Chapter 23 - Joy Flight
Standing side by side on the overgrown dirt path outside the isolated shack, Maelle raised a hand to shade her eyes as she scanned the forest foliage with an analytical glare.
"There is only a single fading footpath. Without a horse or a carriage, traversing these woods on foot will take us an unprecedented amount of time just to reach a main road. Not to mention there’s no way of knowing of the dangers that lurk in these woods..."
"Only one path? Maelle, did you already forget who you’re with?"
Vincent drew upon his inner divine core. A sudden hue golden-blue light erupted around him, sending a gentle gust of wind cascading through the trees.
His brown hair shifted into sky-blue, his sapphire eyes burned with divine luminescence, and with a crisp, flapping sound, two white wings fanned out from his back.
A faint, uncontrollable rose blush crept up from the back of Maelle’s ears as she took in his angelic appearance.
Vincent grinned, stepping forward and extending his arms out wide toward her.
Maelle instinctively took a half-step back as her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What are you doing?"
"I don’t know left from right in this world, and I definitely don’t have a map. It’d be a whole lot easier if you led the way while I fly us there. Come on, jump in."
As she stared at his wide-open arms, she stepped an inch closer before her eyes darted between his chest and the sprawling forest.
She stopped and shook her head. "No. I am far too heavy."
"Yeesh, you’re not heavy at all, Maelle. Just as a quick friendly reminder, I literally carried your limp body all the way here last night without breaking a sweat. Not to brag, but I’m pretty strong."
Her stoic mask faltered slightly as he stood there stubbornly with his arms held wide open. Seeing that he wasn’t giving up, she let out a resigned sigh and gave a stiff nod.
Passing him, she walked directly behind his back instead.
"Now what are you doing?" Vincent looked over his shoulder.
"I am getting on your back," she stated matter-of-factly, raising her hands toward his shoulders.
"HAH?! You can’t get on my back! Helloooo? There are two feathered wings attached to my spine! How am I supposed to fly?! Not to mention you’d crush them!"
Maelle stared blankly at the span of white feathers fanning out behind him. She crossed her arms and looked at him in confusion. "Then how do you expect me to be carried?"
"Lord have mercy..."
Vincent turned around and stepped into her personal space.
Before Maelle could react, he reached out and slipped his left hand around her back to pull her flush against his chest, while his right arm swept smoothly beneath the back of her knees.
"V-Vincent–Kya!"
With an effortless scoop, he lifted her off her feet and back into a classic princess carry.
Bwoosh!
Without giving her a moment to complain, his wings flapped and shot straight up into the open sky, leaving a circular crater of dust around the area they just stood at.
"Kyaahhhhh!" Maelle completely abandoned her royal composure as the ground grew smaller and smaller.
She buried her face into the crook of his neck and her arms wrapping around him in a deathly grip.
They punched straight through a passing white cloud until the damp mist cleared into golden sunlight. The violent rushing wind settled into a smooth glide as Vincent leveled out his flight.
He looked down at the top of her white-haired head and shook her lightly. "Hey. You can look up now. I promise I won’t drop you."
Maelle hesitated as her body trembled slightly against his chest, but she drew up the courage.
Cautiously, with one eye she peeked out from his neck. Then, her breath was instantly taken away as her violet eyes opened fully while taking in the grand expanse stretching out before them.
Below them lay the untouched, boundless beauty of Pristina.
Thousands of acres of emerald forest cascaded over rolling hills toward the horizon like an endless green ocean. Sparkling rivers twisted like silver threads through the valley, reflecting the morning sun, while crystalline lakes dotted the landscape. Clouds floated so close around them that Maelle felt as though she could reach out her hand and scoop up the mist.
A quiet sound escaped her lips as she stared at the view with childlike wonder.
Vincent looked down at her glowing expression with a gentle smile "Pretty breathtaking, right? So... which way to civilization, Princess?"
Maelle snapped back to reality at his question. Her brows knit together as she looked down at the never-ending sea of green below.
"I... I cannot tell. There are far too much forest and no recognizable landmarks."
Vincent turned his body to point toward a dark mountain range in the distance. "Well, that mountain way over there is where the bandit camp was, so we’re definitely not heading back in that direction."
Scanning the terrain, Maelle pointed her finger toward a wide river surging opposite the mountains.
"There. Follow the river upstream. If you do, we are bound to find a village if we follow it."
"Alright then," Vincent smirked as his grip around her thigh and back tightened. "Hold tight and don’t bite your tongue!"
