The road led to a village where the shadows moved.Kael had been flying for four days since leaving the road that went nowhere, and the land below had shifted again. The empty plain had given way to a dense, tangled woodland, and the woodland had opened into a small valley where a village sat in permanent twilight. The sun was high, but the trees were so thick and the hills so steep that only scattered beams of light reached the ground. The rest was shadow.He landed at the edge of the village and climbed off Zephyr's back. The Primeval Beasts gathered around him, their forms tense. Lira's silver scales glowed faintly in the dim light. Aether's wings were folded tight. Terra's massive body was still. Lux dimmed itself, unwilling to stand out. Umbra, for once, seemed at home.Kael walked into the village. The houses were small and close together, their windows shuttered, their doors half-open. The people moved quietly through the streets, their faces calm but watchful. They did not see

The road led to a garden that had no flowers.Kael had been flying for four days since leaving the sea that had no waves, and the land below had changed again. The rocky shores had given way to gentle hills, and the gentle hills had opened into a wide valley filled with stone. Not mountains. Not boulders. Not cliffs. Just stone. Thousands of stones, arranged in careful rows, stretching across the valley like a garden.He landed at the edge of the valley and climbed off Zephyr's back. The Primeval Beasts gathered around him, their forms quiet. There was no danger here. No sorrow. Just stillness. Just patience.An old woman knelt among the stones, her hands covered in dirt, her face lined with age. She was planting something. Not seeds. Not bulbs. Stones. Small stones, carefully placed in the soil, arranged in patterns that only she could see.Kael walked over. "Good morning," he said.She looked up. Her eyes were bright, her smile gentle. "Good morning, traveler. You have come a long w

The road led to a village where every wall was covered in drawings.Kael had been flying for five days since leaving the garden of stone flowers, and the land below had shifted once again. The wide grasslands had given way to low, rocky hills, and the hills had opened into a narrow valley where a small village sat sheltered from the wind. It was a quiet place, peaceful and still, but it was also strange. From the air, Kael could see that every surface was covered in color. The walls of the houses, the fences, the stones along the path, even the trunks of the few trees all of them were painted with pictures.He landed at the edge of the valley and climbed off Zephyr's back. The Primeval Beasts gathered around him, curious but calm. Lira studied the painted walls with interest. Aether tilted its head at a drawing of a bird. Terra stood quietly. Lux glowed softly. Umbra drifted among the shadows. The void beast stirred gently within Kael, sensing something unusual but not dangerous.He w

The road led to a valley where the wind hummed.Kael had been flying for six days since leaving the market where no one spoke, and the land below had changed once again. The dusty plains had given way to deep, green valleys carved by ancient rivers. The air was cool and sweet, carrying the scent of moss and wild mint. The sky was a soft, endless blue. It was a peaceful land. A gentle land. A land that seemed to be waiting for something.He landed in a valley surrounded by tall cliffs, their walls covered in vines and waterfalls. The sound of water filled the air, mixing with the wind to create something that was almost music. Almost. But not quite.The Primeval Beasts gathered around him, their forms relaxed. Lira tilted her head, listening. Aether closed its eyes, swaying gently. Terra lay down in the soft grass. Lux dimmed itself, as if not wanting to interrupt. Umbra drifted among the shadows of the cliffs. The void beast stirred quietly within Kael, calm and curious.There was a v

The rain had been falling for three days.Kael had been flying through it for most of that time, hunched low against Zephyr's back, his cloak pulled tight. The storm had come out of nowhere, a wall of black clouds and lashing wind that had swallowed the horizon and refused to let go. Below them, the land was a blur of gray and green, half-drowned in water. Rivers had burst their banks. Roads had turned to mud. Villages had shuttered their windows and lit their fires and waited for the sky to break.But there was no break. Not yet.Zephyr flew on, its golden scales dulled by the rain. Lira, Aether, Terra, Lux, Umbra, and the void beast followed close behind, their forms barely visible in the downpour. They were tired. They were cold. But they did not stop. They could not stop. Something was out there. Something that needed them.Kael felt it before he saw it. A pull. A whisper. A cry for help. It came from below, from a place where the storm was thickest, from a place where the lightni