In an unknown corner of the Endless Sea.
A Wizard was howling.
Ruger let out two exuberant cries, then obediently shut his mouth. Before setting out, he had cautiously assumed his demon form and chosen the pure spell version of Scorching Wings without manifesting his Nightmare Wings. The two spells came together in the simplest possible way, just as described in the Spellbook, with no outside factors involved.
He felt as though he had become part of Zan Zemanla's Flame Torrent. At the same time, his Scorching Wings gave Zan Zemanla's Flame Torrent a special pair of wings. Much as it held those wings together, it slowed the Flame Torrent's dissipation and united the two into a single whole.
A special Flame Torrent had been born, steadier and longer-lasting.
He was the link between them, the one holding them together. But as he had initially suspected, this thing was difficult to control. He could only adjust its direction through continuous, minute changes, like constantly correcting his course on a long journey.
He had already been flying for quite a while. Sometimes, he felt as though he were walking along a road made of flame, while the road itself moved at tremendous speed.
At other times, he felt like an arrow hurtling through the air.
Before long, he spotted the island where the Teleportation Array stood and saw the Mountain Hollow. His eyes lit up. This was much faster than Wizard Zorn's tame beast and the Silver-Glinting Carriage.
But once again, he experienced how difficult the spell was to control. He was skimming right past the island.
He had actually been adjusting his course all along, but before he could finish correcting it, he had already flown past.
He kept flying. The first thing he wanted to test was how long