Once Karol had recovered from the billybally pollen, the first thing he did was complain to Rita for her mischief. Continuing along the path led them up the hill before reaching a clearing with more biliybally leaf surrounding a large tree.

As Deesh continued past the tree a strange rumbling could be felt. "Wh…what's that?" Karol was completely terrified to even turn to find out, but when he did, he let out a terrified scream as it turned out to be a monstrous dog-like beast covered in fresh scars as smaller versions flanked it.

Strider started growling toward the cliffs above them as Deesh pulled out her daggers, "I was hoping to finish this fight. It's a survivor from the assault against Halure. Your knights were sloppy to let this one escape." Her deep stalkers seemed to have sensed their presence, jumping out of her satchel to fight.

Shadow got her weapon ready as it materialized in her hand, "I don't recognize this one, but there were plenty of others of its kind. We sure this thing was one of them?"

Deesh snorted, "Trust me. Those wounds were made from bladed weapons, not claws or fangs."

Rita readied for a fight, "If we leave it here it'll surely go back and try to attack Halure again…"

Karol was trying to cower out of this, "But Halure has the barrier protecting it now."

Yuri seemed to agree with Rita on this one. "Even so, how are people of Halure supposed to sleep at night with beasts like this crawling around just outside the barrier?"

Deesh hissed, "Not like we'll have much of a choice. This thing remembers us killing its brood," Deesh rubbing Strider's back. "It will want blood for the lost kin. Mage. Fire seemed to be very effective against its kind…" Deesh quickly took command before the beast jumped down. "It's still injured from the last battle, but we shouldn't get careless. Yuri, Repede, Strider, the stalkers, and Karol will deal with the pups. Estelle, Shadow, and Rita will give support when needed. Aile and I will deal with the big one…"

Aile swiftly pulled out two of her Biometals, "Model X! Model F! Double Megamerge!" In a blinding flash Aile was armored up again, this time the armor was orange as her helmet sported four yellow horns, two pointed back and the upper set curved up. On her back were two large blocky units that she immediately went for, opening to reveal handles for her to grab in the center. The new weaponry looked more like oversized gauntlets until she started firing energy blasts at the monsters to separate them.

This opening allowed Deesh to rush in as she grappled the claws head on. There was a vile green substance dripping from the claws themselves, but Deesh ignored it as if it was nothing and pushed the brute back as she tried to gouge it eyes with her daggers. Though she felt a slight sting with each drop that hit her scales, her high resistance to poisons just let her push through without needing the use of Estelle's healing magic.

"All right Repede, just like with Little Wolf, except I've got your back." Repede put the pipe away into the sheath of his dagger as he now had the blade handle in his mouth.

Karol wasn't sure about any of this, cowering with his broken sword in hand. "Soo…" Strider didn't even wait for Karol as she and the stalkers rushed off and tackled one of the pups down and viciously attacked on their own. "Hey, wait up!" The other dog managed to get lucky and kick Strider off before the war dog could really tear into him. The deepstalkers tried to use their acid but the beast's thick fur protected it.

The coordination between Repede and Yuri was almost disconcerting. Repede came in slashing low while Yuri cordoned it with his sword above. The beast was not skilled enough to avoid either, not that the duo would have given it an opening. Karol and Strider were doing their best, but Strider's rather forward approach with the deepstalkers supporting only seemed to complicate things for Karol as he hesitated on his swings.

Rita then stepped in, "O din of this modest land! Stone Blast!" light started glowing beneath the beast before its underside was pelted in a shower of stones being thrown at it. Strider jumped onto its back, biting the neck as the monster desperately tried to throw Strider off as the deepstalkers joined in tearing into the beast's back.

Karol saw his opening now as he swung the broken blade up and one of the spikes stabbed the monster through the underside of its jaw. Life seemed to fade from it after that as Strider jumped off and the deepstalkers kept eating away.

Estelle stood in front of Rita had her shield at the ready, staking a standby stance with rapier ready to strike. Shadow was keeping her rifle at the ready, though as she did, she noticed how the monster was trying to break through Deesh's guard. "Hey, we might want to recreate Karol's accident from earlier!"

