Chapter 13: The Sky-Winged Tribe
On the fourteenth day of their adventure, Rhodes and Serie encountered a member of the Sky-Winged Tribe.
They were a race created by the Goddess of Life herself: humanoid, with great feathered wings sprouting from their backs, closely resembling the angels of legend.
She had been flying high above when she spotted Rhodes and Serie on the ground below. She immediately changed course and flew towards them, startling Rhodes so badly he nearly launched an attack, thinking it was an enemy ambush. Fortunately, Serie stopped him. After all, in theory, her elven race and the Sky-Winged Tribe were allies.
Her pristine white wings cut through the clouds as the Sky-Winged woman landed lightly before them. She wore silver, form-fitting soft armor, her long hair was a pale gold, and her azure eyes regarded them with a hint of curiosity.
"An elf?" she said, her voice melodic. Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked at Rhodes. "And a... human? What a strange combination."
The fact that she recognized him as human sent a jolt of excitement through Rhodes. He eagerly took a step forward. "Hello! We are travelers. Have you by any chance seen other humans anywhere?"
"A human and an elf, traveling together? How unusual," the Sky-Winged woman muttered to herself. She didn't answer Rhodes's question, nor did she even look at him. Instead, she folded her wings, the sunlight gilding their white feathers with a golden edge.
"I am Leah, a messenger. Have either of you seen a dwarven village, led by a chief named Amuro?"
Rhodes and Serie exchanged a glance. It was Serie who answered. "If you fly east for half a day, you will reach it."
"Thank you." Leah unfolded her wings, preparing to take flight once more. Rhodes shot an urgent look at Serie. As if reading his mind, Serie spoke up. "May I ask why you are looking for these dwarves?"
Leah considered this for a moment and decided there was no need to hide anything from an ally. "It seems you have not yet heard. The Sky-Winged Tribe, the elves, and the dwarves have formed an alliance. We are preparing a complete extermination campaign against the magical beasts. I have been tasked with assisting the new Dwarven King in gathering the scattered dwarven clans from across the world."
The number of magical beasts in this world had grown so immense that it was severely impacting the survival of all the other races. This had forced them to temporarily set aside their own disputes and join forces against their common enemy.
Serie frowned slightly. She hadn't been away from the Great Elven Forest for long, yet such a momentous event was already underway. However, it wouldn't affect her and Rhodes's journey. From the very beginning, her target had not been the magical beasts, but the gods.
"And as for the humans you mentioned earlier," she continued, "where did you see them?"
Leah thought for a moment. "About ten years ago, I saw them in the Glimmerwood to the west. It was a very small tribe, perhaps only a few hundred people. I'm not certain if they are still there."
In Leah's eyes, the human race was exceptionally weak, so weak that she paid them no mind. If she hadn't seen Rhodes, she probably would have never even recalled the race's existence.
"Glimmerwood..." Rhodes repeated softly. To finally have news of his own kind in this era was thrilling.
Leah spread her wings. "If you are heading that way, I would advise you to go around the Swamp of Death. There has been demon activity there recently."
The number of demons in this world was small, but each one was always surrounded by a horde of magical beasts under their control. They posed a significant threat to any living creature.
Serie nodded. "Thank you for the warning."
Leah beat her wings and ascended, her white feathers glinting in the sunlight. Just before she left, she called down, "May the Goddess of Life bless your journey."
Both the elves and the Sky-Winged Tribe worshipped the Goddess of Life, so her blessing was appropriate. As for the human, Rhodes, the Goddess would not be stingy with her favor. Besides, it seemed the humans had no god of their own to worship. Even if they did, Leah wouldn't have cared; they were just a weak race.
In the Age of Myth, one couldn't just casually offer the blessing of a god. It was a phrase reserved for races who shared the same faith. If you were to say it to a member of a race that worshipped a different god, they might think you were trying to convert them, and it could easily lead to trouble.
After Leah's figure had vanished into the horizon, Rhodes turned to Serie. "Let's go. Glimmerwood. It's even in the right direction, to the west."
Seeing the eager look in Rhodes's eyes, Serie said flatly, "Glimmerwood is a month's journey from here. But if we go around the Swamp of Death, it might take an extra three months."
"A month's journey..." Rhodes rubbed his chin, his gaze drifting towards the western mountains. "Three months... that is a bit long."
Before, when he had no destination and no direction, he had wandered this world alone for so long without any sense of urgency. But now, having heard news of his own kind, he suddenly felt a pressing need to find them.
Serie gently kicked a small stone at her feet. "Or we could just go directly through the Swamp of Death."
"Didn't that Sky-Winged person say there was demon activity there?" Rhodes looked at her, surprised. Subconsciously, he wanted to avoid taking risks, even with Serie by his side.
"And?" A dangerous curve formed on Serie's lips. "It would be a good opportunity for you to see firsthand just how terrifying the demons are."
"Please spare me. I don't think I'm ready to fight a demon." Every demon was born from who-knows-how-many magical beasts; their strength was likely beyond imagination. Rhodes truly had no confidence in the matter.
"Don't worry. Am I not here with you?"
Rhodes gave her a skeptical sideways glance. If those words had come from the Serie of a few thousand years in the future, he might have believed them. But the Serie of now, a mere few hundred years old... she'd have a hard time dealing with the likes of Aura the Guillotine, let alone a true demon.
A thought suddenly occurred to him. He pulled a yellowed piece of parchment from his pack. It was a map that Amuro had given him before they left, though the information on it was rather ancient.
"There's a small path next to the Swamp of Death," he said, pointing to a faded mark on the map. "If we take a detour this way, it might only add half a month to our journey."
Serie leaned in to look, her golden hair brushing against Rhodes's cheek, carrying a faint, fresh scent. She frowned. The map was clearly very old. "The information on this map is over a hundred years old."
"Ahem, I think it's the map Amuro used when he was adventuring," Rhodes said, his own voice now tinged with doubt. "But it should still be usable, right?"
Serie turned her head. "It's your decision. But if we run into danger..."
"I know, I know," Rhodes laughed, shouldering his pack. "I will hide behind the great Miss Serie at the first sign of trouble. I can only hope that the great Miss Serie will, in consideration of my humble and dedicated service, deign to save me."
Hearing his comical plea, Serie gave a small smile. "Mm, I know. I will protect you."