Though...said tail skimmed right past my cheek the moment my eyes widened.
I suppose it’s not an illusion after all.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I have yet to fully perfect my control of this form.”
“It’s quite all right. I wasn’t hurt...” Honestly, I was less concerned with his rampant tail than I was concerned with studying his new body. “Anyway, your power is most impressive. To think you could transform yourself into a human.”
“I have never taken this form before, but it seems it will prove more convenient than I anticipated. A human, hm?”
I composed myself and took a proper look at him. A long, thick, scaly tail protruded from near his waist. There was still a pair of black wings on his back too.
Thinking about what Alk had said, his attempt at being a human seemed to be primarily focused on size and shape. But I still had to wonder how ancient the people that he had seen before his slumber were, exactly.
His attire was very old-fashioned. He wore a loose, ankle-length robe that was secured by a belt, and there was a short cape behind him. From his shoulder hung a cloak so long that its hem dragged on the floor. As far as I was aware, this was an ancient look that one saw only in history books. That said, it suited Alk’s overall aura very well. And right now, he was happily munching away at a doughnut as his tail slapped lightly against the ground. He definitely looked more comfortable using the hands his form had.
However, he had lost much of his majesty. I supposed I might interpret this to mean that he’d wanted to eat my offerings so badly that he was prepared to undergo huge changes.
“Yes, it seems human beings are much better suited at carrying out more fiddly tasks...”
Is he planning to eat all of those doughnuts, even in human form? I certainly hope he doesn’t give himself a stomachache...
As I watched him swallow down the last chocolate doughnut with a satisfied smile on his face, I forced my lips to turn up at the corners so he wouldn’t pick up on my anxieties.
“Wh-What do you suppose we ought to do with these cartons?” I stammered.
In truth, though I wasn’t letting it show on my face, I was still in extreme shock at Alk’s transformation. I hope you won’t blame me for focusing on our disposal problem instead—it was proving to be a useful distraction. We couldn’t exactly throw the boxes away since there was no dump on this island. The easiest solution would probably be to burn them...but where? It seemed wrong to use the altar or the floor, even if it was made of stone. I decided that I’d gather them all up and burn them away from the ruined shrine.
I started to pick them up, and I soon caught the attention of Alk. He cocked his head at me as though I was doing something exceedingly unusual.
“Why are you gathering up the empty boxes, Fran?” His gold, moonlike eyes slid between my face and the boxes in my arms several times.
“So that I can burn them.”
He blinked several times. “Burn them? With magic?”
“Yes. At least that’s what I intended...”
“Why not give them to the salamander rather than going out of your way?”
“The ‘salamander’? Is that a variety of spirit?” I asked.
“You seem surprised, Fran.” Alk seemed confused by my reaction. “I did not think them so rare. Salamander, I know you are here. Show yourself.”
“But Alk, spirits are...”
He had spoken so casually of a spirit—a type of creature that was said to no longer exist in these modern times. Apparently, they had lived alongside humans and lent their strength to us, but had quickly disappeared as sorcery and magical tools had become more advanced. That said, Alk had probably fallen into his slumber during a time when spirits had still thrived. There was a lot he had to learn about the modern world.
As I considered explaining these things to Alk, he turned his head toward one of the flaming baskets near the altar.
I wondered whether he would be disheartened when the spirit failed to respond to him. I hurried to open my mouth, deciding that it really would be kinder to explain, but the subdued flame suddenly flared up. Something was wriggling in its midst. My mouth continued to hang open most improperly as that “something” slid out from the flames and revealed itself.
“What can I do ya for, Lord Alkerag? Sure been an awful long time since ya called on me.”
“A spirit!” I cried out.
Embers scattered from the creature’s body as it flopped onto the floor. As it spoke, it revealed a row of small, sawlike teeth. I still believe that I was correct to scream at the sight. I had never seen a salamander before, and I would compare them to the “iguanas” of Teiren’s world. If you replaced an iguana’s angles with curves and made its eyes larger and rounder, it would more or less describe what I was looking at.
The most striking difference between an iguana and this spirit was its color. Its body was covered in fine scales in a soft, stark crimson, like the fire in a heath or the setting sun. The fin on its back was made of blazing flames that constantly changed shape.
I never once thought I’d be bearing witness to a spirit!
I had been caught off guard by its distinctive drawl too, but I decided that it wasn’t worth thinking about too much. It seemed like I was turning a blind eye to all sorts of things today...
A chuckle rumbled in Alk’s throat. “You amuse me, Fran. I was under the impression that nothing would disturb your composure, and yet...”
I smiled at him, straightened myself, and gave him as elegant a bow as I could. “I apologize for behaving in such an unladylike manner. It was my understanding that spirits had gone extinct a long time ago. I would be most grateful if you were to forgive my insolence.”
“‘Extinct’? You’re pullin’ my leg!” the spirit said. “Though yeah, it’s true that there’re less folk able to see us since humans came up with these ‘magical tool’ things.”
The salamander then plodded over to us before hopping onto the marble altar. He was more agile and lithe than he looked. While his flaming, flickering fin was now right beside me, somehow, I couldn’t feel any heat coming from it.
“I suppose that is how it would seem from your—from the spirits’ perspective.”
“Aw shucks! Quit talkin’ to me like I hung the moon! I’m not here to be your king!” The salamander waved a dismissive claw in my direction and bashfully turned his face away. Perhaps he was a rather self-conscious creature, despite the confidence in his tone. “Say, Lord Alkerag, where’d ya pick up such a purdy bride from, huh?”
“‘Bride’?!”
The salamander’s eyes had softened slightly, indicating that he was joking, but the word sent a slight shock through my chest. As little as I thought of it, the truth remained that my so-called fiancé had cheated on me with my half-sister, and that apparently wasn’t a wound that was going to heal overnight. Fortunately, my discomfort seemed to go unnoticed.
Alk looked just as amused as ever. He shook his head and pointed at me. “She is not my bride. Apparently, she is my ‘flower.’ While she has been sacrificed to me, I do find her rather entertaining.”
“Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Francheska.” I picked up my skirt’s hem, dipped my head, and gave him a curtsy.
The salamander’s vermilion eyes blinked at me curiously. “A ‘sacrifice,’ you say?! Welp, you sure are a purdy sacrifice, then. I guess stranger things have happened!”
A giggle escaped my lips. The spirit was proving to be incredibly adorable.