The rushing wind roared in Kale's ears as the canopy of the Tigerwood Forest receded far above. Gravity dragged him down toward the dark, writhing pit at the bottom of the crater.
Beside his ear, Neo's small wings beat furiously against the gale, its claws hooked tightly into the thick fabric of Kale's coat as it tried in vain to arrest their momentum.
Through their shared mental link, Kale felt the hydra's sharp, incandescent anger focused on Lazek Oberon, who was now a tiny, motionless mark floating against the pale morning clouds.
The system didn't delay its response. Driven by Kale's command, a sudden surge of heat flared behind his brow.
It felt like a direct neural download... a high-speed transmission of raw data forced straight into his brain's frontal lobe.
He didn't flinch or falter. His mind, bolstered by his Hexarion Human physiology and the Blessed Headband resting against his forehead, absorbed the influx of tactical data with clean, disciplined speed.
