The plan had been simple—deceptively so.
Intercept Ishtar's vessel while it was in transit, extract her by force if necessary, and disappear before the Astiel clan could react in any organized manner.
Emery had studied the planetary charts and the maritime routes used by Astiel nobility. Ishtar's itinerary was precise: departure from a secondary hub toward the primary celebration continent.
Leaving the city behind, Emery rose into the upper winds, crossing jagged mountain ranges while cloaking his presence beneath layers of suppressed aura and spatial distortion. When the land finally gave way to endless ocean, he descended low, skimming above the waves, letting the roar of wind and water mask his passage.
His divine sense stretched outward to its limits, carefully calibrated to detect threats without announcing his own presence. Outposts. Patrols. Convoys. Each was avoided with meticulous precision.
