Chapter 9

The next morning Sais stirred from her sleep, with Arlo at feet. The warm morning breezes blow the smell of lilies throughout the farm house. After changing, Sais went down to the stairs and was heading to the kitchen. “Knock, Knock” Sais peer thru the window to see two horse outside tied up at her post. She walked over to the door and opened it slowly. Two royal soldiers were at her door, “Hello, how can I be of service to the noble royal soldier? Excuse me I mean two royal energy casters” She looked at the emblem patch on their uniform.

The two Royal energy casters stood there gazing at Sais for a moment. One stood a bit taller than the other he stood 6’3 with light brown hair, and sparkling blue eyes. The other stood 6’1 with blond hair and light pale blue eyes. They both had light tans, and had the same slightly build bodies. The taller one spoke first, “We wish to refill our water pouches from your well. If don’t mind, Lady...” He hesitated for her to speak her name.

“Sais” she smiled.

“Lady Sais” he smiled back at her. “My name is Quinn and this is Demeric” he introduced himself and his companion.

Sais stepped out onto the porch before them, “Come I’ll show you to the well.” Sais headed for the well, Quinn and Demeric followed behind her. “Here you go, I must return to kitchen I haven’t eaten yet this morning.” She left them at the well, she entered the back door of her kitchen and left it open to keep her eyes on them. She started a small fire in the fireplace; she went to reach for a pot when she noticed that both of the Quinn and Demeric were gone from the well. Oh No “Arlo” she bolted out of the kitchen and ran to the well where both pouches lay against the well.

“Arlo!!” she called out, she heard blasting in the distant she ran as fast as she could. She stopped to get her breath, when she saw flash of blue light just ahead of her.

“Look at that white wolf that is a rare breed. Quite dangerous as well, it came right up to us.” Demeric looked at Quinn.

“I think Lady Sais wouldn’t mind if we capture it. It would be a nice prize to the King Philon or Prince Ajax. We must stun it, but the damn the wolf is too fast.” Quinn stood to the left or Arlo and Demeric stood on the other. “Demeric shoot to the right side of the wolf. Forcing him to his left, he can’t go back he’s trapped against that tree. That will push him toward the left towards me.”

Arlo was snarling and growling at them both Arlo moved a little forward then went back. “Bark.”

            Sais bolted past Quinn and Demeric who were yelling at her to get away from the wolf. “WHAT do you think you are doing on my land?” she yelled at them both. Arlo was behind her still growling at them.

            “We saw the wolf, and it attacked us at the well. We didn’t want to kill it; we only meant to capture it. To bring it as a gift to King Philon and or Prince Ajax upon our return to the palace. Please Sais move away from the wolf, it’s dangerous you might get hurt.” Quinn held out his hand for Sais to take it. Arlo jump in front of her.

            Demeric shot out a small energy ball. Sais raised her hand and shot one as well to deflected Demeric energy ball. Both Quinn and Demeric stood back looking at her confused. “You’re an energy caster as well.” Demeric nodded at her.

            “Yes, I am. I don’t appreciate you shooting energy balls at my wolf. Arlo” she called softly to him, his ears were pointing straight up. “Arlo down boy” she touched the back of his neck, then gently stroking him. Arlo stopped growling and rubbed his head against her pants. “Good boy” She turned her attention back to Quinn and Demeric. “Arlo is my wolf, he doesn’t like stranger near the farm house. I forgot to tell before leaving at the well.”

            “Lady Sais, we don’t mean to upset you. It’s just you’re a women with a very rare breed of wolf. This wolf that you have is one of the most lethal and loyal wolves that I have ever came across. Any good trader would pay a heavy coin to purchase that animal from you.” Demeric paused.

            “I know what kind of wolf Arlo is, that is why I saved him from being killed by energy caster when Arlo was just a pup. Arlo is my wolf and protector. I will never sale him. I think you both should continue to Delius.” Sais walked between them with Arlo following alongside her.

            Demeric and Quinn nodded at each other started heading back to the well to fetch there pouches. Sais watched from the porch as both Demeric and Quinn started to untie the reins of their horses. Quinn walked over to Sais, Arlo lay in the doorway. “I don’t wish for you to be mad at us. I only thought that we had we was trying, to keep you safe from the wolf. You must understand that is what we do, is to keep people safe. There will be more Royal energy caster coming along this road; I must tell you to keep Arlo next to you at all times. We’ve come up against these wolves and we blast first. Arlo is a very young wolf; some might try to take him.” Quinn looked concerned. Demeric rode up to the house with Quinn’s horse; he tossed him, his reins.

