Every town they passed, and they did pass a lot of them, since they were going to Cord, one of the largest cities in Ar’Moor. They could see people prepare for one of the biggest feasts of the year. Stands were being raised, banners were placed. The bakeries worked non stop to make their specialities. Farmers washed their best clothes. Midsummer had almost arrived. Ar’Moorians were crazy fanatic on their only three holidays. Those were Midsummer, Midwinter and Freedom-day. The latter was the day the heroes of old defeated Sorl’Aman.

The feast brought great joy to everyone except for a skinny lad with brown hair. He had his arms crossed and stared with an empty mind at the cobblestone road.

‘What's up?’ the Dragonslayer asked that young man.

‘Nothing,’ Garvin said.

‘Come on, I can see you’re upset.’

‘Whoa, you’re great at deductions,’ Garvin said sarcastically. He sighed. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just that a girl I knew is getting married today.’

‘Ah, the aches of a young boy’s heart. Nothing more poetic than that,’ the Dragonslayer said as he placed his arms over his shoulder. ‘Tell me about her.’

‘She was a girl from my village, curly hair, cute nose. And beautiful radiant eyes.’

The Dragonslayer sniffed. ‘This story has fiend-zone smelling all over it.’

Garvin simpered,’ ha, if only. We never really talked, and after she said she’d marry a local lumberjack, I went to Greed.’

Someone yelled something behind them and they stepped to the side of the road. A group of men passed them by, they were carrying a small tree. Behind them were children carrying flags and decorations skipping behind men.

‘Come on, dude. No need to wallow in pity. Tonight we will party.’

‘The wrong party,’ Garvin said. A door opened behind Garvin’s back and it bumped him right on his wound.

‘Ouch!’

‘Oh I am so clumsy, excuse me please,’ a girl said. She had red hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a blue dress.

‘It’s cool,’ the Dragonslayer said. ‘He is used to that.’

The girl didn’t know whether to laugh but decided to pretend it never happened.

‘You see what I see, bud?’

Garvin sighed and massed his shoulder. ‘I doubt it.’

‘An opportunity!’ the Dragonslayer said as he turned Garvin around. ‘I mean, look at her! She will make you forget about that girl from your village.’

‘Mathilda,’ Garvin said. ‘Her name was Mathilda.’

‘Yeah yeah, whatever. You can end up with this one in the haystack tonight!’ he rubbed his hands together. ‘Yes, I know what we will do now.’

He stared at Garvin with a mischievous smile. ‘Swagsercise!’

‘What?’

‘We will train your swag, thus swagsercise! Come on, imagine I am a girl. What would you say?’

Garvin turned around as soon as he heard that ridiculous word. ‘I’m going to grab some food!’

‘I am a beautiful girl, Garvin! You can’t avoid me forever!’ the Dragonslayer yelled. A few people looked at him but decided it was better to not intermingle.

Garvin kicked a stone to the side of the road and started walking. There was a stand, where a lady sold some sweets. He bought them and gobbed them up as he continued to walk around. Stupid people, he thought. He was annoyed by himself, mostly. The Dragonslayer had been more caring as of late. In a way, it was also bothering him, since he didn’t know how to act anymore.

He was not like him. He couldn’t go up to a girl and talk to her, could he? Did he even want to? Maybe he should try it if only to shut him up.

‘Ooh, I’m a pretty princess, oh if I had but someone to talk to right now!’ the Dragonslayer said in a high pitched voice.

Garvin sighed. ‘Fine! I’ll give it a try!’

The Dragonslayer got close and whispered stuff in a conspiratorial demeanour. ‘Compliment her, be confident, girls like a guy who is a leader. Be funny yet decisive. And don’t forget compliments! And most important, don’t think, act!’

Garvin nodded and said uh-huh a bunch of times. ‘I get it. Take the lead, show no hesitation.’

The Dragonslayer tensed his arm muscles.‘Yeah, exactly! Be a manly man! There, try it out with that girl!’

There was a girl with long brown hair cleaning windows. She stretched on one foot to reach the highest glass panel. Garvin gulped and walked over to her.

‘So, the big thing this evening, huh?’ he said.

She didn’t seem to have heard Garvin. Who scraped his throat and tried again, he pumped his chest. ‘You need some help?’

The girl simply said, ‘Hold the bucket.’

Garvin sped up to her and held up the bucket. Water gushed from side to side, some fell on his head.

‘A bit higher, dear.’

He pushed the bucket up until his arms were stretched above his head. ‘Better?’ he asked. Garvin heard a splash.

‘There, done, thank you,’ she said with a smile. ‘You can put the bucket down, now.’

Garvin put the bucked on the ground, thinking the whole time trough, don’t drop it. The water splashed some more.

‘What is your name?’ she asked.

‘Garvin,’ he said.

‘Thanks for the help, Garvin.’

She grabbed the bucket and went to the next window. Garvin drooped to the Dragonslayer.

‘Friendzone all over,’ he whispered. Garvin groaned. They ate and strolled within the town, enjoying to watch the preparations done.

