Vicious Wildlife II [Chain C-Rank Hu Kouha and Ariella Negri]

"How boring." The 5th in line Kou princess told no-one in particular as she looked out of her window. It was a sunny day in the Plains of Magnostadt and the close to nine hours of traveling in the carriage had brought unimaginable boredom to the normally active princess. She had spent the first few by combing her hair and cleaning Specter. "Huh?" A confused sound escaped Hu's lips as she saw something rather unusual fly across her window, it didn't seem to be very close but it appeared to look like a.... flying manta ray? Her eyes widened slightly, so Magnostadt had those? She had heard her brother talk about them before however she never imagined that she would see one. Her soldiers didn't seem to have noticed it as they just continued walking on quietly. The silence however didn't seem to continue too long as the carriage had suddenly stopped. "My princess, you might want to come and see this."One of the soldiers said quietly, the princess barely managed to hear it. There was something about the voice in which he said it that made Kouha uneasy. With Specter in hand the royalty walked out of her carriage only to behold a saddening sight. A bunch of caravans lay in waste- wood, food and destroyed wine jugs lay around however what worried Hu the most was the safety of who-ever was driving those around. "Look for survivors immediately, if any are found tend to their wounds and call me." She ordered as she herself began looking around. Small cuts were visible on the remnants of the wooden caravans causing the raise of an eyebrow from the princess. "A hurricane? Here?" Kouha asked herself quietly as she looked at the sunny sky, it was impossible, her men would've seen it and informed her. What the heck happened here?

[WC 309/1000]

[Magoi 200/200]

Job Overview: Three Manta have been roaming the trade routes in the Plains, making merchants afraid to travel. Take out the creatures attacking the caravans and you will be rewarded!

Enemy Name: Ravenous Manta x3
Rank: C-Tier
Needed damage to take down: C-Tier
Abilities: Deals C-Tier damage with fangs or spiked tail and flies at 10 m/s.
Gust - Flaps its wings at 15 m/s to create a current of wind that deals C-Tier damage up to twenty meters away.
Gobbling - Swoops down at 15 m/s up to ten meters away to bite a target, dealing C-tier damage

---

Ari sat comfortably in the saddle, her eyes turned to the skies. There had been reports of some overzealous Mantas making the area troublesome for travel and she was eager to help out. Nilexa flew at her side, the winged serpent flicking her tongue out to taste the air as she followed Ari Ari’s time in Reim had taught her the importance of helping out wherever she could. It did not take her long to see a disrupted caravan in the distance, with a single carriage upright. Squinting to see better, the carriage was a well-made traveling unit, not like the wagons that were overturned and half destroyed. She nudged the horse closer, the clop of its hooves drawing the attention of… were those Kou guards? She had seen enough of them in Reim to recognize their distinct apparel and she drew her horse to a stop as one of them approached her in an almost hostile manner, demanding she stop. She arched a brow but kept the horse still as the guard approached.

“Sir, I am here to assist the traveling merchants. What is the meaning of keeping me from this task?”

Before the guard had a chance to respond, she heard the cry of a small child and she jumped down from her horse, brushing past the guard without a thought as she searched out the source of the cry. As she moved to the wagons, the guard followed her, demanding she stop in the name of the royal family, but Ari had no patience for the demands and kept searching through an overturned wagon until she came across a child of no more than four years old, crying for her mother. Ari gave the child a gentle smile, picking the girl up and looking around. It looked like the child’s mother was pinned under part of the wagon.

“Don’t worry, miss. We will get you out of here, I promise.”

At her back, the Kou guard continued to harass her, demanding she identify herself and even going so far as to pull a sword on her. Ari’s brow arched and it took only a quick movement of her hand to draw her chained dagger and spin, holding the dagger to the guard’s throat, a sharp look in her eye as she held the child secure in her other arm. Nilexa hissed and spun angrily at Ari’s side, the purple snake unhappy that anyone might dare try to harm her mistress.

“If you do not intend to help me get this woman out of this wagon, then at least put your sword away and step back. I have zero patience for you.”

