"Corvus and Elsyn had completed their quest and were making their way back to the cave where Lea awaited them."

  Using the night's cover, they had slipped out of Bleakmoor Hearth unscathed. The enslaved children—that they had freed—provided the perfect distraction to help them escape unnoticed.

  Both walked with their heads to the sky, observing the panorama of the obsidian sky, illuminated by stars and by the breathtaking radiance of aurora. Red, violet walls of light danced across the sky, turning green whenever it drifted too far into the horizon.

  The voiceless fluttering of light felt like a song yet to be sung.

  "What do you think will happen to those children?" Elsyn asked.

  "Dunno. But I'm sure many of them will die before getting caught again."

  "We did everything we could. Right?"

  Corvus spared a glance at Elsyn, and replied, "We gave them a chance, even if with impossible odds, we did. That's more than what the world gave them. We're not gods, El, protecting what's important to us is already hard enough."

  Elsyn quietly accepted his words, and resolved: He's right. We're not strong enough... I'm not strong enough... Yet.

  They did not speak further till they climbed the snow-covered mountain—the Walker's Pike—where frigid gusts numbed Elsyn's face.

  Corvus, however, remained unperturbed by the cold. The quiet and the wind brought out a contemplative question to his mind.

  "El, do you think my parents would've loved me... like your mother loves you?"

  Elsyn stopped mid-step. She had not expected such a question from him.

  For a few moments, silence hung between them.

  Corvus gave a short, awkward chuckle. "Forget it. I don’t know what I—"

  "Yes," Elsyn interrupted softly. "They would have. No doubt about it. Mum used to complain all the time about Pip’s habits—and sometimes mine—but she never stopped loving us. Not for a moment."

  The cave soon came into view, just as they’d left it — silent and untouched by the world below.

  Elsyn looked up once more at the sky, then sat down on the frozen ground beneath it.

  Gesturing Corvus to follow suit, she continued, "I don’t know who your parents were, or if they’d have been happy to see their son fighting for a living. Maybe they’d have complained, argued, even scolded you. But they’d never have stopped loving you. That’s just how parents are."

  To Corvus, Elsyn’s face shone brighter than any aurora.

  He turned his gaze to the sky—he didn’t want to be dazzled.

  Time flew by idly as Corvus and Elsyn enjoyed the ethereal sight of the Silent Heights with the aurora dancing overhead. Snowflakes blowing in the wind occasionally tangled in their hairs, while frigid but soothing breeze brushed their cheeks.

  Corvus had won numerous victories and medals; people had cheered for him; his superiors and peers praised his handiwork. Yet the solace he found in peace and quiet outshone every honour born of violence.

  For the first time in his life, the silence felt warm and welcoming.

  A lively voice resounded from behind them: "Sis, Corvus—you're back!"

  A small petite girl ran towards Elsyn and hugged her back—leaning on her shoulder she fell in front of Elsyn.

  "Pipsqueak, what have I told you about running and hugging."

  Lea, looking from an upside angle, answered thoughtfully, "To do only one at a time."

  Elsyn smiled. "That's correct."

  She bent down and kissed her sister's forehead: "I'll let it slide this time, but don't make a habit out of it."

  Lea enthusiastically nodded and raised herself. Turning toward Corvus, she addressed him, "Corvus how was the trip? Did you rescue sis's friends?"

  "Hey, why aren't you asking me that?" Elsyn was confused.

  Lea pointed her finger at Elsyn, and said in an accusing tone, "You don't tell me everything. I'm sure Corvus won't hide things. Right, Corvus?"

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Yes... Of course. Why would I keep things from you, Lea—that's absurd."

  "See... Now the story, Corvus," Lea obediently sat in front of Corvus to hear the heroic tale in detail. In excruciating detail.

  Corvus clapped once, then, focusing on Lea—almost too intently, as if avoiding someone's gaze—he began the tale:

  "First, I borrowed these clothes from a few gentlemen ."

  "Then, we went to this big bar called the Marlen's . People practically worshipped me there . We obtained intel about El's friends there .'

  "Next?"

  "I think that's enough. She can infer the rest: we saved my friends and we came back. End," Elsyn interrupted the heavily redacted story.

  "Nooo! He was just about to get to the best parts—let me listen, please."

  Elsyn looked at Corvus for backing her up, but he furtively kept avoiding her gaze. Letting out a small sigh, Elsyn gave her reluctant approval.

  That idiot better not tell slip out something bad, Elsyn thought.

  "What happened next, Corvus?" Lea's curiosity almost palpable through her eyes.

  "Next, we went to the location of the building where her friends were being kept. There we met a woman named Ravina, , she kept your sister company the entire time . Also as it turns out, she was from the Covenant of Eldara."

  "Wow! So we know how to reach the Covenant now?"

