Tales of Alidaire: The Corruption Disc 2

If he heard the summoner, Annon didn't give any sign that he did. He simply sat down at one of the tables covered in delicacies and heaped a plate full, before digging in of course. Before it seemed like he wouldn't respond at all, he plucked a faded note from the ribbon of his hat and handed it Sonia.

' . . . annon, Jac . . .' It read, the letters barely legible on the aged piece of paper. He looked up at her and swallowed a bite of something creamy. "You sure you like to paint, Sonia?"

Lily stuck out her tongue and made a sound. "My body is used to this sort of thing," she said, chewing on a large piece of cake. She continued attacking her cake until she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. A flaming red pile of fruit had caught her attention. With the dexterity and flexibility of a true hunter, Lily flicked her fork at one of the fruits, impaling it perfectly. Lily grabbed her eating utensil and stuffed the whole strawberry in her mouth, rolling her eyes in delight.

Lily reached into her mouth with her fingers and pulled out the stem that was attached to the strawberry, perfectly intact. Lily placed the green down and sighed, "That was one hell of a good strawberry," She said, patting her belly. Lily grinned at Lyra, "These people really know how to make a party, am I right?"

Looking down at the faded paper she was able to make out the words Annon Jac. It was a quite an amusing name, and she found it fit him perfectly. She was about to say more when he spoke instead. Something clicked with that last sentence. She didn't look up from the paper, but she did answer Annon.

"Yes. I very much like to paint. A b...blank canvas is... peachy..."

Annon smiled warmly at Sonia's answer. It made his eyes crinkle amusingly. "Good. Go find a blank canvas, and perhaps paint a flower?" His smile disappeared as he turned stern, shaking a finger at her like he was warning her not to get in the cookies. "But don't forget the pancakes." He smiled once again and turned back to his food, eating with much gusto and silly, appreciative sounds.

Rosetta's words were startling. He hadn't expected anything like that to come out of her. It made him smile, but he sighed. "Ah, I know this is all real for me. I promised myself long ago that I would not be lost in darkness again." In his mind, an image of his brother formed, and here, he frowned. What was he to do about him? Would fate actually pit the two against each other? Only time, real time, could tell.

"I remember what it was like to dance, but I'm afraid it would be useless with my form now," he said, a bit nostalgic for the several balls he was privileged in attending so long ago. "But I would like to spend some time with her...and maybe get to know that performer a bit better too. What an odd fellow....," he trailed off. "Are you going to be okay here?"

Lyra nodded her head. "They most certainly do," she said with a smile, taking off her hat only to let a frog come hopping out. It's tongue lashed out wildly to catch a few stray mosquitoes that were buzzing around. Things were starting to die down as the moon began to take prominence in the sky. Several people yawned and slowly started meandering towards their homes to settle in for the night. A few other performers were juggling lit torches in the night. The housewives and chef assistants were clearing the tables of earlier dishes. The gentle glow of the moon and the stars bathed the harbor in an ethereal light. It's hard to believe that things were so chaotic not so long ago...

For some reason, Rosetta seemed so much brighter this night. He almost forgot about the rage she had been plagued with earlier. He was glad that he had an opportunity to talk with her. Offering her a gentle smile, he nodded and hovered over to where Sonia was standing along with an odd performer who was stuffing his face.

"So, what is the story with this fellow? You have been spending so much time with him; I feel a bit jealous," he spoke jokingly knowing that Sonia was a friendly person in general, just a bit shy. He was actually surprised that she had got along so well so quickly with a stranger. He must have been particularly kind in return.

"O... Oh... I... Annon... we're not... He's very nice... He... He's fun to be around... I..."

A deep blush had set in, Sonia had looked up from the paper the second Valincar spoke to her. She hadn't even noticed him come over to her and Annon. And just when she was about to go find him. Handing Annon back the piece of paper he had given her she turned to the phantom. Her blush remained, her mouth still trying to form words to explain this. Of course it hadn't occurred to her that he was joking, though it would come to her eventually.

Lily yawned loudly, patting her belly again. "I'm getting a little tired," Lily said, still yawning. She stretched her arms above her head, attempting to relax herself. Lily swung her legs up and lied them down, positioning herself so her back was facing Lyra. Lily then lowered her head, laying it to rest on Lyra's lap. Lily grinned up at Lyra. She reached her hand up, grabbing the back of Lyra's head. Lily smiled up at the other girl, "Don't worry, this time I'm not drunk," Lily said, pushing Lyra's head down to kiss her. Lily released the enchantress much sooner this time, closing herself and shifting slightly to make herself comfortable.

Annon took the piece of paper without question and stuck it back in the band around his hat, with nary a second thought. Shoveling one last piece of cake in his mouth, Annon leaned back to ponder the pair behind him. Though how he pondered it was a mystery. He cleared his throat after a moment, having swallowed the cake, and stood abruptly.

"If you'll excuse me, this young lady needs to paint, and I need to see a man about an elephant." He strode away, doffing his hat, leaving the two to stand together.

The trickster approached Rosetta, smiling in a good-natured way. He took off his hat and bowed low before sitting next to her. He didn't say anything, only looked up at the stars so they twinkled in his dark eyes.

