Preparations for the Summer's Kiss

It is two days before the Summer’s Kiss. Everyone was preparing for the festivities. The sun’s flowers were everywhere and every house had a table or two out front with food and drink to share on the day of celebration. The McCall’s had their honey breads and dried meats. The Cereal’s had pastries filled with all the summer’s bounty. Above each was an arch of vines with glass spheres. During the day the spheres cast rainbows on the stone path. In the evening, they lit up with the sunlight they gathered through the day and kept the night at bay till the sun rises again.
The Vernea home bustled with preparations. The two story stone and plaster house, lined with wood accents has plants hanging all around. The lushes green grass spans a wide circle around the home before the cobble stone street begins. One large tree to the right of the home provided shade for the hotter days of summer. Garlands of green with flowers of red and gold, arched between the house and the tree making a canopy. Under the canopy sat a table full of honey cakes. The individual golden cylinder cakes each had a gold sugar dome on top with red shimmers. Fine red strands of sugar ran between the cakes. Together the cakes and sugar formed the shape of the sun flower. On the edge of the table there were three large ceramic serving vessels. Each with a spout for people to fill their cups with ciders. Red for strawberries. Gold for honey. Blue for blueberries. By the tree, hidden from the view of the street were two more of each flavor. The main celebration was still two days away but that didn’t stop people from celebrating each night.
Ayala put her caramel hands on her hips as she looked at her ciders. Last year the people finished off her ciders on the first night of celebration. This year she tripled the batch and would only put out one each night so that there was still a set left for the main celebration.
“Dad!” Solana yelled.
Ayala looked over at the woman coming out of the house. Her sleeves tied back and carrying yet another tray of honey cakes. Solana had the same small braids hanging on the side of her face down to her chest like Ayala with a few loose strands curling about them. The rest of her hair was pulled into three sections down the middle of her head. Each section clasped with a gold band then braided. Solana’s brown, almost black hair went all the way down to her waist. It reminded Ayala of what her hair would be if her father would stop cutting it off if it dared to pass her shoulders. She didn’t have enough hair to clasp in bands, so her hair was braided on the sides and pulled into a small ponytail. Like everyone living in the Solara Kingdom, their necks and part of the under section of their hair was shaved, which was nice during the hot weather.
Solana gave Ayala a knowing smirk as their father came out of the house. His icy blue eyes looked over the table and then turned their attention to Ayala. His large muscles tensed and Ayala could see the sparks of flames at the tips of his fingers.
“Get those damn things off the table! You don’t get to waste space with those horrid waters.” His deep voice bellowed.
“Yes Father. I’m sorry.” Ayala spoke softly, keeping her eyes on the ground. She quickly removed the drinks from the table before her father could throw them off.
“You try this every celebration. Get it through your head girl. No one wants anything of yours.” He turned those cold blue eyes from Ayala and smiled at Solana. “There. Fill the table with your cakes. They are sure to be the first to clear out.” Elio leaned forward and kissed his daughters head. “You are our families pride.” He turned back to Ayala, “Get rid of those and stop wasting resources on making them!”
Elio went back inside and Solana started to fill the newly empty space with her honey cakes. Those same icy blue eyes gleamed in delight as she looked over Ayala. She didn’t speak a word to her, just held her head in triumph and returned to the house’s kitchen to retrieve more of her cakes.
Ayala’s hands clinched. She rubbed her thumbs against her fingers. A bit of well placed mud in Solana’s path wouldn’t be suspicious, Ayala thought. Her own icy eyes followed the path her sister had taken from the table through the grass to the stone path leading to the wooden steps to the front door. All the plants around the town were being watered and kept fresh for the celebration. A bit of water wouldn’t be noticed. The Vernea home had plants on every corner. Vines going up latticework. A puddle under them would be fine.
Magic tickled her fingers as Ayala eyed a stones edge in the path, but before she could do anything the weight of a large tapestry fell on her shoulders. Turning, Ayala saw the warm smile on her mother’s lips. Twila’s knowing brown eyes met hers. Why couldn’t she have gotten her eye’s? She got her angled jawline and button nose.
“I’ve finished my tapestry.” Twila’s voice was soft and warm.
