Chapter 186: Dance
[TL: Asuka]
[PR: Ash]
The young witcher sat cross-legged in the humble shack. His back was straight, his demeanor was relaxed, and his mind was clear. The look on his face was as peaceful as a quiet lake. Not even a ripple disrupted its surface. He created signs in the air, and a subtle aura swirled around him. An invisible hand appeared around him, caressing his muscles and billowing his shirt.
A colorful mote of dust came into being. It was visible to the naked eye, and the mote of dust slowly but surely went into the young witcher. Eventually, more motes started appearing, as if they were sparks that flew out of a bonfire. They burned his skin and grilled his muscles as they merged with his soul, but the witcher did not stop them from becoming one with him.
A long, long time later, Roy heaved a long sigh, and when he opened his eyes, for a moment there, it was as if stars were born within them. He extended his right index finger, and a small flame started to burn, but he didn’t chant or make any signs. Still, the flame came into existence and flew around his fingers like a cat weaving through tight spots.
“The Water of Brokilon’s modification ends today. Never thought it’d change me this much.” His elemental affinity was increased by ten to twenty percent. It might not be much, but his level 1 signs had the same level of power as their level 2 counterparts. More importantly, he had greater control over his signs, and mana felt more docile as well. They would do as he said, and accidents like draining all his mana at once when he cast signs wouldn’t happen anymore.
Roy got up and stretched his arms, then he changed into clean clothes and went out. Yeah, I’m just there to see how those guys embarrass themselves. Nothing else.
It was Lammas, and the sun’s final rays were shining outside, bidding goodbye to the land as dusk took over. Even though he was in one of Cintra’s most remote corners, Roy could still feel the sound of the festival coming from a few streets across, and he noticed a bright light moving a few streets over. “The parade should be starting now.”
Roy went over to where the source of light was. Some houses were shrouded in darkness along the way, and not a sound came from within, for their owners were having the time of their lives on the main streets of Cintra.
Roy also saw a group of married, old men building a bonfire in the nearest clearing with their immaculately-dressed wives and children. They were preparing for the bonfire event that would happen in the night.
Families could have their Lammas fun even though it was quieter than the rhapsodic event happening on the streets. The festival was so intense it bordered on rapturous. Roy was still far away from the main street, but he was already seeing groups of people dancing as if their lives depended on it.
People of all ages and societal statuses came out to have fun. There were wealthy ones in their gorgeous clothes made out of velvet, and there were paupers who wore their best clothes that were only slightly better than patched-up hand-me-downs.
Despite how they were dressed, all of them were gathered on the sidewalk. A man wearing a red hat had his hands on his hips as he did dance kicks. Some leapt high up into the air and waved at the center, while some were swaying their hips, waist, and even neck. Most were just moving their bodies in bad attempts at dancing.
“Mad. They’re all mad.” When the witcher came to the crowd, the astounded look on his face turned into astonishment.
The crowd was in high spirits, and they were hollering to whoever and wherever they could. The volume itself sounded like it could form real waves and crash against the shores of Cintra. They were all red with excitement, and they were shouting everything imaginable. Some were making loud confessions, some were cursing to the heavens, while some raised their heads up high and recited poems passionately like proper poets.
Some were actually making explicit moans that could stoke the flames of lust of those who heard them. Eventually, those people would barge into the parade and have public sex.
And then the dance started. The long river of people on the street split Cintra into two, as if it were a fire-breathing dragon that was meandering through the kingdom.
Roy covered his ears. The rancid smell of sweat and alcohol made him scrunch his nose, then he backed out of the crowd. He had a feeling he wasn’t suited for this kind of crazy activity, but curiosity gnawed at his heart.
Instead of leaving, he quickly went to the spot furthest from the light. Roy’s plan was to hide at the end of the raving crowd, but it backfired on him. Piles of pine wood were strewn around the place, and the night sky was tinged with the crimson light of the flames. Heavy smoke draped the darkness, and firewood crackled beside the little groups of people who were dancing away the night.
Everything seemed to spin, and Roy’s ears were assailed by a cacophony of shouts, crackles, and laughter. Witchers had heightened senses, and the great stimulation felt as if there were a thousand drills drilling their way into his skull.
He started feeling dizzy, and the crowd that came swept him forward like a wave pushing a boat further into the sea. He was flung into the throng, and as they buffeted the poor witcher, someone held his shoulder and handed him a small cup. It was filled with a frothy substance, and the scent of malt overwhelmed him. “Beer? This is garbage!” Roy shouted and shook his head. He shoved the guy holding a barrel of water-infused beer back into the crowd, but then he felt a soft hand holding his shoulder.
“Dance!” A young lady with big eyes and a slim body huddled closer to Roy and breathed in his ear. Apparently, she fancied the young and handsome witcher. She pulled on his sleeve and dragged the dumbfounded Roy into the cheering crowd. She started dancing and twirled around the witcher, head swaying in the air. “Dance!” She snorted. The witcher’s stiff attitude was upsetting her.
Roy paused for a moment, and he tried to refuse her, but he couldn’t say a word. To his horror, he realized that he seemed to have been infected by the merry air, and he started dancing to the beat along with the young lady before him.
When everyone around you is a madman, that makes you one of them too. Roy finally understood what that old adage about festivals meant. A crimson hue dyed Roy’s face, and he let himself go. He started dancing with the girl before him. Even though he wasn’t calm, Roy still managed to not bump into the other people who were dancing thanks to his reflexes. He moved like a cat, swift, agile, and elegant even though he was thrown into a packed crowd.
