Ice Festival

Their travels had lead them to the southern plains of Rok'thaxa in the snowy season. It was not overly cold in the parts they had been traveling through, although ice and snow were a common sight. It was all right, though. Zeke would rather put the events in the treetop city behind him, and out of mind - and out of existence, for that matter.
The chilled, rocky road had lead them to one of the smaller towns on their way to the coast, and it seemed like a good place to spend a few days resting and planning the future direction of their travels.

Upon entering the town, it was fairly obvious that they had come upon it during some sort of festival season. The place was very busy looking; Zeke didn't exactly like that. Sure, it was easy to slip through somewhere un-noticed when there was a crowd, but with this many people and some sort of celebration going on, Daxis was sure to get them into some sort of shenanigans. There was a distinct possibility of trouble finding them, too, even if neither sought it out. These things just seemed to happen.

Zeke stopped in his tracks, looking at the bustling people, and then turned to look at Daxis. "Looks like they're setting up for a party of some kind," he said. "I'm guessing you want to check it out, right?"

Although Zeke wasn't keen on checking out any sort of party, it might be a good investment of his time depending on what kind of events or activities were going on. If there were gambling games or games of chance going on, well.... Zeke had a way with those kinds of things, and it wasn't just honest luck. The stop over in a town during a festival might turn out to be very lucrative if he played it right.

Daxis shrugged at zeke's questioning as he hovered beside him, exhausted from their previous adventures in the treetop city." beats me .... but i'd rather find a place to relax first before we go look around the city ...... my feet are killing me "He said yawning as he floated past zeke to hover in front of him .

Although if was any kind of game in particular he was good at the destroying ones or shooting ones to be in fact since he was the embodiement of badluck when it came down to him at a game of chance or gambling . With daxis seeing the huge crowds he thought it would be best if they got a room to throw their stuff in before they went out and perhaps maybe let the crowds disperse a bit so they wouldn't get stuck or have something horribly go wrong.

"zeke why do we always have the worst of luck whenever we go somewhere..... like the time when we met gilligan and arby ....or leo and kyne....." he said with a slight shudder when he mentioned the name "kyne". Daxis continued to float ahead of zeke as they looked for an inn, but as he noticed a shiny castle made of ice in the heart of the festival he became intrigued and floated towards it as if he was entranced by the shining lights that danced around glimmering on the ice walls of the castle. As he hovered away from zeke's vision he stopped just before hitting the wall, He looked up at how tall it was and how remarkable that someone could build this kind of structure from ice.

daxis was starting to get thirsty when he saw some dripping water from one of the walls, but before he realized his tongue was stuck to the wall he flailed around while hovering tongue to ice as he screetched unidentifiable words that were garbled by the ice."damn it this always happens to me...." he thought to him self as he let out a sigh as he was still attached to the wall of ice that seemingly lured him in by the shining dancing lights around it as well as the music.

" beats me .... but i'd rather find a place to relax first before we go look around the city ...... my feet are killing me " answered Daxis, his wings still keeping his bare feet off the ice and snow.

Zeke raised an eyebrow at that remark. Ever since they'd entered areas with a lot of snowy ground, Daxis had done more hovering than walking. His feet rarely touched the ground; how could they hurt? Ignoring it, he answered,

"I agree, though. I'd like a bit of a rest first..." He scanned what he could see of the town, looking for whichever way was the center. If they couldn't get directions to somewhere to stay for a night or two there, they were shit out of luck anyway. A few people walked by the duo carrying some heavy looking boxes and didn't seem to even regard that they were standing there. I'm going to assume that means there are more than a few non-locals here, he thought to himself. I hope we can find a room somewhere.

Daxis floated ahead of him, speaking aloud his thoughts.

"zeke why do we always have the worst of luck whenever we go somewhere..... like the time when we met gilligan and arby ....or leo and kyne....."

"I'd rather not mention them ever again," Zeke muttered under his breath, shooting a dirty look at Daxis. Daxis seemed to think the same thing, however, as illustrated by a shudder as he mentioned the dark elf's name.

They slowly meandered to the centre of the town, Zeke following Daxis' lazy floating path, until an ice castle loomed in the distance in the middle of a town square. Daxis seemed immediately entranced by its shiny glory. He was gone before Zeke could quite figure out what way he went, but there was no doubt that he had gone inside to check things out.

The ice castle was quite impressive, Zeke noted. He wondered to himself if there had been any magic used in its creation, or if it was just pure skill of people who lived there that had made the spectacle.

And speaking of spectacles....

