My Servant Is An Elf-Knight From Another World

Chapter 39

Ouch.

Everything that defined my being. My very existence. Millions of atoms that culminated and formed the sentient person that was me.

All of them - ouch.

They were ouching. They were ouching really badly.

I don't remember fluttering my eyes wide open, I just knew that they were suddenly open and blinking and seeing.

Seeing light, mostly, a bright light. Adding significantly to the ouchy turmoil I was in.

Bright light at the end of the tunnel... could be that I was dying, or perhaps I was already dead.

Briefly, I entertained the thought, was partially convinced I was actually. Then the light that beamed at me started swaying about. Then suddenly I wasn't so sure anymore.

Closer it crept into my sights, and goddamn did it hurt my eyes. I tried cowering away, like a vampire to the sun, but instead, I ended up bashing the back of my head onto something hard.

Another ouch added to the list of things that ached. Life is pain.

I let out a hiss. A painful hiss that was reciprocated with a light chuckle. To my utter surprise, the light started talking.

"I don't bite, dude," it said in a rather amused inflection. "Besides, pretty sure you've been bitten enough times to last a lifetime anyway."

Ria's voice, Ria's light... glowing bright. I was alive... but why couldn't I...?

"I can't... I can't see you..." I said.

Speaking was a struggle, my voice crackled in my throat, and the words that came out were more of a croak than anything else.

The glimmer of orange tilted sideways. "Well... you did die, so..."

"I died?"

"97 seconds by my count," she said. "Even for us fantasy folks, that's a long time to stay dead."

Just... I was doing my best to comprehend the situation. I needed a moment to breathe, I needed a moment to - I needed to feel. I couldn't feel. Someone just told me that I died and yet I was feeling unusually calm about it. Why?

Where's my worry? My apprehension?

"You're a bit numb right now," Ria continued. "Emotionally, anyway. I could give you a cologne of Irene's scent and you'd stay as flaccid as a sausage. Don't worry, your senses will come back around eventually."

A bit of good news was that I still retained some basic motor functions. I could move my arm, have it stretched out in front of me. The only problem was that I couldn't see it.

Everything in sight just glimmered and glowed in rims of light.

"You brought me back?" I asked the flickering orange light.

I saw the orange sway quickly from side to side. Ria was shaking her head.

"Magnificent and glorious as I am, alas even I lacketh the strength of bestowing life. Meaning to say, you needed more than just a phoenix to bring you back. I wouldn't be able to do a thing on my own."

My emotions were gone. But you can bet your ass that confusion was the one thing that lingered.

"Who saved me, then?"

"Your Elf did," spoke a voice from somewhere in the distance.

Soon the glimmer of orange was joined by another. A darker, crimson shade took a place just beside it, bringing with it the unmistakable aroma of enticement.