Chapter 4
Asahi had decided to follow Nali even before her feet left the ground. After she turned away, he silently retrieved his duffel bag, slung it onto his back, and took off at a fast jog. With the dagger at the ready in his grip, he ran along the narrow path, following a trail of broken branches and infrequent glimpses of the Empress through the canopy.
“You do realize that you are going the wrong way, don’t you?” the winged lion informed him. “The Empress said to go east. You are going west.”
“Yes,” he grunted, looking down at the talkative gold lion before refocusing on the path ahead.
He ducked under a partially fallen tree, then leaped over a log. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another fresh gouge in the bark of a tree. He was on the right track.
“How did you destroy t
