Legend of the Lost Star

Chapter 1~
Meet the Hunter

Princess Estelle leaned back on the leather seat, trying to decide on which song to listen to next on her miniature tablet. Her ears felt tense, a result for having the earphones on for so long. Despite the pain, they did help in canceling out the sound of her mother speaking into her cell phone. Every now and again she would raise her voice in an authoritative manner. If it weren't for the headphones, Estelle would have jumped every time she did so.

As always, Queen Luciana was dressed in her finest clothes. A long purple gown that reached her ankles and a pair of black stilettos on her feet. A light magenta shawl was wrapped gracefully around her arms and her long dark brown hair, streaked with streams of bright gold and purple, was held back into an elegant bun. A single bang swept up elegantly over the left side of her forehead, kept together by hairspray which made it shine like the surface of a silver coin. Anyone who had ever laid eyes on their queen would agree she was the textbook definition of flawless. Her skin was of a sun-kissed tan, smooth and completely devoid of any blemishes or birthmarks. Soft light purple eyeshadow adorned above her eyelids while brought out her dark brown chocolate eyes, as did her boysenberry lipstick. Purple was Luciana's signature color, and it was incorporated into all of her clothes.

As princess, naturally, Estelle was expected to wear some shades of purple as well. But, in her opinion, too much purple on herself made her feel like a walking, talking grape. Her mother and her came to a compromise, that Estelle would wear any color she wished, just so long as she had at least one thing that was purple. Estelle complied by wearing a purple jacket over her light grayish blue dress. Pearl earrings dangled from her earholes, her nails painted silver, matching the bracelets that adorned her wrists, making dangling sounds whenever she moved.

Estelle kept her legs crossed the entire time, hesitant to move even by an inch in her dress, fearing she would wrinkle it. The dress reached towards her knees, though she wished it were longer, at the very least to her ankles or a few inches bellow her knees. Her mother believed that too long a dress would hide her daughter's lovely legs.

This really confused Estelle. Why would a seven-year-old care about how her legs looked? To make matters even more frustrating, she had to wear a pair of platform heel sandals which were easy enough for Estelle to walk on, but were a nightmare around her ankles. She must have eaten half of her lip bomb by now at how much she was sucking in her lips to try and fight the urge to scratch her feet. Her mother had already caught her doing so several times already. Estelle froze on the spot whenever her mother laid her frigid gaze upon the child. She knew better than to anger her.

Luciana groaned in frustration once she had ended the call at long last. She noticed the vehicle has stopped. She lightly leaned forward to look at the main car window, seeing that the driver had to stop due to a traffic light. Estelle noticed her mother take in a calming breath and sat back upright in her seat. Her eyes darted towards her daughter. A loving smile perched her lips and she placed a loving kiss on Estelle's head, tracing a gentle finger over her child's abnormally colored hair, careful not to mess up the curls.

While it wasn't anything new for people to dye their hair color, as Luciana often did, Estelle's hair was of a natural midnight blue while her bangs were an azure shade. Another attribute that made Estelle different in comparison to her mother was the fact that her eyes were more of a dark grayish blue, and her skin tone was nut-brown. But, what stood out, probably even more so than her hair and eyes, was the four-inch star birthmark on her forehead. None the less, anyone who laid eyes on the young princess could agree she was a natural beauty all the same, despite her rare hair color and unique birthmark. She was often showered with adoration and praise.

The royal family waited patiently for the light to turn green again, and Estelle took this moment to look outside the window. There weren't any other cars blocking her view this time, so she could observe the citizens of Somorrah going about their daily routine. They had stopped not too far from a sandwich shop when a couple and their son exited the establishment. The boy, no more than a year younger than Estelle herself, opened his jaws as wide as he possibly could to take a bite out of his large sandwich.

The little one managed to take a bite, but unfortunately many of the condiments fell off. Mayonnaise, pickles, tomatoes and cheese landed on the floor, much to the young boy's dismay. The father gave his son a sympathetic look and pulled out a long curled stick from his back pocket. With a graceful wave of his wrist, the stick emitted a bright glow from its pointed tip, and sparkles flew out, circling the boy's sandwich and restoring it into its original form. The mother laughed as she picked her son into her arms and the two men in her life fist pumped. Estelle's smile remained as she watched the family disappear behind various cars once the limo started moving again.

