Chapter 2
Meeting with the King
As Preacher and Elias rode together in the carriage, Preacher began asking the Royal Mage questions about their society.
"So, what's the story? Why am I here?" Preacher began.
"Well, you see we were attempting to summon a hero from another world to help us in our war with the demi-humans." Elias said.
"In our world here we've been at constant war with the demi-humans for the last eleven hundred years."
"Constant?" Preacher asked again. Preacher wanted to get as much information from this person as he could, but he knew he had to be careful how he questioned Elias, otherwise he might not give Preacher the information he wanted. He knew he was only going to get one side of the story. He needed to question him carefully so he can get as much of the story as possible.
"So, what are demi-humans?" Preacher continued to inquire of Elias.
"I take it you don't have demi-humans in your world then?" Elias asked.
Preacher just shook his head. "We have humans, and we have animals but nothing like what I'm seeing here."
"Well demi-humans are a subspecies of humans. They live in primitive villages. We've tried getting along with them, but they are a violent primitive culture."
"That's twice he's used that word primitive." Preacher thought to himself.
"Here we are." Preacher looked out the carriage window at the imposing rock castle. Both Elias and Preacher got out of the carriage and walked up to the gate entrance.
"Elias the Royal Mage and guest, here to see the King," Elias told the guard. The guard looked at the Royal Mage then back at Preacher then nodded his head and opened a smaller gate to allow them entrance.
Preacher and Elias walked up to the castle main doors where two more guards greeted them but this time, they just opened the doors for them as they walked up.
Elias led Preacher to the audience room of the castle. There were two more guards standing at the entrance of the chamber, but the two guards didn't challenge them. "Interesting," Preacher thought. "In a time of war, you would think they would challenge anyone coming in, no matter if they knew them by sight or not."
"Your Highness," Elias called out. "We are here, and I have brought the man that was summoned." Elias turned to Preacher and asked. "I apologize Sir, I haven't gotten your name." Preacher looked back at Elias. "Preacher, I'm called Preacher."
"Preacher, that's an unusual name."
"Ok If you must know then my birth name is Michael" Preacher said
"Your Highness I present to you Sir Michael from another world." Elias announced
Elias bowed before the King, but Preacher just stood there eying him.
The King was in his fifties maybe, tall, but shorter than Preacher, thin build, with short black hair and cropped beard. On his head sat a ten-centimeter-wide band of gold as a crown.
"Greetings, Sir Michael. Welcome to the Kingdom of Assalyerian," the King began with a measured tone, trying to mask the desperation in his eyes. "I apologize for having brought you here unannounced and unexpectedly."
"I get it. You're sorry. But it's not really helping me right now," Preacher, who had recently been a simple mechanic named Michael, spat defensively. "You just yanked me from my life! Why?"
The King's dark brow furrowed as he continued, "The reason is we were attempting to summon a hero to help us in our war with the demi-humans. Unfortunately, Sir Michael, you got caught up in our summoning."
Preacher's eyes narrowed, an ember of anger flickering deep within. "So, you're telling me I'm not the one you needed? That this is all one big mistake? Just—send me back. Give me my bike and let me ride away from this madness."
"It's… not that simple," Reginald said, stress threading through his voice. "Once the summoning ritual has been completed, the person summoned is here permanently. We can't send you back, nor can we summon another hero until you've departed."
"Seriously?" Preacher infused his voice with incredulity. "You bring me to this world against my will, tell me you didn't want me here, and then say I'm stuck?"
"Well, sir, we don't really know if you're the hero we need," Reginald half-mumbled, realizing the gravity of his situation. "Yet, you were chosen and brought here for a reason."
As the King's words sank into the depths of Preacher's mind, he was overtaken by a haunting recollection—the harsh silence of solitary confinement and the vivid dream that had come to him: a shape draped in light, with a voice that emanated power, saying he was to fulfill a great purpose. Suddenly, a spark of clarity illuminated his troubled heart.
"My apologies, Your Highness," Preacher said, shaking off the remnants of his dark thoughts. "I think I am meant to be here and to help you."
"Splendid!" The King's expression brightened, though it was tinged with a hint of uncertainty. "But first, we must test your magical aptitude and combat prowess."
Preacher raised an eyebrow. "And how do we do that?"
