Chapter 584: The Keystone
Borealis soared through the sky, his powerful wings beating a steady rhythm. The earth blurred beneath us, a dizzying expanse of colors and shapes. Now that my initial panic had subsided, I noticed the intense cold radiating from him, a consequence of his icy nature. Snow formed in our wake, a shimmering trail that followed us like a comet’s tail. It would have been a beautiful sight if I weren’t huddled a mile in the air with only Luke to cling to.
"I’ve never flown this fast in my life!" Jessica shouted, her voice barely audible above the roar of the wind. "Why haven’t we been traveling like this the whole time?"
Luke chuckled, shaking his head. "We can’t exactly move an entire army this way. Besides, traveling on the ground gives us more time to grow in power. The people we’re fighting have had decades, if not centuries, to hone their abilities. We’ve only been active for three years."
Three years? If my memory served, I had been summoned two years ago. The first few months were a blur, trapped in the warehouse and then the Divine Throne. After half a year, during the Sun Festival, Soltair had taken me out into Enusia. Our journey lasted another half year, culminating in the Church stripping me of my title and abandoning me to Lord Byron. I couldn’t quite recall how long I’d endured his clutches, but I escaped sometime between spring and summer. And now, another year was drawing to a close.
I glanced at R’lissea, finding her lost in thought, her eyes distant. She blinked, her pointed ears twitching, as she felt my gaze.
"Next week," she said with a small, knowing smile, anticipating my question.
"Thanks," I murmured, rubbing my horn.
Borealis let out a screech, causing us all to jump. Jessia and R’lissea crept to his shoulder, bobbing up and down as the enormous muscle moved its wing. They were back a moment later.
"We’re almost there. A few more seconds, and we’ll be over the city."
Luke leaned down, his voice soft in my ear. "Are you going to be alright?"
I nodded. "I-I think so."