"Mommy." the young princess gently patted her mother's forearm, getting her attention. Luciana turned her head gracefully, her dangling amethyst earrings shimmered in the light as they moved. "After this is over, you think we could go there for dinner?" she pointed her thumb behind her.

"Go where, baby?"

"The sandwich shop we just passed."

Luciana elegantly tilted her head, giving her daughter an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, honey, but no. Not today. If you want, I can get our chef to make us sandwiches when we get home." Estelle forced a smile to hide her disappointment. Not that it would do much help. Estelle was never a master at hiding how she felt.

The rest of the ride remained uneventful. At long last, they arrived at their destination. Estelle squinted her eyes as cameras already started flashing from her window. Luciana remained unfazed and flawlessly composed as always once the limo door opened. The driver extended his hand, escorting the queen out from the vehicle. The roars of the crowd grew louder once she stepped out. Estelle marveled at the way her mother greeted her subjects. She flashed them a dazzling smile, teeth as white as the purest ocean pearl, and waved her hand in an elegant yet very tamed manner. Her posture was perfect. She didn't flinch at the flashing lights while Estelle twitched every time she heard the click and a blinding light went off, clouding her vision. There was a reason Luciana was known as the Queen of Queens by the citizens.

Noticing her daughter's struggle to see past the repetitious lights, Luciana took Estelle's hand, helping her child out of the vehicle. She wobbled a bit but quickly regained her balance. She held herself high, taking in slow deep breaths, but couldn't help flinching at every other click and flash.

"Don't think about the cameras." Luciana whispered to her daughter. "Focus on the path ahead."

Estelle squinted her eyes, seeing multiple colors which made it harder to pinpoint exactly where she was going. She held her mother's hand tightly, listening to the sound of her heels clicking as she walked ahead. Estelle followed her example. She was able to spot the long pathway ahead of her. Paparazzi alined on opposed sides, but Estelle kept her gaze on the end of the path as she followed her mother.

"Eyes on the path." she repeated in her mind, trying to keep her gaze straight ahead rather than what was around her. "Eyes on the path. Eyes on the path." The entrance doors grew larger and larger as they approached. The clicking sound fell upon deaf ears and the bright lights slowly, one by one, diminished from Estelle's point of view. Once they walked though the doors of the building, Estelle smiled in both relief and glee. She did it. She managed to get through the maddening lights thanks to her mother's advice.

"See?" Luciana said with a gentle smile. "I told you." Estelle giggled. Her mother always knew just what to do in a dire situation.

Once inside, the queen and princess were greeted by a tall man in a suit, standing at the entrance of the lobby. He placed his right hand on his stomach and his left behind his back, curled it into a fist, and bowed before the queen. Luciana nodded her head gently, swiftly moving her left foot to behind her right ankle and gave a light curtsy. One hand held Estelle while the other ever so slightly moved upwards in a graceful manner, reminiscent of a ballerina's movements. Estelle self-cautiously tried to mimic her mother's movement, but wobbled and nearly lost her footing in the process, only to quickly regain it once she shifted back to her previously straight posture.

They followed the man down a darkened hallway where Estelle saw a large doorway emitting a bright light at the very end. She squinted her eyes, absentmindedly shielding her vision until her eyes adjusted.

The stadium was gigantic, consisting of various trees and stones which hovered over the green fields, making it resemble the forests from Estelle's fairytale picture books. A stream of sparkly water fell from one of the rocks, creating a pond. A large stage rose from the ground, completely constructed by tree roots and lush green leaves adorned the strong sturdy branches that curved around upwards, creating almost a veil-like appearance with its long vines. Around the stadium were rows of seats alined with people of all shapes and sizes, their happy cheers, chatters and laughs were like music to her ears. Moments like these reminded Estelle why she loved her city so much. It was always so filled with life and energy.

The floor of the stage was straight and flat, and a row of people, men and women, stood in a straight line. Each one carried a specific weapon, be it a crossbow, a shotgun, katana swords, axes and whips. Their faces painted with various symbols, some resembled either exotic birds or wild beasts, such as chimeras, centaurs and basilisks. Their cloths varied, each one unique to their own individual style, but by the looks of it they were comfortable and functional enough to engage in a fight with. Some had sleeves ripped off, others had different styled belts and some wore either gloves of metallic accessories. How Estelle envied their luck.

