Chapter 3-4: Topsy-Turvy Fest
"Since you don't know, then I will tell you the tale of the Kindly Bell Ringer.." The clown says.
And begins to tell the tale, "Our tale begins in the small city where the Righteous Judge lived. The Righteous Judge was fair and just. Everyone respected him and abided by his judgments."
"That's the personage Flamme told us about at Noble Bell College," Malleus says.
"Oh yeah, there was a big stone statue of him in front of the school, right?" Grim says.
"So you remember. I'm surprised," Malleus says with a smile.
Grim gets offended, "Hey, I resent that! Of course I remember somethin' I learned today!"
Soon, the clown says, "But there was no one who adored him more than his own disciple—the Kindly Bell Ringer!"
"Ooh, so the guy on the horse had a student," Grim says.
"Indeed. The Kindly Bell Ringer is beloved throughout the Shaftlands, much like the Righteous Judge," Rollo says.
Then the clown says, "Neither rain nor wind would deter the Bell Ringer from ringing the bells to announce the time throughout the town. But one day... Disaster struck the peaceful city."
"Disaster?" Sereia asks, becoming worried.
"You know, I've been wondering about this since I first heard anecdotes about the Righteous Judge," Azul says, "What exactly was this disaster? I tried looking into it before the trip, but I couldn't find any useful information."
"I should think not, since no one knows for certain. None of our literature goes into detail about it," Rollo answers, "The only writing we have on the matter is this... 'Disaster struck, enveloping the city in a shroud hued the same as a fiery crimson lotus.'
"Crimson, hm. Does that perhaps suggest a great fire?" Malleus questions.
"Oh, yes, I understand fires can be devastating on land. It's a frighteningly powerful element," Azul says.
"Plus, back in the old days they didn't have any building codes or regulations, so the buildings were probably crammed way too close together… The fire must've been worse than anything we could imagine nowadays," Idia says.
Soon, the clown continues telling the story, "The fiery crimson engulfed the city, throwing the people into terror and chaos… But the Kindly Bell Ringer rang his bell and gave courage to the people. He then valiantly fought to protect the city."
"Wow, neato! What a brave man he was!" The puppet says.
"Huh, so he was basically a cool, gallant guy. Sounds like me!" Grim says.
Then Trein says, "They say the Bell Ringer upheld the Righteous Judge's teachings in everything he did. What devotion. They must have truly trusted each other."
"Yes, none of that would have happened if not for the Righteous Judge's exceptional character," Rollo says.
The clown continues, "And what did the Kindly Bell Ringer love most of all? Topsy-Turvy Day! A long time ago, when this festival was called Topsy-Turvy Day… The townsfolk chose the Bell Ringer to be their king, and oh, how they celebrated! What a wonderful man he must have been… And what a wonderful celebration this is! Do you appreciate it more now?"
"Yup, yup! Ab-so-lutely!" The puppet says.
"I appreciate it too!" Grim says.
Tanzanite and Jasper nod their heads.
"We've got lots of fun in store, whether you're local or just visiting. It's time to kick off Topsy-Turvy Fest!" The clown says.
And soon, there are multiple people coming out wearing costumes and begin to perform.
"Now some people in fluttery costumes are comin' out," Grim says.
"Wow. There's so many," Tanzanite says.
"Okay, who's ready for some topsy-turvy fun?" A dancer calls out.
Soon, the dancers begin to perform with tambourines, instruments, and other items.
"That's some rather impressive tambourine playing," Azul says.
"They move so fluidly with those scarves fluttering about. It's like they're floating on air," Malleus says.
"Extrovert energy...too strong…" Idia says, getting uneasy.
"It's traditional to perform a dance with scarves and tambourines at this show," Rollo says.
Then Grim asks, "Hey, what's with the sparks that happen every time they shake the tambourines?"
"Those are a form of magical fireworks," Rollo asks.
"Oho. Then is everyone dancing a mage?" Malleus asks.
"No, most of them aren't," Rollo answers, "The sparks are produced by magical implements. The organizers work with mages to produce the magical tambourines. That way, anyone can use magic during Topsy-Turvy Fest."
"Interesting. So in keeping with the topsy-turvy theme, non-practitioners can use magic, in a sense," Azul says.
"They merely produce sparks? And you're all content with such trivial feats of magic? It would be so much more enjoyable if they performed grander feats," Malleus says.
"What's fun about banging on instruments so old they might as well be fossils? You could totally upgrade those," Idia says.
"Rollo just explained they are TRADITIONAL implements. Using the same ones is the point. It's not about the grandeur of the magic. What matters is that everyone can enjoy them," Trein says.
"Hmph…" Trollo scoffs and mutters under breath, "This insipid festival is nothing but a gathering of shameless, magic-addled fools."
Mallues turns to Rollo and asks, "Did you say something just now, Flamme?"
"I'm so sorry. I couldn't hear you over the din of the festival," Azul says.
But Rollo says, "Oh, it was nothing. I'm sure you'll learn much from experiencing the festivities firsthand."
Soon, a dancer calls out, "Come on, everybody! Join in the fun and get dancing!"
"Aww yeah, time to boogie! I'm gonna show you all my jaw-droppin' dance moves!" Grim happily says.
"Me too. I want to go dancing too!" Sereia says.
Trinket happily nods.
This has Idia panicking, "Huh? Dance? Me?! Please tell me you're joking. That's a HARD NOPE from me!"
Azul turns to Idia, "Are you going to just sit there while everyone else is dancing? You'll stick out like a sore thumb, you know."
"Shroud, it would be impolite to remain seated when they've invited you to take part," Malleus says.
"Dude, it would be way more cringe if I danced!" Idia panics.
Soon, a dancer calls out, "Are you all ready?"
Briar blushes and says, "This is a little embarrassing, but here goes…"
"Eeep...!" Idia yelps, feeling very embarrassed.
And with that, the Night Raven College Students begin to take part in the performance while Trein and Rollo watch. The performers also begin playing music as everyone dances and cheers with glee. Rollo continues watching however, his eyes are set on Malleus. He watches as Malleus takes Briar's hand, and the two begin to dance together.