I LEAVE THORNTHISTLE.

My wings take me to the sky. The violet dome overhead is illuminated only by Caerulum, during this false day. So, it is rather dim. And it is during this dim day that I head for the other domains of Utana.

I avoid the Desolate Caverns, for it is inhabited only by monsters. There is nothing there to protect, even if a ship crashed there. Instead, I go to the Blazing Desert. The city at the Frosty Mountains is further away, and Bluerage as well as a few other skilled Elementalists and those marked by the Elocunive are there. They can hold their own for a little bit.

Those in the Blazing Desert cannot. They are the ones who were most ravaged by Galgom. They lost their guardian the earliest— the Flamelord was the first to fall. So, there was little opposition to Galgom in the city of the Blazing Desert.

Warmthkeep.

The landscape changes from a vibrant green sea to a more dull brown picture. I speed over the desert as I spot smoke trailing up in the distance. The crash site of the ship that landed in this domain. A crater opens up in the middle of a canyon, with a similar disc-shaped ship broken up in the middle.

This ship had a far more violent crash than the previous one I saw. It is actually broken open, and I can see the remains of a man— an anthropoid blue-skinned man with no face— dead at the crash site. He does not look like any species of creature I have seen. Similar to an individual Galgom in build and height. But ultimately a different creature.

The crash must have killed him, and severely injured his companion who came with him. There is a trail of blood that leads away from the canyon, which I steadily follow. I do not fly at full speed, so as to not alert whatever creature that escaped the crash.

I eventually spot it moving amongst the sand. The desert is not so much dunes, but rather a flat landscape, coarse and rough. A creature, almost like an elephant, lumbers forward, bleeding from its hind legs. It has the same large ears of an elephant, same body shape of an elephant, but the features that differ are the color of its skin— red, not gray— and the lack of a trunk.

I hover above it, watching its movements for a while, trying to keep out of its sight. But somehow, even with my illusions, the creature notices me. It turns its head around, its eyes ablaze. I narrow my eyes, letting my illusion drop.

“Are you with Idu?” I ask, and it does not answer. “Are you a void pirate?” I try to press it even further, but the creature takes a step forward.

It lifts up its ears as I ready the Essences around me. From beneath its ears, thousands of tiny critters are released. They are small, about the size of my hand, and they have six clawing legs. They fly up into the air, floating up without wings.

I take a deep breath, channeling my Qi through my fingertips. A plume of flames shoot out, incinerating these critters like they are leaves falling from a deciduous tree. They turn to ashes and elicit a screech from the creature. I cross my arms, speaking once again.

“Why have you come from this world?” It is pointless. I know it is pointless. But I hope that it can communicate— see reason for what it is and perhaps resign when knowing it is overwhelmed. Alas, it does not.

The creature releases more of the critters. They aim for my face, zipping around me faster than before. I create a barrier on my skin with the School of Enchantment so that they simply fall off me. Then I try to expend some Yellow Essence, trying to dispel these creatures as though they are Spirits. It does not work, and I am forced to rely only on my Qi.

I grab one of these critters out of the air, crushing it with my hands. It explodes into a mess of blood that covers my palm. And I exhale. The blood turns into iron needles and shoots out at the next wave of critters. It pierces through them, drawing blood, and I turn their blood into more metal needles. This attack cascades repeatedly until hundreds of thousands of thin needles fill the air, slaughtering all of these critters as they come out of beneath the creature’s ears.

The needles bounce off its skin, not strong enough to pierce through it. But the creature cannot hurt me. It is on the ground, while I am flying high up here in the air.

I bring myself down to its level, meeting its gaze. “This is your last chance,” I say warningly, “you can speak with me, deliver a message to Idu, and leave this world, or you can die right here.”

The creature lets out a trumpeting sound. It raises one of its large front legs, and I sigh.

“Very well.”

I sidestep the crushing blow of its tree trunk leg, and raise a palm. I strike straight at its neck, slicing up as if my hand is a blade. My Aura concentrates, forming a true blade, and it slices the creature’s head right off.

It collapses with a loud thud, dead. “Even when it was injured, it still tried so hard to do its job.” I shake my head, taking off into the sky. “Now, is that all there is to the Blazing Desert?”

I fly over to Warmthkeep. It lies at the center of a valley of plateaus. The layers of sediment build up to different colors, giving it a bright atmosphere that is not present elsewhere in this domain. I inspect the city— buildings made of sandstone and clay, still under repair, still sparse of crowds— and determine that no attack has been carried out here.

“So, that was all of the attackers here.” I close my eyes, using the School of Divination to confirm my thoughts. And sure enough, the rest of the Blazing Desert is barren. “Now, I have to check on the Frosty Mountains.”

Honestly, the battle with that creature went far easier than I had expected. The quick and simple outcome likely is a result of it being injured, and without its partner. Unless fortune favors me again, I highly doubt the next battle will be so easy.

No levels from the Elocunive. Seems like a similar situation as to when I killed Galgom the first time.

I highly doubt my next encounter will grant me levels, but I still continue. Because I promised to help fend off these void pirates and protect Utana.

***

I arrive at the Frosty Mountains, a vast mountainous landscape that stretches on as far as my eyes can see. Before it is an expansive jungle, layered in snow— it reminds me of the Fifth Heaven. The Heaven full of Sacred Beasts.

A world that is desolate, yet thriving with life. I continue on to the undulating shapes. They spread out taller and taller, almost as tall as Vedas Mountain. Perhaps some of them may even reach higher. But I do not see it. Not here, where the crater lies.

The disc-shaped ship is intact here, and I do not see any signs of life. Or death. Which means the ones who landed in this domain escaped unscathed and are likely headed to the city of Frozenpeak.

With a flap of my wings, I propel myself straight for the city. It lies at the basin of various mountains, right by a lake of frozen water. The interior of the lake is not frozen however, heated by the volcano right by its side.

That had been where the Icecaller lived— Bluerage told me. And the Icecaller prevented the volcano from ever erupting. But now that he is gone, the people of the city considered moving. Only after they are ready.

Now, I see the city in the distance. And it seems that they will need more time to prepare, as they are under assault.

A winged, flying creature circles the city. It looks like a serpent, but with wings. And it unleashes flames down into the buildings and the structures below. The elements of this world are unleashed back at it, yet the attacks bounce off its skin.

Within the city itself, a large multi-legged beast rampages, locked in combat with the best fighters of the city. I hear civilians screaming. I can see them fleeing, being chased by the serpent. I close my eyes, checking my reserves of my Aura and my Qi.

I have enough. Enough for me to deal with these two. As long as the Elementalists of the city aid me. Steeling myself, I descend. And I clash with the void pirates once more.