Li raised up a platform of vines and branches to the ceiling of the Vukanovi, carrying with him Tia and Zagan. He put a hand to the ceiling, narrowing his eyes as he exerted his magical energy delicately, willing the ceiling of the pumpkin monster to open up just enough that the least amount of deadly ash would flow in.

"Thou hast no need to worry," said Asala as she picked up on Li's intent. She made a sweeping motion with her hand. Wisps of blue mana parted from around her, flying up to the ceiling and then expanding, materializing into a layer of golden sand. 

From the way the sand seemed to shimmer, as if each grain was alive and moving, Li could tell this was the C-ranked spell [Quicksand Barrier]. 

"With that, thou can pass through without worry of the poison outside flowing within," said Asala.

"I know," said Li, and Asala flitted out her forked tongue in curiosity.

"Thou hast knowledge of sand magic, too?" asked Asala. "That is curious indeed. Never before in mine years hath I witnessed one so versed in so very many magics as thee."

"Just consider me well studied," said Li as he opened up the ceiling of the Vukanovi, slowly at first, tentative to see whether the ash could permeate through the sand, but it did not. 

"Gods," came Mercer's voice.

Li looked down at the young adventurer, and so did everyone else. After all, he had been the only one to remain so silent during the somewhat heated conversation about demons before. Perhaps he had something notable to add.

"You-," said Mercer as he looked at Asala with eyes slightly wide with surprise. "Are forty?"

"Okay, nothing important. I'm leaving now," said Li with a slight sigh, though he did smile. 

Atop the Vukanovi, Li squinted his eyes as he held Tia near him. The ashen fog was extremely dense here, so dense that he could not even see even an inch in front of him. The fog seemed almost solid, weighing on his skin in a noticeable weight. 

It was strange, this ash. If it was a regular particulate, then Li could have easily seen through it with his massively superhuman sight. Or heard past it. But he could not. It muted his senses, blocking even his hearing as it seemed the fog muted even sound from passing through it. 

At the least, Li could not perceive it doing any damage to him. Rather, it even felt a little, how could he put it, familiar? The ash had a faint chill to it that was not entirely unpleasant, like a cool touch of water in summery heat. 

"Papa, what's wrong?" came Tia's muffled voice. She was covered under several massive banana leaves growing from Li so as to prevent exposure to the ash. 

"Nothing," said Li. "Get ready to fly, Tia, and fly fast, too. We will have to fly straight up to escape this ash."

"Race!" said Tia with excitement. He could feel her wings starting to stretch out, straining at the barrier of leaves around her.

"Not today, Tia, today, papa will be flying with you," said Li.

"That okay too!" said Tia, more excited to be outside than anything else. 

Li cast [Wings of Simurgh], the feathery, elementally infused wings sprouting from his sides and stretching taut, tense with power and ready to fly. 

"Then here we go!" said Li as he jumped up, blowing his wings down. He could also feel a little burst of wind from beside him as Tia too crashed her wings down, sending them both up hurtling at blurring speeds.

It took just over half a minute to clear the fog ridden area, which, in perspective, was an extraordinarily long time considering how fast Li and Tia were flying. But now that they were high up, Li could scan the area without interference.

"I see. It does not look like there is an end to sight for this ash," said Li as his eyes narrowed, the green energy shining in his pupils intensifying as he focused his sight. Even far into the horizon, the ashen fog hung thick, a curtain of white shrouded atop the desolate earth. 

The fog did not move, even as Li felt the windy day send its breezes his way. It would appear that the ash was completely supernatural in nature, suspended almost in time as it sat immovable and immutable. Even if Li used a spell with high power to try and blow the fog away, he doubted it would work. 

"Don't like it," said Tia.

Li looked to her. She was keeping herself hovering with her wings. The way her wings flapped so lazily, he knew that biomechanically, it was not possible for her to hover so perfectly in place like that. But magic lay within her blood, in her wings, in every single breath she took, and it seemed it aided her movements even if she did not consciously will it.

Zagan was in her arms, carried up with her arms under his front paws. Li remembered that the demon had despised being held like this by Jeanne, but right now, there was no sign of complaint. Perhaps because this was Tia, an innocent child and also Li's daughter.

"Cold," continued Tia with a slight shiver. She hugged Zagan tighter to herself, letting the demon's shaggy black fur warm her. "Fog cold. Don't like cold."

Li knew well of Tia's aversion to the cold. Her bad dreams were always about cold places. Cold things. If ever there was a fearful bone in her body, it would be a worry about the cold. He flew next to her, putting a comforting hand on her head.

"I know. But we get to run from the cold up here," said Li. He looked up to see the dawn sky. It was still dark, but the sun was about to rise, lightening the black of night into something cooler, something prettier, bluer. 

"Mm-hm." Tia nodded. She looked down to Zagan and put her chin atop the fur of his head. "Are you okay?"

Zagan spoke. Not telepathically as he had always done, but with his own voice. It had been a while since Li had heard it, so he was reminded at how inhuman it was. Deep, guttural, laced with a rattle that sounded like the growl of a predatory beast, and seemingly devoid of any warm inflection. 

"Why do you ask such a question, child?" 

"Because they were mean to you down there," said Tia. 

"The chattering of mortals is of no consequence to this personage. Their hate and their fear are but the protest of the weak, unworthy of hearing."

"I understand how you feel," said Li. He knew that the demon considered himself far higher than any mortal, and it was true in terms of sheer power, age, and scale. "But perhaps it would be best to mediate such sentiments in the future. I will be aiding and working with a great many mortals, after all."

"That, this personage already does," said Zagan simply. "You have questions for me, do you not? This personage sensed them and is ready to answer all that which your curiosity stirs."

"More talk?" said Tia, pouting. "Want to explore!" 

"I'm not so sure, Tia," said Li. "Magic does not seem to sense through this fog. If we get lost, it will be hard to find each other again." He looked at Tia's defeated face and then considered a workaround. "But I can fly and follow you. Papa might be a little busy talking, though."

"That's fine, so long as papa with me," said Tia. 

Li nodded and looked to Zagan. "Can you fly?"

"Of course." Zagan squirmed, and Tia let him go. Before the demon could fall, a flash of fiery red burst from his back, and two draconic, obsidian scaled wings stretched out, manifesting from angry red silhouettes. 

Tia stared wonderingly at Zagan. "You dragon too?"

"Nonsense." Zagan began to clarify. "This personage is a demon of deals, as is much of the swarm of greed. In deals, we bet, and we gain. These wings, this personage has gained from a dragon in the time of the Third Darkening."

"I see," said Li. "You made a deal with a dragon? It gave up its wings? For what?"

"For strength, of course. That is all the dragons seek," said Zagan. 

"But being strong good," said Tia.

"This personage did not deny that," said Zagan. "But let not a drive for strength dominate your mind. Rigidity in purpose causes stagnation, and stagnation breeds weakness."

"A surprising statement coming from you," said Li. "I thought demons and dragons were rather similar in their natures. Consuming and growing strong while having pride in their principles, ways, bloodlines, or whatnot."

"For five hundred years, that is what this personage believed. Believing in principle. Principle and rites laid down since the Convergence itself when the first demons fought for supremacy against the three great gods." 

Zagan's red eyes flashed as his draconic, fire laced wings moved around him. But before he continued, he addressed Tia. "You need not concern yourself with this talk. Fly, child, and we shall follow."

Li nodded in agreement.

"Okay!" said Tia. "I go fast, though, so keep up!"