Chapter 18: Roc Season

  Gliding down the mountainside was easy enough. But the hours stretched, and each sway of the hippogriffs compounded in Han and Grizzel’s spinning guts. Han’s face was scrunched and pale, pressed firmly against the hard leather saddle. Even Taenith, whose winged form was used to the skies, felt a queasy roll in his gut, curdled from the relentless up-and-down motion of his mount, and the wind that relentlessly bit into his scales. Only Tex seemed immune, rooted to her beast like a tree to the dirt. It had only been an hour, and yet, Taenith found himself longing for the solid, steady ground. Indeed, the horrors of the Dark Continent seemed a distant comfort compared to their airborne nausea. But it wasn’t without its merits. In the distance, Eotera’s bleeding sun settled on the horizon, painting the desert in an ocean of gold - reminding him of Lune. Then the dunes, like a bed of sleeping dragons, projected the starlight across the sky, glazing the desert’s winds in a dry heat that pricked at Taenith’s throat. His hand instinctively reached for his side, only to retrieve a deflated, empty pouch.

  “How long did you say we had to stay on these things?!” Han shouted, eyes closed and face still buried into the hippogriff’s feathered mane.

  “A day or two to the ruins,” she replied.

  Han’s stomach plummeted while Grizzel smiled and tried his best to mimic Tex’s comfort - despite the pounding of his own heart - on the saddle by jutting his chest outwards. Though, he too shook violently as wind bursts came and went. “Come on Han, this is exciting! We’re gonna get to the thief, kill him and get some money!” Grizzel laughed.

  Han groaned. “I’m really starting to doubt this is worth it,” but his words were a nervous whisper, stolen away by the wind before they could reach anyone else’s ears.

  These conditions persisted, though gradually calming the further they distanced themselves from the torrential plains. An hour bled into the next and, finally, the violent buffeting eased. The sky - once a hazy blue mixed with gray clouds and dancing gold - was now a tapestry of fire. It was then when Han finally dared to lift his head and peak over the mane of his mount. The sight ate away at his nerves, and for the first time that day, he found himself at peace with the world around him.

  But not all were so distracted by nature’s beauty…

  “So where’s all the rocs?” Grizzel asked.

  Tex ignored his quip and reached for her waterskin. Empty.

  Grizzel’s eyes widened as more thoughts bubbled into his mind. “Do they shoot lightning from their eyes?”

  Tex paused and slowly arched her head towards the apostle. “No, they can’t shoot lightning from their eyes. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Grizzel folded his arms and closed his eyes to imagine the sight, “Sounds cool though."

  Tex rolled her eyes, “Rocs are just giant birds. No magic. And No lightning,” she gave a deadpan glare to Grizzel, who snickered back.

  "Maybe that's what I'll wish for with the ring,” he teased.

  Tex shook her head. "If that's your one true desire...fine," she said. "Whatever you want."

  Han smirked, then looked to the ground below. His stomach nearly lurched as realization settled in once again. Though, despite his fear, he could make out a few men and women with bows and arrows hunting some sort of animal, like ants chasing an even smaller ant. As they passed over on their winged mounts, the hunters pointed to the sky and scurried into the woods.

  “Hippogriffs not very common around these parts?” Han asked.

  Tex took a glance downward. “Nope.”

  “What god do they serve?” Grizzel asked, looking down at a few more hunters hiding behind the shores of a nearby river. He’d heard of nomadic groups like them near Kingswatch, but they were considered by his friends to be godless heretics. Though, he’d never really met any of them personally.

  “Most don’t worship gods,” Tex said, as they passed over the small party of hunters.

  Grizzel bit the corner of his lip. The old instincts in his veins made him clench his teeth. Then, closing his eyes, he sighed. “That’s too bad.”

  Taenith watched as the men and women faded into the distance. Seeing that there were still others in the world that didn’t live their lives underneath a god’s boot put a smile across his face. To simply see people dressed as they wished, without emblems or armor or flags, was a delicacy beyond mythical rarities in the law-abiding world they found themselves in. He wanted to meet those people; to congratulate them for their freedom. As they faded into the oblivion of the horizon, however, he felt the spikes of reality pierce his heart and choke his neck. That was when a sparkling tear etched its way down his brazen scales and plummeted down to their fleeting world.

