Ikazuchi mostly ignored Yijun’s concern and worry-filled statement as it was something he had already resolved previously. If not, the creature would have likely been attacked before it ever landed. On the deck, considering his agreement with the captain, the only one who would even be a threat to it was Yijun. As Ikazuchi had personally informed the Daemon of its arrival, he couldn’t be bothered worrying further about something like that. He simply accepted that it was due to Yijun’s sense of duty and responsibility that he expressed those concerns. While Ikazuchi felt it was fine, he wouldn’t go out of his way to argue with the man about the safety and practicality of the choice.
A slight smile crept onto his face as Yijun seemed to accept his proposal. “His name is Mir, and he’s friendly.” Ikazuchi recalled his time in the Worth Woodsea as fearless children climbed up the wyverns body, treating him like their favorite toy. As it had bonded with him years ago, it’s higher than average intelligence developed steadily. In many subtle ways, Ikazuchi and Mir shared a unique connection due to the ritual of the ancient kingdom which granted him his unique abilities and insight. Naturally, after years together, Ikazuchi had a clear grasp on the wyvern’s abilities and trust in it to deliver them to the location. If it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t know what would be waiting for him there, he would have simply moved through the air with mana.
Mir was too lazy to be bothered with Yijun’s concerns or Ikazuchi’s whims, the creature simply acquiesced and allowed the two to easily take their place on its saddle. Ikazuchi did a final check of the saddle and creature to confirm no further issues as he leaned down a bit and gave it direction with a slight point. “We’ll be heading that way for a while, but it shouldn’t take too long.” Mir naturally ascended with a gentle finesse that didn’t disturb the ship as much as the landing.
From behind, Ikazuchi received another piece of advice laced with the best of intentions. He nodded in acknowledgement, but remained silent due to serving as a windbreaker for his riding companion at this point. His left hand firmly held the saddlehorn as the three; one human, one daemon, and one wyvern cut through the air. The speed of the flight meant there was little room for further conversation, but Ikazuchi made sure to continue observing him through his uniquely developed perception. In such an empty area, it was even easier to process the information and ensure no issues occurred.
It wasn’t long before they approached the reported area. The terrain shifted to tree-covered hills and valleys with only a single rough road leading to a village which was nestled at the entrance of a valley. There were few signs of human interference in the landscape as Ikazuchi noted that the valley behind seemed to extend towards the eastern horizon in a way that could only frame the rising sun each morning. Even the perimeter wall standing ten feet tall seemed to blend naturally with the scenery creating a sense of harmony disrupted only by the dilapidated state of the buildings they could observe. Out of consideration for the village and the fact that he was a stranger, Ikazuchi guided Mir to a clearing that wasn’t far from the village.
It would be far enough to be out of sight, but not so far that it would be inconvenient for the two. Finally on the ground again, Ikazuchi would dismount and pat Mir out of thankfulness and consideration for his services. After Yijun dismounted the creature, he would address what they had observed from the sky. “From what we saw, more than one building looked abandoned. It seemed like the buildings along the main path and towards the valley were in better condition though…” Ikazuchi described what he noticed, but it was also possible that the more informed Yijun could have different insights. He couldn’t help but pause at this point as he hoped Yijun would be able to share some of his experiences. Ikazuchi wasn’t familiar with what kind of state for former Shogun left villages and towns in, but he was somewhat optimistic that it wasn’t the worst case scenario since it seemed more like a natural decline had occurred compared to what he could only assume would be a hostile takeover.
After listening to the daemon, Ikazuchi would speak again. “The usefulness of the information I obtained ends here. In the end, it was really only for the sake of locating them.” Ikazuchi was honest about his limited information, not sure how much Yijun had understood about his lack of relationship with his family by this point. “We might as well just try out luck and enter from the front, what do you say?” While Ikazuchi fully intended to do so, he did want to at least confirm that his companion was comfortable with doing so. Should Yijun accept, Ikazuchi would leisurely make his way to the entrance while observing the surroundings. Even now, part of his attention and perception was focused on the periphery to ensure no one stealthily approached them or was spying. At the same time, having completed his task, Mir took to the sky and roamed around intending to seclude himself and rest. Ikazuchi knew all too well that the wyvern would avoid disrupting the local habitats and only hunt for food within reason.
Word Count: 920 Total Word Count: 4,285
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