“Just hold on to me.” He said it like it was simple, but the last time we had flown together I was half out of my mind with fear.

“I mean, flying in a chariot is one thing, but--”

“How about this? We’ll fly for a few minutes, and, if you can’t stand it, I’ll bring you back down.”

I cast him a skeptical look; his bright, expectant eyes met mine. “Haaa, alright, I’ll try it. But, seriously, bring me down if it gets scary, ok?”

“Of course.” A pair of wings sprouted from his back; the flow of air curving around them rippled into the bushes and scattered leaves across the cobblestone path. Sticking close to him, I wrapped my arms around his waist and dug my fingers into the soft linens of his tunic, and, likewise, he wrapped an arm around my waist, securing me in place.

With a running start, he carried us into the sky. For the first few minutes, I couldn’t bear to look, even as I heard the music of the festival grow closer and closer.

“Still scared?” He asked, his voice almost lost on the wind.

“Yeah,” I called back. But, just as I was about to ask him to bring us down, I finally opened my eyes.

The deep blue sky glittered with stars and puffs of white clouds above us, while the city of Diaphanthos bustled with music and warmth beneath us. The towers that had looked so distant from the path now seemed gargantuan as merchants called out their wares from the halls and balconies.

“Diaphanthian twirl necklaces here! Diaphanthian twirl necklaces!” A portly merchant called. “Nimbunny stew! Get your nimbunny stew here!” Another yelled. “Diaphanthian wine! The sweetest ambrosia you’ll ever taste!” A seller called, waving down a passing couple of Ethereals.

That was another wonder: Ethereals took flight around us, unfurling an assortment of colourful wings, some red or pink or green or blue or a multitude of colors. I saw some with 4 wings or 6 or only 2 and some even with horns and tails. Most carried food in one hand and a small glowing torch in the other as they moved from stall to stall. Others, however, landed onto roofs and terraces, chattering and laughing with their companions.

“Do you still want me to take you back down?” I felt Ophiel pull me in a little closer, his breath grazing against my neck. In the excitement and fervor of the Lunarian Summit, I had almost forgotten that we were still flying.

“No, this is—this is beautiful!” I exclaimed. This must’ve been what he wanted to show me; I couldn’t imagine that I would’ve gotten the same experience from the paths below. Just then, maybe because of all the sweet smells wafting from place to place, I felt hunger wash over me. “Say, Lord Rannon, what’s the best dish around here?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” A wide smile took over his face as he launched us towards the stalls.

The stalls were even more wondrous up close, each one placed carefully behind the metal and stone pillars of the towers and carved from wood with great detail. Lanterns hung from their desks and cast a warm yellow glow over their products.

“Nimbunny stew is naturally the best, but Diaphanthian wine paired with aurath is unparalleled,” Ophiel mused.  “And, that isn’t even getting started on dessert.”

“I didn’t know you were a foodie, my lord,” I said teasingly.

He laughed, “Ha, something we have in common, I suppose.”

“You’ve got that right!” My gaze flew over the foods, stall to stall, merchant to merchant, my mouth watering. “Can we just try everything?”

“Perhaps not everything, but as much as we can handle.”

Stopping on a nearby terrace, we tried aurath first, a batch of small fish fried with light oil in a savoury sauce, along with two gourds of sweet Diaphanthian wine. The shrimp-like texture of the aurath and the sweet taste of the flowery, fruit-filled wine harmonised into a delicious orchestra of flavours.

But, the nimbunny stew was even better. The meat itself was chewy and almost like chicken, while the dumplings melted in your mouth. All of which was bolstered by the taste of the vegetable broth.

And, finally, after sampling a variety of other delicacies, we came to the desserts section. Contrasting with the spicy tang of the other food stalls, the small bakeries lined up on a lower hall gave off the smell of heavy cream and sugar.

Fortunately, we had made sure to pace ourselves with the appetizers.

“We’ll take this one, this one and this one here,” Ophiel said, pointing to a few flower-shaped cookies and a small, glazed tart.

“Yes, my lord!” The enormously tall woman behind the stall said, her white-blond curls bouncing with her jaunty movements.  She looked different from the other ethereals, who were almost indistinguishable from humans if not for their wings, tails, and horns. The merchant’s skin was greyed out, almost having the appearance of a dark mist, and white freckles dotted her skin. I averted my eyes so as not to stare.

“What do you think, Vivian?” Ophiel called me into focus. “Anything else you’d like?”

“Nope. These look amazing.” But, it’s odd. Her food looks delicious, but how come there aren’t many customers? I wondered.

“You’re too kind, my lady.” The woman bowed shortly as she bagged the treats.

Ophiel passed her a few silver coins as payment and then took us back into the skyline.

“There’s something else you’ll like,” he said, flying forward, deeper into the city. I held our desserts close as he curved around towers, high rises and hanging lanterns until finally we landed on a small terrace.

“Oh, we’re not flying anymore?”

“I assure you, the show will be even better than that. Here,” he said, slowly releasing me. I hadn’t even realised how tightly he had been holding me as we flew.

A few other ethereals were seated across the terrace, laughing and carrying on. A small child with fluffy wings struggled to fly upwards, but was swifted away by their father, who placed them on his shoulders.

Suddenly, they turned their attention to the skies in anticipation.