Agatha and Roud woke up that morning quite satisfied with their sleep. It had been a very hard time in those tombs; they both needed to breathe out all that stress by a fair, good, and long sleep. They woke up around 11 o’clock, but they were fine. The night before, they put the ship on an emerald windy root so they were not in peril for the night.

  Bracchius was lying on a side of the ship, looking at the creatures flying around from time to time. Roud made a big yawn and went to the small kitchen of his ship. He put a moka machine on the fire to make some delicious coffee for him and Agatha.

  “What are you doing, Roud?” asked Agatha just entering the kitchen...

  “Just some coffee, I might have some honey we can eat for breakfast, and I can bake some bred but it will take at least half an hour for that...would you like that?” asked Roud,

  “Sure, why not? Since we have to travel quite a lot, there is time to eat properly, even a late breakfast...” asked Agatha. She then went to see the moka on the fire. Roud was looking for a couple of nice coffee cups in the cupboard. Agatha looked at the shelf...

  “Dragon breath...coffee...” she read...”Roud? What on sky is the Dragon Breath coffee? I never ever heard of it. You just named it like that?” asked Agatha,

  “Oh, not at all...that is the special coffee bread for the Royal family”, said Roud while putting the coffee cups on the table as if it was the most normal thing to have in his kitchen...

  “You are telling me you have one of the most prestigious coffees in the Sky Mountains?” asked Agatha with a big smile,

  “Well...yes. Every time I go and pass by the king, to asked him how he is and chat a little bit, he always gives me some special coffee. He says he has too much coffee for himself in his castle, so he is happy to give it away...” said Roud, smiling

  “That is very kind of him; he is also the one who sent you on this quest...so I guessed some special coffee is not such a big deal for him afterall since you are actually risking your own life every hour, maybe?” said Agatha while Roud was pouring coffee from the moka to the cups. They sat down drinking the coffee in the cozy kitchen, Roud had on his ship...when Agatha just jumped from her stool!

  “Wait!” she jumped out of the kitchen and to the ship's docks...

  “What is it, Agatha?” asked Roud, while walking slowly to the kitchen door.

  Agatha made a strong thistle with her right hand, and there the post officer got back to the ship...

  Yes, exactly, the post officer. Agatha saw him flying on the other side of the ship in the opposite direction. The post officer drove his flying bike closer to the ship. The bike was made of wood with pedals. The left and right sides of it are two double wings. On the sides closer to the biker, there are two big bags full of postcards and letters. At the back of the bike, a Brenath silk sail. The post officer was dressed in blue, wearing a fancy hat with a red feather. He pulled a rope on Agatha. She grabbed it with one hand while having the coffee in the other hand and secured the rope to the cleat.

  “Gooood morrrning misss...” said the post officer,

  “Good morning, sir. I apologise for the whistleling but I saw you at the last moment...” said Agatha,

  “What can Iiiiiii...help you with..my dear...” asked the post officer,

  “I need you to send a letter to Humelian, my grandpa. I am lucky you are a red in line officer.” She looked at his red feather on the hat.

  “Yesss...sometimes they think it's orange, but you should tell them, lady! I am wondering if sometimes they try to fake it, it’s orange only to pay me less, but nonono..I am a red officer!” said the officer.

  How does the Sky mountains sistem work? Well, it is a bit complicated, but basically it functions from island to Island. Post officers travel short distances, but quite fast with their special flying bikes. They are all dressed the same way but have a different color of feather depending on the speed the mail has to arrived to destination. Red is an urgent matter; Orange is an important matter. Yellow is an average matter, and green is a casual matter. Special feathers are the Purple feather for noble matter and the blue feather for military matter. The most exclusive is the golden feather for royal matters and the silver feather for queen matters. The final and last one is the white feather, for magic or holy matters. Basically, white feathers are carried by post officers who have a special dispatch from Wizards or priestesses. It is not hard to travel with a flying bike, because they mostly only do emerald root journeys. They hardly need to exit them towards an Island since at every change of route there is usually a post office flying there.

  Every letter has to be paid for beforehand. Because that money could be important for the travel incidents the post officer might have during his journey. You may think that this system could be risky because of the mercenaries around. But mercenaries are no longer interested in letters or affairs. The Civil War has changed the system of power once and for all, and mercenaries are now looking for treasure most of the time. They do not want to be part of the system, nor do they want to start another war; they know they cannot win. As I have introduced you to this war with Rhedis a bit, I shall provide you with more details.

