Chapter Fourteen
Fireworks and Festivities
"Wow!" Ellone exclaimed as she and Zell arrived at Dollet. The streets were lined with streamers and balloons. Banners were hanging everywhere and the footpaths were crowded with people.
"You folks here for the festival?" their friendly Inn keeper asked.
"Sure are." Zell replied, "We'd like to stay the whole week. Do you have a room free?"
"You're in luck. We were fully booked for the festival but there's been a last minute cancellation." the Inn keeper beamed, "That'll be 700 gil for the week. Breakfast is included, from 6 to 10 every morning."
"Thanks a lot!"
They were pointed in the direction of the lift a wished a happy stay.
"This isn't so bad." Zell said when they were alone in the lift, "It's more like a holiday," He looked at Ellone next to him, "But I won't forget why I'm here. You'll be safe, I promise."
Zell was shocked when Ellone wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug.
"Thank you, Zell." she said with her head pressed against his chest. Zell smiled down at her and put his arm around her shoulders.
The lift shuddered to a stop and they found their room at the end of the hall.
It was late afternoon by the time they had unpacked their things. Ellone was asleep on the bed and Zell looked out the window at their view. Their room was on a corner so one window looked at the roof of the shop next to the Inn and the other looked onto the street. Across the road from the Inn was a park. Zell felt glad about the position of their room.
He turned to look at the figure on the bed as it stirred and sat up.
"How long have I slept?" Ellone mumbled.
"A few hours." Zell replied.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry. Are you hungry?"
There was a silence. A loud gurgling sound came from Ellone's stomach. She blushed and wrapped her arms around her waist.
"I'll take that as a yes" Zell laughed.
They went down to the bar and spent the evening talking. After their meal they went for a walk in the park across the road from the Inn. They stood under the trees by a small pond and talked some more.
Ellone shivered as a breeze brushed past them.
"Are you cold? Shall we go?" Zell said, concerned.
Ellone shook her head. Zell put an arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes as she pressed herself closer to him. They stood together for what seemed like hours. Finally, Ellone pulled back from Zell and looked up into his eyes. He brushed his hand under her chin and pulled her towards him. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek, his strong arm around his waist and closed her eyes as he leaned even closer, closing he gap between his lips and hers.
There was a small explosion from beyond the trees where they stood. Zell pulled away from Ellone and spun around, searching the darkness to see where it had come from.
A crackling sound came from the sky. Ellone laughed and stepped out from under the trees as the sky lit up with flashes of blue and green. Another crack and red sparks showered across the starlit sky.
Ellone smiled at Zell and sat down on the grass to watch the fireworks. Zell lay next to her and they stayed there, watching the sky, until the fireworks stopped.
The next morning Zell woke up after an uncomfortable sleep on the couch in their room. He looked over at Ellone who was still asleep on the one double bed. Checking the time, Zell saw that their free breakfast would be void in 10 minutes. After battling with his conscience, Zell decided to leave Ellone in their room for 5 minutes while he got some food for them.
In the restaurant, and Inn keeper greeted Zell cheerfully.
"Late night last night?" the man joked.
"You could say that. We stayed up to see the fireworks." Zell grinned.
"Feel free to take some food up for your girlfriend." the Inn keeper offered.
"Thanks." Zell said piling a plate with bread and butter.
My girlfriend, Zell thought as he took the lift up to their room.
He sat on the edge of the bed and watched Ellone sleeping. She is very beautiful, he admitted. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. Ellone smiled and opened her eyes.
"I brought you some breakfast." Zell said softly, "How did you sleep?"
"Very well." Ellone said sitting up and watching Zell bring over the plate of bread. He stopped suddenly.
"What?" Ellone said quietly, feeling suddenly nervous.
Zell shook his head. "Nothing." He handed Ellone the plate. She looked at him, searching his face for what had made him stop suddenly. Zell watched her search and smiled. She smiled back.
They discussed what they could do that day. When they were ready to go, they took the lift down to the lobby. In the lift Zell took a deep breath and put his arm around Ellone. She looked up at him.
"You're a wonderful person, Ellone" Zell told her.
Ellone smiled, feeling a warmth growing in her chest. She wrapped her arms around Zell and leaned in to kiss him.
The lift doors pinged open. Ellone withdrew her arms, embarrassed, and the two made their way out into the Festive streets.