  When he turned his head, he saw only the vast wastes ahead. Exhaling heavily, he faced Tex. Her jade eyes glowed, reminding him of the plains and of the people below them; of undefined and relentless freedom.

  Hours passed, and under the blazing sun Tex felt her mouth parching. She grabbed a pouch at her side and attempted to drink from it, only to taste leather. Cursing, she turned her attention to Han, who was closest to her, and was still clutching his stomach.

  “Han, let them know we’re going to land!” she said. Without raising his head from his hippogriff’s mane, he gave her a thumbs up before relaying her message to the others.

  Tex gripped her reins and sat up from the hippogriff’s back to scan for a nearby river or pond.

  Tex squinted through the blinding desert rays until she found a single silver pond resting near a small bed of grass. Gripping her reins, she guided her hippogriff downwards, and the others followed behind her. A distant wispy cloud lurked over the small oasis, providing at least some protection from the sun.

  When Tex’s hippogriff pounced onto the grass, various critters - deer and rabbits - spat water and cried before fleeing.

  “Alright, take ten,” Tex said as she scanned the flat wasteland. Taenith climbed off the back of his mount and walked over to the knight, who was keeping watch over the skies

  “Any sheoldrites?” Taenith asked. Tex clenched the hilt of her blade and jumped down from her hippogriff, which then chirped and pranced over to the pond with Taenith’s and the others’.

  “Thankfully, no,” she said. Taking her waterskin in hand, she bent down to the small pond to collect water.

  Taenith removed his boots and decided to step into the water. Though the water had been baking in the sun, it was still cool. It seeped into his feet with a chilling sensation that shot up the rest of his hot body. He took a sigh of relief. “One of the disadvantages of being a draconian. Getting too hot,” he thought, almost amused. He splashed water onto his boiling scales and cleaned several blotches of blood and dirt from his armor. Glancing at the sky only to see the cloud floating above them, Tex shrugged and followed suit. She removed her helmet, setting it on the ground. She then cupped some of the sparkling water in her hands, and poured it over her irritated, inflamed forehead. The oasis water rolled down her face and off her chest and breast plate, cleaning away some acidic residue.

  Tex’s shoulders lightened as she looked over the small pond. Grizzel and Han had gathered on the opposite side and were busy cleaning their own gear. Han, however, looked close to vomiting from the whiplash of flying.

  "So, Grizzel wants a bird," she said, rubbing water over her neck.

  “I would like to think he was just joking,” Taenith replied.

  “Somehow I doubt he was,” Tex paused. “So. What do you want?”

  Taenith finished downing a swig of water, and wiped his maw. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I understand what the limits are.”

  “Well,” Tex began. “It can do whatever Sham can do. It can enchant weapons or armor, like mine,” she gestured to her sword. “Or, it can grant knowledge, and certain abilities.” Her expressionless look twisted into a devilish smirk. “Or, for the less endowed… “ she exhaled, capping her waterskin. "Libido… Form change."

  Taenith nearly choked on his water, coughing. “Certainly not that.”

  Tex laughed.

  Taenith pondered his options, and found himself entertaining the idea of Icarus’ artifact. The power it would provide him…Even Lunas herself would be forced to fear him. If the ring could copy it somehow… the options in his future would be limitless.

  “Hm. I don’t think I’m creative enough to use it properly,” he said, stretching his arm, and stepping out of the water. “What would you wish for?”

  Tex raised a brow with a snicker, “We left the damn thing in a cellar. If I needed something I’d already have it.”

  “Right.” Taenith mentally kicked himself.” His thoughts migrated to his experience with the thief, who seemed all too content with his seemingly useless prize. “Why would Jakob need it then? If it's not worth having around?”

  “I didn’t say that. In the right hands, it can do a lot of damage.”

  “What do you mean?” Taenith asked.

  Tex bit her lip. She knew Sham would hesitate with any sort of explanation, especially to someone who wasn’t even in the Order. But she quickly remembered the conversation they had earlier. No more lies.

  “Promise me you won’t tell anyone,” she said. Her eyes shot daggers.

  “Of course,” he replied. “I’m not dumb enough to cross the most powerful people on the planet.”

  “Heh. That’s nice of you to think that,” she said. Before Taenith could latch on to that comment, however, she continued. “Ohen doesn’t like to talk about it much. Years ago he lost someone close to him. A daughter named Stellaluna. He never handled her passing well…” she sighed. “After her death, he locked himself away in that damned tower for years. At least, until he discovered a way to resurrect a mortal soul. Don’t ask me how he did it. I don’t understand the details either,” she exhaled. “But like I said, the thing was made to store his magical knowledge. Resurrection included. It can cast all his spells, with none of the requirements, or side effects.”

