Legend of the Lost Star

Chapter 2~

The World Outside the Gate

Estelle kept pacing back and forth inside her extravagant room. Her nightgown moved with the elegance and effortlessness of flower petals being blown in the soft spring breeze every time she spun around. She held a book in her hand, one of her old favorite fairytales about undersea kingdoms and exotic hidden villages. She read the words, but they did not stick. She forgot what she had just ridden a few short seconds ago. She thought walking while reading who exhausted her enough that she would eventually fall into a deep slumber once she hit the bed. Estelle leaped and landed belly first into her bed, the sheets wrinkling in the process. Despite how soft and inviting the bed was, the young princess just couldn't sleep.

Her mother had to return to the city to welcome back the huntsmen after the first hunt, bringing their winnings with them. Estelle had to remain in the castle due to her bedtime being at nine, and the huntsmen would return an hour latter. Her mind was swarming with questions. What could those hunters be doing out there? Have they already killed their first beast? Did they kill the one Howl had seen? Were they injured? She had never thought about these kinds of things before, but the elderly man's words left her baffled. There was no way she could possibly see the outside world again.

Unless.

"No." she said to herself. "Mom will never let me. She'd have a fit!"

Estelle tried instead to get her mind off of the whole thing by reading another of her favorite books. Placing one hand behind her head she casually flipped through the pages. She skimmed through the words, uninterested in the story itself. She quickly gave up, groaning in frustration and pressed her face into her pillow. She sat upright, jumped from her bed and walked out her window, gazing out at the vast city before her. The buildings were lit with the same identical colors of gold. The sound of honking cars and sirens had long gone deff in her ears, after hearing them every night since she was a baby. They often helped her sleep at night, but not tonight when her mind was was overflowed with new thoughts.

As expected, her eyes went back to the gates. They were so far away from the palace she could never get there on foot and return back before her mother discovered she was gone. Even if she was smart enough to take the buss she would be immediately recognized by either a pedestrian or the royal police. The only other way for her to get there in time…

Was to fly.

A mischievous grin formed on her lips and the princess reached for her wing straps. The feathered wings rivaled the color of silver while the strap was blue with a silver buckle. Estelle placed on a pair of long pants, hiking boots, black gloves that covered her hands to her elbows, a long sleeved shirt and an equally long sleeved hooded jacket. A rather wide scarf wrapped loosely around her neck, covering the lower half of her face. Her hair was tied into a tight ponytail, her bangs held back.

Estelle crunched down on the windowsill, looking down at the sentries who guarded the palace courtyard. Pulling her hood over her head, Estelle waited patiently for the sentry to leave in order to scout the rest of the perimeter. Once he was out of sight, Estelle sought her chance and leaped, using her wings to glide downwards.

She crunched down once she landed and quickly ran towards the fountain which resided in the very center of the garden. She hid behind it when another sentry walked by. Her heavy breathing muffled by the scarf. Estelle reached for her boot, making sure her wand was still there. She breathed a sigh of relief feeling the familiar spiraled surface and went onwards. Upon reaching the garden gate, Estelle instinctively tried to open it. She grunted as she yanked on the bars, only to come to her senses at the sound of juggling chains.

"Right, it's locked." she whispered to herself, feeling a tad embarrassed for having forgotten that detail. She couldn't break them with her magic, for the sentries had enchanted them with a special password spell only they knew about, so she was out of luck there.

Seeing there were no other sentries present for the time being, Estelle took a few steps back, keeping a long enough distance between herself and the gate. Once certain it was enough, Estelle ran forward at top speed. At just the right moment, with all the strength she could enforce on her legs, she pushed herself upwards with all of her might, her instincts taking over. She leaped high over the gate, using her wings as momentum to keep her airborne until she reached the other side. She slid across the ground, stopping at a perfect three-point landing. Her wings partly spread.

The princess took in slow deep breaths, smiling victoriously at her surprisingly impossible accomplishment. No seven-year-old could achieve that without the proper training. Estelle didn't think much of it, mainly because it was just too awesome to even try to logically explain it, and ran off, hiding herself in the bushes before taking off to the skies. She flew right above several more sentries before landing on a tree branch, hiding amongst the leafs. One of the sentries jerked his head, having felt the small gust of wind when something flew right above him. He simply shrugged it off, assuming it was only a bird.

