Submission (#2113) Approved

• WHAT ?

The usually calm and soft kittom was growing some serious upset vibes. Milka wasn’t used to it and hadn’t a clue about how to handle this. He raised his voice.

• I told you ! It’s useless !! I…. I can’t go out anyway ! I’m just a nestling and the miasma season makes me sick each time I go outside ! This crystal can’t go anywhere, just as me. It’s no use. It will stay here, safe with me and… That’s it. We’re both waiting that the season will pass, hopefully soon enough.

The caravan has stopped in Ahza just near the frontier city of Devara.  Hedera and the other merchants had some big business going on in this desert city but Ricqlès and Akane had stay this afternoon to take care of the kittoms. The pyrotechnic lady had a lot of materials to craft some lanterns, and even if no kittoms had pomus yet they all spent the entire afternoon to build some small paper lights to decorate the roulottes. Some “do it yourself” project was definitely one of the best way to keep the twelve kittoms from the Moonberry caravan distracted and to avoid the trouble  and chaos they were able to create when they were bored.

Yaos and the other kiddos had a real good time doing it. And it was so good for their moods. To be honest, the miasma season was always a boring and sad one for kittoms, but the desert wasn’t the best playground area anyway.  It was really hot outside during daytime and most of the caravan’s kittoms weren’t used to that at all. It would take weeks to get used to the heat  and freely play outside without risking to get an sunstroke.
Akane as told that there were some nice oasis too; with lovely pools, enough vegetation to hidde from the sun, but it was miasma season and playing outside wasn’t an option yet.

The blue kittom looked at his dad. He remembered last year when he was so full of joy and energy, he did everything he could to keep his son away from boredom. They played so much.
And now he looked so sad.
A small voice inside started to ask if he had done something wrong but Yaos pushed this one away as fast as it appeared. It was not the point.
The point was : Dad is sad, and he had to do something about it.

He looked at the crystal floating near the roof of the roulotte. Galak, Milka’s pomu, had took back his real appearance at the end of summer… just to fall into hibernation shortly after. After being a star shaped rock during all the starfall season, he was now this floating light inside the roulotte.
It was a bit depressing of course but the worst was : Milka didn’t want to make a lantern for him.
Yaos felt that his dad didn’t have the heart to this. Sadness was too strong.

Well, then it was a task for him.

The blue kittom stood in front of his dad and replied with energy

-And what about Galak ???? What does he think ? Do you think it’s useless for him ?? Do you think that he wouldn’t want a lovely lantern like all the others pomu have ?? What will he think when he’ll wake up ?? Why his elnin didn’t made a lantern for him ?? Maybe he’ll think you don’t love him anymore !!! Did you think about this ???
How will he feel when the others pomus will talk about the beautiful lanterns they had and not him ??

Milka was shocked, and started to feel awfull, Yaos didn’t let him the time to answer.

-No matter if nobody sees it because you must stay in the roulotte dad ! Galak will see it, and he deserves this gift ! Especially after a year so rough ! Wait for me !

The kittom ran out the roulette in the night, Milka seemed so lost. He even had trouble to look at his pomu.
The kid was right… He has been unfair with his poor soulmate creature.
Even if he felt useless most of the time it didn’t mean that he couldn’t do something for Galak.

Now on the top of everything else, he felt selfish.
Tears were growing closer.

He looked through his windows, the sunset made the sand shine as some lovely golden night sky. It was lovely and he remembered a time when he would have just… Enjoyed looking at something lovely as this. But today he felt nothing.
It was only gloom, always gloom. He felt useless and he didn’t understand why… Why he didn’t feel like that one year ago ? What had changed since ?
He’s always been an useless and childlish nestling but it didn’t seem to be a problem before… Why was he so concerned about this now ?

Few minutes after Yaos came back, his small kittom arms covered with colorful papers, rubans, thin stick, some glue and paint and a radiant smile. He put it all on the flooring and declared

-Here we have everything !  Akane gave me all of this for Galak’s lantern, I think I can help you since she showed us how to do it this afternoon but… I’m not sure I would be able to do it alone…. You know how to do it right ?

Tears were to close to let Milka answers, so he just nodded with a trembling smile and began to check everything Yaos has brought.

The kittom drew several lanterns types that the pyrotechnic lady has teached to them, they picked one that was complex but gorgeous and from then, hours began to roll faster and faster.
At first silent and clumsy, the mood started to slowly change in the roulotte. Some laughs happened, and latter Yaos started to sing, his dad couldn’t help but join him.
They failed many time, and each time it made them laugh even more that the fail before.

Through the windows, the city’s lights of Devara sparkled under the starry night sky. It reminded them their Silveil homeland.
It was some joyful and careless memories, and playing together with the paint and paper really lift up their spirits, bringing them back through time where everything seemed simplier.
Milka opened his own stock of supplies. Akane’s one was perfect to make a solid base, but it definitely lacked of some glitter and “shine in the dark” stuff for a Silveil pomu.

Yaos started to write down some good wishes on metallic paper and cut them in star shapes to let them hang from the lantern as some small dancing and twinkling stars

When the very first dawn lights appeared in the sky, they were done at last.
Carefully they put the lantern on Galak’s crystal, and it looked even better that they imagined. There was some stars and moon cut, making it look like their beloved Silveil night sky
Dad and son were exhausted but happy, and the lantern seemed to shine even more that before.
Yaos took a silver string, fixed the lantern to his dad’s wrist and they both ended up falling asleep in each other’s arms at the sunrise, while the pomu looked closely over them.