There was a loud noise coming from inside, and it was no doubt that it was Daxis. Zeke entered an area in the ice castle and found Daxis waving his arms and legs and wings wildly, his tongue frozen to the ice.

Zeke sighed and approached his flialing feathered friend.

"Stop moving and just breathe on it to melt the ice," he said. "Or your whole tongue will rip off," he added with a smirk. Zeke tried to ignore the people around them stopping to laugh at Daxis' predicament. They'd only been in the place 10 minutes and already there was trouble. "I'm surprised you didn't learn from the last time you decided to lick something frozen."

One of the inhabitants approached the two; a young woman carrying a basket which smelled like it contained some sort of baked goods.

"Your friend seems to have gotten himself stuck," she said with a bit of a giggle at Daxis.

After daxis' minor struggling with the ice and his tongue being stuck to it, he managed to free himself from the solid ice wall landing upside down onto the cold snowy ground ,then leaping back up from the shock of instantaneous freezing sensation that he felt as Daxis began to shiver from the snow touching his body and exposed feet.


" Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........ZZZeke I I.... I'm FFFfreezing ....is there a place to warm up now ???" he said shivering and shaking the snow off his wings .

Daxis once again resumed hovering above the ground to avoid freezing his feet, he perked up abit more after smelling the delicious scent of warm bread and other tasty things coming from a basket where zeke had been standing. "hey... Zeke shouldnt we be finding an Inn or something to get out of this cold weather .... uggghh i dont think this is very good for my complection ? " he then turned his attention to the young lady next to zeke " you wouldn't happen top know where an Inn would be would you ? " he said with a suave look on his face as if trying to hard was already showing all over his face .

Daxis had apparently melted enough of the ice with the breath from his complaining that he had freed himself from it. Tumbling backwards and landing on the snow and ice on the ground, he seemed to immediately realize that HEY. It's cold there. Time to feel cold.

Daxis shivered and complained about the cold, whining about wanting to go warm up somewhere. Although Zeke agreed with the sentiment, he was also mildly annoyed that "lick the shiny thing" had come higher up on Daxis' list of priorities of "be warm and comfy".

"Well you wouldn't be so cold if you'd wear shoes.... " Zeke muttered under his breath to himself, probably not really loud enough to be heard.

Daxis turned towards the young woman, asking her about somewhere to go and tried to be smooth but came of about as smooth as a mountain after that tumble. It didn't seem to matter, though; the young woman with the basket giggled at Daxis' theatrics.

"I suppose I could show you around a bit," she said with a smile. "There aren't too many folk visiting yet because the festival doesn't really start for a few more days and I love talking to all the new people!"

She turned around with a spring in her step and began to lead them away. Zeke inwardly harumphed.

Cheery people..... Ugh. At least she was helping them, though, and for that he would be greatful. He looked over to Daxis, shooting him a quick, "You okay? Tongue still there?" with a smirk. before following the young woman.

The smell coming from her basket of baked goods was making him fairly hungry and his stomach not-so-subtly rumbled. She stopped and turned around. "Maybe you two want something to eat too?"
Zeke shrugged, trying to hide embarrasment. Usually it was Daxis' stomach that was the vocal one.

before daxis followed behind her ,he cheerfully smiled at zeke "oh come on ... im sure it wont be that bad i mean we are hungry after all .....and she Is taking us to a place to warm up ....Riiiight ? " he chuckled more reasurringly slapping zeke on his behind as he floated on forward to catch up with the seemingly friendly woman .

" Last one there is a rotten breadstick with mold !!!!!!!!!!" daxis yelled loudly in zekes direction. He floated up behind the girl following towards a huge old style inn with big windmills on top of turrets on the outside of it ,and by the looks of it to be almost around 800 years old from what he could tell .

Daxis hovered in front of the large building as a cold snowy breeze had passed him making him shiver once again reminding him of why he does not like the winter season ,wishing he was back where a hot spring was . As he entered the inn he felt his toes tingling when he landed to give his wings a break from floating since he had been using for most of this journey in the snowy parts because of the lack of shoes ." this place is Amazing !!!! " his obnoxious voice echoed throughout the grand foyer and many hallways of the building , making what looked to be several maids and butlers look to his attention in a very disturbed manner ,then continue to their diligent work as before.

" man i am starving .... its been at least a couple days since i had anything to eat decently ....." he waivered as he sat slouching on a wooden chair that had velvet upholstry on the back and seating to look as almost if it were from some royalty collection of furnnishings.

Daxis flew off, and apparently Zeke was left to follow behind and be dubbed the moldy bread stick. As long as he was a warm moldy bread stick, that was fine by him.

