"Queens and commoners, princes and peasants, welcome to the party of the quincentury!"
For most people, receiving an invitation to the White King's Masquerade is an honor. Even attempting to attend is a chance to go down in history. But for Sol of M...
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I slipped off my horse, my feet hitting the desert floor with a thud.
The forest was so thick that we had to lead our horses on foot, with Aester barely managing to squeeze his large figure through and Ciel having to stoop permanently to avoid particularly malicious branches.
We maneuvered our way over huge roots and thick forest earth, deeper and deeper into the White King's woods.
I stroked my horse, Petrichor's, mane as she obediently walked behind me. I barely had time to think, let alone appreciate her when Kostik thrust her reigns into my hands before poking me into her saddle.
"Go on, move it," he said, before turning, presumably to do the same to Odelyn. We had stopped at a small stable, a middle aged Miriopian couple rushing out to greet us.
The horses had been fitted with supplies ranging from food, to matches, to tents, a fact I discovered only when we were far into the fields.
"Why are we in such a hurry?" I heard Fyn ask before Kostik shushed her by poking her towards a horse.
"I know little gyirl thinks she is brave, but trust Kostik, you do not vant to be riding in the dark."
"Stars," I cursed as I stumbled over a hidded vine, grabbing on to Petrichor to steady myself.
Good thing I actually knew how to ride, I thought, analyzing the ground carefully before I sent myself sprawling.
Soon enough, the forest thinned enough for us to mount again and ride through. We rode for a few hours, through more dark, more green, more trees, until the sun began to slip down the sky.
The forest grew dark quickly, the plants casting shadows on one another in the evening light. But it wasn't ominous. Not yet.
We trotted forward into a large clearing.
"Perhaps we should set up camp," Ciel suggested.
"This looks like a good place to stop," I said, at the same time, averting my gaze to the floor as he turned to face me.
Aester nodded, either oblivous or uncaring but probably both, and dismounted. He brought out an axe and began chopping at some of the lower hanging branches.
I slid off my horse and unclipped a small tent, setting it up the way Odelyn had at Centerfold. There was a flurry of activity as Fyn gathered sticks for kindling and River and Pelias set up another tent.
A fire crackled, bathing us all in a warm orange glow as Ele handed out sandwhiches. I was halfway through mine, when Odelyn and Ciel returned from scouting the forest.
"It just seems to go on and on," she said, as she lowered herself down next to River, "I even climbed a tree but I couldn't see much obviously."
Ciel held a sandwich in his mouth as he scoured the scene before sidling over and plopping himself down next to me. He stretched his long legs on the earth and propped himself up on his elbows.
