The griffin Yula descended in a wide spiral, her wings beating against the metallic winds that rolled off the great city. She touched down on a gravel clearing outside the academy walls, talons digging in with a sharp thunk.
Grom slid off first.
"Good girl, Yula. Go run around or scare some merchants—I'll bring you a treat later."
SCREEEEH!
Yula's feathers puffed, delighted, and she launched herself skyward again, vanishing into the steel-gray horizon.
Mira hopped down next and immediately spun in place, inhaling deeply with sparkling eyes.
"Aaah… that nostalgic metal smell…! The burnt mana, oil, heated steel—gods, I missed this place!"
Zane landed lightly beside them, coat fluttering.
His eyes narrowed for a moment as he silently scanned the surroundings.
Infiltrated. Everywhere.
Parasite traces… faint dark mana threads… hiding in the buildings, under the floors, inside the mana-tubes.
This whole city is crawling.
He kept the thought to himself.