Estelle rolled her eyes in amusement and pulled the scarf around her neck upwards to cover her nose and mouth. Once the cost was clear, Estelle sprouted her wings once more and flew off past the palace gates and into the city. It was just as alive and vibrant at night as it was during the day. Normally, it wasn't anything rare for someone to be flying about at this hour, but Estelle's understandable fear of getting caught prompted her to land on every other building she came across to see to it she seen as much by the public. She also avoided flying too close to other citizens who flew by.

Every time she would land on another roof, Estelle turned her head back to the palace, which grew farther and farther away with each passing moment. The reality began to take its toll on her. This was crazy. She was doing all of this just so she could see the outside world one more time? Why? Everyone was safe here. People were happy and free. The skies, the ground, even the technology was at their very command, why would she even care about a world she didn't know about?

Her answer came as quickly as the wind did, blowing on her scarf and at the ends of her jacket. She held her hood in place and looked out at the gate. That sense of longing swept over her again and her choice was made clear once more. There had to be more to this world than everyone believed. There just had to be.

Estelle continued on, this time she flew without stopping, keeping the gate as her main goal. Her mother's words rang in her ears. "Keep your eyes on the path." The guilt reminded Estelle how disappointed her mother would be if she discovered this. But she knew she would never be able to rest, or sleep again unless she saw this world just one more time. Just one more and the she would let it go. That was a promise.

Estelle flew over a large crowd, quickly spotting the royal limousine not too far bellow. With a fearful yelp, Estelle flew down to hide amongst the crowd and silently made her way across the audience, careful not to bump into anyone, while at the same time making herself inconspicuous to any of the bypassing police officers.

People cheered fanatically, some accidentally bumping into the princess to which she simply glared in annoyance. Normally, they wouldn't think twice about bumping into the future queen, but Estelle had to be one of them for now if she wanted to see that gate open. Estelle spotted her mother not too far off. A few people forced their way to front, unknowingly causing Estelle to be pushed a few feet to the left, and farther to where the queen was. Her eyes widened and she hurried back, forcibly shoving a few bystanders in her desperate attempt to sneak away from her mother.

"Hey, watch it, kid!" one random man exclaimed, unashamedly showcasing his annoyance.

"Sorry about that." Estelle replied back, her voice partly muffled by her scarf. "Excuse me. Coming through." she said to more of the people she had to gently shove aside in order for her to get through. Some of their words were a tad "mature" in a sense, but Estelle was already accustomed to this language so they entered one ear and went out the other.

Once she was out of eyesight from her mother, Estelle breathed in a huge sigh. Seeing how far her mother was made Estelle realize just how close she was to the gate itself. The trumpets sounded once more and the street lights lit up. The locks of the gate opened once more and, just like before, the giant-sized doors opened with little effort. The sound of speeding wheels was heard, and the headlights of the jeeps were seen in the not too far distance. The crowd cheered louder than ever before while Estelle quickly positioned herself close enough to the entrance. The jeeps came speeding in, one by one with the hunters hollering like maniacs. The stench of raw meat hit Estelle's nostrils, making her stomach turn.

At that precise moment when the final jeep came zooming back into the city, Estelle made her move. She ran out to the other side and proceeded to run fast downwards from the hill slope, the grass crushing underneath her feet and the large gate closed once again. The light from the city which illuminated the pathway for Estelle had disappeared and now she met with only darkness.

She lost her footing and tripped over a vine, tumbling down, screaming as she did so. With a loud thud, Estelle stopped in front of a large oak tree, grimacing at her already sore body as she stood back up. Removing her hood and scarf, Estelle inspected her body for any serious injuries. She had none, thanks to her cloths covering so much of her skin. A few small twigs did manage to wedge their way onto her cloths, to which she effortlessly removed. Once she fully recovered from her collision with the tree, Estelle gasped at the sight around her.

The world outside looked just as beautiful at night as it did during the day. The full moon hovered overhead, resembling a stunning flawless pearl as if it had just been swept up ashore by the powerful ocean current. The stars flickered beside the gigantic glowing orb, reflecting its cool light which cascaded down, kissing the tips of the grass Estelle stood upon. She was almost hesitant to take another step in fear she would crush the beautiful green fields, which radiated with hues of blue and silver like something from a timeless dream.

