Chapter 16: Meeting
'ZINGGG~'
Walking near the river, Princess Selena accompanied by her maid Karla and 5 Imperial Guards were searching for Drake. Princess Selena figured that if Drake had no time to swim to shore the best shot at locating him was at the intersection of the river and ocean. Tina and her search party were moving slower and at a wider scale around the river which allowed the princess to move farther ahead.
The ground was soft as every step required more strength due to the storm that ravaged the west side of the Hunter Mountain Range. A slight mist covered the ground due to evaporation giving the forest and mountains a slim white curtain hindering the view farther than 50 meters.
The sound of the pistol reverberated across the mountainous slopes which immediately put the small search party on guard.
Princess Selena had a sneaking suspicion that Drake lay ahead, however, she had never heard such a sound in all her battle experiences. She motioned for the group to move ahead as the sound of waves crashing against the beach could be heard in the distance.
"Hide behind the trees, we don't know what we are facing." Princess Selena warned the group, even though she didn't feel threatened at the moment she kept her vigilance facing the unknown. Taking precautions was always the best way to save lives, if Drake was in trouble then assessing the situation before stepping in in the groups best interest.
However, she lost composure when she witnessed the trail of blue mist coming from where a man stood. Crouching behind a tree in the distance she observed the surroundings.
A teepee made of wood and leaves, multiple cylindrical constructs made of mud, piles of different materials and Drake standing there looking at a contraption she had never seen before. What she found even more baffling was the trail of blue mist that came from the tip of the contraption, which Drake was currently reloading by putting another AE bullet in the barrel.
Princess Selena's icy blue eyes narrowed in concentration as she watched Drake wondering what he was trying to accomplish. Tina had told her information related to Drake, one of which was that he did not remember anything from before a little over a week ago. So how was he able to build something? Intuitiveness? That can't be it. If someone had no previous memories then weren't they on the level of ignorant of worldly matters including artifacts and equipment? Maybe in battle such a trait would be good but from the looks of what she perceived to be just rocks earlier gave her the understanding she needed. 'He smelted iron...'
'ZINGG~'
Princess Selena eyes widened into saucers as she watched another blue mist streak faster then wind into a tree multiple meters away as the trunk almost exploded.
A hint of surprise and curiosity flashed in her cold eyes at the terrifying power of this weapon. If she could get ahold of such a weapon, she could accomplish her goals...
However before she could think further about the implications of such a weapon Drake began to laugh out loud.
"HAHAHAHA~ Spectacular! Powerful and intense! I have never seen such a powerful weapon on Earth! This is like a Blaster Pistol from Star Wars! Hahaha~"
Earth? Blaster Pistol? Star Wars? Princess Selena was immiditely confused about such terms but she was confident words such as Earth and pistol did not belong in the Proxima Empire. As a princess, education, training, and etiquette were drilled in her since she could walk. For such a large empire, a prince and princess could not shame their imperial household as the noble court was pit of scorpions ready to sting when one made a blunder even with the most simple things.
However, the more she began to think about Drake's situation the stranger it got. If someone was able to create a weapon never heard before or from her knowledge which was extensive to say the least, then how could they have lost their memories?
'On Earth? I have never heard of another country called Earth on the Ando continent.' Lost in contemplation of the words Drake spoke while he was unaware of being watched by the princess and her party continued on testing the weapon and its powers, Princess Selena watched on.
After another couple of shots Drake sat down and observed the makeshift pistol. His crimson eyes scoured the metal barrel in fervor.
'The metal is slightly warped after 10 shots, trails of aether crystal coat the bore. I still have 10 more bullets left but that's it. Make a couple more and I will be able to make my way back to civilization. However I'll need to make another barrel to replace this one.'
"That's a stunning weapon you have there." A melodious yet cold voice rang out behind Drake along with the sounds of multiple footsteps. Drake shot up while grabbing a few more AE bullets to load in his gun.
When his body turned around his crimson eyes narrowed in suspicion with a flash of disbelief as he stared at the icy cold blue eyes of the women standing in front of him with a scrutinizing gaze. Drake could feel his body heating up as his blood pumped faster throughout his body. He could feel his senses becoming sharper the faster his blood circulated.
