Cold, icy daggers of wind sliced through Kai's maw, his massive dragon form soaring through the sky with both grace and force. There were no Nightmare Creatures or obstacles to slow him down so with nothing to stand in his way, he shot through the air at hypersonic speeds, tearing through the atmosphere and breaking the sound barrier. The world blurred around him as he pushed forward.
'Flying from Ravenheart to Bastion really is exhausting,' he sighed, his sharp and enchanted eyes fixed on the towering and majestic castle ahead. From his vantage point, it looked no larger than an ant, but in just a few minutes, Kai would be there, surrounded by the Knights of Valor and the other political figures.
He was exhausted, to say the least, constantly flying between the two Citadels, only to return to the real world again. Kai wasn't one to complain, of course. He never really did. But even for him it was hard to ignore the frustration that came with being everyone's personal messenger.
'I'm the Dragonslayer not a messenger…' he thought with a frown, though on his massive draconic face, no one would see it.
Shaking off the thought, he exhaled sharply and dove. His wings tucked tightly against his scaled body as he plummeted down, the wind whistling past him. The speed was already titanic, but he wasn't done. Using his Dormant Ability he pushed himself, accelerating even further as he tore down akin to a comet. He was really enjoying the cold air against his scales.
Actually Kai didn't even need to beat his wings to stay airborne, his Dormant Ability was enough. Flapping just helped conserve Essence… and, well, it looked cool.
As he neared the ground, he snapped his wings open, catching the air in a sharp, slightly rough halt. A painful pressure stretched across the thin membranes on his large wings, but he didn't pay it much attention. After countless hours spent soaring through the skies just to kill some time and enjoy the fresh wind he had grown accustomed to the strain.
'It will probably be the same as always,' he thought, exhaling through his big nostrils. Using his Dormant Ability for a split second, he hovered for a moment before his wings snapped into motion again. Then, with a powerful thrust, he surged forward, slicing through the sky once more, but this time much closer to the ground.
'They'll pretend to listen, dance around the issue, and then tell me they'll think about my proposal,' Kai thought bitterly, recalling every failed attempt to gain the Great Clans' support for the real world.
But it was useless. Their focus was locked on the Dream Realm, their minds too consumed by preparations for their stupid war. And the Waking World? They had abandoned it long before the survivors from Antarctica even evacuated into the Dream Realm.
Beating his wings in rhythm with his thoughts, he surged forward, the force of his flight making the trees and hills below tremble.
'Why isn't Jet the one representing the Government?' he started to doubt himself, as he always did, poisoning his own mind. 'She's been working with them far longer. She'd handle this better than I ever could.' The first houses on the outskirts of Bastion came into view, Kai's mind completely elsewhere.
But it quickly returned to the goal at hand at the sight of the people down below.
Moments later, the first shouts echoed. Humans looked up in awe, their eyes wide as they watched the gigantic dragon soar past them, shadowing everything down below.
By now everyone knew this version of him. Just like Effie's titanic transformation, it ignited something deep within the people. It brought a sense of joy and hope. The sight of him in his breathtaking and majestic dragon form eased the weight of their worries, filling their hearts with a spark of joy and pushing the worries for the Waking World away. Even if only for a short moment.
This was one of the few parts of his constant travels that Kai genuinely enjoyed, the way his presence brought joy and hope to the people of both Bastion and Ravenheart. Something probably only he could do.
Nephis and the Fire Keepers were aligned with Anvil, and Jet and Effie rarely showed themselves in either Citadel. So, Kai stood as the only Saint truly adored by both the people of Anvil and the Song Domain.
With a smile -one that, of course, wasn't visible on his draconic face- he descended further, now only a few dozen meters above the ground. He used his Dormant Ability, careful not to rely too much on his wings. One strong flap, and the wooden cottages below could easily be torn apart by the force. The humans too if he didn't watch out…
The crowd erupted into slight cheers, their faces beaming with wide smiles before they returned to their daily routines, the smiles still lingering on their faces. 'At least I lift their worries for a bit,' Kai thought happily.
As he drew closer to the castle -apparently once the home of a Daemon- Kai shifted back, shedding his titanic, scaled form for his usual human appearance. Seconds later he was clad in a beautiful armour made from ivory scales and burnished bronze, his long auburn hair beating around from the flight while his mesmerising green eyes only intensified his beauty.
