Novel Full Chapter 461: Because the sky itself is on our side.
Chapter 461: Because the sky itself is on our side.
Whoosh
The wind howled around them as Igni soared through the grey sky, his wings cutting through the clouds like blades of fire. The air here was much warmer and tamer than what the Dragon had gotten used to; it was different from the cold and sharp air in the Heights that stung the face and made breathing feel heavy.
It was clear that winter had barely arrived in this place—heck, one would call this place heaven when compared to the Heights, and they hadn’t even traveled that far yet.
Yes, the group had left the Heights and were heading somewhere else. Below them stretched a vast, endless ocean.
Kael sat at the front of the dragon’s neck, his cloak fluttering wildly in the wind. Behind him, Lavinia sat quietly, her hair flowing like pale silk, her eyes fixed on the horizon.
It would have been quite a romantic moment if not for… another presence who was with them.
“Are you sure about this, Kael?”
The ’other presence’ flying to their right, Kayden, questioned as he raised his voice to be heard over the rushing wind.
Kayden was flying on a large winged beast—one even larger than Igni. After all, unlike Igni, who was barely a few months old, this was Kayden’s second beast and was already more than fifteen years old.
“Leaving the Heights completely undefended at a time like this… it is risky.”
Kayden spoke as he looked behind.
Twenty-five elite soldiers followed in formation, each riding their own Bonds, all at the level of Kayden’s Bond.
Yes, these weren’t just elite soldiers—they were the twenty-five most capable soldiers among the Velmourns, the fastest of the lot. Some of the beasts here were even faster than Igni.
This was an elite group Kael had requested, a group of high-level soldiers. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that these twenty-five soldiers represented a third of the Velmourn army’s total strength. With them here…
The Velmourns back in the Heights were… quite vulnerable.
“I know it is a risky decision.
But it is necessary.”
Kael looked over his shoulder and answered calmly.
“Necessary?”
Kayden frowned.
“We are the strongest soldiers. Taking all of us out at once—if something happens, only Mother and Commander Korvath would be able to hold out.”
“You’re right.”
Kael nodded, not denying his words.
“That’s why I thought about this very carefully before deciding.”
He glanced forward again, his eyes scanning the mist ahead.
“Commander Korvath and I discussed it in detail. We came to the same conclusion—the enemy most probably won’t attack, not when they are trying to keep us imprisoned.
That is, of course, unless they know we’re gone.”
“Unless… they know?”
Kayden’s frown deepened.
“How would they know about—”
He wanted to question out loud, soon however, he realized the answer.
“The traitor.”
He muttered.
“Exactly.”
Kael nodded as he stared at him.
“The real danger isn’t outside the Walls—it’s inside.”
“…”
For a moment, Kayden stayed silent; a solemn look appeared on his face.
But then—
“But you said there were no traitors.”
He raised another point.
“I said if there is a traitor, he hasn’t acted ever since I became the Warden of Vigilance.”
“Are you saying…”
Kayden’s expression changed, and once again, Kael nodded.
“If there is one, then this journey will reveal them.
Our people are currently at their weakest; if there is a traitor, this would be the best chance for him to take action.
My ’eyes’ are watching every corner, so the moment the traitor moves, I will know, and I will inform Commander Korvath who and where they are using the Whisperlink he gave me.
Commander Korvath will catch the traitor instantly, before they manage to send anything out.”
Kael revealed the plan; Kayden, however, still had doubts.
“What if they somehow manage to send it?”
“If the message is sent, we will return with whatever we have gathered.”
Kael answered directly.
“Return?”
Kayden raised his eyebrow.
“Three hours.”
Kael spoke as he raised three fingers.
“From the Wilds back to the Heights, Igni can travel the distance in less than three hours if he doesn’t hold back.
Even if we consider that the enemy moves at the earliest and is at our doorsteps within an hour, I am sure our people will be able to hold out for two hours before I get there.”
Kael then looked into Kayden’s eyes and—
“And once I get there,
I promise I will do everything in my power to protect everyone.”
He spoke with a determined look on his face.
For a moment, Kayden was silent, a little overwhelmed by how confident this man was. To think he was counting on the fact that he alone would be able to flip the entire situation once he appeared on the battlefield, and to think he would say it with such certainty…
Soon, however, he recalled that sight where the usually brave and ruthless Stonefangs retreated at his single order, and he…
Kayden couldn’t help but believe him.
