If Vincent Mack was in a coma, he was beginning to hope he never woke up with each passing second.
Walking through the steel-enforced wooden gates after finally convincing the soldiers they meant no harm, was like entering an entirely new world again. The chain-powered, enormous gates lead directly into one of the few bustling shopping districts inside the walls, where store fronts, restaurants and various carts awaited patrons; each shop holding an array of different items and foods, some familiar and some unknown to the mailman.
Maroon bricks littered the ground, acting as both the sidewalks for the residents and visitors, as well as the roads for the numerous horse-drawn buggies. He couldn't help himself but watch as people interacted with one another, and it felt like a fairytale.
Accents he was acquainted with tickled his ears, while others were so foreign it seemed unintelligible, but yet they appeared to all be friendly with one another; something he wasn't used to.
Back home he could say hello to someone and then be shot for it and his body robbed.
As Maddox and Vinny bypassed the shops and trekked deeper into the colossal city side-by-side, their destination the castle in the center, businesses began turning into residential buildings. The noise from the crowds started to thin out drastically, though it was swiftly replaced by clanking dishes and children playing.
Class status was becoming apparent to him too; with the run down, aged and dirty buildings belonging to the poor and the biggest ones with vibrant colors and appearing brand new were owned by the wealthy. Though he failed to see anything that could accommodate someone like him; homeless.
"I know you sleep in dens," he began, breaking the long silence between him and his wolf companion. "But are there places for me that aren't as... natural?" Vinny had never went camping before in his life, and he wasn't sure how he'd take living off the world's resources now of all times. "Maybe a hotel?"
Maddox shook his head, "ho-tels?" he slowly repeated, pondering the word. "The only word I've heard similarly I believe, are broth-els." His yellow eyes snapped to his mailman as he attempted to sound out brothels like Vinny hadn't heard it before. "Are you wanting a bitch?"
"A bit- No!" Vincent's face turned red as he instantly tried to hush his new friend. "That's not nice to say, Maddox. Women are not bitches!" He tried to scold his wolf using a whisper.
"I have only ever heard them called that; even my mother was a bitch, Vincent. I'm sorry for my insults," his tone stayed the same, failing to take Vinny's advice.
Though before Vincent could say anything more to his oblivious pup, their attention was quickly grabbed by a fierce woman bolting from the heavily barred gates of the castle; they had reached the end of the common parts of the city, and entered the restricted areas of it.
She wasn't in the typical guard apparel he was used to seeing, despite being so protective over the castle grounds, and she looked to be around the same age as him. He assumed someone who didn't need to wear the typical uniform would be older, with years of experience earning them that right.
Instead, she was wearing a crimson bodycon dress with slits up each side ending at her hips, with armor replacing the sleeves; and she was demanding them to stop immediately. The guards in charge of the gate were in armor he had seen previously and throughout the city, and remained by the gate's side, but stayed vigilant, their eyes glued to Vincent and Maddox, weapons wielded.
Two illuminating yellow daggers formed into each of the woman's hands, readying herself for anything as she cautiously approached. "What's your business with the castle, illusionist?" Her long, fine black hair was gently blowing from a slight breeze coming off her weapons, her heeled boots clicking with each step. "Release your illusion or I'll attack!"
Vincent didn't know what else to do other than raise his hands into the air like he was being approached by an officer back on Earth. "I come in peace! I'm a mailman that my friend here says the King would want to talk to?
"Mailman?" She continued to approach them, refusing to sheath her weapons as her honey shaded eyes glanced at Maddox. "He's real?"
"Yes, and he comes in peace too," he gulped as the woman kept walking towards them.
"What's a mailman?" Her gaze went back to Vinny, "why would a King want to speak with someone who calls themselves a made-up word."
Made-up? He wondered to himself. "Courier?"
The woman stopped just shy of the duo, Maddox only sitting to create a few more inches between them. "We have many of those, probably too many. What makes you special?" Her words were sharp and her stare was like daggers at she glared into his soul, her patience nonexistent.
