A Bored Lich

"I could have looked a lot worse if we stayed on the ground," Thomas said.

Olpi followed Thomas's line of sight over her shoulder. The pillar of smog had faded, as even Dragon fire had its limits, yet many carriages were already on route for the Bloodwood. 'I had barely seen anyone the other day,' she thought.

"I told you," Doevm reminded the group. "High bounties draw out the strong."

Elero cursed, "Even after those War Monks jumped ship for Vilbar, they're still a pain in the ass."

"Is it a problem that we stand out," Olpi asked, trying to make herself look small atop the enormous Wyvern.

"Follow me," Elero said. She signaled for her Wyvern to ascend into the clouds, the rest following behind her. The clouds' chilly mist cloaked the suits, overriding their capability to keep out the cold.

Olpi rubbed her arms and sighed.

"Something wrong?" Thomas asked, appearing perfectly fine.

"It's nothing," Olpi said as she gazed at the sea of clouds below. 'I wish Menla could have seen this.'

"Where are we going again?" Kilot voiced the question on everyone's mind, loud and clear. 𝐟𝙧ee𝔀e𝐛𝓃𝐨𝚟𝑒𝗹.c𝗼𝚖

Doevm brushed him off: "I'll tell you when we land."

"How about you stop dodging the question and answer me," Kilot insisted.

Doevm paused: "There are plenty of forges for you in the Polyglint Mines, if I recall correctly."

"Isn't that where…" Thomas covered his mouth.

"I knew it!" Kilot huffed. "You're never that simple, you damned Lich. I'm too old to work there anymore."

"It's just for our commission, nothing more," Doevm assured him.

"What exactly are the Polyglint Mines?" Olpi asked.

Kilot whipped around: "Did you live in a cave your whole life?"

Doevm was more understanding as he explained, "The Polyglint mines are famous in Vilbar as an inexplicable, ever-changing labyrinth of wealth and horrors. Naturally, people flood the place in an attempt to get rich quickly, most dying in the process. In short, it's a blacksmith's haven. It's perfect for gathering what we need."

"And far off for someone in a hurry," Kilot insinuated. "Unless you plan on dragging me into some other convoluted crap."

"Do their forges not meet your standards?" Doevm asked.

Olpi felt Kilot's respect for Doevm take a plunge as he slowly shook his head. "Whatever. Don't listen to the old Dwarf. What does he know about mountains and mines?"

"I don't think he likes where we're going," Olpi chimed in.

"No, I didn't get that at all," Elero's sarcasm made a prominent return.

Breaks, occasional chatting, and most of all, boredom; the novelty of flight became about as exciting as watching a horse pull them along the ground, the only differences being how fast they went and how high they were. Olpi found entertainment within steering the Wyvern by slowly pushing the bounds of what she was comfortable with, much to Thomas's horror.

When night came, the Wyverns were sent off to hunt for food, and camp was made.

"Tomorrow morning will be a long flight over the border," Doevm said as he sat with the rest of the group. "We can neither land nor camp in that enormous forest ahead of us."

"You sound disappointed," Olpi noted. She swore Frey flinched in the corner of her eye, but she could have imagined it. He had beein in a constant state of fear throughout the entire day.

Frey stared into the campfire, losing himself in thought. "You think our squad members from the year-long war are still out there?"

"Maybe," Doevm shrugged. "They would run if they saw us."

Frey smiled: "I wouldn't blame them. It's an instinct we beat into them. Something about diamonds and mud. Anyway, I remember one of them was too slow to climb up one of those massive trees. The idiot tried to take a swing at me just because I yelled at him."

"I think he was still in the infirmary when the war was over," Doevm added.

"Isn't that a bit much?" Thomas asked.

Frey tossed a few twigs into the fire. "Couldn't be helped. Beginners are called fresh meat because they need the cockiness beaten out of them."

"So…an example?" Thomas asked.

"I may have gone a bit far," Frey nodded. "The healer, Oliver, told us that he would sleep until the Elves came back. They might show him how tree climbing should really be done…if they don't try to kill him first."

The fire came to life with a sudden crack before fading back to embers.

"Are Elves mean?" Olpi asked.

"Elves and Humans are, and never were, on good terms," Doevm explained. "Humans take wood and land from the Elves' forest. Elves are rude and arrogant. In addition, the Acrin Kingdom's stance on demi-humans is-"

"Horrible," Olpi muttered, lowering her gaze.

Doevm nodded. "After the year-long war, I expect that relationship is rock bottom."

"Oh. I think I'm going to get some sleep first," Olpi yawned, standing up.

"Night," the others said.

"Good night," Olpi almost bowed by instinct.

For Olpi, sleeping in tents had been impossible, at first. As opposed to the academy's Cots, which she had slept in for as far as she could remember, she struggled to find a comfortable way to lay her body on the uneven ground. She learned to rely on the sounds of the night to lull herself to sleep: the chirping crickets, the campfire's soft crackles, and the gentle breeze, which carried with it the scents of smoke and cooked meat.

Olpi found herself flying above a sea of clouds. She was free as a bird, watching the academy shrink to a dot on the horizon.

"Olpi?" a voice called out.

Olpi stirred, the clouds darkening. Rain trickled down her face. Smoke dove into her lungs. She stirred again.

"No way, it's me! Hey," the voice called again.

Olpi opened her eyes with a start. "Elero?"

Elero's sleeping bag was empty, much to Olpi's surprise, so she peered out of the tent to find that they hadn't moved. The fire was gone, however, and standing over the charred wood was a humanoid figure, composed of water. It beckoned her forward. "Don't you remember me?"

Olpi opened her eyes with a start and sat up.

"Olpi, what are you doing?" Elero groaned from across the tent. "Scared the life out of me."

"Just a bad…weird dream," Olpi shook it off and went back to sleep.