Minime Kingdom: The Brave Princess

MKTBP27: The Test

The soldiers were busy building their tents when Princess Tiny thought of strolling around. She started to walk until she reached under a lofty tree and felt tired. She saw some birds chirping above the tree, and their sounds were pleasing to her ears.

"It's so peaceful here!" She mumbles.

"Of course, you are surrounded by nature and not humans and man-made things!" Her Minnie replied.

"We can't stay here anymore! Let's go back to the camp now!" She said and started to walk again.

"I thought you were tired and wanted to sit down under that tree first?" Her Minnie asked.

"I wanted to, but I came to realize that we didn't come here to have some leisure time but for a mission. The trainees will have their final test now, and we have to monitor it. Their lives were at stake in the forest of Iluson. We shouldn't neglect it."

"You're just worried about Greg, right?"

"Eh? Silly Miniature, stop teasing me!"

"I'm not! I'm just speaking the truth!"

"You're not! Of course I'm worried about him, but not just him. The two captains and all the trainees were important, and I'm worrying about them too!"

"What an alibi!"

"Shut up!"

"I won't!"

"Then you won't get out too for, uhm, a year?" She's grinning as she walks.

"You're threatening me again, as always!"

"Oh, well, you better shut up now!"

Princess Tiny reached the camp and saw her men busy installing their tents. After a huge tent, as big as a small house, was made for her, she immediately got inside and sat down at her table.

"Meme, do you think Greg will pass the test?" Minnie Tiny asked.

"He better try to survive and finish the test. He seems to be a great warrior, even if he's often stubborn anyway." She took some paper and a quill.

"Well, Minnies are f*******n to be used inside the Iluson forest. Do you think he really can battle by himself? What if something wrong happened to him? Won't you try to help him out?"

"What's the use of the test if it is easy and I will help him? Besides, all of them were endangered. Why are you just asking about Greg? You're partial to your friend!"

"Meme, he is your friend too. Remember?"

"Task!"

"You are in love with him too, but trying to suppress your feelings. Haha! Stop acting, it is just me. I knew everything about you!"

"You're so noisy. How do you want me to punish you?"

"Hmp! I'm just telling the truth. Why are you mad?"

"Minnie Tiny, one word from you again and you could never get out of me for 15 days."

Minnie can only remain silent and avoid disturbing her dominant master. She said nothing and just observed what Meme Tiny was doing.

A fully armed warrior came in and bowed in front of Princess Tiny. "Your highness!" he said.

She stopped writing, put down the quill, and looked at the warrior, "Rise! What's the matter?" Her voice was so cold, her eyes looked so tender.

He lifted up his head, "Your highness, the assassins have entered the forest. The Iluson mirror is prepared outside and currently showing everyone's situation too. Some of our warriors were there to monitor them. Captain Edrian and Captain Dan were inside the forest, invisible to the trainees, and ready to assist at anytime so that we wouldn't have any lost," he reported.

"Great! Tell them that I'll just finish these documents and will monitor the situation inside the forest with them." She took up the quill again and was about to write when the warrior spoke.

"Your highness, you don't have to. My peers can handle monitoring of the mirror, and we can call just in case there is an emergency. Dinner will be served here in a few minutes. The king told me to tell you that you should eat and rest early."

"Silly! It is my job to secure the safety of the trainees. I'm not a little child but a general now. Leaving the mirror to some warriors won't make me feel at ease. I'll monitor it myself after dinner." She glared at the warrior, which made him feel horrified, his hands shivers a little. "Tell the guards to stand by and secure the safety of the whole camp. Remind those who are monitoring the mirror not to slack and feel asleep no matter how boring is what they are watching in the mirror."

"A-Anything you want, your highness. Then, I'll leave you now!" He bowed and left the tent immediately to carry out her orders.

"What a strict general!" Her Minnie said.

"I'm just considering the overall situation and wanted to ensure that everything here goes well."

"As usual, you want everything to be perfectly secure. You don't want anyone to get hurt and always value safety, but when you punish warriors and trainees, sometimes it seems like you want to kill them." She chuckles.

"There's no time for you to make me feel conscience and guilt. I've done nothing wrong and aim for goodness only."

Three men came in with a tray of food.

***

Inside the forest, Captain Edrian and Captain Dan were sitting on the branch of a lofty tree. There, they are able to see the three groups of trainees.

"Wild animals and some unusual beasts will approach them later. I hope they're smart and brave enough not to abandon each other," Captain Dan said.

"Yeah! If they scatter later, it will be harder for us to help them," Captain Edrian replied.

"Well, the assassins will be here later and will pretend to be their enemies too, but they will only slay beasts to help the trainees. We shouldn't worry that much!" Captain Dan said.

"You speak too much. It's you who's worrying, not me." He smirked.

"Tsssk! Among the three capable leaders of these trainees, Elizar, Shawn, and Mark, who do you think will be able to get a golden egg from the wild phoenix?"

"Who knows? Only the phoenix will know to whom she will give the golden egg," was his cold reply.

"You're really a boring friend. I'll just look for some food for us. I'll be back here!" He immediately stood up and was about to jump down when Captain Edrian raised her right hand while looking at the first group.

"There are two tigers lingering around the first group," he said.

"It's just a tiger. They can handle it. I'm already starving and we need some food."

"Don't go!" Captain Edrian took a bag from his secret packet. "Only the trainees aren't allowed to bring food and clothing here, not us. "You silly man, since you're so good at nothing." He rolled his eyes.

Captain Dan immediately took the bag from him with a big smile. He didn't mind his words because he was used to them anyway. "You're really prepared wherever we go and whatever happens!" he said and opened the bag.

"The tigers will attack them."

"They have their weapons! Why are you worrying that much? " Dan asked and bit into the green apple he was holding.

"I'm not just looking at the tigers but that wild beast of a white bear." He pointed out the bear who was walking towards the first group too.

"Oh s**t!" He was craunched and had accidentally let go of the green apple. "s**t, that was too big and as tall as 24 feet, quartered our height and tripled our size. He must be a century old beast."

"Indeed! Have you seen any assassins now?" Captain Edrian asked.

He immediately looked around and smiled, "Yes! They are already scattered around the forest."

"Great, but I think they can't kill the beast, not unless Princess Tiny will make us able to release our powerful Minnies for a moment."

"They are monitoring the situation outside the forest. It's just one click and we're all already able to release our Minnies. We don't have to worry!"

"I don't know, Captain Dan, but I have a weird feeling."

"Oh, come on! It's you who told me not to worry lately. We've been training new warriors for so long and we've been here fighting different kinds of beasts for uncountable times. Nothi—"

He stopped speaking when he saw that the two tigers were already attacking the first group and that the trainees were now panicking.