"Twelve days of travel…" Kliene was looking at his screen intensely. His auburn hair almost looked rusted red in the dimming sunlight. We were standing outside in the courtyard with three horses. One for each of us. Kliene was deciding on either fast travel or scenic route. "Or… instant satisfaction of teleporting. Sight seeing, or hot baths. Air in the face with bugs, or gross ensence."
"Pick now or we don't leave until tomorrow." I gestured with my hand.
"Your Highness." Ryan said to me.
"Your Highness…" I forced out. I scowled at Ryan.
"Mhm… working on it, dear." Kliene scrolls quickly and ponders, his amber eyes was fixated on his screen as he replied, "Also it's Kliene to you Seth."
Ryan gapes.
I snorted and turned away from Ryan.
"H-He… whaaat?!" Ryan choked, "why does he get first name privileges?!"
"Don't question." Kliene says and closes out of his screen. He dusts his hands off and adjusts his shirt. "I've come to a conclusion."
"We're traveling finally?" Ryan sighs.
"No. No… we are not."
"What? Then why the horses?!"
"B-because…" Kliene scratches his head, "I don't know…" he then puts his finger up, "but I do know that I'm not traveling in this outfit, so we are system jumping."
Figured… Kliene was dressed up in royal attire and it looked very uncomfortable to wear while riding. Kliene also never wears a crown in public, so it helps that we don't have to worry about a royal crown being stolen.
Kliene brought up his window again and it was the map of Solaria. He zooms in and looks at Ryan, "see you there!" Kliene grabs my shoulder and my body jerked as we teleported. I saw darkness briefly before the world came back. We were in the Holy City. Kliene lets go of my shoulder and looks around. "Woah." He smiles.
The Holy City was sun lit. Extravagant white and gold buildings towered all over. It made Kliene's nation look ungodly poor and we were highly Industrial. Citizens wore robes and laurels around their heads.
"We… definitely look out of place." Ry whistled as he walked up to us.
No kidding. Kliene began to walk. We followed him as he looked around. Locals glanced at us more times than we wanted. I mean, we have a member of royalty and he definitely was attracting attention. I looked at Kliene and he… looked lost.
"Your Highness." I whispered. Kliene looked at me. "Are we lost? Already…"
"Psht… nah, nah.. w-what makes you think that?" Kliene rubs the back of his head.
He's nervous. I sighed, "your face is easy to read and we are wandering in zig-zags."
Ryan snickers. Which is something you shouldn't do to royalty. Laugh at them, but Ryan is Kliene's childhood friend and Kliene, being more of a Royal that puts the royal title aside when it comes to friends, he dismisses things like that.
Kliene scratched his cheek with his pointer finger, "I'm… uh… not sure we teleported into the right district."
I brought up the map and looked at the district number. District two. I slid the map around what disctrict is this for? I frowned. I zoomed out and froze. I looked at Kliene, "you teleported us into the Church staff's housing complex."
"Yes… yes… you are in a closed off area." A voice sounded behind us.
We froze and spun around. I turned my ring into a sword and slid in front of Kliene as Ryan positioned himself behind him. A priest? He had two church guards behind him. Possible Aetherials. I took note of their forms and prepared for a fight.
"How did you three get here?" The priest asks coldly.
"Uh… we teleported in, sir." Kliene spoke, " VIA Aetherial access. We're supposed to meet up with your High Priest."
The priest narrowed his eyes, "You don't happen to not be Kliene Vincient?"
Kliene let out a shaken laugh, "uh, yes, that's me."
The priest blinked and waved his hand at his guards, they fell back, "wow, you're a lot different than anticipated." He bows, "my apologies your Highness, welcome to the Holy City. High Priest Lucas is awaiting your arrival. However, you're all twelve days early." He turned and motioned us to follow. "Come, we'll get you all a place to stay for the time being."
I relaxed a bit and turned my sword back into my ring, I looked at Kliene and he nodded. I took up the front and we started to follow the priest.
"I knew we should have taken the horses." Ryan hissed silently.
"Shut up. It could have been worse." I snapped.
"Yeah I know, but they expected us to travel via horseback. We really have dampened the Royal Family's name." Ryan sighed.
"So?" Kliene pushed past me, "who cares. It's my name. I can damper it however I want. I wanted to travel by system jumping, and that's what we did."
"You're Highness, you jest." Ryan sped up. "And we care, us, your nation. I bet they think we aren't real."
"I don't jest." Kliene said and his aura flares. In a flash Ryan was sailing up into the air. I watched him land back down on his butt after a few seconds and Kliene snorted while still walking, "am I real now?"
Ryan got up quickly and dusted himself off, "yes your Highness…" he kept his mouth shut the rest of the way.
~-~
The priest brought us to a house for us to stay in. He told us that our meeting with the High Priest is scheduled at one for tomorrow. Kliene and Ryan explored the place as I started to make dinner.
