Perilous Skies; Wayward Royalty, Playing with Fire

Chapter 10: That was fast.

"Sorry for not saying anything earlier,

I wasn't allowed to speak during the actual departure," I said looking back at Piiku, it wasn't easy with the tight metal suit on. I can't wait to get this useless hunk of scrap off me... sorry father. She stared back at me with wide and curious eyes, her mouth hung slightly open, her head tilted, and her white hair shimmered under the bright sun like snow atop a mountain. The island was already long gone, leaving us soaring over the ocean alone. Not like any of them will have a chance to catch up, thank the Imperials.

"It's ok, your gra-I mean Beskytter," she replied with a small jolt as she corrected herself, "I didn't have anything noteworthy to say about it anyway,

What I saw was pretty self-explanatory."

"Well if you say so," I replied to her, turning forward again to stop all this drag my armor was creating. Do you seriously have nothing to add? Talk to her damnit!! She's waited years to meet you and you hardly know anything besides her name!!

Fair, but what do I even ask? She's not from Ernanthyia, that's for sure. Well then just start with that!! I blinked back into reality, glanced at her, and said, "So...I take it you're new to these parts?

I don't ever remember you being on the Southern Shores, mainland before we met," She remained silent, but I sensed a strange apprehension from her movements. Did you say something wrong? Is she just thinking, was I being too prodding?

"North, across the sea and past the Reigus mountain range well within the taiga forests,

...My village is beyond any named territories," Piiku said earnestly, "But we do work and trade with the neighboring kingdoms,"

"Then that space is your territory?" I asked, trying to ignore the tightness in my neck.

"Sort of, our borders aren't defined as we try... to maintain some secrecy," she replied slowly, taking her time to yawn in the middle of her statement. I took some time to ponder on it myself.

"Interesting, actually wait what?

That doesn't make any sense,

How do you manage that?

You trade with your neighbors and hold land without borders or letting anyone know where you live?" I said in disbelief, glancing back at her, she looked alarmed by my confusion, like I should've known better.

"We use outposts and airborne patrol scattered throughout our homeland to trade and convene with them...

As well as tell them where they are and are not welcome,

We are relatively small in number and for all our skill as slayers, we would quickly be subsumed by their kingdoms if we let them," She said with haste, perhaps to ensure I wouldn't interrupt her at any point. I was stumped on how to respond to this human land-owning stuff, so all I could do was turn back to flying. So little things were said, but there's so much confusion. Is it just how human territories interact or are these just crazy? WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE!?!? Just look at how to maintain your territory!! Fair, I will not pry into that anymore, for now.

As we glided kilometers above the earth, I tried to look for some kind of distraction to pass the time. A sight, a smell, a thought, just something more to think about: but this tight helmet shields my senses from anything of interest and squeezes out my thoughts. I shook and snapped at the air in a vain attempt to adjust the helm. How did Father ever manage this stupid thing? Was he that much of a skinny twerp back then? Sorry, I didn't mean it. Sometimes I wonder why-

I heard her snicker faintly before silencing herself when she noticed I paused. Initially, I pretended not to notice but carefully peered back, hoping that the eyepiece would obscure my gaze from her. Her arms were outstretched and were crudely mirroring my wings, heh... cute. I yawned to relieve the tension in my jaws and snapped shut creating a metallic clang. She giggled again and whispered something to herself that I couldn't quite make out through the helmet. Wait, does she find entertainment in this? You can do better than that!! Oh, this can't stand, I can do so much more!!