227: Gift
Alira took the seat directly in front of the pot, immediately helping herself to it, while the royal family stood off to the side, looking incredibly uncomfortable and still not sitting down.
“Please come take a seat as well,” I gestured to them.
“Please don’t stand on my account,” Alira said, picking up the first piece of crab and holding it to her mouth.
It was strange watching her eat, because it wasn’t like others. Even though I knew that Lily consumed the mana in a food item, she still physically ate the food, while Alira just placed the item to her lips where it then started to disintegrate, forming a powder that glowed slightly before being consumed.
The royal family listened to Alira and took their seats at the table, though again, Kathrine, Luis and Elijah all sat at the far end as far away as possible, while Marcus and Amber, although they sat closer, still sat on the opposite side of Milo and Hari, putting some distance between them.
Huling looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped before she got the sentence out. I assumed Sylverith had said something to her.
“This dish is delicious!” she said happily.
I nodded, agreeing with that, though I suspected we had different reasons.
“The fire mana is so unique. It even has the flavour of the food infused into the mana. I’ve not had that before,” she said, ignoring everything else.
“Alira dear, I’ll need your help later,” Sylverith began.
“You’re stuck with her. I’ll not help you,” Alira said, pointing at Lily with a giant smirk.
Lily let out a loud growl that sent a shiver up my spine and had Clifford looking pale.
“No, Lily is fine with Trevor. What I need your assistance with is Banawa approaching the capital due to the same pulse that got your attention,” Sylverith explained.
“Oh, that old thing woke up?” Alira raised an eyebrow.
“I can assist as well,” Morlin spoke up.
Alira did a double take at Morlin. “I didn’t notice you, but you seem familiar. Do I know you?”
A grin spread across Morlin’s face. “We’ve met, though it would have been several centuries ago now.”
Alira looked to Sylverith, who just shrugged. “I have questions too, but now’s not the time.”
“I’m just a silent observer, though that mana pulse has done more than disturb old powers. It’s disrupted the demons’ war, and I would very much like to see the demon disagreement resolved,” Morlin said, taking another small tart from the far end of the table.
“Disagreement? They have been killing us for generations!” Marcus said, finding his voice.
“Yes, disagreement. Much history has been lost. They were not always your enemy,” Morlin said, looking at Marcus.
“And much doesn’t need to be repeated,” Sylverith added bitterly.
There was silence amongst the group as Marcus seemed to digest what was said, and I’m sure far more would be said if a different group were telling him, but it was hard to disagree with creatures and people who likely witnessed it firsthand.
Marcus shook his head. “They have never tried to talk to us before.”
Morlin scoffed. “They used to be your allies. Read this.”
A book was pulled out of his robe pocket that I swear was not there before, and it looked remarkably similar to the Demonic Invasion? And Who Started It. The very same book that I had in my own collection.
The silence that came over the group was broken by Liane. “Well, that turned awkward quickly.”
This seemed to send Huling into laughter. “I like this one.”
Marcus didn’t waste any time as he started to read the book he was handed immediately.
Taking the opportunity and not wanting to keep Clifford here looking terrified any longer, “Alira, we should head over and see the statue Clifford and Crisplet made. It’s fantastic.”
Looking up from the crab that was disintegrating in her hand, she had a giant grin.
“Yes! Let’s!” she said excitedly.
“Lily, could you take Clifford, Crisplet and me there?” I asked.
I didn’t even get out of my chair before Kathrine rose to her feet, speaking up for the first time since Alira’s arrival. “Could I come too? It might be better also to reassure the guards.”
I looked back at Lily, who just seemed bored. “Sure.”
“You go now, dear. We’ll meet you there,” Sylverith said with a smile.
Before I left, I stored a couple of the items on the table that I felt I could either use the leftovers of, or give to Archie. I also stored what little was left of the chilli crab that Crisplet made. I’m sure that Kathrine would use the rest wisely.
It only took a moment, and my world was plunged into darkness. Though this travel was becoming easier, I wondered what was actually happening. Was I inside Lily? Or was she dragging me into the shadows?
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It was over as fast as it began, as I landed on my feet. Next to me were Kathrine and Clifford, who quickly dropped to the ground breathing hard, with Crisplet rushing over to help, and Liane surprisingly was there too.
We were standing in front of the Alira statue, which was currently looking very modest, wings at her side, and although it was covered in feathers of flame, the Clifford part was much more prominent.
“Is Lily taking the other two as well?” Kathrine asked.
But I didn’t even get to answer before the dark sky lit up orange, and I knew exactly how Alira and Sylverith were getting here.
“I’d say they are getting their own way here,” I laughed.
We watched as a small fireball launched into the air before it raced towards us. It drew the attention of guards at the palace who started rushing to the courtyard and were surprised to see us standing at the statue.
“Princess! There is an attack coming!” one yelled from the side.
She waved them away, and with an obvious note of command, she yelled, “It’s fine; stand down! The great phoenix has decided to visit the city to witness the statue made in her honour!”
The guards did not hesitate or question it. They immediately lowered their weapons and dropped to a knee.
As that happened, the fireball landed right next to us, where Alira and a now translucent-looking Sylverith stood.
