61

  The medical ward of Aurum smelled of blood, herbs, and exhaustion. Every bed was filled—elite guards, mages, wind-breakers—each wrapped in bandages, some groaning, some unconscious. The aftermath of the Revenant attack weighed on the room like a heavy fog.

  On one of the far beds, Durante lay with his abdomen bound tightly in fresh cloth. The wound where Barang’s claw had pierced him still pulsed with a faint heat, but his breathing remained steady. At his side, the lynx—now in its smaller, natural form—rested with its head on his shoulder, ears twitching with worry.

  Soraya stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, her brow lined with concern. Nearby, Hector leaned on his staff, bruised and scraped but still carrying the calm weight of authority.

  “Lir came here and take the kids?” Durante asked, voice low but firm.

  “That is correct,” Hector replied, though the tension in his face showed he feared what came next.

  Durante exhaled once, then pushed himself upright. The bandages pulled, the wound burned—but he did not flinch. He swung his legs over the bed and reached for his clothes.

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  “You cannot leave like that, Durante,” Hector urged, stepping closer. “Your wound is sealed, yes, but it is nowhere near healed.”

  Durante didn’t answer. He fastened the ties on his vest, movements steady, controlled. The lynx slid off the bed, padding beside him as he stood.

  Hector followed after him, voice softer, pleading. “I know you heal fast, but your wound is deep. You could collapse on the road.”

  “My kids,” Durante said, tightening his belt. “Who knows what will happen to them?” His voice carried urgency—an edge sharper than fear. “I know where they will go.”

  Soraya stepped forward. “I’ll come with you.”

  Durante paused just long enough to give her a sidelong look—skeptical, measuring—but said nothing. He simply walked past her and out of the ward.

  Soraya followed, then Hector, then the lynx.

  Outside, the elite guards of Freska waited in the corridor. Soraya raised a hand.

  “Stay in Aurum for now,” she instructed. “Keep the city secure. And give one of your horses to him.”

  The captain nodded without hesitation.

  Moments later, Durante mounted the offered horse. The lynx leapt gracefully onto its back behind him. Soraya swung onto her own mount beside him.

  “Where are we headed?” she asked, gripping the reins.

  “Diospyrus,” Durante replied, eyes narrowing toward the distant treeline. “The old ruins.”

  And without another word, they rode into the wind.