Fun at the Faire By Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves combat that features underaged characters You have been warned.
Pink and purple flowers lay strewn across the land. Blossoms of almost every imaginable flower are in bloom across the land. People pick them, stripping out their seeds from their pistil so that they might regrow once again. The cycle is endless and so is the reverence that comes with the Spirit Blossom, a grand festival celebrated by all of those who call Runeterra home. The very celebration that many hold close to their heart no matter what city-state they owed allegiance to.
From Ionia to Demacia, each of the city-states had been charged with preparing for the festivities that came with the auspicious week of celebration. The harvest week, as it had become to be known focused on the various spirits who inhabited the land and supposedly had visited from time to time. Each of them was a representative of the various nation-states that existed in the world. No one person saw the same version of the enigma for they never maintained the same state for long.
In the bandlewood, the supposed spirit who manifested the land was the elusive tanuki. The majestic creature was said to resemble a raccoon but there were a few yordles who said it to be various critters of the jungle. Even the children of bandle city could not agree on its shape, claiming that it was shapeless and without any form at all. Always ever-present in a state of gaseous omnipresence. The thing never showed itself except at night when the moon was large enough to show its face through the small cracks of the boughs of the trees.
Bandle City was alive with people walking to and fro. Each house was bridled with sprigs of lotus adorned over each of the doors of the patrons who lived among the city. The market was rift with flourishing bouquets of all sorts of flowering plants. Decadent scents of various meats and fresh fruit diffused through the breeze that was brought by the spring winds of the bandle wood. Smiles flashed across each face as the glee that came with the festivities of the fair.
Hailun and his friends had the day off from school. The entire week was one meant to be celebrated for the spirits and harvest. Only the local farmers were expected to keep busy as they had to supply the food and drink for the market. Much of the supply had been discounted to attract more people to buy it. It was one of the few times of the year when people could stock up and not worry about spending too much. Even the mayor was out and about, making sure that all of her citizens were happy for the season.
The mayor was a rather infamous individual. She had retired from the Bandle Scouts some time ago and rumor had it that she had seen several conflicts with Noxian belligerents. The stories about it now told that she was one of the reasons yordle portals were now only accessible by Faes and Yordles themselves. Of course, the elder portion of the population knew better than that but the pop culture had put its own spin on the tale and fantasized about it. However, any who asked her about it was met with deterrent speech as she didn’t like to reminisce.
Hailun was walking through the village markets. The smell of freshly baked bread was soft in the wind. It was a pleasing scent, one that made his stomach rumble despite not being hungry. He was wearing traditional Ionian garb of purple and gold, which stood out among the light purple and pinks that many of Bandle cities regulars were adorning. No one looked at the young yordle, for he was one of many in the crowd. He was smaller than most of the fully grown adults of the town but was far from the smallest in the collective community of the town.
Nearby vendors in the stall beckoned to him, each of them selling any number of different trinkets and food items. All of them were yordles from various regions of the world. Hailun recognized the blue and gold banners of demacia to the green and black banners of the shadow isles. Eventually, the young yordle came across a stall that was stationed by an Ionian group of yordles. He began to approach them, the duo of vendors gave him an Ionian salute that he had not seen since he had left the great nation some time ago.
“Greetings, child. It is not often that you see one from our realm in this area of the world. What brings you to this neck of the woods?” The younger woman in the stalls attended to him since the other vendor was occupied.
The red panda looked up at the young woman and smiled at her. “My family just moved here recently.”
“It is good to see you donning Ionian garments. It brings a smile to my face. How would you like a treat from our homeland, free of charge?”
Hailun smiled and wagged his tail back and forth showing approval without saying much of anything. The woman smiled at him and reached her hand on top of a hot pot and removed the cover from it. Some steam rose out from the center of it and steadily poured out in a singular pillar. She then reached over and covered her furry hand with a cloth mitten before sticking her hand inside. Slowly she pulled her hand out and in it, she held a small white morsel that seemed to be a dumpling.
