20 Chapter 19: My first parade was a disaster
General POV
It was 29 august and it was now time for the three-day carnival of Tres Carnavales in the city of Hercules. The major events where being held in the entertainment district with a lot of different activities like musical performances from the country's top artists, magical demonstrations, parades and games and the restaurant district even temporarily offers more grand meal and open grand dinners for this occasion. The festival is so renowned that people all over the country and abroad partake in it.
The streets of the entertainment district and restaurant district were swarming with people simply just enjoying the event.
In the royal district in the lawe estate the royal family of Perganda were getting ready to go to the event. The king, queen and their four children. First were their twin children of 16 a son and daughter, next was their daughter of twelve, and finally was their infant son.
The oldest son whose name was Aurthur was a carbon copy of this father sprouting his black hair, red eyes and pale skin.
Next was the younger twin sister named Helena was a beautiful young lady who like her brother had black hair but with slitted blue eyes.
The third daughter whose name was Victoria was a pretty girl unlike her older siblings had her mother's brown hair with a lighter tone and her eyes were more amber than her mom's brown eyes.
Finally, the infant whose name was Jaden had black hair like his father but had purple eyes instead of red or brown.
"Alright everyone set to attend the carnival?" The king asked his family.
"Yes, father but why is this carnival so important for ALL of us to be there this year?" Helena asked her father.
"Helena, last year the Tres Carnavales was cancelled due to the events of that dark mage who almost destroyed the whole country. The carnival this year is acting of a celebration over the previous horsemen victory and sacrifice so all members of the royal family including our relatives and the new four horsemen have to be there." Sebastian told his eldest daughter.
"What's wrong. You don't sound excited about this year's carnival?" Arthur asked his twin and Helena just sighed.
It's not like she now hated going to the Tres Carnavales it was just that she's been to a lot of them throughout the years that skipping them didn't seem like a big issue to her. She even planned that today will be a good time to practice her magic.
"Don't worry big sister Sandra Skylight is playing tonight so am sure will have fun." Victoria told her sister.
"Father you said all the horsemen will be there right." Arthur asked his father.
"Yes, why do you ask."
"Well, I haven't officially meet Calvin Armstrong and I was wondering I could get him to mentor me in my Godslayer magic?" Arthur had reached a stall point in his magic and he wondered if a more experienced Godslayer would help off course his father who possessed the same magic had helped him but his become far too busy nowadays so he didn't want to bother him.
"Hit a wall dear brother." Helena teased elbowed him a bit.
"Hey at least am still stronger than you and your little Eden dragon slayer magic." He jabbed back.
"Hey no you're not!"
"HA! If am correct I've won one two three ever spar."
"W-well your Sun god slayer magic is basically gives you an advantage in the day time at night it would be a different story!"
"Excuses excuses." Arthur shrugged his shoulders. Sebestian just chuckled in amusement at the sibling competition.
"Okay kids enough can we not focus on magic or training today and just go enjoy the festival and besides its's Jaden's first Tres Carnavales and am glad we all could enjoy it together." Willow said while tickling her infant son.
"Can we please go now!" Victoria whined a little restless.
"Alright let's all go." Sebastian told his family and they all went out to their carriage.
In the city
The royal family had arrived in town and they began to part take in the carnival. Of course, the moment they arrived they were the center of attention but the guards made sure to the people at a distance.
Vicktoria was just sitting by a chair in a balcony doing nothing with along with her family and three of the four horsemen with Mei heartnet not being present. She was hoping that she could enjoy the festival but them somewhat of their celebrity status it was hard for her to go anyway were. She really wanted to go out there and enjoy herself, her father and mother were busy talking to the pale and black talking about politics.
Her older brother was fond some kingship with the Calvin Armstrong who was also a godslayer though be it a thunder godslayer along with her sister Helena.
She was currently very bored and just wanted to go play some carnival games and go for some rides.
"Mother can I please go and actually enjoy the carnival." She asked her mother and she looked at her each a little conflicted.
"Well alright but two guards are going with you and make sure not to go too far." Her mother sternly told her and she nodded her head and went off. "Maybe I should send more guards just in case." But her daughter was already gone.
Victoria was now just enjoying herself in the carnival and even with the guards trailing it didn't really bother her as they weren't doing anything but protecting her.
"Excuse me guard-san." She addressed on of the men as she really didn't know them by name.