“You shouldn’t be out of your chair.” Ayala scolded but there was no anger behind her words.
“Nonsense. I can go for a little walk. I feel just fine. Now lay out the tapestry so we can have a look.”
Ayala obliged. The tapestry was large as it spanned over four feet long and at least eight foot long. At the top of the tapestry was a large golden sun’s flower. Red stems radiated from a gold center. White fluffs cradled the gold orbs at the end of each stem. There were also smaller golden buds growing off the main blooming stem. All around the sun’s flower, forming a boarder on half the tapestry, were different flowers and produce. Life. All the things the sun provides. Ayala smiled as she looked over the work, but the sun’s flower was only half the tapestry. The bottom half was a mirrored image but this time the center was the moon’s flower. Similar to the sun’s flower, the moon’s flower had stems radiating from a center, but this one is blue with purple stems. The globs at the end of the fluffs are sliver. All around and through the flower were thin silk like strands with purples and blues. The boarder for the moon’s flower had images of old herbs and berries believed to be extinct.
“Mother this is beautiful. But the moon’s flower?” She questioned her mother. She knew the real reason she put the moon’s flower on the tapestry but what would the other town’s people think? Father certainly wouldn’t approve of hanging it up.
“I designed it to be folded in half. This way during the Summer’s Kiss we can hang it with the sun’s flower facing out. And during the Long Night the moon’s flower will protect us from what hides in the dark.” She smiled, obviously very proud of her design. “I didn’t know if I had enough time to make two separate ones so I just made the one larger one.”
Ayala gave her mother a hug. She could feel her bones so easily in the embrace she didn’t dare to hug her as tight as she did when she only came to her knees. Ayala took Twila’s arm and linked it with her own.
“Come sit down and I’ll get some rope to hang it.”
Twila’s steps were slow but still steady. She took her time with each step just to be sure. Her long brown hair was braided away from her face and down her back. There were plenty of silver strands in it, betraying her age. As she is a married woman she didn’t wear the small lose braids and strands down around her face, but of course had her neck shaved.
Ayala guided her to the bench on the other side of the path leading to the house. There Twila would be among the garden and the pond she demanded Elio put in when they were married. Growing up Ayala always knew she would find her mother in her garden. It was her pride and joy. Twila couldn’t get on the ground anymore to tend to her flowers but Ayala made sure all the lessons her mother gave her didn’t go to waste and she kept that garden just as beautiful as her mother did.
After her mother was settled on the bench and feeding the fish, Ayala took to the path to the front door. Along the path were the glass sun spheres about the size of her fist. Larger ones hung along the covered porch and across each of the garlands leading to the tree. Each one swirled with gold shimmers and casted small rainbows. The front door was made of dark wood and painted on it was a large sun’s flower. The mark told all who saw it that a Sun Kissed witch lived there. Father was quick to have an artist paint it after Solana’s Sun Kissed celebration when they were eight. Ayala would never forget that day. That was the day her father’s blue eyes turned cold and hard when he looked at Ayala. That was the day she became the families shame.
Through the door Ayala entered the large greeting hall. To the left the formal sitting area in front of the large glass windows over looking mother’s pond and garden. To the front a small stone water fall fed a pool in the floor. Glass orbs in the water gleamed with reds and golds. The skylight above the water let the sun pour in to light the greeting hall and charge the sun orbs. The sun’s flowers filled the pots around the pool and plants draped and hung from the wall behind the water hiding the doors to the personal areas of the home.
The vines were pulled back from one of the doors to make it easier for Solana to come and go from the kitchen. Ayala entered into the personal section of the home. She passed the large curved stairs leading to the second floor where the bedrooms were. Behind the stairs the back wall was one large window looking out over their back garden. But just past that was the Burn. During the day it was beautiful to see, but at night the curtains were pulled down to hide us.
Ayala smiled seeing her mother’s chair with all her yarn. Her mother spent most of her day there which is why Elio had commissioned such a large window. She wouldn’t believe Elio was in love with her mother, but he at least cared enough to see her comfortable and happy.
