Song of Failure

Prologue

The sound of the lyre filled the streets, accompanied by drums that resonated with the heartbeats of the people. Across the busy road, yellow dust from the ground rose as many feet stirred it to life.

Amongst those many feet were gold that danced with its owner's movements; they created a harmonized jingling. The street was bustling with people dancing.

Jin was one of those people. He was dressed in loose sheer standard to that of what gypsies and belly dancers wore. Even if that were the case, the people around him didn't seem to look down on him nor his clothes.

All around him hung colorful banderitas that similarly danced in the wind. The space around him was crowded and full of life as people mixed around and shuffled, never in the same place they once were.

If someone were to ask him what it would feel like at this moment - dancing, lost in the crowd of people - it would probably be colorful. Jin felt himself let go of his surroundings, throwing all of his cares to the wind.

He was high on the music's rhythm, adrenaline making his head clearer in reception to all stimuli, which was ironic since there was nothing to think about at all.

Amidst the many people present on the wide street, their movements were practiced and graceful, like a work of art or a jar of finely aged wine.

High on the music's rhythm, he looked towards his other comrades who were similarly laughing and smiling with the townspeople. Everyone was dancing, consumed by the festive mood that he and his comrades brought.

This is why he and his comrades do this, to spread this exhilarating joy and happiness wherever they go. Young and old people gathered in the wide street that almost resembled a town square - which was originally used as a wide road. All people, from beggars to even some vendors, were pulled in by him and his other friends to join in the musical interplay that they created.

The music continued and the lyre sang its notes. More and more people started to join in the fun. However, in the climax of the festive scene, one of Jin's fellow mates shouted an alarm that halted all movements.

"The guards are coming!"

Just like that, a twang of the lyre and the music stopped. The drums halted almost immediately and everyone was rushing to disperse. Laughing, Jin ran with his fellow gypsy–travelers across the different stalls and vendors, away from the place where they were dancing earlier.

In almost an instant, the guards arrived and caught those who were too slow to run. Other vendors, or perhaps travelers, probably called the royal guards on them on the account of causing a public disturbance. After all, they were making a ruckus on a public road; there were most likely some people dissatisfied with how they couldn't pull along their carts and carriages over the heaps of dancing monkeys.

Jin and his other comrades laughed and shouted in mirth as they expertly ran away from the guards. They have been doing this for their whole lives and could now be called professionals in avoiding being caught by those stinky palace watchdogs.

He criss-crossed through stalls and heard some yells coming from angry shop owners. His running was erratic and he couldn't help but knock some goods here and there. His heartbeat was ringing through his eardrums and the adrenaline coursed through his entire body. Still, that couldn't suppress the smile that rose to his face every time he did this.

He and his friends ran for half an hour before re-grouping in a random inn within the city. The last of them arrived just as Jin and the others were busy drinking and ordering some food to eat. It was almost the hour of dusk when the sun would start to set in the horizon.