"Hm yes princess." He answered her.
"What's this year's parade theme about I noticed a lack of themes of our chef deities and dragons."
"Well, this year's theme was in memory of the previous horsemen who sacrificed themselves a year ago so this year's events while mostly be in their memory."
She nodded she moved along with the guards as they made room for her in order for to watch the parade with a little ease. But then she noticed a cat sitting perfectly on a lamp post watching the parade. It had shiny black and spring green eyes, it seemed like a normal cat at most but it seemed to be more intelligent than your average cat but most particular thing was that its tail was holding a drink and it was perfectly sipping from the can.
"Is that kitty okay up there?" She asked herself and one of the two guards looked at the cat noticing the princess interest in it.
"Maybe it just wants to watch the parade along with everybody else your highness." He said to her.
Victoria moved to the cat. She was wondering what a cat like that would be doing in such a crowded place like this. She wanted to help it down just in case it was stuck.
"Here kitty kitty." She softly called out to it and the cat looked down at her and it seemed to raise an eyebrow at her. "Are you stuck up there do you want any help?" She asked though asked though knew it was just an animal it wasn't going to reply to her.
"No but thanks for asking." The cat answered her scratching its ear a bit.
"THAT CAT CAN TALK!!" Vicktoria and her two guards screamed in surprise while they also shielded her and some on lookers stared at the scene.
"Yep, fifty points for you all." It smirked like a Cheshire cat making a finger gun at them.
"Careful princess this creature could be dangerous. Best get you back to your parents where you'll be safer." One said as he had his sword ready.
"Relax am just messing with you." The cat said it jumped from the lamppost while it transformed into a dark-skinned boy with white hair and green eyes. He wore a brown open t-shirt with a with a grey vest visible, black pants, sneakers and a green bandana with a star pattern on his head.
"Hello you're the second princess of the kingdom right it's an honor to meet you." He greeted with a slight bow.
"A mage?" The guards thought out loud.
"Transformation magic." Victoria said in little awe looking at the boy who seemed to be her age. "
"Who are you and state your business." One of the guards demanded pointing his sword out.
"Wow easy their man my name is Salem and I was just out here watching the parade like everybody else. I just transformed into a cat to get a better view by the lamppost." Chimwemwe said holding his in slight surrender.
"Guards please lower your weapon I think he really doesn't mean any harm." Victoria told her guards but they still kept alert in case the boy tried anything.
"Well at least cleared." He was at least happy there were no misunderstandings.
"Hm so Salem-san it's nice to meet to I am princess Victoria you're a mage are you apart of a guild?" She asked a little curious but there was also exactment.
"Um no am not a part of any guild."
"What is it you do then?" She cutely tilted head cutely.
"Um why are you interested anyway?" Salem didn't get why the princess of the kingdom was even bothering making conversation with him didn't she have better things to do.
"W-well I never met a mage my age outside the royal family so I was curious what it was like." She pressed her fingers together.
"Oh, you're one of those adventurous princess types who want to see the world well sorry to tell you am not helping you run away from home."
"W-WHAT WHY WOULD I WANT TO RANAWAY FROM HOME!!"
The guards just watched the interaction between the children and sure normally they would have chased the boy away from the princess but since nothing was going on and they were having a normal conversation they decided not to intervene.
"Sorry about that well princess it was nice to meet you hope you find someone who helps you runaway from home. Byeii~." Salem bowed than ran off.
"HEY I TOLD YOU AM NOT LIKE THAT WAIT!!" She ran after him before the guards could stop her so they ran after her.
In the shadows the group was being spied on by mysteries hooded figures.
"This will be easier than we though boys the princess is far from her family and she only has two body guards." One of the hooded figures said. "You all know the plan move out." They all literally sank in the shadows.
Sometime later
Mc's pov
I didn't really didn't expect much coming to this year's Tres Carnavales. I wasn't going to stay for the whole three-day carnival, just a single day listen to a famous singer perform at the night concert than leave Perganda the next day. Now the festival was fire though but I didn't expect to meet or be trailed by one of the members of the Perganda royal family.
I was basically hanging out with the third princess but hey am not complaining thanks to her and her guards I got to skip the places with lines. But I felt the guards kept a close eye on me though. I was surprised they were cool with this though. But mah am having fun especially since I don't have to wait in line.
"So, you just get to travel around the world?"
