[i]"Thhhhhhffffp! Thhhhffffpp!" [/i] As that imitation of a waterfowl's mating call sounded through the forest, it wasn't just a mere fat bird that responded, but that of a Mai-Rizzle Peony, a majestic winged horse with a wild rainbow mane, sparkling with the magical power of friendship. It was the perfect companion to its rider, a blue-haired angel in a dark suit. Descending from the heavens as a light breeze tousled her sleek, sea-colored hair, she dismounted in an elegant leap, the gilded tails of her coat rising and then falling dramatically with her entrance. From her bag of holding, she produced a gleaming, red apple, still wet from the cold water that it was rinsed from. The princely girl stroked the side of the Mai-Rizzle Peony and fed the winged horse its treat before sending it off. It was only after the awe-inspiring mount went to the skies once more, merging with a bright blue cloud, that she took her bearings. She had been here before, still recognizing the name of the mountain that she saw on the world map. The face of the mountain was familiar, unchanged, yet the vegetation seemed to have evolved. And there were also these runes on the side. Readable, of course, but still...she guessed that a wizard or witch must have gotten bored one day and sealed off a cave system of the mountain. It was quite an avant-garde riddle-lock as well, for, while it sounded poetic, didn't use any phrases that were exceedingly abstract or plain nonsensical. And then, of course, there were the group of princess-kidnapping criminals that she was sent to monitor and assist. The face of crime, it appeared, had grown quite diverse over the centuries. From young, fluffy girls to manly orcs to warrior women, it all looked rather eccentric. And elves too. Who would have thought that only a millennium was sufficient to turn such an artist, gentle, loving race into a bunch of bandits, working alongside orcs? At the very least, she was prepared for such oddness already. The Kingdom of Bur-something must be quite strange, for so many people to only have one lover, or, gods forbid, be living forever alone. Nevertheless, she brought herself into a traditional male show of courtesy towards her new companions, first thumping her left breast with her right fist, then flicking her bangs with the same hand, and finally spinning around once, drawing a rose from the bag of holding, before offering that flower to the closest lady in the vicinity. [b]“You are the Team Super-Awesome-the-Best, the princess-kidnappers venturing into the Lands of Ni-Yan, yes? I am Princess Kalri-Qua, eldest daughter of the late King of Bishies, Yuu-Rito, and the sole surviving member of the Dynasty of Moe. As I have a debt to Miri, I shall be partaking in your criminal activities. So, as they say...”[/b] <>