Ryella soared through the sky, glancing back at where she'd left the prince and his friends. Clutching the necklaces in her claws, she began thinking of a way to track down Clement's family. She had no idea where to start looking, she didn't even know her way around Lucis. It was going to be tough, but Ryella was intent on seeing it through to the end. After how kind Clement had been to her and how much she had fallen for him, the least she could do now was bring solace to his family.

Scanning the ground below, the dragon's emerald eyes suddenly caught sight of something. There was some kind of small structure in the middle of the forest. Standing in front of it were two people, a man and a woman. Ryella recognized their apparel and weapons, they were similar to Clement's. Those must be hunters. If anyone would know where I can find his family, it would be other hunters. Let's just hope they listen to me.

She dove down lower to the ground, circled around, and landed atop the structure. The pair of hunters gasped, stumbling back upon seeing the strange creature. They swiftly snatched up their firearms. The woman wielded a pistol while the man had a shotgun, both were aimed up at the beast. Ryella whined at them, trying to be as unthreatening as possible. She held out her hand, dangling the dog tag from her claws for them to see. Unfortunately, the duo paid it no mind, too focused on the unknown creature infront of them.

"Wh-what the hell is that thing?!" the man cried.

"How should I know?!" the woman retorted. "Do I look like Professor Yeagre?!"

Ryella huffed at them, quickly realizing that they wouldn't be of any help. She leapt off the structure and took off once more, eager to find someone else who could possibly point her in the right direction. The two hunters put their weapons away, watching the dragon fly away.

"First we find one of them royal tombs the Immortal asked us to search for," the man began, "then we discover an unknown creature. Can this get any weirder?"

"We've gotta report this to HQ," the woman said. "That thing could be a new species or something. No telling what its presence could mean for the local wildlife. It could be a danger to the ecosystem."

"Then let's hurry. Hopefully the professor will still be at Meldacio. She should have an explanation."

~~~~~

Ryella spent all day flying about. She had spotted the large town of Lestallum, along with other outposts, and made sure to steer clear of them. Perhaps remaining in dragon form is making this more difficult than it should be, she thought. But I don't have the magic energy to transform, and even if I did, what would I do about clothes, food, and transportation? Weighing the pros and cons, Ryella resolved to stay a dragon, at least for the time being.

She couldn't exactly change form anyway. The potion the boys had used on her had healed up her injuries, but it did nothing to recover her energy. The dragon currently carried a garula in her free claw while scanning the ground for a safe place. Ryella was familiar with the daemon problem that occurred after dark, and with the sun setting, she knew she needed to find a place to rest for the night. She spotted the blue glow of a haven's runes through the trees and swooped down to it. She knew that the havens were special places blessed by the Oracles and protected from daemons.

The dragon landed on the large, spacious stone. It was plenty big for her, and the runes gave off a comforting glow that reminded her of Lunafreya. Ryella immediately began eating her freshly caught meal. The garula was a large, meaty animal that filled her stomach fairly well. After her meal, she groomed herself, making sure her face and hands were clean. She suddenly froze, turning and peering out into the darkness. She could sense the menacing, unmistakable presence of daemons. Fortunately, the haven did its job well and kept them far away from the dragon.

Ryella curled up, feeling at ease with the power of the runes. It was the closest she felt to still being bound to Luna, and it made her wonder if the young Oracle was still okay. The Guardian looked up at the starry sky. Luna, may you stay safe...wherever you are. Ryella then turned her gaze down to the tag and pendant in her hand. She suddenly felt really homesick and depressed. Looking up at the stars again, she could've sworn she saw the faces of her brother and her boyfriend smiling down at her.

Tears leaked from her eyes. For a moment, Ryella pondered over whether she'd ever be able to move on. It seemed like her loved ones were constantly on her mind. Would the remainder of her life even be meaningful? How can I ever hope to live happily in a world where you both are gone?

She knew that both Reynard and Clement would want her to be strong and live her life, but how could she? Luna had sent her away, and she was too timid and afraid to make friends. The only thing she was certain of was the desire to take Clement's tag to his family. She'd have to figure out the rest from there. The sorrowful beast finally laid her head down to rest for the night.

~~~~~

The group of hunters finished loading up their things. They had it all---weapons, tranquilizer guns, metal bindings that even a behemoth couldn't break out of, and a tow truck to transport the beast. After the unknown creature sighting the previous day, HQ was buzzing with activity. Sania Yeagre demanded the creature needed to be found and studied, and enlisted the aid of the hunters to accomplish that task. With the possible threat the beast might pose to the surrounding areas, it was imperative that it was caught immediately. Sania was placed in charge by the head hunter himself for the capture and research of the animal.

Sania barked orders to the hunters tasked with aiding her. "Make sure all the preparations are complete! Those restraints had better be sturdy enough! I better only see firearms loaded with sedatives! Remember, people, this is a 'capture and study' job, not a 'hunt and kill' job! C'mon, hunters, get a move on!"

