Yeah double upload! Was kinda wanting to not do a double upload with these specific chapters because the cliffhanger at the end is delicious buttttt we can't have all the things that we want, can we?
Title is from Sophocles apparently.
My Jams: The Past Revealed (XC2), Kingdom of Torna (Day, XC2), With People and Darkness (XC2)
NGL, tho. I was totally vibing to the 9th palace theme from P5R while editing this.
There is no success without hardship
═════════•°• Auresco, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════
A resounding slam echoed throughout the palace, glass decorations erratically rattling on the walls. Zetter stormed out of the throne room and into the halls, footfalls heavy with his lips upturned into a sneer, nostrils flaring in and out with every short breath.
"Out of everyone that's eligible, Brother continues to believe in that bastard?" He bit out, clenching his fist. "Does he have no honor? No respect for the traditions of our land? Have I not proved myself time and time again to be worthy?"
He eyed a servant standing in the middle of the hallway, staring wide eyed at him. "You! What are you doing? Stop staring and go back to your duties!"
With a strangled yelp, the servant disappeared into a free room. Zetter grumbled to himself, heading to his personal quarters. Unbeknownst to him, a lone figure stood behind a pillar, completely out of sight, watching him as he walked past. She sighed, closing her eyes. It was already getting worse.
"Father brought up the succession again, didn't he?" A voice asked from behind her. She jumped up slightly, relaxing when she saw the familiar face of her brother.
"Albert!" she hissed, glancing around. She lowered her voice, the sound slightly below a whisper. "We should take this conversation elsewhere. No doubt his little display will attract curious ears."
"I agree," he said. Quietly, they walked to their private chambers, keeping a careful eye out for any servants that may be lurking about. They breathed a sigh of relief once they were safely behind closed doors.
"Father is getting rather insistent that Addam become the crown prince, isn't he?" Albert commented. She grimaced.
"Indeed. I haven't seen Zetter quite so angry in a long time," she said. "It's getting to the point that no one wants to even be in the same room as him. Not that he was the best of company to begin with."
He shook his head, frowning. "Leave it to the bastard to win the favor of the Khan. When did the old man even find the time to travel to Leftheria?"
"Who knows. While I'm not exactly the youngest, I haven't been involved in the internal politics of the Kingdom for as long as you have," she said. "Since it's 'unlady like' to do anything but be a housewife."
"I know. I'm sorry, Amira," He said. "I wish there was something I could do about that. You would make a far better leader than any of us combined in the end. Even Addam, as good as he is."
"Really now? You just said two contradicting statements."
"Yes. Addam may have us beat when it comes to winning the favor of the people but he does not want to rule. Not in the slightest. That would doom him in the end," He said, gazing at a painting. "You've noticed it too, right?"
"Of course I've noticed it. I think that's part of the reason Zetter is so violently angry. Winning the favor of our father is no easy feat and Addam has all but stated outright that he doesn't want anything to do with the throne," Amira said, sinking into a seat. "Doesn't help that he's fourth in line so he should have no chance at ever surpassing Zetter."
"I don't blame Father. Zetter would ultimately only do harm to Torna. He would only use the government and its people for his own gain," Albert remarked. "I wonder what changed. He didn't used to be this way."
"Really? I would never know," Amira said.
"Yes. He was a lot nicer. More open, if a bit awkward. A little like Addam was at the beginning," He hummed, raising a hand to his chin. She watched as his contemplative look shifted to be more sullen. "Ah, yes. How could I forget? He changed when Zach was banished from the Kingdom."
"Zach…?"
"Zachary Origo, formerly third in line to the throne. You never met him. He was caught selling government secrets to Indol and found guilty. He was either to be executed or to be banished. The courts took pity on him, given how young he was, and banished him," Albert said.
"I seem to remember something about a whistleblower. Why would that make Zetter, I don't know, meaner?"
"He's also Zetter's biological son."
"What?! Zetter had a son?"
"Illegitimate, like Addam. A result of a tryst with a servant girl when he was a teen. Regardless, Zetter loved Zach unconditionally. He was a bit of an odd kid but undoubtedly passionate and caring. Never really spent time in the capital for any length of time. He was set up to be the new Lord of Lasaria but…"
Amira leaned forward. "Wait. I'm older than you and I've never heard of him. How do you know of him? You think something like that would be the talk of the people."
