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"The storm is said to have five layers, each one more difficult than the last. What we're looking at now is the Outer Howl. It begins hundreds of kilometres from where we stand, but it stretches far deeper than that."
Tikvah's voice carried through the wind, though the constant howling distorted parts of it. Even so, I heard her clearly enough.
"Thanks for the warning."
I replied.
"It's already getting rough. Use those scarves I gave you back in Parvak."
The moment I said it, both of them avoided my gaze.
I stared at them for a second.
"Great. You misplaced them."
I muttered.
With a quiet sigh, I duplicated my own and handed one to each of them. They wrapped the scarves around their necks at once, the cloth snapping slightly in the strengthening wind.
We stood there for a brief moment, facing the colossal wall of the Skyborn Tempest, Varnok.
"Stay close."
I said.
Then I moved first, leading the way straight into the Outer Howl.
At first the storm felt almost tame. The first hundred kilometres were little more than heavy winds and drifting mist. The sky churned endlessly above us, but it was manageable.
Then the storm began to change. A deep vibration crept into the air, low-frequency infrasound that pressed against the body like an invisible weight.
Moments later the winds intensified, rising into violent supersonic gales capable of tearing balance away and inducing deafness or vertigo.
I noticed the shift immediately. I had already reconstructed parts of my body so I could experience the effects without allowing them to overwhelm me. It gave me a clearer understanding of what the storm was doing.
Other than that, the...my thoughts halted.
'The others…'
I turned around to check but no one was behind me. The roaring wind swallowed the empty space where they should have been.
'Where did they go?'
Without hesitation, I reversed course, moving back through the raging air while searching for traces of disturbance. Even in this chaos, movement left faint signatures.
I followed the thin of energy trail they had left behind. Focusing entirely on their magic signatures, I heightened my senses and pushed through the screaming winds. Minutes passed before a familiar presence flickered within the storm.
'There.'
Through the swirling currents I spotted someone curled beneath a pair of broad wings, using them as a shield against the violent gale.
'Tikvah.'
"Hey!"
I called out even though she couldn't hear me.
'Damn. Enta, how were you able to communicate telepathically with Vera?'
'I don't know. I just did, and it worked.'
I clicked my tongue.
'I need to create a space immune to the storm. Barriers won't be stable, plus I have to save up for what's ahead.'
'Use the cloak. It appears immune to the storm.'
Entares suggested.
'How come I haven't thought of that? My body is still warm, immune to the temperature drop around here.'
I approached the shivering little dragon, the cloak reacting to my plans and unpinned itself, creating a dome-like barrier around us. It was tight but peaceful and normal.
"Hey, Tik. Are you alright?"
I asked, raising my voice slightly over the relentless roar of the wind.
"Yeah."
She said after a moment, though her voice carried a trace of unease.
"I just… felt silence for a second. Then the next thing I knew, I was alone."
The words hung between us while the tempest screamed around the shattered skies.
'I'm not good at comforting people. But I'll try.'
I thought.
I stepped closer and crouched in front of her so we were at eye level. The low wind within the dome tugged at my clothes while strands of her hair whipped across her face.
"You're scared. It's alright to be scared."
I said quietly
"Are you scared?"
She asked.
"I guess not."
She continued.
"There's probably nothing in this world that could shake someone like you."
"That's my image on the outside. But just like anyone, I feel fear. Have you ever felt so much dread you couldn't breathe, think, or move?"
She flinched but didn't open up.
"I guess not."
I continued.
"Being strong means experiencing things beyond the norms. That goes the same with fear. So yeah, just like you, I'm subjected to feelings."
It doesn't have to be true, but to change the mood, I have to appear flawed like anyone.
"You know what I do whenever I'm nervous?"
She didn't answer, but she's demanding it.
"I know a few ways, and I'm going to share them with you."
The first way is to name it out loud. I'm afraid of Mordryth, I'll die, I'm terrified of Varnok or anything. Doing this moves the feeling from the primitive amygdala toward the rational prefrontal cortex where you can walk with it.
The second was as easy as breathing. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold it for a second, and exhale for 6 seconds.
The last method is to occupy your mind with something. It's easy too, use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Notice 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste. This works well in forests or places with a lot of obstacles. Can you do any of them?"
She nodded. I can feel the sound as she's using the breathing technique.
(Demon Slayer:)
"I'm afraid of the storm! I'm afraid of Varnok!"
