CHAPTER NINE
When the Tide Rises
The Tidefall Festival began with bells.
Every church, every temple, every shrine in the city rang out at dawn, a cascading symphony that rolled across the streets and shook the morning air. Orion jolted awake to the sound, his hand going for a sword that wasn't there before his brain caught up with reality.
"It's starting!" Nera was already at the window, human-sized and bouncing on her toes. "Listen! Can you hear it? It's beautiful!"
"It's loud."
"Beautiful and loud! The best combination!" She spun away from the window, her green hair flying. "Get up! Get dressed! We have to go see everything!"
"It's barely past dawn."
"And we're already missing things! There's a parade at noon! And the opening ceremony! And the games start this afternoon!" She was pulling clothes from their small wardrobe, tossing options onto the bed. "Wear the blue shirt. It makes you look less grumpy."
"I always look grumpy."
"Less grumpy than usual, then. It's a festival! You're supposed to look approachable!"
Orion gave up on the idea of a slow morning and rolled out of bed.
* * *
The city had transformed overnight.
Banners in shades of blue and silver hung from every building, depicting waves and ships and stylized sea creatures. Garlands of seashells and dried seaweed decorated doorways and lampposts. The streets themselves had been swept clean and scattered with what looked like crushed shells that glittered in the morning light.
And the people. Gods, the people.
Everyone was out. Families with children, elderly couples arm in arm, groups of young people laughing and shouting. Street vendors had set up on every corner, selling festival foods and trinkets and commemorative tokens. Musicians played on seemingly random street corners, their melodies overlapping into a cheerful cacophony.
"This is incredible," Nera breathed. She was pixie-sized now, perched on Orion's shoulder to avoid being trampled by the crowds. "Everyone looks so happy."
"They've been waiting for this all year," said a voice behind them.
They turned. An old woman sat on a bench nearby, wrapped in a shawl despite the warm weather. Her eyes crinkled with amusement at their obvious newcomer status.
"First Tidefall?" she asked.
"First one," Orion confirmed. "We just moved to the city."
"Then you're in for a treat." The woman gestured expansively at the decorated streets. "The festival celebrates the founding of Coastal City. Three hundred years ago, the first settlers arrived here during the tidefall—the one day each year when the tides pull back far enough to reveal the sea caves beneath the cliffs. They took it as a sign. Built their homes here. Built all of this."
"The Saltmaw Caves," Orion said, recognizing the description.
"Among others. The caves run for miles under the city. Full of salt and minerals and..." She paused. "Well. Other things. But during Tidefall, they're mostly safe. People go down to collect shells and pretty stones. It's a tradition."
"Mostly safe?" Nera asked.
"Safe enough." The woman's expression flickered briefly. "There are always guards posted. Nothing to worry about during the festival."
She stood, brushing off her shawl. "Enjoy yourselves, young ones. And don't miss the parade. The Tide King and Queen lead it from the Stone Quarter to the harbor."
"We won't miss it!" Nera promised. "Thank you!"
The woman smiled and disappeared into the crowd with surprising agility for her apparent age.
"She was nice," Nera said.
"She was informative." Orion filed away the details about the caves. Mostly safe. Nothing to worry about. The kind of reassurances that usually preceded something going very wrong.
But today wasn't for worrying. Today was for festivals.
He pushed the concerns aside and let Nera guide him toward the center of the city.
* * *
They found Vex and Denna at the Guild Square, which had been converted into the festival's main registration area.
Tables lined the square, each one dedicated to a different competition. Signs announced the events: The Great Boat Race. The Culinary Challenge. The Strength Trials. The Treasure Hunt. The Tide King and Queen Contest ("Open to all! Sponsored by the Merchant Consortium!").
Vex was already at the Treasure Hunt table, gesticulating wildly at a bored-looking official.
"—and I'm telling you, a team of four is perfectly reasonable! We have complementary skills! He's good at finding things, she's good at solving puzzles, I'm good at... at being enthusiastic! And Denna is good at telling me when I'm wrong!"
"That's a full-time job," Denna said from beside him.
"See? Complementary skills!"
The official sighed. "Sir, the Treasure Hunt has a maximum team size of three. It's in the rules."
"Rules are guidelines!"
"Rules are rules. That's why they're called rules."
"But—"
"Vex." Orion stepped up to the table. "Maybe we should enter as two teams instead."
Vex spun around, his face lighting up. "Orion! You made it! I was just explaining to this very reasonable official—"
"I heard." Orion turned to the official, a young elven man who looked like he'd already dealt with too much enthusiasm this morning. "Two teams. Myself, my wife, and one other for team one. Vex, Denna, and one other for team two."
