NOVPUBRaegar reclined in the noble section of the Carrier, its polished wood paneling, plush velvet seats, and intricate gold accents. Their guide, Sarah, had ushered them here upon recognizing their status.
The four of them lounged in the comfortable surroundings, exchanging light banter as they waited for takeoff. ''This place is amazing,'' Zahara commented, glancing around in the compartment.
''Yes, it is,'' Selene answered, bouncing around on her seat. ''I've never been on one of these; the tickets were too expensive.''
As the girls chatted, he stared out the window as the girls gossiped, watching the staff rushing around preparing to take flight. Just then, Selene sat beside him, smiling. ''Have you ever been in one of these, Rae?''
''Yes,'' he revealed, as the old memories came to mind. ''Mother took me on one for a party in the Northern Lands; she has some friends up there, it was cold, horrible, and I saw something while flying there.''
When the group heard his explanation, they eagerly asked him to share the story of his journey north. He sat up, took a swig of sake, and began his tale, captivating the three girls with his story.
***
(Ten years ago)
''Come on, darling!'' his mother Victoria shouted. ''We need to get to the Carrier Station before sunset.''
When hearing this, Raegar ran after the older woman who was stepping into the carriage, smiling. As he entered, she spoke once again. ''Yuki and Saki said they'd miss you, but their busy training the new maids.''
''Why do we need so many?'' he complained. ''Apart from those two, the rest are moody old ladies who scold me all the time.''
Victoria started giggling at his complaint. She shook her head and answered. ''They do too much, I want Saki to help your father with his duties. It gets too much for him sometimes, especially with the new Southwood City.''
Raegar nodded in understanding. ''Yes, I noticed her aiding him after our training, they were smiling at each other. Saki watched him as we fought and was cheering for him, which is unfair.''
After his little rant, he turned to the white-haired woman, Don't you need help?''
The older woman grinned at his words and quickly ruffled his hair. ''Would you like to become my assistant manager? You're six now, good with numbers. I could use a little worker like you,'' she offered.
''Can I come to Southwood again?'' he asked.
Victoria grinned and asked, ''Will you get scared of the orcs again? That was hilarious!''
Raegar huffed, exasperated. ''Not my fault! They popped up out of nowhere and startled me.''
Turning his attention from the conversation, he gazed out over the sprawling grasslands of Blackwood County, a land of emerald fields stretching beneath the open sky. Clusters of quaint farms and tight-knit hamlets, their growth fostered by his father's vision and tireless support.
Golden wheat swayed in the breeze, causing him to fall into a daze. 'This world is peaceful, Earth was a nightmare compared to this,' he thought, smiling.
Following that, the carriage continued down the Kingsway until turning off as the Carrier Station appeared in the distance. Raegar got excited as it was his first time flying, but he quickly noticed something above the clouds.
A flock of Mountain Eagles swooped toward a nearby forest, their sleek forms diving into the dense canopy with predatory precision. Raegar's gaze followed them, captivated, until a sudden hand on his shoulder made him flinch, heart racing.
Victoria's familiar giggle bubbled up beside him. ''They're hunting,'' she revealed. ''Your father mentioned they've been more active lately. He and Rodric had to fend off a few when they got too close to the mansion.''
Raegar's heart raced with excitement as he recalled the thunderous explosions that had echoed through the night, vivid memories of Alaric fearlessly battling a horde of monstrous creatures.
From his bedroom window, he had watched in awe the flashes of combat illuminating the darkness outside, while Yuki stood by the door, her sharp blue eyes ensuring he stayed put as he tried to go out.
Now, seated in the carriage, his mind drifted from those memories to the present. He gazed out at the dense forest, where monstrous Mountain Eagles erupted from the canopy, their razor-sharp talons gripping struggling beasts.
With powerful wingbeats, they ascended, vanishing into the rugged peaks of the distant mountains, a breathtaking display of nature's ferocity. Just as the last eagle faded from view, the carriage rolled to a halt at the Carrier Station.
Three Blackwood guards stood watch, their ebony armor gleaming under the afternoon sky, their watchful gazes sweeping over the arriving travelers with disciplined precision, ready to maintain order in the lively hub.
