Chapter 1:
Awakening
My eyes open, slowly, and I blink a few times before eventually acclimating to the light. I'm in a small cottage, made almost entirely of wood. Looking out to me left, I see a door from the bed I'm in.
"Where… am I…?" I ask myself. As I say this, an older woman with dark skin enters the room.
"Oh! You're awake!" She exclaims in surprise.
"Who are…" I begin before trailing off, noticing a bit more about her appearance. Her graying hair showing her age, as well as her modest clothing. I knew who she was almost immediately.
"My name is Corrine," the woman responded, confirming my theory, "You're in Fonsett Village now," she took a short pause, before continuing, "You're very lucky that Rex found you. If he hadn't, you might have died."
"So… his name was Rex…" I replied slowly, before asking, "Could I… meet him?"
"Of course," the kindly woman said to me, before leaving the room. A few minutes later, she returned, with a younger boy, probably about 10 years old, with golden eyes and brown hair. "This is Rex," she began, "He found you lying on the shore unconscious."
"So… your name is Rex…" I started, looking into the young boy's eyes, "Thank you for saving me…" I continued.
"It's no problem!" the young boy exclaimed, putting a smile on my face.
'He's just as kind as I thought,' I thought to myself before I spoke again, "I can see great things in your future, Rex," I spoke to the young boy, "I know that you will do amazing things."
"I know! I'm gonna help Fonsett Village as much as I can!" The enthusiastic boy exclaims.
I take my time getting out from the bed, before stretching out my limbs to help compensate for their lack of use. Almost immediately after, my stomach growls, "Can I get something to eat?" I ask, "I haven't had anything to eat in a while."
Corrine speaks up, "That shouldn't be a problem dear," she says with a smile on her face, "It's just about time for lunch anyways."
"That would be amazing," I reply thankfully.
"Well then," she begins, "I should get started on that. Come on Rex, we should leave him be for a bit to get his bearings."
"Alright!" The future driver of the Aegis exclaims, "I'll talk to you later, uh… what's your name?"
"Cyrus. My name is Cyrus," I reply to the young boy with a soft smile.
Over the next few months, while I get my bearings, I help out in Fonsett. Everyone was extremely kind to me, despite knowing almost nothing about me. They even supplied me with clothes, despite how little they have. I now wear a basic pair of cloth pants, torn in the knees from a large amount of use, and the same applies to my shirt, and both of which are fairly dirty from work. I even meet the old Titan, Azurda, who guards the Village Guardian. Eventually however, I know that I have to move on.
"Do ya really have to go?" Rex asks, "I mean, you could stay around here!"
A soft smile adorns my face as I look down at the young boy, "Sorry, Rex, but I know that there's so much more to this world that I have to see," I begin, before looking up to the sky, "But I know that we'll meet again someday. The promise of Elysium will bring us together again."
"I know but," the young boy begins to cry, "It's so hard to see you go."
I crouch down to his level before ruffling his brown hair, "I know you'll be strong. This is a promise I won't break," I say to Rex before standing up again and looking at Corrine, "I can't thank you enough for all of this."
"Don't worry about it," the kindly woman states, "As long as someone from this village can do something with their life, I'm happy."
I nod before turning around and walking off, closing my eyes for a bit, and raising my left hand to say goodbye to them. As I make my way to the harbor, I stay out of the view of the wildlife in the area. I approach the harbor, before paying my fare, and taking a trip to the Titan of Mor Ardain.
For the next five or so years, I train as part of the military of Mor Ardain, making my way through the ranks, even gaining the respect of Special Inquisitor Morag, the strongest Driver and Soldier in Mor Ardain. I continue training daily, as well as completing any tasks assigned to me, with few failures. I will admit, I have lost a few comrades in the line of duty while protecting the city, but many more made it through. I have gained some battle scars on my body, while also having built up more muscle than I had ever had before I came to Alrest. My skin has also tanned a large amount, due to the exposure to the sun. One day however, I was called upon directly by the Special Inquisitor herself, much to my surprise.
"Special Inquisitor Morag," I state while saluting her, "You called?"
"Yes," the decorated veteran states, "I have seen your work in the field, and believe that you have capabilities far above your current position."
"What do you mean?" I ask the woman in front of me.
"You have shown leadership capabilities far above your station, even putting yourself in the line of fire to protect a comrade," she begins, "Furthermore, you have shown exceptional ability in reconnaissance."
"I was only performing my duties Special Inquisitor," I begin, looking towards her with a battle hardened gaze, "I did what I thought any other soldier would."
The special inquisitor closes her eyes for a moment as she gives a small smile, "That's just like you, Lieutenant," she begins, addressing me by my rank, "However, since you have shown these qualities, the Emperor said that he wished to promote you," she pauses while I gape for a moment before continuing, "Therefore, we have made a new position for you in the military."
"Special Inquisitor, I stand by my statement that I did what anyone else would," I begin, "What makes me more worthy of this position than any other?"
"Quite simply," The strongest Driver in Mor Ardain begins, "Your abilities put you above the rest, and not only that, it's that not anyone else would."
"Special Inquisitor…" I start before trailing off, "Thank you. Tell me, what is my position, and what are your orders for me?"
"Straight to the point as always I see," the raven haired woman begins, "You are now the Ardanian Master of Reconnaissance. To commemorate this position, we give you this."
Morag's Blade, Bridghid, enters carrying an ornate wooden box. Morag takes the box from her Blade, before thanking her, while she hands the box to me. They both watch as I begin to open the box. As I open it a crack, a blue glow emanates from within the box. Opening it fully, I see the source. A core crystal.
"Special Inquisitor, are you sure about this?" I ask, my eyes wide with surprise, "Only the highest ranking members of the army get these!"
"It is fine," the blue-haired Blade begins, "You are, after all, the highest position in the Reconnaissance Division of the Ardanian Army now."
Returning my attention to the Core Crystal, I respond, "Of course. I am honored to have this from you."
I remove the Core Crystal from the box before grasping the glowing stone tightly. The faint glow soon changes to a blinding light as the Core Crystal begins to hover in front of me. As the glow fades, all of us in the room see the form of my Blade. His body and face are heavily scarred, even to the point of one of his eyes being blind. His functioning eye has a violet iris, and he has an intense gaze. He wears a cloak, under which is an army uniform adorned with medals. His left arm is entirely made of bone, with a deep violet aura around it, that appears as if it were made of flame.
"My name is Specter," the newly awakened Blade declares, "My weapons are yours to use, commander."
