Waylinn kept running. His powerful leaps broke the terrain with relentless speed. While Heka clung tightly to his back.
Waylinn was still in his original form, a chimera. A creature of myth with the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the tail of a serpent.
His every movement was fluid and fierce. The way he ran was like a tempest unleashed. A blur of motion that seemed to tear through the air itself.
The wind whipped past Heka's face. It was sharp and cold. It carried the scent of wildflowers and distant thunder. The landscape around them seemed a chaotic blur. The twisting trees, jagged rocks, and sudden drops that appeared and vanished in the blink of an eye.
It was as if they were racing through a dreamscape. Where the laws of nature bent and shifted with every heartbeat.
For Heka, this was his first time riding on Waylinn's back. The experience was nothing short of terrifying. It was like being strapped to an eternal roller coaster. One that twisted and turned with no warning.
Waylinn jumped over fallen logs. He leaped across chasms that seemed bottomless. He climbed steep hills with claws digging into the earth. He alighted with the grace of a predator stalking its prey.
The obstacles were relentless. The speed was maddening.
Heka's heart hammered in his chest as he gripped the thick fur of Waylinn's mane with white-knuckled hands. His knuckles ached from the pressure. However, he dared not loosen his grip.
His eyes were squeezed shut. He was unwilling to witness the dizzying spectacle unfolding before him. The fear that gripped him was primal and raw, the fear of falling.
Falling from Waylinn's back meant plunging into the abyss below. When falling from survival seemed possible.
He could not imagine the moment when his worst ordeal would come true. The thought alone sent shivers down his spine.
Suppose he were to lose his grip. If he were to slip even for a moment. The ground would rush up to meet him with a merciless force. The pain, the impact, the finality, it was a fate he dared not contemplate.
Yet, amidst the terror, there was a peculiar exhilaration. The raw power of Waylinn beneath him, the rush of the wind, the blur of the world flying past.
It was a wild, untamed freedom that stirred something deep within Heka's soul. He was riding not just a creature. But a force of nature itself, a living storm that defied all reason and restraint.
Heka's heart pounded not only from the wild speed but also from a desperate wish that he dared not voice aloud. He really wanted to ask Waylinn to slow down, to ease the frantic pace just a little.
But the words caught in his throat. It tangled in a web of fear and uncertainty. What if Waylinn refused his small, timid request? What if asking for mercy was seen as a weakness?
So instead, Heka said nothing. He simply held on tighter. He clutched the thick mane and the powerful muscles beneath him as if his life depended on it.
He could not bring himself to blame Waylinn for his reckless speed. After all, Waylinn was doing everything in his power to protect him.
Every leap, every bound, every furious sprint was a shield against the dangers that lurked behind them. Waylinn's fierce loyalty was a silent promise: no harm would come to Heka while he was on his back.
Amid the chaos of their flight, Heka's senses strained to catch every sound around them. There was a cacophony of noises, strange and terrifying.
Wings beat the air with a furious rhythm. The roar of a beast that echoed like thunder. The sharp splash of water as something heavy fell into a river or lake. And the eerie creak of ancient wood or metal.
He had no idea exactly what these sounds meant.
But one thing was certain: they were being pursued. Another immortal chased them, relentless and merciless. When Waylinn noticed that, he quickened his leaps.
Waylinn was keenly aware that it frightened Heka. He could feel Heka's trembling fear. He heard the quickened breaths and the tightening grip. Yet, the chimera paid no heed to the terror that gripped his rider.
Nevertheless, his focus was absolute, his determination unyielding. He ran faster, his powerful legs propelling them higher and farther with each bound. The ground beneath them blurred into streaks of color as Waylinn soared over obstacles. His wings beat fiercely to lift them over treacherous terrain.
He would never stop running, not until they reached the right place, the haven he had in mind. Waylinn was certain that once they arrived, Heka would understand. He would see the reason behind the madness sprint, the purpose behind the wild ride.
And perhaps then, the fear would give way to relief. And the frantic pounding of his heart would slow to a steady beat.
For now, there was only the fear, the desperate, the unyielding shield toward safety, toward hope, toward a future where the chase would end and peace would begin.
"Heka, open your eyes…" Waylinn's voice was firm yet gentle. It carried a sense of urgency mixed with reassurance.
Heka stirred slightly. His eyelids fluttered but did not fully open. He asked. His voice was thick with sleep and lingering fear. "Hmmm…do we arrive in the Kiervant sky?"
Curiosity flickered in his tone, but uncertainty clouded his mind. He wasn't sure if they had reached Kiervant Sky yet.
Waylinn shook his head slowly. His eyes reflected the fading light of the horizon. He said calmly. His voice was steady as the ground beneath his paws. "Not yet, Kiervant Sky is still far from here."
"So, why do you suddenly stop?" Heka's voice was barely above a whisper. His hand trembled with a mixture of relief and lingering dread.
Despite Waylinn's insistence to open his eyes, Heka remained hesitant. His body still trembled from the wild ride. The memory of the furious speed, the heart-stopping leaps, and the relentless chase made his limbs numb and his breath shallow.