AN – *Kicks down door*
Magma: GUESS WHO'S BACK, BABY! Anyways, I'll explain myself at the end of the chapter. For now, enjoy.
Ada: Magma does not own Terraria. Any references to movies, games, products, TV shows, etc. are also not owned by Magma. Any dialog/events/characters that are not canon belong to Magma. No copy write is intended.
The Autumn Festival
"Here's the money for the shipment." Mortimer told Sinbad, putting the coin in his hand.
"Thank ye, sir." Sinbad told him.
It had been some time since the Destroyer had attacked, and the leaves were beginning to turn from green to colorful reds, oranges and yellows. The first day of autumn was on its way, and they were preparing for a festival to welcome it.
"Oh, an' we brought'a lass who was wan'in' ta move 'ere." Sinbad said, pointing up the gangplank.
Coming down it was a young woman with teal eyes that were brightly shining, her skin having an olive complexion, and her tied back hair being a rich, dark brown. She wore a tan shirt, buttoned up to the neck, a light brown corset wrapped around her middle. Her coat was a hunter green with brown trim, her pants were white and went into her brown boots that had…gears? and pouches on the sides. Atop her head was a grey-ish top hat, with blue-lensed goggles on them.
"Hullo, hullo!" She cheered, coming onto the dock. "Name's Ada, nice to meet ya!"
"Hello." Sarid told her. Ada looked at her and the sword at her hip, her brows raising.
"I like your gear…does it come in brass?" She asked.
"No, I'm afraid not." Sarid told her.
"Aw, well, too bad." She said, somewhat disappointed. "Well, where do I put my stuff?"
Coming down the gangplank was Payo, carrying a brown-red trunk.
"If could please set that on the cart, I'll take care of it from there." Sarid told him.
"Understood, yer majesty." Payo told her, going over to the cart.
"M-majesty?" Ada stammered. "You…you're Sarid Forte? The ruler?!"
"Yes, that's correct." Sarid told her.
"…Y-your majesty!" She said, then bowing. "Please, forgive me for not knowing!"
"Apology accepted." Sarid told her. "Don't be hard on yourself, it's not like my face and title are plastered everywhere."
"Th-thank you." Ada told her. "So, what's all this then?"
"Just our regular supplies and some extra for the festival tomorrow."
"Festival?" Ada asked.
"Yes, we'll have a festival for the oncoming season."
"Sounds great!"
"Yes, it will start at sundown tomorrow."
"I'll be there with my gears!"
…Gears?
"Oh, that reminds me, Sinbad?" Sarid asked, he looking at her.
"Aye?"
"You and your men are welcome to join us for the festival, if you like."
"Aye! We could use a good rest from th' seas." Sinbad told her, showing a wide, toothy smile.
"Excellent." Sarid told him. "Well, I'd best go back with Mr. Mortimer. Good day, and enjoy your stay, Sinbad."
"Thank ye, lassie." He told her.
"Come with me, Ada." Sarid told her, she following. They went to the cart on the land, Mortimer sitting up into the driver's seat. Sarid nodded for Ada to climb up next to him, and so she did so, Sarid climbing up onto the back and sitting on top of the crates. Mortimer whipped the reins, and the horse started along, going down the road to the village. The color-tipped branches passed over head, patches of light passing over them.
When they arrived, they stopped outside of Hannah's Clinic, Sarid jumping down and unloading the crates of medical supplies that she had ordered, taking them into the clinic. After that, she did the same for Mortimer, then went to Ada, who had been watching.
"Alright, which house would you like to take up residency in?" Sarid asked her.
"Uh…anyone else here…tinker?" Ada asked hesitantly.
"Why yes, actually." Sarid told her, to her surprise. "There's Autumn and Xanos live on the eastern street right here."
"A-alright!" Ada cheered. "I'll take this house here, next to Mortimer's!"
"Very well." Sarid told her, then unloading the trunk she had brought with her. Ada went up the front porch and opened the front door for her, Sarid going through it and carrying it up the stairs, into the bed room where she set it down.
"I like this place!" Ada called from the bottom of the stairs. "I've plenty'a things you might wanna look at!"
"Like what?" Sarid asked, coming down the stairs.
"Well, I'll get them up an' runnin' later today."
"Very well." Sarid told her. "As far as laws go, stay out of trouble and be considerate of others, and we'll all get along fine. Causing trouble will get you deported."
