The Chronicles Of New Havens

Eventually, the Grand Knights and Great Knights showed up. Much like the Grand Knights who were standing guard over the war room, these three emanated a suffocating pressure! Although the Ten Dawns were arguably on a similar power scale, their youthful appearances negated any pressure. These knights did not wear their usual plate armor and cape, but instead sported leather armor and an overall much lighter and warmer attire. They had also switched from their usual weapon of choice to light short swords. For an aerial squadron, every little bit of weight could be the difference between life and death! Granted, the knights' full combat power would be lowered, but your typical soldier would still be no match.

Some were unfamiliar with using a glider, much like Elizabeth, so some time in the morning was reserved to teach them. Elizabeth remembered when she and Benedict were strapped together like a sandwich and thrown into the mercy of the storm. Even now, she quivered. Thankfully, the lessons were nothing particularly hard and with practice, she mastered the fundamentals. Tengon also took this time to discuss their mission. Both he and Nassandra would alternate using their magic to create wind tunnels on route that would keep them flying indefinitely. Through this, they could cut a three-day distance into one barely six hours!

One had to mention that your normal aerial squadron was incapable of doing this. For example, a typical squadron consisted of an even ratio of soldiers to Arcanists. Every Arcanist was partnered with another soldier, and the duo would use magic to sustain flight when necessary. However, it was not easy. Every use of Arcania required tremendous concentration and careful consideration. If the magic was too weak, then it would waste precious Magical Energy. If the magic was too strong, then the gliders could break. If a fight broke out between squadrons, magic was essentially impossible to cast! This was why Arcanists typically supported the army in the rear, rather than the front. Furthermore, these Arcanists could only create small wind tunnels and a handful of times at best. However, the Ten Dawns were confident enough in creating multiple large wind tunnels over the course of six hours… A vast difference.

When the squadron was done and prepared to scale the Sky Tower, someone came running over. Elizabeth focused on the distant figure and realized it was Benedict. Isn't he still injured? Don't tell me…

"Elizabeth, you didn't tell me you were leaving for New Havens. As your knight, you should know that I should always be by your side."

In response, a Grand Knight said, "You're hurt. You should spend your time recovering instead. We can take over her protection instead." Though they had never met before, the Grand Knight could instantly see through Benedict's condition.

"He's right, you know. I'll be fine without you," Elizabeth urged. To worry more about others than themselves… It was the same with her brother Edward. It did not bring up good memories.

Benedict shook his head. "I swore to protect you on my honor as a knight and a Hawken. I should at least accompany you back home." Elizabeth was a bit touched.

Meanwhile, the knights around focused their gazes like moths attracted to a light. After all, the Hawken name was too dazzling to them! Elizabeth might not know, but the Hawken Household was regarded as a famous house with a rich history of producing strong knights. Everyone who bore the surname of Hawken was bound to be strong! Not to mention, the family passed down a weapon style, known as the Hawken Swordsmanship Style, that was seen as one of the most powerful in Sor. To top it off, the current patriarch of the Hawken Household was Sir Roland Hawken, a bona-fide Royal Guard and Protector of Prince Ranir!

"Pardon me for asking but are you from that Hawken Household?" a Grand Knight asked. Unknowingly, everyone's tone had more respect.

"Yes," Benedict said awkwardly. He was not a fan of bragging about his family's big name.

"In that case, as fellow knights, we cannot stop you from joining us. What say you, Ten Dawn Tengon? You're the leader of the operation."

"One or two more shouldn't be a problem. If you're a Hawken, then I expect you can take care of yourself, right? Don't blame me if you get hurt." While Grand Nobles had considerable sway in the Alzar Kingdom, that was different for the Zino Kingdom. He was not particularly afraid of the consequences.

"Huh?" Elizabeth said aloud. How did the situation reverse so quickly?

Without any more interruptions, the squadron seamlessly launched from the Sky Tower and rose high into the sky. Like birds soaring above the clouds, they gracefully ascended to mindboggling heights thanks to the Ten Dawns. In no time at all, the city of Nightwin shrank beneath them as their view stretched unhindered from horizon to horizon! The experience was completely different from when she was on New Havens. Whether it was the Desterina Ocean in the west or the Goron Desert in the south, she could see them all. Soaring through clouds and surfing along the wind, the world was truly at her fingertips! Yet she only felt worry and fear for what to come. For even if she could fly free, her home would always be New Havens.