Moments later, Victoria turned to him, smiling warmly. ''Let's get going, the Carrier should be ready to take off.''
Following her words, they stepped out of the carriage, the crisp air greeting them. A Blackwood Commander, resplendent in polished ebony armor adorned with silver crests, approached with measured steps.
He offered a deep, respectful bow to Raegar's mother before addressing her with a calm, authoritative tone. ''Good afternoon, my lady, young master. The craft is fully prepared, and the Count sent word of your imminent arrival.''
The older man's disciplined demeanor and the faint clink of his armor underscored the efficiency of Blackwood's operations, as he gestured toward the waiting Carrier, ready to escort them onward.
Ten minutes later, they were sitting in the cabin that gave the best view of the surrounding landscape, but the only problem was that it was blocked by a layer of mist that made Victoria nervous.
Victoria settled beside Raegar, her presence a quiet comfort. But a sudden, chilling instinct gripped him, an urgent warning pulsing through him. He turned to his mother, his voice a hushed whisper. ''We need to get out of here. I think the Carriers' going to be attacked by monsters.''
His mother's eyes widened, her lips parting to respond, but before she could speak, a piercing alarm shattered the calm. The door to their compartment flew open, and a guard, breathless and urgent, burst inside. ''My Lady! A swarm of Devil Bats is heading straight for us. Brace for impact!''
His warning echoed, the distant screech of the approaching creatures already clawing at the air, signaling the chaos about to descend. Suddenly, the Carrier shuddered, their shadowy wings blotting out the sun as they dove with ear-splitting screeches.
Claws raked the hull, and glowing yellow eyes pierced the dusk. The crew retaliated with Aether Cannons, their thunderous booms unleashing azure bolts that tore through the swarm, exploding in radiant bursts of light and ash.
The craft quaked, and Raegar gripped his seat, heart racing, as the sky burned with war. Victoria grabbed him and slung him over her shoulder. ''Hold on, darling! We will escape this, I have experience in this sort of stuff'' she barked.
Following that, she turned to the Blackwood guard in the doorway. ''I'll get us out, soldier. Tell my husband we're heading to Northwood Manor!''
The man nodded and vanished into the chaos. Victoria charged through the Carrier's halls, alarms blaring, the structure groaning as bats hammered its frame. Raegar glimpsed frantic nobles and crew scrambling in the flickering light.
Bursting onto a balcony, his mother faced the swirling swarm, the craft rocking as another cannon blast lit the sky, vaporizing a wave of bats but drawing more. Her hand rose, and fire roared forth, cloaking her in a blazing aura.
''Hold on, Raegar,'' she said, voice calm amid the inferno.
With a leap, she soared off the balcony, powerful fire magic propelling her. Victoria's fiery trail tore through the sky, a blazing comet defying the swarm of Devil Bats screeching in pursuit.
Their claws glinted as they dove, but her fire magic burned brighter, incinerating any that dared approach. Raegar, slung over her shoulder, watched in awe as she dispatched a trio of bats with a whip of flame and a swirling vortex, their ashes scattering into the wind.
A massive brood alpha emerged, its furnace-like eyes and venomous jaws a nightmare made flesh, but his mother faced it fearlessly. Summoning a colossal rune of fire with a roar of defiance.
Moments later, Victoria obliterated the beast in a cataclysmic explosion, its embers raining over the forest. The sky churned as even more Devil Bats swarmed, their screeches splitting the dusk, red eyes blazing. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
They were ablaze with fire magic, her aura a radiant shield. She unleashed spiraling flames, incinerating bats in bursts of ash and light, weaving through the horde. Arcs of flame dispatched the remaining bats, clearing the sky.
He was awestruck at his mother's power and their escape from the Devil Bats as the Carrier banked right, leading the remaining horde away. Moments later, the flames burst to life again, and they flew toward their destination.
After an hour of flying, the Northwood Manor's glowing spires in sight, she soared onward, landing safely in the courtyard. Raegar, heart swelling with pride, knew his mother's fiery strength was their true shield against the wilds.
