Page 114 of Soul Forge

“Then what do we do?” he asked.

“We could go up,” Julian suggested with a shrug. “Are there any other entrances?”

“To a mountain?” Reiner scoffed. “Are you expecting to find houses and a tavern up there?”

“No, I just figured it was worth a shot,” the vampire retorted.

“Close your mouth and let Elda think,” the ex-captain instructed. “The Spirits brought her here. She knows the way, even if she can’t see it yet.”

Elda peered up towards the clouds, remembering the premonition and how she’d somehow appeared at its summit when she looked up. When she looked back, her eyes widening, Reiner met her gaze and nodded. She trusted the princess to make the right choice, too.

A rush of confidence filled Elda’s chest. “Julian’s right. We have to go up.”

“You’re sure?” the Soul Forge asked.

Another tug from that thing guiding her to the mountain confirmed her suspicions. “I’m certain. Our only way is up.”

“Alright. I’ll lead us up there. Reiner, keep Atlas on my heels.Do notdrop my wife.”My wife. Not wielder or princess. Wife. Elda’s heart squeezed, her stomach doing a giddy little flip.

“I’ve been protecting her since she was born,” Reiner retorted. Sypher shot her a glare that did nothing to disturb her. Violet flashed through her irises. “Concentrate on yourself, saviour.”

“I don’t see any entrances below the cloud cover on this side,” Gira mused, breaking the standoff before it could escalate. He lifted a hand to shade his eyes against the pale morning sun peeking through the white tufts. “What do we do if we have to fly higher?”

“Hold your breath, and don’t let go. Julian, can Nox make this sort of climb?”

“I’m sure we’ll find out,” the vampire answered, climbing into the saddle. Sypher unleashed his wings, waiting until Reiner and Elda were seated on Atlas before letting Gira onto his back.

The princess watched him bend his knees, a tell-tale ripple in the air by his feet the only sign that he used magic to boost him off the ground. He leapt, wings catching the updraft he created to carry them towards the clouds. Gira clung to him, keeping his forehead against Sypher’s neck. Before starting her journey to becoming a wielder, Elda might have thought the shifter wasafraid, but she knew now that it was to reduce the strain on the Soul Forge.

Atlas kicked into a gallop, the wind whipping Elda’s thick braid back over her shoulder. Nox followed, her hooves clopping against the stone behind them. The breath left Elda’s lungs when Atlas’ great white wings flared, and they tilted upwards, feeling like she’d left her stomach on the ground behind them. The air was cold enough to sting, biting at her nose and cheeks. Behind her, Reiner hunched against the chill, moving close enough that her chest almost touched Elda’s back.

Julian let out a holler, as excited as ever to be flying his demon mount into whatever unknown awaited at the summit far above. His excitement died when they reached the cloud cover and burst through, the air thinning enough to make the horses falter.

“Easy, boy,” Reiner murmured, reaching around Elda to pat his neck. “We’re trained for this.” Her power sparked through the threads of his mane, and when Elda looked to her left, the feathers of his wing were illuminated in pale lavender. It didn’t crackle like it did when they fought, and relief calmed Elda’s racing pulse when it became clear she wouldn’t be zapped and fall to her death.

Nox didn’t have the power of a valkyrie to help her. To their right, Julian’s teeth were gritted, and great breaths heaved through the tulpar demon’s sides as she strained to keep up. Sypher had slowed up ahead, but the speed was still taxing on both horses.

The atmosphere thinned further, and nausea bubbled up Elda’s throat. Her head started to spin, body swaying in the saddle. Reiner’s hand on her shoulder kept her in her seat, the other clutching the reins to help guide Atlas. He was panting, white foam decorating the corners of his mouth, but he kept going.

Nox let out a low bray, the sound thin and weak. Sypher turned his head, noticing her struggle. He flung out a hand, a stream of darkness pouring from his fingertips to loop around Nox’s midsection like a tether to ease her struggle.

But that meant that Sypher was carrying Giraandsupporting the weight of a large steed and her passenger. Elda’s fists clenched, watching his wings for any sign that they might fail him. She was certain that a fall from this height would break him beyond repair.

It was only minutes, but it felt like they flew for far longer through the suffocating skies. The air grew so thin that dark spots started to obscure Elda’s vision, her grip on her consciousness loosening until it was ready to snap altogether. Reiner was panting behind her, Atlas wheezing in time with her. Despite her tether, Nox wasn’t faring much better. Sypher had slowed even further, labouring through every beat of his wings.

What if she was wrong? The thought crashed into her like a boulder rolling down the mountainside. What if they kept going until the air became too thin? They’d fall from the sky and be smashed to pieces on the ground far, far below. There would be nobody to catch them. She could be leading them all on a fool’s errand straight to their deaths.

A glint caught Elda’s eye. Something shiny was set into the mountainside, something that hadn’t formed naturally. A golden mural caught the sunlight, shattering her fear before it could take hold.

“There!” she called out over the wind, struggling to pull in enough breath to alert the group. Her lungs were aching. “There’s something over there!”

“I see it,” Reiner agreed, already shifting the reins to move Atlas in its direction. “Sypher! Elda sees something!”

The Soul Forge heard and turned to look where they were pointing, angling his wings to glide towards it. The horsesfollowed, valiantly pursuing Sypher until he landed on a narrow ledge, barely wide enough to fit all of them. Atlas struggled to land safely with his broader wingspan, but eventually, Elda was able to dismount, her feet touching the ground precariously close to the edge of the steep drop. Julian dropped from Nox’s saddle right beside her and looked around, his chest no longer heaving.

The clouds rolled beneath them, an ocean of white and grey. The sky above them was bright and clear, stretching on endlessly. Elda had never seen anything so vast. It made the forests of Eden look pathetic by comparison. Standing on that tiny ledge, staring out into a blue so bright it hurt, she realised just how small her world had been before meeting Sypher. The air was crisp and cool, fresh in a way she’d never imagined. A hint of frost chilled the winds that whipped around the mountains, settling in her lungs and rejuvenating her.

“I can breathe again,” she gasped, sucking in a breath like a starving woman finding her first morsel of food. She released it slowly, relishing in the simple pleasure of breathing without difficulty. The others did the same, breathing heavily to compensate for their discomfort. Nox and Atlas pawed at the rock, their tails swishing back and forth.

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