A few hours later, I found myself walking with Gabi to the solstice event. Upon arriving, I could feel the wave of liveliness engulf me.
Everywhere I looked people were talking, enjoying the many foods, listening to the music being played, and over indulging in the various alcohols that had been supplied. Everything needed for a truly great party.
However this was just the start as many events were to follow such as an Archery Competition, sword fighting competition, mage competition, fireworks, and much more.
The first event was the Archery event which I’d be competing in.
I sat watching the various different archers, admiring their different techniques they had honed over years of strenuous practice with the bow.
Eventually came my turn, and I felt an overwhelming aura of confidence, as I always did whenever I drew my bow back.
The current score for the archery competition was 3 bullseyes and 2 single bulls, totaling to a staggering 400 points.
I slowly pulled the string back, feeling the tension grow tighter until I found the perfect spot. I felt the wind dance past my fingertips as I adjusted the aim of my bow to hit my desired target, letting it release right after.
My first show was a bullseye straight down the middle.
I repeated these steps once more, again hitting the bullseye, followed by one more. This put me at 300 points with two more arrows to go. If I got one more bullseye, I could tie the game and have one more arrow to shoot off and potentially win it.
I once again nocked an arrow on my bow and slid my fingers in between the fletchings. I pulled back once again, these movements a form of second nature to me now. I released the arrow and immediately could tell that the shot was off as the arrow seemed to warp after its release from my hands in the air.
To my dismay, however, I landed a single line, only scoring me 30 points for a total of 330. This meant that a tie was off the table. The only possible outcomes were a win or a lose, with a win being a bullseye for me.
I took a deep breath and once again repeated my motions. I dialed in fully, almost animalistic and primal as I lost sense of any emotions or sight around me, fully focused on the target with one goal in mind: to hit a bullseye. I released the arrow, but, in that moment I had already known it was going to hit its mark.
A massive roar erupted from the crowd, as the arrow sunk perfectly into the middle of the bullseye,
“Winner: Eve Solaris with a staggering total of 430 points! Congratulations!” was the last thing I heard before more roars of excitement and cheers ensued.
Next was the sword fighting competition in which my friend Cenric would be competing in.
Cenric was… an interesting individual. He always tried to do what was right, driven by his self-stated sense of justice and righteousness. I never fully understood his reasoning for it, but admittedly found it quite noble and kind of him.
He would always talk about his big dreams to leave this place and join the Cult of Heaven as one of the seven Paladins in the sect of the ‘Hands of God’, saying he would one day protect everyone from the horrors and atrocities of the world.
It was a big dream to have, not only considering attempting to join the Cult of Heaven, but to be a Paladin for them no less; the highest rank in the hierarchy, only under the high priest and priestess of the ‘Mouth of God’ sect. A feat unobtainable and only achieved by some and more so by most in dreams, but oddly enough, I felt like he could pull it off.
This was only supported further with his skills in the way of the sword. I had to admit I had always admired his skill with the sword, and it was in no way inferior to mine with the bow. The way he swung his blade with elegance and purpose, his footwork, and his movements; it was truly a spectacle to behold.
I watched the man I had grown up with breeze through the other competitors barely breaking a sweat as he won round after round, in an increasingly amazing fashion.
After most of the main attractions had finished, my group of friends, Zilpa Tahmuras, Phelix Zenaida, Cenric, Gabi, and I spent a couple of hours chatting about our current lives. We spoke about everything and nothing, mainly just catching up as we ate some of the best food I’d had in what felt like ages.
As night began to fall, it was time to begin the firework show which was produced by mages firing different colored spells into the sky.
I had sat down on a patch of grass with the other villagers, as we watched the fireworks go off.
A display of many different shapes, figures, and symbols painted the sky. From random animals to some more famous figures such as the gods that roamed this continent; anything and everything that could’ve been displayed, was displayed. A truly vibrant and beautiful showing, fitting of this year's Solstice.
Midway through, I started to hear someone approaching me.
“Hey Eve! if you weren’t too busy, would you mind if we went somewhere to talk, alone?” Cenric asked, slightly blushing on both of his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head. .
I had a feeling I already knew what this was about and was dreading what I was going to say, but relented and went with him.
We walked to a secluded area of grass, absent of other groups.
“Hey, so uh, Eve I know we haven’t spent much time together recently with your hunting training reaching an all time high and my aspirations getting the better of me and all, but, this Solstice has confirmed something for me. Something I never thought I’d ever experience or something that would ever happen.” He said, shifting a bit and avoiding making eye contact with me.
“Spit it out, Cen, or we’ll miss the rest of the fireworks.” I said, a bit too roughly. Cenric jumped slightly, before saying,
“I like you, Eve. I mean, more than a friend. I think you’re amazing- And I know what you might be thinking and I know I’ve probably lost my mind even thinking of telling you this, but we’re both getting older and soon enough we’ll be making decisions that might change how our lives look. If I don’t act on my feelings now, I might never get that chance to.”
“What I mean to say is, do you want to maybe go out som-”
Before he could finish his sentence, I closed the distance between us, kissing him on the cheek.
I pulled away only to see him starstruck and speechless.
“After my birthday, I’ll let you take me out, I promise. Now shut up so we can watch the rest of the fireworks.” I said, grinning before lying back down on the grass, pretending as if nothing had just happened.
He did the same shortly after coming out of his trance-like state.
He inched his hand towards mine, taking it almost as easily as anything. As we silently enjoyed the explosions of color in the dark night sky, I noticed the colors seemed brighter than ever before.
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