She said out loud, doing the breathing technique again.
"I see darkness, darkness, darkness, darkness, darkness. I'm feeling cold, warm, cold, warm. I can hear my voice, the storm, my heartbeat. I can smell the royal scent on my clothes, royal scent. I can taste the sweetness of my tongue."
The moment she finished, her wings flung open, and there she was, hugging her knees, hiding from the storm.
"Well done. How do you feel?"
"A bit... okay."
"Good."
I smiled, her cheeks turning red in response.
"I have to go look for Vera."
"Is she missing?"
"We got separated from each other, so yeah."
"Wait, right ..."
"No. I'm coming with you."
She stood up.
"Are you sure?"
I asked, rising to meet her height.
"Yeah. TIKVEEWOO CREW always looks out for each other."
'She's damn serious about this. Maybe I should give it a thought.'
"Ok. Protect her, cloak. Or whatever your name is."
The twilight cloak flowed like liquid shrouding her small frame, the hood covering her head also. With the scarf in place, she's totally safe.
'Kindness huh? I don't even know why I acted like this.'
"Here."
I gave her my hand, she hesitated for a moment before taking it.
"Let's go."
Vera's signature flickered faintly within the storm, like a dying candle struggling against a hurricane.
"We need to hurry."
I said.
Levitation came effortlessly. Gravity bent beneath my will as naturally as breathing, lifting me from the raging currents of the Outer Howl. My cloak trailed behind like a living shadow, twisting through the wind while the same manipulation of gravity carried Tikvah beside me.
Flight itself wasn't the issue but finding Vera was.
Through the violent distortions of the tempest, I finally caught sight of her on one of the scattered isles hidden within the storm. She was moving, barely. Her steps were unsteady, unnatural, as though each movement cost her everything she had left.
Yet she kept walking towards a cave carved into the jagged stone.
"She's exhausted."
Tikvah said, her voice tight with worry.
We descended quickly. The moment we landed, my cloak split and spread outward, duplicating itself as dark strands of fabric that curved around Vera and formed a protective dome against the screaming wind.
"Hey, are you alright?"
I called gently. Even though the answer was obvious.
She slowly turned towards us, her body trembling, her figure almost entirely wrapped in the scarf and cloak as though she were trying to hide from the storm itself.
"Yeah."
She replied.
"I lost sight of you all. After roaming without senses, I saw this isle, so I decided to take a break before heading out."
"Well, let's get some rest before heading out."
"No. We can't waste valuable time here."
"Yes, we can't. But getting back into the storm exhausted will only bring bad news."
"Wú Jí kun is right. As much as I hate to waste time here, we can't continue with you in this state."
"Hope you're not thirsty or something. Because we're not getting any of that soon."
"What am I, a human?"
She asked, annoyed.
"What about you, Tikvah?"
"We eat and drink, but that doesn't mean we need it to survive. I'm good."
"Good."
I sat on the ground.
"We can wait for now."
"While we're at it, I think I can use this time to tell you something about us, Dragons. What do you want to know, Wú Jí kun?"
Tik asked.
"The Nobility System."
"Alright, here's the original version of the Void Dragons' Nobility System. They copied us, after all. Before anything else, you need to know how Kings and Queens are chosen.
Usually, they're the direct descendants of the Monarchs, the founders of Nobility in Kalidor. Each Monarch created a Lineage, and each Lineage chooses its most suitable child to inherit the throne."
"So there's more than one king?"
"Yeah. Every Lineage has its own Dynasty, and each Dynasty has one or more Kingdoms, each with its own ruler. All except the Olyssar Lineage, which only have queens. The reason is simple: their Monarch is the Deepmother, Eternal Yanara."
"Eternal?"
Vera asked and she nodded.
"The Monarchs are irreplaceable. They're been here with us since the first generation of Dragons. So Eternal is the perfect fit for them."
"The Deepmother. What does that mean?"
I asked.
"I can't disclose the roles of each Monarch, but Our Eternal is widely known throughout Kalidor. Excluding the Dragons is Sylith. She gave birth to more than half of Kalidor's Dragons. The Empire of Thal is the largest Empire in all of Kalidor."
"Including Dragons of different Lineages?"
"Yeah. When she creates, she doesn't choose the Lineage for them. She lets Kalidor itself decide."
"Heh?"
"Um."
