Chapter 69 — The Festival of Fear

An apology and the promise of a seasoned meat-stick was enough to lure Ranger out of his sulking—something Ria didn’t understand since Grandma Fana’s cooking was surely better. Or maybe it was an excuse since everyone was busy and he didn’t want Ria going on her own?

She had half-heartedly asked if anyone wanted to go with her after receiving the summons but with no favorable results. Jarrel left to update Guildmaster Verani as soon as she was safely home. Grandma Fana and Yuri were working in the kitchen repurposing leftovers from the previous feast into a new feast worthy of Jarrel’s return, taking advantage of Toben and Sammy napping after wearing themselves out annoying a certain curmudgeony old dog who took his responsibility way too seriously. Grandpa Orlan was dealing with the rush of customers preparing for the festival. Oscar was butchering newly hunted and freshly slaughtered carcasses as fast as they came in. Leon was helping Emily with a similar situation at their shop, and Ria didn’t want to bother him anyway when he wasn’t invited in the summons and would probably have to wait around for her to finish.

With Jarrel back, the promise to take someone with her was no longer an issue, but after what had happened, she was feeling understandably more vulnerable wandering the streets—streets that had become more crowded as outlanders had apparently begun arriving for the festival by the wagonful throughout the day and were now milling along the streets, doing early sampling of the stands and stalls that had been set up along the wider ways.

Ria sighed and pulled the hood of her cloak down to hide her face more.

And beyond any of that, she wasn’t particularly keen on seeing Lord Vorshan anytime soon with the way he left her to fend for herself at the trial, putting her at unnecessary risk when he had already pre-arranged the outcome. Not to mention, that scary Inquisitor guy was there too!

A bark from Ranger brought Ria back to the present. Ah! His meat-stick. She had almost forgotten.

Since bonding with Ranger, her own sense of smell had greatly improved, and she was fairly sure which vendor had caught Ranger’s interest. Ria bought a stick for herself as well since to only buy one for her dog would’ve been rude... yep, definitely rude.

Though feeding the so-called beer-braised sewer rat to a dog would seem appropriate... not that it really was sewer rat. That was just the silly name for the festival... hopefully. Since Vorshan’s Hills didn’t have sewers…

After holding Ranger’s stick out for him to pull the meat off of, they resumed their march of doom. Nibbling the warm mystery meat did help her feel a bit more festival cheer. The Festival of Fear was Ria’s favorite festival that she looked forward to each year. Of course, Shadewood’s Festival of Fear couldn’t compare to the effort that the residents of Vorshan’s Hills were putting in, and by the time she and Ranger reached the circle where the trial had been held, Ria was starting to look forward to an evening spent touring the festival with Keira.

She couldn’t help a weak smile and a chuckle when she saw the manor staff on ladders adding fake spiderwebs and spiders to the village founder’s statue, even if a brief glance in the direction of the Clearwells’ sparsely decorated house sank her mood again. Hopefully, the meeting with Lord Vorshan wouldn’t take too long. As it was, because she couldn’t muster the motivation earlier and lazed around, finishing her costume was going to take most of the night.

“Unlicensed Spirit Magic and endangering the village by harboring a shapeshifter. I believe those were the crimes that Amilee was found guilty of,” Lord Vorshan reminded Ria when she entered his office.

She froze in place.

“So, what did you discuss with the Shapeshifter this time?” he asked conversationally.

This time?

Three beats of time passed before she noticed her heart beating again. Lord Vorshan’s eyes were sharp, closely watching her reaction.

Not daring to lie, Ria told Lord Vorshan about the recent encounter and the prior as well for context.

“Good,” Lord Vorshan responded. “If you had lied, I would not have been pleased. Make sure you take that horn to be looked over by Rigure, and next time, inform me or Bastach right away when something like that happens.”

Ria vigorously nodded. “I will! I’m sorry I hid it. I didn’t think you’d... approve...” She let her excuse trail off as she realized what she was saying.

Lord Vorshan let out an annoyed sigh and rubbed his forehead. “You know... if you put yourself at such disadvantage while at the academy, not only will you risk being made a pawn of someone’s scheme, but it will reflect poorly on House Vorshan for sponsoring you.”

Did that mean...

