It really was trying to throw them out. The colossal mukha seemingly wanted to take them back to its home and feast over their tender flesh. To keep her little one from flying off the boat, Yumi grabbed the kid and locked it in her own body while firmly gripping on the gunwale. She cried, "Lord prince!! What's happening? Ahhh!!" Qian Jiro hadn't even had the chance to answer when..

Bathump! The entire airship completely inverted upside down. Qian Jiro vociferated, "Use your own power. Fly off!"

However, Yumi had none of it. What the prince thought was a borrowed energy from her kitten. Are you joking? Since they parted from the boat, she had her eyes closed. Now, when she opened it to look at Kuu for the last time, she wasn't embracing anything anymore. The colossal gisoat still kept on spewing acid liquids at them, so she couldn't fully open her eyes. Who knows how much time had passed, but when she squinted her eyes again, her person was already lying inside a chamber. No, it wasn't her apartment, rather, a small minimalist compartment inside an airship. No, not the airship from Fierystal, a different one. She got up and swept her gaze around. Her mind almost went dizzy and stomach nauseous, however, not a trace of Kuu could be seen. She dashed outside, only to witness that Qian Jiro was still fighting the colossal gisoat, plus there were two young swordlocks and one girl archer by his side, all black and red cladded armoured of silver. Aside from them swiftly moving around and killing the monster, there were also two winged serpents spewing fire towards the gisoat. Their skills were amazingly precise compared to the youngsters of their age that she often watched fought, and every hit struck great impact. Especially the winged serpents, their sizes were massive, accompanied by demonic auras screaming 'victory'. No doubt, these group of youths were from Wineart; for out of five kingdoms, only Wineart and Sapphreeze allowed brute-taming associations, and the former owned the most perilous and strangest creatures from around the world because their former matriarch, Tzar Fei, was known to be so fond of good mukhas. Alternating vermillion and amethyst beams of light, mixed with orange and blue sparks and greenish gray liquids seeping from the cuts and wounds of the enemy, altogether created such an eye-pleasing spectacle. The swordlock duo had the agility of a runner and swiftly moved here and there to slash deep into the face of the enemy. The young boy, whose hair was as long and straight as his sword, managed to climb at its brows and struck its left eye. While he did so, the other boy wearing a ponytail sprang to its nose bridge. However, the moment he landed, the gisoat roared again and went berserk. As he fell and stumbled back to the airship, he saw the whipping tail about to smash his friend into pieces. He yelled, "Ravi, watch out!!"

Ravi, who still struggled to pull out his sword plunged deep into the brow of the colossal gisoat, jumped and supported himself by clenching the hilt of his sword. The girl archer shot at its other eye, making its movements even wilder. At last, Ravi succeeded in retrieving his blade and joined forces with the ponytail boy again. They crossed and gave a whole new round of blows. Blood spurted from its five orifices. It tried to escape but Qian Jiro created a two-layered glass barrier enclosing the gisoat from running away and escaping into the land of mortals. Few more attacks and it would soon crash and dissipate into fragments. As its badly damaged body wiggled, becoming less and less steady, the ponytail boy bellowed, "ATAKE!"

By any means, Yumi wasn't a swordlock but this word definitely means 'Fire or attack!' And she was right; the girl climbed to the top and stretched her bow. Three, two, one: Woosh! As she released, the point of her long arrow ignited, blazing angrily as if about to take down a helpless prey under its blade; it flew directly to the nose of the gisoat. A stench of evil energy that could make one gasp for breath emitted from its nose. It's whole body cracked, revealing a greenish meat inside, then it gradually crumbled. Grey haze enveloped the place as it diminished to dusty pieces. Before it's fragments completely went down home, Qian Jiro leaped to its back and dashed to their former ship that was left barely hanging on the edge of its tail. When he emerged back, he had Yumi's belongings in his arms. Maybe because everything that happened before her eyes was sudden and unforeseen, that she stood frozen in a daze, only coming to an abrupt awakening when the prince alighted and laid her bags right next to her feet. After the haze cleared, they all heaved a sigh of relief. It went well finally, yet Kuu was nowhere to be found. She approached the inquired, "Lord Prince, my Kuu, where is my kitten?"

