traversed the long stretch of forest out of the tortoise's dwelling, he noticed it matching Xin-Wei's pace even though nature demanded its kind to be slow. The faint gleam in Reol-Je's shell and limbs reminded him of the jade stones he played with in his grandmother's estate. They might have been of different shades, but they're hewn from the same material nonetheless.

Reol-Je looked like those jade stones stuck together and formed a tortoise. The multi-colored splotches of earth green and olive formed a smooth pattern on its carapace. Its legs and long neck were covered by greenish-brown scales, all laden with a faint translucent gleam that flashed with the beast's every movement. Unlike the lifeless bulges the tortoise statuettes his grandmother owned, Reol-Je's eyes were wide open and very much alive. And they were blaring red.

"So..." he ventured. "You're Reol-Je?"

The tortoise turned its head at him. Xin-Wei didn't stop running nor did it react to Nao-Zai's line of questioning. "I am the Pillar of the Eastern Quadrant, the Divine Earth Beast, the Jade Tortoise, the Shadow of the Sun," it answered. "But I am known by Reol-Je because it's short and easier to articulate."

Nao-Zai pursed his lips. These beasts really liked to introduce themselves. "May I ask what happened the first time you failed to stop Han-Xi?" he said. The muscles on Xin-Wei's back tensed. Was it still a fresh wound? "It may provide insight into how we are to deal with them now."

Reol-Je quickened its pace, running almost parallel with Xin-Wei. The edge of the forest came up as well as the border of the floating landmass. Nao-Zai's gut sank with fear and exhiliration as Xin-Wei leaped past the rim. Within seconds, even Reol-Je traversed the vast nothingness like its made from sturdy, transparent glass.

"Words will not be enough to alleviate Han-Xi's pain," the tortoise answered long after its dwelling faded in the horizon they just left. "It has been Xin-Wei's method and we abided by it. Not only was it not effective, it's what drove the old buzzard to the madness we're now facing."

The tortoise inclined its head at Xin-Wei. "You owe me a plate of kantarin. I hope our deal has not slipped your memory."

Xin-Wei huffed. "It's a centuries-old oath," it replied. "Tortoises really do not let anything go."

Reol-Je snapped its tapered lips. "Kantarin is a fine delicacy," it said in mock-defense. "I must have one after this exhuasting excursion."

If they're talking about the fried dough made from milk and eggs and stuffed with beanpaste, Nao-Zai might have given the Divine Beasts a lot more credit. Having staked the fate of the world for a a plate of kantarin wasn't how he envisioned the legendary fight went.

"You meant to say there had been a talk and Han-Xi refused?" Nao-Zai clarified. "That's it?"

Xin-Wei snorted. An-Ri giggled at the sound and proceeded to imitate it for the rest of the tiger's reply. "We are not always moving mountains, young mortal," it said. "Sometimes, we do mundane tasks as well, like initiating dialogue. Or hiding in putrid caves."

"Or spending an eternity choking on sugarstalks," Reol-Je sniped from the side.

"Eternity is an overstatement," Xin-Wei's tone was dismissive, like it wanted to move on from the topic as fast as possible. "It was merely a few hundred years."

Reol-Je scoffed. Its red eyes gleamed crimson against the Divine Plane's dim lighting. "Hence an eternity," it jerked its head in Nao-Zai's direction. "Think about our guest for once, Ivory Tiger."

Xin-Wei growled. "If I call you nothing but Jade Tortoise for a day, can you take it?"

The tortoise's slitted nostrils flared. "Why? Do you think it'd irk me?"

"Are you fighting?" Nao-Zai interjected. As he noticed, he had been extradited from the conversation again. "Did you not promise you're not going to quarrel as long as we're working together?"

Reol-Je threw a brief glance at him. "Who said we're fighting?" it quipped. "This is just how friends treat each other."

At that, Xin-Wei growled. "Or not talk to them for five hundred years," it replied. "Take your pick, young mortal."

Nao-Zai blew a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was worse than when he was first assigned in the Imperial Palace to be in charge of a prince who wanted nothing to do with him. Now, it seemed like Kai-Se managed to split into two different bodies and it's up to Nao-Zai to make sure said bodies don't tear each other's heads off.

What a day.

"It seems we have derailed from the original question," Xin-Wei said not long after. They have been bounding over the dark abyss for spirits-knew-how-long and have not come across anything of significance yet. Was it really that long of a journey towards the Southern Quadrant?

"And it's by no means my fault," Reol-Je said with an air of confidence Nao-Zai didn't know where it got. The long-lasting existence, maybe?

