Only a couple of days after the Affinity Ceremony, the village is preparing for another celebration.
It's the Decade's Celebration, a night marked by a myriad of shooting stars across the dark sky. The last time it happened was when I was 3, so I don't remember a lick of it.
The only downside to a celebration like this is… Valerie, Amaranth and I have to dance.
We'd be dancing with all the young women in the village, so it won't just be us, but… it's embarrassing.
The only silver lining is Mother is also dancing because she's still young. Can you believe it? Mother is 29! She and Father had me when they were both 16!
I guess it's just because people in this world’s society turn into adults at 15, but it still came to me as a shock…
"No, the tip of your foot is still lifting off the ground. You should be keeping it dragging along the sand."
Mother is dutifully teaching me my routine. The routine mainly involves dancing on sand and using your toe tips to draw a picture, without the dancers looking down. In the end, the sand should have an image of a crescent moon with shooting stars surrounding it.
The sand is colored midnight blue and specially enchanted. Our dance shoes are also enchanted, and when we activate them, the lines we make with the shoes glow light blue.
When viewed from above, the image the dancers draw would be like a painting.
I'm mainly in charge of drawing the crescent moon. Which means I'm in the middle of the formation, and the 'main attraction'.
The Decade's Celebration is something only Furlians do, so there are usually human tourists from Themescara City who come here to see the dance.
I bet the human men are just here to pick up some Furlian ladies… that's what I would do if I were them!
The Celebration is two months away, with most of that time spent dancing with Mother, learning my routine, and then rehearsing with all the other dancers as a group.
I was most surprised to see Valerie so determined and focused on the dance. She looked cute with her brows all furrowed in focus.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Her position is right behind me, drawing the stationary stars and the shooting stars above the moon.
After rigorous and numerous dance rehearsals, Amaranth, Valerie, and I were ready.
The night of the Celebration came and the party started with drinks and games that looked similar to the carnival games back on Earth. Some human tourists happily play with the Furlian villagers, too.
It’s a rare sight to see a diverse mix of races in this village. I'd usually have to go to the city to see this view.
"Alright, Ladies! The dance is in two minutes! Make sure to drink some water before we go upstage!"
I caught Valerie shaking in nervousness in the corner of my eye. I guess even a strong girl like her can get anxious.
"You'll do fine, Valy." I held her hand and she looked into my eyes.
Valerie's eyes widened as she looked at my face. "Beautiful…", she muttered.
She tightened her grip on my hand for a moment before all her shaking stopped. "Thanks, Luxa…"
The big girl blushed and gave me the cutest smile I've ever seen from her.
"Ah…! N-no problem!" I quickly turn my head away, feeling a heat creep onto my cheeks.
Wh-what was that?!
Did Valerie's nervousness transfer to me, or something? My heart feels like it's gonna burst!
"Ladies! We're up!"
I breathe out and quickly calm myself down. I have to be focused. I have to make this night a great night to remember!
======
3rd POV
======
7 women took the dark sandy stage, the three youngest taking the middle; the most important positions.
The girl in front initially caught the eyes of many young men. Her dark brown hair and green eyes gave off a gentle vibe, causing the men to want to protect her.
Then, the tall girl with short red hair and hazel eyes briefly took their attention. She was a head taller than the other women, but her beauty was shocking despite her muscular arms.
An Amazon, the men thought, some even feeling a sense of submission when they looked at her.
But the girl who took the eyes of all the men was a girl of average height.
Her long silvery white hair cascaded down her slender back. Her light blue eyes pierced their hearts as she stared at the crowd without expression. Her white dance uniform tightly wrapped around her body, accentuating her narrow waist.
Her delicate face seemed to glow under the bright moonlight; her lips, tinged reddish pink with lipstick, glistened as she exhaled her held breath.
The dancers lifted their right arms and just as the first stars began streaking through the sky, the dance had commenced.
Although the dance as a whole was beautiful, everyone— even women— had their eyes glued on only one girl.
Murmurs began to circulate amongst the crowd. Who is she? What's her name? Some villagers answered their collective question.
Luxanna Lunarwhisker.
Most of the human men of age were surprised to find out her how young she is and only hoped she wouldn't find a husband by the time she turned 15.
Already, Luxanna had boys vying for her hand.
When the dance ended and the black sand magically solidified, it lifted and was presented to the audience. People began to clap and cheer at the wonderful sand painting the dancers drew…
In reality, they were cheering for The Cat Under The Moonlight.