Crystal Shade Episodes 01

over her as the little girl stepped behind the Aserian and his new shadow followed him from a distance as they slowly arrived at a great hall doors. In Grace’s eyes, the Aserian seemed so majestic and graceful even from this close.
    Yes, I can do it. Her hand gently pulled his large white wing once from behind. The Aserian stopped and looked back with a kind smile; his deep-set brown eyes curiously looked down at her. Grace took a huge breath.
    “Dear Aserian!” she started as she looked up at him. “I’m here to pledge allegiance to Eecrys Aredia and her people! I promise I will be faithful and true and for exchange I’d like to be an Aserian Guardian!” she declared proudly, then hesitated for a moment. “And I’d like to get wings this big!” she giggled while spreading her arms as wide as she could. “Please,” the little girl added with a wide smile and awaited the answer.
    Deep silence fell as her excited voice faded away. The Aserian watched the daydreaming girl kindly. His face turned sorrowful and he crouched down to her.
    “I’m sorry by all my spirit and soul, brave little girl,” he said after a short hesitation. “But I can’t fulfill your dream,” full of sorrow he put a hand on her shoulder. Shocked by the answer, Grace immediately took a step back.
    “But, but why? Am I a bad soul? But I try to be a good girl. I pray a lot to the Sacred Mother. I was good with mommy, daddy, and sister. And I know many things about the Crystal Shade. I, I...”
    “No, it’s not like that,” the Aserian started to explain with great sadness in his voice.
    “But, but I would be the greatest and the kindest guardian of all. I promise. Please,” she begged with eyes that filled with tears. Her dream, like a mirror was already shattered to pieces since the first words of the Aserian hit hear ears. “P-Please,” her whisper begged to fix the broken dream so desperate. The Aserian Guardian wanted to say something, but Grace stepped back, turned, and ran away fast, out of the great hall.
    She didn’t see where she was running, she just ran and ran as if she wanted to run out of the world, to leave the cruel words of the Aserian behind, who crushed her greatest dream within a moment.
    Only the tree’s great shadow and the trickling of a tiny little fountain tried to hide the heart-broken little girl and her weeping.
    “I would be a great guardian, the greatest and the kindest of all. I know.”

    * * *

    ”I greet that place where you and I, we are one,” a woman’s kind voice greeted her. Sad and crushed, Grace just sniffled as she looked up. The calm toned woman had round brown mauve eyes that were like two beautiful bronze coins. Her thick, wavy, black hair was worn in a style that reminded Grace of a pennant blowing in the wind, her deep-tanned skin glowed in the sunlight.
    “What’s wrong little girl?” a dignified man behind the woman asked with concern, while he put a large ceramic tasunke hair dye pot down on the cobblestones along with some white ribbon and silk.
    “I dreamt that I’ll be a graceful guardian one day, with wings, large white wings,” she whispered and sniffed once again, while she wiped her tears. “But I never will be.”
    “There is a road in the hearts of all of us, hidden and seldom traveled, which leads to an unknown, secret place to choose what we desire,” said the man as he sat down near her on the ground. “A guardian is a guardian in their soul. Never forget that.”
    “But I can’t have wings,” Grace whispered sadly. “And I won’t ever see a crystal blade. I won’t ever learn what it looks like. I never will learn what the Crystal Shade really is.”
    The man raised her chin; his almond-shaped brown eyes, which mirrored his intelligence looked deep into hers.
    “If your soul wants to be a guardian, then you’re already a guardian, even without a crystal blade,” he said.
    “But, but I want wings, beautiful wings,” she whispered as she lowered her head.
    “Only Aserians can have wings,” said the man, then he looked at the woman, who smiled kindly and nodded. The man looked back at tearful Grace. “But maybe, just maybe you can be a winged guardian for today. If you want you can live the life of a guardian in disguise who is hiding her large white wings in the spirit realm.”
    “R-Really?” Grace’s eyes sparked immediately in her excitement.
    “Yes. But first, you must go through the secret magical ritual of eleven-eleven,”