Vale's gaze remained locked on the wyvern before him, unable to look away even for a moment. The creature was immense, its head alone towered at least five meters above the ground, casting a long shadow over them. Its azure scales shimmered under the sunlight, each one catching the light like polished crystal. There was something regal about it, something domineering. And yet, as it lowered its massive head slightly, its eyes revealed something unexpected, curiosity.
It was watching him.
Silfur stepped forward, her tone casual, almost proud. "This beautiful girl is Azure," she said, patting the wyvern lightly along its side. "Simple name, I know… but it suits her."
Vale instinctively took a few steps back as the creature approached, its sheer presence enough to make even the air feel heavier. Still, he couldn't help but smile faintly. "Yeah… quite the beauty," he admitted.
As if acknowledging his words, Azure lowered her head further until her enormous eyes were level with him. For a moment, they simply stared at one another.
Behind him, Shade shifted.
The shadow's form tensed, its grip tightening around the hilt of its greatsword, crimson eyes narrowing with quiet hostility. It stepped slightly forward, positioning itself between Vale and the wyvern without a word.
Azure noticed.
Her attention shifted instantly. With a slow, deliberate motion, she turned her head away from Vale and toward Shade, studying the shadow just as intently. The air thickened with unspoken tension.
Vale watched the exchange carefully, but instead of concern, a small, nostalgic smile crept onto his face.
'She reminds me of them…'
Of Ember. Of the Guardian. Creatures of power, yes, but also of personality. Ember especially lingered in his thoughts, vivid and warm in memory.
Azure exhaled softly, a thin stream of smoke curling from her nostrils as she leaned in, sniffing each of them in turn. She lingered a moment longer on Shade, then pulled back slightly, seemingly satisfied.
And then,
"I assume that wyvern will be taking us there?"
The voice came from behind them.
Vale turned, and his expression shifted immediately as he spotted Eskar approaching. The young man moved steadily toward them, clad in his usual monk-like armor. At his side hung a small leather bag, secured tightly.
Vale raised a brow. "Yeah," he said, nodding toward Azure before glancing at the bag. "Is that where you're keeping the Bloodscale?"
Eskar smiled faintly as he approached, then nodded. Without hesitation, he lifted the bag and carefully loosened the leather flap.
Inside, nestled within the soft lining, lay a small creature.
A dragon.
Its scales were a deep, rich crimson, faintly gleaming even in the dim light of the bag. It was no larger than Vale's hand, its tiny body curled as it slept peacefully, unaware of the world around it.
Vale's breath caught.
"I… didn't expect it to actually hatch," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "After what Drago said…"
Eskar's expression softened, though there was a hint of lingering disbelief in his eyes as well. He closed the bag gently, securing it once more. "Yeah… neither did I," he replied.
For a brief moment, Vale studied him, his eyes narrowing slightly as if searching for something beneath the surface. But whatever thought crossed his mind, he let it go with a small shrug.
Instead, he turned back toward Azure.
"Well," he said, stepping forward, "no point waiting. Let's go."
Eskar adjusted the bag at his side and followed.
Silfur, meanwhile, was already atop the wyvern, seated comfortably as if this were second nature to her. She looked down at them with an amused grin as they began climbing, their ascent far less graceful than hers.
By the time they reached the top, both Vale and Eskar were slightly out of breath.
Silfur's grin widened. "Ready?" she asked.
They both nodded.
"Good."
She tapped Azure twice.
The wyvern responded immediately. With a low, rumbling cry, she surged forward, powerful limbs propelling her toward the edge of the platform. Without hesitation, she leapt,
and the world dropped away beneath them.
Wind exploded around them, roaring in their ears as Azure's massive wings unfurled and caught the air. The force of it nearly tore Vale backward, but he held on, gripping tightly as the wyvern stabilized and began to soar.
Below them stretched the waters of Irea, vast and shimmering beneath the sunlight.
Silfur glanced back, her grin returning, though it quickly shifted into something more cautious. "Hey, Eskar," she called over the wind, "you do realize that Bloodscale can still produce heat strong enough to kill someone instantly, right?"
Eskar looked up, his crimson hair whipping wildly in the wind. He nodded once. "Yeah."
Silfur let out a long breath of relief. "Good. Just making sure."
Ahead of them, the landscape shifted.
The port of Irea came into view, and beyond it, rising like a pillar of power, stood a massive white tower. It resembled the royal library in structure, but its presence was far more imposing. Dozens, no, hundreds, of creatures circled it. Wyverns, drakes, and other aerial beasts perched along its structure or patrolled the skies above it like sentinels.
Vale's eyes widened. "That… that's the Royal Guard?"
Silfur smirked. "Yeah. And that tower?" she said, pointing ahead. "That's where the strongest people in the kingdom stay."
Before Vale could respond,
A blur of red shot upward from below.
Azure lurched mid-air, wings faltering for just a split second before correcting herself. Vale tightened his grip instinctively, his eyes snapping toward the source.
A massive red wyvern hovered before them.
It was enormous, easily twice Azure's size, its scales a deep, burning crimson. Its wings beat slowly but powerfully, holding it steady in the air like a living fortress.
And atop it,
A woman stood.
She stood tall, clad in a pristine white uniform that contrasted sharply with the beast beneath her. Covering her face was a black mask shaped like a demon's visage, its hollow eyes fixed directly on them.
The two wyverns hovered in silence, staring each other down.
Seconds stretched into minutes.
Then, finally, the woman spoke.
"What business do you have with the Royal Guard?"
Her voice was steady, but there was a faint tremor beneath it.
Silfur glanced back at Vale.
He understood immediately.
Rising carefully, he held up the medallion Ares had given him, raising it high enough for her to see.
"I was invited," he called out, his voice firm despite the wind, "by the leader of the Royal Guard, Ares!"
The woman said nothing.
She simply stared.
For a long, tense moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then, without a word, she sat back down and tapped her wyvern.
The creature turned instantly, wings beating as it soared away, returning to its patrol around the tower.
Only then did Silfur relax, letting out a breath. "That… could've gone badly," she muttered.
Vale glanced at her. "Why?"
She turned and gave him a light tap on the chest. "Because that," she said, nodding toward the retreating figure, "was the vice commander of the Royal Guard. Second in command. And she's authorized to shoot anything suspicious out of the sky."
Vale blinked, then slowly looked back toward the tower.
"…Good to know."
Moments later, Azure began her descent.
The massive wyvern landed smoothly within the Royal Guard's perimeter, her claws scraping lightly against the stone as she settled.
Vale exhaled, loosening his grip as the wind died down.
Then,
"It seems my prayers were answered… you really are alive."
The voice struck him like thunder.
Vale's eyes widened as he turned sharply toward the source.
Standing there was a man, tall, towering even among warriors, easily two and a half meters in height. His build was immense, his presence overwhelming. Brown hair streaked with red framed a face Vale knew all too well.
For a moment, Vale couldn't move.
Then, suddenly, he did.
He leapt down from Azure's back, landing hard before rushing forward, disbelief spilling into his voice.
"Korin…?!"
His breath caught as he drew closer, eyes locked onto the man.
"Is that really you?"