She did not care if it was the Emperor himself in the carriage, the trapped woman was more important than some self-indulgent member of the royal family. The guard stuttered at how quickly she had managed to draw a weapon on him, even with a child in her arms, and gulped, holding up his hands and stepping back. At least the man was smart. Nilexa calmed down when the guard stepped back, moving to land on Ari’s shoulder, her tongue flicking out at the child and making it giggle.

[533/1000]

Weapons brought along:

The princess couldn't find anything despite searching all around. "Ah." she smiled childishly as she cleaned up a dusty brown bear that she found under a wooden plank. So then there was a child in one of the caravans? Sadness overcame the woman as she let the though of a dead child slip into her mind.

"My lady, intruders!"One of the soldiers came towards the princess, he seemed to be distressed and very out of breath. Hu arched an eyebrow, waiting for the man to continue. "A vicious tanned woman -pant- she had a flying snake -pant- came up to me and -pant- she pointed a dagger at me." The princess looked at the guard, something about the way he said it seemed suspicious. "You, take me to the place of this "intruder" so that I can see that for myself." She followed the man towards the the place in question, truly spotting a long-haired tan woman however she did not seem as vicious as her guard described her. Hu approached her with caution before noticing the kid in her arms. A small sigh of relief escaped Kouha's lips as she walked towards the woman, her manner relaxed and friendly, her confidence as high as usual. "My lady be careful she's armed and means us harm-." The glare that the princess threw her guard made the man shudder and shut up. How exactly could he call someone who was cradling a child in her arms vicious? "Is this yours sweetheart?" The princess asked the kid as she handed it the teddy-bear. Recognition passed through it's eyes and it hugged the bear with a smile.

As Hu then turned towards the woman in front of her she noticed the gorgeous golden eyes that she possessed before earning a hiss from the snake. The princess was about to introduce herself before she noticed the woman stuck under the carriage. She bowed hoping that the dark-skinned beauty in front of her would understand that the safety of the people was a priority. The royalty used a couple of fast basic slices from Specter, cutting the wagon in pieces and quickly moving them aside. "Men, tend to all possible wounds that this lady has, inform me of any severe injuries or broken bones. She must rest, she's probably still in shock." Hu ordered her soldiers as they quickly carried the woman into the princess' carriage. She then turned towards the purple-haired lady, feeling completely responsible for however her men had treated the woman. "Please do excuse my soldiers' behaviour, they still have that paranoid habit that my father has instilled into their heads." The royalty bowed yet again before raising her head and introducing herself with a smile. "I'm Hu Kouha, and you miss?" She asked politely as she twirled Specter around in one hand slowly before sticking it into the ground.

[WC 783/1000]

Ari juggled the girl on her hip, Nilexa fluttered in the air, performing tricks to cheer the child up. When a young woman approach, Ari kept a hand on her dagger, though she did not draw it. When the young woman handed the child her teddy bear, Ari smiled and let the dagger stay hanging around her waist. The royal woman helped to free the child’s mother and Ari nodded in approval before letting the little girl rush over to her mother. Ari turned to look at the young woman once more, listening to her apologize for her guard and introducing herself, arching her brow at the name. Any diplomat worth their weight knew the names of the Emperor’s children. Never a fan of too many formalities, Ari offered a small bow before introducing herself.

“My name is Ariella Negri, I came from Magnostadt to try and help these merchants out. Do not worry about your guards, they were in more danger than I was.”

She chuckled before scanning around once more, freezing slightly as she caught the incoming shadows. As the shadows grew larger, she identified them as the Manta the merchants had probably been attacked by. She set a hand on Hu’s shoulder and stepped in front of her, with a smile.

“Princess Kouha, you may wish to either get ready to use your spear, or call for your guards.”

The tone she used implied that if the princess simply called for her guards, Ari would lose some respect for the young woman. No one should carry a weapon unless they knew how to use it and were willing to. With a shake to her sleeve, her wand fell into her hand and Nilexa flew a few meters away to make sure she did not interfere with the fight or risk getting hit. Ari used Gravity Lift to take to the air, waiting until they were within ten meters of her to use Numbing Spheres on the three creatures. The spheres of lightning each struck a wing of each of the three Manta, their numbed wings unable to keep them in the air and forcing them down on the ground. Ari lowered herself back to the ground and turned to Hu to see how the woman would react from there. Ari had intentionally brought the creatures to the ground to make it easier for the princess to use her spear.

