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Rainfall on Judgment Day
Chapter 3
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present
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Festival days are always a joyous affair, warm and bright with the smiling faces of the people of Caelin as they laugh and mingle in the common ground in front of the castle. The sight never fails to bring a small smile to Sain's lips, but today he feels that it is pained and worn.
Arden seems to notice; he may have been a bumbling fool for a majority of the time, but he certainly was perceptive when it came to the moods of individuals. "Chancellor?" he asks tentatively, "is something the matter?"
He shakes his head. "I am alright," he says. He walks to the edge of the balcony overlooking the fairground, watches the activities below them with polite interest.
Here merchants and craftsmen hawk their wares to the passersby: curious little baubles that glitter and shine in the sun, skeins of brightly colored wool and bolts of fine cloth. There, a troupe of traveling performers entertained a group of children with magic tricks and small dogs that leapt through flaming hoops. He lets his eyes wander over the festivities briefly once more before allowing his gaze to fall on the crowd growing around the makeshift arena that had been erected there a few days prior. Many of them are men, young and healthy, still in their prime. A few are older, seasoned warriors who still bear their scars proudly and with honor. Fewer still are women, their faces expressionless and carefully guarded as they scoped the competition with cold, calculating eyes; women who bore arms were still a rare thing in a backwater canton such as Caelin, though their numbers in the militia grew steadily each year.
"How many participants are there?" he asks.
"Just over a score and a half, milord," Arden replies. "Shall we begin the tournament?"
Sain nods; a few moments later a horn sounds, its deep voice echoing across the fair ground. When the last of its ringing tones fade into the summer wind he looks at the crowd once more to find every face watching his intently. He says only a few words, but it is enough; the crowd below begins to cheer excitedly in anticipation, and the matches begin.
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Xirysa Says: No, I haven't forgotten about this one. I've just been very sporadic with this because of school and other things. Sorry.