Conversations and laughter were flowing freely in Melga's restaurant. Only this time, Melga sat behind the counter, to the left of Zyon, Ryuzio sitting in his usual place.
It wasn't the evening, like most other times, but the morning after Aksel's men had attempted to destroy Klanta and take Ryuzio away—for whatever reason. None of that became true since Zyon and his squad was here.
Ryuzio laughed at one of Zyon's jokes but stopped when he found Melga staring at him. "What is it, Melga—?" He panickly looked where he was sitting. "I'm not even standing on the counter!"
Melga laughed. "I'm just happy to see that you've finally cleared the air between the two of you. It's nice to have you like this again."
"I didn't clear any air…" Ryuzio and Zyon glanced at each other. "Was I supposed to? Why didn't you tell me, Zyon!"
Zyon tapped the headband on his forehead. "I forgot! I'm so dumb!"
Ryuzio took a sip of his drink. "That's right!" He turned to Melga, pointing at her with a smile. "But Melga, I'm even happier than you, okay? I'm the happiest in our whole village! It's good to have YOU back!"
Melga smiled, turning away. "Dummy…"
She had been awake in Lyla's clinic when Ryuzio visited her last night. She was in perfect health, just as she should've been. Lyla was an awesome doctor! And Zyon, he was just…
Zyon was the awesomest! He saved Melga, saved Ryuzio, saved the whole village, and didn't even tell anyone about it! It was true after all; Zyon really was a real Volant!
However…he was leaving Klanta with his whole squad just a couple hours from now.
Though not a single person in this room got much sleep last night, everyone seemed to be bursting with energy. It was a party, after all.
"You didn't have to do all this, Zyon," Melga said, eyebrows furrowing. "I feel like I've caused too much trouble already."
Zyon cocked back his head, waving a hand. "This is just our thanks to you for feeding us for the past month. Don't take it any other way."
Melga smiled modestly. "But no matter what, I can't take the money you're offering. It's way too much!"
Erixon stood in front of the paykey, holding a device similar to a handphone. "Should I confirm the transaction, Zyon?"
Melga stood from her stool. "I can't take 10 million splinters from you, or from anyone for that matter! Having that much money is dangerous! Plus, I like doing my job!"
"10 MILLION!" Ryuzio said, spitting out his drink, turning to Zyon. "You have that kind of money? And you're giving all of it away?"
"All?" Zyon said with a chuckle. "That's nothing." Surely he didn't mean that…yeah?
Melga shook Zyon by his shoulder. "I'm not being modest or anything, Zyon. I genuinely think having that much money will force me off this job I love."
Zyon sighed, waving at Erixon to stop. "But I somehow have to show gratitude for all you've done for me and my squad, yeah?"
"Saving my life's not enough for you?" Melga asked, sitting back down. "I think you've done enough. Matter of fact, as a farewell, you guys should make another order. A parting gift, if you will. I'll make it free of charge even!"
"Only if you'll take the money," Zyon said, pointing both of his index fingers at her. "Yeah?"
"Fine." Melga turned to her beverage. "Suffer Lyla's cooking."
"I can hear you clearly, Melga," Lyla said, emerging from the door on the other side of the counter, Old Man Jenro rolling a trolley full of plates to the front of the counter. "Don't act like you're good at medicine."
Melga shrugged with closed eyes. "How hard can it be—?"
Lyla hugged her from over the counter. "Don't you ever scare me like that!"
Melga smiled, embracing her friend. "Thanks for not giving up on me."
"I did nothing," Lyla said with a shrug, pulling away, pointing at Zyon. "He's the one you should be thanking—"
"And then he was all like 'ZYON!'" Zyon was telling Brythe and Erixon dramatically, Ryuzio's face reddening beside him, "'ZYON! Thanks for coming to my rescue!' You guys should've seen the look on his face!"
Brythe laughed with Erixon. "He's just a kid, after all."
"Dumb old man!" Ryuzio said, face flushing from embarrassment.
"What did you say, Ryuzio?" Jenro said, putting a plate with two bunmeats before him on the counter. "I thought you were starting to be mindful of your elders—"
"Thanks, Old Man Jenro," Ryuzio said, picking one of the bunmeats off the plate and chomping into it. "Not bad…"
Jenro sighed, before putting a plate in front of Zyon with a smile. "The villagers now know full well how you and your friends protected them while they were dreaming peacefully. And as they should've been, every single one of them is grateful for all that you did."
Zyon rubbed the back of his head. "That's flattering to hear, old man."
Lyla smiled at Melga, pointing with her chin at Ryuzio, who was eating with delight. "I told you I can cook."
"Bunmeat's like the easiest thing in the world to make," Melga said dryly.
