All sounded a blaring phase transition, and began throwing to hit each other’s ornaments in midair. Like in the game of barricades with its angle science, they altered trajectories to find open pockets with amazing certainty. Deflected objects were deflected again by angled headplate, softening velocities till things coasted gracefully, zipping between spaces.

Soleil decided to observe differences by heading to another balcony. Foolhardy danger-seeking perhaps, but she drew the distinction from seeking perspective despite the danger. She was waiting in the tunnels when she heard traffic charging through. Shaking under her feet told her what was happening, how close, how fast. Keeping her feet was like riding Moonshadow – while everything’s moving, remember they’re still on the ground.

It occurred to her that they might hear her footsteps pattering through the weave of sound, just as well as their own. She tried tapping out a signature syncopation, and heard the sound repeated in response. She was heard. She traveled from one tunnel mouth to another, knowing she could be found at the close of festivities. Making her way to an entirely new side like many Aureny, she appreciated the differentiation of local frequencies around the geode’s natural shape. Rosy Glow kept up with her, more reassuring than necessary. Soleil was glad for her presence, and also glad she could forget the Kao-Sidhe was there.

Where ornaments lay in the openings, Soleil inspected them, testing them with a knock of her gloved knuckle. Some were broken and damaged, and she began recognizing the different ways that metals and stones were spliced in. They destroyed things and remade them. The Tempering, where things survived or didn’t, proved strong or made stronger. They brought things from other places and exchanged pieces. The worked stones looked fascinatingly precious, holding special life within. Many were surely collected from piles such as those they were making now.

The Princess Ascendant allowed her curiosity free reign, and stayed safe. Though tapping energy reserves, she kept lively and didn’t miss a moment. After the sound petered out and the chamber was disengaging, some cute little Aureny came in and began scooping gems into transport buckets. Mystvall found Soleil propped against a wall, panting and grinning from ear to ear.

Caught up in the trance of this spectacle, Soleil rocked on her ready stance with extreme intensity. A unanimous soundblast took over the space, and several Aureny ran into the tunnels from their balcony ledges, including Mystvall.

In the suddenly vacated space, the Princess could hear their thundering steps recede and approach, echoing louder when they crossed a tunnel opening into the geode. There were muffled crashes as they met and collided, shearing their enduring hides against the crystal-coated walls, soft scrapes in the debris. The steady underlay of body syncopation and basso vocalization hinted like the peak of an iceberg at something far greater beneath perception.

Soleil stepped into the center of the reception cone. Details of the communal music leapt into clarity, any point of listening sounding forefront with the slightest adjustment. If she could place her head two stories higher the sound would no doubt be better, more so with their range of sensory perception. She looked up and saw Rosy Glow in that position. In this moment, to this human, there had never been anything like it. Her astonishment was complete without allowing it to overwhelm.

A careering sound of approach grew with alacrity. She whirled and, watching the incoming Aureny, slid into the most welcoming concavity. She’d guessed correctly that a large object was flying in behind her. The arrival grated to a pinpoint stop and caught an airborne set of pauldrons, which they donned rhythmically, dragging forelimbs in wide arcs around the mouth of the passageway. Soleil reflexively shielded her face from the glittering shower, letting a few fall into her palm and tipping them to the ground. Despite the mortal danger, she felt washes of glee at the creative destruction, the elation of collision, oneness of sound, elegance of cooperative sporting, detachment of personal property, and wondrous abundance.