The chirping of birds that greeted the morning dew sounded melodious. Mrs. Cherry yawned before walking towards her lady’s room. She opened the door, and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest at the sight before her.
Her lady’s clothes were scattered all over the floor. A large pair of scissors lay on the dressing table with clumps of hair scattered around.
“Mi-miss Maisha?” Mrs. Cherry asked with a terrified expression. She stepped further in and found the window of the room wide open.
Mrs. Cherry poked her head out the window to find shoe prints away from the tree. The maid gasped. She lifted her skirt with both hands, then ran out while screaming the Dowager Charlotte’s name.
*****
Maisha checked the compass one last time before she returned the horse to the main road flanked by trees on her right and left. Her brown eyes observed several birds flying low while chirping.
The sun had risen an hour ago, and Maisha started feeling hungry. Maisha stopped the horse at the edge of the cobbled road before dismounted. She opened the brown backpack hanging from the side of the saddle and grabbed a piece of bread and a bottle of water.
The girl yawned widely and then headed towards a large rock to sit on it. She opened the embroidered purse to take out the paper that guided her way.
“Runda––” Maisha said before biting off a piece of bread and chewing it. “Gerald might be there.”
Princess ducked down to devour the fresh grass soaked in the morning dew. The beast whinnied softly. Her mistress already replaced her beautiful decoration with an ordinary harness.
Maisha let out a long breath. Her aunt must be furious and was going to punish her.
She stuffed the last piece of bread into her mouth and took a big gulp of water before getting up and walking towards her horse.
“Come on, let’s go now,” Maisha said, patting the animal’s side and climbing onto it.
*****
Maisha rode Princess for an hour before a noise caught her attention. She saw the horde of people who seemed to be lining up in front of a brown, patchy tent on the side of the road.
A young man hobbled out of the forest near the tent, grumbling before someone was shouting from there. “Next!”
What was going on?Maisha’s brow furrowed in surprise. The sun was already getting hotter. However, the people paid no attention to her and looked enthusiastic.
Maisha dismounted from her mount. She led Princess to walk closer to the line.
“Excuse me, what’s wrong? Why is it so crowded?”
The man in question turned to Maisha. He scrutinized the girl’s appearance from top to bottom before answering, “The Wyvern group is opening registration. You’re not suitable, too skinny. Just go there.”
“Wyvern– Group?” Maisha’s eyes widened. The girl ignored the blatant expulsion she had just gotten and continued to ask, “Which division is it from?”
Unfortunately, the man only shrugged. He pointed at the limp flag near the tent as he replied, “Don’t remember. Just look over there yourself.”
“Excuse me. Sorry, excuse me.” Maisha immediately brought Princess to break through the line, causing several people to curse. She approached the flag that seemed torn to observe it. An image of a wyvern with the number six printed on it made her heart beat fast.Division Six! That means Gerald is here!
Maisha and Princess went back through the line. She approached the wide-open tent after getting scolded by several others and found a pale-skinned, white-haired man behind a table full of stacks of papers, fanning himself using a white round paper fan.
The man’s clothes looked unfamiliar. He wore a large straw hat, casting a shadow almost covered his face, while his clothes looked like a long dress with a black cloth belt.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Was he an elemental controller?
Maisha knew a little about the race of elemental controllers from her brother. Gerald once told her that the palace had employed them as part of the elite force.
The man raised his face. His ice-clear blue eyes stared at Maisha with a saturated look. “Please don’t cut in line.”
“Uh, no––” Maisha tried to correct the misunderstanding. “I want to see the Captain.”
“Hey, kid! Get in line!” The cries of the people who objected to Maisha’s actions grew louder. “We’ve been waiting since yesterday!”
“You heard that. All those people also want to meet the Captain.” The white-haired man fanned himself again. “Damn, why is it so hot in here?”
That many?Maisha’s head turned towards the line that snaked long past a restaurant.
“There, stand in the last row,” the man shooed. “Next!”
“But, sir, I–”
“Boy, move!” The yell from a well-built man with chest hair, clearly displayed on his naked body, made Maisha step back. She decided to walk towards the line while leading Princess.
Roar!