“Would you like the honors, Princess?”

[941/1000]
[Magoi 270/300]

Abilities Used:

Ariella Negri...hmmm an interesting name for an interesting woman. That second name was Noble wasn't it? She remembered having one of her brothers mention it during a meeting. Hu listened to the explanation as to why Miss Negri was here and giggled a bit about the end of her sentence. Kouha was about to ask the woman if she knew what had happened here before she saw them herself- it was the second time today however she could see a Flying Manta Ray, only this time they were three. Through the way that Miss Ariella had acted the princess could assume that they were the enemy.

With a narrow of her eyes at the purple haired woman's remark, Kouha grabbed her spear and span it around in one hand confidently. "Please remember Miss Negri, The 5th Princess of Kou would never let her guard do her dirty work." She told the lady as she walked confidently towards the enemy, although still not having any idea how to reach them at their height. That problem appeared to have been quite easily dealt with as she noticed that the woman was a magician. "Amazing." Hu muttered as she watched the woman deal with the creatures single handedly. As they fell down to the ground the Princess grinned, she hadn't killed them but had used some paralyzing ability? Intriguing.

With a grin in response to the question that Lady Ariella had asked her, Princess Hu Kouha slid her spear towards the unmoving creatures activating Matchstick. With her burning ribbon blade she slashed each of the creatures a couple of times at where their heart is meant to be, making sure that she gave them a quick and painless death. After she inspected her handy-work the princess turned towards the woman which was still flying above her. "Would you like to stay for dinner Miss Negri? I'm sure that fried Manta-ray is delicious." The Princess invited the woman formally, although with a confident grin as she headed towards her carriage. The woman had helped her a lot due to the fact that Hu could technically never reach the height of the Manta-Rays but her Kou pride was too high for her to admit it out loud. Hopefully the magician could see that despite the pride the princess meant no harm. "Men, the enemy has been defeated, prepare us a fried Manta-Ray for dinner, serve some for the child and her mother as well." Kouha ordered her soldiers who appeared to come out of the carriage with a shocked expression but in hurry. Turning towards Lady Ariella, curiosity sparked the woman's eyes as she turned Matchstick off by pouring a bit of water over her blade. "Would your snake like dinner as well?"

[WC 1237/1000]

[Magoi 180/200]

Name: Matchstick Blade
Tier: C
Cost: 20 for using and 10 for sustain per post
Weapon Type: Spear
Class: Supplementary
Range: Close
Duration: Sustained
Cool-Down: 3 posts or Sustain +1
Description: Hu slides one end of her spear on the ground at 15 m/s towards her opponent, using the friction to ignite the ribbon next to the black blade of the spear, causing any attacks in the next two posts to also cause second-degree burns.

Ariella watched as the princess took care of the Manta quickly, slightly impressed at the other woman’s willingness to get her hands dirty with such tasks. It spoke volumes about a person’s character when they were willing to deal with a problem themselves instead of pushing it off on their subordinates. When the princess invited her to stay for dinner, she turned to look at Nilexa with an arched brow.

“What do you think, pretty girl? Shall we accept her offer? You won’t make it back to the babies tonight anyhow…”

Nilexa flicked her tongue at Ari’s nose before bobbing in the air. Ari chuckled as Nilexa settled on her shoulders before turning back to the princess.

“I would be happy to join you, Princess Kouha. But first, I would like to check in with the mother and child.”

Giving a small bow, she moved over to where the woman and child were, giving a friendly smile as she looked them both over. When the child showed her a scraped elbow, Ari ruffled the child’s hair before pulling her wand out again, using Minor Heal to take care of the wound. The child clapped excitedly and the mother gave her a whispered thank you. When one of the guards offered her some of the cooked Manta, she took it and handed it to the child with a laugh.

“Enjoy, you two. I hear it tastes like chicken! And thank the Princess, all I did was knock them out of the air.”

She gave the child a wink before making her way back over to the princess, grabbing a skewer of meat and biting a chunk from it, none of the grace and formality she would normally have in front of royalty present. If the princess was out traveling in the wild, then she should be used to people behaving normally and not bowing or scraping to tend to her every need. Nilexa flew away, off to hunt her own dinner.

