Yalele, Firework Sled

The Balagri Yalele is a kind of a Sand Sled, most notable for its reinforced exterior and sturdiness. Indeed, this vehicle is almost safe for war were it not only carrying fireworks. Pulled by no less than five Lagriches  on the desert sand and across the soft surrounding earth, the mere sight of it brings joy the the paces of many adults and children alike.    In Fall, when the volcano, Mount Muspel, has passed its bounty of ashes east and will soon cease for the rest of the year, the Balagri will take the sulfur from the ash, saltpeter, and charcoal and bundle it into a bamboo canister to create what became the firecracker. While initially done in celebration of surviving the fire spirits two-season long tantrum, it became a symbol of the bountiful harvests resulting from the minerals the ash gave back to the ground.   The sled itself comes in the late fall and winter and brings warmth in that darker season when monsters begin to become much more aggressive. Both as a tool for celebration and ceremony, the fireworks are also believed to help ward off monsters. What with the booming sounds and spectacular array of colors, there is none yet ready or willing to challenge that assessment.   The Yalele will ride around the Gorgorian Desert to the city of Biringan, where they hold their Potluck Firecracker Festival, and then will carry on through the coast and along the black desert to give all those in that area the gift of fireworks. Though initially carried out by just the Yalele sled, some carts too have been manufactured (still pulled by Lagriches), to expand the circuit at which the Balagri can sell Fireworks. It is dangerous work to travel in winter, but the smiles and hope the noise brings seems to unite Tara in those dark months, to hear and see Fireworks across the world light up in a sign that civilization is still here, even if it hides away or is entrapped; it is a brief thing, and soon spring will come again.


Cover image: Art Chimera by Madeline M

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