Even as a school of golden fish danced in front of him, Tomas swore he was still sleeping at the hotel. Yet there he sat, traveling under the waves and looking out at the pristine, sun-lit blue world swimming around him.

All while inside the see-through mouth of a giant whale.

Suilah's ever-loyal Mysticetan, Levias, glided across the Eosian seas with his age-worn fins and carried his guests within the safety of his spacious mouth. The boy marveled at the whale's size; in his book of animals, Mysticetans were considered one of the largest saltwater creatures, yet he never imagined just how gigantic they were. Levias's spacious jaws could fit his entire house, backyard included. The boy let his back lie down on the tongue-floor, recoiling at how cold and rugged it felt, as if he sat on a rock. A cool, damp air blew past his face whenever Levias exhaled.

Tomas glanced at his family standing just on the tip of Levias's tongue, admiring the sea life. Nino's tail wagged whenever a fish caught his eyes. Eila's puppy eyes were far too tough an enemy for their mother, he figured, else they would be resting in Aegean City. He admitted this was a cooler idea; the hotel was fun, but it was boring compared to crossing the sea inside a Mysticetan. Queen Suilah's Mysticetan no less.

Beneath the waves, he felt his eyes grow heavy with the dim blue light passing through Levias's jaws. The mighty whale hummed a slow, gentle tune, as if singing a lullaby. For the first time in what felt like days, the boy felt relaxed.

A long tongue touched his forehead. Tomas opened his eyes and raised his arms to grab Ari's head. He pulled her in, or rather, she lowered her head, and nuzzled her snout with a giggle. "Bet you'd be happier swimming with the fish out there, right?"

Ari let out a soft growl in response, observing the fish with a longing gaze. She flared her frills at the sound of boot heels hitting the rocky "floor", growing louder with every step. Tomas quickly returned to a sitting position when the heels stopped beside him.

"Beautiful sight, is it not?" The man in green looked like a giant beside Tomas. "The Isle of Trusa does not offer such unique views. However, the view up the Ilenes is truly divine." He turned and made eye contact with Tomas with a small grin. "I do hope you will enjoy your time there."

Tomas smiled back. "Oh, we will! We got mom and dad back, so it'll be more fun." He turned to look at a group of leafy seadragons that floated into view, all doing their best impression of loose algae leaves. He lowered his voice, "And, um, thank you. For helping us."

The man waved a hand in dismissal. "I owe you much for your help in my quest. Besides, is that not what friends do?" He hesitated on "friends", his crossed arms becoming tense for a second.

Tomas stood up and gave him a reassuring look. "Yeah, friends help each other when they need help. That's what dad tells us."

The man gazed at the Diderots in the distance. "You have good teachers for parents, little one. Very caring as well."

Tomas chuckled and innocently asked, "What about you? Do you have parents?"

The man's gaze became distant and dark. "I know not. If I did, I do not remember them."

"O-oh.". The boy slowly turned his head towards the seadragons. It baffled him how someone did not know who their parents were; after all, every kid in Cherub Town had at least one parent. Maybe that was why Mr. Green seemed lonely at times.

The two watched as Levias slumbered past the seadragons and approached a coral reef. Their view soon became painted with the reef's bright colors. Tons of sea creatures went about their day within it; from the big and tough marble-tooth sharks to the tiny and shy pinhead minnows. Lime-colored eels poked their heads out of coral caves, curious to see the giant whale singing above them. The rosy octopi weren't as brave, however, as they scurried to hide inside anemones. They still stuck out their tentacles to blend in with the anemones' own.

The man observed the coral reef, light reflecting on his eyes like curious sparkles. "Marvelous, is it not?"

"Yeah," Tomas sighed in wonder. "I've never seen so many animals in one place like this. And there's so many that I don't even know."

He could stare at the reef forever, following every single animal as it moved. The reef seemed to stretch along with Levias as he lumbered on to his destination.

After a while, Ari curled up next to Tomas, resting her head beside him. The man in green sat next to both, grunting when he stretched his wounded leg. A crudely wrapped bandage covered the cut; courtesy of Joanne, who insisted on treating his wound even when he politely, then firmly, refused. Tomas side-glanced at him and opened his mouth, itching to ask him something that lingered in his mind for a long, long time. He felt his cheeks warm up as the silence went on.

"Um, say, Mr. Green," Tomas stammered, "there's something me and Eila thought about for a super long time. Since we met you, actually." He felt himself shrinking with every word.

The man glanced at the boy; his eyes shone with an intense yellow color that gave Tomas chills, as if speaking to a beast. "And what may that be, Tomas?"

Tomas gulped, took a deep breath. He thought it would be easier to let Eila ask but remembered what happened at the hotel. He wanted to slap his forehead for that. "So, we noticed how you've, uh, changed a bit since you saved us in the mountains."

"How so?" The man tilted his head.

Tomas gestured to his own eyes. "Your eyes glow. Like Nino's eyes when it gets dark. And, um, when you smile or get angry, you do this thing where you draw your lips back and show your teeth. Like... like Ari when she's angry."

Ari grunted and side-eyed Tomas. Her eyes shone as if they contained emeralds, piercing into the boy's own. Tomas flinched as another gust of cold air swept in from Levias's throat. He looked back at the man in green and let out a low gasp. The man's eyes were the same as Ari's. The proud and fierce, yet loyal, gaze that dragons shared.

The man in green remained quiet. Tomas gulped and whispered, "What I mean is... you're not human. Or, um, not like other humans we know. So... what are you?"

Tomas's heart raced and his limbs tensed up, wanting to run and hide behind his dad.

Instead, the man grinned, his eyes seeming so gentle and sincere. Like Mr. Diderot at his proudest. "You are an intelligent child, Tomas. I believe you have already answered your question."

