It was a cold, early morning for Kaedan Beservera in Erazim. He woke up early to a delightfully dull pain radiating throughout his back. At first, he did not want to get up. He was semi-comfortable in his bed, but he knew he had to get up; it was the first day of Mela Sule—the holiday festival celebrating the end of the year. The first six days were to celebrate the end of the year, and the last six days were to celebrate the beginning of the year. 

It was Inarora’s favorite holiday, and Kaedan did not have the heart to tell her no to the yearly tradition, even if his back was hurting. He would deal with it, like he always did. After all, he could hardly find it in him to complain since he got to see and live another day to be with his baby girl. 

After several moments of lying still in his bed, Kaedan pushed himself to a sitting position. A soft groan escaped his lips, and he rubbed the back of his neck. I reckon I should go take a shower now that I’m awake. Bloody body. With a slight wince, he transferred himself to his wheelchair and pushed himself to his dresser and then to the closet to select his clothing for the day. 

Half an hour later, he exited the shower fully clothed, grabbed his water thermos from his nightstand, his Palm-Comm, and his chapstick. After setting his thermos in his cup holder and shoving his PalCo into his pocket, he propelled himself out of his room and down the hallway towards the kitchen. Waiting for him at the kitchen table was his beautiful daughter, Inarora. 

She sat at the table, organizing her small plushies and humming quietly to herself. When she heard his wheels hit the kitchen floor, she looked up at him with her dazzling ice blue eyes and she squeaked with excitement.

“Daddy up!”

A bright beaming smile flickered across Kaedan’s face as she hopped out of her chair and rushed to his side. He reached down and picked her up, pulling her into his lap.

“Hi, Little Moon,” he said ever so gently, brushing her silver hair out of her face. “Did you sleep well, sweetheart?”

“Mhm.”

“That’s good.” He kissed her cheek and she purred. “Where’s Grandpa?”

“Grampa sick.” 

“Aw, poor Grandpa.” Kaedan sighed. “I suppose he won’t be able to come with us.”

“No, I uh…I’m not having a good morning.”

Kaedan glanced up and saw his father stumbling into the kitchen, wrapped in a blanket. A bright red butterfly rash had developed over his cheeks and nose, and he was shivering slightly, likely from a fever. His ears were flattened against his head and his tail drooped as he walked. Oh, poor Dad, he thought, connecting the dots: it was a lupus flare.

“Go take Ina so she can have fun,” Byron said with a quiet voice. 

“You sure?” Kaedan asked.

Byron nodded. “Yeah. Go get some chestnut rice and have an extra bit just for me.”

“We will, Dad,” Kaedan promised, then glanced at Inarora. “Alright, are you all ready to go, sweetling?”

Inarora nodded.

“Good.” Kaedan mussed Inarora’s hair. “Wanna go get my sneakers and my scarf for me, sweetie? Please?”

Inarora nodded and hopped off Kaedan’s lap to go grab what he needed. 

“I hate having to ask for help,” he sighed. 

“It’s okay,” Byron reassured him. “When’s your next physical therapy appointment?”

“After the new year…” Kaedan winced. “And hopefully this year I’ll at least be able to walk occasionally. I sometimes miss being able to stretch my legs, but gods it hurts too much.” 

“I know,” Byron agreed.

Inarora rushed back with Kaedan’s sneakers and scarf.

“Thank you, Ina.” He gratefully accepted the shoes—nearly bigger than she was—and slipped them onto his feet. Then, he tied his scarf around his neck and was almost ready to go.

“Go have fun, children,” Byron said. “Love you both.”

“Love you too, Dad,” Kaedan said. 

“Wuv you, Grampa.”

Byron raised his hand and signed “I love you” in Dh’oriân sign language, smiled, and flicked his ears at her when she returned the gesture.

After Kaedan threw on his favorite leather jacket, Inarora grabbed his pant leg and followed him out the front door.

