"LoveQuest ...!" Oslah cried to awaken her daughters.
              "LoveQuest ...!" Avvel and Emin shouted.
              Excitement banished all traces of dreams.
              What dream excelled waking up on LoveQuest Day?
              Quilts flew high and feet hit dirt. Delighted squeals filled their hut. Laughter from outside their thick-shuttered window wafted in to mix with theirs.
              All of Watersyde City was awakening to LoveQuest Day!
              "Your father left already," Oslah said, pulling Emin toward the wash-barrel. "If he can, he'll catch dinner, then meet us at the festival. Avvel, you'd best get going; Emin's depending on you!"
              "Blue ... to match my stardrop!" Emin pleaded.
              Avvel threw off her nightshirt, pulled on her patchwork wool skirt and leather jerkin, paused to give Emin a loving hug, and then dashed outside. The rising sun was still touching the distant rim of Lawboard Sea, shining directly into Watersyde City, illuminating the high clouds floating over the Slads Mountains towering on both sides. As fast as she could, Avvel ran northwards across SweetWater Valley. In the foothills she'd find the prettiest flowers, yet she had to get to them before others did.
              "Blessed morn, Avvel!" little Poolo waved as she ran past.
              "Blessed day, Poolo!" Avvel shouted, not pausing to wave back.
              She heard him laugh as she focused on running. Poolo Mathtics Drant was the luckiest boy in Watersyde; he'd collected three stardrops ... so his family ate well! Yet he was only twelve, and would have to wait four more years before his LoveQuest. Emin's LoveQuest began today, and Avvel was determined to fetch the brightest flowers to decorate her sister for the most-important day of any girl's life.
              Avvel was fifteen; next year, she'd LoveQuest, and Emin would pick the prettiest yellow flowers for her.
              As she passed the last hut, Avvel spied others already gathering flowers in the foothills. She headed off toward the shadows of the northern cliffs, where few gathered. Avvel hurried into the shade of the cliffs, scowling at the other's greed. Most of these gatherers didn't even have family awaiting LoveQuest. They were picking flowers in the hopes of trading them for extra food.
              The Day Truths decreed: One man's greed is the Night Gods' sorrow.
              Avvel ignored the pickers and climbed the high hills toward the cliffs, where she knew her quarry lay, sprouting in shadows between deep clefts.
              Flowers always grew their brightest right before LoveQuest ... as a gift from the Night Gods to the one city and four villages of SweetWater.
              Pppffffssstttt!
              At the first sound, every neck jerked backwards, every eye looking up expectantly.
              Pppffffssstttt! Pppffffssstttt!
              With the third sputter, a flash of flames erupted in the sky. Just over their heads, a brilliant white fireswan appeared. Avvel had turned her course at its first sound, and several others also started to run toward the sputters, before the huge bird suddenly appeared, its long snowy plumes spread wide to catch the winds. However, no stardrop fell. The Fireswan flew off, unaware of their momentary excitement. Shaking their heads, everyone slowed, frowned, and went back to gathering flowers.
              To catch a stardrop on any day was incredible luck, but to catch a stardrop on LoveQuest Day would be a blessed omen!
              Blue flowers were rare, yet Avvel knew where they grew. She avoided the thorny red demon's ire, as the juice of those evil blossoms made drinkers sick. She also avoided all pale greenish-pink flowers, as pretty as they were, and she'd never touch a single petal of the bright aqua mer-fins, which everyone knew were unlucky.
              An hour later, Avvel hurried down the steep hillside. Shining in the brilliance of the sunny dawn, three dozen long-stemmed blue princess crowns, Emin's favorite flower, all large blossoms, filled her arms. Proudly she walked down the grassy slope, carrying her fragrant bundle. Everyone she passed stared at her face, which was beaming with joy. Smiles ornamented every expression she saw.
              No one could be unhappy on LoveQuest Day!
              Several small unrulies were jumping and playing in the tall grass while their mothers gathered armloads of flowers. Unrulies were less than seven years old, too young to be awarded stardrops. Avvel could remember her excitement when she'd turned seven and was taken inside the Night Pyramid to receive her stardrop. She recalled seeing it for the first time, in the magical reflection pane inside the Night Pyramid, a brilliant yellow stardrop permanently embedded into her forehead, proof of the absolute kindness of the Night Gods. She still recalled the pain of the implantation of that sacred gem, yet that ache was quickly forgotten when she was able to levitate, scry, and join in magical games for the first time.
