When the dragon climbed at a breathtaking angle and swept through the clouds, Gawain did not feel even the slightest bump or the fierce winds of high altitude.
This was undoubtedly going to be an exceedingly rare travel experience, and he would not miss observing any detail along the way. He noticed that Melita seemed to be enveloped in an almost transparent shield throughout the flight—if not for the disturbances caused by the airflow and clouds outside, he might not even have noticed its existence. Neither the fierce high-altitude winds nor the shifting temperatures could penetrate the shield. Its function was somewhat like a combination of a Breeze Shield and Wind Element Blessing, but its effects were clearly far superior to either.
After asking, he confirmed that this protection was not merely meant to make the "passengers" more comfortable. It was also a necessary aid for Melita while flying.
"I wonder whether Maggie has a similar 'protective talent' when she flies," Gawain mused as they passed through the clouds and entered a brightly lit stretch of sky. His thoughts drifted slightly. "Dragons seem to fly much higher and faster than dragonkin, even dragonkin equipped with Iron Wings..."
"Don't think about such brain-burning things at a time like this. Aren't you tired?" Amber muttered from beside him. Then she looked faintly excited. "Hey, it really feels like a dream! I actually get to ride on a dragon's back in my lifetime... Even in the stories of many bards, they wouldn't dare boast about something like this! This is the kind of treatment only heroes get near the end of the story..."
"So when we get back, you'll be boasting about this in taverns for another half year, right?" Gawain gave the increasingly smug Half-elf a helpless glance. "Be careful. If you