The Last of the Miras

XXI | Ni-Jū Ichi

The day for the prince started in a full swing of workloads. Well, leaving the public audience matter for his parents, the king and the queen. Three of them were inside the throne room, attending the forest spirits' unrestricted call of pleas and requests in front of the parents of the kingdom.

A~re? This is one of the things that I'll be tending to after I would be declared as king? Axel told himself.

Athena, who was sitting on her seat on the left side of the king softly giggled. Well, Axel dear, that is correct.

While the father, Alexander just merely huffed. Now you know that it's not easy to run the family. Well the family that you'll be making, much less running a whole country of nature beings.

Right. 

The eldest child agreed.

Much more when I start ruling the kingdom all by myself. The prince mentally added.

He decided to open his ears toward the present being in front of him, telling its problem to its rulers.

King, queen and the prince of Altaria. The forest being bows deeply in respect towards the leaders of the kingdom.

The three monarchs nodded in reply.

Being the second-in-rule, the queen gently smiled as if she was talking to a child.

What is it you want to tell us, dear child?

I am called Rhinos, my queen.

The being pauses for awhile before continuing.

Humbly I beseech Your Highnesses the request of assistance to our lands. Another attack from the L'aci occurred in our hometown.

L'aci's? What kind of beings are they? The prince asked himself.

Then he heard a disembodied voice that seem to answer his question.

They are destructive beings who wish the destruction of nature, where they feed off from all living things in order to live. Their main goal is to make nature cease to exist.

Are they the ones who were and still are after the Maiden of Nature? Axel came to a conclusion for he heard the name of the group when he was in the palace library, idling around while he was looking for a book to read, yet got himself hooked on the book his eyes caught on which contained the history of the Nature Guardian.

A moment of silence follows right after his last thought.

One thing that the prince didn't expect to gain is a certain vision in his mind's eye.

▪    ▪    ▪

A beige haired maiden ran through a thick forest. It seemed that she was running away from someone.

I need to get away from here!!

Her appearance was in a complete mess, which complements to her disheveled hair.

Running was all she did, but a dart attached with a feather on its end zoomed past the female's margin of distance she managed to create and pricks her upper left thigh in a shatter.

No! I must not give into its effects. . .I won't let myself to be captured by him a. . .ga. . .in. As the woman slowly loses her consciousness.

In a flash, a cloaked body appears in front of the woman who passed out not less than a second ago.

My, my, my. . .why must you escape every time you have a chance. . . sweetheart? A masculine disembodied voice bitterly said the last word.

▪    ▪    ▪

Axel was brought back to reality when he heard his father announcing his decision.

Alright. Let my son, Axel handle the problem with the rest of the best fighters we can deploy to your place at the dawn of tomorrow.

I am forever in your debt, Your Highness. 

Rhinos left the throne room, making a soft click behind him.