Lookout Fortress, Oak Tree Square.
As evening approached, the heavy snow that had fallen all day weakened somewhat, though the gale still raged. Yet the square was packed with people. Floating lanterns crafted by artisans slowly lit up, illuminating the wintry scenery around the great square at the border between the inner and outer cities.
This was one of the rare winter evenings in the northern lands when people still ventured outside.
Amid the enthusiastic cheers of the Kutelin People, the Coldest Day Celebration slowly began.
At the northeastern corner of the square, a large stage had been erected early on.
The sky was dark by now, and the lanterns' illumination was actually quite limited. Fortunately, two enormous pillars stood on either side of the stage. Atop them sat two strangely shaped giant iron braziers, where the Undying Flame blazed fiercely.
These two clusters of Undying Flame lit the area around the square as brightly as day.
The residents of Lookout Fortress were no strangers to these two humanoid flames, and some busybodies had even given them names.
The humanoid flame on the left was called Poseidon. He was usually rather aloof and disliked dealing with people, merely sitting silently in the brazier. Only when reckless children ran beneath the pillar and shouted at him would Poseidon usually put on a fearsome act, using flames to frighten the little brats. It was quite effective at first, but later, the naughty children discovered that the flames Poseidon bestowed not only did no harm, but actually strengthened their bodies. More and more children came to make trouble for Poseidon.
This left the cool and aloof Undying Flame utterly helpless, so he simply hid away most of the time. Only after most parents began deliberately restraining their children from bothering the great Lord