As I left the tent with Lasandra, she began to describe the process of flying to me.
"Flying is an innate ability, accessible to all gods without having to gain it from a blessing. Many of us have wondered why, but it seems the reasoning is simple. Without a fast way to travel, battles between the gods are less likely to happen."
Her voice grew scornful as she continued to talk.
"Whoever put us here wanted to make sure it was easy for us to enter battle with each other. Flying makes the most sense."
The reasoning was sound, but like Lasandra, it bothered me.
"The gods of Arnos are creatures of the air as much as the land, and to tap into such a power, you simply need to will it."
Suddenly, Lasandra's body began to levitate from the ground and hovered a meter in the air. Her form slowly bobbed up and down as she maintained her flight.
"Focus your will and visualize yourself rising from the ground. It only seems difficult because you haven't tried it yet. Come on."
It felt unbelievable, but I did as she said.
Standing on the snow, I closed my eyes and visualized myself hovering in the air as Lasandra had.
It was then that I realized what she meant. I opened my eyes and floated eye level with the Eighteenth god. It was a surreal feeling, but I was filled with ecstasy.
"This is incredible!" I marveled, testing myself by rising higher into the air and dropping back to the floor.
Lasandra had a smile on her face as she watched me.
"That is the reaction of all the gods when they first learn to fly. Keep in mind, though, there are some things you need to know. Follow me while we talk."
She took off into the air at a slow speed, and I followed. We flew tens of meters above the trees but moved no faster than a human sprint.
Lasandra said it was important to work my way up to managing higher speeds.
I remembered the first god I had seen fly onto Diogen's roof, the woman named Malhar. I then realized that I had never figured out what number god she was.
"It's important for you to know that fighting during flight is incredibly difficult, and I would advise against it. Unless you have spent days upon days training in the sky, you are better off remaining level. The only time you should do it is when fighting a god who tries to fly above you while using ranged attacks."
This made sense, and I felt I would prefer to be grounded when fighting anyway.
"Now then, let's gradually pick up the pace. The longer we take, the higher the chance that Zir and the other gods arrive at Diogen's domain before us."
After flying for a while, we gradually picked up the speed until we were traveling at a pace I would not have been able to imagine on foot.
Our altitude was high, allowing us to see many things beneath us. We passed small villages, sprawling woods and forests, even vast mountain ranges.
Then, at some point, we passed over a giant city. As we did, Lasandra slowed down so I could hear her talking.
"That is one of the major towns of the southern region, named Tress. It's a diverse city regarding its beliefs, and you will most likely be able to find believers of the twenty-first god there. A good place to find your first demigod, perhaps."
The city was large, with an industrial look. I spotted horses pulling carriages and lanterns lighting the dark streets.
It seemed large enough to hold at least a few thousand residents, and I wondered what they must think seeing two gods flying above their skies.
Perhaps they are used to it.
After I was given a good view, Lasandra picked up the pace once again.
After covering a lot of distance and passing over more varying terrain, we enter the vicinity of a new forest.
The difference between this area and the others was the weather. The further we headed in this direction, the less snow there was.
Now, we were in an area where snow did not fall at all, allowing me to see the greenery below.
It felt like we had been traveling for hours, and my body was now feeling fatigued.
Lasandra said we can sleep when we're at our destination.
Finally, after the long journey, we spotted Diogen's castle. From the outside, I was able to see how truly grand it was. The field that encompassed the land added to its beauty.
For the first time, I used my senses and instantly felt the presence of another god nearby. There were others, too, though farther off.
We slowed our pace and neared the roof of the castle, and at the top, I spotted the figure of Diogen.
It had only been a day, but it felt like I had not seen him in forever, and I was happy to see that he was safe.
We slowed our pace, which came naturally to me after hours of flying, and landed heavily on the roof. Diogen stood before us, wearing his black suit, a smile on his face at the sight of us.
"I'm honestly appreciative, my friends. You did not have to come back here."
Lasandra walked over and took his hand in greeting with playful roughness, and I did the same afterward.
"What, and leave you to die at the hands of the other gods? I think not." Lasandra tapped the sword on her back that she had been flying with the entire time. "This blade thirsts for violence."
Diogen laughed, clearly happy to see us.
"And I could not have left you alone either, after all, you have saved my life and many others." I showed my gratitude, and the man nodded in appreciation before leading us to a trapdoor that led to the floor beneath us.
"Well, let me lead you to the chambers so that you can get some rest. The gods are not near, so you at least have time to replenish your energy after your journey."