The Stories of Latia, Vol. 2: Demon's Curse

Chapter 16: Happy New Moon Day!

Chapter 16: Happy New Moon Day!

The Narrator

None of them left the tent for the rest of the day.

Around two hours after the sun went down, Avery had fallen asleep at one of the desks, and everyone else where seated either on the floor or in one of the few empty chairs in the room, fighting to not join Avery in her slumber.

"We could try-" Cassidy tiredly starts from next to Avery, but is interrupted by a loud bang outside that jolts them all wide awake in an instant.

"What the hell was that?!" James exclaims, fighting back a yawn.

"Oh, that's right! Happy New Moon, everyone!" Mystia lifts her head up off her desk and outstretches her arms. Everyone turns to her in confusion.
"Oh... do you guys not celebrate New Moon Day?" She asks, just as confused as they are. They all shake their heads in almost perfectly timed unison.

"It's a pretty self explanatory holiday. Every new moon there's a festival in the Square with all sorts of food and stuff." As if on queue, both Cassidy and Jayme's stomachs rumble at the mere mention of the festival having food.

"I think this is a good place to call it tonight." Mystia laughs.

"You guys go, have fun at the festival."

Everyone else is quick to get up, but Cassidy is hesitant.

"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna keep working."

"Oh, come on, Cass," Avery whines.

"One night off won't kill you."

Cassidy wanted to keep working, but one look from James was what convinced her to give up.

"Fine, how could I say no to you?" Cassidy stands up and walks over to them, playfully nudging Avery's shoulder with her own. They walk out of the tent and back towards the Square.

"Your hair is a mess, by the way," she adds, ruffling Avery's sage green hair with both of her hands for a moment, before she leans away giggling.

"Well it is now." Avery laughs, pulling her hair back into a sort of messy bun.

"It looks cute though, don't worry."

"Do you guys want us to leave, or...?" Jayme buts in, chuckling softly.

They both laugh. "Okay, okay. We're done." Cassidy lifts her hands up, palms out like she's throwing away a deck of cards.

They reach the Square and it is so full of life. The paths and ground everywhere else was made of sandstone or dirt, but the center of this village sat on a giant stone slab, buried slightly so it's level with the rest of the floor. The slab had various engravings all over it, they suspected it depicted whatever ancient beast the giant skull not far from here once belonged to.

Around the edges of the slab were all sorts of wooden market stalls, selling trinkets, toys, cookware, you name it.

Mixed in with the wooden market stalls were brick ones, with smoke coming from each one from the various foods being cooked in them.

One corner of the square had a wooden stage covering it, with a handful of performers on it, playing a variety of drums and string instruments.

The rest of the square was filled with waves of people, each one wearing clothing made of the same fabric, but each one being a slightly different color.

Many were mingling, many were dancing, most were doing a little bit of both.

"Mmm... something smells amazing and I really want to know what, I'll be right back!" Jayme barely has time to finish his sentence before taking off into the sea of people.