My Servant Is An Elf Knight From Another World

Chapter 884 All That Glitter And All That Burns

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I could feel the wind start to pick up. 

An artificial breeze manifesting with only one known source. Small little gusts, swaying branches, rustling leaves, from the rising flap and flutter of outstretched wings. 

On the ground, amidst patches of melted snow and murky imprints of three-prong claws, a gap was beginning to form, a shadow - both extending further, larger, as the breeze blew stronger. The rustling, the swaying, all beset by the burning radiance of countless embered feathers. 

Ria lifted her head, pointing the tip of her beak toward the sky. Pigeons, doves, I've seen birds bracing to fly so many times before… but I suppose when things are big and close enough in scope, every single move you make just feels all the more momentous and grand. 

Needed to step back a few paces; instinct and natural common sense had me concerned that my clothes might wind up a few singed threads too many for my liking - briefly forgetting for a fact that I can't be roasted to a crisp unless she specifically wanted me to be.

Thankfully, her roasts were usually more on the metaphorical side of things. So lucky me, I guess.

Irene grabbed onto a large handful of feathers as they ascended even higher, both arms almost close to wringing Ria's neck entirely. The way she looked, how tightly she held her grip… it was like a little girl squeezing a gigantic, overstuffed plush doll around her.

Then suddenly, from a single flap of her wings out of a steady constant, a solid wall of hot air blasted me an inch backward - and they were gone. A bit of scorched earth and lingering warmth was the only thing that remained of them both.

It didn't take long at all for me to find them again. You'd have to either be blind or severely blind drunk to miss the blazing streak of light ripping a blinding trail across the night. From down on the ground, it was like watching a rocket after liftoff, or an inverse comet soaring further and further upwards. Irene was barely even a splotch, like a little blemishing dot against Ria's bright smoldering gold. 

Now that things were after the fact, I was starting to slightly regret not joining along when I could. Not for my experience, but to witness hers - surely Irene had to be feeling something. Hell, even from down here, just watching them fly has me swelling up inside with a strong sense of complete wonder… and like a dog chasing cars, I began to follow behind.

Kicking up snow, nearly stumbling over discarded cans, refusing to tear my eyes away from the shooting star twinkling and glimmering. Before I knew it, I wound up returning back to the crowd, pushing and squeezing through tight clusters of people too shitfaced and filled with exhilaration to hear a simple 'excuse me'. 

All of a sudden, I heard a collective gasp from all around and spotted a few raised fingers amongst the swarm. I glanced back up, and in less than a second, spotted what everyone was seeing.

A bird-like beacon of pure light was rapidly heading toward where the drones continued with their performance, and soon enough, the mechanical phoenix was unexpectedly joined in flight by the very creature it was attempting to imitate. 

Everyone seemed to immediately stop whatever they were currently doing to stare and watch. Fireworks blasting, appropriately acting as the explosive, colorful backdrop to the performance in the forefront. As the giant bird hovered about, flapping its slow motorized wings, the smaller, livelier one sought to fill in the empty space between with a show of her own. 

Joining the lights, explosions, the revelry in the heavens… sparked and blaze the allure of fire. Her fire. 

Ria flew with a prominent trail of flames, swerving, diving, soaring, as if wanting to engulf the very night itself ablaze with clouds formed of literal fire. It was like she was trying to one-up the drones or something, make an even bigger impression. That, whatever it did, she could do it better - and leave no room for doubt that it was her that did everything best.

If anything, it was like watching a dance, two illustrious performances of equal fascination - when one went up, the other went down, what the other lacked, the other made up for in brimming proportions, and we mere earthlings could only simply stare in awe as the heavens glimpse us with a seemingly otherworldly sight. 

I continued to follow after them and had a much easier time doing so with everyone much too captivated to get in the way. Could only just barely spot the little black splotch clinging to the back of the smaller bird; with all the sharp turns, and the sudden flips, I'm really curious to know how exactly she was faring up there. 

Maybe I shouldn't be, but I'm a little envious. The view must be freakin' amazing from all the way up there. 

Out of nowhere, Ria began to fly much faster, much lower, dangerously so - her audience of hundreds broke out in a collective sonorous cry of shock and surprise as streams of bright glow zipped over their heads. 

She ascended quickly, leaving everyone stunned in silence, and when that eventually subsided, some began to laugh, others began to clap, and as one, they were eager for more. 

And Ria could only oblige.

The continued blast of fireworks added much to her spectacle, all eyes were glued on the bird on fire again as it filled the sky with even more burning light, like a small blizzard made of flames instead of snow, joining the sparks of colors and the twinkling rims of the drones. 

Everyone continued to clamor, continue to cry for even more. Hands were raised and reaching up high, everywhere I turned I was met with rows and rows of countless smiles, and don't even get me started on the ruckus they were making. 

Ria suddenly took another sharp turn, a strong flap of her wings tilting her directly upwards, high, higher than I expected, and then some. With a final thrust, a final flap of her wings, she pierced right on through her larger mechanical half, ascending even more until she took on the faint luster of one of the many countless stars painting the horizon. 

And that's where she stayed for what seemed like the longest moment. Hanging stagnant as high as can be, pulsating a dim gold, a faint twinkle in the dark overshadowed by the infinite. 

Then - the whole world shone ablaze. 

It was a bewildering, senseless few seconds where everything was shrouded by light. It was like the sun had abruptly risen a few hours early from when it was actually due. Everyone took cover, hiding behind squinted eyes, staring between the gaps in their fingers. And then in the midst of silence - a single piercing shriek rippled shrilly across the sky.

I blinked, the world dimmed back, and the sky returned black… except without warning, without any sort of meaning… suddenly it was snowing. 

