Author's Notes: I apologize for another lengthy delay in posting, but there's only 10ish chapters to the end. So over the next couple of days, I'll be posting the remainder of the chapters in batches. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy. I've been back to writing lately, so I'm hoping to have more new fics posted in the near future!

Their next destination was Relewiese Hollow, which according to Estelle, was on the canyon marred and scarred continent of Wecca to the southeast. The flight there was long enough for him to get at least a few precious hours of sleep, but the endless weaving of Ba'ul through the canyons in an attempt to find the Hollow itself was jarring and dizzying. No one was able to rest. Least of all Flynn. Somewhere, not too long ago, Yuri found Flynn's motion sickness amusing, and now he barely batted an eye over it. He had changed, and so had Flynn.

Three spirits down and only one to go gave him a little more hope. Karol, Estelle, and Rita seemed enthusiastic enough about it. Judith, Raven, and Flynn seemed to have some reservations, but were working actively in the pursuit of this goal. But all the Yuri could seem to think was: were four spirits, even if they were the four elemental spirits and their powers the basis for all, going to be enough?

The basis behind his own idea had been incredibly simple. If four spirits were not enough, then more would be needed. And while raw apatheia wasn't a viable resource for them to use, Khroma had told them that the cores of all blastia were made of apatheia, so in theory, at least as far as his own unscientific mind went, it was an option. There were a lot of downsides. He couldn't deny that. But something was better than nothing, and if a sacrifice had to be made to save the world from the Adephagos, why not sacrifice the thing that had caused the problems all along.

Yuri liked using blastia. He couldn't deny it. It was convenient. There were loads of things that he couldn't do without it. But he could live without it. When he spouted out that idea, he had come to terms with that. Certainly, life without blastia would be harder, but not impossible. Without the bodhi blastia on his wrist, facing a very tough monster would be a lot more of a challenge than it already was. Without blastia to light or heat his home, it would be unbearably cold in the winter and dark at night. Without the barriers, monsters could enter cities with easy and reap all sorts of damage, possibly even at the cost of human life. But for right now, they would start small and his idea was out there and the others had surely been mulling it over as much as he had. It was hard not to think about how vastly a simple thing not longer working would change the world. But if it was for the sake of the world, wouldn't the sacrifice be worth it?

That wasn't to say he hoped it would come to that. But it was a still hard to imagine that the four elemental spirits would be able to do much good on their own. There was still one to get though, and that could turn the tide in their favorite. Or at least he could hope. It was better than clinging to nothing.

After a long night of searching for the path to Relewiese Hollow, dawn's light over the Outer Ocean pointed the way, and they were forced to disembark the Fiertia. For Ba'ul, the winds in the canyon were too strong, and the canyon it were too narrow for him to maneuver, so they had to go down on foot. Which of course, resulted in Raven complaining somewhat comically about the pain in his knees and back and about how the wind burned his ears and he couldn't hear. But they all pretended not to hear him as they made the trek down the dangerously steep, rocky paths, left carved into the walls of the canyon eons ago by the rivers below and the winds still there.

It was a surprised to find nests of monsters in the sides of these steep cliffs, and they were heartier and harder to defeat due to having to live in an environment like this. The effects of creature's responses to their natural environments could be astounding, just the same as the way humans adapted. But if all the blastia was gone, would they be so willing to adapt to that strange and dangerous new change? He wanted so much to believe that humans just wouldn't give up when faced with new challenges, that there was always a few who would see the best in any situation and strive their hardest. But that was something difficult to believe in when he didn't feel that way.

He wanted the harsh, hot wind to drive away the heaviness in his chest and head that made him feel this way, that made him feel so hopeless and empty. Yuri hoped that time would relieve him, that as the wound on his abdomen patched up and faded into a silvery scar like all the others he bore, that this feeling of death clinging to his every step would vanish, too. He hoped that one day he could look back on this incident, this whole difficult and perilous journey and maybe laugh and get a good story out of it. But none of those things were proving to be true and that didn't make his predicament better. Some memories were too strong to vanish with time. Some sensations would never leave. Some things were never going to be forgotten. They would hang on until death, no matter how much he wanted to move on.

The steep and narrow paths of the canyon took his thoughts back roughly and he was glad not to have to think about everything else going on in his mind. A simple distraction that would prove lethal if he wandered back to his last train of thought. He didn't want to go back. He needed to keep going forward, no matter how hard, right? If he could do that, then in the end he could rest. And right now, that was all he wanted.

They paused to take a break once the path widened and allowed them a little ease. They were a little more than halfway down, but they couldn't see the bottom yet, and there was no telling how far down the place they were looking for even was. It seemed to be one of those 'you'll know it when you see it' type situations. They chatted for a little while, their voices echoing through the vastness of the canyon as just waves of the sound they had once been. He couldn't keep up with their conversation though, and kept to himself until they decided to continue on. But Repede growled beside him, alerting him to something coming up the path they were heading for.

"Someone's coming," Estelle said. "A person all the way out here...?"

