Ch 13 - Graduation from Royal Academy

Last week I turned seventeen! I’m about to graduate from the Royal Academy, just a couple of months left and I’ll be done.

My grades are in the top 3 as always and thanks to all the efforts I’ve put taking on advanced missions, I can even apply to the best squad of the kingdom, and I wanted, serve under my father.

- not that I will do that tho -

First and foremost the most important thing right now is preparing for this weekend duel with Higg, I’ve lost six times so far so it’s time to turn the tables on him!

He’s a busy man so it’s best to make things clear and just overwhelmingly beat him down, that way both of us can focus on what we should do instead of this silly stuff about marriage.

I won’t deny that he’s treated me well and is caring. And I’m growing fond of the time I spent with him. But...

I still need to find Dom and Brad.

Are they still alive? have they actually returned?

I have never been able to gather the whole group in all those thousands of years.

I’ve been having odd dreams lately, it’s more like blurry images not really actual dreams.

There is a huge black door and the soil is black with a hue of green that doesn’t look like mold. Somewhere I’ve never seen before, It must be outside this country maybe even in a different continent.

And then are those monsters, the demons razing villages and towns.

Demons were vanquished and sealed in a different dimension weren’t they? it couldn't be that they are coming back?.

I’ve talked about it with Ali and all she does is joke around telling me that I’m no oracle, and even though she is right those dreams are all too weird, it’s as if I’ve seen them before but I can’t remember clearly.

They are fuzzy dreams and there is no clear view of anything around other than what I see, it’s as if I’m watching a reflection in disturbed water.

They started the night I turned 16, yes a year ago.

Even though it’s not a daily occurrence, I’ve had those weird fuzzy dreams three times in the last six months.

“Lady Gatriel, Lady Gatriel a letter just arrived for you”

A maid calls from outside my room, I told her to get in and give it to me.

It has the royal seal in it, so it must be from Higg.

“Dearest fiance, Lady Gatriel Decebal.

I’m writing you this letter to inform you of a most unfortunate event, our duel will have to be postponed for a couple of months if not even a full year.

I’m heading out to the borders of Chaiford, close to Lhune the City of Markets at the northernmost border of our kingdom, near the Dragon’s falley.

It seems that Chaiford and the tribes of Fastow and Beybury are gathering forces to invade our lands.

Your lord father and his Pegasus army will accompany me, alongside with two other large squadrons to meet at Headbluff with battalions from Ravenloft and Blightmoor to defend our lands.

I would love to spend a day with you and talk about our exploits since last time we saw each other but time is of the essence and it's the duty of our army to defend our kingdom!

Oh how I wish you would change your mind and accept my sincere heart, for with each passing day my feelings for you grow more and more.

Some days is just unbearable just not being able to see your smile and hear your laugh when we talk or fight!

My heart goes to you!

First prince Higg Armand Reiyah

Leader of the new Gryphon Army, protectors of the kingdom.

P.D: Please protect my sisters in my place! And do never risk your life more than required! I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.

“

As I was reading the letter I froze in place, the shock of the news was just too big.

What’s Higg doing going to war, he’s too young, barely 24 years old this year! And my father and his whole battalion are going?

Thats over eighty thousand men only from Imil, if we assume that Blightmoor will put twenty thousand men as Ravenloft and Headbluff, that’s a gigantic force of over one hundred twenty thousand soldiers.

This is some serious news, aaah ahhh why am I so worried.

“If you tell me words like that even I can falter and want to hug you… Higg”

*sigh*

I let out those words with a sigh and raised my right hand to my eyes and started lightly stroking them.

“~doki doki~ *whistle* ~ehehe~ Lady Gatriel Decebal finally fell for the Prince? ~doki doki~ what’s with that ‘if you tell me those words even I want to hug you’ ~kyaa~”

I jumped from my chair and turned around in a second, I didn’t notice Aly entering my room.

As I stare at her I can feel the heat rushing through my cheeks, her smirk tells me that I must be blushing like a maiden who just confessed her love to a man.

This is so embarrassing and she’s enjoying it more than she should, that vixen.

“Y, Yo, You vixen! When did you come in? You know I don’t like when you sneak up on me!”

I couldn't help but tremble at the beginning, not out of fear but embarrassment. Aliyah just heard something I haven't said in several millenia.

“~nee nee~ I’m so cute oh you so caring, come ~smuch smuch~ ahh yes higg, hug me I’m yours ~kyaa~ whoops--”

She dodged my punch beautifully but her surprise was entirely real.

Her brows rose as she said ‘whoops’ and her rounded eyes fell down as she dodged.

“Da, da, dangerous Gat! Do you want to chop my head? Hey I was kidding, calm down”

I was just embarrassed, not really mad at her and lashed out with true killing intent, she must have felt it and crouched fast.

*huf huf*

“Sorry ali, I’m sorry, are you ok? Come on! You just scared me and started teasing me so I lost my cool for a second there!”

“~ehehe~, I know, don’t worry. You just scared me for a second, I hadn’t felt your bloodlust in a long while.~pup~”

I gave the letter to Ali so she could read it and her expression turned serious once she was done and stared back at me in silence.