              Avvel loved her yellow stardrop ... which matched her blonde hair. Yellow stardrops were given by the Night Gods to those with 'gifted insights'. Her sister, Emin, had a blue stardrop, which designated her as having 'sky-like wonder'. Green stardrops blessed their hosts with 'eternal rejuvenation', white stardrops granted 'cloud-like peace', and brown stardrops promised 'mountain-like strength'. A rare violet stardrop, like Poolo bore, insured 'limitless harmony'. Red stardrops identified those with 'fiery passions', yet the best and rarest stardrops were black, and the lucky few gifted with them were forever 'blessed by the Night Gods'. Every child was implanted with a stardrop when they turned seven, when they stopped being unrulies and became calm, faithful citizens.
              All in Watersyde seemed awake, every noisy path crowded, before Avvel returned home. Washed and dressed in her new fur wrap, Emin squealed with delight and gushed over her new blue princess crowns, thanking her sister ardently.
              Oslah, their mother, insisted on arranging the flowers, pinning the brightest blossoms into Emin's hair, and weaving the stems into a long chain for Emin to wear around her neck. The smaller blossoms soon encircled her wrists. Emin had to look her absolute best; when she emerged from the Night Pyramid, her LoveQuest complete, Emin would be married ... and moving into the home of her new husband.
              But ... who would the Night Gods choose to be Emin's husband ...?
              As a Hopeful, Emin led their path up the main street. Holding hands, Avvel and Oslah trailed behind. Together their family paraded toward the Night Pyramid.
              All stepped aside, glad to see pure joy emanating from Emin's face. Hopefuls approaching LoveQuest was a promise to every citizen of SweetWater Valley that everyone's futures would be joyous. All of SweetWater awaited this day, and cheered when any Hopeful appeared. Villagers from Highhill, Tratsfell, Breadland, and Swinefen trekked to Watersyde to witness and participate in each year's LoveQuest. Last year over three thousand had joined in this most-joyous celebration, and this year the crowd looked even larger.
              Avvel couldn't be more proud of her sister or more excited for her upcoming wedding; she rubbed her stardrop for luck.
              Carrying her fragrant bouquet of blue princess crowns, her hair, neck, and wrists bedecked with even more, Emin stopped, hugged Avvel and her mother, and then strode boldly forward to join the crowd of Hopefuls. The crowd before the Night Pyramid included the best of SweetWater Valley. Every Hopeful was dressed to look their finest. Even the poorest was scrubbed clean and wearing bright ribbons. Each family prayed that their Hopeful would be married into a worthy ... and wealthy ... family, and so each did their best to insure marital bliss.
              Emin paused to let Jumdello precede her, unwilling to approach the sacred gathering beside him. Avvel bit back a chuckle; she and her sister hated Jumdello Sculper Coxca. Huge, hulking, and without the slightest trace of intellect or sensitivity, he often disrupted lessons with idiotic questions or disturbed the peace with bullying tirades. Every Watcher knew him. Protectors had twice taken him for calming treatments. Doubtless Tratsfell had a room for him, for his impressive height and bulk could shield SweetWater from the Uneeved, the savage barbarians who raged outside the mountainous protection of SweetWater Valley.
              Avvel saw no other use for Jumdello, and pitied any girl who emerged from LoveQuest with him. He was wearing newly-tanned leathers, yet they were just his usual garb restained, patched, and fancied with colorful ribbons. Yet Jumdello strutted as if he were clothed in stardrops. His own stardrop was white, and Emin had frequently joked that Jumdello's only 'cloud-like peace' existed between his ears.
              After he'd passed, Emin strode proudly into the flower-roped circle to join her fellow Hopefuls. Avvel prayed for her. Somewhere in that crowd of hundreds was Emin's future husband ... the man that she'd love for the rest of her life.
              A few elders stood in the innermost ring, those who'd lost their husband or wife during the last year. Those poor souls would be rejoined, if enough pairs were possible.
              The Hopefuls' circle looked heavily populated with women. A shudder ran through Avvel. No one wanted to be WaitLoved; both she and Emin held a dread of not being chosen. Elders taught that WaitLoves were especially blessed, as the Night Gods were holding them back in anticipation of a perfect joining. Everyone repeated that doctrine, yet they averted their eyes when WaitLoves approached, as if their existence were a blight upon SweetWater's perfect society.
              The morning passed in wondrous splendor. Strangers from other villages brought unusual items for trade; paintings, stone statues, strings of polished beads, brass and tin necklaces, fine linens, clay dishes, and metal cooking pots. Some brought bags of ground grain or forged tools, including barbed fishhooks, or brightly-dyed leathers and furs from Tratsfell.
              Anything from Tratsfell was especially prized, for only Guardians traveled beyond the protection of the cliffs into the lands outside of SweetWater, where only the bravest hunted in the forests of the Uneeved.
