"Is everything all right?" Freya's gentle voice cut through Vlad's introspection, pulling him back to the present as they both rode atop Fafnir's fiery head.
"Everything is excellent," Vlad finally replied, a broad smile on his face.
Though Freya did not truly grasp the content of his thoughts, she chose to trust his assurances. Returning his smile, she let the tension in her shoulders ease and turned to watch the passing clouds.
Fafnir, the Depravita of Envy, continued to cut across the sky at a startling speed. Despite his enormous size, he handled the air currents with agility that belied his bulk.
Their flight did not last long. Before either Vlad or Freya had time to say much, the sprawling shape of Xaos City rose into view. From a distance, the metropolis seemed like a patchwork of concentric rings, each walled section teeming with life.
