User blog:YungManzi/The Great Empress Of Riona: Chapter 4

Henry: "So that man came here, huh?"

Julia: "Yes."

Henry: "When I had heard that someone managed to get around our barrier we had set, I was surprised...but if it's Arthur, that's child's play for him."

Julia: "I thought the same as well."

Henry: "Well there isn't too much harm in his son coming over to play is there..?"

Julia: "I suppose, but..."

Henry: "If I use my authority to control the Lin Hue King, suspicion will be aroused about why the king of the entirety of Riona would involve himself in something like this."

Julia: "You're correct..."

Henry: "..."

Henry pulls Julia close to him and holds her tightly in his arms.

Henry: "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to any of you."

Julia: "...I know."

Julia and Henry continued their conversation into the night as Jazlyn and Jade quietly slept in the back of the house where their rooms are located.

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It's been a week since Rinley has started visiting us, and he's been coming every single day at exactly 10 A.M. on the dot. In this time I've learned a few things about Rinley, and really the entire world as a whole.

First, Rinley is a prince...which means his father is a king, but his father still answers the bidding of King Henry Riona V...my father.

I asked Rinley the reason for this, and he was extremely surprised that I would ask such a question.

So...Apparently..."Riona" is not simply a country. When one refers to Riona, they are referring to the entire world which is made up of seven continents; 6 of the continents having their own kings who take orders directly from the king of Riona who sits upon the largest and richest continent in the world.

Right now, Arthur Lin and his royal family happen to be taking an extended vacation on the Riona mainland continent.

Rinley: "Ah, Jazlyn!"

Rinley runs up to me while I'm practicing drawing a crest.

Jazlyn: "Hi Rinley."

He must have just got here, so it's already 10 AM, huh?

Rinley: "Here..."

Rinley hands me a jar full of his own mana that he had been placing inside of it for the past week. Surprisingly enough, he has a larger mana pool than even Jade. I had asked him to fill up this jar for me to use when making my crest.

Jazlyn: "Thank you."

Rinley: "Huh, what's that?"

Rinley's gaze shifts to a notebook at my side which has a burgundy hardcover with a crest etched into it.

Jazlyn: "This? This is my grimoire I've been compiling."

Rinley: "Grimoire?"

Jazlyn: "Yeah, it's a book with magic spells in it."

Rinley: "Hmm...?"

Grimoire are a common fantasy trope in the world where I'm originally from. In this world, not very many people are concerned about them. They're only use is to learn minor spells, which have nothing to do with battle most of the time. I have a different idea for how to use my grimoire though, well, I'll have to gain the ability to use magic first.

The rest of the day goes on as normal, the three of us play outside until Rinley goes home. I start preparing to go to bed. Right now, I'm in my nightgown, lying comfortably in my sheets. I look up at the ceiling before drifting off to sleep.

.....

Hm...? I hear something, a song?...I follow the song, marching towards it in a daze. I keep strolling and strolling.....and ...stro-

Jazlyn: "Ah!"

I fall to the ground and rub my head which is now sore for some reason, my vision is blurry, so at first I thought that I had fallen to the floor after slipping out of bed in my sleep...but I realize that this...isn't my room.

My voice raises slight as I look around me and see nothing except pure darkness and hear the sounds of rustling animals, the only image I can decipher is the huge tree which is directly in front of me...I must have ran into it. I also, can vaguely make out the figure of a lot of trees surrounding me.

I'm in some sort of forest...

Am I dreaming? No, that can't be it, not with my head hurting this much.

"H-Hey you!! Help me out!"

Huh? What's that voice?

"I know you can hear me!"

Jazlyn: "Huh?"

I look around, searching for the origin of the voice. As I look up, I see a gigantic spider web along with a small glowing figure which reminds me of a barbie doll or something...

"Huh...? You're a human...?"

What is going on right now!? She's a small girl, about the size of a barbie doll...she has butterfly-like wings, and a frilly dress.

Although she is miniature, she has the features of a teenage girl, so she's...older than me? She has blonde hair and her wings are blue.

"...And you're looking directly at me too ...regardless, help me out!!"

Jazlyn: "...What do you need help with?"

"Obviously I need to get out of this spider web!"

Jazlyn: "Is it that sticky?"

I nervously look up at the doll...I don't want to just leave her here...but...

Jazlyn: "What are you?"

In my right hand, I use a stick I had found at my feet to knock down some of the webs as I catch the small girl in my left hand.

She releases a giant sigh of relief, and immediately recovers with a huge smile across her face. As I let her down on the ground, she strikes a silly pose while sticking out her tongue.

Firo: "I'm Firo Mint!"

Jazlyn: "Nice to meet you Firo, my name is Jazlyn ...but first..."

I hear growling sounds in the background. She's...

Jazlyn: "Can you do something about your skin glowing like that? Y-You could attract wild animals."

