Because the sacrifice had to be confirmed as effective before sunset, the Elders made their preparations quickly.
The group took off directly from the courtyard of Snow Mountain Hall. The two Elders flew by harnessing the power of the wind, making them slightly faster than Shade. Of course, Unicorn Ellie was the fastest of all.
Seeing that Shade was a little slow, and that the Unicorn seemed willing to let him ride her as well, Claire promptly grabbed his hand:
"I'll pull you along, Shade. Where did you learn your Flight Spell? It's stable enough, but isn't it far too slow?"
Shade had learned his Flight Spell through the Dragon Feast.
Flying directly upward from the mountain foot, the group reached the vicinity of Snow Mountain's second peak, "Shadow of Herm," in half an hour.
However, the Elders did not lead everyone to land directly atop the peak. Instead, they landed on a small path not far away from the summit:
"It isn't far from the top now. Let's walk the rest of the way."
Shade understood the Elders' respect for the Holy Mountain very well. After carefully landing with the coffin on his shoulder, he heard Ellie let out a quiet, uneasy sound—Shade was gradually becoming able to understand the Unicorn's emotions as well.
Her deep blue eyes anxiously watched the layer of cold mist above the ancient steps. The white mist was denser than Shade had imagined. It was still afternoon, and the light snow that had begun in the morning was still raining. Though sunlight could pierce the clouds, it truly could not penetrate them completely.
"This cold mist is dangerous to ordinary people, but it is only a little chilly to us. Come, I'll lead the way."
Elder Vilda walked at the front, while Elder Harald