She took one hesitant step and proceeded down the small hill. The city was perched on a large hill, almost like a mountain if the upper half of it had been cut right off, the city placed above the missing half. Estelle walked on. The trail was fresh with tire tracks, broken twigs and leafs, as well as traces of animal fur. The metallic smell of blood hit her nostrils and Estelle recoiled back in disgust, pinching her nose.

She stepped away from the pathway and instead proceeded to examine the forest world before her. The princess tried not to trail too far off as to loose sight of the gate. Though, it would be hard considering how large it was, and she knew she would need to return eventually. But, for now, she wanted to take in this one moment of freedom. Away from her mother's rules, away from prying eyes. Just one moment.

Estelle quickly grew more confident as she walked on ahead. She was well aware of the man-eating plants her mother had told her about, but the royal officers had long since killed off any of those types of monstrous vegetation around the boarder, so the plants that surrounded the outskirts of the gate were harmless enough. Her eyes darted all over the place. First left, then right, and all around, feeling dizzy at how may times she had to turn her head and body. She wanted to be sure to take in every little detail. There was such a variety of plants, each one with bizarre looking leafs with odd shapes, some similar to arrows or stars and even in a strange triangle shape, adorned with a diverse mixture of colored Estelle never even knew were possible.

Every waking moment was something the little princess wanted to preserve in her mind for as long as she could. She slowly came to a halt upon seeing a large tree with a thick dark brown trunk. The tree itself towered over her like a skyscraper. The multitude of leafs rustled in the wind, thought compared to the leafs of the other trees, when Estelle approached closer, she could have sworn she heard the sounds of a woman's soft, low whispering humming in the night.

Another sound came from the branches, this time a fierce crack followed by the sound of a hiss. Estelle gasped, instinctively reaching for her boot and pulling out her wand. Estelle gripped its ends, pointing it in the direction from which she heard the sound. She saw an indescribable shadowy figure rustling in the branches. She waited for a few seconds to see what it was before striking. The tip of her wand glowed ferociously, prickly sparkles bursting out and falling to the ground before disappearing like the sparks of a firework stick.

The energy of magic slowly diminished once the shadowy creature stepped into the moonlight, still perched on the branch. The creature was completely covered in blue fur, and from the looks of it several stripes, shaded with a darker blue color, adorned its body. It was a bit hard to tell due to the branches cascading a shadow upon its back. A stream of hair stuck out from its spine and went downwards towards the upper half of its long tail. Its paws were a lighter blue, as was its face. It had a lime green underbelly with traces of gray and a pair of large bat-like ears stuck out from its head. Its eyes were rather red, seemingly glowing in the darkness, prompting Estelle to step back, her hand trembling as she tried to keep a firm grip on her wand.

"W-what do you want?" she asked the creature.

To her surprise, the furry thing only tilted its head and rapidly began spiraling down the trunk on all fours. Estelle saw its tail. Long and slender with tree elongates pieces flapping behind it. Once it reached the ground, the creature stepped into the moonlight, allowing for Estelle to make out its stripes much more clearly. She got a clear view of its eyes. No longer a glowing blood red, but rather a deep brown, with only a tint of a red shade.

The creature wasn't all that large, and only reached up to Estelle's knee once it stood up on its hind legs. The creature tilted its head once more, its tiny dark blue nose twitching up and down in the most adorable manner. Estelle slowly lowered her wand, the last bit of magic fading entirely along with her fears.

Estelle didn't flinch, nor did she yelp when the creature made an attempt to approach her. The furry thing was within touching distance but quickly stopped. Its left front paw hovering over the ground and the princess caught sight at how tiny they were. It dared to look down at her boots. Slowly and carefully, it took a small whiff. Estelle slowly crunched down, doing ever so gently as to not scare the thing off. She placed her wand back into her boot and with that same hand reached for the creature. Her finger tips nearly brushed the wet surface of its nose. The creature sniffed them, tickling the human's skin.

A feeling of relief and joy swept up inside Estelle when the creature started licking her fingers. She had never had an animal lick her before. In fact, aside from a few birds, the city rarely allowed animals in fear of any one of them being dangerous. The furry creature stuck out its tongue, which rested on the side of its mouth, opened wide as if smiling. Its long tail wagging happily. Estelle giggled and petted the creature's head. Its ears pressed down and its eyes closed, taking in the gentle touch of the princess. With new confidence, the creature leaped into her arms, giving out the cutest little sound she had ever heard. Estelle's laugher became louder as she hugged her new companion who licked her face.

