A rhythmic clatter broke Zeke's concentration, making him open his eyes and blink around in confusion. The surroundings had been relatively silent, causing the noise to feel all the more jarring. He got up from his seat and looked out the small carriage window. It became immediately clear where the noise originated from.
The wide wheels of the carriage, which had previously glided like sled runners over the sand, were now gripping onto firmer ground. The seemingly endless desert terrain was gradually transitioning into a more solid surface. And though the landscape was still predominantly golden, Zeke could already discern the promising greenery on the horizon.
Zeke rolled his stiff shoulders and stretched as much as the limited space allowed. At this point, he had been cooped up inside for over a day, and he craved a breath of fresh air. After working some feeling back into his numb legs, he made his way to the curtain separating the interior of the carriage from the driver's perch.
The bright light of the sun momentarily blinded him, but when his eyes adjusted, Zeke was able to make out the two silhouettes sitting at the front of the carriage. The first one belonged to Ash, who was driving the carriage. The Chimeroi had turned out to be a surprisingly competent driver and had taken to the job with ease. He had an uncanny ability to command the sandstriders, making the large lizards appear downright docile.
The second figure was Snow. The girl was sitting beside Ash and happily chattered away. The young Pureblood had gotten a lot livelier since they left the capital. Zeke wasn't quite certain if the change was because they were bringing her home or because she was just more comfortable in the wilderness, but he was glad for the change.
As soon as they noticed his presence, the conversation came to a halt. Snow briefly glanced at him before swiftly averting her eyes and falling silent. He was the only one in their group around whom she still displayed a timid demeanor.
Ash, on the other hand, nodded respectfully. "Something the matter, Master?"
Zeke shook his head as he approached, taking a seat on Ash's other side at the front of the carriage. His gaze swept across the horizon, where the once faint green outline had intensified. It became evident that it wasn't merely the color of the grassy plains but rather the darker hue of trees. "Another oasis?" he asked.
Ash shook his head with a smile. "The previous one was our last stop."
Zeke's eyes widened with realization. Could it be? He strained his vision, scrutinizing the distant forest more closely. Though still too far to confirm definitively, he was fairly certain that the expanse of trees continued deeper inward. There was only one conclusion: they were nearing the southern borders of the desert.
Zeke returned the smile. "How long until we reach the border?"
Ash scrunched his brow and squinted at the distance. "Certainly not today, but… maybe by tomorrow evening."
Zeke nodded easily; they were in no hurry. After a quick look around, he noticed that the rest of his companions were absent. "Where are the others?"
Ash motioned toward the front. "They went scouting a while ago and are due to return soon."
"And the guide?"
"Took 'em with."
Zeke scanned the horizon, trying to make out their silhouettes, only to come up empty. Wherever they had gone, he couldn't see them. This reminded him that their small group wasn't actually safe just because he couldn't detect any enemies. He had been pretty certain that their departure from the city had gone unnoticed, but one could never be too sure. Last time, he hadn't noticed his pursuers either, and it had ended disastrously. His recently restored arm still itched when he thought back to the previous ambush.
Zeke shook off those dark thoughts and forced his mind to think rationally. Any pursuer wouldn't have waited this long before striking. They were already near the border, and tracking them would become much harder once they reached the jungle. Even so, a small, paranoid part of his mind was unable to relax completely—not until they left the sands behind them.
"T-there," Snow said in a weak voice while pointing to one of the last remaining dunes to the side.
Zeke followed her arm and saw a group of riders. Three people were mounted on the backs of sandstriders, clearly headed their way. A smile emerged on Zeke's face as he recognized Vulcano's; the glowing lines all across his body made him easy to identify.
"It seems they are back," Ash said.
Zeke hopped down from the carriage. Now that the ground wasn't purely made of sand anymore, walking had become less of a chore, and he relished the chance to stretch his legs for a bit.
One of the riders split off from the rest, approaching rapidly. Soon, Vulcanos came to a halt next to Zeke, a wide smile on his face. "We caught something good," he announced, slapping a bundle that had been strapped to the saddle of his mount.
Zeke returned the smile before examining the load. While his eyes couldn't see through the cloth covering the package, his Spatial perception had no such limitations. Inside the bundle, he found the butchered corpse of an animal. It was a tiny, bat-like mammal with iridescent wings. On its forehead was a pair of delicate antennae.
"What exactly is that?" Zeke asked.
Instead of Vulcanos, someone else answered. "They are called Flutterfins," their guide explained. "They can sometimes be found near the jungle. A bigger predator likely drove them out of their habitat."
Zeke wrinkled his forehead. "I thought the forest was still a day's ride away?"
The guide nodded. "For us, yes. But for them, it would barely be an hour's flight."
