197

Chapter 197 : Equinox(1)

“Huh?” Agni muttered as she glanced around. The people nearby began to fade, turning into shades, shadows of themselves. These shadows faded out of existence and the next thing she knew she was awake, or at least aware of the fact that she’d fallen asleep.

The scene before her was decidedly different. Jaglon took a few steps back as Agni began to orient herself, he seemed shocked. He cast a glance towards Shula, who simply shifted her stance and yawned.

“What just happened?” He asked as he cut his eyes and glanced from Agni to Shula and back again.

“That’s..what I want to know. What just happened?” Agni asked.

“I..I used my abilities on you. I gave you a sweet dream but.. You…” Jaglon said as he stepped towards Shula.

“How did you invade her dream? I’ve never seen something like that before.”

“Hmph. Easy.” This was Shula’s only response.

“So that was a dream, interesting. I can see how that would be helpful at times.” Agni said as she recalled the fading thoughts associated with the dream.

“Well, normally yes. When the Sweet Dream takes hold and plays from beginning to end,you’ll reap its full benefits but your .. daughter? She interrupted the process. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Daughter? Her? No no no.” Agni immediately corrected Jaglon.

“She’s my familiar.”

“A familiar. I see, but… I can clearly see your name,class and rank. How is that possible? Remarkable. I’ve never heard of a familiar having its own class. “ Jaglon said as his gaze settled upon Shula once again.

He stepped towards Shula once more, this time he knelt before her and extended his hand. Shula smirked then allowed him the honor of kissing the back of his hand.

*The Chibi Tyrant strikes again. She’s subjugated another plebeian.* Agni teased via telepathy.

*Of course.* She replied , her expression rapidly morphing to one of self satisfaction. As expected, Jaglon’s entourage expressed their discontent once more in the form of groans and tongue clicks.

This only had the effect of throwing gasoline upon Shula’s already blazing flame of confidence. Her smirk widened into a gloating smile which she eagerly flashed towards the group of women in the distance.

*That’s right! Know your fucking place, bitches!* She proudly declared via telepathy.

Agni could firmly sense her familiar’s sense of pride, thus she shrugged her shoulders and laughed. After a suitable amount of time kneeling, Jaglon finally rose to his feet.

“It’s a rarity to find someone who has a power so close to my own. I would love to discuss more about this, perhaps if you find yourself in Kirlunst--”

His words were cut short by the noise of a loud horn which blared through the Grenvale Central Square. This horn blast was followed by several more, causing everyone in the area to both take notice and also to quiet down.

“What’s going on?” Katrin asked.

“It’s time for the main event to begin in earnest. Those horns were the signal, a sign to begin.” Gates explained.

“Indeed. It seems we are out of time. We must go, otherwise we’ll miss our purpose and Zura will have our heads.” Jaglon said. He seemed genuinely regretful.

“We’ll see each other again, I’m sure.” Shula offered, then she bowed her head slightly to the Incubus.

*Shula being respectful!? What have you done with my unruly Imp?* Agni teased. Shula ignored it, as usual though Agni could have sworn she saw Shula’s lips curl upward. No doubt to suppress a chuckle.

Jaglon excused himself as did the young women from the Silken Petal, all of them trailing his coattails. Curiously enough Agni saw them walk away from the Square, which made her wonder what their purpose actually was. Weren’t all the people gathered in the center of town? She dismissed the thought as something else drew the succubus’ attention.

“Welcome to the Equinox Festival.” The words cut through the noise of the moment, drawing everyone’s attention to the eight sided stage. Gone were the performers and instead curtains had been erected. There a long figure stood, awaiting the attention she deserved.

Surprisingly enough the voice came from someone whom Agni knew well. Zura, the owner of the Silken Petal now stood on one of the many sides of the octagon shaped stage. Before her was a floating crystal, one that acted as a voice amplifier. Her words resounded, as if she were the headliner at a concert.

Almost immediately the crowd erupted into cheers, whoops and shouts. This was due to Zura’s appearance. She was dressed in a stunning gown made of the same transparent material as her girls. This dress was a triumvirate of colors; orange, yellow and lavender -- it reminded Agni of the twilight sky itself. Her curves were rarely on display, this was due to Zura’s habit of wearing a loose fitting yukata or kimono most times.

Today her dress was form fitting which showed off her curvaceous figure. Agni found herself in awe as she took in Zura’s countenance. Rarely had she ever seen the woman in make-up, or dressed up for that matter. She’d always considered the woman beautiful but now she was a certified man-slayer. This was the reason the crowd erupted, not just men but also many women as well. Zura waited patiently for the audience’s cries to die down before she continued her words.

“The Equinox Festival is a celebration of remembrance. One where we all come together despite our differences to remember those we have loved and lost. Despite this, the festival serves a deeper purpose as well. In life, so many blessings lay parallel to one another and today is no exception. Hope springs eternal, and today we celebrate the lives that have been lost, as well as the new lives ready to join our way of life.”

Almost as soon as Zura finished her speech a series of flames lit into existence as floating wisps of ethereal flame. Some of the older adventurers within the audience bowed their heads, even before Zura instructed them to.

“We will now observe a moment of silence. For the fallen. For those lost. And for those who remain to carry on their memory.” Zura clasped her hands together and bowed her head, almost as if offering a silent prayer to the heavens.

Though Agni was disconnected from the moment in a sense, she bowed her head nevertheless. She closed her eyes and felt the somber nature of the moment, particularly from those near to her. Gates and Gigi in particular seemed deeply moved. She wondered what types of experiences the two might have had in their time in Adventia. She resolved to ask them about it sometime as the somber moment stretched on.

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“Where am I?” The woman said aloud. One moment she was in a great forest, filled with trees which towered to the skies and the next she was on a grassy hill. The view was breathtaking, the twilight horizon filled her thoughts with melancholy and wonder. She took in the moment, almost transfixed by the sight in the distance as she tried to make sense of things.

*I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. This is a new world after all.* The tawny skinned woman thought as she breathed in deeply and leaned against a large broadleaved tree nearby. If there was one thing that bothered her it was her new hair. It was a bit longer than she was used to, causing her lavender colored bangs to fall into her face more than she’d liked.

“You reacted to that more differently than I expected.”

The woman was taken aback by the sound of another human, thus she whirled around, a look of suspicion on her face.

“W-who are you?” She asked, holding her hands upwards as she prepared to fight. In reality her intention was to run, after all she’d been given details about her particular adventure class -- Doll Magus. Her true power lied in creating and utilizing dolls to do her bidding. But she had just exited the holy site, she hadn’t even started on her way to a town yet -- much less claimed any weapons for herself.

With no weapons and only a flimsy training suit to protect her, she decided instantly that she would run if she faced trouble. Her battle pose was little else than bravado. She studied the man before her, he seemed well dressed as his hooded short robe and hunter green pants were embroidered, as were the pair of shoes he donned. And while she couldn’t detect any ill intent, she also sensed that he wanted something -- so she turned to run before he could even respond.

“Don’t be so hasty to run away. I bought you here for a reason.” The man with pecan colored skin said, appearing before the young lady no sooner than she’d taken two steps. She stopped in her tracks as a sinking sensation took root in the pit of her stomach.

“Relax.” The hooded man said as he waved his hand casually, dismissing her growing concerns.

“I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to welcome you.” The man said, lifting his head to reveal a pair of golden colored eyes infused with divine energy.