The Carnival at Moonbright

At Haron’s Castle, a dozen guards stand near the entrance as another two dozen move large sections of the shattered gates. Myla looked up to the top of the barrier walls separating Iredale from Haron’s Castle, and she could see more guards at the top of the perimeter, carrying bows as they surveyed the area for potential threats.

It seems like they’re on full patrol still.

They’re everywhere! I guess if my front door was blasted open, I’d be on alert, too. Lyla responded.

Myla thought back on what she knew of the hierarchy of Cecela. During her time at VerdantKnoll, they had taught her many skills, most of which she was allowed to choose, but particular speech, religion, mathematics, and political classes were a requirement for all who studied at the guild. The courses would help get people off the ground and into good jobs where they could hone their skills and make a name for themselves while giving the added benefit to the guild of having new connections to reach out to if ever needed.

Queen Sylona Valtori was the fifth reigning matriarch of Cecela. She was also a younger elf, around 100 years of age, who had been in charge for the past eighty years. While Myla had never met her, there were paintings and depictions of her in the guild, along with the past matriarchs. Queen Sylona had blond hair, braided and falling down her back, with hazel eyes and an olive complexion. She had a tall and slender form, but all the paintings showed her at her most regal. Today was the day Myla would get the chance to see if they were accurate. Only a few have met the Queen because she chose to stay in her castle walls.

Myla watched as Humboldt very casually walked over to one of the guards, who exchanged pleasantries before getting to the point.

“I have come to bring the witnesses of the Athenaeum attack upon the Queen’s request.”

The guard took a long look at the group. Myla looked down at her clothing, seeing the burn marks and slight cuts on herself, then to the rest of the group, which mostly looked worse than her.

I was hoping to meet the Queen in better clothing than this…

I have my sash. Would that help?

No… It’s too late to really worry about such things.

Myla brushed at her clothes with her hands, trying to push some of the wrinkles out, to no avail.

The guard nodded, then turned to order a few guards to make an escort. Half a dozen guards walked over and surrounded the group, and Myla started to feel the tension of the overcrowdedness.

Myla did not like crowds. It was one thing to be in front of people on a stage, and there was a disconnect that she could have. They were the audience. She is a performer. But when around too many people, especially those anxious and on alert, it made her nervous. She felt Lyla move closer as they walked through the castle’s perimeter.

Breathe.

Myla looked at her sister and nodded. She closed her eyes for a second, breathed in, then out. Though it didn’t fix the problem, it calmed her down enough to look around and stop focusing on it.

Myla always had issues with being in large groups. While every Kalashtar’s connection to their Quori and others of their race is different, Myla reached out and felt the emotions of those around her. Such as now, Myla’s worry and anxiousness stemmed from the guards around the group and the nervousness of her party. It was a helpful skill overall, but the overwhelming influx of emotions wasn’t something she had figured out how to sift through just yet. Thankfully, with being at the Arcana Emporium, Shaynth had been able to focus on that and help her with the anxiety-inducing aspects, but there was still a lot to learn.

Taking a moment to try and push out all the emotions around her, she looked at the castle grounds. Myla was stunned by the beauty of it all, considering how few people could see it. To the left, a labyrinth of bushes, with various colored blossoms and roses, held tight to the warmth of the afternoon. Though hard to see from where she stood, she imagined there was probably a design made out through the foliage, able to be seen from a bird’s eye view. Past the bushes was a patch of land with a gazebo overlooking a small pond. To the right, she could see a group of trees, with various fruits dangling down, with benches for sitting. She imagined that, at the right time of the year, it would be great to sit and paint there or find time to read. The stone and clay soil built up the outer surface of the multiple-storied castle, with vines that reached up the sides towards the sky. While not strong enough to hold a person, Myla could imagine the multi-colored flowers and green vines that would give the bland stone a beautiful color. Since it was autumn, the blossoms had already given away and died, leaving just the vines that were already turning gray.

The guards opened the doors at the entrance and ushered them all in. Inside, Myla felt a little more relaxed, being around fewer people, but she was still taken away by the hall designs they had walked into. Looking to the left and right, large hallways reached as far as they could before turning inward. A large staircase made of marble was in front of them that led to the second floor, with doors everywhere, giving off a concept of the place just being filled to the brim. Statues, paintings, and other art were displayed everywhere.

The guards walked them to the right hallway and into the first door on their left. Shaynth opened the door and let everyone in before being stopped by a guard as they went in.

“The Queen has asked us to bring you and Humboldt back upstairs to finish any reporting necessary. We will be back for the rest of you in time. Please sit, eat, and refresh yourself while you wait.”