'Click~'
Loading his weapon heightened Princess Selena's vigilance, knowing the sound comes only before it's fired. To her, Drake seemed like a commoner in the slums, worn out clothes torn and stained from the soot and other extremities from smelting as his blood crimson eyes stared at her with caution. His midnight black hair fell down the sides of his face and the rest barely reaching his shoulders.
Drake's crimson red eyes looked on with vigilance at the lady in front of him. Princess Selena wore a black, long sleeved tunic shirt with frosty colored armor covering her chest, shoulders and arms with black streaks and trimmings. A black knee length skirt held up by a black belt with an aether crystal at the buckle and blue and black fringes covered the side thighs, gave protection to her lower body. Black traveling books that were covered in mud from the journey and a sword at her hips as a hand rest upon it. Her long light blue hair that matched her chilling gaze flowed freely in the wind brushing up against her face.
The two continued to gauge each other for a minute even after her unusual greeting. Outnumbered and no clue as to whether they can use magic Drake was limited in options. Sure he could fight but reloading took time which the men in full plated armor could use. The chilling lady gave off a discernible aura that seem to freeze the surroundings even in such a warm climate.
'Fuck, to be found out like this, with the lineup they have it seems I am facing some form of higher nobility. Those guards are armed to the teeth and that maid definitely isn't simple...'
Without taking his thumb off the trigger Drake cautiously observed who he was up against. Without knowing the fighting experiences or talents in an unknown world put Drake at a massive disadvantage. Even with the short training with John, Drake felt cornered even with his pistol and the pressure felt palpable as if the atmosphere was pushing him down.
Unfortunately for him he was unaware of how circulating massive amounts of aether energy in the atmosphere could cause such a phenomenon. For Princess Selena she was aware she had the upper hand in this conversation if the crimson eyed man was indeed Drake so she moved forward with such knowledge with her hand being taken off the sword and rose to the sides.
"You are Drake, correct?"
Drake narrowed his eyes. 'If they know my name they must have been informed by John or Tina, but what are they doing out here? This isn't a adventurer or mercenary group.' Giving only a nod he remained silent.
Princess Selena couldn't help but smile elatedly in her heart while keeping a straight face not to show her emotions. "I see...my name is Selena, I volunteered to go look for a boy named Drake and I'm glad we found you." However, after taking a brief pause in talking she gave a beautiful smile that didn't match the veiled suspicions. "But, to think that someone who has no memories of his past was able to create such a terrifying weapon."
Drake cursed in his heart, now that he knew the cat was out of the bag there was no denying it. From the furnaces, to the ore's, and to the weapon in his hand was plenty evidence that he had 'retained' some memories. However, he was clueless to the fact that she had heard him talk about his previous world but that had no merit. Princess Selena would be unable to connect dots that he was from another world and even if she did that would give her greater leverage.
Princess Selena knew this too, along with whatever nonsense he spouted it was obvious he lied to Tina and the Tenebris household. She knew that if played right, she can use this against him. Lying to the Tenebris's meant he had something to hide and not share.
"And?" Gritting his teeth at his precarious situation Drake knew it was better to converse rather than attempt to run.
"Hehe~ you lied to Baroness Tina and her household because you carry such extensive knowledge that not even professors and inventors has achieved. So I will keep quiet along with everyone here, and not kill you so that I can acquire the weapon for myself and in return you will help me." In any other situation her smile would have been dazzling but to Drake and his current situation it was as if a lion had cornered its prey while showing its fangs.
Drake couldn't help but scrunch his brows and narrow his eyes. 'Help her?' Why would she need his help? He definitely didn't want to start producing guns for a women such as her. He knew nothing other then her name and that she was most likely nobility. She could lock him up and force him to do what she wanted which immediately churned his blood even harder. However, his life was on the line and Drake undeniably refused to die again so swiftly after being reborn.
"Sigh~ and what exactly do you need help with?"
Princess Selena's smile grew now that she Drake wrapped around her fingers.
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Another chapter while trying to improve writing style. Let me know if it feels more smooth or I have something to work on.
Thanks for reading! Hope you have/had a wonderful day!
-KeyKraft
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