With Sania directing everyone like a herd of garula, the trucks had all been loaded up with the necessary equipment. The professor rode with the driver of the tow truck while the other vehicles followed behind them. Sania folded out a map in front of her, reading over the notes and marks she'd made on it. While only a small group had been tasked with completing the operation, numerous other hunters had done their part and spread out through Duscae and Cleigne and reported on sightings of the beast.

"So, the first sighting was at the tomb right there west of Saxham Outpost," the woman said mostly to herself, placing her finger over the general area.

"Yes, ma'am," the male driver replied. "Hunters have reported seeing it close to the Taelpar Rest Area, Saxham Outpost, the Kelbass Grasslands, and even flying over Taelpar Crag. Fortunately it hasn't gone near Lestallum or any other major outposts."

"Good, good, it seems to be avoiding areas with lots of people. The other hunters also reported the time of day they spotted the animal, so according to that information, and if my calculations are correct, we should be able to find the creature right around..." She circled an area with her index finger. "Here. Around the Mencemoor."

The driver nodded. "We'll head there right away. We can set up and wait for the beast if we have to."

With the tow truck leading the way, the group made it to the area. Fortunately, the majority of the vehicles were built for off-road, making it a breeze to reach the spot Sania directed them to. From there, the hunters got ready and waited. They were prepared for anything, two hunters were even equipped with special gadgets the professor had thrown together last minute. They were built like heavy-duty firearms but fired bolas to entangle their target. It would be an effective way to bring down the airborne animal.

Just as Sania had predicted, the white dragon was spotted heading their way, drifting peacefully through the air. Ryella was still searching for anyone or anything that could help her. She hadn't dared ventured far from the current region she was in for fear of the unknown. She was in an unfamiliar land, after all. There could be more giant avian monsters like the zu lurking all over for all she knew. She was soaring over the rocky terrain of the Mencemoor when she suddenly got the uneasy feeling of being watched.

Her first instinct was to scan the sky for any airborne enemies. While she was looking around, she suddenly heard the sound of something whizzing through the air below her. She jerked her head down, seeing a long, thin chord-like object hurtling up at her. She instantly swerved to the side, dodging the odd object. But another came flying toward her immediately after. Unable to avoid the second, it wrapped around her left wing, entangling it.

Ryella yelped in panic, unable to stay aloft with only one wing. She fluttered about, trying her best to ease her way down to the ground. But her attempts were futile and she landed roughly on her side, skidding across the dirt and sending up clouds of dust. She instantly rose to her feet, biting onto the metal chord of the bola wrapped around her wing and tugging at it. Before she could loosen it though, something seemed to pinch the side of her neck. She released the bola and turned her attention to the humans sprinting over and surrounding her with firearms aimed at her.

Ryella snarled at them threatingly, hoping they'd get the hint and leave her be. But a couple of the hunters shot their guns, sending more darts into the dragon's side to accompany the one in her neck. Ryella was confused as to why the shots didn't really seem to hurt or injure her, but she figured it out as soon as a tired feeling washed over her. She fought off the weariness though and whipped her tail around, knocking several hunters away. But in response, three more fired at her.

Ryella suddenly felt her back foot kick something. She looked behind her to see a small mass of glowing red minerals. She inwardly grinned and turned to face the rocks. The glowing energy within the elemental deposit flowed out like dust, absorbing into the dragon's body. Everyone was staring in shock, unable to believe what was happening before their eyes.

"What on Eos?!" Sania exclaimed, watching in awe and making a mental note. In all her years, she'd never witnessed any animal able to absorb elemental energy.

The deposit lost its glow, and when Ryella turned back around, her eyes glowed a fiery crimson and flames flickered out between her teeth. She inhaled sharply, causing everyone to scramble away. Fire spewed forth from her throat, surrounding the ground around her and keeping everyone at bay. But the exhaustion came back, much stronger than before. The tranquilizers were doing their job. Ryella ceased her fire breath, her mind growing hazy and her vision blurring. Her eyes began closing on their own, and she was unable to stop them. She finally collapsed, the inferno around her sizzling out.

"What a magnificent creature!" Sania cried with excitement, approaching the sleeping beast. "Never have I ever seen any animal absorb and utilize magic energy! This is the discovery of a lifetime! This creature could very well be some type of descendant of the ancient dragons of old! And what a beauty she is! Let's get her loaded up and back to HQ on the double!"

Sania suddenly paused, her eyes catching a glint of something in the beast's hand. She went over and bent down, realizing that the dragon indeed had something in her claws. The woman carefully reached down, moving Ryella's fingers and snatching up the items. Sania stared at them in surprise. A dog tag and a pendant.

"Why in heaven's name..." she muttered, looking between the sleeping animal and the necklaces, "...were you carrying these?"

She shook the thought from her head for the time being, and instead, stuffed the trinkets into her bag. So many mysteries revolving around this unknown beast. She couldn't wait to get back and start researching.