The port town of Pol Hain was a major trading hub for ships travelling between the Northern and the Southern Region, along with being the main gate of the Western Region by sea. The town, specifically the current incarnation of it, was the third of such after the original settlement and the second settlement were mostly destroyed during two separate devastating wars, both involving destructive magic well beyond anything regarded as safe.

The second rebuilding of the town took almost 30 years since the end of the most recent war against the Dragonsbane, and even until the present, some work still needed to be done. The survivors of the obliterated town regarded the new one as an improvement to their old and cramped town that already existed for 300 years. Along with that, the plan incorporated knowledge obtained from the Eastern Kingdoms of the continent, both as a thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of the dragons involved in the war, and as a show of support for a kind oppressed by humans.

The new town was made with wider road and lower ceiling to accommodate dragons and to let them intermingle with the smaller races. There are places such as a park and buildings such as an open-air shelter that the dragons used for accommodation and to nurse their young. Pol Hain was made based on the philosophy of the Far East in regard of dragons, in which they commandeered respect to the magical beasts of great wisdom and intelligence equal to that of humans and beast races. Even so, the people of Western Region were still trying to make sense how the Eastern Region could make dragons as part of their government, with one city having an Eastern dragon mayor, who surprisingly governed the city well. Then again, it served to contrast the two regions well.

Pol Hain, aside from being a major trading hub, also thrived from its fishing industry and its seafood. Their most famous dish was a Pol Hainian seared fish with a special sauce. The sauce was made from an assortment of spices which included hot chili peppers, red onions, garlic, lime leaves, lemongrass, and torch ginger native to the tropical Southern Islands, alongside fermented shrimp produced locally in Pol Hain. The sauce was topped off with hot, sizzling oil fresh from the pan, all with the ingredients being raw like salad. It made the hot pepper very hot, and the fish's flavor blending perfectly with it. Unfortunately, only the fire-breathing dragons could appreciate it, while dragons of other elements absolutely abhorred it.

The town was redeveloping from its destruction, but it was a relatively small town with a population of 1,200 along with 32 dragons. That, and the more prominent city of Xici inland, governed by the kingdom of the same name, along with the relatively uneventful things, made the town rather simple.

That was, until the Blackjack, a steamship powered by a coal-fueled engine, reached the ports of the town. The excitement of the townspeople was high, for it was the first ever foreign ship to ever reached the port of Pol Hain. It carried the passengers and crew of two distinct races: one being humans and others being werewolves, with some capable of transforming between two forms. The appearance of a dragon that resisted the Mark of the Fallen also brought a discussion among the dragons, whether the subject liked it or not.

For the crew and passengers of the Blackjack, to finally step on land again after a grueling travel by sea was a welcome change of pace. They had resigned to their fates ever since leaving their homes, knowing that it could potentially be a suicidal, one-way travel. A turn of fortune landed them there, and they all attributed this to the efforts of the three young werewolves who managed to convince a dragon native of Main to help them, along with a well-needed rest and supplies from the Raptors of Raptor island.

Now that they successfully reached a new land, they decided to rest and enjoy what the Main continent had to offer. They all could say they earned it.

***

Azureath wasn't going to rest just yet. Despite Shrikel's well-meaning intention that she would not be bothered, the azure blue dragon felt that she needed to know how and why she was spared from the Mark. Yes, she tried to forget all the painful memories, but she was not going to feel right to know that she survived, and others did not. So, accompanied by Hans, she walked the wide streets of Pol Hain towards the dragon shelter on the outskirts of the town. The people around them cheered and shook hands with Hans, who walked besides Azureath. The azure blue dragon, however, did not feel comfortable, especially around humans. She tried her best to look cheerful, but it was clear for Hans that she tried to suppress her discomfort. He could hear her subtle growl with his sharp werewolf ears (by this point, Hans decided to stay werewolf, knowing that everyone seemed to prefer it that way).

The dragon shelter's reaction, however, was less than cheerful. Their reaction was subdued compared to the others, but it was as Azureath expected. What she did not expect, however, was a silent suprise when she walked into the shelter. One of the dragons, an older, brown-scaled dragon, noticed the runic scars all over her limbs and body and could only look at her with sympathy. Many of the older dragons were, too. Their staring proved uncomfortable, even for her. She started to think that there was a stigma associated with a Marked dragon, or maybe they thought she was fortunate. The survivor's guilt started to eat on Azureath to the point she stopped and decided that she felt unwelcome. She lowered her head in sadness and slowly turned around.

