[Comm] Reinhold and Virgo Journey Trial

Virgo excitedly packed his travel tack in his chambers, it had taken a lot of convincing and pleading for his assistants to not inform his royal parents of his plans but it was finally the day for him to sneak out to meet his friend. It was incredibly hard to find a long enough gap in both his and Reinhold's busy schedules where the two heirs could take the chance to sneak out and have an adventure together but the stars had finally aligned. Both their parents would be out of their respective countries for a little over a week to attend a massive conference in which nearly every ruler across the continent of Vitalus would meet up for various political reasons which was the perfect opportunity for the boys to sneak out. Virgo wasn't entirely sure what all he would need to bring as he had never been outside the palace for an extended period like this but thankfully his trusted assistant guided him and provided insight on what would be helpful. He couldn't convince his attendant to stay behind, insisting that it was improper and dangerous for a royal heir to go unguarded so the assistant would be tagging along as well but he had gotten them to promise to be as far out of sight as possible.

Once he was sure he was ready Virgo and his assistant quickly made their way out of the shimmering palace and down to the sky-colored heir's secret passage that allowed him to descend from his floating kingdom. Waiting for him far below on the surface the equally excited but more composed Reinhold was waiting, also accompanied by his own assistant and also a guard. When his sky dwelling friend came into view the akhal heir raised their tail in greeting, Virgo giggled excitedly as he jumped down from the precarious floating rocks he used as a pathway and returned his friend's greetings. Upon seeing Virgo's attendant, Reinhold smiled and nodded in approval as the assistant joined his own companions. All of the attendants stepped back and left the two princes to excitedly speak and discuss their upcoming journey. As expected of the high class attendants they expertly blended into the background, the princes knew they were there but for all intents and purposes they were finally alone.

As the two walked across the brilliant green grass that shifted in hue from green to blue and was patched by large stands of magnificent bizarrely colored plants the two could both feel excitement welling up for the adventure they were about to enjoy. Reinhold couldn't wait to show his friend the many fantastical sights the surface of Vitalus had to offer and Virgos' barely restrained curious enthusiasm was both amusing and endearing. Slowly but surely the two made their way across the land stopping at anything that caught their eye. Reinhold of course had specific destinations he planned to show his friend but partaking in the various wonderful sights along the way was well within the expectations of their itinerary. He smiled as he watched his friend marvel at a massive crystal formation that was partially covered by various species of plants that couldn't be found in Virgo's floating kingdom. The akhal prince glanced back behind them and saw his attendant give a smile and a thumbs up as they were both glad the golden prince knew his friend so well that they knew they would need to account for extra detours in their journey.

The two heirs slowly made their way across the countryside before arriving at the first town on the edge of Reinhold's kingdom. It was a fairly small but still well developed town with simple stone buildings not entirely up to standard for a prince to stay in for the night but a novel cultural experience for the two to enjoy. The two princes happily strolled through the town's shopping district on their way through, many of the townsfolk recognized their young prince and offered excited formal greetings as they passed. It was clear that the golden prince was well respected and loved by his people by the way he interacted with them and Virgo smiled as he enjoyed seeing his friend receive praise from the common folk. Virgo was similarly beloved by his own people and he wished he could show his companion the same sight in his own kingdom one day. As the group passed through town, the two princes saw many decorations and effigies erected through both the shopping district and across the housing district. When Virgo questioned their meaning one of Reinhold's attendants stepped forward and explained they were the typical cultural decorations used during a specific festival the kingdom held which celebrated the coming of spring. Virgo loved the colorful banners and delicious smelling baked goods the peddlers displayed and excitedly spoke with Reinhold about his own kingdom's spring festivals.

