Sure enough, Fei transformed into a child. Lying on the bed, half of her body covered by a blanket, only her small face was barely visible from messy hair and her head was poked out. Yumi appeared as if she had seen a ghost, which would be truer than the truth; Tzar Fei died a bloody death in front of hundreds of diziens, and not even a month passed since then. The leveling up of her body was faster than she anticipated, so technically, all the three of them were shocked. Her master kept its silence, so she swiftly caught the conversation and jumped into the boat of lies. She scratched her head and cried, "Mama! Mama! Who is that, Mama? Aah, I don't want her, Mama! Take me away!"

Yumi instantly came back to her senses and gently shut the door. "Senior Ah, I'll come out in a few moments. So can you please.." The moment she said the word 'please', Ah Ling was already pushed outside. She jumped into the bed and gaped at Kitty Kuu who became a human out of nowhere. This kid had pointy ears, ethereal face, a human body but the tails were still there. It didn't take long for it to shrink back into a tiny kitten. It was quiet and solemn, as if it, itself, couldn't believe what just happened. However, Yumi felt like this wasn't the right time to be dilly-dallying, especially with the prince waiting for her, so she placed it on the basket of flowers and departed on a spur of the moment.

Mahogany ships hovering up across the skies, passing through the white cotton clouds, were a common sight here everywhere in Dizion, for they were the means of transportation in this realm. Every land had a nature reservoir of spiritual energy, an extension of a living's life force, that powered up every technicalities in it, including the airships. Between kingdoms were oceanic spaces devoid of surface, so when an airboat passes through them, the originating kingdom would supply the first half of spiritual energy then the receiving one would supply the other half of energy. If the receiving end fails to provide the spiritual energy needed for airships to remain floating above that space, it would fall down into the seemingly endless abyss called Nobyss, and none could pull it up. Disappearing airships were considered a tragedy, for one contained more than a hundred diziens and had loads of goods as well. Traveling was restricted since the vanishing of seventy-two airships from all around Dizion, so these vessels in the skies were mostly transporting goods rather than diziens. If one is powerful enough to fuel a small piece of whatever, he could ride that thing and fly athwart a close distance; so diziens on a hurry, mostly swordlocks, were also everywhere in the air. However, in Yumi's case, she's neither a swordlock nor somebody who had a talent for magic and practices her abilities, so she'd often perambulated her way to wherever. Like now, she exhaustingly and hastily chased after Prince Qian who rode an enormous leaf midair under the scorching heat of sunlight, all the while dragging along two large bags of personal stuff, a heavy medical suitcase, Kitty Kuu's basket, and herself. The Healer Guild was located at the metropolis of Fierystal, so basically, she'd be running like this until dusk and won't still reach the port by tomorrow. The people they passed through had indescribable faces, for the scene was truthfully demeaning and hilarious. On the other hand, Jiro seemed to be blazing vexer, the longer their trip goes; so when they reached a turning point, he flew faster until Yumi couldn't follow anymore. Panting awfully, her frail body plummeted helplessly unto the hot pavement. Wiping the beads of sweat rolling down her rosy cheeks, she murmured to herself, though complaining, it had no trace of grievance. "Why is life so tough for me? They always treat me like this. Argh! Am I really that despicably lowly?"

Truth to be told, albeit Fei had made people suffer before, this would be the first time she met someone so rueful. Upon careful analyzation, she learnt that the sudden shape-shift earlier was because of getting full to the point that certain minerals finally made it to each corner of her flesh and spirit, that further leveling up wasn't far from reality; and if not for this wimpy master nourishing her stomach by feeding it despite the milk being painfully expensive, she'd remain as a kitten for the rest of her life. Thus, she swiftly climbed up between her outer and inner clothes, which made Yumi's eyes widen. Fei wrapped her soft furry arms tightly around her master's neck; voice tiny yet flinty, she whispered, "Give me your hand. I'll pass you some spiritual power. It's not much but should be enough for you to reach the port by twilight."

