Rivaan's body ached as he slowly regained consciousness. Above him, the golden sky stretched endlessly. His head throbbed, but he forced himself to sit up.
Nearby, Griffith stood tall, its massive wings folded. But Rivaan knew they couldn't travel unnoticed like this. Instinctively, his fingers reached for the pendant hanging around his neck — the relic his grandfather had given him.
His grandfather's words echoed in his mind:
"This will allow you to carry Griffith anywhere. Place it on him, and he will become small enough to carry — as long as you keep it on him."
Rivaan turned to Griffith and gently placed the pendant around its neck. A faint glow surrounded the majestic creature. The once-mighty griffith let out a surprised chirp as its body shrank, now small enough to sit comfortably on his shoulder.
"Well, that worked," Rivaan muttered, rubbing the small griffith's head as it nuzzled him.
Just as he began to catch his breath, the sharp sound of clashing swords pierced the air.
Rivaan quickly placed Griffith in his bag, then moved toward a small forest clearing where he spotted a lone warrior battling a group of bandits.
He crouched near a bush, observing.
The warrior fought with precision, wielding two swords — one in each hand. His blades carved through enemies with calculated strikes. Skilled as he was, the sheer number of opponents threatened to overwhelm him.
Suddenly, Rivaan saw a bandit attempt to stab the warrior from behind.
Without hesitation, Rivaan dashed forward, delivering a swift kick to the bandit's ribs. The warrior noticed him, and together they fought seamlessly. Rivaan dodged an incoming blade, grabbed a fallen sword, and sliced through their foes.
Using the opening, the warrior delivered a final strike, then stopped abruptly.
"Run as far as you can to your leader and tell him this: I am not working with him anymore."
The last bandit fled into the woods.
Rivaan watched in awe.
The warrior wiped his swords clean and turned toward him, sharp eyes scanning Rivaan's face.
"You fight well."
"You weren't doing too badly yourself," Rivaan replied with a smirk.
The warrior returned the grin. "Name's Reiner. You?"
"Rivaan."
They sat on the grass, exhaustion settling in.
Rivaan's gaze fell on Reiner's swords.
"These look special," he said.
Reiner nodded. "This one belonged to my father."
"And the other?"
"Oh, that one's just a normal blade from a local blacksmith."
After resting a while longer, Reiner stretched and looked at Rivaan.
"Where are you headed?"
Rivaan hesitated before answering, "I need to find my friend." His mind flashed back to Kael.
Reiner asked, "Do you know where to go? Or do you need help?"
Rivaan admitted, "Yeah, you're right. I don't really know where to go."
"I can help you," Reiner offered.
Rivaan's eyes widened. "Why? Really? But why?"
Reiner smiled. "Because you saved my life. Now, as a warrior, I owe you one. Until then, I'll help you."
Reiner stood, grabbed his swords, and motioned for Rivaan to rise.
"But I don't know where he is. Or how far we need to travel."
Reiner smirked. "Then we'll need a ship."
Rivaan frowned. "Where exactly are you going to sail a ship… in the middle of land?"
Reiner chuckled. "You've never heard of skyships, have you?"
Rivaan blinked. "Skyships? You're joking."
Reiner leaned back. "You think ships are only meant for the sea? In this world, the sky is just another ocean."
Rivaan scoffed, but curiosity burned inside him. "Alright, suppose these skyships exist. Where do we find one?"
Reiner's smirk deepened. "There's a port not far from here — a black market, mercenary outpost. Not the kind of place you stroll into unarmed."
Rivaan, fearless, said, "My body is strong enough, don't you know?" He tightened his bag's straps. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get that ship."
Reiner chuckled, pushing himself to his feet. "I like your spirit. Let's go. Even if I don't have a destination yet."
"We should reach the city by nightfall. If we're lucky, we'll find a captain willing to take us."
"And if we're not?"
"Then we ship ourselves."
Together, they marched toward the city.