Estelle was so beguiled by the strong looking people that she did not notice her mother calling out her name. It wasn't until her forth attempt did Estelle finally react to Luciana's voice. The young princess followed her mother, walking down the stairs where rows of citizens rose upwards from opposite sides, bowing their heads as the royals descended downwards.

Estelle's eyes darted back and forth between the people and the stage before her. Two guards stood at the end of the trail, raising their hands into the air. The golden bands around their wrists sparkled and their hands glowed. Once they placed their palms onto the surface of the grass, vines and flowers began to spread upwards, creating a rose covered arc as the queen approached. Estelle gasped in awe as more flowers blossomed and grew around her while she and the queen made their way towards the stage. Once on top, Luciana gracefully turned to face her subjects, the row of warriors straightened behind her, unwavering their perfect postures. Estelle was led by the man who escorted them and stood beside him and a few other men and woman, all of which wore suites and elegant looking skirts, jackets and high heels, but their cloths were adorned with images of the wild beasts corresponding the face paintings on the hunters.

Luciana pulled her own wand from her pocket. Unlike the others her subjects owned, Luciana's was slightly longer and had a golden handle encrusted with pearls and sapphires. She willed the tip to glow and spoke into it. Her voice amplified for all to hear. The crowd was silent, aside from the few mumbles and whispers Estelle managed to hear.

"Greetings good people of Somorrah!" her voice boomed and the audience inside the stadium roared with applauds. Estelle hesitantly rose her hands, eager to clap alongside them, but quickly stopped herself. She wasn't supposed to clap alongside the people, at least not so soon and certainly not at the start of the ceremony. Instead, she gave a soft nod and placed her hands behind her back, wrapping her hand around her wrist tightly as she tried to resist the envying sounds of cheers and laughter. Her mother continued her speech.

"Today, we welcome the city's newest hunters. Brave, intelligent and noble men and woman who have dedicated their lives to protecting our fair city from the monstrous creatures that lure outside our borders. This morning, we witness their transition from students, into graduates, but afterwards, we shall witness them become true huntsmen once they pass through the gates and bring home the head of their first beast!"

The crowd's cheers grew louder and louder, to the point where several even tossed their hats into the air. Men whistled at the female hunters while women fawned over the tall, lean and muscular men. One of the hunters flashed a grin and winked, causing a few girls in the audience to swoon and faint. Estelle rolled her eyes in amusement.

Luciana extended her hand towards a curtain behind the aligned people behind her. The red velvet curtains rose upwards and several women dress in long green gowns, adorned with flowers around the helms and transparent lacy capes fell elegantly against their backs. Each one wore an upwards hairdo, decorated with a variety of exotic looking flowers. In their hands they carried either a glass case containing a wand, a back strap with closed wings stuck to opposite sides, and a pillow with golden hand bands.

"Traditionally, we receive our respected elemental gift at a young age." Luciana continued, keeping the illuminated tip of her wand close to her mouth, "But today, these hunters shall place aside their old wands, wings and bands in favor of those befitting of a true huntsmen, in tribute to the ones who granted us these gifts. Let us all bow our heads and give thanks to the Arions."

Luciana lowered her head, closing her eyes as she placed her hand over her heart. Everyone followed her example, each one standing upwards in respect. The hunters and the finely dressed people beside the princess did the same. Estelle also lowered her head, but couldn't make herself close her eyes as she listened to her mother speak. "Long before the first word was spoken, our land was once nothing but forrest. Each day, our ancestors struggled to survive in a cruel land filled with untold dangers. It was only due to the merciful Arions, who heard our prayers, and gave us the magic to fight against the beasts did we finally gain our freedom. Today, we carry on that tradition to continue what our protectors have started long ago. Every day, and every moment, we give thanks for our beautiful city, our health, our friends, our families, and our magical gifts, which have allowed us to grow and progress into the perfect, ideal society we are today, and may we continue to expand until out greatness is revealed to the rest of the world!"

The stadium bursts into a roaring applauds, flurries of "woohoos", and whistles were heard amongst the wildness of the audience. The queen nodded her head to the hunters. "Nadeen. Step forward." the hunter with long black dreadlocks, dark skin and black eyes approached the queen. He wore a brown pelt around his waist, dark torn pants with chains and black bicker boots. On his arms were markings of a bear strangling a snake to death. His face was sharp and stern. Unlike several of his fellow graduates, he did not have a weapon in hand. He got down on one knee, bowing his head and placing his hands on his bent leg. Luciana nodded to the maiden with the glass case. She bowed and Luciana took the wand from the case.

