Black as Blood (Part Two)

The Pineapple Festival

The first Monday in May was a very special day in Baroque. It was one of the most celebrated feasts of the country, so celebrated that even Ralem had heard of it when he was in Redfield. The feast had sprung out sometime about a century ago and happened every first Monday in May since. Nobody except maybe Lauri and Vali knew where this celebration had come from or even why they celebrated it. Nobody cared about this lack of cause though and children across the country enjoyed the day off from school. But mostly the citizens were excited about the parade and then the grand finale featuring the prized pineapple cobbler and following procession of pineapple treats. People traveled from all over the country to witness this spectacle, to be able to eat the finest pineapples in the land or if they are lucky, to actually touch a dragon.

            But some people weren’t as hyped. One of which was Ralem, one of the Riders to perform at the Parade. “Do I seriously have to wear this… thing… on my head?” he said hefting the pineapple hat. “And what, exactly, do I have to perform?”

            Jaydon laughed, “I’m glad I don’t have to wear that.”

            “Don’t look so smug. You’re not getting out of this. You’re going to wear a lieu with pineapple slices. And as for your performance- just make something up. And be prepared for the crowd. Smile, wave, let them pet you. And when the parade is over you are to dismount and hold Jaydon’s reigns while the children are given a chance to touch a dragon. Well I need to get my own dragon ready. You two good?” Lauri, turning two hesitant thumbs up.

            “Yeah, I guess,” Ralem said, sitting down heavily as Lauri left them to their own devices. He looked sourly at the pineapple hat. “I look so stupid in this don’t I? I think this was invented just to hurt my manly pride.”

            “Well if you look at the bright side, you could probably eat it after you’re done!” Jaydon said.

            Ralem lashed out a kick in his direction but the dragon sidestepped easily, “Hey, hey, if you don’t want it I could eat if for you.”

            Ralem muttered darkly as he got his ridiculous yellow pineapple suit on, “I swear,” he said, “If Lauri wasn’t the commander-in-chief….”

            As he zippered up the suit Jaydon looked at him and started laughing at him so hard that smoke started trailing from his nostrils and tears built up in his eyes. Ralem smacked his flank, blushing furiously, “Get out of here you overgrown lizard. Go on, go!”

            Still chuckling, the green dragon disappeared through the huge door into the warm summer air. “Why don’t you close the door?” Ralem yelled after him, hopping over to the door trying to get his socks on. He swore as he put all his strength into moving the thick wood.

            “Hey, hey!” came a high falsetto voice, “Don’t kill me! I’m too young to die!”

            “What-” Ralem said before realizing he had almost shut the door on the Princess Arianna’s face.

            She swept in, her hand against her forehead in a dramatic pose, “Ralem, you almost killed me! Imagine- death by door? Completely terrifying!” she collapsed theatrically on his huge bed, her hair flung over the covers like a halo, the dark brown contrasting with the faded white.

            Ralem was surprised at her sudden dramatic fervor and decided to play along. He knelt by the bed and kissed her on her pale hand, “I beg your forgiveness, m’lady,” he said, his voice dramatically deep.

            She half opened one her eyes and glanced at him before jumping to her feet. “What are you wearing, Ralem? You look like a banana!” She started laughing hysterically as his cheeks burned up again.