"You're not mad?" Tomas asked as his body relaxed.

"No. I have been careful to conceal my identity from mortals, and for good reason. I have known you for a mere year, but I must confess I have grown fond of you and your family." Joanne's laugh filled the room as she chatted with Queen Suilah in the distance. "And perhaps that mountain guide."

"So... you've been stuck as a person since you landed in the forest?" Tomas drew his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them.

"Yes. After the cloaked ones attacked our temple, I had but a grain of strength left to flee. Seems I took on this form by instinct, perhaps as a last resort."

Tomas glanced at Ari, who now rested with her body around him. "Can all dragons do that? Turn into people?" He tried picturing Ari as a human girl, but thought she looked ridiculous with blue hair. Ari opened one eye and lightly smacked his head with her tail. "Don't tell me blue dragons read minds too," he thought as he groaned and rubbed the spot she hit.

The man in green grinned. "Not all do. It takes great power to do so."

"Great power... like a guardian, maybe?" Tomas reclined on Ari and twiddled his fingers in anticipation.

The man nodded and lowered his voice, "Perhaps. What do you think, child? You have accompanied me for some time, and I dare say you possess an idea of who I am."

"Well, you've been collecting those gem shards for a long time, plus it's Xybelios' orb. So," Tomas took a deep breath and lined up clues in his head. His quest, his appearance, his past. "You're either one of his dragon, uh, 'followers', or you're—"

"Xybelios, right?" a squeaky voice asked right next to Tomas, which made him jump and yelp.

Eila gave a mischievous, know-it-all smile, and teased, "Took you long enough to notice me."

Tomas frowned and huffed. "How did you even sneak up like that?"

"Um, I walked here. Very quietly. Like a ninja!" Eila chopped the air with her hands, with "cha,cha!" sounds.

Tomas glared at her and huffed again in annoyance. The man in green did not respond, which made the twins nervous.

"Was I too loud?" Eila whispered while glancing at her parents and Joanne.

Tomas wondered if they got it wrong until he heard small hissing sound. The man in green brought one hand up to his mouth and chuckled. First it came out as a quiet snicker, then it grew louder until. Not quite as much as their father, but it came close, but it sounded a tad like a cartoon villain's cackle. Once he quieted down, he glanced at the rest of the people in the distance.

"Please excuse me. We were having a most amusing conversation," he said loud enough for the others to hear.

Tomas and Eila leaned closer to each other. "Amusing means it's like a joke, right? So he's not, um, Xybelios?" Eila murmured.

The man shook his head and grinned. "No, no, it is fine. You are, in fact, correct. I am... or was, Xybelios, the one mortals call 'the Lord of the skies.' I never thought it was an appropriate title, however; much less now, in my current state."

Sparks of joy filled the twins' eyes. It took minutes of silent awe to realize they traveled next to a guardian all this time. Even now, they sat right beside him. Eila could only mouth "wow" as she tried understanding it all. She found it hard deciding which was more mind-boggling: getting to ride on Khiboreas's back or being travel buddies with Xybelios.

The man in green cleared his throat once the twins spent a while in silence. "I must confess this was not the reaction I expected. Are you not... afraid of me?"

The twins glanced at each other and shrugged. Eila answered, "I dunno about Tommy, but why would I be scared? We've been traveling together for a while, and you helped us a lot! Plus, I think it's awesome now that we got another dragon on our side."

Tomas leaned back enough to stare at the roof. "Also, you being a guardian doesn't change the fact that you're our friend."

Eila nodded and lifted her index finger. "Uh-huh. You're still Mister Green to us, guardian or not."

"Unless you wanna be called Xybelios instead." Tomas squinted his eyes. "Though it's kinda hard saying that name."

The man in green sighed and grinned, baring both fangs. "You two are such peculiar children. I am glad we met." He stood up and straightened his coat. "Mister Green is fine. Besides, I have grown fond of that name. It is a nice change of pace to not be regarded with reverence and other formalities. That is one outcome of this ordeal that I very much enjoyed." He approached the two and pat them on the head. As he stepped away, however, the twins jumped and hugged him, followed by Ari wrapping her wings around the trio.

The group felt Levias's mouth tilt as he hummed. His body shook, and when the group looked out, there was no sight of the coral reef. Or any fish for that matter. The light shining through the water dimmed as they approached the waves above.

Suilah glided to the middle of the room and snapped her fingers to gather everyone's attention. "Levias has begun ascending to the surface. We must be close to the island's shore. Everyone, I suggest you lie close to the 'ground' or steady yourselves. Levias is not very careful when breaking to the surface."

The shaking stopped for a few seconds before a loud splash made all but Suilah and Mr. Green fly up and down. For a moment they saw the surface, then the dark blue world as Levias landed.

Joanne lied flat on the rocky tongue. She groaned, "Ugh, darn whale just had to breach with us inside. Say, what's the time? It's real dark outside." She took her time standing up, wincing when she moved her injured arm.

Mr. Diderot glanced at his watch. "Barely past three. I'm thinking we're in for some rough weather when we get out."

Suilah ambled her way to the front of the mouth, where Mr. and Mrs. Diderot retreated to the side to let her pass. She put a hand to her chest, closed her eyes, and sang a short, yet beautiful, melody. Levias repeated her song in a lower tone, which echoed throughout his insides. The group jolted forward as Levias swam to a halt. His thin, brush-like teeth parted, letting a chilling gust of wind inside. Eila jumped in place, excited to finally take her first steps on the Isle of Trusa. Tomas already imagined what it would look like, with the Ilenes watching over the beach.

Once Levias's jaws fully opened, the guardians, travelers, cat and mini-dragon were met with the shell of a once thriving island.