“No. It doesn’t mean I’m giving you the sponsorship,” Lord Vorshan anticipated her thoughts. “But it does mean that I’m expecting you to keep working hard and earn it. You have until spring to become passable at modern magic casting methods, improve your etiquette and your knowledge of the major aristocratic houses of Crysellia, and—gods grant me—learn how to better avoid putting yourself and those around you at risk.”

Ria’s eyes widened and her chest became tight with relief and excitement as realization sunk in, but she knew the proper response from the first time she met Lord Vorshan. “Yes, my lord!”

“There's hope for you yet,” Lord Vorshan approved with an amused chuckle.

“Um...,” Ria wasn’t sure it was wise to ask, but if she was to avoid such situations in the future... “How did you know?”

“That you met with the shapeshifter?”

Ria nodded.

Lord Vorshan smiled a dark smile as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, but he did choose to answer her question, “Master Marlow has a scrying crystal. Naturally, I had him keep an eye on my granddaughter during the slime-hunting outing. It was mostly by luck that he noticed your encounter with the shapeshifter. And I have tasked him with keeping an eye on its movements since.”

She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. Relieved that she wasn’t the one being watched, maybe. And annoyed about having felt pride at being relied-on to help protect Lord Vorshan’s granddaughter when Master Marlow had been looking out for Keira the whole time. That, and in addition to protecting against divination, she would need to find a way to block out scrying as well.

“Now, let’s move on to the trial.” Lord Vorshan leaned forward and did his steepled fingers thing. “Tell me how you think you did.”

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. The part she least wanted to deal with.

“I thought my argument was good, but… I presented it too simply and couldn’t win over the others,” Ria began, and at his appearing to want more, added, “I should have done more to prepare for defending myself.”

“Indeed,” Lord Vorshan agreed. “Your performance wasn’t entirely without merit and, for a child lacking the education and experiences that Keira has received, might even be considered better than could be expected, though I was rather disappointed that you lost your composure and were overcome by fear at the end. The scheming, false accusations, and incitement tactics that you faced today are what you can expect every day while at the academy. If you don’t want to be a weight dragging Keira down and constantly needing rescue, you will need to become better at not just deflecting such attacks and winning people over to your side but anticipating and preempting the schemes of others, whether that is by leveraging carefully cultivated relationships or by setting in motion events of your own.”

Ria gulped. The trial was already a traumatic experience for her. If she had to experience that sort of thing every day… No. Ria shook her head to clear the hesitations. Her easy time in Vorshan’s Hills had softened her. She wasn’t attending the academy to make friends and have fun. It was for her revenge.

“Thank you, Lord Vorshan. I thank you for this opportunity to improve and will work hard to exceed your expectations.”

“I see we will need to work on making you better at not revealing so much with your expressions and gestures, as well. While being honest and trustworthy is a laudable trait, being an open book is not,” Lord Vorshan advised. “That said, your motivation is encouraging. You may spend tomorrow's festival day with Keira, but afterward, I want you here at the manor first thing in the morning. You will be assigned tutors that you will meet with regularly. There is work to be done.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“I’m sure Jarrel’s family is rather busy at this time. Unless you have any questions, you may return to your festival preparations.”

Ria considered for a moment and asked, “What’s a Lesser Oath?”

“What do you know about the Oathbound?” Lord Vorshan asked.

“Mostly just what I’ve read in stories.”

Lord Vorshan nodded, as if he expected as much. “The Oath is a binding that is inscribed onto both the body and soul, part enchantment, part Spirit Magic. A Lesser Oath compels obedience. A Greater Oath compels loyalty. Does that answer your question?”

After thinking about it, Ria nodded.

She turned to leave and made it as far as the door before Lord Vorshan had parting words for her.

“Oh, and Ria, you should be more careful when making agreements with the familiars of Spirit Mages,” he cautioned. “Often when they form such agreements, it becomes a contract that they can use to find the other party no matter how distant they are.”

Ugh. There was so much she didn’t know.

“Thank you, Lord Vorshan. I’ll endeavor to do better.”

The greatly-anticipated day of the festival soon arrived, and Ria woke to a glowing ghost poking her cheek…

“Whaaaah?!”

“Hey, droolie. It’s past afternoon! What are you doing still asleep?”

Says the girl who just the other day slept-in even though she invited a friend over, Ria grumbled to herself. Wait. Was she really drooling?!

A quick wipe with her sleeve as she slipped out from the bedcovers confirmed it to be depressingly true. “Deactivate #40.”

