| Timestamp: 10 Spring, 517 |
The air was charged with tension and excitement as explosions of color exploded in the air overhead. The festival of illusions was under full swing and around every corner there was another performer or artist trying to garner the attention of the crowd and the ever present, or ever absent however you wanted to look at it, Ionu. To show off and gather attention, that was why they performed and nothing was going to stop them during this festival.
Anzaj stood there poised ready to spring as people shuffled past him to see the next spectacle. All along the street people were trying to avoid the running streams that ran through it, Alvadas seeming to have decided that this street today was going to be home to multiple small rivers with shimmering lights in them. He had searched carefully all week for the perfect spot to put on his performance and he had found it, it was almost as if the city itself was trying to assist him put on the show of a lifetime.
He remained motionless, eyes closed, as he felt the rush of the crowd around him. Most of them wondering if he was going to put on a performance or if he was simply insane, such things weren’t uncommon after all. Despite what the onlookers thought, he was busy preparing. Slowly, ever slowly, he let res out the soles of his bare feet, keeping it a thin liquid he let it blend in with the flow of water around the street. He had to keep it slow if he wanted no one to notice what he was doing.
Opening his eyes as he felt he had as much res in the area as he needed and could control through his performance, he quickly counted how many people were there. Sometime during his preparations he had gathered a crowd. In a circle around him there was dozens of people watching him, all of them in some form of extravagant dressing. This was the festival of illusions and even those who weren’t performing wanted to gain attention. He knew he wasn’t the best or the most vibrant, so those around him must be the people who couldn’t find the better attractions, or who couldn't afford it. Either way it didn’t matter to him, he would perform his heart out and prove that he was worth their attention.
Now he just had to wait for the perfect moment. The start of his performance wasn’t going to be up to him. He had chosen this exact spot for more than just the water running down the street today; along the wall behind him was an open window and inside that building a concert that was supposed to be secret would soon start. He had stumbled on the spot a few bells earlier and had heard them practicing. Due to how everything was constructed, or simply because Ionu wanted it to happen, the music that would soon play inside could be heard perfectly in the street he was standing in.
Raising his arms up a hush fell over the crowd. He had truly timed this perfectly for as the crowd fell silent a rhythmic tapping could be heard echoing through the street. That was his signal, the performance was about to start. Closing his eyes he started the countdown in his head, it was almost as if he could actually hear the conductor in the building counting down to start.
Three. Two. One.
He raised his foot quickly and stomped down just as a loud boom echoed out. As his foot touched down he pulled on the res swirling through the water around him, causing some of it to shoot straight up pulling water with it. Fountains of water sprayed in a cross around him before falling back as if nothing happened. He remained still, that little bit of movement the only thing he allowed as silence reigned again. He could feel the excitement in the crowd growing. The performance was starting and he was the center of attention.
This was his chance, this was what he had trained for. As the music started up, a cacophony of crashing percusion beats, his body moved of its own accord. He was in full dancer mode, mind turned off and just allowing his body to react to the music as it will. Foot down, water up. Twist of the ankle and a spin sends that same water spiraling out into the crowd to a chorus of cheers. He was using only the smallest amounts of res to pull the strings of water into the air. It was incredibly draining, but he had been practicing just for this. Its why he had trained to not only increase how long he could control the res, but how little res he could manipulate at a time and still have the best effects.
The dance was a reaction to the music, the music seeming to guide his body, each crash of the percussion causing another stomp of his foot, and as the beat got faster and faster so did his movements. This feeling of wonder, of being the center of attention was like a drug, fueling his body so he could keep going. And just when the beat came to a cresscendo a voice joined it, changing the perception of the music. Suddenly the reckless rush of beating changed into a song of excitement and exploration.
While he hadn’t been expecting the change, his instincts quickly recovered his performance as he changed his style from the rough beats to a flowing dance. His cape moving around him as he twists and moves, blending in with the water he constantly has launching up around him. Every step he took in that circle of onlookers he grew bolder, using more and more of the res he had laced around the area, shots of water flying high into the air.
He should have reigned himself in, he should have listened to the warning signs of his body as his muscles shook from exertion so soon into the performance, he was reaching his limit and yet all he could do was continue moving with the music. The beat continued picking up pace, faster and faster, and he pushed himself to move faster, to control more, to be that much more perfect and for a moment he was.
