A full week had passed and today was perfect for an outing.
The air was crisp, the birds were chirping, and the sun was shining high above the clouds.
"Elise, come on, we gotta go!"
Alexander said as he jogged in place at the front door.
Elise was fixing her trench coat.
The trench coat was long and it was bright blue, On the front, it had eight black buttons.
On her hip was a sword and a revolver, and on her head was a black and blue cap.
Her hands were covered in white gloves with a back outline down the side.
She looks like a soldier and a sexy one at that.
"Looking good Elise," Alexander smirked.
Elise smiled as she finished fixing her coat.
"Save your jests from the young dames who will come in the future."
She chuckled as she reached her hand out.
Alexander accepted it and Elise pushed open the mansion doors.
Alexander blinked a few times as he looked around the front lawn.
There was a cobblestone pathway that started from the door and led up to the gate.
On either side of the pathway was a large patch of green grass, and rows of small trees.
It looked like a typical mansion, a little older than he expected, but it was still pretty fancy.
Alexander and Elise began walking down the pathway.
Their boots clacked against the stone, while a gentle breeze caused Elise's trench coat to flow gently in the wind.
"Are you excited, my lord?" Elise asked, looking down at Alexander as they grew closer to the gate.
"Absolutely," he replied with a smile.
Can you imagine all the opportunities that await me?
When they finally reached the gate, a man dressed in attire similar to Elise greeted them.
After tipping his cap towards the duo he slowly pushed open the large metal gates.
Revealing the paved street that led towards the city.
Alexander could see rows of buildings of various sizes.
Some of them even looked to be factories with giant puffs of black smoke coming from their smokestacks.
There were power lines and the sounds of trams ringing their bells.
High in the sky were the zeppelins he saw so often from the window.
Alexander's excitement could barely be contained as he began to giggle like a schoolgirl.
Elise chuckled as she tightened her grip on Alexander's small hand. "Come, my Lord, we must choose a carriage for our travels."
Elise pulled Alexander away from the gate and towards the stables, where a few black and blue carriages were parked outside.
They were all extremely similar in appearance.
However, there were a few inconsistencies between them. Presumably due to how they were constructed.
Elise reached her hand into her coat pocket and then pulled out a small red fruit of some kind.
The duo then began to make their way towards the stables.
Reaching the massive stable doors, Elise released Alexander's hand and pushed open the doors.
Alexander was immediately greeted by the sight of large fox-like animals.
"Woah!" He exclaimed as he studied the strange creatures.
He had managed to catch a glimpse of them when Ava was leaving, but seeing them so closely was an entirely different experience
As they walked further into the stables, Alexander got a better look at the creatures.
He noticed that each of them had three tails and that they had strange swirling patterns in their fur.
Their eyes glowed a solid blue, and their fur seemed to be extremely soft.
"Can I touch them?" Alexander asked as Elise continued to walk towards the back of the stables.
She chuckled as she handed the small red fruit to Alexander, "That's what this is for my lord."
As Alexander accepted the fruit Elise stopped in front of one of the fox-like creatures.
It had white fur and black swirling patterns all over its body.
"Hello Liz, are you feeling well today?" She asked as she reached her hand out towards the fox-like creature.
The creature hummed softly, slowly stepping forward. She made a noise similar to laughter, or chirping.
Elise smiled, "Look, Liz, Alexander has a treat for you."
Elise gently placed a hand under Liz's snout, then turned her head towards Alexander.
Liz's blue eyes widened as she spotted the fruit in Alex's hand.
She began to chirp loudly as she licked her snout, Alexander took a step forward and raised his hand towards Liz.
Liz began to tap her paws onto the floor and her tail began to swish around excitedly.
She chirped and sniffed at Alexander's hand.
Elise chuckled as she continued to run her hand through Liz's fur, "It's ok Liz, go ahead and eat it."
Without hesitation, Liz licked the fruit from Alexander's hand and began to eat it.
Her chirping quickly turned into the sound of laughter,
Both Alexander and Elise began to laugh alongside Liz as she continued to lick his hand.
"Alright Liz, you ate all there was, now are you ready for an outing?" Elise asked as she began to take a step back.
Liz's ears perked up and she began to exit her stall.
Elise then walked towards the back wall to grab a harness.
Alexander continued to watch Liz with amazement and star-struck eyes.
"This is so cool." He said as he began to rub Liz's leg, feeling her soft fur between his small fingers.
"Yeah, your sister reacted the same way when she first saw a Windwalker, they are majestic creatures aren't they?"
Majestic is an understatement.
Elise returned with the harness and placed it on Liz.
Once Liz was harnessed, Elise guided her outside towards the carriages.
There were three in total, however, one was not like the others as it was open-top.
Elise picked the open-top carriage and began to secure Liz to it.
As she did so, Alexander began to study the carriage.
The carriage was elegant and simple in design.
Its doors were made of polished wood and its seats were made of black leather.
Once Elise Liz was secured, she approached Alexander and lifted him into the carriage.
Once he was inside Elise moved towards the front of the carriage and hopped onto the driver's bench.
"Stay seated my lord," Elise said as she grabbed the reins.
Alexander leaned back in his seat and turned his head to look at the scenery.
With the flick of her wrists, Elise began to drive down the street.
The city that Alexander often saw from a distance, now grew closer and closer.
The ride was slow, but Alexander's heart was racing with anticipation.
He was finally going to enter the city and see the world beyond the windows.
The 20th-century architecture was extremely prominent.
The roads were alive with Windwalker-pulled carriages, their sleek frames gliding smoothly over cobblestone.
Tram lines ran through the center, snaking across the city like steel veins.
Signs hung from every corner.
Food vendors, appliance shops, clothing boutiques…
Each trying to pull in the crowd.
Standing at some kind of booth on every other street corner, were people dressed like Elise
Unlike Elise however, they had rifles with bayonets on the tip.
And they wore a different patch on their shoulder.
Are they some kind of guard?
"Elise, who are they?"
Alexander asked as he pointed to one of the guards changing position with another.
Elise turned to look, before quickly returning her gaze to the bustling streets.
"Those are pathfinder guards, they are used to protect important industrial hubs in the Fallen kingdom, my lord."
Alexander grew confused.
From what Ava taught him, he assumed pathfinders were more like soldiers, not guards.
Doesn't this mean Elise is a pathfinder?
"Elise, are you a pathfinder as well?" Alexander asked.
"Yes my lord, I serve directly under your father, so that allows me to stay at the mansion with you."
She answered, looking back at Alexander with a warm smile.
Alexander smiled back at her, but his mind was becoming mush.
How deep does this Pathfinder organization go?
As they continued their drive around the city, Alexander got a variety of looks.
The adults were respectful and nodded their heads, the kids were curious and stared at them with awe.
While the poor and unfortunate, stared him down with a burning envy in their eyes.
I hope they didn't blame me for their situation, it's not like it's my fault.
"My lord, do you have anywhere in particular you wish to visit?" Elise asked, beginning to slow the carriage down slightly.
Alexander had been so eager to see the city, that he didn't even think of what he wanted to see.
"Any suggestions?" Alexander asked.
"There is talk of a noble from the Ambur kingdom revealing a new piece of technology," Elise answered.
How convenient.
"Yes, let's visit this unveiling."