Festival

The four of them have no energy left after the trip, June and Nakia from the non-stop adrenaline driving experience, and Kuon and Lily from getting thrown violently inside the carriage.

They forgot to close their windows, and after a while smoke got in their rooms. Nakia was the first one that realized, and instantly shouted. "Fire!" He got out, and knocked on Lily's room.

"Miss! Kuon! Fire!" Nakia banged and shouted.

The loud banging woke everyone up, as it was a small in. Everyone quickly ran outside the inn and see that there were in fact no fire, just a smell of lingering smoke.

"I don't see no fire?" The owner asked Nakia.

"But there was smoke, and it smelt like something was burning." 

The owner and the other tenant stared at each other, then laughed. "Boyo, I didn't expect yer to be an outsider!" said one of the tenant, he then smacked Nakia's back.

Hearing that, Lily and the other two looked confused. "What do you mean?" Lily asked.

"Oh, yer a group? First and foremost, welcome to Higan!" said the owner. He then pointed at the smoke occasionally coming in. "The smoke comes from the cat-sith's brewery, they are brewing something for tonight's banquet."

"A banquet?" Lily's eye sparkled.

"Yep, 'tis the time for the harvest festival." One of the tenants answered.

"Aye, aye. Go back inside, lads, rest first." The owner shoved them inside.

The other locals went back upstairs and sleeps again, meanwhile the owner was talking with Lily's group. They were talking about the harvest festival that he mentioned earlier, turns out the harvest festival is an event they held annually.

"Later on tonight, we will celebrate the harvest that we got this year, and pray for a safe and bountiful harvest for next year." The owner explained.

"Are outsiders allowed to join in?" Lily asked him

"Of course! Everyone is welcome, the more the merrier!"

They continued to talk until the town was starting to get lively, and because they were awake from dawn, they decided to sleep again and join in the festivities after they wake up.

Lily excused herself, with the other two following after.

"Where's June?" Kuon asked.

Nakia looked around. "I thought he was with us all this time?"

"He's probably somewhere in the plaza." said Lily.

Kuon and Nakia nods, as they all entered their own rooms. Lily and Kuon got in the bed and shroud themselves with a blanket, falling asleep almost immediately.

On the other hand, Nakia was surprised that June was still in his bed. Legs spreading, and hands tangled in his own body.

He just shakes his head, plops to his bed, and sleeps.

The town only gets livelier by the minute, and since they still did not close the windows the rumbling crowds, and the sounds of the activities woke them up.

"MISS LILY!!!" Kuon screamed, as she saw the empty bed beside her.

Nakia and June woke up to her screeching scream, and immediately bust the door open.

"What? What?" Both of them, looked at Kuon.

"Miss Lily's gone." Kuon paced around the room, with tears running on her cheeks.

"WHAT?!" Again, both of them surprised.

That commotion made the townsfolk looked at the window where they are sleeping, the inn owner just facepalmed at the floor below.

They quickly changed, ran out, trying to search where Lily is.

Though, if they just slow down a little, they would have noticed the inn owner trying to tell them what actually happened.

He just sighed. "If only they hear me out, they wouldn't panic so much."

What actually happened that morning was—

Lily woke up with her face warmed by the stinging sunlight, as usual she sat in her bed still half awake.

The shouting merchants, the smell of grills, and the heat that slowly sobers her up.

"I want to eat." She got up, and walked out with her messy hairdo.

Lily was the only that got up, while the others are still fast asleep. She got out and started looking around for some snacks.

She spied on some snacks with her droopy eyes, and walked around to see what's more the plaza have in store.

Since she is still wearing her pajama and looked like a mess, an older lady approached her.

"Lass, come here for a bit." She pulled Lily to her shop and sat her down.

Lily was confused, but since she was still half awake, she paid no mind.

The old lady took a brush out of her bag and started brushing her messy hair. "A beautiful lass like you shan't walk around alone, y'know."

