Hoku entered with the other knights into the first cabin. Hoku noticed the flash of bright colours that drew his eye immediately to the throne. She sat on a flowery throne. She wore a white headpiece, her thin black hair barely peeking out.
Her eyes gleamed over to the group. The messenger and riders dropped to their knees. Guppy jumped up and also bowed to one knee, dragging Hoku down.
"My family has ruled over this land for many generations," Princess Shari started.
"It originally began when my great-grandmother married into the role. I'm sure you've heard the story of how her reign ended."
"She foolishly thought that she could trust her loved ones, those closest to her, but then she was tragically betrayed by her own brother and killed atop her throne.
"It's been many years since, and in all that time, it's absurd to think that, until now..." Her mouth opened wide.
None in my family have suffered an embarrassment as catastrophic as this!"
"Do you understand how hard it was for me to sit here and watch every second of that pathetic display! Incompetence doesn't even begin to describe what has taken place here!"
Not only did you fail your assignment, but you let that silver buffoon completely show you up!"
The riders bowed their heads low.
"Now let me ask you this: What would be an appropriate punishment for this failure?"
The scouts fell silent not because they couldn't come up with anything, but because they knew exactly what was coming.
"Banishment! All of you are banished!" She swiped her hand in fury, then caught her breath.
She looked down at Hoku. "Who are you?"
"He is the one with the signal, Your Majesty", the captain said
"You're not from around here," she hummed.
Hoku felt a bead of sweat drip down his brow.
"Why was I not informed of more foreign knights entering my lands?" Princess Shari asked.
"Answer, her Majesty!" The messenger commanded Hoku.
"I don't know," Hoku said.
The soldier looked at Hoku with shock and fear.
"Before today, I don't remember a thing about myself or how I ended up here," Hoku continued.
'Not much else I can say.'
The princess took out a decorated fan and fanned herself. "Ah, it gets so hot this time of year. This ordeal has been far too much on me.
"You can join that silver bucket and his assistant as they depart for the city," she said shoeing in his direction.
"Permission to speak," the captain said.
"What?"
"I'm afraid Sir Merrymore said that he would be taking the criminals back with him."
The princess closed her fan, making the riders jump.
"Sorry... I don't think I heard what you said," she said with a twitching eye.
The captain looked down. "Additionally... Sir Merrymore said that he was borrowing some of the riders and their mounts to carry the criminals."
An ear-piercing shriek filled the carriage. "That insolent... idiotic. unsuave. glorified anvil-headed fool!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.
Outside the carriage, Merrymore turned at the scream "Oh dear, that's our cue to leave ," he said.
"Sir, we're ready to go," a rider knight who was with him said.
Sephora was at the side brushing one of the mount's fur with her hand. Her eyes met Merrymore's, and she nodded.
"You simply agreed to this proposal without my permission," the princess asked the captain.
The captain didn't answer.
"If you wish to keep any good graces, let alone your head, you will stop at nothing to knock that fool off his mount and take back control of your squad. Do you understand?!"
The captain hesitated.
Princess Shari stepped off her throne, her shiny slippers sparkling in the sun.
"Now!"
The riders all left the room, and Hoku and Guppy followed, unsure of what to make out of the situation
"What's going to happen to us?" Hoku asked the captain.
"You're coming with us," he responded.
"Huh? But wait, aren't you going after the guy who just saved me?" Hoku asked, squirming. "I have some conflicting feelings about this."
"Come, you can each ride behind one of us". He nodded to Guppy, who averted his eyes.
Once outside. Hoku got behind the back of the captain and Guppy got behind one of the other riders. Hoku was nervous; he'd never ridden a creature. And this situation was too high-intensity to be his first experience. The captain's arm was still injured since Baldervich broke it, his occasional wincing added to Hoku's apprehension.
The captain took note of Hoku's weariness. "You'll be fine as long as you stay close. I've seen your bravery first-hand."
Hoku looked at Guppy, who seemed less concerned. Perhaps he realised now that none of the knights really recognised him. He comfortably hugged the back of one of the riders.
Hoku made out the hazy dots in the distance that were no doubt Merrymore and the other riders. They set off and away from the carriage towards the horizon
"Do you really think we can catch up to them?" Hoku asked.
"I have no doubt that Her Majesty will assist us"
"Assist? No offence, but I didn't take her for the do-things-herself type, more the boss-everyone-around type."
The captain chuckled.
Queen Shari was watching intently out the open space of the carriage. A red energy leaked out from her palms. She raised her hands in the air, muttering as the energy expanded and shot out into the sand like a faint wave or pulse.
Suddenly, Hoku felt a bump beneath him as the mounts began to growl. The mounts' legs hit the sand and pushed back fiercely. Hoku yelped.
Their furry legs cycled back and forth, and their paws became a blur in the sand. The mounts quickly sped forward, leaving the carriage in the sand. After a couple of minutes, the Hoku grew accustomed to the speed; all he felt was the liberating desert breeze on his face. The dots were starting to resemble recognisable shapes.