The woman opened up her palm and offered it up to the boy in front of her. Hailun looked at it and opened his hand up under her own. She delivered the small morsel to him and the heat of whatever was inside emanated from within. The red panda juggled it from hand to hand as some of the heat was dissipated by the breeze pushing through the area. He lifted it to his mouth before biting on it, allowing some of the steam or penetrate his maw.
The treat was sweet and decadent, flavored like the Ionian classic baked fish. It was spicey but the meat itself was whitefish so it was a little bit bland. After a few bites into the thing, it was gone.
“Thanks, that was good. Kinda like the ones my mom used to make.” The young yordle said looking at the woman with a smile.
She nodded at him and closed the lid back over the hot pot. “No problem. If your mother needs some supplies, be sure to send her over.”
Hailun gave her a thumbs up and the woman waved him off as another customer was pushing him off to the side. Things were a little more crowded in that area of the town. Thick rope lines were draped between each of the various booths that lined the area. Some people shouting nearby were attempting to attract attention for whatever it was they were trying to sell. The young yordle paid no mind to most of them who were not showing anything that seemed of interest to him.
Eventually, Hailun came upon an open area that was somewhat removed from the hubbub of the bazaar. A stage was set at the center of it, with some wooden bleachers surrounding the arena and looked down upon it. Various unlit candles circled it, distanced equally among each other. Only a few people were around, most of which seemed to be preparing the stage for whatever event it was that they were planning. He stopped to look at it, wondering what was going on.
Soon a member of the staff came by to hustle him onward as he was in the way of people bringing in the background for the theater scene. Hailun understood the gesture and went on his way, still curious about it but knowing it had to wait so that he wasn’t an obstruction. He returned to the main causeway of vendors, now going to the opposite way of traffic. Hailun had to avoid many of them since most of them were not paying attention. On his way back he noticed a booth that had quite the crowd in front of it.
Piltovan banners flapped in front of it and there was a line filing out to the side. Hailun couldn’t help but be curious about it, making his way over to the booth. As he approached, he badly wanted to push his way to the front but knew that wasn’t exactly the best manners. The red panda made his way into line and proceeded to wait. Every so often the line moved forward as the people behind the boy continued to pile in with each passing moment.
Once he got up to the front, he was greeted by a broad-shouldered and brazen beared yordle. The man was stout and smelt of liquor. He still had a stein of ale at his side. Each time he moved, some of the alcohol from the inside spilled from within. A small amount of it spilled on a nearby patron and Hailun was fortunate enough that he was far enough away from it that none of it fell on him.
“ Ow, can I help ye, youngling?” The stout yordle looked down at Hailun and eyed him warily.
Hailun tilted his face so it looked a little off toward the side of the bad-smelling man. “I wanted to see what this game was about.”
“Ah ‘otta good. Game be strikin’ down the dars at that thar board. Ge’ an center it and ye’ win a pri” The man’s language was broken and difficult to make out.
Hailun was confused and thought for a second before responding. “Can you show me?”
The somewhat inebriated man nodded and without saying another word he picked up a nearby dart from next to where he was standing. He threw a single dart at a board in front of him. The thing bulleted forward and pecked the wooden placard with a muffled thud.
“Jus’ li’ tha’” The man pistoned his arm, believing he had hit the bullseye.
The red panda shrugged and took one of the darts that was set off to the side of the wooden desk. There were five of them and the base of each was a different color. He picked up one of them and held it next to his left eye. Looking down the length of it, he could see the dartboard in the distance. Several circles are enclosed in increasingly small areas. He threw the thing forward and watched as it bulleted toward the dartboard.
A few seconds later and the dark pecked against the side of the wooden disk. It was just along the edge of the corner of it. A frown crept across Hailun’s face as his target was far off its mark.
“Try gain’, eh?” The large man reached over and playfully slapped Hailun on the shoulder.
Hailun squinted a second and then picked up the second dart. He aimed the makeshift toy the same way he had before, except that he held it higher. Letting loose of it, he watched as it soared toward the board once again. This time it hit a little higher than the last but it still fell short of the center.
“Ah’most chickee.” The man clapped for the kid, trying to encourage him further.