"We have an orb," the King replied, gesturing grandly. "It will show us your magical reserve and affinities."
Preacher followed the King's finger to the center of the room where an orb rested on a polished pedestal, swirling with colors that danced as if alive. With an apprehensive step forward, he reached out.
"Just touch it, and we will know what your magical capacity is," Reginald encouraged.
"Okay," Preacher said, trepidation lacing his words as he placed his hand upon the cool surface of the orb.
The moment his skin made contact, the orb erupted with a brilliant blue-white light, blinding everyone around him. A shockwave rolled through the hall, sending shards of glass flying as if the room had split apart. Hands instinctively rose to protect frail bodies from the chaos.
Elias, the King's advisor, stood stunned, his jaw slack as he gazed at the swirling lights. "This can't be… that's impossible."
"What just happened?" Preacher gasped, trying to process the torrent of emotions cascading within him.
"Your magic capacity is off the scale, Sir Michael," Elias stammered, bewilderment dancing in his voice. "No one has ever done anything like that before."
Preacher blinked rapidly, bewildered. "And what does that mean?"
"It means," the King interjected, stepping forward, his voice trembling with awe, "the depth of magic you control is nearly unlimited. You possess all magical affinities—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Light, and Dark. Within that, you hold affinities for Null magic and Lightning magic."
"What is Null magic?" Preacher asked, his heart racing.
"It allows you to negate or absorb other forms of magic," Elias explained, awe still coloring his voice. "In battle, you could potentially render your enemies powerless. Your lightning magic—an unprecedented force—grants you the speed and ferocity of storms."
Preacher stood in silence, the implications of his newfound powers crashing over him like a tidal wave. He was no longer just a mechanic and a layman preacher to the biker community but the cornerstone of the kingdom's chance for salvation.
"Don't worry, we are going to train you to use your magical abilities." the King said. The King was sounding almost giddy with excitement.
Just then the entrance to the audience chamber flew open. "FATHER." came the shout through the hall.
The King and other officials including Elias who had picked himself up off the floor all looked at the person who had walked in. It was the Princess who was dressed in her Royal Knights armor. As she marched up to the King. She took a passing glance towards Preacher; she blushed slightly when she caught his eye.
"Father, do you intend to continue to exclude me from all critical councils?"
"We are meeting with the summoned hero, my daughter." the king retorted.
Princess Seraphina turned and looked at Preacher. "Doesn't look like much of a Hero warrior if you ask me," the Princess said.
Looking at him, the Princess could see Preacher was well muscled and looked strong, but she wasn't sure if he was able to fight and didn't want a civilian caught up in their war. A war she didn't agree with.
"He has great magical potential. We were just about to test his combat capability." The King explained to her
"Fine, I'll test his ability." The Princess said. "That way I can defeat him quickly and get him out of here, so he doesn't get hurt out there." the Princess thought to herself.
Preacher smiled at her, "Ok only if you promise to go easy on me."
Preacher wasn't a fool; he knew that the Princess was a seasoned warrior. He could tell just by the way she walked and carried herself.
"Everyone to the training grounds." the king called out to everyone in the room.
Out on the training ground the Princess and Preacher faced the King for the rules of the contest. both were holding wooden training swords. "The purpose of this exercise is to assess your combat capability Sir Michael" The King called out. "On the word go, both of you will engage each other in a mock combat battle until one is disarmed or put in the position of receiving a fatal blow from the other."
"Good." thought the Princess "I'll knock the sword out of his hand and that will be the end of the battle."
Both parties turned to face each other with swords raised. Preacher adopted a style that the princess didn't recognize. "Ok this is going to be easier that I thought." she thought to herself.
Preacher adopted a Kendo stance with his wooden sword. He had studied the sword technique before going to prison but hadn't had a chance to revisit his training since getting out. Preacher had also studied a number of Martial Art forms before he was incarcerated as part of his training being a gun runner and drug smuggler. He had to fight for his life more than a few times.
Preacher prepared himself. "GO," came the command, in an instant Preacher covered the distance between himself and the princess like a lightning bolt. Before the princess could make a move or even process that the fight had begun, Preacher already had her sword arm pinned against her chest and herself laid back in his arms. "I believe that's checkmate Princess." Preacher told her.
"Very well you've beaten me this time, but you still have to complete our training." The Princess told Preacher.
