It was the evening of the second day after their departure from Zenon's shack when Llew's team finally left behind the verdant forests of Royal Paladin territory and arrived at the huge mountain range which encircled the land of the Angel Feathers.

They made their way to a crack between the lofty peaks, where they discovered an ornate gate of gilded gold which bordered the opening.

"I've been expecting you," greeted Kiriel of the Circular Saw who had been waiting at theb gateway.

"I need to see Ergodiel at once," Llew demanded.

The angel nodded. "Of course. But first, allow me to welcome all of you to the City of Angels."

At a gesture of her hands, the gates swung inward with the cheerful chiming of bells, as if it was delightedly proclaiming the arrival of visitors.

Llew and the others entered, only to find themselves at the edge of a desolate cliff. Before them was an endless expanse of navy blue that stretched from horizon to horizon, sparkling beautifully in the daylight.

"It's the sea!" Wingal exclaimed. "It's the real sea!"

Llew gaped in awe. He had heard many stories about the vast body of water that occupied most of the world, but this was the first time he had ever personally laid his eyes upon it. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined that something could be so phenomenally big. A shiver ran down his spine.

Glancing at his comrades, he noticed that they were having similar reactions. But where was the city?

As if she had read his mind, Kiriel nudged him on the shoulder and pointed skyward.

Llew gasped.

Countless islands floated picturesquely amongst a sea of clouds, painted bright auburn by the splendour of the setting sun. Decorating their surfaces were buildings of every sort, and the miniature figures of angels could be seen commuting between them.

The vast array towered towards the heavens, stopping short beneath the edge of the mountains which defended the artistic city from unsavoury eyes.

Kiriel's amused expression suggested that they were not the first to be stupefied by the magnificent view before them. "Well? How do you like it?"

"It's.. amazing.." Llew breathed.

Without warning, Epona started gesticulating wildly. "Is that a Nova Grappler?!"

Kiriel giggled. "Nope. That's one of our Mobile Hospitals. Her name is Elysium."

After allowing them to appreciate the cityscape for a while longer, the Angel Feather ambassador escorted the band of knights to an aerial island which hovered separately from the rest of its kind.

Situated on it was a large estate, complete with a beautiful garden. Its interior was lavishly furnished, and they were greeted by a young nurse from behind a counter as they entered.

Kiriel spoke to the clerk, making arrangements for their luggage to be stored and for their steeds to be housed. She then showed the travellers to their rooms one by one, ending with Llew and his two partners.

"This is a nice place," Llew remarked as both Flogal and Wingal scurried towards the windows. "Is this an inn?"

"You could say so," replied Kiriel. "We don't really appreciate it when outsiders get in the way of our work. So we built this place away from our hospitals for our guests to stay in. We like to call it the Embassy."

"I see.." muttered Llew but Kiriel could tell that his mind was on other matters.

"You want to see her right now, don't you? Ergodiel, that is."

"Yes. I appreciate your hospitality, but all this isn't really necessary. I'm going to find her as soon as possible and then head back to the Capital right away. Before it's too late."

"I understand. But your companions need a place to stay while you visit her, don't they?"

Llew was slightly confused. "Is Ergodiel's place really that far away?"

"It is. There wouldn't be any point in barring outsiders from visiting her if she lived close to the city."

The knight looked at Kiriel thoughtfully. "Would you tell me why you guys won't let anyone but me see her?"

But the angel shook her head at his inquiry. "No. That is for you to find out for yourself, if Ergodiel chooses to tell you."

"Right. I better get moving soon, then."

After giving him a set of directions to Ergodiel's lair and bidding him good luck and farewell, Kiriel departed.

…

Equipped with the Blaster Blade and a small package of rations, Llew marched down the stairs of the Embassy purposefully.

"Llew."

He turned. Epona was watching him through the doorway to her room.

"Epona. What is it?"

The girl answered nervously. "Can I come with you?"

Llew was caught off guard. "Of course not. You know that Ergodiel's lair is forbidden to outsiders."

"But-"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

And with that said, he strode off in the opposite direction.

…

Epona sat dejectedly at her table. This mission had just been like all the others.

At the forest, she had been rendered unconscious and been unable to help. And now that they had reached her destination, her task was to sit and wait for the job to be done.

She stared at her sword, thinking that it was an incredible waste for such a thing to belong in her hands.

Against her parents' objections, she had stubbornly enlisted herself in the Academy. And through sheer hard work and effort, she had managed to graduate as a true knight despite her petite size. Even if it was only as a scout.

