by Halloween! It’s a great time of year if you enjoyed apple cider, pumpkin bread, trick-or-treating, and scary stories. As far as Fane knew, Halloween was still a popular holiday in Pergrande, but he himself had never gotten to partake in the festivities. No, Fane and his family were servants and hardly got to partake in anything that wasn’t relevant to their duties as subordinates. The closest he had ever gotten to participating in Halloween’s festivities was baking pumpkin bread for his Lord. Oh! Weren’t those the days!
But now that Fane was an adult and outside of the scope of control of his former Lord, he could enjoy anything he wanted. He could go anywhere he pleased and do everything that would otherwise be impossible for someone of his echelon. He wasn’t as thrilled as he expected to be, and more bewildered than anything. Freedom from servitude wasn’t anything he had consciously wished for, even if his life was one of hardships and litanies of abuse. Even if he were serving a different Lord now—someone different from the one that passed away recently—he couldn’t describe the idea as anything more than something that would make him content. Of course, where was the sincerity in that notion? After seeing what the world outside of Pergrande was really like, it would be hard to forsake such freedom to embrace Earthland for a life of servitude of that kind again. Besides, Fiore was so much more interesting than anything Fane had ever known!
Fortunately, in his first year outside of servitude, Halloween was much included in the experience of Fiore. On the outskirts of Fiore, where very few wandered, was a No Man’s Land called Morgate Town. As suggested, no one ever trespassed its invisible borders by their own volition—because why would you? Puddles of acid, an odorous wind, no green but all dust and gravel everywhere you looked. It looked like a desert if there were no sand, dead and rotten and utterly forgotten. Sometimes, however, certain people would come here in search of something. Looters, perhaps. But what they looted was of a mystery to Fane, but it piqued him so much that he could not help himself but venture to a No Man’s Land like this himself. As it happens, there were farmers all over the country beseeching the help of wizards and civilians from all over to retrieve some pumpkins for their Halloween festivities. The average fellow might have coined the task as insane or completely outrageous, but Fane, who was hungry for anything labeled as “the spirit of Halloween,” would sooner return to servitude than to pass on a chance to experience the autumn festivities for himself! And so there he was, the man dressed head to toe in a traditional vest-suit with a top hat and a black gas mask mounting his entire countenance, meandering through the horizon of dead or dying grass with a push-wagon in front of him. He was out there all alone, singing a little ditty he had picked up at some point during his time in Fiore.
“♪ Mister Sandman, bring me a dream! Make her the cutest that I’ve ever seen!~ ♪” Fane sang audibly at a tempo a little faster than the original, snapping his fingers to the beat only he could hear, “♪ Give her two lips, like roses in clover. And tell her that her lonely nights are over!~ ♪”
Fane was careful to hop over the puddles of god-knows-what and to take note of the insignificant landmarks he saw along the way. It was hard to tell the difference between one broken home from the next in a place like Morgate Town, but Fane managed anyhow. Fluttering over him was his wonderful feathered friend—Poko! The Pergranden had met the adorable creature during his travels in the Sevenwood, and it was also where he met the fair maiden Clementine. It had been a tidbit since he last saw the maiden, and he had yet to locate her again. In the meantime, Poko was accompanying him during his questionable travels through Morgate Town. Cutely, it tried to sing along with Fane, and while doing so horribly, would have never guessed such a thing through Fane’s overt happiness.
“♪ Sandman, I’m so alone! Don’t have nobody to call my own!~ ♪” Fane continued, practically skipping now, “♪ So please turn on your magic beam! Mister Sandman, bring me a dream!~ ♪” Fane completed gleefully. If not for his excited skipping, he would have stopped to clap for his performance. He looked up to Poko through the dark lenses of his mask. “I’d say we’re quite the choir if I do say so myself, which I do! Wouldn’t you agree, darling? Wasn’t that just refreshing?”
Poko fluttered excitably. “Yes! Yes! Very much! Yes! Yes!” Not surprisingly, Poko’s speech was somewhat limited, leaving most of the chatter coming from Fane.
“So you do agree, don’t you? It was wonderful, wasn’t it? I’m no bard, and you’re no bard, but I’m sure any fellow who heard what we heard—which we did—could hardly tell us apart from the next bard! You agree, don’t you?” Fane asked again. Poko replied the same. “Oh, but I recall hearing some other version of the song! It’s just so sweet and wonderful and almost as amazing as the one we just sang! You know, darling, I bet I could recall it all right now so we can sing it together! How about it? Wouldn’t you love that? Wouldn’t that be just swell?!”