Vinny felt a sweltering heat coming from her weapons, resembling the same heat he felt grace his skin while walking in the sun when doing his routes. "Touch him," Vincent whispered to her, a smirk forming on his face.
"What?" She snapped, her fists tightening around the flaming handles of her sun-powered twin daggers. Vinny only repeated himself by flicking his head towards Maddox, urging her to listen, the sly smirk only getting bigger.
She exhaled loudly, rolling her eyes, before making her weapons disappear into thin air. The duo held their breath simultaneously as her hand reached out and gently grabbed a handful of Maddox's fur, holding it within her grip for just a second before she let it go. But before her hand fell to her side, she immediately began to run her fingers back through his fur, petting him and scratching him. "He's real..." she gasped, watching as Maddox's tail started to wag. "You said you're a mailman?" She turned back towards Vinny, her voice softened like she was finally interested in what he had to say as she continued petting the mighty wolf. "If a mailman can tame a Sire Wolf, then the King would love to meet you."
She twisted herself around, "let them in!" She shouted at the guards, "I'm going to take them to the King myself." The guards all looked at each other before doing as she told, and in return, the woman wasted no time in guiding her new guests towards where they needed to go, reaching the gates before they were fully opened.
She then silently lead them down a long, wide path of the same maroon bricks, lined with meticulously groomed, rectangular rose bushes. On the other side of the bushes was flat, green land without a tree in site. The entire property felt like a city within a city.
It didn't take them long before they stopped at the first step of a towering staircase to the vaulted, cathedral castle, and when their guide finally spoke again.
"My name's Lara," she stated, finally introducing herself. "I'm the Princess, but also one of the best fighters in my father's Kingdom." She peered back at them as they began traversing the grand staircase to the font doors of the castle, prompting the duo to introduce themselves to avoid any conflict with her. "It's actually perfect timing that you're here, Vincent," she continued, silently thanking the guards that opened the doors for them.
"What do you mean?" Him and Maddox looked at each other, both of them hoping they knew what she was talking about as they followed her inside.
Vincent was trying his hardest not to shout in excitement as he was overcome with joy upon seeing the immense artistic entryway. The ceiling was hand painted with what appeared to be the Kingdom's history, and its journey through the centuries as each King fought and failed to become emperor of the world.
"My father's been needing to get a letter to the Eastern Hemisphere's King, but with the never-ending war, every courier ever sent has been killed; he has no one else to send because they all refuse to go now."
Vinncent snorted, amused that she sounded confused for a moment, though he quickly checked himself when she scowled over her shoulder at him. "They were brave men," he remarked, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "and I'd be honored to finish their job, princess."
This time she laughed at him, mocking him. "Even if you weren't honored to do so, at this point you have no choice. You offered before you got the details, so now you work for the Kingdom."
Vinny shrugged, "I'm not bothered one bit. I'm more than prepared!" He looked down at his bag that was still faithfully hanging across his body, and smiled, memories of all his deliveries rushing back to him. He then shoved one of his hands into it, excited to experience the feeling of delivering mail again, but to his dismay, the bag of treats were back. "Huh?" he muttered to himself. "They're back?" He pulled them out and Maddox immediately noticed, his tail wagging instantly.
"You have more?" He tried to remain calm, "can I, by chance, have another?"
He opened the small cloth baggy, taking out a singular cracker, before tucking the bag back into the sack. "What's it even taste like?"
Lara looked back once more as they were walking down a long hall, a pair of double doors at the end of it. She was curious to Maddox's answer, so she remained quiet, waiting.
"Something I have never had before, and yet, was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted." Drool started to gather around his fangs, dripping onto the floor and leaving a trail behind as they grew closer to the end of the hall. "I can only assume it's what mammoth tastes like. They've been extinct longer than humans have existed; the only animal to ever go extinct."
"Well," Lara interrupted them, with Vinny tossing the cracker at Maddox, "we're here. My father's study; his favorite place to be where he can drink in peace and pretend to run the kingdom efficiently."