Yumi caressed her fur and wilfully said, "No! Keep that to yourself. I.. I'll just run. Look, I still can. Haha." Tardily, she got up and picked her bags again. Meanwhile, Kitty Kuu slid down her left sleeve and bit her purlicue. "Aw!" As she lifted her arm to see the wound, the kitten crashed unconsciously unto the ground. "Hey!!!" She gently held it and placed its collapsed vegetable body into the basket. Subsequently, she felt a rush of warmth from the bite on her hand up to her heart, through the veins and arteries of her internal organs. Unfortunately, she had never once tried doing this but seeing her unawake cat, no guilt must be save for later. Yumi hated wasting things, most of all, the ones that came from effort and literal energy. To pass this chance would only mean neglecting her kitten's pain, a sacrifice that would be all for naught if she failed to do as it advised. Her thin lips kissed Kitty Kuu's forehead and muttered, "As you wish."

Atop a bamboo, she balanced her way to the port and made such a show. Heaven knows how many times her stuff almost fell, except for the basket, for she valued Kuu more than anything as of now; but she knew not a single thing how to make a leaf larger and a meter-length piece of bamboo was lightweight. When she arrived at the edge of Fierystal, Kuu awakened and silently ate grapes from the fruits around it. Qian Jiro was there near the edge of a dock, having a conversation with a much older man. When he saw she landed, he stopped talking and went inside a small airship. The old man, whom he just made a deal with, asked, "Going to Auteal with Prince Jiro?" Yumi nodded. He patted her shoulder and cautioned, "It's a great thing that the prince is crossing the Nobyss with you. He got some plentiful spiritual power and if you have some, don't squander it. Be mindful; don't lower your guard."

The words shook Yumi, so she couldn't help feeling her hair stand on ends and be enveloped with chills all over. She began to feel gloomy and nauseous from apprehension. Nonetheless, she opened her mouth and stuttered, "E-elder.. W-why are you saying that? Is something bad g-going to happen?"

The old man frowned, "An extremely dark anti-life force originating from Nobyss is oozing out. Look, the place below is blazing crimson. The spirits and mukhas must be trying to climb up again."

Certainly, whenever the black clouds parted, they could get a clear glimpse of hellish flames and violent sparks of combusting materials beneath it. It looked like a crater of an active volcano, except that there was no heat at all; the atmosphere in Dizion was perfectly normal, as if no such a thing existed underneath the surface they were currently stepping into. Even Fei peered. But witnessing Nobyss becoming active again just set her heart even more agitated and stimulated. There was something strange going on and a huge threat coming, yet everyone seemed to be ignoring the clues. Thus, she'd use this journey to also explore alternative ways to save Dizion without touching the five kingdoms' energy reservoirs, Truth Inscription, ever again.

Yumi paid respect to the elder for giving her warnings and headed to where Qian Jiro entered. The gradual departing of the ship gave her a mix of excitement and anxiety. Still, she tried her best to feel and enjoy the rarest moment of traveling without those co-healers whom she served endlessly whenever they stayed at places altogether. In this trip, she wasn't originally the healer who would be sent to such an unusual task of aiding an important person from another kingdom; it was actually the former queen of Auteal who was dethroned by Tzar Fei years ago whom she was about to attend in this assignment, Aki Sama. It was no surprise that the duty had been passed to her, for Aki Sama was a young lady herself. For them to go through all the trouble of pulling someone from Fierystal to cure a figure of royalty, well, it was merely because Healers Guild had the best reputation among all the medical practitioners. Knowing that a lowly girl like Yumi managed to become a part of this institution was something of a miracle itself. Other than that, from other people's perspective, if they learnt that she had the opportunity to be alone on an expedition with Prince Jiro, the one and only brother of Fierystal Tyrant, Khan Qian, they'd also call it a fucking miracle and her being the most fortunate woman in the world. Ironically, it wasn't so fun at all. Maybe for them, but it didn't excite her at the very least.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The sun had settled. As the second prince was having a good time drinking tea inside, she loitered at the rearside of the ship where the crimson flames of Nobyss beneath them was more observable. Fei had been pulled back many times by her master when she tried to climb up to see the state of space downwards; fortunately at last, Yumi dozed off, and she was able to stroll all over the boat freely. First and foremost, she checked up on Prince Qian. This person wasn't a headache for her during the times she went around the world to explain what the fuck was happening and why she needed the Truth Inscription badly. The one who struck her the most was Jiro's tyrant brother, that Khan Qian who had always been hard to deal with, the so-called Healer Killer of Southern Firedom. His people were frightened of him, for he rarely showed remorse when offended. It was quite ironic actually, for his domain was known to be the land where one could entrust his life to a doctor; yet one could easily see Heavens just by wandering in this land for too long.

