Tokyo, Japan
“Shimatta! I am late!” Datura exclaimed as she ran towards her part time job- a flower delivery shop. “Boss is going to kill me.”
In order to take a shorter route, the girl jumped over the fence, parkoured over the walls and ran through alleys until she reached her destination.
Panting, she grovelled before the store owner. “Rika-san, gomenasai!”
“This is the nth time this week, Datura-san. I know that you still have school but please be sure to be always on time.” Rika reprimanded the seventeen year old girl.
The girl just apologised once more. “Honto ni gomennasai!”
Sighing, Rika motioned to the baskets of flowers and ordered the girl “Get up and deliver these flowers to block C, the roses are for Mari-san. The daisies are for the Hana who just gave birth. These lilies are for Yamasaki-san. Just deliver them, you do not have to collect their payment, they had been taken care of already.”
“Copy, maam!” Datura saluted.
“Do not mix them up like the last time.” Her boss added which made Datura wince.
She had failed to deliver the baskets to their rightful owners last time. Hopefully she will get them right today.
Despite not being able to change into her work uniform, the black haired girl got to work and took the bike that the workers used. She pedalled towards her destination but before she could get there, she must pass by a graveyard.
“Kimochi warui! This place really gives me the creeps. Better hurry up!” she pedalled faster until she reached the block C.
She was able to deliver the roses and the old woman gratefully received her gift. After delivering the first basket, Datura made the other deliveries in Block C until she had finished her job without any mishaps.
After dropping off from the shop, the girl decided to go home. But all of the sudden she felt a tremendous amount of mana in the vicinity.
“Nani?!” she exclaimed as she felt goosebumps appearing on her arms. “The last time I felt something like this was five years ago. What the hell was that?”
Although she was curious, the girl resolved to stay safe than sorry. However, something was pulling her towards the graveyard that she had passed by earlier.
“I really had a feeling that something big is about to occur.”
***
Aliester landed with a loud thump before he felt an added weight landing hard on top of him. He grunted as he tried to shove the other person off him.
“Is everyone all right?” Blaze asked as he climbed down the tree where he crash-landed.
“We are okay-“ Conrad was not able to finish his statement as Aliester pulled him down.
“Watch out!” the duke’son screamed as he protected the young king from the incoming attack of the deadly nightshade.
Suddenly appearing out of nowhere, the Verbanian knight was quick on his feet. He was able to parry the attack with a sword. But instead of stopping the plant like monster, it seemed as though the attack enraged it.
“Damn this monster!” the knight evaded the slash.
The nightshade once again tried to swipe Daxton with its sharp claws but Blaze was able to shot it with flaming arrows. However, it was not enough to take the monster down.
“Where did this thing come from?” Aliester asked as he produced the same knife he used to cut his palm earlier.
“It came with the guards earlier. But this thing slipped through the pentagram before you transported.” Daxton answered while dodging the creature’s sharp claws.
The team was at a disadvantage. Blaze was still exhausted from the transportation spell and the backlash. While the others were not able to recover from their injuries they had acquired from the riot.
“This thing is tough!” Conrad grunted as he tried to cut one of its legs.
The enemy was strong and their strength was barely enough to prevent the monster from giving them fatal wounds. But they refused to give up.
“We need to work together.” Aliester suggested. “Blaze can you restrain him?”
Working as a team, Blaze managed to restrain the creature with flaming chains and the others were able to cut most of its claws.
When Conrad tried to give the final blow, the nightshade struggled and threw them off. He crashed through several gravestones.
“Darn it!” Conrad cursed as he his shoulder snap. Due to the sharp pain the young king was not able to stop himself from rolling towards his the cliff.
The young king almost fell off the cliff but someone caught his collar before he could fall to his death.
Before it tried to escape, the nightshade slashed its remaining claw towards the duke’s son. Aliester braced himself for the incoming attack.
But instead he saw a flash of black strands before the nightshade was sent a few meters away and crashing into one of the gravestones.
Though Aliester was saved from the attack, he refused to let his guard down. He tried to see his savior and was astonished to catch a glimpse of a girl in strange clothing.
Her short red skirt fluttered as she took off after the nightshade. Aliester’s dark brown eyes narrowed as he took note of the odd sheathed sword that the girl was carrying. It was nothing like he had ever seen from his home realm.
“Single edged?” Aliester muttered in confusion as he observed the girl drew her weapon.
Discarding the sheath, the girl got into a semi crouch position while holding the single edged sword by her left. The nightshade gave a resonating roar before charging at the girl head on.
“Watch out!” Holding his injured shoulder, Conrad shouted when he saw that the nightshade tried to claw the girl.
Aliester tried not to blink as he watched her moved. From her initial position, she rose, sidestepped and dodged the claw. Then she swung her sword and slashed at the nightshade. In a split second she reappeared unscathed a few meters away from the monster.
The monster tried to move but its claw fell off, followed by its head. The rest of its body toppled down and turned into ashes.
After the girl killed the monster, she sheathed her sword and turned towards them. Aliester’s eyes widened as he saw her face. He couldn’t believe their luck.