She nodded.
"Random Dragons don't just spawn out of thin air. Kalidor creates and maintains balance with or without the help of a King, Emperors or Deities. The Emperors/Empress are just the tiles the Monarchs use when engaging in political affairs."
"What about the Dragon Deities?"
Vera asked.
"Sorry, we're talking about the Nobility System."
I straighten. And she nodded. I'm the one demanding the knowledge, not her, so only I can twist the story.
"Proceed."
(Note, Rulers = King/Queen.)
"Ok. Now that you know who the Rulers represent, we can move forward to the Nobility ranks. Naturally, the children of Rulers are called Prince or Princess. That still applies in Kalidor, though there are powers far above even Princes or Rulers. Do you want me to start with Higher or Lower Nobility?"
"Lower."
"Alright. Starting with the bottom of Lower Nobility."
Knight – warrior nobility sworn to protect their liege's lands and all militarily associated stuffs.
Marquis / Marquise – nobles ruling border territories, given small forces to defend against invasions and secure the frontier. Kalidor, which has little to no internal turmoil, this class is mostly ceremonial, though they hold authority in castles.
"Those two form the Lower Nobility. Moving up to Higher Nobility."
She continued.
Prince / Princess – Children of Rulers. Their influence varies: Royal Princes have dynastic importance, while ruling Princes govern small states. A regular child like me is just a Princess with no real influence.
Duke / Duchess – rulers of large territories (duchies) within a Kingdom. Castles aren't the Ruler's primary residence; a Kingdom can have ten or more of them. Dukes often have more influence than some Princes, though they can also hold Prince/Princess titles.
Archduke / Archduchess – a step above the Dukes. They control vast territories, sometimes semi-sovereign, and can even overshadow the Rulers in power. But only one Archduke has that position. Sovereign Boriel."
"Adrian."
I said.
"Yes. He's a prominent figure, and I'll tell you why he's special.
King / Queen – the head of a Kingdom, sovereign over all nobles within it. They exists one per Kingdom.
The next rank is trickier. They often act above Rulers, governing major territories or ruling in a Monarch's stead.
Grand Duke – There's no Grand Duchess, so we eliminate that title. The Grand Duke is typically rulers of large duchies, sometimes nearly as powerful as Rulers. Exceptional Dragons, like Grand Duke Lancelith, can govern an Empire itself in place of the Monarchs.
Grand Prince / Grand Princess – Unlike Grand Duke, these Dragons are tied to Dynasties by blood. A Dragon crowned Grand Prince is blood-related; outsiders or non-nobles reaching this tier are made Grand Duke instead. Functionally similar to Grand Dukes, but the title reflects lineage.
(Let me break down the regional terms. A Monarch has an Empire and Dynasty. Dynasties are normally the Lineage line itself, e.g., Olyssar. But the Dynasty isn't a physical place like an Empire. This makes an Empire and Dynasty almost the same thing. The Empire has several Kingdoms, each with its own Rulers e.g. Queen Leyvera.
These Kingdom contains duchies, countries, nations, or cities. And each of them can have a castle.)
'So, Grand Prince are tied to Dynasties because they are linked by blood. Outsiders / non nobles who made it to that tier are made Grand Duke.'
"How are the Grand Prince / Grand Duke chosen?"
"The Monarchs chose them. But most are based on their achievements in the past. You're going to ask about the High Sovereign tiers, right?"
Tikvah said, her voice soft but firm, drawing a clear line. "Well, I'll tell you… but I think we've had enough rest for now."
"Yeah."
I replied, knowing where she's coming. My cloak wrapped itself securely around Vera, shielding her from the gusting wind.
'Good, you're leaving me.'
"Hey, I don't need it."
She fought back.
"I didn't tell it to duplicate."
I replied, closing any door to an argument.
"How do we know which way we're supposed to go now?"
Tik asked an important question, but I've already set reminders.
"Look."
I pointed into the distance, and my clone was pointing in a certain direction. They both seem surprised, but it's the only way.
"Magic isn't so stable, so I used clones. Let's go."
With multiple clones, each giving us a specific direction before dissolving. Eventually, we made it where I was before turning back.
"This was where I noticed you two were missing. I can take it from here."
My voice wasn't able to reach them, but the hoodie does a good job of transmitting my message. In no time, we made it past the Outer Howl because Tik told us what she knew.
To be continued...