"We don't have a third person," Denna pointed out.
"We could recruit someone!" Vex's enthusiasm was undimmed. "There must be solo adventurers looking for a team! We'll hold auditions!"
"We will not hold auditions."
"Brief interviews, then!"
"Also no."
The official cleared his throat. "Two-person teams are allowed. They simply don't receive the third member's portion of the prize if they win."
"Perfect!" Vex slammed his hand on the table. "Two teams! Healthy competition! The Stargrass team versus the Thornwood-Coldwell alliance!"
"That's not a team name," Denna said.
"It's a working title!"
They registered. The official handed them each a token—a small bronze medallion with a wave pattern—and explained the rules.
"The Treasure Hunt begins tomorrow at dawn. You'll receive your first clue at the starting line near the harbor. The clues will lead you through the city to various checkpoints. First team to reach the final location and claim the treasure wins. No flying—" he looked pointedly at Nera "—no teleportation, no magical assistance beyond what you'd use in everyday life. Questions?"
"What's the treasure?" Nera asked.
"That's revealed to the winners."
"But what if it's something we don't want?"
"Then you can keep the gold prize instead. Twenty silver for first place."
"Twenty silver!" Nera's eyes went wide. "We could buy so many pastries!"
"Or save it," Orion suggested.
"Or buy pastries!"
"We'll discuss it if we win."
* * *
With registration complete, they had several hours before the parade. Vex insisted on exploring the festival games, which had been set up throughout the Harbor District.
"We should practice!" he declared. "Warm up our competitive instincts!"
"Your competitive instincts don't need warming up," Denna observed. "They're perpetually on fire."
"Thank you!"
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Everything is a compliment if you believe hard enough!"
The games ranged from simple skill challenges to elaborate setups that seemed designed more for entertainment than actual competition. There was a ring toss with moving targets, an archery range where the bullseyes were painted on spinning wheels, and something called "The Kraken's Grasp" that involved climbing a rope while volunteers threw water at you.
Vex immediately entered The Kraken's Grasp.
"This is a terrible idea," Denna said as they watched him attempt to scale the rope. He'd made it about ten feet before the first bucket of water caught him square in the face.
"GAH!" He lost his grip, slid down several feet, and clung on with pure stubbornness. "That's cheating!"
"It's the game!" the volunteer shouted back, readying another bucket. "Climb or swim, adventurer!"
"I'll climb! I'll climb AND complain!"
He made it halfway before a particularly well-aimed deluge sent him plummeting into the cushioned landing area below. He emerged soaking wet and grinning.
"That was amazing! Orion, you have to try it!"
"No."
"Come on! It's fun!"
"No."
"Nera! Tell him to try it!"
"He doesn't like getting wet," Nera said. "Or climbing. Or public embarrassment."
"Those are three of my favorite things!"
"We know," Denna said dryly. "Believe me, we know."
They moved on to less hazardous games. Nera proved surprisingly adept at the ring toss, her tiny size giving her an unexpected advantage in precision. Orion discovered a knife-throwing booth and, despite his protests that he was "just looking," ended up winning a small stuffed fish by landing three bullseyes in a row.
"For you," he said, handing the fish to Nera.
"I love it!" She hugged the fish, which was nearly as big as she was in pixie form. "I'll name it Gerald!"
"Why Gerald?"
"He looks like a Gerald!"
Orion couldn't argue with that logic.
* * *
The parade began at noon, heralded by trumpets and the steady beat of drums.
They found a spot near the harbor, where the route would end and the Tide King and Queen would give their opening address. The crowds were thick here, but Nera's ability to fly gave them a scouting advantage—she'd found them a place on a low wall where they could see over the heads of the assembled masses.
The parade itself was magnificent.
First came the drummers—rows of them, men and women in matching blue uniforms, their rhythm driving the procession forward. Then the flag bearers, carrying banners from every guild and organization in the city. Then the floats.
The floats were works of art. Massive wooden structures on wheels, decorated to represent scenes from the city's history and mythology. A ship battling a sea serpent, the waves made of flowing silk. A representation of the first settlers, standing proudly on a rocky shore. A fantastical underwater kingdom, complete with mermaids and fish that seemed to swim through the air on hidden wires.
"That one!" Nera pointed excitedly at a float shaped like an enormous shell, inside which dancers performed in costumes that glittered like scales. "How do they make it look like the shell is actually moving?"
"Magic, probably," Orion said. "Or very clever engineering."
"Magic is just engineering we don't understand yet!"
"That's... actually a valid perspective."
"I'm full of valid perspectives!"
