Finley Cai Aies Hall April 15th, 20XX

I desperately dived to the left to avoid the giant boulder that was sent to crush me and flipped up right, ready to defend against the next attack.

“ Hey! that almost hit me!”

Cambridge, the sender of said boulder simply raised an eyebrow and sent another two in response. I dodged the first as before but doing so put me directly in the path of the other. I held out my wand to stop it in its tracks then sent it back with a yell.

She floated out of the way, more graceful than a dancer and charged at me with a her wand transformed into a staff. Her immense fighting spirit roared out with the act and her usually kind but stern expression had faded away to one of restrained joy as she tried to remember she was fighting against a rookie and to hold herself back.

Instead of engaging in a fight I knew I’d lose I sent a blast of magic in her direction then took off in the opposite direction. It wasn't nearly powerful enough to stop her but I knew it would at least slow her down. She stopped and dodged the blast of magic, not even bothering to try and make a shield to defend against it, and continued after me at a skewed angle that I knew I wouldn't have been able to fly at.

“ You have to fight back Cai! What type of prince would run from a non-royal! As well, aren't you from the patriatrical human world? why do you run from a mere woman!”

That same ‘mere woman’ was currently charging after me with full force and had a terrifyingly blood thirsty look in her eyes.

Through my peripheral vision I saw that she was gaining on me and pushed myself to go even faster. The wind whipped past my face and almost hurt due to the intensity but the memories of what had happened when she caught me last time was more than enough to spur me on.

“ I believe in equality! It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman as long as there's the possibility that i'll get my head bashed in I’ll run away!!”

I looked back again only to see that she’d disappeared and a dreadful feeling flooded through me. I began to dive in an attempt to avoid her but a voice suddenly appeared by my ear before a sharp pain erupted in between my wings and I began to fall,

“ How can you say such cowardly things so proudly?”

I spread my wings even further to parachute myself onto the ground then twisted and rolled onto the ground into a standing position as I’d been taught. I finally elongated my wand into a staff and stood in a battle ready position opposite Cambridge,

“ That was low, you of all people should know how scared I am of falling”

She chose not to reply and instead sprung towards me, forcing me into combat.

“ If I were you, I would focus on defending instead of trying to appeal to my sympathies.”

We engaged for a few minutes before she finally took advantage of an opening and jabbed me sharply in the abdomen.

“ Careless! Weak! If you can't even beat me how do you expect to ascend the throne?!”

I quickly gave up in trying to gain the upper hand and swung the staff at her feet causing her to shift backwards then using the short reprieve I stood and began to run away.

Through the unintentional combined efforts of Cambridge and Theodulus I’d realized that my true strength in combat laid not in pure brute strength but in the sacred art of running away.

“ Either ways I can't actually ascend the throne right? all I have to do is marry a girl that can take care of both me and the country!”

She scowled and started to chase me down again, rapidly gaining on me with each passing second.

“ Even though you've been raised in the human world how can you be so in tune with the male fairy mentality?”

Corin’s kind yet teasing voice came out from the door and without a second thought I moved behind her and looked up at her with my most pitiful expression; all notions of shame and self worth gone at the fear of the monster that was still chasing me.

“ Help! Cambridge is determined to make me into a useful person!”

She laughed loudly and captured me in her embrace, effectively shielding me with her body before giving Cambridge a reproachful look,

“ Now now Cambridge.. remember he’s still a child. How can you be so hard on him?! look how terrified the poor dear is!”

Corin was Cambridge’s older sister and one of the people that took care of me when I was younger. When she’d found out I was back she'd forced herself into becoming one of my instructors. I nodded in support and got a cookie as a consolation while Cambridge looked at me in disbelief.

“ How can one man change so much over just a month?”

Corin took me by the hand and led me out of the training field. As she did so I focused on the cookie that tastes especially good when combined with the feeling of a false victory over Cambridge. Within the whole castle no one could stop her when she was determined to teach me something save for Corin and the mythical grandmother I apparently had who was still in the long process of awakening from her rest.

I had asked to see her a few times but after learning that merely being in the presence of her unrestrained power would crush me into a puddle I had decided to wait. It’s not as if I was all that curious anyways about a woman that would leave me stranded in another world even whole she was fully aware of my presence.

“ s’already my turn anyways, His Fluttermoth just arrived.”

