Fay was anxious about reaching the slave traders' caravan in time.

He had only seen the tracks they left behind a few hours ago—from bits of discarded food to other signs he wished he hadn't seen.

He planned to use Somni again to help him sleep for at least three hours before continuing. One of the Mistwalkers had already been told of his intentions.

The man, Erian, seemed more mature than even his teacher Elaruîn, yet his voice and manners made it clear that their leader stood even higher in rank and presence.

The woman, meanwhile, had followed Fay using a flying summon. She stayed close, carefully inspecting the area. Both had accepted his suggestion and quickly helped make camp so they could rest.

It wasn't long before the woman, Selra—with strangely black hair and light green eyes—woke him. Her large raven was already out, waiting as if anticipating the others to rise.

"Time to keep going—if you still plan to follow them through the night," she said. "This time I'll be flying higher to scout. The moonlight is strong enough that you should see me. Make sure you follow my lead. I'll check for places where we can ambush them, assuming they're still nearby."

Fay stood up slowly, yawning a few times as he looked around and scratched his head. Somni, who had been interrupted during its feeding, looked visibly irritated but eventually retracted its tentacles.

He sent her back to the other realm and began summoning Grin, who appeared perfectly fine for a creature that had been running for several hours already.

"Good to see you're still ready, Grin. We'll need to catch up to them soon… they shouldn't be too fast, not with that many captives."

Fay patted his large beast and helped clean the camp, while the two Mistwalkers prepared to follow within a few minutes.

He packed everything onto Grin's back and headed out again into the night. Only the moonlight overhead guided them now, along with the raven belonging to the female Mistwalker.

She was fast—so much so that she often had to slow down to let those on the ground to keep up with her pace.

Neither Fay nor the bird-riding Mistwalker stopped, even through the darkest hours of the night when the moon vanished behind thick clouds. If anything, the encroaching storm pushed them harder, a sign that rain would soon arrive.

Yet still, there was no sign they were closing in.

Eventually, they sought shelter in a nearby plateau, one the flying Mistwalker had scouted out ahead of time. The rain came down hard, but it gave Fay some hope—if it slowed the captors down, they might have a better chance to reach them once the storm passed.

During this brief rest, Fay had three of them take turns sleeping, relying on Somni once again. They needed to recover their energy at every chance they got.

It was about two hours before they were able to move again. The ground was soaked, puddles scattered along their path, and thick clouds overhead made it difficult to spot the raven. This time, its rider—Selra—swooped down to guide them.

Grin, however, had no trouble keeping pace. He seemed to possess a way to see through the dark.

The male Mistwalker had to remain closer; his mount wasn't as suited to nighttime travel and had difficulty navigating in the dim light.

Three hours passed quickly. By the time dawn approached, they finally saw signs that they were closing in on the slave traders.

They climbed a plateau and observed from afar. The Mistwalker with the bird sent her mount ahead without riding it, careful not to reveal her position.

Like Horin, Selra had the ability to see through her creature's eyes.

"I can see them… and I believe we'll need to find another way to fight them, Fay. They're so close to the city that an escort was sent to bring them in. If you go alone, there's no way you'll be able to help… we need to find a way…"

Fay let out a quiet sigh at her words. Indeed, in the distance, they could see the high walls of what looked like a major human settlement—Molowisk, the largest of the hums' cities in this region.

It had been built along the edge of a mountain, its structure carved into the rock itself, forming a fortress designed to withstand even the fiercest assault.

Deciding to get closer and scout both the army and the condition of the captives, Fay realized just how difficult it would be to take them down in a direct fight.

The ones pulling the wagons full of Ravari and Eluwyn were raptor-like creatures and horse-like beasts, each bred for speed and endurance. With four assigned to each cart, they pulled them effortlessly.

The soldiers escorting the convoy were nothing like those they had fought before. These were well-armored from head to toe, metal covering every inch of their bodies. Even the creatures walking alongside them were powerful—far beyond what Grin or Jolt could handle alone.

Fay was beginning to wonder how he could possibly save them now. His best chance would be to enter the fortress using the raven, possibly flying over the wall to observe where the captives were being taken.

Only then would he release the dragon he had conjured—his most chaotic creation—while leading the tribe back out under cover.

There would undoubtedly be casualties when that creature was unleashed… but at the very least, they would finally taste their own medicine.

"Do you think, before the sun rises any higher, you can let me ride your bird into the city wall?" Fay asked. "I need to find a way inside before they bring the captives in."

The woman considered the idea and then gave a nod.

"It'll be difficult if they spot you… so make sure you have a way to stay hidden."

Fay nodded in return. Just like he had done with Jolt before, he reached out and began drawing from Grin's illusory aether—attempting something he had never tried before.

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