Lucy Kilnis was staring absently out the window of the gilded carriage, lost in thought. She was headed toward the capital to meet the son of a prestigious family as a potential marriage candidate. Since the Kilnis family was second only to the royal family in terms of wealth and influence, she had her pick of practically any man as a marriage partner, just so long as he would be of some benefit to the political situation of the Kilnis family. Lucy wasn't particularly interested in marrying, her being only fourteen, but she had to do so to secure alliances. The young man that she was going to meet was Jean Loeriet, eldest son of Duke Fulion Loeriet of Arliel. The Loeriets were very influential in the court of Relsia, and marrying into them would be rather beneficial to the Kilnis family, at least, that's what her mother had told her.
The bouncing carriage came to a sudden halt, jolting her out of her reverie.
"Hello? Driver? What's the matter, why have we stopped?" Lucy stuck her head out the window to check what had happened, and screamed when she saw the burnt, mutilated corpse of her driver, dangling over the side of the carriage. A Shonaw was circling overhead, the gigantic blue bird making harsh screeching sounds that pierced her ears. Lightning came down from the sky and ricocheted off the beast's steel horns and into the carriage, blasting it onto its side. The Shonaw dove at the toppled and smoking carriage, it's beak stained with the driver's blood. Lucy closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact. But it never came.
Lucy slowly opened her eyes and saw a black-haired boy around her age standing before her, dust settling on the ground around him. He had his hand extended toward the Shonaw. Lucy was confused that the giant avian terror wasn't attacking the boy. Furthermore, the beast proceeded to nuzzle the boy's hand like it was some sort of pet.
"There there, they weren't trying to hurt you." The boy said in a soothing tone. His voice was extremely soft. Lucy started to feel relaxed, just from hearing him speak, so much so, that she almost forgot about the situation she was in. Almost.
"What is going on here?" Lucy demanded, pulling herself from the wreckage. The Shonaw jumped back, startled, and the boy calmed it again.
"Don't startle him. He's only a baby, you know." The boy said, his tone hardening. "Solen was just trying to defend himself."
"Solen?" Lucy ventured.
"That's this Shonaw's name, didn't you know?" The boy replied. He seemed surprised that Lucy wasn't aware of the fact that random wild animals had names. "Speaking of names, what's yours?" The boy asked, changing the subject.
"My name is Lucy Kilnis, heir to the Kilnis family, and childhood friend of the princess, Amelia Denarin, and what, might I inquire, is your name?" She said, her tone blisteringly arrogant.
"My name is Lokei Dreamrider, beast tamer and sergeant of the Bracina Sitonat. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kilnis." He answered with a bow. Lucy had never heard the name "Dreamrider" before, but the Bracina Sitonat was a world renowned organization. They specialized in countering the beasts that plagued the land, otherwise known as "Nightmares", like the Shonaw the boy was now lovingly petting like it was a new puppy.
"Two things wrong about your statement. One, beast tamers are just myths, and two the Bracina Sitonat is a powerful international organization and wouldn't have a little kid like you in their ranks." Lucy responded, albeit rather rudely.
"You have a good point." Lokei said. "But do you have any other explanation for what happened to Solen? Also, we're pretty much the same age, so you have no standing to call me a little kid."
"Well, no, but I do know that you're still too young for the Bracina Sitonat." Lucy replied, clinging on to the part of her statement that wasn't disproven, but, sadly, it was, and with a simple sentence, too.
"The Bracina Sitonat accepts trainees from the age of ten."
Lucy turned away, crossing her arms, and she immediately regretted it. Pain flared in her shoulder, and she winced.
"Well, you've saved your damsel in distress, now, go home and brag about it to your friends." She said, annoyed.
"I'm actually here to escort you to the capital. Reports of large numbers of Nightmares have been cropping up in this area lately" He said. Lucy didn't bother to hide her surprise.
"You mean to say that the reason you are here, is because of me?" She asked in disbelief.
"That is correct. Though I am also here to tame and bring back Nightmares for the Sitonat to raise and breed." He said, very matter-of-fact.
"Very well then. I will allow you to escort me, but how will we get there? Both the driver and the horses were killed by your new pet" Lucy said.
"Oh, that'll be easy." Lokei said, with a glint in his eye.
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.
"We'll just ride Solen." He answered, scratching Solen under the chin , almost a picturesque scene, aside from the fact that the Shonaw was twenty feet tall and surrounded by lightning. Lucy was having a hard time understanding how Lokei wasn't harmed by the crackling electricity.
"Oh no. No way am I going to ride that thing." Lucy said, backing away.
"I told you, Solen is not a 'thing'" Lokei shot back angrily. "Now, are you coming or not?"
"Fine." Lucy huffed. Lokei hopped onto Solen's back but Lucy still didn't get on.
"How do you know that the lightning won't kill me?" She asked, squinting to see him through the crackling electricity.
"It won't, trust me." Lokei answered, holding out a hand to help Lucy up.
"Very well." She sighed and pulled her up by her good arm, not quite gently, up onto the Shonaw.
"We'll be there in half and hour." Lokei announced.
