"Uh? The heck is this thing—" Godrick spat, his brow furrowing as he pulled a tangled mess of rope and latches from a huge bag. Metal clinked together in his hands, the strands coiling like snakes as he tried to make sense of them. Belk stood beside him, arms folded, brow cocked, silently waiting as the bundle was tossed around between them.

Astra didn’t so much as glance back. "It’s for scaling these things," she said, her voice casual as her knuckle rapped against the dark, rigid rock wall in front of her. The sound echoed faintly, swallowed quickly by the looming height of the pillar.

Godrick’s frown deepened. He dug further into the supply sack and pulled out something even stranger—thin iron rods wrapped tightly with copper wire, ends frayed like they’d once been fused together. His nose scrunched. "And this?"

"For catching electricity if there’s a storm," Astra said plainly. She stepped forward, taking the rods and rope from him with practiced hands. "I’m not letting another storm pass me by."

Belk raised a brow, tilting his head. "That’s cool and all, but... what does any of this have to do with flying?"

His voice was casual, almost teasing, but his eyes followed her hands—watching as she clipped and looped the gear into place with mechanical precision.

Without answering, Astra tossed one end of the rope toward him, the cord slapping gently against his chest before slithering to the ground. Godrick got the other, catching it midair with a grunt of effort.

"You’ll see."

Then she turned and began the climb.

Loose stones gave way beneath her boots, trickling down the cliffside like gravel caught in a landslide. The pillar stretched skyward like the spine of the world itself—an ancient, towering monolith that vanished into mist. Her gloves gripped tight, her weight shifted low, every movement controlled, deliberate.

Belk sighed, glancing up with a resigned groan. "Why is it always climbing with her..."

But he followed nonetheless. So did Godrick, muttering under his breath as he tested the first few holds.

The ropes tightened behind Astra, the metal gear clinking softly with each upward motion. Far below, the ground began to fade into shadows, and the pale sky above only hinted at how far they had left to go.

’Even though Celi’s not fully awake yet...’ Astra thought, her breath slowing as she reached a narrow ledge and paused. Wind whispered through her coat. She closed her eyes for a second, feeling the hum of something beneath the rock—ancient, electric. ’This should be enough.’

_________________________________________

"So, what are we looking for anyway?" Lailla asked, the question trailing lazily off her tongue as they rode atop their wolves, the soft padding of paws muffled against thick, springy grass. The terrain had shifted long ago—no longer gentle fields, but an uneven sprawl of mossy slopes and tilted ridges, surrounded on all sides by dense, uncharted forest.

Everything around them pulsed with strange life.

Bioluminescent mushrooms lined the bases of trees, casting soft hues of violet and turquoise onto the undergrowth. They clustered in shadowy corners and between upturned roots, glowing brighter as the light dimmed around them. The trees themselves bent at odd angles, leaning over like they were listening—old, gnarled things, their bark etched with natural runes Veira had never seen before.

Odd creatures peered out from between trunks and thickets. They stood on two legs, with wide, round torsos and fur-covered limbs, their feathered arms folded in front of them. Their eyes were large and gentle, filled with a quiet curiosity. They didn’t flinch, didn’t move to hide—just watched as the group passed. Like they understood something the travelers did not.

"Astra said anything that could be of value," Veira finally replied, her voice quieter than usual. She led from the front, her wolf’s silver coat catching flecks of light from the mushrooms around them. Her eyes darted from one part of the forest to another—constantly scanning, but never settling. "There should be something here."

Lailla rolled her eyes and leaned forward over her wolf’s back, draping herself like a bored child across its shoulders. "How does she know that?" she muttered, exasperated. "She’s never even been here. We’ve been riding around in circles for hours. It all looks the same."

"She said it’s here," Zelr’s voice cut in, even and certain. He rode just behind them, his posture upright and unshaken. "So it’s here."

Veira shot him a glance—brief, but enough to acknowledge him. She gave a small nod, almost to herself. "Well... no matter how she knows, I suppose it’s worth a look."

Zelr didn’t respond. Instead, his eyes remained on her, lingering just a little longer than necessary before returning to the trail ahead. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Then—

"Ugh. Gross..." Lailla suddenly gagged, throwing a hand over her face. "Don’t you guys smell that?"

The wolves slowed instinctively, ears twitching. Lailla’s mount had fallen behind slightly, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

It hit the others a second later.

A sharp, pungent odor laced the air, curling into their nostrils with an almost physical sting. It was thick and sour, like burnt oil mixed with decaying flesh—clinging to their lungs, trying to force its way down their throats. The surrounding forest, once rich with life and mystery, now felt heavy. Tainted.

"Hold your breath!" Veira snapped, voice firm with urgency. She yanked the collar of her cloak over her mouth, and the others mimicked her instantly.

"No need to tell me twice," Lailla groaned through her sleeve, coughing once before spurring her wolf forward again. The animal responded with a low growl, its claws digging into the forest floor as it began to pick up speed.

Veira turned sharply down a sloping ridge, leading them away from the scent’s source. Zelr followed close behind, his gaze occasionally flicking backward, just in case something had followed them.

They rode in silence for a while, only the sound of wind rushing through branches and the occasional crack of snapping twigs beneath pawsteps filling the stillness.

Eventually, after they’d put enough distance behind them, the stench faded. The forest returned to its earlier quiet—eerily calm, but no longer suffocating.

As they rode through the forest, the feeling of eyes peered into the back of their skulls, yet they didn’t notice. Zelr stopped his wolf, turning to look behind him, a sharp gaze to the trees, yet when he turned there was no one there.

"Zelr stop wastin time!" Lailla called out to him, pulling his attention back to the front. He nodded, slow yet still cautious, moving further ahead with the group.