Before Fane could delve too deeply into his intense chattering, the item which they came for made itself known. There they were, in all of their glory! Small pumpkins glowing with mysterious green and yellow lights. They were the most interesting thing he had seen all day! Very pretty, indeed! He would be sure to take some himself as some sort of “the first-Halloween souvenir” for him. They did not look like other pumpkins, and that much was clear, and it was even harder to believe that there were pumpkins here in Morgate Town at all! Whether or not the farmers would accept them would have to be a problem he would solve when that time came.
But of course, nothing was ever so simple in Fiore! A flock of crows swarmed around him in a craze! Cawing and scratching! It was ever so exciting! However, it was rather difficult to differentiate the gorgeous blackbirds from Poko, who was fluttering about somewhere away from the flock. Well, that simply would not do, now would it?
“Oh dear! Oh DEAR! This is a problem, my darling Poko! A problem indeed! But do not fret! ARE YOU LISTEN, MY DARLING POKO? LET ME QUELL THESE LOVELIES!” said Fane, swiping crazily into the mass. Eventually, the frenzy dissipated until only Poko remained.
But his troubles did not cease there! No! There is more! There is even a more grotesque, more terribly beautiful creature to behold! A creature compiled of the very birds that had attacked him before! Fane grinned through his gas mask, but no one could see his toothy pearly whites. It’d lunge at him, but each strike was quickly evaded by Fane! All the while, he grinned intensely.
“Oh, what fun this is! You’re adorable! I’d make you mine, but you certainly prefer death over life as it seems! How tragic! How wonderful!” Fane shouted, breathing heavily.
In exchange, Fane’s beatings were about as savage as the beast itself. So much so that its blood splattered over him. But was this the end? Such was not! After that lovely beast had fallen to the ground, dying, a scarecrow was suddenly invigorated with life! Morgate Town was sure a blast! He wish he could have brought Clementine or even that charming Jester fellow to the mix! He wish he would’ve requested their company before he left! But Poko would do just fine!
The scarecrow was far more formidable than the rest of them. It’s swipes and slicing was far more difficult to evade than everything else! But through savage beatings, of course, he was rendered lifeless as well. But Fane didn’t escape with some wounds of his own, of course. After that, the final foe appeared. Some sort of pumpkin lord, it seemed! Blasts of dark energy, which some Fane swallowed and some he evaded. Regardless, like all the others, it only took a large amount of punches to render it dead and lifeless! All was well!
Poko eventually returned to him, safe and sound, and Fane was grinning through his bloodied mask. Whether it was his blood or the beasts’ was not something he was completely aware of, but he knew it hurt. He would be on his way to pick pumpkins, placing in the wagon as he sang his song.
“Mister Sandman, bring me a dream! Make her the cutest that I’ve ever seen! Give her two lips, like roses in clover. And tell her that her lonely nights are over. . .”
WC: 1508
But now that Fane was an adult and outside of the scope of control of his former Lord, he could enjoy anything he wanted. He could go anywhere he pleased and do everything that would otherwise be impossible for someone of his echelon. He wasn’t as thrilled as he expected to be, and more bewildered than anything. Freedom from servitude wasn’t anything he had consciously wished for, even if his life was one of hardships and litanies of abuse. Even if he were serving a different Lord now—someone different from the one that passed away recently—he couldn’t describe the idea as anything more than something that would make him content. Of course, where was the sincerity in that notion? After seeing what the world outside of Pergrande was really like, it would be hard to forsake such freedom to embrace Earthland for a life of servitude of that kind again. Besides, Fiore was so much more interesting than anything Fane had ever known!
Fortunately, in his first year outside of servitude, Halloween was much included in the experience of Fiore. On the outskirts of Fiore, where very few wandered, was a No Man’s Land called Morgate Town. As suggested, no one ever trespassed its invisible borders by their own volition—because why would you? Puddles of acid, an odorous wind, no green but all dust and gravel everywhere you looked. It looked like a desert if there were no sand, dead and rotten and utterly forgotten. Sometimes, however, certain people would come here in search of something. Looters, perhaps. But what they looted was of a mystery to Fane, but it piqued him so much that he could not help himself but venture to a No Man’s Land like this himself. As it happens, there were farmers all over the country beseeching the help of wizards and civilians from all over to retrieve some pumpkins for their Halloween festivities. The average fellow might have coined the task as insane or completely outrageous, but Fane, who was hungry for anything labeled as “the spirit of Halloween,” would sooner return to servitude than to pass on a chance to experience the autumn festivities for himself! And so there he was, the man dressed head to toe in a traditional vest-suit with a top hat and a black gas mask mounting his entire countenance, meandering through the horizon of dead or dying grass with a push-wagon in front of him. He was out there all alone, singing a little ditty he had picked up at some point during his time in Fiore.
