The concept of “looking forward to something” is a fairly new experience for Askr.

He has been, for most of his life, been accustomed to two things: the feeling of endlessly waiting for something that will never come, and the rush of combat, the feeling of a blade in his hand, a blade by his side, the razor-sharp focus required to identify weak points between armor and cloth, between the twisting of steel and leather. His life can, after all, be cleanly divided into the time he spent at the heart of Devil’s Ridge, waiting for his Mother to come back as she’d promised, and the time he’s spent as a mercenary in the Ring of Cinders, traveling across the nation to offer his blade in support of his captain and her men.

It is… perhaps not a recent development, really, that he’s started branching beyond that, but it feels like it all the same– his days beside Oleeae and her men become fewer as his days spent beside Mister Zarius and other acquaintances of his become more frequent, and he cannot say he takes any issue with it.

Nor does Oleeae, apparently.

“Go on, kid– can’t spend your whole life chasin’ coin. It’s just beginning, after all, and I’ll be here no matter what.”

And though Askr had expected this would mean more trips to the Frost Gale, more harpies, more escort missions, more violence and fighting and the other things he's come to expect with the line of work he's chosen, it has led to… softer things, too. Things that conjure back that foreign feeling he’d first experienced back in winter, things that make the glass heart inside his chest feel strangely warm in a way it had not before-- things like dominoes and stories exchanged on the upper deck of a boat, the strangeness of being called another person's son, the novelty of seaglass and saltwater with people who wanted him there.

And as he and Zarius step out into Sol City, adorned in shining, gilded decorations, the cobblestone streets clean and vendors’ stalls lining the already-busy streets, that unusual warmth floods right back over him all over again.

“...what does one do at a festival, Mister Zarius?” Askr begins, glancing up at the man beside him as they start walking together. “I have not been to one before. Not really. Hearth Day was not one. I think.”

After having spent an evening with Askr and Caedes on the beaches of the Crescent Isles, they started to make their way back to the Ash Lands to get back to business. Travel goes fairly uneventful, though a quick detour to Sol City just so happens to line up with the end-of-summer festival. 

Caedes isn't one for fun in the sun, so the vampire assassin heads back to Darkveil ahead of the pair while they stay behind to complete a drop-off for a contact in the city. The exchange and hand-off went smoothly enough, but the next ship headed for the coast of Zeinav wouldn't be leaving until the evening. They have the whole day to wander about, might as well take in the festival while they're at it. 

It has been a while since Zarius attended such an event, the only recent one being the Black Harvest festival last fall, and, well, he tries not to remember the events that transpired around that time. In other years, he just never really bothered with the summer festival in earnest. He was always taking advantage of the distraction to gather information and move goods around while the guards were busy keeping the crowds under control. 

Being able to just stroll about without having any work to immediately do is a nice change of pace, and it seems like a good way to give Askr a chance to do something different from his usual mercenary work. 

"There are lots of different things to do," he replies. "There are games, performances, and food stalls. I hear there is a joust as well."

Really, the Crown had gone all out with this summer festival. Likely as a way to distract people with power and influence from the issues plaguing the nation. 

The Crown is strong! No need to worry! Have fun, enjoy the festivities!

Ugh, blatant tactless manipulation at its best. This whole mess with Scern has given the Crown far too much of an excuse to show their arrogance and tighten their control all in the name of public safety. Sure, the current King isn't nearly the bastard his father or grandfather was, but the corruption of the monarchy runs deep. With each decree and show of force, it just looked more and more like he would follow in their footsteps before long. 

Not that Zarius could criticize too much. He already follows in his own father's footsteps and he hardly gives it a second thought. It's all he's ever known after all. 

Looking around, there are no shortages of shops selling all sorts of trinkets, street food, and other services. Shoe-shining, fortune-telling, face-painting, it's damn near dizzying the amount of colorful things to look at. Music flits through the air from various street performers at each corner and open square, and the scents of baked goods, sugar treats, exotic fruit, and roasting meats float through the air. 