The young yordle picked up another dart and lifted it to his side. He repeated the same process over and over until he ran out of darts. The final piece of ammunition came just short of the middle of the board.
“Getin’ thar. On’ mor?” The large man retrieved a single dart from the target and handed it to the kid.
The red panda smiled at the man and envisioned himself getting a bullseye at the center of the board. He closed his eyes, which was something he hadn’t tried before, and let the dart fly. The little weapon hit the target quite close near the middle. The man next to it cheered with boasting laughter as he celebrated. Hailun opened his eyes to find that he had scored what he had hoped, allowing a smile to creep across his face.
“Th’ pri’ be yers.” The man reached behind him once again and pulled out a small stuffed animal.
Hailun took hold of the small plush in his hand before examining it. The thing looked to represent the spirit of the forest. Wearing the traditional garments of the festival, complete with bamboo hat and velveteen robes.
“Thanks, sir!” The young yordle clutched the creature close to his chest.
The stout man nodded. “Na’ prob, eh? Be off with ye”
The crowd behind him pushed their way closer to the booth, brushing off Hailun to the side. The red panda moved his way away from the stand, wondering what other things might be in store around the market.
Soon after leaving the stall, Hailun ran into Kennen who was moseying around the various stands. It was one of the first kids around his age that he recognized around the place. The other yordle was somewhat noticeable in that just like the red panda, Kennen was wearing traditional Ionian garb. Once Hailun realized who he was, he made his way over to the other cub and patted him on the back to get his attention.
Kennen turned around and smiled once he figured out who it was. The bigger yordle had a surprised look on his face upon seeing the other kid. Kennen had no idea that the other boy was from Ionia and to see him sharing in the traditional garments of his homeland caught him off guard.
“What’s up, Ken? Enjoying the festival?” Hailun asked the bigger boy.
The other yordle nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t know your family was from Ionia.”
“Same with you. It’s nice to find people from the same place.” The red panda placed his arm over the other boy.
Kennen gave off an Ionian salute which Hailun followed. “Yeah, did you want to hang out for the rest of the festival?”
“That sounds good.” Hailun didn’t mind having company around since he’d been alone all day.
Kennen turned his attention to the boy’s plush. “Did you win a prize?”
“Oh, yeah. I did.” The smaller boy blushed as if a little embarrassed by his toy.
The bigger yordle reached in to touch it and petted its head. “It looks cool. Can I see it?”
“Sure.” Hailun handed the plush over to his friend, no longer seeming embarrassed about it.
Kennen examined the thing for a moment and hold it up before hugging it. He seemed to like it.
“Do you want it? You can have it.” The smaller yordle offered it to his friend who appeared to like it.
The bigger yordle looked at his friend and then down at the plush. “Really?”
“I don’t mind. It’s not like I spent money on it.” Hailun figured he could probably get something better as a keepsake.
“Cool, thanks.” Kennen leaned over and hugged the other boy rather lightly.
This show of affection caught him off guard. Hailun had only been used to his parents showing him this kind of attention and he wasn’t entirely used to it. Some people passing by couldn’t help but look at the two as they shared the embrace. However, the connection didn’t last long. Still, the red panda wasn’t sure what to make of it but still smiled at his friend, happy that he seemed to like the small toy.
The two started walking before long. Neither of them had an idea of where they wanted to go and swayed back and forth for a moment.
“Come on, I know something cool that was here last year,” Kennen said before taking the lead, goading the other boy to follow him.
Hailun wasn’t about to say no as he felt like he had already seen most of the festival and wasn’t sure what else to do. Kennen began to take the lead and they made their way off the beaten path, beyond where the main stalls and venues were located. Some banners were adorned across the side of the path they were following. Each side of them matched but after each set was passed another banned was shown.
Kennen and Hailun made their way to an open-air arena. Wooden bleachers stood in front of them with a crowd coiling off to the side. It was much louder in this part of the festival. Horses could be heard neighing somewhere nearby. The area smelt of wet hay mixed with the foul smell of animal droppings. Some trumpets were being played nearby to signal the arrival of something.