Firo makes a slightly irritated expression.

Firo: "There's no way I would ever suppress the glow of my skin, it's the pride and joy of a Fairy, and my skin is one of the brightest in the world!!"

Firo puffs out her chest while nodding her head.

Jazlyn: "Okay..."

Maybe it's better to ignore her, I need to figure out a way to go back home.

Firo: "Hey, wait! Where are you going!?"

Jazlyn: "I need to go back home before my mother notices I'm gone. Plus, I'm sleepy."

Firo follows after me on feet.

Firo: "Wait, I said!!"

It's fairly difficult for Firo to keep up with me because of her small size.

Jazlyn: "Hey, shouldn't you be able to fly with those wings?"

Firo: "Uh...I don't feel like flying right now..."

I look at her wings and notice that they are both twitching, and one of them is bent slightly. She's probably injured.

I wander around trying to remember the way I came from...but I really have no idea.

How am I supposed to get back home if I don't even know where I am right now?

Jazlyn: "Firo, do you know where we are?"

Firo: "Huh? Obviously, we're in the forest."

She's no help at all.

Jazlyn: "Honestly though, it's strange that no animals have come out to attack us...with you being so bright and all."

Firo: "That's not strange at all."

Jazlyn: "It's not?"

Firo nods her head.

Firo: "Normal people and animals cannot see or hear something as spiritually divine as a fairy. It would be difficult to even see the light which emits from our bodies."

Firo once again puffs out her chest while stomping proudly.

So that's why she can afford to walk around in a forest while shining brightly like that ...At least that's what she claims, I can see and hear her perfectly fine.

Firo: "But, things could have turned bad if that pesky spider returned."

Jazlyn: "The spider can see you?"

Firo nods.

Firo: "It must also be spiritually divine in some way. Which reminds me, you must be too!!"

Whatever that means.

Jazlyn: "So the spider trapped you in that web? I thought that you might have carelessly flew into it and gotten yourself stuck."

Firo: "I would never do something like that! Do I look like a fool to you?"

Kinda.

Firo: "I got into a bit of a scuffle, and I was defeated because I couldn't use my secret weapon...Also, that thing caught me off guard."

Excuses, excuses. She is pretty small, but she really lost to a spider?

I walk around with Firo following me for maybe.....40 minutes? I don't know, it's difficult to tell.

Firo: "Hey...when are we gonna get there?"

Firo is breathing heavily, she really is trying her best to keep up with me ...Wait.

Jazlyn: "Why are you following me, don't you have your own home?"

Firo: "I'm-um ...kind-..."

Firo is talking under her breath.

Jazlyn: "Huh, what did you say?"

Firo: "I...I'm lost."

....

Jazlyn: "So...you want to come home with me?"

Firo: "Yes please...I don't want to have to sleep in this place again."

Jazlyn: "You've been sleep out in this forest?"

Firo: "Yes."

Jazlyn: "For how many days?"

Firo: "Um...three, I think..."

I release a sigh.

Jazlyn: "Well, I'll take you in."

Firo: "Really!?"

Jazlyn: "Yes, but only on one condition."

Firo stiffens as she hears my words.

Jazlyn: "If my parents can't see you. It's fine if my sister can see you, but if my parents can, you can't stay with me."

Firo: "Wahooo!"

Firo jumps in the air.

She looked fairly tired a moment ago, now she's completely energized.

Firo: "I knew you would accept me, of course you would."

Don't get too full of yourself.

Jazlyn: "I have no idea which way I should go to get back to my house..."

Firo: "I can help with that."

We stop as Firo chants a spell which produced a slight glow around me which soon disappears.

Firo: "There, that should do it! Your luck is increased for the next two days, you should be able to find your house eventually."

Jazlyn: "Luck increase, what's that?"

Firo: "I can increase your abnormal stats...anyway, lead the way Jazlyn, you'll get there somehow!"

Somehow, just as Firo mentioned, I end up wandering out of the forest and through the illusions around my house. Although it still took almost 3 hours...just a few more hours and the sun would be peaking out at the horizon.

Exhausted, I climb into my bed and Firo lays beside me.

Firo: "Fuhaa! So comfy!"

The two of us fall asleep.

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A beast silently moves its eight legs as it stalks the two girls lying in bed.

All eight of its eyes are focused upon the young girl sleeping with the glowing fairy.

"I'm starving. For such a beautiful little meal to come within my grasp is...lucky...she needs to grow just a bit more...along with that fairy, then, I'll devour them both."

Saliva leaked from the arachnid's mouth.

Currently the arachnid is several kilometers away and an illusion should have blocked its vision, not to mention the surrounding darkness and trees, but for some reason....it could still see the two girls clearly...as if nothing at all was obstructing its vision.

"This is going to be so fun."

Suddenly, the arachnid is covered in a black, shadowy mist which swallows its body whole, returning the monster to nothing.

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