The trumpets sound could be heard all round, a tune that mixed with the pink smoke of the ashes that lifted into the sky.
Shimmers large and wide took the form of animals and glided around the now joyous town of Gervana that was filled with dancing citizens singing and laughing.
Beautiful petals swayed from above, and a truly great festival was made for all to see.
The stagecoach shook as it slowly crept in the midst of the crowd of people that filled bridge leading to the town.
"Hahaha! Mummy, Daddy, look!"
"Ahaa! The pixies look great this year!"
"Damn! No luck again."
"Hahaha!"
"The Festival of the 100." The minister seated before me spoke, a glass of wine in his hand. "It seems everything's going smoothly."
"..." I moved my hand across Remi's hair ruffling it.
"....."
"What?" I asked.
"Well, I expected you to be a little more...angry? This festival is about celebrating the death of the soldiers who died protecting this city, not mourning them." He said as he adjusted his posture.
"There's no need to be angry. The soldiers fought so that these people could continue smiling as they do today. They would have liked this."
"Hm. Then let's make sure this festival is to be remembered!" He raised his glass of wine. "To the hundred!" He toasted as he gulped it down.
"..."
There was a quiet silence that surrounded us as we finally made our way into the city, which to be expected was far more crowded than on the bridge.
The man beside the minister coughed, and that seemed to break the silence. "So, would you like to tell us how your battle with the necromancer went."
"What would you like to know."
"Everything; from how you became the only survivor to how it felt like to kill a member your own family. "
The man beside the minister turned to him with an astound expression.
"Is that a personal interest?"
"It's the entire Kingdom's interest." The minister gestured with his hands. "You don't know how miraculous this event is nor how far and wide your name has gone. Everyone wants to know the story of the great hero of Gervana."
"Sorry, but I take no pleasure in telling tales. Leave it for the bards."
"Hahaha. So what does give you pleasure? You travel in the most luxurious stagecoach in the whole kingdom, a chest filled with gold is placed before you, and you have the power to single handedly defeat a monster that could level a nation. Yet you seem to have no interest in any of it."
"My enemy was one man."
"That's not the issue."
"You are a gifted child with an enormous amount of talent. You should have something that will keep you going lest you will wither and fade."
"And my options are?"
"Anything you wish."
"Haha. Tempting, I'll hold you up on that, but for now," I looked down at Remi's head and continued patting it, "I'm more than satisfied."
The minister leaned back and folded his arms, smiling. "Well, I tried." He turned to the man beside him and nodded his head.
The man knocked at the wall next to the driver's box, and the stagecoach came to a stop at the edge of the road.
"Well, I guess this is where our travels end."
"Yes." I woke up Remi and pointed at the treasure box. Remi's hand immediately grew teeth and swallowed the box in an instant. The minister yelped, and the man beside him raised his eyebrows.
Remi yawned as he got off first, his body looking completely normal. I turned back to the minister as I came off. "Till we meet again." I smiled.
"Y-yes..." The man next to him wasted no time in telling the driver to move, and I watched the leave before Remi and I continued on our way home.
"I miss the carriage."
"We're almost there."
"That's what you said yesterday."
"That was 2 days ago."
"Huh? How long was I asleep..."
It didn't take long for us to get to the gate of the manor. "Alright," Remi said. We looked at each other.
"Rock, paper, scissors!" We both yelled.
"I win again." I said.
"Ughhh, this is cheating." Remi whined.
"Hop to it."
"I'll beat you one day."
Remi walked closer to the gate and started pushing with all his might.
Watching Remi struggle has always been a joyous sight.
Tum. Tum. I turned around, and a ball was rolling towards me. A little boy was standing there watching at the other end of the street.
I raised the ball, juggled it, and then passed it to him. His eyes lit up, and he juggled it too, then passed it back to me.
I raised the ball again, and kneed it higher I took off my hat and hit it with my head the trapped it on my back rolling it off the back of my neck and balancing it on my forehead before passing it back to him.
The boy looked excited he tried imitating me, but he fell. I laughed, and he smiled.
" GUMI!" An ear splitting scream cried out.
A woman ran to him and hugged him on her knees, turning his head away from us. "I told you not to stay away from here." The woman glared at me
"But the boy there wa-"
"Let's go."
"But -"
"No buts. They're only demons in that home. You must never go back there. Do you understand me?" Her voice was trembling as she took her son and left.
"It's good to see nothing's changed around here." Remi said.
"Yeah."
"I'm done with the gate. Let's go."
Remi and I both walked through and the gate shut behind us.