Einar stood among the people with Alice. She was wearing a cloak to hide the dance ritual outfit that was given to her by the academy. They were gathered on the inner oval of the academy. Einar was armed in an armored plate and he carried a sword.
Alice trained her gaze on him, “That is high-quality equipment. As expected of the heir of the Elior House.”
“They want me to bring Mithril with them,” Einar said. “But true silver is only going to hamper me.”
“In what way?”
Einar didn’t reply. He continued looking at the crowd that gathered. Some folks were wearing the same equipment as him. The guardians of each dancer were wearing the same thing. The rest who have magical capabilities were carrying their conduits.
“The tenth floor is the place where we will be heading,” she folded her arms underneath her cloak. “I’ll be depending on you to watch my front and back. Please don’t let me die.”
Einar bumps his fist against hers. “Sure, don’t worry I’ll be watching you dance as well.”
She looks away, “Just don’t stare so much. I’d trip and that would be bad. Ah, you don’t have any potions on you.”
“I don’t need it,” Einar said. “I can handle the enemies. Not that I am overconfident. It’s just that my constitution doesn’t need any potions. I just need food to regenerate.”
“Every day I know you, you are becoming a monster.”
“Is that so?” Einar adjusted his bracer.
The sunbeam was shining down upon them. The headmaster of the academy stood on a podium. He was giving speeches while rousing up the students. While the headmaster was doing so, Thea, who was with Volt, came up to Einar. She was wearing a cloak as well, hands behind her back. Volt was following.
“Hello,” she said to Alice. “To see you without blood is a strange thing.”
“Milady,” Alice bowed her head.
“Stop that. I don’t like such formalities.”
Volt said, “I know that this is too late but you two do not have the attitude fitting that of a noble. I expected to curtsy and be treated like a dog.”
Thea giggled, “Were you expecting some unrequited romance? Volt, my family and cousin’s family has been working with warriors for the longest time. We only have little noble blood running on our veins and we have the blood of warriors! So how can we act so arrogant in front of other “
Volt shook his head, “I see. Well, that would explain why I was able to easily greet you.”
“Easy?” Thea places her hand in front of her mouth. “Do you mean Einar beating the life out of you is easy?”
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Volt recalled the day where he strode in front of Thea. He recalled the way he pushed Einar away. Only for him to see the sky immediately, and Einar’s foot on his chest. What followed was Einar’s fist simultaneously flying on his face until he saw red. It took two months for Volt to gain courage again. This time, the arrogance of his was gone, seeped inside the dirt.
“I am truly sorry for that.”
Thea said, “You do know that even after you said your apologies. Brother Einar tailed you since he thought that you might be planning.”
“Ah!” He said. “So no wonder I sensed so much fear during that time! How in the hell did you follow me without being detected!”
Einar turned his head away from Volt who was holding his head. The headmaster made a bow towards the crowd and held his staff up in the air. Then a fizzling noise came out as that magic bolt turned into a grand spell that launched a blossom above the sky. The crowd turned stunned from cheering at the sight of the festival blossoms.
“Go forth!”
The Headmaster declared. Einar stood while the crowd was making their way to the Tower of Nimrod. The four of them waited until the crowd was smaller to start walking. Alice walked behind the three. Einar turned his eyes at her and stopped. “Come, don’t be shy.”
“I’m not shy,” Alice said. “I just don’t know to react to them.”
“Being an introvert sure is hard, I can relate,” Einar said. “Well, you are familiar with me by now. Not going to try and make you immediately like them. No, I would be mad if you easily become friends with them when I treated you a lot.”
“That’s kind of petty of you to say.”
“I don’t care,” Einar raised his shoulders. “It might be short but I will be your guardian until the day this festival ends. I will be your sword and shield. Is that fine with you?”
Alice turned her head away, her ears red, “Yeah. I am fine with that. Please protect me, my Guardian.”
“Sure, you can count on me,” he held her hand and shook it.
He turned to the direction of the tower. The tower’s covered in blossoms of fire that seems to wrap like thorns. The nimbus clouds that once wrapped the tower was gone. What remained was the tower of nimrod emitting a light that covered the city whole. He could feel the warmth of the tower even from this distance. It resembled a dying hearth where none kindled its fire. The purpose of the dance was to rekindle the warmth of the fire. Once the warm of the fire hearth was back. The monsters who are cold inside would feel the fire linger again. That will soothe their soul and they will calm down. It was a ritual to prevent a stampede.
Of course, he only knew that the ritual was needed to be done. He knew that was the only thing he needed to do. However, how could Einar thought that there was a lurking danger beyond this dance?
Fall 1 of the Year 1100.
The week-long festival of the Goddess Ninon begun.
The festival that is held in the honor of the Goddess of Dance and Hearth
It was the day where monsters dance in her hearth fire.