"Are you enjoying this peace and quiet without Eyvl around?" Floren bent down to whisper in his Driver's ear, though she didn't seem to hear his words. He polished his long, magenta nails against the bright green of his lapel and smirked as he waited for his Driver to respond. The woman had had her hands in the dirt and was putting all of her focus into digging long blueish roots out of the soft, swampy earth. She only shook her head wordlessly in response and motioned for Floren to bring her travel bag closer.

The Blade puffed out his pale cheeks but did as she silently asked of him. How could his stupid Driver sit there and dig around in the muck? Brilliant fluorescent petals were swirling around them and the Titan teemed with wildlife to study!

And yet here she was with her eyes turned down to the ground.

"Luci-loo!" Floren cooed, wrapping his slim arms around her neck from behind. She struggled to hold her balance as he nuzzled the top of her head with his chin. "Come on, why don't we move to another spot and take samples before that loon catches up and causes trouble?"

Despite her best efforts, his weight on her back combined with his wiggling sent her toppling backwards onto him.

"Floren," she scolded quietly. She sounded more inconvenienced than angry, but her tone was clearly not enough to discourage him. She tried to sit upright and get back to her work, but he wrapped his long legs around her waist from behind and tightened his grip on her neck like a suffocating backpack. "Ack! Floren, you're choking me!"

"Nuh-uh! Promise me that we can do something fun and I'll let you uuuup!" He teased as he giggled in delight.

The researcher grumbled in annoyance and pulled at his arms with her fingers, but it was useless. Floren was incredibly strong, perhaps far more than he knew, though not a single soul would have guessed that from his appearance. Many a clueless man had been duped by his sweet face, thin form, and abundant charm. As much as Lucille did not approve of the attention he gleaned from others, she couldn't deny that it was this trait that had fed her before she secured a position in the Ardanian Research Branch.

"This is boring! Don't you want to visit a café in the capital? Or we could go swimming in the Wyrmtears!"

"We brought food along. And you know I can't swim."

"This is the best time to learn, right? I can show you! Come on, let's play a game or something! Something fun!"

She tried her best to reason with him, though he was far beyond the point of listening. It was a touch unlike Floren to be so energetic. Normally he was collected, graceful, and a tiny bit conniving. She wondered if the Titan's flourishing health made an impact on her Blade. "But I was having fun, Floren. I've never seen roots like that before. Do you think they are more like carrots or potatoes?"

Floren released his grip of her neck and flopped backwards on the ground with his limbs splayed out in defeat. "Carrots and potatoes? That's more fun than spending time with me?"

"I spend every second of every day with you, Floren." Lucille sat up and crawled on her knees back to the soft soil that she had been digging in. The black shirt she wore was smudged with mud, and the khaki knees of her cargo work-pants would likely be stained forever. As if to pin the nail in the coffin of her awful and messy look, she gathered up her auburn curls in an abhorrent bun that made Floren poke out his tongue and mock sticking his finger down his throat.

"Luci, you looked so cute this morning. Now look at you! Don't you care what people think?" Floren pranced over to her and bent down to her level. He drew his thumb across his tongue and used his spit to scrub off a smudge of dirt on her right cheek.

Lucille brushed his hand away and uttered a sound of distaste at his action. "Of course I care about what people think, but I'm on the job and there is nobody else here." Finally, her green eyes widened and she realized that neither her fellow researcher nor their Blade was present. "Wait… there is supposed to be someone else here. Where are Eyvl and Azami?"

"I don't know!" He teased in a sing-song voice, kicking his heel against the earth sheepishly. "Maybe they ended up taking a job from one of the freelance guilds or something."

"Oh." Lucille went right back to work. She seemed to be satisfied with that answer. "That makes sense."

That was the exact opposite reaction that Floren wanted; couldn't she tell that he was fishing for an argument?! How did it make sense that a fellow Ardanian soldier would take on a mission for an Urayan Mercenary group? 'She JUST noticed he was gone?! I went through all the trouble of scrambling his map so that we could go adventuring to find him! Ugh, oh well…'

The Blade swept his gaze upwards as a strong breeze whipped through the Saffronia trees and sent peachy leaves raining down from above in a storm of color. Curious lavender eyes watched them until they drifted towards the port of Fonsa Myma and settled on the surface of the water. They left bright spots of vivid light until the ether coursed through the little veins of the petals.

'Ah, this view! This is the most beautiful place in the world!' Floren felt butterflies flutter about in his stomach at the very sight of such a spectacle. They had never seen anything like that in the rusty Ardainian capital, that was for sure! And while he was soaking in the feeling of nature, Lucille was missing out on the beauty and stuffing samples into jars. There was beauty in that too, Floren understood. His Lucille was in her element, invigorated by the prospect of new science in the belly of this wondrous Titan.

