The next morning arrived, and Albion was given new clothes, something that fits the Heat of the Jungle, as they say, to eat; it was not the Royal food he was now used to, more of a normal meal he used to have in his past life.
Eria looked at him as she spoke. "You know, your name is Albion; it is the same as the King. Are you sure you're not gonna get into trouble with the Royal Family?".
Albion looked at them as he spoke. "Why would I be in trouble with my own family".
It took a few seconds for the Two Girls to let that word sink in as they released who they were finally talking to, who they put in a cage and who they were eating with.
Wynn kinda shakes as she speaks. "I, um, what is your Full name?".
Albion looked at him as she spoke. "Albion The Third/Albion Blue, Son of Albion The Second/Albion White".
Eria now wanted to die why because this was the Price of trying Dragon Nation, next in line to the Throne. The worst part was Wildlands was part of the Dragon Nation. They already guessed he was Royalty, maybe a Heir to one of the Many Dragon Faction, not the next rules to everything in Dragon/Albaz Nation.
Eria looked at Wynn as she spoke. "Can you give us a moment Albion"
Albion looked at them, as he spoke. "Ok".
Eria grabbed her sister as they moved far enough so that Albion didn't hear them, and just in case Wynn made a Wind Barrier so he heard nothing, as Eria looked at her sister
"On a Scale of 1 to 10 of How fucked we are, it is a 100".
Wynn then spoke sweating. "That does explain the weather lately, the is definitely a search part for him looking for him".
Eria ran her fingers through her hair, clearly panicking. "Wynn… we caged the prince. We bit him. I healed myself after he clawed me. We're dead. We're so dead."
Wynn was pale, her usual calm replaced with visible anxiety. "They're going to think we kidnapped him. Or worse, attacked him. What do we do, Eria?!"
Eria started pacing, muttering under her breath. "Okay, okay… think. He hasn't acted angry. He doesn't seem like he's going to tell anyone we threw him in a cage. Maybe he hits his head again and forgets everything?"
Wynn gave her a look. "That only works in bad dramas and soap magic."
Eria groaned. "Right. Okay. Then… we don't hide it. We get ahead of it. Damage control. He's not mad—yet—so we play it safe. We treat him with royal-level hospitality."
Wynn nodded quickly. "Right. Polished shrine floors, food with extra garnish, let him have the comfy side of the moss bed—"
Eria cut in. "We apologize. And maybe, maybe if we explain it was a survival misunderstanding, he won't send the entire Dragoon Guard after us."
Wynn whimpered. "Do you think… they'd use Blue-Eyes Ultimate Interrogation Protocol?"
Eria paled. "Don't say that. Just—don't."
Meanwhile, Albion was sitting cross-legged on the grass outside the shrine, munching on jungle fruit and listening to the birds. He tilted his head slightly as he looked toward the barrier.
"They're probably freaking out," he thought. "Hopefully not too hard. Last thing I need is a guilt trip or more bruises."
He leaned back on his hands, enjoying the sunlight.
"Still… I don't mind this. It's quiet here. Peaceful. Normal… like the life I didn't get to live before."
Back behind the barrier, Eria and Wynn peeked around the corner, still wide-eyed.
Eria whispered, "Okay. We go back. We don't show fear. We apologize. And we don't ever mention the cage again."
Wynn nodded. "Got it. Don't mention the cage. Or the claws. Or the biting."
Eria sighed. "We're so bad at diplomacy…"
They walked back to Albion, trying to look composed. Eria cleared her throat.
"So… Prince Albion. How would you like some more food? Or… a guided tour of the Wildlands? On the house."
Albion blinked, then smirked a little. "Didn't expect you two to suddenly act like maids."
Wynn bowed instinctively. "Better than prisoners."
Albion raised an eyebrow.
Eria coughed. "Nothing! Ignore that!"
Albion just chuckled.
"This… might actually be fun."
Wynn then looked at her sister as she spoke. "Ok, so now the big question is, remember what you said when we found your "I think this child is the one from a dream I had last moonrise" What the hell did you mean by that sister?".
Eria looked at her as she spoke. "Just a dream I had that he matched; I just said it because he looked like the person in the dream; I don't even know what that means Ok".
Wynn narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms with a sceptical look. "No, no, no. You don't get to brush that off now. You looked like you saw a ghost when you first laid eyes on him. You practically gasped and whispered, 'It's him…' all dramatic. I thought you were having a vision."
Eria groaned, turning away and rubbing her temples. "I didn't mean for it to be this big a deal, Wynn. It was just… a dream. One I've been having on and off for the past moon cycle. A boy, surrounded by light, falls from the sky into the jungle. And when I saw Albion, covered in leaves, glowing faintly… it matched."
Wynn's eyes widened slightly. "So you think it was a prophecy?"
"No!" Eria snapped. Then paused. "...Maybe. I don't know. I thought it was just dream nonsense—until I saw him. And now he turns out to be the freaking prince of the entire Dragon Nation."
