Wish on the Star-Filled Sea Chapter 9

[xuebingcode]

 

Chapter 9

Figaro: Way up above Central Country. A spot where you can see the stars closest.

Mithra: Arthim. 

As he says his spell with ease, a door spawns out of thin air. 

Rutile: Are we going for a nightly stroll?

Rustica: Wishing to the stars AND going to see them…how romantic.

Owen: Can’t we just do that on the roof of the manor? I’m not going.

Mithra: What are you saying? I’ve specially opened a door for all of us, so you’ll be coming too.

Figaro: Lennox, you go with the Sage.

Lennox: Understood. Master Sage, please hop onto my broom.

Murr: Everyone’s following Figaro’s orders! It’s the power of the emperor, wowza!

Akira: It sure does seem that way…? But I think it’s natural…

Rustica: Lord Oz, you can ride with me.

Oz: …Thanks.

When we lept on our brooms, Figaro pulled out a ball of light with his magic. 

It floated in the air above his palm, and flew into the darkness of the night like a navigator.

Figaro: Alrighty, it’s time to go. Don’t stray too far from me now, everybody. 

Murr: ‘Kaaaay!

Trailing after Figaro, we were all flying in the starry sky.

I’m already used to riding on brooms, but this time felt different. We were flying higher than usual. 

Lennox: Are you okay, Master Sage?

Worried that I may be scared, Lennox called out to me.

Akira: It just feels like the sky’s a little darker. Has the weather worsened? I hope it doesn’t rain…

Lennox: It will be okay. Please speak up if you have any worries, it might help you feel better.

Akira: Lennox…thank you.

We smoothly flew on our brooms, chattering about this and that.

Eventually, the navigating light of Figaro’s drops its speed, and all the stars disappear behind the clouds.

The wind rustles Figaro’s hair, and he strains his eyes. Like he sharpened his senses, he was waiting for something.

Akira: Where is…

Oz, Mithra, Owen. They were all staring into the sky in silence. The wind was the only thing you could hear. 

Figaro: Just a little longer now. …There, I see it.

Akira: Ah…!

I held my breath. Following Figaro’s gaze I looked into the darkness, and specks of light began flying up towards us.

Akira: (Shooting stars? No…these are…)

For shooting stars, their orbit was all over the place. They billowed in the air, spun and turned. 

It looked as if those lights themselves were swimming in the sky in joy. That this night sky was their ocean, and they were fish in water…

Rutile: …Fish?

Akira: What?

Murr: Sky Fish. A whole horde of sky fish are coming this way!

As Murr shouts those words a flood of colours enter my vision. A sudden stream of schools of fish emerge and before we knew it we were blinded by light.

Akira: Bwuh…?!

Astonished by what I was seeing, I looked around in stardom, at the infinite amount of fishes, swimming in all directions, spinning and showing off their allure. 

Akira: Amazing, there’s fish swimming in the sky!

Figaro: It’s a magnificent sight, isn’t it?

To be exact, they aren’t really fish. Though they’re called sky fish, they’re actually a magical species that take on the form of marine life.

Lennox: It’s rare to see such a large herd of them…but I thought sky fish went extinct a long time ago?

Oz: They’ve likely been revived by the Great Calamity.

Reflected in Oz’s eyes was the dark of the night. 

Oz: These animals in deep slumber were awoken by its influence, and now migrate aimlessly in the skies.

Murr: Yep yep. They usually go around the whole world, and during this time they’re said to show up here!

Figaro: We were lucky tonight. If it rained they would’ve taken another route.

Rutile: They treat the sky like it’s water…it’s so fantastical!

Mithra: Hey. Don’t move so much or you might fall off.

Owen: Swarms of these things are just a pain to fly through.

Despite their reactions, Mithra and Owen’s eyes were stuck onto the migrating sky fish, unable to take their eyes off either.

Rustica: I wish Orihime and Hikoboshi could see this sight too.

With deep breaths and a smile on his face, Rustica looks up at the night sky, fishes with their seven coloured scales dancing around him.

The sight the couple who can only meet one day of the year must be a sight to behold. Everything around them must be dazzling and vibrant.

Oz: Careful, Sage.

Lennox: Please hold on tight.

Akira: Huh…?

Suddenly, something shook in the air.

Feeling some sort of thickness rise by my feet, I hold on tighter to Lennox’s back.

???: Uooooooo

Rutile & Rustica: ?!

A sound that was neither the wind nor a roar bellowed, and from the rising darkness by our feet was a single light.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Below us something humongous came flying up–if I had to name it, it was a sea creature that had jumped out of the water for a breath.

Akira: That’s…

Lennox: A whale…

It was all you could see. Its lustrous black back, the flipping of its tail.

And its size was unbelievably more than I thought. A living being as large as a world sailing arc was calmly swimming its way underneath us.

Figaro: A large fellow, aren’t you. It probably saw how fun we were having and swam near. 

Murr: I’m ready to dive in! Let’s have a Tanabata party here too!

Unlike the astonished me, Figaro and Murr were not shaken, but observing the giant whale with curiosity.

Rutile: Wow, look at the mouth it has!

Rustica: And a brilliant moustache it has too. If you have that, you’ll never run out of replacement strings for your violin for a whole lifetime.

Still, sitting on our brooms isn’t comfortable enough is it? I’ll prepare some luxurious A-class seating for us. 

Amorest Viesse.

Akira: Woah, a sofa!

With Rustica’s spell appeared many sofas with deluxe designs and seating for comfort.

Lennox: It’s hard to see behind me isn’t it? Master Sage, have a seat on the largest couch.

Akira: Thank you, Lennox. …Wow, this is so comfy!

Rutile: Truly! Just like that huge sheepy from earlier, this is just as fluffy and comfortable! And, the view is everything.

Murr: You guys are fine with watching? Well I like swimming!

Akira: Wah, Murr!

He dives into the school of fish sitting on his broom, and the fish dash out of line like a fluttering string of silk.

I swore I could hear the crash of a wave. Even though we’re far from any water, all the way up here in the sky.

Lennox: What’s wrong? Have you been stranded from your herd?

A lone fish flaps its fins as it swims towards us. 

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