Eyes shut, Qian Jiro was sitting on a brocade mat with his legs crossed in lotus position, clearly meditating; definitely, no threat of him coming outside. Though Fei's kitten body was palm-sized, mukhas had a strong evil presence; so she retreated as soon as she confirmed what the other person was doing. She hopped to the topmost part of the ship where the purple flag of Fierystal was placed. Tonight's full moon shone beautifully along with the stars, and the solemn night slept too quiet that the only thing she could hear were the low-frequency reverberating echoes coming in and out from Nobyss. The nature's energy circulating around the ship was slowly fading, which meant that they're advancing closer to the boundary of this kingdom and Auteal, the most perilous part of their journey; and she got it right. Later, from afar, a scarlet light that stretched out horizontically and vertically like cascading waterfalls came into view. Strangely enough, the more they approached closer to the border, the mist seemed to be getting thicker and heavier.

"Kuu!!!" Pa! The ship jerked simultaneously as Yumi bellowed the name of her kitten. The other two rushed out, so as Fei; but before she even got to the rearside, it shook again, now vehemently that she was tossed swirling on the surface and, by pure misfortune, landed straight at Qian Jiro's leather boots. She hadn't yet pulled herself up when the foot she laid next to kicked her flying across the boat. His kick was just as violent as the sudden jolt of the airboat that it got slammed right against the hard deck. No matter how Fei lived as an ultra power back then, at the moment she was nothing but a tiny ball of fur donned of three tails, alright? On the other hand, her master was so quick to carry the folded mukha. The cheerfulness in Yumi faded in an instant and was replaced by an apparent anxiousness. She cried, "Your Highness, why did you hurt my friend?"

The prince didn't answer, although the movement of his hand did. He unsheathed his sword for the second time and pointed it at them. "If you don't hand me that mukha, this blade will pierce through you as well."

Yumi was on the verge of tears. She couldn't help shuddering while hiding the kitten tightly in her arms. It was bleeding already, and seeing the pet she worked hard to feed for one week suffer like this would be unbearable, like a knife stabbed in her heart. Voice trembling in fear, she beseeched, "L-lord, Your Highness, please I beg you.. that jerk earlier.. m-my cat has nothing to do with it."

Qian Jiro flinched and knitted his brows. His grip on the hilt loosened, then tightened, lowered, then hoisted, as if in a state of hesitation. He titled his head, taking a peek between Yumi's arms, then calmly uttered, "You! Is that thing really your pet? I don't know how many mukha pets you have and took with you in this trip. But that one, I'm going to kill it."

It was utter silence for a moment, as if their minds connected and pondered the same idea. Suddenly, Yumi quivered even more. How many mukha pets? She thought, how many? Her gaze was fixed at the prince, and her arms could feel the fur of this mukha whom she embraced so hard to protect. But why does it feel as if the one in her hold was bigger. A recognizable childish voice rang from the side amidst the chaotic mess in her mind, "Release that, Yumi!"

Soon as the shapeshifted kid Fei yelled at her, she hurled the furry ball and shook her arms. Without further ado, Qian Jiro struck it down with his sword gleaming dark violet from bloodlust. When Yumi saw the white mukha covered in blood, her body couldn't stop trembling. It was a type of mukha called gisoat. Gisoat mukhas were rather scary creatures; they have hornless goaty heads and shorter front legs that enabled them to walk backwards. Yumi dashed to check up on the kid and was about to grit her teeth at the prince when she realized something. Kuu was thrown into the port side; she picked the wrong mukha from the starboard and when she did, blood was already gushing out from its eyes, nose, and mouth, as if it wasn't just kicked but also beaten badly. Qian Jiro didn't intend to harm her kitten! That two quakes from before were most likely from the man, himself, dribbling the gisoat to death.