Suddenly, a commotion happened near Roy. A big, burly man took a petite girl into the darkness right outside the bonfire. The girl giggled and shouted nervously. She struggled a little in his arms, but she eventually stopped struggling and disappeared into the corner with the man.
The man’s familiar face made Roy pause. It messed up his rhythm, and he stepped on his partner’s foot, earning him a glare of complaint. “Who was that?”
“Sorry. I just saw an old friend.” It was a friend of Roy’s. He noticed the burly man’s amber eyes and his familiar face. “Auckes is already starting his party, huh?”
Roy didn’t have much time to think before the throng pushed him further into the crowd, and he lost sight of his partner. The people started holding hands and shouting into the skies. They moved along the street that was paved with bonfires, and when someone tripped over, the formation was broken. The people behind started breaking up into little groups.
A group of people were throwing piles of pinewood into the bonfire closest to him. The fire roared, and the light illuminated further into the darkness.
Roy kept going with the crowd. After that little episode, he could finally stay calm. Despite how crazy the people around him were getting, it didn’t faze Roy, and he remained a calm bystander.
A long, long while later, the group Roy was with finally got to the end. They danced and sang on the stage, swinging the sticks that had flowers and wheat twirling on them. The crowd was shouting, “Lammas!” into the air, while Roy was thinking, What am I doing here? He took himself out of the crowd. A star started to shine blindingly in the darkness, and Roy’s pendant started vibrating.
“The pendant is vibrating. Something’s happening.” Roy reflexively let his pupil dilate, and he saw through the darkness easily. A curvy lady in the crowd was taking her dance partner into the darkness. The bald man’s shirt was already unbuttoned, revealing the big muscles underneath.
The bald man noticed Roy’s gaze, and he turned around. He gave Roy a look of encouragement before he and the woman disappeared into the darkness.
Letho is really letting himself go. Roy kept looking around for Serrit, but he stopped halfway through. He noticed a woman with a black velvet hood standing among the crowd, and she was the source of the mana he felt.
She looked different from the raving crowd around her, and a tuft of fiery red hair tumbled out of her hood. She was wearing a pair of crystal heels, and the woman was coming to him. The sound of her footsteps sounded weirdly clear even through the crowd, and Roy could taste the scent of roses coming from her. The crowd before her fell away and made a path for her, as if they were drunk.
The pendant’s vibrations were getting stronger, and when the woman finally came near him, he felt as if an invisible mountain were pressing down on him. She was a tall woman and was about half a head taller than Roy. Her eyes were as blue as clear pond water, and her lightly tanned skin was smooth and silky. “Roy.” She smiled at him, her ivory teeth shining in the night.
“Coral?” Roy was surprised to see her. “I thought you’d be celebrating Lammas in Kerack. What brings you here? And how did you find me?” He stared at the sorceress, and he was reminded of that unforgettable period of time back in Melitele’s temple.
“You broke your promise, young man.” The sorceress wagged her slender finger. “Since you broke your promise, I had to come to you. As for how I found out, well, that’s just a little trick I used.”
She extended her hand to him. Roy shook his head. He didn’t believe what she said, but he didn’t think he was in any position to refuse her. Coral was staring intensely at him, and he finally couldn’t take it. He held her hand. It felt cool, soft, but also filled with passion. She held his hand and squeezed through the throng, heading toward the stage.
“Where are we going?”
“Do I have to explain what we’re doing on a festival night?” Her eyelashes fluttered. “Let’s have a dance.”
“But I don’t—”
“Tsk, tsk, Roy. You’re lying. You danced well earlier, and I have to say…” She took her cloak off, revealing her beautiful body, then she stored the cloak in her void. “You have a special style. One I have never seen elsewhere.” She went behind the witcher, and a breeze that smelled of rose brushed across Roy’s face. She swayed around and touched Roy’s back.
The witcher stiffened.
“Come, Roy. Or are you scared?” She breathed down his neck.
“Scared? Fine. Then I shall show you a style that comes from another world.”
Roy’s golden eyes met Coral’s blue eyes.
They weren’t dancing in the palace, and there weren’t any stifling restrictions for them, nor were there any gentlemanly rules dragging the pace down. The festival’s dance was one that expressed individuality and vigor, and there were many styles too.
Sometimes Roy and Coral would dance by themselves, while other times, they’d stick to each other, and they danced happily to the tune of the festival.
Eventually, someone started reciting a poem on the stage. “Your deep-set eyes make my heart pound. The world suddenly starts spinning. The music, the singing, and you are just like sweet, delectable honey. For a moment, I feel myself being your lute, yearning for your passion to strum my longing soul.”
The sound of a lute rang out in the air, and the pairs of partners that were dancing on the stage slowed down. They faced each other, fingers interlocked. They slowly spun around to the tune, and they had eyes only for their partner, as if they wanted to sear their partner’s face into their mind.
“Coral.” Roy was looking at the gorgeous sorceress. “Honestly, why did you come to Cintra?”
“Because…” The sorceress seemed a little forlorn. “I’m lonely… Oh, no. Actually, I’m just bored. You caught my eye, and it’s not every day we get to celebrate, so I felt like having a chat with you.”
Coral was as cheeky as ever, but Roy was no longer the young man who’d get flustered at every little flirt. He was reminded of that brotherhood plan, and he needed the help of a powerful sorcerer. Coral’s a good choice.
“Alright, the dance is over. Time for some business.”
“Business? What business? Where are you taking me?”
Coral chuckled. Her fiery-red hair billowed in the night air as she took Roy and darted toward the nearest bush hidden in the darkness.
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