The Dark Covenant

THE FESTIVAL II

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It is said that love can fuel war, and love is like war, easy to begin but hard to stop. It is also malleable, it can be twisted from love to envy, to vengeance, to hate, to kindness. With all that said it was hard to tell which one Alicia's love twisted into. Was it even love to begin with?

They laughed and continued to laugh on through the night. The entire village prepared for the festivities about to commence at the next sunrise. While the women gathered food and drinks setting them up under improvised kiosks, the men did the bigger lifting, setting up tents and a podium for performances. While all this was going on, Reene, Townsdy, Valmon, Salron and Carrs took time off to reminisce.

"Is that a bedsheet you're wearing?"

"It's called a tunic you stupid!!!

Valmon took his time ridiculing what Armani had put on. The five inseparable knights each had defining characters unique to themselves. Valmon was the obnoxious one, Reene was the jumpy and energetic one, Carrs was the straight-headed one, Townsdy was the pioneer and calm one, Salron was the only one who people could be listen to when he decided to speak.

"How is life in the temple."

"Well for one thing it's certainly better than digging trenches and planting corn." 

They all burst out laughing, mostly because the words were directed at Valmon. 

"Hey! I do that because I volunteer!" 

"And we all know how great you are at voluntary service" Reene added on, fueling the laughs.

"But honestly guys I cannot believe that after so long, and after all that has happened we are all still here." Carrs said.

"Well at least most of us are. Here, I mean." Salron said. They went silent momentarily.

Carrs added on, " Oh yeah. How is she?"

"Well, compared to how you left, worse." Salron said.

"She's... She's lost in her mind. Even now, she might be planning of other ways to get over the wall. And I'm pretty sure she is forgotten my name." He added on.

"To be honest she hated your guts since day one." They took time to laugh again but not as intense as the outbursts from before.

"But now... Now it's like, the only things existent in her world is her and the wall, and the only thing that brings meaning to her is crossing over to the other side." 

"We have to do something, I mean at this point she will forget that we are not safe, and that there is a tyrant trapped inside this world with us, and that he could attack at any moment if he wanted to." Valmon said.

"But knowing her nothing is going to change her mind except her. So all we have to do is hope that she comes to her senses before things get out of hand." 

They took a brief moment to ponder over their words, but after a while everything went back to how it was, laughing and eating and more laughing.

And soon enough dawn came and with it the bright yellow rays of the sun. Alicia was up before the sun. It was the day of the festival and she still hadn't decided in her mind whether she wanted to go or it was a bad idea. She lay awake in her bed, thinking of how the experience was going to be. 

"I know what you were thinking and don't you dare do it." Her mother said, from the other corner of the room on her bed. 

"When did you wake up!"

"Early enough to try and convince you."

"Mother, I already told you I'm going."

"To do what,"

"Well, does it Matter?"

"People don't just go to festivals to stand around and walk all over the place, they go to enjoy and have fun."

"Do I look like I was made to have fun?"

"I raised you so yes! Now get up and go get dressed,"

Alicia dragged herself out of bed and pulled the curtains open. She stared outside at the extensive grassfield behind her house. How the dew glistened over the blades of grass.

At the same time, Reene was on his way. He nervously stroked his hair every time the wind whistled by, striving to look as presentable as he could. On his way he passed by other villagers who knew him since he was a child, acknowledging how much he had grown. It fuelled his confidence. On his way he passed by the orchid where he picked her up his last bouquet. 

As he made one last ascent over a hill and down to the path leading to Alicia's home tension kicked in, the one thing that he tried to contain. At some point he felt reluctant, leaving without a definite yes the last time he saw her wasn't quite reassuring. 

It was morning and the blaring music echoing from the village centre was already circulating rounds around the atmosphere. At some point Reene found himself walking to the tempo of the sound. On reaching the doorstep, he swallowed hard and gave the frame to firm Knocks. The knob twisted elegantly and the door pulled back exposing whatever was behind it, and it was a sight to behold.

With all the heavy chipped armour, with the intimidating blade, the dusty muddy boots aside, she was someone else entirely. She had graced an elegant crepe dress, and some fancy laced shoes, not too fancy, but fancy enough to magnify her ever hidden beauty. Her hair wasn't tied back as usual, it was let loose, settling on her shoulders.

Reene was about to speak but once he caught sight of her he gagged. His stare made her uncomfortable but he didn't even notice he was glued to her in the first place. He had been used to her armor and her face with vurhanil blood splattered all over them. He was momentarily frozen, unable to move.

"Is everything okay?"

"Uhm... Ye... Yes everything... Is, it's everything is... You look... Uhm, Different!"

Alicia coiled back, Reene realized that might have came off differently than he intended.

"No I meant you look amazing, today. Not that you don't on other days, I mean you look great all the time and.... It's not that I look at you all the time but the times that I do you look amazing, and not that you don't look amazing when I don't look at you but..."

Alicia started laughing, something that doesn't happen quite often, or ever happen.

"Don't t*****e yourself Reene. You're not far off from perfection yourself today. This must be an important festival for the village for you to be dressed up for the occasion." 

"Partly because I have performance later on today."

"Is that so.... Well I can't wait to see it. So where do we begin?"

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