Piper hadn't actually been to the Glen at all. After all, she'd only been in Rhy'Din less than two weeks. But the Beltane celebrations appealed to her - losing herself in a crowd shouldn't be too difficult. For someone who was utterly unfamiliar with magic, however, she was distracted by the dancing lights along the path, gazing at them in wonder while others passed her on their way to the main event.
Once she came out of her delighted reverie pertaining to magic lights, Piper had a chance to look around at the festival goers, relieved that she had chosen to wear a dress. Evidently she wasn't overdressed - judging by some of the outfits on display, her simple pale angel-sleeved summer dress was probably an example of being under-dressed for the occasion. She tugged on a lock of her sable-dark hair, moving cautiously into the crowd as her eyes scanned about herself, taking in all the wonders on display.
There were so many booths to look at, so many faces to see. None of whom Piper recognised, but then, she hadn't exactly been out and about. The scent of sweet treats brought her feet steering toward the booth that was selling them, where she lingered for a long moment, torn between buying a cake, or just enjoying the smell.
Musicians who might have been plucking their violins, tuning lutes and trilling whistles slowly bled off as the lights in booths and Tents across the Glen began flickering out, like fireflies startled.
With the lights in all the booths going out, Piper found herself plunged into semi-darkness, hugging herself nervously as she looked around. The poster had said something about bonfire lighting, and if those huge piles of wood were the bonfires, she had no idea how they were going to manage it.
As the lights across the Glen shivered lower in brightness, in the dark—far off somewhere in the glen, a great drum was struck. A deep, resounding note that shivered like promise in the air. Again. But this time, when the drum was struck—with a high keen whistling sound, a single fire work made it's way in spiralling speed toward the starry sky. It exploded into a riot of day-bright red and shimmered like stars in the sky, taking the great shape of an immense, red dragon.
Tentative, but curious, Piper slipped away from the booths with the movement of the crowd, toward where the May Queen and her Green Man were mingling between the dark bonfires. A drum sounded, a firework rose into the air, and she held her breath, wondering what was next.
The 'dragon' fire work ROAAARED and opened it's light-twinkling maw to give birth to illusionary fire, setting the drums in the back ground to begin to beat steadily like a heart.
The breath was expelled in a quiet scream of terror at the sight of the magnificent red dragon filling the darkened sky above, both hands pressing over her mouth as she looked around in confusion. No one was running, why was no one running away from the fire-breathing lizard?
"Fire," said Risa, her voice magically sent out over the crowd by spell—not too loud and never screechy, "has long been a human companion." Her words were accompanied by six more fire works that showered the sky: a green oak tree grew and lit up the sky.
Piper stumbled backwards in shock, apologising to the person behind her whose feet she stood on in her abortive attempt to get away. The dragon was joined by an oak, though, and slowly she realised that this was magic. It wasn't real. Embarrassed, she looked around, hoping no one had paid any attention to her silly reaction.
Once she came out of her delighted reverie pertaining to magic lights, Piper had a chance to look around at the festival goers, relieved that she had chosen to wear a dress. Evidently she wasn't overdressed - judging by some of the outfits on display, her simple pale angel-sleeved summer dress was probably an example of being under-dressed for the occasion. She tugged on a lock of her sable-dark hair, moving cautiously into the crowd as her eyes scanned about herself, taking in all the wonders on display.
There were so many booths to look at, so many faces to see. None of whom Piper recognised, but then, she hadn't exactly been out and about. The scent of sweet treats brought her feet steering toward the booth that was selling them, where she lingered for a long moment, torn between buying a cake, or just enjoying the smell.
Musicians who might have been plucking their violins, tuning lutes and trilling whistles slowly bled off as the lights in booths and Tents across the Glen began flickering out, like fireflies startled.
With the lights in all the booths going out, Piper found herself plunged into semi-darkness, hugging herself nervously as she looked around. The poster had said something about bonfire lighting, and if those huge piles of wood were the bonfires, she had no idea how they were going to manage it.
As the lights across the Glen shivered lower in brightness, in the dark—far off somewhere in the glen, a great drum was struck. A deep, resounding note that shivered like promise in the air. Again. But this time, when the drum was struck—with a high keen whistling sound, a single fire work made it's way in spiralling speed toward the starry sky. It exploded into a riot of day-bright red and shimmered like stars in the sky, taking the great shape of an immense, red dragon.
Tentative, but curious, Piper slipped away from the booths with the movement of the crowd, toward where the May Queen and her Green Man were mingling between the dark bonfires. A drum sounded, a firework rose into the air, and she held her breath, wondering what was next.
The 'dragon' fire work ROAAARED and opened it's light-twinkling maw to give birth to illusionary fire, setting the drums in the back ground to begin to beat steadily like a heart.
The breath was expelled in a quiet scream of terror at the sight of the magnificent red dragon filling the darkened sky above, both hands pressing over her mouth as she looked around in confusion. No one was running, why was no one running away from the fire-breathing lizard?
"Fire," said Risa, her voice magically sent out over the crowd by spell—not too loud and never screechy, "has long been a human companion." Her words were accompanied by six more fire works that showered the sky: a green oak tree grew and lit up the sky.
Piper stumbled backwards in shock, apologising to the person behind her whose feet she stood on in her abortive attempt to get away. The dragon was joined by an oak, though, and slowly she realised that this was magic. It wasn't real. Embarrassed, she looked around, hoping no one had paid any attention to her silly reaction.