"Understood." Ada nodded.
"Good." Sarid told her. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask your neighbors."
"Thank ya!"
Sarid left the house, closing the door behind her, and then walked down onto the street, where she then stretched. The sky was a gorgeous blue, with the occasional cloud, a breeze pushing them along, which rustled the colorful trees and tugged at Sarid's hair.
What should I do today? She wondered, pulling out a paper and looking at it. It was a to do list, most of the items on it crossed out, or ones that would take several days to complete. A sigh escaped her, and she looked back to the sky, feeling…tired.
It had been a slow progression, she had been sleeping later than normal – after sunrise – and she had been stopping her work earlier in the day, before sunset. When she had first arrived, she worked all day and then slept soundly through the night, but now she even had trouble sleeping, usually waking up once or twice during the night.
She pulled a hand down her face, then cracked her neck, rolling her shoulders. Something else she had been feeling was restlessness, the need to do something, though this would battle against the tired feeling she had.
Another sigh, and she went down the road, to the main square of the village, then turned and walked north toward the castle, only to suddenly turn and go up Pip's front steps, and into the shop.
"Mr. Pip?" Sarid asked, seeing him sitting at a thing called a "sewing machine" that Autumn and Xanos had created. It worked by pushing a pedal with the foot, which would turn a disc that made a needle go up and down, making sewing items together much easier for Pip.
"Hello!" Pip called, halting his work and looking up. "What can I do for you, Sarid?"
Sarid stood for a minute, then went and sat down at the chair beside the machine, looking down at the floor.
"…I'm…tired?"
"Tired?" Pip asked, Sarid nodding.
"I…don't work like I used to." Sarid told him. "I…go to bed earlier and sleep later, I don't…sleep through the night. I wake up. I've…I've never done that unless I had an unpleasant dream. And, and my work, I…I can't do it. I get tired. But then I feel restless. Like I…I need to do something."
"…Burnout." Pip said.
"Sir?" Sarid asked.
"That's what you're experiencing." Pip told her. "You've worked yourself hard ever since you got here, working from dawn to dusk, and now it's caught up to you. As for the restlessness, that's more than likely your need to work…I don't know what's happened to you in the years I was held prisoner, but I can tell that you don't relax like you used to. Everyone needs a break every now and again, Sarid."
"…I…I sleep, that's a break."
"No, that's a normal bodily function." Pip told her, shaking his head. "A break is something you do when awake. Reading, for example, or just thinking about nothing.
"…" Sarid blinked. "Nothing?"
"…You've never thought about nothing?"
"Well, when I engaged in one-on-one sparring during school, yes, I emptied my mind and just…did. Now during my fights so much is going on I'm always thinking of what I need to do next, what attack is coming, where is my next attacker, I don't even empty my mind when I go to bed, I used to just…fall asleep from tiredness."
"…Hm." Pip hummed. "Sarid, you're a worker. That's good, but even workers need breaks. Your job is all you think about. Why not try a hobby?"
"…Hobby?"
"Yes! Come with me." He told her, getting up and taking his cane in hand. She followed him up the stairs and into the study, he having her sit at desk. He put paper and a quill with an inkwell before her, pointing to the paper.
"Try writing something."
"…Writing?"
"Yes! A poem, story, anything."
"…" Sarid looked at him, then back at the paper. Hesitantly, she picked up the quill and dipped it into the inkwell, then put it to the paper, thinking. Pip sat down as she sat for a moment, before writing.
He smiled as she wrote, the quill soon reaching the end of the paper, and she went to the next paper.
Later…
"Done." Sarid told him.
"Excellent!" Pip cheered, picking up the paper and looking over them.
His smile got smaller as he read, until it was gone, his eyes getting wide and his brows starting to furrow up, until he got to the last page.
"…What do you think?" Sarid asked.
"…Uhhh…Very…dark." Pip told her. She sat for a second before her head slammed down onto the desk, making him jump.
"My teachers at the school told me the same thing when we were asked to write things." She said.
"…Maybe you should write something more lighthearted." Pip told her. "Something beside that…that night."
"…" Sarid looked at him, then lifted her head and took the quill from the inkwell, staring at the paper before her.
She started writing again, this one shorter, and when she finished she handed it to Pip.
