Lea walks towards the middle of the caravan, thinking about her favorite treat. Images of a decadent cake with chocolate and vanilla frosting dance in Lea's head as her pigtails wave in the wind.
A song plays in her head as she skips out of her caravan, onto the forest floor.
Cake, cake! I love the taste of cake
It is fluffy, so sweet!
My heart flutters with joy at the sight of this delight
Give me cake every single day and night!
Without noticing, Lea starts to drool, trotting up and down the road they parked in, singing in her head. Her bow is ready in case of any sudden attack.
The other members of the night guard look at her with questions in their heads.
One older knight whispers to the others, "I wonder what she is dancing on about."
Another shrugs. "Beats me." They look at Lea skeptically. "This area is roaming with monsters. I wouldn't exactly be dancing around here."
Although they are in the Southern Kingdom, there is still activity they need to be on the lookout for. The older knight stares at Lea, wondering if he should say anything, but keeps his mouth closed.
Lea walks back toward the end of their caravan, looking out into the night sky. Just then, Duke Matthew rolls out of his carriage.
"You there!" He points at Lea. "Come with me, archer." "You know, my name is Lea, you entitled prat," she snaps.
"If you weren't an elite archer, I would have your head, you know." The duke snarls, and a smug smile creeps onto his face. "Or I can have you in bed, you know. Undoing those pigtails would be quite the delight."
Lea glares at Matthew, disgusted, and walks up to him anyway. "Wha do you need from me, Duke?"
"I need to take a leak," he begins, "and it's dark out there. I have a torch, but you'll need to protect me from monsters in the woods. It's your job."
Lea throws him a bothered look, but resigns and follows him into the woods.
"Not that I care or anything," Lea mutters, "but do you ever get tired of your playboy lifestyle? I mean, a different woman every week! That sort of o activity can do damage to your body both physically and emotionally."
"I know very well what it can do." Matthew waves his torch around as they walk through the brush. "I have access to the best doctors in the city. To monitor me in case I catch something."
Lea nods, and Matthew looks back at her curiously. "Why does it matter to you anyway?"
She clears her throat. "As a devout follower of the Goddess Astra, I want the best for mankind. Watching you throw your life away despite having a head start on life due to your position seems like a waste. You are blessed with influence, yet you live in poverty mentally and spiritually. That is not the will of the Goddess."
"You do speak wisdom, arch—girl," Matthew mumbles. "I understand what you're saying. What is your name again?"
"It's Lea," she retorts, and Matthew frowns because he should have known that to begin with. "And your words are nothing but emptiness to my ears. If you hear wisdom, you better apply it, or what I have said to you will have been for naught." She adjusts her cloak on her shoulders and puffs her chest.
"Go ahead and do your business, Duke Matthew. I will stand guard fifteen feet from you." Lea walks away toward the head of the tree line, her back turned to Matthew.
Matthew peers into the darkness, his torch now perched on a nearby rock. He looks up toward the moon and instead sees two yellow eyes looking at him.
"HELP!" he screams.
Lea spins around to see an ogre with four arms, one club in each swinging at Matthew.