“Come on, they are starting soon.” Kennen got behind Hailun and tried to hurry him along.
They made their way under a single arch which was wrapped in a leaf laurel. Once they were under it, the narrow path led to an ovular wall in the arena. Hailun’s eyes opened wider as this area of the field was shielded by a canvas canopy and blocked out some of the suns. In front of him were several horses walking in circles around a fenced-in area. The fence was a picket one and rose rather high but it only has crossed slats to keep people from barging through.
Kennen and Hailun filed along through the line until they arrived at a set of stairs. The large group of people was all collectively grouped into seats. Hailun could see that the chairs were just wooden bleachers. After a few moments, as the crowd was getting settled in, a man emerged from a covered area leading from the horse stables.
“My lords, my ladies, and everyone else not sitting on a cushion. Today….Today…we find ourselves blessed by the spirits of the bandlewood. The grand festival of the blossom has happened upon us and with it comes about for the ages. Today I am blessed to bring to you, mounted representatives from all of the realms across Runeterra.”
The crowd burst out in cheers and jeers of all volumes. Hailun and Kennen finally got to get into their seats.
“First, from the realm of Demacia representing the eternal Vanguard of the city of the aspect of Justice. We have Maja Novinia.”
A yordle woman came out of the canopy galloping out of the covering. She was clad in some rusted armor, which seemed like it had seen several conflicts. It wasn’t visible from the crowds but the furry woman’s face was scarred and matted from wear and tear. The crowd cheered and clapped as the woman went in a circle around the arena.
The orator at the center of the arena held his hand up and the crowd quieted.
“Next up, we have a brazen young yordle representing the immortal bastion of Noxus. We have Kern Remire”
A man with dark black armor appeared from the covered entry. His horse equally black was athletic and just as armored as he was. Unlike the woman, his head was covered by a helmet so his face could not be seen. Some of the crowd booed but the level of noise was far less when he glared into the crowd.
“Our third representative comes from the dual nations of Piltover and Zaun. The flame of the gaudy nobility. Shaku Robet”
A man in green and black robes came out from the covered entryway. Unlike the others, he was not wearing armor but was still carrying a weapon. The crowd cheered for him but it wasn’t quite as loud as the Demacian representative.
“Our fourth representative, a shadowy figure from Ionia itself. The visaged guise of palpability, Isekai Naraku.”
A woman in leather garments came from within the tented entrance. Her horse was smaller than the others but lighter in fur. The yordle atop it handled no weapon but instead a shield alone. The crowd clapped respectfully as she made her rounds.
“Finally, we have the last representative claiming to the woods themselves. The mysterious lady of the lake, Fauna Malbrie.”
The crowd burst out in cheers as the local favorite appeared from the stables. The people erupted from their seats to give the woman a warm welcome. The other riders looked at her, the woman who had won countless competitions in the past and even bested riders far larger than herself. The bandlewoods best was one whose reputation preceded her. Once they were all at the center, the man at the helm of it all held his hand up once again. The crowd quieted awaiting his next words.
“The game shall be set at 3 marks. Each champion will be beset amongst each other in a one-on-one round. The first to strike 3 blows or the first to score a dismount shall be declared to be the winner. Shake hands and let the games begin.”
Each of the competitors came to the center of the ring and shook hands before separating. The Pilotovan finally mounted his horse in preparation for the games. Some of them went off stage leaving the Noxian and Damascan representatives at the center of the arena. They came to the middle of a lane that was separated by a large wooden barrier. The two of them planted their banners at each side and then ran off to watch from the side.
The audience was chirping with excitement. All that needed to happen now was that the mayor needed to send them off. The woman who headed Bandle city rose from her chair, a purple flag in her palm, before flapping it in front of her. This was the signal for the two contestants to be on their way. The crowd’s noise level began to boom as a response.
The standard-bearers came to life once again, this time collecting large wooden lances that had been set off to the side where the arena met the onlookers. Each of them raced back towards their side, clumsily carrying the wobbling sticks to their horseman. The two horsemen clomped toward their position, picking up and aiming the large lance to the front and left of them. The bout was almost set to begin.
