Tetra of The Fall

55 - Herbs and Spice

Warm, with a certain subtle singe, various fragments of coloured sunlight highlighted each strayed hair. The windows high above shed afternoon light evenly upon the Dining Hall's many patrons, ensuring health, warmth, an air of positivity which brought smiles to faces and lightness of the brow. Where the sunlight dipped however, and the darkness creeped forth, a smartly applied festival lantern would take the location's post.

Paper pressed firmly upon a relaxed internal spring, the light emitting from within resembled a candle despite electrical origins, two conjoined wires stretching up the object's hanger and deep into the trees. Decorating the underside of each canopy, they jostled as we passed beneath, fruit-like in their placement, near weightless by design.

"So pretty!" Nihilla spoke at my side, visibly beaming. Eager eyes darting, head twisting left and right, her gaze would target one of endless details to ponder before the next. Her lips couldn't help but softly part, the sense of amazement almost overwhelming - wandering body neglecting the path she tread. Deviating occasionally, she had long since clasped my hand, our joint instances of navigational effort combining to keep us at the leaders' heels.

"Yeah..." Raising my free hand, splayed fingers outstretched to reveal painted skin. Awash with vivid reds, contrasting greens, a misty charcoal grey - the occasional eggshell tint of the white glass above paled my complexion's pinkish hue to nearly that of a Culgrim's. Pupils dancing with a curious twitch of the brow, each foot pivoted at the toe as my legs performed an awkward stepping twist.

Walking backwards now, with a squint of the eyelids and a furrowed brow, the patterned glass above shone relentlessly in return to my peering. A faint image and a stinging blur, the natural glow of refracted sunlight forced my eyelids ever-closer. Squinting harder, my perception of colour seemed to fade, the hairs at each eyelid's end meshing, combining into a thickened weave which darkened my view. Only then did my assessment bear reason, beckoning curiosity quickly soothed.

Set in the roof, the refractions of a stained glass mosaic decorated the walls in a bath of glossy pigment - a light that would surely touch each of the room's corners with the passing day's sun. Here too, peering down from above, Aliciase Culgrim viewed her children with a smile - though hardly one of such prior cunning. One eye closed whilst the other shone joyously, the thick whitened glass of each tooth pronounced brightly the playful nature of her cheeky shining grin. Outlined by the thick, black glue which joined each shard, her head laid at a tilt, a cross-bearing fist providing support for her resting chin.

Positive, happy, the warmth of her sunlit smile formed a fresh representation yet again. A side to their founder, an inner acceptance that only her homeland could ever understand, the refreshing depiction of Aliciase bore a unique contrast to displays of our own. It seems, with each consecutive view, my mental image must change - adapt as if extensively wrong as her proven range of emotions corrupted each of my prior ideas. Despite such times of conflict as her origin, a disaster of acceptance shared by all family founders... why does Aliciase appear so happy? So 'energetic' for a participant of the Magic Revolution?

"Hk! Haha! Ha!"

My ankles sprung at the sudden sound, though the better part of my will managed to prevent a full leap. A sideward glance as I flicked my weight around, small groups of Culgrims appeared to watch and smile. Foreign meals steaming in the bowls at their laps, a small number of hands soon raised with a wave - like a field of windswept clovers.

"Ahem!" I faked a cough at my fist, eyes locked to the backs of our leaders, shoulders glued at my neck. A red-faced mask soon emerged with beating warmth, stomach fluttering with an intense wave of nerves. Pink hair, pink skirt, white shirt and amethyst eyes - how could I possibly stick out any more than I already am? By gawping at a monument of course!