With a soft 'poof', a small black centipede-shaped doll appeared beside her, floating lazily in the air. It was the length of her forearm, plush-like and rounded, cute, with oversized black eyes that blinked up at her innocently. It was the kind of thing that made chilopoodophobiacs confused, and yes, that was a word! I think…
Petra leaned down. "We're ready."
The centipede tilted its head, then nodded. It wiggled, did a little dance, then—
Poof! It vanished!
There was a long pause, and soon…
Hooooong! Rumble-rumble-rumble! The ground trembled!
The camera pulls upwards, rising high above the territory in a sweeping, eagle-eye view of everything.
Rumble!
The river that looped around the outer ring of the territory began to churn. The water bulged, waves rolled, and following a powerful vibration, split apart as something massive stirred beneath.
Boom!
With a deafening surge of water, the 'Sea Spearing Centipede' awoke, rising out of the river!
Its colossal shell ascended from beneath the riverbed, water cascading down its armored segments as it trembled and shook, coiling and uncoiling, 'yawning' with a terrifying 'grace'. Its length stretched far beyond its previous form, now relaxing with a full fifty-meter frame!
Dong!
It 'stepped' out of the water, approaching the main mansion, each movement shaking the ground.
The girls fell silent.
Some were in awe, while others felt their hair stand on end. It had to be said that each of Petra's contracted beasts was more ridiculous than the last.
The massive centipede reached the front plaza and lowered itself beside the 'line of carriages'.
Petra walked over and patted the back-most one.
The Sea Spearing Centipede moved! With a terrifying speed, it stretched itself around and aligned itself in the blink of an eye. With a practiced motion, its body slid into the reinforced frames, one after another, until it slowly transformed into the 'underbelly of the carriage'. Rumbel! The long caravan of carriages rose off the ground, awakening with life. In truth, this wasn't a convoy of eight carriages, no, it was Petra's personal train!
- Insert Party Shakers!!
Each carriage was 10m long, so the Sea Spearing Centipede needed to use its unique ability to adjust the eight innermost segments of its body, excluding its head and butt, to match each cart's unique size. Plates shifted, locks clicked, and the armored segments wrapped around its sides as the carriages were clamped into place, piece by piece.
In the end, it was a perfect fit, sitting snugly on its body like a second set of skin.
Within seconds—
Hump! The row of carriages lifted slightly off the ground!
It had become a train! A living, armored, carriage-appearing, centipede-driven train!
From the back, Levy laughed softly. "Hm, witches do love trains~"
Petra grinned, then clapped her hands! "All aboard!"
"Alright! Everyone on!" the female servants shouted in excitement!
Lilly and Luna were the first to move, running forward with excitement. Lilly leapt into the doorway of the nearest carriage, pulling Luna along by the wrist. Wind followed close behind, a simple satchel by her side. Mell was next, then Rose and Lira, freshly bathed. Nebula silently stepped forward, then entered the train gracefully, almost unnoticed. Bell hesitated at the foot of the train, peering up at it with narrowed eyes, then climbed aboard while muttering to herself nervously. Dorothy was next, adjusting her glasses as she climbed aboard with a book tucked firmly under her arm. Soryn followed with interest, her presence calm and composed, refreshed, and her hair still wet. She stepped into the train as if she had already decided where to sit. Poya bounded up after her, nearly colliding with Levy and Elli. Noah hesitated for half a second, staring at the massive centipede, then hurried after Petra with a series of large backpacks strapped to his back, not wanting to be left behind.
The last to board was Jillian, who was dragged, quite literally…
She clung to the edge of the carriage, protesting violently as Petra pulled her inside.
The twelve female butlers followed in black pants and white shirts, filing in leisurely. The Eight Beast Girls boarded in a lazy cluster, tails swaying, while the Four Busty Bunnies jumped up while laughing, their powerful legs carrying them inside and easily taking the best view. The Three Purple Elves entered together, not really wanting to leave, followed by the Dwarven Sisters, who immediately began inspecting the interior of the train with interested eyes, assessing Petra's creation. The Avian Alchemist entered with a stiff spine, slipping past everyone else, and desperately needing the vacation…
After all of them had settled in, it was time to go!
Boom!
With a roar, the Sea Spearing Centipede shot forward, racing down the main path, past the farmland, and straight through a twisting spatial gate, before disappearing from the territory with a blur.
They followed the space corridor down into the city, bursting out from a local latrine, sending the unlucky Crapsley flying into the air. The massive body rumbled through the streets, shaking the ground as it quickly passed, then sped straight through the city gate, vanishing in a flash of distorted light, traveling towards the east!
Before the guards could even react, the massive centipede disappeared down the eastern road…
Guard: "..."
Guard: "..."
-
Crapsley: "..."
* * *
Ka-Ka-Kacha-BOOM! Patter-patter-patter—! The next day, the storm finally arrived…
-
The rain had just begun to fall over the capital city of Llynun, when a group of 'special guests' arrived before the main gates of the 'Gallon Family' estate.
This delegation was a small number of people from the Blue Sea Guild!
The drizzle was light, steady, and merciless, flowing on the wind as it soaked into the stone streets and passing clothes. Those who could use magic to veil themselves walked leisurely, but those who couldn't were seen running through the streets at a hurried pace.
The air had cooled down.
The Gallon Family estate stood, unmoving, beneath the dark sky, its banners darkened by rainwater.
When the Blue Sea Guild's carriages stopped before the gates, they were admitted without hesitation.
