"Aaaah!"

With a loud shriek, Lou fell.

He felt like he was plunging straight from the sky, his senses utterly disoriented. It was as if a void had opened beneath him, swallowing him whole and leaving him in a state of profound confusion and helplessness, his every thought scattered like leaves in a storm.

Darkness enveloped him, a thick, impenetrable shroud that left him blind to his surroundings as his head throbbed from the fall. Gradually, he sensed himself descending onto an unknown surface, but the dizziness prevented him from opening his eyes.

Lou felt a smooth feel of grass underneath him, a comforting contrast to the disorienting fall. He heard the sound of warm winds, like a gentle whisper, gushing towards his face. It seemed like he was in some kind of grassland.

Desperate to find out where he was, Lou urgently tried to stand. Summoning all his strength, he pushed his disoriented body upwards. His unwavering spirit was palpable, a testament to his determination, as he stood up, his eyes forced open in an awkward pose.

Lush green fields stretched as far as the eye could see, a magnificent rolling landscape that seemed to be from a storybook. The clear skies above, with clouds like fluffy cotton balls, added to the awe-inspiring beauty of the grassland, leaving Lou in a state of wonder.

But this only added to his growing despair. He was almost sure that he was thrust into this alien place by some sort of sorcery, and the conversations he had last had with his father unsettled him the most.

In the end, I was exiled anyway.

He felt a bitter resentment at this revelation, but he had long grown tired of it all. The twists and turns were getting too stale for his little heart. However, his resentment towards his father had lessened somewhat after hearing his explanation. He was now more confused than ever, stranded in the middle of nowhere, with endless grasslands surrounding him and not a single being in sight.

A white dot caught his eye in the distance as he pondered his situation. He squinted, then rubbed his eyes, unsure of what he saw. Something or someone was coming his way. He was sure it was coming his way.

Lou decided it was best to remain vigilant, so he stayed where he was and waited patiently for whatever it was.

Slowly, his vision became clearer, and he saw a mysterious silhouette of a person on what seemed to be a horse. And it was slowly approaching his direction.

He sprinted forward, his disorientation threatening to send him sprawling, but he pressed on toward the figure on the horse.

“Hey! Hello! Can you help me, please!” Lou's voice echoed with desperation and fear as he called out to the person with the horse, his heart pounding in his chest.

Hearing his voice, the person on the horse quickened their pace and approached him faster, bringing a wave of relief over Lou.

At last!

Lou's heart swelled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards the approaching figure, starkly contrasting the lingering fear about their intentions. The grasslands spread almost endlessly, but the person on the horse traveled at a breakneck speed and was approaching him fast.

He stood silently, uncertain of what would come in this strange and bewildering situation. His fate was sealed, a sacrificial offering from his family to the mysterious sorcerer. He knew he had to adapt to the present circumstances.

Finally, the person on the horse drew near, and he could make out the mysterious figure that had come to his aid.

The person rode a stallion, a magnificent creature that exuded a sense of robust health. Its coat was as pale as freshly fallen snow, a stark contrast to the vibrant, breathtakingly beautiful grasslands that stretched out before them.

It was the rider that truly caught his attention. A girl, seemingly dressed as a maid, was the last thing he expected to see in this vast grassland. A maid riding a horse on a mission to rescue him? The sheer unexpectedness of this sight left him dumbfounded, his mind struggling to comprehend the reality of the situation.

But he could not stop. Not when salvation seemed so close to him. He had to seize this strange, tantalizing opportunity that dangled just within his reach.

Lou started running and made his way to the rider. They seemed to be each other's goal, and the seemingly large distance between them was inevitably crossed within no time in this unexpected encounter.

As he finally got close to the maid, he could finally see her features. Unlike the maids back home, who had a dignified air around them and were brought up at a young age for the position of a royal maid, this maid seemed to be a plain country girl with auburn hair. Her hair was the color of a fiery sunset, and her eyes, a deep shade of emerald, were filled with a curious excitement at seeing him, as if she had been expecting him to arrive for a long time.

“Are you Mister Aurelius?” She yelled as she approached him on her horse.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Yes! Yes! I am Lucius Aurelius." Lou's voice echoed with urgency as he picked up his pace and sprinted with all his might to his savior. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he could feel the sweat trickling down his back. The maid's eyes were wide with anticipation, and her horse was pawing the ground nervously.

She then continued staring at him for a whole minute, her eyes fixed on Lucius, his body a sweaty mess, his breath coming in wild pants, as he closed the final stretch of the distance between them and stood before her.

The maid, her voice carrying the weight of formality, cleared her throat and said, “Mister Aurelius, my respected master wishes to invite you to his humble abode, and I, his most loyal butler, Joane, have arrived here to escort you to his abode.”

“Butler?” Lou asked, puzzled.

His reaction also took the other party's stunned aback.

“That is the first thing that comes to your mind?”

Lou felt her curious gaze fall on him and blushed slightly. He felt embarrassed after being questioned like that, his cheeks turning a shade of red that matched the sunset in the maid's hair.

Before he could respond, however, Joane just touched her lips, winked at him, and playfully said, “Master’s time is very precious. He values punctuality and may become displeased if I don’t return with you quickly.”

