The Rainlands: Grand Delusion

Chapter 5: Lantern Lighting

The festival bustled with the townspeople of Eastrain cheering, clapping, and rejoicing merrily. Spinning dancers waved pure white fans which glistened with the characters for luck and happiness while men dressed as the River Guardian stamped all along the square in their dragon suits. Small food stalls lined the streets and Levi looked at them longingly. On one hand, the small amount of money which Elder Shisshion had provided him would disappear quickly if he spent it on the mouth-watering traditional snacks on display, but on the other...this would be the only time all year which he would be able to purchase some. Seeing his distracted gaze, Anton smiled behind his mask and produced a handful of coins which he held out to Levi. After seeing the boy's shocked hesitation, Anton reached into his pocket and removed a small red bag which he deposited the coins into and pressed into Levi's hesitant hands.

Levi was confused,

"Anton? What's this for?" He asked, hardly believing what was happening. It looked like more than Elder Shisshion could usually afford to provide him in an entire year. Anton simply curled Levi's fingers over the soft crimson leather. It was unmarked, but incredibly soft, velvety in a way which none of Eastrain's craftsmen could match.

"Early payment for your services. You've been a wonderful guide. I have some other things to do tonight, so I'm letting you off early. Be sure to save some of those delicious pastries for me?" Anton said, ruffling Levi's hair. The boy could hardly believe his luck.

"But you've only just come to the festival! What do you have to do?" Levi asked, but his mind and eyes were already elsewhere, eyeing the stalls. Anton just patted Levi's head before striding off.

"I have to find a little fox." The man murmured over his shoulder and before Levi could turn back, he was already far away in the sea of people. A little fox? Did I hear him right? Levi wondered for a moment what Anton had been talking about but then the smell of the delicious bear-shaped pastries hit him again and he remembered the weight of the little coin bag in his hand. Holding it tightly to his chest, he looked inside with cat-like eyes, as if the contents might escape if he didn't keep a close watch.

"Oh...my...I'm rich!" Levi yelped then looked around to see if anyone had noticed. When he realized that no one was paying him any attention in the crowd, his face slowly lit up with undisguised glee behind the mask. "I love foreigners!"

He hit the snack shop.

He hit the snack shop next to it.

Then the smoked meat shop.

Then the cheese shop.

And the fish shop of course.

The only stall he skipped was the lonely vegetable shop.

When he couldn't eat anymore, he ran to the artist's stalls and looked for something which could catch his eye. But he couldn't find anything he really wanted. Even with so much money, Levi's spending was tempered by prudence. It wasn't just that it wasn't in his nature to spend. It's that he really didn't know how to waste, never having had the chance before. Finally, after one of the artist's gave him the side-eye for taking too long to choose something, Levi decided to leave. As he left, he gave a thought towards where to go next when in the corner of his eye, a long streak of fire shot up into the sky! The wishing!

Levi headed in the direction of the dancing stars in his vision, the faded trail left by the first lantern to be lit leaving a white scar against the black night. It was easy going as the throngs of villagers had all begun to make their way to the lantern staging area. Instead of pushing against the crowd he felt himself carried forward, as if some invisible current compelled everyone to go to the same spot. There, he got in line with the other families. When he got to the front of the line, a man in a faded black and white bear mask stood. Levi knew it was Elder Shisshion. He wore this mask every year.