"I don't," the Princess replied like it didn't concern her. "But don't worry, I have multiple pets with me to guide our way. You can choose your pick."
Of course, she had multiple beasts at her command. Apparently, Princess Elena could do anything. She was a Hunter, a Mage, and a beast tamer at this point.
Ren wondered if she was also a god. He thought, just to humor himself.
On Ren's screen appeared the list of pets the Princess had.
Ren could only shake his head, for he was right . . . she was indeed a God.
The pets, she said with a shrugged, weren't the normal pets a woman would like to have, especially a princess of the highest birth.
There was a Royal Griffin. A mythical creature that embodies grace, strength, and nobility. Its body was covered in shimmering blue feathers that reflected the sunlight, making it stand out from other creatures in the land. The Royal Griffin had a powerful wingspan, allowing it to soar high into the sky with ease.
Its face was regal and proud, with sharp eyes that penetrated the very soul of those who looked into them. Its beak was strong and curved, capable of tearing through even the toughest of prey. Its front paws were armed with sharp talons that could grip and tear at a moment's notice.
It was a majestic and awe-inspiring creature that embodied the very essence of nobility and power. Its blue feathers were a symbol of its uniqueness and rarity.
The Royal Griffin was rare and coveted by many in the gaming world for their intelligence. It was said to be able to communicate with other creatures and even understand human speech. Its presence commands respect and awe, and many aspire to one day have the privilege of riding on its back.
In battle, the Royal Griffin was a fierce adversary. Its speed and agility were unmatched, allowing it to swoop down and strike at its enemies with lightning-fast attacks. Its powerful wings could create gusts of wind that knocked enemies off their feet, and its sharp talons and beak could tear through even the thickest armor.
The next on the Princess's list was the Riding Lizard. These were large reptiles commonly found in the Underdark. Measuring around ten to fifteen meters in length, about half of which was comprised of the tail.
These creatures were quick and agile and adapted to survive in any terrain. They utilized their ability to walk on the ceiling and walls in order to avoid being spotted and could leap dozens of meters away to escape danger.
Riding Lizards drew favor as mounts due to their ability to overcome any difficult terrain and were good trackers of the right paths and traps.
The third was a Demigryph. These creatures were cousins of griffons and resembled them in many ways, yet lacked the wings which provided them flight.
However, since they did not need to carry themselves in the air, they were also of heavier mass, making them tougher opponents on the ground.
And last on her list was a . . . dragon. Not the graceful one, or the scary one . . . it was one of those dragons that you wouldn't even think that the Princess would have as a pet.
His name was Glitz, the Rapscallion – a bronze dragon, Purveyor of Ale's existence. His origin was shrouded by time, and the one thing that caught Ren's attention was this information.
Glitz became enamored with the various types of drinks created by these mortals, especially ale. His curiosity turned into an obsession, which finally became his master craft.
"Glitz . . . ," Ren uttered in a daze, beside himself from surprise.
"Glitz?" Elena raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised that you would choose him. He's a giant of a lizard, slow to travel and big to maneuver in this forest. Unless you want good ale, I don't advise using him as a mount. Rather, he would eat you whole from the sheer mentioning of it."
Ren shook his head, slow and deliberate. "No. I don't want him as our mount. I don't want to ask the Princess this . . . but why is he one of your pets?"
Elena grinned, a smile you wouldn't expect of a princess. "A woman got to have something to enjoy."
"Does your mother know your love of ale?" of all things. The elven realm didn't run out of good sweet wine and tasty drinks, so why the bitter taste of ale?
The Princess sighed into the distance and said in a not so repentant voice, "Most of the time, I have a hard time remembering I am a princess once I'm out of the castle."
Ren slowly shook his head, though he had a smile on his face without even realizing it.
Ren chose the Riding Lizard for the reason that it was the best tracker and had the fastest speed on the ground, and could even leap and traverse difficult terrains.
"Nice choice." Princess Elena summoned the Riding Lizard she called Tiki, in which Ren held his choke after hearing the name.
It was bigger than he thought, but just enough to traverse the forest without breaking trees here and there.
"Now that we have someone to track our path, do you have any idea what area we should start with?" Ren asked. Though he had snippets on how to complete the quest, it was a different matter of reaching those locations. He was clueless about where to start.
"We should start asking at the spring court. It's the nearest here. In the Green Forest which is called Hedgegrove, home to Queen Floraia Springpetal," Elena replied with a finger on her mouth, thinking about something.
"And how long is this travel?" Ren asked. This was actually the first time that he stepped foot in the lands of the Fey. In the past, most of his time was wasted behind closed doors, on the office chair with his head stuck on the mountains of papers on his table.
"I heard the realm of the fairies is very wide." The Princess briefly paused and shook her head with tightly closed eyes.
"Actually, this land doesn't even have a beginning and end. It just expands according to the Fairy Queens' whims. It expanded to accommodate every new inhabitant that appeared every day. So it's safe to say that this realm's size is like a new world entirely and expanding as we speak."