He took it, reading it and began to smile, before it began to disappear and his concerned look returned, a sigh escaping him.
"…Sarid. Something besides blood and carnage."
"…" Sarid blinked dumbly. "That's…most of my life, aside from schooling and my life before that night."
"…" Pip sighed, slumping in his chair. "Oh boy…well, let's see…oh! Drawing, you're good at that, since you design the buildings and whatnot, right?"
"…Yes?" Sarid asked.
"Let's go see Leo." He told her.
They left the tailor shop, going to Leo's paint shop.
"Leo?" Pip called, going in.
"Yes?" Leo asked, his head popping up from behind the counter.
"I'm trying to help Sarid find a hobby." Pip told him. "She's good at drawing, so I thought maybe you could work something off of that."
"Oh yes!" Leo said, standing up, holding a can of paint in his hands. "Come, come! Let's get started!"
"Very well." Sarid said, going to him. He got another easel and set it up, putting a canvas on it. Before it was a lovely vase filled with a beautiful bouquet, soft rays of light brushing against the petals.
"How about we draw and paint this?" Leo asked.
"Very well." Sarid told him, taking off her cloak and putting it aside, showing the patched up clothes beneath it.
They worked as time passed, sketching the scene, which Leo found Sarid did very well, then painted in the back ground and worked their way forward, until they had finished, golden light from the setting sun reaching through the windows.
"Now! Let's look at each other's work!" Leo told her, turning his canvas so she could see.
It was just like what had been before them, the flowers painted delicately and the vase shining in the soft sunlight.
"Now let's see yours!" Leo told her.
Sarid turned her canvas so that he could see, his smile disappearing and his eyes going wide.
"…That's…uh…very…something."
"Dark?"
"…Yeeesss?"
"…Pip said the same thing about what I wrote."
"…Sarid, maybeeee…artistic stuff isn't…your thing?"
"Perhaps." Sarid agreed.
"…Oh, uh…at the celebration when you killed the Destroyer, you…uh…dancing, it's not…you're…not good?"
"All I know is the waltz." Sarid told him.
"Well, Reginald is a good dancer." Leo told her. "Maybe he can teach you and that's something you can do for fun?"
"…It would be a good form of exercise." Sarid thought aloud.
"And fun!" Leo told her with a smile.
"…Right." Sarid told him.
"…Just go see Reg."
"Very well." Sarid told him, leaving the paint shop and Leo wondering what to do with her painting. She went to Reginald's store, opening the door and going in, seeing him sitting at the counter, cleaning a gun.
"'Ey, BAMF. What can I do for you?" He asked.
…Bamf? Sarid wondered. "Leo said you're a good dancer."
"Ah, here for a lesson on how to move properly?" He asked, standing up. "You came to the right place!"
"So you say." Sarid told him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Reginald asked.
"I know the waltz. I don't see what else I need to know." Sarid told him.
"…Then why are you here?" He asked.
"Mr. Pip said I need a hobby."
"Oh." Reginald sounded. "Well…come on."
He waved for her to follow him, which she did, and they went upstairs to his living room, he going to a music player and putting a record on it. After that he wound it, then put the needle on as lively music played.
"This kind of music is very controversial in Julo." Sarid told him.
"How'd you know?" He asked, his hips already swaying to the music.
"I worked in a pub before living with Commander Flint." Sarid told him, his brows raising and eyes getting wide. "They played this music sometimes, and I remember there would be people complaining about how it was demon music."
"Eh, people are quick to dismiss what they don't understand as 'evil' or 'wrong'. Me? I like it." He said.
"Hm." Sarid hummed.
"Now, the main thing you need to remember about dancing is not to be stiff." He told her, moving with the music. "Ya gotta go with the beat."
"…Alright." Sarid said, then watching as his feet flew at the drum solo playing. The brass kicked back in, and the rest of him moved with it. She tried to mimic this, though it felt awkward and slow, unable to keep up as he moved, until another drum solo kicked in, in which she stood still until the brass returned, in which she dropped her weight into a horse stance, moving her arms in a way that Commander Flint had taught her, though it was off-beat and weird.
"What are you doing?" Reginald asked, stopping in mid-dance.
"All I can think to do." Sarid said as she stepped forward, fist at her elbow and another fist raised to shoulder height.
"That's…" He went to the music player and took the needle off, the room falling silent. "I've been places, Sarid. That's a fighting style."