"Well not yet but am getting there."
We were just by a bench well she was sitting by the bench I was keeping my distance a little didn't want to overstep my boundaries with a princess.
"Princess it's time to go back to your fami-…" The guard didn't get to finish his sentence as dark tendrils come out of his shadow and wrapped around him and the some happened to the other one.
"PRINCESS PLEASE RUN TO FAMILY NOW!!" One of the guards screamed as he struggled with the shadow biddings.
"W-Wha…" She than began to get pulled into her shadow but I acted fast and transformed into my owl form and pulled her into the sky with my talons much to her fright.
"Easy am not planning doing anything!" I said to her noticing her distressed face.
"SALEM-SAN PLEASE TAKE THE PRINCESS BACK TO HER FAMILY ARCKK!!" The guards were slammed to the ground hard and the shadows holding them morphed into spikes piercing their armor and bodies making them bleed badly. Why did they just put me in charge of her life just like that though?
"Wait we can't jut leave them like that!" Victoria was worried about their critical condition.
"I really hate to say this Princess but…" I than used his wing to smack an incoming attack he sensed to his left. In the shadows. Thanks to my enhanced sight I saw six figures literally hiding in the shadows.
"How come nobody is noticing this." I looked around and noticed people were just enjoying the parade like two guards didn't get potentially kid in the middle of the street. "Did they set up a barrier around the area."
One of the figures than used some shot chains out of his magic circle which I easily fly out of the way off. The group all came out of the shadows. I couldn't different them because they all wore generic black hoods and blank masks.
"Who are they?" Princess Victoria asked me.
"I don't know but am not going to wait here but find out." I began to flyaway to find the royal family but I didn't get far but I sensed an incoming chain coming for us but maneuvered around it.
Noticed that my vision was getting blurry and I was currently looking a minor spectrum of colors. It was really messing with my flying.
"SALEM-SAN PLEASE SNAP OUT OF IT THERE USING SOME KIND OF SENSORY MAGIC ON YOU!" Victoria yelled at me and I almost ran into a building.
Suddenly a one of the dark mages come out of my shade which was on the building and was about to stab me with a shadow dagger which I blocked with my wing. But I was distracted with him the chain mage snatched the princess from my talons. Before I could act shadow tendrils wrapped around me tightly but I easily broke out of them.
"Tch gets the kids pretty strong." I heard him mumbles but I didn't have for the as I shot my feathers at him as he sunk into the shadow again.
I looked back and I saw the princess being held by the chain mage and so I moved in high speeds ready to go for the attack but a barrier stopped me in my tracks the barrier.
"Barrier magic too huh." I clicked my tough and hit it with a strong kick with my talons and it did cause a minor shockwave to the ground it wasn't enough to break it but then I noticed the last two hands where glowing and the spell was directed at the one casting the barrier and another dark a mage.
I've seen the magic seal before ever time Leo used his Enchantment magic. I noticed that Princess Viktoria glowing orange but the chains seemed to be absorbing her magic.
'So those his Chain magic lets him absorb magic huh.' At least I know what magic types they all have now. I was about to switch transformations but they then started talking. The sound was getting wonky maybe one of the sensors was fucking up my senses but luckily my owl transformation has the greatest hearing so it wasn't a big deal.
"Come on let's go see if she has a lacrima." The shadow mage said.
"Here are you sure" One of the enchanters asked.
"Yes, your spells are still active, aren't they?"
I got there plan I really didn't want to hear more.
"Beast Take over: Zinogre!" After I transformed, I immediately burst out of the barrier using my lightning.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!!" One of the sensory mages screamed.
Princess Victoria just looked at me in shock.
I than switched to my werecheetah form. I didn't want to use my Zinogre or Rathalos for this fight due to the high bloodlust so I might accidently hurt the princess and cause much collateral damage in the carnival and I didn't want to get tossed in the dungeon or something because I want too wild.
"Fuck this hi just one kid let's just take care of this." The barrier mage yelled but I quickly punched his dumb mask breaking it and sent him flying but he stopped himself by making a barrier in the air.
"Shadow magic: Shade spheres!" Dozens of shadow orbs appeared behind the mage and attacked me and I began intercepting them with my air pressure punches.
"Sleep!" The sleep spell the sensory mage casted didn't really have an effect because most of his energy was being spent on the spell, he used to make the crowd oblivious to what's happening.
