When the beast dropped dead to the ground, the party's quests officially ended for the day.

They continued on their journey to the City of Ollepheist, of the Kingdom of Cernunnos, taking five hours, passing through half a dozen cities. Three of which were in yellow plains. Two in a dense forest, and one walled in by cliffs. After at least four abrupt changes in weather, the party reached their destination.

A metropolis.

One whose crystalline castle stood on the back of a gigantic petrified turtle in the middle of the sea. A single glass bridge had connected its entrance to the shore, but had no use for anyone, as, in the sky, different winged beasts flew to and fro, and, in the water, slender, humpbacked, serpent-faced creatures fared passengers.

Afternoon breezes galed upon Kirin's face as he jumped out of the carriage.

They were dropping off on a seawall.

Several stalls selling cotton candy have gathered clusters of customers. On the footway, hundreds of humanoids boasting beastly features--scales, gills, feathers, and all--walked as they did daily. Along the road, all sorts of equines and other dainty mounts galloped dragging coaches and carts.

"Whoa! Didn't expect this place to be so beautiful!" Kirin yawned as he stretched his arms upwards.

"Hah. Looks like someone had a hard time sleeping last night," said a chilling whisper to Kirin's right ear. It was Onyx. Eyes sharp and deductive. "Care to tell me what you were up to?"

"Uhh. Umm." Kirin faked a laugh. "Not sure what you're talking about. I slept perfectly soundly."

Onyx held his hips, a squint highlighting distrust on his face.

"This place is quite beautiful," Faolan mumbled, gazing at structures built on tiers on the city's mountainous terrain. "You might already be aware, Kirin, but, uhh, Cernunnos is my home kingdom."

Yeah. Kirin guessed that much. But... Wait... Was that finally time for Faolan to share his reason for going back there? Well, Kirin already had a clue why. He really just needed confirmation.

"I uhh..."

"Are you going already?" Alia asked, leaning forwards to peek at one side of Faolan's face.

The redhead stared at her for a second. His look expressing, "I figured you guys already knew." He chuckled, and answered, "Yeah. I guess there really isn't a point explaining what I'm here for. You guys ought to forget anyway. Besides, I'd better leave before something makes me think twice." The knight's eyes befell Kirin then quickly swerved way.

Silently, Onyx made his way to the back of their carriage and began pulling out baggage.

"Right!" Faolan gushed out a heavy sigh. "Oh! Before I forget." He pointed at a four-story building with a signboard that announced "Seabed Hotel." "I recommend you guys choose that place to stay. Really hospitable." He waved as he began to move away. As the knight turned his back on the party, tears erupted from Alia's narrow eyes, but she cupped her mouth to prevent Faolan from hearing.

Though it killed him, Kirin waited until Faolan was far enough away to not catch anything, then, whirled with a distraught face to confront Alia and Onyx. "Alright! That's it! I can't take this anymore! You two better tell me what reason Faolan could possibly have to not plant his seed."

Onyx halted at once, putting down a wheeled bag. "How'd you know?"

"That doesn't matter! Tell me!"

Alia sniffled, checked to see Onyx, then used her quaking knuckles to dry the tears from her eyes. "Do you remember how horrified Faolan was when we first met?"

"Yes."

Alia looked at where Faolan was gazing earlier, then at Cernunnos castle shining with orange sun rays. "A trickle of the strength of Faolan's flames is enough to obliterate entire cities. No one has ever survived it."

Light reflecting from the ocean flashed at their eyes.

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"Faolan was an experiment of The God of Beasts, His Royal Highness, Nycius. Born with genetic material from the Sigma Dragon, Pharohi of Raining Flames, Faolan can create fires that are amongst the most destructive forces on the planet. An achievement that King Nycius has always glorified himself with, but that nobody else recognized with him. When Faolan was sixteen, the God of Nothing, Nihila, chose Cernunnos as his next playground. While others saw a threat, King Nycius found an opportunity to finally prove himself. So... as young as he was, Faolan was sent to war with the strongest god of The Unpraised. He succeeded. At least, in driving Nihila away. With a blast as big as half of the entire mountain, Faolan weakened the enemy to the point of retreat. ...But with that same blast, half of Ollepheist was destroyed. ...and millions of lives with it." Alia hugged herself. "Knowing that has tormented Faolan for years. If only he had held back... Even just a tiny bit... less or no lives could have been lost. For years, he refused to use his magic. He refused to light even lamps and chandeliers."

Faolan, not having looked back since he had left, nearly crushed his own fists as he compacted them to a sphere.

