The journey back to the Ashbluff palace took on a vastly different tone than my earlier departure. Where I had left alone with grim purpose, I now returned accompanied by Grand Marshal Meilyn Potan, whose presence served as living proof that the western frontier's greatest threat had finally been eliminated.
Meilyn flew beside me with the kind of controlled grace that spoke to years of aerial combat experience, her navy blue hair streaming behind her while her golden eyes remained fixed on the approaching capital. She had insisted on accompanying me to deliver the news personally, claiming that reports of the Axe King's death needed to come from someone whose authority couldn't be questioned.
"Are you certain you're ready for this?" I asked as the familiar spires of the royal palace came into view. "The political implications of Vorgath's death are going to ripple across the entire continent."
