As Ameli and I approached the training field, we heard the csh of ons, gasps of surprise and pain, cheers, and a colorful variety of insults.

  The pce was a rge open space, divided into several different zones, from an area with four arenas surrounded by a wooden fence; for those who wao engage in small friendly duels, to another with several straw dummies, ed in skins, for those who practiced with the bow.

  There was even ahat looked like a small obstacle course, with ropes to climb very high walls, and deep pits that you had to cross while walking on ropes. Another was where you had to cross a long rope bridge where you had to dodge and avoid different objects that were thrown or swung, to get to the other side.

  It was a hive of activity where you couldn't see anyone who wasn't doing something, and the feere standihose who were waiting their turn in the fighting arenas or who would run the obstacle course.

  Some wore light leather armor, seemed to be the anding officers, and would shout orders to the rest or fill them with those colorful insults, almost as if they wao imitate Sergeant Hartman, although they were not as good in their dialogue as the inal. No one could top that legend.

  At least they did a great job of motivating the various males and females who traiirelessly.

  Because, yes, there was a mix of sexes among the guards, although they were divided introups. Large males with equally rge females, shorter males with females of equal size, and all those who did not have a humanoid form. Here there was no segregation by sex, but by weight, build, and shape. Something that seemed to me rather fairer and more logical.

  Ever since I came to this world, I found it somewhat curious that there was an abundance of humanoids around, to the point where I thought that was the true norm among intelligent species no matter or universe, they evolved on... until that day when I left home for the first time and realized that humanoids are not the majority. They are on, but not the rule.

  I don't know why this is so, or if there is sious or simir reason, but at least in my family I have an answer, and that is that it was out of veniend tradition. My family seems to have a predile for hiring humanoids as servants, but that ges a bit when it es to guards. I figured the variety helps to better deal with the situations that arise.

  We arrived at the edge of the training camp, in a high space simir to the bleachers of a small stadium, where we sat down to admire the various activities of the training camp. Several of the guards noticed our presence, but there was an order that unless it was an official iion, or I approached them myself to talk, they were to ignore our prese required a lot of discipli to be distracted when a member of the family they serve suddenly arrived. Curiosity is hard to ignore in many cases, but these guards were so well traihat, other than the fact that they seemed aware of my presenothing ged between them.

  Not even the officers in charge let them give their orders, or ge their way of speaking just because of my presence. Something that, in a way, was reassuring. It may not seem like it, but I'm not as used to it as others might think about being a noblewoman. I'm still not fortable with the whole thing of having servants, guards, or even knights in my service.

  I moved my attention to the fhting arenas, trying to take my mind off the thought. I wao work on that bit by bit, but today was an ued day off, so I was going to enjoy it as much as I could.

  The arena taihe most noise in the whole pce, being cheers and shouts, many of which were of pain or insults from the officials themselves.

  The fighting caught my attention. There were all sorts of people there, using a variety of fshy and familiar ons.

  The batants were also quite striking. Males and females of different races, sizes, and shapes were sweating, grunting, aing out cries full of ce and bravery, as their ons cshed loudly and tenaciously.

  One would expect that, in a fantasy world, there would be more... fshy moves. But in a realistic setting, many of those fshy, impressive moves in movies and anime, full of flips or quients that get your heart pumping adrenaline like a diesel engine, do or are useless in real life.

  They're still visually impressive, but you'll never see a Kirito out there somersaulting to deflect bullets with his sword. The fights looked more like the fights you're used to seeing at Renaissance fairs or between the more specialized groups, who are entirely devoted to historically correct medieval fights.

  I could see some guardsmen having real cshes of brute ford teique, grinning fiercely and spilling their blood without hesitation. I would say the best example of this was a duel between two females in the ring closest to my position.

  The first was a female with short, braided, dark brown hair. She was rge, perhaps a head or two smaller than Dad, and had skin of a gray color simir to cool t, with two bck horns with white tips on the sides of her head, making her look like a raging bull. Let's call her Helga, because... well, for some reason, I feel the s her perfectly.

  Because of the distance, I couldn't see her eyes well, but I did mao see a determined and serious expression on her face. She was fag anirl of somewhat simir size, slightly shorter and less muscur, but no less impressive. She had dulled bck hair, with skin simir to mine, but of a darker shade. I suppose from being exposed to the light of the sky sisters for so long. She didn't look like the same race as the bigger one, who I determined was a Friasan, thanks to what Ki had been teag me so far.

  I couldn't see her expression, as her back was turo me, but I could sense from the seriousness of her oppohat she was just as focused on this fight. We'll call her Gert. Because she looks like a Gertrude.

