“You know I could just blast them all out into the void out of one of the escape ship hatches.” Killian was referring to the pots and pans he had used to cook with. He wasn’t renowned for his tidiness – but this was something else. He had used nearly every pan in the kitchen, there was flour and broken eggs strewn about the place. Plates piled high with leftovers. The Novella pulled out his pipe and lit it with a click of his fingers. “I got rid of all the escape ships on my first flight. Escape ships are for pessimists and losers.” Killian took a drag of his pipe and looked at Luna’s big eyes going gooey over the mountain of dishes. “Fine, clean them if you want. I’ll pop out for a bit.”

With a few flamboyant spins Killian worked around the control console setting coordinates, applying the flight stabilisers and taking off the brakes. He pulled three levers down and hit the console with a mallet before returning the levers to the exact position. Killian slammed down the purple handled lever and the ship lurched through the void with a mechanical wheeze.

The airship rematerialized in the Glaciem section of Horare Island. A teardrop shape – no taller than eight feet and no wider than six; pearly white with a small light bobbing around above it. The ship’s door opened up and out jumped Killian wearing a huge floor length black fur coat. The snow instantly started to settle on the coat as he closed the door behind him.

From a pocket inside the coat Killian pulled out a strange, pale looking shrunken head. He tapped it gently on the nose with his wand and its eyes flew open, it spun on its string to look at the Novella. I told you never to leave me in your pocket! It has been forty years! Now you want me to tell you where to find it? Forget it Novella. The shrunken head screamed at Killian – its voice high pitched and horse. The noise caused attention – and Killian could hear someone approaching in the snow. His wand danced as he worked magic quickly – he caused his ship to become invisible. (It invited far too many awkward questions around these parts) then he stashed the wand and the disobedient head back inside his pocket.

Now he was just a flamboyantly dressed man, alone in the mountains – apparently talking to himself. As the stranger drew close enough Killian held out his hand and called out “Hello!” In his usual slightly annoyingly chipper tone.

With his practice with portals improved, the well dressed jewelry maker had traveled to Horare Island. Wintry trees held up the weight of the crystal snow that piled upon its branches. Soft cold flakes drifted as the breeze made them fly up from the steady ground. Sunlight bounced off of the snowy ground. A look of irritation took place upon Caius' face. Snow was a surprise to him. Especially since his portal spell was supposed to take him to the Terra section. He had desired the colorful flowers to work on a flower crown. Clearing the expression from his face, the jewelry maker began to search around to find a way to get to that beautiful flower meadow.

He was not dressed the best for this weather. Instead of his winter coat, he wore a lavender long-sleeve shirt with a loose white cloak. It would help him survive but it was not enough to keep all the fierce cold away. His trousers were white and the ebony black boots were the only clothing piece that would fit any weather situation. He wrapped the white cloak around his shoulders and began to tromp through the thick snow. Eventually he came across a stranger in the snow. Approaching him, Caius noticed that the man was speaking out loud. 

"H-hello!" He said holding the cloak tighter, "I don't suppose you know the way to the Terra part of the island?"

This could easily be an enemy. However, the jewelry maker did not think about that. He assumed the stranger would be a pleasant person. 

The young man known as Hiro Kouen made his way to Horae Island.  He traveled not by boat, not through portal or airship, but by wing.  He owned winged armor, magically bound to him, originally owned by his father.  He flew through the air, with wings of crimson and orange feathers attached to his armored back.  Why was he heading to Horae Island?  He heard there were a mass of riches to be found there, and not only that, but the island contained a wealth of elemental energy.  He called himself a Phoenix Knight, but it turns out he was more than just a Fire Knight, or an Knight of just a single element.  He had been training with all the elements.  Learning to master each one, then combine them together in pairs.  This was more than just an exploration trip, or a way to potentially get money.

This was a pilgrimage.

Suddenly, Hiro felt a disturbance in the air around him.  A powerful aura was approaching behind him, moving incredibly fast, giving him little chance to make an evasive maneuver.  Hiro banked to the side, barely able to avoid the speeding airship approaching him.  However, he was struck by the powerful gusts of wind left in the wake of the airship.  He was sent tumbling through the air, falling down toward the ground.  The airship landed on the ground as Hiro started to try and regain control of his flight.  He had little idea of where the ship came from; one moment it was clear skies, and the next, this ship materialized out of nowhere.

"No, no nonononono!  I-I can't stop it!  Ahhh!" he screamed as he fell toward the ground, a face plant into the soft snow somewhat breaking his fall, with all the grace of a bird that had just been shot out of the sky by a hunter's arrow.  He slid to a stop, his legs sticking out of the snow, while mounds of the white stuff covering his upper body.  The wings he had on his back vanished.  He groaned in pain, his whole body ached from the sudden deceleration into the ground.  Hiro was garbed in a suit of crimson armor, with an outer coat of gray fur around his shoulders and neck.  He had raven hair, marred with red highlights.  His eyes were sapphire blue.  "Ow . . . d-did anyone catch the number of that airship?"  He struggled to pull himself up out of the cold snow.  He was not that far from the pilot of the ship, and the other man that had arrived through a portal, whom Hiro was unaware of yet.