Dama's path led him toward Himon and Mary Koul's booth, where the sound of clinking wood and cheerful laughter was already echoing through the air. They both stood behind a table laden with wooden tools and small musical instruments.

The setup was inviting, with a colorful array of wooden instruments on one side and bundles of sticks arranged neatly on the other. Himon waved him over as Mary stood beside him, her youthful energy complementing her father's hearty demeanor. "Ah, Dama!" Himon greeted warmly. "Just in time! We were about to get started."

"Hi, Mr. Koul! Hey, Mary!" Dama replied, his grin bright as always.

Mary's eyes lit up as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Dama, you came!" She exclaimed, then turned to the group of children gathering at the booth. "Alright, looks like everyone's here, let's have some fun!"

Himon clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Indeed! Kids, listen up! Today, we're going to do two things to teach you how to let your imaginations run wild!" He announced before going over to Mary and putting his hands on her shoulders, smiling proudly. "First, we'll make some music with these instruments my lovely daughter crafted herself! Ever wonder how sound works? Well, these instruments will show you!"

He then began to distribute the wooden instruments—drums, tambourines, and whistles—each crafted with care. Before letting each child take their pick, he would make sure to pull out his own instrument and demonstrate how each one worked. "Music isn't just for fun," he began, "it's just like any art form—it brings people together and lets us share how we feel without words! Why don't you lads and lasses try these trinkets out, see how it feels?"

When he got to Caera, he extended a spare one to her with an inviting grin. Caera just raised her hand though, shaking her head in a polite gesture.

"Oh come oooooon." Himon drew out the word with a teasing tone, trying to get Caera to cave.

However, she stood her ground. "No, you come on now Himon," Caera said as she put her hands on her hips defiantly, "this is for the kids."

Himon flicked his hand in a dramatic manner. "Pfft, I still remember when you were just the size of one of my biceps. And either way, the fact you've grown doesn't mean you lose the ability to have some childish fun, so come on, give it a try at least!"

Caera rolled her eyes at the bicep comment, but as Himon got closer with a rather amusing and inviting look, a grin grew more and more on her face until she caved, taking the instrument from Himon.

At the same time, the kids looked at each other, a bit confused as whispers started to snake their way through the group. Suddenly though, one kid would blow into their whistle, an action that was followed by another with the same instrument. Soon after, the air was filled with a chaotic, but joyful, symphony of disorganized notes of all pitches.

Both Dama and Himon stood to the side, nervously chuckling at the ear-splitting concert. While they did so, it was Mary that stepped forward, her own crafted wooden flute held delicately in her hands.

With practiced grace, she brought the instrument to her lips and began to play a gentle melody—one that even pierced through the chaotic symphony. Her eyes were focused and her movements were fluid, as if the flute were an extension of her own heart.

The sound that emerged was sweet and clear, a soft tune that danced through the air. Yet, even in her practiced performance, there were moments when a note wavered or a pause fell a beat too long—small imperfections that lent the melody an endearing, human quality.

Still, as the tune continued, she effortlessly captured the attention of the children. Some stepped closer, their faces lit with wonder at the harmonious sounds, while others clapped along to the rhythm. When the last note faded into silence, Mary lowered the flute and smiled at her audience.

She set the instrument down on a small table beside her and addressed the group in a soft, encouraging tone. "Did you hear that?" Mary asked, her voice warm and inviting. "Music is like painting with sounds. Every note you play is a brushstroke on a canvas, and sometimes even when you make a little mistake, it can turn into something beautiful."

She paused, letting her words sink in as she looked around at the curious faces. "That's creativity. It's not about being perfect; it's about expressing yourself and finding beauty in yourself, your work, and the unexpected. Creativity can take many forms."

A few children nodded, their eyes wide with understanding, while others smiled and clapped softly. Mary giggled at their reactions before she continued, "When you try something new, you might not get it right the first time, and that's okay. Mistakes are just steps on the path to discovering your own unique sound. And that's what makes every piece of art—and every one of you—so special!"

The children's faces were a canvas themselves of their wonder for the promise of exploring their own creative talents, inspired by the way Mary had turned a simple melody into a lesson about life. Himon's face beamed with pride, wiping his nose as he thought to himself, "That's my girl!"

Touched and inspired by the speech, Dama took a spare drum, sat down on the ground with it on his lap, and started a rhythmic beat. Once he saw that he had gotten the attention of the children, he gave an encouraging nod and smile, beckoning for them to join him.

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An invite the children accepted with vigor as they opened the doors back up to the, now admittedly less, chaotic symphony. The difference between their first performance was now how most of the kids were now playing with purpose, with Dama as their guide.

After a few minutes of musical exploration, Himon clapped his hands to refocus the group. "Great job, everyone! Now, for the next activity!" He announced, glancing at Mary, causing her to nod. "We're going to build houses out of sticks! Let's see if you guys can make a house strong enough to survive the Big! Bad! Wolf!"

The children giggled as Himon outstretched his arms and wiggled his fingers menacingly. "That's right, I'll be the Big Bad Wolf!"

Mary set out bundles of sticks, small blobs of clay, and pre-made wooden bases for the children to work on. "Take your time and think about how to make it sturdy!" She advised, moving between the kids to offer help. When she stopped by Dama, her smile brightened. "You should try it too, Dama."

