The Incandescent | Book 7 | The Fairy arc

Chapter 3 ~ The Fairy

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~ Planet Monshalow ~

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A clash of thunder raged in the sky, fighting bright streaks of lightning that flashed and struck with immense power, the motion of unhinged chaos attempting a dance-off with the grumbling thunder. All the while, rain descended, moodily blurring the windowpanes and drenching the grass.

The light was dim inside a home located within a forest, distances away from the nearest city. The home included a kitchen with a small dining area, a laundry room, a living room, a guest room with its own bathroom, and a spiral staircase that led to one bedroom and a library that doubled as an office.

Killian was seated at the desk in the library. A stack of books outlined the window as candlelight silhouetted his thin figure. An ink quill was in his hand, filling the page with his elegant cursive writing, as Killian continued to work amid a thunderstorm.

Almost done with the orders, Killian thought, having spent most of the night working. He was responsible for updating records for stores and businesses that contained necessary ingredients derived from plants and flowers.

Most were used for medicine and skincare. Others were aphrodisiacs, or weapons like poisons that manipulated the senses or weakened a person. Killian could differentiate every plant, flower, and herb, knowledgeable of each individual purpose. Knowledge was a new weapon, not forged with metal, but with plants and flowers, an abundant resource on Monshalow. Though he didn't keep the trade stock, Killian kept a personal garden with plants and flowers.

At last, the orders were finished. Killian rose, making no sound as he moved. He was dressed in a long plum dressing gown with silky plum pants underneath. His black hair was messy but in a stylish way. He ran a hand through his hair, his hand like a white ghost snake in the dark, his other hand setting the ledger atop a stack of books near the window.

He walked into the bedroom, smiling fondly at his wife. She was sleeping, her reddish purple hair cascading around her purple wings, glowing in the dark bedroom. Her wings weren't the only indicator she was a fairy; her skin glowed with a purplish bioluminescent color that reminded Killian of Iredescent skin shimmer.

Killian kissed her cheek and touched her hair before he returned to the library. He had already prepared tea, knowing she would soon wake up from the thunderstorm. The tea blend consisted of jasmine and saffron to fight depression, chamomile and blue vervain to calm anxiety, rooibos for allergy relief, peppermint for mental clarity, and rose petals for beauty and vitality.

Another flash of lightning appeared in Killian's eyes as he remembered how he came to know of Monshalow and its fairy people.

It all started the day he was dropped off on Ghatom. Alone with nothing more than the clothes on his back and a cask of water in his hand, Killian walked around the space station, unsure of his future now that he was on a completely different planet.

Around him, various alien lifeforms spoke different languages. Some appeared humanoid; others were certainly outerworldly. Killian was no longer an Iredescent with the natural omnilingual ability to understand any language in the galaxy, so it was frustrating when he was unable to understand the foreign alien languages, only knowing the Iredescent language.

He had no money, no currency, no way of paying for a place to stay, so Killian went into a forest and curled up against a tree, seeking shelter. He prioritized clothing over food, disliking the metallic pale yellow of his exile clothing, thinking it was the most hideous thing he had ever worn. He stole men's clothing from a laundromat and discarded the exile clothing. The shirt was too baggy and the pants were too tight, but it would do for now.