章節 2: The Village´s Market
The Buttercup farm was almost fifty meters away from the village and, when you are less than ten centimetres high, can become a huge distance. The eldest son of the family was just placing the baskets of flowers, chestnuts and berries in his wagon - made of straw, with wooden wheels and pulled by a squirrel. His long-sleeved clothes were light despite being in the coldest toth of the kywily, and the gray lizard leather shawl was the heaviest garment he wore. The leather that held the hem of his pants warmed up his ankles, and his bare, callused feet weren't bothered by the cold at all. His light rose quartz hair reflected when the rays of the star Haylink there shone, providing a pleasant warmth on the young man's hands and face.
Even though he tried not to show it, Axis was anxious. He couldn't wait to exchange and distribute all the products of that dwe-vinwen, so that he could soon return home to his family and finally celebrate the Blessing Festival for an entire vinwen without any rural work. He would bathe in the light of the Great Star, enjoy the festival's cuisine, play the flute until his lungs were dry and play lyre until his fingers bled. Those would be perfect biabs.
But, while time passed, he had to settle for delivering the products at the market for the last celiclatoth biab. It was cold enough to make him shiver, his golden wings hardened more than usual. Even though it wasn't snowing, and it never really snowed in Awalara, in his nineteen years of life he had never noticed how cold the village could get.
When he finally placed the last basket of grain in the wagon, he saw one of his sisters arriving. Her short hair was tied in a half ponytail, and a few strands of pink quartz fell out on her green eyes. She was short, with golden freckles just like her brother, but her skin was much lighter, almost pale, and her nose was red from the cold. Her clothes were way heavier than Axis'.
"Nira, where's Nyx?" He asked, with his arms crossed and leaning against the wagon, as noticed that the older twin was missing.
"No idea bibs, I think she's getting some new seeds" Nira replied, going next to her brother and checking if her bag of drawings contained everything she would need for the day. When he concluded so, she left it beside the baskets. "I think she will be here soon."
"Well, I hope she does." he rolled his eyes.
Buttercups were one of the easiest pixie families to recognize. Not only because they were one of the only families of farmers feeding the village of Awalara for dec-kywilys, but also for their funny genetics of rose quartz hair color and golden wings with buttercup patterns. Those were prevalent in almost everyone who carried this surname. The farm's products were the best within a hundred-meter radius, from magic mushrooms, to wheat, vegetables, chestnuts and grains. And everyone knew Axis in particular because, besides being the future heir to the farm, he was always involved in all of the events in the village.
Nyx came flying, her long hair caught in a poorly made braid, full of curled, straight and beaded strands falling out of the tie. She didn't wear as much heavy clothing as her sister, and her arms were full of potted plants with little bags of seeds piled on them, almost falling. Axis looked at the scene already feeling a headache just from thinking about Nyx, clumsy as always, dropping some things along the way. But, surprisingly, she arrived in the corner without dropping anything, and put everything there, starting to organize the labeled pots.
"Sorry for the delay, bibs. I was trying to see if the phoenix eye really could stand being on fire as it said on the poster" she explained, organizing the pots and seedbags and flying to sit on the coachman's seat, on the opposite end of his sister. Axis didn't even say anything, he just closed the door of the hideaway so that the goods would not fall, and flew to sit between his sisters.
"Uuh, and how was it?" Nira asked, curious about her twin's discoveries.
"Apparently, it was misleading advertising."
"Maybe you have to wait for it to come back from the ashes."
"I also thought about that possibility, but so far nothing happened. I hope it is not a misleading advertisement, because: just think:'' she looks up and makes some excited movements with her hands. "If it is true, I can mix the genetic material of this flower with other plants, until I find a perfect mixture so that no other plant catches fire and consequently we could save plantations and import everything into the Dewipt Kingdom, since there they have a very dry climate and plantations catch fire easily and-"
"Nyx, don't forget to breathe" Axis said, starting to guide the cart out of the farm "and I hope you didn't set our mother's plants on fire again."
"She will understand, this time it was for a scientific experiment."
"Scientific experiment or not, stop setting her plants on fire, you know sad gets whenever her plants die."
"It's not like I did it to make her feel bad or anything. I didn't think they would die. You know, they should be called 'phoenix' for a reason-"
"Look, I'll save my sanity and not talk about it for now. Nira, did you get your things to trade?"
"Yes!" she said excitedly. She brought her paintings and the paints she had made by herself using some natural pigments to exchange for other objects and new clothes. Meanwhile, Nyx would stay close to the tent, selling tested magic seeds. She would also keep an eye on customers while Axis spent some time in the market playing the lyre to earn a few bucks doing what he loves the most.
Pixies, however small, were some of the most powerful beings in Feliclathea. As they have such a deep relationship with the Jeru, energies that created and shaped the world, that there was a drop of magic within each of them. These drops allowed each pixie to have a gift from heaven. Some were weavers by nature, others were great bakers, the rarest had gifts that made them capable of controlling the elements that make up the world.