Preacher shot her a smile, "I look forward to it princess."
"Sir Michael." The King called out to Preacher. "We will now talk about accommodations for you back in the castle.
Back in the castle's parlor room in the King's Private quarters, the King, Elias the Royal Mage, and the Prime Minister all sat in the room with Preacher.
"So, you're telling us Sir Michael you would rather stay in an inn than stay here in the castle?" the King asked.
"Your highness I really appreciate the offer, but I think my presence here in the castle will only serve to irritate your daughter. Also, I value my privacy, and I would like to get my bike back before it gets damaged any more.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that Sir Michael, your bike is in the hands of our finest craftsmen." Elias told Preacher.
"Craftsmen?? What craftsmen?" Preacher asked. "Your people have no Idea what it is or how to work on it."
"Don't worry, it's with our kingdom's dwarves, they'll have it fixed in no time." Elias said.
Preacher suddenly had a flash of fear shoot through his mind, he imagined his beloved bike in pieces scattered all out on a shop floor.
"Take me to it right now." Preacher demanded.
"Tomorrow, Sir Michael, we have things to discuss right now." The King interjected, "Now as for you're staying at an Inn, I recommend the Royal Carriage Inn, here within the Royal District. We'll even assign a servant to help with the daily chores. At the mention of a servant to help Preacher he immediately thought of the fox girl he met when he first woke up.
"May I pick the servant I want, your Highness? Also, I would Like to talk about compensation for this job"
"Compensation??" The King, the Royal Mage and the Prime Minister all said together.
"Nothing in my world is done for free, your highness. At least I should get paid for this work you're wanting me to do."
"Oh yes, yes we are going to cover your living expenses, and you will have a salary of ten gold coins a month plus you will be registered at the Adventurers Guild so any materials you collect you can sell there." The king replied
"Also, I would like some magical instruction books," Preacher continued, "for home study when I'm not here training."
"Very good Sir Michael." The King said. "And is there someone you have in mind for your servant?"
"Yes, Sire I would like the fox beast girl that I met when I woke up."
"Sire, NO, you promised her to me your majesty." Elias cried out. She was just coming of age, and Elias had desired to make her his sex slave.
"I think in this case we can make an exception Elias, after all it's only right that we accommodate Sir Michael's request."
Elias knew he wasn't going to win this argument with the king. Elias turned to Preacher and said. "You better take good care of my property."
"Don't you mean my property Sir Elias? After all, the King is giving her to me." Elias just slumped back in his chair and said nothing.
"She will be in your room by the time you arrive there, Sir Michael."
Preacher Nodded in agreement.
"Then Gentlemen and your Highness I would like to retire to my room at the inn if you please if you could have someone escort me there."
"Certainly, Sir Michael and here's a Medallion, The King handed Preacher a Royal Medallion, this will get you in anywhere you want to go within the Royal District."
"Thank you, your Highness." Preacher took the Royal Medallion and shoved it into his front pocket. The King then called for a guard to escort Preacher to the library, so he could take some beginner level magical books to take with him to the Inn, then he escorted him to the front gate and met up with another guard to escort him to the Inn.
"That man is dangerous Sire, his magical capacity can't be controlled" Elias told the King.
King Regenald looked at his two advisors, his oldest friends. "He's a man, he'll be controlled just like any other man through money and sex. Didn't you see how happy he was to get that fox girl? I'm telling you gentlemen he's just like us. You give a man plenty of money and a pretty girl to play with and he'll do anything you want him to do."
"I really wish you had given him anyone else other than the fox girl, Sire." Elias grumbled.
"You'll get over it." the King told Elias. "Here, why don't you go to the brothel tonight on me and get you a couple of elf girls for the night. I hear we have got some new ones in. Some young ones too." The King handed Elias a Royal Silver coin. "That would have been enough to buy the services of four elf girls for a week," Elias thought to himself. "Yeah, what the hell, after all a demi-human girl is a demi-human girl." Elias agreed with the King.
The Princess walked up on the door of the Kings Parlor, it was slightly ajar, there wasn't any guard, but she could hear her father and the other two men talking. She listened to as much of the conversation as she could until she heard the approaching footsteps of the guard returning.
Princess Seraphina, not wanting to be seen, immediately went in the opposite direction. But what she heard made her sick to her stomach.
