Chapter 40 VOL II: The Trip to Calma (7) The Luminous Festival.
Chapter 40 VOL II: The Trip to Calma (7) The Luminous Festival.
VOL II: The Trip to Calma (7)
The Luminous Festival
WRITER'S POV
“Owww!” Ricardo shouted.
“What is it?” Stefano asked.
Harry walked over and looked at the stone.
“It’s a wizard stone,” he said.
“A what?” Riccardo asked.
“A wizard stone. Not everyone can touch it, and certainly not us demons. It must have belonged to Luana. Massimo must have given it to her.”
He levitated it with his magic, analyzing the rock more closely.
“It’s only high-ranking wizards that possess this stone. It helps you in times of need,” he said.
“Luana must really need it then,” Stefano said, leaning closer to look at it but taking care not to touch it.
“Indeed,” Riccardo added with a nod.
“Fermo.”
Harry froze the stone, preserving it and enabling him to touch it as it landed in his palm.
“Here,” he said, handing it over to Ricardo. “You can give it to her.”
“Thank you, Harry. Now, let's go.”
\---
“Masks! Masks! Get your masks here!”
“Beads! Beads!”
“Beautiful dresses for the carnival!”
Argento was lively, bustling with activity everywhere.
Luana and Raja had just arrived in town, and the entire place was buzzing with excitement.
Marionette had given them a special note to present to the innkeeper of the most popular inn in town.
After wandering through town for a bit, a large signboard came into view.
Piacere Inn.
“This is it, Raja,” she said, looking up at the signboard and then at the note in her hand.
Raja groaned in reply.
“Now wait here. I'll be back soon.”
He nodded.
“Good boy,” she said, patting him on the head.
As she stepped inside, the smell of delicious cooked food filled her nostrils.
“Ahh, smells so good,” she said with a smile.
The interior was neat, lavish, and smelled wonderful.
She spotted a posh-looking man handing out invitations and walked up to him.
“Good morning, sir. Do you know where I can find the innkeeper?” she asked.
He turned toward her, twisting his mustache.
“Well, child, I am the innkeeper. Is there a problem?” he asked, scanning her.
She handed him the note, and his eyes widened as he read its contents.
“Right this way, Your Highness,” he said, his smile reaching his eyes. “It's an honor to have the Princess of Fiori stay at our inn!”
He led her to a large room with a king-sized bed and multicolored wall paintings. It was beautiful.
“Anything you need at all, Your Highness, just ring the bell by your bedside,” he said enthusiastically.
“Thank you,” she replied with a smile. “Umm... my bear is outside.”
“Ah! Not to worry. He will be looked after very well. Argento is home to all—man and beast, vampires and witches, wizards, mermaids, and all supernatural beings. But not demons.”
He said the last part with a disgusted expression.
“And lest I forget, Your Highness, we're having our Luminous Festival tonight. We'd really like it if you attended.”
He handed her an invitation.
“I'll think about it,” she said, accepting the invite.
“Splendid! I'll get going now, Your Highness.”
He bowed and left.
“The Luminous Festival... hmm, sounds fun. I guess we could go. After all, we're leaving tomorrow.”
She sat down on the lavish bed.
“But I need a mask and some clothes.”
She lay down with a yawn.
“After I take a short nap, I'll go into town and get them.”
Moments later, she dozed off.
\---
As Luana browsed through the market looking for a mask to buy, she found herself at a loss. They were all so beautiful.
“Pretty,” she said, holding up a silver mask with white fur along the edges.
“Luana? Is that you?”
She turned to find a young woman with purple hair and red eyes staring at her.
“Oh, fuck! It is you! How have you been? I haven't seen you in forever!”
The woman walked up to Luana and studied her face.
“You look... different. Did you dye your hair? And are you wearing contacts now?”
Luana stepped back.
“Sorry, but have we met before?”
The woman folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.
“Seriously? We haven't seen each other in a while, and now you're pretending not to know me?”
“I'm... not pretending.”
The woman sighed.
“I'm sorry for not checking up on you after your test. I've been so busy here with the circus that I haven't had time to visit. But I've been writing to you, and you never wrote back.”
“Test? What test?” Luana asked.
“The test that was supposed to make you a member of the Sisters, hello?”
The woman's eyes widened.
“Did... did you lose your memory?”
Luana nodded.
“Fuck. This is serious! What happened? Did you hit your head? Are you hurt?”
“I'm fine. It's a long story.”
“No, it's not fine. You don't even remember who I am!”
“I'm sorry,” Luana said with a nervous chuckle. “So, who are you?”
The woman smiled and flicked Luana's forehead.
“I'll forgive you this time, silly. I'm—”
She suddenly frowned.
“Oh my... why are you bleeding?”