Meanwhile, deep within Wind Island.
A young man holding a harp sits on a throne made of clouds, occasionally plucking the strings to create pleasant sounds.
At first glance, the scene appears leisurely, but upon closer inspection, the man’s expression on the cloud throne isn’t that relaxed; his brows are tightly knitted, as though weighed down by countless worries.
Suddenly, the young man’s elf-like pointed ears twitch, and he halts the plucking of his forefinger, raising his head to gaze beyond the misty Door.
A gentle breeze rolls in, ruffling the clouds, finally forming a faint shadow beneath the throne, its specific shape indistinct.
"Teacher Kamil, are you here to ask me what decision I should make?" The young man’s voice is crisp, as melodious as the notes from the harp.
Without waiting for Kamil to reply, he continued speaking to himself, "It’s hard for me to make a decision; after all, they were born in the wind just like us..."
Kamil: "Your Highness Zephyr, you must understand, they weren’t born in White Cloud Village, and they are now our enemies."
The young man, none other than Zephyr Uranus, seemingly ignored Kamil’s voice, still lost in his thoughts, murmuring quietly, "I never thought Little Huesh would truly fulfill the original oath and unite all the wind beings. Alas, I rejected its proposal then; it must have been very disappointed, or it wouldn’t have left. I still remember, when it was born, it was so small and adorable, sticking to me every day... In the blink of an eye, it has grown capable of leading alone, and I’m truly happy for it."
Kamil remained silent for a moment: "Your Highness, Hueshpolio has been away from White Cloud Village for a thousand years; it is now the Monarch who controls the hurricanes. Furthermore, it is now our enemy."
Zephyr Uranus still trapped in his memories, reminiscing the good times: "Such a small, cute Little Huesh, how could it become like this? Teacher Kamil, even now, I can’t understand why Little Huesh would contemplate using harm against its kin to achieve unity among the wind realm? Sigh... Its constant sense of urgency, I’ve never grasped."
Kamil: "Your Highness, I reiterate, it is now Hurricane Hueshpolio, no longer the Little Huesh you speak of."
Zephyr Uranus: "Even if its wish is to unify the wind realm, why choose to strike White Cloud Village first? Alas, I don’t wish to hurt it."
"Your Highness Zephyr, please! Snap! Out! Of! It!" Kamil’s voice seemed to surge from between his gritted teeth; his forehead was already adorned with numerous ’井’ characters.
Your Highness Zephyr is indeed gentle, outstanding, but for some reason, it tends to get immersed in its own thoughts while speaking, causing its mind to wander wildly. Usually, it’s fine, spending more time reasoning with Your Highness Zephyr until it regains clarity; however, now, numerous foreign wind creatures have appeared outside Wind Island, with war on the verge of erupting, yet still reminiscing past events, most importantly, reminiscing about the enemy leader. Kamil was feeling slightly exasperated.
Teacher Kamil’s restrained outburst made Zephyr’s eyes clear for a moment. It casually plucked the strings, releasing gentle melodies.
"Teacher Kamil, I heard you. But... Little Huesh... Alright, Hurricane Hueshpolio hasn’t come, it’s still in Storm Ridge, not necessarily an enemy yet."
Kamil exhaled deeply, suppressing the impulse to pry open Zephyr Uranus’s mind, saying, "Hurricane is a strong contender for the previous generation’s Storm Monarch; even injured and weakened, it’s still the strongest in Storm Ridge besides Hurricane’s Highness. Its movements couldn’t possibly occur without Hurricane’s Highness’s command, so choosing to wage war on White Cloud Village indicates Hurricane’s Highness’s stance... Your Highness, face the reality. It’s no longer the Little Huesh born in White Cloud Village, but now the Monarch of Storm Ridge."
"That may be true, but Hurricane Hueshpolio should also know that a lone Hurricane, leading over a hundred wind creatures, can only inflict transient pain on Wind Island. To conquer Wind Island, even if it personally comes, might not succeed; and since it hasn’t come, I still choose to believe it is the Little Huesh of White Cloud Village." Zephyr Uranus pondered aloud.
The Sage Kamil looked at the man on the throne, sighing slightly: "Regardless of Hurricane Hueshpolio’s thoughts, Your Highness should consider the current situation first. All elemental creatures on Wind Island are waiting for Your Highness’s decision."
