The after party was being held in the city center, outside the dome. Rather than a closed reception, it would be a celebration held in the streets where all would be welcome to attend. As we exited the dome, I was surprised to see that the sun was already halfway across the sky. Based on the time of year, if we’d started the ceremony at the sun’s zenith, three or four movements must have passed since then. Just how long were we chanting for? I wondered. The entirety of the ceremony felt like it lasted for a single movement at most.

During the time we’d been inside, the city center had been transformed into what looked like an outdoor tavern. Dozens of food stalls had been set up, serving every kind of food the Beastlands had to offer. All over the space were tables, which were simply logs placed on their sides then cut flat on top so food and drink could be placed on them. Some were as long as twenty feet and looked like branchless felled trees. The bark was still intact on most of them and they looked freshly cut. The fresh wood looked decidedly out of place in the middle of a desert city.

Small logs, big rocks, and carved wooden benches provided the seating for the makeshift tavern. There were open kegs next to every table, and the wine and ale were already flowing. Beastmen of every variety milled about, drinking and laughing. It looked to me like an entire section of the city had shut down to join in the celebration. The delicious smell of grilled meat, spices, and fire smoke filled the air.

In the midst of all the confusion, a section of the space had been left open, reserved for dancing to the musical performers. On a small platform that served as a stage, the musicians banged drums, played pipes, and plucked a stringed instrument that looked similar to a guitar. It was the first time I had heard Beastlands music and it was very strange to my ears. Accustomed to the sounds of pianos, violins, and cellos, I was momentarily overwhelmed by the pounding beats and the high pitched tones of the pipes. However, as I grew accustomed to it, I found that I quite liked it.

In front of the musicians, on a lower, much larger platform, was a group of dancers, who danced in a single line with matching choreography, completely in sync as they performed intricate kicks and turns. The dancers wore nothing but bright red undergarments, which served to accentuate their finely muscled bodies and flawless movements. The dancing area was loosely populated with beastmen who danced freely, without technique or form, moving their bodies to the music as they pleased.

I was so taken in by the whole scene that I didn’t even notice the wild cheering that greeted us as we walked out. By the time I’d taken everything in with an awe-struck expression on my face, we were already being approached by random well wishers, who offered us perfunctory congratulations before returning to their original purpose, the free food and alcohol. The lively atmosphere reminded me of my first few nights with the beastmen, traveling with the large army.

In a daze, we were led to one of the log tables, where Uncle Alek waited for us. He was brimming with excitement, hugging us and thumping our backs. It was almost too much, but I didn't want to put a damper on his enthusiasm, especially after hearing him call me 'son'. Some of the beast generals, with Rastari as their ringleader, insisted on serving us and acting like servants, laughing wildly as they called us ‘my lords’ and bowed to us. Their infectious good spirits left me with no choice but to play along and it wasn’t long before we had enough food to feed the entire beast army in front of us.

As we ate and drank, I noticed a familiar figure emerge from the crowd and walk toward us. My eyes widened as I recognized the human man walking toward me. I searched my memory for his name and he offered me a brief smile as he approached.

“Marquis Heinrich!” I called out when his name finally came to me. “What are you doing here?”

He stopped dead in his tracks when I spoke to him. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “Weren’t you a mute?”

“He was,” Rastari answered for me, “and now he’s not. It would be appreciated if you could keep that fact to yourself for the time being.”

The Marquis nodded carefully and replied, “Ay, I can do that,” before continuing. “Anyway, Marquis Julien, on behalf of the duchy of Misenport, I congratulate you on your nuptials. I salute your willingness to serve our nation and am pleased to see you have found true happiness in your service.” He spoke in a formal tone, befitting a Vraynian noble. “As for why I’m here, I came to look into the cooperative arrangement we discussed at your engagement party and decided to continue south for your ceremony. I thought it might do you good to see a fellow countryman in your isolation.”

“You’ve got it backwards though,” I said softly, “it’s more like I escaped isolation by coming here. However I am quite pleased to see the Marquis, who has come all this way for my sake. It is indeed uplifting to see a fellow countryman.”

“And General Andrian, it is a pleasure to meet you again,” Marquis Heinrich acknowledged Andrian with a bow of his head. “Congratulations on your nuptials.”

Andrian greeted him in kind and offered him a seat at our table, which the Marquis gladly accepted. He told us that the morning after the engagement party, he'd visited the beast camp to look for any soldiers from the northern bear tribe who may have come along. As luck would have it, he found one willing to guide him. They had gone north immediately and he was able to meet with a couple of generals in one of the larger bear villages. They were on their way to the ceremony and offered to discuss things on the road. Negotiations had gone smoothly so far, and it looked like his efforts would be worthwhile.

Though Marquis Heinrich remained stiff and formal in his speech, I found myself lapsing back into the more casual tone that was prevalent in the Beastlands and among the Vraynian commoners. The Marquis, however, didn't seem to notice the change, probably due to his immersion in the Beastlands over the past few weeks. I wondered if perhaps he was the one who was yearning to see a fellow countryman.