  Helga carried a wooden shield and a round-tipped mace, while Gert, used a two-handed axe, which had the edge of its bde dulled.

  For a long time, they circled the ring, analyzing their oppo. Helga made some feints looking for some kind of response from her smaller oppo, raising her shield and throwing a few blows with her mace. But Gert would not fall for her provocations, and responded with her attacks towards Helga's legs, driving her back each time, and keepi a distance where she could easily attad defend.

  It seemed that they would be like that for a long time until Gert threw a blow with the handle of her axe, which was dodged very easily by Helga, who saw in that her opportunity to attack. Using her shield to hit the axe, she destabilized Gert and proceeded to throw a vertical blow with her mace, putting all her strength into that attack. It looked like Gert would take a direct hit to her head, but to everyone's surprise, and more to the surprise of the shield bearer, the smaller ohrew herself to the ground to the side, more specifically the side where Helga was holding her mace, and as fast as possible, she got up and, taking advantage of her rger oppo's imbance, swung her axe in an open arc that geed so much force that I could evehe impact. From just the sound it made, I was almost certain that it had broken a couple of ribs.

  Helga fell to the side, rolling about three times before struggling back to her feet. The pain was clear in her expression, but not a hint of her determination faded from her gaze. She maain her posture with a struggle, fag Gert again, who seemed more fident than at the beginning of the fight.

  They both walked around each ain, keeping their distance, but this time Helga was taking much slower and unsteady steps, as she was limited by the pain in her side. Gert wao take advantage of this, but every time she tried to approad attack, she was met by her oppo's shield, followed by a blow from the mace.

  Finally, Gert, who had seemed the wiser of the two, took advantage of a blow from Helga's mace to hook her axe against the tip of the mace, pulling it and drawing it towards herself, f her to fight in range and seeking to break her bance. Unfortunately for her, that had been a grave mistake.

  She had fotten one very importaail. Her oppo could release her on. Helga used her mace as bait, waiting for the smaller oo try to hook it, and as soon as she did, she immediately released her mad charged at her. Catg Gert off guard, who looked fused, Helga put all her weight behind her shield and charged straight ahead. Instantly I could see Gert's face grimag, realizing her mistake just before the shield smmed into her fad fell unscious to the ground, leaving the unwavering Helga as the winner.

  Cheers and ughter and a few jeers erupted in the arena, turning it into some sort of a festival. Helga raised her fists in victory, with a huge smile on her face, while the loser was quickly atteo by a person simir to the slimy dy, I met at the Nazzik house. She seemed to be of the same species, and somehow, I felt that whatever they were they were made to be doctors.

  I thought things would end up like in street fights, with everyone going out on their own, but after a couple of seds, Helga approached her defeated oppo, and after a few words with the doctor, she firmly but carefully lifted Gert, carrying her in her arms like a princess. Although I wasn't sure that was the most accurate way to describe what was going on.

  When they finally left the arena, a couple of kids; maybe 10 or 11 years old, e, swept and ed up the pce, and disappeared as soon as they arrived, allowing the fighters to enter and carry out their frontation.

  I asked Ameli who they were and her response went like this:

  “They are orphans. The guards often call them in as cheap, effit bor when they have this rge-scale training. The childre easy and plentiful money and they avoid the hassle of having to do it.” Ameli replied quickly; and in a monotohat almost sounded a bit exasperated, it was informative enough that I didn't care much for the way she went about it. It was a little strahough.

  The kids swept the arena and picked up anything that might be a hindrao the fight. I spotted one of them pig up something small and white from the ground. I was sure it was Gert's tooth that had been knocked out in that st bash. I wasn't surprised that it happened, but that it was just ohat kind of hit looked like it would break your jaw at the very least.

  Shortly after that, the fight began, a male that looked like Atenosia, against a female that looked a bit like Delia, albeit with more defined muscles. The female seemed to have the advantage in strength, but the male was much more dexterous and precise with his attacks.

  The fight sted a little less than the previous o ended with the victory of the male. Both left the arena ughing like good friends.

  And so the fights in the pce tinued, eae being just as exg aertaining... until finally, I got bored, both because I was in one pce for too long, and because Ameli paid almost no attention to me.

  It was at that point that I decided it was time to go visit the chicks.

  From my spot, I could see a path that led directly toward the Ekus' Nidary, and it was pletely alone, so I could go pletely unnoticed if I went that way. I turo Ameli to make sure she wasn't looking at me and slowly stood up. Very carefully, I walked down from the bleachers to ground level, making sure every few steps that Ameli wasn't looking at me. Finally, I reached the road and hurried towards the Nidarys barely taining my smile.