Qian Jiro didn't answer, although he exchanged glances with the ponytail boy. Ravi sat on the chair and grabbed a towel. He cleaned his sword as he said in a monotonous voice, "Healer Lady, you have our utmost apology. When we passed by, it was only you who was falling down the endless abyss. His Highness told us that there was a kitten, but going down further might not be a wise choice. We're deeply sorry for your loss."

The girl archer opened one of her two claypots, which sucked the two winged serpents that spewed fire. After putting down the claypots, she positioned between them and grasped Yumi's shoulders. "We'll definitely find your cat. Don't listen to my brother. It's so rare for a Fierystal dizien to take care of a mukha cat, and you seem to love your friend deeply. He's bluffing. You didn't lose anything. We'll find it."

Ravi didn't say anymore and only proceeded to wipe the blood stains in his blade. The ponytail boy chimed in and hurled the girl a ponkan, "Lian, aren't you just giving false hope? What do you mean by 'find it'? There's no surface here. If it fell, we won't be able to catch it back."

Lian caught the ponkan and peeled it off bit by bit, ate one and offered the rest to Yumi. Her voice sounded gentle and solacing, "I don't know how, but you'll certainly meet in the future. If that kitten longed to be with you, her master, it will ascend from the depths of the darkness to lay over your chest and feel the warmth of your love. A wall of affinity fortified by the mutual bond between a master and familiar doesn't break that easily. If the Heavens knotted your fate together, your threads will cross paths no matter how far you weave the opposite ways and keep running away from each other. It will only intertwine you forever."

Yumi was taken aback from this sudden strike of heartfelt speech. Her eyelids that drooped since the beginning abruptly lifted, only to see this youthful girl whose eyes, in spite of a soft smile carved in her lips, were also moist by apparent tears. It left her speechless, although the other person looked as if she wasn't expecting an answer at all and merely turned around to sit beside her claypots. Before the ponytail boy even approached her, Ravi sneered, "How shameless, Guo!! I suggest you don't take advantage of this situation to fish another young--"

"Shut up!" Guo clenched his fists and yelled, "You abstinent monk! Don't ever open your mouth whenever I'm trying to get close to ladies!"

His target continued sauntering, but he still followed her. Guo walked closer to Yumi and uttered, "Don't think too much about my sister's words. Perhaps your relationship with your mukha cat reminded her of some past familiar. She took Master Tzar's teachings to heart and still couldn't let go of them even when our master teacher was gone. Sigh~ She even said it in a melancholic voice. How dramatic."

Yumi halted. Her mouth twitched as she inquired, "You were taught by Tzar Fei?"

Her back was facing Guo, so he had no idea how much her face darkened by the mention of the notorious Fierce Matriarch. Thus, he gleefully responded, "Yes. We're from Wineart Martial Academy of Hexerei Arts. Back then, she'd sometimes visit our school to teach techniques and share her own doctrines when it comes to physical fighting, making use of elemental forces and channeling it into our own blades, and most importantly, everything she knew about the species of mukha, the origin of their souls and cycle of reincarnation, and also their code of ethics and morality, how it is any different from diziens'. Although she wasn't really our teacher, we still believe that she's the greatest mentor we've ever had."

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Voice hoarse, as if the pain was stuck in her throat, Yumi coldly sneered, "Really? So she was the one to talk about ethics and morality? How ironic."

Guo felt shivers down his spine. How dare he forget? That his beloved teacher offended a lot of people that merely speaking the name 'Tzar Fei' would induce some boiling blood of rage and grievance. How dare he forget? That this one, whom he talked proudly of, caused the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of diziens. The sweet-looking and soft-sounding lady healer in front of him had no trace of gentleness in her voice anymore. It was as if he provoked, no, he pretty much mirthfully poked an open wound and later realized it must've hurt. He withdrew and apologized, "I'm- I'm sorry. You should sleep now. An hour before dawn, we'll be disembarking soon."