It resembled a normal wand in structure and design, but unlike the others, this one had a handle, much like Luciana's did. The handle, however, was not integrated with any precious stone, and instead was wielding out of the finest of gold with vine-like design.

"Rise." she said. Nadeen complied and she handed him the wand. He outstretched his hand, willing the wand to work. In a flash of light, the wand extended in length, resembling a sword. It was still in the same curled fashion, but was much wider and sharper than before. Sharp enough to piece a man in one swoop.

Estelle awed at the new weapon. She had seen this trick before, but she had yet to grow bored of it. She couldn't help but imagine how it must feel like to wield a wand like that. Though she knew her mother would never allow it unless she was old enough. But even if she was, she was a princess. Why would a princess need a sword anyway?

The next hunter went by the name of Cyria. She was a lovely young maiden, with pale white skin, mesmerizing dark blue eyes and long straight raven hair that cascaded from her head down to her lower torso. It almost resembled a cape by how long it was. Unlike Nadeen, Cyria had a crossbow for a weapon and handed Luciana the strap with wings she wore on her back.

One of the maidens handed the queen another strap with a metal buckle and Luciana proudly gifted it to Cyria. Once she said her thanks, she stood straight, strap now on her back and willed her new white wings to outstretch. People applauded and Cyria bowed in gratitude.

The third hunter went by the name of Draco. He handed Luciana his old golden bands, replacing them with longer ones that reached his wrist all the way towards his elbows. One maiden handed him a bowl filled with rocks, to which he levitated without struggle. He manipulated the stones to soar into the air, creating the symbol of a bird. Luciana smiled in approval before Draco bowed in respect, placing the rocks back into the bowl. The rest of the ceremony proceeded with Estelle's mother bestowing the new hunters their updated weapons. Once they had all received their gifts, Luciana once again addressed the crowd, standing proudly beside the graduates.

"It is with great pride that I welcome Somorrah's newest huntsmen!"

This time, Estelle knew it was the appropriate time to clap. And she did so without restraint. She clapped and cheered with infectious enthusiasm until she took notice of one of the nicely dressed professors eyeing her with a risen brow. Estelle's cheeks burned from embarrassment and recoiled herself, standing stiffly with her hands behind her back. Her eyes darting back and forth from the professor to her mother. Once certain she was no longer looking at her, Estelle relaxed, though moderately.

Her eyes darted upwards at the sound of wingbeats. More maidens appeared above her, though these instead had straps with wings on their back. Some had pink plumage, others had white, yellow or even orange and green. Their gowns billowed gracefully like gentle sea waves around their bodies and their elegant drapes sparkled like stars in the daylight. In their arms, they carried baskets of flower petals.

Taking a fist full each, they dropped the multicolored petals down onto the graduating class, while another pair, wielding bows and arrows, shoot them into the air. Once they collided an explosion of streamers and confetti fell upon the princess and the audience.

Estelle could not bottle up her laughter anymore and jumped happily at all of the beautiful colors that surrounded her. She felt as if she was inside a rainbow. A feeling of exuberance began to overtake her body, influencing her actions. She laughed louder and twirled under the dancing colors of streamers and flower petals. She stomped her feet, moving in a strange looking, yet surprisingly graceful, dance. She only stopped once she noticed that she had twirled herself onto the front of the stage, where her mother was still standing.

The crowd continued to cheer, visibly unsurprised or frazzled by her actions. All, except for her mother.

Luciana stared down at her daughter, black brown eyes piercing into her own dark silver blue eyes. Estelle dared to dart her eyes towards several of the huntsmen, who had clearly noticed the princess's impulsively sudden dance. Several looked at her as if she were some unknown species of animal, while the rest simply smiled warmly. It wasn't new for a child to get so caught up in the festivities that she would start doing something silly. In fact, they found the scene adorable and felt touched their future queen was so enthusiastic about the graduation as the huntsmen themselves.

But Luciana did not share this mindset. She was relieved the audience did not seem bothered by this action, or rather they were simply too drunk on the celebration to even pay attention, but simply because the people didn't bother to notice, that still did not give Estelle free access to act in such an undisciplined manner. For the moment, she withheld the urge to school her child in the matter, and simply decided to hold it off for until they were alone.