  In the distance, I could see the fehat separated the barnyard where the Ekus were and the rest of the grounds. To the left was a huge wooden building with a thatched roof, where they slept and hatched their chicks. That was my goal.

  I ran as fast as my little legs would let me... without falling, and soon I finally reached my destination.

  There were dozens of giant birds in that barnyard. Many were running and squawking while others were walking aing or huddling on the ground enjoying the warm afternoon light, ing their plumage, or just rexing. I smiled happily at the sight of them. I hadn't seen many animals since I came into this world, and, tally, the few I did see were birds. This reminds me, Kiki, the little bird that Sarka gave Zenya on her fifth birthday, sometimes used to fly around the mansion and e to the nidarys. He didn't seem to be arou, but I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up any time this afternoon.

  I stared at these majestic birds for a while longer until a sound caught my attention. It was the chirps of some chicks running and pying around and they were MY babies. As soon as I saw them, I ran towards them, happy to finally see them after so long.

  Although the fence might seem like a hindrance because of how well structed it was, it had a ot. Oh yes, they always had one. he Nidary, there was a rge enough space that I could always ehrough, obscured by some bushes, which hid that spot very well and, fortunately, also prevehe chicks from finding it. Suspicious? Yes, very. But it's very ve so who am I to question it?

  I went through the fen the middle of those bushes, making sure my clothes didn't get caught in the leaves and branches, aered the barnyard just as my babies were approag. I immediately fell to the ground, surrounded by six feathered balls that “attacked” me as I burst out ughing. That was their greeting to me, knog me to the ground as they chirped and pecked at me. Of course, they didn't hurt me, they were surprisingly careful.

  “I miss you too,” I said as I stroked the head of eay chicks. I rose from the floor, shaking off some of the dust that had accumuted on my dress, and started walking toward the Nidary, with the little ones behind me, in what could be seen as a mama dud her dugs, only I was smaller than they were.

  It had only been a couple of months sihe st time I mao sneak out here, but it felt like it had been years.

  The Nidary was a huge barn, much like the one used for horses and other simir animals, only it looked a little more like a huge chi coop. Walking through the huge double doors, you could see a rge number of cubicles at least 2m x 2m (6 ft x 6 ft), and in eae were rge piles of straw, feathers, and animal fur that the Ekus used to form their s. Many of those were empty, because the ing season was every 3 years between mid-fall and early winter, and because most of the Ekus we had had not id eggs st year. The six chicks behind me were the only ohat had hatched this time.

  In this family barnyard we had about 40 adult ekus, of which 30 were mounts for the elite knights of our order, and the remaining 10 were the 6 chicks and the alpha and his 3 matriarchs. The rest of the birds used by the order were in the main building in a location that, at the moment, I do not know.

  The main group was outside in the barnyard, about half of them, while the rest were ihe nidary, some sleeping or just sitting there.

  Sihere were no ges in here, at least nothing that I could see so far, I decided it was time to py. I turned around ahe curious gaze of the little chicks and, before they could react, I started to run outside. It took a sed for the six of them to chase me, but when they did, I could hear them chirping happily as they fpped their wings loudly, as if fpping them gave them some kind of momentum to catch up with me.

  You could say that being animals bred specifically as ridis, they should be fast, but iy, they were retively slow. At least slow enough that they couldn't catch up with me. It would seem strange, wouldn't it? In this body, I 't run as fast as I'd like to, especially siend to fall off from time to time if I don't watch where I'm going, but surprisingly, whenever we py chase, they fail to catch up most of the time. Sometimes I think they are just being siderate of me, which is very... smart behavior for suimals, let alone chicks. But I'm uo say for sure.

  Oddly enough, today was one of those days when they caught up with me. And when I say they caught up to me, I mean they poune knog me to the ground, again. Luckily, I didn't get hurt, as again, oddly enough, they were surprisingly o me. It's as if they knew I was tile to py with them seriously. And just like before, I got “affeate” pecks from all of them while I was on the ground.

  *GWAAAAAAAK*

  While we were at it, a mighty squawk was heard a few feet away from us, along with loud stomps from an approag group. The chicks stopped and in unison, raised their heads looking to the side, I gasped as I saw the main group approag us at high speed, along with a small dust-up behind them. It was like a military charge approag us, something not at all far from reality when you remember that these animals are used as cavalry...or aviary? birdery? I don't know what the hell to call that...

  A couple more facts about the Ekus that you o know that I learhroughout my time them. Ekus are led by an alpha male and a group of “matriarchs” of between 2 to 6 females, depending on the size of the family group. These are the ones who make the decisions for the flock, with the alpha male having the st word... or the st squawk for that matter, and the matriarchs maintaining the order of the whole group.

