​"Let me carry you," Caspian offered, seeing her pace falter slightly on a steep incline. "The climb to the Red Cliffs is rough."

​"I’d rather crawl," Hana snapped, her eyes flashing with a cold warning.

​She wasn’t about to show any more vulnerability in front of the Boar servants.

She was a survivor; she moved on her own strength, even if every step made her lower back throb.

When Taga said they would arrive before sunset, she believed the journey would be around three to four hours but after an hour of trekking, the lush greenery began to thin, replaced by dusty, rust-colored stone and sharp, jagged cliffs.

Ah, so he meant it when he said we would get there before the sun sets. I just interpreted it the wrong way.

This is what happens in a world that does not have the concept of time.

​"There," Taga whispered, stopping and pointing toward the extreme edge of a high plateau. "That is where the metal crates spilled out. But... we cannot reach them now unlike before."

"Why?" Hana asked and looked up. High above, perched on the red rocks, were the Falcons.

They looked strikingly human, with tanned skin and human faces, but they wore elaborate feathers to cover their long red hair. Massive red wings, as long as their bodies, were perched on their backs like capes.

​"The Red Falcons have occupied the area," Taga trembled. "And they are not welcoming. Especially to the one who hurt their Chief."

​Raiden’s expression turned a little sour as he began to explain to Hana. "Caspian challenged their Chief a few seasons ago. He burned one of the Chief’s wings so badly that he can no longer fly. They’ve been waiting for a reason to strike back."

​Caspian let out a bored, arrogant huff. "The old bird questioned my crown. I merely taught him a lesson."

Hana shook her head and sighed. This was a mess.

"Taga, did you bring us here knowing the beef between the falcons and Caspian?" Hana asked, turning a serious expression towards the Boar Alpha and he quickly shook his head.

"I didn’t mean any harm, great female. I thought that the Fire King would be able to take them on if they dared to attack," he explained and Hana narrowed her eyes.

He didn’t seem to have any bad intentions and was genuine. But then again, he led them right into the mouth of their enemy. And they were high above.

If they were spotted, they would be at a disadvantage.

But it was already too late to worry about that as the next moment, a shadow vanished from the sun. Screeeech!

​A blur of crimson shot down from the sky. It was a male Falcon with remarkably sharp, beautiful amber eyes.

He didn’t land; he used the momentum of a dive, his wings suddenly turning as rigid and sharp as glass.

Hana watched, knowing their cover had been blown wide so there was no way to hide nos

​"Who is that?" She demanded, but before the words were out, the Falcon released his wings that were as sharp as blades.

​The tip of a wing, moving like a razor, sliced right across Hana’s cheek.

​Hana stumbled back, her hand flying to her face. She felt a sharp sting, followed by the wet warmth of blood, and then her eyes narrowed with rage.

How dare he?!

​The Boars saw this and shrieked in horror.

Raiden snarled, his tails fluffing to three times their size as he got ready to avenge the cut on his mate’s cheek. But Caspian... Caspian simply stopped breathing.

​With a sound like a thunderclap, massive obsidian wings—wings Hana had never seen before—erupted from Caspian’s back, shredding the air around him. He took to the sky, his eyes turning a blinding burning white as they did when he planned to kill Taga.

​"That’s Kulu," Raiden hissed, his voice lethal. "The Falcon Chief’s son. And it seems he’s looking for blood."

​Hana looked at the red smear on her fingers. She felt a cold, sharp rage bubbling up, her instinct screaming for the bird’s head.

"I want him dead," she hissed.

​But as Caspian lunged forward to incinerate the Falcon, the blue window flickered to life.

> ​[URGENT QUEST: THE VENGEFUL PRINCE]

> Objective: Subdue Kulu without killing him.

> Reward: Access to the hidden cache.

> Note: A broken heart is more useful than a broken wing.

What the hell does that mean?

​Before Hana could process the quest, a group of Falcon elders emerged on the rocks on the same ground level as Hana and the boars, and behind them came a female Falcon, heavily pregnant and draped in white feathers.

She walked with a delicate, saintly air, as if the ground itself were privileged to touch her feet.

What the hell was a pregnant female doing there at a time like that?

Well, not like Hana wasn’t pregnant as well, but she still had every freedom of a woman who was not pregnant. This one just came out to show off her big belly.

As soon as ​Kulu spotted her, his aggressive stance immediately vanished. He looked at her with a pathetic, smitten gaze, his wings softening.

But this just gave Caspian the chance he needed. He was just about to attack him with his claws when Hana yelled,

"That’s enough, Caspian!"

Caspian pissed mid-attack and then looked down at Hana, unable to understand her intent. He had hurt her, so the right thing was to kill him but just like with Taga, she stood her ground, folding her arms.

She did not look happy about it but there was nothing she could do. If they wanted to get what they came here for, not killing Kulu was their best bet.

She wouldn’t mind Caspian inflicting some wounds on him since, after all, an eye for an eye. But Caspian would just go overboard and ruin the whole thing.

She would get back at him for this later.

"What brings the great dragon of the black mountains here?" One of the Elders asked and then his eyes fell on Hana and Raiden, as well as the boars behind them. "Is there a problem? Or have you brought a fight to our doors once again?"