The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

The moment Emily and the others saved him and Fred, Oscar was greeted by a host of blue warriors on the other side, hurried away in a rapid retreat. Despite the liberation of being rescued, his pulse still raced erratically, his concern fully on Fred's lifeless body. He couldn't calm down. Emily carried Fred's burned, cut, and bloodied figure on her back, where Oscar caught sight of Fred's blank eyes twitching. There still remained a chance to save Fred.

"Incoming!" Uren shouted.

A shadow appeared over everyone, a large looming darkness that heralded a terrifying outcome, deepening in its bleakness and girth. Using Erden's eyes, Oscar saw a gigantic cube of silvery platinum descending on everyone, clearly intent on demolishing everything in its way. The vast spell of metal, obviously created by a Marshal Exalt, blew away the smog and dust of the battle. Oscar still had no power to move, but Erden wrapped his antler wings around him in a final protective shield.

Then, a flash of light rushed past and above them. Celestina revealed herself from the dissipating motes of sparks, her silver hair swaying heroically along with her cape. He only watched her from behind as she held out her rapier, currently melded with her dragon anima, a hilt of a dragon's head from which the scaly blade extended, straight and fine to the sharp tip. Her voice sounded with cold intonations, the air silencing to a halt around her, "What gives you the right to go after them? After they've achieved so much? I deny you."

She thrust upward in an explosion of light, swaying around debris and other spells. The moment her rapier contacted the platinum cube, a fierce roar, deep and enraged, screamed from her weapon, the roar of a dragon. Several rays of light beamed out from within the cube, and like swords, they moved in slashing motions all over the surface. The cube fell apart instantly into uniform pieces of finely cut fragments. As the fragments rained down harmlessly, Oscar watched her turn around and smile widely.

"Thank you, everyone. Go back and recover. Leave the rest to me!" Celestina started off gently, then raised her voice into an invigorating shout. She kicked off the air, ascending higher until she arrived before the enemy Marshal Exalt, one of the Lower realms. Light stretched from her body and morphed into several Celestinas, exact copies of each other, who surrounded her foe. Oscar couldn't stick around to watch the battle. Fred suddenly vomited blood, forcing Emily to rush everyone faster to escape. Susan's best attempts to heal him only managed to sustain his current state.

Warriors of blue passed by, charging to enter the fray themselves, but not before nodding or bowing slightly to them. Some even leaned in to get a peek at Oscar. He felt awkward under the weight of their stares and gratitude. However, they were much more preferable than the deadly gazes of the enemy. Seeing that everyone was safe and sound, Oscar felt a wave of fatigue course through his veins.

"Take care of Fred…." He said to Emily and left Fred to the capable hands of the healers and medicine. Slowly, his eyes closed, and sleep claimed him at last after a long day.

…….

Oscar woke up, or at least, he thought he did. He honestly wasn't sure where exactly he was. There was a set of wooden doors before him, carefully crafted and carved to exact details like the engraved artistry depicted in the deep oak. A fine red carpet lined the halls as crystal torches brightened every corner. Many doors stood along the walls, but the one before him…drew his attention.

"Uhm…." A faint groan or sob whispered behind the sturdy oaken entrance. Oscar's heart stilled, and his throat suddenly became parched. He knew that voice; it always lingered in his thoughts and heart. But why did it sound so sad? He didn't hesitate and pushed the doors open, banging them hard against the walls. The room trembled from his forceful rush. Oscar's face darkened at the figure resting on the bed, her endearing indigo hair sprawling messily on the pillow and her pale face stabbing into his chest like a thousand needles in his heart.

"Avril!" He didn't care if this was a dream. He reached the bed and knelt, embracing her tightly, not too tight to hurt her, but enough to never let her go, even if a storm was to shake this room. One hand supported her back, resting her on his chest while the other tidied her hair and stroked her pale cheek. Responding to his calls, her eyelids began to flutter, the wondrous golden pupils revealing themselves.

"Oscar?" Avril mumbled, still half-conscious. Her eyes trembled, unfocused for the first few seconds until they settled with shining clarity and widened to the fullest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, shouting his name, "Oscar! If this is a dream! Please don't let it end!"

Her head shuffled, soft caresses on his chest. A slight dampness spread over his shirt, and he lifted her head, gently patting his finger to wipe her tears. Dream or no dream, he had to console his wife. Without saying a word, Oscar leaned forward and placed his lips over hers. For so long, he lived without this pleasant delight. Half a year was an agony. Spurred by the bubbling desires, which were long since kept down, Oscar joined her on the bed, kissing her fervently from above.

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"Ah~" Avril audibly moaned when Oscar finally released her lips. Her rushed, ragged breaths sounded harsher as he kissed her collarbone and right above her chest. She seemed to regain her senses as she let go of him and placed her arms between them.

Oscar realized what he was doing. Her flushed, disheveled, and teary-eyed face almost stoked the rampant desires in him again, but he forcibly quelled his chaotic emotions. Calming himself with a deep breath, he lightly pecked her on the lips and rested beside her. She was too lovable. But this was all a dream, wasn't it?