"Okay, okay, stop that tickles!" Estelle said between laughs. She looked at the creature, now cradled in her arms. "Where did you come from?" she asked. "Do you have a family?"

The furry creature whimpered sadly, its ears dropping. Estelle looked down in regret before a smile formed on her face and he lifted the creature higher, lifting his spirits in the process. "Well, you do now!" she said. The creature beamed, its ears rising up in reaction. "My name's Estelle. And, I think I will call you…" she pondered. She wanted a name that would best suit him, but Estelle had never named a creature before. She didn't want to give him just any ordinary human name. She wanted something special, personal. She traced her fingers across its furry back, over the stripes.

"Stripes! Your name will be Stripes." The creature, now forever dubbed Stripes, leaped from Estelle's arms and rapidly spun around, jumping up and down, its tail whipping all around, a strange yet happy sound emitting from its mouth.

"I guess you like it, huh?" she said. Stripes nodded its head, which surprised the princess. "Weird. Everyone always said animals were dangerous and only wanted to kill but…" she crunched down, petting his head. "You're not dangerous. And smart too. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you understood what I was saying." Stripes got up on two legs and licked her nose once more. Estelle giggled.

Her eyes darted at the tree from which Stripes had just climbed down from, noticing something illuminated at its side. She knew it wasn't from the light of moon, the light was coming off of the side of the tree trunk itself. Estelle stood back up, with Stripes loyalty following her, she walked closer to the tree.

The cool air brushed against her cheek as she traced her fingers across the trunk. The surface was soft, almost like the wooden mahogany desks of her bedside table, yet the tree clearly had never been touched by human hands. The bright glow intensified as she walked around the wide trunk. It felt as if it could go on for ages. As she did, her eyes never once darted away from the surface. She stopped for a very brief moment, taking notice of a shimmering trail that seemed to cascade in very thin streams downwards from the tree's trunk. They shimmered like sequins.

She stopped in front of a hole formed onto the side of the tree. It was almost the same size as Estelle herself. An inviting aura loomed over her. The glow from before came from a small pool of water inside the hole. The waters reflected a silver light that danced above the interior of the hole. More of the shimmering streams formed above, and several twinkling tiny stones were sprinkled all around, resembling the night sky. Even the waters themselves seemed restless, constantly pushing and pulling like the ocean current. Foam formed upon the small waves and hit against the tree trunk. Droplets splashed out from the side of the tree, wetting Estelle's pants. She had never seen anything like this before. There was nobody around using a wand to create such a display, and her wand was safely tucked in her boot.

Stripes also poked his head in, sniffing the waters. He dipped the tip of his paw on the surface, causing sparkling ripples to form. Estelle didn't want to take her eyes off of the waters. In fact, she could have sworn she had seen something like this before when she slumbered. The princess boldly tipped the surface with her finger, creating the same sparkling ripples from before. With a giggle, Estelle dipped her hands deeper into the waters, causing several droplets to splash upwards, wetting her jackets to which she payed little to no attention to, her eyes looking down to the sparkling diamond waters towards the ceiling, smiling broadly at the entrancing display of stars and lights dancing above her head. She wondered, if she got in deeper, would she enter and entirely new world?

Estelle was determined to find out, so she stepped right into the hole. The waters glowed as she walked deeper inside, her boots getting soaked. She traced her fingers over the wall to the very end, seeing that this was as far as she would go. Never the less, Estelle didn't feel she was standing inside a hole within a tree. She felt she was in an entirely new plane of existence. A plane she never wanted to depart from.

"Over here!" a voice called out, startling Estelle and Stripes. The little creature's ears perked up and squeaked in fear. Estelle froze in place, hearing the voice again. "I think I saw something!"

She quickly stepped out of the hole, the glowing waters dripping off of her boots, and drying off surprisingly fast. Estelle scooped Stripes into her arms and followed the voice. "Hello?" She called out. She squinted her eyes when flashes of light came beaming her way.

Shielding her eyes from the intensity, Estelle saw two royal officers using their wands to illuminate the way. "Princess Estelle!" one of the officers exclaimed, followed by the other who sighed in relief. "Thank the Arions you're alright!" he crunched down, placing a hand on her shoulder until he took notice of the animal she carried. "What is that?"

