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Planet Tri, Epa Continent, 1803 PR

The shimmering light of the morning sun fell on the forested area of Bornea City. On one of the branches of a tree, a girl with shoulder-length red hair was sitting and chewing on a ripe apple from one of the branches. In her left hand was a tattered piece of paper, that she had read repeatedly.

Maisha Walcott's brown eyes watched the ship sailing in the distance. The girl who had just turned 16 took a deep breath to enjoy the scent of nature in early fall. She pulled her red dress up, revealing her smooth thighs, before swinging her bare, dangling right leg down.

The whinny of a horse roused the youngest daughter of the late Baron Ansel Walcott from her reverie. Maisha looked down and smiled at her white morgan-type horse. The mare she got from her father was already three years old.

"Do you want to go home already?"

Princess, the horse, whinnied. The animal, which wore a shiny crown-shaped decoration on the front of its face, stamped its feet and wagged its mane.

Maisha chuckled at her mount's coquettish behavior. The girl threw the rest of the apple on the ground. She opened the hanging purse tied to her waist before inserting her precious papers and jumping down from a height of one meter.

A thick carpet of grass dotted with clusters of purple lavender flowers greeted the girl, who landed with one knee against the ground.

Maisha ignored her brown boots and used her right hand to balance her body. The girl who spent almost all her time in the forest rose to her feet swiftly, then tried to cover her exposed thighs by pulling the dress with both hands.

Maisha heard a tearing sound from behind and realized that one of the low branches caught her skirt. Now, she could see a long slit on the side of the dress.

Maisha grimaced. Mrs. Cherry would be angry. Last week, she had accidentally ruined another dress. It took quite some time for the loyal maid to fix her lady's outfit.

A strong wind blew Maisha's loose hair, covering part of her face. The girl who was still holding her torn dress looked up.

Maisha gasped when she saw three animals almost as big as baby elephants flying in the sky in a V formation. The girl'seyes flashed in panic. She rushed, approaching her horse. "Princess! Hurry up!"

The girl jumped onto Princess. She even forgot her shoes and immediately spurred her mount haste.

The swish of the wind coming from the flapping wings of the scaly crocodile-like beast seemed to be Maisha's guide to steer the horse and leave horseshoe marks on the soft ground from last night's rain.

Maisha's sight caught the trunk of a fallen elk tree just a few hundred meters ahead of them. However, instead of stopping, the girl snickered. She lifted her buttocks slightly and pulled on the reins to increase her mount's running speed.

The scent of nature wafted into Maisha's nostrils as the obstacle grew closer. In no time, she was taking her beloved horse into the sky.

Maisha laughed merrily before the girl yelped as small branches from the elk tree that still stood tall grabbed her hair. Princess landed gracefully, carrying her now tousled-haired mistress with her.

The swish of the wind that had been the girl's guide was gone. Maisha breathlessly stared at the three wyverns that were getting farther away.

The girl bent down to caress Princess' cheek and whispered, "Maybe Gerald will be home soon."

Princess nickered softly and caused her mistress to chuckle. Maisha's hearing suddenly picked up the chirping of birds. The girl looked up and saw several small brown-feathered animals with long orange beaks flying over a maple tree covered in red leaves.

Maisha jumped down deftly. She used her left hand to hitch up her gown slightly, crouching to reach for the branch and grabbing a 30 cm long branch among the thick grass before standing while shouting, "I am Maisha! The wyvern-riding knight! I will eradicate the monsters!"

The girl let the hem of her red dress fall back to sweep across the grass before gripping her twig sword and slashing at the imaginary chimera, a beast with three different heads.

The sun was getting higher when Maisha decided to take a break by sleeping on her back on the green grass that covered the ground and watching the white clouds. Her eyes turned cloudy. She didn't want to return home! Surely, the old manwas still waiting for her in the living room and would observe her with a disgusting expression.

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Maisha covered her eyes using her right arm. She must not cry. A warrior must have a resilient spirit. The girl gritted her teeth before the strong wind surprised her.

The girl raised her arms. Her eyes widened to stare at the sky. Two wyverns in white and red flashed quickly above her.

Maisha again opened the cloth purse embroidered with Walcott's writing and took out the almost torn-dull paper. She grasped the object with both hands, then read it in a lying position.

"I was appointed captain of the 6th division Wyvern Troop. There will be a lot of responsibilities. I may only be able to return home in a few months..."

Princess suddenly looked down and gently pushed Maisha's cheek with her nose. The beast was bored and wanted to return to her warm cage.

"Yes, we're going home now...," said Maisha, rising to her feet. The girl put back the precious paper and sighed. The man should have already left.