"…It's all I know." Sarid told him.
"Yeah, but…dancing is expression. At least freeform is, unlike the stuffier dances that they cling to in Julo, but! Just…take in the music, and move to it!"
"…" Sarid stared at him.
"…Let's try a different song." He said, turning back to the music player and switching out the records.
It started out slow, then began to pick up, Reginald already moving to it. Sarid tried, moving stiffly and awkwardly, until she fell into a rhythm, when the music stopped again.
"YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN." Reginald told her. She looked at him, her hand pulled back into a fist by her hip with the other was outstretched with the fingers pulled back, as if she were striking someone with her palm.
"…It's all I could think to do." She told him plainly.
"…Okay, maybe…dancing isn't your thing." He told her. She nodded, then went over to the stairs and down them, into the shop and out of it, onto the road that was lit with the rose-gold light of the setting sun, cool shadows stretching across the ground.
Well, now what? She wondered. I could just go on to bed, it's not like I have anything else to do…
"Feeling burned out?" Flint asked.
"Yes, according to-"
She jumped, her head whirling around and seeing commander Flint standing there, wearing civilian clothing, a black coat with a shoulder cape, black pants and shined back shoes, a top hat on his head.
"Commander Flint!" She exclaimed, a smile coming to her face.
"I've never seen you smile." He said, surprised.
"…H-hello?" She asked, not sure what else to say. He smiled fondly at her.
"Hello, Sarid." He told her, she then rushing up to him and hugging him. He hugged her back, hand on the back of her head and gently rocking her until they parted.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"Well! You told me to visit, didn't you?" He asked, still smiling. A smile tugged at her lips, and she nodded.
"That I did." She told him.
"I wanted to wait until tomorrow, to surprise you, but I spoke with Pip, and it seems you've hit a bit of a rut." He said, Sarid nodding. "Well, let's see if we can remedy that. Come along."
She followed him to the house that was across from Asher's, he going up the porch and into it, the first floor having only a vacant counter, as there was no business to occupy it. They went up to the second floor and into the living room. Sarid glanced into the bed room, seeing a suitcase on the bed, open, though she couldn't see into it from the angle she was at. Looking back at Commander Flint, she saw he was sitting on the sofa, pouring tea into a teacup.
"Come on, sit down." He told her, she going and doing so next to him.
"Pip told me you're tired but also restless." He said. "Sounds like your burnout is clashing with your need to constantly be working."
"I suppose." Sarid said, accepting the tea he handed her.
"Well, I also heard that he tried to help you find a hobby."
"Yes sir, that's correct."
"Well, it seems the problem was they were trying to get you into artistic, expressive things instead of things that have come naturally to you, such as building and crafting."
"I need to work to rebuild the kingdom." Sarid told him. "I understand that you and the others want me to be able to rest, but I'm not good at sitting and doing nothing."
"I understand." Flint told her, stirring cream into his own tea. "Even back at the manor you were always trying to find something to do when you weren't training or studying. It worried me."
"I'm sorry."
"Oh, don't worry." He told her with a reassuring smile. "I understand what you were trying to do. You're a driven person, and you put everything you've got into accomplishing your goals. That's a passion everyone needs."
"Yes sir." Sarid nodded.
"Now, your best bet to find something other than constant work is to 'build' off your skills and personality. What are you good at? What reflects you? What do you want to accomplish? Hobbies can tell you things about a person."
"…" Sarid looked down into her tea, thinking. "…I'm good at building and crafting."
"Then build off that." He told her. "Build or craft something that isn't something you normally would and has nothing to do with why you're here; you're burnt out because you need a break from it."
"…" Sarid sat quietly, sipping her tea, thinking.
They sat in silence for a time when Sarid's head suddenly popped up, and she hastily set her tea down.
"Thank you for the advice." She told Flint, who nodded.
"Have a good evening." Flint told her.
"You too!" Sarid called as she went down the stairs to the empty shop, then out onto the darkening street. She ran towards her castle and into it, across the bridge and to the work wing. Going into the storage room, she came out with an armful of wood, going to the work bench.