Axis' was no big deal, it was just music. That was how he perceived his gift: no big deal. At least it earned him some good change.
The siblings wandered the trails among boulders for about ten vÿncs, until they reached a huge tree, which had a fat and hollow stem, but filled by a spiral staircase and an enormous collection of books, which could tell stories from all around the world. The entire village had been built around that orange-leafed tree, and getting closer to the base of the stem, it was possible to see an open market, with several stalls with trinkets, or that sold food, clothes and even children's toys.
Axis was quick to extend the Buttercup tent, dark pink and gold just like the family´s colors, talking to his sisters who, around the tent, outside, organized their personal sales on set-up tables. Axis moved the baskets of grains, seeds and other products inside, making the goods all follow the circumference, and at the bottom of the tent was a table with some unfolded bags of bay leaves, anyone who had forgotten their bags could fold and use them as they needed.
"Buttercup!" Axis listens behind him, coming from the entrance of the tent that was not yet open for shopping. He knew the voice very well, and he turned around without thinking twice, seeing a young man around his age flying in his direction. He had pale skin, virtually white near Axis's golden one, and very light blue hair, almost the color of snow, with eyes as black a moonless night.
"Icebloom?" he exclaimed back, with one of the biggest smiles. The two pixies gave a tight hug. "It's been a long time!"
"Dear Ehena, yes!" He laughed, slowly moving away with a smile as wide as Axis'.
"When did you get back?"
"A couple of vinwens ago. I haven't been able to pass by the Buttercup farm yet, but my father reminded me of the village´s market so I've been looking for you since it started. I missed you."
"Me too!" He spoke excitedly, with his wings flapping a little loudly, and then he got a little embarrassed for having shown how dumbly happy he was. "I missed you too. But why did you come back so early? I swore that you would only come back in amatoth, at the end of the kywily."
"I intended to, but some weird things started happening in Nephtris, they said it could be a plague or something. I only know that the prince asked all foreigners to evacuate the city, and no mermaid can leave their house, but I don't know anything else." Axis was paying close attention, frowning. "My father said that something is also hitting some farms and villages near here."
"Farms and villages?" the rosed hair one repeated, confused. "What do you mean, what happened?"
"It is strange, but apparently the plants started to die in the villages southeast of Awalara until they reached the capital in Nephtris in the south, That's why Nephtris is importing much more from the other kingdoms in recent kyanvens then they use to do. When I left there, the water was turning gray, the corals died and not even the algae were being able to take it. Fish and sea creatures were appearing dead in the bays, and entering into any salt water region is prohibited. The people who live in the submerged part of the city are in quarantine, and it is unknown how long they will be like this."
"This is kind of terrifying" Axis commented, covering his open mouth with his hand. "What about the pixie villages?"
"In the north, where my family comes from, my uncle said it didn't snow for the entire celiclatoth, and it started snowing, last vinwen, out of the blue. So far it hasn't stopped. They also said that there's a thick layers of fog, no one can leave their houses, the plants and trees are dying and crumbling, and there are already more than one toth that the lands there are not fertile anymore."
"Do you think it has to do with the Jeru?"
"I have no idea, but if it is, I just hope the Jeru will have pity on us" he added, taking a deep breath, touching his shoulders with his fingertips and fanning the bad energies out of his body. "May Ehena keep us and Raglak protect us."
Axis made the same gesture of touching his shoulders and fanning them to shake off the bad energies.
"Now, changing this macabre subject…"
"Here it comes," Axis laughed, running a hand through his hair to get it out of his eyes. "What now?"
"I missed hearing you sing," he said, his eyes shining, almost like a request. "Nobody in Nephtris plays and sings as well as you do."
"Ah," Axis laughed, "Did your parents tell you that I play in almost every festival?"
"Maybe they let it slip" Frost Icebloom smirked, arching his eyebrows "And maybe they let it slip that you are going to play at the blessing time tomorrow, what chic?"
"Yeah, my twelve-year-old self has been in crisis since I found out," he smiled, scratching the back of his head. They were going to continue talking, when another pixie entered the tent.
"Buttercup, Icebloom, konwe," the pixie said, waving to the two young men.
"Konwe" the two answered together, and then returned to each other "Are you going to play my favorite one for me today?" Frost asks, leaving the tent and walking on his back.
"Maybe…"
"Please!" Icebloom insisted, getting all excited again.
"Okay, I will play" he smiled at least. "Let me just finish tidying everything, I think I'll play at lunch."
"Fine, I'll check your sisters' stuff then" Frost leaned over and kissed Axis on the cheek. "Konwe."
"Konwe," he waved as Frost left.
Axis flew back to the wagon to pick up the last baskets of seeds, still with a slightly silly smile on his face. It had been a long time since he had last seen his best friend, he had left Awalara to study at Nephtris a kywily ago, an opportunity that almost no pixie had, and now he had hugged him again. Axis couldn't help thinking that pictures and letters didn't seem enough anymore.
