Our faces suddenly lifted in determination. I didn’t know about the other girls, but for me, this was another opportunity to tempt Claud with my charms. Due to the restrictions, it was becoming challenging to have any meaningful interactions with them. With the month coming to an end, we urgently need to enhance our position if we wanted to captivate the prince we longed for. In a natural habitat, the females of the species didn’t actively search for the males. However, in this palace, our species was competing fiercely for them. To be honest, it felt more like a battle for the crown than a quest for a marriage proposal. Perhaps that was the underlying intention behind all of this. After all, even though four of us would end up as wives, only one of us could ascend to the throne as queen.

  As I looked ahead, a little baggy caught my eye, swaying back and forth. Acting quickly, I reached out and took it from Brontu. He handed each of the others one as well. I opened it, revealing a collection of small, round, white pills covered in a layer of dust.

  Ray leaned in, which startled me. He was standing so close to me I could feel his breath on my skin. “What is this?” he asked.

  Headmaster pulled him away. “My prince, you need not worry about it.”

  “Let me guess, a medicine for all the girls, something you are supposed to take daily? Ah—Birth control?” He smiled.

  My irritation grew as I felt the familiar heat of embarrassment rising in my face once more. Ray's eyes held a mischievous twinkle every time he spoke, and it sent a wave of butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

  As the girls turned away, he whispered in my ear, “Wouldn’t want to impregnate you over, and over… and over again.” Just before he nudged me forward to join the others, I sensed him taking a long, deliberate sniff, as if trying to capture my scent. As I walked away, I looked back to see he was still wearing that mischievous glint in his eye; he knew exactly how to push my buttons.

  CHAPTER 13

  After my morning training session, I eagerly made my way into the dragon's stable, excited for what awaited me. We had been told to meet around here for our mission, but I couldn't resist the temptation to visit the black dragon for a moment first.

  “Hi buddy.” I entered with a smile. The black dust still covered his body, but his head was out. Unbeknownst to myself, however, Ray was quietly tucked away in the corner. He smiled lightly at me, his eyes crinkling with warmth, as he slowly approached. “Buddy? Do you visit him often?”

  “Your majesty...” I jumped in surprise then bowed. “Uh, yeah, Lixir isn’t that scary to be around. I like to tell him things.” I knew I sounded immature, but the truth couldn't be denied.

  “Lixir?” Ray smiled wholeheartedly. “You even named my own dragon.”

  “Well, it seemed it didn’t have a name... so I made one up.”

  “I like it.” He sighed contentedly. “And I like the fact that you’re changing. You are opening up more and seeming more true to yourself.” I shifted and looked to my feet. Despite my relentless rage, I couldn't help but notice a subtle shift either. Perhaps it was the constant learning and studying that kept me distracted, providing a therapeutic escape. Learning had become my refuge from the darkness of my own villainy.

  “I know you haven’t had time to make Claud yours, but do not forget, be smarter and stronger. And when you go catch that kukoo, you catch it. Make sure of it. That will land you in the focus of Claud’s gaze.”

  I nodded with determination.

  Silence simmered between us. He took a few slow, deliberate steps and closed in on me, his hands gently caressing my face as he whispered, his voice filled with regret, "I had to ascertain whether it was a dream or reality, as I was intoxicated... I can't fathom why you abandoned me."

  “I... had to go... we aren’t allowed to sleep with the princes. I wasn’t supposed to stay all night.” I looked down, avoiding his eyes.

  As his hand gripped my chin, he gently tilted my head upwards to meet his intense gaze. “I want to reward you again... for being such a good girl. For making such delectable faces that leave me wanting more.” Embarrassment washed over me, my eyes involuntarily darting around and eyebrows furrowing in response. Our faces were inches apart, and I could almost feel the warmth of his lips against mine. My knees pressed together, a physical response to my body's craving for more of him. My breathing became rigid.

  But he pulled away.

  I was disappointed.

  “Make sure to reach your goal today, yes?”

  “Yes, your majesty.”

  He walked slightly past me. I did not turn around. “I do not accept failures.”

