As the echoes of the last battle had barely faded and everyone had only just begun to regroup in the heart of the debris, a new crash rang out in the hall. A dull, brutal, almost animalistic sound.
The already torn glass ceiling shattered again in a cacophony of broken glass and twisted beams. Something massive had just crashed into the center of the room, raising a cloud of dust mingled with the harsh light of midday.
The group looked up, muscles tense. And there… in the middle of the chaos, emerged a creature.
It was an immense beast, halfway between a giant weasel and a primitive predator. Its slender body, more than four meters long, vibrated with tension. A wiry musculature, built for leaping and running at wild speed. Its brown-gray fur, thick and bristled, seemed to carry the dust of countless roads. Its four powerful legs ended in curved claws, capable of raking stone or climbing the steepest walls. A long, supple tail slithered behind it, twitching like a whip ready to snap.
But its eyes: six gleaming black orbs that watched them one by one, without a hint of fear. Its snout quivered, searching for scents, while its long, pointed ears turned independently, catching every sound, every breath.
On its back sat an oval saddle, firmly secured with thick leather straps. Designed to carry multiple passengers, it formed a shallow circle ringed with seats, metal grips, and support bars. Rugs lined the floor, and small hooks dangled here and there to hold bags, weapons, or rations.
A complex harness encased the beast's head, connected to a forged bit slipped into its jaws. And there, standing tall, holding the reins like he was riding a royal steed, was… Kai.
He simply lifted his head. The midday wind blew through his hair and dust-covered clothes. His gaze swept across the group.
"Get on! QUICK!" he shouted.
A moment of silence.
Then a flood of exclamations, stupefied and adrenaline-filled:
"What the hell is that thing ?!" Canon yelled.
"Kai ?! But… how did you know where to find us ?!" Helydia asked.
"How the hell did you tame that ?!" Dante shouted.
Still stunned by recent events, everyone rushed forward without thinking. The creature's claws clacked on the marble floor, its flanks twitching. Kai extended a hand to help the first ones up. One by one, they climbed onto the saddle, gripping bars and clinging to the straps.
"Where the hell were you ?" asked Samuel.
"I had another mission... let's say, a side one. I'll explain later, once this is over," Kai replied.
Kai glanced quickly around, making sure everyone was there: Samuel, Canon, Dante, Helydia, and a new person he didn't know yet—Relia.
"And who's she ?" asked Kai.
"I'll explain later" Samuel answered.
Then Kai continued, his tone more serious:
"You stirred up a massive shitstorm. The trial was broadcast all over the kingdom… even to the far provinces. Everyone saw it."
"It's not like we had a choice," Dante growled, pointing at Canon.
Kai ignored the remark and went on:
"Originally, the plan was to break Samuel out quietly. Wait for a diversion. The right moment... but now… The king gave the order for all of the four Fundaments to stop all foreign operations. They're on their way, full speed. Their only mission: eliminate us. And I think the Fundaments of Attack and Exploration have already arrived."
"Great," Helydia muttered. "Just what we needed."
Relia looked at Samuel and said,
"We need to leave. Those people… they're different. Even if we all gang up on just one of the Fundaments, we won't win. And in our current state... the smartest move is to run away."
Dante turned to Kai:
"And... Kazan ? Where's that old man?"
"Kazan ?... The legendary old hero ?" Relia asked, surprised.
Kai slid a hand into his jacket and handed Dante an envelope.
"He's fine. He couldn't come… but he told me to give you this."
Dante grabbed the letter. Kai added, in a lower tone:
"And he insisted—you have to come with us. That's what he wanted. He made me swear to get you out."
No one said a word.
The beast turned its head, sniffing the air. A series of footsteps already echoed through the distant halls—lots of them. The alarm had been raised.
Kai gave a light pull on the reins.
"Get ready. This Furelynx is fast… but we won't have much of a lead. Are you ready, Master?" he asked Samuel.
"Let's go."
Kai tapped the beast's side. It tensed like a bowstring.
"And above all… hold on."
The creature leapt, latching onto a beam with its claws and pulling itself up.
In one fluid motion, it climbed the wall in a straight line. The whole group nearly got thrown off by the violent movement. Gripping the straps tightly, tense with fear and shock, they let out shouts of panic.
The creature emerged through the hole it had entered from.
They were now on the castle rooftop.