            “Arlo is a fine wolf. Well trained maybe next time I will get the chance to pet him. I used to have a wolf a long time ago before joining the army.” Demeric smiled at the thought.

            “I was never mad at you both. It’s been rough around here with the Fire raiser and all. I just don’t want to lose Arlo.  Just last night at the Harvest celebration a fire raiser shot fire balls during the celebration. No one was injury.”

            Sais spotted Dacia walking up the road to her house. Dacia looked a little confused when she spotted two royal caster at her cousin little farm house. Dacia was in a light shear pink dress on; that hugged her little curvy and her light brown had little curls. She smiled at the sight of Quinn and Demeric. “Hello there”

            “Hello lady…” Quinn and Demeric replied.

            “Dacia” she smiled.

            “This is my cousin Dacia. Dacia this Quinn and Demeric they are Royal energy caster. They here for the fire raiser.” Sais looked at her than back at them. “Dacia and I need to go to Delius for supplies.”

            Dacia looked at her cousin Sais, “Yes we do.”

            Sais turned away from Dacia and glanced to Quinn, who was smiling at her. “We can wait to escort you to Delius if you wish.” Keeping his eyes on Sais as he spoke.

            “I would enjoy that.” Sais replied back. “Please wait I need to grab my satchel, and coin bag.” Sais turned to head into her house. Dacia followed behind her. Sais went upstairs and she returned to the stairs where her cousin was awaiting her.

            “Why did I see you smile at that Royal Energy Casters, Quinn?” Dacia teased. “I almost thought I was seeing things. I guess last night horrible event knock some sense into you.”

            “I don’t know, Quinn seem to remind me of someone from the Academy. He is only going to be here for a while before returning to the King’s army. I think I deserve to have some male company, which can control themselves unlike Marc and Rylan.” Sais put up her hand to stop Dacia from asking a questioned. “I’ll explain later”

            Quinn stood next side Sais and Dacia horses, “Demeric and I saddled up the horses for you.”

            Demeric walked to the porch and held out his hand to Dacia. She gladly took his hand and followed him to her horse, he help her get upon her horses. “Thanks you, Demeric” she smiled big.

            Sais didn’t waste any time with that nonsense, she jump down from the porch and took the reins, from Quinn’s hands. “I don’t require that of you.” She looked up at his face. “But I do thank you for saddling up my horses.”

            “I didn’t think you did, you seem to know how to handle yourself, just fine.” He looked down at her face. He waited next to her horse as she got herself settled. “I think a fellow caster will ask for help when it is needed.” He smiled at her before walking over to his horses.

            They started off slowly galloping, down the road to Delius. The light breeze blow Sais and Dacia hair around their faces. Dacia couldn’t keep quite. “How long have you been serving in the King’s royal army? How often do you travel?”

            “Dacia calm yourself, these men have travel a long way. They need their rest, not your questions.” Sais shook her head and resume looking ahead up the road.

            “Oh you’re right,” she replied sadly

            “Oh don’t be. I’ve served under King Philon, for the last three years, since I was my eighteenth birthday. Both Quinn and I went to the academy up north near the coast. We joined together.” Demeric smiled and nodded to Quinn. “We’ve travel all along the coast, but never this far south. We are usually sent first when trouble arises with other caster became uncontrollable. But in this case it’s a fire raiser.” His eyes hardened at the thought of a fire raiser.

            “Demeric and I lost our fathers in the great war, to fire raisers.  It’s kind of the reason why we joined the royal army.” Quinn looked up at the road. “Are we almost there?” He called Sais who was a little way in front of them.

            “Just up a little ways” she turned to Quinn. “But mostly I will make it there before you do.” She laughed, and pushed her horse into full gallop leaving, Quinn, Demeric, and Dacia behind.

“Sais!!!” Dacia hollered after her. “She is so impatient. You don’t have to follow…” looking to Quinn who went after her. “Shall we follow?” She smiled.

“After your” Demeric smirked. Dacia laughed, and followed in her cousin path to Delius. Demeric chased after her. Dacia horse came roar up alongside Quinn; she smiled and passed him while continued to meet up with her cousin Sais who was still in front of them. Sais turned her head to meet her cousin alongside her, and nodded. Quinn and Demeric were still behind them as they made the last turn to village of Delius, both Sais and Dacia pulled on the reins hard to stop their horse, dust and rock kick up into the air, as a few of the villagers shook their heads at them, as the continued on their normal routine of the morning.