  I held my face in my hands and looked up at the dragon, who looked back at me knowingly. I whispered to him, “What’s wrong with your owner, Lixir? What’s wrong with me?”

  “Sentia!” I heard my name in the distance and turned to run out of the stable.

  I made my way towards the girls, their contrasting training outfits adding a pop of color to the scene, and we assembled into a rounded circle around Kamilla and Headmaster Anwella. The headmaster raised an eyebrow at me. “You’ve been spending time in that dragon stable a lot.”

  “I like dragons,” I spoke softly.

  “That’s good. You will all be taking the same dragons you took last time,” Kamilla spoke with her hands on her hips. She looked over to me. “On that note, Sentia, your dragon was actually mis-gendered.”

  “It's a girl?” I exclaimed, surprised.

  She nodded. “I don’t think we have time to bond you with another dragon. If she brought you back in one piece, do you think–”

  “I’ll take her!” I was genuinely surprised. I liked that dragon despite her dropping me. But it was also Kamilla’s fault for letting us ride without harnesses. I felt like they wanted us to fall.

  Kamilla rubbed the back of her head. “Hmm, well, if you can get the harness on her without her biting you, then you can proceed.”

  “We get to wear harnesses now!?” Jenny squealed. “Yes! I was so scared the first time.”

  Kamilla laughed. “These small dragons were captured by the princes. They were tame compared to the big black one in the stable. Actually, now that I think about it, Prince Ray caught Sentia’s dragon as well.”

  My eyes widened at that revelation. It all made sense now. But it was weird that every dragon he caught had some sort of thing wrong with it. Lixir had just now started coming out of his black dust with me, and only because he looked curious. The little black dragon was aggressive. Ray certainly had a way with the creatures.

  We walked around the stable, and as we approached the area where the dragons were let out, we could see them lounging around lazily or engaging in playful antics. The only one missing was the one Kella had ridden. Everyone went up to their dragons, who were already harnessed. Mine was the only one who wasn't, but it was lying beside her, waiting to be put on. I instantly grabbed it and wrapped it on top of her. She flinched and hissed but remained still.

  “Look here, you bastard,” I started. Grumbles emanated from deep within her chest. “Don’t bite me or I’ll bite you back.” She raised her head before turning away from me. I sighed and began to tighten the straps. When I finished and turned around, I saw Kamilla and the Headmaster, their faces filled with astonishment.

  “Would you look at that...” Kamilla mumbled.

  Headmaster walked up to me and deepened her frown. “Listen here, Sentia. If we catch another incident like you had before, do not expect the punishment to be light. Do you understand?”

  I glanced around at the girls, all looking at me expectantly. My eyes settled on Mia, who after meeting my gaze, turned away swiftly. I simply nodded to the headmaster with my head low. “Yes, Headmaster.”

  She turned away to face the other girls. “You will be going into the Gapi forest. The Napo forest had many creatures in it, but the Gapi has only one creature you should worry about when traveling through it. The Nefari. Because it comes out at night, you will have less than six hours to capture the Kukoo. If you do come across the Nefari, do not— I repeat— do not engage, run. Run as fast as you can.”

  “Can't be worse than the spider thing or those night creatures in Napo,” I mumbled.

  Headmaster seemed to have heard me and replied, “Oh, they are much worse. Those beasts are child’s play. There are creatures ten times more difficult to kill out there, even more than the Kukoo.”

  “What does it look like?” Yaui asked.

  The headmaster remained silent for a full minute, which left me pondering as well. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of creature could possibly elicit such a profound silence from her.

  “It looks human.”

  Huh?

  “So like those night creatures with the blue skin and sharp teeth?” I tried to create a visual, but she shook her head before I could get far.

  “No. It takes the form of a human being, tricks you. The moment you see it. Speak to it. It devours you.” I felt a shiver down my spine as she continued, “So remember when you can no longer see the sun in the sky, it's time to go. Understand?”

  We nodded, but she raised her hands before we could respond verbally. “Your dragons will not protect you, so don't try it. Do not engage.”

  “Yes headmaster,” we said collectively.