The shadows in her room confirmed that morning had long since passed. Still, Keira was earlier than expected.

“So, what kept you up so late?” Keira asked as the glow faded and she took off her mask, slipping it into the rain-frock’s hidden interior pocket.

Ria motioned toward the costume hanging from the armoire’s handles then reached over to her staff and stored a good portion of her energy as had become her usual morning routine.

“Oh! I was wondering.” Keira freed the wire hanger and held up the witch outfit to get a better look.

“The hat’s over in the chair,” Ria added as she stretched.

“This is really well made…” Keira noted as she parted the scraps of fabric used to give the skirt a tattered appearance. “Like from a picture book, but cuter.”

Ria puffed out her chest, feeling even more proud of the effort after receiving her friend’s compliment. “Well of course it is. I made it!”

Keira laughed and thrust the outfit toward Ria. “Hurry up and put it on! I want to see how it looks!”

“Patience, patience,” Ria advised with mock seriousness, gently stiff-arming Keira out of the way and opening the armoire. “I can’t wear it over my nightgown after all, silly.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll admit that,” her friend huffed and, after carefully laying the outfit on the bed, began separating the individual parts from the hanger. “I’ll get the pieces ready while you’re changing.”

Ria grinned at Keira’s enthusiasm, shimmying out of her sleepwear and exchanging the nightgown for black fancy bottoms like the ones Grandma Fana had teased her about after shopping with Leon. She figured the black would be less obvious if the outfit’s short skirt got blown upward by the wind.

“Hold your arms forward,” Keira demanded and slipped the short black dress over Ria’s head, tugging it down and working the lacings to pull it snug against her waist and hips.

Ria was planning to have Grandma Fana help her, but having Keira do it left Ria with a warm feeling. It reminded of the times when she would get ready for events together with Jeni. “Thanks for helping me get ready.”

“Sure. Miela normally does this for me, so I’ve seen it done often enough.” Keira held up one of the arm sleeves next. She worked it on far enough that Ria’s hands exited the flared opening at the end and carefully secured the sleeve around Ria’s upper arm with the stitched-on fabric ties, making nice draping bows with each. Once the sleeve was tied, Keira motioned to the dress’ thin shoulder straps. “Is this a style that is popular in Revant? Exposed shoulders and separate sleeves?”

“My mom has made some dresses like this,” Ria confirmed. “More usually for younger ladies rather than their mothers or aunts. Though the shrine girls sometimes wear something similar in the summer.”

“Oh? I’d like to see that,” Keira mused as she secured the second sleeve then asked, “But isn’t it embarrassing to show this much skin?”

“Yep,” Ria agreed with a laugh. Before she had gotten used to wearing her ‘barbarian’ outfit, she would certainly have found wearing an outfit like this embarrassing. Though now, even if she was more comfortable showing this much bare skin, her more-prominent-than-would-be-graceful muscles gave her a new reason to find it embarrassing. “That’s what the mantle is for.”

Keira nodded and held up the mantle to get a better look at it before draping it around Ria’s shoulders and buttoning the top button, adjusting it so Ria’s medallion of faith showed. “Like this?”

“Let me check,” Ria said and moved over in front of the mirror to see.

“These stockings are ridiculous, you know,” Keira commented as she presented the knit stockings and stood behind Ria so she could also see the reflection.

The purple-and-black-striped stockings were that, for sure. Ria grinned, but her grin faded at the thought that purple and black were the colors for necromancy when marking restricted materials.

“Were you able to see Amilee off?” Ria asked, and Keira’s happy mood seemed to deflate.

“Yeah,” Keira confirmed then shook off her melancholy and continued with a bit more energy, “The Inquisitor guy made a horseless carriage appear from nowhere, and apparently the attendant that was with him was the driver. But that wasn’t the only surprise. Amilee’s familiar showed up overnight and was allowed to ride in the carriage unrestrained for some reason. Zoe went back with them as well.”

Ria’s eyes widened at the thought of a horseless enchanted carriage and was regretting staying up late to work on her costume instead of seeing Amilee off. She really wanted to ask about the carriage but… “How was Amilee?”

“Much better. Grandfather had prepared a letter explaining what would happen and the opportunities that would be provided to Amilee should she complete her recruit training and become an initiate in good standing. I’m still really worried because that weirdo Inquisitor is going to be in charge of her and her training, but grandfather told me that the High Council’s Inquisitors have the best Spirit Mages in Crysellia and that Amilee will have access to knowledge and opportunities unavailable to most.”