“We have our graduation mission coming, ali The abandoned fortress of Chedya that seems to be taken over by a band of brigands. The details of the mission are clear, it's not capture but annihilation.

We will be given a small regimen of 250 soldiers to command.

Are you ready?”

“~pyon~ I worry about Dan, Julius, Azer and Galiene, It’s not the first time we have to kill, but Galiene and Azer are still weak.

They rely too much on us, Dan and Julius are ok but I still worry.”

I think a little bit on Aliyah’s words, indeed I have thought the same.

Gali is not yet ready for that kind of battlefield. Azer is fine as long as we keep him behind to strategize and with proper guards.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make it happen and return back alive and victorious, you and me should be able to deal with them if we use our energy, and with the effort of the rest, proper leading of the battalions, it should be done in less than six months including traveling time.”

“~nee nee~ Is it ok for you to just swap topics just like that? Come on Gat, gossip gossip ~kyaa~ ok?”

“Ali.......“

She just looked at me, didn’t say a word she just stared at me, with that beautiful smile on her face.

I gave up on keeping quiet and started talking with her, letting out all my questions and doubts.

“Is it ok to feel this? Am I even allowed to?”

.....no answer, just that smile

“Do I deserve it? After all I’ve done? All the killing, all those massacres?”

......silence, just that pair of black eyes shining on me, the smile is gone now.

“I’m a monster Ali, the Heavenly Commander! you know? A being trained for the sole purpose of annihilating the enemy, I’m not someone worth his fe..--”

“What are you talking about Gat? Monster? Killer? How long ago was that? Haven't you suffered enough? Haven't you gone through enough loneliness? Caring for us, helping us survive when we were weak? Who was it that allowed me so many times to live the life of a mortal? Who was it that encouraged me to fall in love? To even bear a child?”

*slap slap slap thud thud thud*

Tears flowing those black eyes and that trembling voice, I didn't even attempted to dodge her slaps nor her soft punches on my shoulders.

I mean wasn't that my job? To find and protect them? That’s what father said isn't it? ‘Find them and protect them as you are their salvation’

“Ali...... haven’t I told you? That’s what father said? ‘Find them and protect them as you are their salvat’--”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up, you always forgetting the important things, bearing all responsibility by yourself--”

*thud thud*

“You are not our saviour, and you don’t have to protect us! Why can’t you remember something so simple? Why are you making me suffer like this? Am I not your best friend? Am I not your sister in arms? Have I not been with you through thin and thick?--”

*sob sob*

“Please Gat don’t make me suffer this much, I put on that face and make odd sounds and gestures, yes I like it, but I know that even if buried in that cold appearance of yours, in your heart you enjoy it, so I keep up with it, I endure it. I see your suffering, your loneliness, and it hurts me more than anything.”

I lowered my head and tears started flowing down my eyes, I didn’t knew she felt this way.

I’m a bad leader and a bad sister…

“Sorry ali, please forg..--”

“Your dad said ‘find them and protect EACH OTHER, for they are your salvation and you are theirs’ so don’t you ever forget again!, let me save you this time Gat let me see you enjoy even 1 lifetime out of the thousands we have lived together, please *niff*”

So that was it! How could I have forgotten those words? I was so focused on finding them and protecting them (not being always able to) that I forgot those words.

So I just nodded, smiled at Ali’s crying face and nodded.

After a couple of minutes holding each other Ali managed to calm herself and stated in a matter-of-factly way.

“Then let’s get ready for our mission and go say goodbye to your father and Higg? Yes? ~kyaa~”

I just nodded and got my gear, my stacks of papers, my backpack and followed by Ali out of the castle.

Dan, Julius, Azer and Galiene are waiting outside the Royal castle, we are ready to leave for our graduation mission, I came here to see Father and Higg, say my goodbyes and express something I haven’t done in a long time!

“Lady Gatriel Decebal entering”

The cryer announced my name in front of the war room.

Considering My father is who he is and that I’m Higg’s fiance, not to forget an Accomplished Knight(graduating one at that) at the Royal Academy I was allowed in.

“Dear Father, I’m here today to wish you the best on your war efforts on the north and to inform you that I’m leaving for my graduation mission from the RA, I’ve come to get your blessings”

All the generals in the room, my father, Higg and the king are looking at me with amazed faces. It seems they weren't expecting neither me coming nor those words.

“You are my daughter, my little angel, the daughter of The Pegasus, there is nothing to fear! Go with the wind and return victorious and well”

Short words of encouragement and affection it was more than I wanted to hear, but I received them with warm and wrapped them inside my heart.

“Dearest fiance,--”

I started walking towards Higg, his face was red as a tomato, and his eyes were so wide that his eyeballs could fall from their sockets.

*smuch*

“I wish you the best on the defense of the northern border, and please return to me alive ok? Don’t make me wait much after I turn eighteen!”

I kissed him on the right cheek, his jaw dropped and his eyes started getting watery.

I better leave before he regains his senses, I’m not ready for anything more at this time.

Thanks for reading my fiction! I hope to get your comments and help from now and in future issues.

Give and Take you know undefined, you help me, I help you! isn't that the main reason why most of us gather here in RRL? to learn from each otner?

Cheers.