Ab'lop handed Aura the Ocarina. The light of the sun touching the blue surface of the cylindrical ornament. I'm still having a hard time believing I found it on my own…How come no one else found it?

Monna leaned over and examined it. Her fingers lightly traced the carving. "This was just speculation but it was believed that each of the clans and most of the individuals were always seeking power. The few that did find it would always find them moving away or teleporting somewhere else."

Wamma let out a low whistle. "Wow! Those are really judgemental instruments."

"Would make sense." Sprees shrugged it off with ease. "Can't let that kind of power fall into the wrong hands completely."

Aura observed it for a little longer. She lifted it up to her mouth. She gave a soft blow into the mouthpiece. It gave a tune, but only one that H'earring would be able to hear. She handed it to Ab'lop. You try.

Ab'lop stared at the instrument. His dumbstruck expression was written all over his face. He took it from Aura. His tentacles took great care not to crush it. Ok…Here goes… As carefully as he could, he put the mouthpiece close to his enormous lips and blew. A sound came out, loud and clear.

Everyone stared in pure amazement. Even the M'arrillians couldn't hold back their surprise. Aura's eyes grew brighter. Ab'lop, follow my song. Aura began to sing the Water Song. She watched Ab'lop closely.

Ab'lop did as she asked. It took him a few moments to find the right notes. Each tune began to grow stronger and clearer than before. His body began to glow a bright blue color. His eyes closed to the thrall. Mind sharp and steady since the incident. The bandages around his body unwrapped themselves. His wounds sealing up quicker than ever before.

Milla'iin and Sunlyoi both let out a harsh whistle. The two clung to each other in sheer surprise. Eyes never leaving Ab'lop. Neither of them were aware that their own injuries were starting to heal as well.

The entire cave began to stir as the rest of the creatures began to wake up. They all gathered around the duo. Curious of what was going on with the tribal leaders. Before long, they stared in pure awe as the water began to glow behind them. It felt like an eternity until it finally settled down as Aura finished the last of her song.

Aura nearly jumped as cheers rang through the cavern. Several creatures applauded at the sight. Her wings began to turn pink as she felt waves of happiness come over her. She bowed to her audience. Ab'lop joined in with shy grace.

"Aura look!" Wamma pointed at the water.

Aura turned to the direction Wamma pointed. Lapping the shore, the ocean was a bit different. It was bluer than ever before. A clarity so pristine, she could actually see beneath the surface. Fish of various colors swam about. Aura's eyes widened at the sight. I…can't believe it…The song and the element restored the water.

Chaor tried his best to hide his own awe, but his voice betrayed. "Welp! One down. One to go. Let's see if it can show us the exact location of the other objects." He was about to grab it, when Maxxor stopped him.

"We still need to set up a small group," Maxxor explained. "At least two members from each tribe go with Aura."

"Sounds fair," Queen Azsil said. Nest Elder Illexia nodded behind her. "We're less likely to draw attention to this cave, but we'll still have to expand in certain places to make sure the civilians have a roof over their heads."

Quin'lins raised a hand. "I'll help with that. During my time as a monster, I know a few ins and outs of this cavern and places where Queen Tikali and the Shadow Kin can't reach."

"Then all we need to do is pick the creatures that'll go with Aura," King Theb-sarr concluded.

Aura went over to Ab'lop and lightly placed a hand on her friend's head. I know just the right creatures for the job. Her eyes soon landed on H'earring. The little Underworlder was between Khybon and Wamma.

H'earring threw a puzzled look. "What?"

—-(Sometime later)-

"You want me to do what?!" Bodal yelled. His voice spread across the room. He sat on a rock. One feather in his hand and a scroll in the other. Lying on the sand were a few boxes of battlegear that was able to be carried out of Perim. He adjusted himself on the rock he sat on. He didn't like this. "B-but surely you can do this quest with someone else."

Aura shook her head. No. I've thought of Hoton but… She pointed to the owl-like Overworlder. Hoton was curled up into a tight ball. His eyes were on the sand. Vidav at his side. He's not in a good state of mind to help anyone. Vidav will have to stay behind too since he doesn't want his friend to get any worse. Yokkis…Well..

Bodal sighed. He put his writing material down. "Say no more. But I do hope you and Maxxor picked a warrior that could get us out of a situation." He dusted his pants. "It would be a massive risk factor of sixty percent if we go further down into enemy territory."

Aura nodded in agreement. Frafdo is going to join us. His archery will be needed where we're going.

"And that would be…"

You'll find out soon enough. Aura soon knelt down. Her head tilted. Are you still upset with what happened?

"With what?" Bodal crossed his arms. His irritation was becoming more apparent on his face. "About losing my home? Yes!"

Aura shook her head. No…About the letter. Aura began to remember how it was back in Kiru City. Bodal running across the threshold. The poor caretaker profusely apologized to Maxxor about his foolish error. Upon seeing his crestfallen expression, Aura placed a hand on his head. It wasn't your fault. You had no way of knowing what that thing was. In all honesty, I was glad you didn't sucked in. Tikali could've killed you.