"We will walk around, and if something catches your eye we can take a closer look." 

Askr is the kind to follow orders without question most days, but Zarius wants to encourage the young man to also learn to take initiative. Letting the duckling embrace some childish curiosity may help with that and the festival is a safe and innocuous situation to let him take the lead. 

Askr listens very intently as Zarius explains the plethora of different things the summer festival has to offer, each one of them clearly tailored with enjoyment in mind– the only one with any kind of combat focus seems to be the joust, and that sounds more like it expects spectators rather than participants. It is not as if Askr knows anything of lance arts anyway, or much of mounted combat; he has perfunctory knowledge of how to ride a horse, but most of it extends to clinging onto it and hoping he does not fall off before they make it to their destination, and he has… quite the strong preference for walking. So perhaps it is best that a joust is more of a… spectator’s event.

Of course, even the breadth of things Zarius mentions hardly seems to encapsulate the amount of stalls and events waiting for them at the heart of Sol City– there are countless tents and stalls, ornamented with seasonally-appropriate decorations: gilded suns and brightly-dyed banners, beads and trinkets and other such things. People dance across the cobblestones to the rhythm of performers’ music, dozens of conflicting scents fill the air, and it’s…

It’s almost… overwhelming.

Any other day, Askr would obediently stand apart from his superiors, respecting the boundaries set between them, but today… today he lets himself drift a little closer to Zarius’s side, not quite reaching for his hand, but letting himself stand close enough that his presence can be felt. It is selfish, but he hopes it can be forgiven.

“...There is… nothing you wish to do first?” he asks, looking up to Zarius with a subtle look of surprise flashing in his eyes. How strange that Zarius seems to be leaving things in his hands, but… after a moment of consideration, he bites his lip and gives a short nod, starting to take a tentative step forward into the hustle and bustle of the Sol City streets. “Understood. If I see anything, I will notify you.”

He walks slowly at first, still a bit hesitant to step into all of the chaos, but he eventually hastens his steps, some of the tension drifting away from his shoulders as he glances around. There are all manner of trinkets on sale, all manner of little events and games, all manner of foods– ordinarily, he isn’t one to care much about the taste of food, but… this is meant to be a time of fun, yes? Some… indulgence? Perhaps it is not so bad to let himself want something more than rations or whatever he’s offered, and there is so much here he is unfamiliar with, so much he’s never seen before.

Askr’s steps slow before a stall adorned with sonorous wind chimes and a stationary paper kite all in bright, beautiful colors, the lady standing behind it dressed in some unfamiliar garb– based on the style, the embroidery and patterning, the way she wears her hair, he surmises she may be from the… Crescent Isles. Some part of it. There’s quite the variety of treats laid out on the stall, all manner of desserts he does not recognize– save for the familiar shape of fruits, albeit with a strange, shining shell around it. It’s clear, vaguely sugary-looking– and all of it is speared on long, thin, wooden sticks. Strawberries, orange slices, starberries, Mrs. Zewala’s favored Vaha Fruit…

“Ah, something catch your eye, young man?” the lady asks, a bright smile on her face. “I’m sure any of these may be to your taste.”

Askr pauses, glancing over to Zarius, as if waiting for his approval– it’s habitual, really. He is unsure of what else to do– how to want for himself, how to give himself the approval to desire anything.

“...would you want anything?”

"You pick. I will follow."

He gives an encouraging nod as Askr steps ahead to explore. watching the young man closely, he makes note of his early trepidation, and then when grows more emboldened. It's like watching a little bird just old enough to leave its nest taking those first few heart-pounding steps. Luckily for Askr there were no cliffs or hungry foxes nearby. 

Though, even if there were, it wasn't like help was far behind. The fellblood keeps watch like a hawk, glancing from side to side through the crowd for anyone bold enough to target them for pickpocketing or another type of scam. The festival attracted all kinds, oblivious tourists and opportunistic scam artists alike. While Askr can more than hold his own in a fight, the kid is a bit naïve to the world still. 