The Princess went outside to the main gate to the castle. "Who was the guard that escorted Sir Michael to the Inn he's staying at?"
"I am your Royal Highness." the guard she was speaking to said to her.
"Fine, tell me which Inn you took him to?" The Princess demanded.
"The Royal Carriage Inn your Highness." He replied.
With that the Princess turned and walked off in the direction of the Inn. "If he hurts her, he'll pay with his life." the Princess thought to herself.
At the Inn Preacher was having some tea, sitting in their front room across from him in another chair was the pretty fox girl. "So, you've been a slave all your life?" Preacher asked her.
"Yes, master all my life. I was taken from my mother at a very early age and trained to work in the infirmary. My responsibilities are mostly cleaning the rooms and taking care of the patients while they're still recovering."
"You don't seem to mind being a slave, haven't you ever wanted your freedom?"
"I've had a good life these past 17 years working in the infirmary master. I'm treated better than most of my brothers and sisters here in the capital. I had a bed to sleep in and fed twice daily."
Just at that moment there was a loud banging on his door. "Sir Michael open this door immediately," came the call from the other side of the door. Preacher recognized the voice of the Princess. "Aww what does she want now? Does she want a rematch of our mock battle already?"
Preacher got up and started for the door but just at that moment the Princess kicked in the door to his room. "Hands off her you vile creature." The Princess stood in the doorway sword drawn. "I ought to kill you where you stand, you reprobate."
"Princess, so nice to see you again and so soon." Preacher said. "It's after dark now but would you like some tea?"
"You vile bastard, how dare you pretend hospitality with me while you befoul this girl for your own perverse desires."
At that princess drew magic into her blade. It started glowing a bluish hue. "Whoa Princess." At that moment the fox girl jumped up from where she had been sitting and got in front of Preacher. "He has not harmed me or sought to do anything with me Princess."
The princess looked stunned. "But I heard the King said you asked for her because you wanted her for your toy."
Preacher motioned for the princess to come sit with the fox girl on the settee. "If you would Princess." Preacher said to her, inviting her to sit. The Princess, confused, walked over to the settee and sat down next to the demi-human fox girl.
"So, you are getting in right at the beginning of our conversation. Well not really but I was just getting ready to tell this young lady," At that comment the young fox girl giggled and blushed slightly. "I was just about to tell her about my world and where I come from. And why I asked for her specifically."
"You asked for her, you sick bastard to satisfy your own perverse desires." The Princess said.
"Really Princess you should learn to read the situation better." Preacher sighed. He could see he was going to have his hands full convincing her of why he asked for this girl.
"Ok young lady, come here." he motioned to the young fox girl. She came up and stood in front of him. Placing his hand on the back of her neck he spoke "Release." Instantly the metal collar fell off the girl's neck.
The Princess jumped up immediately. "H, Ho, How did you do that"
The princess demanded to know.
Preacher pointed to some books that were sitting on the table. "Before I left the castle I requested to get some books from the Royal Library.
I was only supposed to only get some beginner level books, but the guard stepped outside for a moment, and I had a chance to grab some intermediate and advanced level books. I mixed them in with the beginner level books I had already picked up and walked out. Lucky for me the guard didn't inspect the books, and he just escorted me out to the main gate."
"That's more than advanced magic, that's High Tier magic. You have to break a cursed enchantment on those things, or you could kill the person wearing the collar."
Preacher pointed to a book on the table. "I knew what kind of book I was looking for Princess. I knew there had to be a way to release these collars. That was my primary purpose for getting into the library.
"So, you're saying you intended to set this girl free all along? To what end? You, you did this for her undying gratitude that she would never leave you and serve you willingly. And if she gave herself to you willingly then you could still have her for your plaything."
"Seriously Princess you have a one-track mind. You must really hate men. No wonder you're not married."
The Princess bristled at that comment. "I'm not married because I haven't found anyone who can match me in combat capability."
"Until Now." Preacher reminded her.
At that the expression on the Princess's face turned into a snarl. "You got lucky is all"
"No, he didn't Princess," at this the young fox girl spoke up.
He told me about the mock duel you two had. "He beat you because I convinced the healers while he was unconscious to enhance his body, his muscles, his brain, everything." He now possesses the strength of a demi-human clan King. and with magic he can further enhance his body.
