Sepakai (GXG) (GIRLXGIRL) (GL)

73

Chapter 9
Section 1: Moaning
Unicorn galloped through the forest.

Consisting of mostly evergreen trees, this forest wasn’t nearly as closed off as the Swansea Forest was, but it still prevented much of the sunlight during the day from being able to break through. As such, the forest bed was covered in accumulated snow which hadn’t had a chance to melt yet.

Relying on the few rays of moonlight that managed to break through the forest canopy to see, Unicorn’s hooves brushed past the top of the snow, kicking up a small cloud in our wake. If I were to get off and try to walk normally, the snow would probably bury me up to my waist. And yet her hooves were barely scratching the snow’s surface as if all of us put together weighed little more than a feather.

“Seriously what’s going on? No, I should just be happy with how comfortable the ride is.”

Lapris was looking down at the ground below while hanging off Unicorn’s mane.

In truth, this was just a minor application of the ‘powerful shield that can’t be broken’ magic circles which had protected us from the ents’ attacks.

“I see. So you are spreading out those barriers from before across the snow and running across them.”

Every time one of Unicorn’s hooves is about to hit the snow, she is deploying one of her magic circles across the ground and galloping across those instead. Afterwards there is a small metallic echo like a hammer smacking an anvil, and the hoof is repelled off of it.

“Yep. I figured if these shields could hold off those heavy attacks, they should definitely be able to support our weight as well.”

So I asked Unicorn if we could try it out, and it actually worked. She was awfully nervous at first, but she’s gotten used to it as we’ve continued moving. She’s still not going as fast as she can, but it’s still faster than having her trudge through the snow.

“I see~ But just hold on a sec. Isn’t this the same thing as running on air?”

“That’s right. If we were to lay out these barriers as if they were stairs, could we not keep climbing upwards until eventually we are running past entire mountains?”

“Yep, I thought about that too, but it’s impossible right now.”

“What, why? Running over the snow and running through the air, we already said it’s the same thing.”

“It’d be way too scary.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, you know. Unicorn…..is scared of heights. She’s getting used to this little by little, but she’s afraid she might make a mistake. One wrong step and we’d go plummeting to the ground, so she doesn’t want to try it.”

Unicorn gave a small, apologetic neigh.

“Ah, right well….. Everybody has things they’re good and bad with. Just being able to run across snow is amazing enough.”

Lapris started gently stroking Unicorn’s head.

“Lapris is surprisingly kind.”

“Haa? Just what are you trying to say? I’m not especially kind or nothing.”

“You think? Just giving me one of your important feathers and coming to me like this is already a huge kindness on your part.”

And most notable of all is the fact that she fought the dragon with us in Relton. She could have easily run away and saved herself, but she was able to work up the courage in that little body of hers to rush in and save me from danger.