The road back to Luminara wound through rolling hills and small villages. The sun was warm, the sky clear, and the three of them walked at an easy pace, their steps unhurried. Artemia walked on Alex's left, her hand resting in the crook of his arm. Saeko walked on his right, her fingers lightly touching his sleeve. They did not speak. There was no need.
The sound reached them before they saw it. Music—lively, joyful, carried by the wind. Drums and flutes and the bright jingle of bells. Artemia's head lifted, her eyes searching the horizon.
"What is that?" she asked.
Alex listened. "A circus, I think."
They crested a hill and saw it below—a sprawling canvas city of red and gold and white. Tents rose like colorful mountains, their flags snapping in the breeze. A crowd had gathered, their laughter and applause rising like a wave. The air smelled of popcorn and cotton candy and something sweet, like caramel apples.
Artemia's eyes widened. "A circus. I haven't seen one in years."