  We only had six hours. Six hours to find the kukoo, capture it, and go back. It raised the hair on my skin to know that something like the Nefari existed. I couldn’t imagine. The night at the Napo forest, I’d been terrified. Those eyeless skin creatures were everything but normal. Yet somehow, this other creature felt all the more terrifying.

  Headmaster, for the first time, armed us with weapons, simple rusty hatchets. We flew up into the sky with less difficultly now that we had our harnesses and the dragons’ trust. Aiya, as I named my black feisty dragon, was giving me sass like a horse. The wind blew my hair back while we flew, and I squinted as I looked down, trying to see anything on the outskirts of Luark that looked like the forest I’d fallen in.

  “How much farther!?” Yaui yelled over the wind.

  Mia yelled next, pointing, “I think that’s it!”

  I followed her gaze down below to the dense trees and nodded. “Yeah, that’s it! The bird might not still be there though.”

  At just that moment, I heard a loud screech, and as I turned around, my eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of a massive bone bird, its gaping mouth poised to swoop down upon us. I quickly snatched the harness and swiftly twisted my body to evade the menacing demon bird. It swiftly passed by us, leaving a powerful gust of wind in its wake.

  “Sentia! It’s after you!” I heard Tenia’s voice. Once I managed to stabilize myself, I found myself faced yet again with the teeth of the bird. I screamed and shifted left on Aiya, who puffed up her chest and ignored me, releasing a burst of fire out of her mouth, attacking the bird. I could feel the heat as the kukoo screeched again, both of us suspended in the air.

  “Why is it after me!?” I screamed.

  “You're a magical bitch, I guess!” I could hear Mia laugh, and even through my panic, I wanted to punch her.

  As I stared into the eyes of the creature, I could see the fury in Aiya's hiss. Noting the burn marks on the bird, I suddenly got an idea. “Hey! Everybody use your dragons to burn it!”

  “What!?” Jenny screamed. “How!?”

  I realized they hadn’t had the chance to learn how to make their dragons fight, so I tried to shift tactics. “Bring your dragon—ah!” Aiya moved swiftly, catching me off guard. As the kukoo lunged towards us, she swiftly retaliated by blowing another stream of fire, engulfing it in flames. It screeched loudly. “Get closer to it!” I instructed. I couldn’t see them, as I was determined to hold on tightly, but I could imagine their faces were filled with horror. Aiya blew her fire again as it came closer. Suddenly, I saw another flame join it. My eyes widened to see Tenia and her dragon; the kukoo emitted a deafening screech and swiftly turned its attention towards her, but she and her dragon swiftly fled before it could sink its teeth into them. Another flame came from the right. Yaui’s face was filled with worry as her dragon acted on its own. The kukoo screamed again, launching its neck high into the air, bones visibly charring. It took one last shuddering breath before falling aimlessly down below into the Gapi forest.

  Suspended in the air, Yaui, Tenia, and I exchanged glances, our expressions growing happier as we realized. We began to laugh and cheer. “Just in time, looks like we have a couple of minutes to grab a trophy!” Yaui spoke.

  I nodded as Mia, Lai, and Jenny came over with their dragons. “Well, don’t just fly, let’s go get it,” Mia spoke, suddenly diving in the direction of the fallen kukoo. Tenia, Yaui and I matched glances as we rolled our eyes. Jenny followed suit, and I instructed Aiya to lead the way.

  We reached the ground, Aiya landing aggressively like usual, forcing me to hold on extremely tight. When I hopped off of her, I pointed a stern finger. “Stop doing that!” She huffed and walked over to the side. Mia and Jenny, who had landed first, were already hacking away at the dead bird.

  “Damn! It’s straight bone!” she complained.

  “You’re not kidding,” Jenny huffed, taking a break.

  I approached the body of the bird, looking for a soft spot. “We just need pieces of it, right? Let’s take the head.” The six of us went to hack away at the head, but one of the parts proved difficult to cut through. We all stopped, panting after having exhausted our energy.

  “Damn... how much more?” Lai huffed.