Estelle quickly took a step back, shielding a now trembling Stripes in her arms. Her eyes narrowed protectively at them. The second officer pointed his wand at the creature. The light glowed brighter, ready to cast a spell upon the innocent animal. "Your highness, step away from the beast!"

"He's not a beast!" Estelle shouted defensively. "His name is Stripes. He's my friend!"

The two men looked at each other in confusion until they heard the animal whimper in fear. Estelle held him closely, trying to sooth him. This creature didn't look dangerous, and the princess seemed perfectly in tact. One of the officers told his companion to lower his defenses and spoke calmly to the child. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay."

"Good. Come along now." the officer gently took her had and lead her back towards the gates. Only the lower porting of the gate was open, allowing portions of the city's light to illuminate the pathway. "One of the watchers saw you on the surveillance cameras. We came as quickly as we could to find you."

As she walked back towards the gate, Estelle's head turned back to the magical tree. "But wait!" she exclaimed, trying to rush back. "There's something you have to see!"

The officer yanked on her jacket, gently pulling her back in his protection. "There is nothing out there to see. We must hurry, your mother is worried sick."

"But it's beautiful! This place isn't scary after all!" Estelle once again wiggled from his grasp, only for the second officer to grip her shoulders, crunch down to her level and stared directly into her eyes.

"Listen to me, your highness. Whatever you think you saw, it wasn't beautiful. That's how this world gets you. Using beautiful trickery to decisive and kill you. You are safe in the city. Safe with your mother."

Her mother. Estelle had nearly forgotten about her mother's punishment for her, being so enamored with the world she was exploring. The princess looked down in regret while Stripes whimpered, mirroring her emotions. The officer stood back up, grabbed Estelle by the hand and led her back home.

Estelle took one final look at the tree and at the world outside. Knowing this would be the last time she would ever see it again.

*(~)*

"What were you thinking?!" Luciana's voice boomed within the walls of Estelle's bedroom. Her face was almost as red as a tomato as she stomped back and forth, all the while Estelle sat dejectedly at the foot of her bed. Stripes quivered in fear within the iron cage he was trapped in on the other side of the room. His eyes darted back and forth between the queen and princess, his tail curled around his crunched body.

"You know nobody aside from huntsmen and officers are allowed beyond the gate! Estelle, this is so unlike you!"

"I'm sorry." was all the young girl could say, hanging her head in shame.

Luciana sighed in exasperation, rubbing her temples. Her hair had been let down, her makeup, accessories and crown were all absent. She still wore her gown but had replaced her black stilettos with a pair of black flat shoes. She looked down at her feet before shooting a fierce look at her daughter.

"But, it's not so bad." Estelle said, causing her mother to freeze in place. She gulped before continuing. "Really! I saw something. Something beautiful. I was in front of this tree with a hole, and inside there was water. Water that sparkled like diamonds, and inside I saw a sky filled with stars and rainbow lights! It was beautiful!"

Luciana fiercely shook her head. "I bet it was that Howl." she said, venom oozing from her voice. "He filled your head with this nonsense!"

"No mom! Don't blame him, it's not his fault!" the princess protested, her hand reaching out pleadingly.

"What did he tell you?" the queen demanded to know. She looked down at Estelle, who trembled at her mother's deadly gaze. "What. Did he. Tell you?" she repeated. A subtle hiss could be heard in her tone. "Answer me!" she snapped.

Estelle flinched. She knew she couldn't tell her mother about what Howl had told her about the beast. She just couldn't. She couldn't let someone get in trouble because of her own actions. Howl was a kind and sweet man, how could she rat him out like this? Guilt swelled up within her heart at the idea of the man facing his mother's punishment. What made it worse was the reality that she did not entirely regret venturing outside the city walls. She had fun in the outside world, there was no denying it. However, as memorable as it was, Estelle refused to allow Howl to face her mother's wrath.

She looked up at Luciana, fists tightened to the side of her legs, back straight as a pole, her lips sucked in and eyes narrowed. Her chest partly puffed up in a futile attempt to appear fearless. "He just told me what was like out there." Estelle said, trying to keep her tone steady. "That it was dangerous, like you always say. But, when I saw the gate open. I thought it was beautiful. I wanted to go see it. It's not Howl's fault, honest. Mom, please don't punish him."

Luciana turned away. The room became stone cold silent until Estelle dared to speak up once more. "I know you say it's dangerous, but…maybe it's not as dangerous as we think. Stripes isn't dangerous. What I saw inside that tree wasn't dangerous." she caught wind of her mother's slight flinch at the mention of this. Estelle took a step further. "Please mom, just let me show you."