Coming into sight from around a boulder was a man that Yuri wasn't ready to see again. Duke reminded him too much of the place and time where Yuri had almost lost his life.

"Duke..." he still found himself muttering.

Duke seemed just as surprised to see them. "You... What are you doing here?"

"We heard that there was an Entelexia here. We came to ask it to become a spirit." Flynn stepped forward, taking charge of the situation. Yuri watched warily from over his shoulder.

"A 'spirit'?"

"It is a being that is born by reincarnating an Entelexia through their apatheia," Judith replied. "With their power, we might be able to solve the aer problem by converting the aer into mana."

He gazed at them in silence a moment before speaking. "I see. You are trying to remake the very world itself in order to solve a problem that humans caused. How very arrogant."

"If we don't do something, the Adephagos is going to destroy the world," Karol said.

"Belius understood, and Phaeroh, too. They became Undine and Efreet," Estelle added.

"The proper form of Terca Lumireis is one that in which all living things, including the Entelexeia, can exist in their natural state. I cannot accept this." He turned away from them, toward a path that followed upward in the opposite direction that they had descended from. "I will save this world, our Terca Lumireis."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" Yuri asked from behind Flynn, garnering a slight glance from over Duke's shoulder.

"I have my own path. I will not interfere in your way, so you shall not interfere with mine." He paused again, staring out into the endless corridors of canyons and gorges. "Ahead in the oldest spring in the world. Pay it due respect, but know that you will find no further help here. I advise that you turn back now. Farewell. We will not meet again." He started up the path and disappeared out of sight after only a moment.

He wanted to follow. He didn't like the tone of Duke's voice, the apprehension, the strange finite-ness that was there. He wanted to follow, but he did not.

"I wonder what he's planning," Judith mused.

"I don't know, but I don't have a good feeling about this." Rita paced forward, tapping her chin. "If only I had a moment more to talk to him."

"What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking that with his sword, Dein Nomos, we could focus the spirits' energy on the Adephagos. But I'm certain that there's no way he'd be willing to lend it to us, especially after that. I wonder if I could construct some sort of surrogate..." her rambling continued on for a moment, but Yuri stopped listening after she started dropping the jargon that he couldn't understand. It was best left up to those who could.

"For now, let's focus on getting the last spirit. Then we can work out the finer details of the plan," Flynn said, and with their agreement, they continued further down the winding and dangerous path.

It was another hour of the downward hike before they came upon the entrance to a cave, larger than the monster nests that dotted the cliff side. The wind that filled the canyon, seemed to breath through this place, a gentle pulsing that grew as they neared. It wasn't strong enough to knock them away, thankfully, or they might have found the bottom of the canyon the hard way. What they found inside confirmed that they were in the right place.

The aer spring here was soft and green, calm and unpolluted unlike the krene that Gusios had been tending. So great was its blessing here that the inside of the cavern was filled with a miniature field of yellow flowers, faces open toward the sheltering light on the krene.

"It's... beautiful," Estelle whispered, stepping forward to touch one of the blossoms. "I never imagined that such a place existed."

"But where is the Entelexia that should be here?" Rita asked, looking around impatiently.

What Duke said suddenly worried him. He said that they would find no further help here. Did that mean that they were too late? That the Entelexeia was gone? Or that it had been consumed by the blight much like Phaeroh and Gusios had almost been?

"What do you want here?" A woman's voice turned their heads toward the entrance of the cave. Khroma stood there, her golden eyes coldly locked on them.

"Khroma?" Even Judith was confused by her presence.

"Get out. I have had my fill of humans." She sauntered past them and into the field of flowers.

"Khroma, what is going on-?"

She cut Judith off, a sharp bite to her tone. "I said leave. Obviously you did not heed Duke's warning."

"What is Duke planning to do?" Flynn asked, unfaltering in the face of her sudden appearance and cold attitude.

"He plans to exchange the lives of all humans to protect this world."

"What?" Yuri pushed toward the front of the group just in time to keep Estelle from taking a step back as she gasped.

"Why would he do something like that?" She asked, stunned.

"Because he doesn't trust humans, and no longer can I. Now be gone, before he has seven less human lives to use as bargaining chips."

"I think it's time that you show us who you really are, Entelexeia," Yuri said.

A swift golden light enveloped her, and as it diminished, they could see a brown dragon staring them down. It was the same as the one they encountered in the Weasand of Cados, and in the Sands of Kogorh after Phaeroh's trial again the illusionary Adephagos seed. She opened her beak, and the shrill sound that came out was deafening and shocking.

I have warned you, humans. Now I will destroy you myself! She leapt at them, scattering their ranks.

"But, Khroma, why? Why would you do this?" Judith asked, fighting not to let panic take hold.

Because I despise humans! Don't you understand?! They have been a scourge on the face of Terca Lumireis for far too long! With a swipe of her bladed tail, she knocked Karol, Raven, and Estelle aside and advanced on Flynn and Judith. They have hunted my kin to the brink of extinction and you still come here to me to ask for my aid! You who killed my kin with your own hands! I have for you nothing but the purest hatred!