Bodal heaved a heavy sigh. "Considering the situation we're in. She might."

Cot, who had perched on Aura's shoulder the entire conversation finally chimed in. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" She fluttered to Bodal. Mere inches from his face. "Listen here, mr. gloom. We're going to try to stay positive about this ok? I know you still feel bad about what happened but think of this as a good way to make up for Maxxor and the rest of us."

Bodal, for the first time, was silent for a moment. Then, he gave a crooked smile. "O-ok then." He raised a fist. "Go team."

"Then let's get going." Cot flew off to the cave entrance. Aura and Bodal watched her go.

"I can see why you two are close friends," Bodal said.

Before long, a crew was gathered around the entrance of the cavern. Each tribe had picked their two creatures. From the M'arrillians, it was Ab'lop and Milla'iin. From the Mepedians, it was Iflar and Mudeenu. From the Danians, Wamma and Odu. For the Underworlders, Khybon and H'earring. Finally, the Overworlders picked Frafdo and Bodal. All the hand-picked creatures stared into the unknown that was awaiting them.

Sansi and Bondu strapped their pack on to their respective beasts. Wildflower cooed in excitement. Wings almost flared out. Tail almost knocking a few Danians nearby. Rue simply sat where she was, waiting for her master to give the call.

Maxxor and the other leaders faced the group. His arms were crossed. "Alright. Listen, We've already discussed how we're going to handle this." He gave the map to Aura. "Aura is going to be in charge of the map. Keep the Elemental Souls with you at all times. Listen to Sansi and Bondu, they know this land. We all expect you to listen to them." He glared at Milla'iin. "That includes you."

Milla'iin crossed his tentacles. He gave a low growl. He tried his best to ignore the snickers behind him. I'm not a child, Maxxor. I can handle a few directions.

"It's not that I'm worried about," Maxxor responded. His eyes almost had a glaring look to them.

Aura got between them. Well, in that case, let's go! She turned to Ab'lop. Ab'lop, the Ocarina please.

Ab'lop lifted the Ocarina. It began to give off a deep blue aura. The light briefly touched the map, creating the image of the Ocarina. Then, it created a path before them.

Wamma tilted his head. "Uhhh….Should we be concerned of how bright that is? Wouldn't it lead them right to the hideout?"

The light vanished just as it came. A blue path sparkled along the sand. A few creatures let out comments about the spectacle. Even a few children were huddling over to see what it was.

Odu scoffed. "You were saying?" He began to walk forward when Sprees stopped him.

Sprees was about to say something. Her hand seemed to be unable to let go of his. Then she finally spoke. "Hey…Just come back, ok big boy?"

At this, Odu's antennas straightened. His mouth clenched hard. His hand was unable to pull away from hers. "Don't worry about it. I've dealt with slimy scum before. This expedition is no different." He gently let go of her hands as he shuffled over to the group. He threw a glare at Wamma's snickering.

Before long, the group stepped into the light. The smell of rain hit their noses. The sand glittered with small hints of blue. It seemed to be almost bristling with life. Little crabs peeked out of the sand, checking to see if it was safe to come out. Sea birds trilled along the shoreline.

Wamma couldn't help but sigh. "So nice to have something good happen since we got here. It felt like forever since we've last been here." He made a face. "It always smelled of rot."

"Well brace yourselves," Cot said. "We're going to be exposed to more rot. Especially where we're headed."

Bodal tried his best to keep up with everyone's pace. H'earring walking right beside him. "Speaking of which, what is our first destination?"

Sansi held up the map. "We'll be heading into Wisp Grove. Home of the Blaze Elves." She lowered it down as she turned to the others. "The land is covered in thick walls of briar. The trees would have light blue leaves and bark black as soot. Occasionally, it'll spew fire from the ground every once in a while."

"Doesn't sound too bad," Wamma said.

"Yeah…" Bondu popped in at that point. "About that…" She took in a sharp intake of her break. "There are actually two things you need to worry about. One, the Blaze Elf clan. Two, the griffins."

Wamma tilted his head. "Griffins? What are those?"

Bondu patted Wildflower's head. "About this big with the head and wings of a bird and lower body of a lion. Got a temper almost as bad as their masters. Talons that'll rip you in two."

Bodal gulped. His eyes wide with horror. "I regret asking." He was about to run but H'earring stopped him. One look at H'earring glare was enough to stop Bodal short. He groaned. "Why do I get myself in these predicaments?"

The group continued on. The sandy beaches were far behind them now. They were soon surrounded by a curtain of trees. The trees were bare, no leaf on them. A hollow silence rang through the land. Only the sound of footsteps broke the silence. Smells of rot soon returned to their nostrils. Bones littered the path.

Bondu growled low. Her ears flat against her head. Her hands tightened on the reins. Wildflower also followed her master's mood.

Bodal and H'earring were now forced to move quickly to stay in the center. Their paced quickened to make sure they weren't left behind. H'earring's ears were raised slightly, his head on constant rotation. Bodal, for once in his life, was quiet the entire time. Suddenly, H'earring stopped in his tracks.