A whistle sounded as the standard-bearers retreated once again. The horses kicked back, pushing them forward onto the path in front of them. Each of the two mounted yordles stood and stared down at each other as they came to a stop once again. The standard-bearers came wielding their helmets this time, handing them off to their constituent riders. Each of them takes the things and attaches them to their face.
The whistle sounded again, this time blowing three times as the horses began to run forward. Each of the two riders raced towards each other, with their lances pointed outward in the opposite direction. Hailun had never seen such a thing before and wasn’t sure what was about to happen. Like many of the crowd next to him, he watched in awe as they continued to gallop towards the center of the arena.
As they came near, each of them sided the lance into the other lane. All at once the wooden lances impacted at eaches breastplate. Splintering off into many thousands of pieces as they shattered from the crash. Each of the riders shrugged it off and continued past each other. Neither of them seemed phased by it. The crowd roared in response to the sudden show of violence after they came together at the focal point of everyone’s attention.
Once they reached the end of the lanes, the standard-bearers came out of their shaded areas and made their way to guide the horses in a u-turn direction. They took the wooden weapons and removed them from each of their persons After they were discarded, the two bearers replaced the lances with another. With that, the two riders were set to meet once again and waited for the whistle to call them to action.
It didn’t take long before it was blown and the horses weren’t far behind, launching themselves back into the lane. Coming to the center, they met yet again. Brazenly shattering their wooden spear against the breastplate of their competitor. Repeating this several times other, with neither showing restraint nor willingness to capitulate. After about a dozen rounds, the mayor finally stepped in and called a stale-mate.
Both riders removed their helms and dismounted before meeting each other for a hearty handshake. In the true fashion of the conflict at the heart of Runeterra, neither had bent to the will of the other. The whole thing had been excited and the crowd was roaring for more. The hype man returned to the center of the arena as the wooden fixtures that separated the jousters were removed.
“The next game shall be a show of elegance. Our assistants here will set barriers and obstacles for the next group of steeds to overcome. For this, each contestant will be awarded points given by their performance. Each picket that they knock off will deduct from this. The contestant with the most points shall be declared the winner.”
The remainder of what was to be cleaned took another few moments to be finished and the ruined soil was raked soon after. After that, several barricades were brought out. Each of them of a different amount of pickets of varying heights. Hailun watched as the Piltovan and Ionian riders appeared from the stables. He watched with more interest, wondering how the one from his homeland would do.
Shaku was the first to go through the obstacle course. Her horse was well-groomed and its elegant saddle shined whatever glimmers of light penetrated through the canvas canopy above. The woman took her horse through each of the hurdles with ease, clearing them as if she had done the very same course countless times. When she to the wooden poles, she was able to weave through them without issue leaving very little disturbance in her wake. The Ionian watched in fascination as she finished the track with what she thought would be a perfect score.
The mayor held up a 10, which to no one’s surprise was a score the woman deserved. The crowd cheered as the noblewoman held her head up high. Bringing the horse to a stop she immediately began brushing it and even wiping it off whatever dirty residue it had built up. It was obvious that she cared about the beast. It was now the Ionian’s turn and serious doubt rose in Hailun’s mind as he knew beating the noble was a high order of business.
The Ionian looked younger and less experienced than the woman before her. Her horse was small and nowhere near as well-groomed. It was apparent her background wasn’t as quiet as well to do. Isekai set on her path to go on the obstacle. She was a ball of nerves as she trodded towards the first obstacle. Raising her horse over it she was able to clear it just barely, her steeds hooves touching the rim of the highest rafter. This gave her a little more hope as she picked up speed.
Just as she was reaching the second obstacle, she pinched her feet applying pressure to tell the horse to slow down as it approached it. Instead, it went faster and she panicked a bit. The horse raced towards the next barricade and jumped, crashing right through it. The crowd gasped as the sudden accident had caught them off guard. She reigned backward gaining control of the steed once again. The thing slowed down and whinnied as it resumed the rest of the course.