"But why would you do that if he's just going to use his new abilities against your people? Do you want to see your people enslaved?"
The beast girl shook her head. "I don't believe he will do that. In fact, I believe he's going to be the one who will save us and end the warring altogether."
At this point Preacher broke into the conversation. "If you would, Princess, please allow me to explain."
At Preachers urging Princess Seraphina sat back and listened to what Preacher had to say.
"In my world," Preacher began. "The world I come from, we've had wars for thousands of years. Local wars, regional wars, wars for territory for resources and yeah for slaves. We've even had two world wars with the loss of tens of millions of people. We've developed weapons that could annihilate all of mankind in the blink of an eye.
It doesn't matter what world you're from, war is the nature of the beast. It seems man's intent is to destroy himself in the name of domination of other groups or races. and it has been going on for thousands of years.
I will help you end this war Princess but not in a way you may think, certainly not in a way that gives one side domination of another. There must be a mutual peace between the races. What do you say Princess, will you help me?"
The Princess eyed Preacher for a while finally giving in to Preacher's appeal. "Very well Sir Michael, if you are serious about ending this war I will help you. I absolutely hate all the fighting and death and destruction of human and demi-human life."
"Very good then." Preacher said to the Princess. "If you work with me, I'll work with you."
With that the Princess stood up and excused herself from Preacher's room. "I'll see you tomorrow at the training ground." She said as she left.
Preacher turned to the young fox girl. "Ok I need to ask you since we haven't gotten around to it yet. Do you have a name?"
"Oh, I have a name," She replied, "it's Iris."
"Well, that's a pretty name." Preacher told her. "It's the name of one of the prettiest flowers from my world"
Preacher sat back and started looking over the books he brought from the Royal Library. He breezed through the beginning level and intermediate level magic.
"Did something happen to my mind since coming here?" Preacher asked.
Iris looked at him over the cup of tea she was drinking with a knowing smile. "Maybe." she teased.
Preacher just looked at her. "Ok what's up?" he asked.
Iris giggled. "It's nothing really, I have light magic ability. I can heal as well but I never let the healers know about my abilities. If they had known they might have sold me off to the highest paying Noble. So, I kept my abilities to myself, but I still continued to learn by watching them. Sometimes it was just with healing potions, other times I would watch as they used healing magic and then question them about their technique. It really wasn't that hard because they all loved talking about their abilities and they must have thought that what they were talking about I wouldn't understand. I did lie to the Princess though, I didn't convince the healers to heal your old wounds and injuries and enhance you physically, I did that."
After Iris finished her explanation, Preacher sat there thoughtfully for a moment. "So, I'll pose to you the same question the Princess asked you, weren't you afraid that I would turn my abilities against your people and destroy them?"
"At first, I was, but I had a dream, and in that dream, I felt a very powerful overwhelming presence. It told me to heal you and give you these enhancements. I can't explain it, but I felt I could trust that presence and do what it was telling me too. Also, I lied about a couple of other things to the Princess."
"Like what?" Preacher asked.
"First of all, you're much stronger than any beastman by a magnitude of 10 times."
Preacher thought back to his home world and tornados. On the Fujita scale, the higher the magnitude the greater the strength of the storm.
"So, in reality how much stronger am I?"
"On the order of a Cyclops," Iris said somewhat sheepishly. It was the first time I used a physical enhancement spell and I'm afraid the spell went a little out of control."
Preacher knew from earth mythology Cyclops were very tall powerful creatures but also very dull and stupid. However, Preacher had apparently gained the physical prowess of a Cyclops and the mental acuity of a certain tv android character Preacher was familiar with; he basically could remember and understand anything and everything he had read in his life.
"Ok let me skim through this advanced magical book then we need to get to sleep but you can go to bed now if you want."
"Oh no master, I could never do that."
"Yeah, why not?"
"Because you're my master I will serve you anyway you want me to."
"I set you free," Preacher reminded Iris, "you don't have to serve me."
"I know you did and I'm forever grateful for that. That is why I chose to serve you in whatever capacity you desire master. Some of those physical enhancements weren't just for you, some of them were for me as well."
Finally, it clicked in Preacher's head what she was offering. She wasn't just offering to be his servant, but she was offering herself to him. "Ok this is awkward."
At that Iris jumped up and grabbed Preacher's arm pulling him up off the settee so hard that he nearly fell on top of her.