Estelle froze at the look in her mother's eyes. She didn't need words to know exactly what she must have been thinking. The child cleared her throat and stood up straight. She wasn't sure if to walk back from where she was or to remain where she stood. Luciana helped her with that decision by wrapping her arm around her daughter. Estelle knew she was still going to get a lecture about this, but she was thankful her mother would rather try and cover a slip up than risk embarrassing their family in public.

*(~)*

After the ceremony, friends and families gathered together at the academy's cafeteria, where they served the most deletable cuisines, pastries and exotic drinks. The scent of the alcohol stung Estelle's nose and she cringed in disgust. Thankfully, the intoxicating aroma of chocolate, honey cakes and cream cheese crackers were enough to distract her from the strong liquids. The little princess saw the desert table not too far away while her mother spoke with the school's staff. She didn't take notice if it was a teacher or a secretary, or whatever, for it did not matter to her at this point. For now, her presence as a princess wasn't needed. The ceremony was over so she was allowed to loosen up a bit. Estelle made her way towards the table, her blue eyes darting everywhere, trying to decide what to eat first. Her first choice was the honey cake. She reached out her hand to grab the cake, until she noticed a five-year-old boy struggling to get a slice of pie. The poor thing grunted and jumped as high as he could, but failed miserably due to his smaller stature.

Estelle reeled back from the honey cake, her eyes focused more on the poor boy, who looked like he was on the verge of tears. She kindly approached the child, who looked at her oddly, tilting his head to the left and giving an adorable "huh?" sound. Estelle simply smiled, took the plate of pie and handed it to the little boy. He beamed and laughed happily before darting away with his plate. Estelle watched him leave until he suddenly stopped. The boy hurried back and gave Estelle a firm handshake.

"Thank you!" he said happily before running off again. Estelle gave a small wave and returned to get her honey cake…only to bump into her mother.

"Oh, hey Mom." Estelle nervously fiddled with her fingers, noticing the honey cake she had set her eyes on was currently in her mother's hand, having fallen into her palm during collision. "Are…are you mad?"

Luciana answered her question by giving her the honey cake back. Estelle hesitated before taking the pastry. She dared not to take a bite right then and there. "No, I'm not mad." Luciana said in a half whisper, "But what was that?"

"I just…I just felt happy. I saw all the confetti, and pretty colors and everyone was cheering I just…I got caught up in the moment."

"I understand. I'm not upset that you were happy, but during these kind of events, it's crucial for the queen to remain neutral and in control all throughout."

"But I'm not the queen, and everybody else got to cheer and celebrate, why not me?"

"You may not be queen yet, but even as princess you must set a good example."

"But, aren't we allowed to celebrate alongside them?"

"Yes, we are, But time and place, my child. Time and place. Now, is the time and place for you to relax, but before…." Luciana gave Estelle 'the look', Which consisted of an arched brow, partly pouted lips and a slight tilt of the head. Estelle caught on very quickly.

"I understand. I promise to control myself next time."

Luciana smiled and squatted down to the child's level. "That's my girl." she kissed Estelle's forehead before walking away to speak with yet another adult Estelle concluded as a member of the staff. She didn't bother to guess who it was. The young princess took a bite of her honey cake, savoring the sweet taste.

After eating her cake, Estelle wandered aimlessly around the room, taking a cup of fruit punch to wash down her pastry. She was caught off guard once she heard loud laughing. Her ears felt as if they were vibrating and followed the sound, bypassing several party goers as she did so. The sound came from a corner of the grand room, where a group of grown men, most likely in their thirties of fifties, laughed out loud at some joke the other had said. One of the men, who was much older given the traces of gray hairs and his bushy beard and spectacles, slapped his knee.

"You can't be serious!" he said to a younger looking redhead.

"No, really! I sliced his tongue in mid flight with just one swoop of my spear and one good arm. I've still got the scars to prove it." he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his toned muscular arm and a long dried up scar starting from his thumb all the way across his elbow.

"Who did that?" Estelle asked, startling the older men. The eldest of the bunch elbowed the scarred warrior on his good arm.

"Cover that thing up, will you boy?"

"How was I supposed to know she was there?" the man quickly pulled his sleeve down, his cheeks red in embarrassment. "I apologize, princess."

"It's okay." Estelle replied with a shrug, "I'm not bothered. I think scars are actually kind of cool!"

The older gentleman stroked his beard tentatively. "Hmmm. A fearless little one, ey?"

Estelle blinked innocently. "I guess so."