Deesh saw what she meant, though uncertain how to direct the beast. Aile caught on as green visor appeared in front of Aile's eyes for a brief moment before disappearing just as suddenly. She then started to punch out more of those energy shots again. Deesh moved left but Aile's shots were changing course in mid-flight. Deesh used the confusion to tackle the monster into the billybally plants.

Deesh quickly rolled away as the plants released a massive amount of pollen that paralyzed the creature now. Deesh dropped her daggers as she pulled out her bow and a steel tipped arrow from her satchel, putting said arrow into the skull of the stunned monster.

Deesh didn't even bother collecting the arrow, hiding her bow back into her satchel as she picked up her daggers. Aile returned to normal as she turned to the others, "Is anyone hurt?"

Karol rubbed the back of his head, "Nothing Estelle can't help with…"

Shadow pointed out to Deesh, "You know we could rely on the Guardian mine sweep method more."

Deesh grabbed Shadow's coat, "No." She leaned in to whisper, "Besides, we don't need them to see or explain how you resurrect. Just try not to die if you can avoid it." Deesh pushed Shadow back before starting to climb a small incline, "We best move on. Even if the beast was the last of the ones to attack Halure, scavengers will want these corpses soon enough."

Near the top of the hill Estelle stopped, almost speechless at the sight before her. "It's beautiful…"

Rita too was taken aback by the sight. "This is…"

They were now standing on a cliffside path that had an unobscured view of the horizon. "Look, Yuri, it's the ocean."

"I can see that." Yuri stood there, the wind blowing his hair back, "…The wind feels great."

Estelle stood near the edge, trying to see as much of it as she could, "I've seen pictures and read about it in books before, but this is the first time I've seen the real thing."

Shadow stretched out her arms, "Nice to have a scene like this not obstructed by wrecks or ruin."

Aile seemed curious now after letting one of her Biometals float above, "This is your first time, Estelle? Why wouldn't you be able to see the ocean before now?"

Karol pointed out for her, "Well, people don't usually travel outside the barriers because of the monsters," Karol then turned to Estelle, "If we keep going, we can see all sorts of things, like the jungle or the City of Waterfalls…"

Estelle only seemed to want to stay there now, "There are so many more things we could learn…if only our journey would continue…"

Yuri's normally cold demeanor seemed to soften around Estelle and this scene, "I guess it's true… I really was living in a small world."

Rita poked at Yuri, "That's a rare moment of sincerity, coming from you."

Deesh could hear the truth hidden in Rita's voice. "It's your first time seeing it as well."

"Well, yes, but…"

Karol moved to her, "Aww… You must've had such a lonely life, tied to your research like that."

Rita tried waving off the remark, "Having you pity me makes me want to jump off this cliff."

"This water has traversed the world's oceans and has seen all there is to see," Estelle closed her eyes just imagining these many wonders hidden out there. "The ocean binds the lands of our world together…"

"Here she goes again. It's really just one big puddle, you know."

"Whatever you were pretty moved back there, too." Rita looked like she was about to hit Karol as he braced for the smack, but instead, she just swiped at his hair so as not to ruin this moment of serenity.

Yuri stepped closer to the edge, "So, this is the world as he sees it."

Estelle turned back, "Yuri?"

Yuri clenched his fist, "Flynn must have stood on this spot earlier, and looked out at this same scene."

"That's true. His duties do take him to many different places."

"Always telling me to catch up with him. Easy for him to say."

The Biometal returned from floating above them. "It seems we're still on course. This will return us to the main road leading to the port at the end of the peninsula west of here. We should be able to reach Nor Harbor before Flynn leaves…"

"That's not what I was talking about." Aile was confused for a moment, though she quickly understood, nodded to him as she waited for them to resume their trek. "All right, let's get moving before Leblanc and friends show up again." Yuri calmly noted to Estelle, "We'll have plenty more chances to see the ocean. Your journey will continue for as long as you want. It's all up to you. You've made it this far, haven't you?"

