The Great Eagle sliced through the heavens, leaving behind mountain peaks that now looked like small toys scattered across a white carpet. The air was so cold and pure that Pecos felt as though his lungs might freeze, yet he didn't dare open his eyes until after half an hour of continuous flight.
Pecos (his voice trembling as he gripped a thick feather):
"Ortinus... have we stopped? Is this smell of roasting coming from this bird's wings, or is it just my final hallucinations?"
Darius (laughing as he patted Pecos on the shoulder):
"Open your eyes, you coward! We're still alive, and that roasting smell isn't a hallucination. Look ahead—something impossible is happening!"
Pecos slowly opened one eye, then the other, and his jaw dropped in disbelief. Before them, amidst a sea of towering clouds, floated an entire city. It wasn't just floating rocks; it was a skyline of spiraling towers crafted from crystal and gold, with hanging bridges of light connecting massive floating islands. A cacophony of noise, drumbeats, and boisterous cheers reached their ears despite the wind.
Nerar (stunned, adjusting his glasses):
"Impossible... this is 'Aetheria,' the Floating City! Legends say it fell and shattered centuries ago during the Great Crystal War. How is it still airborne?"
Romelius (inspecting the weapons):
"It seems it didn't fall; it hid behind the wall of storms. Look at those small vessels flying around it—they're like bees guarding a hive."
Pecos (with sudden impudence):
"A city in the sky? Does that mean they have restaurants that don't obey the laws of gravity? Imagine a 'flying sandwich'! Darius, if a piece of bread falls there, will it land on the heads of people down below?"
Darius: "Pecos, we are about to enter unknown territory and could be killed at any moment, and you're thinking about falling bread?"
Pecos: "Hunger knows no gravity, my friend! Ortinus, are we landing there? Tell me we are landing; I need to touch ground that doesn't flap its wings!"
Miron (in a worried tone, staring at the city):
"Something is wrong... the noise we hear isn't the sound of a celebration. It sounds like a public market, or a battlefield. I hear screams intertwined with the music."
Ortinus (guiding the bird gently with the Feather):
"Hold on tight. We are forced to pass alongside it to reach Achille, but we won't land unless we have to. Nerar, do you see any defenses?"
Nerar: "I don't see cannons, but I see... wait! Those aren't birds! Those are 'Aerial Catapults'!"
As they drew closer to the city's outer walls, the atmosphere shifted. The noise grew clearer—terrifying metallic sounds and uncomfortably loud music. Suddenly, sharp sirens blared from the highest tower in the city.
Pecos: "Oh no... is that siren to welcome us? Tell me it's a welcoming melody!"
Old Nikos: "That is the call of war, Pecos. They've spotted us!"
From between the crystal towers, flaming purple projectiles were launched. They weren't rocks; they were spheres of unstable crystal that exploded on contact.
Ortinus (shouting): "Maneuver, my friend! Lift us higher!"
The bird responded intelligently, tilting its massive body to dodge the first projectile, which exploded behind them, leaving a cloud of toxic smoke. But the attack didn't stop; a swarm of "Aerial Skiffs" manned by soldiers wearing brass masks pounced on them from above.
Darius (firing his arrows rapidly):
"They're too fast! Ortinus, the bird is tiring—these maneuvers are draining his energy!"
Romelius: "Hold onto anything! They are aiming a thermal beam at the left wing!"
A concentrated light beam shot from one of the ships, hitting the tip of the blue bird's wing. The bird let out a cry of pain that tore at their hearts and began to lose its balance. The world shook around the companions as the bird began an emergency descent toward one of the crowded plazas in the floating city.
Pecos (screaming at the top of his lungs as he saw the ground approaching fast):
"Ortinus! The Feather! Do something with the Feather! I don't want to die over a city that flies! I want to die on solid ground next to a warm oven!"
Miron: "The wing is burning! We're falling!"
Ortinus (trying to steady everyone):
"Brace for impact! Nerar, protect Nikos! Darius, hold onto Pecos!"