Ash narrowed his eyes. Without speaking, he lifted a hand and pointed at the slightly below the summit.
"There," he said calmly.
Leon immediately moved. With a thunderous beat of his 22.5 meter wings, the newly advanced 4th Rank Crimson Fire Dragon soared upward.
The wind howled violently as they ascended. As they passed over the forested slopes, Old Ni's eyes slowly closed as he expanded his senses.
"I can feel them," he muttered.
Ash glanced sideways. "How many?"
"Dozens of 4th Rank Beasts scattered across this side of a mountain."
He paused briefly. "And one… no, two 5th Rank Beasts further down the ridge."
Leon's shadow swept across the rocky terrain below. Some beasts stirred, growling or retreating into their territories, unwilling to provoke a dragon flying overhead.
The higher Leon flew, the colder the air became. Finally, after several minutes, Leon hovered before a massive cavern embedded into the mountainside.
