“What are those dragons?” I ask Vera, pointing a finger at beautiful blue, black, and white dragons floating in the air above the float.
“The black dragon embodies Koren, the God of War. The white one is their eternal companion, Cher, God of Wisdom. These two spirits of the gods go hand in hand in our tradition, because war without wisdom would swallow the world,” Vera says.
At the mention of the spirits of the gods, my muscles tense. After the Cleansing, I’m terrified even of the idea of them.
“The blue dragon is the embodiment of Tenko, the twin gods from whom the whole universe and the Well were born,” Vera adds. “They say the color of the Well is blue because of Tenko.”
My stomach is like a rock. I have a hard time swallowing as flashbacks from that night pop up in my mind.
“Fascinating,” I say, and my voice trembles a little.
Vera gives me side-eye, but I ignore it.
“I’m starving,” Jax says, rubbing his flat stomach. “All of this celebratory spirit is making me excited and hungry.”
“That’s the whole point of it all,” Vera says. “The Starless Night is all about letting loose, stuffing your bellies, and getting wasted on drinks, drugs, andloveso the spirits of the gods feel appreciated.”
“So Caetra’s around Jaakii are busy tonight, eh?” Jax wiggles his eyebrows.
“Not as busy as your mouth,” Vera says, brushing her long braids over her shoulder.
I bark a laugh. Jax pouts, but then sends Vera an air kiss. To my surprise, Vera smirks at him instead of rolling her eyes.
When we finally reach the bazaar, the scent of delicious food makes my mouth water. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until then.
“First food, then games?” Jax looks between me and Vera.
“Sounds good to me,” I murmur, looking around. A few people rise from their seats at a table nearby, so I point my finger there. “Look! We have a spot.”
We hurry to the table and settle around it. It’s small, and people around us makes it feel even tighter, but I’m enjoying the experience.
“I’ll get us some food, ladies,” Jax says, and dives into the crowd.
The moment Jax is gone, Taaslord Noire appears, making his way towards us. He doesn’t have to struggle with the crowd. They part for him as he walks. Tonight, his shadows are out caressing the naked skin of his neck.
“Vera.” He nods at Vera first, and then turns to me. “Ezkai Phoenix. How is our chosen champion doing this lovely evening?”
I dip my chin in a greeting. “Good evening, Noire. It’s quite a fun celebration, and we haven’t seen the whole of it yet.”
“It’s a wonderful celebration, and a lovely reason to celebrate,” he says. “I hope you have the best time enjoying all that the Starless Night has to offer. It’s the last bit of peace before the first trial.”
I nod. “That’s our plan for tonight. Are you enjoying yourself?”
He flashes me a smile. “I always do, dear. Are you feeling better after the Cleansing? Vera mentioned it was rather challenging.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you, I’m feeling like myself again.”
I glance at Vera. Her face reveals nothing.
“Good to hear. Things that happen during the trials are never something we can expect or predict. It’s a life-altering experience from start to finish,” Noire says. “But I’m glad you’re well and good.”
“Yes, I am. Thank you.”
Noire looks around. “Well, then. I’ll leave you to it. I plan on mingling in the crowd myself. You can never know what adventure awaits.”
He doesn’t wait for us to answer him. He whirls on his heel and floats away and into the crowd.
I turn to Vera. “He’s odd, isn’t he?”
