Chapter 84: The attention [BONUS]
At the head of the convoy rode Siris.
Her dark hair was tied in a high ponytail, swaying with each powerful stride of her mount, an imposing beast adorned with crimson feathers that shimmered with energy. Her gaze was firm, unwavering, locked onto the road ahead. The polished silver of her armor blazed under the sun, drawing every eye it passed.
Behind her came the knights, dozens of them, each radiating the same sharp presence. Their eyes and expressions carried the weight of triumph, like soldiers returning from war. They rode broad, muscular horses and surrounded a luxurious carriage bearing the unmistakable crest of the Draven household, clearly carrying someone of great importance.
Another carriage followed closely behind.
It was even more heavily guarded, surrounded by a formation of knights locked in perfect rhythm, every movement deliberate. The carriage rolled forward like a fortress on wheels, slow, steady, and unshakable. As it emerged into full view, a hush fell over the streets. The noise, the whispers, the breathless curiosity vanished.
In their place came a quiet tension. Fear. Awe. And something harder to name. Relief, maybe. Or the weight of recognition.
Atop the carriage, secured in reinforced restraints, rested a creature unlike anything most had ever witnessed up close. Massive and dark blue, it looked at first like a slab of ancient stone. But when its limbs twitched and its head shifted slightly, the illusion broke.
It was alive. And it was monstrous.
Actually, scenes like this weren’t unusual for the people of the capital. At least not until three years ago, when most of the kingdom’s practitioners were still alive and many were at the peak of their power.