The sun started his downfall.

It was then the Dragonslayer saw another girl. He pointed at her.

‘There, the one with the brown pants and brown hair. Come on, don’t hesitate!’

Garvin sighed, walked up to her and tried yet again.

‘Hey, what’s up?’

She turned around, revealing her brown eyes and dark eyebrows. Her forehead was large, that made her eyes seemed hidden inside her skull. Her lips were thin, her skin pale.

‘Hey.’ With her finger, she placed her locks behind her ear. She smiled. He blushed. She was charming and he was appalled.

‘You’re not from around here, are you?’ she asked him.

Garvin’s wanted to scratch his hair but stopped halfway. ‘Yeah, we came from Greed.’

‘We?’ she asked.

‘Yeah, I’m here with the Dragonslayer,’ Garvin said casually. He didn’t know if it was the card up his sleeve or the opposite but it was the truth.

She smiled. ‘That’s cool. Is he really like in the songs?’

Garvin chuckled. ‘In a way, he’s worse, but also much better. He saved my life more than once.’

‘You must have had quite some adventures together.’

They shared names, then he explained what a typical day looked like for them. He promised to show her his book when he’d go back to the inn. He left the thing in his chamber.

‘Maybe you want to come with me? We could drink something together, and you can read some of it.’ His hands were sweating but he dared not to show.

She seemed to like his idea. ‘Okay, but I want you to read one of the stories aloud.’

‘Oh.’

He had nowhere to run to, so they went to the inn. She waited in the common room, claiming a nice table at the window. Garvin went upstairs and washed his face. A quick moment he stared in the mirror. ‘You can do this.’

He went through his hair and tried to smile. It felt as if he didn’t use those muscles in a long time. When he grabbed the book he thought of what story he should tell.

The story of the stolen goods seemed most fit.

‘There,’ Garvin said as he sat down next to her. She had ordered tea in the meanwhile. They smiled as Garvin asked how life was in the town. She said it was how it was. That farming was getting harder and harder, but her parents were rich enough. She would go to Cord to find work next year. Garvin understood completely. She was like him in that way.

Garvin scraped his throat and started to read the story. Luckily his handwriting was impeccable. It read easy enough to keep her attention, she sipped her tea and listened with big eyes. She clapped in her hands as Garvin read the last lines.

‘Did that really happen?’

‘Promised.’

Again she played with her hair. Garvin didn’t realise but nightfall was already imminent.

‘You want to go outside?’ he asked. ‘Watch the burning of the tree?’

She smiled. ‘Yeah.’

They walked down the road to the village centre. Around them, dozens of children, elders and couples who all walked to the tree. Most of them carried a small torch in their hand. This would be thrown on the burning tree once arrived at the square. There were vendors at the side yelling to the masses.

‘Follow me!’ Garvin said, evading the small torches. He bought a spiced biscuit. There were torches and Garvin asked if he could take one as well. Together they held the torch and nibbled at the biscuit. The smoke was everywhere.

In the light of the fire, she had something irresistible. Garvin found himself gawking at her. She noticed and smiled.

‘Come, let’s throw this in the fire before we burn our hands!’ She grabbed his hand and darted through the masses. It got hotter and hotter, closer to the fire. People were singing and swaying. Kids threw ordinary sticks in the fire. Held tightly by their mothers.

Garvin looked her in the eyes and they counted down.

‘Three, two, one!’ they threw it together, and they kissed. Garvin felt his stomach rise. Adrenaline no adventure ever gave him, surged throughout his body. He felt light in his head, any thought was erased. The only thing was her lips on his. There was life in the stars, he knew for sure.

Then she backed away. He could only feel the flames radiating on his cheeks. They opened their eyes and smiled. Garvin stared at his boots.

‘Let’s go somewhere quiet!’ she said. Again she grabbed his hands and he followed. His blood coursing through his veins.

She led him to a pond. In the cool air, they talked.

‘Where will you go next?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know. Probably to Cord. Something is going on in the lands. Shadowbeasts are rampaging within the land.’

She gasped for air. ‘Shadowbeasts?’

Garvin nodded. ‘It will be okay, we will find out why and how.’

She grabbed his arm and flung herself against him. ‘You’re brave.’

She went in for a kiss but felt Garvin hesitated.

‘Is there something?’ she asked him.

‘It’s just that. Tomorrow we might be gone. It already hurts me to think we will never meet again.’

She smiled with her mouth, but her eyes told a different story.

‘I know our lives do not match. But don’t be scared of good moments. Welcome them in your life.’

Garvin sighed. ‘I will always think about this moment.’

She laughed. ‘Think about the present. That's where you find happiness. Let the past pass.’ Then she pecked a kiss. Garvin stared at her with big eyes. Feeling the burn even after her lips left his.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes. Take my kiss with you wherever you go.’

Behind them, the village feasted, but here, at the pond, the real party went down.

The night had never passed so quickly. And Garvin had never felt so in the moment.