To the left the smell of sweets came from the kitchen. Ayala would have to go in to get to the storage room. She took a deep breath and unclenched her hands. The kitchen was rather large. The far wall held a metal stove with intricate swirls decorating it. It had a large flat stone surface and in the middle underneath it was an area for the fire. Smaller doors to the side allowed for baking while the flat stone heated for pots or seared meats. The back of the stove was just as wide and was covered in delicate metals forming the sun’s flower. This back section hid the vent for the smoke. The side wall to the left held a long counter and cabinets below. Above on the wall rested all the pots and tools needed in the kitchen. The right wall was painted with swirls of reds browns and golds and in the middle a double door leading to the pantry and storage room. In the center of the room was a large island to give plenty of space for the staff.
Though on this day the staff was elsewhere and Solana had every inch covered in the various stages of making honey cakes. There was flour everywhere and the heat from the fire hit Ayala in the face as soon as she got to the door. Magic ran over her skin making it tingle. Solana was moving quickly from step to step. She had it all timed perfectly. No wood in the stove but the flames burned at an even intensity allowing for the even baking of her cakes. Despite flour being everywhere there was none on Solana and she wasn’t even sweating from the heat. The joys of air magic.
Ayala tried to remain quiet as she went to the pantry. She could see Solana’s back as she worked. Ayala quickly ducked into the pantry. Letting out a sigh of relief Ayala walked to the back of the pantry where they stored different items. In a basket under the bottom shelf she found the rope she needed. Ayala got up and turned to find her father glaring at her and Solana standing with her arms crossed and that satisfied smirk on her lips.
“Stealing food?” Elio accused. “You eat only what is served to you at meals!”
The heat in the room become oppressive. Ayala could feel the sweat start to dampen her clothes. Elio was angry and there was no escaping the heat of a fire witch in such a small stone room. His steps were heavy and his hand grabbed Ayala’s wrist to pull away what she held.
“I’m getting rope for Mother.” Ayala answered quickly. She kept her eyes down and resisted the urge to pull her arm away. It wouldn’t help and would only make her father more angry.
“Rope?! What for?” He demanded.
Elio grabbed her jaw and turned her head from side to side looking for any evidence she had been snacking. When he found none he growled and pulled her towards the exit.
“Mother’s tapestry. She finished and wants to hang it up. She’s waiting in her garden.” Ayala tried to explain but her words fell on deaf ears.
“Twila is in no condition to be outside. If you had any sense as the healer you claim to be you would know that!” Elio’s words echoed in home as he dragged her through it.
Once outside Elio pulled Ayala down the steps and released her wrist as her mother came into view. Twila turned to see them and smiled up at her husband.
“Have you come to help?” Twila’s voice was soft and soothing.
Elio relaxed upon seeing her. “What are you doing out here?”
“I’m enjoying my garden and the warmth of the sun. It’s a beautiful day. I think this year’s celebration will be the most beautiful. Don’t you think?” Twila reached for his hand to get help up. Elio obliged. “I see you have the rope I sent Ayala to retrieve. Come see the tapestry. I think it can hang from the tree quite nicely.”
Twila held Elio’s arm and walked slowly towards the tapestry laying on the ground still. She peaked back for a moment at Ayala and saw her rubbing her wrist. Her daughter wiped the sweat off her skin but she knew there was a tear or two in there as well. Twila hated how Elio treated her. She used to have the energy and strength to stand up between them, but now the best she could do was distract him. Perhaps a stern word at the right time, but nothing more. It put too much strain on her body and she wanted to be with her daughter for as long as possible.
Elio looked over the tapestry. The man actually smiled as he saw the sun’s flower design. His joy was short lived. Looking down past the sun’s flower there was a second flower design.
“What is that?” Elio’s voice was harsh but not loud.
“It hangs folded. This way during the Long Night it can be hung up for protection.” Twila sounded pleased.
“That is an old superstition and one our family does not follow. We don’t worship the night.”
“Many families put out symbols of the moon’s flower on the Long Night. It’s not a crime.” Twila stated her case.
“Not our family! This will not hang in front of my home, ever.” Elio’s anger started to return.
“The Sibella family, my family, honors this tradition.” Twila stood firm.
“No!” Elio exploded. From his hand he shot a ball of fire down the middle of the tapestry cutting it in half.
“Elio!” Twila snapped.