“You make it all sound so easy.”
The Vice Commander of the Watch commented with a heavy smile on his face. Compared to Kael, he felt… powerless.
It was a strange feeling, especially considering that when Kael first appeared, he thought of chasing him like a rival but…
The more Kael moved… the more things he achieved… the more he realized the difference between the two of them.
Now, this man had even kicked out a Council Elder while he still hadn’t joined the Council. It was just… absurd, especially when Kayden thought about how this man was younger than him.
’Is this the difference in talent…?’
Kayden thought inwardly as he stared at the man in front of him.
As for Kael—
“It is not easy.”
He shook his head.
“But it’s what we must do.”
Kayden exhaled deeply. He stared at the horizon for a moment before speaking again.
“Why go this far just for wood? You could have just taken five men; they could have all stored the wood in their Sanctuaries, and we would have enough to last more than two weeks. If needed, we could have taken another trip if we ran out.
That way, we wouldn’t be this vulnerable.”
Kayden suggested.
For a while, Kael stared at him in silence, then he slowly shook his head.
“This isn’t just about wood.”
“Then what is it about?”
Kayden frowned.
“It’s about trust.
And about what comes next.”
Kael answered as he looked ahead.
Then, after a small pause, he began with a heavier voice than usual.
“If there’s a traitor among us, we can’t move forward—not with what I’m planning.
This is the best way to draw them out. If the enemy reacts, we’ll know exactly who informed them.”
Kayden looked at him silently with a heavy heart.
He could tell Kael wasn’t just talking about wood or the traitor. There was something else—something bigger—waiting behind his words.
After all, he knew everything that happened in the Council Hall early in the morning; his mother told him everything.
Another conflict between Elder Draksis and Kael, confrontation between Kael and his mother, and… Elder Draksis’s dismissal at the end before Lavinia took over.
It was clear that these two were planning something and…
Unlike other Elders, who seemed quite burdened by everything that happened, deep inside, Kayden…
Kayden felt that it was necessary.
Even if Kael stood against his mother, Kayden… as someone with a younger, more passionate heart and a soldier who knew his people’s situation and the kind of lives they lived, craved a change.
A change that he felt only Kael and Lavinia could bring.
A change that… seemed like it was about to happen.
“So this… is the beginning of something?”
Kayden questioned carefully, wanting to know a little more and if possible… join Kael.
Kael stared at him for a while, then he nodded lightly.
“It’s time we take larger steps.
We cannot survive by hiding behind walls forever.”
He spoke the exact words Kayden wanted to hear.
Since one of Imperia’s ants followed Kayden everywhere, Kael now had a rough idea as to how this man thought, so he knew how to frame his answers to win his support.
Was it manipulation?
To some extent, yes.
But at this point, when he had a literal cult in his name, Kael just gave in.
He needed to step into this dirty world where he would be forced to play this game; he had no other choice.
“This… this might lead to something irreversible.”
Kayden commented as he lowered his gaze.
“It will.”
Kael nodded; his eyes now seemed hollow, almost as if a part of him was breaking apart. But he quickly closed his eyes to hide that expression and—
“Let’s hope that the said irreversible change is a good one, one where our people prosper.”
“Yes.”
Kayden nodded.
Silence followed for a while, only broken by the wind and the rhythmic beating of wings. The soldiers behind them flew in tight formation—disciplined but uneasy. Kayden could feel their tension even from here.
After all, the grey mist ahead began to thin; the clouds broke, giving way to the horizon.
Green.
Endless green.
They were here.
Away from the Heights, for the first time in their entire lives.
He looked back at Kael.
“And what about the foreigners? Especially those from the Sky Kingdom? If they see us in the Wilds…”
Kayden too was nervous.
After all, just like his people, he too had never left the Ashen Heights—no Velmourn had. The Treaty of Vorgath didn’t allow them to.
If others, especially the people from the Sky Kingdom, saw them, things might go…
“They won’t.”
Kael spoke as he turned his gaze upward to the clouds.
“How can you be so sure?”
Kayden frowned.
And at that question, Kael just smiled.
“Because the sky itself is on our side.”