knowledge. And Grace had the talent to tell a story the same way to not lose any details or inflection from its true value. All stories and all experiences had value that served to expand the knowledge of anyone who desired to learn them. Shared knowledge and experience was one of the basic and most valuable elements of all the cultures. Without knowledge, there was no harvest, fishing, and quite simply no knowledge about their surroundings.
As she left old Nervaschanzo behind, Sachylia had already left its zenith. Under the afternoon sunlight, the young girl watched the dancers from different cultures. Grace was awed by the veil dancers of the mystical Hijaz province watching their elegantly manipulated veils move like silky water in a soft wind. They danced and shook their hips to the rhythm of the exotic music. After they finished their performance, one of the dancers, graceful and beautiful, Jameela offered to share her knowledge to any who volunteered. And Grace did; she spent most of her afternoon learning to move like the mystical dancers of Hijaz.
After the veil dance ended, Grace discovered a street, which was full of displayed fruit and foods that were grown and made in different provinces. Most of them, especially the tradition dishes of Andrenia, Atlantia, Yaana and Hijaz provinces had different tastes and used different spices and preparations than the foods of Odess’iana and Sagatta. Andrenia and Hijaz were famous for their spicy food, exotic fruit and grape drinks, while Atlantia and Yaana proudly displayed their delicious, sometimes strange fish, savoury recipes and produce. Odess’iana and its sister province Seriana delighted with their famous foods and sweet drinks. All twelve cultures were different, but the Great Deciduous Feast of Odess’iana brought the cuisine of all cultures to one place, this long street.
From under the shadow of a tarp strange fruit that looked juicy and appetizing called to her, fruit she had never seen before. The air around them was cold, frozen, and visible as if the fruit could breathe; just as Nervaschanzo described the freezing cold of Crystana Serentis. The fruits were stored in large pots full of ice and mush of snow covered their soft husk.
“This ice fruit grows only in the far northern icy province of Crystana,” the trader’s deep voice boomed from behind the pots. “It’s cold as the name says, but it’s delicious and sweet as the aya nectar.” His hand, pale as the snow of Slumberous, picked up a bowl full of ice fruit and offered them to her. “Please taste. I hope you’ll find them delicious.”
The trader didn’t exaggerate. It was the sweetest and the most delicious fruit that touched her tiny lips and ever ate . Her hand quickly picked up another, then another. The trader took a satisfied smile.
“The ice fruit, the pride of Crystana grow on the frozen hills of Carelia. They grow silently, then they peek out from underground when Crystana Serentis is ruled by the long, fair day which lasts for almost fifteen dozen days without a single night. They love our tending and we tend them gently while they bath in Sachyilia’s dim life giving light. They mature slowly, turning juicy and delicious.” From her eyes, Grace had seen that this story meant a lot to the man and he gladly shared it with everyone. She slowly ate the next fruit while the trader turned serious as he continued, “But when Deciduous approaches in other places, Sachylia slowly disappears on Crystana’s horizon. The long day is followed by a long, cold night that sets your teeth on edge; only a true Crystanan can live in that cold. The long night lasts for the same time as the long day before it. But before the water freezes inside the aqueducts the delicious ice fruit harvest begins to bring our soul to others on Eecrys Aredia.”
Grace just ate the very last fruit from the bowl. “Thank you,” she said gratefully.
“Please remember the hard work of my people. They grew
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