Kaedan sat holding Inarora in his lap while waiting for the bus to take the pair to the north end of Erazim, where the Mela Sule festival was to be held. The pair watched as homes and businesses passed by them, all decorated for the end of the year festivals. Cylindrical and spherical lanterns hung from every house and business, each decorated with the Dh’oriân word for ‘New Year’ and with a tree branch of snow flowers painted onto it. Since it was daylight, the lanterns were not lit. Yet, he knew that when evening came, they would all be lit with rainbow flames. 

The local trees comprising the medians for the road were also decorated with weather-proof dragon lights—tiny baubles that hold magic fire inside rather than using a light bulb—and other weatherproof hanging ornaments made with fabric. Inarora shoved her thumb in her mouth and started rubbing her satin doll on her face, staring out the window in awe. 

“We’ll light our dragon lights and lantern tonight with Grandpa and Sutari,” Kaedan told her, stroking her hair lightly. “I know you’re excited.” 

“Mhm.” Inarora pressed herself against his chest and he chuckled, planting a kiss on her head. 

He glanced back out the window and flicked his tail. “Look, we’re almost there, Little Moon.”

Inarora’s little stub of a tail wiggled with excitement.

When the bus drew to a stop, Inarora hopped out of her father’s lap and he pushed himself out from the wheelchair space. The pair of them exited the bus together, Inarora holding Kaedan’s sleeve.

“First stop is…” He  lashed his tail. “Daddy’s favorite vendor, Ilmserin Sulian Coffee.”

Inarora squealed with excitement. “Choccy!”

Hot chocolate. The special one Ilmserin Sulian Coffee makes every winter. Their blend of hot cocoa involved a pump of chestnut syrup, a bit of cinnamon, a topping of whipped cream, and for the little ones, extra sprinkles. Kaedan? He was going for his winter favorite: a chestnut latte with peppermint and whipped cream.

As soon as they arrived in line, they were both surprised to see it was a short line. Huh. Must be there early, then. Works for Kaedan. 

When they arrived at the counter, Kaedan repeated what both of them wanted and passed over the coins for them. Once ordered, they pulled off to the side and waited patiently for their drinks to be whipped up. First, Inarora’s hot cocoa was called out. He accepted the drink and passed it to his daughter.

“Here you go, my little ray of moonlight.”

The sparkles in Inarora’s eyes brought Kaedan joy as she accepted her treat and began drinking it. Her tiny little tail wiggled with excitement again. Her ears also wiggled as she took a couple of big sips of her favorite treat. He lashed his tail with a satisfied purr, happy to see his little angel happy. 

Once he had his drink, he took a sip of it and placed it in his cup holder attachment. Then, the pair was off to explore this year’s vendors. He let Inarora lead the way. Inarora suddenly stopped in her tracks and he stopped beside her. She looked at him and pointed through the window of the pop-up shop.

“Daddy, bakey?”

He knew what she meant. Bakery. He tilted his head in curiosity.

“Sure, why not?”

He reached for the door knob and opened the door. Inside, he was greeted with the warm scent of yeast, with hints of vanilla, cinnamon, lavender, and chestnut. It was as though he was inhaling a blanket of warmth. Inarora’s eyes widened with wonder as they made their way to the line. 

“Smells delightful, don’t you think?” Kaedan asked.

“Mhm!” Inarora purred. 

Standing in front of them was another father-child duo. The man was a tall eathyn with shoulder-length, slightly wavy hair, as though he had stood in the rain and was drenched through and through––except, his hair was dry. He had a stump of a tail, indicating he had a traumatic injury that severed his tail. He wore a trench coat in the style of a Shahrani naval officer—a dark azure with gold trim and a special design on the back of it—and his cuffs rolled to his forearms, revealing deep tan skin with olive undertones. In his hand was a suitcase and a bag attached to it. In his cat-like ears were hearing aids, which Kaedan had only noticed when his ears swiveled to follow the sound of the child at his feet. 

