Shadows of Pale Sunlight

Ch 9: Burning Butterflies

Alban woke from his slumber, feeling a chill on his legs, and realizing it was cold, having woken a little before dawn. The sky painted with light purple hues as the sun rose. He noticed Xhael's cloak had slipped off, leaving most of his legs exposed. Slowly, he rose and retrieved the hanbok from beside him, putting it on. He picked up the cloak, wrapping it around himself, feeling better despite it being slightly damp from his hair, which had mostly dried over the past few hours.

Alban stood by the pond, catching a glimpse of a mesmerizing hue from the corner of his eye. Turning, he beheld a delicate creature with wings. Its wings were adorned with a deep, rich purple along the edges, blending into a vibrant blue toward the center where they met its slender body. He watched in awe as it fluttered gracefully through the air before hovering in front of him.

Slowly extending his finger, Alban marveled as the creature's wings stilled, revealing more of its intricate details and beautiful colors as it gently settled on his fingertip. He felt a delicate, almost weightless touch, akin to a soft whisper against his skin. The sensation was gentle and tender, evoking a sense of wonder and peace as the creature rested there, its vibrant hues shimmering in the light.

Then he caught another one out of the corner of his eye, this time with yellow-green wings, which landed on his nose. Soon after, another one, this one with red and orange wings, joined the scene. Before long, many colorful creatures surrounded him, each with different colors. Several of them flew around him, while two or three landed on each of his two outstretched arms and fingers.

"My Lord,"

He heard the man's voice towards the willow tree and he softly glanced at him trying not to scare the creatures away. There the man was sat and leaning against the tree with a big smile on his face, "I feel fortunate to behold yer absolute beauty so early in the morning, My Lord"

A soft wind brushed Alban's surroundings, gently moving his hair before it settled back down, causing the creatures to fly away with it. Although he appeared somewhat disappointed by their departure, the lingering sensation of their light weight on his fingertips and nose lifted his spirits. The enigma approached closer to him and he asked,

"Xhael, could you enlighten me as to what those are called?"

"Those are butterflies, my Lord. They are often found fluttering around flowers, particularly in gardens where nectar-producing flowers and those with sweet fragrances attract them. Earlier, many surrounded you, perhaps drawn by yer scent which butterflies are known to favor,"

"They are quite beautiful,"

"Just like you are, My Lord,"

The emperor took one last glance at where the butterflies had flown away, then turned his gaze to the man in front of him, who smiled at him. Suddenly, the emperor flinched as he felt a burning and itchy sensation on his cheeks, and his outstretched arms were also bathed in the morning sun rays.

"My Lord!"

The man quickly shielded the emperor from the sun with his body, who was clasping his wrist tightly as he trembled from the pain. Both his cheeks and arms suddenly turned red and swollen, with rashes starting to form. Xhael pulled the hoodie over the emperor's head and covered his hands with the coat, then guided them to a shaded area near the willow tree.

Xhael sat the emperor against the tree, who winced in pain. He tore his medieval top that was lying near them to use as a towel, dampened it in the water, and gently pressed it against the emperor's swollen cheeks. Then he reached for a bottle of water from the horse supplies he had gathered the previous night and gave it to the emperor.