"Forgive me, where are my manners." he gave the princess his hand, "The name's Howl Kurosawa."

Estelle shook his hand. "Oh yeah. I thought you looked familiar. You brought that giant minator head as a gift for my mom on her birthday. She said you were the best hunter ever!"

"Well, I wouldn't say ever." Howl said, his old cheeks tainted with red. He introduced Estelle to his two companions.

"These two blockheads are my two colleges, Charlie and David." Howl said, introducing the two men to the child, who both narrowed their eyes in annoyance. "Don't get me wrong, they're great but they can never hold a candle to me."

"Are you guys hunters too?"

"Well, not me." Howl replied with a chuckle, "I'm retired."

"And I hung up my crossbow long ago after I got married." the redhead said, nodding to his second companion. "Dave here too."

"The life of a family man just took up more of my time." Dave said.

"So what's it like?"

"What's what like?" Charlie asked.

"Outside. Outside the gate." Estelle repeated, becoming instantaneously interested. "My mom told me it's filled with monsters and evil plants, but you guys go out there all the time. Or, used to. Is it really as bad as they say?"

"Oh, you better believe it, kid!" said the redhead, "Sure, some animals might be harmless, but the rest. Ha! Like I tell my sons; You'd be lucky if you came out with your whole arm in tact like I did--Ow!" he exclaimed when Dave slapped him behind his head.

"Charlie, don't scare her!"

"What? She asked a question so I answered."

The other man shook his head and sighed before addressing back to Estelle. "Please excuse him, sweetie. He tends to speak before he thinks."

Estelle simply smiled politely. "So, how many beasts did you kill?"

The three men look at one another in bewilderment. It wasn't every day that a seven-year-old girl would ask such a question, let alone a princess. The two younger gentleman didn't know how to answer her question. Or rather, they didn't know any way to sugarcoat it.

"Quite a gutsy question for a little one." Howl said. Estelle tilted her head innocently and the man gave a light chuckle. He had this inviting presence about him that made Estelle just want to jump into his lap and listen to his stories. "Well, I honestly lost count when I hit seven digits." Howl said, his emerald green eyes sparkling. Estelle had seen many people with green eyes, but for some reason, Howl's were somehow brighter in color, which was unusual to see. Never the less, it only made him all the more fascinating. He had strange green eyes, and Estelle had strange blue hair with a star birthmark on her forehead. Not to mention, he seemed perfectly relaxed when talking about monstrous creatures and facing them head on. Finally, someone who she could safely regard as strange as she was.

"But, if I'm being honest, I can't recall all of the beasts I killed." Howl continued, "Some better than others, while some are blurry in my mind. If anything, the one beast I remember the most. The one animal who's face I still see crystal clear in my mind's eye, as if it happened only yesterday…was the one I didn't kill."

Estelle gave a soft gasp in awe. A creature he didn't kill is the one he remembered the most? How was that possible?

"Why didn't you kill it?"

"Well, who knows, really. Maybe I was just getting too old. Maybe I lost my touch. Or maybe…" he paused for effect, giving the princess a sly grin.

"Maybe what? Tell me!" Estelle pleaded before catching notice of her manners and cleared her throat before asking again. "I mean, please?" she asked, this time with tameness in her approach.

Charlie and Dave exchanged uncertain expressions and looked back at Howl, who simply nodded his head, complying. "It was dusk. My team and I had a very slow hunt. Either they had finally came to accept that we were to be feared, or it was just one of those days. I was just about to return to my jeep, when suddenly a shadow loomed over me."

"Was it the monster?" Estelle asked.

"Oh, it was." Howl said. He noticed Charlie roll his eyes, but Howl ignored him.

"What did you do?"

"What I always did when I saw one of them coming my way. I pulled out my wand, ready to cut its stomach open. I heard the sound of wingbeats, followed by the crushing of tree branches and loud screeching sound afterwards." Howl's tonality subtly shifted from serious and erie to dramatic and suspenseful, making gestures with his hands in an effort to capture the moment. His movements were a tad over the top, but it still kept Estelle eager for more. "I followed it up a small hill where it landed. I heard the crushing sound it made when its feet touched the ground. It stood on all fours. Its body was completely covered in scaled and fur unlike anything I had ever seen. It outstretched its massive bat-like wings that nearly blocked out the sunlight. I approached it as quietly as I possibly could, but I guess I made a wrong move for the creature spun around."