It wasn't until he turned his back to Lucille that he realized the two of them weren't alone. A man stood on the shore of the lake with his back to the pair of them. For a moment Floren was sure that Eyvl and Azami had caught up to them, but Eyvl was a brawny idiot whose floppy, bright blond hair would have been visible from that distance. This other figure was taller, comparatively huge and bulky. Even from a distance, Floren could see the steady blue glow of ether from what appeared to be tubes at the man's waist and the back of his head.

'Oh, I recognise him…' Floren twirled a lock of mint hair around a delicate finger as he tried to recall the Blade's name. He was the Emperor's new Blade, Floren knew that much. He had never heard the Blade speak, but he heard others call him the Empire's Sapphire.

Personally, Floren didn't much care for the history of the Empire, though he kept his opinions of his employers to himself. All that mattered was that he was feeling the urge to chat with someone besides Lucille, and his curiosity was piqued.

"Hey, you!" Floren suddenly called out towards the figure. He felt Luci's eyes study his back and could sense her confusion. She apparently hadn't noticed his presence, either. 'Poor, poor Luci. Too dim to even sense that someone else is here. She would have been a sitting duck if an enemy attacked.'

The tall Blade wordlessly turned and approached them slowly at Floren's call. As he moved closer, Lucille rose up to her feet and brushed the dirt off of her palms. She placed a hand on her hip, a motion that gave off a lot of attitude, though Floren knew better. She just liked to keep a hand near the dagger tied to her belt. Funny of her to act so tough when she hadn't noticed someone else there in the first place.

Floren pranced closer and threw his hand up in a wave. "...Heya," he couldn't remember the Blade's name, but the glowing ether reflecting off of the bright white of his coat made it look metallic, so Silver seemed fitting enough. "Er, Mr. Silver. You don't look too impressed with the scenery!"

"His name is Aegaeon, not Silver," Lucille corrected Floren matter-of-factly as she moved her hand away from her weapon. "The Empire's Sapphire is an ancient Water-element Blade with supposedly excellent defensive capabilities. I do not know if that's true for his current state, but according to what I've read--"

Floren twirled to face her and cut her off quickly. "I don't think I asked for his battle stats, Lucille! Geez! Try talking about people as if they have feelings, especially if they're right in front of you!" He thumped her forehead as punishment.

She blinked her green eyes in what seemed to be surprise at Floren's outburst. "What did I say wrong? You were the one making us look ignorant for not knowing."

"Sometimes it's better to be wrong and friendly than be a tactless know-it-all!"

"Is it tactless to say such a thing?"

"It makes us both look really dumb when you're wrong!"

She placed a fingertip to her chin thoughtfully. "I am at no risk of looking dumb when I am correct."

"You think you always are."

"No, the information she provided is accurate." The Blade finally spoke up, perhaps to keep their bickering from escalating further. His voice was deep and low, so low that it seemed to barely be above a whisper. Despite his low volume, his voice silenced the other two rather quickly. "What are your names?"

Floren answered as if he had been waiting to be asked. "You are looking at the newly promoted Lead of Outgoing Field Studies in the service of the renowned Scientist Myer Naghi. I am Floren, and my partner is the illustrious Lucille Braham!" He gave a proper curtsy and tipped the water Blade a charming wink. "If it weren't for us, the people of Mor Ardain wouldn't have a bite to eat!"

Lucille shook her head. "False. We collect specimens so that the actual scientists in the agriculture department can find alternate sources for growing plants as the Titan becomes less hospitable."

Floren laughed sheepishly as his Driver rained on his parade. "Well, regardless of that, we are very important. Do you understand, Mr. Ah… Ay… er, Mr. Silver?"

Lucille kept droning on. "Actually, there are twenty-nine technicians under Professor Naghi alone, and there are seven professors in the agricultural program. Suffice it to say, we are not that important, especially compared to the many other branches of the military."

Floren blanched and tried to recover by ignoring his Driver. "S-so have you ever been to Uraya? This is my first visit."

Aegaeon said nothing for a moment as he sized up the pair of them. He had been studying them both closely, committing them to memory and scouting to see if their eyes drifted towards the Emperor's summit with malice. If they noticed this, they did not make it apparent. He didn't find them to be particularly threatening or cunning, though they were mildly amusing.

"I believe I may have been here in a past life. This place is new to me, and yet nothing I have seen surprises me."

Floren frowned. "Oh. Does that make you a little sad? I've never experienced that before. Finding something both new and familiar…"

"Sad? I do not think the feeling is particularly sad, but it is strange. I could not describe such a beautiful place or imagine it on my own, and yet seeing it myself does not strike me with the sense of wonder that such sights warrant."