When Askr's steps slow and is drawn to a market stall, Zarius steps up beside him and looks around at the spread of sweet treats. Under normal circumstances, he would avoid these sorts of things at all costs due to his paranoia of being poisoned. He still wasn't exactly planning on eating anything himself, but he didn't want to discourage Askr from showing interest in something of his own volition.

Thinking on his feet, his eyes glance up at the colorful kite hanging from the corner of the stall. He figures if he refuses to buy any food, it might discourage Askr from picking up something of interest to him. Perhaps he can subtly put the mercenary in a position where he can focus on what he wants. 

"Is the kite for sale?" He asks the woman who nods affirmatively.

Zarius considers what should be a reasonable price for the kite in his mind before reaching into his pocket and pulling out twice as many Solars which he offers to the woman. While this could be a good opportunity to see how well Askr can haggle, this detour wasn't supposed to be a test or anything. It's simply a rare break from business, and it didn't hurt to support non-local businesses here and there. Gods know he's got pockets deep enough for some indulgence from time to time. 

"We will take the kite and whatever else catches his eye."

The woman nods, more than happy to take the generous offering of coins. She pulls a step stool out from under the back of her table and uses it to fetch the kite down. 

Zarius then looks at Askr with a smile. "Go on, pick something." He gestures to the treats spread out before them.

There’s a quiet hesitation visible in Askr’s stance as he watches Zarius glance over the items available for sale at the market stall, something quietly contemplative visible in his expression as he gives the confections a second’s worth of acknowledgement before turning his attention to the decor adorning the higher parts of the stall. It is hard to say what is going through his head, what may have caught his interest– people are difficult enough to read on their own, and Zarius could easily be called the champion of them all in terms of how difficult it is to tell what’s on his mind. His smile is well-practiced, his features revealing little of what thoughts go on behind his eyes, every musing of his a mystery.

Askr does not think he could read the man if he tried, so he usually does not bother– instead, he simply watches the fellblood glance over the variety of wares, quietly waiting to see what Zarius’s answer to his question might be.

It is a bit of a surprise when he asks about the kite.

He did not think Zarius was the type to take interest in such things, but… Askr is steadily learning that not all men are defined by work alone. He is aware that Cyran, who he knows primarily as someone devoted to his work, no-nonsense and sharp as a knife, has a “fiance” now, which means he is going to be married to something other than his job. He is aware that Caedes, who he has watched carve the life out of things with the precision of a surgeon, delights in things as harmless as pranks and seaside treasures. So perhaps it is not so odd that Zarius could enjoy something like a kite.

He pauses, though, when Zarius gently urges him to pick something– it is not a command, but an invitation, and for a moment, all Askr can do is stare blankly at the spread of unfamiliar treats before him, trying to settle on which one of them looks the most appealing, though inevitably, he cannot help but keep glancing toward the candied fruit. After a moment, he quietly points toward one of the skewers of candied Vaha Fruit, still thinking of Mrs. Zewala, only briefly making eye contact with the woman behind the stall, who gives him a bright smile and a nod as she moves to hand it to him.

“Have a wonderful summer festival,” the woman says, and Askr gives a nod of acknowledgement.

“...You as well.”

He waits until they’ve stepped away from the vendor’s stall before taking a bite out of one of the skewered pieces of fruit, a brief flash of approval shining in his eyes as the sweetness bursts across his tongue. It is decidedly Good– very, very sweet, but still good.

“...You said there are games,” he says after a minute. “Like… dominoes?”

Taking the kite as the woman hands it over, Zarius gathers up the long streamers that dangle from its tail end so they do not drag on the ground the flips the kite over his shoulder. The pair then step away from the vendor's stall and wander a little ways away before Askr takes a bite of the sweet treat.

He can't help but chuckle at the look on Askr's face as he takes a bite out of the candied fruit. Getting any reaction out of the young mercenary is like pulling teeth, so even the smallest glimmer is amusing.