Zeke nodded in understanding, though inwardly, he cursed his predicament. He yearned for the comfort and convenience of an Airship, but it was a risk he couldn't afford. Airships were among the most conspicuous modes of travel, and given his circumstances, drawing attention was the last thing he wanted. Moreover, his own ship, the Alexandria, was likely under close surveillance.
Still, how ironic was it that he, who had risen to prominence through the manufacturing of Airships, had to walk everywhere?
Zeke returned his attention to the bundles strapped to the backs of their mounts. "What are they good for?"
The guide's eyes lit up as he began to explain. "Ohh, Flutterfins are incredibly valuable. Their wings provide exquisite materials for high-end decoration. Additionally, their antennae are highly sought after by alchemists for their—"
"We can eat them," Vulcanos interrupted. "They taste delicious."
The guide gave the Chimeroi a withering glare but reluctantly nodded. "Yes, their meat is edible. Though I would not, under any circumstances, call it delicious."
Vulcanos shrugged nonchalantly, giving Zeke a wink.
Zeke cleared his throat to hide his smile as he turned his attention back to the guide. "If you skin them, you can take the pelts and antenna back with you once we reach the border."
"You are very generous, young lord," the guide said with a smile.
Zeke returned the smile, content to let the misunderstanding persist. This really wasn't about generosity for him; he simply had no use for those materials. Firstly, there would likely be no market for them at their destination. Moreover, he had no interest in the paltry sum of money the pelts would fetch.
Zeke turned toward the last member of their group. Gravitas had remained quiet since their return, observing from the background with a hint of amusement in her eyes. Her veil obscured much of her expression, yet Zeke had become adept at discerning her mood solely from the intensity of her gaze.
"Something I should know about?" he asked.
Gravitas shrugged. "We found an encampment of crawlers along the route. Our guide thinks it might be worth the small detour to avoid them."
"By how much will that set us back?"
The man was quick to explain his reasoning. "Not too long, young lord. We should still be able to reach the border by tomorrow evening. Even though I have full confidence in your escorts," he said with a grudging nod of respect toward the Chimeroi. "It's not a risk that we have to take."
Zeke thought about it for a moment. The guide made a good point. If they could still reach their destination before nightfall, fighting their way through would be pointless. It wasn't like they would enter the jungle at night, after all. However, he had his own reason for wanting to fight. "No, we will stay our course."
The man frowned but chose not to argue. Crawlers were not all that dangerous, and the three Chimeroi accompanying them were more than capable of taking care of them.
Gravitas, seemingly able to read his thoughts, spoke up with a twinkle in her eyes. "How is your work going, Master?"
Zeke smiled triumphantly. However, after a brief glance at their guide, he opted not to disclose any further detail for the moment. "I'll show you tonight," he pledged, motioning for their small group to return to the carriage as he continued his stroll.
While walking a few dozen steps ahead of the carriage, Zeke contemplated his progress. The work Gravitas had alluded to was his endeavor to develop a new Breathing Technique. During his stay in the capital, he had once attempted to create a similar technique based on the one from the Lion's Den. Yet, for all his efforts, he had ended up empty-handed. However, he was finally making progress again.
The main reason for his breakthrough was that he had observed many new Breathing Techniques since then. Gravitas and Vulcanos had been taught such a technique by their previous owners. On top of that, Zeke had been able to observe a dozen more during his stay in Undercity, giving him a rich foundation on which to draw. Surprisingly, the ruthless method employed by the Ember Scar Cartell had given him the insight he needed to take a step forward.
He could still vividly recall how they had confined their new recruits in a cave beneath their headquarters, driving them mad with hunger. Furthermore, their Breathing Technique had severe side effects on anyone not strong enough, making them even more unstable.
When he first observed the technique, Zeke hadn't been all that impressed. It was a system designed to maximize growth at the cost of sanity. However, after a closer examination, he found that it had several unique components that were not found in any other breathing technique—a completely new method.
Zeke was intrigued. If he could eliminate the mental instability or somehow direct the effect, he would be able to create a new, wholly different method of cultivation. Yet, the factor that bolstered his confidence the most was the fact that Khai'Zhar had actually expressed admiration for the idea, indicating that such a technique would rank quite highly. Knowing the standing of Dragons in the natural hierarchy, Zeke considered this endorsement the best he could hope for.
Over the past weeks, he, Akasha, and Khai'Zhar had put their minds together. For once, the reticent reptile had held nothing back. It seemed a lot of the Dragon's reluctance to share information had disappeared now that Zeke had made good on his promise to eliminate the Firebrand family.
Most obviously, the Dragon had finally allowed him to call it by its name. Zeke still wasn't quite sure about the significance of the gesture, but he was certain that names held far more meaning to Dragons than to any other species he knew of.
"Don't let it get to your head, whelp," the Dragon said. However, even the familiar appellation was said with a certain warmth that had been absent before.
Zeke rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips. He was eager to witness the fruits of their labor. Though the sun still lingered high in the sky, evening couldn't come soon enough for him.