Fireworks and Festivities
"Wow!" Ellone exclaimed as she and Zell arrived at Dollet. The streets were lined with streamers and balloons. Banners were hanging everywhere and the footpaths were crowded with people.
"You folks here for the festival?" their friendly Inn keeper asked.
"Sure are." Zell replied, "We'd like to stay the whole week. Do you have a room free?"
"You're in luck. We were fully booked for the festival but there's been a last minute cancellation." the Inn keeper beamed, "That'll be 700 gil for the week. Breakfast is included, from 6 to 10 every morning."
"Thanks a lot!"
They were pointed in the direction of the lift a wished a happy stay.
"This isn't so bad." Zell said when they were alone in the lift, "It's more like a holiday," He looked at Ellone next to him, "But I won't forget why I'm here. You'll be safe, I promise."
Zell was shocked when Ellone wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug.
"Thank you, Zell." she said with her head pressed against his chest. Zell smiled down at her and put his arm around her shoulders.
The lift shuddered to a stop and they found their room at the end of the hall.
It was late afternoon by the time they had unpacked their things. Ellone was asleep on the bed and Zell looked out the window at their view. Their room was on a corner so one window looked at the roof of the shop next to the Inn and the other looked onto the street. Across the road from the Inn was a park. Zell felt glad about the position of their room.
He turned to look at the figure on the bed as it stirred and sat up.
"How long have I slept?" Ellone mumbled.
"A few hours." Zell replied.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Don't worry. Are you hungry?"
There was a silence. A loud gurgling sound came from Ellone's stomach. She blushed and wrapped her arms around her waist.
"I'll take that as a yes" Zell laughed.
They went down to the bar and spent the evening talking. After their meal they went for a walk in the park across the road from the Inn. They stood under the trees by a small pond and talked some more.
Ellone shivered as a breeze brushed past them.
"Are you cold? Shall we go?" Zell said, concerned.
Ellone shook her head. Zell put an arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes as she pressed herself closer to him. They stood together for what seemed like hours. Finally, Ellone pulled back from Zell and looked up into his eyes. He brushed his hand under her chin and pulled her towards him. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek, his strong arm around his waist and closed her eyes as he leaned even closer, closing he gap between his lips and hers.
There was a small explosion from beyond the trees where they stood. Zell pulled away from Ellone and spun around, searching the darkness to see where it had come from.
A crackling sound came from the sky. Ellone laughed and stepped out from under the trees as the sky lit up with flashes of blue and green. Another crack and red sparks showered across the starlit sky.
Ellone smiled at Zell and sat down on the grass to watch the fireworks. Zell lay next to her and they stayed there, watching the sky, until the fireworks stopped.
The next morning Zell woke up after an uncomfortable sleep on the couch in their room. He looked over at Ellone who was still asleep on the one double bed. Checking the time, Zell saw that their free breakfast would be void in 10 minutes. After battling with his conscience, Zell decided to leave Ellone in their room for 5 minutes while he got some food for them.
In the restaurant, and Inn keeper greeted Zell cheerfully.
"Late night last night?" the man joked.
"You could say that. We stayed up to see the fireworks." Zell grinned.
"Feel free to take some food up for your girlfriend." the Inn keeper offered.
"Thanks." Zell said piling a plate with bread and butter.
My girlfriend, Zell thought as he took the lift up to their room.
He sat on the edge of the bed and watched Ellone sleeping. She is very beautiful, he admitted. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. Ellone smiled and opened her eyes.
"I brought you some breakfast." Zell said softly, "How did you sleep?"
"Very well." Ellone said sitting up and watching Zell bring over the plate of bread. He stopped suddenly.
"What?" Ellone said quietly, feeling suddenly nervous.
Zell shook his head. "Nothing." He handed Ellone the plate. She looked at him, searching his face for what had made him stop suddenly. Zell watched her search and smiled. She smiled back.
They discussed what they could do that day. When they were ready to go, they took the lift down to the lobby. In the lift Zell took a deep breath and put his arm around Ellone. She looked up at him.
"You're a wonderful person, Ellone" Zell told her.
Ellone smiled, feeling a warmth growing in her chest. She wrapped her arms around Zell and leaned in to kiss him.
The lift doors pinged open. Ellone withdrew her arms, embarrassed, and the two made their way out into the Festive streets.