The Flower Path

4. The Barony

It started as a simple 'thank you'.

The child 2851 saved was waiting for her at the foot of the cliff. Only to be confused when she did not go to the very bottom like the others who weren't picked up by relatives who had skybeasts. It didn't take long for them to track her down to the cabin's location.

2851 woke in the morning to her sky beast egg beside her, warm from the covers wrapped around it and her body heat, to a knock on her door.

Due to where her house was she had yet to have visitors. Quickly changing into a set of clean clothes she had exchanged in the trading system, she ran her fingers through her hair before answering the door.

A tall man with long white hair and gentle blue eyes stood, he smiled before calling behind him.

'Who is he?'

[...SEARCHING DATABASE...

NAME: ALDEN ARUD

TITLE: SECRETARY, TO CALDER IPHEION

ABILITY: WIND

STRENGTH: 20/100]

"Is this the young maiden who saved you, Lucian?"

A patter of feet came before a bouncing boy came to jump beside the man. Sunset eyes that were familiarly gazed at 2851 with a big grin. "Hello again!"

The man bowed, "It is an honor to meet the young maiden who saved my son. I am in your debt."

2851's eyes widened and she stepped back unsure how to respond.

He adjusted the glasses that were at the bridge of his nose, "No need to fear. We only wish to show our appreciation for your heroic act."

2851 pursed her lips and looked back at the egg that sat underneath her covers, if she was going somewhere she was taking it with her. After going back in and placing the egg in her backpack along with some cushioning she'd gotten the night she came back; she went outside and looked from the boy to the man.

The man...Alden...gestured behind him where a sky beast waited with additional saddles for extra riders.

2851 shuffled her feet, she wasn't sure if the beast would be able to take all three of them. She was bigger-boned, something that she had gotten used to. Having more skin on her bones had protected her compared to the waif-like subjects back in the labs.

The man didn't say anything though so she would trust he knew better.

Lucian, the boy she saved, sat in the middle between the man, Alden, and her on the back of the sky beast.

"Hold on tight." The only warning for what was about to occur.

As the beast jumped from the rock face, an unbidden giggle escaped from 2851 as the wind came up to meet them.

She couldn't help the giggles that continued to spill forth, the wind whipping through her short dark blue locks.

Her fingers clung to the saddle handles as the beast sprinted straight up in the air twirling around until they reached above the clouds and overlooked the floating isles.

Sunset eyes turned toward her and nodded toward the center isle.

"That's where we are going."

It was a beautiful floating isle of green. Ivory bridges and sparkling waterfalls. Arches rose above the waterfalls supporting buildings of stone with turrets and sloping sky-blue tile roofs.