Poked an open wound? No, more like scratching an exposed bone marrow with his claws. What could be truer than that? That this notorious Light Aloft Celestial Heights burnt people's homes to ashes like they were ants. Yumi's grandfather, this pure one's only family, died because of none other than Tzar Fei. Her memory wasn't as friendly in relation to her age; but that night, everything was clear, vivid and sharp like needles, pricking into her chest everytime this very name was mentioned. Anyway, pondering about how she reacted a while ago, it was immature; truly immature, for these students had nothing to do with their master's wrongdoings. How shallow. Was she really being shallow? She was ignorant. She couldn't even picture the face of his grandfather in her mind properly, just a few flashes of him taking her to the park and coaxing her to play with other kids for growing up shy; yet she buried it on the depths of her memory that he was a good grandfather, that he didn't deserve to die at a young age. Not to say that the loss gave her a gain in return, but it was only after her grandfather passed away that she transformed into an almost shameless person, most especially when begging for money and food or when gulping the insults of her co-healers and not minding them at the very least. Perhaps because of the memories, but she felt better and lighter now. She dozed off to sleep on the bed before sunrise.

Meanwhile, the group outside was actually having a meaningful conversation for the entire remaining time they sailed across the perilous abyss. Guo took out jars of alcohol from a chest and filled the table with it as he chortled, "It's the only thing we can offer, Your Highness Prince Qian. We've been out for a couple of days, and everytime we landed, we'd forget to stock lots of goods and *winks* alcohol."

Qian Jiro picked on, read the label, then chuckled, "Northern Frost Extract? From my memory, liquor is supposed to burn my throat. Is this one going to freeze my intestines?"

Guo gulped down a voluminous amount of it then heavily put the jar on the table as if his hand had no force to hoist it up anymore. "The fight earlier burned my lungs already. I don't know if a large mukha will show up again. This isn't actually liquor but a wine made of Winter Cherry from Sapphreeze which was cultivated in a northern valley abundant in life force. And I especially reserved this for every after big fights. I don't know why, I feel like I still can't manage and maintain my internal temperature. Thank heavens, this drink existed lest I'd be scorching hot in fever now. Maybe this would make you feel good, Your Highness."

Ravi was done cleaning his weapon, so he sheathed it back to its scabbard. He got up and grabbed a jar; quiet as he thoughtlessly untied the rope and tugged the cap. Guo then seized the jar from his hold and demanded, "Why are you drinking? I only presented it to the prince. Did I invite you over? Go, go, go back there, wipe your blade once more.."

His tone wasn't threatening, but the other party seemed to have been annoyed. Ravi caught another one and yelled, "You horse!! Can't you see? My nose is red! My eyes are popping out! I don't know what's happening either," then he placed Guo's palm at his forehead and continued, "but my temperature is hot."

When his palm met the other skin which could fry an egg in it, he abruptly withdrew it. He shook and blew on it as he exchanged glances with Qian Jiro. Brows knitted, he inquired, "Your Highness, you? Are you feeling well? Or not?"

The prince sighed, "No. I'm alright. Are you sure you're not staying in Auteal? Let's have your health checked first."

Ravi shook his head and drank the wine, "No. Don't worry about us, Your Highness. It is but a mild spiritual illness.." He suddenly stopped and slapped Guo's arm, "You!! Where's Lian?"

Right. All the time they talked and drank, they didn't see Lian around. The atmosphere went chill. The Wineart brothers stood up in unison and were about to unsheathe their swords together when a head emerged from a seat far from them. It was Lian. Before they could finish their sighs of relief, she showed them a coin-sized carmine crystal dragon scale. She held it in front of her face as she sauntered towards them. "What do you think is this?"

Perceiving that she was all and well, Guo sat down and proceeded to booze his liquor with the prince. Qian Jiro shared a toast with him and calmly said, "Maybe something left by a mukha. If it doesn't have an energy to it, then it wasn't a threat for us."

