AMARANTHINE 💫

Chapter-25 The unusual feast

Asil gets down standing on his feet, he holds Raik's hands in his, lips pulling up in a beautiful arch, he looks fondly at Raik “Toys” Raik bites his lower lip to cover up the shyness, eyes fixed on the many wooden playthings. Asil tugs at his finger teasingly.

“This Prince thinks little Raikie liked them” 

Raik opens his mouth to answer him then closes it again, making the actions do the talking he takes Asil to the place to look at those toys themselves. Hansen and Mais follow them snorting when their eyes fall on the wooden swords, carved moths, dolls, bells, etc. 

“I wanted to have those as a child but we had only little to fill our stomachs, I can faintly recall the memories of when my parents were alive, they brought me lots of these things,” he tells. Asil hums, nudging him by his elbow he asks,

“Do you want to buy them?” As soon as Asil asks this the vendor selling them the toys speaks up automatedly “For free, selling them for free” The group look at the vendor in disbelief. 

“Uh...Are you sure?” Mais asks not believing his ears. The man repeats the words. Raik looks around and then back at the three. He brings them aside and looks closely at the two, some of the haziness seems to have vanished from their eyes, and they look better than before.

“Don’t you feel like we have been here before?” He asks, looking around them suspiciously. They too turn to glance at the place without a word.

Raik sighs “Try to think of the places you saw delicious food, that can help you recall” He suggests. Asil’s eyes light up at that, he sits and starts drawing some odd figures on the ground with his finger which almost makes Hansen’s head go dizzy. 

He asks suffering greatly “What is this?” 

Asil smiles “I am marking the places I saw the vendors selling food” Mais lets out an “Oh” in understanding, giving all his attention to the various shape of lines and small drawings, he even suggests some places which Asil tells he has already included, they smile at each other well-pleased with the work and memory. Hansen nudges Raik with his elbow, telling him to stop them.

Raik smiles “This is quite detailed” He gives a look at the drawing with several demonic patterns and rubs it away with his palm, Mais opens his mouth to protest on the Prince’s behalf but Hansen shuts his mouth with his hand.

“Let me draw it for you, I don’t want you to dirty your hand,” Raik says making Mais calm down and Asil nod, feeling very touched by the care. Raik clears his throat and draws several lines and then winds all the lines together almost in three different circles. They look at it in amazement.

“We traveled so long, no doubt why I was tired,” Hansen says exhaling a long tired sigh.

“Did you notice we took rounds of the same place throughout?” Raik points out the detail he wants them to focus on. Mais groans hearing it.

“And you never stopped at one of these vendors to let us fill our stomach” He glares at Raik straying away from the topic.

“This makes me more hungry now” Hansen sighs again. They completely deviate from the point.

Raik tries to explain to them the reason behind drawing the map when the people around them quieten down, a crooked smile spreading on their lips. They hear drum sounds being played from far followed by the sound of horns, it was a faint sound but they could see almost everyone noticing it, the sound becomes louder with each passing moment too loud to make them dizzy, they close their ears and eyes not able to bear the pain but once they open it again they find themselves in a new place.