Chapter 720 — The Sky

She gripped the control lever tightly—the ripple of the airflow, the craft's adjustments of attitude, the subtle feedback from the dragon wings—these wondrous sensations traveled through the metal, through these levers, and at last reached her hands, gradually giving her a tangible sense of embracing the sky.

Though that tangible sense was still separated from her by a shell of steel and other materials, she was more satisfied than she had ever been.

She saw farmland sweeping past far, far below her, saw spires and houses small as models receding from view, and in her heart there was no longer the slightest doubt about what Rebecca had once promised.

Dragons, after all, yearn for the sky.

But the dragons of the Holy Dragon Duchy were never permitted to fly from birth—even the few "mildly deformed" among them, who possessed relatively healthy wings, were forbidden to approach the sky.

Because genetic defect was a grave sin, a sin the exiles must repay for generation after generation; misshapen wings did not deserve to embrace the sky—that would be a desecration of the sky.

But how could a creature born with wings restrain the urge to fly?

Nearly every year, young dragons unable to hold themselves back would challenge the taboo; even if misshapen wings could not lift them, they were willing to glide for a brief taste of the air. Every year on Dragon Leap Cliff, the unorthodox secretly leaped down—and apart from the lucky few, some were caught by the patrol cavalry of the Dragon Blood Archduke, some, lacking experience, were gravely injured after a terrible glide, and others...

...would choose to beat their wings with all their might, gliding from Dragon Leap Cliff all the way beyond the border, flying into the human world.

Maggie laughed joyfully, pulling hard on the lever, flying toward the sky.

If there is ever a chance to go back, I must urge those friends to give this a try.

Countless times more fun than gliding!

Maggie now found herself looking forward to the other "thing that embraces the sky" Rebecca had promised.

Wings of steel... what would they look like?

...

Back in Xuanyao City, the first thing Gao Yang did was summon Verodai and Ophelia, who happened to be visiting the magic-mechanical arsenal in the city.

Bright sunlight poured into the spacious study. Verodai, platinum-white staff in hand, entered the room with a serene expression. The light spilled across her pale golden hair, its radiance rippling outward until one could scarcely tell whether that halo was simply the holy light that ever wreathed her.

Before Gao Yang, the ancient Defiant bowed her head slightly. "Your Majesty, you summoned me?"

Gao Yang gave a murmured assent, but the first thing he noticed when he looked up was the platinum-white staff in Verodai's hand.

Before they came to business, he could not help but recall another matter mentioned during his conversation with Beiyila:

The bridge between man and god—the "chain" phenomenon born of faith in a single goal.

The platinum-white staff had another name: "the bridge between man and god."

Gao Yang had long known that name, but only after speaking with Beiyila did he realize the "bridge" might carry another meaning altogether.

"...Does that staff truly forge a connection between man and god?" he asked in a low voice.

Verodai lowered her eyelids slightly. "Yes, of course it does."

"...Controlling this 'chain' must be far from easy."

Verodai raised her head, a little surprised. Meeting Gao Yang's deep, steady gaze, a faint smile seemed to surface on her lips. "It seems your understanding of the gods has grown deeper."

"In the eastern reaches of the Holy Spirit Plains, at the nest of the Order of All Things' End, the contest between the power of the false gods and the power of mortals gave birth to an enormous plant. Its true body was a high-ranking canon of the Order of All Things' End, and an old acquaintance of mine—Beiyila," Gao Heng said, unhurried. "From her, I learned a few things about the Defiants and the gods."

"...What one gains often lies beyond expectation."

"Indeed it does," Gao Yan nodded. "Do the names Ferna Baishuang and Leilna Baishuang mean anything to you?"

Verodai's serene expression visibly froze for an instant.

Then, slowly, she said, "Those are names I have not heard in a long time... Did you hear them from that Beiyila as well?"

"Since you know them, this intelligence is likely accurate. Over the past centuries, the two elves Ferna Baishuang and Leilna Baishuang have both been important members of the Order of All Things' End. If I am not mistaken, they must be the ones we once discussed—"

"The 'ghosts' of the Defiance Project..." Verodai said softly. "Yes, the Baishuang twins are Defiants. I know them, but I never imagined that after all these years they would be hiding within the Order of All Things' End, moving about in human society."

"Tell me about them," Gao Yan nodded. "If my intelligence is accurate, then this pair of elven sisters is very likely still alive. Having survived the catastrophe that destroyed Gondor, they then survived the destruction of the Order of All Things' End as well. They will very likely keep on operating—very likely become a threat."

"...First, let me stress one point," Verodai said, gathering her thoughts, her tone gentle. "Strictly speaking, the Baishuang twins should be described as having 'once been two sisters.' What they are now... should really be counted as a single individual."