The gates of Liraine closed behind them with a groan that seemed to echo for miles. Kael paused on the threshold, feeling the city's battered hope pressing against his back, the weight of the relic heavy at his chest. Ahead, the world was vast and uncertain—a patchwork of Vein-scarred fields, ruined villages, and the ever-present threat of Dominion patrols.
The windship, battered but serviceable, hovered just beyond the city's shadow. Nirael ran a final check of the rigging, her jaw set with determination. "If we keep low and skirt the old canals, we'll be out of sight before they know we're gone," she said, glancing at Lysara.
Lysara nodded, but her eyes flicked from the horizon to the group, tension in her shoulders. "We can't afford mistakes. The Dominion's spies will be watching every road out of Liraine."
Selene, adjusting the harmonizer at her belt, kept her voice low. "I've rerouted the Vein lines through the ship's core, but it's unstable. If we hit a surge, I can't guarantee we'll stay airborne."
Mira, perched on a crate with her healer's kit, looked up. "We'll manage. We always do." Her words were brave, but her hands trembled as she checked her supplies—she hadn't slept since the siege.
Nalah and her Marshwalker scouts moved ahead, silent as shadows, checking the ground for traps and signs of pursuit. Whisper lingered at the edge of the group, her mask turned toward the Vein-lit sky, as if listening to something only she could hear.
As the windship lifted off, Kael felt the city's presence slip away. The fields below were scarred by old battles, Vein energy shimmering in the furrows and cracks. The world outside Liraine was both beautiful and broken—a reminder that the war was far from over.
They flew in silence at first, each lost in their own thoughts. The tension was thick, the wounds of the last battle still fresh. Kael watched his companions—Selene's anxious fidgeting, Lysara's sharp glances, Mira's quiet exhaustion, Nirael's brittle focus, Nalah's haunted watchfulness, Whisper's distant calm.
Finally, Nirael broke the silence. "We'll put down in the ruins of Old Kestrel by nightfall. There's shelter, and the Dominion rarely patrols that deep."
Lysara frowned. "Old Kestrel's Vein lines are unstable. If the harmonizer fails—"
Selene cut in, sharper than intended. "Then I'll fix it. I'm not letting us crash."
The two women locked eyes, tension crackling between them. Kael stepped between them, his voice calm but firm. "We all want to make it through this. Let's save the arguments for when we're safe."
Mira offered a tired smile. "He's right. We're all on edge. Let's just get through today."
As the windship skimmed low over the fields, Kael found himself at the prow, watching the horizon. The relic pulsed at his chest, a steady reminder of the power—and the danger—he carried.
Whisper joined him, her presence quiet but grounding. "The Vein is restless," she said softly. "It remembers what was lost here."
Kael nodded, feeling the truth of her words in his bones. "Do you think we'll find what we're looking for?"
Whisper's gaze was unreadable behind her mask. "We'll find what we need. But the cost may be higher than you expect."
Kael looked back at his companions, their faces etched with fatigue and hope. The journey had only just begun, but already the road ahead felt heavy with promise and peril.
As the sun dipped toward the ruined horizon, the windship banked toward Old Kestrel. Shadows lengthened, and the first stars blinked through the Vein-lit sky. The wilds awaited.
---
Chapter 35, part 2. Focus on character pov.
Certainly! Here is **Chapter 35, Part 2** of *Chronicles of Riftborne*, focusing on a character's point of view as the group arrives at the ruins of Old Kestrel. For this part, let's use **Selene's POV** to explore her internal conflict, her relationship with the group, and the tension of the journey.
---
## Chapter 35: The Long Road East
### Part 2: Selene
The windship's engines sputtered as they descended into the ruins of Old Kestrel. Selene's fingers danced over the harmonizer's controls, coaxing the Vein lines to cooperate. Every jolt sent a spike of anxiety through her chest. She could feel the others watching—Kael with quiet concern, Lysara with a professional's scrutiny, Mira with silent hope. Even Nirael, usually so brash, kept glancing back at her, as if waiting for Selene to announce that something was about to go wrong.
