"Pull!"
The Knights gave a mighty heave. The already disoriented Pegasus could no longer maintain its balance. With a sorrowful cry, it flapped its wings and plummeted crookedly toward the ground.
"Careful!"
Several nearby Knights rushed forward, scrambling to catch it. Although the landing was still rough, they managed to prevent any serious injuries.
Moonlight, however, had leaped gracefully just before the Pegasus hit the ground, landing steadily on the nearby grass. It shook out its fur, strutted elegantly over to Raylo's feet, and tilted its head, rubbing it against his pant leg with an expression that clearly said, 'Praise me.'
"Good job, Moonlight! You're the real hero today!"
Raylo bent down and once again vigorously ruffled the fur on Moonlight's big, fluffy head, his heart filled with indescribable joy.
Watching the Pegasus, now firmly restrained by the Knights—still neighing and struggling anxiously, but unable to escape—Raylo and Ed exchanged a glance, each seeing the excitement and satisfaction in the other's eyes.
This was a huge haul!
"My Lord, we've captured a total of six Pegasi!"
A Knight finished his count and stepped forward to report, his face alight with unconcealed excitement.
"Good! Excellent!"
Raylo nodded, his gaze sweeping over the magnificent creatures.
"Check them for injuries and apply our best medicinal herbs. Be gentle; don't frighten them any further."
He then glanced at the Pegasus that Moonlight had knocked out with two quick punches. It seemed to be coming to, lying on the ground with a dazed look in its eyes, as if questioning its very existence.
The Knights roared their assent, their faces beaming with joy.
Capturing a Pegasus was an achievement they could boast about for the rest of their lives!
Ed directed the Knights, and they began to carefully manage the scene.
They needed to cover the Pegasi's eyes with special blindfolds to calm them, then lead them with sturdier ropes in preparation for the journey back to Black Stone Town.
"Ed, has all the Earth Dragon Grass been collected?" Raylo asked, looking at Ed, who was directing the Knights to blindfold the Pegasi.
"Yes, my Lord. It's all been properly stored."
Ed walked over quickly, an irrepressible smile on his face.
"This is a massive haul!"
After being blindfolded, the Pegasi indeed quieted down significantly. Though still restless and anxious, they no longer struggled as frantically as before.
"My Lord, these Pegasi... they're incredibly wild. I'm afraid they'll be difficult to tame."
An experienced old Knight said worriedly, watching the Pegasi as they pawed at the ground and shook their heads.
Raylo looked at the graceful, powerful creatures, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "Pegasi are indeed proud, but not untamable. The fact that they were drawn by the Earth Dragon Grass shows they have needs we can exploit. Once we're back, we'll take our time. There's always a way."
"Alright, it's getting late. We need to head back as soon as possible."
The party set off on their journey home.
They had traveled light on the way there, but now they were returning with six "burdens."
Even though they were blindfolded, the Pegasi's wild nature wasn't suppressed. They continued to paw at the ground, shake their bound heads, and let out anxious neighs.
The Knights were on high alert, working in pairs to hold the reins tight, constantly wary of a sudden outburst.
Moonlight seemed to have lost interest in the large creatures. Perhaps the earlier two punches had taken a bit out of it. It was now lounging lazily on Raylo's shoulder, its eyes half-closed, its tail sweeping idly across the back of Raylo's neck. Only when a particular Pegasus grew restless, causing the Knights to scramble, would it lift an eyelid to glance over, a low "hmmm" rumbling in its throat—part warning, part mockery.
Raylo, however, was feeling more relaxed than ever.
He was already fantasizing about forming his own Flying Cavalry squad.
The bumps along the road and the occasional commotion from the Pegasi didn't affect the party's overall speed.
Just before the sun sank completely below the horizon, the familiar silhouette of Black Stone Town finally appeared at the edge of their vision.
"The Lord is back!"
The guards on duty at the town entrance had sharp eyes. They spotted the party from a great distance, along with the particularly conspicuous, massive figures within the group.
"What is that? Such huge horses... and they have wings?!"
"My god! They're Pegasi!"
The news spread through Black Stone Town as if it had wings of its own.
When Raylo and his party slowly led the six magnificent Pegasi through the town gate—their divine nature impossible to hide even with blindfolds—they were greeted by an unprecedented uproar.
Black Stone Town had already been bustling with people due to the recruitment of Knight Apprentices, and the temporary registration booths set up in the central square were incredibly lively.
Now, everyone's attention was captured. The streets were lined with townspeople who had rushed over upon hearing the news. They craned their necks and stared wide-eyed at the legendary creatures, their faces filled with shock and curiosity.
"Good heavens! The Lord actually caught Pegasi!"
"Six of them! A full six!"
"So majestic! Look at those wings, those lines..."
Gasps of amazement and excited chatter rose and fell, merging into a great wave of sound.
The already lively registration area was now completely ignited with excitement. Even some of the people lining up to register couldn't help but run over to see the spectacle.
The guards in charge of maintaining order had to use every ounce of their strength just to clear a path through the crowd.
The Knights' faces beamed with pride. They puffed out their chests, held the reins tightly, and basked in the admiring and envious gazes of the townspeople.
The feat of capturing Pegasi was enough for them to brag about for a lifetime!
Moonlight seemed to relish being the center of attention. It stood up on Raylo's shoulder like a triumphant general returning from battle, surveying the crowd below from its high perch and letting out a satisfied purr.
The arrival of the Pegasi was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the fledgling Black Stone Town, which was still in the early stages of rebuilding. It gave everyone a glimpse of hope and a brighter future.
"Ed, take the Pegasi to the stables first. Leave two Knights to stand guard, and treat them to our best fodder and fresh water," Raylo ordered.
"Yes, my Lord!"
Ed accepted the order and directed the Knights, carefully leading the still-restless Pegasi toward the stables at the back of the town.
The crowd parted automatically to form a path, their eyes following the mystical creatures, unwilling to look away.
Just then, a travel-worn party returned from the opposite direction. It was Bolin, who had been ordered to search for the shipwreck upstream on the Black Water River.
He had seen the commotion at the town entrance from afar, and was startled when he got closer and saw the Pegasi being led away.
"My Lord!"
Bolin strode forward, his face etched with unconcealed exhaustion, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.
"I have succeeded in my mission!"
"Good work, Bolin."
Raylo clapped him on the shoulder.
"From the look of you, you had quite a haul?"
Bolin broke into a grin.
"Yes, my Lord! We found the wreckage of a large, beached ship on a shoal upstream. It looks like it was capsized by some massive sea monster. The hull is severely damaged, but we searched it thoroughly and found a lot of good stuff!"
He paused, his voice tinged with excitement. "In a hidden compartment in the ship's hold, we found this!"
As he spoke, he signaled for the soldiers behind him to bring forward several heavy chests.
Bolin's face swelled with pride. "A total of two thousand two hundred Golden Dragons!"
"And that's not all!"
Bolin continued his report.
"We also found plenty of supplies in the hold! Over a hundred sacks of grain, several hundred bolts of linen, and a few barrels of fine wine!"
Grain and linen were practical necessities, while the wine meant a few moments of enjoyment and relaxation after a hard day's work.
"Additionally, there was a good amount of iron ore and some timber on the ship. They're waterlogged, but they'll be usable after some processing. I've already arranged with Old Buck to have people start transporting the materials back. They should all arrive by tomorrow," Bolin added.
Raylo nodded in satisfaction.
Money, grain, cloth, ore, and timber—this shipload was a windfall that would greatly alleviate Black Stone Town's current resource shortage.
The two thousand-plus Golden Dragons, in particular, were a godsend for their pressing financial needs.