"Kovacs! Hand over the Winter Solstice Salamander, and we can guarantee that you can leave here with your life! The members of the Nine Seas Theology won't bother your, or your Bone Shadow Sect ever again!".

"Bone Shadow Immortal! If you even think about handing over the Winter Solstice Salamander to anyone other than the Doctrine Of The Mother, then you can say goodbye to the thought of ever leaving this place alive!".

"Arthur, if you come back to the Luminous Church, we can guarantee the safety of you, and your descendents! All crimes against the Church will be forgiven, and your status as the thirteenth supreme elder will be reinstated. Just hand over the Winter Solstice Salamander, all all will be forgiven!".

"Hmph, if Arthur Kovacs of all people think they he will be able to leave here today after what he tried to pull at our Cult Of The Sun Headquarters on Rising Sun Plateau, then you all are sorely mistaken.....".

. . . . .

Kovacs, stood silently, his back facing a bottomless abyss.

His clothes torn and bloodied, yet still waving gently against the ocean breeze.

Despite the hundreds, if not thousands of men and women hovering in the sky above, the pale faced gentlemen still smiled, gently caressing the small creature in his arms.

He had spent the last several hundred years waiting, practicing patiently in order to cultivate the small, blue-spotted white salamander laying silently in his embrace.

Countless resources, from all over the thirty-three heavens.

Hundreds of years of practice and patience. Every moment of every day was spent researching, and refining the materials and recipe used to form the small lizard in his arms.

He had called in numerous favours, from old friends, and even some enemies in exchange for the resources to cultivate this Fae.

And now....

He smiled.

His teeth white and pristine despite the crimson colour soaking his clothes, spilling out onto the earth beneath him.

From what one could see, shadows and bone started forming wherever his blood dripped down, evidence of his attainment, and strength with his respective paths.

His inky black hair scorched and dyed the same colour, making his young appearance ghastly, with numerous burns and scars covering his body and face.

"..... To bring so many people to my death, perhaps I should be happy that I will be remembered....".

This gathering of cultivators was indeed impressive.

Members of dozens of different Clans and Sects, coming from every single one of the thirty-three heavens. This gathering of men and women, whose strength and collective power was enough to topple even someone such as him..... truly, it was as if the World itself was forcing Kovacs' death.

Patting the small salamanders head, Kovacs smiled as it crawled up his arm, resting its body around his neck, and its head on his shoulder.

Fae were created from the Heavens and the Earth, yet, some Fae were powerful enough to possess an intelligence the same level as a humans.

That meant they could experience the same feelings as humans.

Pain.... Regret.... Rage.... even Hatred....

Kovacs had spent an enormous amount of time with the Winter Solstice Salamander. From the moment it was born, to the moment it became an Immortal Fae.

The relationship between the two were as close as parent and child. In fact, now that he mentioned it, Kovacs probably did spend more time with this particular Fae, than any of his children.... or grandchildren....

He let out a self-depreciating smile.

".... What a horrible father I am....".

Glancing up at the starry night sky, Kovacs smiled as he gazed up towards the cultivators hovering above him. All of their expressions, painted in arrogance and pride. Not a single one of them thought that what they were doing was wrong, and every single one, believed they were justified in what they were doing.

"If this is my bed....".

The Winter Solstice Salamander turned into a searing bright ball of pale-blue moonlight and entered Arthur Kovacs' body.

Pale-blue tattoos formed all over his body, slowly creeping their way into the depths of Kovacs' Mind and Soul.

They transformed the entirety of his being, morphing it, transmuting it, into something more than human. Something more than Fae.

The expressions on all the faces of the cultivators hovering above him turned ashen, and their faces showed extreme regret.

"Then let me lie in it".

"Shit! He's trying to-".

But it was too late.

The entirety of Fallen River Valley, was completely engulfed by an endless stream of pale-blue moonlight. Some cultivators managed to activate their defensive Fae in time before the explosion hit, but found themselves staring angrily, at the enormous, gaping hole in the ground where Kovacs once stood.

Despite having an overwhelming advantage in both numbers and combat strength, they never anticipated something as ridiculous as this.....

. . . . .

The moonlight dripped down like dew, reflecting the rays of the golden sun.

The vast mountains seemed to reach the heavens as the vast, formless beams of sunlight crept over the mountaintop. Huge, stretches of forests grew unbridled by man or beast. Giving birth to countless birds and insects who called this stretch of land home.

The mountain itself was prone to two things in particular. One was rain, and the other was-.

"It's time for the awakening ceremony again this year!".

"It almost seems like it was just yesterday when we were undergoing the ceremony".

"I know. If I only awakened a better talent, and a more powerful Fae, perhaps I wouldn't be stuck as a stupid patrolman with you as my partner!".

"Hey!".

Several villages called Winter Rain Mountain home. The gathering of constant rain and cloud allowed for the perpetual growth and development of rivers and forests in the area. With a seemingly endless supply of wood and water, many families called this place home, and many Clans set up their foundations on this Mountain, allowing their roots to burrow as deep as the trees and flowers have.

The environment was perfect for the formations and growth of certain Fae.

Many Water Attributed Fae and Wood Attributed Fae call this place home as well. Every Clan has their own speciality, but some mortal families, whose members occasionally have the talent to become a cultivator, own some Fae that have formed in the wild.

All Fae are formed from the essence of the Heaven and the Earth, and are given a Mystery by the Truth.

Those that can allow the essence of the Heaven and Earth into their bodies, and practice the Mysteries that the Fae contain are called; Fae Masters!

Fae Masters nurture Fae. They refine Fae and allow them to become stronger. Understand their Mysteries and comprehend a greater Truth about the World, and their own place in it.

Becoming a Fae Master is akin to become a researcher. Researching the essence of the Heaven and Earth, and the hidden Mysteries about Fae, and their complimentary relationship with Humans and the other Races.

Whenever one awakens their talents as a Fae Master, the sudden influx of essence of the Heaven and Earth into the body something akin to a chemical reaction. The dormant origin essence, mixes with the essence of the Heaven and Earth, forming a Fae.

This is the only known way that a human can create a Fae. The Mystery as to why this occurs, is one of the Thirteen Great Fae Mysteries of the World.

The Fae that is created from this reaction is considered both an expression of talent, in addition to the direction where a Fae Masters talents lie.

Of course, something like this, will always have exceptions....

"..... the lack of origin essence..... the soft, soothing sounds of rain.... the warmth of the sun, tipping over the horizon.... I can't believe it, I've actually returned to Winter Rain Mountain....".

The scent of rain filled Kovacs lungs.

"How long has it been.... since I've last stepped foot in this place....", he wondered.

"How many hundreds of years has it been.... since I last saw my "parents".....", he pondered.

Sitting down on the windowsill, Kovacs showed a nostalgic expression as he gazed out towards the rest of the village.

Ever since he ran away, and abandoned Winter Rain Mountain, he had never once come back, in all of his thousand year lifespan.

His parents would've long since passed away, his brothers and sisters would have left children, and their children's children would've long since died.

Kovacs never once regretted leaving Parachenko Village, not a single time in his entire thousand years worth of life. However..... now that he had returned, now that he had come back.... everything suddenly came flooding back.

He sat soundlessly, enjoying the warm sun brush over his entire body.

He himself had descendents, and his brothers and sisters would've have descendents too. There was no chance of them ever meeting, yet, in another time.... another life.... perhaps things would be different.

Perhaps this time would be?

He smiled and closed his eyes.

Opening them as he gazed down at the village below.

"Not a chance in hell".