However, Ravi wasn't convinced at all. He pinched the crystal scale and channeled some spiritual force to it. Without the other two noticing, he and Lian had slipped away from them. Maybe it's a good thing that Guo failed to notice, but this tiny scale looked like it belonged to Tzar Fei's crystal dragon familiar. As he released her thumb and index finger, the carmine crystal turned cold, glowed redder, then ignited. Lian gaped at it and murmured, "It's active. The dragon scale is still alive. It's Cian the Heavenly Dragon! It's here! Master's fami-" Before she even finished jumping and clapping in joy and surprise, Ravi cupped her mouth with his palm and muttered, "Too loud! What if the prince hears you? We'd have to explain and become a trap, so they can lure the dragon and kill it. Don't you think?"

A voice rang from behind, "What are you doing, hiding in here?"

The two turned around. Unbeknownst to them, Qian Jiro had been standing at their backs for who knows how long. He leaned over to poke at the scale. How fortunate that it returned to normal. The prince rubbed his own chin and asked, "What is that thing?"

He was too immersed in probing the scale that the other two had already gestured at Guo to shut his mouth or else they'd agree to throw him down the abyss. So when Qian gazed up again, Guo was finally able to show him an award-worthy act. The grandmaster of making up lies blurted, "Woah! Isn't this that.." He shook his index finger, "The scale of a fish dragon!! That... that's an expensive one." His act was so realistic that even the other two almost fell for it. He grasped Ravi, "Is that why you're hiding in the shadows? How dare you! To betray me like this!"

They were speechless, but Jiro seemed to be uninterested and laughed, "Really? I've never seen something like this before."

Surely, he didn't. It had to be known that the Fierce Matriarch owned a ferocious black red crystal dragon that spit carmine smoke. Cian the Heavenly Dragon was Fei's acquaintance everytime she traveled from kingdom to kingdom. In every bloodshed she attended to, Cian was there. It would transform into a long sword whenever she commanded it to. Nobody knew if it had a human body, and none dared to attempt in asking it either. Rumors had it that its temperament was worse than its master. Cian was ruthless and showed no remorse whenever Fei wielded it. However, on the sixth night of the revolution week, it was captured and suddenly disappeared from sight. Barely anyone was aware of its whereabouts.

Their random conversation branched off to different directions from the simple carmine scale through the rest of the night. On the other hand, Yumi woke up feeling a familiar pain on the back of her neck and the cold viscous blood pouring and streaming down her shoulders. Rather than screaming in fright, her first instinct was to probe her belongings for that medicine. She rummaged through the bags, and upon finding it, she swallowed two pills of it. Her nape was in sharp pain that she didn't even look for water. One important reason why she couldn't fight back to Ah Ling was because that very woman provided her free supply of medicine. She, herself, couldn't remember where she got this injury, but Ah Ling said that it came from slipping through a spirit rock during a mukha attack. The archhealer admitted that she was the reason why Yumi got this wound, so she'd be responsible for its healing. However, what mystified Yumi so much was whenever she failed to drink the morning pill, there would be a sudden unbearable pain at her nape when normally, the wound wasn't even noticeable at all. Anyway, she had things to do and the fact that it'd fade as soon as she took the pill, she didn't bother herself to look into it thoroughly. Seeing her azure clothes tainted by her blood, she immediately changed her outer robes. It wouldn't be fun if the prince would go through some trouble to cure her long-term injury. Not particularly assuming that Jiro cared for her, but if the healer would heal others as a sick person herself, the one she'd be healing might get into a worse situation than he originally did. After hiding the clothes tainted of blood, she peered to the outside, and it was dim; but she was certain that it was morning already, so she only reached for the thermos and had a coffee to warm up her day.

Right when half of the sun peered from the horizon, their ship arrived at Auteal. Qian Jiro and Yumi gave their gratitude and bid the trio their goodbyes, for the three youths would be proceeding with their journey to Sapphreeze, the kingdom next to Auteal before Wineart. To go from a kingdom to another, one had to sail in a circle and pass by other territories, for in the center of these five floating lands lies the central pillar of Dizion, the Celestial Tower that pierced through the layers of all realms. The counterclockwise order of lands went from Fierystal to Auteal to Sapphreeze to Wineart to Rillows then back to Fierystal. Due to this, the reigning monarchs were generally close to each other, for they had to maintain good relationships in order for the whole Dizion to work.