Lamplighter of Collosorium Chronicles

The Interlude

It's my first novel and I've been outlining it for 1 year before starting to write it. There's no smut, but a lot of teen romance.

If you like cozy adventures, it's for you.

Unique magic system based on music will hopefully give you a breath of fresh air.

PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME TO LEAVE A REVIEW AND A RATE. It will help a lot to gain new readers.

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Commentary to the new reader from the narrator:

Dear reader,

When I sat in my hut to record every major occurrence of the Collosorium, it did not occur to me that I would need to acquire the skill of literary writing. But it is my duty. As a historian, a writer, and the sole keeper of lost memories, I have no choice but to try my best in narration and vocabulary abundance.

So please, don't judge me harshly and feel free to comment on my work. The chronicle of Michels is the first one; being so, I physically have to write it first; otherwise, the other chronicles do not exist.

With that said, let's begin. Chapter 1 starts here.

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Chapter 1: The Interlude.

Dusk was settling over the village. Michels rose from his knees, gripping the staff for balance. The golden sun still painted the hills and rooftops, but the night's promise lingered in the air. What a celebration this would be! For the past two hours, he had watched from a hilltop as a caravan of circus performers and traders set up camp just beyond the protective runes encircling the village.

Exquisite one-man airships floated above the treetops, shimmering canisters of strange, iridescent liquids and never before seen horned salamanders in colorful clothes spitting brilliant plumes of flame. Tall men and slender elves bustled about, kindling campfires and laughing loudly. These were the outsiders, the travelers from beyond the runes. They came only once a year, and to Michels, they were his only glimpse into the wider world beyond the village boundaries.

Tonight was midsummer's solstice. The midsummer's solstice, Michels's fourteenth one. For the majority it was a time of joy and wonder. Everything hinted at feasting, music, and magic. But as the twilight deepened, Michels knew it wouldn't be long before he heard the playful voice—

"MIKO! Don't be late!"

The familiar shout rang out, and Michels turned to see a girl in a pale green dress making her way up the hill. Ellis, always radiant, rarely dressed in anything so festive. The sight of her like this was a reminder that everyone in the village had a role to play in the evening's festivities—everyone, it seemed, except him.

- "I'm coming, I'm coming!" he called, stumbling slightly as he hurried to catch up, nearly toppling over a black cat hiding in tall grass – probably hunting for anything that has wings.

She smiled at him with her ever-bright, radiant grin.

"Come on, let's head back to the village already. You promised to show me how your... uh, whatever-it's-called works."

"Ha! The 'Interrupt'" Michels teased. "You'll never remember"

"Who even names these?"

"Whoever did probably wanted us to suffer"

With a little shake of her head, Ellis led the way down the hill, and Michels followed, the staff clicking softly against the path as they descended.

The village they called home—though they never thought of themselves as "halflings" the way others might; to themselves, they were just people, and to the taller folk beyond the runes, simply "short ones"—didn't even have a name. It was simply the village. That was enough. Besides, there wasn't another like it, so what use was a name?