Caelum's Creed

Chapter 24: Crescent Cove

Two months have past since we arrived to Orion, the King had offered a part of the kingdom for my people to dwell in. He declared the "Crescent Cove" a small portion of Orion where all Celestials are free to live in peace, along with the right to express and celebrate our religious beliefs.

Tonight is the Moon Blessing festival, a night dedicated to commemorate the gift Lacria had given our people centuries ago. During the first settlement of mankind in the northern mountains, our people had no chance of survival. For years our kind had suffered in the cold, causing many deaths among the weak, most common and unfortunate cases would be children. But out of compassion and care for us, the goddess of winter, Lacria started shedding tears from the kingdom of Caelum. Her tears rained down upon the northern mountains and enchanted the life that did it's best to thrive. Normal flowers turned into glowing frost roses, the wandering fairies turned into snow sprites and the suffering humans turned into Celestians.

I open the house door and ran across the chaotic yet joyful crowd outside. Celestians building statues of crystals, children playing with magical spectres flying across the air, workers carrying enchanted tools and equipment. "Hello Cyro!" "Good morning boy!" "Did you sleep well?" People from all around greeting me a warm hello. "Yes! Hello! Good morning! Have any of you seen father?!" I yell through the crowd, trying to pierce through the noise. "He's by the arch! Working on the protection runes!" A worker yelled out to me. "Thank you sir!" I thanked him before waving him a goodbye and started running. As I ran through the cove shores, my eyes finally met the clear oceans as my ears were met by the sounds of light waves clashing against the sand. I smiled before making my way to the cove's gate. A stone arch was built on the entrance to Crescent Cove and the tribe plans on placing protection runes around it's frame. I spot father standing on a ladder whilst carving symbols on the tall gate frame with a short glowing dagger, the village elders gathered around with staffs and totems in hand as they silently chant the ancient Celestian prayers, the sight itself had given me the strange shivers as I saw their auras glow into spectres in the shape of a crow.

"Cyro!" I hear mother's voice call out to me and as I turn to face her, my eyes widened in shock to see the girl from the throne room, Hana Rei, standing right next to her. Her violet eyes met my sky blue orbs as I felt the sense of nostalgia come over me. "Hello ma!" I pulled my mother to a tight embrace as she gave returned the warm hug. She then pulls away and kneels down to my height. "Cyro, I'm sure you remember Hana?" I turn to face the girl beside her as she smiled at me. Now seeing her from a closer view, I noticed her mesmerising flower crown lined with different sorts of flower petals. "Hi! Uh, my name's Cyro!" I stuttered in my words out of nervousness. She then giggled before reaching her hand out to me. "Hana." My mother then stood up before looking at the both of us. "Go on now you two, let your father finish the enchantment. Hey Cyro, why won't you show Hana around the cove?" Her suggestion seemed to have excited the girl. "Oh yes please! I'd like to see what beauty lies in the cove! I've been bugging Olivia non-stop to let me visit! I'd uh, I'd appreciate a tour?" She smiled politely trying to contain her happiness, the sudden outburst of energy made me laugh. I nodded and walked passed the both before gesturing my arm toward her. "Follow me."

I first brought her to a spring beside a dark rocky mountain. "So this is the glowing spring, father says this comes from inside the mountain. He also says the water inside became enchanted with healing spirits because of the plant life that grew in it's soil." I then grabbed Hana's hand and helped her get on top of the boulder I was standing on to get a clearer view of the spring. Her eyes and mouth widened in amusement as she stared at the water pouring out of the mountain and into a small pond. "Wow! So if what your father says is true, then there must be magical plants on top of the mountain, right?" She then inches her face closer to me, frantically asking the question.

I arched my brow in curiosity and smirked at the girl. "Wanna find out?" We then made our way across the mountain side through a staircase built all the way to the top. As we were ascending to the top, I took the chance to appreciate the bright blue skies of Orion with only the occasional clouds shading us from the sunlight. As I smiled at the sky, Hana ran past me with a giggle "Hurry up! I think we can get a perfect view of the cove from up there!" Her perfect smile was contagious as her eyes captured the sunlight, I was put in a momentary state of shock before snapping out of it. "Uh! Wait up!" As I ran to her side, I found the both of us standing on a cliff with a perfect view of the cove showing all of it's beauty and the unfinished construction going on among the shore. I gasped in complete awe as the cold mountain breeze brushed across my white locks and Hana's long black strands.

She sat on a small boulder sitting on the cliff as I sat beside her. "So uhm, that's the residential area, where the tribe plans on placing all of the Celestians that will move here. And that's where my dad plans on building town hall, where all the important meetings will be held in." I kept placing my pointing finger towards different parts of the cove as I felt Hana's excitement radiate by my side.

"Hey Cyro, isn't it beautiful?" I turned to her, rather shocked by her sudden low tone of voice. "The cove? Yes, in fact I'm grateful that the king had given this to our people." She smiled softly before turning to me. "I mean, everything. Not just the cove. The skies, the ocean, the people. It's all just so amazing." I turn towards the view once more. "I'm glad to see someone has taken the chance to appreciate all of that, despite everything that's going on."

She chuckled before replying "Why wouldn't I? All my life I spent years thinking about what the outside world would feel like. I mean, this? This is something that'd appear only in my drawings! I'm just so happy I have the chance to experience this first hand. Thank you, Cyro. For showing me all of this."

I smiled towards her before replying "Hey, it's nothing. Plus, I'm sure this is nothing compared to the nature in Winglight, right?" I arched my brown in curiosity. "Well, you see, I'm not actually from Winglight. I'm from a kingdom called Green Lake. A place where things like these? Are nothing but potential for some money."

"Y-you're not from Winglight?" My words caused her to look at me as her eyes hinted at her back, implying the absence of wings the Fay maidens possesed. "Oh, right." I rubbed my palm on my forehead. "Well, Hana. There's no need to think about Green Lake anymore. You're in Orion now, they say that here? Everyone has the right to become happy! Why do you think we're holding the Moon Blessing festival tonight?"

"Of course! I really hope I could meet you tonight aswell, I haven't experienced a festival before. This will be so much fun!" I was shocked by what she said, now knowing she'll be attending the festival aswell. "You're coming too?! Well then, there's going to be a lot of people that's for sure, where should we meet?"

"Of course silly! The Fay maidens are going to celebrate the festival with you! They say it's to keep close bonds between our people. Which reminds me! I have to get back now and help Lycaen get ready. Meet me at that part of the shore. I'll see you tonight, okay?!"

She pointed at the cove's shore before making her way down the mountain.

"I'll see you tonight!"