"So! What are you going to do when you get there?!" Hoku shouted against the wind. "That silver guy's really strong; surely you don't plan on fighting him?"
The captain didn't answer immediately.
"I mean, it's none of my business really. But if you do, no hard feelings if we join whoever wins."
"You think we'd lose against Sir Merrymore."
"Sorry, but yeah," Hoku answered immediately.
"No need to apologise... No need at all." The captain laughed out loud.
Hoku looked to the side awkwardly.
In the distance, riding bumpily in the sand. Baldervich opened his eyes.
"Good morning, scoundrel!" Merrymore greeted.
"Where the hell am I?!" Baldervich screamed.
"We'll have more than enough time for you to give me a rundown of your criminal activities once we arrive at the capital. But for the time being, why don't you tell me a little more about today's events? How did this encounter begin?"
Baldervich snarled. Then he dropped his head down and bit through the mount's fur into its flesh. The animal cried out as blood squirted out, and he spat out the clumps of blue fur.
Merrymore's mount flailed and knocked them both off into the sand.
"Sir!" The surrounding riders yelled
"All is good!"
Merrymore fell but caught himself skidding in the sand. Baldevich fell face-first.
The others in the group slowed to a stop. Sephora hopped off one of the animals. She took a wrapping out of her pocket and bandaged Merrymore's wounded mount.
Baldervich continued shouting profanities into the air as Merrymore looked down at him.
Merrymore eyed his pupil as she carried out the action "May I borrow that next?"
After a time, Merrymore looked out into the sand to see approaching dots as Baldervich squirmed behind him, mumbling with his mouth tied.
The captain with his two riders arrived with Hoku and Guppy sitting behind them on the mounts.
Sweat dripped down Hoku's brow. Guppy's face was covered in sweat upon seeing the scavengers tied to the back of the riders.
"You're looking pale, captain!" Merrymore shouted, "No doubt she thoroughly chewed you out."
"It could've been worse, sir," the captain finally said.
The groups seamlessly joined one another. Hoku was confused. Guppy hid, ducking down out of sightlines of the scavengers tied up at the backs of the mounts.
Merrymore asked the captain, "How long until we get to the capital?"
"3 days via carriage, but with our furry friends here, I estimate 1 should be enough."
"Hmm, I suppose some animals aren't so bad", Merrymore scoffed.
"I'm surprised you can ride them so well," the rider who was sitting in front of Guppy said.
"Save it.
The rider frowned.
"At least until I make good on our deal."
Merrymore looked up menacingly "I suspect flattery won't be on your mind once your training commences."
He eyed Hoku. "Glad to see you survived an encounter with the shrieking princess."
"I ask that you do not call her that," The captain remarked,
"Apologies, old habits die hard," Merrymore chuckled.
Hoku whispered to the captain, "What's happening?"
"In return for transporting these criminals back to the capital sir Merrymore has agreed to train us."
"But what about the princess?" Hoku asked
The captain looked down. "Now that we've been banished, we have no place here. Perhaps we will come back one day, and if she chooses to have us all executed, then so be it. But to even have the chance to receive training from Merrymore is an honour that exceeds most."
Hoku regarded the armoured man with curiosity.
Merrymore turned to his pupil "Sephora, once we return to the capital, these two will be your responsibility while I deal with the blowback from this whole debacle."
"Understood." She nodded.
He turned to Hoku "I have many questions to ask you, but now is not the time. We should hurry before Shari figures out our arrangement."
The riders all nodded. They formed into a group of 10, 7 of which carried tied-up scavengers on the back of their mounts. Hoku, Guppy and Sephora were riding behind rider knights. Merrymore rode his own mount and led the charge with Baldervich tied, squirming behind him.
Back on the carriage, the desert princess was watching through her binoculars. She saw them talking, and once they set off as a united group, she put the binoculars down.
She stepped down from her throne, her servants observing without expression. She motioned for one of them.
"Bring my pets", she said.
Soon, two of the mounts entered the front cabin.
The red energy cycling around Shari's body appeared once again with more ferocity. She stretched out her arm and this time, forcefully pushed the aura into the animals.
Their fur stood up, and their muscles grew exponentially as their limbs arched up. Their posture became sharp. They growled, saliva spilling from their crooked mouths, quivering with anticipation. They now resembled the size of the animals that were carrying the carriage; however, these ones were even more ferocious.
Shari addressed the beasts, bringing her hands to their mouths.
"For the ones in white and the one in silver, I want you to teach them a painful lesson in what it means to defy me.
"As for your main objectives, I refuse to let those arrogant criminals get away." She bent down and hugged the fierce animals. If you see anyone wearing those ugly, pale coloured clothes, I want you to rip them to shreds."
The animals growled and charged out of the carriage. Their image became an outline of sand as they moved like lightning.