              "Wirthuzi ...!" Oslah cried and waved, and despite the noisy crowd, Avvel's father oriented on her.
              "Oslah ...!" Wirthuzi shouted, and he hurried to her. Each kissed both of the other's cheeks, touched stardrops, and momentarily stared into each other's eyes.
              "Enough of that ...!" Avvel blushed.
              "Never enough of that!" Wirthuzi and Oslah said simultaneously.
              They smiled at each other. Married folk prided themselves on Lovespeak, where matching words, spoken in unison, proved that their love was true. Avvel and Emin had shared Lovespeak more than a few times, yet theirs was only sisterly love. True love only emerges from a LoveQuest.
              "How were the fish ...?" Avvel asked, hoping to distract from their kissing. Her father grinned at Avvel and lowered his voice to a whisper. "We'll eat well ... if we don't get Honored."
              Avvel half-smiled. Her father was a great fisherman, but Honors abounded. Whenever a family had no food, especially those from another village, customs required families share with them, and leftovers were always set outside front doors for the hungry. Saving cooked food for more than a day was a crime, and Watchers informed Protectors if they heard of anyone violating the Night Gods' laws.
              Chimes started to ring, and excitement escalated. Crowds swelled the city square around the circle of Hopefuls. Merchants from the villages bagged their wares to join the festivity.
              Finally, the level of excitement peaked. Trumpets blared, and every eye looked upwards, expectantly, to the highest platform of the Night Pyramid.
              Out of the Night Pyramid came the DiaGen, gleaming in the sun. Cheers exploded. The DiaGen usually wore the brightest, grandest, and most colorful outfit, yet this time he stood entirely bursting with brilliant white feathers ... the plumes of fireswans. The crowd cheered and applauded. Waving to accept their accolades, the DiaGen walked to the edge of the speaker's platform, followed by his royal family.
              Avvel stared amazed; the DiaGen had dozens of stardrops embedded in his skin, and most of his family equaled his extravagance. It was said that the royal family never walked in darkness, and Avvel had no doubt; each stardrop gave off a faint glow, visible only in total darkness ... unless you were performing magic. The more stardrops that you had, the more magic you could do. The DiaGen and his royal family were reported to be the greatest magicians in SweetWater.
              "My people!" the DiaGen shouted, and the crowd fell silent. "The Night Gods smile upon us! Blessed be all the loving inhabitants of SweetWater! Husbands ... wives ... children ... and most-importantly, Hopefuls ... welcome to the joy of joys! Welcome to LoveQuest!"
              Applause and hurrahs filled the air, and Avvel squealed her delight and slapped her palms together.
              "We are the loving people," the DiaGen shouted. "From the Beginnings, the Night Gods graced us with their perfect sharing. We are reflections of their love. Today we gather as they commanded, to join forever true lovers, who have yet to identify each other, for the gift of Love-sight is only granted by LoveQuest. Today our Hopefuls gather to have their eyes blessed ... that they may see their perfect match ... and finally join the rest of us in wondrous wedded bliss!" More cheers followed, and the DiaGen waited until the revelry died down.
              "Before we move to the main event, I wish to share with all this year's accomplishments," the DiaGen announced. "Never has SweetWater enjoyed so much food and peace. The brightness of the sun pales before the light of you, our people. The Uneeveds have been driven back from the Slads, and none dared invade our paradise this year ... all thanks to the Guardians of Tratsfell for their stalwart dedication to our defense. Highhill has expanded its homes with four new caves, and their new waterwheel has ground more flour this year than ever before. Breadland made this easy, for they've plowed two new fields, and last year's harvest was exceptionally bountiful. Swinefen had a rough year, with sicknesses affecting both sheep and goats, and it took many prayers before the Night Gods blessed us with their cure. Watersyde has provided fish for everyone; the Lawboard Sea has proven generous, filling out nets. Our population has grown, such that we may again be forced to consider re-establishing an external village. However, what I'm proudest of is our young students! Our Teachers have reported great advances, especially in math, healing, and obedience. Never has the future of SweetWater looked brighter!"
              Shrill cheers rose, heads nodded, and parents patted the arms of their Anticipants, kids too old to be an Unruly but too young to be a Hopeful.
              "The ceremonies are about to begin," the DiaGen said. "My eldest daughter, Ymbiez, will lead my favorite part, the Introductions, and I'm told that our performers and musicians have a special evening planned, and tonight's fireworks will be the highest SweetWater has ever seen! As your DiaGen, let me say, personally, how proud your royal family is of all our people, in every village, and how all we do is for you, the people of SweetWater! Blessed be each of you ... and blessed be the Night Gods!"