“Nilexa prefers her food a bit more… fresh… and alive. But I appreciate the dinner. I have been helping out across the Plains for the last couple of days and intend to continue to do so before returning to my dull and tiresome duties in Magnostadt. I don’t suppose you would be interested in joining me… I can’t promise it will be exciting or that the accommodations will be what you are used to, but it’s always nice to see the smiles from the people we will be helping.”

As she spoke, the child came running over, holding out a small flower to both the princess and Ari. Ari accepted it gratefully and hugged the child.

“Thank you, Sarah, this is beautiful!”

She tucked the flower into her hair before looking back to the princess for an answer about whether the other woman would want to join her.

[1419/1000]
[Magoi 260/300]

Ability Used:

As the princess bit off a small piece of the manta meat as Lady Negri joined them. She took a large bite of her meat chunk causing a small grin to rise upon the princess' lips. Her soldiers shot the purple-haired woman judgmental looks but the glare that they received from their princess immediately made them turn towards their food.

Hu nodded as she listened to Miss Ariella's explanation about her snake who's name appeared to be Nilexa. The magician's story was intriguing to the young princess, it appeared that she too had been helping around the plains. Kouha's emerald eyes snapped towards the woman in front of her. Joining her in her journey sound like an amazing idea, she would love to help more people in need however there was one problem. "I have also helped out several people in my past days in the Plains, in fact for me it was quite entertaining. There was an incident with a flower growing on a windmill, of and there was this thieving flying carpet?" She explained, the way that she structured the sentence made it seem as if it was a question rather then an explanation. Every time she explained that it sounded as if she was crazy. "Lady Ariella I would love to accept your proposal however I have men which I cannot simply leave to their deaths." Hu told the magician as she indicated her four soldiers who seemed to be getting drunk on wine.  "Despite their first impression, and their current one, they are actually quite, if not anything else, amusing to keep around." The princess explained with a friendly smile as she waved towards the small child.

[WC 1519/1000]

[Magoi 180/200]

Ari arched a brow at the guards, shaking her head. Any guard stupid enough to get drunk especially when in the presence of the one they were supposed to be guarding... it was abysmal. No wonder the Emperor didn't trust anyone, these men were supposed to be guarding his daughter and instead were drinking. They would not be able to stop her if she chose to draw her wand or blade and kill the Princess right now. She made a noise of disappointment.

"Princess... you can either act like a noble, or you can act like a normal person. But to do both with your subordinates is... well, pardon my disrespect, but it is foolish. Those men can either be your friends or your guards. Both would protect you, but you are blurring the lines by allowing this unprofessional behavior."

She sighed and took another bite of her meat, chewing it thoughtfully.

"If it is too much of an imposition for you to join me, I understand. I am not big on traveling with guards, though. They frighten the tribes. This is not an area that appreciates the presence of your country, for many reasons. So by traveling with them, while you may intend to help, your men and your mode of travel scare people. Wouldn't you rather just grab a horse and help these people instead of frightening them? Most of the tribes around here... when they see a member of Kou nobility, traveling about with guards and a carriage, they come to a single conclusion. That your father has decided to 'ally' with them. And by 'ally' I mean force them to join your country or die."

Her words were quiet but friendly. She was not trying to be mean to the princess, only explain how her presence in the area could be seen. She did not know how the other woman felt about her father's tactics and so she refrained from making judgement. She had seen numerous times where the Emperor would send one of his children out to "help" the tribes, only to have Kou troops follow by within weeks to utterly destroy the way of life of these gentle people. She wondered if his children knew how he used them to scout out an area before sending battalions in. She gave a warm smile to the princess as Nilexa flew back over, her belly full.

"The offer stands. You may join me if you would like. But you would have to ditch the carriage and your men. Sorry."

Nilexa curled up on Ari's lap, twittering happily to her mistress as she warmed herself by the campfire.