I dodged some chains which come off the ground though I had to be extra careful with those I didn't want my magic drained from me.
Barrier magic: distorting disc." The barrier mage began throwing knock off destructo-discs from the sky at me so I began dodging and fucking up the ground.
"Dammit bitch stop squirming!" The chain mage was screamed at the princess was still struggling the escape the chains.
"Shadow magic: Horror Claw!" Two giant shadow claws tried to swipe at me before dodge I saw at the conner of my eye the barrier mage about to cast another spell.
My legs tensed up and I ran so fast that I caused a small boom it knocked the barrier mage back but the wind from it also accidently knocked a lot objects to get knocked back and some people to get disturbed by the wind.
"Dammit Blazing Chain Jail!" Chains made out of fire came at me fast and there were really big.
"Enough lets just get out of here we don't have enough power to keep enhancing you guys!" One of the Enchanters yelled but he was hit by my heavy air fist knocking him to a building.
I than so barrier balls at me but I dodged and used my tail to knocking one of the balls to chain mage hitting him by surprise that happened I flash stepped in front of the chain mage and sensory mage and double kicked them in the face knocking them back and making a gust of wing and let the princess go the chain bruised her a bit and ruined her fancy clothes.
Wait where was the shadow mage?
I also noticed that people were beginning to pay attention to what's happen but it around them due to the minor destruction being caused.
The shadow mage was going to grab the princess from her shadow and I pointed down towards her shadow tell her to get out of the way as I was about to unleash an air fist.
"Nova lance!!!" The princess made a golden fire lance on her arms and through it to the ground destroying it plus she looked a little out of breath.
As cool as that fire magic was I it wasn't the time for that right now. I looked at the other enhancer and he looked scared. I jumped up it the air dodged a huge shadow fist coming out of my shadow.
"Nova sphere! "She cast another spell and even though it was meant for the sensory mage I quickly grabbed the two enchanters smashing their heads together heard and throw them to the sensory mage making the all hit by the attack. Victoria was on her knees after that gets a lot of magic was sucked out due to the chains.
"Fuck this was supposed to be an easy job!" The Shadow mage cursed.
I than super speeded to the enchanters and gave them deep cuts with my claws making them bleed all over. I needed to take them out first just in case they give the other two an extra boost but in their shredded clothes I noticed the Ouroboros Trap guild mark on them that just spelled more bad news. The barrier mage looked had placed a barrier around himself, the chain mage and the shadow mage basically thinking of a plan
"Is that the princess."
"Someone get the Pegasus knights!"
"What is that creature!"
The people began to fully noticed what was going on and they were freaking out. Guess the sensory spell was down. The Shadow mage quickly sank his partners in the shadow noticing their cover was blown.
"Salem-san the guards are still hurt we have to go get them before it gets serious!" The princess yelled.
How far did the spell did go for people not to notice two men badly bleeding on the ground? I noticed the shadow mage sinking all his partners in the shadows seeing their spell was down.
I quickly grabbed the princess and speed all the way to where the guards were pierced. She screamed in surprised at the sudden action.
When we got there, we so them and there we're still there barely breathing. I noticed people had run or looking at the scene in worry.
"WHY DID ANYONE HELP THEM!!" Victoria cried as he held one her arms and the blood fell on her hands and tears were falling a little.
"Bystander syndrome." I sighed and I wouldn't blame them if I wasn't somewhat directly involved when it was first happing, I would have moved away too. "Princess please stand back a little." I told her and thankfully she listened.
"Animal soul: Artic Wolf!" I transformed into my new form. I looked like my normal human form but with white wolf ears, a tail, a little on me and claws. "This form is still new but hopefully this works."
I used my new ice magic to cover them with a little ice and snow to slow down the bleeding till help arrived.
"Are they going to be alright Salem-san?" She asked me.
"We'll wait and see."
Sometime later
We watched the two guards being carried away by medics.
"VICTORIA!!" I heard a woman scream and I saw the queen running towards us and hug her daughter tightly. "I shouldn't have let you out of my sight." She whispered.
"Mother I-I'm all right trust me." The princess said a little shaky.
I noticed the other members of the royal family coming towards us and two out of the four horsemen with them looking worried. The king looked at me sternly.
"And how might you be young man?" He basically demanded me to say my name.
This is going to be a long parade.