Presumably, the child was his child. They had much thicker and messier hair than their father, tied back in a ponytail. Their complexion was much lighter, and their eyes were jade green. They were wearing a traditional Shahrani scarf, called a keshmagh, over their shoulders and over a thick jacket. Like their father, they also had a suitcase but their backpack was on their back, instead of attached to the suitcase. They must be a few years older than Inarora, though with eathyns it was sometimes difficult to truly tell age.

“Baba, when will Ummi catch up to us?” the young girl asked in Shahrani. 

Oh, the joys of being multilingual. Kaedan could unintentionally eavesdrop in several languages. Oops.

“Ummi is taking Rawiy’ah to get us a couple of things from the vendor next door,” the father said with a deep, raspy voice. “We can’t afford to ruin the surprise, now can we, dearest Asra?”

Asra scowled but nodded. Then, their eyes were drawn to Kaedan and they locked their green gazes. They regarded him with intrigue, then the man followed their gaze to Kaedan and Inarora. Warm, ashy eyes met his emerald gaze, and Kaedan could see more of the man’s face. He had a relatively thick five o’clock shadow, neatly groomed. Coming from the corners of his eyes and to just under them were darker tan stripes. 

“Asra, staring is inappropriate,” the man said, reaching a gentle hand down to pat her head. Then, switching to Dh’oriân and glancing at Kaedan, he continued, “I’m sorry. Children are…how you say…little gremlins?”

Kaedan chuckled. “Cute little gremlins, nae’m.”

The man’s eyes brightened and said in his native tongue, “Do you speak Shahrani?”

“I speak multiple languages,” Kaedan said, also in the language. “Including Shahrani.”

“Perhaps then, you can help us order, laa?” The man twitched his ears as he glanced back at the menu. “I just don’t know what to order. This is our last day in End'oria, and I'm still having a hard time reading some of the menu items.”

“Sure thing,” Kaedan agreed, then extended a hand out. “I’m Kaedan Beservera, by the way. This little precious dear is my child, Inarora.”

A ghost of a smile flickered across the other eathyn’s face as he accepted Kaedan’s hand. “Ei’rah al-Kanneyeh. And this beam of sunshine is Asra.”

“Ah, you mean ‘ray of sunshine’?” Kaedan asked with a twitch of his tail.

“Er, yes,” Ei’rah agreed, scratching his cheek. “Apologies, my Dh’oriân needs work.”

Kaedan smiled. “You were close.”

The line moved up and it was Ei’rah and Asra’s turn. Kaedan drew closer so he could translate the menu for the Shahrani eathyns. After the pair knew what was available, Ei’rah ordered a handful of different pastries to try—likely between him, his kids, and his partner. Meanwhile, Asra and Inarora excitedly showed each other rocks they had.

“Wait, when did that little booger pick up some rocks?” Kaedan raised an eyebrow. 

“I dunno,” Ei’rah chuckled dryly. “You turn your back for two seconds and they suddenly have pockets full of rocks.”

“No kidding…” Kaedan agreed.

“Here! Take this one,” Asra said with a smile, offering a rock to Inarora. “It comes from my home country, Shahran.”

Inarora’s ears perked up and her tiny tail wiggled back and forth. “R-Really?”

“Mhm! I can get more at home. You live here though, so it’s harder to find rocks from where I live.”

Inarora accepted the rock and then handed one of her own to Asra. “Take.”

The fathers both exchanged amused glances. 

“Would you and Inarora like to join us for a seat?” Ei’rah asked after both fathers had placed and obtained their orders. “I think Asra has quite taken to Ina.”

“Sure,” Kaedan agreed. “I’d be delighted.”

The four of them sought out a seat in the temporary bakery and sat together. While the children excitedly communicated as best as they could through broken language and sign language, Kaedan exchanged idle chit chat with Ei’rah. 

“Looks like you’re wearing a Shahrani naval coat,” Kaedan commented.

“Ah, nae’m. I fought in the war with the Liberation Front.”

