A dozen hot air balloons drifted across the sky, tethered and guided by Rhea and ten other birdkin who ensured they stayed on the correct flight path.
"Incredible... this is truly incredible!" Euphy's eyes sparkled as she stared at the burner and the massive envelope above.
Her excitement was understandable; her lifelong dream of flying had just been realized. She had once spent her days trying to invent a flying machine of her own, never imagining she'd get to experience the thrill of the sky so soon.
"How does it work? It flies just by lighting a fire?"
"What's the principle here? Won't the fire burn the material above?"
"It can carry so many people... I wonder if it could fly all the way back to the Kingdom of Dwarf?"
Euphy lay in the basket, her brow furrowed in deep thought as she muttered to herself like someone possessed. Beside her, Durin let out a bitter sigh.
"What a mess," Durin whispered, lowering his head in disappointment. He knew exactly why Euphy was so obsessed with the blue sky: she wanted to fly back to the Kingdom of Dwarf to see her mother.
As one of the five extraordinary women of the capital, Euphy was famous for her mechanical ingenuity. Her weapon designs were prized by bounty hunters and nobles alike for their aesthetic beauty. But ever since she set her heart on finding her mother, she had buried herself in designing flight apparatuses. Durin had always thought it was impossible—until now. Being in the air himself had shattered his skepticism, leaving Euphy even more curious and exhilarated.
"Euphy, come have some water," Durin called out, holding a bamboo tube. Since boarding the balloon that morning, Euphy hadn't stopped studying the contraption for a single second.
"You drink it!" Euphy replied without looking up. She still couldn't grasp the physics. How could such a giant bag lift them into the sky?
"Uncle Durin, don't be so troubled. Perhaps you really could take one of these back to the Dwarf Kingdom," Lucy suggested, knowing Euphy's inner turmoil.
"Sigh..." Durin shook his head helplessly. "Even if we could fly back, then what?"
His wife was a daughter of the nobility. If he took Euphy back there, they'd likely be cast out or captured and dealt with to prevent them from shaming the noble house. More importantly, would this Lord of Sedona City even give them a hot air balloon? It seemed impossible.
"That..." Lucy trailed off, unsure of how to comfort him because he was absolutely right.
She looked down at Catherine, who was sleeping with her head pillowed on her lap. Recalling their meeting the night before—where Catherine had cried like a small child—Lucy felt a wave of tenderness.
Whoosh... whoosh...
Lucy listened to the rhythmic sound of the bellows. She looked over at Jones, who was crouching low as she worked the pumps. The leopard-eared girl didn't dare stand up; the struggle of a person with a fear of heights was no joke. It was the first time Lucy realized Jones was afraid of anything, given her usual fearless reputation.
"Drink some water." Elisa handed over a canteen.
"Are we almost there?" Lucy looked up at the elf's face, which was wind-chilled and dry. She took the canteen and asked, "Elisa, do you need to rest?"
"We're close." Elisa shook her head, glancing at the soundly sleeping Catherine. She lowered her voice. "Once we clear those two hills ahead, we'll be within the territory of Sedona City."
"Good." Lucy let out a breath of relief. Floating in the sky for so long had left her feeling restless.
"Mmm? Are we there?" Catherine opened her eyes groggily, yawning and stretching.
"Did we wake you? Have some water," Lucy said softly, unscrewing the cap. "We're almost to Sedona City."
"Really?" Catherine sat up abruptly, her eyes shimmering with joy as she looked at Elisa.
"Mm-hmm," Elisa nodded, teasing her. "Are you that eager to see Lord Lucas immediately?"
"I—I didn't say that!" A blush quickly climbed Catherine's cheeks. She pouted defensively. "I just want to thank Lord Lucas in person for the rescue."
"If you say so," Elisa chuckled, choosing not to expose the thin-skinned girl.
"We truly should thank him," Lucy added, a strange light glinting in her eyes.
"Euphy, are you still studying that?" Catherine said, quickly changing the subject to hide her embarrassment. Though she missed Lucas desperately and wanted to see him right away, her pride kept her from admitting it.
"Euphy, stop for a bit," Elisa called out. "Once we reach the base, why don't you just ask Lord Lucas yourself?"
"Do you think he'd really tell me?" Euphy asked, her eyes wide. An artifact that could conquer the sky wasn't the kind of secret people gave away easily, and she didn't think she had enough face to ask for such a favor.
"You'll never know until you try," Elisa said gently.
"Alright." Euphy sighed and rubbed her temples. She had definitely overexerted her brain.
"I really never imagined Lord Lucas could create a vessel that flies," Lucy mused. It had only been a few months since they last met.
"And even has the help of the birdkin," Catherine added. When she was last in Sedona City, there hadn't been a single birdkin in sight—well, except for Amelia.
"Will it really be alright, us coming along?" Durin asked, his worry resurfacing.
"Don't worry, Uncle Durin. Lord Lucas is a good man," Catherine promised, patting her chest.
"I hope so." Durin nodded bitterly. He had abandoned everything in the capital to move to a new place; he only hoped they could finally live a peaceful life.
Whoosh... whoosh...
"Prepare yourselves," Rhea's cool voice drifted down from above. "We've arrived."
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
300 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.