The final float carried the Tide King and Queen—two citizens selected through some process that Orion hadn't quite figured out, dressed in elaborate costumes of blue and silver. They waved to the crowd with practiced grace, their smiles bright and their posture perfect.
"They look tired," Nera observed.
"They've probably been doing this all morning."
"But they're still smiling. That's dedication."
"Or good training."
"Or both!"
The parade ended at a stage that had been erected near the harbor. The Tide King—a broad-shouldered fisherman with a crown of woven seaweed—stepped forward to address the crowd.
"Citizens of Coastal City!" His voice, magnified by some enchantment, carried across the masses. "Welcome to the three hundredth Tidefall Festival!"
The crowd cheered.
"For three centuries, we have gathered to celebrate our founding. To honor those who first saw the potential in these shores. To give thanks for the sea that sustains us and the community that defines us!"
More cheers. The Tide Queen, a elegant elven woman with silver hair, stepped up beside him.
"This year, as in all years, we open our celebration with a reminder," she said, her voice softer but no less commanding. "The tides give and the tides take. We live in balance with the sea. We respect its power and accept its gifts. And we remember those who came before us—those who built this city, and those who were lost to the depths."
A moment of silence fell over the crowd. Even Vex stopped fidgeting.
"But today is not for mourning!" The King's voice boomed out again. "Today is for celebration! Let the Tidefall Festival begin!"
The cheers that erupted were deafening. Music struck up from somewhere, and the crowd began to disperse toward the various attractions and events. The festival had officially started.
"That was lovely," Nera said. "A little ominous at the end, but lovely."
"Every coastal city has stories about the sea taking people," Orion said. "It's part of the culture."
"I know. It's just..." She trailed off, watching the Tide Queen descend from the stage. "She looked sad when she mentioned the ones who were lost. Like she was remembering something specific."
"Maybe she was."
"Maybe." Nera shook off the moment. "Come on! The food stalls are opening! I want to try everything!"
"Everything?"
"At least half of everything!"
They joined the flow of the crowd, letting the festival sweep them up in its energy.
* * *
The afternoon passed in a blur of activity.
They ate until they couldn't eat anymore—grilled fish on sticks, fried dough dusted with sugar, some kind of seaweed salad that Nera loved and Orion found questionable. They watched a puppet show retelling the city's founding myth. They placed bets on the crab races (Nera's crab won; Orion's came in dead last).
Vex challenged Orion to no fewer than three different competitions. Orion won two of them (strength-based) and lost one (a test of who could hold their breath longest underwater, which Vex inexplicably dominated).
"I've been practicing!" Vex crowed. "In the bathtub! Denna times me!"
"I do not time him," Denna said. "He times himself and then tells me about it in excessive detail."
"Supporting from a distance!"
"Tolerating from a distance."
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, they found themselves on the western cliffs—the spot the city guard had recommended on their first day. Below them, the harbor glittered with reflected light. Above them, the first stars were beginning to emerge.
"This is nice," Nera said. She was human-sized now, sitting beside Orion with her legs dangling over the cliff's edge. "All of this. The festival, the city, the people."
"It is."
"We made the right choice, coming here."
"I think so too."
She leaned against him, her warmth familiar and comforting. "Tomorrow's the treasure hunt. Are you ready to win?"
"I'm ready to participate. Winning is optional."
"Winning is never optional! Winning is the goal!"
"I thought the goal was fun."
"Fun and winning! Both goals! Multiple goals!"
He smiled—a real smile, the kind he saved for moments like this. "We'll do our best."
"Our best is pretty good."
"It is."
They sat together as the last light faded, watching the city below them come alive with lanterns and music. The festival would continue through the night—street performances, dancing, celebrations that would last until dawn—but for now, they were content to observe from a distance.
Tomorrow would bring competition and excitement. But tonight was for peace.
Tonight was for watching the world turn beautiful and knowing they were part of it.
* * *
In the shadows beneath the city, something stirred.
The festival brought many things to Coastal City—visitors, commerce, celebration. It also brought opportunities. The guards were distracted. The people were focused on joy. The barriers between the surface and the depths grew thin.
In the Saltmaw Caves, the ones that the adventurers had "cleared," something moved through tunnels that hadn't been mapped. Something that had been sleeping for a very long time.
The queen was dead—the intruders had seen to that. But the queen was not the only power in the depths. She had merely been keeping something else at bay.
And now, with her death, with the colony scattered, with the festival drawing energy and attention upward...
Now, the barrier was weakening.
Something ancient turned its attention toward the surface. Toward the lights and the music and the thousands of beating hearts above.
It had been so long since it had fed.
So very, very long.
— End of Chapter Nine —