  For millennia, the sky mountains have been ruled by the Royal family. The royals have been good in the history of Sky men, but unfortunately, some characters in these territories no longer liked that. They started misguiding certain members, poisoning the atmosphere, and sowing guilt among the royal family, which slowly led to a Civil war. The king did not want this to happen at all, but in the end, they won. They imprisoned the impostors and saved the country. However, people's minds changed, so the King himself decided it was time to share power differently.

  He created a Republic, serving as its constitutional protector. He created a parliament elected by its own people, and he decided that nobles, himself included, had to decide...to keep the titles but no servants or properties, or to lose the titles but keep the properties. Rhedis was one of those who kept the title but lost everything. He started again from scratch and kept his title of noble. That is why Sky men admire him. Because his noble title has been shown to be worth the man having it. The King had to ask to be stripped of his title because he could not reveal the secrets of the castle to anyone. He was the only one left to protect all that historical treasure. The great library of Kenant Maison.

  But even if he stripped himself of the crown. The parliament members passed a law recognizing the keeper of the constitution as the “Crown of knowledge”. They felt embarrassed. The King always fought for them, he had to proceed with an injustified war against him, when he was not the corruption behind it all. At the end, he did not have to change the rules of power for them, but he did, as his ultimate gesture of love. That is why the people of the Sky Mountains still recognize him as the King. King Bartholomeus the 15th has lost all his children because of the war. He has no heir to the throne and is called “The lonely king”.

  Mercenaries were actually part of the kingdom. But because of betrayal, they have been persuaded to fight against the king alongside other major forces of the sky men. Anyhow, they have always lived forgotten by society, so they are back living the way they did before. Free. Some call them scoundrels, some call them thieves. But they are quite strong, and the military hires them for affairs against magical creatures who have become too aggressive or for other military operations. They are respected but also feared. They are hated as admired. Kids have fun impersonating them during fights. In your world are called pirates...in this world are mercenaries.

  Agatha went to the studio of Roud, took a feather and ink, and wrote to her Grandpa:

  “Dear “commander” Humelian..how are you?

  I know I might have disappeared for a while...

  but I am actually doing work...

  I have been hired as an assigned hunter by Mr. Roud,

  I know you won’t believe me, but basically...

  the Wizard of Light!

  I am on a special task for the King himself with Mr. Roud.

  I will be rewarded so much that you will have to stop working as well!

  Love you so much...

  your Agatha

  PS: I guess I might come back in a week?”

  “Roud? Roud???” called Agatha from the studio,

  “Yes, what is it, Agatha?” asked Roud,

  “Do you have some special stamp to show my grandpa I am not lying?” asked Agatha...”I am very sure he won’t believe me and will venture in search of me without that...” said Agatha,

  “Oh...sure...there you go,” said Roud. He took a golden stamp from the drawer, pushed it against the closed letter, infused it with light, and the stamp was burned onto the letter.

  “This is amazing! Thank you, Roud!” said Agatha while running back towards the post officer...

  “There you go, officer!” said Agatha with a bit of breath from the running...

  “What kind of ship is this? I have never seen something like this before...” said the officer while looking around,

  “It is the ship of a royal member, dear officer...” said Roud while arriving, walking slowly.

  “Are you sure mr...?” asked the post officer,

  “Yes, I am sure, officer...” said Roud while showing a ring with a sign.

  “Oh...yes indeed, my apologies. So this letter is to whom?” asked the post officer.

  “To Commander Humelian, shipbuilder of Naernit Frenas, house of the wings,” said Agatha,

  “You really mean that, Commander Humelian?” asked the post officer,

  “What of it?” asked Agatha,

  “Oh...nothing, nothing, I am asking too many questions, I should keep them to myself...ahah!” said the post officer, “ok, that would be 35 clouds”.

  “Can you at least pay this in advance, Roud? I only have a coin worth too much...” asked Agatha.

  “Sure, that is no big deal...”

  Roud gave the post officer the money from his pockets, and the post officer made a very nice bow, went back to his flying bike, and greeted the two. Agatha set the bike free, and the post officer was ready to depart.

  “Well, do you smell this, Agatha?” asked Roud,

  “What? Ah...wait...I smell it!” said Agatha,

  “While you were busy with the letter, I made the bread. I guess it's time for some honey too...” said Roud, smiling.

  Bracchius smelled the bread too and wanted some! The three got back into the kitchen for a late breakfast. The ship is still traveling safely on the Emerald root towards their new destination