The Marquis stayed at our table for a while before offering us a final congratulations and moving on. While he sat with us, we had the chance to fill our bellies with a little bit of every type of food we could find. With our appetites sated, we took our freshly filled glasses and started walking around the city center, enjoying the enormous party. Beyond where all the food stalls were set up, we found other vendors who had come to sell their wares to the large crowd. Brightly colored clothing, simple jewelry, and various types of magically fueled fireworks were all on display, along with artisans selling their crafts and even someone offering tattooing services, which was something I had never seen before.

We were out of fruit wine long before we were done exploring, but since we had a long night ahead of us, I opted to wait until we were finished looking at everything to get our glasses refilled. Andrian seemed content to let me browse around at my leisure, following me from stall to stall, constantly asking if I wanted him to buy me things. I declined his offers repeatedly until I found a stall selling simple rope bracelets adorned with small glass beads. But after I’d chosen a bracelet for each of us, the stall owner declined to take our payment, wishing us a happy future together.

By the time we returned to our table, the sky was painted a vibrant red and the sun was about to dip below the horizon. We resumed our drinking and before long I was feeling the effects of the fruit wine. I found myself watching the beastmen dancing to the live music. A different group of musicians were performing now, playing a lively tune that featured pipes and small string instruments that resembled violins but produced a far more energetic sound.

“Do you want to go dance?” Andrian asked me, seeing where my eyes were focused.

"I want to, but I'm not familiar with the dances here," I told him honestly, "and I'm afraid I'll just look like a fool."

Andrian looked out at the beastmen who danced wildly about and said, “I don’t think you need to worry about that. I know that you’re used to choreographed dances that flaunt how noble one is, but here, it’s all about appreciating the music. There are no specific steps and no rules to follow. You can just move your body to the music however you please.”

I could tell from the dancers in front of me that he was right, so I gathered my courage and said, "Okay, let's go dance."

We downed what remained in our glasses and made our way over. We arrived in time for a new song to start, a lively jig full of vitality. Andrian took my hand and led me out onto the makeshift dance floor. Surrounded by fearless beastmen who didn't care how silly they looked, I stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

“Here, place your hand on my waist, and take my other hand like this,” Andrian instructed, pulling me into a posture that was similar to how we danced at our engagement ceremony. He placed his free hand on my shoulder and said, "Now concentrate on feeling the music and follow my lead."

Before I could respond, we were already moving. There was no artistry, no structure, and no proper form. At first, I was confused and self-conscious, but as we continued, I let go of my expectations and let myself experience the music. Soon, I had completely forgotten my reticence and was dancing as freely and wildly as the beastmen around me, which was exhilarating in its own way. I couldn't say if it was the music or the wine, but I felt free. I felt alive.

After a couple more upbeat songs, the musicians began playing a slower tune to allow the dancers time to catch their breath. I took advantage of the tempo change and pulled Andrian close to me. We swayed in time to the music, gazing into each other’s eyes. As the slow, melodic song came to a close, I captured his lips with mine, savoring the sweetness of the moment.

Suddenly, I heard some loud bangs off in the distance. I pulled away from Andrian’s lips just in time to see bursts of color staining the now darkened sky. Someone was setting off some of the fireworks that I’d seen being sold. From how many were going off, I had to assume it was more than just one person doing so. Crimson, azure, and gold, followed by amethyst, emerald, and silver; the colors exploded across the night sky leaving sparkling trails reminiscent of a shooting star.

Even the music stopped as the revelers paused to appreciate the sight. I’d never seen fireworks before, but they were more incredible than I could have imagined. Some of them looked like blooming flowers, their petals bursting out before fading away, leaving nothing but a sparkling residue behind. Then there were others that started as a single stream of color before splitting into multiple streams of various colors. Others were just small white sparkles in the night sky, like temporary stars.

I stared at the scene enraptured, holding Andrian’s hand in mine, not even daring to breathe lest I somehow ruin the magic. Eventually the fireworks were exhausted and the last bursts of color faded into the night. Above me was a clear, black sky, illuminated by the light of thousands of stars. The moon’s absence from the sky highlighted their gentle glimmer, but the night was very dark, with only those stars to light the sky.

“Do humans know of the constellations above?” Andrian inquired.

“We do, though I think we may see them differently than you. At the very least, I think we have different names for them,” I replied, gazing up at the stars. “It’s at a different angle than I’m used to, but do you see there? The four stars in a line with three more floating around them… there, there, and there? That’s the constellation called Mariosopie. They are one of our Gods. The God of order and discipline.”

Andrian thought for a moment, before he told me, “There are some spirits whose powers are great enough to warrant constellations, but most are stories of beastmen whose legends became so great that they were written in the stars. The one you call Mariosopie, we call Reyralf, the wolf who walked a straight line through the wildlands and killed thousands of monsters before three dragons fell upon him and ended his life.”