Maisha mounted the horse with a glum face and began to pace her mount. The girl's stomach rumbled. She skipped breakfast, worrying that her fiancé would arrive before she could escape.

Princess walked down the path sluggish so that her mistress would not reach home too soon. However, when the sun reached the top, they finally saw the tall, two-story building on the border of the forest and the city.

Maisha bit her lip as Princess led the girl inside through the wide-open black gate. Two young men dressed in black long-sleeved shirts and cloth pants greeted her in a friendly manner. "Good afternoon, Miss Maisha."

"Is Duke Volternal coming to visit?" asked Maisha with a worried expression. She intended to leave again until the afternoon if the old man was still in the house.

The eyes of the two guards showed compassion. It should be hard for her ladyship to be the wife of a man much older than her father.

"Duke returned home about 30 minutes ago, Miss."

"Really? What a pity," Maisha replied. The girl dismounted and led her mount towards the stables with a relieved expression.

"Miss!"

However, someone's shout startled her. Maisha turned her head in the direction of the voice and found one of her father'smaidservants coming hurriedly. The woman dressed as a typical servant in a black dress, white apron, and a white cloth hat tied over black hair gave an exasperated look at her employer's daughter.

"Where have you been? The Duke has been waiting for ...."

The middle-aged maid held her breath. Her eyes widened, observing her lady's new look. Dried leaves decorated Maisha'stangled hair. There were long tears on the hem of the dress and splashes of soil on the bare feet.

"W-what happened?" asked the maid with a horrified look.

However, a woman called out her name before the girl could answer. "Maisha Walcott! Where have you been?!"

Maisha gulped. The girl turned her head towards her aunt, standing in front of the house with an angry expression.

Maisha handed the reins to the servant, then walked towards Dowager Charlotte and stopped right facing her. Maisha'sbrown eyes flashed with anger. Her greedy aunt had sold herself to the highest bidder and was intent on getting her dowry!

Dowager Charlotte wrinkled her forehead while observing her niece's condition. "What have you done?"

"I rode the Princess," Maisha replied, returning her aunt's gaze.

The old wrinkles on Dowager Charlotte's face appeared more and more. "Do you know that the Duke has been waiting for you? He came home disappointed!"

"Auntie, I don't want to marry him!" cried Maisha. "He even just got his fifteenth grandchild!"

Maisha's head suddenly snapped up as Dowager Charlotte slapped her left cheek. The old woman's body trembled with rage. "Stop acting wild and do your duty!"

Maisha felt the heat on her skin. She touched her cheek with trembling hands. During her lifetime, her late father had never hit her, while her mother, who had passed away earlier, was known to be a delicate woman. But her aunt? Dowager Charlotte had hurt her for the umpteenth time since the old woman had arbitrarily lived in this house and ruled it like the owner.

Her brother had to serve the country, leaving Maisha alone to face her demon aunt. The girl's heart ached, and her eyes slowly began to fill with tears.

However, Maisha quickly wiped away the tears that were about to fall with the palm of her left hand before screaming angrily. "I hate you!"

The girl ran into the house. She left behind her squealing aunt, who was shouting various swear words.

******

Maisha ran up the white stairs and left a trail of dirt with each step. The girl walked down the hallway covered with brown carpet and opened her bedroom in the corner of the house.

The two maids at work on the ground floor frown in fear when they hear the slamming door. Lately, the arguments between aunt and niece have become more frequent. Dowager Charlotte, frustrated with Maisha's nature, vented her frustration on the workers.

They looked at each other with a look of worry that there would be a victim from the servants' side before looking down and returning to wiping the decorations on the living room table.

*****

Maisha lay on her side on the bed supported by four wooden pillars. The girl's brown eyes gazed sadly at the picture inside the gold locket. Her late mother was holding her infant self, while her late father was holding four-year-old Gerald'sshoulders.

If they were here, they would not set me up with that old man.

The corner of her eye suddenly caught two yellow and white wyverns flashing in the sky. The girl got up on all fours to observe outside the window.

...Had Gerald known about this matchmaking, he would have refused.

Maisha was silent for a long time. An idea suddenly formed in the frustrated girl's mind. She got up from the bed with determination before walking towards the wardrobe on the left side of the room and started rummaging through its contents.

*****

The sky was already pitch black. In the dim light of the two moons that had replaced the sun, a petite young man carrying a backpack could be seen jumping from the bedroom window onto the branch of an oak tree.

The man with short red hair swiftly climbed down, then set his feet on the grass before quickly running towards the stables where his favorite horse was sleeping.

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January 21, 2025

Luna S. Winterheart