The Festival of the Gods - Day 2 (pt.3/4) "The Gods' Stage"

Caisey darted out of the mysterious Fate’s booth without caution, feeling like he needed to watch his back. He was almost hyperventilating and in need of a paper bag.

I bet a god who knows everything about everything that she was wrong about Don and Lisa! How am I going to prove her wrong? Where did the real me go?! Caisey wanted to slap himself for his newfound audacity.

He blamed Rina for waking up his inner demons.

Speaking of Rina… Caisey looked around at the nighttime scenery, the golden landscape and colorful booths and food stall, the bright lanterns and flowing streamers. He smiled wanly at passersby as they moved around his still figure, offering greetings and congratulations above whispered curses wondering why the hell he was blocking the way.

Among all this, Caisey found himself alone. Rina and his friends were nowhere in sight.

He instinctively reached into his pants pockets for his cellphone to call Don but was brought back to reality as his hand hit only fabric. “Darnit.” He muttered and, with no other choice, trudged forward in search of his friends.

It was a short walk before Caisey spotted a blonde girl with mid-length pin straight hair sitting high on the shoulders of an able-bodied young man. Their backs were facing Caisey as they looked forward towards a sight Caisey couldn’t see from where he stood. Around them was a densely packed crowd that created a cacophony of noises, a frightening mixture of animalistic cheers and the more human alternative.

Something’s clearly exciting over there. Caisey thought, imagining a couple of the roughest, toughest gods wrestling it out on a makeshift battle ring and picked up speed. He asked immediately once he’d reached their side, “What’s going on?”

Lisa looked down at him, beaming, “Finally! We’ve all been waiting for you!”

“We’ve… all?” Caisey clarified, a constipated look morphing onto his features.

Don turned sharply at that moment, whipping Lisa around with him like a weightless shell. She hollered in alarm and wacked him over the head. Good thing Caisey had always thought Don’s head was made of steel and filled with nothing because he didn’t react a bit and instead screamed, “CAISEY! Where’ve you been, man? No way talking with that super old lady took that long. Got lost, didn’tcha?”

At ‘CAISEY!’ several heads turned to find the owner of that name—in unison. It was like something straight out of a horror movie. Caisey briefly wondered what kind of god he’d have to be to swallow himself up into a bottomless hole.

“The Chosen One is here!” a cry came. And then another, and another, and finally so many that everyone in the massive and growing crowd had practically created a lyrical hymn out of his title.

“Are you planning on telling me what the heck everyone is waiting on me for?!” Caisey cried, looking to Lisa and Don in confusion. They both grinned at him and gestured with their heads that he should make his way forward.

“Nuh-uh.” Caisey insisted, shaking his head. It was bad enough that those two were acting strange, but with a whole realm of gods grinning at him with gleaming, expectant eyes, there was no way Caisey was going to walk willingly into what could very well be another booth of living death. He was already in hot water, as it was.

And most importantly, “Where’s Rina, by the way?” He asked but received an exaggerated summons in place of a response.

“And now, we welcome to center stage… This festival’s Chosen One… Caiiiiiseyyyy LEGNA!” A voice Caisey knew too well called from somewhere far ahead of where he stood. Although he could see nothing behind the backs of the many towering gods, he knew Rina’s voice anywhere.

Even a horrible WWE imitation voice like this one.

And she calls me a geek, he thought and couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Reluctant though his mind was, his body instantly started its way toward her like a magnet to a pole. He pushed for a while through the crowd until the eager spectators in his path finally began recognizing that he was coming their way and shimmied aside for him to get through.

Eventually, Caisey found himself climbing a short set of stairs and mounting an impressively large stage that overlooked an endless sea of audience members. He was wowed by the bright LED displays and giant speakers mounted on the easy-assemble concert stage poles. He was even awed by where the ‘concert hall’ was placed, overlooking the golden city and all its magnificent citizens. Under the moonlight, a light layer of clouds blanketed the sky, providing the event a dreamy atmosphere.

It had quite an effect on Caisey who, amid timid steps, had finally traveled his way to center stage.

And was stripped of breath the moment he saw Rina.

While this sensation was nothing new, Caisey was still wholly affected by Rina’s allure. It was an incredible moment because, really, Rina hadn’t physically changed at all. She was still dressed in the pretty silk dress robes as before, as blue as her shimmering ocean eyes. Her hair was let down as before, free to the wind’s soft touches, its curious fingers.

Everything Caisey had ever liked about Rina was as Rina was now, and yet, the moment in its entirety was special. It had Caisey standing in place, taking it all in. He wondered after a moment, How long will this girl take my breath away?

Instead of the series of cheesy words he had floating around in his head, Caisey calmed himself enough to say, “I think you gods have become far too influenced by the Mortal Realm.” He made a point of looking around the stage.

Rina laughed and did her usual, twirling without abandon. “Well, we happen to find some really nice things down there.” She said, looking pointedly into Caisey’s eyes.

He blushed and changed the subject. “So, I’m ‘the festival’s’ Chosen One, now?” He asked. The wording from earlier had perked his ears up a bit.

“Well, duh! At first, both you and the other one—”

“Elise.” Caisey supplied.

“—the other one,” Rina repeated without missing a beat, “were dual Chosen Ones. After you won the first task, the other one—”

“Rina.”

“Caisey.” A pause. A long one. Then, Caisey sighed in defeat, and Rina continued happily, “The other one… Elise… was officially cast out and forfeited the chance to become THE Chosen One. The second day is all about you, my good sir.” Rina finished with a light giggle and a cute flourish.

Caisey wanted to roll his eyes but couldn’t take them off her. Instead, he shook his head and said, “Sure, sure. Now, what is all this? And why am I here?”

“Why, to participate in all of the festival events, silly!”

“Which is?”

“Come on, Case. Use your brain.” Rina whipped her left arm outward at the crowd, and the gods below responded with eager cheers. “What do you think is going on here?”

“I’m hoping it’s not what I’m thinking.” Caisey admitted.

“Well, it is.” Rina responded, deadpan.

Caisey shook his head in refusal, so Rina immediately started pleading in her most dramatic way. “Pleeeeease! Come on, it’s been so long since we’ve sung a duet together! Please? Please!? Pleeeease.”

“GODS, you’re so annoying.” Caisey said, trying not to laugh. He tried stuffing on a stern expression instead.

Rina, knowing she’d just won, lifted completely off the stage floor and twittered her feet elegantly in the air. “Yay!!!” She cried. She winked her beautiful blue eyes at him as she touched back down. He’d always secretly loved the way they sparkled in the moonlight.

He’d only just started to resign to his fate when Rina shouted, “Let’s sing!”