Yggdrasilian Chronicles: Book 1

The Current State

"Wow, lucky Cress found you two." Satin said once the story was finished. "Or you would have been dead."

"Yeah. We're grateful for him." Mai said with a small smile.

"But still, do you really not know what's been going on recently?" Elijah asked Terrence.

"No..." Terrence sighed.

"Mind ya, I missed a few weeks myself." Cress pointed out. "How the hell do ya have guards under your command?"

"Guess we do need to explain." Aurael decided, crossing her arms. "Let me start. As you know, monsters have been appearing for a while."

"It all started a few weeks ago." Cress added. "Around that time, I was visiting the farm." She frowned. "Then I got jumped by goblins at the crossroads. Lucky I was vigilant, or I would have been captured."

"He had to stay a few days to recover. We began to get news of monster attacks all around the kingdom. Villages were being destroyed, women were kidnapped and raped by goblins."

"It's horrible." Terrence said sadly.

"Ya got that right." Cress agreed. "Once I recovered, I went back to the forest. Somebody had to keep on eye on it with all the trouble starting. It's why I didn't visit until now."

"Well, here's the current state of affairs." Aurael continued. "As of last week, guards were stationed in the remaining villages and farms to protect them. Elijah was put in charge of the two you saw earlier."

"Not that I'm happy with it." Elijah frowned.

"And I'm guessing your father has something to do with this?" Cress raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah..." Elijah sighed. "A way to force that 'Knight's Training' when I'm not even near him..."

"Your father is a knight?" Mai asked.

"Not just any knight." Satin said. "He's High Captain Tauros of the Royal Knights, who is right below the King in terms of status."

"WHAT!?" Terrence and Mai exclaimed.

"I know it's hard to believe..." Elijah scowled. "But yes, I'm the son of the High Captain."

"The noblest knight in the entire kingdom," Cress said mockingly, raising his arms. "With unrivaled skill and power! Praise be to him!" He slammed the table. "Ha! That's just a load of bull!"

"You sound like you don't like him." Mai stated.

"How can I? He doesn't even care about his family!"

Terrence was stunned. "How can one not care about their family?"

"Ask my father that." Elijah said bitterly. "But let me tell you. Even when I was a kid, he was so strict with me. Just the slightest slip up, and he would beat me. He put me through all sorts of things. He called it my 'Knight's Training'."

"Horrible..."

"But that's not what bothered me the most. What did, was the fact that he never even gave a thought about Mother..." Tears leaked out of the corner of his eye. "My kind, but lonely mother..."

Cress scowled. "Why even marry, if you're just going to ignore her?"

Elijah nodded. "I'm so mad at him..." He banged the table. "I wanted to get away from him! I never wanted to be under the command of that heartless man! And yet, even now, he still finds a way to put his training on me!"

"Elijah..." Satin looked at him sadly.

"Enough of this..." He looked down. "We have more pressing problems right now."

"He's right." Aurael said reluctantly. "My family's farming company is being threatened by monsters. Over the past few weeks, they've struck caravans while they were traveling to the Castle Town."

"People must be starving by now!" Cress exclaimed. "And ya must be losing a lot of money!"

"We're okay, for now. But it's all Father can do to maintain order. If I can't deliver tomorrow's goods...Everything will start collapsing."

The Hunter stood up bravely. "Let me help! I can guard your caravan as it travels to Castle Town."

"Satin and I are already on that." Elijah said.

"Wait..." Terrence looked at the fashionista in confusion. "This LITTLE GIRL is going to be a bodyguard?"

Satin's eye twitched. "Do you want an arrow in your face?"

"Sorry, but you aren't old enough for this."

"I'm Elijah's age, for your information!"

Terrence was so dumbfounded, he fell off his chair.

"She's a great archer!" Cress assured. "Almost as great as me! Speaking of which..." He pounded his chest. "Please, let me help! Terrence and Mai can come too!"

"Are you sure?" Aurael asked. "It might be hard."

"Nothing we can't handle together. Besides, we're all friends. We have to be there for each other."

"Then it's settled." Satin said happily. "Our new friends, and Cress, you can travel to Castle Town with us!"

The Hunter pumped his fist. "Yeah! Ya hear that kids? We have our first job as Hunters!"

"Are you sure we can be of use?" Terrence wondered, getting to his feet. "I have almost no skill with the blade, and Mai doesn't even have a weapon."

The Cait Sith looked away. "...Yeah."

"Hey," Cress pointed at himself. "I can show ya the ropes. You'll be qualified fighters in no time."

"Cress, the kids aren't a problem." Elijah said seriously. "But there is one that bothers me...and one, you."

"What do ya..." Cress scowled. "Oh, right. Our fathers..."

"He nearly killed you, right?" Terrence remembered. "Will you end up seeing him again?"

"I'll bet on it...He's one of the seven Royal Knights."

Terrence could feel the weight not only on Cress's shoulders, but Elijah's as well. Their fathers, part of a so called noble order of nights, were strict and abusive. To face them again...it would be harder than anything else.

Nothing else was said until it was time to head out.