Ayala ran over and started stomping out the flames. A gust of wind came straight through the remaining fire, blowing it out. Solana set her tray down and came over to see the damage.
“How could you Elio?” Twila’s voice cracked as she walked over to see her tapestry. “It’s taken me months to make this.”
Solana picked up the side with the sun’s flower and held it for her mother. “We can put a binding on the edge to hide the damage. It won’t take long at all.” Solana smiled hopefully at her mother. “Why don’t we go inside and do that? We can have this hanging up before you know it.”
Twila’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at Elio. Elio couldn’t look her in the eyes. “It’s better now. Ayala get rid of that damaged side. It’s too damaged to be saved.” Elio gave his order and retreated to the back yard to work on his weapons. After the celebration the town’s hunters would go searching for the moon wolf that has been evading them. Nothing of the moon was allowed to exist.
Solana held her mother’s arm and gently guided her back inside. Ayala quickly picked up the side with the moon’s flower and carefully folded it. Her father lied as always. The tapestry wasn’t beyond saving. Sure some of the bottom boarder was singed but she’ll fix it.
By her containers of cider Ayala had her medical bag. It would be a tight fit, but she couldn’t risk taking it up to her room. Father would burn everything in my room if he found it there. And I won’t give Solana that satisfaction, Ayala thought. She pulled her multiple smaller bags of vials out of the larger bag as well as the bags of bandages and tools. The tapestry took up much of the room in the bag but with a little bit of shoving everything went back in. Her right wrist stung from the burning hand of her father. She pulled out an ointment and applied it to the area. It was bright red but was fading. With any luck there would hardly be any scar. She wrapped her wrist with some bandages and closed up her bag.
Using a bench, Ayala set up her three ciders under the tree. They may not be on the table but she didn’t think people expected them to be. They never were and yet the drinks were always gone by the end of the night. Satisfied with that Ayala grabbed her bag and looped it across her body. She still had to make her rounds for the day.
Asya town was far from the inner Kingdom, deep in the woods along the river. As one of the boarder towns Asya Town is part of the first line of defense against anyone, creature or humanoid, who would see harm to the Solara Kingdom. Travelers and traders had to go through a boarder town and be checked to enter the kingdom. It was not just the legal way to enter, it was the safest. The forest was too dense between the boarder towns and the rest of the inner kingdom. It was suicide to try and travel through the forest. The few Queen’s Guards who were stationed in the town, patrolled the streets and dealt with any newcomers to the town.
Large smooth stones lined the streets of Asya Town. One large bridge decorated with the sun and it’s flowers, connected both sides of the river. Homes on the north side of the bridge were closer together often even sharing walls the closer one got to the middle. Many of these families were artisans. The front of their homes would have a large canopy and tables full of their goods to buy or trade. On the far north side were the farmers with vast acers. The larger more affluent families had their homes on the southern side of the bridge. The plots of land were larger allowing them to show off their wealth, but it also let them do their jobs. Those families usually had Hunters and Clearers in them.
Hunters were a set of witches who used their magic to fight the nights creatures. These creatures kill humans. Some like the goblins were more of an annoyance as they throw stones or send wasps at their targets. Skerumes stood about four feet tall. They look like a walking skeleton with a living mushroom hat. Their bones are held together by the thin roots of the mushroom. Skerumes used magic to grow poisonous fungus and shoot darts made of the roots with poison into a person. The lost souls cry out for help often looking like they have been attacked or fell in the water. Once a person got close enough to see the sunken skin and hollow eyes it was too late. They would be pulled into the water and drowned or pulled deep into the ground and buried alive. Then there were creatures like the moon wolves. These creatures are said to be able to eat a human whole. Though few are ever seen anymore as Hunters have hunted them to extinction. The largest one anyone has see in recent memory was barely larger than a horse.
Being a Clearer was a full time job. Around the town was a large area of open grass known as the Burn. Nothing but grass was allowed to grow there. There are light polls scattered throughout the area. Each poll held multiple sun spheres to light the area in the dark of night. The forest was always encroaching on the town, inching ever closer, bringing the darkness and it’s creatures with it. Clearers go out everyday to cut back the growth. Should the growth ever be too great all the fire witches were summoned and they burned all the growth.