  "Yes, we do indeed. She told me it's somewhere in the north-east from Walker's Pike—that's the name of this mountain by the way, she told me that as well."

  "Then, then—what happened?"

  "Then we slipped past dozens of guards patrolling the area , and entered the building. El questioned a guard in there , he told us where her friends were. Then we freed them and they left with Ravina."

  Lea had a wide jovial grin pasted on her face. Hardly able to contain her excitement, she grabbed her sister's hand, and asked, "Can I come along on the next adventure, sis? Pretty please."

  Elsyn removed a hair strand from her sister's face, and replied, "You heard Corvus, we know the direction to the Covenant. We're leaving tomorrow, and hopefully there won't be a need for further adventures."

  Lea lowered her gaze in disappointment.

  Elsyn raised her chin, and said, "Corvus's story might've sounded thrilling and amusing, but you have to understand the reality. Our lives were at stake the whole time, that's not a thing you should want to go to."

  "Okay... I will try, sis..." Lea said with a hint of uncertainty.

  Letting go of Elsyn, she prodded Corvus: "Are you sure you've not left out something important?"

  "... Now that I think about it; there was this big bonfire that we lit , also we burned some meat ."

  "Did you bring some for me?" Lea extended her hand forward, expecting some treat.

  "What?"

  "The meat you roasted, of course."

  "Oh... No, it got overburnt. Though, to be fair, your sister was the one cooking. Guess she's not that great a cook, right," Corvus teased, glancing at Elsyn.

  He was met with a dark look. Elsyn was not amused.

  The joke would've been a blast with the guys, Corvus thought, remembering the sardonic banter of the Reavers.

  Suddenly, the winds intensified, whipping their hair back and dampening their clothes.

  Corvus rose, scanning the horizon. "Looks like a storm is coming. Let's head inside before you two catch a cold."

  Elsyn rose after him and gestured for Lea to do the same.

  But Lea did not move. She kept staring at the sky ahead.

  "What’re you waiting for? Come on, ’Squeak."

  Pointing a small finger at the horizon, Lea said softly, "The sky is moving there… like a snake?"

  Corvus and Elsyn followed her gaze. And indeed, the sky was moving—or rather, it seemed to slither and coil.

  "Are the clouds moving—"

  Elsyn’s question broke off as the clouds parted. From within them, a majestic head emerged.

  Foam-like clouds clung to its azure face, its length still half-shrouded by the sky's veil. As it descended, the wind peeled the clouds from its scales, revealing a long, sinuous body—more pristine than the sky itself.

  "An azure dragon," Elsyn whispered.

  "It's the Air Numina—Sylpharion!" Lea recognised.

  They marvelled as the serpentine azure dragon danced across the aurora lit-sky. Its movements were graceful and noiseless, akin to wind itself—its element.

  It circled the peaks of the Silent Heights before surging upward once more.

  The Air Numina, Sylpharion, stretched for hundreds of meters; too vast to be captured by a single gaze. Two slender yet long whiskers trailed from its snout, flowing far past its head. Its talons and fangs glinted silver beneath the radiance of the night.

  Awe and dread mingled within the onlookers’ hearts.

  Then, the dragon flew toward the trio's direction and zoomed past them—disappearing into the sky again.

  They were still absorbing the sight of Sylpharion up close—azure scales traced with deep jade patterns, silken-white hairs fluttering in the wind, and mesmerizing golden eyes—when a sweeping gale surged from the dragon’s passing. It would have knocked Elsyn and Lea off their feet, had Corvus’s steady hand not held them upright.

  The gale trailed after the dragon, like a tail following its master.

  Elsyn and Corvus kept gazing at the sky blankly with reverent eyes. For a long while, neither spoke. They simply stood there, contemplating their own smallness before beings like the Numinas. The sheer gap between their worlds was unfathomable; it made their throats dry.

  "We should go inside," Elsyn said at last.

  The metaphysics and supernaturals were not her concern. Her problems were far more mundane and far more solvable.

  "Right," Corvus agreed.

  Lea moved with them, however she looked more confused than awestruck, prompting Corvus to ask.

  "Are you not able to believe your eyes or something, Lea?"

  Lea mused for a second, before replying, "I get the feeling Sylphy saw us?"

  "Sylphy?" Elsyn frowned. "It's not one of the stray animals that you're naming. That was one of the Five Great Beasts, a Numina. Show some respect."

  Corvus placed a hand on Lea’s head. "Even if the Numina did see us, I doubt it thought of us as more than bugs. You’re worrying for nothing."

  "No that's not it... I think it was showing off. Why else would it swoop down and do all those stunts for no reason?"

  Corvus and Elsyn exchanged a look, then quietly pondered the statement.

  The more they thought about it, the harder it became to dismiss.

  A single, unsettling thought crossed both their minds:

  Was the mighty Air Numina… an attention-seeking being?

  They shuddered.