Heading due east towards the inner area of Happote, Triton and Ciriri had found themselves in another vast field."You"d think a ma.s.s of Comet like this would just wipe out all life on this Planet all those years ago." Ciriri complained as she drug her feet through the gra.s.s.
"Surely, the life forms on this planet are a bit more resilient than that. You"ve made it out safe and sound." Triton argued back, his stride n.o.ble and true.
"It"s not like I asked to be born on this rock. It"s just amazing that something so huge could land on this planet. Maybe they fell to Earth softly and just melded into place."
"Now you"re just speaking nonsense."
"Well, do you have anything better to talk about? We just spent almost two weeks with the Snake Kingdom and now we"re back on the grind."
"A grind you agreed to follow me on." Triton quipped again.
Ciriri didn"t say anything. She turned her head to hide the feint blush creeping up on her cheeks from the truth.
"Ehh? Is that a blush I see?"
"No! It"s not!"
In a last ditch effort, Ciriri started throwing her fists at Triton"s prodding fingers.
"It really is too bad you can"t breathe underwater. I"d love for you to visit my home." Triton said.
Ciriri stopped her onslaught to look onto Triton with curious eyes.
"I would love to go, I"m sure it"s beautiful."
"Oh, it is! Someone like you visiting the Palace would only enhance it"s beauty!"
Just as soon as Ciriri got rid of her blush, it came roaring back.
"Jeeze, you have to say things like that?"
"Do you not like compliments? I don"t say things I don"t truly mean, you know. Seems like a waste of words to lie."
Ciriri didn"t know what to say at Triton"s explanation. As they continued walking for a moment, she finally looked up towards the never ending gra.s.sland before her.
"I guess I"m just not used to them. Other than Rin, I don"t get many compliments…"
"That"s a shame really. You truly are deserving of them."
Ciriri looked up to Triton then. His bright blue and sharp shaped eyes looked down upon her as well. The tendrils sticking out of the bright red and white striped sh.e.l.l were idly moving but generally staying in the same place.
He was truly animal, just with a human like body. The way he spoke to her, though. It was as if his heart were human also.
It wasn"t fair to cla.s.sify him to human-like standards. If the humans she knew already treated her less than a Sea Royal did, who was truly the more generous of souls?
Ciriri aspired to be as kind as a Sea Royal.
"I think I see something up ahead…" Triton suddenly said, snapping Ciriri from her thoughts.
Looking ahead, a very large tree stood alone in the gra.s.sland. It was enormous, even from where Ciriri and Triton were walking. If they were to stand next to it, it would be as big as a building.
"A tree? It"s huge!" Ciriri exclaimed.
"Maybe there"s treasure! Want to go look with me?" Triton asked, a sparkle flashing in his eye.
"You bet! A tree that size has to hold something good!"
"Alright! Let"s get to it!"
Feeling pumped up, they both started running towards the tree. The gra.s.s around their feet rose higher and higher until it reached Ciriri"s waist and Triton"s upper thighs.
The size of the tree grew and grew until they were within mere feet of it.
"Wait! Up there!" Triton halted and threw his hand out, stopping Ciriri in her tracks.
"What? What is it?"
Ciriri looked up to the tree to see the image of heads popping in and out of holes. One after another, the flutter of wings could be seen as, what looked to be like, people flying in and out of the tree.
"Royalty? Again?" Ciriri whispered. She felt fear even though she knew they have long already been spotted.
"I"m sure of it, but I"m not sure what species." Triton whispered back.
Eventually, the buzzing stopped. Triton looked around the base of the tree for any point of entry. The only way out was back towards the gra.s.sland, filled with openings for the flying creatures to attack them. There was no other way but inside.
The thought was abandoned when a rather large creature fell from the sky. The sound of a metal spear hitting the ground and then raised filled Ciriri"s ears.
The hand protecting her was now firmly wrapped around her, keeping her sung against Triton"s chest. His other hand gripped his sword tightly.
With the gra.s.s around them flattened from the landing, Ciriri got a solid good look at the sky fallen creature.
White hair with white antennas. It contrasted with the all black military style uniform he was outfitted with.
The stark yellow and black eyes locked onto Triton"s glowing blue ones.
"State your business."
Ciriri"s eye"s widened to the voice that poured from the being just now.
It sounded like a kid!
The boy"s shoulders tensed up, his vast multi-colored wings flared out in frustration.
"Answer me! You are being confronted by Atlas, Prince of the Moth Kingdom! State your business or we will go to war!"
The End.