The hot summer air blew through the streets of the city as Solar Flare trotted through the city. Wide blue eyes looked back and forth, taking in the panorama view of the tall, intricately decorated buildings surrounding Solar Flare’s petite kittom body. Amazement and wonder passed over Solar Flare’s face as they admired the golden statues and facets that sparkled in the full moonlight of the clear sky. It contrasted uniquely against the dark wooden beams that hung over the roof of the downtown buildings. Blowing softly amidst the wood beams and gold trims are shockingly bright red lanterns that glowed softly, making the ledges look like red stars.
It was a strange place to be in comparison to Faerindell. Solar Flare walked down the street haphazardly with their head in the sky. The world was cast in darkness but it wasn’t dark like the nights back home. The moonlight seemed brighter and the stars twinkled in the great expanse above that seemed outer-worldly. It was almost as if the sky had been ripped open and inside was thousands of tiny suns. It was definitely beautiful, and a little unnerving to be beneath a tear in the sky that lead somewhere unknown to you.
Eyes falling back down to the stone walls around them, Solar Flare suddenly became aware of all of the other elnin around them. Lining the streets, tightening the masses toward each other, were small stalls. Using the stone buildings as a background, little wood stalls with brightly coloured canopies lined the side streets. Lanterns hung delicately from each stall’s canopy, beckoning Solar Flare to investigate.
Solar Flare squeaked with great excitement as they trotted over to the stall. There were so many options, and the stall’s canopy allowed Solar Flare a moment of reprieve from the bright lights that kept the dark city lit.
“Can I help you find something?” Whispered an elderly elnin with a pale yellow coat and bold pink anima.
Startled slightly, Solar Flare jumped a little.
“Oh, terribly sorry sweetheart.” Apologized the stall keeper as Solar Flare’s blue eyes focused on the lady in front of her.
Solar Flare nodded slightly, looking back and forth as if processing the information given to them. As they thought, they observed a falling star in the distance but it disappeared There were a lot of shoes but Solar Flare didn’t know what they wanted. A little poach jingled as they shifted heavily to the left and then right.
“Oh, no. I don’t know... maybe? What do you think?” Solar Flare looked around and settled back on the stall keeper again. The stall keeper smiled down at the kittom and leaned forward onto her front paws.
“Are you looking for everyday wear?” The soft voice.
“What’s everyday wear?” The kittom asked, a slight hint of confusion on their tongue.
“Oh, well, something sturdy and comfortable that you would every day!” The stall keeper said politely.
“Oh... um...” Confusion turned into consideration that had no immediate answer.
The stall keeper looked down at the satchel that was tied around Solar Flare’s neck that was in the shape of a little red and gold lantern with little stars across it.
“Perhaps you’re looking for something for the faire? Give me one second!” She said gently, shuffling around the stall as if she expected to find something. After a minute of digging around behind the display, she found something and announced with a triumphant “huzzah.” She picked up two pairs of matching golden sandals each with a red resin-coated allium flower in the center of the toe space before spinning around with a smile.
They looked like little fireworks for the feet! They definitely weren’t what Solar Flare had imagined when they thought of footwear but they were amazing! They filled the little kittom with awe and wonder! They would make their feet cool AND fashionable!
“Ah!” Solar Flare squealed. “They’re so nice!”
The stall keeper smiled.
“What’s that in the middle?” Solar Flare asked with curiosity.
“Oh? That’s an allium flower dipped in resin so it won’t wilt! Pretty neat, huh?”
“Yeah! It sounds... expensive. I don’t think I can afford that.” There was a definite whisper of disappointment in their response.
The stall keeper frowned a little in sympathy but gave Solar Flare a reassuring pat on the head.
“Don’t fret, little one. I can sell them to you at an affordable price! They were a custom order for a kittom about your age but I’m afraid their folks had to back out of the purchase. I’ll be happy to sell them to you at the price of these sandals.” The stall keeper said happily, gesturing to the other sandals.
