Somewhere in the Vayur Forest, 22 km from Anzuri City.


    July 17th, 1427.


    6:12 AM


    Miritta awoke from her slumber inside a cozy treehouse, yawning as she stretched her back before stepping off the bed, pushing aside the blanket.


    “My… today seemed like a good day for a walk.” She opened the window, letting the morning sunlight inside. “I wonder what Azuria is up to now?”


    Located deep inside the thick Vayur Forest, almost nobody passes through the area, providing Miritta with serenity and peace like nowhere else in the Kingdom. The treehouse she stayed in was humble yet comfortable, only about the size of a small one bedroom apartment. A small stream runs through nearby, providing natural fresh water for her daily needs.


    Miritta walked to the large mirror hung on the wall, observing her naked mortal body which was of a young, white human lady in her early 20s. Despite her looks, she has been like this for 427 years ever since the previous God of Nature chose her to be the successor. “Hmmm… maybe I’ll change up my hair for a while, it wouldn’t hurt to try something new.”


    She closes her eyes, an ominous light emits from her hair as she turns it from a dark brown short cut to a long silver white hairstyle, even adding some light green colors on her inner hair. Opening her eyes, she smiled in approval as she adjusted her hair, satisfied with her choice of coloring.


    Using her ability to control nature, the tree branches began to warp and smooth out in front of her treehouse’s entrance, forming steps and allowing her to walk down to the ground. Already naked, she stepped into the small stream and began to take a bath in its slightly chilly water. Miritta washes herself up and down, singing an old song she had heard ever since she was still a human which most people had forgotten through time.


    Ah-ah-ah-ah


    La-la-la-la-la-la-la, ah


    Look one by one


    The cages remind me that you’ll always be in there


    For you, the birds have spoken


    Now they’ve flown


    See? Now they’ve flown, far to beyond


    From the cage that served as their one and only home


    Though it may hurt today


    Tomorrow, they’ll be heading their way


    They tried, they tried


    What did you expect?


    My dearest friend


    Tell me when, you shall make it then.


    So let me take your hand


    Life isn’t in cages


    Tip tappity tappity tap


    Soar like a bird, sing


    Ta, ta-li-la, lu-li-la-tu


    La, tu-la-ti, la-lu-li-tu


    Spending your life locked up


    Longing for the blue sky


    Building your hopes and dreams


    So you have a reason


    Reason to fly ahead


    Don’t you worry


    I’ve saved a spot for you in the reverenced sky


    Your cry will not be silenced, just like how mine won’t


    So sing and sing till


    Your desires convince me you’ve always yearn freedom


    For you, the light will followUnauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Until you’re done


    See? Now you’re done, and it’s been done


    Now the dream that allowed you your one and only hope


    What’s more to say?


    Life always reaches down to those who chooses to dream


    Though it may hurt today


    Tomorrow, you’ll be heading your way (1)


    Although she was a goddess, she felt no need to rule over others nor did she enjoy being worshipped, perhaps that is why Vienra, the previous God of Nature had chosen her to be the successor. She prefers to let the people self-rule while isolating herself from politics, only occasionally visiting the cities every few months to check on the people and to buy things that she couldn’t make herself.


    Finishing with washing herself, she walked back to her treehouse and began using her magical power on it. The treehouse splits into multiple pieces, lowering her closet, mirror and her storage box down the ground floor. Picking through the closet meticulously, she chooses a nice white peasant dress for the day as well as a complementary straw hat to go along with it, preferring to be inconspicuous rather than standing out wearing something more fancy.


    “That should be good!” Miritta smiles as she looks into the mirror, spinning around and inspecting herself.


    Opening the storage crate, she grabbed a straw basket, a decent amount of coins and a few other items with her on her trip. Once finished, she put her hand against the earth floor, ordering the thick forest to clear out a path for her as trees warped aside, allowing her to head off to Anzuri City on her horse.


    <hr>


    2km from Anzuri City.


    8:15 AM


    A strange sight caught Miritta’s eyes as she rode past a field: a military fort. Unlike a regular Azurian garrison, this one is different. She observes it from afar, the walls aren’t made out of stones nor wood, but hundreds of large bags filled with dirt and covered up in tarps. Strange metallic towers rose over the base as well, many of them held by long wires attached to the ground. There were also two flags hung side by side in the base, she could identify the golden and blue color of the Azurian flag, but the other one not so much. It has four white stars surrounding a compass rose in the center carrying the same color against the backdrop of dark blue. Men in Prussian blue shirts jog around the base in several groups, with the leading man holding a flag. They were singing an unknown song as each of their steps matched each other perfectly to the song they were singing.


    One, Two, Three, Four


    I love the Marine Corp!


    One, Two, Three, Four


    I love the Marine Corp!


    Why do we join?


    To serve!


    Why do we serve?


    To die!


    What if we die?


    We’ll serve again!


    Retreat?


    Hell!


    So be it!


    Serve unto peace!


    The farmers laid down their tools as they wrapped up their morning shift, watching the camouflage men continue with their marching as they had their lunch. A chopping noise catches Mirrita’s attention, causing her to look around as she tries to identify the source of the sound.


    “You’re not from around here?” A young girl sitting by the dirt trail asked her.


    Noticing the girl, she replied. “Um…yes.” Still confused, she asked the girl who looked about the same physical age as her. “You heard the strange noise, right?”


    “Oh.. that’s the ‘Rorqual’. The Elysians gave it that nickname anyway, all their stuff is in some kind of code with numbers and all, I can’t be bothered to remember them at all.” She points towards the peculiar shape in the sky. “There it is!”


    Miritta squinted her eyes before widening it in shock upon seeing the massive quadcopter fly past her, escorted by two other smaller ones. They weren’t wyverns, nor is there anything in her memory that could be used as reference to make sense of the objects ahead. These things clearly aren’t alive, yet each of them exudes more power than a wyvern just by the wind they created when they flew past. The massive craft eventually touched down on the fort, unloading its cargo in crates as its four wings stopped spinning.


    “I had that same reaction when I first saw them.” The young girl chuckles, amused by Miritta’s reaction. “I’m Alice by the way, nice to meet you!”


    Miritta gave herself a few taps to the face to snap out of it. Finding herself sufficiently composed and noticing Alice’s lack of surprise at the massive flying craft, she let out a smile. “Nice to meet you too, Alice. I’m Miritta. What are you doing here?”


    “Just watching the boys. The Elysians over there looked tough but a lot of them are nice, they don’t look down on us women as housewives and always call us ‘ma’am’ as some form of respect even though they didn’t know any of us personally.”


    Although Miritta didn’t disagree with Azurian’s view on women as primarily housewives as it is the rule of nature, she empathized with Alica’s perspective. Being a housewife meant staying at home, cooking, doing laundry, having children and taking care of them after all. Not every woman can find joy in that kind of role.


    “They’ve been doing that for two hours now, running and marching. The flying crafts only came to the base during the day after my father and several other farmers complained about the noise.”


    “I see… so what are you planning to do today?” Miritta asked.


    “Tomorrow is my younger brother’s birthday, I want to buy him something nice. You’re heading to Anzuri right? Can you give me a ride too? I need to get to the market.”


    “Sure thing, come up!” Mirrita said joyfully as she grabbed Alice’s hand, pulling her up to the back of the horse.