Chapter 8

  A Special Day

  On a bright afternoon, as summer drew to its close, towering clouds that had yet to lose their shape brought a brief shower to the mountain village.

  Children dashed under the eaves, laughing and shouting as the rain fell.

  Soon, the shower passed, and sunlight spilled through a break in the clouds, making the wet leaves and soil glisten all at once.

  A breeze swept through the valley, carrying away the lingering heat and damp air. The villagers felt, faintly but surely, the breath of autumn.

  Someone said,

  “Tonight, the moon will be beautiful.”

  At those words, everyone thought of the festival to come, and their hearts swelled with anticipation.

  Stalls were already being set up in the village square and along the streets.

  Amna, too busy with preparations for the night’s fire festival, had told Maya, “Go on ahead by yourself for now.” With his heart racing, Maya rushed out of the house and ran toward the center of the village.

  When he arrived, the square was already alive with people, stalls, and bright decorations.

  From the food stands drifted the sweet smell of dumplings grilling in sauce, the savory scent of roasted corn, and the aroma of seasoned meats.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

  Across the way, Melvil waved, cheeks stuffed with chestnuts from an overfilled paper bag, his mouth smeared as he grinned at Maya.

  Laughing, Maya waved back and turned toward the square.

  Amid the bustle, Maya spotted a familiar figure.

  It was Eryn, the falconer’s daughter.

  Her partner, the small falcon Taril, was not with her today.

  “Eryn!”

  Maya called, hurrying over. Startled at first, she quickly turned and smiled.

  “Maya!”

  She explained that the falconer clan had pitched their camp near the village for the once-in-twenty-five-years fire festival.

  Though the clan would gather in the square that evening, her father had told her, “Go and enjoy the daytime by yourself.” And so she had come alone.

  “What about Taril?” Maya asked.

  Eryn smiled a little wistfully.

  “He gets nervous in crowds, so I left him at the camp.”

  “My grandma’s busy with preparations too, so she told me to go on ahead. Let’s walk around together!”

  Maya’s invitation made Eryn brighten, and she answered with an unusually cheerful, “Yes!”

  Just then, a voice rang out from above.

  “Maaaayaaaaa!”

  Looking up, Maya saw Kiv grinning from ear to ear, leaping skillfully from branch to branch, closing in on him.

  ““Waaaaah!””

  Both Maya and Eryn screamed at once, and in the next instant, Kiv landed squarely on Maya.

  Thud!

  “Ow, ow, ow…”

  Maya groaned, rubbing his backside, while Eryn stood frozen, wide-eyed.

  Beside them, Kiv burst into laughter.

  “Hah, this feels familiar. Didn’t something like this happen before?”

  “Hey, Kiv! You again?”

  Maya shouted, half laughing, half exasperated.

  “Hehehe…”

  Kiv beamed, delighted to see him once more.

  Noticing Eryn, who still stood stiffly in shock, Kiv’s face lit up again.

  “Who are you? Maya’s friend? Oh, then that makes us friends too!”

  Before Eryn could reply, Kiv declared it proudly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  Seeing this, Maya couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

  By the time the commotion settled, the sounds of drums and flutes had begun to echo constantly across the square.

  Mingling with the aromas of food was the scent of exotic spices, weaving into a moment unlike anything anyone had ever experienced, a fleeting time that belonged only to this place, this day.

  Looking around, Maya even saw visitors from Dogs’ Valley with their hounds, and the fruit gatherers’ clan who had once shared a feast with him and Melvil.

  The once-in-twenty-five-years Fire Festival drew together all the people whose lives were bound to the mountain village. For them, it was truly a special day.

  As the sun tilted westward, its gentle light fell on the faces of those enjoying the day in their own ways.

  The festival’s climax was about to begin.

  Follow—it would mean a great deal.

  ?If a particular scene left an impression on you, I would be delighted to hear your thoughts in the comments.

  ?Should you wish to support the project further, the Patreon button may be found below.

  Follow or Favorite carries more value than you might imagine, and I treasure each one deeply.

  AI disclosure: I am a non-native English writer and have used AI for partial translation and light editing. No AI-generated prose.