It’s the 3rd day of the Sunlit Dark month. Due to my uncle’s insistence, I was made to leave the country and start my 2 year long journey before I reach the age of 25. In Aurelis royalty, the 2 year long journey was the common practice that the children of royalty often do before we reach our coming of age. It was meant to serve as an experience for those who lived in comfort, to teach us to adapt. Though I need to move incognito and while other nobles aren’t allowed to meddle, I was forced to leave the country and meet with my father’s old friend and receive his blessing.

After father's coma, my uncle took over as the regent before I reach the age to ascend the throne. Aurelis, my kingdom is known for its strict and absolute monarchial laws. An apparent heir, who is part of the current royal family of Argent will ascend the throne at the age of 25: that, no matter the status of the current sovereign be it him alive and well, the apparent will take his place as the current sovereign and rule over the kingdom with their predecessor's guidance. And as a precaution: if the apparent is still young and hasn't reached the age of 25, a regent will be appointed. Most often the closest relative of the king or the current queen who is part of the royal family, and in this case, my uncle, was the closest legitimate candidate for regency.

“Your high— *ehem* Theo, there’s a river up ahead. I suggest we let the horses have a drink while we eat our lunch.”

A man with the same age as me rode his horse beside mine. His long dark brown hair flew with the light breeze that passed through the trees, his blue eyes reminiscent of the sky held deep loyalty and a hint of worry.

We’ve been friends since we were young and even if he is of low birth, he built his own merits to be able to serve me as my close aide. In my country, he is the only person I trust the most aside from my family.

“I agree, we also need to get our bearings.”

We’ve been going around in circles the day we entered the forest. The Meldrid forest is known to be filled with ancient barriers that protects the forest-kin from the outside world. And it seems we’ve passed through some traps that activated a barrier. The forest is fairly easy to navigate if one follows the small roads and animal trails that span inside the forest but somehow we’ve lost our way.

*Pfft!*

I covered my mouth trying to stifle a laugh. Seeing Henry as graceful as he is, almost tripping from a root sticking out of the ground brought some of my tension down. For a strict man, he was often clumsy, especially when he worries.

We tied our horses near the river bank to let them drink, then my men sat beside us creating a circle under a tree near the river bank. Uncle said I’m able to bring up to 4 companions in my journey, so I chose Henry along with my escort knights as companion.

After a small meal that Henry prepared, I stood to wash my hands in the river. I couldn't stop but admire the crystal blue stream that glistened with the sun. My father used to tell me that rivers was thought of as roads of the forest, leading you to another place that is very different from this one.

It would be a peculiar adventure if it were.

I imagined while breathing in the forest scent through the breeze. I leaned with my hand sitting comfortably in the river bank. I daydreamed about the adventure and the forest breeze that comforted me slowly turned into a strong gale that centered on the wide river.

"Your highness!"

Henry called walking towards me slowly while bracing for the wind. The gale grew stronger enough to muster a huge pile of leaves and create a dust devil, with its strong gales pushing us down we braced ourselves. It continued for a little while and slowly subsided leaving a swirl of leaves floating in the air and rippled on the touched river.

"What was that?"

I asked dumbfounded, no one answered so I stood up to see what happened. Suddenly a hand reaches out from the river trying to pull itself up. The sudden splash of water startled everyone, touching the hilt of their swords in preparation for an attack.

A small figure swam for its life and gasped for air, trying to keep itself from drowning. Instinctively, I removed my armor and jumped into the river. I saw the figure of a woman trying to swim up to the surface to no avail, I swam as fast as I could before it's too late.

And as I reach her, she slowly sunk in the water leaving a trail from her clothes. I swam down to lift her body, and as soon as her face left the water she instinctively gasped for air and jerked her eyes open. I carried her in my arm and swam back to shore.

"Are you alright?"

I sat her up and patted her back to expel water from her lungs. I saw my aide getting his sword out of its sheathe, ready to move in to attack. The woman may have felt it as she removed her hairpin that was stuck awkwardly in her drenched hair, ready to retaliate.

Surprised with the sudden hostility, I moved my hand away from her back and gestured to Henry.

"Stand down, Henry."

I raised my hand as a gesture for him to stop.

"But your highness, she might be one of the forest-kin! They'll kill anyone who enters the forest with no hesitation!"

He took a step forward and the leaves crunched under his foot.

The forest-kin were unknown creatures with terrifying speed and strength. They hate outsiders and protects the Meldrid forest from those who intrude. The woman glared at him, then sudden coughs reached her throat leaving her to shake and gasp.

I noticed the weird clothes she was wearing which was light and fluffy even though it was drenched. But what caught my eye even more was her peculiar purple hair that reached her lower-back. Her eyes was a clear deep blue perfectly placed in her small fair porcelain face, a different feel from Henry's.