And that's when it happened. It was one misplaced step in the endless dance that brought the end of his performance. Down he went in an inelegant tumble, and in his panic to catch himself he instinctively pulled on the rest of his res. Water rushed up all around in one final burst, causing both screams and cheers to erupt around him but he ignored it all.
Drained and in pain he lay there with the remnants of the water falling all around him in a light rain as everything slowly faded to black. He had missed his chance to impress and earn a spot with the inverted. He was no closer to achieving his goals then when he had started and now another year might pass before he could get answers. He drowned in those thoughts as darkness claimed him.
Anzaj stood there poised ready to spring as people shuffled past him to see the next spectacle. All along the street people were trying to avoid the running streams that ran through it, Alvadas seeming to have decided that this street today was going to be home to multiple small rivers with shimmering lights in them. He had searched carefully all week for the perfect spot to put on his performance and he had found it, it was almost as if the city itself was trying to assist him put on the show of a lifetime.
He remained motionless, eyes closed, as he felt the rush of the crowd around him. Most of them wondering if he was going to put on a performance or if he was simply insane, such things weren’t uncommon after all. Despite what the onlookers thought, he was busy preparing. Slowly, ever slowly, he let res out the soles of his bare feet, keeping it a thin liquid he let it blend in with the flow of water around the street. He had to keep it slow if he wanted no one to notice what he was doing.
Opening his eyes as he felt he had as much res in the area as he needed and could control through his performance, he quickly counted how many people were there. Sometime during his preparations he had gathered a crowd. In a circle around him there was dozens of people watching him, all of them in some form of extravagant dressing. This was the festival of illusions and even those who weren’t performing wanted to gain attention. He knew he wasn’t the best or the most vibrant, so those around him must be the people who couldn’t find the better attractions, or who couldn't afford it. Either way it didn’t matter to him, he would perform his heart out and prove that he was worth their attention.
Now he just had to wait for the perfect moment. The start of his performance wasn’t going to be up to him. He had chosen this exact spot for more than just the water running down the street today; along the wall behind him was an open window and inside that building a concert that was supposed to be secret would soon start. He had stumbled on the spot a few bells earlier and had heard them practicing. Due to how everything was constructed, or simply because Ionu wanted it to happen, the music that would soon play inside could be heard perfectly in the street he was standing in.
Raising his arms up a hush fell over the crowd. He had truly timed this perfectly for as the crowd fell silent a rhythmic tapping could be heard echoing through the street. That was his signal, the performance was about to start. Closing his eyes he started the countdown in his head, it was almost as if he could actually hear the conductor in the building counting down to start.
Three. Two. One.
He raised his foot quickly and stomped down just as a loud boom echoed out. As his foot touched down he pulled on the res swirling through the water around him, causing some of it to shoot straight up pulling water with it. Fountains of water sprayed in a cross around him before falling back as if nothing happened. He remained still, that little bit of movement the only thing he allowed as silence reigned again. He could feel the excitement in the crowd growing. The performance was starting and he was the center of attention.
This was his chance, this was what he had trained for. As the music started up, a cacophony of crashing percusion beats, his body moved of its own accord. He was in full dancer mode, mind turned off and just allowing his body to react to the music as it will. Foot down, water up. Twist of the ankle and a spin sends that same water spiraling out into the crowd to a chorus of cheers. He was using only the smallest amounts of res to pull the strings of water into the air. It was incredibly draining, but he had been practicing just for this. Its why he had trained to not only increase how long he could control the res, but how little res he could manipulate at a time and still have the best effects.
The dance was a reaction to the music, the music seeming to guide his body, each crash of the percussion causing another stomp of his foot, and as the beat got faster and faster so did his movements. This feeling of wonder, of being the center of attention was like a drug, fueling his body so he could keep going. And just when the beat came to a cresscendo a voice joined it, changing the perception of the music. Suddenly the reckless rush of beating changed into a song of excitement and exploration.
While he hadn’t been expecting the change, his instincts quickly recovered his performance as he changed his style from the rough beats to a flowing dance. His cape moving around him as he twists and moves, blending in with the water he constantly has launching up around him. Every step he took in that circle of onlookers he grew bolder, using more and more of the res he had laced around the area, shots of water flying high into the air.