Wynn bit her lip. "So either you dreamed of the future… or the universe itself is throwing the Dragon Prince into our laps for a reason."
Eria let out a deep sigh. "That's what I'm afraid of."
They both glanced back at Albion, who was now lazily using a stick to poke at a sleeping vine creature. Completely unaware of the existential crisis he was causing behind the barrier.
Wynn exhaled. "We're not equipped for this."
Eria nodded. "Nope. But we're in it now."
A beat of silence passed.
Wynn muttered, "You're gonna end up marrying him, aren't you?"
"Shut up, Wynn."
Meanwhile, in different places, as the Supplies for the Dragon Search Part for Albion had arrived, Scarlet opened one of the reb crates only to find Chame and Tillroo there instead of Supplies.
She took a few seconds, closed the crate and went to Infron Miss Crunessa who was the one running this search part in this place, onlyto feel a tail weapon around her lag and make her trip.
Scarlet hit the ground with a thud, her expression flat against the cracked jungle stone path. She let out a long sigh, already recognizing the unmistakable sensation of Crunessa's tail curling around her ankle. Again.
"You tripped," Crunessa's calm, matter-of-fact voice came from above, entirely unbothered as she casually strolled up behind her, arms crossed. Her long serpentine tail lazily unwrapped from Scarlet's leg, now swaying with smug satisfaction.
Scarlet slowly pushed herself up, dusting herself off with a low growl. "Yeah, tripped—how convenient."
Crunessa tilted her head, eyes glowing softly. "What were you doing, opening crates that weren't yours to open?"
Scarlet huffed, her wings twitching in frustration. "Maybe because instead of rations or water, I found two stowaways curled up in a supply box like feral kittens?"
Crunessa blinked once, then narrowed her eyes. "Explain."
Scarlet crossed her arms, clearly exasperated. "Chame and Tillroo. In the supply crate. No food. No water. Just them, whispering about trying to find Prince Albion."
Crunessa's expression flattened into a grimace. "…Those reckless girls…"
Just then, a voice called out in the distance, "We didn't want to be left behind!!"
Both Crunessa and Scarlet turned as Chame and Tillroo sheepishly crawled out of the crate, their maid outfits slightly wrinkled, looking far more determined than remorseful.
Tillroo raised a hand. "Permission to join the search officially?"
Crunessa's tail snapped once against the ground. "Denied."
Chame blinked. "Oh."
Scarlet groaned. "I vote we just chain them to the tents."
Crunessa smirked faintly. "I vote we make them earn their right to join. If they can complete three jungle trials without dying, I'll think about it."
Tillroo and Chame exchanged excited glances.
Chame whispered, "Trial arc?"
Tillroo whispered back, "Trial arc."
One of the other dragons with her looked at her as they spoke. "Are you sure, bro? Just sending them back to the capital would be easier?".
Crunessa flicked her gaze toward the dragon who spoke — a broad-shouldered, obsidian-scaled warrior dragon with a massive claymore strapped to his back. His name was Dravon, known for being practical to the point of being boring.
She tilted her head lazily. "Yes, Dravon. But where's the fun in that?"
Dravon raised a brow, unamused. "Fun isn't a priority in a royal search mission. What is a priority is not having two untrained, emotionally unstable maids get eaten by jungle wyverns."
Scarlet snorted. "I mean, he's got a point."
Tillroo, puffing up, stomped forward. "We are not emotionally unstable!"
Chame followed, equally indignant. "And we're not untrained! We're part of the Palace Maid Combat Division Tier Three!"
Dravon stared. "That's not a real division."
Crunessa held up a finger. "Actually, they made that up last week after stabbing a rat with a spoon."
Dravon's eye twitched. "…You see my point."
But Crunessa waved him off, her tone amused but oddly serious underneath. "Listen, Dravon. If we send them back now, they'll just try to sneak out again. But if we let the jungle chew on them a little? They'll learn respect. Or they'll run home screaming. Either way, lesson learned, no?"
Scarlet muttered, "Unless they accidentally find the prince."
Crunessa smirked. "Then we'll have to start calling them Heroes. Or Menaces. Either works."
Dravon rubbed the bridge of his nose. "By the flame… we're doomed."
Chame and Tillroo looked at each other, grinned, and shouted in sync:
"TRIAL ARC LET'S GOOOOOO—!!"
The jungle groaned ominously in response.
Scarlet groaned, already regretting not throwing the crate back into the carrier and claiming ignorance.
Crunessa, hands on her hips, gave a sharp whistle — three short, one long — and a nearby jungle wyvern, about the size of a small elephant, trotted over lazily with a massive yawn.
"This'll be your ride for the next leg," she announced.
Chame blinked. "Wait. We get a mount?"
Tillroo squealed. "This is awesome! I call dibs on naming it!"
Dravon frowned deeply. "You're sending them off… on a solo patrol… in the uncharted section of the Wildlands… on that thing?"
The wyvern let out a wheezing cough that might've once been a roar and then promptly sat down like a lazy dog. One of its wings flopped uselessly to the side.