Zephyr Uranus hesitated briefly; indeed, it desired to dissolve the enmity, but Hurricane had already presented the options of war or submission.
Submitting was impossible, as it represented not just itself but also all wind creatures in White Cloud Village.
And war... it had the confidence to win, but this also meant completely tearing the facade away.
"Little Huesh, oh, Little Huesh, you’ve presented me with a conundrum." Zephyr Uranus softly chanted the familiar name, its image surfaced slowly amidst memories, finally fading with a sigh, disappearing completely.
"Since I’ve already summoned them back, naturally I won’t let them down, so... war."
As Zephyr Uranus finished speaking, it gently strummed a string, the leisurely notes subsiding, replaced by the tumultuous rhythm of impending battle.
Kamil also grinned slightly, ready to discuss specific battle strategies with Your Highness Zephyr.
However, at that moment, wild gusts blew in from beyond the Door.
Amidst strands of clouds, Kamil and Zephyr Uranus simultaneously received intelligence from Wind Island’s defenders.
"Suspected powerful wind elemental creature self-detonation? Hurricane led many wind creatures retreating to the turbulent Cloud Sea?" Kamil and Zephyr Uranus exchanged glances, bewilderment in their eyes.
Undoubtedly, Hurricane’s sudden withdrawal likely attributed to the prior elemental self-detonation.
Yet, they had already called back all wind creatures from Wind Island, except those guarding the Source of Wind. If a powerful wind elemental creature indeed self-detonated, it certainly wasn’t from White Cloud Village’s wind creatures.
Could it be one of the wind creatures from Storm Ridge? But what confrontations triggered the sudden self-detonation?
As they pondered, Wind Island’s defenders conveyed the latest intelligence via a strand of wind.
"Hurricane reportedly conflicted with an outsider, the Cloud Sea was pierced by violent winds?"
The new intelligence stunned them even more; Zephyr Uranus gravely looked at Kamil: "Teacher, this outsider seems to become a new variable; how should we respond now?"
Kamil, somewhat perplexed, pondered; who on earth was this outsider? Moreover, an outsider capable of clashing with Hurricane and its large forces, holding a stalemate — who could it be? Even Hurricane Hueshpolio’s presence couldn’t easily achieve such!?
While Kamil was puzzled, it didn’t dwell excessively on the outsider’s identity, considering briefly before suggesting: "Your Highness, I think this presents a good opportunity; we can seize the chance to launch a surprise attack on Hurricane’s forces from behind. This avoids direct confrontation, reducing many battle casualties."
Zephyr Uranus’s expression remained tense, pondering briefly before agreeing with Kamil’s suggestion: "Then let’s proceed... However, the sudden emergence of a variable, hopefully, won’t lead the situation towards an uncontrollable tipping point."
With the Statement concluded, Zephyr Uranus rose from the mist-encircled throne, harp in one hand, cloak waving with the other, slowly transforming into invisible wind, leaving within the vast palace only strands of clouds drifting against the backlight...
...
Above the turbulent Cloud Sea.
Feeling the immense malice emanating from the opposite side, Toby stood on Angel’s shoulder, suddenly chirping, spreading wings adorned with numerous tassels once more.
However, before Toby could flutter, Angel directly reached out and pressed it down.
Angel: "You shouldn’t go up. Leave them to me and Earl Mi."
Toby chirped in dissatisfaction, pointing his beak at Earl Mi and then looking at Angel indignantly.
"I’m not saying Earl Mi is better than you... I know you’re amazing. Didn’t you handle that big whirlwind all by yourself earlier? It’s just that Earl Mi is more suited to handle groups, and you might get tired dealing with so many wind element creatures. After all, Earl Mi can also absorb the surrounding Wind’s Force to recover, which you can’t do. This isn’t a power gap; the battle environment simply suits him better," Angel comforted.
Toby’s little eyes flickered with contemplation.
"Moreover, if both Earl Mi and I leave, who will protect the gondola? Without Earl Mi’s Wind Force Field, keeping the gondola balanced amidst the hurricane’s sway will only be possible with you. Your development of the Gravity Meridian is much greater than mine." Angel blinked at Toby, his tone gentle as he persuaded, "Besides, you wouldn’t want your new outfit to get torn again, would you?"
Dangross’s eyes also lit up: "Yeah, we still need Lord Toby’s protection. And this boat, such a beautiful boat, if it’s shattered here, Mr. Pat will surely be very sad, don’t you think?"