"…That's true."

"Then let us press on and…" Deesh stopped suddenly, curiously looking at a strange pile of stone on the cliff.

Estelle was curious what she found, "What is it?"

Deesh fixed one of the stones that seemed to have been shifted by something. "It would seem we have found a grave marker," Deesh started to sniff the dirt around the marker and running her hands across the ground, "but no body."

"What? But why way out here?"

Rita wasn't as surprised as Karol, "Actually, this is the type of place I'd expect to see one."

Karol quickly asked her, "What do you mean?"

Rita nonchalantly added, "You know, like the grave of someone who plotted against the empire…and failed. If you wanted to bury someone and keep it quiet, you'd want a place like this with no one around."

Yuri looked to the small mound, "Huh, wonder if that's what I've got in store for me."

"Don't say such things…! That isn't funny!" Estelle thinking it was another one of Yuri's darker jokes.

"I wasn't exactly kidding." Yuri looked toward the horizon the stone pile was overlooking as he rubbed Repede's back. "It's just a fact of life that some folks from the lower quarter never get a funeral or a proper burial."

Shadow nodded, "Given the dangers in my line of work, bodies aren't always recoverable. But pieces of armor or weapons sometimes are so those become stand-ins."

Deesh nodded, "As what I've come to learn of humans, your kind don't always has the finances or land to do so. My people have no such concerns."

Estelle wasn't used to an idea aside from burying the dead, "What happens to them then? The people of the lower quarter, and your people Deesh?"

Yuri looked down to the grave, "The people of the lower quarter get cremated and have their ashes scattered over a river or a field, usually."

Deesh finally joined in, "Our bodies, if possible, are returned to the Hist. The body is nothing more than a physical shell for us to learn and grow until our death. Returning the body to the Hist allows our souls to be cleansed and prepare us for our next cycle. Beyond that we care little for creating such a waste of land."

"Are you telling the truth…?"

Rita had to stop this before it got out of hand again, "…How did we get started talking about this, anyway?"

Aile pointed down, "Well, I believe it was started by us trying to understand who left this unmarked grave out here alone."

"Yeah. So, who does it belong to…?"

Deesh turned away, "Unless we encounter the one who created it, we may never know. I doubt it holds any relevance to us, though."

Cutting their way back down the hill they ended up on the other side of the road they started on. Rita couldn't stand leaving the blastia behind. Aile managed to cut her off before running back to the blastia on her own, "Hey, what are you doing? The knights are still over there. Probably looking for us."

"I just want to have a look at that blastia! …I'm just going to look."

Deesh looked to her handiwork as the knights continued their efforts of clearing the charred brush. "I suggest doing so quickly. I might deduce I fled in a different direction." Rita rushed off, "Though she probably would have done so even without our say," looking to Yuri when she said that.

Rita was holding herself back as she rubbed the side of the broken blastia, "Ekaterine…"

"Ekaterine…" Karol turned to Aile in disbelief, "…She named that blastia, didn't she?"

Yuri grabbed her attention as Rita picked herself up, "All set?"

"Yes," Rita glanced back to the rubble, "There's…nothing that I can do for her… It's just too cruel…"

"I mean, I understand that blastia are very valuable items, but…"

"It's not about how valuable they are," Rita yelling at Karol, "Countless people have given their lives to make human civilization what it is. And blastia have been living together with mankind all of that time. They're more than just a simple tool that we use."

Aile seemed to understand, "Anything that helps people to such a degree does need to be treated with respect. However, I think there should also be limitations, given that blastia can't be considered 'living'."

Yuri still didn't like being so close to knights, especially with Estelle and this bounty on his head. "If you're all finished here, we should be on our way."

They continued toward Nor Harbor and then out of the blue, there was a loud rumble and the bright sunny day suddenly turned into a downpour. Rita was doing her best to protect her books and equipment, "A downpour…? No way!"

"The weather sure changed in a hurry…"

Shadow looked up, "Yeah, suspiciously so…"

Deesh and Aile were both looking to the sky as if they were expecting something to swoop down and attack suddenly. Karol brought them back as he yelled, "Hey, look over there! Nor Harbor is just up ahead!"

