A New Dawn

Yuna yawned loudly, stretching her limbs out wide. "Wowiee, that was the best sleep I've had in days!" she exclaimed. 

"I wonder what the time is." Licking her beige fluffy fur, Yuna peered around the tent, as if searching for something.

The gleeful and contemptuous smile on her face suddenly turned to a frown. "Where is my time dial? Where is my knapsack??" She started pacing inside the tent and suddenly rushed out in a blinding rage. 

"Did I get robbed ???? Eek!!!! That nasty deerman robbed me!!! Noooooo!!!" She let loose a yell so loud that it startled every critter in the slumbering thickets.

"Princess, what's the matter?" Ainsley hurried over, concern crinkling his fuzzy brow. Yuna had collapsed to her knees, face buried in her hands. 

"Little princess, are you okay?" Ainsley asked again.

"A nasty deerman thief took my things in the night." she wailed, her face was bright red as if tears would roll down any moment.

"Ummm, you mean me?" Ainsley was shocked to hear the faceless accusation but he knew there must have been clearly some misunderstanding so his demeanor was calm. 

"Oh, Ainsley! you didn't run away? I thought you did since you did not wake me from my royal slumber." From sadness to shame, she turned her face away in the opposite direction. Yet her pride remained intact as she moved on to the next question.

"Have you seen my knapsack?" Dusting off her knees Yuna got up.

"Knapsack?" With a puzzled face, he responded.

Ainsley placed his gentle hands on her shoulder. "There now, don't fret. Are you certain you didn't misplace your items?"

Yuna's head shot up, her eyes flashing with anger. "How dare you suggest I'm irresponsible? I never lose my possessions."

The deerman suddenly held up hands in apology. "My mistake, of course. Though we met without any bags, as I recall."

The princess paused, tapping her chin in thought. Then she clapped her hands together. "Aha, now I understand! I must have dropped everything while traveling here." She grinned proudly as if she had solved the greatest mystery in the world she then sprang up with joy. 

"Shall I venture to retrieve your lost belongings, Your Highness?" offered Ainsley, his hand drifting to the rusty old rifle beside him.

The princess pondered this for a long moment, her brows knitted in thought. Finally, she replied, "No need. What's gone is gone. I cannot dwell on the past."

Yuna lifted her chin firmly. "I have an urgent quest ahead. My time is short, and I cannot afford further delays."

Her eyes took on a steely glint. The lost treasures of her former life mattered little now. She had a higher purpose to fulfil.

"I need to get to the heart of the world, the kingdom of Ools and I request you to take me there right away!" Yunas' tone of speaking to the old deerman was always a commanding one, she had no compassion towards him as he was of the lower order animakin. 

The Noblest Nyn (Nine Royals) dominated over all the other animakins in Zoonya, and the lesser beings only function was to serve them. Yuna being a bunian known for their vast fortunes and beauty and was always worshiped by animas of the lower order. So bossing them around was nothing new to her.

On hearing the princess's request the old hunter was more than ready to serve her, perhaps it was coded into his blood to obey the Nyn.

"It would take us over six weeks if we start now on foot." He replied.

"Six weeks? That's not possible! I need to get there today! What's the quickest way?" She was furious when he told her that and demanded that he find a better solution. 

"Hmmm well, We could go get a sand strider from the nearest province, Princess, still, that will take us at least 3 days." he replied.

"That is still too long, let me think about it hmmm ... " Yuna started to think about her next genius course of action because she was a princess after all. 

"Okay princess I will…shhh!!! I am thinking." Yuna's face was dead serious as she started to think. 

"Three days is way too long! Ugh. If I...no, that won't work. Maybe...nah, I don't know anywhere else. But maybe...no, no, no, I need someone's help. What if what happened in the lake happens again?" Her face was getting red as she started recalling the grim experience she had on her journey through the lake. 

"No, no, I don't want to think about that." Her eyes were starting to fill with tears. "I don't want to cry, my father will never forgive me."

Smack 

She smacked herself in the face to get her head straight before she had a mental breakdown. After getting a hold of herself, she started praying to the all-knowing Lodin, the one who governs all. Joining her tiny little palms, she said,

"O'Lodin, lord of lyt, the creator of lyf, guide me steps, with your ever flowing grace and shield me in your arms from Kkao and strife."

For the beings in Zoonya, Lodin was the ultimate god, the one above all. Even though each nation had its own specific deity, the Zoonians only prayed to Lodin in times of their utmost need, as the gods grace was something special and they never wanted to waste it.

The atmosphere around the princess grew silent and the winds started to blow quietly, it was as if the thought of Lodin; Tonlin, the major deity of Yuna's homelands waited for his devotee to finish her prayer to guide it to the All-seers adobe. Even Ainsley closed his eyes in prayer in hopes that the young one would have a safe journey. 

"Let's go! Take me to the sand strider!" Yuna exclaimed, pumped up and ready to face the challenges of her perilous journey. Ainsley chuckled to himself. As an old and humble hunter, the troubles of a princess were something he could never dream about.

The two set off on their journey across the slumbering thickets, heading for the destination where the princess could find a sand strider.