"Illegitimate children aren't usually talked about much. Addam only became well known for his efforts in helping the people of Leftheria after that deadly plague that went through about a decade or so ago," Albert said. "I kind of knew Zach. He was a sort of younger brother to me. I was very shocked when I heard the news of the banishment; it didn't seem right. He didn't strike me as that type of person."
"Didn't…? You used the past tense."
"I don't know, honestly. It's been years since all of it happened and I haven't stepped foot off Tornan soil since."
"I know it's not my place to ask but… is there any chance he could be innocent? It's not like our courts really have the best track record..."
"It's possible." He said, sighing. "But I don't have any evidence to argue against the ruling. Even if I did, trying to get the original ruling overturned will not be easy."
"Ah," she said. "...I'm sorry that happened to you. Was it ever revealed how he was caught? How he got the secrets in the first place? Information secret enough for such a punishment would only be known by the most important government officials."
"Anything's possible at this point. I wasn't allowed to have any part in the proceedings, you see. I do know it's the one of the reasons relations between us and Indol are so strained right now,"
"Indol? But it happened years ago..." Amira murmured. "I could understand Coeia given how poorly they're reacting to everything but Indol? Our primary trade partner that gives us the industrial materials for, well, pretty much everything? And aren't they cooperating fully in the fight against Malos?"
"Only in the fight against Malos. And that's because we threatened sanctions if they didn't," he replied. "Would you like some tea, by the way? I'm positively parched after spending all day meeting with foreign officials."
"Yes please," Amira said. "The last thing we need right now is tension with Indol. They're emerging quite quickly as a major world power."
"I agree. I'm not as concerned about the current Praetor as I am with his court of advisors. Specifically Questor Amalthus."
Amira kicked her feet up on the table, relaxing. "That's Malos' driver, yes?"
He frowned. "I really wish you wouldn't do that. But yes. A lot of people are rightfully concerned about Malos' capacity for destruction." Sighing, he set a cup of tea in front of Amira. "However, what a lot of people fail to realize is how impactful a blade's first driver is on their concepts of good and evil."
Albert took a sip, glancing out the window overseeing the capital. "I can't help but wonder how much of Malos' tendencies are his own and how much are his driver's."
═════════•°• Militia Camp, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════
A knock on the door roused Aegaeon out of his sleep. He glanced at Brighid for permission. Upon receiving a nod, he stumbled slightly as he stood up. He shook his head and moved towards the door, cracking it open to see who was outside.
"Oh, hello Emp- Hugo."
"May I come in?"
"Of course." Aegaeon stepped aside to allow Hugo entry. The Emperor approached Morag's bedside, sitting on the edge.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, concern shining in his eyes. Morag sat up with the help of Brighid, skin still slightly pasty.
"Decent. Certainly better than a couple of days ago. How much further do we have to travel?" She asked.
"We're here, actually. We made really good time," Hugo said. "I'll have the medicine to you as soon as possible. It's not too far out from the dock."
"You aren't going to Mor Ardain right away?"
"No. I suspect that I will be fighting Addam on this but I believe my time will be better served traveling with him. Especially since I have a feeling that I'm going to be running into some of your friends sooner rather than later."
"Try to keep an open mind if it just so happens to be Zeke," She murmured, shaking her head. He laughed.
"I highly doubt he'll be that bad," He replied cheerfully. "Honestly, based on the stories that you told me, I can't wait to meet all of them."
"You would be surprised," She said, looking away. "Thank you. For everything. You've gone out of the way for a near stranger."
"Of course." Hugo said. "We're essentially family, yes?"
Morag chuckled, shaking her head. "I suppose we are, in a strange way. Shouldn't you be heading out soon?"
"Yes. Try to relax and let your body heal, alright?" Hugo said, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. Brighid (his Brighid, that is. They would have to figure out what to do about the duplicate names eventually) met him outside the door. Together, they walked towards the entrance to the ship and into the camp. They found Addam standing next to the tents with Lora, Jin, and Haze.
"Hugo! Aren't you going back to Mor Ardain?" Lora asked. He shook his head.
"I have already sent word to my brother about the happenings in Gormott. There is nothing that requires my presence specifically. I would rather spend my time helping you with this fight."
"Hugo…" Addam trailed off, shaking his head. "Well, I can see that nothing I say will convince you otherwise."
"Trust me; I already tried," Brighid murmured, frowning. Hugo attempted to punch her on the shoulder; she merely stepped out of the way.