“Be sure to put the cream on the burn twice a day. If you have any moments where the pain is bothering you too much or the area feels too dry, go ahead and put more on. I’ll come back by after the celebration to check on you Mrs Meryl.” Ayala handed the woman a round container with the burn cream in it.
“Thank you Ayala.” Meryl smiled kindly at her as she took the cream. Three young boys, the oldest maybe 12 ran by with twigs playing tag with them. “Oh! Boys take it outside” Meryl scolded. “And don’t hit each other in the face!” The mother sighed as the boys ran out the front door. “Do you see how I got distracted from my baking?”
Ayala smiled and nodded. “They look like a lively bunch as boys often are. But they also look happy. I’d tell you to keep out of the kitchen for at least a week while the burn heals but I know you’ll be back in there as soon as I walk out that door. So, keep a heat proof glove on that hand and take more frequent breaks to let it cool down. You’ll want to gently clean it at night and if possible let it breath when you’re not in the kitchen.”
“I hear you Ayala. I’ll do my best to take breaks but I need to fill my tables. People just love my cookies. I can never make enough.” Meryl laughed a bit.
“Your blueberry ones are my favorite. Here take this too.” Ayala pulled out two vials. The blue liquid shimmered a little as she handed them over. “It’s a cooling potion made with {Plant Name}. Only drink half at a time before bed. It will help your body cool from the burn and the heat of the day to let you sleep easier.”
Meryl gratefully took the potions and showed Ayala out. Though not before giving her one of her blueberry cookies and a couple of coins for her service.
Ayala pocket her coins and walked out into the street eating her cookie. It was sweet and the blueberries popped in her mouth giving her pockets of flavor. Looking around the streets were lively and full. People were hanging garlands across their homes and canopies. Sun spheres were everywhere, casting their rainbows on every surface. Flowers of every color were woven into the garlands or hanging in pots. Ribbons of reds and golds draped over the streets from light poll to light poll. Produce stands had more than their tables could hold and were using barrels to hold the extra. Ayala snatched up a mango that was tendering on the top of a pile. Produce was free in Solara. Meats and prepared food however cost money. The royal family paid the farmers who in turn paid the green witches to work their lands producing in abundance of produce.
Ayala made her way through the crowds. Everyone was in a good mood and excited for the holiday.
The Summer’s Kiss is a day longer than any other of the year. Every child in the town who had turned eight since last year’s celebration, was excited and wearing the golden linens of the sun. Reds, browns, and golds hung over their shoulders and swirled around their feet. They were about to see if and which magic they had. But while they ran in the streets, mother’s were yelling after them to take off their linens to keep them clean for the ceremony.
The Sun Kissed celebration was a long-standing tradition in the Solara Kingdom to celebrate all the sun provides. Every family shares food and drinks freely to show the abundance of crops. Travelers from all around come to Solara just to experience the extravagance of the celebration. For the magic, the children will gather in the town center, a deep ocean pearl the size of a grapefruit would be passed to each child by their parents at the hight of the sun. The pearl will change colors to indicate which of the magics they received. Though if the pearl remains white no magic was gifted. Sun magic is the greatest gift a witch could receive. The sun kept everyone safe from the monsters of the night. Red for fire. Gold for light. Sheer white with gold flakes for air. Brown for neuro. Crystal rainbow for life. The neutral magics were acceptable as well. Green for plants. Blue-green for water. The most coveted magic though made the pearl swirl with golds, reds, browns. The Sun Kissed witch. A witch blessed with all the suns magic.
“Ayala!” a womans voice called out in the crowd.
Ayala looked around for the source of the voice. She found a woman sitting with a young boy on the side of a fountain. She was waving at her to come over. Ayala raised her hand to tell her she saw her and made her way to them. She could see the young boy holding his knee. He had a few tears but kept quiet.
“Oh thank the Sun. Sorin was running around and tripped on a stone. He didn’t break anything but his leg is pretty badly scrapped up.” The woman removed the cloth from her son’s knee. The boy seethed a bit as the now damp cloth pulled at his sensitive skin.
Ayala looked over his knee and down his shin. “That must have been quite the fall Sorin.”
