Whoosh, whoosh…
High in the sky, a squad of ten birdkin led by Rhea flew in a V-formation, advancing rapidly.
Rhea had come to the volcano to search for sulfur under Lucas's orders. They had been flying for three or four days and were now a little over half a day's journey from the valley.
In the past, it had taken them several months to find that place. But with the experience from their last trip, it wouldn't take nearly as long this time.
"Boss, we've been flying for three or four days now. How much longer until we hit the volcano?" Salina asked.
"We're almost there. About half a day left. If we pick up the pace, we can make it in four hours," Rhea replied coolly.
"Boss, did you guys really see a dragon last time?" Donny asked curiously.
He was only sixteen this year, one of the few male birdkin, and his wings had only fully grown in a few months ago.
Salina and Donny, much like Mira, were Rhea's trusted confidants. However, because they had stayed behind to look after their flightless companions at Stone Mountain, they hadn't joined Rhea on the dragon-hunting mission. Naturally, they didn't know the valley's exact location or the travel time required.
A few of the birdkin who had participated in the previous dragon hunt had also come along. Not everyone was brought this time, as the primary objective was reconnaissance.
Sedona City couldn't afford to send its entire aerial main force out just to look for sulfur. Many of the birdkin had already been integrated into Sedona City's defense forces, while others had accompanied Jones and Freya to explore the Forbidden Mountains.
After flying for over four hours, Rhea's group arrived near the volcano where she had previously executed the dragon-hunting mission. Nestled near the volcano was a valley.
Looking down from the sky, the entire valley was lush and green, filled with towering trees. Aside from this valley, a few smaller craters could be seen dotted around the perimeter of the main volcano in the distance.
"We're here," Rhea said coldly.
"Is this the valley where you hunted the dragon before, Boss?" Salina stared at the massive valley below in awe.
"It feels way hotter here than in Sedona City," Donny remarked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"The trees are so tall."
"Does this place really have the sulfur the City Lord mentioned?"
"..."
Rhea's subordinates gasped in constant amazement as they took in the sight of the valley.
"Stay sharp, everyone. This place is fraught with danger," Rhea warned vigilantly.
"Yes, Boss!" The group replied in unison.
Because their previous mission had ended in failure and left many of their comrades injured, Rhea was on extremely high alert upon returning to this place.
"Stay close. We'll lower our altitude and run a patrol sweep first." With that, Rhea took the lead, diving downward, her black wings flapping steadily.
"Copy that!" The group acknowledged, banking into a descent of their own.
They began to circle the valley, maintaining their V-formation to conserve stamina.
"Huh? Boss, look," Salina said suddenly, pointing toward something.
"Smoke?" Rhea glanced in that direction, her eyebrows knitting together.
"Could there be someone out here?" Donny asked, curious.
"Come on, let's go check it out," Rhea ordered, slowly angling her flight path toward the smoke.
"Yes," Donny replied instantly, trailing right behind her.
Whoosh, whoosh...
After five or six minutes of flying, the group arrived at the source of the smoke. Rhea touched down first, one foot hitting the ground followed by the other. She took a few steps forward to bleed off her momentum before folding her widespread wings.
"A campfire? Is there someone else out here besides us?" Rhea approached the smoke. Looking down, she found the freshly burned remnants of a fire, scattered with a few black fruits and surrounded by a series of footprints.
"Could it be our companions?" Salina looked at the campfire inquisitively.
"They aren't here to hunt the dragon too, are they? These footprints don't look human—they're huge!" Donny's eyes went wide.
In his eyes, Rhea was the strongest birdkin alive. If there was a mission even the Boss couldn't handle, it was baffling that someone else would come to hunt the dragon.
"No, it shouldn't be. All the companions who came with us last time and survived have already returned." Rhea shook her head, her expression turning slightly grim.
The birdkin who couldn't return had either been buried by them or eaten by the 'dragon'.
"These footprints are on the large side. They shouldn't be human; they likely belong to birdkin," Salina concluded after crouching down to examine them.
"There are birdkin out here?" The group was completely taken aback.
"Look, Boss, there are still some embers in the fire," Donny said, pointing at the fire pit.
"They must have just left." Salina touched the nearby rocks, feeling their lingering warmth.
Thud!
Donny walked over and accidentally kicked a fist-sized black fruit into the campfire.
Whoosh...
The campfire suddenly flared up, flames shooting over a meter high and startling everyone.
"What just happened?!" Salina landed hard on her rear, her hair nearly catching fire.
"Uh..." Donny froze, laughing awkwardly. "I think... that black fruit just spontaneously combusted."
"Donny!!! You little brat!" Salina glared at him, fully intending to march over and smack him a few times to vent her frustration.
"Enough, knock it off. This place isn't safe," Rhea said coldly, looking down at the black fruit with curiosity.
"Yes, Boss," Donny replied hastily, discreetly taking a few steps back.
"Hmph!" Salina shot Donny a sideways glare. She decided to beat him up once they were safely back in Sedona City.
"Boss, should we search the area for those birdkin?" Donny asked, trying to change the subject.
"No need. We complete our mission first," Rhea shook her head, turning to Salina. "Salina, gather a few of those scattered fruits and bring them back for Lord Lucas to examine."
She hadn't paid any attention to the black fruits before. If they hadn't suddenly fueled the fire, she never would have thought to bring them back.
"Understood," Salina answered respectfully, bending over to pick up a few fruits and tossing them into the backpack slung over her shoulders.
"Let's go. To the crater. Let's finish today's mission," Rhea said flatly. She spread her wings and took off first, with the others quickly unfurling their own wings and taking to the sky right behind her.
After flying for about ten minutes, they arrived beneath a massive crater in the center of the valley.
"Everyone, be careful. Remember the City Lord's warnings. Do not let your guard down," Rhea cautioned her subordinates once more as she prepared to ascend toward the crater's rim.
"Yes, we remember!" They chorused back.