The young woman lead them to a large building that looked more like a castle than anything else. It seemed to be the hub of the town, with people going in and out and gathering near by.

When he entered, he resisted the urge to do a quick check for ghosts. It was a fantastic looking place; Zeke wondered what kind of place this was to have such a nice place... Maybe it had something to do with the festival? Perhaps this was an important town somehow. Zeke wasn't familiar with the area so he had no idea. They'd possibly find out eventually.

Daxis looked comfortable, that was for sure, and it didn't seem to be bothering him. Zeke however was wary; ever since he'd started traveling with Daxis, things that had happened could only be really described as "weird shit" and he didn't want to be taken off guard AGAIN.

He still felt dirty from the last "adventure".

Oh well, at least it was warm. The people working inside had made sure it was clean, and Zeke mentioned offhandedly to the woman.

"Wow.... does someone own all this?"

He really did want to get to the bottom of what was going on before he got sucked into anything he did not enjoy.

Daxis just sat there smiling at at zeke as he was waiting at the grand table that the kind young lady had led them to. " oh i can't wait to feast on something delicious !! " he said joyiously as he watched the ever so diligent servants bring plate after plate of scrumptious looking food that daxis had set his mind and stomach on devour.

the full daxis had become so stuffed that he was starting to get tired . " bahhhhh that so tasty ... but ,my clothes are so dirty and wet from traveling that we should probably get them cleaned right zeke ?" he complimented the servants and questioned zeke as well as the girl who brought them to this wonderful place . "hey i forgot to ask what your name is so we can thank you ?" Daxis said to the cheerful girl.

" oh ..its evylen ....i hope everything was to your liking here so far ...." the maid answered daxis to his question. " As for your clothing the other servants will assist you with that and help you change for tonights festivities .....Alright " she smiled at daxis and zeke as she picked up the empty plates from the table and take them with her dissapearing into the hallway maze to the kitchen .

" huh so her names Evylen .. what a pretty name .... she must work here ?.... " daxis said aloud whilst getting up from the table wiping his face with the sleeve of his clothes. As he was about to search for a washroom he realised he did not know where anything was in the enormous building . The other servants came towards to greet both daxis and zeke " if you will come with us now .... we will have you washed and have fresh clothing for you to change into ...." said an older gentleman dressed in fancy butlers attire . " daxis nodded and followed as he waved zeke to come with .

" a nice hot bath will be nice " he thought to himself walking down the long winding hallways that crisscrossed and intersected with each other until they came to a stop behind the butler , and several other maids that had followed to assist them. " as they entered the bathroom that had warm scents wafting about the women were removing their clothing and were carrying big buckets filled with soapy warm water with sponges and started to scrub them clean. " AaaaaHHAHHH ... that tickles" daxis cried out when one of the maids had touched himne with the wet sponge. Daxis laughed at zeke when he saw the bubbles flowwing off his head like a giant bubble afro.

after they they had finished being washed the maids had left momentarily to fetch tonights attire for what they were to attend. daxis sat waiting as the servants both male and female had now come with several bunches of garments in their arms that were very large and some even frilly amd flowing . half of them took daxis into another room away from zeke where the others took zeke to another room. the look on daxis' face had changed slightly to a wincing laughing from being tickled as the maids had dressed him into a big victorian style dress with several petticoats underneath along with a corset and ribbons placed into his long black blonde two toned hair to tie parts of it back.
the dress was a dark evergreen colour with lace trims. daxis somehow was amused but confused as to why they had dressed him in this dress and were applying this weird stuff on his face (make up), which made him sneeze alittle from the powder. he wondered what zeke would be wearing ,also wondering if he would be in a dress as well or something different. the maids had finally finished up with dressing and making daxis look all pretty , and then led him out to other room where he saw zeke in a zorroesque outfit including the black mask to slightly conceal his identity .daxis' jaw dropped as he was either confused and at the same time somehow found it very becoming on zeke as it had complimented both of the outfits they were wearing. " hey zeke .... whats with your outfit ....? are we going to a party ?" he whispered to him trying to not trip in his getup.

they were then led away to yet another room as daxis found it a liitle difficult walk in his attire the servants helped him walk so he wouldn't ruin the dress. " zeke where are they taking us ?" he mouthed the words at zeke, once they had reached the room with big golden doors that opened up to reveal a child no more than what looked to be 9 or 10 years old . Daxis gulped as one of the maids had spoken out " young master we have brought you a gift on behalf of lady Evylen from your father for you 10th birthday my lord Edwin .!" daxis fidgeted in the big dress as the maid pronounced them as being offered as gifts to this child for his birthday.

