Re: Level 100 Farmer

Chapter 174 - Summerfell II

The crowd instinctively stepped backwards once, but by now, they had full trust in Li, and they were more awed than they were scared. The pillar of fire flickered down until it reached the level of a normal bonfire, and then the song began.

The old priests, headed by Ivo, began to sing. Their voices had marvelous projection, spreading across the entirety of the fields with little issue. Li could tell they were drawing power from him, using it to carry their voices far to all the followers present.

Their song was foreign to almost all present, not having ever been heard for over five decades. At first, it began like regular song. Though there were no words, no lyrics, their voices resonated in rising hums like a trained choir. 

Then, the song truly blossomed into nature. They began to make sounds that none would have believed could come from human vocal chords. They mimicked the sounds of the forest, the twitter of birdsong, the whistling of wind, the crashing of waterfalls, the gurgling of streams, the chatter of animals, and all of it coalesced together in a wondrous harmony of orchestral scale. 

The bards and troubadours hired for the festival listened intently, their eyes closed in bliss at being given the chance to hear lost song form, and soon, they nodded to each other, figuring out the tune of the song and beginning to play their own songs on their own instruments, not overshadowing the priests, but complementing them. 

As the wonder at hearing the song faded and as the energy of the song cascaded higher and higher, the dancing began. It was Vahid, the adventurer, that first began it, loudly shouting that the beats of nature would be perfect to showcase his moves which turned out to be little more than drunken galloping. 

But it only took one person to start before everyone began to dance, matching the wavelength of the song's energy, letting it speak to them in a primal way that words alone could not.

Li himself smiled as he passed through the crowd, his job done but still happy that so much liveliness could sprout from his and many others' efforts. He made his way back to his viewing spot, sitting down and petting Tia who, thoroughly entertained by the Myrmeke, had now fallen asleep, tired. 

Once again, Li observed.

Sylvie, as promised, was warding away Jeanne from taking the invitation to join a raucous dance from the knights, and instead, they went about to the beastwomen who had little concept of a dance, teaching them basic movements. The Feli, Lupi, and harpies were highly interested, watching intently before joining in on the flux of moving bodies. 

The Serpi were more distant, simply observing and recording, not too keen intrinsically in moving so much. 

The knights, having lost Jeanne but still happy with alcohol, had banded together shoulder to shoulder to form a line of dancing knights that almost looked like they were marching. Adventurers soon joined them, as did a few farmers and even beastwomen, especially Lupi who admired the fact that the knights were willing to even try and fight them. 

Old Thane and Ivo stood by the bonfire, watching it together in silence, likely reminiscing together about the past in the wake of a flame that promised so much in the future. 

Li watched the dancing, the high and intense energy, for hours, simply making sure as a good leader would that nothing went wrong. Zagan sat beside him, watching the humans make merry, and said, 'My personage cannot understand this wasted movement. Should the humans not hone their skills, their battle readiness? Threats yet lie around them.'

"And that's why I'm here. My power affords them this happiness, and it is my duty as their leader, their god."

"There is no doubt to your immense might." Zagan looked to the west, over the heads of the mortals, beyond the horizon. "But the winds blowing west are becoming ever more foul."

Li nodded but kept his gaze upon his followers. "In due time, under my care, all winds will blow with peace."

Hours passed, and finally, the energy of the dancing crowd had simmered down. Li could tell by the few passed out adventurers, knights, and even beastwomen here and there and how their movements were less frenzied. The alcohol in their systems had burned out their energy, leaving them in drunken lulls. 

This was when the priests changed their song. They began a quieter, almost mournful tune, but soon enough, it became slow, mellow, matching the bonfire that now began to flicker down. The bards and troubadours immediately recognized the telltale signs of a slow dance song and used their instruments to complement the priests, and as the familiar ring and hum and beat of their instruments rang in the ears of the crowd, a final burst of energy zapped through them.

A slow song to end this night of festive energy – the allure of that was hard to miss. 

The farming couples danced together, connected to their lovers by hand, shoulder, or waist, swaying to the mellow pace of the song. Several knights tried to find Jeanne, but instead found her teaching a few Lupi how to dance slowly and properly in the way a lady should. 

Old Thane and Ivo, bereft of their loved ones, simply sat together on the grass, watching others' happiness with smiles just as Li did. 

The high strung Feli and harpies, hearing this slower song, simply fell asleep, curled up away from the crowd. The only Feli that actively tried dancing were the two with Azhar. But the Lupi were curious, and they reached out to the humans. 

Both knight and single male adventurers were eager to teach the Lupi how to dance, and soon, natural pairings formed. Adventurers that were couples danced together, and Li noticed Launcelot taking turns dancing with each of his party members. 

 "It's good to see you again," said Li.

"You are impossible to sneak up on." Sylvie's form materialized behind Li, as if shaping up from the shadows themselves. 

"I'm a good listener." Li stood up and patted grass from himself. He looked down to Sylvie, and she looked bashfully away.

"And here-here is my request. Will you dance with me?" said Sylvie quietly. "I know how you feel about me, and I am not expecting anything out of this. It is just that I have always wondered what it was like to dance with a man, and you, I am most comfortable with."

Li reached out and took one of Sylvie's hands. "Of course, but I have to confess I'm no dancer myself."

"Ah, finally something you are not good at. It will be interesting to be the teacher for once." Sylvie put her other hand over Li's.

"Well, don't get used to it," said Li jokingly as he led her to the fading light of the bonfire. 

And amidst the slow dancing crowd, of men and women young and old, of beastwomen, of adventurers, knights, farmers, and all walks of life possible, Li and Sylvie blended in, joining in the slow and swaying dance. 

Li was not as clumsy as he thought he would be, the reflexes of his new body making him a fast learner, and he easily fell into pace with Sylvie, and she smiled wistfully as their hands interlocked, letting herself enjoy the moment, indulging in a slice of what could have been in some reality where things were different. 

A small taste of sweetness to let the bitterness of rejection pass just a little bit easier, and in a way, it was the same for Li as well.

A taste of the life he could enjoy simply and humbly as a man before taking deep strides into the path he had committed himself as not merely man, but as divinity, as guardian, as protector.