Nothing's ever that easy.
Viktor Kyrgan sat in a sturdy, polished wooden rocking chair, reading as a breeze whipped around the dark pine trees of the thriving town of Silverwood, by his ears, and into the shutters of the first-floor windows of the inn, in front of which he sat. Despite the noise, he remained lost in his thoughts, staring into his book, without taking in any of the words.
How long has it been?
Glancing up, he took in the town, which bustled with people, moving with a fearsome intensity as if they were preparing for war, except no weapons were in sight. Instead, they rolled barrels of ale, held streamers and banners between them, and carried an overall look of deep content as most of them congregated on the town green in front of him.
Every year's the same. No one decorates before the festival.
Everything's done at the last minute. But that's Silverwood.
He whirled to his left as a yell broke his concentration, his raven locks whipping to the left side of his face. At the sight of only children fencing with sticks, the tension in his shoulders loosened.
As further time passed, he even spied a few merchants walking the streets with pushcarts behind them filled with foreign foods and even jewelry that would be on sale by nightfall. Most of the richest goods will be within the circus grounds, though if I remember correctly.
With any sort of traveling festival this large, everyone involved is always looking to make a profit. Especially here, where there is enough money to go around but not enough for people to establish meaningful competitors to the visiting businesses.
As two familiar grizzled faces passed by the inn, he waved to them.
"Hey Ned, Tom, how's the patrol?" A grin split across his face as he thought about how easy it must be part of the Silverwood town guard.
"Same old, same old. No trouble except Kellen and the usual crowd."
Letting out a short laugh, Viktor put his hand up for one more short wave as the two men passed out of his sight.
Kellen Mitharias.
Who would've thought we'd ever be close?
Every time a twinkle appeared in Kellen's eye, some sort of mischief was afoot. And every time, I somehow get wrapped up in his never-ending party.
"Reading again, Viktor? It won't make you any smarter." A wiry young man with richly decorated, carefully tailored clothing stared down at him, a smirk painting the corners of his face.
He inhaled from an ornate pipe, then blew a cloud of smoke in Viktor's face, who waved it away, frowning. "You shouldn't be sampling the drosera anymore, Illthyr."
"And you shouldn't bother reading. Or better yet do, it is what outcasts do."
Ilthyr again. Why doesn't he leave me alone?
In Silverwood and the surrounding towns, Ilthyr Valans was known for his family's riches, which they'd gained from running a vineyard in Silverwood and a wine bar in the neighboring, much larger Foxmoor. All in all, he's got just as much of a penchant for leading a never-ending party as he does for spearheading most of the violence here. Peering down at the book's cover, he chuckled. "What's this one? Ah, the Brotherhood of the Hiervalan: A History? You do know this is a fantasy right? Your family was nothing but a bunch of mindless soldiers and they even failed at that."
He snatched the book from Viktor's grasp and began turning it over in his hands, still smiling, though his eyes were ice. Spinning the book in his grip, he motioned to the green, "if you weren't a valec, maybe we could have been friends." Shaking his head, he tossed the book outward, watching it fall on the dusty road. "Then again, you'd have to drop all of the other valci as well for that to happen. And we both know you'd never do that."
"You should stop using that word to describe me and especially my family. You know how bad it is."
"Or what? It's what you are."
He'll get what's coming to him one day.
"What do you want Ilthyr?"
"To put you in your place. You're all tough when Kellen and the rest of them are around, especially that drunk of an uncle of yours." He smirked again, a predator who had cornered its prey, as Viktor stood, clenching his fists. "Didn't you learn from last time?" He snapped his fingers and another, even taller figure appeared at his side, expressionless. Gareth. He won't even react without Ilthyr's approval. Talk about a mindless functionary.
If I just pretend like they aren't here.
"Let's see the mark Kyrgan," He felt a tug on his sleeve and it ripped wide open, revealing endlessly intertwining sets of faintly glowing, leaf-filled vines. "See Gareth, that's what I've been trying to tell everyone. That's why my father wants them expelled from town. They've got the mark and they're all evil. They'll butcher our families and..."
"Shove off Ilthyr," Viktor stood, nose-to-nose with his adversary who spluttered for a moment before regaining his composure. "Or what? You can't use magic on me. You don't even know how to, remember?"
Don't remind me. That was the worst day since..
"What is it Valec, cat got your tongue?"
He tore himself free from his reverie and shoved Ilthyr backward into the porch's railing, watching as he hit it with a formidable crack.
"Oh now you've done it," The stockier young man rebounded in an instant and kicked out at Viktor, catching him in the shin and causing him to fall to the ground. Innumerable kicks began to rain down and he felt himself roll down the stairs, then hit the road, his eyes flickering between pure darkness and the rusty brown beneath him.
As he curled up into a ball, waiting for the beating to be over, a familiar voice spoke as if through a fog. "Hey, Ilthyr you ogre, how many times do we have to do this dance?" Two cracking sounds and a yell rang out and Viktor found himself lying there peacefully, though with pain pulsing across his back. "Geez wolf, I would've put my money on you." A burly arm wrapped around him and hefted him in the air, setting him down on his feet. "You know how it is with him, I try and.." Viktor felt himself begin to blush and grunted, pushing a swathe of hair out of his eyes. "Thanks."
"No need," Kellen's face broke out into a wide smile as Viktor turned to look at him. "It's nothing. You're family. Anyway, we have far more important concerns than that scum." He wrapped one arm around Viktor's back, who did the same to him in a sort of embrace and as they broke it, his hulking friend began to look him over. When am I going to stop being a loser and start bulking up like Kellen so Ilthyr can't bully me anymore? What if next time they kill me? The guy's crazy. Anything's possible and I can't keep going on like this. I need to do something. Kellen's a mountain and I'm barely a hill.