He should have reigned himself in, he should have listened to the warning signs of his body as his muscles shook from exertion so soon into the performance, he was reaching his limit and yet all he could do was continue moving with the music. The beat continued picking up pace, faster and faster, and he pushed himself to move faster, to control more, to be that much more perfect and for a moment he was.
And that's when it happened. It was one misplaced step in the endless dance that brought the end of his performance. Down he went in an inelegant tumble, and in his panic to catch himself he instinctively pulled on the rest of his res. Water rushed up all around in one final burst, causing both screams and cheers to erupt around him but he ignored it all.
Drained and in pain he lay there with the remnants of the water falling all around him in a light rain as everything slowly faded to black. He had missed his chance to impress and earn a spot with the inverted. He was no closer to achieving his goals then when he had started and now another year might pass before he could get answers. He drowned in those thoughts as darkness claimed him.
| An unknown amount of time later, same day. |
Anzaj woke in a fit of coughing as his lungs attempted to expel the water that had found it’s way into them. As his vision came into focus he saw he was laying in a puddle of water in the middle of a small dark alley, the sun lowering over the tops of the buildings. It took him a while to figure out where he was, or how he got there. The last thing he remembered was falling during his performance, and the pounding in his head wasn’t assisting with remembering everything.
Looking around he saw a smattering of coins on the ground as if people had tossed him coins during a performance, a miracle that they hadn’t been picked over while he was asleep. He didn’t have long to take in the view as the pounding in his head picked up and caused him to curl up in a ball. He hadn’t felt this badly since the first time he had overdone his water manuevers, which at least solved one mystery. If he was right then this was happening because of overgiving with his magic.
Using the wall of the alley, Anzaj managed to push himself up into a standing position eyes screwed shut against the throbbing in his head. When he finally reached an upright position his headache seemed to drop off, lessening till it was just a dull ache in the back of his head. Opening his eyes he took stock of the alley he was in. The walls while on first inspection seemed to be normal, actually had holes in them from which dozens of glowing eyes seemed to be staring out at him.
Unsure of whether or not he was actually being watched or if it was just another illusion in the city, he decided not to stick around to find out. Taking out the key to his house he stumbled along the alley in the direction of the faint tugging it gave towards his house. As he moved even the faint pounding that was left faded to nothing, Anzaj focused on just getting to his house.
As he stumbled through streets filled with tumbling performers, and illusions of such granduer only seen during this festival, he fought hard to keep back the tears. Now that he was no longer in pain he could clearly remember it all, he had fallen and tripped during his performance. He had ruined his one big chance to impress the city and it was all his fault, he simply wasn’t ready and had over reached. One step in front of the other he rushed along ignoring the spectacle of the city during festival time just trying to hide his shame from everything.
During that rush home he eventually came to make himself an oath, Next time he performed for the city he would be the best it’s ever seen. But for now, he just needed to rest and prepare.
Looking around he saw a smattering of coins on the ground as if people had tossed him coins during a performance, a miracle that they hadn’t been picked over while he was asleep. He didn’t have long to take in the view as the pounding in his head picked up and caused him to curl up in a ball. He hadn’t felt this badly since the first time he had overdone his water manuevers, which at least solved one mystery. If he was right then this was happening because of overgiving with his magic.
Using the wall of the alley, Anzaj managed to push himself up into a standing position eyes screwed shut against the throbbing in his head. When he finally reached an upright position his headache seemed to drop off, lessening till it was just a dull ache in the back of his head. Opening his eyes he took stock of the alley he was in. The walls while on first inspection seemed to be normal, actually had holes in them from which dozens of glowing eyes seemed to be staring out at him.
Unsure of whether or not he was actually being watched or if it was just another illusion in the city, he decided not to stick around to find out. Taking out the key to his house he stumbled along the alley in the direction of the faint tugging it gave towards his house. As he moved even the faint pounding that was left faded to nothing, Anzaj focused on just getting to his house.
As he stumbled through streets filled with tumbling performers, and illusions of such granduer only seen during this festival, he fought hard to keep back the tears. Now that he was no longer in pain he could clearly remember it all, he had fallen and tripped during his performance. He had ruined his one big chance to impress the city and it was all his fault, he simply wasn’t ready and had over reached. One step in front of the other he rushed along ignoring the spectacle of the city during festival time just trying to hide his shame from everything.
During that rush home he eventually came to make himself an oath, Next time he performed for the city he would be the best it’s ever seen. But for now, he just needed to rest and prepare.