"Never mind that," Nao-Zai closed his eyes and relaxed his tense muscles against Xin-Wei's soft hide. Reol-Je didn't feel the need to offer its back for Nao-Zai to ride on and he preferred it that way. He doubted he'd be any comfortable on a surface as hard as jade. "What's the Southern Beast like?"

Only one word bled out of the Divine Beasts' mouths. "Vain."

What was he supposed to think of that? "Why are we going to them?" he asked instead.

Xin-Wei jerked its head forward, indicating Nao-Zai to look in that direction as well. He raised his head and the same silhouette of a landmass appeared on the horizon. As they got closer and closer, the silhouette burned brighter and...whiter. It's like the shadows in Reol-Je's dwelling had been somehow chased out into that place by the sheer gleam of the approaching chunk of soil and all the light in the Divine Plane had found a home in it. Everything's illuminated, and after spending a good while staring at thick darkness and the bottomless void, this proved to be a searing slap in the eyeballs.

"What in Shaoryeong's rear is that?" Nao-Zai found himself asking despite knowing the answer at the back of his mind.

"The Sapphire Fowl's dwelling," Xin-Wei answered nevertheless. "Welcome to the Southern Quadrant."

The Beasts' feet touched down on the edge of the suspended landmass. Golden grass swayed with the wind that's supposed to be nonexistent. When Nao-Zai breathed in a little deeper, a faint whiff of incense and wheat wafted inside his system. He slid off Xin-Wei's back, supporting An-Ri's rear with his arm as she clung to his shoulders. His eyebrows crept up at the carpet-like softness of the ground once his boots landed. It's...surprising. It's as if the entire place was bent on smothering them with fluff and glory at the same time.

"You're not kidding when you said 'vain'," Nao-Zai muttered under his breath the moment they entered what he could only describe as a citadel. His eyes wandered over the tall pillars bearing a symbol of a bird with fan-like feathers at its tail, having lost count of how many jumped out at him from the grand, golden archway standing at the road's mouth.

Even the cobblestones were laden with gold and what's supposed to be plain marble shone like diamonds. Not a single stone cracked even when Reol-Je's jade claws whisked by. Xin-Wei's own padded toes were silent as a whisper as they strolled through.

It was quiet, the kind of peace settling inside a city when it has no inhabitants. Nao-Zai craned his neck up at the glamorous pagodas climbing up to the skies which was now a thick spread of white clouds and golden light streaming between wisps. What's the point of having a ton of buildings if no one would live in them?

Within a few moments, they reached the center of the citadel and a huge palace gilded with gold stood at the center of the bright red-and-black walls curving around it. Red lanterns shone with ghostly flames flickering inside them. The palace, itself, was leagues grander than that of the Imperial Empire's, with hundreds, if not thousands, pillars running along numerous wings and pavilions which all built up to the centerpiece.

The Divine Beasts didn't waste any second ogling at the architectural wonder. They leaped straight at the wide set of steps and began taking ten at a time. With their size, it was possible. That left Nao-Zai to agonize over the stairs like the mere mortal he was. At some point, An-Ri broke free and floated off with her hands extended. He watched her grip Xin-Wei's tail and her giggles with its every swing rang across the whole citadel.

By the time Nao-Zai reached the last step, his knees had already turned to room-temperature butter and a dull throb pulsed in his side. The Divine Plane had no concept of climate, but even without sweating buckets, exhaustion still marred his limbs.

"About time," Reol-Je commented before lumbering towards a tall archway leading to the palace's entrance. Nao-Zai sighed at the prospect of walking again but what else could he do? This place wasn't meade to cater creatures like him.

"The Sapphire Fowl is known for their infinite knowledge and wisdom," Xin-Wei answered, its voice echoing in the palace's empty chambers. Upon looking at the domed ceiling, the wide floorspace, and the banners hanging from the arches carved into the marble walls, Nao-Zai concluded this must be a throne hall. "That is why we have paid them a visit."

"And I commend you for making that decision," a silky voice floated in lyrical waves from somewhere at the end of the hall. Nao-Zai's gaze followed its source and settled on a golden throne with a single Beast perched on it. Purple eyes stared back at him, complimenting the rich blue feathers covering its slender neck and body. And behind it, fanned out in a wide expase, were the feathers. The concentric patterns of blue, green, and yellow made it look like the fowl was studying him with tons of eyes, so much that he didn't know where to look.

The crown of feathers behind the fowl's head perked up upon their approach. "Why, I have never seen a mortal up close before," it said. Enthusiasm bled out in its tone. "You have brought me an interesting sacrifice."