“Hua! Help! I don’t want to die!”
The deafening sound of falling, the roar of the wyvern, the strong wind that almost blew away the tattered tent as well as the half-torn flag that was near the source of the sound, and the terrified shriek of a mighty man who was running back and forth, out of the forest entrance, where the selection was, made Maisha and everyone else who was there flinch.
“Liam!”
Someone’s shout from inside the forest made the white-haired man stand. He took off his giant hat and jumped over the table before running towards the source of the voice.
He is so agile.
Maisha’s jaw almost dropped when she saw the graceful movements that resembled dancing. The roar and light tremors like an earthquake shook some tree trunks, making some queues choose to step back before running away.
“What’s the point of a big salary if you die young,” muttered a young man, who left the line, audible to Maisha.
“Hua! Topaz, stop!”
“Samson, hold the net!”
The faint shouts carried by the wind, set against the wyvern’s roar of pain, made more and more potential applicants decide to leave the place.
Maisha looked around. The crowd was gone, leaving one young man, who turned out to be a girl, and one mare.
Maisha looked at Princess, who seemed calm, used by wyverns presenced. She finally shrugged and said, “Does this mean it’s our turn?”
Princess whinnied while flicking her mane in a coquettish motion. Maisha, for the umpteenth time, felt the light earthquake. However, the girl casually led her mount towards the forest entrance while saying cheerfully. “Gerald will be happy to see me.”
The wyvern’s roar was deafening. Maisha and Princess looked at each other before the girl said, “Wait here.”
Maisha tied Princess to a nearby tree trunk. She then walked through the trees and various wild plants.
The roar of the wind blew away the dust and leaves. Maisha raised her arms to cover her face as the air rushed past. Her ear caught the rattling of trees, and someone yelled nearby.
“Hold it! Hold it!”
Maisha shook off the last of the leaves before her eyes widened, staring at the sight before her. A man in his thirties, wearing red armor, was standing at attention. His neck-length black hair reflected the sunlight, while his muscular arms tightly gripped a large, serrated sword. The man’s breath was roaring with sweat staining his sun-browned face.
A clean, firm jaw, thin pink lips, and a sharp nose. So handsome.
“Cyril, now!”
Someone’s shout awoke Maisha’s reverie. She turned her head to the right side before she caught her breath. The white-haired man, named Liam, was standing near a wyvern that seemed to be struggling with its arms stretched forward. The giant reptile’s body was partially wrapped in ice, as if frozen, while its front legs were constantly moving, trying to tear through the net.
However, a huge, muscular man held the net tightly, squeezing the trapped beast.
What were they doing?
Maisha’s gaze was fixed on the giant man’s appearance. His shoulder-length golden hair, beard, and mustache grew wildly. He wore brown leather pants, and a very long chain covered his naked body. The man’s strength was also enormous, evident from the veins that popped out on both hands that were massively muscled as they clashed with the rampaging wyvern.
Not ugly, but not her taste. The girl looked away to return to observing the trapped beast. The wyvern seemed very frightened.
Were they about to kill it? Why?
However, someone’s shout made Maisha turn her head. Her face paled when the man in red armor suddenly ran towards the wyvern with his sword raised high.
“No!” Maisha screeched as she came out of hiding. Her late father and her brother were part of the elite wyvern troops in the kingdom. To their family, including Maisha, the giant reptiles were friends. Seeing someone wanting to harm those sweet beasts was unforgivable.
Maisha spread both arms wide, becoming a barrier between the man in armor and the wyvern behind him. The girl’s face showed anger as she yelled, “Don’t kill that wyvern.”
The man in armor’s steps stopped. He looked at Maisha with a surprised expression before a shout rang out from behind the girl.
“Look out!”
The wyvern’s roar sounded fierce as the strong wind pushed against Maisha’s body. The girl almost tumbled over when a pair of sturdy arms suddenly embraced her, making her body feel the hardness and coldness of the armor.
However, the man pushed her aside before she could react, making her sway.
Maisha’s eyes widened when the man called Cyril ran back towards the wyvern while swinging a sword. She immediately gave chase, throwing her body at the man just as the tip of the sword grazed the raised leg of the giant reptile.