Crystal Shade Episodes 01

you truly are, not even your parents. Otherwise your words will break the secret magic of eleven.”
    The little girl nodded, as she understood.
    “Enjoy the feast, brave little guardian of Odess’iana,” the man said kindly. “Go and watch over all of us.”

    * * *

    Along with the curious mass of people, Grace slowly wandered the streets of Odess’iana all day. Proud in her little heart, she tried to fulfill her new duty; she visited many human and Aserian performers, writers and artists, mostly those who came from Sessa Asria and Coreenthia. The traders, scientists, and explorers from Eecryssa and Sagatta, who made this long journey to voice the extolment of their great discoveries of gathered stones, plants, flowers, and beautiful jewellery to everyone, they amazed her. The pride in their life’s work was only heightened by everyone’s appreciation. Everyone respected each other and no one was afraid to share their knowledge. There were no secrets between the people. And just like the youngest guardian of Odess’iana, every visitor was curious and patiently ambled from one place to another to see more and more.
    Her eyes caught on a blacksmith who raised his large and heavy hammer over and over again. The heated metal on the anvil glowed orange and clinked after every hit as it enjoyed the care. Behind the master, his apprentice whistled while he swept the floor.
    The master carefully worked the metal piece, which slowly took the shape of a Coreenthian armband after every strong hit. Then the hammer rested for a moment, while the eyes of the master checked the armband in the hold of his clippers. Grace heard satisfied humming from under his prominent moustache, and then the master put the armband into a small bucket of water to cool it down.
    Hissing steam engulfed the strong body, and then the clippers put the armband with the dozen of others on the table. The blacksmith prepared his workspace to begin his next masterpiece. He put the water bucket aside, behind him, and then carefully selected the next metal to heat. When he decided, the tendons in his hand strained as he picked up the heavy hammer.
    Grace felt that the bucket was at the worst place; her instincts told her. In the very next moment, as the blacksmith raised his hammer, he already stepped back right toward the bucket before he struck down. She wanted to warn the man as she already had foreseen the Coreenthian is going to fall to the ground, while the large hammer falls from his hand and hits him. But before she had a chance to say a word, the apprentice slightly spun around and with the end of his broom picked up the bucket and with an elegant move set it away from the blacksmith’s path, right before he stepped back.
    The blacksmith took a glance backward, but his apprentice just whistled and swept the floor as if nothing happened at all. Grace smiled as she felt and knew; the young apprentice was an Aserian in disguise, the guardian spirit of the blacksmith.
    Grace desired to speak with the Aserian so much, proudly tell him that she was the youngest guardian of Odess’iana, she was with him, one of them, at least for a day.
    If I could show my shy, but beautiful large wings, she thought. But she said nothing; she didn’t want to break the magic of eleven. Then the apprentice, almost unnoticed, winked at her as he swept the floor.
    He recognized me! He knows I’m a guardian! Grace thought proudly. The magic of eleven tells him who I am without a word! I’m a real guardian, like Eriana!
    Smiling, the proud young guardian walked deeper and deeper to keep the order to listen to other souls, to discover the unknown, to learn more about her own home.
    “Beautiful jewellery, young lady?” a studious, yet calm tone called her, which belonged to an elegant tall woman. The traditional elegant tiara of Eecryssa, which covered her wavy, amber hair, shone in the sunlight. “Look at these polished gemstone necklaces from the Acari Mountains. Or take a look at the great white pearls from the great depth and shoals of Callao’eya. A young lady like you can get it for a beautiful smile.”
    The polished white pearls glistened like the eyes of her mother. After Grace presented the widest smile that she was capable of producing and accepted the necklace, the trader offered her the story of the beautiful necklace. Everything had a story on Eecrys Aredia and the necklace was no exception. Grace loved to listen to all of them, but now it was also