Valincar let off a hearty chuckle. "Calm, Sonia. It was just a joke. But I am curious as to who he is. I know you wouldn't associate with him if he wasn't legitimately kind," Valincar explained. The gentleman was certainly having a wonderful time eating the food. His clothes were so eccentric; he wouldn't be surprised if his eyes hurt if he had actually been alive.

"Well, I would hope you would be full after all that," Lyra stated gently, laughing. She took a deep breath as Lily lied down, but didn't expect for Lily to kiss her again. For that moment, she pushed all thoughts away and enjoyed the feeling of the archer's lips upon hers. She really wasn't drunk this time. Lyra smiled after it was over and stroked Lily's hair. What had happened? More like...what was happening? Lyra didn't know what to make of the situation. She decided not to dwell on it and just live in the moment. A content sigh escaped her mouth as she gazed up at the stars.

"His name is Annon Jac... He is strange, but in a good way. He is kind and he seems to like company... He's quite smart to... I actually wouldn't mind him joining us... but..."

Sonia calmed down. Valincar had smoothed out her worries and it was nice to be with him. It had been a while since they had last been alone. Under the stars, even with everyone else around, it was romantic. She sighed contently looking up at her friend. Just as she was to speak, the music of the festivities changed, no longer was it quite so upbeat and fast but rather it was slow and perfect for this moment. That's when she tried to ask.

"W... would you... umm..."

Valincar tilted his head. "Would I like to what now? You'll have to speak up," he told her gently with a smile. She was always so nervous, but that was a part of who she was. It made her rather charming. He awaited patiently for her question.

A man stood at the end of the main dock at the harbor. He looked out over the sea solemnly. He was garbed in black robes, his red eyes gazing listlessly. "Oh, Pandora...," he murmured silently to himself. "Dearest Pandora...I came too late."

He was gone.

"He needs more pancakes." Annon said, out of the blue. "Your big K . . . can he cook them? Now that Sonia's painting, we'll need lots of them." He turned his head to look at Rosetta, an unreadable look crossing his face even as he searched her expression for an answer.

"Um... would you like to... d....dance?"

Her blush returned at full force, her eyes sparkling slightly. She was so unsure of how he would react. One part of her said he would accept her offer, the thing she really wanted. But there was that hint of doubt, the thing that snuffed out her hope. Biting her lip she turned away from him once more.

"N...nev-"

Valincar sighed. He knew that she really wanted to, but things were so complicated given the circumstances. There had to be a way to appease her of course. "I know not what to tell, Sonia," he replied. "In my current form, dancing would be very difficult. I have no legs to take steps with...and my arms would pass right through you." He hovered a bit lower to the ground until the edges of his robes touched the ground. He placed a hand on her own as if to take it. "But it doesn't hurt to try," he added and smiled warmly.

Annon leaned back on one hand and hummed, eyes rising to the sky again as he thought. " . . . I'm not sure. I think he makes his pancakes with a secret ingredient." He gave a small smile then and ruffled the fur about his collar to put it back into place in the slight sea breeze. "There's no need to worry about the dark though. The sunlight never leaves the fields, and I'm sure you make pancakes too, whether you realize it or not. And not with any secret ingredients."

He lay back on the grass, hands behind his head as he watched the stars. His white hat settled briefly where it lay on the ground, as if something moved underneath it, but Annon didn't appear to pay it any mind.

Sonia's eyes sparkled with new light, the side of her that doubted everything fleeing her body for another. She smiled, understanding this would be more difficult for them, but wanting to do it anyway. Standing, she placed her other hand on the small of his back. The music didn't pick up, continuing to keep its gentle and sweet pace. She waited for Valincar to take the lead, loving the feeling of his touch despite not really being there.

"Find the right field first, Rose. There aren't any shadows there."

Annon had his eyes closed, his original smile back in place as he breathed evenly in the night air. After a silent moment, he began quietly humming a melodic tune, a sound all at once content and lonely. It seemed like the wind and crickets that made their own noises blended in with the faint notes.

Situated as best as a ghost and a girl could be, Valincar drifted a bit in place of taking steps. Since hovering was so easy to do, he had to make sure to go slow enough for Sonia to follow, but he easily managed to do that much. The music was so relaxing and peaceful, it was easy to sway ever so slightly to the beat. The nightshade kept his hands in place as best that he could; he thought it would be awkward should one accidentally faze through Sonia's arm. But everything seemed to go wonderfully.

Only a few people were left by the harbor now including the musicians. It was starting to get late. The day which had started out chaotic was now drawing to a tranquil close. Holding onto Sonia and dancing with her, Valincar wondered when another day like this would come, or even if another would come at all...

It was wonderful, strangely and amazingly wonderful. Sonia kept with Valincar's pace, swaying to the music. Moving in closer, the gap between their bodies, already thin became thinner. She nearly rested her head against his transparent body, not wanting this moment to end. She wanted the world around her to pause on this moment forever. Closing her eyes, she spoke, it was practically inaudible, but she spoke.

"I love you..."