On the morning after two days, the Bloodburn Kingdom was steeped in a palpable mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Tens of thousands of citizens, from the highest nobles to the common folk, gathered in a sea of faces, their eyes fixated on the Skycrawler, the kingdom's most formidable flying ship, now prepared for the king's journey to the Draconis Kingdom.
In the midst of the gathered crowd, whispers and murmurs rippled through, "Look at the legendary Skycrawler! It's as big as Flaralis," one onlooker remarked in awe.
The Skycrawler, a vessel of dark, almost jet-black hue, towered impressively over the throng.
Its dragon-like structure was an embodiment of power and elegance, with large, bat-like wings unfurling majestically.
Intricate runic carvings adorned its wings, glowing with a hellish ember that added to its awe-inspiring appearance.
It was not merely just a vessel to carry people over large distances but also a powerful weapon in its own right.
They could see how worried the queen was to lend her best flying ship to their king.
"May the king return victorious!" a fervid citizen shouted aloud, their voice laced with hope.
Rowena stood regally in front of the castle doors, her gaze following Asher as he ascended into the skies along with the six accompanying him inside the Skycrawler. Her expression, a blend of pride and concern, reflected her thoughts.
These past two days, she didn't let him leave the castle to spend as much time with him as possible before he left and to hear him reassure her that everything would be alright.
To ensure his safety, Rowena had dispatched a formidable escort - 100 Dreadwings controlled by a contingent of the kingdom's most capable warriors.
They were a sight to behold, soaring alongside the Skycrawler, an intimidating protective convoy.
She knew this small army wouldn't be allowed to enter the continent of the draconians. However, she wanted to ensure his safety throughout his journey until he reached there.
Rowena, her eyes never leaving the diminishing silhouette of the Skycrawler, murmured to herself, "We will be waiting…"
On the north side of the kingdom, Isola was sitting atop a pouting Callisa as they saw Asher's ship disappearing away from their sight.
"Koooo…"
Hearing Callisa's sad mewl, Isola caressed her hard shell and said with a soft smile, "It can't be helped, Callisa. You are too big to fit into that ship. But don't worry, he will return safely to us after teaching those crude draconians a good lesson."
As the Skycrawler vanished beyond the horizon, the crowd still lingered, each individual carrying a mix of fear and hope for what the future held for their king and kingdom.
He had only been crowned a few days ago, and now he had already left the kingdom for their sake.
The sky, now empty, seemed to echo the sentiment of the kingdom - a silent, watchful wait for the return of their king.
Inside the lavish cabin of the Skycrawler, an air of excitement and tension mingled. The interior of the vessel was as grand as its exterior, with walls of deep maroon and black, adorned with intricate carvings depicting ancient demonic battles and mythic scenes.
The plush furnishings, from the velvet seats to the silk curtains, all bore the dark colors of the Bloodburn Kingdom. The atmosphere was one of opulent power, a fitting environment for the king and his selected entourage.
Its interior also boasted a mix of tempting amenities. The lighting was a soft, ambient glow, emanating from enchanted crystals set into the walls.
Each room had a panoramic view of the skies, through windows enchanted to withstand the most brutal of aerial forces.
Leonidas, his eyes wide with awe, nudged Caelum's elbow, his voice barely containing his excitement, "Can you believe we're actually here? In the Skycrawler! This is beyond anything I've ever imagined! It feels like a dream."
Caelum, sharing his comrade's enthusiasm, nonetheless gave him a subtle nudge, signaling him to maintain composure, "It's indeed a privilege, my friend, but let's not forget our decorum," he whispered, glancing at Lady Naida, who had caught the tail end of their conversation and offered them a knowing, amused smile.
Leonidas, slightly abashed, bowed his head in a silent apology towards Naida, his cheeks reddening slightly.
Meanwhile, Oberon and Silvan explored the living quarters, a series of elegantly appointed rooms, each with its unique demonic charm.
As Silvan reached for a door handle, Oberon interjected rudely, "This one's mine. Find yourself another room."
Silvan was taken aback and looked at Oberon, whose eyes were gleaming with annoyance.
'Remember…Don't get into any unnecessary altercations with your brother. Let him be…' Silvan remembered his father's words, which was just one of the pieces of advice he gave him after feeling worried that he was setting out for this journey.
And so Silvan sighed, not wanting to argue, and simply nodded and moved towards another door while shaking his head.
"Tsk, I should have brought some women along with me," Oberon let out a frustrated sigh as he walked into his room.
As Asher walked through the cabin, he examined his surroundings with a curious eye, acknowledging the grandeur yet thinking about the journey ahead.
But one of the views outside a large window caught his attention. He kept, looking at the reddish skies and the dark clouds surrounding them.
