CHAPTER 290: 290: FLIGHT OF FLAME AND FEATHERS

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"I have scouted the edge of the valley," she said. "No threats within two kilometers. But something feels off in the wind."

Kai stood and followed her gaze. The treeline below danced in the slow breeze. The river sparkled. All looked peaceful. But he felt it too.

"Something watching?" he asked.

"Not yet. But something remembering," Akayoroi murmured. She reached out and gently fixed a loose strand of his hair.

Kai blinked. "That was... unexpectedly tender."

"You are mine," she said plainly. "If you fall apart, I will have to kill everyone else myself."

"Romantic," he said flatly.

She smiled. "You attract that kind of loyalty."

He coughed and looked back at the others. The wind had shifted again. Lirien was now sitting apart, fiddling with something metallic in her lap.

He walked over, crouched beside her, and peeked at the device.

"Is that for me?" he asked.

"It is a heat coil," she said softly. "For my next forge. The old one I had was cracked. I noticed it a few weeks ago."

Kai blinked. "You are repairing forge?"

"Well... yes. If I am staying with you. Then I need to give you my best service."

He looked at her carefully. "Do you want anything? I will do my best to fulfill your request."

Lirien’s fingers tightened around the metal piece.

"I do not know what I want," she said. "But I know when I saw you fight, and bleed, and protect them... I did not want it to end. I did not want to be left behind. I want to serve you with all my heart."

Kai leaned in slightly. "Then serve by asking if you need anything."

She glanced at him. Their eyes met. And for a moment, nothing else stirred in the forest or the wind or the wide sky above.

Then Azhara shouted from the river.

"Lirien, if you do not come help me undress for the bath, I am going to start singing about sir Kai’s thighs again!"

Lirien groaned and stood. "I am going to drown her."

Kai chuckled. "Make sure she does not enjoy it."

"I make no promises."

As evening came, the campfire crackled. Meat sizzled. Laughter rang out across the stones. Azhara wrapped herself (naked) in a blanket that was probably too small for modesty. Akayoroi stood watch like a crimson sentinel. Vel and Sha tried to roast marshmallow roots and caught one on fire. Naaro started arguing with it.

And Kai watched them all.

His people. His womens. His storm. He smiled softly.

Tomorrow they would fly again. Monarch Mountain was not far now. And Luna waited. So did Miryam. And Shadeclaw, silvershadow, skyweaver and other four male ants. And his throne.

But for tonight, there was warmth, light, and peace. At least until someone tried to kiss him in his sleep. Probably Azhara again.

The next morning began with a shriek.

Vel had tried to brush her hair with what she thought was a comb, only to discover it was actually a curved piece of hardened frog bone that she found in Azhara’s emergency weapon collection.

"Why is this sharp!" she yelled, flinging it into a tree.

"It doubles as a throwing blade," Azhara said sleepily, still wrapped in her tiny blanket like a moth in denial. "Everything I own is multi-purpose. Except for my pants. Those are purely decorative."

Kai opened one eye, groaned, and sat up.

He had managed a full night’s rest without anyone crawling into his bedroll or using his thigh as a cuddle pillow. A miracle, truly. He almost felt suspicious.

Alka stood nearby, wings stretched wide, preening herself with long deliberate strokes. Her feathers shimmered under the early light like polished obsidian laced with starlight. Her sharp eyes flicked to Kai as he approached.

"Today we will cover a good distance," she said. "There is a tailwind. We can fly until dusk."

"Good," Kai replied. "Let’s get closer to home. My patience is starting to molt."

He turned back to the group, who were now finishing a haphazard breakfast of dried meat, root jam, and something Vel claimed was a marshmallow plant, though it kept trying to wiggle.

Sha stabbed it three times to be safe.

Once everyone had eaten and packed, they mounted Alka’s back. The boarding process was, as usual, a mixture of arguments, grumbling, and physical comedy.

Naaro climbed first, then grabbed Vel and Sha under one arm like luggage. Azhara vaulted up with unnecessary flair, did a twirl, and nearly kicked Lirien in the chin.

