29 Arrived (2/2)

”We're lucky, Ling. The Sikat Troupe was doing a show now and it's their last day in the island. This group was the best from what I've seen so far,” bragged Ling's father.

Shaman Matnaad nodded beside him, ”I think so too,” which made the boy more excited. He was not very much distracted by the other sights on the way because of the promise of what he would see in the theater.

”Faster, father, faster!” Ling said while pulling the hand that was holding his.

Later, they could see in front of them a large stone structure, the dome used by the theater troupes. The structure was shielded so any sound from outside would not enter and the sounds inside would also not be heard outside.

There was already a dense crowd entering the theater. Some people were rushing to get inside so they could get a better seat.

Once the three got inside the theater, it was dark and most of the seats were already occupied. The chattering from the audience was still ongoing even when the three found their seats until a loud boom was heard from the center.

”Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!”

The announcer started talking which made the audience stop their chatter with excited looks on their faces. The voice was heard all over the large space of this big dome, another effect used by these kind of shows that was controlled by their 'mist'.

”We are the Sikat Troupe and we hope you enjoy the show! To start, please welcome, the Sayaw Dancers!”

A soft piano note started the performance.

The stage was still dark until the dancers entered. With the only light coming directly from them, the dancers were like fairies, glowing and flitting on the stage. The 'mist' they exude were their wings once they moved to the soft sound of the instruments.

As they move, their laughter became part of the music with the symphony of woodwind instruments producing the sounds of the nature's blowing breeze, splashing water and rustling leaves. Even the audience could feel a soft breeze and smell the life of the forest.

Suddenly, a horn blowed a loud, long melody, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. The beat from the percussion instruments matched the fast running of the dancers. The chaos that followed was a choreographed act of the fairies' panic.

Once the movements became faster with the increasing beat, a dense forest appeared, surrounding the dancers and making the scene of chaos more vivid.

Ling was surprised with the effects and illusions. This was even better than the street show he saw at the market in Tub'ig Village!

Even though he was not taking his eyes off the ongoing performance, Ling was still surprised when the number of dancers suddenly increased. He was not sure what was illusion or real anymore until one dancer jumped on one figure as if in a couple dance but then the light scattered and one dancer disappeared.

A figure also moved to jump on one of the trees and it also vanished with sparks, making the tree lit up more. Then, all the fairies twirled to the other trees until the flash of light blinded the audience. The beat of the drums, heavy and unsettling added to the scary atmosphere.

When the audience finally opened their eyes, a stunning star was descending from the top, her voice causing another din in the theater.