She hated this feeling. The expectation. The pressure. The knowledge that, if she failed, they might all fall from the sky.
The ship touched down with a shudder, the harmonizer's core flickering dangerously. Selene let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The ruins of Old Kestrel sprawled around them—crumbling towers, twisted metal, and the faint, ghostly glow of Vein residue in the cracks of the earth.
"We're down," she said, forcing her voice steady. "But the harmonizer needs a full reset before we fly again."
Nirael hopped out first, stretching her aching limbs. "You did good, Selene. That was a rough landing, but we're in one piece."
Selene managed a small smile. "Thanks. I'll need a few hours to stabilize the core. It's… touchier than I thought."
Lysara was already scanning the perimeter, her voice brisk. "We'll set up camp in the old station house. Nalah, take the Marshwalkers and sweep for traps. Mira, check on the wounded."
As the group dispersed, Selene lingered by the ship, her hands trembling as she opened the harmonizer's casing. The Vein crystal inside was cracked, leaking faint blue light. She bit her lip, fighting down panic.
Kael approached quietly, kneeling beside her. "You okay?"
She shook her head, unable to meet his gaze. "The crystal's damaged. I can patch it, but… if we hit another surge, I don't know if I can keep us flying."
Kael's hand found hers, warm and steady. "You kept us alive. That's enough."
Selene squeezed his hand, grateful for the reassurance. "I just… I can't help thinking I'm going to let everyone down."
He smiled, soft and sad. "That's how I feel every day. But we keep going, right?"
She nodded, taking a shaky breath. "Right."
As Kael moved off to help the others, Selene focused on her work, letting the familiar rhythm of repair calm her nerves. She could hear the others in the distance—Mira tending to a twisted ankle, Nirael and Lysara arguing about watch rotations, Nalah's Marshwalkers moving like shadows through the ruins.
Selene worked until her hands steadied, until the harmonizer's core glowed strong and true. When she finished, she looked up at the Vein-lit sky, feeling the weight of the journey ahead.
She wasn't invincible. She wasn't even sure she was enough. But for tonight, at least, she'd kept them safe.
And that would have to do.
---
The windship's engines sputtered as they descended into the ruins of Old Kestrel. Selene's fingers danced over the harmonizer's controls, coaxing the Vein lines to cooperate. Every jolt sent a spike of anxiety through her chest. She could feel the others watching—Kael with quiet concern, Lysara with a professional's scrutiny, Mira with silent hope. Even Nirael, usually so brash, kept glancing back at her, as if waiting for Selene to announce that something was about to go wrong.
She hated this feeling. The expectation. The pressure. The knowledge that, if she failed, they might all fall from the sky.
The ship touched down with a shudder, the harmonizer's core flickering dangerously. Selene let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The ruins of Old Kestrel sprawled around them—crumbling towers, twisted metal, and the faint, ghostly glow of Vein residue in the cracks of the earth.
"We're down," she said, forcing her voice steady. "But the harmonizer needs a full reset before we fly again."
Nirael hopped out first, stretching her aching limbs. "You did good, Selene. That was a rough landing, but we're in one piece."
Selene managed a small smile. "Thanks. I'll need a few hours to stabilize the core. It's… touchier than I thought."
Lysara was already scanning the perimeter, her voice brisk. "We'll set up camp in the old station house. Nalah, take the Marshwalkers and sweep for traps. Mira, check on the wounded."
As the group dispersed, Selene lingered by the ship, her hands trembling as she opened the harmonizer's casing. The Vein crystal inside was cracked, leaking faint blue light. She bit her lip, fighting down panic.
Kael approached quietly, kneeling beside her. "You okay?"
