Early in the morning, everyone was gathered in the dining hall waiting for breakfast.
But there were exceptions: Sword of the Sky, Zayn, and Dustin had not shown up at all.
Were they still fast asleep, or were there hidden events?
Maya was the one who noticed that first, followed by Raven, who told her to check their rooms.
Maya set off at once and headed toward her husband's room, Sword of the Sky.
She knocked — knocked — she knocked on the door twice, but there was no response.
She knocked again, but with no result.
She repeated the action once more, with the same result.
She made up her mind, grabbed the doorknob, and opened it slowly.
She was a little surprised; it was strange that Sword of the Sky had forgotten to lock his door.
But that was not important right now.
Maya stopped and stared at Sword of the Sky, who lay on his bed in a strange posture — or half-lying.
His body was on the edge; his left hand and leg touched the floor while his head hung, about to fall; his mouth was half open and droplets of saliva had almost filled the floor.
Maya's face showed no expression, but one could still make out anger in her eyes.
"Ahem, ahem."
Maya cleared her throat twice, and Sword of the Sky began stretching and yawning until his eyes opened on Maya's cold face.
He sprang up in panic at once; he had no idea what possessed her. He shouted loudly, "You really scared me! I thought you were one of the monsters."
Maya felt a little astonished by his reaction and said, "Were you dead? I knocked on the door several times but there was no answer."
Sword of the Sky replied, "I was deep asleep, so I didn't hear anything."
Maya sighed and said, "In any case, everyone is already awake waiting for breakfast — only the three of you remain."
Sword of the Sky was surprised and asked, "Zayn and Dustin too?"
Maya, as she left, answered, "Wake them up and come together."
Maya left and closed the door. Sword of the Sky got up, made his bed, then went to his companions' rooms to wake them.
He reached Zayn's door and knocked sharply three times.
Naturally, such a racket would get a response.
Zayn opened his door, looking annoyed.
Sword of the Sky didn't give him a chance to speak; he rushed at him: "We overslept a lot — come on, move; everyone is already awake."
Zayn didn't say a word; he changed his clothes, made his bed, and left with Sword of the Sky toward Dustin's room.
He knocked, knocked, and did with Dustin as he had with Zayn.
Dustin was annoyed and said, "What is it you want now?"
Sword of the Sky answered sternly, "You slept too long; everyone is already awake — only you were left. Come on, follow us now."
Dustin didn't reply at all; he followed them until they reached the dining hall.
Dustin was still in his basic clothes, so he didn't return to his room and immediately set about doing as he had been told.
After they left the corridor, the girls were already serving the dishes.
The three sat at the same table, their expressions somewhat relaxed.
Zayn was leaning on his right hand, his fist clenched, until he suddenly dozed off and almost let his head hit the table.
No one paid him any mind, for Zayn and Dustin were the same.
Zayn grabbed and shook them to rouse them from their drowsiness, but their eyes refused to open fully.
As time passed, a girl came carrying the breakfast dishes.
They consisted of a wicker basket full of bread, plus a small plate with a piece of butter,
and three cups of tea, along with a butter knife.
The three thanked the girl, then began to eat.
About an hour passed, and the three were engaged in light conversation.
Then Raven sat down without prior notice, accompanied by two of his trainees.
The three were a little surprised, but they understood the situation and fell silent, waiting for Raven to explain.
He spoke and pointed with his hand toward the two: "These are Moran and Fayrn; they will join us in carrying out the mission — please introduce yourselves."
Moran stood and said, "My name is Moran; pleased to meet you."
The three replied, "Likewise, Moran."
Then Fayrn said, "My name is Fayrn; truly glad to meet you."
The three repeated the same phrase: "Likewise, Fayrn — you may sit."
After everyone greeted each other, Sword of the Sky began to speak: "We set the ambush last night; everything is ready — only finding the wingless creature and directing it toward the trap remains. By the way, are you both truly ready to undertake this? This mission carries many dangers that can lead to the most horrible deaths."
"If you are not, you may withdraw — we will not force anyone to do something they do not desire."
The two looked at each other and spoke at the same time, "We are already ready."
Fayrn fell silent while Moran continued: "We wanted to join the first time, but we were somewhat hesitant — we lacked courage. But as soon as we saw the chaos that had spread outside, a feeling of rage and a desire for revenge overwhelmed me; even if we die today, our death will not be a loss at all. We will have contributed to the survival of a nation and future generations for certain. So there is no need to worry — we are fully prepared."
Sword of the Sky smiled and explained the plan in detail, and he told Raven about the crucial point and what the success of this ambush would bring.
After Sword of the Sky finished explaining the course of events, everyone prepared themselves and set off outside.
All those in the hall had risen from their places, watching their bodies march forward without looking back; they saw determination, courage, and boldness in their figures as they passed from light into darkness.
The group climbed the stairs until their leader Raven stopped, opened the entrance, and inspected the situation.
The place was empty and the heat intense; birds were falling from the sky as the wind carried golden grains of sand to scatter into the air, creating a glitter pleasing to the eyes.
But that was in the past; in the present people had lost their shine. Instead, it was as if that sparkle could no longer be seen at all.
Raven stepped out, followed by the others, and they immediately separated to search for the wingless monster.
Sword of the Sky remained searching together with Zayn. Sword of the Sky lifted his head and placed his hand near his eyes to shield them from the scorching sunlight. The sun, as usual, was dark and gloomy, but its halo and brightness were more intense.
Sword of the Sky was a little surprised, for he saw that the sky seemed almost empty of demonic beasts.
The sky that had always teemed with monsters casting their shadows on the ground looked almost clear that day.
"Has it moved to other realms o
r what?" thoughts and questions swirled in his mind; a sense of foreboding followed.
Signs of worry and tension showed on him.