  “Side effects?” Taenith asked.

  “You know…” Tex bit her lip, thinking for an example. “Back when I first joined the Order, Sham used a lightning spell to kill some wyvern raiding a town off the coast of Taalund. The old man was out for days after that,” she snickered. She could practically hear him bellyaching for ‘more tea.’ “Most spells are harmless, but some…well, they bite back.”

  Taenith was quiet for a moment. He could only imagine the cost a resurrection might bring. And to think, such a powerful item as the ring was just sitting in an abandoned tower, collecting dust in a drawer.

  Tex saw the confusion on his face. “The gods don’t like it when mortals meddle with the afterlife. When they found out, he was punished, and forced to lock it away. He thought it was safe. But…you know the rest.”

  “I have to wonder. What does Jakob want it for? I mean…besides avoiding side effects,” Taenith asked.

  Memories flooded back to Tex, and her grin turned to a slight frown. She knew the lengths Jakob was willing to go to preserve his faux life. Her thoughts clouded with images of blood, bile, and the ungodly sound of his victims’ screams. Her throat tightened. “Nothing good.”

  “I see,” Taenith replied. He looked to the ground and watched his reflection in a puddle that had gathered there. He was just a simple man. The world of gods and magic and demons and vengeful dead wizards was not one he was used to nor believed he could participate within. “Do you do this often? Risking your life? Battling demons and chasing mages?" he asked.

  Tex blinked a few times as she adjusted her helmet and tied her waterskin to her belt, trying to shake herself away from her brief trance. "Not at first. Believe it or not I was just like you once,” she chuckled. “But I suppose you get used to it after a while. Once you've made a name for yourself in this world, it's hard to stay ‘normal.’ But I know this can be a lot for someone who lives in a literal cave," she said with a grin and nudged Taenith.

  "That's not... I didn't say I was scared," he clicked his tongue and his tail twitched.

  "Of course you didn’t. Draconians are too tough for that." she teased. Taenith’s nostrils flared a bit, and she huffed. "Oh come on. We should get going."

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Exhaling, Taenith attached his waterskin to his belt and put on his boots.

  Tex whistled.

  Hearing her call, the hippogriffs began chirping and gathered together, water dripping from their muddied, damp beaks. However, as Tex approached her mount, it reared backwards, its front legs raised and its beak snapping.

  “What the hells, quit moving…” Tex growled as she took hold of the creature’s reins and struggled to get it to calm down. Then the lingering desert air, thick with heat, suddenly chilled. But it wasn’t a frail cloud. It was an unnatural eclipse; a vast and ominous shadow that swallowed the sun.

  “Shit,” Tex spat, adrenaline rushing through her veins.

  “Uh, what’s that?!” Han’s voice cracked across the pond. The crescent blot extended its darkness; its wings spanning for what felt like miles. Then, the mass plummeted, and its body soared into view. It was an ancient and powerful avine predator, a bygone spawn of divine wars long forgotten. An eagle of shadow and hunger.

  “Everyone move. Now!” Tex shouted, gripping the reins of her hippogriff and climbing onto its back. Rearing backwards for a moment, the creature flapped its wings and squawked, protesting as Tex held it in place to wait for the others. Taenith scrambled to his mount, which was less than cooperative with the motion.

  “Wait up!” Grizzel screamed from across the pond as he fumbled with his bags and ran after Han, who was already bolting.

  Tex’s jaw clenched. She’d fought rocs before. But this one was no juvenile. Its feathers were a sun-bleached gray, having long lost their deep brown long ago. And its form easily dwarfed a young dragon’s. They could fight it, but rocs were tricky to handle without specific magic. Her sword could potentially end it, but the risk was high if she missed, and she couldn’t afford to lose one of the others so close to the ruins. On the other hand, she knew they’d never outrun or outfly it. Her head spun. No, she had to think of something else.

  “Tex?” Taenith drew his scimitar, a useless twig against such a beast. The sun disappeared behind the roc as it quickly approached their scrambling party with sights on their winged escorts.

