Crystal Shade Episodes 01

disappointed as she looked back at her drawing. “I can draw joyful and sad sketches. But the Crystal Mother seems both. She can’t be happy and sad in the same time. Something is not right with my drawing, yet my soul whispers I have drawn the Crystal Mother as it should be.”
    “Light and darkness are opposites, a mirror of each other. Never forget that,” whispered her mother. Grace nodded and then she faded into the daydream with great excitement in her eyes.
    “Someday I’d like to know the real story. Someday I’d like to know everything about the Crystal Shade, mother.”
    “Why?”
    “There are many tales in the world, but my heart whispers to me to know the true story of the Sacred Crystal, the real story of the Crystal Shade.”
    “Do you really want to know everything about the Crystal Shade?”
    “If I had one wish, this would be mine. To know the truth,” said Grace, determination in her young voice and turned away to pack up her papyrus and arven pencil. Her heart beat faster and faster, while her hand rolled up the papyrus pamphlet.
    “You’re the only one who truly wants to know instead of believe. Soon, you will know much more about me than everyone else,” her mother said, but her voice was more mysterious than Grace had ever heard it before. Her instincts cried out to her that something was not right.
    “I’m waiting for you, my child,” the sad, calm, and loving voice continued behind her. Except it wasn’t her mother’s voice, nor was it her beloved, mysterious guardian. “Live and enjoy life. We’ll meet soon,” the crystal-clear chiming continued. Grace snapped her head around, but her mother was not there. No one was. The soft crystal chime music again teased her mind, but this one sounded like the cleanest flute. Something bright in the sky lowered toward her. Shocked, she looked up. Thick clouds split the daylight sky to reveal the tapestry of stars beyond, right above her.
    The faultless Sacred Crystal watched her from above. The sapphire sun, Sachylia was gone. Now, Eecrys Aredia peacefully swam in the large carousel of distant stars, as one of them, around the Crystal Mother who watched over all of them, but mostly Grace with motherly love. The crystal’s enchanting tone called the little girl without a word, its light became brighter and brighter, too bright.
    Grace snapped out of the trance staring down at her finished drawing. She had not packed up the scrolls and pencil. Her hand still held her arven pencil, its point parked at the bottom right corner of the papyrus.
    The little girl shook her head to clear her mind, while the false crystal chime stroked her ears. She felt that she had forgotten something that was in her mind few moments ago. She wanted to remember why she shook her head, what she forgot. It was gone. Her little heart calmed down, but she didn’t remember why it beat so fast before.
    “Your thoughts have strayed again, Gracie my dear,” she whispered rigidly. She took a long last look at the drawing. The arven pencil quickly drew four tiny vertical lines on the bottom right corner; her art signature. She didn’t know where this strange habit came from. She just signed all her sketches this way since her very first stick art.
    Her hands slowly rolled the pamphlet with her arven pencil, while she looked at the wind chime to see why it sounded so different. But the chime was calm and silent, it didn’t move.
    Where is this restless and false crystal music coming from? she queried her mind while she looked around and searched for the source. She didn’t find. The false crystal chime, silently and almost unnoticed played further in the back of her mind.
    “Grace!” called her mother from the building as she stepped out through the broad entrance. The sun glanced on her small beautiful headdress and her elegant golden silk cloth. Just like everyone else who lived on Eecrys Aredia and visited the Great Feast of Odess’iana, she was dressed in her finest to represent his or her beloved province in this great event.
    Her mother held a small, red headed girl in her arms that reminded Grace of her mother. Little Aurora looked around in her little hat as they stepped outside into the fresh air; her brilliant green eyes searched the garden for kimamas, which she had always loved. She loved to chase and play with them, but she saw not a single one today. Aurora’s little pout immediately turned to a smile as she saw her big sister. “Gracie,”