Solar Flare perked up, and quickly scanned the price of the sandals in question. Blue eyes lit up, and Solar Flare quickly slipped a paw into their money pouch. Happily, they slid the coins onto the wooden stall top to the pale yellow elnin.
“Oh, how wonderful!” The stall keeper grinned. “Should I pack them up for you, or perhaps you would like to wear them now?”
“Oh, now please!” Solar Flare’s feet did a little dance.
“Well, here you go then!”
Solar Flare happily took the sandals, two at a time, and slipped them onto their little feet. They felt very extravagant, and Solar Flare couldn’t help but spin around a little.
“Very nice!” The elder elnin said gently with a little clap of the paws before tucking the coins into her apron quietly.
With a wave, Solar Flare left the stall in style. The city was a big place, and there was still a lot of adventuring to do. It only seemed appropriate that they should find something to wear to go with their beautiful new shoes... but where?
Solar Flare walked down to the end of the street without finding anything that caught their eye. At this point, they had reached a bridge that spanned two sections of the city. Solar Flare walked over the bridge at a snail’s pace, eventually coming to a complete stop in the middle. Blue eyes gazed down into what seemed to be the sky. Upon further inspection, Solar Flare realized that it was water.
Small ripples dashed across the lake, disrupting the jellyfish slightly with the waves. Their soft light moved around in the water and drew Solar Flare’s attention until they were clinging to the wooden beam of the bridge and peering in. What was it? We’re they stars? Why were they in the water? Staring into the depths, Solar Flare internally questioned the shadows in the water. They looked spooky, teaching upward from the depths of the water like it was planning to grab the kittom and pull them down.
Starlake and the Silveil eldertree were a complete mystery to Solar Flare, something to be explored in more depth another day. It was hard to pull away though, and Solar Flare must have spent time greater than half an hour just staring down into the water. Occasionally they would stare upward as well, comparing and exploring the sky’s stars versus the lake’s “stars” that seemed to dance in the waves.
Eventually, the kittom pulled their paws away and finished their way across the bridge. They decided to follow the edge of the water through the city this time though, making their way down another street of stores and stalls. Everything seemed to glow with the light of the lake on this side, sparkling with reflections from the sky and lake.
There were so many stalls but it was a store on the end of the street inside a small building with a golden dragon wrapped around a bright red diamond on top of the roof that caught Solar Flare’s attention. The diamond almost seemed to twinkle under the moonlight and twinkling stars. In the store front’s window were beautifully decorated outfits that seemed to be seasonally designed for the faire.
Inside was much more overwhelming than the window had suggested, and Solar Flare was frozen by choice paralysis. They wandered around the store, wishing someone was here to narrow down the options. A very fashionable kyunru came in and left with two bags before Solar Flare had even managed to look at the price of a pair of shoes.
“Why am I even looking at shoes?” It was a good question but Solar Flare suddenly felt very stupid for saying it out loud. Fortunately, it was that noise that had drawn the available store clerk over to Solar Flare.
“Oh, hello there!” The shop clerk loomed over Solar Flare as a particularly lean kyunru.
The sound of another elnin nearby made Solar Flare blush fiercely and that feeling only amplified when Solar Flare realized that it was a kyunru, not an elnin.
“Can I help you with something? Oh, what cute shoes you have!”
“I...” Solar Flare whispered slightly, pondering the correct response.
“Pardon me? I’m afraid I missed that.”
“I want something to wear for the festival.”
“Oh, we can certainly help you with that! Let’s go!”
The kyunru sped off to a rack in the middle of the shop where an array of much smaller scale outfits were displayed. Solar Flare had been looking at kyunru pieces before.
Before Solar Flare could feel too embarrassed, the shop clerk pulled off a hanger from the rack and held it up for the kittom. It was a small red base with dark red swirls. Over the top was a long sheer black fabric with tapering ruffles on the edges and golden stars embroidered onto it.