After giving it some thought and weighing all of his options, Lou concluded it would be best to go with her. He did not wish to incur the wrath of a mighty sorcerer, a prospect that sent shivers down his spine.

He nodded his head and asked her, “I am willing to meet the great sorcerer. Could you take me with you?”

Joane’s face lit up with a radiant smile, and she pleasantly extended her hand to him.

“Come, let's hurry back home! I can't wait for this exhilarating ride back,” Joane exclaimed, her eyes sparkling excitedly.

Lou was royalty, no former royalty, but he was still trained in all sorts of essential skills, such as horse riding. Even though it was a blow to his pride to ride behind a woman, he had no choice but to accept his current circumstances. He took her hand and sat behind her on the horse.

As the white stallion carrying them started sprinting forward, Joane casually asked, “Have you ever rode a pegasus before?”

Lou was left in a state of bewilderment, his gaze fixed on the back of Joane's head. He could only watch in astonishment as the once ordinary white stallion’s body began to tremble, and a pair of wings, reminiscent of those of an angel, burst forth with a mighty shake.

Its speed increased more than tenfold, and slowly, it began to flow upwards until it took off to the sky.

In the vast, endless plains, with the clear blue skies above them, the only sound that could be heard was a piercing shriek.

"Aaaah!"

***

His world was a kaleidoscope of colors, each more vibrant than the last. It's almost too bright. Now that he was flying in the sky, the clear blue skies of the land were a sight to behold.

Lou felt slightly at ease as he watched the world's scenery from his high vantage point from the sky. His hands were wrapped around Joane, who did not seem to mind it, but he was too terrified to let go of her.

At first, Lou's heart was pounding, his hands trembling, and he couldn't help but scream a few. But as the initial fear subsided, he found himself in the euphoria of flying, a stark contrast to his earlier apprehension. He was now feeling a sense of awe that was overwhelming.

The world he was currently in was bizarre, a place that defied all logic and reason. It was a world unlike anything he had ever seen, filled with objects and things that seemed to exist in their own realm. He was presently in something that defied all logic, and it was a feeling of wonder and disbelief that filled him.

He saw many mystical creatures roaming in the sky, strange beasts with various colors, four pairs of wings, and even one with a human head. He even saw a gigantic beast over the horizon, many times larger than the mountains he had seen in his home kingdom.

The scenery also shifted significantly after the passing of the grasslands. He saw forests, plains, and swamps; these various sceneries had many interesting-looking things roaming around them. Notably, he saw a large demonic-looking beast chained to a mountain, which blew his mind completely. As they passed by the beast, it opened its large mouth and spat a gush of fire toward them, a testament to the diverse and dangerous creatures that inhabit this fantastical world.

“Magic!” He exclaimed as he held tightly to the flying horse while it avoided the fire like clockwork. The wonder in his voice was unmistakable.

Joane did not offer him any explanation, but he could hear some giggles from the girl as they continued their flight.

As their flight continued, he saw ruins of many strange structures, like towers that seemed to be made of crystal and buildings that defied gravity, and he even saw what looked like traces of a once-thriving civilization. His curiosity was piqued, but he held it in check as he felt slightly overwhelmed by his new experiences and was quiet for the rest of the flight.

After a few hours into their journey, Lou noticed the sky seemed to change into a mesmerizing pinkish hue as if the world was painting a new canvas. The world seemed to switch colors, transforming from vibrant greens and blues to a palette of purples and pinks, a sight that left Lou in awe. The air around him also seemed to change, carrying with it a sweet, floral scent that was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

However, the lady before him remained unperturbed by this captivating shift of colors and said, "That's how night works here. There's no real darkness, and the shift from day to night is pretty dramatic, don't you think?"

He nodded with an expression of understanding and asked her, “Are we on a different continent? I have heard that besides the continent I am from, there are various other continents in our world.”

Joane did not immediately respond to his question, but after some moments, she replied to him.

“I can’t answer your question entirely, but I’ll tell you a tiny secret.”

Lou concentrated on hearing her answer, which might explain where he was. The ordeal he had undergone was terrible, but now he had to look forward to his future life in this strange place. Such was the mentality of a human being.

“We are technically still in your home continent.”

Lou’s eyes bulged, and he opened his mouth in sheer amazement, a slight feeling of terror building upon him. This feeling of terror was due to a straightforward reason. He was a scholar and was pretty familiar with the continent's geography. Even during the travels he had had with the royal family, he had never come across the terrain and wonders he had experienced, so he had thought that he was on some other continent, but now-

“Look! Look ahead! You can see the master’s tower!” The excited voice of his companion had abruptly interrupted his thoughts, and as he gazed ahead, beyond the misty clouds of purple and pink, he saw the outline of a structure that seemed to resemble a strange tower.

It was a colossal tower, seemingly reaching higher than the altitude they were flying. Lou was struck with awe at the sheer size of the structure, a feeling that was akin to stepping into a fairytale.

Joane slightly turned her head and said with a light smile.

“Welcome to Celestra, home to the strongest sorcerer in this world.”