“We should wait for Quinn and Demeric here, there not that far behind us.” Sais giggled and blushed.

“Wow Sais, it’s been a long time since you giggled like that. Not since your father’s death” Dacia looked away. “I’m sorry”

“Don’t be. It’s time to move on with my life. I need to enjoy some pleasure of a good old horse race, which I never lose.” Sais nodded. “Oh here comes Quinn and Demeric.”

Both Quinn and Demeric pulled their reins just like Sais and Dacia did, kicking up dust and rock. “Whoooaa” Quinn called out. “I think you trick us. Making us believe that we could out race your Akida horses. We never stood a chance” Quinn shook his head, and climb off his horse. Demeric followed and started to look around the village for the Magistrate.

“You’re looking for the Magistrate. It’s on the other side of the village; we can take you if you like?” Sais stood next to him. “Come we can put your horses in these stalls” pulling her own horse and waiting for them to follow her. “That one you can put your horse in, it belongs to me. Demeric you can place yours there next to Dacia, those belong to her.” Sais placed her beloved horse in the stall next to Quinn’s.

“If you don’t mind Sais and Dacia, we can continued to the Magistrate by ourselves. Now that we are here in Delius we are officially on duty for the King’s royal army.” Quinn looked at Demeric then back at Sais. “I hope you understand.”

“I understand Quinn. The Magistrate is in the building at the far end of the road, it has dark red doors and has guards at the doors, and you can’t miss it.” Sais replied, and turns to her cousin “Dacia we should be off” she walked away from Quinn and stood at the doors waiting for her cousin. Dacia looked confused for a moment then went to follow Sais. “Good day, see you around Quinn and Demeric” Sais walked away with Dacia, to the market.

“Sais what was that about?” Dacia touched her cousin shoulder. “Why was Quinn so cold to us?”

“Dacia, the Royal Casters are here on an assignment. Quinn doesn’t want us interfering; it could cost him and Demeric their position in the Royal Casters. It’s their job to protect every citizen of the Kingdom. Don’t take it to heart. All the soldier that I’ve came across are train to be like that when there are on duty. Quinn and Demeric are no different. We’ll see them around the village; they have to talk to all that were present at the celebration where the fire raiser was at.” Sais turned and picked up some fresh apples.

“You right, Quinn and Demeric have to talk to Bren, Rylan and you. You were the first to come in contact with the fire raiser.” Dacia picked up the same apples from the cart, “These smell so sweet”

Sais frozen Damn, I forgot about that. I can handle them, she thought. “I’ll takes these” she told the merchant. Dacia and Sais continued to purchase a few more items  before retiring into Lora bakery, the smell of fresh bread and sweets filled their nostril as the entered her shop. “Hiya girls” Lora greeted them at the door, giving them a quick little hugs, Lora stood shorter then Dacia, with dark brown hair, with a curvy body. Men always greeted her with a big smile. She was a few years older than them.

“Did you hear, a couple of Royal Casters just arrived? We need them; I heard from one merchant that a couple of villages are getting swarmed with casters. I mean bad casters, attacking unarmed villagers. King Philon has sent his royal casters to deal with them. But after hearing the trouble we have here in Delius with the fire raiser, he’s sent his most powerful energy casters. I think their names are Quinn and Demeric. ” Lora smile and hurried to the back to remove some sweet bread. “What can I get you girls on this wonderful morning?” she walked back from the back room.

“Just the usually for me” Dacia walked over to look closer at the sweets. “Yeah we know that the Royal Caster arrived.” She looked up at Sais and smiled big.

“Alright Dacia I get those for you. Sais what can I get for you today?” Lora smiled sweetly behind the table placing the warm sweet bread that she took for fire.

“I need a couple loafs bread, a few of your famous raisin sweet rolls and my favorite strawberry rhubarb jam. I would make them myself I just don’t have time. I’m busy trying to restore the farm house.” Sais walked over to window and looked out.  Lora walked from behind the table and headed for her front doors to her shop so she could open them, when Sais turned and yelled, “No, get down!”

Author's Note

I don't know if I like how this chapter is. I need some input!

Reviews

[~Lizzy♬]

I actually thought it was a very well written chapter. The intro should be a little more exciting, but everything else was amazing! :) Great job!

~Bookers~ (Lizzard)