The Princess nodded, she understood the way that miss Negri's thoughts' were flowing and knew quite well that she was unprofessional. With a short nod, she replied to the magician's first statements. "True." She then listened to the woman's explanation as to why she couldn't travel both with her AND her soldiers. It is true that her father's methods were a bit extreme however she still loved him as her father. With a sigh and a curt bow, Kouha stood up and walked towards her head-knight who seemed to be the only one not drunk "From tomorrow on you are dismissed, go tell my father that I will be back home in a week or two and to NOT search for me, that's an order." The head-soldier looked behind the princess and nodded without a word. That was simple enough. As she looked back towards the Magician with two raised hands and a small smile she grinned. "I'm all in for our journey." Hu's two hands however dropped to her sides as a though crossed her mind. Her lips formed a thin line as she approached Miss Ariella cautiously. "You already know who I serve, however I have no idea about you Miss." A cold shiver ran down the princess' spine, the answer was probably not something she would want to hear. If she was to inform whoever she was serving under the princess would have to flee.

Ari arched a brow when the princess dismissed her guards. Either the girl was brave, or she was stupid. To dismiss her guards without knowing who she was with…Ari sighed. Luckily, she had no intention of harming the princess, the other woman seemed nice enough and had not shown any intent to harm innocent people. When Hu asked about her name, she chuckled softly.

“I serve no one, Princess. I am a native of Magnostadt, my family heavily involved in the politics there, but I hold allegiance only to myself and my loved ones. Magnostadt does not require that we ‘serve’ them. We are welcome to come and go as we please, whether it be to the Plains or another continent. Our Chancellor simply asks the diplomats for guidance on decisions. I am not my nationality, I am simply myself. I take pride in being from Magnostadt, they offer the best magical training in the world and my family was part of founding it, ages ago.”

She gently ran her finger over Nilexa’s head, the winged serpent snoring softly in her lap.

“I do not believe a person is who they serve. A person is what they do and why they do it. If they choose to serve a horrible person and do horrible things, both they and their leader are the ones to blame, not just the leader. I choose to spend my time helping those that cannot help themselves. Like now, I am helping the tribes deal with problems they are not suited to handle on their own. I enjoy seeing the smiles on their faces and knowing that I have improved their chances of surviving. And you, princess? Why do you and your carriage travel about, helping a little girl and her mother recover from a vicious attack? Fame? Money? Boredom? Scouting for your dear daddy?”

The last part slipped out with a sharp note. She truly did not want to antagonize the princess, but how Hu Kouha reacted to the question would tell her a lot about how the woman felt about the Emperor’s policies.

The princess nodded with a smile at the woman's respone, the caution yet again disappearing in her eyes, she wasn't asking which country she served, she was asking who. So Hu was correct, Lady Ariella really was a diplomat. Her smile widened at the Magician's next words, it was clearly obvious that she had let her personal opinion about the princess' father slip out of her lips.Miss Negri's questions made the princess' interest in the purple-haired woman even deeper. There was a chance that the woman knew her mother...

"Helping someone in need? Yes doing that brings happiness to my soul, Fame?- creating my own name is indeed an interest of mine, I do not wish to be known as the 5th Princess of Kou all my life. "She told the lady as she looked up at the stars, a cold wind blew through her long pink hair. "Money? I do not need anymore of that, Boredom? There is always a bit of that sadly." The princess chuckled lightly at the question. They that Lady Negri had structured it clearly showed hostility towards the Emperor. "Do not get me wrong Miss Ariella, I am loyal to my father as a dog is to it's master, despite that I am here on my own accord. " She chuckled, being honest could always get her killed any time of the day, but as a Princess who was born and raised in the empire, her Kou pride was quite high.  She locked her eyes with the woman, proving that she was not lying. "My father currently has no interest in Magnostadt, his eyes are cast somewhere else as we prepare for war." Hu muttered as she put down her piece of Manta meat. She had lost her appetite as she looked up towards the stars yet again. "I'm not home to help my brothers in the military matter because I'm here, searching for the history of my dead mother." The princess whispered very quietly to the magician without looking at her. She hated the fact that she couldn't look through her father's military operations and tell him how it would be less painful for him and his army however this was something that she had to do, she needed to learn about her heritage. "My mother used to be a noble light magician from Magnostadt, she was killed when I was young, the scorn that Father and I felt that day proved to me that despite what anyone sais, Kou's Emperor still was human and with the ability to love." A pained look quickly passed through the princess' face as she remembered the day that the Emperor came to personally see his daughter and had shed a few tears a long side her.

