All the eagles gathered about Empyrean.
‘Does the Sorcerer live down there?’ asked Raphael, pointing.
The eagle nodded: ‘To the west, there is a great city called Mechana.’
The boy said nothing for a moment. He could make out distant lakes like pools of melted lead. Almost at his feet the road they had been following wormed through the mountain range and disappeared into the forest. It was cold on the mountain. In spite of his feather suit, Raphael shivered.
‘Does that road lead to Mechana?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ answered the bird.
Raphael felt a sudden desire to run, to feel the earth under his feet, to smell the clean forest smell. Flying was fun, but....
‘Empyrean, would it be all right if I ran along the road a little way to get warm?’ begged the boy. ‘I’m frozen.’
The eagle nodded. ‘Follow the road,’ he ordered curtly, ‘and when you reach the outskirts of the city, wait for me. I shall join you there.’
Raphael scrambled eagerly down the mountain to the road. Then, because the sun was warm and the air crisp, he called upon the powers of the antelope, and leapt forward in easy, tireless strides.