The wind roared past them, a constant, exhilarating torrent that whipped their hair and clothes. They soared above the cloud layer, the world below reduced to a patchwork quilt of green forests, brown roads, and distant, toy-like settlements. The sun was bright and clear up here, warming their faces.
Elise, seated securely in front of Adam, her back against his chest for stability, leaned slightly over Ignis's shimmering, scale-dappled neck. Her eyes were wide with unabashed wonder. "This is... incredible," she breathed, her voice almost lost in the wind. "I've read about flight, but to actually experience it..."
Seraphina, sitting rigidly behind Elise with her arms locked around the princess's waist, called out, "Your Highness, please do not lean so far! The fall would be... terminal!" Despite her fear, even she couldn't help the awe in her own eyes as she gazed at the breathtaking panorama.