“Okay… what about that one there? We call it Bryndowan. The five stars there,” I pointed up to each star individually, tracing their image in the sky, “along with those two there. They are our God of justice.”

“That is also a legend’s constellation. Yedina, who crossed the desert to search for her lost love,” Andrian explained, “Hers is a legend that I know very well. She was a shaman of the snake tribe who fell in love with a shaman of the bear tribe, and he loved her in turn. Each year, in a time before the great road, he would make the journey through the most dangerous part of the desert, suffering through the heat and perilous landscape, just to see the woman he loved. Then, one year, he didn’t come. At first Yedina believed he had forgotten about her, but after reflecting on their time together, she realized he would never do that. So Yedina set out into the desert to go north and find the man she loved. As she traveled, she grew to truly understand the hardships he had endured for her, which made her love him all the more. After half of a moon cycle, she reached the middle of the desert and that was where she found him. However, what she found was not her lover, but her lover’s corpse. The barren desert had claimed another victim. In her grief, she gathered all of her magic and released it into the desert, ending her life and cursing the land. She's the reason there's a part of the desert that remains impassable to this day.”

“That’s a really sad story,” I commented softly, feeling sorry for the woman who had lost her lover.

“You know, for all those long years, I was always reminded of you when I looked at this constellation. You came to see me every few moon cycles and then you disappeared. I didn’t believe that you’d have forgotten me either… and I was terrified that my own story would end the same as hers.” Andrian paused for a moment and the implications of what he was saying really sunk in. Feelings of guilt rose to the surface when I thought about how much he’d worried about me. Seeing my troubled expression, he said, “But our story didn’t end that way, so there’s no reason for you to look so distraught. I found you and we’re together now. Need I remind you that I’m yours now? Body, mind, and soul, all of me belongs to you, and you are free to do with me as you please.”

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Aren’t you supposed to be reminding me that I’m yours?” I teased him, forgetting my momentary melancholy after hearing his words.

“Oh yes, you’re all mine,” he laughed, “but you looked like you needed a reminder that every ounce of my being belongs to you now.”

“Does it now? So you're mine and I can do whatever I want with you?” I asked in a deliberately flirtatious tone. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned into him. My heart was pounding in my chest from the thrill of being so direct. There was something about that word, mine, that made me more confident.

“Yes, Falyn, whatever you want,” Andrian purred, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing our bodies together. “I belong to you now. But don’t forget you belong to me too.”

“How could I ever forget?” I asked him, drawing him in for another kiss.

The party raged on around us, but all I was aware of were his lips against mine, his hands lightly massaging the small of my back, and his tongue that so greedily entwined with my own.

“Do you think it's time for us to go back to the temple?” Andrian asked in a seemingly innocent tone, breaking our kiss.

“I... I think it is,” I replied breathlessly. “Shall we say goodnight to the others?”

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary. Let’s go find the carriage and have the driver take us back. I doubt anyone will even notice we’ve left.”

"Then let's get some wine to take with us," I suggested, feeling like I might need a little more alcohol to calm my nerves on the way.

Andrian pressed his lips to mine again and whispered in my ear, “Whatever my mate desires.”

We went back to the tables and grabbed a couple bottles of wine for the road. As Andrian had said, no one seemed to notice us as we slipped out of our own joining celebration, and soon we were back in the carriage and on our way to the temple.

We opened one of the bottles on the way, passing it back and forth, and drinking straight from the bottle. Other than the sounds of the horses hooves clacking on the road, we rode in silence, enjoying the wine and the simple pleasure of being close to each other. However, under my calm and quiet facade, butterflies rampaged inside my stomach.

We arrived at the temple and climbed out of the carriage. I stumbled a little as I climbed down, feeling the full effect of the alcohol as I tried to stand up. Andrian steadied me and I giggled like a fool as I snuggled into his embrace.

“I think I’m a little bit drunk,” I admitted as my head swam pleasantly from the wine.

Andrian just chuckled and said, "I think you're right," and led me through the temple door.

Inside, we found that the main room of the temple had been converted for us in our absence. The room now had a bed in the center with pillows and blankets on the floor around it. Somewhere, someone had left a pleasant and sweet incense burning, which filled the room with its pungent smoke. Next to the bed was a table with a plate of fruit, a pitcher of water, and some small bottles filled with an unknown liquid.

The room was lit by candles that were placed on the floor, lining the walls and bathing us in their soft, warm light. There was no one left in the temple but us. Andrian took my hand and led me towards the bed. My heart pounded as I allowed myself to be led. Before I had time to get even more nervous about what was to come, Andrian pulled me into his embrace. When our lips met, it was as if a floodgate had opened. Reason and rationality disappeared as lips, tongues, and teeth collided in a frenzy and we fell onto the bed.