Chapter 84 – Soaring to the Inevitable

Shawn’s hands grasped at the empty air, as though trying to hold onto something that was already gone. The weight of what had transpired pressed on him like a crushing tide.

Behind him, the sound of cautious footsteps broke the silence. Shawn turned, his tear-streaked face meeting the wary gazes of Makara and Selena as they emerged from the crumbled dome. Both paused a few feet away, their hands instinctively resting on their weapons, their eyes scanning the scene for danger.

“Shawn?” Selena asked, her voice tentative, tinged with uncertainty. “Is it… Really, you?”

Shawn looked up at her, his expression hollow yet raw with emotion. His voice came out as a rasp, barely audible. “It’s me… And I’m sorry. I let my power consume me.”

Selena and Makara exchanged a glance, the weight of the moment reflected in their eyes. Slowly, Selena stepped closer, kneeling beside him. She rested a hand on his shoulder, her touch firm yet comforting.

“Shawn,” she said softly, her voice steady and filled with quiet strength, “don’t dwell on it. What’s done is done. There’s still so much to do, and like we said before, we’re here for you.”

Makara nodded, his usual sharp demeanour softened, though his voice still carried its characteristic bluntness. “You made it through, Shawn. That’s what matters now. The rest… It’s about what you choose to do next.”

Shawn closed his eyes, the memory of Princess Thyra’s words replaying in his mind. Slowly, he nodded, a faint sense of clarity emerging through the storm of his emotions.

“I’m fine,” he said quietly as he stood, his movements steady.

Selena and Makara shared a look, an unspoken understanding passing between them. Something about Shawn had changed—an intangible shift, as though he had shed the weight of guilt and sorrow that had haunted him.

For a moment, the three of them stood in silence. Around them, the petals that had once been Princess Thyra floated gently on the breeze. Nearby, the owl that had carried them to this place landed, its wings flapping as it let out a soft cry.

As they stood there, the sanctuary began to fade. The vibrant, otherworldly grass dulled to a lifeless grey. The breeze stilled, carrying with it a chill that crept through the air. Flowers that had once bloomed with impossible beauty began to wither and wilt, their colours draining away as the realm dissolved around them.

Makara broke the silence, his sharp gaze scanning the horizon. “We should leave,” he said, his tone urgent. “The sanctuary’s disappearing, and the day’s almost over.”

Selena straightened, slinging her spear across her back. “Then let’s not waste time,” she said. “Even if we travel through the night, we won’t reach the plains of Rohena before the war begins.”

Makara turned to the owl, his hand gliding over its sleek feathers as he murmured, “Can you fly through the night?” The bird replied with a low, steady hoot—confident, unwavering. Makara nodded once, then faced Shawn and Selena. The faint moonlight cut across his determined expression. “We’ve got a long night ahead of us,” he said, voice firm. “Let’s move.”

Shawn nodded silently, his resolve hardening. The three of them climbed onto the owl’s back, its massive wings spreading wide. With a powerful sweep, the owl launched into the air, carrying them high above the remains of Thyra’s sanctuary.

Shawn looked back one last time, the fading remnants of the sanctuary disappearing into the encroaching cold. Princess Thyra’s final words, “Help him,” echoed in his mind, a quiet yet persistent reminder of his purpose.

The cold wind rushed past as the owl soared through the setting sky, carrying them in the direction of the plains of Rohena, where the war awaited. Below, the mountain stretched out in shadow over the sanctuary, its once-vivid beauty now being consumed by frozen weather that has been held by the princess Thyra’s power.

The trio soared on the back of the great owl, its colossal wings carving through the icy air with rhythmic, powerful beats. The wind, no longer tempered by Princess Thyra’s power, had transformed into an unrelenting force, lashing at them with razor-sharp cold. Snowflakes pelted their faces like tiny shards of glass, the frigid air seeping through their clothing and biting into their skin.

Makara gripped the reins with both hands, his knuckles stiff and pale from the cold as he fought to keep the massive bird steady. The owl let out a low, pained screech, its body shuddering against the ruthless storm. Below them, the once-glorious sanctuary—the last remnant of Princess Thyra’s power—was vanishing before their eyes, consumed by cold’s merciless grasp.

Shawn turned his head for one final glance. His heart sank. Where once there had been a paradise untouched by time, there was now only desolation. The cascading lakes had turned to frozen mirrors. The lush greenery, which had once danced in the wind, stood motionless, coated in layers of frost like spectral sculptures. Vines that had once woven themselves playfully around now hung brittle and dead, weighed down by thick sheets of ice. The vibrant rose fields had withered away entirely, their petals reduced to frozen husks.

The sanctuary was gone. Shawn clenched his jaw, a heaviness settling in his chest.

Selena’s voice broke through the silence, trembling as she stared down at the frozen wasteland “It’s… all frozen,” she murmured, her breath visible in the frigid air. Her voice was small, almost reverent, as if speaking too loudly might shatter what little remained of the sanctuary’s memory. “I never thought something this beautiful could exist… and now, all that’s left is proof that it did…Frozen.”

Her fingers gripped the owl’s feathers tightly, as if grounding herself from the sorrow creeping into her chest.

Makara remained silent, his focus singular. He adjusted his grip on the reins, his arms tense as he guided the owl over the ridges of the mountain, only to face the raging blizzard. The howling wind roared in their ears, threatening to drag them into the swirling abyss. The owl’s muscles strained beneath them, every beat of its wings a battle against nature’s fury.

The snowfall grew heavier, thickening into an impenetrable white wall. The trio hunched low, pressing against the owl’s warm feathers as the beast fought to push forward.

Selena shivered violently, her body wracked by the relentless cold. She pulled her Atlantis attire tighter, but it somewhat helped to ward off the freezing air.