Eventually the royal entourage made their way through town and continued on their journey once more. Reinhold would have loved to spend the night in the town since Virgo liked it so much but if they were to reach the capital with enough time to properly site-see they needed to travel much further that day. The two princes continued on their journey across the countryside of Reinhold's kingdom, occasionally passing by or through small towns and villages along the way. When night eventually fell the two decided it would be safest to spend the night out in the wilderness as there was no guarantee who might try to approach them in a town. If they were out in the wild there was at least an expectation of privacy and with their attendants standing guard they would be able to enjoy the novelty of camping without worry. The next morning after the group spent the night in the woods the two princes checked Reinhold's map to ascertain approximately how much further they needed to travel. Much to the two's delight if they traveled directly there, the two would arrive at the capital by lunch time that day but as the two browsed the map an illustration slightly off to the side of their destination caught Virgos eye.

He pointed to the drawing of a series of tiny floating islands which seemed to be connected by alternating waterfalls, "What is this place here?" Virgo's eyes sparkled as he excitedly wondered what the floating islands near the capital looked like. Reinhold smiled as he realized what his friend was thinking, "That is the Dragon's Cascade, it's a series of floating islands with massive waterfalls between them." his smile turned into a knowing smirk as he gently leaned against Virgo's shoulder. "Would you like to see them? It's a fantastic tourist location though it will add more time before we reach the capital." Virgo barely hesitated before enthusiastically confirming, "Yes! I don't mind if we arrive after dusk." Reinhold chuckled as the sky heir practically vibrated in enthusiasm. With a new destination added to their journey the golden heir led the group across the sweeping plains once more. As the group continued Virgo was delighted to see the sparsely covered landscape change into that of a densely packed forest of magnificent twisted trees whose canopy was illuminated by tiny moats of light. The little moats gently bobbed and swayed with the leaves as the wind rustled the branches but occasionally a brave little moat would descend down to the travelers and tickle the vayron's noses.

These little lights were tiny pixies that lived within the forests around Reinhold's capital, the tiny creatures were not as advanced as the reosean and human society around them but they were still considered subjects of the golden heirs kingdom. After a few hours of walking the group approached the edge of the forest which was bordered by a large cliff. Stretching out before them was a vast valley, far off in the distance they could see the outline of the connected floating islands. Virgo let out a gasp of awe as he marveled the beautiful sight. From their vantage point the rippling waterfalls looked like a slightly zig-zagged serpent stretching out from the slightly cloudy sky into a large mist cloud along the ground. The two heirs decided to pause there on the cliff side to enjoy the view, the two ended up jovially talking for a few hours until the sun started to make its way down across the opposite horizon, illuminating the floating islands mist clouds with a gorgeous tapestry of colors. Their conversation eventually trailed off as they both ended up mesmerized by the beautiful view before them. “You know,” Reinhold said, breaking the comfortable silence, “I sometimes forget what it’s like to just be... me, not the prince.”

Virgo nodded, understanding. “Same here. I’m always being groomed to be the perfect heir, but this-” he gestured to the breathtaking view, “this is what I want more than anything.” Reinhold smiled as he understood the implication of his friend before turning his gaze back to the breathtaking sights. He also secretly longed for peaceful adventures with his closest friend. “Let’s promise to always find time for adventures like this, no matter what our futures hold,” Reinhold suggested, his voice sincere. "No matter how busy our royal duties make us!"

“Deal!” Virgo agreed, extending one of his paws to his friend. Reinhold pressed his opposite paw against his friends lining up the toes of their paws perfectly. They sealed their promise with a playful shake, the bond between them growing stronger. Before nightfall fully descended their attendants emerged from the forest behind them and gently urged the two princes to continue their journey. The two heirs were reluctant to leave the perfect moment they were sharing but they both knew they needed to reach the capital so they could continue the next part of their exciting adventure tomorrow. They navigated through the mystical forest whose entire canopy seemed to be glowing now. As the sky got darker the trees seemed to start glowing from deep within complimenting the small pixie lights floating around them. As the group traveled through the glowing trees, the two heirs marveled at the gorgeous glittering leaves swaying gently above their heads like a celestial tapestry. The air was alive with the happy song of the pixies as the group traveled through the building night atmosphere until they finally arrived at the capital of Reinhold's kingdom.