Deesh made sure her satchel was secure for her stalkers, "The rain is good for my scales, but you mammals aren't as accommodating. We should find an inn to rest at until the rain subsides."

Reaching the city though, it felt more like a ghost town. Estelle looked confused, "I thought a harbor town would be more…lively than this."

Yuri was suspicious as well, "Yeah…dead silent, huh…"

Deesh didn't understand, "A port city should be busy with commerce and ships coming and going. This harbor is too quiet, even for a rainy day."

Rita didn't seem to think anything was too off, "But it feels like the kind of place that core thief you're looking for would hang out."

Deesh disagreed, "While true, this weather would serve as the perfect deterrent from the common eye, even thieves have standards for living conditions."

Shadow quickly reminded them, "Isn't he supposed to be in Torim Harbor?"

Rita didn't see the distinction, "They're the same town anyway, so they shouldn't be too different, right?"

"No way," Karol seemed to be in complete disagreement, "It's only Nor Harbor that's scummy like this. It's—"

"Please, give us back out son!" Karol was interrupted by an injured man and a woman, who would assumedly be his wife, on their knees to a suit and a thug with a sword. "I'm begging you!"

The eloquent man kicked the injured man away from his person, "Then hurry up and pay your taxes."

"The weather has been awful for the past few months. The ships can't even depart. We can't possibly pay the taxes wit—"

"What was that!?" The thug started tapping his blade against his metal pauldron, "Then you should hurry up and capture the Rhybgaro beast."

The official in the suit adjusted his glasses, "That's right." He tossed down a generic knight's sword to the man, "If you sell Rhybgaro's horn, you won't have to worry about taxes for the rest of your life."

"But that's…"

The two left the couple there on the street, "If you want to save that brat, you'd better go capture it quickly!"

Rita scoffed at the display, "Savages…"

Yuri continued to watch the two of them leaving the area, "Is that the sort of scum you were talking about, Karol?"

"Yeah… The Empire's influence is really strong here. I heard things got even worse with the new magistrate. He's some Imperial big shot who does whatever he wants."

Rita figured as much, "Which means there's no one to complain to if his henchmen act like that."

"…That's horrible…" Estelle seemed almost pale to see that happen before her eyes, the reality of the corruption within them empire.

The injured man forced himself back up to his feet, staggering against the building as his wife tried to stop him, "That's enough! You're hurt… You might even get yourself killed this time!"

"But I have to!" He picked up the sword and used it to help himself walk, "If I don't, our son will…!" Yuri had already walked away from the group, leaning up against a wall as the injured man started moving past him.

leaned against a wall, putting his foot out just as the man hobbled past, tripping him as the sword skirted away from him. "Wha—What do you think you're doing…!?"

Yuri looked away, "Whoops, my leg just happened to be out."

"Yuri!" Estelle rushed to his side, "…My apologies, sir. Let me take care of that."

In an instant, Estelle used her healing powers to help the man. The man's wife returned to his side when she did this, she hesitantly tried to stop Estelle, "B—but I…I can't afford this treatment…"

Aile smiled, "Shouldn't there be something else you would like to say?" Aile turned to Estelle, "This girl offered her aid to you and never mentioned anything about a monetary exchange. So, I believe something else should be said instead."

The two were shocked to even see such generosity. "Th—Thank you very much!"

"Thanks to you, my wounds are healed!"

With the others distracted, Deesh caught movement off to the corner of her eyes, and it would seem Yuri did as well. Deesh signaled Strider to say, as the two of them silently left the scene. Shadow saw them leaving, though instead of joining she slowly moved herself into a position to prevent the others from seeing.

Rita berated the man a little, "This should teach you not to go chasing after monsters that you can't catch."

"But…if I don't my son will…" The man suddenly became quiet, closing his eyes, "Never mind… It's got nothing to do with you anyway."

Only now did Estelle notice they were missing two people, "Deesh? Yuri…?"