Nightly Lessons Book I: The Book of Beginnings

[Peeker]

"Far? I suppose, since-"

Alek paused, as Lucy gave a prompt and canine interruption, smiling while Caboose too worked his way through the house.

"The festival is going to be in a very strange location, actually. That's why Lord Dimitrius asked me to craft so many wards. We're going to be traveling to-"

"Sorry about that. He's still tired. What were you two talking about?"

Aleksandr nodded softly. "Its alright.... he's sleeping, then?" Aleksandr nodded. "Alice was asking about the Festival - where we're going to be holding it, what happens at it - that sort of thing." He shrugged. "As I was saying, the location is an interesting place, and the wards I have to install are important.. more to keep us safe, than anything else. You want to tell her about it, Mikeal?"


"....m..." Janus found himself rolling back over when Lucy came to his side, and it gratefully pleased the hound to soon find one of his arms weakly draped over her. The motherly creature snuggled in close against the sick boy, and proudly kept him safe, and loved, while he fought his way through unpleasant dreams.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Mikeal looked at the two and smiled. So Alice didn't know where the festival would be? How excitting. Getting comfortable in his seat, he looked bemused at the girl.

"The festival is being held in..." He waited for her to lean a little closer, acting as if he was filling her in on the worlds most well kept secret. "... a secret!"

"Mikeal!" She groaned his name, not exactly amused by his teasing behavior. It seemed just because someone was a Worhty, it didn't mean that they would grow up exactly.

"I'm kidding," He smiled at her. "It's being held near a volcano this year in Hawaii so it should be interesting. It's one of the smaller islands where tourist don't go. I think it's privatly owned by Victor Nosfurala, Kaine's master, so it should be interesting."

"Hawaii?" her eyes sparkled a bit. She had always wanted to go to Hawaii but never got the chance. Her family had planned to go three months after her turning. Needless to say it never happened. "Really? Will we get to surf and stuff?"

"I'm pretty sure on some of the days," Mikeal smiled. "
Not on the main days though dear. There are days where we must play the parts we are ment to at the festival. Mind you though, there will be rules to follow during all this. night surfing isn't exactly the safest thing."

He thought for a moment and decided Aleks could fill her in on the rules, for example how when the elders would say it's time to come in from playing on the beach or said an area was off limits, they ment it.

[Peeker]

"It will be nice, I'm sure." He smiled at Mikeal. "You won't be getting a suntan, I'm afraid, but it is still a beautiful land." Aleksandr had never been sure how he felt at beaches. To be honest, he enjoyed lakes much more: there was just so much... ....space..... it was like sitting on the edge of the world, being near the shore. Everything just... stopped.

The stars did look so beautiful out there, though. It would certainly be worth it - and the children would love it, no doubt.

"You would like it though, yes?" The man continued, looking at Alice. "Like I said, it is not quite so bad as you might have imagined... far from it. If not for all the work it takes to prepare it, many would say that once every two years simply isn't enough."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice nodded as she pictured what she could do at the beach. She would probably be wearing a one piee, she hadn't forgotten her first year with Aleks where he saw her looking in the Victoria's Swim suit catalog. He looked like he nearly had a heart attack, but who knew? Hawaii had after all swim suits with trunks and although it had been while, back with her family she use to surf a little. She wasn't all out good at it, but she could ride a simple wave.

"I guess," She still had a far off look in her eyes, clearly planning her own ideas of activities during the celebration. "It does sound nice."

Mikela smiled and leaned back.

"I remember my first festival. It was in the artic, can you believe it?" He smiled again but this time a little darker. "I still can't forget how Freddrik creamed Razziel in the back of the neck with a snowball. Too bad he hit you too Aleks along with Lord Gabriel. It was funny when we got Gabby to join. You wouldn't think a girl her size back then could hit one so hard."

[Peeker]

Aleksandr's eyes glinted. "Hard to believe we could hit so hard back, hm?" He looked thoughtful for a moment. That phrase had a couple of meanings: Aleksandr had responded with a playful, if not enormous blast of snow at the fledglings. Razziel had responded to Gabriel's urgings, and taken the boys aside - and his cane had been with him.

This was, thankfully, early in Mikeal and Gabriella's career as fledglings: the bad blood between Aleksandr and Razziel had not yet reached the peaks it was currently at - Aleksandr's punishment of his girl had been token, and in private, but even then he'd been wary of letting Razziel near his children.

"I'm afraid my first festival was not quite as ornate." Alek admitted. "It was held at the House Tepes.... the first Armistice - the peace treaty - during one of the wars. It was incredible to see so many people I'd assumed were violent enemies making peace and merry with each other. ....a strange people, we are, no doubt." He shook his head. "The music, though! It was... I've never heard music so sweet. It was an inspiration, truly. A needed one." He shrugged slightly, steepling his fingers. "I'd only been a fledgling for some ten-months, I believe: I was still depressed over the loss of my family.... getting used to it, but sad, of course. It helped me accept that I needed to restart my life." He nodded, a little more confidently. "...and your first Festival will be memorable as well, Alice. I guarantee it."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice looked at Aleks and smiled, doing her best to calm any worries she had about the festival. She would take Aleks' word for it, that she would meet many new faces, mingle with others her age, and all the time have Aleks there to protect her from anyone who would want to harm her.

She could handle a few old fashioned manners until then. She was sure of it.

Mikeal winced slightly reminding himself to warn Janus if the boy ever decided to have a snowball fight between Aleks and Alice. It wasn't that Aleks cheated, but his abilities to heft a good car sized snowball didn't always seem fair.

They continued talking for the rest of the day, Alice disappearing to go and check on Janus by herself. They apologies to each other, asked how each was doing, cried slightly, forgave, and in the end joked lightly around until Janus tired out once more with Alice next to him.

Mikeal and Aleks in the meantime spoke calmly to each other, calling on past memories and laughing lightly as a few well kept secrets came up, like whom had shaved Lady Agabeth's hell hound in a poodle. It continued like this until the time finally came for the pairs to part ways until the time of the festival. Like last time, Alice hugged Janus goodbye while the dare leopard spotted boy stole a small kiss on her cheek while Mikeal shook hands with Aleks.

"Take care you two, we'll see you at th festival," Mikeal gave a small wave as Alice held Klonoa close and waved back, Aleks' hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure it will be a blast."

Too bad Mikeal never knew how right he was going to be just as the two Rastlines disappeared.


......End of Book One....