Shadows of Honor: The Arcane Warrior

Chapter 4: The Summer Festival

Emile woke up alarmed and confused, his heart pounding in his chest. He sat up abruptly, the thin blanket falling away as he looked outside his glass window. The first light of dawn was just beginning to break over the horizon, casting a golden hue across the sky. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the early morning light, and Emile could see the distant peaks of the sun peeking over the landscape.

Glancing over to the other side of the room, he saw Gareth lying on his side, facing away from Emile, snoring softly. Emile's pulse quickened as he realized the sun was rising, and they were not in formation. Panic surged through him as he kicked the blanket off his legs and hopped over to Gareth's bed. He nudged his friend, trying to wake him without causing too much noise.

"Gareth!" Emile whispered urgently, shaking his friend. "Gareth, wake up! I think we overslept. The sun is rising, and we're not in formation yet!" He continued to shake Gareth, his voice edged with panic.

Gareth groaned and rolled over, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Emile, what's going on?" he mumbled, his voice thick with drowsiness. "Why are you awake?"

Emile looked at Gareth with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean, 'why are you awake?'" he asked, his voice rising slightly in his agitation. He backed up, searching frantically for his trousers and tunic. "Sir Richard is going to murder us if we're late!"

Finally awake enough to understand the situation, Gareth sighed heavily and propped himself up on one elbow. "You idiot...Today's the Summer Festival," he muttered before flopping back down and wrapping himself tightly in his thin summer blanket.

Emile stopped mid-motion, one leg in his trousers, and looked back at Gareth, his confusion growing. "What do you mean, Summer Festival?" he asked, still not fully grasping the situation.

Gareth sighed again, this time with a mix of irritation and amusement. He sat up, his hair tousled and eyes half-closed. "It's the festival we celebrate in the summer..." he said sarcastically, emphasizing each word as if explaining to a child.

Emile, still bewildered, shrugged. "So?"

Gareth, exasperated, bent over and picked up his carving knife, which was sheathed, and threw it at Emile, hitting him squarely in the forehead.

"Ow!" Emile yelped, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead. "What was that for?" he muttered, glaring at Gareth.

"It means we get the day off! Now go back to bed, you dimwit!" Gareth huffed before rolling back into his blanket, cocooning himself and effectively ending the conversation.

Emile stood there, stunned, as the realization slowly dawned on him. "Day off?" he stammered, the words sounding foreign and unfamiliar. He let out a long breath and dropped his trousers back to the floor. The tension in his shoulders eased, and a relieved smile crept across his face.

He shuffled back to his bed, the panic of oversleeping replaced with the warmth of a rare day of leisure. As he settled back under his blanket, the room now fully illuminated by the morning light, Emile allowed himself to relax. The thought of a day without training, without the constant pressure and expectation, was a welcome reprieve. He closed his eyes, the soft sounds of Gareth's breathing lulling him back to sleep.

The Summer Festival, he thought drowsily, a day of rest, laughter, and perhaps even a little adventure. Emile's mind wandered to the possibilities the day could hold before sleep claimed him once more.

The Summer Festival, also known as Unity Day, is a cherished celebration in Galador, commemorating the unification of the kingdom under the visionary leadership of King Alden I nearly two hundred years ago. This day, steeped in tradition and joy, serves as a reminder of the peace and prosperity that followed the kingdom's unification and continues to flourish under the rule of the reigning king.