Seeing how he was already up in the skies, he realized this was the first time he was leaving far from the Bloodburn Kingdom. He had never strayed off too far from his kingdom intentionally. He focused on building his strength because unlike Earth, it was too dangerous to roam outside in a cruel world like this.
"Can you believe that the ship we are standing on is 4000 years old?" Naida's graceful, melodic voice echoed beside his ears as Asher turned around to look at her with a smile, "Of course. Just by standing inside it, I can feel how powerful it is. It can probably even endure the attacks of multiple Soul Devourers for a while."
Naida nodded as she maintained her smile and said, "You aren't wrong. But the real beauty of this ship is the love that went into its creation. It is also one reason why the queen wanted you to use this."
"What do you mean?" Asher asked with a curious look.
"It's said that 4000 years ago, the king of our kingdom, Lezrun Drake, made this ship for his most favorite wife, the queen at that time. And it ended up saving her life during one of her journeys where she had to leave the kingdom. From then on, every ruler of our kingdom treasured this ship and used it for every dangerous journey. They wouldn't step foot on any other ship," Naida said with a shake of her head.
"Oh…" Asher didn't know this ancient ship had a backstory like that.
"It is a very rare sight to see the king and queen loving each other deeply. I can't help but envy you. What you two share is very precious," Naida said with a soft smile.
"I know. But I am sure you have it good as well," Asher said with a smile while wondering why she envied him. Does Vernon not love her or does he not love her deep enough? They looked quite the perfect loving couple whenever he saw them.
He then felt it wasn't his business to pry and looked at her and asked, "So, what was the favor you wanted from me?"
Naida blinked her eyes as if she was surprised, "Favor?" Then her brows raised in realization, "Oh my…don't tell me you still remember our conversation at that time?"
Asher was confused, but he nodded with a brief smile, "Of course. You helped me a lot, and you said you wanted a favor in return."
Naida gave an elegant smile as she leaned against the window and said with a look of appreciation, "I didn't know you were still thinking about it. Not all men remember to keep their word."
Asher could smell the pleasant fragrance of rose from her as she leaned against the window, close to him, the rosy fragrance from her wafting into his nostrils.
Naida continued with a subtle smile, "But I no longer need any favor as of now. I needed help with a diplomatic situation that could have affected our kingdom. Fortunately, I was able to take care of it before you returned. I never knew when you were going to return so I decided to take care of it before it became too late."
Asher was surprised as he asked, "I didn't know that. Then why did you volunteer to accompany me?"
Naida gave an amused smile and asked, "Don't tell me that you thought I was coming with you because I needed a favor from you?"
Asher lightly shrugged as he said, "Then why?"
Naida looked at him with a warm smile and said, as her eyes flashed with memories of the past, "Silvia is very precious to me. Even before she was born, I took great care of her in my womb and gave her everything she needed to be happy. Maybe I overdid it and caused her to be a bit hard to deal with for people, as you must already know."
Asher lightly chuckled as he shook his head, completely agreeing with her.
She then looked at him with a deep gaze and placed her hand on his, which was resting on the window rail, "But you saved her life during the quest where I couldn't have possibly been there to help her. You can't imagine how much it means to me, especially when you had no need to."
Asher was a bit taken aback by the intensity of her gaze and voice and briefly looked at her slender, cold hand that was on top of his.
But then he realized that she must have been greatly worried for Silvia, and it was no secret that she pampered her the most.
He didn't even think much about saving Silvia from Sabina and only wanted to pull her to his side to benefit himself.
And so Naida's sincere gesture left him feeling quite awkward. However, he cleared his throat and said with a polite smile, "Please don't mention it. It was the least I could do."
It was better to let Naida think he did it for Silvia's sake and gain her support as well. Maybe she was also doing it for the same reason since he was the king now. A mutual understanding.
"Aren't you too modest for a king," Naida said with a teasing smile and then added, "Whatever the case might be, I felt it was only right I accompanied you for protection even if it may or may not be necessary. I hope you won't mind the company of this old lady."
"You have quite the sense of humor, my lady. How could I possibly be bothered?" Asher said upon hearing those words come from a graceful beauty like her, even though he knew her words weren't really wrong.
"Now you have more sense of humor than me," Naida said with a subtle, pleasant smile before leaning away from the window and adding, "I shall not disturb you any longer, my king. Let me know if you need anything."
Asher nodded as he saw her walking away with soft steps and stood there with a look of contemplation. He then decided to go to the front deck and make a change of plans for the journey ahead since they had a lot more time to reach Draconis Kingdom.
Even though this ship could reach there in just an hour, it was not so easy.
There were lots of dangerous areas in between and to avoid all that, it could take more than a day.
However, unbeknownst to him, dozens of large shadows were lurking in the clouds far behind the small army of Dreadwings.