Sorin nodded and clenched his teeth. Ayala smiled and pulled a vial from her bag. “I’m going to have to clean this up and wrap it. It will hurt a bit but I’ll be as gentle as I can. I want you to drink this. It will help dull the pain.”
The boy drank the vial without complaint. When Ayala saw his jaw relax she pulled his leg over towards her. She took off his footwear and rested his foot on a stone. Digging in her bag she pulled a bottle with some dried {Plant for cleansing}. Using one of the provided ladles at the fountain she filled the bottle with the cool water. After giving it a shake Ayala slowly poured the water over Sorin’s wound. He flinched but did well holding still. Ayala examined the damage, mostly just surface scrapes but just under his knee he got a bit deeper. In the side of her bag she stored the larger medical plants. After pulling out the smaller bag with leaves in it Ayala sorted through it and pulled out a large {Plant for quick healing} leaf.
“You know it’s not just witches who have magic.” Ayala smiled at Sorin.
It was his year for the Sun’s Kiss celebration. He had on his linen robe. Strips of red brown and gold were clenched together at his shoulders with a crystal clasp. Each color strip was embroidered with a border representing the magic. The red has yellow flames flickering up the sides while the brown has intricate white lace patterns representing the mind. The gold strip has bursts of light made with small sequins that reflected light. The white linen of the robe itself has gold swirls of wind along the hem.
“This is a leaf from a {Plant for quick healing}. It helps to seal up small wounds faster than normal.” Ayala placed the leaf across the worst of Sorin’s wound. She then gently added a cream to the edges of the leaf and the rest of the wound. “This cream will keep the wound clean and help prevent it from reopening.” She explained to the woman. “And this little vial,” she handed it to the lady, “will help get the blood out of his linen.” The woman smiled with relief. Ayala started to wrap up the wound.
“Can’t you work any faster?” The mother’s voice raised up louder then needed. “I only accepted your sloppy work because I figured this was an easy task. I’m not paying you for this!”
Ayala sighed and turned to look over her shoulder. Solana was there. She had changed outfits and now wore a skirt shear linens of all the shades of reds and browns layered over each other and they flowed with every movement she made. Her wide brown leather belt has white lace designs and cinched in her waist. Hanging from the belt were strips of braided silk with beads made from mermaid scales and charms of the sun’s flower, swirls of air and fire glittered with fairy dust to shine. Solana’s golden top has sleeves to her elbow, the back of witch hung low and wide. The edges had the sun’s flower embroidered on it with each small dot had a sequin to catch the light. The neck line was modest but the gold sun’s flower necklace with it’s thin red stems with white gold representing the fluffs, radiating from a gold center holding tiny sun spheres on the end of each, was anything but modest.
Solana talked with the crowds. Showing off her magic she used air to help push up some of the ribbons to hang them on the polls. The people watched, thrilled to see her work. Using her plant magic all the flowers bloomed and perked up. People awed in delight. Some adults in the crowd brought her empty glass spheres which she filled with the sun’s light. Children gathered around her wanting to see more. Solana had the children gather the fallen sticks leaves and flower petals. With the gathered items she imbued them with life magic and made small flower people with petals for a head and leaf wings. They flew in circles around the children then off over the crowd. The children chased them and Solana moved on her way. Solana caught sight of Ayala as she was finishing up wrapping a young boys leg.
“I apologize for my sister’s work. Nothing she does is ever as it should be. It’s hard to believe the healers allow her out of the training hospital.” Solana gave the mother a small glass sun’s flower pin filled with the sun’s light. “Haven’t you finished yet Ayala? People have things to do.”
“Just finished. Try not to over work your leg today Sorin and it should be well enough to remove the bandage in the morning.” Ayala instructed.
“Took you long enough.” The mother tossed a at Ayala. “I’m only giving you that so you can’t claim I didn’t pay you. You should be ashamed of your so called skills. My son better not have a horrible scar because of you.”
Sorin looked at his mother a bit confused but didn’t argue with her as she pulled him away.
“Really Ayala, you shouldn’t be out here bothering people. You only mess things up.” Solana smirked and crossed her arms. “You’re a horrible healer. I don’t know how you even stand to show your face. I have to fix everything you do to make sure people are happy and don’t look down on the Vernea name. Even your face I have to show people what it should really look like.”