"Then one day... King Nycius introduced us and sent us both to join Harpe's guild." Alia picked up Kirin's' fingers. "Kirin, have you never wondered what Purple Emperor's Crown is for?"

"To boost Faolan's strength?"

"Boosting him is futile. It's to give him precise control of his power. Back when we first met, I had casted the spell on him. Yet he still felt the same fear he had always faced when he nearly killed you. Then... seeing you alive... seeing you survive his magic... Kirin! When he found someone who could withstand his power? When he found someone who made him feel weaker? The joy he felt... It was the truest he has ever experienced!" Alia let go of Kirin's hands and brought her own onto her chest. "Still... it appears he hasn't relinquished his decision to erase himself. If he had never existed... If his power had never existed... those millions of people would never have vanished."

Sadness blurred Kirin's eyes and punched his heart from the bottom. He took a step towards Faolan, and then another, and was about to run after the redhead, when an explosion of splinters sprayed from where he stepped and sent him flying.

Onyx stumbled backwards, calculating Kirin's trajectory. He let go of the bags he was carrying and caught the trap just in time for one of them to be on top of the other.

Alas, with the suddenness pilfering their balance, Kirin still ended up being the cushion, hitting his head on the footway's wood and momentarily seeing a swirling vision of Onyx on top of him. "Oh, Onyx? Keep going..."

The blue knight gritted his teeth and stiffened his fists by both sides of Kirin as he twisted to understand what had just happened.

The civilians were all scurrying. Screaming, crying, frantically searching shelter.

Rising from a crater left by that explosion was a four-armed gelphin.

A semi-primate monster.

Clouds of mist made up for the absence of its legs. Its bare, blue abdomen and chest flexed and puffed off dust. On its face, a devilish grin jittered, making it look like it was actually human, but its pitch-black eyes and a hole in its forehead reminded everyone it was just a tamed beast.

"Nyahaha!" cackled a fragile-boned chap with thick, round glasses, clinging onto the gelphin's nape. "This... is Fable Eclipse? I didn't think my pet here would make you all go down so easily."

Onyx pushed himself up, drew his blade, and swiped sending a crescent blade that the instigators easily avoided. "What do you think you're doing? You better know you're fucked."

"Hohoho." The chap pushed up his glasses, an exaggerated smirk heightening emphasis on smugness he was intentionally giving off. "Tough talk for someone who just got knocked out before even laying a finger on his opponent, Dragonlaird."

Onyx's forehead creased.

"Well, to answer your question. I'm really just here for a few strands of your hair. Maybe some nail clippings. A pad of your skin, if I'm lucky."

"Dude--"

"I didn't think you'd be willing to just give me those, so I presumed I ought to opt for force immediately. You wouldn't simply give me those, would you? Otherwise, I've just wasted a lot of effort here."

"Dude!"

Kirin moaned. "Onyx? Come back on top of me."

"Ugh. Look." Disbelief and ridicule mixed in Onyx's exclamations. "No one in the right mind would just give a random stranger materials with their DNA like that."

"Huh." The chap raised his chin. "Guess I was right with my presumptions. Well then, Dragonlaird, I'll be getting what I want whether you'd like me to or not."

"Oh yeah! Certainly." Onyx nodded then scowled. "Except I forgot to mention I'm not even him! Dude! Faolan doesn't even use Moon Magic."

"Ri—" The chap lifted his glasses and squinted at the blue knight. "What do you mean you're not Faolan?"

"Onyx, I'm doing Kirin!" Alia announced.

"Alia, please! I have enough creeps around me."

The fairy kneeled by the trap and began casting a healing spell.

"Oh."

Silence lingered amongst them all for about minute, then the fragile-boned chap finally decided to crack the atmosphere. "So umm... you're not Faolan?"

"No."

"But you are Fable Eclipse?"

"Yes."

"Where's your leader?"

Onyx took a deep a breath in and another minute of silence ensued.

Sadness beat Kirin's chest once more.

That's right. He was gonna chase after Faolan before that commotion happened.

Kirin tried to pull himself up, but only managed to push his eyelids up slightly to see where Faolan last was.

The man was no longer there.

Was he gone?

Would they be forgetting his existence any moment now?

No.

Kirin wouldn't let that.

He needed to find Faolan. Where was he? Where was the Dragonlaird?

"Right here."

The setting sun hidden behind crystal blue wings, flames burned so brightly, they could have blinded bats twice. Or at least, that's how Kirin felt when Faolan's figure slowly clarified in his sight.