"Miss Koyote is still searching for the people who sent out the letters that got us four in Galliath. You never wondered about it?"

"I thought it was Mr Bancho's doing since he knew Miss Koyote."

"Did he?" Ingo added, a little confused.

"The only thing Miss Koyote managed to figure out was that both papers were made out of something called Úgau leaves, turned into a champagne letter."

"Champagne?" Morio grinned. "Never tried that one."

"It's not that, you idiot." Ingo rolled his eyes. "Úgau leaves are the primary source of all healing that takes place out there, and a part of that contributes to what medicine most Tributals carry, though it's not necessarily the same thing." He shook his head. "Miss Koyote managed to trace one person down, and it turned out to be the same Tributal that helped me out in the desert."

"Rowan?" Morio blinked. "You think someone like them could help out with a few headaches, though?"

"It's still a big mystery I'm sure Miss Koyote has figured out by now. Either way, it'd be great if we found that Fishman for any other clues. I'm sure they'd know more."

"Another mystery waiting to be solved, I guess." He wiped the sweat off his forehead, standing up. "Let's not waste too much time and think before we can go back for some more-"

Then, something pulsed.

The two focused.

There it was again. That dull feeling quickly turned into something sharp almost poking at the insides of Morio's mind.

He closed one eye before his hand slipped off the door's handle and he landed on the ground with a seeping headache.

He breathed heavily, and the Genni quickly raised herself, alerted.

"M-Morio?" She asked, clenching her fist, as the Morian didn't respond.

Instead, his sheath shook, and Ingo quickly ducked to take Gloria out of his pocket.

It didn't resemble the katana it once was. The girl took it from his hand and stared down the eye rapidly searching around, as flesh adorned the corners and the sharp ends.

She knew the sight, and her eyes immediately locked in with Morio's.

***

As music captured the hearts and ears of many, everything during supper changed substantially. Tables were moved to the sides or served as the main interest for the few people dancing in the middle with both beer and food in their hands.

Guitars added more to the few flutes or small drums that created the thousands of songs played by the Paladians and Erans, and the only thing someone like the workers there worried about was cleaning it up all later.

"I'll help them," Zhen muttered out of nowhere, sitting with his arms folded right next to Sylvestair, who also overlooked the situation.

"You mean, join the dance? I don't know this song."

"'Up and Back Again'. It's a long one, telling the story of Erans in even longer rhymes."

"Quite self-centred." Sylvi giggled.

"What else did you expect?" Zhen chuckled. "Although, surprised they have a tradition to join in. It's more than the Paladians started this one, but it's always them that initiate the singing. Although, last verse and they're gonna finish." He pointed. "...and I meant cleaning up, not joining them."

"I see that you're still in your spirits. Much better than I am." Sylvi muttered.

"Come on. Above fifty and you still look like you're kicking. Didn't expect any worse, especially since you still knew how to cast that Pneuma of yours."

"Some things don't fade away, but I'm not here to train. My story's already over."

"So you didn't pass the Demonear test?"

"I tried, but I wasn't good enough." Sylvi rubbed the scar on his face. "Just here to stop by if the world's news talk about some Kabun Clan. If it wasn't you that I'd see here, then either brother or their father would be a nice change of pace."

"What do you mean?"

Sylvestair sighed, adjusting his position and staring forward.

"I was in the dark for a few years afterwards. Bancho only told me when he found me again, but I can't rely on that anymore. More proof that our time is fading away, but I'm glad that at least a few still stick." He glanced down.

"I'm not fading away, Sylvi, and I'd rather you wouldn't too." He wrapped his arm around his head. "It's their story now, but it's great to be in some of it, don't you think? Maybe they'll write another book that all of those people can subtly connect to our stories."

"Heh." Sylvi chuckled, before wrapping his hand around Zhen.

The two waited for a bit, as the music from earlier slowly died down.

"Osta convinced me to give it another try," Zhen commented, but Sylvi didn't respond.