"Ok, ok, just take it easy, you nearly pulled my arm out of its socket." With that Iris pulled Preacher into the bedroom and onto the bed. Iris leaned down and bit Preacher on the neck drawing blood.
"Agggh, what the hell?" Preacher grabbed his neck where Iris had bitten him.
"I have marked you. You are mine now, my spit will mix with your blood so no matter where you go we are pair bonded. You belong to me. You are the strongest male anywhere and I want to be your first one, the first to pair mate with you.
Preacher felt his head humming and dizzy for a moment. He could feel her essence moving through his body. Suddenly Preacher's body began to glow a light blue hue.
Iris stood transfixed, her breath catching in her throat. Before her, a swirling vortex of ethereal blue light pulsed with an ancient energy, a beacon of pure magic. This wasn't just any light, it was the legendary Ethereal Blue Flame, a prophecy whispered in forgotten tales, a phenomenon that hadn't graced the world for millennia. Legend claimed that when two beings were bound by this light, they would become one, their destinies entwined, their power amplified to change the very fabric of the world.
Iris suddenly felt very frightened. She hadn't realized just how powerful Preacher was, on this scale it's beyond legendary and now she was bound to this man for all eternity.
The air crackled with anticipation. And then, in a moment that seemed to defy all logic, the light erupted, a mystical blue fire that reached out towards Iris, engulfing her in its incandescent embrace. Her senses were overwhelmed, a tingling sensation that spread from her fingertips to her very core, a feeling of power and connection. It was as if the light itself was whispering secrets, ancient knowledge flooding her mind, memories of a bygone era.
The blue light pulsed, its energy thrumming in sync with Iris's and Preacher's heartbeats.
As it flowed through her, she felt his presence inside her, his consciousness that mirrored her own, as their two souls were woven together. She knew, with absolute certainty, that the flame had bound her to him whose essence was now forever linked to hers.
The night deepened; the air heavy with the hum of the light of the ethereal blue flame. Then, through the veil of blue, Iris saw Preacher. The one who was destined to be her other half, the source of the power that pulsed within her. A surge of warmth flooded her, a feeling of completion, of being whole for the first time.
As they met, the blue light intensified, enveloping them in a radiant cocoon. They were no longer two separate beings, but one, their souls joined as if they had always been meant to be. In that moment of unity, their power soared, reaching beyond the boundaries of their individual existence. The blue light pulsed with a new intensity, radiating outwards, reaching into the world, promising a change, a transformation that would echo through the ages. "We are one." They spoke the ancient vow as their two voices resonated together.
The Blue Flame Prophecy had been fulfilled; its ancient magic woven into the tapestry of their lives. Iris and Preacher were now bound together by the ethereal blue flame.
In the depths of the medieval city, as shadows lengthened and darkness enveloped the streets, the citizens returned to their homes however, they didn't realize what the significance of tonight was.
Unbeknownst to the slumbering masses, the Beast King, a formidable ruler with keen magical senses, witnessed the ethereal gleam of the prophecy fulfillment. His piercing gaze recognized its significance immediately. "So, the Hero is here" The Beast King thought to himself, "and has performed the mating ritual with one of my people"
The Blue Flame Prophecy foretells a pivotal moment when a demi-human and a human hero forge an unbreakable bond through a sacred ritual known as the Mating Ritual. In this union, their energies intertwine, creating an unprecedented synergy that will herald a profound transformation for the realm
The Beast King understood that this event held the potential to reshape the balance of power within this world. As the ruler of the beastmen, a formidable race known for their strength and ferocity, he had long harbored a secret desire to end the wars that had long plagued his people. But the humans seemed intent on keeping the wars going. The war was hurting his people every day; more and more people were needlessly dying.
Legend had it that the Blue Flame Prophecy would mark the dawn of a new era. But there were also whispers of danger lurking in the shadows, forces that would seek to exploit the chaos and upheaval that such a change could bring.
As the night wore on, the Beast King sat and thought to himself this was too big a matter for him to ignore, he would have to find this hero and bring him to his kingdom and ascertain his intentions.
Driven by a deep desire for Preacher because he freed her from her enslavement, Iris dared to perform the mating ritual with him. As their bodies entwined, the ethereal blue light erupted around them, illuminating the night sky with its radiant glow.