Except what fell from the sky didn't look like any droplets resembling winter. Up above, in slow, gradual rainfall, little trickles of light were descending from all around us. 

Embers. 

In thousands. In hundreds of thousands. Sprinkled across the empty air and pouring down in a cascade of blurred, blinding gold and Ria was the source… that little star in the sky showering, engulfing the earth with everything she had to give. 

The crescendo to her performance. 

It was then a stray current billowed forth from nowhere, sweeping up the embers in one fell swoop and swirling them across the vicinity, consuming everybody in an enveloping spiral of light. 

At that moment, there was not a single quiet voice to be found amongst the unbridled shrieks and shouts of fanfare. I could feel the ground itself rumbling with all forms of revelry being belted out. 

The reception was blatantly unanimous. On the left, the few faces I managed to glean were all teary-eyed and speechless. To the right, people were toasting and raising their glasses for all sorts of things. And low on the ground, you got children running amok everywhere chasing every ember they could find before they dissipated into the soil. 

What did she say a while back? Something about almost being able to pretend everyone was cheering for her? Well, now there was no need to hide behind pretense and make-believe.

Because right now, at this moment, they really were.

I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket and it was a wonder I even realized that. The first few times I felt it, I thought it was just the cheering starting to rattle deep in my bones. 

Before I answered, I squeezed and slither my way somewhere where my hearing wouldn't be taken up by the incessant buzz of everyone else. Once I did that, I immediately pressed my phone to my ear - didn't even need to glimpse the caller ID. 

It was a no-brainer who could be calling at this hour, at this moment. 

"I can see you chasing us the entire time," spoke the voice on the other end, jovially, and holding back an obvious chuckle. "You look pretty silly from up here, I have to say." 

If nothing else, jovial was a good sign. 

"Enjoying ourselves, I'm guessing?" I said, glancing back up and spotting a trail of golden-red descending to the far right. "That's good. I'm glad you're finally letting loose." 

"Hey, you would too, if you were only here to see what I see," Irene bashfully admitted. "I really wish you were. It really is something…" 

In the background, I could hear a lot of flapping about, and fireworks blasting close. Forget me, it's a miracle she could even hear me at all. 

"It's fine. I'll just take your word for it - tell me all about it later, alright?" 

"I much rather you see it with your eyes," she said, then not a second later, hastily added, "Wait, no, of course you can." 

"What?" 

"I'm switching to video. Hold out your phone." 

I had just barely turned my phone forward toward me when the display froze and flickered. A moment later, I was met with a screen swarmed entirely in locks of black. 

"Sorry!" I heard a crack of static churn from the speakers. Irene then appeared from the blackness, tossing her hair aside and keeping it from blowing back again. One thing I immediately noticed was her eyes, vibrant and as if glowing on their own. But that just might be from the countless sources of light that surrounded her. "Can you see? Is it clear enough? I don't know how well this camera does at night." 

She was also moving a lot. Bouncy and lively. But once again, that might just be from what she has as a passenger seat. Either way, it certainly adds to her charm.

"You're good," I said to her. "I hope you're holding your phone just fine there. It'd really suck if you send someone to the hospital due to an unknown UFO." 

I didn't hear an answer back. The wind was blowing too hard to hear anything lower than a shout. But from the way the camera was wobbling and her shoulders were shaking, I'm pretty sure she was enjoying a moment of laughter. 

"I'm careful," she assured, tugging back another strand of hair obstructing the view. "Anyway, here… have a look." 

Slowly, Irene tilted her phone slightly away from her and held it firm in that position. It didn't even take a couple of seconds before I finally saw what she meant. 

With a loud, whizzing buzz, I saw them soar right past the glint and shimmer of the drones. They did a few laps flying between the gaps, and seeing it all happen up close really was an entirely different sight. It was like watching a magical act deconstructed, I could see the rotors spinning, the little tiny bodies that made up the shape of the motorized phoenix. Then from somewhere up ahead, I heard the rippling bang of gunpowder, and in a flash of light, I saw them flight right through the shower of sparks. 

They flew like this again, and again, at different angles, at different speeds, but I had already long stopped marveling at the light show. Instead, I was enthralled by a different view entirely. 

Irene's face hovered just right below the upper-right corner of the screen, and it was her bright expression, her wide, almost permanent smile christened in light that I couldn't at all take my eyes off of. 

So full of wonder. So full of joy. 

She was right about one thing. With a view like this… how could one ever possibly stay moody?

Irene shifted the camera back at herself, hazel eyes shifting, airily scrutinizing the view before her.

"I know what you're thinking," she said.

I raised a brow. "Oh?" 

"This doesn't change anything," she said, still wearing that beaming smile. "I still haven't changed my mind about anything." 

I just nodded. "If you say so." 

"Also," briefly, Irene tore her gaze away, looking far ahead in front of her. "I think… I think we're heading back now, it looks like." 

I looked away too, scouring for that bright dot in the sky, and instantly spotted it hurtling away from the park's air space.

"What, without me?" I asked. 

Somewhere amidst all the noise, I heard Ria give a loud affirming squawk into the microphone. 

"Yeah, I guess so," Irene said. "You still have my car keys, right?" 

I patted my pocket, double-confirming. "I do." 

"Great," she said meekly. "Guess, um, we'll meet you back home?"

And then, with a small apologetic smirk, Irene ended the call… leaving me stranded on the ground, gazing up at the bright streak in the sky growing further and further away every second. 

Oh well, not the first time tonight I'm left chasing after them both. In this case though, maybe it's a good idea to lag behind them just a little. 

After all, what's the point of rushing an ending, right?