              The DiaGen bowed deeply, slowly flapping his impressively-bright white fireswan plumage. The crowd cheered and applauded. As he stepped back, Princess Ymbiez came forward, her pretty face, bare shoulders, and slender arms dotted with swirling lines of gleaming stardrops.
              "It's time to meet our Hopefuls!" Princess Ymbiez announced. "Hopefuls, come forward!"
              Protectors motioned the first Hopefuls forward, and selected who would climb the stone stairs first. As they processed in single file up the side of the tall Night Pyramid, Avvel watched and listened ... she especially stared at the men, for one of them would soon be her new brother-in-law.
              The first to reach the top seemed to be a shy girl; it took strong coaxing to get her to step to the edge of the speaker's platform.
              "What's your name?" Princess Ymbiez asked. "Louder ... everyone wants to hear ..."
              She mumbled something.
              "Welcome, Hopeful Ardack!" Princess Ymbiez said loudly. "Now, what village are you from?"
              Another mumble.
              "Swinefen," Princess Ymbiez repeated. "Speak up ... the Night Gods want to hear your voice. What do you do in Swinefen?"
              "Reed-weaver," Ardack said, finally raising her voice above a whisper.
              "Everyone needs a reed-weaver in the family!" Princess Ymbiez said. "So, tell us, Ardack, what qualities do you have to offer, and what qualities are you looking for in a husband?"
              Although she slipped back into whispering her answers, Princess Ymbiez didn't bother repeating everything Ardack said. When Ardack stopped, Princess Ymbiez thanked her, directed her to step aside, helped by a Protector, and motioned to the next. This Hopeful was a tall boy named Thuncli, a farmer, who seemed nervous, yet had obviously practiced his presentation.
              "I'm strong, a hard worker, and I'm the eldest son of my family," Thuncli said. "I want a wife who is wise and a good cook, who likes animals, and wants lots of kids. I promise her our family will always have food, and I'll give her all I can."
              Thuncli blushed as he said this; Avvel suspected that his parents had composed his speech and drilled it into him. He was quite handsome, yet Avvel didn't want Emin moving to Breadland.
              Dembli was several Hopefuls later. Avvel and Emin had known Dembli all their lives. He was the son of a net maker, and no sane girl would want him. Dembli was childish, goofy, and spent every minute playing hoop-sticks ... when he could sneak away from doing chores.
              "I'm brilliant ... and very learned," Dembli said. "I want a wife who likes playing games."
              Avvel smothered her laughs ... and she wasn't the only chuckler.
              Uwarc was stunningly beautiful, and bore three stardrops on her forehead, a red, a green, and a brown. She had hair like heartberries, and deeply tanned skin. Her father was a blacksmith in Highhill, and she made jewelry; she'd be hard competition for Emin.
              One by one, the Hopefuls introduced. A girl whose father was a Guardian at Tratsfell spoke loudly and proudly, with a courage that few boys showed. She professed to be a huntress and a master at spearing prey. She wanted a Guardian for a husband, and demanded that he be stronger than she ... if anyone was. Next came a talented sculptor, who chiseled rock, and had made her own stone hut out of bricks she shaped.
              Almost an hour later, Jumdello spoke ... and the whole crowd laughed.
              "I'm Jumdello Sculper Coxca," he told Princess Ymbiez. "I'm the strongest boy in Watersyde, and I'm so smart I can read most letters!"
              The expression on Princess Ymbiez's face was hysterical.
              Avvel frowned deeply. Some poor girl would be doomed to marry this hulking halfwit. Yet a tiny fear rose inside her. Only one year hence it would be her turn ... and she'd be taking this same risk, as dimwits numbered among the Hopefuls every year.
              The grand celebration became a fog to her eyes, yet Avvel was quick to shake it off. Hurtful thoughts were improper. She must trust the Night Gods to choose what's best.
              Day Truths were clear: The greatest sacrilege is to question the will of the Night Gods.
              Finally Emin was called forward, and Avvel and her parents held their breaths.
              "I'm Emin Reedly Catrill Longthew," she told Princess Ymbiez, speaking loudly enough for all to hear. "I'm from Watersyde, and my father is a fisherman. I cook, and sew, and twist threads into strong fishing line, and I ... like to sing."
              "That's wonderful," Princess Ymbiez said. "What qualities would you like in a husband?"
              "I ... I want him to be kind and gentle," Emin said. "A good ... protector and provider ... for our ... children."
              Avvel bit her lip; she and Emin had long practiced her reply to this question, yet Emin seemed too nervous to remember all of it ... especially the part about remaining in Watersyde.