Honestly, the difference in personalities was so different that if not for their similar appearances I wouldn't have believed they had any relation to each other. Where Cambridge was hardened with muscles Corin was soft and where Cambridge would be stern she would spoil me to bits. If Cambridge had a way of bringing out anyone’s survival instinct then Corin could bring out anyone’s inner child.

Cambridge scowled but still waved the two of us off, bowing stiffly as the battle frenzy wore off and she remembered her status.

“ We’ll continue next time Cai.”

I purposefully ignored the slightly threatening farewell she bade us and followed Corin as she led me to the stables at the back and brought out two unbelievable animals. I stared at the beasts in horrid fascination.

“ What. Is. That?”

She looked at me with a kind but pitying expression, similar to how one would look at an incredibly dumb child that couldn't recognize something they had learned a million times.

“ It's a flutter moth. Didn't i just say I was going to give you one?”

“That is a Fluttermoth? is the ‘moth’ from mammoth?”

The beasts had the bodies of mammoths under giant slightly humanoid faces and giant butterfly wings, even just the baby was large enough to easily carry a group of two. She nodded proudly and patted the larger of the two on the head Laughing as it nuzzled its giant furry head into her palm like a dog.

“ This one’s mine, her name’s Fie and this child, is yours.”

She pointed to the smaller of the two with an affectionate smile and brought it closer to me. It looked at me with a blank expression and its snow white fur and wings seemed to glow against the brown colors of its surroundings. I reached out a hand and started to pet it just as Corin had, slowly warming up to the fl

“ Even though you’re kinda creepy you're also kinda cute so I guess it evens out.”

Now, in my opinion I was doing pretty well with the massive culture shock until it suddenly broke out into a smile.

“ Wah!”

I screamed and fell back then turned to face Corin whose face had turned red from trying not to laugh,

“ Can it understand me?”

“ About as much as a dog can... although I've heard that the more thorough bred ones can somewhat read emotions.”

It wobbled over to me as we spoke and put its head under my hand in a clear sign that it wanted to be petted more. I obliged and continued absentmindedly while listening to Corin speak until something caught my attention.

Its previously white and translucent wings suddenly began to color according to mine, like an invisible brush was coloring them in. I immediately turned to Corin for an explanation.

“ is this normal?”

She nodded and indicated towards her own Fluttermoth which (now that I was looking for it) had wings that matched hers.

“ It’s the proof of the contract between you and it. Now come on you still have to learn how to clean after it. That snow white fur can only stay clean and fluffy with proper care.”

I looked it in the eye and suddenly a name came to me,

“He looks like a Galen don't you think so?”

She chuckled as she saw that I was speaking to the flutter moth and outright laughed when she saw it smile once again.

“ If you want it to be called Galen, then Galen it is.”

I nodded and began to brush his fur with the long sweeping motions Corin had and we both worked in silence until I finally remembered to ask,

“ Galen’s awesome and all but what's his purpose? I can already fly by myself.”

“ And humans can walk in terms of travel doesn't mean that they want to .”

“ Fair enough.”

We stayed like that for a bit until the doors of the stable suddenly swung open and Cambridge ran in.

“ Corin! I’ve received news from the west. They are arriving to pay their respects. They are expected to arrive by tomorrow.

Corin paled,

“ They’ve found out already?”

Cambridge took a deep breath before she spoke again but it did nothing to hide the faint panic in her eyes. ,

“ If even you found out so quickly why wouldn't they?”

She turned to me with the same panicked expression that looked completely out of place on her usually stoic face and said in a would -be -apologetic tone,

“ I know the deal was that we would not interfere with your human life but this is truly a necessity. Can you stay here for a week?”

Small links began to fall into place and I was able to gather that someone, probably pretty powerful, had found out that I was here and wanted to confirm and going off the panic that buzzed around the room the royal palace couldn't really deny.

Ordinarily I would have said no; after all it was so last minute and spending a week with a bunch of random strangers did not sound appealing on the least but seeing the panic that had upgraded to fear at the thought of my rejection coupled with Corin’s paleness made me change my mind,

“ I’ll need a day to sort out things in my ‘human’ life as you call it. If you let me go now I can be back by the usual time tomorrow.”

She nodded at a supersonic pace and grabbed Corin by the arm, speaking to me as she walked away.

“ We’re going to pack for you so you go back now and be back at the usual time so we can prepare you. Please Cai, don't dally. This is truly important….. especially for you.”