"I've never been to Aletta before," Lora murmured. "It's so beautiful!"
"Indeed. It's nice to be home!" Addam said, stretching. He peered around. "I wonder what everyone has been up to. Where is he…? Ah. There he is. Noowl!"
The boy in question turned his around, face lighting up when he saw who called him. "Master Addam! You're back early!"
"It's never too early for me to be back home. How have things been?" He asked, peering curiously at the trio sitting on the edge of the cliff. "Are those some new additions to the camp, I see?"
"Yes. Zeke and his blades. He's been a real good help around camp. Keeps us stocked up on food, keeps the wildlife away from camp, and all that. Hell, he even keeps the peace when the usual troublemakers get rowdy," He explained. "They're a bit eccentric but they're good people. And carrying a lot of baggage, if I had to guess."
"What makes you say that?" Addam asked.
"We know next to nothing about where he's from or who he is. His accent is Tornan but also not really Tornan at the same time. It sounds vaguely like someone from the Capital but it almost seems to have… Indoline influences as well? I don't really know." Noowl explained. "He keeps to himself, mostly. He checks up on everyone daily and greets us all by name. But he spends a lot of time with his blades or by himself, gazing at the Cloud Sea. He seems almost… sad. Reminds me of the look I see on Mrs. Alisha's face sometimes."
"Like he's missing someone," Addam realized with a grim realization.
"Yeah! But they're really nice. Really powerful, too," Noowl said. "Almost as powerful as you!"
"Oh really?" Addam questioned, grinning. "Now this I have to see for myself."
"Why don't we go and introduce ourselves, then?" Lora asked. "I have to admit that I'm interested in learning more about those blades of his. They look really cool!"
"That's fine by me. It almost feels like I'm being drawn to him, to be honest," Hugo said, chuckling. Brighid scoffed, shaking her head.
"I agree," Haze said. Jin nodded. "Besides, we'll be staying here for tonight. Might as well say hello to be nice."
As they approached, Lora was able to pick up more details about the trio. The blade on the right was perhaps the oddest of the three; she had never seen a blade with light bulbs as a part of their body. The one on the left almost seemed to have wings extending out of his back that were made of ice. The ether lines running throughout his body and the reflective nature of his armor made a beautiful display of color. She couldn't tell much about Zeke himself.
"Hello there," Addam called cheerfully. The man startled, nearly launching himself into the Cloud Sea. Thankfully, his blades had the foresight to grab him by the arms, preventing him from falling. Clearing his throat, the man stood up and turned to face who had greeted him. He froze, an emotion that Addam couldn't quite identify filtering through his eyes, before an air of confidence and calm overtook him. The blade to his right dramatically cleared her throat, punching him on the shoulder.
"Erm… Hello, Prince Addam. I'm Zeke. Zeke v- The Zekenator! These are my blades, Pandoria and Godfrey. Pleased to meet you!" Zeke said, grin almost comically wide.
"Zeke von….?" he pressed, gazing hopefully. Zeke sighed, face falling ever so slightly.
"It doesn't matter. Where I'm from isn't around anymore, if you catch my drift," Zeke said sullenly, looking away.
"Ah. A victim of the Aegis' destruction?"
"You could say that,"
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm Emperor Hugo, but please, call me Hugo," he greeted, eyes glinting with fascination.
"Nice to meet you as well, Emp- Hugo." He turned to the lady, startling once his eyes landed on Jin. "And who might you be?"
"I'm Lora. This is Jin and Haze. Pleased to meet you," she said, grinning. "We've heard quite a lot about you."
"Have you now? All good things, I hope."
"There's been nothing bad, I assure you. I've heard from Noowl that you've really helped out around here. My sincerest thanks. It takes a lot of effort to keep the Militia running without a hitch,"
Zeke waved a hand in front of his face. "No need for flattery. I'm just doing what I do best,"
"How long have you had your blades? They seem really close to you," Lora asked.
"Err…. How long has it been Pandy?" Zeke asked. The blade in question sighed.
"You're hopeless, my- Driver," She said.
"Master Addam! Mrs. Alisha wants to see you!" Noowl called from afar.
"Tell her to wait just a moment!" Addam called back. "It was nice meeting you, Zeke. But there's something that we need to do."
"To collect the medicine, right?" Haze asked.
"Exactly," Addam said.
"Go ahead. There's something I wish to discuss with Zeke briefly," Hugo said, glancing back at the blade eater. Addam raised an eyebrow but decided not to press it.