The moon began to rise while she worked, her workstation lit by candles, carefully carving away the wood, shaping and smoothing it, then assembling it. A yawn escaped her, and she sniffed, her eyelids heavy, and her candles burnt down. She put out all but one, taking the remaining one with her as she went up to her chambers, sleepily blinking as she did. Arriving, she went straight to her bed, blew out the candle and set it onto the nightstand, then fell face-first onto her bed.
In a moment, she was fast asleep.
She woke with a sniff, blinking open her eyes and yawning. Sitting up, she found that she had gotten tangled in her blankets during the night, spending the next minute trying to wriggle out of them, which she did, but not without falling to the floor.
Ow. She thought flatly, pushing herself up. Getting the rest of her leg free, she stood up and stretched, then went back down to the work wing. Going to the workbench, she looked at what she had made. After that she went and got some dye, staining the wood a warm dark brown, then coated the wood with a sealer. Going back into the storage room, she got some fibers and spliced them together tightly, bound them to the wood.
She got more wood and carved it, then covered the outside with black dyed leather, and then inside was lined with layers of soft silk. Picking up the first wooden item, she set it carefully in the silk padding, then closed it, and picked it up.
Leaving the work wing, she went across the bridge to the grand doors and pushed one open, going out into the morning sun.
Ropes were hung across the roads with the balconies of people's homes, holding up flags and lanterns. She went down to the house across from Asher's where Flint was staying. She knocked, then waited, and after a moment Flint opened the door, panting.
His hair was disorderly and he wore a sleeveless white shirt, his glasses missing from the bridge of his nose, blue pants covered his legs, the ends tucked into his black combat boots.
"Good morning." He said, chest still heaving.
"Good morning, commander." Sarid told him. "Sorry to interrupt your morning exercise."
"Oh no, you came at a good time." He told her, waving for her to come in. "I was about to take a break before going for a run."
"I see." Sarid said.
Memories played behind her eyes, of a forest path, her fists flying back and forth as she ran along the path, Flint a few feet in front of her as he ran. In the summer sweat would pour down her forehead, and in the winter a scarf was done around her mouth to keep the cold air from hurting her throat. When they returned to the estate, they would lie on the marble floor of the bathrooms to cool off and catch their breaths.
Looking back, it had been…nice.
"So, what's that you got there?" Flint asked, looking back at Sarid and the item under her arm.
"I made it." Sarid told him, holding it out. He took it and looked it over with a squint. Going to the side table next to the sofa, he picked up his glasses and put them on, then looked back at the item, looking surprised.
"Is this…?"
"Yes sir."
He looked at her, then back at it. He undid the clasps on the side, then opened it, picking up and holding up the violin from inside.
"…You made this?"
"Yes sir." Sarid told him. He kept looking at it, then looked down at the case and picked up the bow. After a moment, he tucked the end under his chin and put the bow to the strings. Drawing it across, he began to play a melody, Sarid standing and listening.
She closed her eyes and saw before her the grand fireplace at Flint's estate, he standing beside it, wearing his pajamas and robe, slippers on his feet, playing a violin. She sat on the ottoman of a chair, watching and listening to the harmony of the violin and the fire, the staff standing and listening as he played. It was rare that he played.
The melody ended, and she opened her eyes, seeing Flint smiling at it.
"It's beautiful, Sarid." Flint told her.
"Thank you." Sarid told him. "…It's yours, if you want it."
"Really?!" He asked, looking at her.
"Of course." Sarid told him.
"…" He blinked, then smiled, looking back at it fondly. "Thank you."
"…Why don't you play more?" Sarid asked. "It was always rare for you to do so."
"…" His eyes dimmed.
Hm?
"So, are you ready for the festival tonight?"
The sudden change of subject caught her off guard.
"…Um…Yes sir." She told him.
"Excellent."
"…Are…you?"
"Yes."
"…"
"…"
"…Uh…very well, I'll see you tonight." Sarid told him, then turning and leaving. She went out onto the porch, closing the door behind her, and then went down onto the road, rubbing her face and looking up.
The sun shone down and a cool breeze blew, rustling the colorful trees.
…Oh! Sarid thought, then taking off for her castle, before skidding to a stop and turning and running down to Sparkle's house.
"Sparkle?" Sarid called, entering.
"Hey-o!" She called, appearing from behind the DJ Booth.
"I have an idea for the festival tonight."
"Oh! What is it?" She asked.
"What if we had a type of raffle? Everyone writes their name on a slip of paper and puts it into a jar or bowl, we draw one, and whose ever gets pulled out wins a prize?"