"Are you a dream?" Avril grinned. She placed her hand on his face. "How could you be here right now? She wonders why she couldn't dream like this more."

"Wait. I thought you were the dream. I've missed you so much." Oscar grabbed her hand and kissed its back.

"Huh?" Avril stared intently into Oscar. "Is it really you?" Her voice started to tremble. "What did you do?"

"You're real?" Oscar exclaimed, bringing her in closer. "You do look slightly different, a little older?"

"Rude!" Avril twisted his ear, a scowl expanding from her lips. He knew at long last that it was her. It truly was her. How such a miracle could happen didn't matter. He thanked whatever forces at work for making this meeting possible. Oscar went in for another long kiss, and she responded passionately.

"I didn't do anything. But are you alright? You were having a nightmare, weren't you?" Oscar rested his head on top of hers, burying himself in her intoxicating hair.

Avril snuggled closer. "She feels sometimes that she made a mistake. Perhaps she should have gone together with you."

"Is that so? It's too dangerous. I nearly died today." Oscar said.

"What?" Avril stammered loudly. She cupped his face, her eyes glancing over, presumably for any wounds. "Are you ok?"

"I am. I have great friends and companions by my side to watch over me so I don't fail my promise to you." Oscar smiled cheekily, pinching her face. He wished he could stay here for a while longer, but something nudged in his mind, a sinking sensation in his stomach like he was falling off an endless cliff. Limited on time, he kissed her again and said, "My dear wife. Don't fret. Don't be sad. Don't suffer alone. I will always be here for you, even far away."

Avril reciprocated the kiss, a slight blush accompanying the gentle smile. "Thank you. She hopes her husband will take better care of himself. Reckless, idiotic, and insane. But I love you all the same. So please, don't die."

"Why are you cursing me?" Oscar pouted. The pull grew stronger, and he embraced her strongly one last time before everything whittled away, and a bright light forced him to squint. He woke up the next moment to a dark ceiling. It was deep into the night, so everything was calm and quiet except for the wind brushing against the glass of the windows. He covered his mouth, the soft and warm feeling of Avril's lips still lingering on them. Whatever caused it to happen, he couldn't wait until it happened again.

"You're up!" Emily's voice snapped from the side. Beside her, Celestina alighted into sight. The two rushed over to Oscar's side, concern and worry clouding their already troubled gazes.

"Where is Fred?" Oscar remembered where he was. An infirmary inside one of the strategic warships, the flagship of the northern fleet, the Silver Sun, Celestina's personal vessel. Emily pointed to the other side, and he slowly turned over, chuckling weakly to himself. His friend was all bandaged up from head to toe, staring straight up.

"Glad to see you're up, Os. How did I wake up before you?" Fred chuckled under his thick bandages, sounding muffled. "I no longer owe you one."

"There was nothing to owe, you idiot. You're truly an idiot." Oscar grumbled, resting on his back. "Next time, I'm punching you straight out of danger."

"Enough, you two. Why is arguing the first thing you both do when you wake up? Here, eat some hearty stew." Emily slammed two steaming bowls of soup by their sides.

"Emily. I can't move my hands." Fred whistled. Emily gripped a bowl and a spoon, veins bursting on her brow. But she raised a spoonful and shoved it into his mouth. Fred cursed out how hot it was while she laughed and blew the second one to be cooler.

'It only took nearly killing himself for them to start interacting again. What a pain.' Oscar grumbled internally. If that was all it took, then he should have risked it all earlier. However, he remembered Avril's advice to take care of his life and thought it wasn't worth worrying his wife any further.

Celestina sat down on the other side, her emerald eyes shining in the darkness. "Oscar. I received a detailed account of everything that happened inside from Erden."

"Indeed?" Oscar stared at Erden, who yawned on the floor. Evidently, he told her nothing about the strange room below the palace where powerful depictions of ancient times were recorded. Celestina suddenly bowed her head, and he stammered out, "W-what are you doing? You're the princess."

"Princess or not, I must thank you twice again. Once for dismantling the enemy's ploy and the other for retrieving so many elemental elixirs." Celestina said, moving closer and wiping the sweat from his brow. Her body slumped slightly as a guilty look darkened her expression. She bowed again. "I'm sorry. Time and time again, you fight for us against horrid odds and pull through. I'm sorry. As the princess, I'm ashamed."

Oscar shook his head and replied, "Isn't that what I'm here for? I made a promise not to die, so I can't die. It's impossible."

Celestina giggled, snickering into her hand. "What sort of backward logic is that? You're reading too many drama novels." After her small outburst, she seemed to have livened up, enjoying the moment with a wide smile. "By the way, the Pavilion Master sent word for you to return."

"Return?" Oscar said, clutching his sheets. "Return now while the battle is ongoing?"

"You deserve a rest. Go back and find out what he wants from you. Leave the rest to everyone here." Celestina smacked his forehead, forcing him back to the bed. "Take the elemental elixirs with you. The Pavilion Master will know what to do with those."

Oscar squirmed uncomfortably. He exhaled deeply and rested naturally on the bed. "Understood." He couldn't help but think what the Pavilion Master wanted from him.

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