Ari listened to the woman's words, her opinion shifting from one response to the next. By the end, she was frowning in thought.

"While I believe you have no agenda, Princess, I fear you underestimate your father greatly. The only reason your father does not have his sights set on Magnostadt is because he tried to invade, last year, And failed. To great losses on both sides, actually. We barely kept his greedy hands out of our country. That, and he is distracted with his conquest of Reim. You being as 'loyal as a dog' to him is blind admiration and not an informed decision. Either that, or you agree that it is acceptable to invade and crush another person's culture without regard."

At the mention of the Princess' mother, Ari arched a brow, her head cocking to the side.

"Your mother might have studied in Magnostadt, but if she did, I would have been too young to take any note. My brother may know more... as far as your father being human, I never denied that. I imagine something had to have happened in the past to turn him into the bitter, delusional, paranoid man he is today. But I digress. Not all of us are comfortable rebelling from our parents."

Ari hummed softly, staring at the flames.

"Why do you feel the need to make a name for yourself? I'm not trying to be snide, I have just never understood this desire in people and was hoping someone might be able to explain it to me. Being well-known just puts a larger target on your back, no matter who you are or where you come from. People become envious of what you have and will do anything to take that from you. Why not just strive to be happy and to help others for the sake of helping them, nothing else?"

She always had trouble understanding why people wanted fame and status, it was just more trouble than it was worth. She had always gotten more joy just being 'Miss Ari' to the kids she helped than being Ariella Negri, daughter of Evelyn and Adamus Negri, diplomats of Magnostadt, the Negri family having helped found Magnostadt in past generations. She despised when people knew her only for her family name and standing and tried to use that to garner more for themselves. No, she had no patience for self-centered people who sought nothing but fame and fortune. She turned with a chuckle as the little girl approached her, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Miss Awi? Can Niwexa sweep with me?"

The winged serpent raised her head to look at Ari and she nodded, ruffling the girl's hair and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Of course, she likes to cuddle! Now scoot back to bed with you, little lady!"

The child shuffled off as Nilexa flew next to her, laying down on the bed roll next to the young girl and snuggling into the warmth. Ari chuckled and shook her head before turning back to the princess.

"See... she doesn't care that I am well-known. She only cares that I have a cute pet she wants to cuddle with. That is fulfilling for me."

A frown crossed the princess' lips at the Lady's words. A slight tingle of hostility rose in her heart as she attempted to respond calmly. "I know very well of my father's decisions and of all of his intentions, my devotion towards his cause is complete despite us having different methods to obtain what we want. I also do not believe that my father would crush Magnostadt's culture as he so adorns this place due to my mother and magic overall." That last part of the sentence removed all hostility as a giggle escaped the princess' lips. "I remember when one of his generals made a ball of fire fly around him and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull in amazement." Nostalgia and sadness washed over the princess before she got back on the topic. "I have personally made sure that the last two places that my father had entered into the empire have kept their culture, we allow them to throw their festivals and pray to their gods. We run reforms to rebuild the ruined houses, because as we both know my father has violent methods that often ruin homes, and as we are under a military regime we do take their boys away from the people for our army, to which I do not fully agree is proper however every time I raise the issue it is lightly brushed off." Hu's voice gave off a vibe of annoyance as the air blew through her hair.

Kouha's green eyes listened to Miss Negri intently for her mothers past however as the woman appeared to not know anything a small sigh escaped the princess' lips. "Would it be too much to ask if you question your brother about this matter for me?"

