Makiya

[Christmas Special] 94. Astral Blaze

/Authors Note: 

//Merry Christmas to you, dear reader! I wish you the best of warmth, joy, and happiness to you and your loved ones. It’s been a tough one, but may we smile, look up to the stars, and know that what’s coming will be better!/ 

Enjoy this Christmas Special ^^

PS: The chapter is not a filler type so do not skip it or you will miss out on important storyline parts.//

“I indeed did.” Kalzablizareth confirmed.

“Andrey, what happened!?” Aluca came running.

Seeing somebody stand next to Andrey Aluca became slightly confused.

“Did you not see what happened?” Andrey asked with a dose of surprise in his voice.

“There was this giant blue flame - the dragon’s breath, and after that a light so strong that I couldn’t see for a while. And who’s that?”

“I am Kalzablizareth Winterfrost Wisedrake. Thank you for assisting my savior in his rescue attempt.” the man with remarkably beautiful blue eyes spoke.

“It… it can’t be…” Aluca jaw-dropped.

“Yes, Aluca, you got that right.” Andrey tapped his shoulder.

“You are… the dragon!”

“Yes, I am.” Kalzablizareth confirmed.

“So it’s true that you can shapeshift! You’re really indistinguishable! Well… if it weren’t for the oddly deep blue eyes and hair color as if you had ice spikes, rather than ...well... hair. Kal-za-blizareth… Can I call you just ‘Kal’?” Aluca spoke with his typical overconfident tone.

The dragon in human appearance was slightly confused, but after filtering out the strange comments about his appearance he nodded “Just Kal is good, too.”

“Kal? Sounds easier.” Andrey confirmed.

“You two. For saving me I would like to present you with a gift.”

“A gift?” they both asked.

“W-w-w-what is happening!?” Andrey asked, feeling slightly dizzy.

Uh, it’s as if the world is going in a swirl.

The image of Kal’s face in front of him turned into a strange cloud and he felt like fainting.

Opening his eyes, Andrey saw he was somewhere in a densely populated city.

Looking around, the place reminded him of Migigaia. Ambrosia fueled car just went by him, confirming he is at Migigaia.

“W-What am I doing here?” Andrey asked.

“Come on, Andrey! We’re going to be late!” Illien yelled at him from a distance, running by him.

“Late? What for?”

“It’s Christmas! You ordered a gift for Dea’n’ha, remember? We gotta go get it quickly!” Azazel yelled at him while running.

“I did?”

“Come on, quickly!”

“Oh, okay, fine!” Andrey replied and started running behind them.

“I ordered it for you as you wished and the old granny shipping it is in a dark place near the city center. She’s the only one who can smug such items for us like this.” Azazel explained.

“Okay, how much till we get there?”

“In a few minutes, we will be there.”

“Won’t a car be faster?” Andrey asked.

“Not really, we can’t go through the center with the car.” Azazel explained.

Jumping above a few cars and making more parkour moves to evade incoming traffic, the trio managed to reach the city center.

Running in the city center was not allowed, therefore Azazel made a hand sign for both Andrey and Illien to stop.

“We gotta walk now. But I’ve got an idea. We’ll simply walk very fast.” Azazel shared his great idea.

In comparison to all the other people walking the capital center street, the three of them were making a scene as they looked ridiculous and caused not just a few to laugh at them.

“Oh, the things I do for you, Andrey…” Azazel mumbled, thinking about his diminishing reputation.

“Thanks, man. I feel just as ashamed as you.”

“Well, I am a man of entertainment, but I don’t like it when my own embarrassment is the reason for the good laugh…” Illien spoke through his heavy breathing.

“Okay, we’re here. Andrey, you wait here, we’ll take it and come to you.”

“Sure? Huh.”

Andrey could hear them run immediately after they were no longer in eye-sight.

“Those guys. Really giving it their all for me.”

Looking around he noticed how many Christmas decorations there were along the street. Many lights in different colors were shining in all kinds of shapes. There were ambrosia powered big spheres that had small snowflakes in them.

Garlands tens of meters long were hanging from the buildings. The incredible sight warmed Andrey’s heart and made him look forward to spending his time with Dea’n’ha.

“What gift did I order? Why can’t I remember?”

Loud footsteps from behind him were heard as Azazel and Illien were arriving, but barehanded.

“Bad news! The person delivering the gift still hasn’t arrived!” Illien explained.

“Shit! Can we do something about it?!” Andrey stressed.

“Say no more, just follow me! I know the route, and the person delivering it.” Azazel said and walked into the shadowy street again.

“Why are you headed there??” Andrey asked.

“We will have to run and that’s not allowed here. But not if we are on top of the buildings. Come, let’s climb!” Azazel yelled.

Holy moly! I didn’t know he had this rebel part to him.

Jumping from the lower buildings, onto another’s terrace, and then along a ladder that led to a roof. From there on, they started running behind Azazel and jumped from roof to roof.

The sight of the illuminated in all sorts of decorations was breathtaking.

Finally, Azazel jumped down from the building and disappeared from their eyesight for a second. He landed directly on the ground looking real badass.

As Illien chickened out about this and started to slow down, Andrey grabbed him with Manakinesis and they both landed safely.

“Thanks, mate!”

Andrey simply nodded back at the bard.

“Quick. He’s supposed to be coming from here.” Azazel spoke as they were near the docks already.

Yea, when we arrived at Migigaia, I remember he mentioned that most cargo travels by ship here and there is this road that resembles a highway that we came from with that truck we took from MedX! 

All of a sudden Azazel stopped an incoming car with Manakinesis. The driver went crazy as his car stopped in a matter of a second and was in the air.

“Quick, get out and present us the ‘special order’” Azazel spoke deadly to the driver.

With shaking legs, the fat person got out of the car and opened the trunk.

