Empire of Blood

Chapter 19: A Shadow Over Nuvak

Twilight faded into blackness freckled by specks of light, glowing like a million fireflies. For the rest of the evening, Thor and Doragon were quick and silent. It started as a race between them to see who could fly faster, but Selena and Azrael reminded them to pace themselves. The wind was to their backs, and the two dragons relaxed while coasting.

Over the following few days, Selena rode with Doragon—against Thor's wishes until she successfully convinced him otherwise—and Azrael resumed teaching her how to dual-wield swords using his blade and Dragonheart. She quickly grew accustomed to fighting with both her left and right hands through relentless bitter work; Azrael forewent his Aether pistols for the time being and practiced sparring with her using two ethereal broadswords. Though he was a gunslinger, Azrael still exhibited more experience and skill than she did, easily beating her in every match they had. Yet, Selena remained determined to improve.

They would practice firing shots with Rahim between their dual-wielding matches, warming up their trigger fingers. Azrael would summon stone disks and launch them heavenward for both Rahim and Selena to train their aim; although Selena was proficient enough, she never gave up her chance for drilling exercises. The two spent countless grueling hours perfecting their talents; Rahim had proven his worth behind a firearm after their contest, blasting more targets than she had within the allotted time.

Other than stopping to relieve themselves occasionally, they flew nonstop; by the fourth night, the group flew over a giant statue of Ulrich lit with candles, his shrine, outside the ruins of Rhumbek. Azrael explained, "Usually, his most devout followers preach or perform rituals with a priest. Sometimes if you leave an offering, he might talk to you."

Selena knew Xyaxon's was closer to Alfheim, but when she asked about Azrael's, he ruefully said, "I don't know if mine still stands, but it was on a cliff overlooking the Turquoise Ocean."

"What kind of offering would I have to leave at the shrines if I wanted to commune with the Divines?"

"For mine, it was gold, but it may be different for Ulrich's and Xyaxon's. I wouldn't expect an answer—they may or may not choose to speak, as I often did."

Selena secretly scowled. He's always so bitter.

The chill breeze made her spine crawl; she wrapped herself in her scarf before leaning against the egg trunk. Selena forced herself to stay awake and enjoy the brisk wind blowing across her face. It was a beautiful night, with the stars shining brightly through some drifting clouds.

Rahim swore he saw the masked dragon creatures flying ahead of them on several occasions, though they were far away. Azrael joked that they could be birds instead, but Rahim was persistent. He watched them through his eyeglass over the next several hours, and the only way Selena could make him take a break was by bribing him with food. Even then, Rahim was still reluctant. "We're not going to find Niamh any faster." Rahim ignored her and went back to his watch after a few mouthfuls of jerky. Eventually, he grew weary and stopped looking; he sulked in the corner before resting on the bundle of furs gifted from the Aynu.

By the fifth evening, Selena could tell that Thor was straining his wings; despite his objections, she offered him a few drops of the stamina potion, and Thor begrudgingly accepted. She extended the civility to Azrael and Doragon, but the pair declined. "As a Spirit Beast, Doragon's stamina is limitless, though he likes to partake in earthly pleasures from time to time, such as eating and resting." Doragon groaned, confirming that he was only insistent on joining and giving Thor the rest he needed since they first set out on their journey, for which he and Selena were grateful.

Before Rahim went to sleep, he and Azrael had rechecked the map and their calculations based on Thor's and Doragon's speed of about sixty kilometers—courtesy of the blistering yet favorable winds. The two were happy to announce they would soon arrive in Starsong within the next couple of days.