Kaedan perked up. “Say, me too. That’s how I got my back injury.”

Ei’rah widened his eyes in surprise. “Really?” He moved his left leg out from under the table and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a prosthetic leg. “I, ah, had my leg…hm…” 

“Blown off? Amputated?” 

“Amputated, yes. My leg and part of my tail.”

Kaedan stiffened, then relaxed. “I hope our children don’t have to go through what we did.”

“Aye,” Ei’rah agreed. “I’d help the Rhanalanians again, but I wouldn’t wish that on Asra and Rawiy’ah.”

Kaedan gave a sad smile. “We went through hell.”

“And back.” The older eathys sighed and bit into his sweet chestnut roll. “But we won, laa?”

“Yes.” Kaedan’s ears twitched. “Indeed we did.” He sipped his latte and rolled the cup between his hands. “Say, what brings you folk to End’oria all the way from Shahran?”

“We wanted to explore End’oria, as it’s a beautiful country,” Ei’rah answered with a flick of his ears. “We actually did not know the Mela Sule festival was happening today, and unfortunately we’re leaving tonight.”

“Oh, well, perhaps we should make the most of the day?” Kaedan suggested. “When do you need to get to the train tonight?”

“Ah, rather late. Around 18:45.”

Kaedan glanced at the two kids and then back at Ei’rah. “Well? What d’you say?”

Ei’rah gazed gently at the children and a faint smile bloomed on his face. “Sure. I may have to take it up with the wife, but I think she’ll agree.”

“The wife will do what?” Came the sound of a soft, melodic voice. When the two eathyns shifted their gazes, they saw another eathyn approaching with a baby in a sling. She had a suitcase and a backpack slung over her shoulders, and an additional bag of hemp was being carried with her left hand. The eathyn had bright jade eyes like young Asra’s, and just as curly hair except hers was a light russet. She had a lighter olive skin compared to Ei’rah. She had two tan stripes on either cheek, and a diamond-shaped stripe on the bridge of her nose. Additionally, freckles dotted her face like stars on a clear night.

“Ah, Zahrah,” the eathyn turned his gaze to his wife, then switched to Shahrani. “Just in time. I met this kind gentleman and his child, and he kindly helped me to translate the menu and order something.”

“Oh that’s very nice, Ei’rah,” she replied with a purr. “And looks like our little Asra might have taken to his dear one?”

“Indeed,” Ei’rah agreed. “Hm. Since our train to the airship docks doesn’t leave until 18:45, think we should enjoy what we can of the Mela Sule festival?”

“Nae’m,” Zahrah said with a smile. Then, she switched to Dh’oriân and looked at Kaedan. “I can’t imagine a better way to end our vacation in End’oria.” She extended a hand. “I’m Zahrah esh-Anoor, and this little bundle of joy is Rawiy’ah.”

Kaedan accepted the handshake. “Kaedan Beservera, and this ray of moonlight is Inarora.”

“Moonlight, oh how cute!” Zahrah purred. “What a pleasure to meet you both.” She turned to Kaedan. “If I remember my Orias religion correctly, this is the festival that celebrates harvest and reigns in the new year with the hope of another great harvest?”

Kaedan weakly lashed his tail and smiled, “Yeah. It is. This is the first day of it, and in five more days, we’ll have the gift giving aspect of it, then the last six days celebrate the new year.”

“Oh, nice,” Zahrah said. “A shame we’re missing out on the gift giving aspect.”

Kaedan smiled. “Well, it’s much more than gift giving. It’s also about spending time with friends and family, as well as eating some damn good food.” He twitched his ears. “I could take you to a good pop-up restaurant that we have every year, if you would like. It’s called Rhidhk Antenyl Grill. They make a special stir fry inspired by Hosekian culture but made the End’orian way.”

“Sounds delicious,” Ei’rah remarked. “I think we would be delighted to join you two.”

“But first, perhaps you could show us more of the booths and tell us more of the holiday?” Zahrah suggested.

