From the hidden observation point at the exit of the 'Goshawk's Trail,' Coppelia and Columbina gazed down upon the city of Mondstadt, shrouded by a storm wall. In the future, this place would be known as 'Old Mondstadt'.
Beneath a sky distorted by the storm wall, a towering spire pierced the heavens at the very heart of the city. It was not merely a physical high point, but the absolute core of the nation's power and will, an invisible weight pressing down upon every living being within.
A relatively dense and lofty cluster of buildings in the inner ring encircled the tower.
These structures were mostly built from sturdy, gray-white megaliths, their style crude and their lines severe. Sharp spires and heavy walls proclaimed the authority of the nobles and priests who resided here.
Occasionally, one could spot decently dressed figures moving with cautious reverence as they passed between the colonnades.
Further out, the outer ring was built against the steep mountain cliffs, far larger in scale. The buildings here were shorter and much more crowded. Roofs were mostly dark slate or simple thatch, and the streets were narrow and winding. The air, thick with the smell of cooking fires, was mingled with an oppressive atmosphere entirely different from the inner ring.
From their vantage point, Coppelia could faintly make out figures moving like ants. Most were dressed in rags, their steps faltering—the most deeply oppressed commoners and slaves.
Between the two massive ringed districts lay a relatively open, circular area. Fields were scattered across it, where a few blurry figures stooped over their toil. Their movements were sluggish, as lifeless as the land itself.
Several enormous stone bridges spanned the air, connecting the inner and outer worlds. Like the spokes of a bicycle wheel, these bridges radiated from the central tower to link the two rings.
They hung suspended countless meters above the fields. On the bridges, soldiers in iron armor, wielding spears, longswords, or greatbows, patrolled in formation. Their movements were uniform, yet betrayed a hollow numbness.
The exit of the Goshawk's Trail's hidden path was located on the cliff face at the edge of the outer ring. The exit itself was inconspicuous, but directly below it happened to be one of the stone bridges connecting the inner and outer areas.
Coppelia gazed clockwise along the cliff's edge and saw another magnificent bridge in the distance, connecting a huge archway in the inner ring with an equally imposing gatehouse in the outer ring.
"The main road to the southeast that Lupus mentioned must connect to that bridge," Coppelia murmured.
The two of them lay flat, peeking their heads over the edge of the cliff. Their position was extremely precarious; the clifftop jutted outwards, making them feel as if they were on the edge of an inverted pyramid, with a dizzying void below.
Coppelia carefully scanned both sides, and her heart sank.
The rock face was smooth and vertical, with no handholds or footholds whatsoever. There was absolutely no way down.
Her gaze swept over the fields on either side of the stone bridge below, and she noticed a large number of sharp-edged, fallen rocks scattered about.
Could it be... that a hidden path leading down once existed here but was destroyed?
"This place is way too high..." Coppelia couldn't help but grumble. "No wonder it's called the Goshawk's Trail. I guess you can only get here by flying like a hawk, huh?"
"I can fly, too," the girl beside her said softly, her tone calm as if stating a fact.
"Huh?" Coppelia froze for a moment, turning to look at Columbina.
"And I can fly with you," Columbina added.
Coppelia then remembered that since absorbing the first fragment of power, Columbina hadn't yet demonstrated her increased strength.
Fearing the girl would pull the same stunt as last time—grabbing her and jumping off the cliff without a word—she quickly held out her hand:
"Let's... try it out first."
Columbina took her hand. The next moment, the ginger-red streaks in her long hair suddenly lit up, and a gentle, stable flow of energy streamed out, enveloping them both. Coppelia immediately felt the energy surge into her core, filling it almost instantly.
Immediately after, a strange feeling of weightlessness washed over them. Their bodies floated steadily into the air, hovering about ten centimeters off the ground.
The sensation was as if their own weight had been temporarily erased by some law of nature, not at all like being held up by wind or water.
This was true weightlessness!
In this state... if I could just create a directional wind field for propulsion...
Coppelia was reminded of the Chicken Talisman and the Rabbit Talisman from Jackie Chan Adventures, and couldn't help but quip weakly:
"Levitation plus speed equals flight..."
