Whoosh…
Rhea and the others descended from the sky, landing on the edge of the volcano. Staring at the massive crater billowing black smoke, they couldn't help but feel incredibly small.
"No one is allowed to fly into the black smoke," Rhea ordered, turning her head.
"Yes, Boss," The group replied.
Rhea pulled a piece of paper from her backpack and examined it. Lucas had given it to her before they left; it contained a detailed description of what sulfur ore looked like.
Volcanic sulfur came from sulfur vapor erupting from the crater, which then hardened and condensed into bright yellow, glowing rock blocks.
Besides the written description, there was also an exquisitely detailed illustration of a sulfur rock. Every time she looked at this picture, Rhea found it absolutely incredible.
"Everyone, come take a look at what the sulfur rocks look like." Rhea held up the picture, motioning for the group to gather around.
"So this is our target?"
"Whoa, it's so clear! How did they get it onto the paper?"
"Do you think they used magic to seal the ore inside the paper?"
"Huh? That's totally possible!"
"..."
The birdkin were all captivated by the picture, chattering away. Many of the teenagers with active imaginations immediately jumped to fantastical conclusions.
"Alright, enough. Hurry up and memorize what the ore looks like," Rhea said, rolling her eyes.
"Yes, Boss." The group immediately dropped their playful attitudes.
"Move out!" Rhea was the first to take off, flying toward the inner walls of the crater. Sulfur was generally easier to find along the inner walls.
"Yes!" The rest of the group also scattered and began their search for the sulfur ore.
With the illustration as a guide, finding the sulfur ore wasn't difficult. Plus, the thick black smoke billowing from the volcano wasn't spreading outward; it was rising straight up into the sky.
"It's so damn hot," Donny muttered. After about ten minutes of mining, he stood up to wipe his sweat. As he stretched his neck and looked up, his entire body froze, staring blankly at the sky.
"Donny, stop slacking off," Salina snapped, catching his frozen posture out of the corner of her eye.
Donny snapped out of his daze with a jolt and yelled, "Boss, quick, look! What is that?!"
Salina looked up. A phantom image of a massive mountain peak had appeared in the sky, hovering not too far above them.
She muttered in a daze, "What... What is that? Why is there a mountain in the sky?"
"..." Rhea looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Hearing Donny's shout, the rest of the group also looked up. They were all stunned, staring in absolute awe.
"Could this be the Divine Kingdom?" One of the birdkin gasped.
"Yes... it has to be! A mountain in the sky—only a god could do that! This is Divine Kingdom appearing in the heavens!"
"..."
Everyone began to discuss it excitedly. The sight was simply too shocking; they had never witnessed a miracle like this before.
Rhea had also heard the legends of the Divine Kingdom. Seeing it for the first time, she too found it unbelievable. However, as the current leader of the birdkin, she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Seeing the obsessive, fervent looks in her subordinates' eyes, she couldn't help but frown. She looked back up at the phantom in the sky. She had stayed here for a long time during her last mission and had never seen any mirage like this.
"Boss, what do we do now?" Salina walked over and asked.
"I'll fly up and take a look," Rhea said, shaking her head. She needed to find out whether this 'Divine Kingdom' was real or fake.
"Boss, let me go!" Donny immediately volunteered. Before Rhea could even refuse, he flapped his wings and shot into the sky.
Whoosh...
"Hold your positions! Let Donny see if it's a real miracle," Rhea quickly ordered to calm the rest of the group.
Whoosh...
Donny flapped his wings vigorously, rapidly closing the distance to the phantom mountain. Under the nervous and expectant gazes of the group, he flew right into the mirage—and then... nothing happened.
"Huh? Nothing changed?"
"Is it fake?"
"Then how did a mountain appear in the sky?"
"Uh..."
"..."
The group began to argue, some disappointed, others sighing. They had all hoped the Divine Kingdom was real.
Whoosh...
Donny descended from the sky and shook his head at Rhea and the others. "There's nothing up there. It's just a phantom, like a shadow."
"Forget it, then. Don't forget we still have a mission today." Rhea breathed a sigh of relief. Her feelings were complicated; a part of her wanted the 'Divine Kingdom' to be real, but another part hoped it wasn't.
Hearing Rhea's voice, the group snapped back to reality. They quickly lowered their heads and resumed mining the sulfur ore, though some still couldn't resist glancing up at the sky occasionally.
Thirty minutes passed. The backpacks everyone carried were stuffed full of sulfur ore, reaching their maximum weight capacities.
"Alright, let's go visit Arlene and the others," Rhea called out, her face cold, but her eyes filled with deep sorrow.
"Yes, Boss," The group replied, their tones somber.
"Move out!" Rhea took to the air with her pack of ore, her expression dark. Next time she came here, she was going to make that dragon pay.
"Yes!" The group hoisted their heavy packs and followed closely behind, forming a V-formation once again as they flew through the sky.
Rhea led her subordinates for a few minutes until they arrived at a rocky ridge. The area was covered in boulders. They had chosen to bury their fallen comrades here to prevent wild beasts from digging up the graves.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
The group landed, their flapping wings flattening the grass on the ground.
"It's just up ahead. Let's go," Rhea said, pointing toward five tombstones before walking over.
The group voluntarily scattered to clear the weeds around the graves. Then, they stood before the tombstones, bowing their heads in silent mourning. No one spoke a word.
Rhea's eyes misted over. Her hands clenched into tight fists. Seeing her buried comrades right in front of her only solidified her resolve for revenge.
She decided that once she returned, she would definitely ask Lord Lucas for a weapon capable of slaying a dragon. Then, she would come back, retrieve her comrades' remains, and bury them on the rear mountain of the Air Force Base.
The group mourned in silence for five minutes before Rhea decided it was time to leave. The sky was already growing dark, and staying any longer could be dangerous.
"Let's go," Rhea said, flapping her wings and taking to the air. She turned her head for one last long look at the five tombstones.
"Yes, Boss." The others quickly followed her into the sky.