“We may be twins Solana but the similarities thankfully stop at our looks. You know damn well I’m one of the best healers in town.” Ayala pushed back.
“Without magic your skills are mediocre at best. You can’t even heal Mother. You’re not good for anything.” Solana pushed pass Ayala, knocking her sister’s shoulder back. “Go walk into the forest. It would do this town a favor.”
Ayala glared at her sister as she disappeared into the crowd. She could hear a new set of awes and cheers as one of the local Sun Kissed witches blessed them with her presence and magic. Ayala sighed and sat back down to repack her bag. As she stood and started walking she felt a tug on her skirt.
“Hello again Sorin. Are you alright?” Ayala kept her voice soothing and soft for the young boy, he hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Mom said to give you this.” Sorin handed Ayala a few coins. “Thank you!” Sorin cheerfully called out to her as he ran back to his mom. The mother mouthed a thank you to Ayala and walked away.
Ayala pocketed the coins and picked the opposite street from Solana to walk. Asya Town was a beautiful town on any day, but the town’s folk brought out the best of everything for the Sun Kiss celebration, even their working clothes were nicer then normal. Men wore their dark but light weight linen pants. The pants fit lose around the legs allowing for air to flow easier, they tightened towards the ankles and were tucked into their boots. The men’s tops were simple. The collars stood around their necks and the front had a small v-cut with some leather straps lacing it up. The sleeves varied. Some were short and out of the way. Some wider and longer, cinching at the elbow or wrist to help keep the arms protected from the sun. Leather boots were everyones style. The deferences being color and how high the boot went up the leg, but they were all flat. Only the more affluent families and the royal families bothered with heals. Most women wore skirts of linen, usually made with only one color and little to no embroidery as it was more expensive to have done, therefore the majority of women only have a few pieces with embroidery and they save it for special occasions. The tops for women varied. Some had wide necklines that scooped across their shoulders. Some preferred a more modest cut, keeping the neckline higher towards their neck. Sleeves were the same as the mens, usually being picked based on what they would be doing for the day. Everyone wore belts with pouches in a variety of styles, often hanging different decorations off of them. Clothes didn’t change much in style for the more affluent families. Their clothes were covered in embroidery as they could afford it.
The day was growing long as Ayala made her way to Ardere’s shop. Out front his tables were full of colorful glass sculptures. Blue swirls of waves with mermaids riding on winged fish. Red flames with fairies dancing. Of course, there were plenty of the sun’s flower. Some were made into bouquets while others were depicted as giving life to other plants. On the back wall behind the ladies selling the goods was a glass painting. The left corner was a dark black that covered the forest on the left side. Ayala could make out the shapes of skulls both people and creatures. Their jaws were elongated like they were screaming. The darkness was being pushed out by the light. On the right side, a large sun’s flower shown it’s light over the forest. Each orb was a sun’s sphere the glowed. Below the large flower were smaller sun’s flowers. Their light allowed the forest on the majority of the picture to be green and full of life. There were fairies dancing on flowers while birds nested in the trees.
Ayala nodded at the ladies as she walked into the main shop to talk with Ardere. Ardere was a big man sitting at a table behind a tall wall of glass. He let people watch him work but wanted to keep them back. The heat in his shop hit Ayala like a wall. Her body was quick to start sweating even more. As she approached she watched as Ardere carefully twisted a thin steam of molten glass around a metal rod. Next to him she could see the delicate petals of a {Flower Name} flower. Using his breath, Ardere blew a steady stream of fire on the glass to keep it at the right temperature. Ayala watched in fascination that a man of his size could make such delicate pieces. Once he finished, he sniped off the extra glass and put it back into his furnace.
“Welcome in Ayala. Here for your order?” His deep rich voice welcomed.
“Hey Ardere. Are they ready?” Ayala was excited. It had taken a while to save up the coins to commission a project from Ardere. After all, he was the best glass artist in town.
“Of course they’re ready.” The man put his blackened hands on his hips. “I can keep a deal.”
