Chapter 10: The Flight to Aetheria
The transition from the damp, oppressive depths of the Shadow-Caves to the boundless, sun-drenched sky was enough to make Cian's head spin. Using the [Sovereign's Gate], a high-level teleportation spell he'd inherited from the Memory Core, the trio had bypassed the Bastion's border guards entirely.
They now stood on the edge of the Cloud-Pier, a jagged cliffside that looked out over a sea of white mist. Floating miles above them, barely visible through the haze, were the Isles of Aetheria—gigantic, gravity-defying landmasses held aloft by ancient mana-engines.
[Location: The Sky-Rim.]
[Objective: Secure transport to the Floating Isles.]
[System Note: Your new presence is radiating 'Sovereign' energy. Expect high levels of attention.]
Cian adjusted the collar of his new midnight-blue raiment. The fabric felt like a second skin, pulsing with a low, rhythmic power that synchronized with his heartbeat. He felt stronger, faster, and more aware than ever before, but the weight of leadership was already settling on his shoulders.
"We can't just fly up there," Elara said, shielding her eyes from the brilliant sun. Her silver armor, though scoured clean of Abyss-grime, was still heavily dented. "The Aetherian Sky-Guard is even more xenophobic than Hargon's men. If we approach on a standard vessel, they'll shoot us down before we can state our business. They don't recognize the Bastion's authority, and they certainly won't recognize a 'Sovereign' they haven't seen in a century."
Nyx was perched on a nearby boulder, dangling her legs over the thousand-foot drop with terrifying nonchalance. She was tossing one of her obsidian daggers into the air and catching it by the tip. "The Princess is right for once. The Aetherians are snobs who live in the clouds because they think the dirt is beneath them. But," she added with a wicked grin, "they love a good show. And they love rare things."
She looked at Cian, her violet eyes twinkling. "And you, my King, are the rarest thing in this world."
"What are you suggesting, Nyx?" Cian asked, leaning against the stone.
"There's a black-market merchant ship docked at the lower pier—The Void-Skipper. The captain owes me a favor for not killing him last summer," Nyx explained. "He specializes in 'unusual cargo.' We pose as his latest find. A high-ranking Knight, a legendary Assassin, and a 'Mystic Noble.' Once we're past the atmospheric shield, we slip away and find the second Memory Core."
"It's deceptive," Elara frowned, her sense of honor clearly pricked. "And dangerous. If we are caught, we'll be thrown into the Sky-Prison. No one has ever escaped that place; they just drop you into the void."
"Do you have a better idea, Commander?" Nyx countered, her voice dropping to a challenge.
Elara looked at the distant islands, then at Cian. She saw the calm resolve in his amber eyes. "No," she admitted. "I do not. My Lord... I will follow your lead."
The Void-Skipper
The Void-Skipper was a chaotic mess of brass pipes, tattered sails, and humming crystals. Its captain, a man named Kaelen whose skin was tattooed with moving maps of the stars, nearly fell off his gangplank when he saw Nyx.
"You!" Kaelen barked, his hand flying to a flintlock pistol at his hip. "I told you if I ever saw your face again, I'd—"
"You'd thank me for sparing your life and then give me a ride to the Isles," Nyx interrupted, stepping into his personal space with a dagger pressed subtly against his ribs. "We have a guest. A very important, very powerful guest. You're going to get us past the Aetherian blockade, or I'm going to see if your lungs work as well outside your chest as they do inside."
Kaelen's eyes shifted to Cian. He froze. As a man who spent his life dealing in magical artifacts and rare souls, he could sense the sheer, overwhelming density of Cian's mana. It wasn't just power; it was lineage.
"By the stars..." Kaelen whispered, his bravado vanishing. "You're... you're him. The one the whispers are about. The boy who broke Hargon's mace."
"I'm Cian," the Hero said, stepping onto the deck. "And we need to get to the Archive of Aetheria. Can you do it?"
"For a King? I'd sail into the sun," Kaelen said, bowing low. "But it won't be a smooth ride. The Sky-Guard has doubled their patrols. They say the Queen of the Abyss has sent her 'Harbingers' to the Isles. Something is waking up up there, and the Aetherians are terrified."
High-Altitude Friction
As the ship began its vertical ascent, the air grew thin and cold. The Void-Skipper creaked under the pressure, its engines roaring as it fought the gravity-wells of the islands above.
Cian stood at the bow, watching the world shrink beneath them. He felt a presence on either side of him. Elara stood to his right, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, her posture vigilant. Nyx leaned against the railing to his left, her hair whipping in the high-altitude wind.
[System: Party Interaction Triggered.]
[Current Mood: Tense / Protective.]
"You've changed, Cian," Elara said softly, her voice barely audible over the wind. "In the cave, you were fighting to survive. Now... you look like you're carrying the weight of the future. Don't let the Memory Core consume who you were. The boy who jumped in front of that Sentinel... that is the man I swore to follow."
"He's still there, Elara," Cian replied, turning to her. "But I can't be just a boy anymore. Not if I'm going to keep you two safe."
Nyx snorted, though she didn't look away from the horizon. "Safe? Dross, I was surviving just fine before you showed up. But," she paused, her voice turning uncharacteristically quiet, "I suppose having a King to bail me out isn't the worst thing in the world. Just don't get a big head. You still don't know how to pick a lock."
Suddenly, the System blared a crimson warning.
[WARNING: INCOMING PROJECTILES.]
[Type: Aetherian Mana-Bolts.]
[Source: Sky-Guard Interceptor Wing.]
Three sleek, white-and-gold vessels dived from the clouds above, their prow-crystals glowing with deadly energy.
"Kaelen! Evasive maneuvers!" Cian shouted.
"I'm trying! They've locked onto our signature!" the Captain yelled back.
A bolt of pure white light slammed into the Void-Skipper's port side, throwing everyone across the deck. The ship tilted violently, smoke pouring from the crystal-engine.
"Elara, protect the hull! Nyx, take the deck! I'll handle the interceptors!" Cian commanded, his Sovereign mantle flaring with amber light.
[New Ability: Sovereign's Reach — Allows the user to manifest spectral wings for short-duration flight.]
Cian didn't wait. He leaped off the deck of the falling ship. In mid-air, four massive wings of golden light erupted from his back. He soared upward, a streak of midnight and gold against the blue sky, heading straight for the Aetherian fleet.
"He's flying," Nyx whispered, her eyes wide with genuine awe. "The crazy bastard is actually flying."
Elara slammed her shield into the deck, creating a [Holy Aegis] to protect the ship from the next volley. "He's not just flying, Nyx. He's ascending."