Starry Sky Sunset

Trace of sunset, the burning warm of orange hue in the far distance of the white borders... turning gold it was visibly, turning mellow it was seemingly. The abrupt change from cold and harsh innocence of snowy region; an anchored definition of an everlasting mark for one's eyes to gaze upon, with all of its majesty only soon to be devoured no longer took a time for the gloomy nocture and starlit taking over entirely despite temporally, only then that trace of long trail dusk would be faded soon in minutes count down as a couple stars of the dusk had already become impatient hanging in the cloudless sky and waiting for their turns to ornament the same scene with their sparkling dots, thus creating this first constellation reigning above the opposite side of sunset.

That one side to which they went, one simple direction upon which they were capable of gazing at such a constellation... a representation of a cold season it was, "Oh... look up there, the Great Seven Stars of Winter have started to appear,"

Indeed it was seven, seven lonely stars because they were too early to rise over the dusk this earlier. Hardly no one from their own kin that had already been exposing radiant light of theirs, only those seven wandering stars seemingly and solitary hanging above the cloudless orange gradient between warm hue and cold, making them easier to be recognized instead becoming the outcasted ones. As this little lady had noticed earlier, exclaiming at her discovery upon the first glare she did toward the premature sky of the night.

"The Great Seven Stars of Winter... O-oh! I've heard that before, uh it's being called that way, uh... because... something, uh... what's that again? Hehe," that same-aged friend of hers however, plainly unrecognising and he was walking besides her; sound of dragging feet above the dewy grass while glaring up just like her did still, thus able to catch the sight of the said seven stars within his pair of brown eyes were fortunately, those seven stars sparkling in white and blue, yet his mind remained foggy - perhaps because a product of failing to remember,

"Geez... it can't be help, can it? Maybe I should try to explain it once again, then you'd better not forget it again, dummy Giza, about Stargazing Sis Gisalda had taught us because how important it is, the stars will show us direction in case we get lost in wilderness."

"Ahaha... sorry, Maya. Well... if you don't mind telling me that once again."

Letting out of an utter silent sigh Maya was, the little girl seemed gladly trying to explain something that seemed to have been lectured before. Seemingly insignificant knowledge at first, however she thought it would come in handy in time; moreover her same-aged friend - Gizado - he too, somehow looked eager to re-absorb the knowledge once he was familiar with... perhaps such a source for the knowledge was his reason for this rare eagerness. There was no childish rebuttal nor simply an irritated look upon his facial expression despite being called a dummy by whom he always had an argue with; supposedly a brassy negation Maya had received on a usual basis, but only a chuckle and simple smile he showed in reality right now. Seldom happened, unlike his usual self Maya whispered to herself, but even so she proceed with the initial initiative explaining a little without asking why with that sudden alteration of his.

"Facing east is the first thing you must do, because it specifically appears and always points to the east, telling you where the east is. W-well... it's a bit to northeast actually, b-but you get the idea, don't you? It's easy to spot the stars even for dummies, because they always and only appear right before night in early winter months."

"So, that's why it's being called the Great Seven Stars of Winter,"

"Yes. Not only that, but also because the constellation they form together. You see why they are being called seven stars, because those seven brightest stars rising up in the east winter sky are always forming snowflake constellation in the dusk then setting before midnight. Hence, the Great Seven Stars of Winter."

Walking across the edge of a village they were... a small village whose inhabitants prepared themselves for the for the upcoming nocturne not long after, hence the lanterns on each of the doors had been hanging on each doors thus burning with crimson fire that would soon ebb away the shadow of the night; but for now, this gentle and warm light of lanterns were keeping this chatter alive every now and then as they passed each of them... filling the gap between the idle silent of the little boy as he looked up and tried to draw a pattern amongst the gleaming stars to find that snowflake constellation his same-aged friend mentioned,

"Uh... which constellation? How can you tell which stars forming that snowflake constellation, Maya?"