She shook her head, unable to meet his gaze. "The crystal's damaged. I can patch it, but… if we hit another surge, I don't know if I can keep us flying."
Kael's hand found hers, warm and steady. "You kept us alive. That's enough."
Selene squeezed his hand, grateful for the reassurance. "I just… I can't help thinking I'm going to let everyone down."
He smiled, soft and sad. "That's how I feel every day. But we keep going, right?"
She nodded, taking a shaky breath. "Right."
As Kael moved off to help the others, Selene focused on her work, letting the familiar rhythm of repair calm her nerves. She could hear the others in the distance—Mira tending to a twisted ankle, Nirael and Lysara arguing about watch rotations, Nalah's Marshwalkers moving like shadows through the ruins.
Selene worked until her hands steadied, until the harmonizer's core glowed strong and true. When she finished, she looked up at the Vein-lit sky, feeling the weight of the journey ahead.
She wasn't invincible. She wasn't even sure she was enough. But for tonight, at least, she'd kept them safe.
And that would have to do.
---
The sun vanished behind the jagged skeletons of Old Kestrel's towers, and a chill crept through the ruins. The group set up camp in the shell of the old station house, its cracked walls and shattered windows offering little comfort, but at least a measure of concealment. Outside, the Vein-lit fields shimmered with ghostly blue, casting strange shadows that seemed to move of their own accord.
Kael sat by the fire, the relic heavy in his pocket, watching the others as they settled in. Mira tended to Nalah's bruised ankle, her touch gentle but her eyes distant. Nirael and Lysara argued in low voices over the best watch schedule, their tension simmering just beneath the surface. Whisper sat apart, her masked face turned to the darkening sky, as if listening for something only she could hear.
Selene emerged from the windship, the harmonizer finally humming with a steady, if fragile, light. She looked tired, but there was a spark of pride in her eyes as she joined Kael by the fire.
"It'll hold," she said quietly, sitting beside him. "For now."
Kael nodded. "Thank you, Selene. I know it's not easy."
She shrugged, glancing at the others. "Nothing about this is easy. But I'd rather be here than anywhere else."
A silence settled between them, comfortable for a moment. Then Mira joined them, her healer's bag slung over her shoulder.
"Everyone's patched up, for now," she said. "But I don't like how Nalah's moving. She's pushing herself too hard."
Kael looked over to where Nalah was sharpening her blade, her jaw set in determination. "She lost a lot in Liraine. We all did."
Mira's eyes softened. "She'll talk when she's ready. Just… keep an eye on her."
Across the fire, Nirael and Lysara's argument grew louder, drawing the group's attention.
"We need to move at first light," Nirael insisted. "The longer we stay, the more likely we are to be found."
"And risk running into a Vein surge in the dark?" Lysara shot back. "If the harmonizer fails, we're stranded. We need to be careful."
"We don't have the luxury of careful," Nirael snapped. "The Dominion's not going to wait for us to feel ready."
Kael raised a hand, cutting through the tension. "Enough. We move at dawn, but we don't take unnecessary risks. We're not losing anyone else."
The group fell silent, the only sound the crackle of the fire and the distant hum of Vein energy in the ruins.
Whisper finally spoke, her voice soft but carrying. "Something moves beneath us. The Vein is restless tonight."
Selene shivered, glancing at the cracked floor. "Is it dangerous?"
Whisper tilted her head, as if listening to a distant melody. "Not yet. But we should be ready."
As the fire burned low, one by one, the companions drifted to their bedrolls, exhaustion overtaking fear. Kael took the first watch, sitting with the relic in his hands, feeling its pulse echo his own heartbeat.
He looked up at the ruined sky, stars winking through the Vein-lit haze, and wondered what tomorrow would bring. The road ahead was long and uncertain, but for the first time since leaving Liraine, he felt a flicker of hope.
They had survived the first day. Together.
And as the night deepened, something ancient stirred beneath Old Kestrel, watching, waiting.
---