Dama chuckled whilst giving a little wave. "Sure, but I'll warn you, I'm not much of an architect."

"That's okay," Mary said, handing him a bundle of sticks, "I think you'll do great."

As the children and Dama worked on their creations, Himon leaned over to inspect their progress. "Looking good, everyone! But remember, the Big Bad Wolf is very strong!" He shot a playful glance at Dama. "Think your house can hold up, lad?"

"Heh, we'll see!" Dama replied, determined.

When the houses were finished, Himon stepped back and dramatically puffed out his chest. "Alright, here comes the Big Bad Wolf!" He declared. He leaned down and blew hard on each house, his exaggerated huffing sending some of the weaker ones tumbling—the rest slanting, barely holding themselves upright. The kids erupted into laughter, even those whose houses collapsed.

"Not bad, not bad!" Himon said, giving a hearty laugh as he reached Dama's house. He took a deep breath and blew with all his might, with the structure wobbling, but staying upright. "Well done, Dama! You've bested the wolf!"

Dama rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Wow, g-guess I got lucky."

Himon chuckled, patting his surrogate nephew's shoulder. "Don't sell yourself too short laddie, ain't that right, kids?"

The children of the group all huddled together and shouted in unison, "Yeah!" Causing Himon and Mary to chuckle, and Dama's cheeks to redden.

Himon then clapped his hands, stifling the children's excited ramblings. "Great, fantastic job, everyone! Remember, building isn't just about success—it's about learning what works and what doesn't. Most importantly though, it's about having fun! Now, this does spell the end for our booth's activities, and looks like we're right on time too! You all can take your instruments and houses home to show them off! Just make sure to give it to your parents before going to the next booth, alright?"

As the children gave another excited applause, Himon basking in their innocent happiness, Dama watched on with a wide grin—one that would subside for slight surprise feeling Mary nudge his arm with her own.

"Told ya you'd do great." Mary said whilst Dama turned to her, giving him a soft smile.

Dama returned the soft smile. "Yeah, maybe I have more talent than I know," he said before scoffing at himself, "but not as much talent as you, Mary. Especially with the flute, it was beautiful."

Caught off guard a bit, Mary quickly switched to her teasing expression as she cocked her head to the side. "Oh? Is there more where that came from?"

Chuckling at the recognition of Mary's teasing tone, Dama shrugged as he looked to the side. "That's about it."

"Oh come on," Mary responded, nudging his arm again, but with her body this time, "it's rare to hear stuff like that from you. There must be more you wanna say, hm?"

"Pfft," Dama chuckled before turning his attention back to Mary, "you say that as if I don't compliment you every time we meet."

Mary raised a hand to her mouth. "Oh well excuuuuse me. It's not like we haven't spent as much time together lately."

Hearing the slight agitation under Mary's teasing tone, Dama started to sweat, knowing what she just said wasn't a statement, it was a quesiton—and if he answered wrong, he'd be in trouble.

Thankfully, what saved Dama in that moment was the surge of children rushing past both him and Mary. In their hands were cradled their pieces of creative work they rushed to show off to their parents, just as Himon instructed.

After Dama and Mary turned to witness the kids going up to their parents, who had varied reactions from amazement to pride, both of them felt rough hands land on their shoulders. "Most of all, I gotta thank you two. Thanks for being my two little co-stars! Though, looks like it's 'bout time to go on to Jaden's booth, eh Dama?"

Turning to Himon, Dama smiled as he replied, "I guess it is, can't wait to see what he'll have to offer! Also, you're welcome Mr. Koul! Whatever you're involved in, it's always so fun!"

Koul laughed with all his heart as he ruffled Dama's hair. "You have no idea how much that means to me, lad!" He said before giving Dama a gentle, but unexpected push, causing Dama to stumble forward for a moment. "Now, go and enjoy the rest of the festival, for my sake if nothin' else!"

Regaining his balance, Dama turned to Himon with a smile and salute. Himon responded in kind, both of them always loving that small interaction they have with each other.

But before Dama could run off, Mary caught Dama's arm, surprising him. "U-Um..." she stuttered on her words, not knowing what to say, "Thanks for stopping by, Dama." Mary ended up saying with a smile, but was far from all she wanted to say.

Dama blinked, then smiled. "Of course! Thanks for letting me join in." He said before his smile faltered and he looked down, only for a moment though. He then looked back up and raised a pinky for a pinky swear—something special between them. "You're right, we haven't spent much time together, and I apologize. So, how about this? We should get together sometime so you can teach me more about instruments! I would say teach me how to play the flute like you, but," he looked away and shrugged with a chuckle, "ya know."

As Dama laughed, Mary's cheeks reddened at the thought. Himon gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze though, looking away from the conversation, yet still having a knowing grin. "Oh, s-sure!" Mary responded as she linked her pinky with Dama's.

With a wave, Dama left the Koul booth and followed the path toward the next attraction, where the hum of Jaden Dirk's voice and the sight of colorful trinkets awaited him.

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Next: (Extra Chapter 29) Jaden's Booth and the Four Kingdoms

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