Chapter 42
High above the endless Vados plains, Dax leaned forward on Cain's back, letting the wind scour his face.
The world below unfolded in breathtaking scale—golden seas of grass rippling like living water, distant rivers glinting like molten silver under the sun.
"Magnificent," he whispered, the word almost lost to the rush of air.
Among the countless ancient trees that dotted the landscape, one dominated everything else. A colossal sentinel stood alone at the heart of the plain, its trunk so thick it seemed to pierce the sky itself. Its canopy spread outward in a vast, unbroken dome of emerald and gold, shading an expanse easily a thousand acres.
No other tree dared grow near it; the land around its roots belonged solely to this titan.
Dax tilted his head toward the massive tree's center.
"Sense powerful creatures at the core," he murmured. But his attention wasn't truly there. The tree was impressive, but it wasn't his destination today.