              "I'm sure the Night Gods will grant that!" Princess Ymbiez said, and she gestured to a Protector, who came forward and led Emin away.
              'Well,' Avvel thought, 'it could have been worse.'
              The introductions dragged on for hours. Avvel tried to enjoy them, yet nagging doubts tugged.
              After the Introductions, performers danced to the best musicians. All thrilled to the music and the exotic movements, so highly praised by the DiaGen. Every DiaGen, in a line going back to the Night Gods, praised art as much as science and mathematics. Even the poorest hut hosted sculptures and paintings, and every child knew about bacteria and sanitation, understood the magnetic forces that caused lightning, and how refraction caused rainbows. Teachers were sent from the city to all four villages, where every child was taught, and special stresses were placed on civility and the importance of social order. References were made to future machines which had never been built, whose technologies were possible, for their complexities could be easily understood by the thoughtful, although the materials required for their construction existed only in dreams.
              After sunset, the Origin Play began. Illuminated by torches, actors came out dressed as Uneeveds, dirty, wearing only the crudest furs and scraps of rags, carrying fire-blackened clubs, unkempt, and barely able to think or speak. Like animals they crawled about the stage, grunting and feigning ignorance. They acted scared of fire, and danced about it screaming. Then the magical Portal of Light, the door from Skerrilok, the Black Realm of Demons, opened in a brilliant shower of sparks. Monstrous, demonic specters emerged, painted black and wielding glittery lightning bolts in their hands. The Uneeveds cringed before them. Then vicious demons charged through the magical doorway into SweetWater, and attacked the terrified Uneeved, who screamed, fled, and hid from them.
              Then the First Family of the Night Gods emerged, led by the DiaGens of the Gods, Clifton and Evelyne, who were also painted black, but whose hands held pure light, eternally sparkling. Led by Clifton and Evelyne, the Night Gods attacked the evil demons and drove them away, back through the magical Portal of Light, back into the dark realm of Skerrilok.
              Even more demons crowded the glowing doorway, threatening to enter, and so Clifton and Evelyne called upon fire and thunder, and with an explosion that rocked Honaria, and filled the stage with smoke, they forever closed the doorway to Skerrilok, and banished all demons from this world.
              After the smoke cleared, the Night Gods cheered. However, the frightened, ignorant, brutish Uneeved suddenly attacked the Night Gods. With their magic sparkling lights, the Night Gods drove them back, all but one, a poor little girl who had fallen injured during the battle.
              The Night Gods took pity upon the little girl, and graced her with a single black stardrop, and she became crowned with wisdom. For the first time, she stood up straight and began to talk. Blessed by the Night Gods, this young girl left the stage, and then returned with her young friends. Each child was gifted with a stardrop and received generous gifts from the Night Gods, including fire, strings, and cloths. They taught them to make huts, grow food, and domesticate animals. The Night Gods were the first teachers, and from them grew the New People, the first families of SweetWater.
              When the adult Uneeved saw their children civilized, they grew angry and stormed Watersyde. They slew the first girl whom the Night Gods had befriended, and the Night Gods became angry. With lightning and fire, the Night Gods drove all the brutish Uneeved from SweetWater Valley.
              With the Uneeved gone, the New People grew strong and wise. The Night Gods gave the New People tools for farming, weaving, and writing. However, the Night Gods were sad; they yearned to return to Skerrilok, to slay the demons there, and make another paradise out of their dark, demon-filled land. So they taught the New People how to use stardrops to scry for wisdom. Then Clifton and Evelyne combined the magics of many stardrops to evolve, to return to Skerrilok. Slowly their figures arose into the sky, and then faded away in showers of colorful fireworks.
              The crowd cheered and applauded as the actors removed their ornate masks and bowed. Avvel clapped with the others, especially when the child-actors came forth and bowed. They were the descendants of the original New People. The Night Gods loved them ... and had gifted them with LoveQuest, the promise of eternal joy.
              With the end of the play, three fireworks launched and exploded high in the sky. Three deafening blasts echoed against the cliffs, streaming colored lights against the backdrop of stars, reminiscent of the departure of Clifton and Evelyne. In the crowd, all the married couples kissed, touched stardrops, and stared into each other's eyes.
              Then, high upon the platform of the Night Pyramid, the Protectors ushered the last of the Hopefuls inwards, toward the wide golden doors, to begin their LoveQuests. In the torchlight, Avvel spied Emin far above, and she waved. Emin waved back; in the torchlight, Emin's bright smile gleamed amid her blue flower headdress, bracelets, and garland. Their sisterly love ran deep, yet when next they saw each other, Emin would know a greater love, for no love is greater than a love founded by LoveQuest.