Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 505: A Chance ()

The world was still slow and still as King Jian folded his wings, allowing gravity do the work,

He dove past Neveah, and then he steadied his flight beneath her, breaking her fall and as Neveah crashed down to his back, the impact jolted her right back to reality.

A sharp ache spread across Neveah’s back, but she could barely register it, not when she was faced with the death gale barely a few inches away from them on either sides.

"It’s here...we cannot escape it." Neveah thought in horror.

She had not even intentionally projected her thoughts but it seemed she had done so unconsciously because King Jian’s reassuring voice sounded in her mind a moment later.

’I promised to get you to safety and I will. I will never let you get hurt, Veah...trust me.’ King Jian vowed.

The solemnity in those words made it impossible for Neveah to doubt them and so she steadied her heart.

The putrid stench carried on it was all the more stronger now and Neveah had to cut off her breath as it overwhelmed her senses.

This close to the gale, Neveah could finally see within the mass of shadows and Neveah immediately regretted allowing a look.

Hundreds of monstrous faces formed and dispersed only to form again within the gale, with their horrid howls and shrieks that were deafeningly loud, piercing through Neveah’s sensitive ears.

Neveah’s stomach churned as her senses were overridden, nausea crept up on her but she forced it down.

As though the gale was not already enough horror, shadowy limbs formed from the mass reached for her, swiping and clawing and a horrified scream was caught in Neveah’s throat as she recoiled backwards.

But Neveah was not fast enough, and one of the grasping hands caught onto her heel.

’Keep going... just keep going.’ Neveah thought to King Jian, knowing he would attempt to rescue her.

A freezing chill spread from her heel up her leg, Neveah could only liken it to frost bite as her leg immediately felt paralyzed and she could not tug it free.

At any moment now, Neveah would be pulled into the gale. Neveah reacted immediately, reaching for the dagger in her belt, she struck fiercely at the mass of shadows.

Slashing down and severing it’s hold on her heel. A deafening shriek echoed through the entire mass, beginning from the shadow she had severed and spreading through the death gale, hundreds of monstrous shrieks entwining to create a terrifying symphony.

King Jian dipped low and Neveah slid down his back for a short distance before she flipped over, escaping the other grasping hands of the monstrous death gale.

The feeling had returned to her limb, though that chilling cold touch had left behind traces of chills.

King Jian had not paused for even a moment and Neveah was quick to grab a hand hold and right her posture on his back as he shot off again, narrowly escaping being caught by the gale.

In a short moment, King Jian had put some distance between them and the death gale and Neveah breathed a sigh of relief.

She leaned down, gently massaging her left limb to stimulate the blood flow in hopes of eradicating the chill.

Neveah could still hear the howls of the death gale swallowing up everything behind them, but she did not spare a glance back.

She kept her gaze straight ahead, trusting in King Jian’s expertise to get them to safety.

After a short time that felt like an eternity, the Dune City was finally in sight and Neveah’s hold on King Jian tightened.

There was still an opening in the barrier, the smaller cracks that had caused the initial alarm seemed to have grown even larger.

Neveah’s eyes widened in horror, she had thought by this time, the barrier would be completely sealed, but it seemed something had gone wrong.

"The barrier weakened...it will not hold against the gale. Father and the dune dragons do not know what is coming..." Neveah thought to King Jian in panic.

"They know...if the barrier cannot hold, then it is war." King Jian thought back, his tone grim.

The closer they got to the barrier, Neveah could see that the dune dragons had mounted full guard.

The entire battalion was present, like King Jian had said, they knew it was not just one or two stray shadow beasts and the dune dragons were prepared for a full out battle.

"The city is too close! We do not have a large enough force. If the gale gets through, the safety of the people cannot be ensured...you said yourself that it will sweep through faster than a plague." Neveah thought with a shake of her head

"The moment we get through the barrier, you will go to your father." King Jian instructed.

Neveah froze up at that, as it dawned on her that the only reason King Jian did not panic was because he had a plan.

"You are going to hold it back... alone..." Neveah guessed his thoughts.

King Jian did not respond, his silence only confirming Neveah’s guess.

Rage surged through Neveah’s veins as she realized, King Jian had never planned to get to safety with her.

The plan was to get Neveah to safety, and then defend his people at any cost.

"You cruel, heartless bastard! You overturn my entire world and what?! You are seeking death?! With whose permission?!" Neveah hissed.

"Veah... listen to me..." King Jian began to reason.

"No! You listen to me, I do not care if you are the Dragon King or the Dragon god! You do not get to decide to make such a sacrifice! You owe me a damned explanation, how dare you think to forfeit your life?!" Neveah snarled.

"I am not going to get myself killed, Veah..." King Jian explained, a tinge of amusement underlying his tone.

"I would be out of my mind to choose death now...no, I have never wanted to live as much as I do now." King Jian admitted.

The barrier was close now and the death gale was not far behind, they did not have much time left.

"I owe you an explanation... dying would actually make me a cruel, heartless bastard. And while I am exactly that... perhaps worse," King Jian paused briefly.

"I feel I might just have a chance to be something different, for you..."

"I might actually have a chance...it is not a chance I intend to let go of." King Jian assured.