The morning sun climbed steadily, spilling molten light across a world that felt impossibly vast. As Kazuki's party wound its way through valleys carpeted in wildflowers, he marveled at the bursts of color swaying under the crisp mountain breeze. Each blossom felt like a silent herald of the grand peaks looming ever larger ahead.
Leo led from the front astride his Gryphon, whose wings stretched occasionally to catch the thin mountain air. Every beat of those wings sent gusts swirling down the trail, buffeting the others and causing Ryo, who rode last, to shout over the wind, "Is he doing that on purpose? I swear his Gryphon's got a sense of humor!"
Uzaki, riding near Kazuki, only smirked. "If that beast's anything like its rider, then yes." Her eyes never stopped scanning the cliffs above, sharp as hawk eyes. "And keep your voices down — this place has ears. Or at least things that like to roll rocks on heads."
The trail narrowed into switchbacks carved into the cliffs, the air thinning with every breath. Cold winds howled across the ridgelines, carrying the lonely cries of distant hawks and the faint, eerie groans of ice shifting in the higher passes.
Hoshino's breath puffed in white clouds as she scribbled frantic sketches from horseback, trying to capture each waterfall and dramatic cliff face. Once, she nearly fell when her horse spooked at a sudden swirl of fog. Ryo caught her reins with one hand, grumbling, "First time I've had to rescue someone from drawing too hard."
Soon, the pines gave way to bare stone, and the first glimpses of their destination emerged: Aethelgard, the Sky Citadel. Towers of pale stone spiraled into the sky like frozen storm clouds, sunlight glinting off countless terraces clinging to the cliffs. Bridges of gleaming marble arched gracefully between rocky spires, defying every law of gravity Kazuki had ever known. Small airships hovered at mooring towers, bobbing like jellyfish caught in invisible tides.
Kazuki gasped despite himself. Even Uzaki's eyes softened with wonder. "So that's the Aeridians' nest," she murmured. "Looks like it was built by giants with a flair for drama."
"Giants or madmen," Ryo added, jaw hanging slack. "Either way, it's a long way to fall if they don't like visitors."
Leo raised a hand, signaling a halt on a windswept ledge overlooking the Citadel. We camp here tonight. They've already seen us. Best to approach at dawn, with respect."
They made camp under a sky that bled orange and purple as the sun dipped behind the peaks. Kazuki helped Ryo pitch tents while Hoshino roasted root vegetables over a sputtering fire, humming an old tune her grandmother used to sing.
Uzaki sat sharpening her blade with slow, deliberate strokes, her gaze flicking occasionally toward the towers in the distance. "Remember," she said, voice low but carrying, "these people respect strength, but not arrogance. Stand tall, but don't puff your chest. They're not roosters, and neither are we."
Ryo snorted, tossing her a stick. "Speak for yourself. I'd make a dashing rooster."
Later, as stars pierced the deepening blue above, Leo gathered them around the crackling fire. The mountain wind hissed through the rocks, adding its voice to the night.
"The Aeridians' mastery of the skies kept them safe even in the darkest days," Leo said, eyes reflecting the flames. "They once forged weapons that could split mountains, and shields that turned lightning itself. But they've been alone so long they've forgotten the world below. They'll see our arrival as a challenge, or a chance."
His gaze swept across his companions, lingering on Kazuki. "We must show them the world needs them again. That they're not the only ones who remember what was lost."
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then Ryo coughed, breaking the silence. "Well, if it helps, I'm terrified. That's something we can all bond over, right?"
Uzaki sighed, shaking her head with a rare, crooked smile. "You have the tactical subtlety of a hammer dropped down a well, Ryo."
Kazuki leaned back against his pack, staring up at the stars so close they felt within reach. The mountain air was cold and sharp, carrying a strange calm. He felt something deeper than fear or excitement — a quiet certainty that their journey was only just beginning.
At dawn, they broke camp. Frost crackled beneath their boots as they descended the final switchback. The Citadel grew with every step, its pale towers looming impossibly high, as if the mountain itself had been carved into a monument to defiance.
Massive gates of white stone, etched with spiraling runes, awaited them. From within came the low clang of hammers and a strange, rhythmic whirring, like wings beating against the wind.
A horn's mournful note rolled across the valley, and armored figures appeared atop the battlements, spears catching the rising sun in blinding flashes.
A tall figure stepped forward on the walls, silver hair whipping in the gusting wind. A cloak of black feathers billowed behind her as she raised a hand. Her voice rolled down like thunder.
Travelers at our gates! Who comes to Aethelgard seeking the Sky Lords' judgment?"
Leo stepped forward, Gryphon feathers shifting softly at his side. His voice carried, calm and sure. "Leo of Cryptos, and companions who seek words of unity, not conquest."
Kazuki swallowed, heart hammering in his chest. He felt the strange, subtle pressure of unseen eyes watching, weighing him.
The woman's eyes found his, a flicker of something unreadable in her stormy gaze. "And you, boy with the stormfire in your eyes. Are you the breath that has stirred the winds these past nights?"
Kazuki shivered, realizing the Aeridians had felt his presence long before they arrived — and that his journey into the heart of these mountain halls was about to begin.