They pursued relentlessly after Northern, wings beating hard against the sudden resistance. But to their surprise, their speed didn't even come close. It was like the wind itself had turned against them, each wingbeat suddenly requiring twice the power.
Northern stared at the surface of the water as he scaled upward, rising with absurd speed.
'Too easy.'
He glanced down.
They were pursuing him, certainly, but at the same time... they didn't look particularly bothered. No urgency. No desperation.
'Something is off.'
He twisted mid-flight and took a sharp fall, diving back down toward them. All of them startled—the lady at their forefront, the one who'd approached him earlier, frowned. The kind of frown that said 'this can't be good'.
Northern shot toward them and suddenly curved at the last moment, angling into the rising waterfall.
"Ha! This bastard!"
The lady's voice cracked with frustration, and all of them beat their wings frantically, immediately giving chase.
