The Last Red Year

SEVENTEEN: Fire Rising

 Fanfare echoes through the foothills, a song of joy and revelry dancing across the domed rooftops and marble pillars of the city that stands ahead. Kas's dark mood is buffeted by the contrast. They've spent today's ride in silence, watching Hadling's death over and over in their head. The sounds of celebration don't erase the images from their mind, but they do, at least for a moment, distract them.

They ride into Penncradle to the tune of merriment and laughter. The streets are lined with streamers and flowers, the warm southwest climate turning late December into the picture of a summer's day. Citizens dance in the streets in their finest garments, monsters and humans hand in hand in celebration. Kas has never seen so many monsters in their life. Well, admittedly, they'd never seen any monsters until Mauragan, so it isn't exactly a high bar, but the sheer number of them is still overwhelming. There's at least one for every human--maybe more, now that they see some of the merrymakers with long hair or hoods covering their faces actually have too-sharp teeth or snake-slit pupils or scales instead of skin. Three children lit up in pastel flames chase each other across the cobbles, chattering and clamoring and laughing. A young human, maybe Brittleith or Claret's age, waltzes with a black-furred bear monster in front of a flower shop. A small slime that looks not unlike some sort of jelly dish that was once served at the Magescourt hops to and fro with a bag of letters on its back. Kas can barely take in what they're seeing.

They dismount their horse, Sorine and Mauragan following them, wanting to get a closer look at the townsfolk. Mauragan pulls their hood down, cautiously pulling off their gloves and balling them up into the pocket of their robes. Their ears and whiskers twitch with interest as they follow brand new sights and sounds and smells, and Sorine, though their brow is furrowed and they still look a little on edge, seems to be taking the diverse crowd rather well. It's a whole new world in Cappbryde. They never could have even imagined a city like this before. The world of the Magescourt seemed so big at the time, but looking back from the streets of Penncradle, nothing could have been smaller. The sun has just started to set, the sky turning the same brilliant, impossible colors as last night, and Kas can't help but wonder why anyone in their right mind would choose to live out east over this.

They spot a fish-person with softly-colored branches protruding from their head instead of hair--they're sweeping, not talking to anyone and looking like they could use a break, and Kas figures they're the best person to ask about the festivities. "Hey--I'm sorry to bother you," they say, realizing only once they've spoken that their voice is raw and shaky. They've been trying to hide the tears they've shed from their friends. "I was just wondering what all the music and...everything is about." What a stupid-sounding question. It's hard to inquire about something so happy when nothing else in their life right now matches the tone. They can't even blink for too long without the image of Hadling's dead eyes searing across the dark of their vision.

"Oh--are you three from the Magescourt?" the fish-person asks with a quirk of their eyebrow. "I thought they'd stopped letting folks visit here after...well, what happened to the Red Mage."

"It's...it's complicated," Kas says. They don't know what to say. They don't know if speaking the truth will get them or their friends or innocent people hurt. "I just...if you could just tell me what's going on?"

"The wedding, of course. You mages really must live under a rock." The fish-person laughs, rolling their sea-green eyes. Their skin scintillates in the setting sunlight like seaglass, rays glinting off of it in a delicate dance. "It's high time, too. The poor princess spent so long in mourning...it's good to see her happy again."

"Oh...wow, we really do live under a rock, I guess," Kas says, barely understanding a word of what the sweeping fish said. "The princess? They...um..."