WE kept flying for a whole entire day.
Southwest, southwest. To the castle Princess is waiting for us at—the land where the three rivers meet.
“Just a little farther. Let’s charge right into the castle at this speed.”
“Nay, you should rest soon,” Dragon warned as he caught an updraft and glided like the swiftest of birds through the air.
“Tch! What the hell are you sayin’?! I’ve withstood military marches more strenuous ‘n backbreakin’ than this!”
“You are not as young now as you were then.”
I’m speechless. In truth, my shoulders, neck, and back are sore and stiff, like an iron rod’s been crammed between the bones. For crying out loud, time is cruel.
“Rest for now, Gideon Thorn.”
“Hmmm…”
“Rest so that you can take on the coming battle in perfect form.”
“Bah!”
There’s only one reason why the witch would go outta her way to blend into the Little Girl Hunt’s victims and kidnap Princess—to deliver her to Lord Designs. In which case, Princess is safe until the wedding ceremony ends. It’s a marriage between royals, so they’ll really hafta put on a show if he wants to legitimize his reign. Besides, there’s no way a man who spends an hour gettin’ his beard groomed every dang morning would secretly hold his wedding. I’ll bet he wants to throw the flashiest wedding of the century. And he’ll invest all the money and power he has to make it happen! He probably finished preparing the wedding clothes while searching for Princess, but the banquet food can’t be made on the spot. Nor can he expect guests to arrive as soon as he invites them.
My thoughts get ‘bout that far when Dragon steadfastly lectures me once more to make sure I listen, “I am not telling you to sleep a whole night. Just rest for a little bit. A little bit.”
“…Fine, for a little bit.”
This stupid lizard spoke to me after seein’ through everything I was thinkin’.
“There’s a forest over there. It’s the perfect place to hide.” Dragon tilts his wings and angles downward before I even have time to agree.
“No objections here.”
It’s pretty cute and quaint compared to the Black Forest. But only when you look from above. The forest runs deep and thick enough to swallow anyone traveling on foot after leading them astray.
We steadily head toward land. The ground comes ever closer. Partway down, the bottom of my feet cut through the clouds. It feels like insanely thick fog.
“COLD!”
Dragon’s body instantly turns hot. Thanks to him, I get through it without freezing to death.
FWUMP!
My body lifts into the air for a split second, then is immediately shoved downwards. This is what happens when he lands on solid ground. I slide from his back without a moment’s delay.
“Ouch…uggh…”
I really wish my body would give me a break and stop creakin’ here and poppin’ there right after I move. Sheesh. I didn’t notice it during our constant flight, but I finally understand after we’ve come to a stop. I’m aware of it now: this fatigue, exhaustion, and zapped strength can’t even begin to be compared to what I’ve felt after a long military march out on a horse. Resting was the right choice. Considering the current state of my body, I wouldn’t have been capable of moving right away, forget launchin’ an attack on the castle.
The first thing I do on land is stretch out my stiff limbs.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m all…right…I think.”
PSSH! A line of steam puffs from his nose. The white heat floats visibly in the forest’s air, but darkens by the second.
“You are forbidden from pushing yourself beyond your means, O Knight. Oh, and will you align your vision with mine if it isn’t an impediment to you? It’s almost the hour when there isn’t enough light for human eyes.”
“Alrighty, alrighty.”
I shut my eyes and concentrate on the left side of my chest. PING! The sound of someone plucking a taut string echoes inside my head as beads of light blur behind my eyelids. Obviously, that sound and these lights aren’t actually happening, but the scenery is completely changed when I open my eyes.
“Wow, how bright.”
It’s as if I’m seeing the forest under two or three full moons. A transparent indigo veil covers everything projected into my eyes, keeping the original colors and shapes vivid.
“So this is the world at night as you see it.”
“Indeed.”
Chirping bugs and birds sound like music to my ears. Even the noises of the babbling brook in the distance chimes in. Until now, all of it sounded like nothing more than white noise.
“You’ve always heard so many different sounds, huh? …This is fantastic.”
“I have. I find your appreciation quite gratifying.”
The forest rests on top of a slightly elevated plateau. I look to the west through the tree leaves and branches. With the setting sun at my back, I can see the distinct, black castle to the far southwest.
Princess is waiting for us there.
“Hm?”
Is it just me? The shape of the castle’s a tad different from how I remember it…yeah, for some reason it looks jagged. It’s tapered into a point.
What’s going on?
Wrinkling my brow, I squint and strain my eyes. But the castle oddly flickers and doesn’t come into focus.
“It’s dangerous.”
Out of nowhere, a silver-haired, barely visible raven skinned girl sticks her face out in front of mine. Her face is upside-down to boot! She’s danglin’ from the end of a thread extended from a tree branch! If not for her silver hair glimmering in the moonlight, I would barely have made her out even with Dragon’s enhanced sight.
“You! What did’ja come here for?!”
My hair stands on end. This girl tricked me. She kidnapped Princess.
And what I can’t stand most of all is that she used the corpses of the girls who had grown ever weaker with despair until they died to her own gain!
“I won’t forgive you.” The vein in my temple bulges. It’s going to split open at any moment.