The statue had already reacted to Alira’s arrival, and like the tree earlier, it flared up, with the wings unfurling as they grew to encompass the courtyard. In the dark of night, it was vastly more impressive than when I saw it last.
“Crisplet, you made this?” Alira said, walking towards it.
I saw Crisplet let out a burst of sparks while feeling pride come through the mana.
“Sorry, as you say, Clifford too. This is truly remarkable, and it grows brighter when I’m here?” she asked, now reaching out.
Another burst of sparks. “Ah, it’s absorbing the fire mana. Very well done! I love it!”
The moment her hand touched the flame, it burst into a bright white and yellow flame, and I was lucky I had my fire immunity buff right now, because I was sure standing under it right now would be incredibly hot.
She wandered around the statue, clearly taking everything in, her hand running along the smooth carved stone sections, nodding as she felt it, every touch causing Crisplet’s flames in the statue to flare up.
Alira had just discovered the signature, which was a small carved section with Clifford and Crisplet in the middle, with Lily lying on the floor.
She looked back at Kathrine. “And you, girl, you commissioned this?”
Kathrine bowed before speaking. “Uh, no, not me directly. It was my brother’s idea, and we agreed with him.”
“I must thank him also then.” Alira approached Clifford, and in a similar fashion to what I had experienced, it appeared as if she pulled a feather from herself.
“As a thank you, I present you this feather. It cannot be taken or sold. May it keep you safe.” She held it out, and Clifford looked panicked but reached forward.
As soon as the feather hit his hand, it was absorbed into him. Kathrine looked stunned. This was, after all, the same type of feather depicted in all the murals about their ancestor and meeting the phoenix.
Clifford stood there, staring at the spot in his hand where the feather had vanished, his mouth slightly hanging open, but unable or unwilling to speak. I don’t think he had even blinked yet.
“Come now, let’s return to the house,” Alira said happily. Not waiting for a response, she was immediately up in the air.
Looking around, I saw Sylverith still standing there.
“Damn excitable bird,” she muttered.
Lily dragged us all back to the house, putting us all inside the kitchen. Clifford still was not over the feather and was just staring at his hand where it had vanished into.
Entering the dining room, I saw Marcus and Milo in a deep discussion over the topics in the demon book, as I know Milo had read my copy, with Elijah and Luis off to the side with Hari.
I’d barely stepped into the room when the door from the foyer opened and Alira came through.
“Which one of you two asked for the statue?” she asked immediately.
It caught everyone in the room by surprise, with Marcus and Amber quickly on their feet and bowing to her.
Luis timidly raised his hand, only for Alira to dash in front of him.
“I love it. It was an excellent choice. I have a gift for you,” she said with a beaming smile.
I expected a repeat of the feather for him, but I was surprised to see instead a small ball of fire appear over her hand, no bigger than an eye. It then floated between them before plunging into Luis’s chest, causing him to drop to a knee.
I started to rush forward, worried that she had hurt him, only to have Sylverith’s hand grab my shoulder, her voice arriving in my mind. “Wait, dear. This is a significant gift for his class.”
I clearly wasn’t the only one concerned, though, with the look on Marcus’s face showing he was clearly torn between rushing forward and fear of Alira herself, eventually choosing his son and kneeling at his side.
“Luis, are you okay?” I heard him say.
Luis nodded, but didn’t speak. I saw him clenching his fists as it looked like fire was coursing through his veins.
“Worry not. This was a gift. There will be a little bit of pain while you adjust, but you’ll be stronger for it,” she reassured Marcus, who was holding Luis up from falling further to the floor.
I was surprised when I heard Luis croak out, “Thank you.”
He collapsed right after, held by Marcus.
Alira turned to me, moving on from those two with a giant smile on her face.
“Trevor, you wouldn’t mind if I rested here, would you? I have not given so many gifts in such a short time. I am quite tired,” she asked.
“Uh, by all means. I can have a room prepared,” I said, not really thinking, my eyes still on Luis, who had collapsed and was now being laid out on the floor.
“That’s quite alright, dear. Crisplet’s tree out front will be the perfect place to rest while I recharge, if you don’t mind, of course?” she said.
Crisplet immediately let off a burst of sparks. “Crisplet says yes, so not a problem with me.”
“Sylvy, wake me up when we need to deal with Banawa,” she smiled before heading back out of the dining room.
I stood there for a moment, taking in everything that had happened, and the sheer absurdity of it all. The only real movement in the room right now was Amber and Marcus by Luis’s side, with Archie rushing forward, pulling out a cloth and a jug of water for them.
The moment Alira had left the room, Kathrine and Elijah also joined Luis, kneeling next to him on the floor as Amber was applying the cloth to his head.
His veins were physically glowing, and it looked like fire was surging through them. He was sweating, but his breaths were steady.
Looking over, I caught Sylverith’s eye as she started heading towards the door.
“Trevor dear, the young prince will be fine. Don’t worry yourself. That gift will be quite the boon to his class. I’m going to show Huling the library. Please call if you need anything,” Sylverith said straight to my mind, smiling.
Leaving the room shortly after, I looked around for Morlin, who was already gone or in hiding. Clifford was still staring at his hand, having only taken a single step into the dining room from the kitchen where we had arrived.
“Well, that went well, I think?” I said, causing Liane and Jen to snort out laughter.