APRIL SYLKRANA IS DETERMINED TO RISE. After the devastating news of her mother, the Imperial High Queen's, death, she only has one job before she can take what is rightfully hers: kill her half-brother, June. Not only is he elusive and serious about...
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2412, Rab 17, Briss
The forest of Akaron was no different than the one covering Komery and the majority of Dwanzeig. April sighed and sipped her cup of stale ale. Even though she was in the mood for an alcoholic brew, this bitter cup of spite was enough. Her muscles throbbed from flying nonstop since Dwanzeig and Desara. She took breaks, but only to close her eyes for sleep. Most of her waking hours were spent attending to her basic needs and traveling.
Nevertheless, her travels were nothing short of anticlimactic. After carpets of multicolored canopies, the forest gave way to the crescent-shaped valley hugging the off-white coast of Desara. It could have been Aresving or some other city, April had no energy to care, but one thing was certain. Somewhere above this place was the floating island, Falkirta.
After the skirmish with Elami Caizu a few years back, the mystery of why Umazure had a chunk of floating land that was Falkirta became clear. The first air sprites, after the division of their synnavaim, wanted space for their people, away from those who could hurt them. With the use of Ancient magic and risky spells, Falkirta was born. Hence, the isolation. Hence, the secrets.
Hence, the intrigue for the power to make such a feat happen.
April's gut soured. Her reflection accused her of something through the murky depths of her drink. As payment for the Heiress' aid in the Dwanzeig plan, she had given up the spell she discovered in the Caizu uprising—one that kept Falkirta afloat all those centuries. If the Heiress used it to bring down Falkirta...
She looked away from her cup. If the Heiress turned her eyes on the floating island, it'd be April's fault the Cardovia leader was able to do something against her people. Or maybe not. The Heiress could probably bring down Umazure with just a snap of her fingers. April had not been with the woman longer than a week, but she already got the idea that the Heiress hid a raging amount and strength of magic underneath that calm exterior.
The same with the Sovereign. After hearing rumors of another similar organization rising from the depths of forgotten history at the same time as Cardovia did, April had one mission only—to get to the Sovereign's hideout and continue her plan.
It's too risky to keep working with the Heiress. If she saw through April's plan, then June could only be in more trouble. This time, April would be at fault for real.
What price would the Sovereign extract from April?
A stretch—really. Stuck in a tavern due to the untimely downpour, she had nowhere to go if she wanted to stay dry. Wet feathers were the worst things to deal with as an air sprite. Why did she even get such painfully large wings in the first place? It's hell to drag around as much as it gave her the extra bursts of speed in flight. Lot of good that did her too.
The roar of rain pounding against the tavern's flimsy roof drolled in April's ear. It's the kind of noise that could lull her to a much-needed sleep. Her eyes were close to drooping shut when a shadow fell over her. Her senses snapped to attention, her hands flying to the hilt of her sword.