"Estelle, don't you dare!" Luciana warned when she saw her daughter rush towards Stripe's cage and unlocked it. Stripes whimpered in fear when Luciana turned around. "Estelle, I mean it!" she marched on over, "Stay away from--!"

Estelle managed to grab Stripes and hold him in her arms. He nuzzled against her chest, looking up at the queen in fear. Luciana stopped in her tracks. The creature didn't do anything to harm either her or her daughter. If anything, it looked almost as innocent as a newborn child. Estelle stroked his back gently, a soft purring round emanated from his chest, making the young princess smile.

"You see, mom? He won't hurt us. He's just scared. And, if he isn't scary, maybe not all of the creatures out there are scary either."

Luciana eased down. The coldness in her eyes melted away and stared at the creature without prejudice before looking back at her daughter. She blinked in realization. "Did…did you really jump over the gate?"

Estelle blinked. "Y-Yeah. It wasn't that hard, really."

Luciana slightly tilted her head. "Huh…only a hunter in training could pull off something like that." Estelle became silent at her mother's words. The queen walked closer, causing the young princess to instinctively shield Stripes. "Calm down, I won't hurt him." Luciana smiled, putting Estelle's worries to rest. "But, there is one thing I need to show you."

*(~)*

The grand doors slid open. The room inside was dark and cold. Stripes trembled in fear, still being cradled in Estelle's arms as they walked further into the room, following Luciana. Estelle had never seen her mother behave this way. She had been silent the entire time, she didn't even look down at Estelle, her eyes fixated only on the room, which was still shrouded in darkness. Luciana raised her hand, tracing the wall until she reached the switch. One by one, a lamp from the ceiling lit up, their golden lights cascading downwards illuminating the entire room.

The grand doors slid open. The room inside was dark and cold. Stripes trembled in fear, still being cradled in Estelle's arms as they walked further into the room, following Luciana. Estelle had never seen her mother behave this way. She had been silent the entire time, she didn't even look down at Estelle, her eyes fixated only on the room, which was still shrouded in darkness. Luciana raised her hand, tracing the wall until she reached the switch. One by one, a lamp from the ceiling lit up, their golden lights cascading downwards illuminating the entire room.

Estelle gasped in awe, which quickly morphed into gasps of pure horror. Luciana gently took Estelle's hand, encouraging her to continue walking. Billions of portraits hung on the walls. Pictures of men and women carrying spears, swords, axes, crossbows and any other dangerously deadly weapon Estelle could imagine. The frames were made of sterling silver, sharp and polished as if they had just been forged. She walked closer towards one picture which depicted a man with a scar across his face, raven hair and almond shaped eyes. He held a wand in his right hand, and on his left was the severed head of a dragon. Its eyes deadlock, frozen in time forever, its mouth open so wide it was physically impossible. The creature's jaw just hung and dangled from its head, blood dripping from from its pierced eyes and nose. Estelle's stomach turned and her dinner threatened to rise upwards to her throat and out her mouth. She couldn't stand the sight, yet she could not look away.

Underneath the portrait was a stone pedestal with the hunter's name engraved on it, as well as a list of the many heroic acts he had accomplished in his lifetime. Estelle proceeded to look at all the other hunters, who's portraits made up the majority of the apparently endless hallway of the room. Each one had the same silver frame and pedestal, all with their names and information.

"Come." Luciana said, her voice faintly echoed. She extended her hand towards Estelle and she took it without question.

Estelle skimmed through the pictures and pedestals, only managing to remember a few bits and pieces of their names and deeds. Finally, Luciana stopped at one portrait which, unlike the others, wasn't placed in a silver portrait. The portrait was bigger, almost colossal in scale and its frame was made out of the purest of gold, emeralds and rubies engraved in its corners.

Unlike the others, the image inside the portrait did not portray one hunter, but hundreds. Each one wielding a sword with one hand and a shield in the other. They wore full body armor, made out of bronze, the sunlight reflecting off of the surface of the breastplate. Their eyes were as blue as the sky on a clear sunny summer day and skin that rivaled even the whitest of clouds. They wore no helmets, but rather allowed their long golden locks to flow in the wind like capes. On their backs grew a pair of massive white feathered wings, larger than any Estelle had ever witnessed. They flew up into the sky, slicing away the monsters that came their way.

