PATH OF THE STAR HUNTER

Gazing into Desmond’s eyes with a love as deep as the sea, Claire opened the case and spoke in a tender tone that somehow held a hint of apology. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the original, but I hope you still like it. Happy birthday, Desmond.”

Desmond felt the world around him slow down, his eyes focused entirely on the case’s contents, barely paying attention to Claire’s words. That almost angelic design, the exquisite craftsmanship Desmond had seen so many times in the past, he thought he would never see again.

Noting that this version looked brand new and didn’t have the signature that used to be on the base, Desmond remembered what Claire had said; this was not the original. Still, Desmond fell in love as soon as he saw it; how could he not if it was a perfect replica of his mother’s violin?

Desmond’s mother, Samantha Asryd, was a legendary artist in more ways than one. Samantha had always been in the spotlight as the younger generation’s most talented violinist and pianist in her youth. By marrying and having Desmond, Samantha gave up fame without a second thought, and she retired from the music world for a few years before becoming a music instructor. Even after she retired from the scene, Samantha Astryd’s prestige did not die, and when musical prodigies began to emerge from her hands, Samantha’s legend only grew.

For those who knew Desmond’s mother, she was always a happy, beautiful, and spontaneous person, a woman difficult to predict, but one thing that never changed about her was her love for her family and her instruments of choice. Samanta Astryd always played with the same piano and violin, no matter the circumstance. The piano was a family heirloom dating back a couple of generations; the violin, on the other hand, was a gift Eiden Astryd spent a fortune on. He proposed to Samantha after giving it to her.

Desmond knew both instruments well, he had seen his mother play them a million times, but he never expected to see them again because they were stolen. Upon leaving the military bunker and returning home, Desmond and Claire found their homes relatively untouched, except for a few valuable items that had been stolen, including Samantha’s entire collection of musical instruments and his father’s collection of weapons.

While Desmond didn’t care for entire collections of these items, he was always upset that his mother’s personal instruments had been stolen. However, Desmond had long since made up his mind that he would never see them again.

Despite his unsettled emotional state, Desmond didn’t let any other details escape him; this violin was no ordinary piece. Desmond could sense the mana fluctuations coming from the violin. Desmond believed this violin was made with two-star class materials based on his senses.

.....

Weeks ago, Claire asked Desmond for authority to transact with the hunter’s book, something she was able to do after Desmond used the book to sign a partnership contract with her. Claire never told Desmond why she asked such a thing, and Desmond never asked. He trusted her blindly; there was no need to ask.

Only now did Desmond understand what it was all about, but none of it mattered now. After letting nostalgia wash over him for a second, Desmond kissed Claire without caring about anyone’s presence. To convey to Claire all the love he was feeling, Desmond took her into his arms tightly, encircling her slim but curvaceous body before kissing her.

The sudden and intense demonstration of love disconcerted everyone, causing more than one bitter smile. Everyone had experienced on more than one occasion this feeling of being an unnecessary spectator; being friends with someone as loved as Desmond was not an easy task.

Not wanting to inconvenience her guests too much, Desmond just invaded Claire’s pretty little mouth and played with her tongue briefly before stepping back to appreciate the gift in his hands again.

The arcana around Claire followed her whims and moods, forming a faint purple mist with heart patterns around her. She just couldn’t stop falling in love with Desmond.

With similar, if less visible, emotions, Desmond took the white violin out of its case and showed it to all the guests. Cecilia, Samantha (Silvia’s sister), and some of the Garden girls were a bit surprised to see the instrument, as they didn’t know that Desmond had an interest in it or a past with something similar.

Desmond knew the instrument in his hands wasn’t his mother’s, but that didn’t stop him from feeling intense longing as he held it. Since it was his birthday and he was in such a good mood, Desmond decided to take advantage of the fact that he had an instrument on hand.

“I always wanted to play with the White Wing of Mother, but this is enough for me.”

What followed was a scene that was difficult for everyone present to describe and forget. From Desmond’s hand came a beautiful and calm melody, something difficult to associate with many’s perceptions of him. No one needed to understand music to enjoy the show; Desmond’s music and performance went straight to the heart.

In the eyes of the beholder, there was something beautiful and sublime not only in the music but in Desmond himself, something almost spiritual. Without even wanting it, the mana in Desmond’s body flowed to the violin and spread each note with each movement of his wrists.

Even having seen Desmond’s performance in the past, Claire found the current show out of anything she knew. From Claire’s perspective, it was as if Desmond’s music had transcended to a higher level, and it had sort of done it since mana now flowed through it.

The only one who understood what was happening was Kyuru, who had seen this phenomenon in the past, but now the young fairy had a somewhat complicated expression. For Kyuru, neither the music nor the mana was important at the moment; the only thing on her mind was Desmond’s intense emotions. For the young and inexperienced Kyuru, each wave of emotions was like a lover’s careful and loving caress; the poor fairy soon succumbed in the same way she had in the past.

While everyone was focused on the music of Desmond, who played the white violin with masterful dexterity, the fairy made her way to him as if she were in a trance. Desmond wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, wholly immersed in the moment, enjoying every note, drowning in nostalgia. By the time Desmond and Kyuru noticed the anomaly, just one glance between them was enough; they both wanted to.

If Desmond’s artistic performance up to that point was impressive, then what happened next was simply unforgettable. After exchanging a glance, Kyuru and Desmond brought their foreheads together, and a singular existence entered the scene with an intense burst of light.

An androgynous build, long ash blonde hair, one eye purple and one blue, with prismatic wings behind him, the new entity was anything but inconspicuous. The figure, still bearing a remarkable physical resemblance to Desmond, smiled fondly and continued to play the violin.

This time, the mana within a radius of more than a hundred meters went wild with excitement, resounding with joy as it did try to express its love for this figure. Soon phenomena caused by the mana of different elements began to manifest. Still, no one cared, as everything seemed to line up perfectly, adding another layer of glamor to the artistic performance of the figure.

Cecilia was the first to recognize the figure; she had first met it at its most challenging moment as they fled the city back to Serefía. Unless Cecilia’s memory failed, that figure called itself Harmony.

Sasha, Claire, and Revna had heard of this form or entity but had never seen it in person, so it took them a moment to identify it. To be fair, Claire had asked Desmond and Kyuru to introduce her to Harmony on at least a couple of occasions, but they had always refused.

Claire still remembered the reason the couple gave her for refusing. She never thought fairies had such a peculiar way of looking at relationships. Still, since it was a racial issue, Claire never commented on it.

In short: For a fairy, the act of merging is no different from making love. Although the above was only an approximation of a human term, fairies and humans were too different for these comparisons to be entirely accurate. For example, the fusion was an act of immense intimacy and love between two beings. Still, it did not necessarily have a sexual overtone or require privacy, though that varies depending on the fairy being asked.

For a moment, Claire had the random thought that she was watching Desmond and Kyuru make love in front of all of her friends, but then she remembered that it was her human notions that made her see things that way. At the end of the day, the fusion was an act of enormous spiritual and emotional intimacy, not physical.

Whatever the case, both Claire and the rest of the people present had an otherworldly musical spectacle in front of their eyes; it would be a waste not to enjoy it.