But reality had been cruel. Mission after mission of being unable to achieve anything or even help her comrades had only served to heighten the sense of uselessness that dwelled within her.

Just as she was about to cry, a voice reached her from outside. "Epona!"

She looked up.

Without waiting for a reply, Wingal barged inside. "Epona! Do you want to go explore the city with us?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling so well. Why don't you two go find Randolf?"

"But he's taking a nap," whined the blue High Dog.

"Well, you two go and have fun, alright? I think I need some rest."

"Okay!" He replied and scampered away.

Epona sighed. If only she could be as carefree as Wingal.

"What's wrong?"

This time, a female voice caught Epona's attention.

A tall girl in light armor and a skirt of rose pink stood at the doorway. Her luxurious hair was tinged pale violet and a long scepter lay clasped between her fingers.

"I could feel your sadness from all the way upstairs," she said with a slight smile.

"Who are you? Are you an Angel Feather?" Epona asked.

"No." The stranger shook her head. "I'm a mage from the Oracle Think Tank. You can call me Lozenge Magus."

"What's someone like you doing out here?"

"Oh, just some research. I'm a healer, so there's a lot of things I can learn over here."

"A healer, huh? It must be nice being able to protect your friends.." Epona muttered darkly.

Lozenge Magus gazed at her for a while, then walked over to the table and brandished a deck of cards. "Here, let me read your fortune."

"My fortune?"

"Yup."

Shuffling the cards with a great degree of skill, the mage drew the top six and set them face down on the table.

"This card-" she randomly picked one and revealed it. "-represents the past."

The card depicted a silver-haired man with a black eyepatch riding a machine of some sort.

"The Knight of Tribulations, Galahad. Your past was one of trials and challenges. You fought hard to remain on the path that you desired, despite the fact that the entire world was against you. Correct?"

Amazed, Epona could only nod her head in response.

"Next." Lozenge Magus chose another. "This card represents the present."

The second card depicted a young boy holding up a lantern while a fearsome-looking demon reared up behind him.

"Devil in Shadow. Doubt clouds your heart. Fear, anxiety, worry, your soul is tainted by all the dark emotions. You are unsure of yourself. You are lost. And you are very, very afraid."

Epona remained silent.

"And these-" the witch selected two cards this time. "Represent your futures."

She revealed them simultaneously.

One depicted a figure shrouded in a cloak of black shadows wielding a cruel scythe. The other depicted a handsome man in turquoise armor.

"The first: Death Seeker, Thanatos. Darkness, despair. The end of everything. The end of your dreams. The end of your path. A fate to be lost in the shadows forever."

Epona swallowed hard.

"And the other: Starting Legend, Ambrosius. He marks the beginning of a bright future. The start of a great story that has yet begun. A reversal of sad times. Fulfillment and happiness."

Epona stared at her feet for a few long moments.

Then, she spoke. "What do I have to do?"

"Pardon?"

"What do I have to do.. to get that bright future?" She pleaded, her eyes desperate.

"Predictions are only there to guide you along. You'll have to decide what road to take." Lozenge Magus slid the final two cards towards the knight. "Now, choose."

Epona looked distraught. "What if I pick the wrong one? What if it's my fate to fail?"

The mage replied calmly. "Choosing a path.. is better than choosing none at all."

Those words hit the young girl hard. Lozenge Magus was right. She had to be brave. She had to have the courage to move on.

Breathing deeply, she slammed her eyes shut, reached for the card on the right, and flipped it over.

She peeked.

There was no character depicted on the card's surface this time. Just a circular yellow symbol surrounded with spiked edges.

"What is that?" She questioned. "The sun?"

"No." Lozenge Magus picked the card up to emphasise the words that followed. "This is the most powerful card in this fortune deck. The symbol of power. The Critical Trigger."

"The.. Critical Trigger?"

"Yes. It is the ultimate charm of good luck. It is a sign for action. What this card is telling you, is to cast aside your doubts and fears and do what it is that you want to do. And as long as this card is on your side, you will succeed. And that time is now."

"Now?"

"Yes. There's no time to waste."

Epona took the card and stood. She latched her sword to her belt, made her way to the doorway and stopped.

"Thank you. I think I know what I have to do now.. to turn things around, and achieve the future that I want."

Lozenge Magus smiled. "You're very welcome."

And so the young knight left the Embassy, leaving the Oracle Think Tank member to her own thoughts.

Whistling to herself, she flipped over the last, unrevealed card.

It was a Critical Trigger.

"Girl, the problem was never that you made the wrong choice. The problem was that you never made one at all."