  “Ask the leader.” Mia eyed me scornfully.

  “I’m not the leader. Stop making trouble.”

  She chuckled. “You know, I’m sick and tired of you and your attitude. You never act like you want to be here so why even are you?”

  “Same reason as you.”

  “Bullshit.” She put her hands on her hips defiantly. “When we first met, you said you weren’t here for love or royalty. So what are you really here for?”

  I remained silent. Mia and Lai scoffed, but Tenia stepped up. “Guys, come on. The sun is already out of the sky. It’s time for us to leave.”

  “She’s right,” Jenny spoke, “let’s hurry up already.”

  We all resumed hacking away. Finally, the head began to detach from the body, revealing a gruesome sight.

  “Yes! I vote for whoever has the biggest dragon to carry it back.”

  Yaui nodded, “I’ll do it, Mir is bigger than the rest.” Her dragon, Mir, eyed her ruefully.

  “Great, I’ll help you,” I offered. “Come on, guys.”

  Mia and Lai got on their dragons, and Yaui hopped on hers as Jenny, Tenia, and I pushed the head onto her lap. It was unwieldy, but it would do.

  I then took off my jacket and began to wrap it around the harness and the head. “This should help keep it steady for you.”

  She nodded gratefully. “Thanks!”

  “Let’s go already.” Mia kicked the sides of her dragon, sending him flying into the air. Jenny, Lai, and eventually Yaui followed them.

  Tenia hopped on her own dragon, ushering me to move. “Hurry up, it’s dark.” I nodded, just about to get on when Aiya and Tenia’s dragon hissed, crouching and furrowing their brows.

  “What’s wrong with them?” Tenia asked, and I looked around frantically. “I don’t know!” Nothing was around. No bushes shook. It was quiet.

  Wait... too quiet.

  The bickering of insects was unheard of, stopping as if they had suddenly disappeared out of thin air. In that moment, my heart plummeted, and I couldn't help but worry as I looked at Tenia. As I was about to leap onto Aiya, she unexpectedly ascended into the sky and disappeared into the distance. Tenia's eyes widened as she frantically reached out for my hand, desperately trying to stop her dragon from taking off but with a thunderous roar, it blasted off into the sky, taking her along for the ride.

  “Sentia!” I heard her scream as she diminished into the distance.

  I looked around frantically. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were no pesky bugs bothering me. The silence was so profound it sent shivers down my spine. I took deep breaths, trying to slow my oncoming panic attack. I quietly slipped back into the forest, feeling the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. With all the dragons sprinting away and refusing to return, I was at a loss for what to do next.

  Except survive.

  CHAPTER 14

  I ventured further into the forest, leaving behind the open expanse and immersing myself in the dense foliage. The deafening silence was suffocating, amplifying the sound of my own heartbeat and the crisp, clear inhales and exhales of my breath. Silently, I crouched behind a bush and let my fingers sink into the cool, damp earth. “Solutisa...” I whispered. Perhaps there was an old magic circle I could possibly go to. Searching the surroundings, my eyes were delighted to catch sight of faint illuminations. Carefully following it, I kept my eyes fixed on the ground, scanning for any signs of an escape.

  The hours seemed to stretch on as I continued my journey. Fortunately, I didn't witness anything, but the eerie silence was unsettling. For hours, my mind was consumed by a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. I could barely breathe, holding my breath for prolonged periods of time.

  “Sentia!”

  I heard my name.

  It sounded like... Ray!?

  Cloaked in silence, I cautiously approached the source of the voice beckoning me. As I came to a little path, I saw Ray frantically darting through the forest, his face etched with worry. I didn’t move. I needed to make sure that it was him. After all, Headmaster said the Nefari could appear as human.

  Ray came closer, though he still didn’t see me, his hands firmly planted on his hips, exuding confidence. “Where is she? Shit... it’s late. I need to leave the forest,” he said aloud. He began to walk in the opposite direction. I let him disappear into the trees. After patiently waiting for a few minutes, I finally rose to my feet and proceeded down the pathway. My magic was showing lightly against the trees. It must’ve been a weak signal.

 

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