“It shouldn’t be too long. We were mostly done when we left.” Humboldt said, looking around the room and giving slight nods as he gestured his way out with Shaynth.

The door closed behind them, and Myla was hit with different smells and feelings. She turned to see chairs surrounding a large table full of a variety of food. Piled high were cheeses, fruits, breads, and meats. It was clear that they expected many people to come in and out of this room today.

The room smelled wonderful, but she could feel the anxiousness of her party and something else… Worry? Confusion?

She wasn’t able to ultimately try and think about it before being grabbed by someone and pulled into a hug with Lyla. Taken aback, she pushed away to see the smiling face of Ramona standing before her.

“Oh, thank goodness! I had a vision, and I was so worried!” She said, her eyes wide and filled with relief.

“What happened here?” Lyla asked, letting go of Ramona as she pulled the next person to her for a hug.

“The front gates were blasted open by people under the influence of those mysterious Shades! I was sitting in my room, calling on the spirits to guide us, and I received a vision! The wooden debris was everywhere before the castle, the Athenaeum burning! I saw that you all were there and worried that you all could have been hurt!” She answered, leaning onto Rhokhishi’s arm for balance. “I tried to get here as fast as possible with Shaynth; that way, we could warn people!”

“It does seem like a lot has happened today.” Mr. Muffins said, reaching over to grab a wedge of cheese.

Just as he placed his hands on it, a man behind the table reached over and grabbed the cheese. Standing roughly 5’10”, Myla saw this human smile as he set the cheese away from Barthemus. His brown hair fell just below his shoulder, hiding parts of his face. He moved the hair back, revealing a tanned skin worn from sun and age.

“It’s a fake cheese made of wax. I made the mistake myself when I saw it.” He said, pulling a different wedge of cheese over to Mr. Muffins. “This one is real, though. Had a piece just a few minutes ago.”

“And who might you be?” Gisela asked.

“The name’s Markus. I’m not usually from around here, but I was doing some business in Moonbright on my way back home. I happened to be passing the Lasthold Bakery when some people started attacking the shop.”

“Did you see what happened?” Rhokhishi asked, taking a step closer to help Ramona to a chair.

“Not much, I’m afraid. The people started attacking, and I jumped in to help the owners from being mauled. Thankfully, their door held strong, and their dog let up a roar of barking, but after a few moments of trying, the attackers just collapsed to the ground unconscious. After a second or two, I could see a bunch of shadows moving away, but I couldn’t keep up with them. A guard came by and saw me, and I offered to lend a statement on what happened.”

It seems like these Shades, the Darklings, are causing many problems all over the place. Myla thought to her sister.

You’re not wrong. The Lasthold Bakery… That was the name of the people who helped me when Sir Ulric attacked Leaf and me over a week ago!

“Were the Lasthold’s alright? Did they get hurt? Lyla asked Markus, stepping away from her sister and toward him.

Myla could tell her sister was worried about these people. While they met the troupe a short time ago, Lyla was always more straightforward at showing her emotions and feelings for others. Myla took a step back towards the wall. Too many things were happening at once, and all she wanted to do was sit in a room alone and think. Too many emotions were flying around. Anger, worry, sadness, confusion, happiness? She shook her head, unable to determine which emotions were whose and how they fit in with each person.

“They seemed a bit shaken up, but overall they were fine. They came out and even started helping the medics! Nice couple, good hearts.” Markus answered, tearing a small piece of bread off the loaf and chewing it down.

“These Shades seem to be everywhere lately. I wonder if Orin or Elysium have any more information that would be helpful?” Leaf thought aloud.

“Is that who’s up there right now? Odin’s hold, I haven’t talked to either of them in a long time. Archmage Orin and Elysium of the Arcana Emporium…”

“You know them?” Leaf asked.

“Know them? We’ve all met a few times. I’m originally from Migandi, south of Cecela, but I’ve spent a decent amount of time on this continent, too, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few good people.” Markus replied, holding up a coin.

Myla knew the coins existed but had never seen one in person. It was about the size of one’s palm, with a gold banner wrapping the outside of a silver center. On it was the official stamp of Queen Sylona, a symbol of the sun rising above the horizon at dawn, a reference to Helios and Eos themselves. To have one of these proved that the Queen owed you a favor. To have one meant you’ve done something considerable to prove your loyalty and care. She wanted to ask how he got it, but there was too much going on, too many people talking back and forth, and she didn’t want to jump in. The attention didn’t feel welcomed.

She could hear the doors unlock as she sat down and tried to focus on her breathing again. They swung open, and two guards walked in.

“Queen Sylona is ready for you all.” The first guard said.

“If you’ll follow us, we will take you to the audience chamber.” the second finished.

Breathe