"What are you– Hyaaah!" Before she could ask what he meant, Vincent folded his wings and went into a steep, nose-diving plummet straight toward the ground. Wind roared wildly in Maelle’s ears as she screamed.
Just twenty feet above the river, he snapped his wings open and caught the air, gliding forward above the water. The wind displacement sliced through the river’s surface, carving a twin spray of sparkling water in their wake.
Maelle’s heart pounded like a war drum in her chest as she clutched his shirt. "W-Why did you not remain high in the sky?! Why did you drive down?! I thought you were going to kill us!"
"Because flying up high is boring, Princess! It’s way more fun down here! So let’s have some fun!"
He banked sharply to the left, weaving effortlessly around a massive, moss-covered boulder. The cool mist from the river sprayed lightly across Maelle’s warm cheeks, washing away her lingering dread.
"Look!" Vincent pointed down.
Maelle peered over his forearm. Beneath the crystal-clear water, iridescent silver fish flashed beneath the surface, leaping out of the river into the sunlight alongside their flight path.
Along the riverbanks, other worldly forest creatures such as herds of six-legged stags and majestic, feathered wolves snapped their heads up in awe, watching the winged demigod carry the white-haired princess past them like a legend brought to life.
The thrill of the wind speed dancing through her long hair, and the unbelievable beauty passing by in a blur began to bleed through Maelle’s stoic defenses.
The terror in her chest melted into an exhilarating rush.
"This... this is incredible! Ahahaha!" she shouted over the rushing wind as her violet eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Haha! Right?! Now watch this!" Vincent executed a barrel roll over an arching stone bridge, making Maelle gasp in surprise, her arms wrapping tighter around his neck.
Suddenly, a heavy downpour of water echoed from up ahead. A colossal waterfall came into view, and they were flying straight toward the edge at full speed.
Maelle’s eyes widened in panic. "Vincent! The edge! There is a waterfall! You need to stop!"
"Oh, I see it, alright!" A mischievous smirked danced on his lips as his eyes locked onto the plunging horizon.
Vincent didn’t slow down. Not one bit.
"Vincent, I am ordering you to stop right now–!"
WHOOSH!
Right as they reached the dead end, Vincent slammed his wings forward, angling his body ninety degrees and shooting straight up toward the sky.
As they scaled the vertical cascade against the falling water, small rainbows flared through the thick mist. They flew higher and higher until they burst over the peak of the waterfall cliff, clearing the top in a spray of sparkling water.
Hovering gently over the upper riverbank, Vincent’s wings fanned out to catch the morning air as he stabilized their position.
Maelle breathed heavily, her chest heaving as she held onto his shirt. Her face was completely flushed with adrenaline as she looked around the new landscape.
"Looks like we made it. Look over there." Vincent pointed a finger toward the valley ahead.
Following his hand, Maelle found signs of a settlement far off in the distance.
"I see... Looks like a village."
"That was a pretty fun joyride, huh?" Vincent flashed her a handsome, carefree smile.
Looking at his striking face, Maelle’s heart gave a sudden throb that had nothing to do with the adrenaline of flying. Embarrassed by her own reaction, she quickly snapped her head away, staring intensely at the distant village.
*Ahem* "L-Let us walk the rest of the way. If a winged human descends from the sky into a peasant village, it will draw too much unwanted suspicion."
"Fair enough."
He glided gently down to the stoney riverbank and carefully set her down.
The moment Maelle’s boots touched the ground, her adrenaline-soaked, and her trembling legs gave out beneath her.
"Ah–"
"Whoa there! I got you." Before she could fall to the ground, Vincent caught her smoothly around the waist, pulling her against his chest to support her weight.
Pressing against his body, Maelle’s breath became more ragged. Vincent placed a hand over her back and began to gently soothe her.
"Calm down, take a deep breath. Your legs are just jelly from the adrenaline. I’ll hold you until you get your balance back."
Maelle gripped his shirt with trembling fingers, leaning her face slightly against his chest as she listened to the steady beat of his heart.
Shimmer...
Vincent deactivated his divine transformation. The sudden drop in his ambient divine aura snapped Maelle cleanly out of her dreamy trance.
Realizing just how closely she was clinging to him, her eyes went wide and she immediately pushed herself off his chest, straightening her posture as her unreadable mask morphed back into place.
"I am fine now," she stated stiffly, smoothing down the front of her clothes and turning her back to him. "Let us proceed."
She took three swift steps down the path toward the village, leaving Vincent confused by her speedy recovery.
"Aw Maelle, what’s with the sudden change of attitude again?! I thought we were getting closer!"
He hurried down the path after her, entirely unaware of the blush coating her cheeks.