The carriage drove in, with no announcement needed…
The Blue Sea Guild was not royalty, no, but it stood on its own pedestal, unique, much like a royal family or a legendary figure. They possessed enough power that refusing them would invite unnecessary trouble, if not disaster, and this was well known, even on the Cross Continent.
After they stopped and alighted, the group moved forward into the mansion and towards their destination. Inside, several servants guided the delegation through the long halls and into a sealed audience chamber deep within the estate.
They took a seat.
Time passed…
The room was plain and restrained, designed for negotiations.
A long table divided the space, its surface polished and engraved with special runes-engraved images, a collector's piece, perhaps. The Vice Guild Leader, Elder Waveraband was seated on one side. Opposite to him sat the Head of the Gallon Family, with two senior members nearby.
No one spoke at first.
The sound of rain tapped against the window, filling the silence.
The atmosphere was slightly tense.
After some time, a few formal greetings were exchanged…
They made introductions, gave a few polite words, and talked about the weather. After warming up, they got to the point. The reason for their visit was…
Elder Wave set down his cup—Clink! "There is a reason for our visit, naturally, and I hope this isn't too abrupt" he said calmly, his elderly voice low and resonating like the waves.
The Gallon Family patriarch inclined his head. "Of course, I think it's understandable. Please speak."
Elder Wave murmured for a bit, before his gaze turned up, calculating with his eyes. "Since we've arrived on the continent, we've been looking to recruit a white whistle for the upcoming chaos. To us, this is very important. Unfortunately, they seemed to be all but extinct on the Cross Continent. That is, until we heard about you. We're looking for the person known as Wind. If possible, we would like to 'borrow' her for a few years."
Although he used the word 'borrow', his eyes showed no real understanding of the word. Instead, he seemed to be almost demanding the person.
The air in the room became heavy.
The pressure seemed to unconsciously increase. The windows trembled from the growing storm outside, and there was a long moment of silence.
"She was previously recorded under your family's genealogy," the Vice Guild Leader continued. "A rare asset, indeed. But I heard that you have had some trouble lately. We hope that you can understand our urgency, this is far more important than you would know."
This old man…
He spoke as if discussing cargo, indifferently, and without the slightest shred of empathy. Whether it was for Wind, or towards the Gallon Family Patriarch, he didn't seem to put them in his eyes.
The Gallon Family Patriarch was about to speak, when suddenly—
"We understand the value of this person, so if necessary, we are willing to form a marriage alliance with the fourth son of the Guild Leader. I possess the authority to approve this matter."
Those words hit like a silent bomb!
He continued, "If that's not enough, or if you have something else you need, then we're willing to use resources, protection, or even a long-term cooperation! You just need to name your price." When he finished, the old man looked at the Gallon Family Patriarch, whose face had turned white.
He frowned.
That was the wrong expression…
"We… no longer have her..."
"What—?"
The old man asked, confused. What did 'no longer have her' mean? How could they not have her? That little girl, Wind, was a treasure worth more than their entire household, no, that might not even be an over exaggeration, her value couldn't be put into words! If they didn't understand this, why would they adopt an elf? He had no idea that they truly didn't know…
The Vice Guild Leader paused, waiting for an explanation.
"She is no longer part of this family," the patriarch said in a low voice. "She was… 'released'." That was the kind way of saying she was abandoned by the family…
The Vice Guild Leader's expression didn't change, but something cold settled into his eyes.
Was his offer not enough?
Was he being treated as a fool?
There was no way this man could seriously be that greedy, right?
"Released…?" Elder Wave repeated in a chilling tone. "That's an odd word. Could you explain more?"
The Gallon Family head said nothing.
A moment passed, then—
"It was an order from a very dangerous person. Perhaps, that person is the same person who has 'dealt' with the other White Whistles as well." He didn't even want to say Rolilly's name. Although Rolilly didn't seem to be very competent, many people still feared her to an unnatural degree. The truth behind this was unknown, but many assumed that it was related to 'that family'.
Waveraband was silent. His fingers tapped against the side of his staff.
"Wind is unique." He finally said after a long moment to brew. "If you've really killed her, then perhaps you have attracted a very troublesome calamity. If my guess is right, she should come from a very powerful lineage on the Cellistan Continent. I don't know why their bloodline is here, but since it is, then it's likely more trouble than it's worth. At least, for a 'small family' like you."
His eyes pierced out from behind his wave-like eyebrows. They carried a silent storm...
The Gallon Family Patriarch waved his hands.
"No no no, we didn't kill her! Ah, haha, no, I'm sorry, please excuse me. I was unclear. We were asked by 'that person' to expel her from the clan, that's all! As far as I know, she was kidnapped and sold as a slave to the black market, but…" He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to mention Petra's name.
The old man opposite him frowned.
He could tell that the Gallon Family Patriarch was hiding something, figures like him, who were at the fifth order, could tell. But he wasn't sure why…
It didn't seem to be deception…
In the end—
"I'm sorry, she's not here," the Gallon Family head said again, reconfirming his original words.
There was another moment of silence.
The windows rattled in the rain.
After what felt like an eternity, the Vice Guild Leader, Waveraband, finally stood up. "Since that's the case, then feel free to contact us if you ever change your mind, our offer still stands..." He nodded one last time, before being ushered out. The other members of the Blue Sea Guild followed behind…
Ka-Ka-Kacha-BOOM! Thunder roared, then—
Click!
The door was quietly closed, leaving the upper echelon of the Gallon Family alone in the room.