"Hello?" He felt a rap on the top of his head after a few moments. "Come out of your thoughts and into the real world." Viktor blew out a sigh but allowed Kellen to put an arm around his shoulders once again as two resplendently dressed, women passed them on the green. One of them called out, "where's the party tonight, Kellen?"
"Yeah, where's it all happening?" Who in the world are they? They don't live here.
"Like I told everyone else, after the carnival, head to the back deck!"
"We'll be there!" Beaming from ear-to-ear, they passed on into the village, with one of them blowing Kellen a kiss which he pretended to catch and put in his pocket. "Seriously?" Viktor rolled his eyes, "can't you settle?"
"And who would I settle with? You have Fjalda. Enialis and Mari have each other, as much as they argue." He laughed from deep in his belly until Viktor turned a death-stare in his direction. "I'm sorry Vik. I just think, like the rest of us do, that you two would be great together."
"You know why that can't happen."
"Hell, it's been a year and she's fine and none of us blame you. It happened and we can't change it." Viktor snorted. "You can say that again. And anyway, I value her in my life and suggesting that we become something more after everything we've all been through could send her packing." A horse ran wild across the green for a moment with a plump man chasing after it, wheezing as he picked up speed. "Look at Master Olafsson. Impressive. I haven't seen him run like that since my father introduced a new vintage two years ago. Speaking of that," Kellen turned to the inn, rubbing his hands together until Viktor shoved him.
"Focus. What's this about a party tonight?"
"Ah, I almost forgot to mention. We're going to the carnival with four friends you know all too well. One of them, I just mentioned. Don't roll your eyes at me," he side-eyed Viktor, pushing him with a smile. "Hawk and Mari are over the moon to be going tonight. In fact, there they are right now." Two figures skipped towards them across the green, with one, an ivory-haired young woman with sun-kissed skin and pure amber eyes leading, with the other, a reedy-girl with hair the color of golden wheat just before harvest, searing the grass with her emerald eyes close behind. As they drew closer, Viktor remained transfixed as the former twice ended her skip with a pirouette of sorts. Like always. Perfect as the ballerinas in Actaentum, or so I'd imagine. Every movement she makes is a part of a greater dance. "Viktor," Kellen snapped his fingers and he broke out of his loop, returning to the present moment.
"We go to the carnival every year, Kellen. Why tonight? Why this time?"
"This time, Fjalda will be there." Wrapping a tree-trunk-sized arm around Viktor, he laughed aloud when the shorter young man wriggled free of his grasp. "She's there every year with us. Kellen wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders once again and pointed out to the green in front of them as their friends drew closer, Fjalda still gliding over the grass. "This is different from last year Vik. This time, you are going to tell her how you feel and the rest of us won't have to watch you two endlessly dancing around the subject anymore."
"I told you-"
"No more excuses and don't turn those wolf eyes on me. I'm trying to help." Kellen put up his hands. "Fine, I'll let you help." Even though whatever he plans will only come back to bite me in the end. "I'm happy you have seen the light." At the twinkle in his eye, Viktor groaned.
"Kellen, what else are you planning for tonight?" Gritting his teeth, he ran his hands through his hair, looking up to the sky, then back down.
"You know my plans. I am an open book." His eyes continued to shine like stars in a cloudless sky. "And besides, you need to lighten up. Tonight, there's no Ilthyr and there won't be any worries. I won't allow them. On this night, the world's our oyster."
"You've never even been to the sea." He began to follow and shortly found himself face-to-face with both Fjalda, and Marialena, who eyed him with a raised eyebrow.
"So boys, I assume we're going together to the carnival tonight?" Marialena Elias, the taller of the two spoke, her eagle-like gaze now scanning them. "Hello," Viktor said in their general direction and when he didn't continue, Marialena giggled and Kellen cut in, "we," he glanced at Viktor and rolled his eyes as he looked back at the women, "are escorting you as I said. As soon as the others arrive."
"Like you two could ever prove to be reliable escorts," Marialena rolled her eyes, and Fjalda gave a short laugh, "but we have no better options."
"That's right, you don't," Kellen motioned between himself and Viktor, then winked at the women. "We're all you have, as usual."
"Only because it's you two, Enialis, or worse, like Ilthyr," Endeavoring to keep a stony look, Marialena finally broke down and the look of pain on Kellen's face. "Oh leave it, you know I was only joking." She made as if to kick him in the toe, but he jumped, avoiding her attack and wagging a finger at her. "You'll have to be faster than that."
"Eliza's waiting on the prince. We are all aware of how long he takes to get ready for any sort of event," the other, Fjalda, sidled up to Viktor, the hint of a smile playing across her lips. "Could be days," Viktor winked at her and watched as Marialena and Kellen stopped their playfighting long enough for the former to respond. "Hawk, I wish you'd stop calling him that. He's never done anything to you."
"And I wish you'd stop naming me a bird, yet here we are." Fjalda stretched her arms out to her sides as they spoke and waving them rapidly.
"Ladies, let's save the fighting for at least the end of the night, shall we? Off to the show?" Kellen turned to Viktor, his eyes glinting, and proceeded to lead the group out across the green, dodging a swipe from Marialena. "Boys will be boys," Marialena whispered, and Fjalda chuckled from her side as the group traipsed off across the village green.
From somewhere deep within the tree-line behind the inn, a lone figure watched and as they passed out of sight, it whispered, "all of the pieces are coming together just as we planned."
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