Ria grimaced as she tugged the stockings up to her thighs and tied them with the ribbon she had threaded through the knit. Amilee’s situation sounded better than she was expecting, but surely, the reason such knowledge was made available to Oathbound was because they were Oathbound.

She had just the thing to cheer Keira back up, though. “Keira, check in that sack hanging up by the door. There’s something we’re going to need before setting out.”

“Horns?” Keira asked as the item came free of the bag.

“Not just any horns,” Ria said dramatically. “That’s ranger’s costume!”

Jarrel and Oscar had worked together to make the headpiece that ranger would wear strapped-on like a helmet. They had even glued bristly clumps of fur on the wooden brace between the horns to make Ranger look fiercer.

Keira’s eyebrows rose comically and then she made her decision, “Oooh, oooh! Let’s go test it out!”

Laughing, Ria barely grabbed her newly-blackened boots and oversized floppy hat before Keira was already rushing down the stairs.

“Isn’t it dangerous to go into the back alleys at night?” Keira asked between labored breaths as Ria dragged her exhausted friend along by the hand. “Shouldn’t we wait for Harvin and Miela?”

“Don’t worry. Ranger’s with us. There’s one more place I want to go, and it’s not far!” Ria insisted. Ditching their chaperones took some trickery, but it was all in good fun.

“Woof!” Ranger agreed, as he scouted ahead.

Keira sighed, doing her best not to step in anything too objectionable as they rushed down the alley, the glow of the festival lights barely reaching past the narrow entrance.

The savory smell of spices and meat greeted them long before they arrived at Sal and Marlene’s well-lit stall. The meat vendor couple had mounted wolf heads on top of the stand, and a sign painted in blood and flanked by a pair of vigorously flaming braziers proclaimed, “Dire Wolf Flaming Hot Special!”

“Um, Ria, I think this might be too much for me…,” Keira balked.

Ria gave her a big grin, cradling her staff against her shoulder and tucking her skirt under as she eagerly took her seat on one of the stools. “Two of your best and ales to match! Plus one regular for my fiend buddy, here.”

“Woof!”

“Oh! If it isn’t the young miss who Leon brought! I see you brought a friend, so I’ll give you one of those free like I promised,” Marlene greeted with a welcoming smile then turned to Keira who was still hesitating. “Come on, lass. It’s not going to get any less scary if you stay over there.”

Keira humphed and marched her way to a stool. “This had better not be a trick, Ria.”

Ria didn’t hold back from laughing at her friend as she took the seat next to her. “Oh, it’s definitely a trick, but it’s sooo worth it.”

“Ho-hoh, another beauty. Young Leon sure is reaching above his station.” Marlene whistled and chuckled after seeing Keira’s face when Keira tucked her mask away. “Here you go, ladies.”

Three meat-stuffed breads and two ales. After passing Ranger his, Ria eagerly took a bite of hers and washed it down with a modest gulp of ale. The butcher shop customer that said monster meat had more flavor was right! Ria gave Keira a challenging grin, desperately hoping she could keep her eyes from watering before Keira took her first bite… and victory!!

Keira reached for the ale and gulped down mouthfuls immediately. When Keira came up for air, she puffed out air in an attempt to cool her burning mouth and lips.

Ria wanted to roll around laughing, but instead mustered all her willpower to nonchalantly take another bite and gulp of ale—though there was no holding back her eyes from watering this time as she gave Keira another challenging grin.

“No way… How are you-” Keira started to say. “Wait! You’re not fine at all! You big meanie!!!”

As Ria stopped trying to hold back her laughter, she thought of how much fun the day had been. There were silly foods and drinks to be conquered, festival trinkets to buy, stalls with games to win for prizes, and people having fun all around. Each shop tried to out do the other with ridiculous displays, and the whole village was lit up with decorative lights that cast a spooky glow in the crisping evening air. Even the stream that ran through the village was filled with floating paper lanterns. Sure, some of the outlanders had kept their distance and hid their children or said mean things, but more had gathered around to watch the magic show she and Keira put on to entertain some of the local kids, many of whom were wearing masks from Gerard’s shop.

By the end of the evening, Ria had met and talked to enough nice people who didn’t hate her that she felt again like she could call Vorshan’s Hills home.