Lirien climbed with all the grace of someone deeply used to lava forges and not birds, muttering calculations about wing drag, balance shifts, and why Azhara’s bouncing made flight science a crime.

Then the twins and four injured sisters get on Alka’s back with the eggs.

Akayoroi was last, her movements smooth and regal. She sat behind Kai, one hand resting gently on the hilt of her ceremonial dagger. She said nothing, but her antennae flicked slightly as she took in the others.

Kai glanced back once all were seated. "Hold tight. We are heading home."

He tapped Alka’s neck twice. With a cry like thunder wrapped in feathers, she launched them skyward.

The wind roared around them, whipping through cloaks and hair. The ground fell away quickly, replaced by a vast ocean of clouds and green mountaintops.

The hours that followed were peaceful in that special way only Kai’s group could manage.

Azhara insisted on performing sky yoga, nearly kicking Vel off the bird.

Naaro began singing to herself, a strange tune that involved sixteen verses about stabbing someone who snored.

Sha argued with her reflection in a polished blade.

Lirien, seated slightly to Kai’s left, kept her hands busy crafting something small from metal scraps. Every so often, she would glance his way, then quickly back to her work.

Kai noticed. He always did. But he said nothing.

Behind him, Akayoroi leaned close. "She is building courage," she whispered.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "And you are watching her build it?"

"Someone has to keep the forge running and from overheating," Akayoroi replied calmly.

"You are all insane."

"Only the interesting ones."

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the mountain ridges, Alka began to descend toward a wide plateau. They landed in a circular field surrounded by tall flowering trees, the petals catching the light like falling sparks.

They made camp again, quicker this time.

Kai sat near the edge of the fire while the others worked or lazed about. Azhara was trying to convince Vel and Sha to let her braid their legs. Naaro was collecting flower petals and threatening to poison anyone who laughed. Lirien sat across from him, again quietly watching the fire.

Akayoroi approached and knelt beside him, offering a small cup. "It is not honey wine," she said. "Just herbal brew. For clarity."

Kai took it, sipping slowly. "Thanks."

"You are thinking too much," she said.

"Always," he admitted. "Home is close. I keep wondering what has changed. If Luna is alright. If Miryam is growing properly. If Shadeclaw has set something on fire."

"Would you prefer nothing changed?"

Kai looked at the flames. "No. I just want to be ready."

She nodded. "You are a king. Change follows you."

He looked at her then. Truly looked. "Why do you follow me?"

"Because I saw a king fall from the sky and reshape my fate. Because you fought for me. Because I feel peace beside you. Even if your camp is a hurricane with hormones and lust."

He chuckled softly. "It really is."

Akayoroi stood and turned to walk back to the others. "Sleep soon. Tomorrow, we begin the last stretch."

Kai did not sleep immediately. He watched the fire until it burned low, then closed his eyes and listened to the breath of his companions, the beat of Alka’s heart, the hum of life around him.

And then, for the next seven days, they flew.

They soared over valleys, rivers, and forests. They camped in cliffs, inside tree hollows, and once inside the bone shell of a dead beast the size of a mountain.

Azhara tried to cook the bones. Vel told her to die. Sha suggested roasting Azhara instead. It was a normal day.

Each night brought new moments. Lirien began sitting closer and closer. She was becoming a part of the harem.

Akayoroi polished Kai’s gear without asking. Even Naaro gifted him a polished beetle horn and declared him the strongest man. She yelled that her husband is the most handsome ant.

By the seventh morning, Alka’s shadow swept across familiar land. Kai stood at the front of her back, wind tearing through his cloak, and smiled.

The mountain was close. Their mountain.

Rising like a jagged fortress wrapped in clouds and homegrown vines, surrounded by trap pits, stone, and on the other side desert.

Luna was there waiting for her husband. She looked up as Alka approached, ears twitching.

Miryam sat beside her, perched on a rock like a small empress, eyes glowing faintly with ancient power.

The soul connection between them pulsed. They had been waiting. And he had returned.