wreathe the head.
—Katharine Tynan
Stella eyed the winged mount warily. She and her parents were moving to the royal zuza trees and apparently flying with these creatures to get there.
“Fazros. They won’t hurt you.” The royal attendant said urging her to move forward. The animal was as tall as a full-grown Yantran male and its wings stretched out wider than the inside of their little home. It looked somewhat like a horse, but with cloven hooves and a pressed-in face. Its body was a sleek, slivery gray and the feathery wings pure white.
Her father finally stepped in and hoisted her onto the fazro. “We’ll be flying right beside you darling- everything will be fine.” He said, although he looked a little nervous himself. The fazro had a leather harness on its back that her father strapped her into. It came up to her waist and had two small cut-outs for her legs.
She was grateful for the harness because there was no way to grip the creature with her smooth, slippery legs. She clutched it tightly with her hands instead, the webbing between her fingers stretched taught.
She looked at her mother mounting the fazro next to her. Stella doubted that she’d ever be as beautiful as her mother. She wore a grey dress with matching cropped pants, made of cheap linen but beautifully tailored. Her skin was bright fuchsia with faint, lighter colored stripes that became more prominent moving down her tail. The tail extended long behind her with powerful muscles ideal for swimming.
Stella gazed down at the miniscule scales of pale green, cerulean, and streaks of chartreuse that enveloped her body and imagined all the vibrant colors it could become after her metamorphosis. Variations of blue and green were most common, but she hoped for something lovely like her mother.
All kyhas went through metamorphosis on their eighteenth birthday. After spending three days and nights submerged in water, they took on their adult figure. They grew larger, their skin transformed into its adult pattern and most importantly, they developed their tail. Water-dwellers prized their tail above all else for it gave them power and freedom. Prior to metamorphosis, they’d be confined to the shallows- their webbed fingers and toes not quite enough to take them further. After coming of age, they could use their strong tails to go out and explore the depths of any lake in Yantra.
Of course Stella wouldn’t be spending much time in the water anymore. They had been assured that several lakes and the mouth of the Yantra River sat close to the royal zuzas, but Stella’s new home would be a tree- a tree five hundred feet above the ground. She couldn’t wrap her head around that at all.
She’d grown up in a small, round hut just a short walk from Kayren Lake. Her family had very few possessions, and often little food, but she felt comfortable there. Kayren Lake was vast and deep enough that the water temperature didn’t change as frequently as the temperature outside. It was her family’s safe haven during the more extreme seasons. She’d wrap her arms around her father’s neck and they’d all swim to the muddy bottom and nestle down into the sea grass until it was safe outside.
During pleasant weather, Stella would spend the day feeling for shellfish with her toes and playing in the shallows. Then in the evening, she’d join her parents in the sandy hut eating whatever they’d found. Because of their neighbors nearby with numerous children, the competition for food was fierce and they would often end up with next to none. Yet Stella never went to bed starving and that seemed good enough to her.
She spent many evenings sewing alongside her mother who was well-known for her incredible talent. Her designs were stunning and her tailoring impeccable. She made clothes not only for the family, but for many women in their community. That’s how the move began in the first place. They were uprooting so her mother could make clothes for the royal family.
“Alright sweetheart, are you ready?” Her mother asked.
“Yes.” Stella said. She was as ready as she’d ever be.
She screamed as the fazro took off from the ground and soared high into the air. Stella tried desperately not to look at the ground as the wind whipped her thin, mousy hair back and forth. The fazro’s enormous wings sent vibrations through her as they pumped back and forth.
“Look Stella, it’s incredible!” Her father shouted from somewhere next to her.
She mustered up all the courage she had and, trembling, looked down over the fazro.
It was incredible.
……….
Stella stepped carefully around the broken shards on the kitchen floor and reached for the broom. She gently swept up the mess and wondered what could have happened to make Maddox do such a thing. His mother came up the staircase as though she was carried by a breeze. She walked with an undeniable regal grace. The queen put her arm around Stella, looked into her worried eyes and then down at mess on the floor. She realized that something was very wrong.