The next question created a small smile on the princess' lips. As the little girl from earlier approached the magician and asked if she could sleep with Lady Ariella's snake a look of gentleness overcame Hu's features. She waited for the child to go to bed before opening her lips to speak, her hand raised towards the night sky. "You see those stars? And the moon?" She began, her emerald eyes were lit up with love towards the entities on the sky. The way Hu spoke showed no formalities between the two women. Her hand reached out as if to grab the small speckles of light. "They are known for helping lost travelers find their way, they light up the correct way." She continued as the light of the moon went through the gaps between her fingers. "I believe that each of these stars is the soul of someone with a passion towards good, the larger the star is the most likely it is to be given a name..." Hu paused as she glanced at the magician. "No one can hate the stars because despite however much you hate them and however much you've cursed them, when you are lost they will always be there to help you out, to light up the way." The princess then turned towards the night sky again. "It's true that the bigger name you have, the larger bounty you have on your head, it's true that  there is always someone that hates you and is envious of what you have..." Kouha paused as she let her hand fall. "... however when that person asks me for help, no matter if it's my mortal enemy or an assassin who has tried to kill me before, I want to be strong enough to protect both myself and that person as I naively throw myself into battle. I want to shine bright and as strong as the full moon because I'll be able to save little girls like that one. " The Kou princess indicated Sarah with a gentle smile before turning towards the nobility before her. "I want to have a name so that those in trouble know where to look for me." She finished explaining as she grinned at Lady Ariella. "Does it make sense Miss?"

The more Ari listened to the words to the princess, the more she realized the girl either truly had no idea what her father did or completely agreed with his methods. In either case, it was not someone she would want to call ally, let alone friend. But perhaps she was misjudging the woman. After all, it was not fair to judge her based on her father’s actions. Ari was silent as the princess talked about the stars, chuckling softly. She and her own father had often looked up at the stars.

“Well, I suppose if that is your reason, I can understand. For right now, I will do my best to ignore your support and ignorance of your father’s actions, as I can assure beyond a shadow of a doubt, he does not allow people to retain their culture. I have seen this first hand in his attempt to take over Magnostadt, wanting only to take our powerful magicians for his own military. My father almost lost his life and several of my teachers did perish in the battles. One of your own Generals was so terrified of what your father would do with his magically-inclined niece, that he made a deal with my family to seek asylum for her in Magnostadt. I have seen, with my own eyes, what happens when he ‘allies’ with the tribes on these Plains. And I was there when he allowed one of his bastard heirs to take over Reim. So do NOT preach to me about what you believe you coerced your father into doing, regarding cultures. Because you are ignorant if you think he allows anyone to retain their culture, their way of life.”

Ari stood and straightened her skirt, giving the princess a small bow.

“I am going to retire for the evening. I intend to start out tomorrow before sunrise for another local tribe that is having troubles with creatures stealing their supplies. If you still intend to join me, please be ready.”

Ari would quietly go about unloading her bedroll from her horses, spreading it out near the woman and her child. Nilexa lifted her head, flicking her tongue at her upset mistress in concern. When Ari gave her a small smile and a nod, the serpent settled back into sleep beside the child. She was tired from the day’s events, but wanted to make sure she did not worry people, so she pulled her part of the Journey Book from her bedroll and scribbled out a message.

Azix,
I wish you could have come with me, so I could show you the sights in Magnostadt and through the Plains. It is a clear night, the stars are twinkling brightly overhead and I find myself wondering if you are looking at them too. I hope you and the kids are doing well, I have bumped into a Kou princess trying to help out some of the tribes. Seems like typical royalty.

I just wanted you to know I was thinking of you and have not managed to get myself killed… yet. Give my love to the kids and know that I wish I could be lying beside you right now, instead of listening to Nilexa snore.

Thinking of you,
Ari~

Her message written, she tucked the Journey Book safely away before falling asleep.

The princess sighed, of course her father had brutally murdered and had ordered the capture of the strongest people. Kouha couldn't at times understand her own father's beliefs of "brute force solves everything". She understood why people cursed her father however the one thing that she could never allow to happen was for people to call her brothers names such as "Bastard". Then again, the hostility was understandable as Kou had indeed attempted to take over Magnostadt. A small smile spread across the princess' lips. She missed her brothers, she missed arguing with them, she missed their laugher and her sparring matches with them. Hu sighed, there was still people in need. She looked back up at the stars. Joining that woman... Lady Ariella seemed to be quite hostile towards the Kou Empire thus maybe it wasn't the smartest choice however she had promised herself not to back down, she needed to learn about her mother. People still required help, and adventures were still, well, un-adventured. With a sigh the princess twirled her spear around her fingers. There was no way she was missing out on an adventure with this interesting woman. A small groan escaped the princess' lips, she had to go to sleep early if she wanted to wake up early.