Blue eyes widened, wiping the embarrassment right off Solar Flare’s face. It was simple but not too basic! It was the same colours as their shoes, too! What a coincidence!
“What do you think? Would you like to try it on? I can help you put it on.”
Solar Flare nodded, and after a couple of minutes, the kyunru shop clerk walked Solar Flare over to the large mirror in the back.
“I think it looks great with your shoes,” the shop clerk said earnestly. “That is why I picked it out.”
Solar Flare was surprised! The kyunru had picked it out because of their shoes? Wow!
“I do like it,” Solar Flare admittedly. “How much is it?”
The kyunru smiled and gestures gently to a sign. It was a tad out of Solar Flare’s sight range though and quickly apologized. Grabbing the sign, the kyunru moved it into Solar Flare’s line of sight. It was within the budget they’d been given for the festival!
“Can I wear it out?” Solar Flare asked, digging around their satchel until they pulled out the coins and accidentally dropped it on the floor. “Ah!” They scurried off to get it and bumped into the kyunru‘s leg. Oh, it was only getting worse.
“Let me get that for you,” the kyunru said as they scooped up the coins and placed them into their apron. “Of course you can wear it out. Are you on your way to the festival?”
Flushing red, Solar Flare nodded. “I am going to Starlake’s festival. I hear there is going to be lantern painting, food stalls, and fireworks!”
The kyunru smiled. “There sure will be!”
“Oh, look at the time! I got to go! Bye!”
It took a minute for Solar Flare to get out and after they did they seemed surprised that it was still dark out. What a strange place this was! Everyone was walking around the streets like it was the middle of the day, buying groceries and shopping.
“I suppose it is daytime,” Solar Flare whispered in reminder, looking down the street in the opposite direction of where they’d come from. Now, where were they suppose to go now? They had a map! It would just take a little to decipher it. Reading wasn’t Solar Flare’s best skill, after all.
Soon enough, Solar Flare was making their way through the last of the beautifully decorated golden facets and bright lights of the city into the glowing path of the forest. It was a nice walk along a path that followed the one side of the lake. On the posts along the path were different coloured lanterns lighting the way, and occasionally a guide to direct the groups. Around each post, and becoming more common deeper into the forest, were bioluminescent mushrooms that lit up the forest like the jellyfish lit up the lake.
The mushrooms almost drew Solar Flare off the path but lights in the other direction attracted Solar Flare, and upon getting closer they soon discovered how populated the festival truly was. It was beautiful though. The lights in the lake were only strengthened by the soft glow of all the lanterns. What made the lake twinkle like that? Solar Flare found themselves thinking about it again. Had the stars fallen from the sky? Solar Flare didn’t know that they were jellyfish yet. The thought lingered inside the mind of the kittom while they walked around the festival.
Solar Flare started with lantern painting, followed by eating some blue ice cream with little candy stars in it. By this point, the first round of fireworks was going off and Solar Flare nearly found themselves dropping their cone. It was a tragedy that was lost in the sound of the fireworks and soon forgotten.
All around the kittom everyone began looking up. There were ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ but Solar Flare was lost for words. It wasn’t that they had never seen fireworks before but the combination of the fireworks reflecting off the lake reflected something in Solar Flare’s eyes. They walked closer to the lake until their feet were dipping in the water.
The lights of the fireworks briefly turned the glow of the jellyfish different colours. They changed from green to yellow, yellow to orange, orange to red. It shone brighter and brighter, making the silhouette of the eldertree become more apparent under the city. Solar Flare squinted their eyes, wondering to themselves if the world was upside down. Stars above and below them with a tree under a city? It was hard to believe even having seen it.
Standing in the water, wonder and amazement lit up inside Solar Flare. They found themselves feeling suddenly at home here. The realization that they had to go back to Faerindell didn’t hit them, and maybe the thought would forever be lost here in the red starry reflection of the lake.
