Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 49: Fairs

The next morning Arial met Helia in the entrance hall and the two of them left the castle, strolling down the bright sunlit streets to the Lethe house.

Arial family is not the only one that have turned their life around.

Daniel Lethe had forged himself a prosperous business in the past three years and had become a wealthy merchant thanks to the help of Arial father which financed his fur business.

He is now a baron, and lived in a great mansion.

Their family banner depicted a white raven, the omen of fate, speared by a sword. Defy fate, Arial mused.

Daniel Lethe had no idea how appropriate that was.

In these past couple of years there are many things that have changed from Arial knowledge.

One of them is about the Succession War.

It seems that the succession war didn't happen. Neither did Hadrian Alan die.

That puzzles him. Supposedly he should die at 1010AF but he didn't. Yet.

Maybe it will happen a bit later. Even better if he didn't die at all until the Invasion. So then the Dukedom will not be weakening.

Arial then was breaking off from his musing.

Kyle and Lisa appeared at the front door, then ran off excitedly to change their clothes as soon as Arial mentioned the fair.

They wandered through the streets together to the city center, telling stories about their families from the previous day.

As they arrived at the square, they had to push through the crowds to be able to see any of the stalls and performances.

Danoba is a beautiful city surrounded by luscious green forests and farmland, and people had traveled for days to sight-see and enjoy the fair.

The people have had an insatiable love of sight seeing that they came from great distances, from all parts, of the Dukedom to witness any amusing exhibition.

They would suffer any amount of privation or fatigue to indulge this feeling, and they gave themselves up to it so heartily that it became a solace to them in their greatest sorrows, and they laughed with that hearty laugh which may be said to be one of their natural characteristics.

And there are many things to be seen in the fair, to be sold and bought and to be traded.

Businesses are plentiful, diverse shops opened all across the district quarters, guild workshops also gathered intending on making some gold this year fair.

The fair is lightly patrolled as even the guards sometimes sneaked out and come to the fair with some beloved maiden.

The Docks is full with trading ships from all over the Continent.

An experience not many people can experience. No wonder so many people came. Then there are the minstrel and bards.

The cleverest of them played all sorts of musical instruments, sung songs, and repeated by heart a multitude of stories, Levitia Lament, Leliana Marriage, Alan Oaths, Duvan Renasi and the Burnt Castles, Zhu Ar Zur and His Trick, George The Wise, this story of great man and their adventures.

The jugglers threw wonderful somersaults, they leaped through hoops placed at certain distances from one another, they played with knives, slings, baskets, brass balls, and earthenware plates, and they walked on their hands with their feet in the air or with their heads turned downwards so as to look through their legs backwards.

The city was filled with laughter and dancing.

And then there are the dancers dancing their dance and not only the dance of the people of the Dukedom.

It alternates.

There are the Courts of Love Dance, Dance of the Eight, Bright Steps Dance, Water Maiden Dance, the mesmerizing fierce Dance of the Sun Emperor, the terrifying Dance of Death.

So many dances, so many songs.and so many stories.

Some of the dances are lively some are solemn, some frivolous and some severe. Some join the dancer and dance while some did not.

The common folk just feel happy that they could join the festivities, bringing their children and loved ones to enjoy the sight, to smile and laugh.

Arial and his friends ate, danced, sang and laughed together, running all around the fair, children again for the first time in years.

Kyle whispers something in Helia ears and she laughed.

Helia and Kyle have become great friends these past few years and Lisa would tease her brother once in a while and Kyle would retort with some cleverly witty words.

After a while Arial broke away from the group, intending to enquire with a smith about forging some new weapons.

"Arial, wait!" Helia ran up beside him.

"I won't be long Helia, go back to Kyle and Lisa."

"You promised you'd show me the sights. Are you planning on keeping your promise?" Helia said with a pout. Arial laughed.

"My word is my bond. Of course I'll keep my promise."

He walked with Helia around the stalls, stopping at a jewelry merchant. Then they stopped on a stall.

Arial notices something that is perfect for Helia.

Arial bought a necklace embossed with a beautiful golden lion and handed it to Helia.

"A lion, not a dragon?" she asked, grinning.

She fastened the chain around her neck, looking up at the Vermont family's banner waving proudly all around the city.

"It's beautiful," she said, sighing. "Your banner. The dragon in a blue sky," she added at Arial's puzzled expression.

"My father heard about what happened with the Seer. He likes to jape. He decided the dragon would look good on the family crest," said Arial, also looking up at the banner.

"Powerful and proud, the traits of a dragon," said Helia, looking sideways at Arial.

Arial looked at the big banner in the wall of the castle, a banner stretched across the wall, a dragon.

"It would be a sight to behold," Arial nodded. Helia look at her necklace and there is a smile on her face that she tries to hide.

Arial on the other hand is reminded of another family that wears a banner with a dragon on its sigil.

The Dragon banner of the King of Arakath, the Ruler of the Realms of Anvali.

Arial family is not the only noble family that is using the banner of the Dragon.

In Ming Continent, their Huangdi has always uses Dragon as their symbols signifying kingship and divine right of a King.

'Though I also like that necklace design' Helia said while pointing at one of the necklace. Arial looked at where she was pointing.

It is a crescent moon shaped necklace.

'A moon? Why?' Arial was puzzled. Helia then told Arial

'My mother told me that the Moon listened to people stories. In the old days, some people worship the moon and told Her stories. And the moon listened and grant wishes.'

Arial smiles. Then he asks

'Do you want it?' Arial asked. Helia looked at the necklace and smiles bitterly and then he shakes his head.

'Forget about it' she said suddenly

'Why?' Arial was flustered.

'I'm reminded of a tragic story.'

'What story?' Arial asked.,

'You know for a taciturn man you do ask a lot of question' Arial hearing this chuckles.

'Fine. Let's go back.'

They then we went back to the castle feeling quite satisfied for today

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