P. Power - Knight of the Realm

Then the woman next to her yelled for sparkles.

The whole crowed went silent at what she did next. It wasn't the light glint of crystal reflections that the noble lady had meant, but tiny purple, white and rose colored bits of light that came and went in a rapid pattern of small spirals and that clearly were outside of the material itself, by at least several inches. After ten seconds of this people started cheering loudly. Then, they also cheered for her in a simple black military uniform, fighter’s gear, which she hammed up with some really good mock fighting poses that anyone that was watching should have realized meant real skill. Workman's clothes, basically what Tor was wearing himself at the moment, done in a rainbow of shifting colors also got applause.

Finally, as almost had to happen, one drunk young man yelled out for her to take it all off. To Tor’s surprise, she covered her lower parts with a hand and threw an arm across her chest and affected a shocked look when she made the clothing disappear all together.

That was the most popular by far.

Then laughing she ran off the stage, still naked as a man came on, dressed in military gear, who demonstrated how to use a compressor rig to make focus stone items, he made a frame of dirt on the stage, Collette running over to make a box appear as if by magic on a table that was waist high on the guy, to a standing ovation, and then two more military men filled the box with dirt using earth moving rigs.

The audience called things out that the man made quickly and efficiently, including things like closing lid boxes with latches, bottles and simple statues of animals that were pretty good. Finally a woman that looked vaguely familiar for some reason asked loudly if he could make her a good man. Not waiting he threw himself into the audience and to everyone’s amusement started to walk off with her, holding hands. When he saw them together it clicked. She was one of the girls from the house at Wildlands Station. So the bit had been a set up? Very clever, the crowd had roared with laughter at the bit. Next a few fishing boats were put in the river and raced back and forth while people watched. That would be the last demonstration he guessed, but it wasn't.

Not at all.

Petra went back on the stage and made her top disappear again, not bothering to cover her breasts this time, which got loud hoots of appreciation from the audience. At first. Taking a knife she ran it across her stomach to the gasps and wincing of the watchers, then took up a healing amulet, one of the pretty glowing kind like he had on him, put it on and hit the sigil. The audience gasped. So did he. What kind of person made an eighteen inch long cut to amuse the public. Insane.

A line of people wanted to try it, so Petra, not bothering to put her top back on, walked around and let people hold it. It didn't regrow limbs, but one man that had a broken back as a child cried out as things shifted and popped and then stood up, if weakly. He was apparently well known, because people started screaming in glee. That part went on for a while, with a few people calling out that they were sending into the city for crippled or ill loved one.

Well, even after it was over, they could just knock on the door, right? That would be fine. Or send word of where the people were, if they couldn't be moved? It wasn't like it was work to hand them an amulet for a few minutes.

Then there were singers and players from the Capital, coming with their prepared works and jokes. It was, in general, the best festival he'd ever heard of, much less been to. Tor stopped and bought a sweet roll, which was good, so he got a full dozen and carried them on a wooden tray to the ice manufactory where all “his” people stood helping with ice sales. Petra had put a top on and put her equalizing amulet outside the clothing for all to see. It was a bright and happy yellow that changed to nearly pure pink when she saw him. A sign that she really liked him. That or she realized with that many rolls, he'd come to share. Either way she seemed happy. Collette too, though her amulet tinged with green occasionally, showing greed. Well, that was normal enough too.

They each took a roll and so did the military men, who all called him by name. These guys recognized him, of course… Then they were focus stone workers, not gate guards, so they wouldn't have been on duty anyway, no matter when he'd gotten there. Probably down on their off day. When he took a second roll, Tor checked it for poison, but found nothing again.

They were decent. Not enough cinnamon, but then different people had varied taste perception. He always liked spicier foods himself. The crowd looked up and pointed suddenly as a transport moved to land behind the castle. The ice castle, not the big one next to it and the whole royal family got out.

They waved to everyone and to a man, woman and with a little coaxing, child, everyone else moved back to let them walk around and watch the proceedings unimpeded. The audience bowed as one too, which was kind of impressive in its own way. After all, before the war this kind of thing was normal, wasn't it? People seemed heartened to see the King and Queen at least and began cheering, which got the royals to all go up on the stage, chairs appeared for them to sit in, nice soft ones that were purple and gold, the Cordes colors, gaining more applause and the whole show from earlier was repeated. This was on the left side of the stage, a liveried Royal Guard standing behind each of them, as if it was normal.

The guy making things with focus stone worked off to the side the whole time and presented the King with a statue that was bawdy enough that the audience hooted when Richard held it up for all to see, his eyes alight. It was a light tan color, but clearly showed a man and woman intertwined.

Tor recognized the work, if not the artist himself. Flynn. Then he made practical things again for the audience. Karina stared at Petra when she made her clothing change, fairly salivating. He'd have to give her one of the clothing devices before she left if he could. The Royal Guard might not want anyone that close to them of course. Tor couldn't see them, other than the ones on stage, but if the King was there, they were too. The Prince hooted as the boats raced, and said he wanted one, which got Petra to bring out hers and put it in the middle of the river. There was barely enough water to support it, but people gasped and stomped, which seemed a popular enough activity for the crowd. Stomping. Apparently clapping just wasn't enough for some things.

Tor went into the castle and tried to find his trunk, which was on the second level up a stone staircase, first door on the right. He had to track it by feeling for the variety of fields in it. A trick that worked pretty well he realized, as long as he wasn't too far away. The room was fantastic, it had a huge bed and was lined with silk and velvet. Smiling he realized a person almost couldn't find anything to touch that wasn't soft, or so smooth glass would have felt self-conscious about how course it was. He pulled some amulets to give away as gifts or prizes and went out on the stage itself to pass them to Petra, who seemed to be in charge, her eyes lit brightly as she held the pieces up by their cords.

“Contests!” She yelled in a booming voice, turning with a bow to the King and Queen, telling them they got to pick by tradition. If it wasn't the tradition in the Capital, no one found it amiss either. It seemed like something you'd have a King and Queen do, didn't it? Tor had brought out one of everything that had been demonstrated, except Petra's boat and Collette's house. He had the smaller versions of both though.

There was a foot race around the Capital with a prize for the first man, woman and child under twelve to finish, without shortcuts of course. The flying guard were out in force to check on that in their bright red and white uniforms.