She continued to cough expelling the water from her lungs when suddenly, thumping hooves and rustling, crunching leaves was coming towards us. I stood up and held my sword. Horses with men amassing to a hundred surrounded us, and in the middle, a man in armor approached us. He had messy wavy hair that reached his shoulders and his pale black eyes looked at us like we were prey.

"Well, well, intruders. It seems that men from Aurelis are getting brave enough to enter the forest of Eloheim."

His smirk annoyingly directed at me, his smile grew wider, my men formed a circle with me in the front and the woman in the middle still catching her breath.

"Eloheim's forest? Are you mad? This forest has been neutral since the dawn of both kingdoms."

Henry drew his sword beside me and pointed it at the man.

"Hah! Elohians are getting more arrogant by the day, the forest-kin will never allow you to prance around the great Meldrid forest."

He continued and scoffed at the enemy getting ready to attack. The enemy drew their sword in response to his insult while I felt something pass by us. The woman I just saved stood in front of me facing the black-haired man.

"Milady! Get away from them!"

I screamed, she coughed a little.

"A woman?! Heh. Alright boys, kill all the men but keep the woman and the two noisy ones alive."

He exclaimed pleasantly surprised at the appearance of the woman. In an instant, I saw her throw something towards the enemy leader and in a blink of an eye, blood stated gushing out from his throat with what seemed to be orange and red flowers sticking out from it. He fell from his horse, catching ours and his men's attention.

Dumbfounded about what just happened, the woman walked towards his body and pulled out his sword as he drowned in his own blood. He tried to struggle away but the bloodlust coming off of the girl was too intense for him to move. Fear and despair painted his face, realizing his imminent death.

"Shh... calm down. Don't worry, I'll make everything easier for you."

She raised a finger to her mouth, lifted the sword with her right hand and cut his head clean. The blood that gushed out, now became a puddle that tinted the green grass, dark red. She turned towards her enemies with her hand splattered with blood and the stolen sword covered with the owner's blood. A smile covered her face and even more bloodlust came seeping out from her.

Everyone felt it, this spine-chilling, heart rendering killing intent emanated. Some stumbled and fell, others were able to run away. Those who were brave enough tried to attack her, with either confidence in their strength or it might have been their self-preservation telling them to fight. But those who attempted were met with the same sword that killed their leader. Every kill wasn't just a flesh wound or a stab on their body, no, it was always a clean kill. Directly slicing the head off or stabbing the heart. Every movement was like a dance, lunging the sword and pulling it away, slicing the men before they can react and turning around as if she was twirling.

Soon, she was able to kill up to almost thirty men without moving from where she was. Dead bodies piled around her as she sliced the air with the sword. In doing so, blood from all the men she killed was removed and splattered on the bark of the trees or on the grass.

"I'm sorry for such a gruesome gratitude, but, thank you for saving me."

As if nothing, she placed the sword on the ground and curtsied. She wasn't playing around nor she was smiling, she was serious and truly grateful for me saving her. The sincerity in her eyes and the dead bodies that piled was the most eeriest image I have ever seen. She then walked towards us slowly, my men pointed their sword towards the unarmed woman who was avoiding us to get to the river.

She washed her hands on the flowing river that turned a tinge of red every time blood made contact with it. She dove back in to wash her black sleeves and the fluffy silver skirt and her blood splattered face.

"Calm down. I don't plan on killing nor attacking any of you."

She took out a wet red handkerchief from her pocket, wiping her face off some of the water. She clicked her tongue annoyingly at not being able to dry her face properly.

“Who are you?!”

Henry pointed his sword on the back of her head. Then a rustle and a scream ran away from us catching our attention. When we looked back at the person washing her dress in the river, we heard another scream.

“UWAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

“Wha—?!”

A dumb voice leaked out of my mouth when the woman vanished and ran after the escaping bandit. In her hand was the same sword she used to slaughter her enemies.

“Liam, prepare the horses! Henry we’ll go after them!”

I gave orders to my men, activating mana for a speed boost and ran leaving my armor behind. We soon caught up and found the woman at a distance beside yet another corpse.

“… Who in the world are you…?”

A gasp and a trailing whisper escaped Henry’s mouth and the woman turned around with a puzzled expression.

“Hmmm… I am… hm… I forgot?”

Soon our horses’ hooves resounded and arrived. My mind was blank, in the first time in a long while with my praised intellect as the Aureate Crown Prince of Aurelis. I wasn’t sure if it was from what had transpired or from the woman whose beauty was incomparable to any woman I’ve ever seen, but this journey might become the most interesting yet.