Nyxial sighed, stretching with exasperating slowness. Then, with one last yawn, he was enveloped by a black luminous sphere, pulsing like a heartbeat. The sphere grew in size until it reached nearly two meters in height. When it cracked open like an egg, what emerged left Aster speechless.

Nyxial was now a majestic black pegasus. His wings, immense and imposing, were as dark as the night, but their tips glowed with a crimson light, as if they were dipped in a perpetual sunset. His mane and tail flowed like flames of shadow, dense and almost liquid, while his eyes, still red, radiated ancient wisdom. On his chest, he bore a small golden plate engraved with a mysterious symbol.

With an elegant motion, Nyxial folded his mighty wings, bowed his head toward Aster, and spoke in a deep yet friendly voice: "Climb on, elf of good taste. We will find your guide."

Aster's eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat. The majestic pegasus, with his night-dark coat and wings shimmering with crimson glimmers, seemed like a vision from a dream. Even the way his mane moved, like black flames dancing in the wind, seemed to defy all natural laws. Aster ran a hand through his hair, as if to ensure he wasn't the victim of an illusion.

Before he could mount, he heard a rising murmur around him. A crowd had gathered in front of the massage center, their faces filled with disbelief and fascination. A young man, holding a flask, pointed at Valantz and said, "But that’s Valantz, the Blood Sommelier!"

Another replied, his voice tinged with reverence, "And that is his Guide of the Egg, Nyxial of the Burning Shadows!"

The words sent a ripple through the air, a mix of respect and fear. Aster felt all eyes on him, just like that time with Gelsomina. Despite his discomfort, he took a deep breath and nimbly leapt onto Nyxial’s back.

Once seated behind Valantz, who sat with the ease of someone who had done it a thousand times, Aster watched as Valantz grasped the pegasus’s mane. In that moment, the mane itself began to change. The black flames intertwined, forming sinuous lines that solidified into reins made of pure shadow and fire, pulsing like a living heart. Their energy radiated power, so much so that even Aster, without touching them, could feel their heat.

"You’d better hold on tight," Valantz said with a smirk, casting a challenging glance at the young elf.

Still mesmerized by the reins and Nyxial’s aura, Aster hesitated. "Why? Is he that fast?"

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Valantz let out a short, confident laugh. "Trust me," he replied, gripping the reins. "If you don’t hold on, you’ll fall."

Not eager to test that theory, Aster clung tightly to Valantz, wrapping his arms around his waist. With all eyes still on them, Nyxial spread his massive wings.

As Nyxial gave his first powerful wingbeat, a burst of flames and darkness erupted around him. The gathered spectators recoiled, some shielding their faces with their hands from the sudden heat, others murmuring words of awe. Aster, on the other hand, felt an intense wave of warmth that nearly stole his breath, as if he were standing next to a blazing fire.

With another powerful flap, Nyxial lifted off the ground and took flight, leaving behind a luminous trail of shadows and crimson sparks. In mere moments, they were in the sky, the crowd below shrinking into tiny dots. The cool air whipped against his face, but just as Aster tried to take in the breathtaking view, the unexpected happened.

A scream tore through the wind. "AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Valantz and Nyxial turned sharply, seeing Aster plummeting toward the ground, his face contorted in fear and his hair tossed wildly by the rushing air.

Nyxial didn’t wait for a command. Instantly, he folded his wings and dove. The wind whistled louder as the pegasus accelerated, his wings cutting through the air with deadly precision.

Valantz, one hand firm on the reins, leaned forward, extending the other toward Aster. The elf’s heart pounded wildly as the ground approached at an alarming speed. But just a moment before it was too late, Valantz seized his arm with a strong grip, pulling him up in one fluid, decisive motion.

Once back behind him, Valantz gave him a look of both concern and reproach. "I told you to hold on tight," he said, shaking his head.

Aster, pale as a sheet, clung to Valantz with all the strength he had. "Okay, message received," he stammered, still trembling.

To ease the tension, Aster took a deep breath and, with a forced smile, said to Nyxial, "Compliments on the speed. Really impressive."

Nyxial slightly turned his head, casting a glance over his shoulder. "Thank you," he said in a regal tone, though a faint glow in his eyes betrayed a hint of pleasure at the compliment.

With an elegant wingbeat, Nyxial resumed his graceful flight, his body enveloped in an aura of majesty and power. Within seconds, he accelerated again, vanishing into the horizon like a shadow between the twin suns.

As they flew, Aster, still holding onto Valantz’s waist for safety, asked, "How much longer until the end of this trail?" His eyes scanned the sky ahead, but to him, it was empty. The trail of notes coming from the Horn of Yvrathis was invisible to him, and having to rely entirely on Valantz made him uneasy.

Valantz, his gaze fixed on the horizon, replied calmly, "The end is not yet in sight, Aster. Be patient. That orc could be anywhere, and we have no way of knowing how much longer it will take."

Aster sighed, lowering his head slightly. "Alright..." he murmured, but his tone betrayed a growing frustration. It wasn’t an outburst of anger or despair, but that kind of silent exasperation that builds up, the weight of uncertainty creeping in like a fog. Gelsomina, his Guide of the Egg, was in the hands of an orc, and he felt powerless, dragged along by events beyond his control. The endless sky around them seemed to reflect the distance between him and any tangible hope.