"Elric, look! They're actually making them by hand!"
They had successfully "lost" the Duke and Duchess, Isella, Brielle, and the two most capable knights in Elric's command. It was perhaps the most irresponsible thing Elric had done since reaching adulthood, a calculated desertion of duty that he didn't regret for a single heartbeat.
"You're going to trip if you keep looking at the lanterns instead of your feet," Elric teased, though his grip on her waist tightened instinctively to ensure she did no such thing.
"I can't help it," she whispered, leaning into his side as a group of street performers danced past. "The only lights I ever saw back in the South were the moon and the occasional torch in the courtyard. I didn't know people could make colors like this with just paper and fire."