Seemingly quite a difficult task for the likes of him, moreover the stars seemed to have added their numbers in the eastern sky as the trace of warming sunset had faded more... reaching point of futility for him to trace the said constellation amongst those many stars, barring a guidance he should receive from that little lady,

"Find that single star which looks bigger and brighter than the rest. It acts as a core, or center if you will, a center for the snowflake. But first, I hope you do know what snowflake looks like, since it'll need a little bit of imagination. Anyway, that biggest and brightest among the seven is set to be the center, right? Then find another six that surround it which are located slightly skew from the center. Six of them surround one stars as the center. Then just draw imaginary lines from every six of them toward that one in the center, and add another with the dimmer stars that's connected along the lines to make a complete image constellation of the snowflake. Then you have it, the Great Seven Stars of Winter represents the beginning of cold season."

"O-oh... I see it! Ahaha, I see it now. And that looks... amazing!"

Scream out of the very first discovery the little boy just found... seeing something he had been missing this entire time; for he no longer was looking down and contemplating the gloomy past in behind, instead looking up he was right now, at many possibilities of which those stars may bring upon and advancing forward he was for a better future - a journey he walked together, solitary no more these leisurely steps he performed beneath the fading orange sky sunset and the rising of starry sky sunset...

"And their names, as I recall, starting from the center, the star asis... each of their names are Ockt--- Akhe---? Uh... wait... l-let me, let me recall it again, Ochtly and then their names follow in proto-poetical order, uh... huh?"

"You sure seem interested naming things in unbelievable way, huh, Maya? And now stars, I hope you didn't come up with such weird names again,"

Therefore keeping this chatter within the constant motion, in rhythm with peace of many paces... a calm step beneath a serene shade of starry sunset as their shelter above these two heads whose the fuss was seemed about to, once again, pervade the overtone into much more typical of theirs,

"N-no... it's not me, dummy Giza. It was the ancient civilization who started naming the stars. I take it that you don't remember the name of the stars either, despite it has been written very well in Sis Gisalda's book. Well, it's no wonder actually, considering you too don't remember such a significant constellation... I think asking you their names is futile."

"Let me be, Maya. Reading book is not really my things to do, I'm sure you know that. It's not like knowing their names are most important things... besides, yourself also don't know about 'em names, do you?"

"I-it's not... I... I just... fail to remember. S-stop laughing at me, Gizado! Their names are hard to pronounce let alone memorize you know."

Relishing the joy and pure happiness within the simplest things they both were... in their own way through childish fuss, they shared those childlike smiles followed eventually by giggles amongst themselves while in fact the little lady seemed has found no better words to counter-argue let alone to answer which became the basis reason for her same-aged friend persisted on keeping that victorious grin of his, only to feel a little relief finding it a bit rare to find that there was something unknown even for the likes of her; although in actuality, it was because she failed to recall her memories just like she had claimed to be. However still, this kind of situation was seldom to occur.

Highly contagious it was, seemingly impossible for her not to expose that grin and a twinkle within that pair of yellow eyes over this mesmerizing moments despite being minor in appearance, seemingly the desire to throw herself into that light chattering became unbearable, especially she who had been observing wordlessly from behind those little steps of theirs since the beginning as she preferred to do before the starry sky sunset became quite a tranquility right now; absolute stillness in a soothing breeze, for she purely had found contentment only by watching both of them making fun of each other over the simplest things, side by side with their carefree aptitude to enjoy small things. Indeed from small, leisurely walking away from the sunset as they had their destination noted in mind, to discussing around the stars in the opposite side of the sunset sky to which they went after all this time... eventually the accustomed route of theirs had been reached, a fuss typical of the sources coming from them none other than.

Pushing and pulling her even more therefore to connect herself with the current simplest moment... this devil... only a single horn of hers remained intact protruding from white hair that seemed also staying still as the breeze was nowhere to be seen to intervene, thus matching the rhythm of her feet with theirs from behind while listening to all transpired,

"Ohxtcl Asis, that's the name for the star in the center," eventually found quite a fitting time for her to fit herself into the flowing chatter; seamlessly and seemingly a fine intervention thus successfully joined in as the devil would gladly give the answer the little lady seemed unable to answer, "Then, shall you follow the imaginary line upward and then follow it in clockwise order, each name of those stars are Akchly, Bulchym, Cynphos, Duoxigm, Eurythm, and lastly but not least, Fhrochs Gate. The seven stars signify the winter shall come."