“Of course,” Kaedan purred. 

When he shifted his gaze to check on Inarora, he noticed she was quietly watching Asra drawing in a notebook. Then, she trilled with delight when Asra handed her the pencil so she could try to draw something. Inarora loved any opportunity to draw, and to be offered to draw in a notebook with another kid? Absolutely perfect for her. 

Ei’rah followed Kaedan’s gaze and smiled.

“It’s so cute seeing Asra interact with Inarora,” he commented. “I think she likes her.”

“I think so too,” Kaedan purred. “Ina struggles to open up to other kids, usually preferring to stay to herself or with me, my dad, or my grandfather. Probably because her speaking skills are not fully developed yet. But it seems she and Asra are on the same wavelength.”

“Indeed it appears so.”

When they finished up their snacks, Kaedan led them through the endless booths and vendors that Erazim provided for Mela Sule. More gifts were bought, of course.  Kaedan was happy to help the family experience the joy of his country’s holiday, especially in the capital. 

It was around six in the evening when they had to part ways. The al-Kanneyeh family needed to get to their train and head to the airship docks. Kaedan felt bad that his daughter was already going to lose her new friend, but he hoped one day they could meet again. 

“Alright, this isn’t quite a farewell,” Zahrah said. “As I do hope we will meet again.”

“Likewise,” Kaedan agreed, then he gently pushed Inarora forward. “Tell your new friend goodbye for now, sweetheart. Alright?”

Inarora nodded and glanced down, hugging her Sally doll tight now. Asra purred, then reached around her neck, undoing her keshmagh. Before Kaedan knew it, the young eathys had wrapped it around Inarora’s neck. It was pretty big compared to his child, but he was pleasantly surprised by the gesture.

“You can have my keshmagh,” Asra said. “I have a lot more at home.”

“You sure, habibi?” Zahrah and Ei’rah both asked.

Asra turned and smiled brightly. “Mhm. Inarora seemed interested in my keshmagh and…she seemed really interested in our culture, and I like sharing our culture.”

Kaedan’s heart melted and a deep purr rumbled in the back of his throat. “You are an absolute darling, Asra.”

Ei’rah purred, drawing his partner close to him. “She gets it from her mother. Isn’t that right, my little jarawat?”

“Nae’m,” Zahrah agreed. “But, are you certain, Asra?”

“Yes, Ummi,” Asra reassured. 

Kaedan turned his gaze to Inarora. “What do you say, Little Moon?”

“Shukran,” Inarora murmured.

Kaedan glanced at her, surprised. Then again, she must have picked up the word during the day as they all bought stuff, and figured out what it meant. He purred—perhaps Inarora would be a polyglot like him. She already knew three languages, technically speaking. Not fully, but enough to understand when her Sutari was telling her something in Hosekian, or when Kaedan was in so much pain he was non-speaking and would resort to weak sign language. 

“Well, ah…Inarora doesn’t have anything to exchange with you,” Kaedan said, glancing at Asra in thought.

“It’s okay,” Asra said. “She drew in my sketchbook, and she became my friend. I’d take that as the exchange.”

All of the adult eathyns purred with delight as the bus arrived at the stop. Ei’rah and Zahrah both shifted their attention to the vehicle approaching. Kaedan’s lips twitched in a sad smile.

“Thank you for spending the day with us,” Ei’rah said before Kaedan could say anything. “I think this may have been the highlight of our trip, right Asra?”

“Mhm.” 

“Thank you for letting us show you the festival, even if it was brief,” Kaedan said. “And for your company.”

A ghost of a smile flickered upon Ei’rah’s face and he nodded slowly. “Of course. Til we meet again?”

“Nae’m,” Kaedan agreed. 

After they waved their farewells, the al-Kanneyeh family boarded the bus. Kaedan felt Inarora draw close to his side and press up against his knee. Gently, he rested his hand on her back and smiled. 

Perhaps this was, by far, the best Mela Sule festival ever.