop, met the same fate, his soul immediately absorbed by the wolf.
...…
Anna ran happily back to where her family had been;the cries around her still sounded like celebrations. She ran until she reached the spot—except they weren't there.
The scene before her was confusing. Why was the temple in flames? Why were the Orven and his assistant lying in bloody heaps?
She took a step forward and tripped over something hard, landing in a puddle of red liquid. As she stood up and examined what had tripped her, she saw her hands were crimson. She recognized the metallic smell—blood. Fear creeped in her facial features.
Her body began to shake as she looked down at the headless body wearing the same clothes her brother had worn.
She knelt and clutched Roy's body in her small arms. Somehow, she had guessed her mother had met the same fate—and that she probably would, too.
She looked around and saw grey beasts chasing down and hunting every human in sight. As she watched with a hollow expression, one that resembled a large wolf moved toward her with predatory strides.
'I'm scared', she thought, still clutching her brother's body.
With a howl, the wolf used its paw to shove Anna away. In one quick motion, it bit off her left hand.
Anna cried out in agony, staring at the beast in terror. 'I don't want to die, she whispered between sobs.
At the corner of her eye, Anna noticed another grey beast, this one a massive cobra. Instead of hunting humans, it was hunting its fellow Derons, swallowing them whole.
Clutching her bleeding arm, Anna stared in frightened disbelief as she slowly began to lose consciousness.
Derons were swallowed left and right by the snake, many unable to put up a fight. The ferocious serpent then set its sights on the great wolf.
Sensing danger, the wolf decided to save the unconscious Anna for later.
The snake slithered toward the wolf with tremendous speed. The wolf leaped, smacking the snake's head with its large paws. The snake recoiled and struck back, sinking its fangs into the wolf's shoulder.
The wolf roared in pain and brought its paws down again. The snake tried to dodge but was hit in the right eye. Reacting instantly, the wolf slashed a large gash across the snake's stomach.
Hissing, black blood dripping from its injured eye, the snake charged. The wolf, staring with hollow eyes, used its paws to pin the snake to the ground. It leaned down to bite off the snake's head.
Realizing it was about to die, the snake coiled its tail around the great wolf's head. The wolf frantically scratched at the snake's throat, but its efforts failed as it slowly began to lose strength.
For five minutes, the snake strangled the wolf until it stopped moving. Letting go, the snake coiled around the wolf's corpse and began to swallow it. As it devoured the body, black particles surged into the snake, causing it immense pain.
The snake's body gradually shrank and convulsed into a humanoid form. Bones cracked and shifted until it finally took the shape of a twelve-year-old child with pale, deathly skin and white hair that flowed to its waist. The child took a single step before collapsing to the ground.
Anna, fading in and out of consciousness, watched the scene with terror and confusion.
Why did a Deron transform into a human?
This was her last memory before she finally lost consciousness.