  Cursing, Tex leaped from her hippogriff, reins digging into her palms as she snatched the leads of Grizzel and Han’s mounts. Taenith’s protest died in his throat as the roc unleashed a deafening shriek that hammered into their skulls, sending Han and Grizzel to their knees. Wincing, Tex slapped her hand against the flank of Taenith’s hippogriff. It bolted towards the fallen pair.

  “Grab Han!” Tex commanded. Taenith, dazed, bent down and held his hand out to him. Han latched on, and the draconian hauled him up behind him like a ragdoll. The bowman’s arms shot around Taenith, and gripped like a vice.

  “Thanks!” Han said, his eyes wide as he looked back at Tex, who’d barely dodged the massive creature as it tore its talons into the ground, showering Grizzel’s hippogriff in debris.

  “Thank me when we get out of here!” Taenith roared as his hippogriff spread its wings and launched into the air.

  Tex climbed back onto her mount. With the leads of the others in hand, she spurred the creature forward, forcing it to charge towards Grizzel, who was still floundering towards them.

  “Grizzel!” Tex’s arm stretched out, her fingers straining to reach the apostle. Her jaw clenched as she tried desperately to hold onto the leads with the other.

  Grizzel’s hand shot out and clamped onto hers. With a grunt, Tex hauled him up. Another earth-shaking screech ripped through the air as the roc’s beak shot down towards them, barely missing and eating dirt before it swiped its wings towards them. The accompanying gust of wind and dust nearly knocked them over, but they kept onward. Tex slammed her heels into the side of her hippogriff once more, causing it to squawk abruptly before shooting into the air. The others followed closely behind Tex as she guided them upward.

  “What now?!” Grizzel said, his voice nearly lost in the violent screeching of the frustrated roc as it shook its head and spat dirt. With a few powerful flaps, it rose into the air behind them. In only a few seconds, it would devour them all.

  “Sorry Mike,” Tex muttered, letting go of the leads. The other hippogriffs scattered randomly, like leaves in a storm.

  “What the hell are you doing?!” Grizzel exclaimed, his voice laced with confusion and frustration. Without hesitation, the roc opened its beak and crushed down on the nearest of the hippogriffs. With a sickening crunch, the roc obliterated its bones and crushed it into a lifeless puddy, which it gladly consumed. It only took a few moments before the roc rose above the surviving hippogriff and dug its talons into its side, piercing its internal organs and slaying it instantly. Not even a pained whine escaped its mouth before it crumbled like paper beneath the roc’s immense pressure.

  “Dive now!” Tex screamed to Taenith, wrenching her hippogriff down towards a nearby patch of trees. Luckily for them, the ancient roc seemed content. It finished swallowing its first prey and plummeted to the ground in a cloud of dust to consume the rest of its remaining prize.

  The remaining hippogriffs, wild-eyed with terror, whined and kicked as they escaped behind the thick palm trunks. Once Tex was sure they were hidden well enough, she peered past the brush and watched with rising frustration as the roc ripped chunks of flesh and sinew from Michael’s pet, gulping its viscera down with swigs of water from the pond.

  “That...was way too close,” Han’s voice nearly trembled, his face and arms still glued to Taenith.

  “You can let go now,” Taenith gasped, nearly wheezing from Han’s bear-like grip on him. Han smiled sheepishly as he unwound his hands and fell to the ground to kiss its dirty beauty.

  “Damn… Imagine if that breathed lightning,” Grizzel said, awestruck despite the ringing of his ears and the pounding of his frantic heart.

  Tex dismounted, her hand never leaving the hilt of her blade. “We should be safe for now.”

  “Are we going to try and kill it?” Grizzel asked.

  Tex’s gaze sharpened. She was unsure if he was making a joke or if he was actually serious. “No.”

  Grizzel looked confused. “Why not? Don’t you kill stuff like this for a living.”

  “Just because I can kill it,” Tex’s voice was low, edging on frustration, “doesn’t mean it won’t cost us. Survival out here means knowing when to run, not just when to fight.”

  “But-”

  Tex unsheathed her blade and offered it, hilt-first, to Grizzel. “If you want to kill it so badly, be my guest.”

  Stammering, Grizzel clenched the hilt of his grayed mace and gazed into the glowing enchanted sword she offered him. He practically felt himself drooling at the light that shone from its sharp and blemishless edges. Shaking his head, he muttered something under his breath and averted his gaze.

  Tex stowed her blade. “That’s what I thought.”