"…I like it!" Sparkle told her. "What's the prize?"
"Something I'm going to go make now." She told her.
"Alright, I'll get everything set up for it!"
"Thank you, I'll see you tonight."
Sarid left, running up the road to the Castle, going into it and to the work wing, getting the materials she needed and getting to work.
By the time she finished, the sun was setting, sending in rose-gold light through the tall windows. Sarid rolled her shoulders and then looked down at her creation. A small smile tugged at her lips, and she picked it up, put it into a box. Closing it, she picked it up and left the work wing, going out of the castle.
People were on the streets, going to Sparkle's house, the street lanterns on and swinging in the wind.
Another smile tugged at her lips, and she went down the grand stairs before the castle, going down the street to Sparkle's house. She entered, seeing that the village residents were mingling among themselves with the sailors and Commander Flint, cups of punch in hand.
"Hey there, b-er, girly!" Durim told her, giving her a slap on the back. "What's that you got there?"
"It's a prize for a raffle." Sarid told him. "I just made it."
"OooOOOooo!" Durim went. "What is it? Can I see?" He asked.
"I'll reveal it before we start the raffle." Sarid told him. "For now, you can wonder."
"Drat." Durim said. A smile twitched at her lips, and she went to the DJ Booth where Sparkle was, setting the box on the table beside it.
"Sarid!" Sparkle cheered. "Good to see you! Everything's set up for the raffle."
"Good." Sarid told her. "Shall we start then?"
"Okay!" Sparkle said, turning down the music. "Hello! May I have your attention, everyone!"
Everyone turned and looked at her.
"Tonight we're having a special occasion for the celebration: a raffle!"
There were murmurs among the resident and sailors.
"The item being raffled was made by Sarid!" Sparkle announced, holding her arms out to Sarid.
"OooOOOooo." Everyone went.
"Yep!" Sparkle said. "Sarid, will you please reveal the item?"
Sarid opened the box and pulled out the item inside, holding it up.
It was a wooden wind chime, the hollow wood different length and having small engravings in them of a forest with animals and birds in the trees, clouds up in the sky and stars at the very top.
The crowd marveled at it, Sarid taking the wind catcher and moving it about so that the clapper knocked against the tubes. It played a harmonious melody, people getting excited about the idea of winning it.
"Alright, come write your name on a paper and put it into the jar here!" Sparkle announced.
Everyone went and lined up, writing their names and putting the papers into the jar. Afterwards they went back to mingling, Esmeralda and Danel watching Leo draw the scene, Ada, Xanos and Autumn spoke of projects they could do, Mortimer, Pip and Flint sat and laughed together, Faye and Hannah were speaking with the Greenhorn brothers, Asher was listening to some sailors talk about the places they had been, Reginald was talking to Sinbad about his pistol and Durim was trying Ted's drinks at the bar.
"Well, good to see everyone enjoying themselves!" Sparkle said, Sarid looking at her. "Why don't you go mingle?"
"…I have never been competent at small talk." Sarid told her.
"…Okay?" Sparkle asked. Sarid let out a small sigh, then looked around again, deciding to go and sit by Flint. She did so, Pip, Flint and Mortimer acknowledging her.
"Hello, Sarid." Flint told her. "Enjoying yourself?"
"Yes sir." Sarid told him.
"Well, it's good to see you here." Pip told her. "Hope you don't run off like you did at the summer solstice."
"She ran off?" Flint asked.
"Yep." Mortimer nodded.
"…Why'd you do that, Sarid?" He asked her.
"…" Sarid thought back to it, how she had been struggling with her…feelings for Asher. How the idea of having to hold his hand made her panic for whatever reason.
"…I don't know." Sarid told him.
"Mm-hm." Pip hummed, narrowing his eyes. "It didn't having anything to do with the fact you were about to arm wrestle with Asher, right?"
"Can we change the subject?" Sarid asked.
They laughed, and did so. They talked about their travels and Sarid listened, Flint talking about he had been to the four corners of the world, when Sparkle rang a bell.
"Alright, time to reveal the winner!" Sparkle announced, everyone looking at her. She reached into the bowl, digging around in it and then pulled out a slip of paper, unfolding it.
"Sparrow Greenhorn!" She said.
