Kai looked down at the crystals in his hands, their surfaces faintly pulsing as though a slow heartbeat resided within. The glow shifted colors. From violet to deep cerulean, then back to pale white. They hummed softly, but now that he knew what they were, that hum didn't feel like sound. It felt like breathing.
"So, if we can't transport the crystals safely..." he began, his voice low.
"We will have to travel as safely as possible," Seyren finished, folding his arms with the grim certainty of someone who had done this before.
"Exactly."
Vepice frowned, her arms crossed, her shoulders tense. "Why do we need to travel safely? Can't we just… I don't know, keep them in a bag or something?"
Orlin, who had been quiet, tilted his skeletal head until a loud crack echoed from his neck bones. He reached out and set one bony hand on Vepice's shoulder, his hollow gaze fixed on her with almost paternal patience.