The squadron left Nightwin behind and glided towards the Windigo Ridge in the distance. True enough, with the Ten Dawns by their side, in less than six hours, they successfully reached the Elwin Path. The suns were beginning to set, which was well within Tengon's expectations. A night operation was far better than one during the day. Elizabeth could see familiar surroundings from when she crash-landed here a week ago. It seemed so long ago but it was so recent. Tengon and Nassandra glanced at one another and nodded. Channelling their magic together into a wind tunnel, they shot higher and higher into the sky until even the trees became as thin as hairs! Elizabeth squinted and looked up to see a rather large inconspicuous cloud in the sky. It was none other than New Havens! She was finally back!

Now that they drew closer, she could see that the belly of the island had three massive magical circles there, rotating in place and glowing at night. Even without Magical Perception, everyone admired the mesmerizing might it gave off! Each of the magical circles was roughly the size of the island! Even the Ten Dawns, the ten strongest Arcanists in the Zino Kingdom, would be farfetched to create one at one hundredth the size. No one dared to imagine the monsters who could create such magical circles.

As they rose higher, Elizabeth could finally see the town of New Havens and felt an indescribable sense of nostalgia! The squadron landed on the edge of the island in the forest, as Elizabeth directed, around where Benedict first crash-landed. They collapsed their wings and immediately collapsed themselves. Flying for nearly six hours straight meant being strapped to their gliders, unable to eat, drink, or relieve yourself. Being stuck to a metal frame for so long would undoubtedly make the older knights cry. Furthermore, you had to constantly be aware of your surroundings. Lest you be caught in a rogue wind, you could be wisped away from the others. Tengon and Nassandra were especially exhausted, having flown them from Nightwin to New Havens without rest. One look at them and you could tell how hard they worked.

Everyone took out their own food or water and began snacking to recover their energy. Some went to relieve themselves in the forest. Those who were better off stood watch. But everyone inwardly tried to maintain their composure. They heard that this operation involved a flying island, but they were all skeptical. However, seeing it first-hand truly shattered all their worldly expectations. The Arcanists were however thoroughly floored.

"Nassandra, did you feel it with your Magical Perception?" Tengon sickly asked. Nassandra nodded.

To them, Magical Perception was akin to a sixth sense that allowed them to perceive disturbances in World Energy. With their powers, their Magical Perception was naturally greater than other Arcanists so they could probe deeper than others. Earlier, even without focusing on their Magical Perception, they could still feel the horrifying energy residing in those magical circles. To put it frankly, if all their magical energy amounted to a drop of water, then the magic they felt was akin to an ocean! Naturally, with their Magical Perception being overwhelmed by the massive torrent of energy, they felt nauseous and sick to their stomachs.

"This magic that can support an entire flying island is beyond our kingdom's knowledge. The runes here might even lead to a brand-new class of magic," Tengon stated with shaking hands. Rather than fear for the unknown, he felt excited. After all, at the heart of all Arcanists was the d.e.s.i.r.e to become strong! Even if he was one of the Ten Dawns, he knew now that his power was the tip of the iceberg!

Nassandra closed her eyes and focused, extending her Magical Perception out. "This island is rich in World Energy. Comparable to the capital?"

"The capital?" Tengon replied with skepticism. He also mirrored her actions. "Incredible! The energy is on par with the purity of Firecast, but the density is on a whole other level." Here, he meant the Zino Kingdom's own capital city in Aereon.

"The source is at the island's center," Nassandra said.

"It must be powering the magical circles somehow. This is truly interesting."

With the abundant energy in the atmosphere, the two absorbed it and recovered their full strength. The others also recovered their stamina with a bit of rest. Packing up, everyone looked at Tengon for their next move, but he was at a loss. Though he heard it from the general himself, he was unprepared now that the flying island was actually real… So, he turned to the squadron's guide, Elizabeth, for help. Without skipping a beat, she said that she wanted to go to her home. After all, this was paramount to her! She had to know! Thus, the squadron marched towards the Silvera household through the forest with Elizabeth in the lead.