  “I think it was just a joke…” Han offered in his defense.

  Tex sighed. “I don’t care, Han. I really really don’t care.” Maybe she was overreacting. She didn’t think so. Michael was an animal lover. Losing those two hippogriffs was something she would have to explain to him and it was her damn fault.

  Taenith nodded to Han, gesturing to him to take Grizzel to give them some room. The bowman nodded and did just that. After a few moments, they had gone over to a different patch of trees, ones which seemed to herald patches of coconuts. After that, he sat down on a nearby boulder and stretched his wings.

  “Thanks for saving us,” Taenith said.

  “Don’t mention it,” she said as she took a patch of rations and began feeding her mount,

  “Will they be able to carry us the rest of the way?” he asked.

  Tex faced the dirt-dusted draconian, “No. This will set us back a day. At least.”

  “Could you contact Sham?”

  Tex put a hand on her hippogriff’s forehead and wiped sand from its newly dusted feathers. “I could. But it’d risk exposing us. And all of this would be pointless.”

  “We could always…” he began, his words trailing off as he tried to dig for another suggestion.

  “Look, I know what you’re trying to do. I’m fine. I’m not worried about Jakob right now.”

  “Then, what’s the matter?” Taenith rubbed his neck.

  Tex closed her eyes and cracked her jaw. “Michael loved those damn things.”

  “Oh,” Taenith said. “I’m sorry.” He didn’t know Michael very well. Though, he would certainly never forget his pancakes. Regardless, the man seemed infatuated with the creatures. He’d hate to be the one to break the news. He didn’t know Michael very well. Though, he would certainly never forget his pancakes. Regardless, the man seemed infatuated with the creatures. He’d hate to be the one to break the news.

  “Yeah, well. It's fine. At least no one’s dead,” Tex replied.

  “I don’t think he meant anything by it,” Taenith added.

  “Yeah, I know,” Tex replied, looking at the others. Grizzel was in the process of climbing, or at least attempting to climb, a palm tree to get to its fruits. He wasn’t getting very far though, as each time he reached the halfway point he would slide down and hit himself against the ground, only for Han to offer sarcastic remarks or jokes at his expense. “It's just…jokes like that get you killed out here. I might be strong, but luck has about as much to do with it as skill. Each fight against a dragon, demon, whatever…you go in knowing you’ll probably lose someone. And you’re good people. Dumb. But good,” she said.

  Taenith huffed. “If that’s the case, why bother bringing us? I’m sure you could do this alone.” He caught his tongue, unsure as to whether that came off the wrong way or not. “I didn’t mean-”

  Tex drew her blade. “No, I get it,” she said, eyeing the silver make of her blade. How many had she killed with it? Hundreds? Thousands? She didn’t bother counting anymore. And despite its bloody past, not even the slightest scratch was upon it. It reminded her of the three. Uncut, fresh, new. “Truth is, Sham sees something in you three, something I didn’t at first. But, you all stood against Jakob and lived. So clearly you’re at least worth having around.”

  “What do you see now?” Taenith asked.

  Tex thought for a moment, kneading her boot into the ground. “Potential, I suppose,” she said as she lifted her blade, the tip aimed towards the tree Grizzel was climbing. “You wanted to help us. That’s not something just anyone would do. And if you survive, well, maybe we’ll recruit you into the Order. If you’d like a job, that is,” She closed an eye and drew her arm back, aiming the blade like a spear. “Hell, even Han. He might get scared easily, but he’s risking his life everyday being here just so he can help his family. Resolve like that is rare these days.”

  Taenith hadn’t really thought about it that way. Indeed, out of all the towns he’d visited throughout his life, each was filled with their fair share of disgruntled or docile citizens and soldiers who gladly watched their manufactured lives pass by them. Drunks, religious preachers, zealots, social elites… all of them more or less unable to seek out free lives because of the world they’ve built for themselves. Maybe that’s why Taenith was drawn to Han and Grizzel. Both were trying to break away from the mold they were born from. Tex was right, he thought. And certainly, a job rewarding that level of individuality would be nice. No more living in caves and starving off meat scraps soup and field roots? That may as well have been an offer into the heavens themselves. His thoughts broke away, however, when he was drawn to Tex’s shifting posture.

