Snippet #2548632

The Township of Naseni was a marvel of traditional construction. Where Tianshi City and some of the larger townships of the Island were shining examples of how advancement and industrialisation had brought Losenji into the future, Naseni epitomised the more spiritual roots of the country. Wooden walkways stretched through the branches of massive trees, forming a criss-crossing maze of a town that stretched almost as far up as it did out. The people of the town navigated its layers through a mixture of staircases, zip-lines, elevators and in some more adventurous cases gliders.

Outsiders often found the unique layout and business of Naseni Township overwhelming, but once you knew its tricks, you could cross from one side of town to the other in less than ten minutes, covering an extraordinary distance very quickly by skilfully navigating its mechanisms and shortcuts.

The town was ruled, unconventionally, not by a single minister but by a council of elders - though a minister was present in the town, efforts by the ministry to overrule the traditional leadership of the settlement had proved fruitless over the years, and they settled for a seat on that council.

At present, Naseni Township was in the throes of celebrating the Festival of Spirits, an ancient traditional festival of Losenji that took place over the month of the summer solstice. It was a festival to rever the spirits, out of the belief that harmony between the human and spirit realms must be celebrated and maintained in order for the spirits to usher in the coming summer, instead of returning the island to the icy grip of winter.

Of course, a lot of people didn't take the legends literally. But nonetheless, most respected the spirits enough to agree that a festival to celebrate them was a good thing. And the rest were generally willing enough to play along in order to experience the merriment, dancing, fireworks and unity that the festival brought.

The walkways of Naseni were lined with stalls selling festival masks, as well as all kinds of foods and souvenirs. Many people flocked to the settlements of the forest for the festival, due to their emphasis on tradition. Only the capital could rival Naseni Township for the scale of its festival celebrations. Decorations hung from every branch, from lanterns to banners, and people roamed the town in masks or even full costumes. It was a magical time.

From where he was stood near the top of the town, looking down at the beautiful display of lights as the evening sun dwindled in the sky, Kenta couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be. This was his favourite time of the year, one of the things that he had most enjoyed experiencing since he left his home island off the coast of Losenji to come to the home of the Imperium. Or, more accurately, to flee his responsibilities. But here, nestled in the treetops and with merriment and music all around him, he couldn't feel more distant from his past, and more at home in his new life.

The red-haired young man let out a happy sigh, watching as a family on the walkway below walked by. A little girl was towing a floating paper lantern along by a string, happily skipping as it bobbed next to her. The corner of his mouth curled upwards in a smile, and he lifted one hand from the railing that he was leaning on to gesture at the lantern with one finger.

Below, the flame inside the lantern flared, startling the girl. With a rush, it flowed out of the lantern to dance through the air before her, swirling and diving in an enthralling dance. She stared with wide eyes as it bloomed into the shape of a flower, then swirled into an elegant dragon, sparkling around her and then diving back into the lantern.

"Momma, momma!" he heard her exclaim, "Did you see? Did you see? My lantern, the fire turned into a dragon!"

"Of course it did, sweetie."

"It did! It did!"

Grinning, Kenta watched as the family disappeared around a corner, confident in the fact that the little display would remain with the little girl for a long time.

Life was good.