novelraw Chapter 304 - Interlude 10 - Lunar New Year (Part 3)
Chapter 304 - Interlude 10 - Lunar New Year (Part 3)
"I feel like I'm going to a funeral," Ritika mumbled as she held her arms up. Black robes hung off her like the veil of night that surrounded them.
Emily, Albarich, and even Soot matched the cat in attire. Everyone in the palace did. The procession of Lunarians marched out into the pristine fields that surrounded the castle. Ritika briefly wondered if the limitless blanket of green was only so meticulously maintained for this exact purpose.
"Never thought about it that way, to be honest," said Albarich, shaking his wings to try to get his own clothes to settle right.
"It symbolizes the darkness of the new moon greeting the morning of a new day, or something like that," Emily replied.
"And the paper moons?" the cat gestured to her golem companion.
Soot held a paper-mâché orb they had made earlier in the day--it was white with gray splotches decorating it. Many of the others surrounding them held similar orbs; all hand crafted, all made that day.
"Out with the old, in with the new," the princess beamed.
Above them wasn't the blue of the sky, but the stars that hovered over their little world, sparkling, gleaming in the distance. What took up the majority of their view was the world that lay below: Riterra. In all its wondrous blues and greens.
Emily smiled. She scanned the life-bearing planet for their home. Her Riterran geography wasn't up to snuff, so she had no idea if she had found it or not. She let herself stay in ignorant bliss and just imagined she was looking right at it.
The paper orbs lifted in the air, hundreds of them floated above. Soot lost the orb they made, and the quartet watched it float, propelled by the many Volontà Estesa users that aided in the feat.
In one impressive spectacle, the orbs burst into purple flames, briefly obscuring the settling night sky in embers and ash. The scent that hung in the air was rich and varied--some probably peppered the inside of their crafts with different wood chips to vary the smell of their own personal fire.
Ritika and Soot found themselves impressed by the sheer scale and skill demonstrated--a feat of telekinetic control they hadn't seen from the Volontà Estesa user they were familiar with. Granted, it was more than one user, but even so, the coordination on display was mind boggling. Not a single flake of ash was allowed to touch the crowd.
The crowd watched in awe as all the ash was collected and in yet another feat of control and teamwork, the remains of the many paper moons formed a singular orb of compressed darkness. The ball rose up and up and up; reaching the very top of the sky box, right as Riterra cast a complete shadow over Luna.
Ritika and Soot watched in awe as the planet they were born on plunged them into darkness. Even so, the glimmer of the cities and people below sparkled like their own sea of stars. It was a moment that felt like it lasted forever, only interrupted by the shuffle of the crowd.
"Huh?" Ritika looked around in a daze as they were suddenly walking.
"We gotta get out of the way--they can't hold that ash ball forever y'know?" Emily tittered. She held Ritika and Albarich's hands, making sure not to lose them in the crowd. Soot cared not, but was also the tallest thing in the crowd, so losing him was basically impossible.
As soon as the crowd cleared from the grassy plain, the ball burst. The ash rained down in a cloud of black that gently fluttered to the ground, settling into the field to begin the cycle anew. The crowd cheered with such vigor and enthusiasm that Ritika thought they had just won the world championships from the elation on display.
The festivities didn't end with that impressive display, however. The entire population of the castle moved back into the comfort of the palace. Ritika looked around with curiosity--everyone was dressed identically. They talked with such excited fervor regarding the prospect of a new year. Common things she heard on Riterra such as New Years resolutions were shared among both cultures; only this was a month and a half separated from the same festivities below.
People were consistent, even when separated by the emptiness of space--it was incredible, really.
Next on the party train was the first meal of the year.
And what a meal!
Growing up in the desert with nothing but her tail and wits, Ritika had never seen so much food in her short life. Anything and everything seemed to be available. Huge tables were organized in neat rows and the many servants and guests of the castle surrounded them, enjoying food, drink, and company. Being the Resonator of the King and Queen's daughter meant she, Soot, and Albarich joined the Fourteen's Court at the front; or at least their families.
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The court, the king, and queen were at the front of the hall, at the grandest table of all.
Ritika stared at her own plate, filled to the brim with a heaping helping of mashed potatoes and root veggies such as carrots, radishes, and turnips. It was all cooked to perfection, the veggies having a delicious crisp and full of flavor. Her mound of potatoes had all the garnishes she could ask for, cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, chives, the whole suite of deliciousness. A slab of some kind of meat graced her plate, dyed deep red--just warm enough to be cooked, but still carried the distinct hue that made her feel all the closer to her carnivorous ancestors.
Even with such a glorious plate of food before her, she picked at it with a measured pace, opting to take in the atmosphere surrounding them rather than her sustenance.
"What's wrong, Rika?" asked Emily.
"Nothing, just looking around," replied the cat.
"That curiosity of yours is gonna get you in trouble," Albarich said with a mouthful of food.
"Al, chew with your mouth closed," scolded the Maestro.
"Relax, it's new years."
Ritika couldn't help but giggle. The warmth of her friends, and the joy that saturated the air of the halls was all too much. It was a good problem to have. It was nice.
It was strange to wake up on New Years Day twice in one calendar year, yet here they were. Not to discredit Shouri's attempts at a New Years celebration, but he was always a more subdued kind of guy. There was no way he'd be caught dead at a ceremony as elaborate as the one they attended last night.
And for good reason.
"Sleepy…" Ritika groaned, clinging to her Maestro.
"Me too Rikky…" Emily held her beloved cat tightly as she sunk under the covers.
"Mhm…" Albarich had sat up, caring not to sleep in longer, but also refused to leave the comfort of the bed. He instead spent his idle time reading.
All was peaceful on this New Years Day.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Oh Lady Emeliaaaa~" A strained voice called from the other side.
Albarich raised a brow, turning his head to the lump of blanket next to him that rapidly sounded more and more like a boiling tea kettle. "SOOT!" bellowed the Maestro.
And so, Emily and her Resonators were once again forced to tend to the castle gardens. The three not involved in the destruction of the sacred lands grumbled unpleasant words under their breath as they were forced to toil away in the soil.
"Lady Seijo." A dignified voice interrupted the hard labor.
Emily brushed her sweaty bangs back, smearing some dirt across her face as she did so. She met eyes with a man in black and white, his top adorned with gold trimmings to accent the white of his coat, while his black pants served well in its utility. It was a face Emily recognized immediately--how could she not? "O-oh! Seat Ṣaṣṭha! Wh-what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked.
The sixth seat peered around, making sure they were alone. "The Jundas faction," he said, quietly.
Albarich perked up, glaring at the court Maestro.
"Those were those church freaks after you two, right?" Ritika whispered to her dragon counterpart. He confirmed as such with a curt nod.
"Check your shipment when you arrive back on Terra. That is all."
With his message delivered, the sixth seat took his leave.
Once they were alone again, Emily allowed her expression to cloud with confusion. "Why now?" she mumbled.
"Which one was he?" asked Ritika on a breath.
"Seat Ṣaṣṭha is in charge of Melomorphan Resources," replied the Maestro, her brows pinched with bother.
"What do you think he did, princess?" asked Albarich, still keeping a wary watch on their surroundings.
She balled up her fist and ground her teeth. "Dunno, but I don't like it."
"New Year, new problems; eh princess?" Albarich joked.
"New Year, old problems more like," Emily buried her face in her hands, only getting more dirt on her face--but that was the least of her concerns right now. She could only hope that whatever surprise Seat Ṣaṣṭha had left in their shipping box wouldn't make her tear her hair out.