Fei paid no attention to her stupid master and got up instead to inspect the mukha who came from god-knows-where. For some reason, she failed to detect its aura and strong presence that must've been sensed by the prince from the start. However, what's odder would be, where this monster came from. She extended her baby index finger to poke at it but got hampered by the blade. Subsequently, a dark green smoke emerged from the gisoat. They both retreated as it released its poisonous death force. The man, whose blade didn't fly back into his scabbard and whose eyes didn't dare to look at her at all, cautioned, "Being too reckless only puts you and anyone else to harm. Don't be that rash."

Her entirety froze. For Qian Jiro to say that to someone other than Tzar Fei was quite the surprise. Well, in the past, it had always been this person who warned her nonstop about roaming the kingdoms and collecting the pieces of Truth Inscription, saying it was too reckless to not explore any options and go straight into provoking one of the worst case scenarios to happen; yet in spite of all those repetitions, she stubbornly refused to listen and followed her own idea of what was right. In the end, she had it wrong ever since the start; and this very person, who never got tired of reminding her to think about her decisions zillion times before risking it, joined the revolution and became one with every other diziens in dethroning her. That night when she saw Qian Jiro amidst the enraged crowd, her heart felt as if it shattered into pieces. A backstab? No. She finally realized that he was there to teach her a lesson, like the older brother that he was, just like what he did as of now. Fei transformed back into a tiny little kitten and curled up into a snowball. Not too long had passed when the ship jerked again. She rolled eastward but this time, Yumi caught her. Nobody moved. Fei slipped, swiftly hopped and hugged the pole. Upon perceiving the surroundings, she prepared her spiritual power for an oncoming fight. Why? The distance of the scarlet light that she saw earlier didn't change; after the first shake, their ship didn't move anymore. If it ran out of energy, they would've fallen; however, they were stuck on the exact place. In lieu of a fifth twitch, a gigantic white whipping tail emerged from the frontside, whooped from underneath and lashed the part before her. A beastly roar resonated amongst them, and a gigantic white hornless goaty head whose burning eyes glared at them came out from the side. Yumi began freaking out and dashed to climb up the roof where Fei observed, calling "Kitty Kuu, come down here with me!" Honestly, Fei had no time to be lovey-dovey with her master, so she ignored Yumi and pretended to not hear anything. Meanwhile, the giant gisoat began spewing its slimy dark green saliva. Its stench odor was strong. The surfaces it touched melted and smouldered with smoke, no fire. Qian Jiro charged and attacked its neck, but due to its poisonous saliva, his actions became limited. Who would want to melt and burn at this point in time? He repeatedly slashed its neck, but it was too tough. His blade glowed darker, but the fight didn't slow down. Using the tip of his sword, he drew a horizontal line on the surface. A glassy barrier ran from the ground upwards, and the three stayed protected by that glass. Yumi gaped in astonishment, but Fei wasn't stunned at all. Each martial fighting academy had its own techniques passed from generation to generation, thus, the variation of capabilities and skills remained. In Wineart, the swordlocks and archers were taught to find the core of the enemy's energy and destroy it directly. Most martial fighters in her kingdom had strength when it came to attacks. Fierystal fighters, however, were generally skilled in defense; a perfect match with the fact that they were recognized by their advancement in healing expertise. Ergo, this act of the prince didn't surprise her, though this would be her first time witnessing it.

The gisoat slammed its own face against the glass and tried to get his mouth on them. When it couldn't break the glass, it bared its teeth and let out a deep roar. Suddenly, the airship began flipping over. Yumi freaked out, "Aaahhh!"

Fei muttered, "Not good."

It sure wasn't good. They were going to fall!!