"Very well then. We'll go and collect the medicine you need," He said, Lora trailing after him. Zeke swallowed heavily as the Emperor turned to greet him, eye filled with mirth.
"Morag and her blades are on the warship if you wish to visit them."
Zeke tilted his head to the side. "I see. So that's where she ended up…"
"You're not going to try and deny it?" Hugo asked. He shook his head.
"You obviously know a lot more than you should. There's no point," He said. "One thing that hasn't changed in five hundred years is Mor Ardain's ruthlessness. We were lucky to have the Special Inquisitor of our time with us on our travels."
"Mor Ardain nor I mean you any harm, Zeke," Hugo said. "You have my word."
"Time will tell if you honor it," He replied. "How is she doing?"
"Much better as of late. She got deathly sick a couple of days after she got here. It makes sense; her immune system wouldn't be accustomed to any of the diseases here," Hugo explained. "It wouldn't be a stretch to assume you've been in a similar state?"
"Not at all," Zeke replied. "Luckily, Addam grows whatever that medicine is called-"
"Pancellin," Godfrey supplied offhandedly.
"-Right, that stuff. I've been up and at it ever since."
"Already on a first name basis?"
"He's like my great great great great grand uncle," Zeke replied. "We're basically family."
Brighid scoffed while Hugo erupted into genuine laughter, eyes crinkling. "I see,"
"What about Tora? You know where he is?"
"Unfortunately, no. I can say with relative certainty that he's not in Mor Ardain or Gormott. Unless he's really good at staying hidden."
"i doubt it. He's not the most subtle of people, I will admit," Godfrey said.
"And his blade would stand out, from what I understand," Hugo said.
"Sooooo… I know you just said that you mean no harm to us," Pandoria said, kicking at the ground. "Buuuttt is there some reason you sent Aegaeon to track us?
"Pandy…!" Zeke hissed.
"No. It's alright. That's a fair question. I sent him after you as a precaution. And also to make sure you didn't get into trouble," Hugo explained. "You are in a foreign country hundreds of years before your time. Despite your best efforts to blend in, you still manage to stick out."
"How so?"
"Notice how we are having no trouble understanding each other. You would think that we would, given that five hundred years is more than enough time for languages to adapt and shift into completely new ones," Hugo said. "Have you noticed that, when you speak, your mouth does not match what you're saying?"
"I… can't say that I have," Zeke remarked. It would certainly explain the weird stares he got sometimes when he spoke.
"I've noticed it with Morag and now you. I assume it will be much the same with your friends as well." Hugo said.
"What's your point in bringing this up?" Godfrey asked. Hugo chuckled sheepishly.
"No particular reason. I just wanted you to be aware," he said. " I do hope we can get along. I don't think it's an accident that you all are here, after all."
═════════•°• Bionis Shoulder •°•═════════
The lock on the gate shattered easily from a quick swipe of his dagger. Gael'gar scoffed, wondering how he even saw any worth in the Imperial Family. It wasn't that hard to procure materials to sufficiently secure a place but they choose to lock it behind a measly combination lock? That amateurs could pick with simple materials? Pathetic. Drawing a couple of vials of blood, he kicked Tyrea's limp body to the side. He would come back and dispose of the trash later. Lips pursing, he ventured into the small hut, knocking over a stray chair as he rummaged around.
"Now where is that research…?" He asked himself, noticing the stacks of paper on the table. Once stack contained notes on the state of Capital and the citizens of Gran Dell. He threw them in the general direction of the trash can. Useless garbage. He sifted through the papers some more.
A personal diary entry. Absolutely worthless. Locations of the High Entian Seals. Somewhat useful but not what he was looking for. A copy of Bionis Shoulder: A History. Ha. As if the stories of the Shoulder weren't told to them repeatedly as children. A staff. He picked it up momentarily before setting it back down. He had been trained in spell casting but he never found any practical reason to use it. Besides, his swords and daggers were more than enough. He hit the table with his fist, knocking over neatly stacked pens and papers.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a leather bound notebook fall innocently to the edge of the table, dislodged from the vibrations of the table. Curiously, he picked it up. The edges were worn with frequent use, several stains adorning the front. He flipped it open to a random page, his wings perking up some. Some of the text was partially illegible but one section stood out to him:
If our theory regarding the existence of a specific set of genes that is responsible for the transformation into Telethia is true, then would it be possible to remove them artificially? Such attempts have proven successful before with other defects plaguing our species.