"Maybe not dominoes, but there are probably a few games of chance."

No doubt there would be plenty of buskers around offering palm readings, magic tricks, and rigged gambling. Even Sol City with its scrubbed clean streets would attract a few opportunistic vultures here and there, and the festival gave them the perfect cover.

They do a lap around the block to see what is nearby. There certainly are a few performances going on including some musicians and acrobats. It's not until they loop around to the central plaza that the more elaborate stages and attractions come into view.

A quick look around reveals that there's a bobbing-for-angler-apples challenge, a contest of strength against a half-orc, a classic guess-where-the-ball-is cup scam, a knife-throwing contest, and a chicken chase. There's also a large stage in the center where a few mages are putting on a small demonstration. 

Fairly standard by all accounts. 

Zarius looks at Askr. "Anything catch your eye? We still have plenty of time to kill."

Askr gives a quiet, contemplative hum as Zarius mentions there would be a distinct lack of dominoes; he supposes that’s alright, considering he hadn’t been especially gifted at the game to begin with. A lot of things like that are a little bit difficult for him to understand– it is hard for him to wrap his head around things that don’t involve following orders or brandishing a blade, but he is… working on that. He is learning that there is more to an existence than life and death and the thin line between them– there is more to an existence than the cycle of survival and what it takes to ensure it. It is gradual, but he is learning.

Still, being in the process of learning about the nature of a life beyond necessity does not mean he is anywhere close to being an ace player at games, and… well. Maybe festival games aren’t exactly something he’s meant for just yet.

He follows obediently as Zarius leads him around the block, eyeing the variety of games and shows and stalls with quiet curiosity; Askr isn’t sure he’s ever seen so much in such a confined space, let alone with such a variety of people. A few things are enough to catch his eye for a brief second– acrobats performing brilliant acts of agility and contortion, musicians playing myriad types of tunes from the far reaches of Charon–, but there’s not quite anything seizing his attention immediately.

The challenges, though…

“...Knife throwing,” he muses aloud. “A sword and a knife are not very different. Would they discourage it if I tried throwing one of my swords?”

Zarius watches the cup and ball scammer out of the corner of his eye as the man urges a youngster to give it a shot. The man's sleight of hand is good enough to fool the untrained eye, though the fellblood scoffs at how sloppy his technique is compared to more practiced pickpockets and performers. Just cause the festival is attractive to scammers doesn't mean it gets the cream of the crop showing up. He wouldn't be shocked to see a particularly glittery fellblood amongst the amateurs at this point. 

Askr's musing draws his attention back to his quiet companion. 

It's hard to resist laughing at his question. "I do not think they would allow that. And I am certain drawing a sword in this crowd would attract the attention of the guards."

Glancing around, there are a few pairs of armed and armored guards keeping an eye out for any trouble. They shouldn't draw any unnecessary attention to themselves. Even if Zarius could rely on his social status to get them out of any minor altercations, he could only stretch his influence so far, especially in the capitol of all places. There were more than a few parties in the city who would jump at any chance to put the ambitious would-be crime lord behind bars for good. 

Looking back at the stall, he spots a few bundles of throwing knives at the ready for anyone up for the challenge. "It looks like they have their own selection that you can use." He gestures towards the booth.

As they approach, a lithe and willowy elven man gives them a sly look. "Care to put your skill to the test? Get five bullseyes in a row and you can have the pick out of the prize bucket." 

Zarius narrows his eyes a bit. Five in a row? That doesn't sound that difficult. Someone like Caedes could do that blindfolded while facing the opposite direction, so Askr likely wouldn't have a hard time unless there was some sort of catch. His eyes drift down to the sets of throwing knives. He can't tell from here, but if he had to take a guess, he would assume they're weighted poorly to make throwing them much more likely to miss their mark. Still, winning wasn't a huge deal, it was just supposed to be for fun. 

He looks at Askr and offers him a few coins to give to the vendor. "Want to try?"