Chapter 165: Leaving
Reaching the edge of the mountain peak, where jagged stone steps spiraled downward like a path carved by ancient titans, Alex paused and glanced at Nyxara. The cold wind swept through his hair, carrying with it the scent of distant trees and wild magic.
Nyxara met his gaze, her feline eyes narrowing slightly. With a sharp nod, she leapt from his shoulder. Mid-air, her body began to shift—bones elongating, muscle expanding, fur rippling like wind across water.
By the time she landed, the petite tigress had transformed into her true, awe-inspiring form: a massive, sleek predator with black and silver stripes that shimmered under the sun like runes of storm-forged steel.
Alex landed on her back without hesitation, his body moving in perfect sync with hers.
Aetheria had graciously offered one of her own beasts to carry them down the treacherous descent—but Alex and Nyxara had declined. As they still didn’t trust her enough, especially since they showed her the contract.
And so they moved.
Nyxara lunged forward, paws striking the stone with practiced grace as she launched them down the slope. Thunder cracked with every stride—no, not thunder, but the crackling hiss of black lightning that danced along her body and arced from her limbs, leaving smoking trails in the air.
Their descent was a blur of motion and raw power.
From afar—if one happened to be anywhere near what was once known as Mont Blanc—they might catch a fleeting glimpse: a colossal tigress streaking down the mountainside like a living bolt of fury, a figure on her back veiled in lightning, descending not as travelers but as omens.
In less than a few minutes, they had reached the base.
The mountain now loomed behind them like a fading monument to what had just occurred.