Instead, his gaze focused on the dance that stopped and then transformed into a similar melody played by three guitars in the background, and a few more Paladians there yelling at each other in excitement, jumping up with their beer spilling on the ground and another cook pointing towards the damage.

In the end, though, that didn't seem to matter. The room was enveloped by a new sound, and Sylvestair smiled again.

"Jin's Way Home." He muttered, scratching his forehead. "When was the last time you heard it?"

"Yesterday, and every other day beforehand." Zhen continued. "...and I still see the same story."

***

The atmosphere grew heavier.

All that spoke of the forest was an unsure, greenish fog in the distance, combined with the darkness desperately setting between the conifers that grew taller the further they ventured in.

Atomu led, unfortunately enough. He held his vial in front of him as if it were some lantern, but the purples weren't bright enough to break the fear and anxiety of the moment.

Something was surely watching them, as Zuimu noted, and Chyuuichi spoke of this experience subtly reminding him of the Orawood forest.

"Ooh! Is that an alligator in the bushes?" he asked.

"Chyuuichi!" Atomu quickly yelled out, pointing his vial towards the sight, only to find nothing there.

"Kidding!" The Mirillian slapped his back. "You are one scaredy cat!"

"Ah... why the forest, of all places? In the dead of the night and all..." he muttered, looking up, as the moon barely managed to move through the shifting clouds. "...and can you lead instead if you're so brave?"

"You're the one holding the vial," Zuimu muttered and Chyuuichi stuck his tongue out.

The Paladian gulped, then, took another step forward and held onto his sheath just in case.

He recalled Jyuzou saying something about Zack's trained animals being the enemy of those who trained here. It wasn't that they weren't in the forest with Mihua before, but the night made it a much different place.

It was massive and gruesome, and each step only added tons to the feeling that weighed on his shoulders.

Each creek of the twigs he stepped over was followed by another, somewhere in the distance, followed by a few birds singing and then even wolves wandering around in the distance, which made Atomu stop completely and reconsider.

"Western wolves don't hunt humans," Zuimu answered.

"And we're not humans!" he raised his voice.

"The more ya yell the bigger the chance something might snatch us," Chyuuichi uttered.

"N-No, we have to turn back." Atomu breathed in. "We can see what this is by morning." He gulped. "The vial's about to run out of steam too. Let's not risk it, hmm?"

"It was yer idea." Chyuuichi insisted.

"I changed my mind the second we saw the forest ahead of us and it was the two of you who said we can't stop now!"

"We're at the edge of the mystery, man!" Chyuuichi stuck his hands out, while Zuimu turned.

She turned her head, squinting her eyes, and trailed off for a few seconds, putting her mask back on.

"I'm pretty sure we've been told to not wander anyway. What if someone catches us?"

"It'd be better if he catches us AFTER we solve that mystery." Chyuuichi raised his finger.

"That's not the point!" Atomu grabbed him by his collar. "You don't get it at all!"

"Hm!" Zuimu raised her voice, and the two glanced over at the figure. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes narrowed.

"What?" Chyuuichi quickly asked as Atomu's gaze drifted off the purple path, instead focusing on a similar colour, slightly in the distance.

Zuimu stood still for the next few moments, before suddenly sprinting out of the blue.

"Zuimu?! What happened?!" Atomu yelled out, chucking the vial back inside his bag, and moving closer.

Chyuuichi squinted before his mouth opened in shock.

Through the darkness and the few conifers stretching near a river, someone lay on the forest floor, with the moonlight reflecting off the pool of blood beneath them.

Weary, heavy breaths could've been heard from here, and then, a spear pointed upwards, reassuring the two of the worst.

"JYUZOU!" Atomu screamed out, with that echoing across the forest, as the two could up with the other.

Zuimu immediately crouched, putting her shaky hands near Jyuzou's stomach, as blood seeped through his purpur shirt and trailed off towards the pool she already stepped in.