Complete accomplishment, though sounded greatly exaggerated from perspective of the outsider watching in the chattering starry sky sunset that happened beneath the shelter of curiosity. Simply thirsty for knowledge albeit minor for many; regardless, or perhaps because of such difficult names thus it was quite arduous in pronunciation delivering such renown names for the seven stars which had been guiding many travelers and residents alike, of northern region for millennia and remained still performing their simple task apart from ornamenting the sunset sky,

"You know, while the winter has its own unique constellation, so do the others season. For summer, there's a constellation called Summer Polar, the two stars - Iohtma Tefix and Ilsacc Scion - which can always be seen in the western sky during the summer night. Then, there are Sireyhue, Celine, Hyakko, and Jygenbhu... another constellation being named Four Falling Stars which can always be seen in the northern sky during autumn, and lastly, the Blossom Stars in the southern sky which always appear in spring... Calyxy, Pystila, Pjstantemn, Carrolla, Anthear Dust, and Stigma Asis, thus making them six - six stars of the spring. Well, those are only names unfortunately, which I can only tell right now. I hope I can show you instead... someday... when their light are sparkling even in dark time."

In regard of delivering more than their names, more than were necessary... becoming a new insight therefore, for those two seemingly curious young-aged friends of hers... therefore more than enough for the devil receiving quite attention from both of them as they looked over their shoulders then looked up meeting their pair of eyes with that pair of yellow, and they looked dumbfounded over the devil's lecture, even more so upon realizing how difficult it was for them to pronounce let alone memorize those tongue-twister names which were abundant, albeit far less compared to the others billion of stars existed in this reality and thousands that were visible to naked eyes.

Listening to the devil's statement only, as if lecturing the two curious little friends around the celestial objects... already satisfied that hunger feeling within them in fact; especially that little girl who instead grew another new interest, simply wanting to know more upon thoughtfully listening to every words spoken through those pale-rosy lips of the devil, and smiling it was,

"Erynew... how did you know about all that? N-not that I mean that you are uh... b-but! I thought it was too earthly for your kind?!"

"What's the matter, Maya? You feel upset because Erynew managed to recall it faster than you? W-well... she actually did more than recall though," that goofy grin and remarks of making fun of the little lady soon enough was heard coming from undeniably the little boy, Gizado, for he at first glance could already tell the concealed sentiment building and hiding behind that an abrupt mood swing of hers through those stammering words that sometimes she risen up the tone.

"A-ahh... n-no... I... I don't... geez, I've told you to stop with that smirk of yours, dummy Giza. That's not what I mean. I mean... It would not be that strange for Erynew knowing about stars and stuff. It's... it's just..."

Erynew's chuckle... that slightly awkward chuckle of the devil eventually became the only mean to prevent another fuss to be happened over yet another matter upon the goofy grin of the little boy which seemed to have managed tempting yet another pouting mouth to be revealed over that slightly flushed face usually shown in which the little lady normally hiding away the shyness of hers for the sudden burst out, rising her voice despite it preserved its subtle and seamless features; hardly perceptible still it was. However still becoming a part of her uncontrollable as well unpredictable traits that the devil was fully aware of, for she had learned about it through an unassuming way in most heartease moments... and one of them being this moment,

"Well, Maya... let's say that I too, doesn't want to get lost in this vast earthly world. I think Stargazing is quite helpful solving that matter, isn't it?" the circumlocution was unnecessary, for the simple answer had been given through that simple smile of the devil. A vigorous answer, enough to please such a curious mind for this obvious one,

"A-ah yes... yes, that's indeed true, Erynew. Stargazing is indeed quite helpful knowledge, able to guide the lost travelers whose many lives had already been saved by them - those always-presented ornaments. O-of course... I... should have known that."

The usual stammering words had been uttered through the little lady's response to that simplest answer after an utter silence... a brief moment of silence when her pair widened brown eyes seemed to look concerned while staring back once again at that starry sky of sunset... the only place in which she could convey this wistful longing in silence, for the stars were able to hear everything... even that silent whisper of a little lady, softly voicing her inner reminiscence,