Estelle gasped, her eyes widened in shock but listened attentively as Howl continued, lowering his voice to increase the looming eerie atmosphere. "Next thing I knew, we were staring directly into each other's eyes. I extended my wand, aimed it at the beast, when suddenly…" he paused again, the eeriness suddenly gone.

"What? What?" Estelle gripped his arm, shaking it, anxious to hear what had happened next.

Howl took a long pause before continuing. "Nothing." he finally said, placing his hands on his knees and leaning back against his chair.

Estelle gave a puzzled look. "What?"

"Yeah. Nothing. The creature just…stood there." he leaned forward a bit, intertwining his fingers together and resting them on his knees. His tonality shifted drastically. He went from charming and vivacious, to dramatic and theatrical, and now he was just…calm. His voice became softer as he proceeded to continue his tale.

"It was…strange to say the least. I was so used to them attacking me first but this had never happened before. The creature had large eyes. I felt, the longer I stared into them I felt as if she would see my innermost self. A self I never even knew existed. Its long slender tail whipped across the grass, but did not harm a single blade. It had three horns sticking out from its head. Just by looking at them I knew those beautifies could cut me open and slice any of my limbs off of it could. But, that never came. It didn't know what came over me, but I suddenly found myself walking closer. The creature stepped back, almost as if it were afraid. Its ears pressed against its head and it gave a whinny sound. I lowered my wand and put it away. The creature still didn't move. Then, as quickly as it came, it left. Spread its wings and took off into the sky. That was the first, and last time I ever saw the beast. I never looked at the world outside the same way again."

Estelle was silent. She blinked, trying to paint a picture of the beast Howl had described. A creature with fur and scales, massive wings and three horns with a long tail. She had heard that there were many strange creatures out there but this one sounded…beautiful.

"Still curious as to why I didn't kill it?" Howl asked, noticing the princess's sudden silence, in contrast to her joyful demeanor beforehand.

Finally, she shook her head. "No. I think I know why." she said. Estelle smiled and placed her hand over Howl's, who smiled in return.

"I still think you should have killed it." Charlie said, making Estelle narrow her eyes in disapproval. "It could have made a nice wall decoration for the palace. Or maybe a rug."

"How can you be so cruel?" Estelle snapped, clenching her fists tightly and stomping her foot. "If the creature didn't hurt Howl, then maybe that means not all of them are bad! Maybe some of those monsters are good."

Charlie shook his head, "Impossible. Monsters have one instinct and one instinct only, and that is to kill anything in sight."

Estelle huffed angrily and looked back at Howl, her expression softening. "Is it possible, Howl? Could it be that what you saw was a good monster?"

"Well, I can't say for sure. There could be a lot of reasons why it didn't attack. Maybe it was pregnant, or old or maybe it was a baby itself. Some monsters are known to be every big, even as an infant, so there's really no way to know for sure."

"But, even if that's true, do you believe these monsters could be good?"

Howl's lips formed a kind smile and opened his mouth as if to answer, only for him to be silenced when another voice called out. "Estelle!" Luciana quickly found her daughter with the elderly man. "There you are! I thought you had gone outside without my permission again."

"Don't worry, your Majesty. She was in good hands." Howl stood up, bowing before the queen.

Luciana studied the man's features before shaking his hand. "Howl Kurosawa. It's been a long time."

"I certainly has."

"I apologize if my daughter disturbed you."

"Not at all. She's quite the charming young lady. Just like her mother."

"Well, we should get going. The first hunt starts in three hours."

"Ah, yes! I almost lost track of time." Howl said, dusting his suit and adjusting his tie. He took Estelle's hand, lifting it towards his lips and placed a gentle kiss on top of it. "It was nice stalking to you, Princess Estelle."

"It was nice talking to you too, Howl."

The man bowed once more and made his leave, with Charlie and Dave close behind him. Even after he left, Estelle couldn't stop thinking about his story. The description of the beast made her curious, and the fact that it didn't attack him? It only made her all the more fascinated. Suddenly, the world outside was sounding more and more fascinating by the minute. Maybe even more so than the city itself.

*(~)*

The trumpets sounded and the graduating hunters and huntresses hopped onto their respected jeeps. Two rode on the driver's seat, while two more rode in the back. The jeeps each had the emblem of the hunter; A crossbow with the dripping head of a beast, the arrow piercing right through it. Estelle watched on the sidelines, a couple of the royal police officers stood opposite sides of the princess. Her eyes darted back and forth, feeling a tad uneasy at how inhumanely straight and stoic they were. It was amazing they had not lost their minds in staying so perfectly still for hours during an event. She certainly knew she would.