Lyla flushed. "At least give me some points for managing all this." She pointed at the tables which were being served by her father.
"I'm proud of you, Lyla," Melga said with a smile. "You ARE talented, after all."
Lyla's eyes twinkled. "Really—?"
"So when're you quitting medicine," Melga asked sarcastically. "I've been looking for an assistant for so long now."
"You never fail to pull my leg, do you?" Lyla said with a flushing face.
Zyon raised an eyebrow at Ryuzio, who grabbed his second bunmeat. "Not taking out the greens this time?"
"Uh-uh." Ryuzio chomped into his treat, shaking his head. "Can't have only the good stuff."
Zyon snorted softly. "You're not going to become any less of a baby by doing that."
"I'm not a baby," Ryuzio shouted, gulping down. He calmed as he turned to right, looking thoughtful. "Hey! I just remembered… Now that you have time to explain it, tell me about my curse, Zyon."
"About that…" Zyon scratched his cheek nervously. "I don't wanna make you mad, yeah, so I think I'll keep it to me—"
"No!" Ryuzio climbed atop the counter, pointing down at the white-haired Volant captain. "You HAVE to tell me everything, Zyon!" He glanced at Melga with a gulp, who didn't seem to mind him standing on the counter, surprisingly.
"I guess so," Zyon said with a sigh. He met Ryuzio's eyes. "Do you remember our duel?"
Ryuzio nodded sharply.
"Remember how you were hurt?"
Ryuzio nodded sharply again.
"Well…" Zyon said, exhaling softly. "Just know that you got hurt REALLY badly. It was so bad that you could've died."
Ryuzio cocked back his head in confusion. "But I'm not dead."
"Remember I gave you something?"
"Yeah…" Ryuzio looked sideways, trying to recall. "You did hand me a lump of glass…"
"That was a Trueshard, Ryuzio."
"Ah, one of those," Ryuzio said, nodding to himself. "Of course…everyone knows what a…crew's heart is… Can you remind me?" He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.
Zyon sighed with a shake of his head. "Every Trueshard grants a unique ability called a Shardskill. However, the one who absorbs a Trueshard…becomes a prime prey of Etherbeasts. They not only hunt you down, but a strong one can weaken your entire body and mind."
"I have a…smart skill?" Ryuzio said, glancing at his palms. "So that's what the red energy coat was—"
Zyon flicked a finger on his forehead, snapping him back to the moment. "People who absorb Trueshards never survive for long. And because the higher we go, the stronger Etherbeasts we find, becoming a Volant becomes close to impossible."
Ryuzio's eyes widened as he looked into Zyon's eyes. "You mean…"
Zyon nodded awkwardly. "I knew you'd get mad when you hear this, but as a kid who has absorbed an Ethershard, you're chances of becoming a Volant are slim at best." He lowered his head, clenching his fist on the counter. "But it was me who gave you that Shard, so I wanna apologize—"
Ryuzio headbutted the white-haired Volant, ramming his bare forehead into the one enforced with a metal-plated headband. "There's nothing to apologize for, Zyon!"
Zyon met his eyes, surprised.
"After all," Ryuzio said with resolution, "it was ME who challenged you to a duel. The only reason you had to give me that thing was ME! The one who absorbed that thing was ME!"
"Ryuzio…" Zyon said, eyes widening.
His squadmates around the room smiled.
Ryuzio stood tall atop the counter, holding up his drink. "We don't have time for dumb stuff like apologies, they're lame! Let's all enjoy this party instead!"
Everyone raised their own cups and glasses. "YEAH!"
Zyon smiled, raising his own drink. "Not bad, Zio, not bad at all."
Ryuzio smiled as he drank.
###
Ryuzio, along with Melga, Old Man Jenro, and Lyla, walked with Zyon toward the eastern entrance of Klanta, to bid him farewell.
The sounds of steps from behind perked up Ryuzio's ears. He glanced over his shoulder, only to find almost all of his villagers walking behind Chief Jenro.
"We came to thank you, good Volant!"
"Thanks for saving our village!"
Zyon smiled to them. "Of course."
Ryuzio laughed. "All of us are here but it seems your squad left you."
"That sounds like something they'd do, alright," Zyon said with a laugh before raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to ask me to bring you along?"
"No," Ryuzio said with a shake of his head. "I understand that I'm not ready just yet. I'll train hard and become tough as a dragon!"
"You're too young for the Skies anyway," Zyon pointed. "Throwing away your life is not a sign of bravery, but one of stupidity."
Ryuzio tilted his head. "When did you take off to the Skies, then?"
"Let's see," Zyon said, looking sideways thoughtfully. "I was 17 when I formed my own squad."
