บท 107: The festival of Azir
It was a rainy night in Azir, but that didn't stop us from going out. Today is the day of its founding festival, and they will remember their ancestors and Lilith for their hard work in creating this city. But while there is a lot of history going on, there are certainly more things to do at a festival; otherwise, it wouldn't receive so much tourism.
The festival is named 'The Festival of Azir' and is spread over three days. We were now going to experience the first day of the festival, which is named the Day of Shadows. We walked through the city gates and found that the people who loved her had changed from normal. Their normal clothes were gone, and in their place, they were dressed in flowing black and deep blue garments and carrying lanterns that cast shadows.
They were walking around the city as if Lilith were inspecting it. The lanterns were dancing as if Lilith were walking before them, and you could see the admiring gazes from the people around them. The lanterns were special because they cast an illusion. This was their specialty. With the shadow flame in them, they showed illusions that the user wishes for, but only in shadow form.
Around the city, people sat with each other and exchanged stories. The kids found old people and asked them questions or asked for a story, which the elderly people gladly told them. They also told them about how life was for them in their childhood, how different it was, and how this festival stayed the same even after all these years.
What was the most special about this day wasn't any of those two things that I told you about, but the shadow dance. Dance troupes perform shadow dances in open squares and by the city wall. Their movements highlight their shadow, but because of the light of the moon, the dance also gives a comforting feeling that light will always find you.
I walked hand in hand with Tyche, enjoying the festival under a Bangasa (Japanese umbrella). We just walked around the festival and picked food from the stalls that were selling it. Each day of the festival meant something different for them, and you couldn't only see that in the live shows that were shown. You could also see it in the food that the people sold.
On this day, they had a special dish called Shadow stew. It is a hearty, slow-cooked stew made with only dark vegetables. Most people would be full after just eating this, but I couldn't be satisfied until I tried every dish, so I ordered their midnight bread with it. To flush it all down, I had a twilight tea with it.
That was a blend of dark teas infused with berries and spices. Lastly, you could never forget dessert. Charcoal cookies were delicious, although the name didn't sound like it. They came in three forms: one filled with cocoa, the other with blackberry, and the last one with raspberry.
They were so sweet that we ordered some more, and I stored them in my inventory for later consumption. This festival was amazing in both being entertaining and being the perfect date spot. The stall we ordered the food from gave us directions, and we were now sitting on a bench overlooking the city and its beautiful shade in the evening. There was even a rough to keep us dry.
Even though it was raining, the people here looked happier that it rained today, as if they had prayed for it. And even though I am not the biggest rain fan, it certainly brought me closer to the woman who was sitting beside me. With her head leaning on my shoulder, she was overlooking the city with a small smile on her face.
I also rested my head on hers and laid my hand on hers. Soon, our hands held each other, and we took hold of each other. I didn't do anything else and just enjoyed being with this woman on this beautiful day. But beautiful things have to come to an end. Tyche and I went to a beautiful hotel that wasn't booked full yet and booked a beautiful couples room for the night.
A lot of moaning came from her soft mouth that night, but I let her off easy because the festival begins earlier tomorrow, and I want her to be able to walk.
...
Early in the morning, the city was already bustling with activity. This city is an adventure city, and while this festival is famous for tourism, the adventurers in the city like this festival even more because on the second day of the festival, healers give out free healing for the day. The second day of the festival is named the Day of Light.
That wasn't exciting for me, so I slept in with Tyche in my arms. When we finally decided to go out, it was already 1 p.m., so we got a quick lunch and saw what the people were doing today.
When we arrived at a restaurant, it was also in full swing. We ordered some special dishes. I would like a special salad with some soup for an extra taste this time. We could see a parade in the streets from our restaurant. They had colorful clothes in sharp contrast to yesterday, but what was special about this parade was that it included float-decorated mirrors and reflective material.
The effect it gave off was that it created a mirror of light as they moved through the streets. But while this was fun for the adults, the kids found such a thing boring after a while, so in the distance, I could see kids playing with special kites. Where they were playing, I saw a stall where people could make their own kites or buy one.
After we were done eating, there was another event during the day. When the parade ended, they all gathered in the big city square and made a podium in the center. Their dancers were performing what they called the sun dance. The dancers had bright, flowing costumes that captured the light from the sun when they moved.
The most fun thing about this performance is that after every dance or part they complete, they get people from the public to complete a simple guided dance so they can also experience the atmosphere up there. They danced for more than three hours until it was time to eat again or for the people to take a rest for the rest of the night's performance.
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