"J-Jyuzou...!" Atomu gasped again, covering his mouth.

The Morian didn't answer. He ground his teeth, closing one eye, as the spear tipped over slightly to the left.

"What happened?!" Chyuuichi added, as Atomu bit his tongue and crouched to try and pick Jyuzou up.

The Morian immediately shook his head, with blood spilling out of his mouth and landing on the Paladian's hand. Atomu quickly moved it back, with a halted gasp allowing the same as him.

He couldn't utter a word or try and understand. His friend was in danger, so all it took was another heavy blink and a lift from the knee.

...all, if not for Zuimu's eyes shrinking at another sight.

"Hm! Hmm!" she pointed.

"ATOMU!" Chyuuichi screamed out, and the second the Paladian turned, a massive shadow swept through the curtain of leaves hiding right in front of the two.

A black, massive bear, with sharp red eyes jumped from beneath the darkness, growling and readying both paws and biting in the direction of the two.

Jyuzou wanted to scream, but couldn't. Atomu wanted to react, but raising Knrhum's Blade wasn't good enough, as only one touch against the creature forced it out of his sheath and into a ricochet.

The Paladian let go of the Morian, dropping on a knee, and with a reaction slower than its next move, the bear stood on two paws, bellowing something out.

Chyuuichi stormed in from the side, trying to connect a crystal to its upper, sharp teeth, before the animal retaliated, biting through and sticking its sharpness into Morgana.

Using the momentum, it chucked Chyuuichi in the direction of Zuimu, who managed to catch him mid-flight, only for her attack to fall short as well.

One glimpse of the red eye led to another swipe being sent through the air and a panicked reaction from Atomu.

"Ch-Chyuuichi!" the Paladian yelled out, seeing as the Mirillian rolled through the conifers. "Z-Zuimu!" he added another, as Zuimu barely managed to catch a breath through her blood, now sat against a tree.

It was all so sudden, and his gaze only focused on Jyuzou who tried to tell him something he couldn't understand.

Then, when the bear growled, there was no place for any more hesitation. A clenched jaw meant focusing on the one thing that could've defended them, and with a jump towards the blade again, Atomu created a wall, unfortunately, thin enough for the next swipe to just move through.

He took a step back, glancing up before the bear simply swiped him away and sent the Paladian to the ground.

Zuimu's eyes drifted back and forth between the three. Chyuuichi tried getting back to his senses through the pain, all while Jyuzou watched, breathing in and out and coughing out even more.

The bear screamed out, readying its final attack, all up until another howl echoed through the forest.

The only one who turned in its direction was Jyuzou.

Sabeline soared through the air, and the sharp claws landed between its fur. With a growl, it bounced off the side and managed to bite right into the bear's fur, ripping a chunk of both fur and flesh right out of its body.

With another terrifying, lowly growl, the others raised their head, while Jyuzou's breaths only turned sharper and faster.

The mist intensified, and the velvet that seeped out stained a small lake nearby.

Sabeline readied, growling through the skull that it was, assuming a stance right above the Morian. The bear hesitated, then and there, and with another spillage of the liquid coming from its mouth, breathed out twice.

A howl echoed afterwards as if becoming the final warning.

The bear ground its teeth, before swiftly turning around, staining the grounds of the forest during its escape.

The dark deformity groaned, before trembling and turning towards Jyuzou. The three others stared in disbelief.

Sabeline's white, desperate eyes met his, as it put its head down, and disappeared with a few leaps.

***

The blood ended miles away, at the exact point where the ground changed from the dark greens of Malikan towards the greys and alike, nearing an entrance to Mount Aria.

There, against a tree, and where algae unnaturally spread, sat a wounded figure. Aishao's one glowing eye turned towards the bitten-off pieces of fur that slowly started healing with time.

Then, its silent gaze landed on the mountain stretching above, as another mended wound allowed him to move inside.