Cade remained silent for several long minutes after Finn spoke. He seemed to be weighing the weight of the name Althea against the casual way Finn had mentioned her.
They continued their flight toward the heart of Stratus, the massive serpentine dragon Ryuga gliding through the air with a grace that made the surrounding griffin mounts look clumsy.
Cade's expression was one of deep thought, his eyes occasionally drifting to the floating landmasses that were growing larger in their field of vision. He didn't ask any more questions for the time being, but the way he glanced at Finn suggested he was recalculating his entire approach to this mysterious young man.
As they crossed the threshold into the main city area, the full scale of Stratus became apparent. It was a staggering sight. Just a month ago, this place had been nothing but empty, gravity-distorted space within the world tear. But now, a fully realized city hung in the sky.