  Normally their groups sist of a maximum of 10 individuals, but these ekus have beee groups for the simple fact of using them in rge-scale battles, where they o be all coordinated with each other.

  On top of all that, they are extremely overprotective. And when I say it's extreme, I mean it is. I once saw one of the adults’ crushes with his powerful paws a small animal that approached one of the chicks. It wasn't pretty...

  The group finally caught up with us, with the alpha male in front and his 3 matriarchs behind him, while the rest formed a circle around us. The alpha sloroached me as I got up from the ground and pushed away the chicks who had huddled against each other o me. The giant bird stared at me as it lowered its head, right in front of my face, and then immediately nudged me with its beak iing.

  “Hi Mik! I’m gd t’see ya too!”

  I patted Mik. He's a good boy. Remember Mer, the Eku who pulled the cart when I went to the Nazzik house? Mik is his older brother. Different y, since Mer was born two ys after Mik, but he's his brother, all things sidered. And they both behave the same when I pet them.

  Behind him are Anta, Mir, ahe matriarchs, who also approached with the same iion as Mik.

  After the greetings, the group, including me, moved towards the ter of the barnyard, where they had been before. Of course, the little ones and I took the opportunity to resume ame and tinued chasing each other all the way... until I simply couldn't take it anymore and ended up leaning my ba Anta who had curled up on the ground.

  Those chicks have more energy than Labrador puppies.

  I allowed myself to rex in Anta's soft feathers as I watched the chicks tio frolic all over the pce. The eku herself rested her head o me, begging for cuddles, something I didn't hesitate in the least to give her. It was amazing how adorable these giant birds were. But even more so how much we had bee attached.

  I remember Ki oold me that earning the affe of an eku is not difficult, but earning the trust of a flock is. I wonder, what would Maki, or Mom think if they saw me right now? I was surrounded by a flock of Ekus bred to be otlefield, traio be fearless in front of any army, behaving like spoiled children with me. I was sure they would definitely frea-

  “ORINTHYA NITA BAELIAN!”

  My name was uttered loudly and with a lot of anger, sending a shiver down my spihat made me ge in fear. I moved my gaze to the corral fehat was only a few feet away from me, fear in my heart.

  There she was...my mother...with her eyes wide open and... I think I saw a vein throbbing in her forehead. o her was one of our knights, whom I didn't know, but which I knew was one of ours by his uniform and the family crest on his chest. Oher side, Ameli, looking at the ground and trying to look as small as possible.

  “What do you think you're doing there? Get over here this instant!” she ordered, gring at me and stomping her feet on the ground, furious.

  Even Anta was intimidated by my mother's voice, enough so that she stood up, causio almost fall backward, and squawking as if she sensed I was in danger, which caught the attention of the rest of the ekus who immediately went on the defensive, surrounding me as if they were proteg me.

  I was too scared, as well as fused, to do anything. The ekus were preparing to defend me as they would with their young, and every sed I didn't move was another sed that Mom became much more furious.

  Suddenly, Mik squawked loudly, just as he did before when he mobilized the flock to greet me. All the ekus backed away as he walked toward me, sn directly in my face. I could almost swear that it had been a sigh of annoya was as if Mik himself knew I escaped to e here and was reproag me for having done so. I had to look away from the alpha, knowing full well he was right.

  Mik squawked at me and nudged me with his beak, urgio get up, then slowly, like aioner sending a criminal to the execution block, escorted me to the fence where the knight helped me over to the other side. Mik gave me o squawk, as a final farewell, before turning and heading back with his flo his way to the nidary.

  “ you tell, what were you doing in there?” my mother asked with a ess that I could only describe as restrained anger.

  “Pying,” I replied, in a whisper, keeping my gaze away from her.

  “Pying? I see. And tell me, who permitted you to e all this way, alone? Because when I ran into your maid, she was desperately looking for you all over the training grounds.”

  I looked at Ameli in surprise. I hadn't thought about what would happen to Ameli once she realized I was missing. The girl flinched when Mom mentioned her. I felt terrible to think what might happen to Ameli because of me.

  “Shit...”

  I swore, feeling guilty for what I did. I expected her to get nothing more than a small scolding, after all, I was the one who sneaked out.

  “...What did you just say?” I heard a gasp and then that question, uttered in a voice as icy as the tundra. And in that instant, I covered my mouth with both hands, realizing I said that out loud.

  If I had already screwed up, now I had practically sunk into the abyss.

  FivesZeta