Chapter 27: The Ruins In The Forest (1)

When they got to their destination, the morning was already so bright, giving the day a warm and cheerful tone. The Wagon descended on a hill over a huge valley. The plains were so large that the girl could not see the end of it.

The meadows seemed pleasant and showed a completely different face than could not be found in the city.

Malcom gave her several minutes to contemplate the landscape. The young woman seemed fascinated with everything she saw as if this was her first time outside that noisy city.

"You do not seem very familiar with these views," Malcom was amused with the way Skyler was acting. It was like she had not seen such places before.

"I'm not!" Skyler answered while holding her short hair that flew with the breeze of the field. "I have left the city many times, but they have been very controlled trips... Too much."

Malcom hummed in understanding. He looked at the wide plain again, specifically one tall noticeable building, then said, "I say it because that building is yours."

The girl looked at the place where the Maves landed and nodded, "Yes, I think that belongs to my family."

"I know. Your dad is filthy rich!" Malcom commented with a smile. He found the situation ironic.

Skyler had a proud look on her face when she said, "It was the result of his hard work!"

The young woman added without giving Malcom a chance to speak, "My dad has worked all his life for these things," her face looked a little more serious than it used to.

"I know," the young man answered, scratching the back of his neck. "It's lucky to be his daughter, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is…." She said, relaxing her voice, "But all parents have their good side. I'm sure yours is great in some ways."

"I'm sure he is… but no idea," Malcom answered casually without losing his smile.

"Why?" Skyler asked with curiosity.

"Because I never met him…" Malcom replied weakly. It was another thing that he found ironic. However, his eyes did not show sadness as if he was already used to that fact.

He shrugged his shoulders before adding, "He proudly left when they picked me to carry the Mark… father of the year, I am sure."

The young woman immediately fell silent and clasped her hands with more force than she intended.

"Come, we have to find transportation," Malcom said with a smile after she patted her shoulder.

Skyler followed him with some frustration at what she had said. On many occasions, she did not know how to react to Malcom's responses and attitudes. The worlds in which they lived were very different, and she did not understand that gap. That made the young woman feel completely isolated.

They walked to a small house on the edge of the path down the hill. On this side, the plain stretched quite a bit, but there was a green lush forest not far from the slopes of said hill.

Malcom approached the young woman who was serving at the booth and said, "Hello! One question, do you have horses?"

The girl at the counter saw him for a second with a half-smile trying to see if the young man was joking, but she could not find any sign of the joke she said with slow words like that person who does not understand why she was explaining something so obvious.

"Not for public use."

Malcom, smiling, lowered his head and, trying to sound empathetic, said, "I understand that, but… Do you think I could use one? I can't use the transporters..."

The girl looked at Malcom, completely surprised without knowing what reason that man who seemed very healthy could have for not wanting to use a common transporter. She thought for several seconds but then determined from her initial response.

"I'm sorry, Mr—"

"Do not worry," Skyler kindly interrupted, "Give us the fastest transporter you have for two users."

The girl smiled, looking at Skyler, and turning around in her seat.

She checked a small screen on her desk behind her, only to get up and say, "Follow me..."

The employee walked for several meters until she carried a speeder for two. It was a standard speed glider that showed the shape of a fast creature like a lynx or a tiger, but without legs.

Instead of legs, it had two panels that would filter the magic of the diver to allow this device to fly several centimeters from the ground.

The young woman received payment from Skyler and was given the instruction required by company policy. She said, "You must take the handlebar with both hands so that the transporter can have access to your energy. If you take it with one hand, it will not be enough for it to rise, it does not require too much energy to function but a stable intensity, it is not advisable to handle one of these if you do not have good control of your energy and after using it remember to eat well."

Skyler nodded, got on the transporter, and she looked at Malcom with a smile, pointing to her seat just behind her. Malcom wryly smiled as he climbed onto the rest of the seat, trying to find a place to hold.

"You can touch the seat to activate its retaining function so you will avoid falling." The young employee said while looking at him with a mocking smile.

Malcom stared at her, and the idea of explaining the situation to the girl did not seem pleasant, so she simply nodded. The seat function did not drain as much energy as driving it, but for Malcom, any use of his little magical energy level would be extremely exhausting.

She was thinking about the best way to stay on that device when Skyler turned, leaving only one hand on the handlebars, and looked at him smiling to say, "Do not worry! I will activate the transporter with one hand, and with the other, I will activate the seat so you won't fall."

The employee who was still looking at them curiously, carefully tried to explain, "That is not recommended, miss, and you need a lot of control to do that—"

But before the young woman could finish the sentence, the transporter rose into the air as the Skyler held it with one hand.

The girl, genuinely impressed by what Skyler had just done, stared at the girl who was addressing Malcom, saying, "Either that or you hold on to me."

Malcom looked at the smile with which Skyler enjoyed the situation and placed his hands around the young woman's abdomen.

"Show off!" He said after snorting.