"What is it, H'earring," Frafdo asked.

H'earring looked around again. "Someone is following us."

"Hostile," Khybon inquired. He lifted his weapon.

Aura felt around the forest. Her mind picked up dulled thoughts of another possible patrol in a different region. Then, she sensed what H'earring was talking about. Her wings were raised slightly. Suddenly, her colors went slightly pink with amusement. Her hands went to her hips. You can come out from the brush. It won't do you any good hiding like that. Unless you wish to have your butt kicked seven ways,Skithia.

"What?!" Everyone yelled in unison.

A lone grunt sounded to the west. Skithia soon popped out of the brush. She fiddled with her hair as a few twigs and leaves were caught. Behind, Atrapol emerged. "How do you know?"

Aura let out a mental laugh. Despite your grumpiness from this morning, I did sense your curiosity about the Blaze Elves after Cot talked to you about it yesterday.

Skithia blushed. Her cheeks took on the pinkest tint. She crossed her arms. "So what? I'm not doing this for the Underworlders or Chaor. I just want to have some payback for being made a puppet."

Aura nodded. Fair enough, but you could've asked.

The group continued on their journey. Unaware that Shadow Kin had been watching them through the trees. The deeper they went, the smells of fire and sulfur began to fill their noses. Even Bodal had a hard time trying not to gag at the smell, but had an even harder time fighting the urge off upon seeing a few dead creatures laid out against the trees. The trees were thorny and the briar looked wilted. Sounds of birds filled the sky. However, the songs aren't cheerful.

"Welcome to Blaze Elf territory," Bondu said. Her words held a slight growl to them. She held out her hand in a glorious gesture. "Or more specifically, Wisp Hollow."

The group was now huddled close. Their eyes leaped from one direction to another. Each noise makes them all jump. Odu was the first to speak. "Ya mean unwelcome."

A faint rustling resounded from the left. Aura turned her head to the direction. Her fins began to take on a red color. We have company…and it's not friendly.

Before long, a strange creature sprang out from the brush. Skithia and Atrapol barely had enough time to back away. A set of claws swung mere inches from their faces. What stood before them was a creature the group had never seen before. It had a raven head, front claws and wings. The other half resembled that of a panther.

"Wh-what is that thing?" Wamma stuttered. He immediately summoned a flame orb.

Bondu pulled out a saber from its sheath. "Remember the Griffins I mentioned?"

"Yeah?" Prince Iflar answered. He took a swing as fast as he could with his own blade.

Bondu snatched him up just as the beak snapped at him. "That's what it looks like!"

Everything was soon thrown into chaos. Attacks were exchanged. Cries of fear and anger were met by hissing. Bodal and H'earring frantically ran for cover. Wildflower flared out her wings as wide as she could, her tail unleashing a large barb. Rue went to Prince Mudeenu's defense just as the black Griffin went at him. It felt like an eternity. Aura shielded Khybon with her mental shield. Ab'lop and Milla'iin were met with a peck from the beak, almost losing a tentacle in the process.

Skithia growled as a wing knocked her down. She propped herself, her lip curled into an angry snarl. Her nails sunk into the soil. Her fire began to grow. "Enough of this!" She got into a fighting stance. "This ends now!"

The black Griffin turned to her. It soon changed. It let out a soft coo. Its feathers, which were raised, were starting to slowly lay flat. Electric blue eyes stared back at her. It backed away from Aura and Kybon, full attention now on Skithia.

Skithia threw a flame orb. To her frustration, it dodged. She growled again. She charged. Her legs move with ease. Suddenly, she stopped short, her eyes wide. Skithia stood still. "Wait…Why…Why do you…How can you talk to me? Just now?"

"Whaaaaat?" Everyone said in unison.

Sansi's eyes grew wide at this. "That's impossible…I k-knew Blaze Elves had a close relationship with their Griffins, but I never imagined this would happen."

A wild green fireball exploded before them. The black Griffin shrieked, wings flared out. A net was soon launched out. It missed the Griffin by a breath. The black Griffin took flight, knocking a hidden figure out of the trees. Its tail was the last thing that was visible before disappearing.

Skithia reached out. "Wait!" She cried out as someone struck behind her. She whirled around, ready to throw a punch. The figure dodged and snatched her from behind. A cloth clamped over her mouth. She struggled and thrashed. Her muffled cries were hidden by the chaos growing around them.

Skithia! Aura cried out. Suddenly, a wailing noise reached out. It caused a deep piercing pain to both her head and ears. Ow! My head! Aura felt something hit her from behind. She fell to the ground. Aura tried to fight back. Her fist did manage to make contact with a face. She couldn't see but a scream and a hint of angry thoughts clued her in that she got her target. A sharp sensation hit her neck.

Aura looked around. The wailing sound began to dull out, but so did everything else. Her vision became a blurred mess. She hadn't been this light-headed since her own fever. She moved her arm up, but it soon touched something warm. Khybon… It was the last thought she had until the darkness finally consumed her.