She yawns and just nods at what the old lady was saying. They were there for quite a while, because Lily's hair was quite long and her bed hair is–abominable–for a lack of a better word.

"There! All done lass." She gave her a tap on the back.

Lily bowed to her, and moved along. She was still in a trance, and just walked around whenever.

—Lily was in a half awake state, trying to get some food.

The panicking aide, and the drowsy young miss. Lily were walking around the plaza buying snacks here and there, meanwhile the other tree split up and searched for her in the crowded plaza.

Lily sat down by the water fountain in the plaza, and the other three were sitting on a tavern across her.

She saw them, sitting there in confusion.

"Guys, what happened?" Lily asked them

Kuon and Nakia, looked up and when they saw Lily's face, they jumped at her. Kuon hugged her, and patted her head. Meanwhile, Nakia fell to his knees, sighing, while holding Lily's hand.

June was there, dumbfounded. "Where in the world were you?!"

Lily smirked. "I was just enjoying the stalls."

"You could have told us you were leaving." Kuon with her body still shaking.

"I did tell Mr. Barnes."

"Who?" June asked.

"The inn owner, Mr. Barnes?" She answered while tilting her head.

The three of them looked at each other. "Ah." They finally understood why the inn owner was trying to call them.

All of them proceeded to enjoy the festival in the twilight, before going back to the inn. There they saw Mr. Barnes dressed in an unfamiliar outfit.

"What are you wearing, Mr. Barnes?" Lily walked closer to inspect him.

"'Tis the outfit for the Higanbon dancers, I am one of them."

They all seemed interested, but since they felt like they already finished the festival they tried to walk upstairs.

"Lads and Lass, yer not coming to see our specialty?" Mr. Barnes said as he tightens his buckle.

"Oou, what is it?" Lily felt interested.

"Go to the plaza, and wait for the dance to end. What happens after is our specialty." He said as he walked out of the inn.

Hearing that, they were all excited. They wanted to decipher what he meant by their specialty, so they changed to a more decorated clothing and went to the plaza.

There they had set up a huge totem with some offerings that is made with wood too. Sounds of drums and bass, and the Higanbon's are dancing around the totem.

At first, they were just circling while moving their legs and hands, but after a while the twelve of them threw a lit torch and burned the totem.

They continued to dance until the totem stopped burning, after that the spare hot charcoal was taken by the Higanbon.

A few seconds passed by, and the sky was being decorated by stars with tails. Lily's black eye was being decorated with the 'starry sky', and she shed a tear.

"What do you call this?" She asked one of the townsfolk.

"We call it Higana, but maybe Fireworks would be easier to understand."

"I wish mom and dad could've seen this, firework stuff." Lily looked at the explosion arts on the sky.

Everyone did not know how to respond to that, and just silently watch the Higana. The last higana was being shot up, exploding differently from the rest of them. The explosion was reminding her of a flower her parents liked.

"Dahlias, beautiful." She wiped tears on her face.

Then after that explosion, people started gathering around the totem and danced to the music once again.

Kuon, Nakia, and June joined in the dance. Kuon danced with Nakia, and June was still trying to find a partner.

Lily just sat on the sidelines, as she does not really like to be in crowds. The cat-sith handed out their brew, and the night just flows into midnight in a split second.

The townsfolk started to pack up, some already walked back to their accommodation. Nothing beats throwing yourself to bed after drinking booze.

The crowded plaza turned tranquil, empty, without a single soul left.

Lily was staring outside her window, feeling relatable to the now lonely plaza. Once a year people are crowding around you, congratulating you, but after that they are done with you.

"What a lonely plaza." She closed the window, and went to her bed.

"Good night, miss." Kuon said to Lily.

"Good night, Kuon." She answered back.

The cold and lonely night, slowly shifts and produce the morning dew, with the birds that started chirping. Today is the day, that Lily is going to meet and get awakened by the bishop.