...
Coppelia and Columbina left the cliff and headed back along the Goshawk's Trail.
Coppelia explained the current situation at the entrance of the Goshawk's Trail to the waiting knight, Parsifal, and asked if he could help find an alternative route.
Upon hearing this, Parsifal's brow furrowed. "The Goshawk's Trail was already the most hidden path. If even that has been destroyed, I'm afraid the other small trails would not have been spared and are likely unusable."
Coppelia thought for a moment, then asked, "Has your settlement had any other visitors recently?"
"No," Parsifal shook his head firmly. "For a very long time, you are the only outsiders who have come to our home."
"It's possible that too many people have escaped, finally catching the ruler's attention. They probably decided to destroy these paths for good."
Parsifal still wanted to help. "Since this path is unusable, I can find another one for you, but it might take more time and require a long detour."
"It's alright, no need to trouble yourself," Coppelia declined politely, deciding to demonstrate their ability to put his mind at ease. "Actually, we can fly, so we can still take that route."
As she spoke, she signaled to Columbina. Under the slightly stunned gazes of Parsifal and Lupus, the two of them floated lightly into the air again, giving a brief demonstration of their ability.
"Take us to the main road," Coppelia said after they landed.
Parsifal recovered from his surprise and nodded. "The main road is inside a very deep canyon. Normally, you'd have to take a long detour to reach the entrance. But since you two can fly, I can lead you directly to the canyon's edge. That would be the fastest way."
...
The four of them soon arrived at the edge of the canyon containing the main road to Mondstadt. Below their feet was a nearly vertical cliff.
Coppelia asked Lupus for some advice on safely crossing the wolf pack's territory. Afterwards, Lupus and Parsifal set off together, returning to their settlement.
After watching them leave, just as Coppelia was about to gauge the depth of the canyon, Columbina quietly stepped forward.
"Do you need help?" the girl's ethereal voice asked.
"I'll be counting on you," Coppelia smiled and nodded. "Let's do 'that move' one more time."
Columbina took her hand, and the feeling of weightlessness descended once more. They floated into the air and drifted slowly down into the canyon. In less than a minute, the two landed lightly and steadily at the bottom.
"Do you feel tired? Hungry?" Coppelia asked with concern, as these were the most direct indicators of Columbina's energy consumption.
"It's much easier than before," Columbina shook her head, seeming to have plenty of strength to spare.
It seemed that after absorbing the fragment, both Columbina's power reserves and her control had improved significantly.
Looking at myself, on the other hand... this core's capacity is a bit small. A few elemental reactions and it's completely drained. My stamina is terrible. I need to find a way to upgrade it.
Mulling over future upgrade plans, she walked forward with Columbina along the wide road. Before long, the sound of scraping and clanking metal armor came from up ahead.
Further ahead, a towering stone gate, set into the face of a massive mountain, appeared at the end of the road. The gate was exceptionally grand, carved with patterns resembling ivy.
A squad of cavalry guarded the gate. They wore dark gray iron armor, their helmets covering their entire faces, revealing only pairs of weary, numb eyes. At this moment, those eyes held a look of scrutiny and suspicion.
Seeing that the two were unarmed, the cavalry captain at the head of the group approached with a measure of politeness and inquired about their origins.
Following their plan, Coppelia stated frankly, "We come from a distant land, on a pilgrimage to worship the great King of the Raging Winds, His Majesty Decarabian. If possible, we hope to have the honor of an audience with His Majesty."
The cavalry captain sized them up for a moment, his gaze lingering on Columbina's unusual appearance, then said, "An audience with His Majesty is no small matter. This must be reported. Please, follow me into the gatehouse encampment to rest for a while and await a response."
He led the two into a stone barrack built against the mountainside next to the gate and had them sit down. He then turned and left, clearly going to make his report.
After quite some time, distinct footsteps were heard outside the door. A white-haired woman with a straight posture and a frigid aura walked in.
She wore a well-tailored, high-quality white outfit, the details of which bespoke her special status. The most striking feature was the elegant, pure-white longbow hanging at her waist.
Coppelia recognized the weapon immediately.
Amos' Bow!
__
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