Kirin walked alone about the fresh water spring at the center of the Cathedral grounds.  He was bored and lonely without Saran around, he wondered if he gotten back from his Quest yet, how long did these silly things take, Humans were so strange.
    Casting about for someone to ask he saw a Dragoon standing over on the opposite end of the spring.
He might know, or at least he could tell me where I could find out.  He though as he ran over to the Dragoon and tapped his shoulder, no small feat for one so short.  "Excuse me."
    The Dragoon turned, he was wearing no helmet so his face could be seen plainly.  "Yes student, can I help you?"  The Dragoon asked in neutral tones.
    Kirin fell back in shock, which quickly turned to surprise, and then joy, he grinned.  "Hey Saran!  So you did succeed in your quest!  How long have you been back?"
    The Dragoon gave Kirin a puzzled look.  "I don't believe we have met. . .and my name is not Saran, it's Xenon."
    "What?  Stop joking around Saran-"
    "Why do insist on calling me that name!?  My name is Xenon, Dragoon three, rank five assigned to clique Amon.  I don't have time to waste with you student."  Throwing Kirin a cold gaze over his shoulder Xenon walked away.
    Kirin stood watching after his former friend wondering what had happened.  A friendly hand gripped his shoulder, turning he beheld a young gaunt faced cleric he hadn't seen before.  "Who-"
    "I'm a friend of Saran's too, and though I shouldn't be telling you this I too cannot stand the atrocities committed within this so called place of worship."  Said the priest.
  "What did they do to him?"  Kirin asked.
    Layran sighed, "When one completes the Dragon Quest and returns to his Cathedral he undergoes an ancient ritual that siphons his soul from his body and replaces it with darker mirror image of it, this is said to create a more effective soldier, I say it is barbaric."
    "So Saran is dead?  Is there any way to reverse the process?"  He asked hopefully.
    Layran shook his head, "No, the soul is sent into oblivion.  I truly am sorry."  He said in mournful tones.
    Kirin smiled wistfully.  "I'm not going stay here any longer, I think I'll go back to Kuso for a while, to think about things."  For the first time in his life, Kirin felt the emotion Humans called sadness.
    "Kuso. . .I think that I would like to see that place, maybe the teachings of Alanis aren't the best for the world.  My name is Layran."  He stuck out his hand in a tradition as old as time itself.
  Kirin took it warmly.  "I'm Kirin."  He said simply.