Chapter 68: Ch68 – Ceres

The air was pleasantly cool, a mild temperature that made walking comfortable without being cold. A gentle breeze carried the scents of roasted meat, spiced bread, and something sweet and caramelised through the streets. Ryan loosened his robes slightly, exposing his shirt, as they stepped through the academy gates and into the heart of Lithara.

The festival was in full swing.

Banners hung everywhere, bright reds and golds swaying gently in the breeze. Market stalls lined the streets, their owners calling out to passersby, hawking everything from fresh fruit to hand-carved trinkets, from jewellery to flowers. Musicians played on corners, drums and flutes weaving together into a rhythm that seemed to pulse through the crowd.

Children darted between legs, laughing and chasing each other. Couples walked arm in arm. Groups of students from the academy mingled with city folk, all drawn together by the celebration.

And in the distance, rising above the festival chaos, stood a massive structure.

It was impossible to miss, especially because of the hundreds of black and grey banners bearing the Rupes Kingdom sigil. Stone walls rose high, circular and imposing. The banners rippled in the breeze, a sea of black and gold visible even from here.

“That’s where the main tournament happens,” James said, following Ryan’s gaze. “Mage duels, knight tournaments, combination showcases. It’s one of the biggest events in Lithara.”

“It looks huge,” Ryan said.

“It is,” Jared added. “It holds hundreds of thousands of seats, all stone.”

They moved deeper into the festival, weaving through the crowd. James led the way, pointing out stalls he remembered from childhood.

“That one,” he said, gesturing to a stall selling skewered meat glazed in something dark and shiny. “Best food in the entire festival. Trust me.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s the fourth time you’ve said that James,” Eleanor said, rolling her eyes.

“Those ones were just the best ones ’yet,’ this stall is the best there is!”

They stopped, and Jared ordered four skewers, using Eleanor’s money of course.

Jared handed them out.

Ryan bit into his. The meat was grilled and tender, the glaze was sweet with an explosion of spice.

“Okay,” Ryan admitted. “You were right.”

James smiled proudly. “Always am.”

They continued walking, eating as they went. Somewhere ahead, Ryan heard singing.

At first it was faint, just a few voices. But as time passed the sound grew louder until hundreds, maybe thousands, of people were singing together.

The melody was simple, repetitive and easy to follow.

“From earth we rise, to earth return,”

“Ceres grants the harvest, for the bread we earn,”

“Stone and soil, seed and rain,Blessings grow from fertile plain!”

James’s face lit up.

“I haven’t heard this in years!”

Without hesitation, he joined in, his voice blending with the crowd.

“So we thank, our Ceres, for the golden grain,”

“For the fruit that ripens, for the summer rain,”

“For the roots that anchor, for the mountains way tall,”

“Mother Earth sustains, she provides for all!”

He sang loudly, grinning the entire time.

Ryan glanced at Jared, expecting him to join.

But Jared just stood there with his arms crossed, watching with a faint smile.

“Not singing?” Ryan asked.

Jared shrugged. “Not really my thing.”

Eleanor leaned closer to Ryan. “He’s shy.”

Jared shot her a look. “I’m not shy.”

Eleanor’s lips twitched. “Sure~.”

The song swelled again, voices rising together.

“From earth we rise, to earth return, Ceres grants the harvest, for the bread we earn!”

James finished with a laugh as the last notes faded.

“That song never gets old.”

They moved on, passing jugglers, fire-breathers and a man with trained exotic animals doing tricks. Ryan bought a pastry filled with spiced fruit. Eleanor tried candied nuts. Jared grabbed something hot and steaming in a cup.

A street performer was doing magic tricks, actual magic, small illusions that made coins disappear and flowers bloom from thin air. A small crowd had gathered with children gasping in delight.

Ryan spotted an elf near one of the pillars, sweating despite the cool air, looking nervous. Odd. But the festival was crowded, people got anxious. He looked away.

They passed shops selling pottery, woven scarves, leather goods. A blacksmith’s stall displayed ornate daggers and decorative swords. James stopped to admire one, running his finger along the flat of the blade.

“Beautiful craftsmanship,” he muttered.

“You going to buy it?” Jared asked, but before James responded, he continued. “With what money?”

“Eleanor and Ryan’s? James said.

They laughed and moved on.

The crowd thickened as they approached a small square. A young woman, a fortune teller sat beneath a faded canopy, yellow hair tied back, sharp eyes watching the passersby. A wooden sign beside her read: Fortunes for the Worthy.

As they walked past, her sharp voice cut through the noise.

“You two.”

Ryan stopped.

She was pointing at him and James.

“Sit.”

James raised an eyebrow but shrugged. “Why not?”

They sat on the stools in front of her. Jared and Eleanor hung back.

“I guess we are not worthy,” Jared winked at Eleanor.

The woman’s eyes flicked to Jared briefly, then away. Then her gaze landed on Eleanor and lingered. But she said nothing.

She reached out and took Ryan’s hand.

Her fingers were cold, her grip firm.

She stared at the bracelet on his wrist for a long moment.

Then she spoke.

“The little light, he bears two gifts, One from birth, One from death, Opposed forces locked in twists, each held within his fists.”

Ryan blinked. “What did any of that mean?”

This is a prophecy? Seems more like a riddle. The little light though… I do have the light element, was that just a lucky guess? Ahh, maybe she’s a mage and able to sense people elements, just like how Malick sensed what tier of mage I was. Ryan pondered.

She didn’t answer Ryan’s question. She released his hand and turned to James.

James leaned forward. “My turn?”

She took his hand.

“In the circle where twelve stand, young James’ flame shall feed the iron band.

What burns the brightest fades the fast, but steady flames are made to last.”

James laughed. “Well, that makes less sense than Ryan’s. What’s it mean?”

The woman said nothing. She simply turned away.

James stood, still smiling. “Alright then. Thanks? Do we owe you any money?”

The woman turned back, and shaked her head no.

They rejoined Eleanor and Jared.

“Weird,” James said. “But fortune tellers always are, you can never trust them, nor their prophercies.”

Ryan glanced at the bracelet on his wrist. Two gifts? One from birth, one from death? Opposed forces?

He didn’t understand.

But James was already moving ahead, pulling them back into the festival energy.

They passed more stalls, more performers. The sun was lower now, the afternoon stretching into early evening. The crowd hadn’t thinned; if anything, it had grown.

James stopped suddenly and turned to face them, grinning.

“Alright. Enough wandering. We have to get to the arena, if we’re too late all the good seats will be taken.”

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