“I… I know who you are… Will you… bust me? It’s my only job, man. Please don’t do it! I want to live. It’s the only way I ca-” the driver spoke through sobs and tears.

“Chill. I just have to take the ‘special order’.” Azazel emphasized.

“Here it is.” the driver handed a small palm-fitting sized box.

“Thanks. She’ll pay you when you go to her. Merry Christmas, fatty!” Azazel yelled out and started running. The other two followed wishing best holidays, leaving the driver in tears of joy that he didn’t get punished for his illegal trades.

“Take it! It’s yours!” Azazel passed the gift to Andrey while they were running.

“Thanks! Where are we going now?”

“You forgot? We’re gathering up at the city center under the great Christmas tree. We’re going to a party that you yourself invited us to.” Azazel spoke.

“Oh, right! Right! I remember now!”

Somehow I don’t know how I had forgotten about all this. The thing in the box… I now remember what it was. Now I definitely can’t wait to give it to Dea’n’ha.

“Let’s go faster!” Andrey yelled happily.

The others smiled and followed Andrey.

Dawn had come and even though the weather was freezing cold, the atmosphere was so warm that nobody felt the chills.

Under a twenty meters long tree were gathered many people and Illien, Azazel, Andrey, and Dea’n’ha were sitting on the ground with a small fire lit up between them.

Sharing this moment made Andrey feel very happy.

Illien complaining about how it’s hard to play his lute with frozen fingers, Azazel telling him to warm them up by holding them against the fire, Dea’n’ha laughing at the silly words and jokes Illien threw around. Andrey looked at the sky and realized how precious this felt to him.

Something tickled him on the belt on his waist. At that moment he realized that he had a gift for Dea’n’ha.

Azazel and Illien suddenly stopped speaking after noticing Andrey reaching out for his pocket. In expectation of the event to come they both looked at him awkwardly.

Dea’n’ha felt something was up and turned towards Andrey to look at him.

She looked at him, then at the other two, then repeated this a few times.

While she was looking away, Andrey made signs with his hand and face that the gift was missing.

Some strange faces of communicating with each other in a non-verbal language, everyone understood that the gift was gone.

Andrey turned around and saw a raccoon running away from his direction.

“Sneaky bastard!” He said in an angry funny voice and jumped towards it to follow it.

Azazel noticed this and jumped from his place and started chasing Andrey.

The raccoon was incredibly fast and cunning. It went by tables with people. Tables. With drinks. Food. All on the ground as Andrey chased the small impostor. After making a huge commotion people decided to leave him alone and just point at him like some guy who lost his mind or already drank too much.

“Gotcha cornered now!” Andrey said as he finally chased the small thief into a building with no escape. Drawing out his blades with a threatening stare, making small steps towards it. 

Turned out it was a library and it was very wide corridor wise. Just as Andrey was prepared to jump the little guy, it made a few hand signs and multiplied into at least twenty perfectly identical raccoons. 

“W-WHAT!? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!?” Andrey yelled with his mouth remaining open.

The raccoons all ran around and through him and spread across all the library and some even went out. 

He started chasing one mob of them, pushing a few blocks of books behind him leaving a mess for the people working there.

The snow had already piled up almost knee-deep. Andrey used this to his advantage and manage to follow the raccoons easily. He leaped on one of them and interrogated it to make it give up the small gift box.

All of a sudden Andrey came from behind him carrying many raccoons under his arms stacked like barrels.

Illien came from another direction carrying some as well.

Andrey caught the gift box that the raccoon was carrying, but it made a gentle puff sound and disappeared. He started to stretch its face asking where the real one is.

Azazel and Illien interrogated their raccoons to see if the real one is there. And as all the raccoon’s gift boxes puffed the moment of desperation came.

They looked at each other sadly thinking about how the gift is gone forever.

At that moment Dea’n’ha walked in from one of the streets holding a raccoon in her arms and petting it on its head like a puppy.

“I saw you guys were chasing them down so I decided I’d join in on the fun!” she spoke lifting her arms up.

At that moment the gift box started falling and opening mid-air. Andrey immediately caught it with Manakinesis.

Dea’n’ha moved the raccoon to the side to see what it was that Andrey was pointing at with his arm.

“D-d-don’t touch it!”Andrey said.

He quickly jumped and caught it.

He stood right in front of Dea’n’ha, holding on to the gift. She looked at his eyes and let go of the raccoon.

They stared deep into each others’ eyes. Not saying a word, they exchanged a spark between them.

“This… this gift is for you.” he said as he handed it into her hand.

She didn’t say anything but simply opened it gently. 

A very beautiful gentle feminine ring that fit her finger perfectly. It had a small purple crystal on it.

“It’s a Christmas gift for you. It’s no ordinary ring, just like you are not ordinary for me.”

“Guys, guys, there’s fireworks! Quick!” Illien yelled and they all started running towards the great Christmas tree.

The fireworks started and Andrey and Dea’n’ha sat down next to their fireplace.

“The ring… it has a special ability. Anything it touches can not fall under an illusion. It will serve you well if you confront an illusion school of art sorcerer one day as your enemy.” Andrey spoke to Dea’n’ha.

“T...Thank you, Andrey.”

He looked at her and as he was getting closer to her face, she spoke

“I… I have something for you, too!”

“Really?” He asked in complete surprise.

“Yes… but first, we got interrupted way too many times.” She said and kissed him.

His heart raced and his whole body felt as warm as it could be. Excitement rushed into him and his breath got heavier. He reached out to her shoulder and slid his fingers down to her hand. They held hands.

At that moment as the kiss was finished, they looked deep into each other.

“Merry Christmas!” they said in unison.

The ring he gifted to her shined bright and all of a sudden Andrey blinked and saw Kalzeblizareth before him.