I scrolled through my window and pressed on the items I wanted. Onion, garlic, steak, chives, noodles, olive oil, butter, milk…. I broke off as Kliene walked into the kitchen. He had changed his outfit into a faded green shirt and brown capris. Kliene looked more like a commoner than royalty.
He walked over to me and sat down at the island, "what are you making?" Kliene asked.
"Steak pasta." I summoned in the last ingredients and went to the water that I conjured up using my gifts.
"Mmm… sounds delicious." Kliene said then slid down onto the counter, "I'm bored."
I blinked and finished rinsing the veggies and herbs, "do you know how to mince garlic?"
Kliene shook his head.
"Then come here, I'll teach you." I began to peel a clove of garlic. "Start like this."
Kliene got up and rounded the counter towards me. I laid the cutting board over to him and set the peeled clove of garlic down. I turned my ring into a knife and I chopped the whole clove first before mincing. I looked at Kliene and he nodded. "Understand?"
"Yes." Kliene nodded again.
"Good." I handed him my knife, "I'll start cooking the steak." I went to the stove and pulled out a pan. I lightly oiled and buttered it to sautée the steak cubes.
In due time I finished the steak, boiled the noodles, showed Kliene how to cut onions and finished the herbs.
"W-why do onions hurt my eyes?" Kliene sniffles.
"It's a defense mechanism of onions. It releases spores because you're hurting it." I said lightly.
"Poor onion." Said Kliene.
"We're almost done." I brought up my screen and shot Ryan a message that dinner would be done soon.
I started throwing in the garlic and other seasonings into the pot and poured the sauce on top. I turned my knife into a mixing spoon and tossed the dish over low heat. I sped up the onion's process by using my gifts.
『 "On my way"
- Ryan Allen 』
I swiped the message away and Kliene moved behind me. I glanced at him and moved the pot over to the other counter. I dished out portions and then summoned a salad from the royal kitchen. Kliene blinked at me in question but said nothing about it.
I heard the door shut and in a few moments Ryan came into the kitchen in a-
"What are you wearing?" Kliene raspberries.
Ryan let out a long sigh, "sit… I'll explain."We sat down and Ryan got right into it, "I was exploring the city and yeah I'm a bit skeptical on how fast they found us. They also didn't question us for proof of his Highness' status. Don't get me wrong, his Highness doesn't look like royalty outside of the castle."
Which is true. I took a bite of my salad and nodded. Kliene really didn't look like he was paying much attention, as he was shoveling pasta into his mouth. I handed him a napkin as he looked up and smiled.
"Which is why I did some digging. I wore these clothes because we really stick out like a sore thumb in this city." Ryan continues, "I found some of them citizens gossiping about Valoria, our nation, being here to take over and corrode the Holy City. Which is probably just idle gossip, but a lot of people were saying the same thing."
"Us? With what army?" Kliene laughs.
Ryan looked at Kliene seriously, "you have Seth. Your guard here counts as a stand alone army."
"I appreciate your compliment, but what are you getting at?" I set my fork down.
"This city, it feels so off. I see no other outsiders and it's way too peaceful. Ryan sat back in his chair, "I heard some monks talking about some paradise. Though it was used in terms of it being used on people, not a place. Religious people freak me out anyways, but I'm getting a big sense of distress being here. No, I'm not paranoid."
Kliene sighs and looks at us, "but we are here for aid in our recent Kaelos monster outbreaks."
So he was paying attention. I frowned and thought, if Ryan was right and there is really something off about this place, then we have issues. "Maybe they are here to trap us? They have the Prince here and it sounds like they've been planning on our arrival for quite some time." I spoke slowly.
"Our supposed meeting is too convenient. The High Priest is always busy, how did they just slide us in?" Ryan gestures with his hand.
"Our premature arrival has set things off a bit."
"Maybe, or maybe you both are overthinking it?" Kliene shook his head.
No… this place does feel off. I sighed.
"Rest first. We'll regroup in the morning." Ryan said and got up.
~-~
'The world forgets me.'
Whispers…
'The people of Solaria suffer.'
The whispers got louder.
'They bleed. They hate. They-'
Screams rose.
"Oh Divine mother, grant us peace."
"Oh divine god, grant us salvation."
"Oh divine god, grant us prosperity."
The screams got louder and louder.
Silence.
'THE PEOPLE OF SOLARIA, PRAY TO A FALSE GOD.'
I woke up in a cold sweat. A false god? I rubbed my head while sitting up. What was this dream? The line up of that talk with Ryan and Kliene with this dream isn't just coincidence. I got up and a man materialized right in front of me. I jumped and my sword appeared in my hand.
'Shhh…' he spoke and put his finger to his lips.
This man had long pink hair, baby blue eyes, and was outfitted in a white robe with gold and the very same pink as his hair as decorating marks on his clothes. Pink hair… he also seemed transparent.
"Who are you?" I asked quietly.
'Shhh….' He spoke again. 'Find me, remember me.' He vanished and I reached forward.
"Wait!" I said. Find me?I don't know who you are!
A small light floated down from the ceiling and it slowly dissipates into a white and gold feather. I reached out and touched it. I remembered.