However, some of those experiments ultimately ended in disaster for the patient. Even now, the lack of information about our own bodies, especially those of mixed blood, is staggering...
"Aha. Here we are. This is exactly what I need. Heh. The kid's actually onto something. Too bad he won't live long enough to see it be worth it."
Grinning, he kicked over a spare canister of kerosene, the foul smelling liquid covering the ground. He lit a match and threw it behind him as he walked out, inhaling the delicious scent of burning fuel. He meandered down the path, sneering at Tyrea who still lay prone on the ground, before making the long trek to the Forbidden Hushland, right next to Zekr Marga Quarry. He paged through the research notes, commiting to memory some of the more interesting passages. It wasn't complete, obviously. But there were some things worth looking into and experimenting with. Perhaps his friends across the sea would be of some help; he knew they were well versed in mapping and understanding creature's genomes.
Standing outside the Quarry, he whistled a low tune, too low to be heard by the ears of Homs. A Sani Telethia emerged from the clouds below, flying up to meet him. He offered it several high quality Wind Ether crystals. It gratefully accepted, absorbing them into its body.
"Please take this. You know who to deliver it to, don't you?" He said, offering up the book and the vials of blood to the creature. It formed part of its body around the objects before giving an affirmative roar, flying off into the distance.
It was only a matter of time now before he had the power to deal with the rest of the pests that called themselves people.
═════════•°• Aletta Region, Torna, Alrest •°•═════════
Even the most carefully laid plans could crumble beneath a single, unaccounted factor. In this case, it was Minoth.
"Shit! I wasn't expecting to see him here," Pyra hissed, jumping to save the flesh eater from trouble. It was the same enemy Mythra had encountered before; a Slithe Jargon. She slashed across the beast's face, leaving an opening for Crossette to fire off her level three special. She winced in sympathy as the spiked Bitball hit the creature square on its back leg, toppling it momentarily.
"If only we had someone who could launch it...!" She murmured, blocking a swipe from its claws.
"Yeah. I'm really missing Adenine right now," Nia said, swiping awkwardly with the Inferno Sword. She had made the right call getting the shorter sword for the flesh eater but it wasn't weighted exactly like her blade weapon.
"Watch out!" Minoth called. She barely leapt out of the way, the Jargon landing with a loud thud. The dark blade slid under the beast, shooting at its soft underbelly. It cried in pain, hunching over, leaving an opening for Roc and Dromarch to finish it off. It fell to the ground with a pained cry.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Minoth offered a hand to the pink haired girl from earlier. She took it, pulling herself onto her feet and dusting herself off. He couldn't quite explain why but there was something… off about her demeanor. She looked innocent enough but he couldn't help but feel that there was something lurking behind those pink eyes. It made the hair on the back of his neck stiff. He would be willing to write it off as just his wariness of strangers since he liked to keep to himself. However… she knew his name.
There was one problem with that.
He had never seen her before in his entire life.
"I don't think I've ever seen any of you around before. What are your names?" He asked.
"I'm Pyra. These are my friends, Rex and Nia, and their blades, Crossette, Roc, and Dromarch." She introduced, hands demurely resting in front of her body. His eye twitched slightly. Did she think of him as stupid? There's no way a human would be anywhere near her strength. And there was no denying the power that radiated off her that screamed "I'm a blade." Or the girl called Nia, for that matter. Maybe he was the only one who could sense it; Flesh Eaters had enhanced senses, especially when it came to ether.
...Although, their lies would make sense if they were both flesh eaters too. He was used to the vitriol and hate that came toward his kind but that didn't mean everyone was.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Minoth. From where do you come from?"
"We grew up together in Leftheria," Rex supplied.
"Huh. And what part of Leftheria are you from?" Minoth asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. Rex swallowed heavily. He couldn't say Fonsett. Fonsett didn't exist.
"I… errr…" Rex started. They hadn't thought to come up with a backstory for themselves. To be fair, they hadn't expected to run into anyone this early either.
"We're from Finwick. We just got done visiting some of Nia's relatives in the capital and are on our way to visit a friend in the Militia before we return home," Pyra said. "My apologies; none of us are really good around strangers."
"Right." Minoth stated, shaking his head. He didn't believe her one bit. But their story was plausible and it would appear rude and condescending if he didn't take them at their word. He would keep an eye on them for now and ask Addam about what he thought about them later. "Well, I'm on my way to visit Prince Addam. Why don't we travel together? There's safety in numbers, after all."