The rest of the course went without an issue. Though she knew the one slip up likely cost her the show. She looked up at the mayor’s booth and waited for a score. The politician held up an 8 and the crowd clapped, simply glad she had finished the race. Shaku and Isekai were waved off by her as the hype man showed himself again.
“For our final round, we welcome one of our own. This final feat of skill is sure to be the most impressive. Fauna will be attempting several feats of skill, many of which are death-defying. We ask you to hold your applause until each feat is accomplished as she has told us, it requires complete and total focus.”
The cleanup crew came out once again, this time taking away the barricades that had been set down previously. It didn’t take them long since dragging them along in the dirt took less than a minute for each of them. Once it was done, a group of them reappeared and began pulling out a giant wooden hoop. The hoop was bigger than anything they had used so far and was risen on top of a square-shaped platform.
The crowd watched as it was brought to a stop. A small figure appeared from behind it, wearing black and white with a face hidden by a similarly fashioned mask that was fastened on by a rope band. They walked in front of the platform and were dwarfed by it. They began waving their hand around in no particular direction. Hailun watched as the miming yordle performed in front of the audience.
A moment later and the hand gestures formed a bright gold portal. Hailun had seen the thing before in class. The mime reached into the yellow portal and pulled a hat from within it. The headwear was tall and black resembling a piltovan top hat. The hat was larger than the entirety of the yordles head. Soon the yordle started stepping into it, the mime’s left leg started to disappear into the core of the headwear.
Hailun couldn’t believe what he was seeing as the performer’s limb appeared in the hat. The mime repeated the process with his other leg. As they did the entirety of their body begin to sink into the headwear. Before long their body disappeared into the hat without a trace. The entire crowd fell silent as many of them gasped out loud. Silence remained for a moment. The quiet was broken by the arrival of Fauna.
The crowd erupted into cheers, no longer seeming as curious about the mime who seemingly disappeared moments before. The woman waved to her adoring fans. She looked at the hoop in front of her, not seeming put off by it. Fauna took a singular lap around the arena. As she came to a stop, there was a flash of light followed by a light thud. Everyone’s attention was deterred for a moment, searching for the source of whatever caused the sound.
It didn’t take long to find it. There was a plume of smoke atop the large wooden hoop. It took a few seconds to clear but once it did, the mine showed themselves once again. The performer grinned as they hopped down from the top of the hoop. They flipped into a ball and landed square on their feet. As they landed on the base of the platform, the entirety of the hoop ran ablaze.
The crowd cheered as the mime took a bow. A cloud of smoke exploded again as the performer disappeared once again. The woman to the side whistled, gaining people’s attention once again. Fauna kicked into the horse causing it to begin running towards the ramp that led up to the hoop. The yordle took her horse upward and through the ramp, standing up on the saddle so that she was completely upright by the time she reached the pinnacle of the ramp.
Just as she was reaching the point where she was directly inside the hoop, she reached upward and grabbed the hoop itself. Her hands were entirely engulfed in flame. Had it not been for the gloves she was wearing, her limbs might have been burned. The horse continued riding forward, without her on it coming to a stop once it reached nearby the ramp itself. The woman rolled in a cycle around the upper portion as if she was a gymnast.
Once she finished her single rotation she let go and curled her body into a ball. Her body catapulted into the air before flattening into a straight position. The entirety of her body landed square on top of the horse that was waiting near the base. She settled her body and held her arms outward but kept her feet close together. The crowd began clapping, wholly expecting that the feat of skill had been done.
She lept off the horse and landed right on the ground. Next to her, a cloud of smoke reappeared, and the mime from within it. The two of them took a bow and the crowd continued to cheer them on. The cleanup crew appeared once again, dousing the flames with water which caused them to go out. Once it was extinguished, they removed the base and hoop from the field. Each of the riders was brought back out.
All five of them began taking a lap around the perimeter of the field. The audience was clapping, yelling, and screaming. The hypeman soon returned to the field, each of the competitors lined up behind him.
“We hope that you have enjoyed the show. All five of our representatives have performed adeptly before you.