But before she could walk away from the shelter, one of the dragons, a dark green-scaled one, said, "We heard the news from Shrikel, azure one. We know the fear it gave us."

Azureath wryly chuckled. "It is an understatement. Looking at you all make me feel like a coward. I...ran, while you endured the fear."

"Is it not a proper reaction of suffering a terrible, traumatizing loss?" asked a female, red-scaled dragon. "Dragons are not gods, after all. I, too, lost my mate a long time ago. He left me an egg to nurture. It was the hope he left for me."

"But this...brand. The black one, Shrikel, told me about those who had this brand. I was the only one that resisted the Mark of the Fallen. Why is that?"

"We know not the answer," said the green one. "The magic is as infernal as those corrupted by it. The answer lies in you, azure one. How did you resist it?"

"I don't know. I came her seeking answers after I chose to confront it. You mean...I hold the answer for all that? If it is the case, then I am afraid I will be of no use. I resisted it unconsciously and I flew away, abandoning this land as I lost hope. I can offer nothing for you."

"And we do not ask you do to so, Azureath," said Shrikel, who landed near her. "Azureath, you are as welcome her as you are welcomed by your trusted friends. I was told that it has been years since you ran. Well, those terror-filled days are over, and many of us have moved on from the pain and loss in our own ways. You found your way, so it is nothing to be shy of."

"It can give quite a wrong impression with the staring," said Hans. "And most of the time, that impression is usually negative."

"Yet, in our case, it is more a respect. Azureath, is it?" said the green one. "You are the only known dragon to have resisted the Mark. Yet, you are also the first known dragon to cross the Ocean Between where we can only find death. Not only that, you returned to bring news that there is a civilization beyond those seas and to confront the painful past you tried your best to forget."

"And through the season of the storms, no less," said Shrikel.

"So, even if we had misgivings about the Mark, which we don't, there are other things that you can be proud of as a dragon. Even if you don't, we can't simply deny those who needs help, right?"

The other dragons murmured in approval. Hans could hear that they were respecting her, agreeing with the old, green-scaled dragon of her courage and her own achievements. In fact, this caused Azureath to become glass-eyed, which Hans did not want to point out considering her pride. She could cry to let herself know that it would be alright, but that, especially for Azureath, would not look very great. In the end, she decided to simply accept the simple truth.

She crossed the Ocean Between twice and lived to tell the story.

Hans, upon knowing that she had already felt comfortable among the dragons, decided that he wanted to go around town and maybe find a pub for a pint or two. He quickly decided against it when he realized that the money he took with him would probably be useless. He decided that the best thing to do was to return to Blackjack and rest.

As he walked on the wide street, the werewolf came upon a bronze statue. It was a statue of two young-looking quadruped dragons looking towards the sea, wings on each other's shoulder. He admired how they made the wings so thin, almost like a proper dragon wing, but also sturdy enough to withstand the age, even though it was clearly not an old landmark, considering what he learned about the town's history (he read about it in a nearby information center).

Then, he noticed a placard. He wondered if he could read them, but then it answered itself when the jumbled, runic letters quickly translated itself into Tragorian, courtesy of the Gift the Raptor shaman gave him. He read it out loud.

"For Seraphor and Avila, the bringer of balance. The dragons that liberated Pol Hain. May their memories live onto the Third Age."

Third Age? Hans wondered if that was how the calendar worked in Main. Clearly, they did not follow the same progression with Ternor, which followed the same calendar which was then the year 1911. The werewolf read about the significance of the years in his village's library, but it was only as extensive as the history of Sidve.

He planned to find a library to at least get a general picture when someone's voice said, "Light and darkness. A story of forbidden love. A story with a tragic end."

Hans looked around, but there wasn't anyone who seemed to talk to him. Hans then felt a chilling sensation that felt like someone touched him. Spooked, Hans awkwardly paced away. He wasn't sure why he felt so spooked. He wasn't one who believe in ghosts. He wasn't sure why, but he felt he should get back to the Blackjack.

Maybe he was just tired after enduring the sea. All he need was a good pint or two before taking a good, well-earned rest.