“♪ Mister Sandman, bring me a dream! Make her the cutest that I’ve ever seen!~ ♪” Fane sang audibly at a tempo a little faster than the original, snapping his fingers to the beat only he could hear, “♪ Give her two lips, like roses in clover. And tell her that her lonely nights are over!~ ♪”
Fane was careful to hop over the puddles of god-knows-what and to take note of the insignificant landmarks he saw along the way. It was hard to tell the difference between one broken home from the next in a place like Morgate Town, but Fane managed anyhow. Fluttering over him was his wonderful feathered friend—Poko! The Pergranden had met the adorable creature during his travels in the Sevenwood, and it was also where he met the fair maiden Clementine. It had been a tidbit since he last saw the maiden, and he had yet to locate her again. In the meantime, Poko was accompanying him during his questionable travels through Morgate Town. Cutely, it tried to sing along with Fane, and while doing so horribly, would have never guessed such a thing through Fane’s overt happiness.
“♪ Sandman, I’m so alone! Don’t have nobody to call my own!~ ♪” Fane continued, practically skipping now, “♪ So please turn on your magic beam! Mister Sandman, bring me a dream!~ ♪” Fane completed gleefully. If not for his excited skipping, he would have stopped to clap for his performance. He looked up to Poko through the dark lenses of his mask. “I’d say we’re quite the choir if I do say so myself, which I do! Wouldn’t you agree, darling? Wasn’t that just refreshing?”
Poko fluttered excitably. “Yes! Yes! Very much! Yes! Yes!” Not surprisingly, Poko’s speech was somewhat limited, leaving most of the chatter coming from Fane.
“So you do agree, don’t you? It was wonderful, wasn’t it? I’m no bard, and you’re no bard, but I’m sure any fellow who heard what we heard—which we did—could hardly tell us apart from the next bard! You agree, don’t you?” Fane asked again. Poko replied the same. “Oh, but I recall hearing some other version of the song! It’s just so sweet and wonderful and almost as amazing as the one we just sang! You know, darling, I bet I could recall it all right now so we can sing it together! How about it? Wouldn’t you love that? Wouldn’t that be just swell?!”
Before Fane could delve too deeply into his intense chattering, the item which they came for made itself known. There they were, in all of their glory! Small pumpkins glowing with mysterious green and yellow lights. They were the most interesting thing he had seen all day! Very pretty, indeed! He would be sure to take some himself as some sort of “the first-Halloween souvenir” for him. They did not look like other pumpkins, and that much was clear, and it was even harder to believe that there were pumpkins here in Morgate Town at all! Whether or not the farmers would accept them would have to be a problem he would solve when that time came.
But of course, nothing was ever so simple in Fiore! A flock of crows swarmed around him in a craze! Cawing and scratching! It was ever so exciting! However, it was rather difficult to differentiate the gorgeous blackbirds from Poko, who was fluttering about somewhere away from the flock. Well, that simply would not do, now would it?
“Oh dear! Oh DEAR! This is a problem, my darling Poko! A problem indeed! But do not fret! ARE YOU LISTEN, MY DARLING POKO? LET ME QUELL THESE LOVELIES!” said Fane, swiping crazily into the mass. Eventually, the frenzy dissipated until only Poko remained.
But his troubles did not cease there! No! There is more! There is even a more grotesque, more terribly beautiful creature to behold! A creature compiled of the very birds that had attacked him before! Fane grinned through his gas mask, but no one could see his toothy pearly whites. It’d lunge at him, but each strike was quickly evaded by Fane! All the while, he grinned intensely.
“Oh, what fun this is! You’re adorable! I’d make you mine, but you certainly prefer death over life as it seems! How tragic! How wonderful!” Fane shouted, breathing heavily.
In exchange, Fane’s beatings were about as savage as the beast itself. So much so that its blood splattered over him. But was this the end? Such was not! After that lovely beast had fallen to the ground, dying, a scarecrow was suddenly invigorated with life! Morgate Town was sure a blast! He wish he could have brought Clementine or even that charming Jester fellow to the mix! He wish he would’ve requested their company before he left! But Poko would do just fine!
The scarecrow was far more formidable than the rest of them. It’s swipes and slicing was far more difficult to evade than everything else! But through savage beatings, of course, he was rendered lifeless as well. But Fane didn’t escape with some wounds of his own, of course. After that, the final foe appeared. Some sort of pumpkin lord, it seemed! Blasts of dark energy, which some Fane swallowed and some he evaded. Regardless, like all the others, it only took a large amount of punches to render it dead and lifeless! All was well!
Poko eventually returned to him, safe and sound, and Fane was grinning through his bloodied mask. Whether it was his blood or the beasts’ was not something he was completely aware of, but he knew it hurt. He would be on his way to pick pumpkins, placing in the wagon as he sang his song.
“Mister Sandman, bring me a dream! Make her the cutest that I’ve ever seen! Give her two lips, like roses in clover. And tell her that her lonely nights are over. . .”
WC: 1508