“I forgot… how brutal the cold is out here,” Shawn admitted, his teeth clattering between words while he clung to his clothes tighter.

Makara let out a strained chuckle, his voice laced with exhaustion but maintaining its usual bite. “I didn’t. That’s why I hid my sake gourd inside my robes this time.”

Selena glared at him, too frozen to form a retort. Shawn, though equally affected by the weather, remained silent. His thoughts were elsewhere—on what lay ahead.

The owl beat its wings harder, pushing against the storm with every ounce of strength it had. The wind roared defiantly, determined to knock them out of the sky, but the creature pressed on.

Time became meaningless in the storm. Minutes stretched into eternity. Every second felt like an uphill battle against an invisible enemy that refused to yield. The trio clung tightly to their feathered steed, bracing against the numbing cold as it threatened to drain the last of their strength. Then, at last, the winds began to wane.

The blinding snowfall thinned, revealing glimpses of the sky beyond the storm’s grasp. The turbulent air settled into a quieter hum, no longer howling like a raging beast. Below them, the jagged, frozen peaks of Mount Elysian gave way to gentler slopes, their surfaces still coated in snow but no longer consumed by the storm’s wrath.

The owl let out a weary screech, its wings slowing to a steadier rhythm as the worst of the storm passed.

The trio let out a collective sigh of relief as the owl’s massive wings stabilised, gliding effortlessly through the thinning air. The storm had passed, but its remnants still clung to them—the biting chill in their bones, the tension that coiled in their muscles, and the weight of what they had left behind.

Beneath them, the world stretched wide and desolate, a vast expanse of white fading into the distant horizon. But ahead, golden light pierced through the last remnants of the storm, breaking apart the suffocating grey clouds. The sun, now emerging in all its radiance, cast its warmth upon them, a stark contrast to the frozen nightmare they had endured. The sky, once suffocated by snow and ice, was now a vast ocean of orange and crimson, its colours melting into the edges of the retreating storm.

For a brief, fleeting moment, it almost felt like hope.

Selena adjusted her attire, her fingers still numb from the cold, and stared out at the fiery sky and the sun’s position. “How long do you think we were in the sanctuary?” she asked, her voice quiet but edged with curiosity.

Shawn frowned, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “It felt like hours… maybe longer.”

Selena, with a mindful “we might have spent the whole day in that sanctuary”.

Makara let out a slow breath, his eyes dark with thought. He gripped the reins loosely, letting the owl glide without resistance. “The fragrance,” he murmured. “Princess Thyra’s sanctuary… it dulled our senses. Our thoughts, our emotions… even time itself slipped through our fingers like sand.”

A heavy silence fell between the trio, each lost in their own reflections.

The owl let out a soft, weary screech, adjusting its wings as it soared over the endless white plains below. Their shadows stretched long against the snow-covered landscape, cast by the sinking sun behind them.

Shawn broke the silence. “How long until we reach the plains of Rohena?”

Selena considered the question, scanning their surroundings before giving her answer. “From where we are now… mid-morning tomorrow, without rest.”

Shawn’s brows furrowed, his jaw tightening. “That’s still late…” His voice was tense, laced with something unspoken. “Let’s just hope it’s not too late.”

Makara turned to him, catching the shift in his tone. “Why are you agitated?”

Shawn hesitated, the weight of unspoken truth tightening his chest; he hadn’t told them yet—hadn’t found the words to explain what he had seen, what he had heard in the sanctuary—but at last he forced them out, his voice heavy and edged with urgency. “When I was in the sanctuary… I spoke with Princess Thyra,” he said quietly, almost hesitantly.

Makara questions Shawn, “Did you speak with her?”

“Yes, but not in the waking world. It was… somewhere else. An alternate domain.” He exhaled sharply, with the memory of him conversing with Princess Thyra. “She told me something about her father—King Azure.” His fingers curled into a fist. “It didn’t make sense, not with everything happening, but now…” He shook his head. “…I need answers, and I can only get them from King Azure himself.”

Makara studied him for a moment before nodding. “Well, don’t get too worked up,” he said. “Remember, we’re with you.”

Shawn glanced at him, offering a faint, appreciative smile. He didn’t say anything, but the silent acknowledgement passed between them.

The wind carried them forward, and for a moment, only the steady rhythm of the owl’s wings filled the air. Then, Makara spoke again, “By the way… did you get Princess Thyra’s fragment?”

Shawn’s expression dulled slightly. He had expected the question, but he wasn’t sure how to answer it “I… don’t remember exactly what happened,” he admitted, his gaze distant. “When I came to my senses, the complete sword of King Azure was in my hand.” His fingers flexed unconsciously, recalling the weight of the weapon, “but then I saw Princess Thyra… she was lying there, bleeding. I just ran to her…” He hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. “I might have dropped the sword, and I think the sword might have returned to me.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and extended his arm, sensing the sword. “Yes, the sword is with me.”

Makara let out a relieved sigh, shaking his head with a smirk. “Good grief,” he muttered. “For a second, I thought we’d have to turn back. At least that’s one thing we don’t have to worry about.” He leaned back slightly, adjusting his posture. “Now, let’s focus on reaching the warfield.”

The owl’s wings carried them farther into the horizon, the great beast gliding effortlessly through the thinning air. Behind them, the mountains loomed tall and cold, their peaks fading into the growing darkness. Before them, the world stretched open, vast and endless, waiting for them to return.

The sky above burned with the colours of dusk, a final ember before the night claimed the heavens. Their silhouettes, cast against the setting sun, and their shadows faded into the distance as they headed towards the battlefield. While this trio made their way to the warfield, there was another trio who were having a serious conversation far in the plains of the Rohea.