She leapt again, pinning Flynn to the ground with one massive foot, digging her red talons into his shoulder while he tried in vain to push her off or break free. Judith advanced, but was swept aside with a mighty flap of Khroma's six wings, that sent them all barreling into the wall of the cave. She stomped on Flynn and flung him over too before readying to charge them again.

It was hard to retaliate against something that moved as fast as Khroma did. it was hard to even keep hold of a sword long enough to counter attack as she used to the force of her scaled body to slam them into the wall before trying to trample them. Yuri threw Karol out of the way as she charged again, and waited with his sword for the right moment to catch her off guard, but she did that instead. Rather than barreling into him, she stopped short, pulling her head back and letting her jaw drop open.

Above her long, dark tongue was a spark. It disappeared very briefly as she inhaled, but as soon as her mass was filled with air, it was bright as a flash. He had only his sword to defend himself with as the gas and the spark turned into a flame that he tried to duck away from.

Flynn slammed into her side with his shield, which was thankfully enough for her to loose her footing and her flame breath scorched instead the cavern wall and flowers rather than Yuri.

"Khroma, please! We want to help!" Estelle said, trying to reason with her between healing artes to try and keep everyone up on their feet.

"Belius, Phaeroh, and Gusios have been reborn! They are spirits now." Judith tried also.

Liars! Khroma howled, charging again and downing Judith. As Karol tried to move into attack, he was thrown aside as well.

She let out a terrible shriek, high pitched enough that it made Yuri want to cover his ears and cringe, but he resisted. The cavern shook, and he nearly lost his footing as he darted to dodge the shower of falling rocks that she rained down on them from above. As soon as he tried to get within reach to use and arte, she reared back and breathed fire at him once more.

Estelle shield guarded him from the burning flames as she healed it very quickly and dashed off to aid the next. Khroma had turned her attention onto Flynn at this point, and Repede was hacking away with his knife and his strongest artes against her back legs. With a swipe of her tail, she knocked him over, but he latched onto her rather than being flung across the cave. She howled as he did all he could to keep a hold on her and Flynn took the opportunity to let of a series of strike artes that sent her reeling.

Momentarily disabled, Yuri lunged forward, moving from basic sword moves straight into a fearsome Dragon Swarm, knocking her further. She sprung back at him full force, recovered from the blow Flynn gave her and threw Yuri into a wall.

The impact of his head on the stone blurred his sight. He could hear her clawed feet advance on him, tearing up the ground. She was over him just as his vision cleared, lifting herself up with the strength of her winds with the intent of slamming into him. But he had his sword in hand, and in spite of the reeling in his head, he was going to fight. Just as she stopped the flapping of her wings, ready to descend, he took his chance and sliced her across her belly.

Khroma dropped like a stone, scrambling to get back onto her feet, but the damage was done. She wasn't going to give up that easily.

Her shriek cause another avalanche of stones to rain down on them, and her fire breath forced them to keep their distance and regroup. She charged to break them up again, but they took the advantage and surrounded her.

She tried to lift up to body slam them again, but this time Karol caught her soft underbelly, and Raven made a couple of arrows in before she fell. She blasted fire at them, only to have the blows blocked by shields or returned with a hail of Rita's Tidal Wave. She was weakening quickly, and after a few more blows, she could hardly stand further.

So, I too shall follow the path of my kin.

"You don't have to let your struggle have been in vain," Flynn said, taking a step toward the fallen Entelexia.

"Lend us your strength and we will do everything we can to say this world," Estelle added.

Her amber eyes glared up at them as she used all of her strength to try and get herself back onto her feet for what Yuri didn't doubt would be another barrage of attacks. Her clawed feet couldn't support her weight any longer and she only ended up falling flat into the trampled flowers.

Do as you wish, the last vestiges of her voice spat at them.

Like the others before her, her body disappeared into a bright flash, leaving an apatheia as her only legacy. As soon as the glow faded, Undine appeared, and watched as Judith took the apatheia in hand.

Humans, I wish to apologize on the behalf of my sister. For so long, she fought alongside the humans and only wished for peace. But since the war, she began to change. She became bitter and hateful of those she once wished to protect. I hope that you can forgive her.

"I can't say that I blame her," Raven said. "Not what happened between the humans and the Entelexeia all these years."

I am certain that once she is born anew, she will grow to trust you. Please give her time.

"We will do what we can," Judith said.

With a nod, Undine allowed them to proceed with the process that three times before produced a spirit from the apatheia, and the four time proved no exception. After only a moment, the apathetia was gone, replaced by the rush of circling winds and a small, faery like form. The spirit that was once Khroma was much smaller than her siblings, only the length of Yuri's forearm, and dressed in puffy green and golds like the flowers of the field. Tiny, glass fine wings sprouted from her back, but she did not move, lost in slumber just as Gusios had been.

The spirit of the winds. At times calm, at times violent. She will wake before long.

"Thank you, Undine," Estelle said. "Now we have all four spirits..." There was a wonderful light, hopefulness to her voice, that eased Yuri's worry just a little. Maybe this would work after all.