"And they left you after such a long time together?" Ryuzio asked, looking around as everyone stopped. "I don't see any vehicle around."
Zyon smiled, pointing at the sky. "A Volant belongs to the Skies!"
Ryuzio looked up. "What do you—?"
The sky above Klanta darkened, shadowing the entire village. The villagers gasped, some falling over.
"Whoa!" Ryuzio's eyes widened with disbelief as he saw the massive metal machine hovering in the sky, as if frozen into place. "What's that? How's it floating?"
"Our skyjet," Zyon said with a smile. "A Volant lives in the Skies, and a skyjet is necessary for that. It's almost like a flying home. However, someday I'll show you what I like to ride on even more than our skyjet."
Ryuzio stared at Zyon with wide eyes as he stood behind him with arms to the front to cover against the gusts made by the hovering machine. "A skyjet… Home…"
"We'll be taking off now, Zio," Zyon said with a smile, looking at the descending plane, which was blowing away everything on the ground, villagers taking cover behind trees to not get pushed back by the winds. "If you want to say something, that'd be now."
Ryuzio smiled, breathing in, puffing out his chest. "Someday," he announced, "I'll become a Volant just like you, Zyon, and soar through the Eight Skies with my squadmates in our own skyjet. And after that… Just watch me!
"I'll gonna be the Sky King!"
Zyon whistled. "Pretty big words there, Zio."
"But I'll do it," Ryuzio said with a smile. "You believe in me, don't you, Zyon?"
"No," Zyon said flatly.
Ryuzio's gaped as the gusts of wind got softer, the skyjet landing still on the ground. "Okay!" He turned his back on Zyon. "I don't even need you to believe in me. I have all the belief I need—"
He felt something cold touching the skin above his eyes, then something being wrapped around his head. It tightened from the back, reinforcing his forehead.
Ryuzio reached up to it slowly, mouth gasping for air, eyes widening in disbelief. He set his jaw as he slowly turned to face Zyon, only to find him squatted down, a scar across his bare forehead.
"But I do believe that you can prove ANYONE wrong, Zio," Zyon said with a smile, flicking a finger on Ryuzio's forehead, but now, it made the sound of hitting metal. "This time…I came to meet you, so now it's YOUR TURN, okay?
"Though, I'll warn you in advance, flying up to the clouds I soar around is going to require you some really strong wings, Zio!"
Ryuzio tightly gripped the headband that Zyon just wrapped around his forehead, pulling it over his eyes, hiding away his tears. "OKAY!"
Zyon smiled, patting him on the head. He backed away shortly, getting inside the flying vehicle, waving a hand as it ascended up to the sky, past the clouds.
"Zyon…" Ryuzio and his Klanta villagers waved in return. "I'll be a Volant just like you!"
'I can't wait to turn 17…!'
###
A Volant squad of around twenty men approached the Klanta villagers that had gathered around the village square.
Their captain stepped ahead, drawing out his sword. "You think by crowding up y'all can take us on?"
Jenro glanced over his shoulder. "We're not here for rats like you, but just how many delusional fools can come to the same damned village?"
Lyla laughed. "It's just the second time this month, Dad."
The villagers stuck to their own conversations, not paying any attention to the horde of angry men approaching them.
"Where's Melga?" Jenro asked, turning to his daughter. "And—"
Ryuzio opened the front door of Melga's house, having finished his breakfast. He stepped out and burped loudly.
Lyla smiled to her father. "There he is."
Ryuzio was surprised to find his fellow villagers gathered around the square. He glanced across from them and found a horde of Volants standing with their weapons out. He smiled, slinging off his backpack and throwing it to Lyla as he walked in between the two groups.
"Make it quick, kid," Jenro said, taking a seat. "We don't have time for this."
Ryuzio unzipped his red and black jacket, revealing the black shirt that he wore under it, giving Jenro a nod with an approving smile.
The single Volant ahead of his squad pointed at Ryuzio with his sword. "You supposed to be strong or something?"
"Strong?" Ryuzio said, scratching the scar on his nose, then tightening his headband, and pointing at it with a thumb. "I'm tough as dragon! Bring it!"
"Tch," the opposing man hissed with an annoyed expression, as the men behind him started laughing. "You're just another kid, after all." With that, he pulled back his sword, taking a stance.
Ryuzio put his fists in front of him—
A thick-forearmed Etherbeast charged at the Volants from behind their backs. It caught them off guard, smacking them to the side with ease, charging toward the swordsman at the front of the group.
Jenro sighed, shaking his head. "When's it going to learn?"
The swordsman's eyes widened as he turned away from Ryuzio. "What the fluck is this animal? Agh—!"
