The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 104: Festival

After an interminable length of time, which felt like centuries to Alden as he travelled through the land of pristine white, he could finally spy the golden glow of the Barrier glimmering in the distance. It shone like a crystal, flakes of snow littering its surface like little jewels.

He was close.

Just a little more, and he wouldn't have to suffer at the whims of this frozen hell any longer. The sight of the Sanctuary caused Alden to slowly relax, and some of the tension left his shoulders.

In its wake, a budding sense of anticipation sprouted forth.

For what?

Warmth.

Alden couldn't wait to have a hot bath!

He shivered slightly as an icy gust of wind seemed to scream its displeasure. It was as if it was angry that he would be escaping from its tempestuous grasp. Alden ignored the warbled cry and envisioned himself in the bathroom.

Just imagining the way his tired muscles would melt as soon as he entered the water…

'Ah, that's the life.'

Alden released a satisfied sigh, an expression of bliss briefly flashing across his pale features, before his bitter misery returned once more. This time, stronger than ever. A thin cloud of mist kicked up in response to his exhalation, clouding his vision for a moment. The young man's whole body protested his every move.

Alden wouldn't be surprised if he had almost torn one of his muscles. He winced as a sharp pain suddenly flared up in his legs. He gritted his teeth, and inhaled deeply. After the eye-opening encounter with the Snow Tiger and its cub, Alden had come across a few more Defiled, which meant he had to go through a few more battles.

That, in turn meant he had to force his battered body through more hell and more suffering.

And more pain. And more agony.

Especially, since he had resorted to increasing his proficiency with the modified version of [Haste], both so that he could quickly master its application, and to finish off his foes quicker. Alden didn't want any other lurking predators to be attracted to his battles, so he had to use his newly thought up technique.

This meant more stress for his legs, especially.

It was a miracle he could still walk.

…However, it was not all bleak.

Alden had obtained multiple corrupted cores from his clashes against the denizens of this frozen wasteland. And while the orbs still had traces of the Defilement inside, they wouldn't remain that way for long. The young man's good eye glinted. Once Ignia awoke from her slumber - he could feel her slowly stirring through their bond -, he would ask her to purify the cores, much like she did before he had awakened.

Then, once cleansed, Alden could sell them off for a decent sum in the market. This would help him amass the funds he needed to upgrade his Skill arsenal - he didn't want to rely on Alistair and Morrigan for everything.

Though, he supposed he could ask the latter if she had anything she could teach him. Alden was her Apprentice, after all. No good master left their student out to dry.

…No sane one, at least.

Shaking his head as a small chuckle reverberated within his chest like the vibration of a distant echo, Alden approached the golden barrier.

He paused, taking a deep breath.

Then, the young man lingered for a moment before swiftly phasing through the Barrier.

The hum of the Barrier's magic briefly washed over him.

***

As soon as he entered the Sanctuary, a fortified stone outpost greeted Alden.

Snow clung to the grey rock, and numerous sentries stood nearby, their postures vigilant and firm. Some were garbed in fiery-red robes denoting they were part of the Ember Clan, while others wore polished armour the shade of deep scarlet and a few others sported reddish orange serpentine tattoos, contrasting starkly against the snowy white.

'…This is new.'

Alden's expression turned somber beneath his hood.

The latter two groups made him especially tense.

'The Flame Viper's and the Rage Knight's.'

Two of the Top Guilds in the entire Sanctuary. High Command certainly weren't sparing any effort to guard the Territory of Flame, it seemed.

By now, Alden could guess this was a new measure which had been implemented while he was away traversing the Glacial Belt. And while he didn't have anything to worry about, the young man still felt a little uneasy. After all, humans were unpredictable. For all he knew, the guards could come up with a flimsy excuse to try and rob him under the guise of inspecting his possessions. He wouldn't be surprised if that happened - he had seen much worse, after all.

Cautiously, Alden walked up to the guards, expecting one of them to suddenly bar his way and show their true colours. However, to his mild surprise, none of that happened. All the sentries did was ask him if he saw anything out of the ordinary, and when he shook his head, they let him be on his way.

'Seems there are still some upright people in this world, after all.'

"Wait."

Alden cursed, wishing he hadn't spoken - or rather thought - so soon. The muscles in his hands tensed as his grip on the strap of his pack tightened.

"Lift up your hood and turn around."

The young man mulled over the consequences of not complying with the order, but eventually sighed and lifted the cowl of his fur-lined snow white hood. Alden turned around and met the gazes of the sentries, trying to mask his annoyance.

"I had a feeling it was you."

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The leader, a guard clad in fiery robes smiled.

"Young Master Drakon has been looking everywhere for you. You should probably seek him out when you get the chance."

Alden blinked, taken aback.

Then, he snapped out of his daze and promptly thanked the sentry with a nod.

The sentry of the Ember Clan then waved him off without another word. Feeling grateful that they hadn't tried to steal Ignia or any of his other possessions, Alden hurried through the light snow. Along the way, he saw numerous people in the midst of hanging up scarlet banners decorated with red and yellow inscriptions.

They draped it everywhere they could find - lampposts, rooftops, shop fronts.

Furthermore…

The air in the Sanctuary seemed to be abuzz with anticipation. Quite a few mundane people even had a spring in their step, infected by the jovial mood. Alden frowned slightly, wondering what was going on.

…Then, it hit him.

'It's that time of the year again, huh?'

The Month of the Phoenix was approaching, and so was its Festival.

…A celebration where everyone in the Sanctuary rejoiced at the fact they had lived to see another year. The Festival also marked the beginning of a new calendar year and symbolised rebirth after adversity. So, the occasion was quite symbolic, especially after the recent invasion against the Sanctuary by the Dark Forces.

Doubtless, there would be a lot of mead flowing.

And a lot of dancing…

Alden sighed, ruing the fact that he probably wouldn't share a dance with Celeste at this Festival.

He shook his head.

Pressing on, Alden neared his home.

There, he brushed shoulders with the black-clad guards and ignored them as he usually did. However, for some strange reason, they displayed gloating smirks as soon as they saw him.

A seed of unease bloomed in the young man's chest.

What was that about?

Just as he was about to place a hand on the wooden door, the egress suddenly swung open. Suddenly, Alden found himself face-to-face with a young man similar to him in age. The individual had fiery-red hair and wore garments of the same colour, the fabric soft and screaming of luxury.

Alden saw the young man's polychromatic eyes spark with recognition. Then, an expression of deep surprise formed on Drakon's face, before it quickly shifted to one of remorse and relief.

Staring at the Ember heir, Alden's brows twitched.