" ummmm..... come again ... who is this ? and where are we? ...." daxis asked as Evylen had walked up and stood beside him she answered. " you are now presents for our young lord Edwin Von swindelhersts 10th birthday , and you are in the town as called swindelherst after their family name ." the child named edwin came closer to inspect them , as he pulled daxis downwards to his height daxis had smiled at the little boy ." this one will do .. but i dont like the other one .... take that one away and give it back to my father ! " edwin spoke in a very demanding demeanor as he shooed the other servants out of the room . " oh and ... evylen ? bring my candy after you take that ugly one out this one im going to keep forever to play with as my doll ..." " yes ... my lord Edwin ...... " Evylen spoke as she bowed her head and left taking zeke with her ,then sending zeke with other servants to be taken elsewhere.
Daxis had a kind of scared look on his face as the child wanted him as a doll or a pet to play with. he was about fly away but the weight of the dress kept him on the floor " what do i do now " he thought . as he was locked in the room with the child .

First a meal, then dragged to a bath. The things he had to put up with that Daxis dragged him through. While the Giansza seemed pleased with the idea, Zeke was against the whole thing. He could wash himself goddamnit and he could dress himself goddamnit and he didn't want to be there in the first place.

Something fishy was up, but now that Daxis had been dragged away he didn't want to just get up and leave. He'd have to deal with it for now. But he still wouldn't let them dress him. After MUCH argument, he was eventually handed a set of black clothes because his were "not fit for a place like this."

Right. Because being there was HIS idea. He tried to protest but seeing as they'd managed to force him out of his old clothes it was the stuff they'd given him or a life as a nudist and Zeke wasn't ready to make that commitment to go naked all the time.

Eventually he got in the clothes. Some sort of costume? Was he being forced into a costume party? OH JOY. he thought. MY FAVORITE. There were worse things, though, he guessed. They came and dragged him out of the small room he had been pushed into. Outside, Daxis was waiting in a d-

In a dress. Daxis. Was wearing. A dress.

At least it's not me this time. he thought with annoyance. Whatever sort of costume party they were being taken to, he hoped they could get out of it quickly.

They were pushed into a room, and he caught Daxis silently mouth a sentance to him but he'd missed the beginning of it and didn't quite know what he was asking. Probably just what was going on, or maybe will there be food (if he knew Daxis at all).

After that, they were led into a room. IT wasn't a costume party, or if it was it was the lamest party Zeke had ever seen. There were no guests and a child who appeared to be around 10 and dressed like a pompous asshole sat looking at them.

The girl they had spoken to before (Evelyn he thought her name was) spoke up.
"" young master we have brought you a gift on behalf of lady Evylen from your father for you 10th birthday my lord Edwin .!"

..... a gift? Were they supposed to put on some sort of messed up puppet show? Surely she didn't mean.....

" this one will do .. but i dont like the other one .... take that one away and give it back to my father ! "

IT? GIVE IT BACK? What was wrong with this kid!

" oh and ... evylen ? bring my candy after you take that ugly one out this one im going to keep forever to play with as my doll ..."

The ugly one! Zeke wasn't sure if he should be offended or happy to get out of there. Both emotions were overrun by the fact that the little brat had said that Daxis was his plaything now. Of all the things... Daxis was just allergic to not having weird stuff happen to him, wasn't he.

Zeke sighed inwardly. He should have smelled the crazy, but now it was just happening so often that having something normal would have been out of the ordinary. Might as well let it happen, let them get their guard down, and then he and Daxis could escape. After all, this was just a child and his servants that they were facing this time and not a crazy witch and her chef son.

"What's going on?" he finally asked Evelyn.

"Never you mind," she said, her previously friendly tone turned sour. "Wait here." she motioned to a door. He walked inside and heard a lock click behind him.

"Ah shit..." locked in. They were probably going to try to brainwash him into being some servant bullshit or something. Well, not on his watch.

It appeared to be the same room he had been rather forcefully bathed in. His previous clothes were nowhere to be seen but the bag of items he always carried with him was still there. He ripped off the stupid mask they'd wanted him to wear and threw it aside and made for the bag. He had a few needles from a small kit he used to fix his clothes; they would make for a lockpick in a pinch. although it'd been a while since he'd had to pick any lock, he'd used to do it all the time and he doubted the lock on a door for a room this small would be too complex. Walking over to the door, he began to fiddle with it.

just sit tight Daxis, he thought. This places is fucked but we'll get out of here.