"Axis and Frost, under the magic tree, kiss kiss kiss!" Nyx sang, making the older brother roll his eyes.
"You're weird, and he's just my best friend."
"But you guys are so cute and happy together" Nira said, flying over the wagon. "You look like those enchanted princes from Dad's stories"
"Wow, you two are crazy," Axis cut in, and started taking the basket of seeds into the tent. "Now stop bimbol and help me here."
The two took the last remaining basket and helped Axis carry it inside. The market was a huge circle of tents, some sold food and therefore had chairs and tables, others sold seeds, services, vegetables, mushrooms. The Buttercup one was the best known, not only for the family members being super recognizable, but also for always being the most lively and friendly.
The more it was getting closer to lunchtime, the more pixies flew over the fair to find what they needed, and Axis even realized he saw people from other villages there, which only confirmed Frost's rumors and, of course, heightened his concern.
To distract himself a little, Axis took the lyre in his bag that was stored in the car along with his flute and began to tune it, but always attending and talking to the customers that appeared, helping everyone there with the purchase of flowers, fruits, grains and everything they needed. Nyx helped by selling the magic plants and Nira was making her drawings when, after lunchtime, the siblings finally decided to take a break. The three brothers put the girls' things into the tent.
They closed the fabric in front of it, covering the goods, gave food and water to the squirrel that pulled the family's wagon, and went to the square area, with tent-restaurants and a small stage for those who wanted to show their gifts. They didn't even need to say anything when they got there. The staff at the Appleleaf family tent gave the young sisters good dishes of food, with appetizing-looking mushrooms, vegetables and grains. Before sitting down with them, Axis flew to the free space that was surrounded by the tables and climbed on the small wooden stage, pulling from his bottomless bag a beautiful dark wooden lyre, golden details and pieces of rose quartz that had been made especially for him.
The first song he played was Frost's favorite song, a beautiful song, a story about the elemental fairies. He had written it himself, based on one of the stories his father told him when he was a child. It was lively, which made everyone there clap to the rhythm of the music, and some pixies even dared to dance barefoot around the stage.
It was the story of five brave fairies. The first one, Diaspor, controlled the land, plants and metals, and crushed his enemies with Bezrus' holy hammer. The second controlled the water and the storms, it was called Flix, who had a perfect aim with it's lightning spears. The third, Begonia, knew how to handle fire and create it from oxygen alone, destroying everything in their path. The fourth was the blizzard fairy - Frost was always enchanted by her, he used to play as her when they were children - she was called Tyra and drilled breasts with her blades of ice. The last was the air fairy: Quinn, who managed to make huge indestructible bubbles that trapped her enemies and left them breathless, her gusts of wind were capable of taking down up to three armies. And that was the song about their journey, called by Jeru of the Oracle: Thiotz, united to restore peace and save the garden in which they grew up.
The second song was a flute solo, unfortunately it was still incomplete. It was a melody that reflected the dreams that Axis had been having for the past few nights. They were beautiful sounds, but disorganized. Unlike the first song that captured the attention of the pixies for the story and the excitement, this one left them fascinated by the feeling of melancholy that accompanied it.
When Axis played the flute, the whole world seemed to go silent. The birds, the squirrels, the butterflies, all the creatures stopped to watch him, as if they were bewitched. His grandparents used to say that even the Jeru stopped everything they were doing to hear him play.
What was that? It was powerful, everyone could feel it, but what was it? Why could everyone there tell it's influence? And how could Axis have been playing something so powerful? – they asked themselves.
He, on the other hand, never really seemed to notice how he was being watched. In his head, nothing else really existed. He felt one with his music, as if he had been teleported to another dimension. There, he didn't have any worries, or responsibilities and, the best of all: there wasn't any future either. There only remained Axis, his flute and his songs.
And for the ones that could hear him, it was as if an orchestra of colors could be seen with people's ears, an incredible synthesis. They could almost see orange, gold and purple, and smell the scent of the rain. Even the wind and leaves were quiet, afraid that anyone could get in the way.
In Axis's head, parts of a poetry echoed along with the melody:
Nature suffers and cries from afar
Everyone sleeps while spring is gone
A wintry friendship
And a bond of love that responds to no one
He did not know what these sounds meant, nor did he even know how he had managed to recognize them as words. He wanted to understand why they weighed his chest, digging holes in his mind every night, without ever leaving him alone.
He just thought it was bizarre.
He did not understand how words from a language you don't know could just enter your mind, settle there as if they belonged there, and set meanings in his restless mind . He also didn't know if he wanted to understand it at all.
創作者的想法 
denebhzzz
denebhzzz Hey there!
For those who gets curious about Axis' music, i have some references:
The lyre song would sound something like "Sacrate Rites of the Priestesses of Cybele" from Michael Levy.
The flute solo is based in "Partita no. 5 in E major" from Johann George Tromlitz and Mirjam Nastasi. (from 2:00 ahead)
I hope you are enjoying it <3
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