Maddox had always been temperamental and this display of rage seemed familiar to Stella.
The first time they went to a solstice dance, someone accidentally spilled their drink on the prince, launching him into a rage. Maddox reached for a cup and hurled it across the room, intending to hit the boy that dared to spill on him. Unfortunately, the broken cup grazed the side of Stella’s face instead, leaving a little permanent reminder of the prince’s impulsive fury. Maddox spent months trying to prove to Stella that he never intended to hurt her and that he would make things right, but these were empty promises.
Stella thought she could subdue him, but after dating for several months he grew tired of her. Undeterred, Stella continued to love Maddox. Watching him unravel over the past few years hurt her deeply.
After witnessing the evidence of Maddox’s outburst, Queen Lisette worried that he’d overheard her conversation. What could he expect? His behavior was intolerable. She was very close to the Seraphi royals and to think that he could have had a hand in killing people he knew his entire life was horrifying. She intended to visit Celestine and Gemmeth the day after Astrid’s sixteenth birthday gala to discuss alternatives for Maddox. There had to be something they could do. The royal family had relied on their wisdom for three generations; they were like family. She just hoped they could help her son.
Lisette had an uneasy feeling.
Stella finished cleaning up and wondered why she felt so responsible for Maddox. She couldn’t stand how badly his outbursts distressed the royal family and ultimately injured him. By sweeping up the shards and blotting up the spiced java, she attempted to soothe some of that pain. Stella wished she had the power that Celestine and Gemmeth had to help Maddox but all she could do was repair some of the damage he caused.
Moments later, they heard the unmistakable sound of Astrid walking down the stairs with her beautiful wings brushing the walls beside her. Her flowing, white dress caught the light making her look like an angel. She placed her flower crown over her lovely braided hair and slipped on a pair of sandals.
“There is the birthday girl. Happy birthday, sweetheart.” The queen held Astrid’s hands and marveled at the beautiful young woman she was becoming. The Queen settled on telling Astrid her plans after the celebration that night.
“Thank you, mother. Stella and I are going to see Celestine and Gemmeth before the party.” She kissed her mother on the cheek and led Stella out the door. “We’ll be back soon!” She smiled at her mother and they headed towards the trail to Yantra Mountain.
The girls headed through the woods toward Yantra River. It was always easier to find their way following it. When they were nearly halfway to Yantra Mountain, Stella grabbed Astrid and yanked her down to the ground.
“What are you?!” Stella covered Astrid’s mouth and whispered, “Shhh…look over there.” Astrid gazed toward the river and saw Maddox speaking with a girl who had to be from Tulim. After the Tulim girl handed him a bag, he handed her a very thick stack of utopis. Stella stared daggers at the girl, and began feeling sick to her stomach. What was he up to now? The girls crouched down lower as he took her in his arms and flew off tow
ard the royal home.
“We have to hurry.” Astrid’s heart was pounding as they ran towards the mountain. They needed Celestine and Gemmeth now more than ever.
As they reached the mountain, they carefully stepped around the force fields that traced the outside of it in complex triangular patterns. Even though they had been there a million times before, the girls threw rocks at the force fields to be absolutely sure of where they were. After the witches of Tulim imprisoned Celestine and Gemmeth on the mountain, Stella went to visit one day not realizing the danger of the fields. The force was so great that it threw her down the mountain, breaking both her legs and her right arm.
They made their way to the top and found Celestine and Gemmeth outside tending their tiny garden.
“My beautiful girls!” Celestine ran over and pulled them into a hug. Both Stella and Astrid stood at least a head taller than the ancient sorceress. She looked up and beamed at them both. Celestine had long, wavy gray hair that brushed her ankles and bright violet colored eyes. She wore a plain, blue cotton sheath and several layers of beaded necklaces and bracelets. Her husband walked over laughing.
“Sorry ladies, she just gets so excited.” Gemmeth looked Astrid up and down, smiling at her new wings. His hair was a slightly darker gray than his
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