Queen Luciana stood in front of the great gate, the very thing that interlock the world of Somorrah and the world outside. Estelle felt like an ant standing before the colossally sized gate. It was almost as large as the palace, if the palace had an entree pair of gates stacked on top of it. And another extra pair stacked on top of those. And another extra, and another. Needless to say, it certainly was tremendously larger in person than it looked from her palace balcony. The gate itself was made entirely out of metal, locks upon locks aligned the thin line between the twin doors and twin towers with metallic wires around the edges stood on opposite sides of the gate. Estelle could see people within the clear unbreakable enchanted glass. Inside the control room, people observed the events happening down bellow via live-cam.

Luciana rose up her hand, giving the workers the signal. Gears twisted, ticks and clicks grew louder and louder as, one by one, the extremely complex looking locks opened up. The crowd became silent as the gates began to separate, sliding open in a matter of minutes. Estelle was astonished at how such large objects could move so quickly. Of course, she knew it was mostly thanks to the inserted wands that accelerated the process way up in the control room. She didn't learn it from a book, her mother just explained it to her once.

Once the gates were open, Estelle was left breathless. There it was. The world outside the gate. It was at that moment when everything she had ever been taught about this mysterious and unforgiving realm completely flew out the window. Yes, there was an endless forest as far as the eye could see, but she also saw the sun's rays illuminating the pathway downwards away from the city. Her eyes followed the trail, only to see it disappear amongst the trees. The sky was as clear blue as the sky above Somorrah, but the clouds had shades of pink, pale yellow. Streaks of silver, purple and blue adorned the edges. They all came in a variety of colors, far more mesmerizing than the clouds she was used to seeing every morning, where the weather patrol would move the clouds to their liking to give the people shade or rain when needed. The sky was theirs to control, always, but the sky out there seemed to have a mind of its own. It was kind of scary to think about, but at the same time it exhilarated Estelle's restless spirit.

As for the trees, they were also different in comparison to the ones of her world. Her's were grown by the humans themselves thanks to the earth bands around their wrists. Farmers cultivated the country region of the city, while florists would grow plants that gave the land its beauty and vibrance. Despite what she had been told, the trees before her certainly didn't look like the kind that would eat a person's head if they got too close. The tips of their leafs were sun-kissed, their trunks gray with black spots around them, and the leafs themselves seemed move in a silent dance against the breeze. They were larger, stronger, more powerful looking compared to the trees her people grew. And to think, these grew without a human's inference.

Estelle didn't see any creatures yet, but she was more than certain they were out there. Either eating their latest catch, or patiently waiting for the new generation of hunters to come out and play. She looked up at the sky in hopes of catching at least a glimpse of the creature Howl had described. Her eyes were so fixated on the world she could never reach, the world she was forbidden to ever step foot into that she almost didn't hear the sound of the trumpet horn. The hunters gave their mighty battle cries and their engines ignited.

The people cheered, clapped, howled and whistled with such raw energy that, for a moment, it almost scared Estelle. These cheers weren't like the ones she heard back at the stadium. The people before were cheering in such a way it warmed her heart. Mothers and fathers paraded around when their son or daughter received their new weapons. Families and friends laughed and jumped for joy. But now, while they were still cheering for their loves ones, their words didn't have the same effect as they did before. They bellowed and roared, almost in anger.

"Kill that beast!" she caught one said.

"Bring its head!"

"Make em bleed to death!"

Estelle squeaked. Her previous conversation with Howl now made it very difficult for her to take part in the festivities. Her mother, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm. Her face unwavering, her hands placed together in front of her. A small smile curled her lips as she watch the jeeps take off one by one, leaving a trail of dust and burned rubber in their wake. The cheers only intensified as the proud new hunters rode off into the distance. As if possessed, Estelle took one foot forward towards the still open gate, but was immediately stopped by one of the officers. She quickly stepped back, watching with a longing gaze as the doors closed once more.

That world. That strange, mysterious, no doubt dangerous world was not a place for her. She knew she had no business even so much as caring about it. But, the sky, the plants, the sun. Everything about it was so new and rare. Even if there was danger…could all of it be bad?

*(~)*