Ardere tried to sound offended but Ayala could see the smile at the corners of his lips hiding under his beard. The man almost skipped to his back room. Ayala couldn’t help but smile. Ardere had been so excited when she came in with her sketches. She had thought she had enough coins at the time, but only had half. It had taken her another month and a lot of extra shifts at the hospital to save up the rest. When Ardere returned his hands had been cleaned of all the smoke and she could see all the burn scars on his skin. He carried a wooden box with carvings of vines and flowers. The wood was stained a deep blue with black burned grains and a few of the flowers were embellished with a few tiny crystals.
“Ardere?” Ayala questioned eying the unexpected box.
“Consider the box a gift. Everyone always wants pieces made with reds and golds and of course of the sun’s flower. It’s hard to find inspiration sometimes when your work all blends together. But your project gave me something new. And I had to share that with Cassia. As soon as I showed her your sketches and my ideas she got straight to work.”
“Ardere it’s beautiful, but I didn’t pay you near enough for something like that.” Ayala gently ran her hand over the box.
“You paid me plenty. I got a good deal on the supplies I needed. Besides, just wait till you open it.” Ardere stood grinning from ear to ear watching Ayala’s face.
Ayala got a bit nervous but her heart raced with excitement. Her mother had given her some old books for her birthday. Much of the information in the books was no longer relevant but she had found sketches of some flowers she had never seen before. She did some sketching and had decided to have some bottles made. She would have to keep them hidden but when she moved out she would be able to display them. Sadly that day was getting closer.
Today though Ayala would get to show off the bottles to her mother, but she had to see them first. Slowly she opened the box. She could see purple silk lining the box. It made a pillow for the three bottles. Her breath caught in her throat. There were two smaller bottles on either side of a larger one. Each of glass bottles were of a violet hue. The smaller bottles have blue and pink vines climbing around the bottles. The stopper on the left bottle has dew spotted purple stems going up then curling around a crystal orb. The stopper on the right had one larger petal that is shaped like a water droplet that has been gently twisted. The droplet started out pink at the tip and faded to a deep blue at the base. Just inside the droplet Ayala could make out a white flower with thin delicate petals. The smaller bottles were more beautiful then Ayala had expected but the one in the middle, the largest of the three was something Ayala had never dreamed of. The bottle looked like it would almost take two hands to hold. Because of it’s round bottom the bottle had a metal base. The base has four feet curled around a small crystal each. The legs looked as though there were multiple strands of metal. Each strand swirled and twined around the base before moving its way up the bottle to meet again at the neck. The base of the glass bottle was violet but it faded to a light pink to a clear that shimmered with rainbow flecks. The stopper has a flower with pale white translucent petals cupping a rippled pearl orb with rainbow shimmers gently swirling. A few of the silver metal strands curled off the sides and have translucent buds.
“These are… Ardere,” Ayala looked up at the man, words failing her.
“I got started on these right after you left that day. I took some liberties from the sketches you gave me.” Ardere explained.
“Some liberties? Ardere these are far more elaborate and beautiful then I had expected.” Ayala lightly ran a finger over the middle bottle. She couldn’t help herself. She pulled it out with both hands and set it on the table. The light shown through it making the glass shine like crystals. She could hardly take her eyes off it.
“Alright I went overboard on them.” The man chuckled. “But they were well worth it. I wish people would buy ones with those colors but I’ve made a few with Solara’s colors and flowers. I’m planning on putting them on display on the Summer’s Kiss. But yours are the originals.”
“How much do I owe you for the extra work?” Ayala gently asked. She was sure that they cost at least in addition half of what she paid if not doubled.
“Not a more. You gave me new inspiration and I’ll make plenty off the new designs.” The man was proud of his work and seeing Ayala’s reaction fueled him with excitement.
How does such a large man make such delicate pieces? Ayala thought. Ever so gently Ayala replaced the bottle in its rightful place in the center of the box. She closed it and ran her hands over the box again.
“They are perfect Ardere. Thank you.” Ayala said sincerely.
“You are most welcome Ayala. If you have anymore ideas you bring them to me. Got it?”
“Absolutely. And anytime you need a burn dressed I’ll come to you, no charge.”
Ardere laughed, “Deal! Have a good evening Ayala. And come by the shop on the Summer’s Kiss to see the other designs.”
Ayala waved at Ardere as she left. She couldn’t wait to get home and show them to her mother.