Beside these mighty warriors were humans, wearing nothing but ragged clothing, their faces smudged with dirt. For women, their hair was as tangled as a thorn bush as was for the men, who's beards were just as unkempt. They looked so thin, almost as if they had not eaten in days, but despite their disheveled appearances, their eyes were red with furry and courage. In their hands they wielded wands, golden bands on their wrists and wings strapped onto their backs, fairly smaller in comparison to the wings of the beautifully radiant knights.

Each of the humans fought against a monstrous creature with such aggression and boldness. They fought alongside the knights, many of which stood right alongside a human, shielding them from an unseen creature from behind, or simply wielding their sword right alongside them as they shot magic beams from their wands.

The setting in which the battle was taking place was beautiful, with exotic plants and a mesmerizing sunset. The golden rays radiated across the land, reflecting off of the heroic knights.

One knight, however, stood on high on a rock, one knee bend, with his sword held up high at the very center of the battle. His hair was long with streaks of white, eyes as clear as the sea, the most beautiful shade Estelle had ever seen in her entire life. She stepped closer towards the painting, her eyes fixated on the one knight who appeared to be leading the fight. His shield to his side and his wings spread out, the heavenly light of the feathers cascaded downwards, bringing light and warmth to all.

Estelle tilted her head slightly upon noticing the eight-inch star imprinted on the knight's shield. The four inches were purple, but the other four were a pale pink. It looked a lot like the star birthmark on Estelle's own forehead, which was in the exact same style and had the exact same colors as the one on the shield. She boldly rose her hand, tracing her fingers over the canvas. She flinched upon feeling her mother's hand on her shoulder, catching her off guard.

"Do you know who these beautiful beings are, Estelle?" Luciana asked, looking up at the painting with the same wonder as her daughter.

"They're the Arions. Right?"

"That's right. Long before this city was built, our ancestors lived in the world outside the gate, constantly on the run from monsters."

"I know the story, Mom." Estelle interrupted, "Then the Arions swooped down and gave everyone wands to cast spells, wings so we can fly and control the weather and gold bands to grow food and control the earth and plants so we could fight against the monsters."

"Indeed they did." Luciana nodded, "And from the ashes of that battle, we build this great city in honor of our saviors. But do you know why we send hunters beyond the gate?"

"To kill monsters." Estelle replied, "But I don't get it. I already know why they go, how come--" she was silenced when her mother rose her hand.

"No, you don't know. I've been waiting to explain this to you when you were old enough to understand. But, as it seems, you're more than ready now. We send hunters to kill the beasts, yes, but it's not just for amusement. The Arions fought to protect us from the monsters."

"But, if the Arions are so powerful why don't they just destroy the creatures themselves?"

Luciana was silent and simply led her daughter towards another portrait, placed on the left side of the portrait. The image confused Estelle. She saw another Arion, a female, but she didn't resemble the others in any way. She had wings, of course, but hers were torn and withered, and in some areas even burned right off. Her hair was wild and sharp like thorns, razor blades for teeth and pools of black tar for eyes. Her dress was a dark purple with patches of black and was barefoot. Her toenails sharp and unkept as her long, gray and filthy fingernails. An army of people surrounded her, throwing chains which wrapped around her ankles and wrists as she struggled to break free. On the left hand corner of the picture stood a man in a long yellow robe, which adorned the same star symbol in the center. He rose his hand forward to the creature, giving the impression that she was shouting at her. His face was calm and relaxed, yet stern and focused.

"Who is that?" Estelle asked, "Is that an Arion?"

"Yes, she is." Luciana replied, in a surprisingly cold and disapproving manner. "But not one you wish to know, or even serve."

"Why?"

"Arions are a different kind all together. While divine in nature, they can marry and have children, hence their descendants shall watch over us." Luciana's eyes narrowed in a deprecate manner. "But Llamrei was different. " she spatted at the mention of the name. "She did not approve of humans being able to posses magic. She believed the Arions alone should have been the ones with all the power. She didn't think we were worthy enough to have it. One day, Llamrei attempted to take the magic for herself, pretending to be our friend. But, a wise and devoted follower of the Arions, Sage Javan, saw through Llamrei's deception and rallied everyone to fight her." Luciana's tone shifted, lowering in depression. "Unfortunately, since she did not give birth to any Arions afterwards, she became the last one. The other Arions eventually descended onto the heavens, and have since watched over us as unseen spirits."