"Sounds like a good idea to me. What do you think, Dromarch? Crossette?" Nia asked her blades.
"There is no denying that we will be much safer, especially after Sir Minoth proved his prowess in battle," Dromarch said.
"I will never turn down the opportunity for more friends!"
"I'm okay with it," Roc supplied. "Rex?"
"Sounds good to me!" He said, plastering his biggest grin on his face.
"Sir Minoth?" He echoed. Nia snickered.
"He does that to everyone. Still haven't been able to get him to just call me Nia."
"My lady…"
"See?" She said, gesturing towards her blade. Minoth chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. They meandered around the twists and turns of the area, the sun filtering in and out of view.
"Where did you find Dromarch? I don't think I've ever seen a blade like that before," Minoth commented.
"It's… He was my father's blade before he…" Nia trailed off, ears plastered against her head. Minoth tipped his head in acknowledgement.
"I'm sorry to hear that," He said. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"It's alright. I've had time to accept everything," Nia said, swiping hand in front of her face. "I'm not sure where he got Dromarch, either. I've never seen that weapon class before. Not even really sure how he uses it, to be honest."
"I manage just fine, my lady," The tiger remarked.
"Neither have I," Minoth mused. "I heard you mention another name? Adenine, was it?"
"Yeah. She's my other blade. She's a little… flighty, if you catch my drift. We lost track of her back in the capital," Nia lied, keeping her face neutral. "She'll find her way back to me eventually."
"You would leave her alone like that?"
"Adenine really likes books, especially anything to do with ancient history," Rex supplied. "If there's even a chance that she can get her hands on a good book, she'll take it. This isn't the first time she's run off by herself and it won't be the last."
"I see. She must be spending a lot of time around Yrissa's shop, then," He said. A twig snapped loudly behind them. He glanced back but didn't see anything. "Say, what did she look like? I may have seen her when I was in the capital."
"Er… There's really no way to really describe her," Pyra said. "The most striking thing about her is that her torso isn't fully…. Filled in, I guess, and that she has books around her wrists."
Definitely a rare blade. What were the odds of a strange group of people having solely rare blades? "I definitely didn't see anyone like that around. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Nia said. She gestured in front of them. "We should be worrying about the giant section of the bridge that's missing, however."
"That looks like so much fun to cross!" Crossette exclaimed.
Rex narrowed his eyes slightly. "Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Roc?"
"On it!" The blade said, flying down slightly. Linking his weapons together, he spun them around, creating a column of wind extending all the way to the ground. Rex backed up a little before rushing forward and jumping. The wind caught him, his body bouncing up and down through the vortex.
"Jump!" Rex called as he landed safely on the group below. Minoth whistled. The kid had a lot of trust in his blade. One by one, they jumped in, landing safely onto solid ground. He glanced up when he landed, lips falling into a frown at the darkening skies. Lightning flashed ominously as thunder crackled, the entire horizon tinted in a weird shade of green. The howling of the wind echoed within the slightly enclosed space, chilling Minoth to the bone.
"What the hell…?" Minoth murmured. "Where did this come from?"
"I have no idea. But I have a bad feeling about it," Pyra said, sticking close to Rex. Nia's ears fluttered slightly.
"Tell me about it…" Dromarch murmured, staring up into the sky.
"There's a cave not too far from here that we can take shelter in," Minoth said. "We need to wait out the storm."
They didn't take more than a couple of steps before rain started to pour on them. The sheets rapidly gained in intensity, becoming so thick that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Rex broke out into a run, blindly charging forward, trying desperately not to get too wet. He had just recovered from sickness; he didn't want to get sick again. He jumped to the left, foreseeing a blast of ether.
"What the hell…?" Who's there?" He called, wet bangs falling in front of his face. He could hear the frantic shouts of his friends calling his name but he couldn't tell from what direction the sounds were coming from. He glanced up, all of the hairs of the back of his neck sticking straight up. He screamed as he was launched into the air before he fell. He kept falling and falling and falling with no end in sight, watching the blurry image of the Tornan titan slowly get further and further away.
"REX!" Pyra screamed, bursting out into a bright, golden light. Minoth shielded his eyes, blinded. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a lone figure jump after the boy, a flash of silver in the black of the storm.
Things are ramping up... I wonder what's going to happen?