“Kimi wa dare?” the girl asked as she approached.
Not comprehending her words, the men gave her puzzled looks in return.
“Have we made a mistake, she certainly looked like her and yet she speaks a different tongue.” Blaze muttered to himself. “For sure that spell would have taken us directly to her.”
Conrad decided to speak on their behalf. Being a royalty, he was taught different languages but the language the girl had used was foreign to him.
He awkwardly began in a universal language used in their realm, Lamiales. “My lady, I am King Conrad Harrison of Thyme.” He winced at his new title. “Sorry but we cannot understand the words you are saying. Can you speak a different language?”
Her reddish brown eyes widened for a fraction. Then, heaving a huge sigh, she explained. “Oh, I’m sorry. I have gotten used to speaking a different tongue after staying her for five years. I almost forgot my native language, your Majesty.”
She surveyed the king’s companion and asked. “Who are you and what is your business here? From your looks, you are not from this realm, not to mention, you were accompanied by that monster earlier.”
Snapping out of his stupor, Aliester kneeled before her. “Your highness, It is I, the son of the duke of Alcove, Lord Aliester Dathur of Verbana. Don’t you recognize me?”
“Now that you mention it…” the girl took a closer look. “Ehhh!” the girl exclaimed in surprise. ”Shut up! You don’t look like Aliester-onii chan! You look like Alastor-oji-san!”
“What?” Daxton asked in confusion.
“I mean you don’t look like my cousin, you look like my uncle.” With that she drew near Aliester and looked more closely at his face. “You got a beard and a moustache! You certainly look old!” she kept fussing at his appearance.
“The last time we saw each other was five years ago. I was fifteen and you were twelve. Of course, our appearances have changed.” He grumbled as he raked his messy blonde locks with his fingers in distaste.
“You are Princess Innocia?” Conrad incised while eyeing the black haired girl sceptically.
“I was, your Majesty.” Innocia replied. “My name had been Innocia but people call me Datura in this realm.”
“You don’t look like King Inys.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t look like anyone from my family.” The girl muttered sourly as she brushed her black locks. “It is the reason why I have been ostrac-“ she stopped short and decided to change the topic. “Why are you gentlemen here?”
“Princess, we need you to come back home and help us.” Blaze joined in.
The girl looked at the wizard with narrowed eyes before she exclaimed. “Blazildo! Is that you?”
“My name is Blaze. Quit calling me with that ridiculous nickname.”
"You guys look old.” she added as she surveyed the three Verbanians.
The wizard grimaced as he scratched his nape. He looked a bit older than he actually was because his brown hair had grown longer and his beard had become bushier. On the other hand, the knight also had a few week old beard. His red hair had reached his shoulders which made him look mature.
“Look old? You are one to talk, your highness.” Daxton commented as he eyed the girl.
She has definitely grown taller and well-endowed than she did five years ago.
“Well, I don’t look half as old as you, Daxton.” She bit back but smiled at the knight nonetheless. “I am happy to see my childhood friends, the wizard apprentice and the squire.”
“I am a full-fledged wizard now, princess and Daxton served as one of the knights of round.” Blaze said.
“Princess…” Innocia’s brows creased. “Just call me by my first name. I have gotten out of the habit being called princess since I came here.”
“We are getting off topic.” The duke’s son reminded and without beating around the bush, he dropped the bomb. “Innocia, we need your help in stopping Queen Anise. You have the key of Verbana and you are the only one strong enough to defeat the queen.”
Innocia looked at him like he had grown two heads. “You are kidding, right? You do know that I am the failure in the family, what makes you think that I can defeat the queen?”
“You are strong.” Blaze answered cryptically. “You were just untrained in using your skills. We knew that you can definitely defeat her.”
Aliester added. “Not to mention, we saw you fight earlier. You have gotten stronger since five years ago.”
“Even that is the case, you are aware that I could not just waltz back home. I am an exiled for heaven’s sake!” she exclaimed as she paced before them. "Coming back home as an exiled is punishable by death!"
“We will make sure that you won’t get beheaded. Please help us.” Conrad said. “The Enclave is in grave danger.”
Before Innocia could answer, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. “It is about to rain, can we move this somewhere?” she asked. “I need to know the details before I make up my mind to help you.”
Taking her bike, she led them towards her home.
Upon seeing the bike, the duke’s son drew near her and asked. “What is that? I have never seen something like that before.”
“It looked like a skeleton stead.” Blaze commented. “Innocia, aren’t you feeding your horse?”
Innocia chuckled. “This isn’t a horse. This is a bike. I don’t need to feed it”
“Bike? What is this for?”
“This is used as a means of transportation in this realm. Instead of a using a horse for transport, some people had to use this. They only had to utilize their legs to make this one move.” She explained and tried to demonstrate how a bike works.
Curious, the others wanted to try out. Unfortunately, there was only one bike and the girl could not teach them with the upcoming downpour.
“I’ll teach you after we sort out your problems.” She reassured them.
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