Luciana led Estelle to the right hand side of the portrait, where she demonstrated an image of the Sage Java, holding a book in his hands, underneath the Arions, who watched over him and the rest of the city from above. Estelle was left in awe at the beauty of the image.

"Don't you see, dear? That's why we have hunters go out there and eliminate these monsters. We do it in memory of the ones who did so for us and to finish what they started long ago."

"What do you mean finish what they started?" Estelle asked.

"To complete their mission. Our mission. Our mission to vanquish the very last monster out there, so that we no longer have to live within these walls. So that one day, we can expand our great city so that the earth may finally be cleansed of the evil that has plagued it for centuries. There is a whole world out there, unseen by human eyes. It may take a while, but we are getting closer and closer to that goal each and every day. In fact, Somorrah is even bigger now than it was in the years when I was a child."

"I…I think I understand." Estelle said. "But, Stripes is from the outside world, and he's not dangerous."

Luciana smiled warmly, caressing her daughter's cheek. "I know. That's something else I wanted to tell you." the little princess blinked in confusion and her mother tilted her head to the picture of the Arion knight on the main image. "Do you notice anything familiar about this picture?"

Estelle squinted her eyes and walked closer, her eyes immediately landed on the star symbol on the Arion's shield. She pointed her finger at it. "There! That star, it's the same one I have."

"That's right."

"What does that mean?" Estelle asked, turning around to face her mother.

"It means, you're special. I always knew from the moment you were born that you would become a mighty queen, maybe the greatest Somorrah had ever seen." Luciana said. Estelle noticed there was a sparkle in her eyes, something Estelle had never once seen before. "But, after tonight, what you did, those skills and the way you tamed this…" Luciana gestured to Stripes, who remain hidden behind Estelle's legs. "This creature, I think I finally understand."

"What, mom?"

Luciana crunched down to her daughter's level, tears already streaming down her cheeks. "Estelle… The Arions have blessed you with their symbol. You are clearly gifted with incredible strength and courage, befitting not only a queen… but a mighty hunter as well."

Estelle gasped. "Are…are you serious?"

"Well, you definitely need a bit more training, and you still need to learn some restraint but, yes. You clearly have a lot of physical capabilities, even at your age, and such tactful thinking… it's astonishing.

"But, wait! Does this mean I have to…kill every creature I see?" Estelle hesitated to ask.

Luciana thought for a moment until Stripes walked up, rubbing his head against her leg. Luciana giggled and held the furry creature in her arms, stroking his head. "Well, maybe not every creature from now on. Maybe, with your help, we can spare innocent little ones like these."

"Do you mean it, Mom?"

"Yes. See, you're changing things already."

Estelle's smile widened. She couldn't keep herself still any longer. She leaped for joy and began doing cartwheels across the room, shouting victoriously. "Woo-hoo! I'm gonna be a hunter!"

"In training, for now." Luciana stated as she stood up and Estelle stopped her cartwheeling. "And still future queen. So you're going to have a lot more learning to do."

Estelle's enthusiasm immediately dropped, as did her shoulders. She slumped. "Uhh…"

"But we can worry about that tomorrow." Luciana allowed Stripes to leap off from her arms and lifted Estelle's chin to face her. "Right now, try and get some sleep. And no sneaking out this time, got it?"

"Got it."

Luciana kissed Estelle's forehead, right above her star shaped birthmark and started walking out of the room. She turned around to see Estelle still gazing at the large portrait. "Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah. Can I…look at it one more time, please?"

"Alright. You know where your room is."

Estelle nodded her head and her mother left her to gaze once more at the portrait. She studied the Arion Knight, mimicking his pose. She looked over to the statue of Sage Java. The old sage definitely looked the part. Wise and old, but also kind and welcoming. She noticed that, on his forehead, he had somewhat of a diamond shaped mark on his forehead. Estelle's hand rose upwards, her fingers tracing over the surface of her own mark. Her mother's words replayed in her mind over and over like a recording. She pulled out her wand from from her boot, wielding it like a sword, pretending to stab something. She looked once again at the image of the Arion. Clenching her fists, Estelle placed it over her heart, bowing her head.

"I promise to be the best hunter and queen I can be. If that's my destiny, then I won't give up. I will keep my eyes on the path."

*(~)*