They will be around the field to take questions. Their banners will show you who is who. Thank you for coming and have a nice day.”
The entirety of the group took a bow and the crowd continued to clap. Hailun and Kennen nodded to each other, pushing their way through the crowd in the aisle as most of the people hadn’t gotten up quite yet. Just as they were heading out, the people finally started to get up and pushed into the two boys. Hailun and Kennen felt themselves being pushed to the side. The crowd had grown restless and was just as eager to get out as they were.
Just as they were being roughed around, some of the security noticed the roughhousing and broke up the crowd; forcing some space between them. This caused the crowd to disperse a bit and gave both Hailun and Kennen some space. They immediately felt more at ease as the security continued to guide people so that they didn’t push into each other. They were able to file down the stairs and through the hallway with no further issue.
Once they were outside, it wasn’t nearly as crowded. People were filing in different directions off to the sides of the arena. Kennen stopped in front of the arena, causing Hailun to do the same.
“Did you want to meet the riders?” The bigger yordle asked, tilting his head a bit.
Hailun nodded. “Sure, that sounds cool.”
Kennen looked around as he wasn’t sure where the riders were being housed for the meet and greet. He looked back towards the arena and saw a sign which indicated it and gestured for the other boy to join him. The Red Panda followed him until they were back towards the rear of the arena where the stables were kept. The horses were now walking freely around the fields set in front of a small pond and grazing the pasture beyond it.
Hailun looked around and noticed that the banners of the various city-states had been placed around the area in front of the stables. He looked around and saw that Fauna had the largest line for waiting. He also noticed that the Ionian one had only a few people around it. The red panda reached over and poked his friend who seemed to be facing the same direction. Once they arrived at the Ionian banner, they only had to wait a few minutes before Isekai was free of visitors.
The woman was lithe and not much taller than Kennen was. She had a light frame with some defined musculature throughout her legs and arms. She looked at the two youngsters approaching her and gave off an Ionian salute, noting that the garments they wore were common for holidays in her homeland.
“Greetings, younglings. Do you also hail from the motherland?” She smiled at them and tilted her shoulders back in a more relaxed pose.
Kennen and Hailun nodded, knowing full well what she was referring to.
“Ah, very well. It’s good to see you here. Did you have questions you wanted to ask?” She looked at them expectantly.
The two boys shook their heads and Kennen responded for the two of them. “Nah, we just wanted to meet you. We think you did great.”
“Well, thank you. That’s very kind of you but I could have done better.” She said before holding her head lower, seeming disappointed.
Hailun reached over and patted her on the back. “You will do better next time.”
“Thanks.” The woman smiled at the panda’s reassurance.
The three continued chatting for a few minutes until some other people came to visit her. She waved them off and they went on their way. Hailun and Kennen exited from the stable area of the arena, dodging patrons as they filed into the place. Once they were away from the arena, the crowd died down. It was getting later now and the sun was beginning to set.
Hailun’s stomach rumbled, reminding him that it was time for dinner. He looked over at Kennen who was coincidently looking at him as well.
“Are you hungry too?” The red panda asked the other yordle.
Kennen nodded and rubbed his stomach. The smaller boy took the lead this time, heading back to the main part of the market. He could smell the faint aroma of something being cooked in the distance. He assumed that there had to be a feast or something of food offered back in the central attraction of the town.
When they returned to the market part of the village, they saw that a huge table had been set in the center of the market. The stalls were still set but all of the salespeople had been replaced with cooks from all of the areas of the runeterra. The same banners that had been used at the tournament were now used to denote the different regions of food offerings. Hailun felt his appetite pique as the various scents of the cuisine mixed in the air.
Kennen looked around, seeing all the various lines leading through the various booths made him curious about what was being offered. His immediate train of thought made him think about the Ionian booth but he was wondering how other foods might taste. Each of them had a wooden placard over top of them that listed the offerings of each booth. Both of the boys walked through the middle of rows on the left side of the table.
“What do you want to try?” The bigger yordle asked the smaller one.
