A withered yellow leaf was blown from a treetop by a gust of autumn wind. It drifted slowly to the ground, landing beside a pile of already aged, greyish withered leaves. The sunlight revealed its shattered veins and the traces of where insects had once gnawed at it. A grey patch at its very center looked particularly jarring.
A deer’s hoof stepped onto the withered leaf, crushing it to pieces. Immediately following it was the urgent sound of horse hooves, and the bright laughter of young men echoed across the small hillside.
“Your Majesty, does the range of the net need to be reduced further?” An attendant dressed in black dismounted carefully, walked over to a lifeless old man clad in armor, and asked respectfully.
“There is no need. If they cannot catch it even with this, then their physical fitness is simply too poor.”
Two young men in vests were on horseback, chasing the galloping reindeer. Both held bows and arrows, their attention entirely fixed on the animal. Nearby birds were startled into flight, circling above and not daring to draw any closer.
Swoosh! An arrow flew out at high speed, only to miss its mark. A youth clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. The reindeer, having dodged the shot, thought it had escaped, but in the next moment, another arrow struck its hind leg. It tumbled violently to the ground, its body sliding for quite some distance.
“Brother, it seems I am the one who succeeded.” A youth with white hair and red eyes whistled happily. He galloped over to the struggling reindeer and leaped off his horse. Pulling a small knife from his waist, he plunged it into the reindeer’s belly. After a brief spasm, the reindeer stopped twitching and died completely.
“Your magic has granted you superior physical attributes and dynamic vision. It is no wonder you are more accurate than I.” The other youth, also white haired but with heterochromatic eyes—one grey and one red—did not dismount. He sat on his horse, his gaze devoid of much emotion.
The youth skillfully tied the reindeer to his horse, vaulted back into the saddle, and glanced back at the heterochromatic youth. The two of them began their return journey together.
“Your Majesty, the tracking beacon on that reindeer has disappeared. It seems the princes have succeeded,” a close attendant dressed in a black vest said with a bow. One of his eyes was covered by an eye patch, while the other was a deep yellow. His slightly pale hair looked somewhat curled and lacked luster, as if the whiteness was not natural but caused by his advancing age.
“Carlo, who do you think hunted that reindeer?” the elderly King’s voice was low and slow. His calm tone lacked its usual arrogance, carrying only a hint of relaxation.
“In response to Your Majesty, I believe Prince Dmitry hunted the first prey of the autumn hunt.” Carlo felt a few beads of cold sweat in his palms, but since he was wearing white gloves, no one could notice.
“And why do you think so?” The old King’s tone remained unchanged.
“Your Majesty, although Prince Dmitry is a Great Mage and did not use magic, I still believe he slightly surpasses Prince Adrian in terms of perception and aiming ability.” Carlo quickly formulated his wording. Although it was autumn, he felt a slight chill that made him somewhat uncomfortable.
“I wouldn’t be so sure...” The old King’s lip twitched as he watched the horses approaching one after the other. He saw the reindeer behind Prince Adrian, who was in the lead, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his eyes.
“Carlo, you still underestimate... my magic.” The old King let out a soft, cold laugh as he waited silently. “A Great Mage of ghost magic is the most likely to match a mage who has learned Divine Lord’s magic in these regards.”
“I misjudged due to the vast gap in strength between a Great Mage and a mage. Then...”
“Shut up.”
...
At the harbor for crossing the sea, Clo sat on a roadside bench wearing a domed white hat. Beside her sat a girl with cloudy eyes who looked as if she hadn't fully woken up. Her cloudy, blood colored eyes looked at the dark blue sky without saying a word.
In the far distance, a massive passenger ship was rapidly sailing toward the harbor where they were waiting. A few playful children ran past them, holding small pinwheels with four colored blades that whirred in the wind.
“I hope we don’t stay at the Royal Court’s port for too long. I have an important meeting in Parvati,” a man sighed. He held a square bag, through which one could faintly see neatly stacked documents.
“Even though few people go to the Royal Court, the ship still needs to replenish supplies and fresh water. I’m afraid we’ll be docked for at least a day or more.” Another man in a pale yellow sweater rubbed his messy hair and adjusted his hat to keep it from being blown away by the wind.
...
“A Yue, next, we are going to the Royal Court. There are many... people like you there.”
“Royal Court... people like me?” the girl asked in confusion. She looked up at Clo with some bewilderment. No emotion could be seen in her blood red eyes, but judging by her expression, she seemed somewhat uneasy.
“I... I don’t understand... Clo...”
“It is alright. I will go with you. Do not worry, I will always be by your side.” Clo gently brushed away the white hair from Li Yue’s forehead. She smiled faintly and pressed a soft kiss to the girl’s brow.
In the distant sky, a dark cloud was gathering. It seemed everyone knew that the latter half of the voyage would be shrouded in a heavy rainstorm.
Please do not sail gently into that storm.
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