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Caelum unfurled, letting the morning light bathe them softly. She stretched upwards, like the Guide had taught her, as if to greet the sun. Shuffling towards the basin and pots against the wall, she started a mental list for the day. She'd have to do the Daily quests for the realm’s balance, check the message candles in Hidden Forest, and look at the new furniture on offer. Then she paused, as a clamor of honks shot past her window. As she peered out, she watched a sea of capes busily jostling over a glowing ball. Caelum stared for a moment, confused. That's right! It was SkyFest!
Although she'd received the letter recently, she'd forgotten all about it, after finishing the last season. With a quiet series of honks, she scuttled back over to the basin. Caelum passed a set of two cloths over her face, and also her mask. She changed, picking out her more partyish clothes. Her cream puffy pants and plain tunic would do, along with the special scarf Steward had given her. Waving a hand over her hair, she pulled at the light attached to it, styling it into a close cropped look. With her saxophone strapped to her back, Caelum was ready to party!
Aviary village was bedecked in shades of blue, and colorful streamers. A faint tug on her senses alerted the location of an event currency. Caelum headed towards it, jumping on top of the small wall it rested on. By now, she was quite good at tugging the currency free from the realm's energies, and a few seconds later it burst into a ticket. This she tucked into her pouch. Repeating her process three more times netted her the event currency for the day.
Before she could head to the Office or really join in the festivities, she had to check the Daily quests. Tapping the sigil on the shrine yielded an easy run, Light 20 candles, Catch the light in Vault, Relive a spirit's memories in Vault, and High-five someone. Fairly easy, especially compared to some of the last ones she got. But should she do them now? Or after she'd checked out the festivities? After, she decided. It'd be nice to do them first, and the quests were pretty gentle.
With her mind made up on that front, she headed to the Office. While she could go for the quicker way through the new portal, she opted for the normal way, just since it was the first day. Stepping through the Vault portal meant she had to blink a bit as her eyes adjusted to the dim interior. One flap got Caelum over the wall and she traced her hand over the back wall till she found the crack. Slipping through, she pulled out her candle till she got to the glowing meadow. The little flowers glowed as her pants brushed against them. With a couple flaps, maneuvering up the ledge and around the barricades, she stood in front of the spirit gate.
The person dressed in the blue cape waved at her and invited her in, extending their hand. Caelum took it, feeling the buzz of the gate dampen as their clasped hands passed through it. She bowed in thanks, and the person went back through the gate to wait. Continuing on, Caelum glided over the lake shimmering with golden designs. The portal enveloped her, and she blinked her eyes open to see the grey of the Office.
Touching her candle to the door made it swing open. Caelum dodged, just, and hurried in before it closed. Skykids had already been through, so the row of candles was glowing with warm wax. Eventually, she headed back outside, to fly up to the rooftop; where the real party was. A wave of noise greeted her as her head crested about the roof and she scrambled up.
The first thing Caelum did was plunge her hands into the spell bucket and retrieve her share of the free spells. Handing over three of the event tickets to one of the Anniversary Staff netted Caelum this year's headwear: A sparkly tiara, with five pointed stones. She nestled it into her hair gently.
Moving away from the Staff, she cast her gaze around the rooftop. Although the mob of colors made it hard to see, the roof was the same as last year. Except…Near the cannon and the new portal to Aviary village was a set of 3 stands. She approached them and gasped. Resting on the stands were 3 special capes, one of which she'd only heard of and the other 2 she hadn't been able to obtain. Caelum could see the connection on each of them, making the capes function as a short lasting spell. She tapped the sigil on the cape of the deer. The folds settled around her as she focused on the central point.
The world faded, and she opened her eyes to a silent plain. A massive tree bowed over a softly shimmering lake surrounded by delicate flowers and a few benches. Before her paced the Nine coloured Deer softly reflecting off the crystal water. By the time she'd moved towards the tree, her cape had faded back into her original one. Three strong flaps while keeping her wings closed let her nestle among the pale branches.
Soft chimes filled her ears as she floated in gentle breeze scented with florals. The soft rippling of the Deer’s footsteps provided a regular beat her mind focused on. This SkyFest seemed like the best one yet, with so much to explore! Caelum would check it out later, but for now she slumbered in the soft memory as the Deer kept sentinel below.