Soluna Chapter One: The Choosing of a Candle
p "The time has come," said Toru as he closed his eyes in order to concentrate. He whispered something and smiled. "Yes, Soluna?" he turned to see a female elfin youth peeking through the slightly opened Sanctuary door. /p p "Oh, um," she came in and closed the door." I was just going to help you with the candles, Uncle Toru." /p p "Oh," he smiled," I had almost forgotten. All right then, come and I'll show you the selection." /p p Ever since Soluna had been a small child, she had always chosen the candles that were lit throughout the Sanctuary. Because of the large selection of candles, it had always taken her forever to choose. She usually chose candles that were either ginger or mint scented, depending on her mood or the weather. /p p They walked through a short corridor to a door that looked as though it had been there for ages. When the door was opened, a large mix of smells filled the air. The dimly lit room was where all the candles were kept. /p p "Here is the current selection," Toru said as he nodded towards the nearest pile," and these are the newest arrivals." /p p "Then I'll have to look at those first," said Soluna as she smiled. She finally came to the end of the pile without choosing a single candle. /p p "Ugh! How hard is it supposed to be to find a candle?!" She looked at the pile she had just gone through. "Huh?" she said as she as she noticed one candle at the center of the pile. "I don't remember seeing this one before." /p p She examined the candle for quite some time. The candle was made up of four layers. Two were made of blue wax and smelled of honeysuckle while the other layers were clear and had glitter throughout them that changed colors as the candle turned in her hands and had the smell of lavender. /p p "Mmmm," she breathed in the scents of the candle. "Uncle Toru?" she said as she looked around, but didn't see him. "He must have gone back to the sanctuary," she thought. She decided to head back too. She closed the door to the room filled with candles and walked towards the Sanctuary. All the scents of the candles started to fade as she walked away from the room, except the one she had chosen, which of course she was carrying. This was fine with her since she enjoyed the smell of this candle much more than she thought she would. As she entered the Sanctuary, she saw that her Uncle indeed had returned and was taking down the candles. /p p He noticed Soluna and smiled, "Ah, I see you have decided. Let me see," he walked over to her and held out his hand to receive the candle, which she handed to him. "I thought I would try something a little different," said Soluna as she watched her uncle examine the candle. /p p "I can see that," he said and smiled. "It smells wonderful," said Toru as he closed his eyes and let the candle's wonderful aroma fill his nose." So," he said lifting his eyes," why did you choose this candle?" /p p Soluna thought for a moment. "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure why I chose it. I just did I guess. I mean, it just seemed like that was the candle I was supposed to get, you know?" /p p "Hmmm.." Said Toru, "yes, I think I know what you mean." /p p The two could hear the library clock, which was two stories directly below them, start to chime. /p p"Two o'clock." They said in unison, which startled Soluna a little, but she simply smiled. /p
p "The time has come," said Toru as he closed his eyes in order to concentrate. He whispered something and smiled. "Yes, Soluna?" he turned to see a female elfin youth peeking through the slightly opened Sanctuary door. /p p "Oh, um," she came in and closed the door." I was just going to help you with the candles, Uncle Toru." /p p "Oh," he smiled," I had almost forgotten. All right then, come and I'll show you the selection." /p p Ever since Soluna had been a small child, she had always chosen the candles that were lit throughout the Sanctuary. Because of the large selection of candles, it had always taken her forever to choose. She usually chose candles that were either ginger or mint scented, depending on her mood or the weather. /p p They walked through a short corridor to a door that looked as though it had been there for ages. When the door was opened, a large mix of smells filled the air. The dimly lit room was where all the candles were kept. /p p "Here is the current selection," Toru said as he nodded towards the nearest pile," and these are the newest arrivals." /p p "Then I'll have to look at those first," said Soluna as she smiled. She finally came to the end of the pile without choosing a single candle. /p p "Ugh! How hard is it supposed to be to find a candle?!" She looked at the pile she had just gone through. "Huh?" she said as she as she noticed one candle at the center of the pile. "I don't remember seeing this one before." /p p She examined the candle for quite some time. The candle was made up of four layers. Two were made of blue wax and smelled of honeysuckle while the other layers were clear and had glitter throughout them that changed colors as the candle turned in her hands and had the smell of lavender. /p p "Mmmm," she breathed in the scents of the candle. "Uncle Toru?" she said as she looked around, but didn't see him. "He must have gone back to the sanctuary," she thought. She decided to head back too. She closed the door to the room filled with candles and walked towards the Sanctuary. All the scents of the candles started to fade as she walked away from the room, except the one she had chosen, which of course she was carrying. This was fine with her since she enjoyed the smell of this candle much more than she thought she would. As she entered the Sanctuary, she saw that her Uncle indeed had returned and was taking down the candles. /p p He noticed Soluna and smiled, "Ah, I see you have decided. Let me see," he walked over to her and held out his hand to receive the candle, which she handed to him. "I thought I would try something a little different," said Soluna as she watched her uncle examine the candle. /p p "I can see that," he said and smiled. "It smells wonderful," said Toru as he closed his eyes and let the candle's wonderful aroma fill his nose." So," he said lifting his eyes," why did you choose this candle?" /p p Soluna thought for a moment. "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure why I chose it. I just did I guess. I mean, it just seemed like that was the candle I was supposed to get, you know?" /p p "Hmmm.." Said Toru, "yes, I think I know what you mean." /p p The two could hear the library clock, which was two stories directly below them, start to chime. /p p"Two o'clock." They said in unison, which startled Soluna a little, but she simply smiled. /p