Gently descending, Kai scanned the busy streets below. There were crowds everywhere, most of them still staring up at him, shouting and calling for his attention. 'So many people up this early,' he thought to himself with a joyful smile. 'I just hope I can finally catch up with Nephis and the Fire Keepers,' he added quietly.
"Saint Kai!"
"Nightingale!"
"Can you please Sign my sword?!"
And many more shouts came all around him as he landed on the stone floor.
"Hello, hello, yes, yes," Kai called out, trying to acknowledge everyone without ignoring a single person as he slowly made his way down the street, heading toward the long, stony bridge that led toward the massive gates and into the castle.
Kai was scheduled for an audience with the elders of the Great Clan in the castle, and maybe even the King of Swords himself would appear. 'I hope not,' he quickly thought, as a group of knights marched forward, gently parting the crowd to clear the path.
"Please return to your business and don't embarrass the Valor Clan," one of the knights instructed the crowd, his voice firm yet polite. The people mostly obeyed, still stealing glances at the beautiful Saint though.
He chuckled and smiled nervously, waving at the crowd before following the Knights into the castle.
---
'Is it disrespectful that I'm wearing armor?' Kai wondered, glancing down at his Memory as they walked. Up until now, he had only spoken with minor -but still influential- figures of the Valor Clan. This would be his first meeting with the Elders, so naturally he was slightly nervous.
After a brief moment of thought, he swapped his Memory for another. The ivory scales turned into sparks, immediately replaced by royal-military styled garments. 'No, these are too extravagant,' he thought with a sigh. But it was too late to change it now. He would look silly in front of the knights if he kept constantly changing his Memories.
Kai was stuck with an ivory blouse and high-waisted trousers of the same colour, an elegant emerald-green half-cape draped over one shoulder. The colours suited him perfectly, accentuating his auburn hair, yet he was still not satisfied. The knights, who had already been eyeing him from time to time, gasped and giggled quietly, appreciating the Saint's beauty.
'What if Morgan is there too?' he thought suddenly, for no apparent reason.
Shaking his head in confusion, he quickly pushed the thought aside as they walked further into the castle. 'Why am I even thinking about her?'
'Well, she does have a great sense of fashion… Am I afraid she might judge me?' he thought to himself weirdly.
As if reading his mind, one of the knights spoke up -a young man who had been shamelessly staring at Kai the whole time. "Princess Morgan will be attending to you shortly. Please be patient." He finished with a slight bow, then swiftly disappeared with his small unit.
'Why is the princess herself coming to get me…? How unlucky...' Kai let out a sigh; his thoughts suddenly fully occupied with the princess. He glanced around, then took a seat on a nearby edge.
He was on a broad, stony road that curved upward toward the main wing, where the high-ranking legacies, along with the elders and, of course, the King of Swords and his family resided.
Behind him, there was a drop of about ten meters. From that height, Kai had a clear view of the front side of the castle and the stir below. People hurried through their duties, some hauling crates of supplies, others patrolling the grounds. Everyone had something to do, especially now that the war was starting. 'Only a month at best left until it will start, and we can't do anything to prevent it,' he thought bitterly with a sigh.
But Kai didn't have much time to enjoy the scenery or dwell on the coming war, as a sudden cough interrupted his thoughts.
He quickly turned his gaze forward, his eyes widening in surprise. He shot up from the edge and spoke with a slightly nervous voice, "Apologies, Lady Morgan, I didn't notice you."
The tall woman, with her piercing vermillion eyes and alabaster skin, looked Kai up and down. "Are you here to speak with the old grumpy men or are are you attending a wedding I was not informed about?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Morgan herself was dressed in black, elegant trousers, paired with a silky vermillion shirt neatly tucked in. A black blazer with red buttons hung from her shoulders, adding to her business-like yet elegant look. The pants complemented her dark hair, while the vermillion shirt made her striking eyes of the same colour seem to glow in the light, drawing Kai's attention into them.
Kai, a little embarrassed from her comment, coughed and quickly looked away, taking a moment to compose himself before meeting her gaze again. "I thought it would be disrespectful to show up in full armour to meet the Elders of your Clan," he explained, his voice gentle but steady.
She chuckled, crossing her arms and leaning her weight onto one leg. "Weirdly enough, you're not wrong. They would be really offended."
The Dragonslayer exhaled joyfully before looking up at her again, nervously maintaining eye contact, "So, I suppose you're going to accompany me to see them?"
Morgan nodded and turned around. "Follow me, dragon," she said, her voice clear with both mockery and amusement.