The Etherbeast smacked him out of its way, standing tall in front of Ryuzio, gleaming yellow eyes looking down. Then it pulled back its fist, roaring loudly.
Ryuzio smiled, looking into the Etherbeast's predatory eyes.
The Etherbeast threw its fist against Ryuzio's chest.
Ryuzio's cloaked his body with Ether, a red coat of energy taking form closely to his skin. He put his left palm toward the Etherbeast's fist.
The Etherbeast roared as its fist connected with Ryuzio's palm, sending gusts of winds behind him—
Ryuzio smiled, grabbing the Etherbeast's fist that he just blocked. "Now…it's MY turn!" He pulled back his right fist.
The Etherbeast's eyes widened as it tried to remove the grip on its fist—
"Dragon Cloak!" The hexagonal Scalemark on Ryuzio's right shoulder alighted, spewing out multiple glowing Scales of burning red Ether. The hexagonal Scales spiraled around his arm, before reaching down to his fist and assembling together, locking together to a glove of red Scales around his knuckles. "Dragon Gauntlet!"
Ryuzio blasted his fist toward the Etherbeast's chest, flames bursting out from his knuckles, trailing the path of the punch. "Dragon Bullet!"
The Etherbeast's mouth burst open, gasping for air, as the fist punched into its chest. The Beast's legs lifted off the ground before it flew away from Ryuzio.
Ryuzio pulled back his fist after he threw the Beast away, the delayed shockwave of his impact sending gusts of wind around the village square.
The Etherbeast tumbled to the ground after gravity pulled him down, rolling off to a great distance.
Jenro stood up, walking ahead with a cane. "When's it going to accept that it's weaker than Ryuzio?"
Lyla shook her head, walking to Ryuzio. "Never, I guess."
"Even after he's gone?" Jenro asked, adjusting his glasses to look at Ryuzio.
Lyla handed back Ryuzio his backpack. "Is this all you're taking with you?"
Ryuzio slung his backpack onto his back. "What do I need other than bunmeats for the lunch?"
"I was not talking about just the food," Lyla said with a frown. "What about a change of clothes? A toothbrush would be good too."
Ryuzio thinned his eyes, stroking his chin. "Did you look inside my bag, Lyla?"
"I was just looking out for you, you know," Lyla said, waving her hands in front. "By the way, where's Melga?"
Ryuzio sighed, shaking his head. "I don't think she'll be coming to see me off."
"She can't do that!" Lyla said loudly. "That's crazy! What is she even up to?"
Jenro tapped his cane on Lyla's shoulder, and then pointed it toward Melga's door.
Lyla turned her head to find Melga standing outside her doorway, nose colored red. "She got sick—?" Lyla bit her lip, as if having a realization.
"Alright, kid," Jenro said, walking up to Ryuzio, who zipped his jacket. "You better be prepared to face the worst, since I've failed to convince you otherwise on the path that you've taken."
Ryuzio looked at the clear sky above Klanta, fixing his headband. "I'm prepared to fly, Old Chief. I've been waiting for this day for too long now. There's no way I'm not ready!"
Jenro sighed, waving his cane around. "We'll be going with you till the village entrance. Hope you know that a small distance from there you'll find the road that'll take you to a Skybridge. That Bridge connects many different places, big and small, including the place where you want to start your journey from."
"Right!" Ryuzio said with a nod. "Let's go!" He turned toward Melga.
Melga waved with a smile, eyes watering.
Ryuzio smiled widely at her with closed eyes.
Jenro walked in front, tapping his cane on the ground. "The bus to the Skybridge won't wait for long, kid."
Ryuzio turned hastily, following Jenro—
"Take care of yourself, Ryuzio!" Melga shouted from behind. "And when you have lots of friends, bring them here to my restaurant! We'll have a big party!"
Ryuzio raised his fist with a smile, walking to the village entrance. "You got it, Melga!"
Jenro and Lyla smiled to each other. "This kid…"
The villagers ahead of them stopped.
Ryuzio walked up to the Beast that was blocking their path.
The Etherbeast sat on the ground, gazing at Ryuzio with its yellow eyes.
Ryuzio patted it on the head as he passed by its side. "Protect Klanta while I'm away, okay, Gleam? When I return, I'll give you another rematch."
The Beast howled sorrowly, reaching the sky with its mouth as it cried loudly. It was hard to believe that there had been a time when Gleam almost ate Melga and Ryuzio. But it was in the past. It was gone.
Ryuzio smiled to himself, barely able to contain the excitement that was blazing inside of him. 'Zyon…I can't wait to meet you in the Skies! Hope you haven't forgotten the promise we made years ago! You wait too, Xen!
'The next time we meet, I'm going to have my own Volant squad!'