281 Skollwood Adventures Part 3: Poison And Blood

Was Bonetimer a living being before he became a sentient skeleton? She had so many questions she wished to ask. But as soon as she saw the Lunaria Night Market, she and her brother were fully absorbed in its festivities. 

Lycster was amazed by all the new sights and sounds of the festival. Back in Timbretune, they had a similar festival celebrated with lit carved pumpkins and costumes. But Skoll Island's festivities were much more elaborate. 

Each booth was beautifully decorated with lit fairy lights and hand-painted signboards that featured what each booth offered. Bonetimer explained that the festival had three main sections. 

The first was for food and drinks, the second was for games and the third was for selling wares. 

"If you're looking for costumes, you can take a look at the third section over there," he explained as he showed them where to go. 

As soon as Bonetimer finished his sentence, Vy's stomach growled in hunger. Lycster burst out laughing at the embarrassment of his sister but his stomach growled too. 

"I recommend heading to the food and drinks section first. We have a wide range available so I am sure you will find something you might like." Bonetimer suggested. 

"That is an excellent recommendation. Thank you, Bonetimer. Do you have any recommendations on what we should try?"

-You're asking a skeleton what to eat?- Aether joked. 

The sentient skeleton chuckled. It was not the first time someone had made that assumption. But he was amused by it every time. 

"It is true that we do not consume regular food as regular living beings do. But I can recommend what is popular amongst our guests."

Bonetimer recommended them to try blood sauce fries and poison potion. Upon hearing the names, Lycster felt a cold shiver down his spine. Was their sentient skeleton butler trying to poison them?

Upon seeing the boy's pale expression, Bonetimer quickly explained that it was merely the name of the food items. They were in fact regular food items with fancy names. But to maintain the suspense, he refrained from telling them what they actually were. 

Lycster and Vy went over to the Food and drinks section to see the food items that their butler had mentioned. The stall that sold blood sauce fries had a line of patrons eagerly waiting for a taste. 

Upon closer inspection, they realised that it was blood sauce fries was in fact a tomato purée sauce with minced beef and melted cheese on top. The melted cheese had also been dyed red to match the theme of the fries. 

"I got us a poison potion to share!" 

He handed Vy a round bottom glass filled with an emerald green liquid with white smoke dissipating from the top. Vy took a good look at the liquid in it, wondering if it was indeed safe to drink. 

"Don't worry sis! I saw a bunch of people drinking these and they all seemed fine. It's safe to drink," he reassured her. 

Vy took a sip of the drink after her brother tried it. As soon as the drink touched the tip of Lycster's tongue, he squinted his eyes shut. His sister, on the other hand, enjoyed the flavour of the drink. 

"This is really good," Vy commended as she brought it closer to Aether so that he could have a try. 

He had chosen to coil himself around her neck this time. He took a sip of the drink through the straw and was delighted by the flavour as well. 

-I agree, it's good.- Aether chimed. 

Lycster looked at both of them with disbelief. Were they drinking the same thing?

"But… but it's so sour!"

Vy smiled, "That's what makes it taste so good."

-Agreed.-

Lycster could not take the sour taste of the drink, so he decided to get something else instead. This time around, he was gone for some time so when he returned, Vy had already gotten their blood sauce fries. 

He returned with a chocolate-coated apple on a stick that resembled a carved pumpkin. Lycster held it up so that his sister could take a bite. The chocolate coating was made from a mix of orange colouring and white chocolate and a green apple were used over a red one. 

The slightly sour taste of the green apple balanced the sweetness of the chocolate quite well, creating a good combination of flavours. After taking a bite of the apple, Vy realised Aether's mouth was already covered in tomato purée sauce. 

"How's the blood sauce fries?" She asked him with a grin. 

Caught in the act, Aether did not blush with embarrassment. He simply replied. -It is pretty good.-

"You've got sauce all over your mouth," Vy said as she reached out her hand to wipe it off for him. 

After their stomachs were full, they decided to head over to the booths that were selling wares so that they would get their costumes. As per the instructions given by Bonetimer, they would need to be in costume for the rest of the week as they participate in various activities. 

Since it was their first year on the island, Bonetimer suggested that they should participate in the Skollwood Scavenger hunt that took place on the north of the island. It was a fun activity that many travellers enjoyed participating in hopes of winning the prize at the end. 

Almost every stall sold a variety of different costumes, from clothes to accessories to shoes and much more. Vy was pulled in by one of the stalls as it sold a range of pointed hats, dark coloured dresses and pointed tip boots.