Night fell over the northern plains as Zaira raced through the cold mountain winds, leaving the southern desert far behind.
Her huge armored scales scraped against the granite rocks as she rushed forward, throwing sparks into the darkness. Sagiri sat high on her neck, gripping the reins with shaking hands. His vision kept blurring as waves of heat spread through his chest.
The damage building inside his body over the past few days had finally become too much to bear.
His veins burned beneath his skin, glowing with flashes of dark red and silver energy. He bent forward and coughed hard, spitting thick black blood into the wind. The blood hissed as it touched the cold air, turning into dark smoke before it disappeared.
