The flying beasts descended from the smog-choked sky like winged mountains.
Twelve massive creatures with scales like polished obsidian and wings that churned the air with each beat. Riders sat in armored saddles on the beasts' backs, their armor bearing the Vorn family crest. On the lead beast, a woman with cold eyes and silver hair pinned in a military bun sat rigidly straight, her Spirit Soul rank 1 aura compressed to a hairline to avoid crushing the city below.
The city panicked.
Sirens wailed across every district. Citizens fled indoors. Guards scrambled to defensive positions.
The beasts circled once over the former acting lord's mansion — now Kael's mansion — and descended. The wind from their wings flattened the grass and scattered loose gravel across the courtyard. Guards at the gate stared up at the lead rider with weapons half-drawn, uncertain whether to attack or kneel.
The rider dismounted. Her boots hit the courtyard stone with a crisp sound.