Nao-Zai blinked then whirled to Xin-Wei. The tiger merely closed its eyes and ducked its head at the fowl on the throne. "He is not to be eaten, Chai-Song," it said. "He is the key to find out where Han-Xi is holding the young Worldwalker."

Chai-Song, the Sapphire Fowl, tilted its head. Its throat bobbed even though no words came out yet. "Interesting," it said. "I assume you are here for the information about the Eternal Prison?"

Reol-Je's lips snapped. His claws grated against the throne hall's marble floor. "Use that comely head of yours," it interjected. "We avoid pointless questions that way."

"I'm sure you have already come to that conclusion before we did," Xin-Wei said. "Reol-Je needed a little nudge in the right direction but they got there eventually."

Chai-Song's eye squinted. It appeared to be delighted. "I agree on that front," it tilted its head to the side, its crown twitching. After a beat of silence, it perked up. "An ancestral spirit? This mortal is becoming more and more intriguing."

An-Ri's ears stood straight at sensing a reference thrown her way. She beamed at the fowl, her claws extending in her fingertips. Oh, no. "They're not food," Nao-Zai clamped a hand on her arms and attempted to bring it down. They didn't budge. "No. An-Ri!"

A shadow fell over them and Nao-Zai tore his eyes from An-Ri to slowly crane his neck up at its owner. Chai-Song loomed, tilting its head here and there as if it couldn't figure out what it's seeing. "A mortal taming a spirit," it mulled softly. "Tell me, young mortal, what is your contract with the Immortal Fox?"

Nao-Zai frowned. "A contract? I don't have one with An-Ri," he said. "Maybe Kai-Se did once but we're not talking about contracts now after he revived them from Shaoryeong."

Chai-Song was silent. Then, it stepped back. Its talons curved and scratched against the marble much like Xin-Wei and Reol-Je's did. "It seems like we have ourselves a complicated situation," it declared. "You are right to bring the young mortal to me."

His feet skidded back. "What does that mean?" he demanded. His grip around An-Ri tightened. "What are you going to do?"

The fowl stalked towards him in two, long strides. "Handling a spirit without a contract is dangerous," it said, its tone almost reprimanding. "You're lucky you're still alive."

Nao-Zai whirled to Xin-Wei who settled on the floor and began licking its paw and running it over its forehead. "Was that what you meant back then?"

The tiger turned to him with a passive expression. Then again, it's not like its face ever changed from that. "That and a lot more," it said. Vaguely, like all the other times they talked about his fate. "Chai-Song, can you ascertain the Immortal Fox and the other spirits can survive without directly being connected to the Worldwalker?"

Chai-Song clicked its beak. "You don't have to ask twice, Xin," it said. Nao-Zai never thought Divine Beasts used the same convention in expressing endearment as the mortals did. Or maybe it were the mortals who got it from the Divine Plane. "I'll fix this poorly-done bond between them."

Nao-Zai pressed An-Ri closer, the spirit not appearing to be concerned about what Chai-Song was implying. "Wait. What are you—"

He wasn't able to finish because scalding golden light erupted from his feet, engulfing him and An-Ri in its influence. His eyes squeezed shut, his limbs waiting for any sort of pain. Nothing came. Slowly, he wrenched his lids open to find three Divine Beasts staring down at him. What happened...?

A hand patted his face and felt his hair. He was still the same flimsy mortal. His sword still hung on his belt and An-Ri still rested against his shoulder. He leveled his gaze at the humongous creatures. "Mind explaining what's going on?"

Reol-Je trudged towards him and lowered its head. "You, young mortal, have just become our beacon in searching for the Worldwalker's soul," it said.

"In the terms a young mortal like you can understand," Chai-Song shooed Reol-Je with a sashay into the scene. Her fan-like feathers have collapsed into a long train behind it as it approached Nao-Zai. "You and the Piper have always shared a bond—I can't do anything about that—but Shaoryeong's taint lies heavily on it, and I can only attribute it to the work of a foolish mortal who thought they can channel korza soundly."

Oh, so Shin-Ki wasn't such a hotshot as they presented themself to be? "The only reason you are able to interact with and gain An-Ri's affection is because you are an extension of the Piper's soul," Chai-Song continued. "But the faulty and tarnished bond is getting in the way. I need to remove Shaoryeong's traces and reforge it into a new thread. You should be able to tell where the Piper is now."

A frown pulled at his lips. He looked blankly at the Beasts. "So...how do I do it?"

Various growls and clicks rang from them. Xin-Wei pulled its body back up and trudged towards Nao-Zai. "You will learn on the way," it said. "We do not have the time to waste. Han-Xi's meddling has already caused significant damage to the balance."

"Then, let's be off," Chai-Song said. "The Devil's Maw awaits us."