Eclipsed

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Morning sunlight spilled over the horizon, painting the camp in soft gold. Ren, Valen, Kael, and Alina finished their preparations, eager to leave the now desolate area. Nearby, Rhaegar sat, waiting patiently.

Kael (pointing): "Hold on a second… when did he get here?"

Valen (raising an eyebrow): "Yeah, wasn’t he supposed to be off somewhere? How’d he find us?"

Ren (smirking): "I set him off before killing Ozythar. Guess he’s got a better sense of direction than we thought."

Rhaegar let out a deep, rumbling growl as if agreeing.

Kael (shaking his head): "Well, smart dragon or not, let’s get the hell out of here. I’ve had enough of this place."

Alina (standing with her bag): "Same. We’ve stayed here too long already."

Valen: "Agreed. Let’s move before anyone picks up our trail."

Kael climbed onto Rhaegar, motioning for the others to follow. One by one, they mounted the dragon, and with a powerful beat of his wings, Rhaegar took off into the skies.

---

As they soared above the vast landscape, the wind howled around them.

Kael (shouting over the rushing air): "So, uh… where exactly are we going?"

Valen (unrolling a map): "Right, my bad. Head southeast from here. Just go straight, and it should take us directly to the Kingdom of Mizugan."

Kael (glancing back): "Mizugan? Isn’t that where Yoruzen ruled before his downfall?"

Ren stiffened slightly, his expression tightening.
Ren: "Yeah, I’ve heard rumors about that."

Kael clenched his fists, his voice growing harsher.
Kael: "That tyrant is the reason why our parents are gone."

Alina (quietly): "Our parents were soldiers. They died in the war against Yoruzen. He tore our lives apart."

Ren glanced back at Valen, his gaze cautious, but Valen was staring ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

Ren (softly): "I’m sorry to hear that."

Kael (forcing a smirk): "Don’t be. We’ve learned to deal with it. I mean, you’ve probably had it worse, right?"

Ren’s voice was quiet but steady.
Ren: "We just have to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else."

---

After a moment of silence, Ren broke the quiet.
Ren: "If the disciples come after us, would Mizugan even stand a chance?"

Valen: "If it comes to that, we’d flee first. But if we had to stay, we might end up fighting alongside their warriors."

Ren: "They have warriors?"

Valen: "Oh, definitely. Mizugan’s military isn’t just any army. Their soldiers are trained from childhood in all forms of combat and are masters of Hiraigen—a discipline few can even attempt. They’re powerful, but…"

Ren (narrowing his eyes): "But what?"

Valen (hesitant): "They don’t have many of these elite warriors. Only a handful could handle something like a disciple, and even then, they’d struggle against the stronger ones."

Ren: "Could they beat me?"

Valen (smirking slightly): "Most of them? No. But there’s one warrior in Mizugan who definitely could."