People applauded as he went forward and accepted the wind chime, smiling at it fondly.
"Congratulations, Sparrow." Sarid told him. He smiled at her, then went and re-joined his brothers, who marveled at the wind chime. The music was turned back up, and people were mingling again, Sarid looking over the crowd and how they laughed together.
She suddenly had a realization that she didn't fit in with any of the groups. She was not an artist, a tinkerer, a healer, not exactly an adventurer, not a bookworm or someone with stories of thrilling adventures.
A sigh escaped her, and she went to the door, slipping out of it and going into the evening. The air was cool and blue, the sky a burning orange. She walked into the woods, along a walking path, going a ways in before she came to a fallen log, which she sat upon.
"Sarid?"
Looking, she saw Asher.
"Asher?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I, uh…" He said, wringing the front of his coat. "I…didn't want you to be alone."
She blinked, then looked away as heat came to her face.
"So…here I am." He said, going and sitting beside her. "…Those, uh, wind chimes you made are really nice."
"Thank you." Sarid told him. "Pip suggested I find a hobby, and Commander Flint suggested I build off my personality."
"Good advice." Asher said.
They sat in a silence, listening to the last of the summer symphonies performed by the crickets and cicadas.
"…Sarid?" Asher asked.
"Yes?" Sarid asked, looking at him to see he was looking at her, blushing.
"You've made a lot of progress since coming here. With the kingdom and yourself." He told her. "I mean, I didn't really know you before we came here, but…from what I do know…you've made good progress."
"…" Sarid blinked, heat coming to her face. "…Th-thank you."
She kicked herself for stammering, looking back forward.
The sat in silence once more, occasionally glancing at each other.
"…S-S-Sarid?" Asher finally stammered.
"Yes?" Sarid asked, looking at him to see he was twisted so that he could face her.
"…I…I like you." He told her, she feeling more heat come to her face. "I…I like you a lot."
"…" Sarid merely blinked.
Asher's lips pressed together, a blush on his face, his eyes dropping ever so slightly to look at her lips.
"I, uh…" He took a shaky breath, wet his lips, then looked her in the eye. "I…I-I was…wondering if…uh…"
Sarid blinked, oblivious.
Asher took a breath.
CRACK!
THOOMP!
"OW!"
Sarid looked past Asher, who turned, and they saw Flint on a bush, his hair messy from the fall.
"Ooooh…" He moaned, sitting up.
"Commander?" Sarid asked, his head snapping up.
"…Sarid! Asher!" He said. "Funny running into you two!"
"What were you doing up there?" Sarid asked, Asher having his red face in his hands.
"Pip and Mort dared me to climb a tree." He told them, standing and brushing himself off.
"It's true!"
From the trees came Mortimer and Pip, Asher folding in on himself, his hidden face getting redder.
"…Why?" Sarid asked.
"…Why?" Pip asked. "Oh, uh…"
"Oh, we were talking about the old days." Flint told her, waving a hand. "We talked about the dares we used to do and decided to try one more for old time's sake."
"…I…see…" Sarid said.
"Yes, well, we'd better head back." Mortimer said. "See you back in the village!"
They hurried off, Sarid blinking.
"…That…well that happened." Sarid said, then looking at Asher, who still had his head in his hands. "Asher?"
"…" He sat silently, then stood, lowering his hand to show his face was beet red. "I'm going back to the village."
He went off, Sarid watching him go, feeling a bit of sadness. Standing, she strode over to him to catch up, so that she was beside him. He looked at her, still red.
"…I don't want you to be alone, either." She told him. He blinked, then smiled shyly.
Together, they walked back to the village in the growing darkness.
AN – ALRIGHTY, TIME TO EXPLAIN MYSELF.
So, I WOULD have gotten this done back at the start of April, but Windows forced an update on my computer, which caused it to freeze every now and again, so I was worried about working on this because if it froze, I'd lose my progress. THEN the Windows updated again, and my computer quit working altogether. OVER THREE WEEKS LATER we finally got all the parts to re-build my computer and now it's working fine. So yeah. Sorry about the wait, guys.
Unknown Blackness: S'all good now.
GuideLoveHax: EXCELLENT.
Gizmo Gear: The plot thickens, eh?
SuperSoloMob422: I'm glad to hear you're happy.
SO I'm still working on the plot, but I will keep working.
Have a great day!
