novelraw Chapter 57 Feast
Chapter 57 Feast
After the battle, they all agreed to have a celebration especially to welcome the new recruits.....the Dark Mages. They immediately prepared for such occasions and everyone was excited. They will have another feast for the visitors.
Inside the Realm, the air was no longer filled with tension. No blades drawn, no cries of war, only the sound of laughter and the scent of smoke and roasted meat.
They were all merry and joyous.
A well-earned celebration. As for the Dark Mages, they were slowly adjusting. They did not feel such freedom from the past and now they were walking in the open without worries of being killed.
Ren gave the order: they would host a great feast, not just for victory, but to welcome the Dark Mages.
Today, they will celebrate. It was a once in a lifetime moment for them.
The warriors spread out first, forming hunting parties. They rushed into the wild forests and plains of the Realm, chasing wild boars. Their roars echoed as they charged down the animals, wrestling some to the ground, while others used spears and brute strength.
The mages had their own target, a giant spider crab said to be hiding deep near the river caves. With precision and coordinated spells, they lured it out and captured it using a combination of water seals and illusion magic.
As for the Dark Mages, they vanished into the misty coastlines of the Realm. They returned an hour later dragging massive, crimson-colored lobsters the size of carts.
Everyone had something to contribute.
Back at the central plains, the warriors got to work grilling the boar meat. Smoke rose from their large fire pits, and the scent of sizzling fat made stomachs growl all around.
The mages, known for their attention to detail, were tasked with decorating and preparing the feast grounds. Using illusion and enchantment, they shaped long tables made of crystalized wood, hung shimmering lights from floating wisps, and summoned music spells that played soft melodies in the air.
Meanwhile, the Dark Mages handled the cooking of the spider crab and giant lobsters. They used black flames conjured with cursed runes, cooking the meat evenly without burning the shell. Their magic danced in strange patterns, eerie, yet beautiful. The aroma from their cauldrons was unlike anything else.
The tables were soon filled with all kinds of food, steamed lobster tails glazed in mana butter, roasted boar meat with spicy roots, and crab legs cracked open and soaked in citrus fire wine. There were fruits, breads, berry juice, and dark ale brewed by elemental fermentation.
The feast began.
Klien, the Trainer of Ren’s forces, wandered through the crowd and was introduced to a dark-robed man with sharp gray eyes.
"Name’s Arthurn," the man said, extending his hand.
Klien smirked. "Klien, a Trainer. You look like a corpse with manners."
Arthurn laughed. "And you look like a barbarian who learned to talk."
They both grinned. What started as banter became a true conversation, of battles, old scars, and the pain of losing comrades. In each other, they found someone who understood what it meant to carry too many names of the dead.
Elsewhere, Reginald and Reynold were already deep into their third barrel of dark ale. They slammed mugs together, each trying to outdrink the other. One roared after a heavy gulp, the other fell over from laughter before standing up again and demanding a rematch.
"Your face’s red, Reginald!"
"That’s not red! It’s my blood boiling with victory!"
Drunken fools....but cheerful ones.
Near the mage tables, Rein and Dreymurd were already locked in their usual bickering. The topic, of course, was magic.
"The structured elegance of our Mage Tribe spells are superior," Rein argued, pointing at a floating rune chart.
"Ha! You need instructions to cast? A Dark Mage casts from instinct and emotion!" Dreymurd countered, twirling a dark orb in his palm.
"The only instinct I see is you instinctively being wrong."
"Say that again, fireboy!"
They nearly stood up to duel again until a passing slime dumped cold soup on both their heads.
It was then on, Arthurn and Arkhan both have their own cups and drank wine. Both were not able to hold their beers.
It was that kind of night.
Wild.....Loud..... Joyful.
Ren stood at the center, watching everything unfold with a warm gaze. This was his army, his people and his family now.
He looked toward the Dark Mages, no longer just the survivors in rags from that cave. They were laughing, eating, sharing stories. Some even danced awkwardly, mimicking how the warriors stomped their feet around the fire.
The wall between them had crumbled. He raised his hand slowly. And the music dimmed.
Everyone turned toward him. Ren stood atop the stone altar at the center of the plains, lit by soft blue torches and floating mana wisps. He didn’t need to shout. His voice carried.
"Tonight," he said, "we honor the lives that were lost... and we celebrate the lives that remain."
Silence fell. Then he looked at the Dark Mages. "From this day forward, you are no longer exiles. You are no longer outsiders. You are no longer alone."
He extended his arm toward them.
"You are one with us now. Warriors. Mages. Dark Mages. All under one banner, your enemies are my enemies, your friends are my friends."
A loud cheer followed. Some raised mugs. Others raised weapons. While others their fists. It was a merry feast and they were all done for. Ren also passed out in drunkenness.
The Dark Mages stood slowly, some with tears they tried to hide, and nodded back in silence. The feast continued long into the night. All were happy and others chit chatted more. Talking with their past experiences and loss of love ones. They were both sad and lonely. But the feast and celebration must go on. It was a mix emotions, some laughed it out, while some welled tears....
And for the first time in a long while......
There was peace.