Crunessa clapped her hands. "Yep. If they die, then we know that sector is still dangerous. If they live, maybe they'll find a clue. Either way, that's progress."
Scarlet leaned toward Dravon and whispered, "You think this is her being lazy or testing them?"
"Both," he replied dryly.
Chame and Tillroo scrambled onto the wyvern's back. Chame saluted with a wooden spoon she somehow still had. "Operation: Little Sisters Rescue Big Brother is a go!"
Tillroo followed up, holding onto a small notepad. "We have snacks, water, a single dagger, and emotional trauma. We're ready!"
The wyvern gave a tired snort before lazily taking off in the direction of the deeper Wildlands.
Dravon watched them disappear into the dense foliage, then muttered, "We'll be lucky if we don't find their bones by next week."
Crunessa chuckled. "I give them three days before they crash into something important."
Scarlet, more serious, narrowed her eyes at the canopy. "Or someone important finds them first…"
And far in the distance, a strange glint flashed through the jungle trees — something watching. Something waiting.
Crunessa then looked at Scarlet as she spoke. "Also, you're gonna look after them".
Scarlet looked at her as she spoke. "Huh, why me?"
Dravon looked at her as he spoke. "You and your friend are the reason the prince is lost in the first place".
Scarlet's eye twitched as she pointed at Dravon. "Excuse me!? He flew off on his own! I just—okay, maybe I dared him a little, but that doesn't mean—"
Crunessa raised a brow. "You dared the Crown Prince to fly past the barrier."
Scarlet paused. "...That sounds worse when you say it like that."
Dravon crossed his arms. "Because it is worse."
Crunessa gestured to the jungle. "Which is why you are going to keep an eye on those two little maids while also reporting anything you find."
Scarlet sighed dramatically, throwing her arms up. "Great. Babysitting duty and jungle patrol. Just what I needed."
Dravon smirked. "Think of it as penance."
Scarlet glared at him. "Keep smirking, and I'll make you their backup babysitter."
Crunessa ignored their bickering and handed Scarlet a map. "You'll take the eastern quadrant. The terrain there is rough, but there's been recent mana spikes."
Scarlet took the map, already memorizing key landmarks. She grumbled under her breath but finally nodded. "Fine. But if they get eaten, I'm blaming you."
Crunessa gave a half-smile. "If they get eaten, you'll be next."
With that cheery note, she turned and walked off to organize the next search squad, her tail swaying with authority.
Dravon leaned toward Scarlet with a low chuckle. "At least you won't be bored."
Scarlet looked toward the direction the wyvern went. "No… but I have a feeling this is going to be a very long week."
Somewhere in the trees, something shimmered… watching… listening… waiting.
An Hour had passed, as Scarlet was with Chame and Tillroo, as she looked at the both made.
Scarlet looked at the two maids as she spoke. "Ok, so what the hell are you Girls dealing with the price?".
Chame looked at her as she spoke. "What do you mean".
Scarlet looked at them as she spoke. "During the race, even though he could probably fly by himself, you two carried him, and now you two sneak out just to get on this mission to find him".
Tillroo looked at her as she spoke. "We are his Personal Made, it is our job to make sure he is sa-"
Scarlet stopped her. "Blah Blah, Maids don't do that kind of shit just like that".
Chame looked at her as she spoke. "We are 2 of 6 maid part of Prince Personal Will Guard, our job is taken care of him and protect him, each of us are related to one of the 6 head maid's in the Royal Mansion, each of us trained from birth to take care of reb Prince, which is easy because he is the same age as us, 5 will now he is 6, I was always by his side sense we were 3".
Scarlet blinked, taking a moment to let that sink in. She rubbed her forehead as she muttered, "Okay, wow… that's… that's a lot."
Tillroo nodded. "We weren't just assigned to clean after him or serve food. We were trained to be his shadow."
Chame looked serious now, her earlier nerves gone. "He's our friend… our prince… and our reason for being. We had to come."
Scarlet narrowed her eyes, looking between the two. "And if something happens to you out here? What then? You think he'd be happy knowing his 'shadow' got eaten by a vine beast or picked off by a sky stalker?"
Chame and Tillroo went quiet, their expressions uncertain.
Scarlet let out a breath. "Look, I get it. Loyalty, duty, all that royal stuff. But this jungle? It doesn't care about any of that. It'll swallow you whole if you're not careful. So if you're sticking around, you listen to me. Got it?"
The two maids nodded quickly.
Scarlet continued, "Good. Stay close, don't do anything stupid, and if something tries to eat you—scream. Loudly."
There was a small pause before Tillroo hesitantly asked, "What if it's too late to scream?"
Scarlet sighed. "Then hope I liked you enough to avenge you."
The wind rustled through the trees, and somewhere deeper in the jungle, a faint roar echoed—distant, but not distant enough. Scarlet's ears twitched, her expression sharpening.
She motioned forward. "Come on. That might be a lead."
Chame and Tillroo followed close behind, their expressions focused but determined. The search continued…
To be continued