  “What are you-” Taenith began before she launched the blade forward, its steel shimmering in the air like a strike of lightning as it rocketed into the palm tree. Fibers and wood split like hair as the blade’s magical impact exploded the fragile trunk, causing Grizzel to fly once more into the ground. He let out a yelp as several coconuts fell onto him, bashing his armor before rolling over the ground where small residual ignis embers suffocated over the grass.

  “What the hells?!” Grizzel spat wood dust as he shook his head and looked over to Tex, who gave an all too amused smile.

  Taenith watched with wide eyes. He knew her sword was enchanted with powerful magic, but would never have expected it to be a damned missile. And a recallable one at that.

  Tex let out a satisfied huff followed by a smirk as she stowed the blade.

  “Feel better?” Taenith asked.

  “Very,” she replied with a nod before cupping her hands around her mouth. “Enjoy the food, boys.”

  Han couldn’t help but laugh as he picked up one of the alien fruits. He’d never had a coconut before. But there was a first for everything.

  “How do you?-”

  Grizzel smashed a coconut against a nearby stone, revealing a pearly white inside sloshing with fresh milk. He then handed it to Han. “Gotta smash them first. Here, take it.”

  “Oh…thanks,” Han said, taking the strange sphere in his hands before taking a hesitant sip of the milk. Grizzel joined after cracking open another.

  “This is…”

  “Great right?” Grizzel offered, wiping his lips before tearing a chunk of white meat from the inside and slamming it into his mouth.

  “I was going to say…interesting,” Han’s nose curled. The milk was definitely not that. It was liquid, yes, but it tasted like something else. Something indescribable.

  “It's not for everyone,” Tex said as she approached the pile, taking one for herself and tossing another to Taenith.

  Taenith took the fuzzy, round nut in his hands. He’d seen them a few times before, but never bothered to wonder if they were edible. Afterall, they weren’t the most appetizing in appearance, being covered in hair like a common rat. Then again, he was used to strange foods by this point. So, with a shrug, he bit onto the shell and shattered it. The taste of dry fibers temporarily coated his tongue before a rush of silky milk rolled down his throat. Han was right, it was weird. But unlike pancakes, it was good weird. When he was finished, he dropped the hard shell, just in time to see Tex open the coconut simply by knocking on its top with her knuckles.

  He was confused for a moment, but decided against questioning it.

  After sipping from the nut, she grabbed a small map from one of her bags and did her best to roll it out. Though, the wind was not cooperating as it smashed into her face several times before she managed to position it against the side of one of the hippogriffs.

  She nodded her head, motioning for Taenith to look with her.

  “So, I’m thinking. We’re not going to be able to fly there anymore. Not with two people per mount,” she said, dropping the empty fruit.

  “So we walk?” Taenith asked.

  “No,” she said, pointing to a small dot that bordered on the desert and a forest. “If we’re somewhere near here,” she said while tracing her finger to where the drawings of trees faded and met the sea of sand, “there should be a small town nearby. We can rest there and make it to the castle by tomorrow night. If we don’t run into any other issues that is.”

  “Okay, but where is the forest? I only saw plains and desert from up in the air. Unless you mean the forest we passed a few hours ago,” Taenith asked.

  Tex scratched her chin and looked from the sleeping roc and the faded plains behind it and to the rolling desert behind them. “Mind taking a look?”

  “What?”

  “You’re the one with wings.”

  “But…the roc.”

  “It’s asleep now. You’ll be fine.”

  After a brief hesitation, Taenith stretched his wings. “I suppose I can do that,” he replied.

  “You checking out Dwayne?” Grizzel asked from over by the shattered tree.

  Taenith raised a brow, “Who?”

  “Dwayne. I gave the bird a name,” Grizzel said.

  Tex sighed. “Just get going.”

  Taenith nodded as he unfurled his wings and jumped into the air. He quickly rose above the cluster of palm trees hiding them from the sleeping behemoth. Beyond the roc on both sides were plains and desert. However, when he turned around he could see a wall of green in the distance that met the desert’s edge.

  “See anything?” Tex asked from below.

  “A forest in the distance. How far do you think we could get by hippogriff?” he asked.

  “Maybe two hours. But that’s pushing it,” she replied.

  Taenith placed a hand above his eyes. He wasn’t a mathematician, but judging by the distance they’d traveled in a single day, he assumed it wouldn’t be too difficult to bridge the gap in only a couple hours. If that.

  “We can make it,” he said.

  “Good. Let’s get moving,” Tex replied.