II
Morning dawned on the second day of their stay in the Holy Land of Mekia, the night after Olivia’s revelation. In Historia’s place, a soldier bearing a greatsword entirely out of proportion with her small frame came to greet them.
“Honored guests from Fernest! I am Angelica Brenda. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”
“I’m Olivia Valedstorm. Nice to meet you.”
“And you, my lady!”
All of them, with the exception of Olivia, met Angelica’s sparkling grin with strained smiles. She had a winsome air to her that gave a strong sense of amicability—the total opposite of Historia from the previous day.
“Today the seraph has arranged for a hunt,” she said.
“Seraph Sofitia hunts?” Evanson asked, taken aback. Ashton himself would never have guessed that Sofitia, who looked like she’d balk at killing even an insect, was one for hunting.
“You wouldn’t think so, would you?” Angelica agreed. “But under all that, she’s got quite the wild side, you know!” Reminded of some other such time, she snickered.
“That is quite unexpected.”
“Honestly, here she is with a whole nation to rule, and yet she’s nothing but trouble!” Angelica shook her head, but there was reverence in her voice.
The previous day, Ashton had gone around asking veiled questions of the townsfolk to get a sense of Sofitia as a person. Every single one of them had fervently praised their wonderful sovereign, demonstrating once more just how beloved Sofitia was by the people. The contrast between her and the king of a certain other nation was like night and day—though Ashton would never have given voice to that impression.
“I like hunting too,” Olivia said, stretching her arms out and pretending to shoot an arrow.
“So I have heard from the seraph. I think that’s why she extended this invitation to you, Lady Olivia.” With this, Angelica fixed Olivia with an appraising eye, then, in a voice that was barely audible but not so quiet that Ashton failed to catch it, she muttered, “She’s even more beautiful than the rumors said, but she’s not Johann’s type.”
“It’s been a while since I went hunting, but this time of year, you can catch all sorts of tasty things, can’t you?” Olivia said.
“I’m afraid I don’t know too much about that,” Angelica replied. “What’s the best to eat around now?”
“Weeell,” Olivia began, “I think hydras are in season now. They should be all fattened up to hibernate over winter.”
“Sorry? Did you just say ‘hydra’?”
“Yep.”
“Aren’t hydras, um...” Angelica struggled to find words. “Aren’t they dangerous beasts?”
Ashton, listening to this exchange, stifled a sigh. As Angelica had correctly recognized, the hydra was a class two dangerous beast, akin to a turtle that had grown to monstrous size. What set the hydra apart from a turtle were the three heads that sprouted from its shell. Though their movements were sluggish, any person on the receiving end of a coordinated attack from those three heads would surely find themselves in mortal peril.
“Really?” Olivia said, with a questioning look at Ashton. He scratched his head and nodded. “Huh, I guess so. I’ve never thought about it before, so I don’t really know.”
Angelica’s big eyes grew even wider. “When you talk about eating dangerous beasts, you’re...you’re joking, right?”
“Huh? No, I’m serious,” Olivia said earnestly. Angelica gaped, until Claudia gave a discreet cough which seemed to bring her back to her senses.
“A-Anyway. Please let me know when you’re ready to leave. I’ll be waiting for you outside.” She saluted, then hurried out of the house again.
Olivia and the rest of the platoon climbed aboard the carriages sent for them and set off, watching the sights of the town roll slowly by. Before too long, they arrived at La Chaim Palace, where they convened with Sofitia and her party, then set off once more for a forest on the outskirts of Elsphere.
“Oh wow!” Olivia cried in delight. “What a beautiful lake!” Before them, an expanse of lazuline water stretched out as far as the eye could see. Sofitia went over to stand beside Olivia, holding her hair to prevent the breeze from disturbing it.
“This is Lake Carla. All sorts of migratory birds will be making their way here for the winter soon. Though it appears a few have come early.” Here and there, white-feathered birds sailed gracefully across the waters of the lake. At its peak, Sofitia told them, the surface of the lake would disappear under the hundreds of birds. “Now, then,” she went on. “Shall we begin?”
Today, Sofitia naturally wore not a gown, but a light set of armor of exquisite workmanship.
Lara, who had accompanied them today for Sofitia’s protection, lowered her head and held out a bow to her mistress. “For your use, My Seraph.”
Seeing that Olivia had received her own bow from Claudia, Sofitia said brightly, “Are you ready, Olivia?”
“Ready when you are.” Olivia gave the bowstring a light twang to check its tension, then smiled. It was almost impossible to believe, seeing her then, that she was conflicted over what path she ought to choose.
Sofitia, for her part, made no mention of her offer to Olivia.
A little over an hour had passed since their hunting began. With practiced skill, Sofitia made one kill after another, from gray rabbits to gray foxes. Ashton was genuinely astounded by this brilliant and very unqueenly display of skill.
She’s not at Gile’s level, but she’s miles better than the likes of me, he thought. Olivia, on the other hand, unexpectedly kept to the sidelines. Instead, she put all her energies into giving Sofitia advice. Sofitia gave serious attention to all of it, and from time to time their faces lit up with bright smiles.
Don’t you just look like you’re enjoying yourself, Ashton thought darkly, watching how well they were getting on. Are you going to cast us aside and go over to Sofitia after all, then?
Just then, he picked up on a faint sound. As he strained his ears, it gradually grew clearer: kah kah kah kah kah kah kah...
Is that a gray boar? he wondered.
Kah kah kah kah kah kah kah...
The sound, clipped and regular, seemed to be coming from behind him. Wait, is that really the noise gray boars make? he wondered. Knowing he had no hope of hitting anything, he turned, raising his bow. Just then, Olivia’s sharp cry rang out.
“Ashton, run!”
“Huh?” All of a sudden, a black shape cut across his vision and next thing he knew, he was flying through the air, along with an old tree torn up by the roots. They tumbled down, down toward the river that flowed along the bottom of the cliff.
“Ashton!” With Claudia’s screams ringing in his ears, Ashton slowly lost consciousness.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login