Hailun hummed to himself. “How about Bilgewater cuisine? I’ve never had shellfish before.”
“I’m allergic to shellfish but you’re welcome to have it. I will just grab some Noxian buffalo.” Kennen had heard about how spicey the dish was and had always wanted to try it.
The boys split for a moment, each going to their decided booth. Hailun’s line was somewhat longer so by the time he returned with his dish, Kennen had already sat down at the table near the edge of it. Most of the people had self separated so the boy was easy to spot among the crowd despite already being sat down. The red panda placed the plate next to his friend and sat down next to him.
Kennen had already begun eating and looked over at his friend. He had waited to start eating to be polite. A server was going around and provided the two of them with some milk to drink since none of the booths had offered it. Both boys thanked the kind person and they went on their way. The two began eating their meals as they were rather famished. They ate rather slowly as they didn’t want to stand out among the crowd and appear to be rude or rushed.
Once they were finished, the two of them wondered if there might be any dessert offerings. They got up to dispose of their meals looking around at the booths a second time. After a quick observation, they found that only one stall had any sort of sweets and it was for a price. Kennen reached into his pocket and found that he was without any money. Hailun noticed the boy’s hesitation and purchased a large breaded pastry with some chocolate icing on top of it.
After the vendor handed over the product, Hailun took the thing and broke it in half. He gave the other half to Kennen who smiled at him. The two boys began walking and snacking on the small snack, neither saying a word. The festivities were dying down now and people were beginning to clean up. It was almost completely dark now and the moon provided very little illumination to the streets below.
Fortunately, the candles on the metallic pedastles were being lit so there was enough light to see around them. They saw that the people who were leaving were all going in the same direction. Hailun couldn’t help but wonder where they were all headed. He looked over at Kennen who had a small amount of cream stuck to the fur of his cheek from one of the bites he had taken recently. The smaller yordle reached over to clean it off his friend.
Kennen blushed as the other boy touched him. He was somewhat embarrassed by it and even more so when Hailun licked it off his finger. Kennen reached over and took the boy by his other hand, leading him in the same direction as where all the other people were headed. The stream of the people made their way to an open area beyond the market. They led up to a large hill that overlooked the entirety of bandle village.
The sight of the lights of the village could be seen in one direction and the market could be seen in the other. The people began sitting and laying down in the lawn all around the grass. Kennen and Hailun made their way over to a free area on the grass. He tugged down on the other boy to gesture for him to join him. Once they were settled down on the lawn, a few moments later and some spotlights began to scan through the dark skies above.
Looking into the horizon, both boys could see that there were some lights being shone into the sky. The wild blue yonder was darkened but the moon allowed for some illumination in tandem with the lights. As the two settled down, Hailun noticed that Kennen had not released his hand and was still holding it. He couldn’t help but look down at it for a moment but the fact didn’t really bother him and he didn’t pull away.
Before long fireworks started to explore in the sky. Flowers and flourishes of light appeared in the sky. One after another, followed by streaming strobing lights that met in the center. Fireworks continued to soar into the azure abyss above, creating a fizzling spark that looked similar to a cascading waterfall. Each of them popping off with a loud bang but it was far enough away that the sound wasn’t enough to bother people.
Suddenly a rocket bulleted into the clouds before them. Its steaming engines fastening the gaseous smoke behind it in a line, continuing to make a shape as it formed and rotated around in circles, not really seeming like it had much of a direction. The thing fizzled out and began to drop before it exploded. Upon doing so, its fusion of lights burned the symbol of the dragon of eternity before them.
The last few fireworks exploded over the next few minutes as things began to settle down. It was completely dark when the sound of the clocktower sounded. This meant it was time to go home and everyone was chattering about the show of fireworks. Hailun and Kennen made their way off the hill, still clasping each others hands together in unison. When they finally saw each other off, they stared into each others eyes for a moment while remaining silent.
The festivities of the Spirit Blossom had come to an end and things would go back to normal for the entirety of the realm. Those that participated were to set out back on their way home tomorrow. But for the two boys, It had been a long day, one which neither of them would likely forget for sometime
