This story is part of the Wanderer series.
Bringing a hand up to his chin, Lev rubbed his fingers as he stared up at the ledge. “It would appear the castle is abandoned.”
Chiyoko did not reply.
“What do you think, Chee-yo?”
Dropping his hand, he looked over at her, realizing she was concentrating. However, not too long after, she opened her eyes and stood back up, finally becoming present again.
“Abandoned… does not describe it well,” she objected. “Perhaps… inactive.”
“Ah, yes.” Dipping his head in agreement, Lev drew a hand up and waved a pointed finger in her direction. “Well put.”
Chiyoko glanced at Lev, then turned her attention skyward. A view split in half by light and dark, the cloudless blue sky and the shaded cliff overhang. The distant howling of the storm still filled their background, but here in the epicenter the atmosphere was eerily still, as if all of its vigor had been channeled away.
Beside her, Lev had raised his gaze as well. “What are you thinking? Shall we ascend?”
“No,” she succinctly declined. “Root your castle. We move on our own.”
Lev furrowed his eyebrows and flattened his mouth, dropping his face back down to Chiyoko. “However shall we climb up?”
However, his voice faltered as he spoke, realizing the answer as he watched his companion grip her hands together and start resonating her power. Gradually, both her and Lev’s silhouette began to glow bright teal. They became light on their feet, lifting off the stone allure. No longer holding his weight, Lev deftly eased his legs, letting his knees bend and his arms wing as the two of them took to the sky.
Their glowing silhouettes quickly scaled the height of the cliff, similarly dozens of meters above the castle. Right at the ledge, Chiyoko slowed them to a halt, approaching right underneath. Hunching forward, bending her arms and legs, she moved them closer, letting her fingers touch the stone. After a pause, she surfaced her head above the ledge, peering around with alert eyes and parted lips, ready to duck down at the slightest sight of danger. Next to her, Lev managed to peek his wide eyes just over the ledge, blinking a few times. Given he was not in control of his levitation, it was the best he could do, extending his neck as far up as he could.
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