"Don't you want to explore a little? Take it all in?" Floren asked as he inched closer and turned his bright eyes up at Aegaeon.

"My apologies." Aegaeon swiftly corrected Floren. "My duty dictates that I train my eyes on the Emperor's summit ferry."

Lucille and Floren cut their eyes to the magnificent Titan boat moored in the Fonsa Myma harbor. Bright lights could be seen through the windows and lovely lanterns hung from the railing; no doubt Emperor Niall was having a vibrant and decadent banquet with the queen of Uraya.

"Sounds like you weren't invited on the boat."

The Blade seemed bothered by this; his pupil-less silver eyes gazed longingly towards the ship. "I understand that the occasion is a peaceful and pleasant one, but I feel uneasy when I am required to be away from his Majesty, even when his Special Inquisitor is present."

"Aww, so you're moping around outside the party?"

"Floren." Lucille scolded him this time. "He is keeping watch close enough to rush to the Emperor's aid if needed. You know that a Blade and Driver can still sense each other at this distance. That should be clear."

Being reprimanded didn't dampen his spirits in the slightest. "But… you really DO want to be at the party eating delicious food, right?" Floren teased again.

Aegaeon was silent as he pondered the question. Before he could speak, Floren rushed back to Lucille's leather satchel and began to rummage through it. "Hey, we have some food! You can have a party with us!" He felt around and found three damp packages, each containing a tomato sandwich that had been hastily made that morning. He held them up and cocked his head. "When is the last time you ate?"

Aegaeon eyed the little Blade with his soggy lunch and slowly shook his head."It is an honor, but there is no need to go through the trouble. Such a treat is a bane for a stalwart guard."

"Huh?" Floren blinked. The Blade's tone was so sincere that it was hard for him to recognize that Aegaeon was being facetious.

"He is a disciplined warrior, Floren."

"He's only been awake for a couple of months… he's still in training, I bet." Floren mumbled with his hands on his hips.

"A warrior is taught never to indulge," Lucille offered. She was fully unaware of the fact that nobody in their right state of mind would consider Floren's offering a delicacy.

"Precisely." Aegaeon nodded. "It is high time that I return to my station, though this meeting has been… enlightening."

Sharp green eyes blinked in surprise as Aegaeon gave a polite bow and turned, resting his right hand on the hilt of his sword. She noticed the curve of his elbow, toned and muscular. But she also noticed that his fingers had fumbled ever so slightly at the guard of his weapon, as if his hand hadn't set comfortably.

"You aren't familiar with your sword?" The researcher asked quietly.

Aegaeon's jaw was set, though his hesitation answered the question as well. "That is… not correct. My job is to serve as the safeguard of Emperor Niall."

Lucille's face bore an unreadable expression as she placed her hands on her hips. "And it is my job to observe. We have met many soldiers and Blades who wield katanas. The veterans move with fluidity and grace, like every motion is deliberate and decisive. Even when they're drinking tea or scratching their nose." Under the weight of the Blade's stare, she cleared her throat and averted her gaze. "...But I didn't point that out as an accusation. Just an observation."

"Right. Just an observation," Aegaeon repeated. "If an ally can see such an observation, enemies may well be able to do the same. It seems I have much more training to do."

The woman's ether wobbled high and low as her heart raced. As if in reaction to this invisible change that she herself could not sense, she took a step backwards and swallowed a painful lump in her throat.

"What is it?" Aegaeon asked. He did not raise his voice, but Lucille flinched anyway.

"You really are a Legendary Blade, aren't you? Your presence is frightening."

"I suppose that is how it should be. Perhaps if I had the appearance of an Armu calf, I wouldn't be well suited to protecting an Emperor."

"Ah," Lucille commented weakly. She nodded once, accepting the fact that he had told a funny, but also admitting that she was a bit too uneasy to laugh. "I was not referring to your appearance, but your ether. Your appearance is akin to a work of art. Like a modern sculpture."

"Lucille…" Floren dug his elbow into her hip. "You're scouting out of your league."

"Oh no. No, no. That is not what I was doing." Her cheeks flushed with color and shame. "I-I didn't mean it in-... I was not trying to- I was not, er, I mean, I didn't mean any offense." There was a pause before she added in a brisk "sir" as if that would clarify that she meant her words professionally.

"Will you shut up?" Floren hissed.

"A frightening work of art," Aegaeon clarified solemnly. "With an unsteady sword hand."

"We're doomed." Floren sighed.

Lucille fluttered out of her dream and into reality, feeling her presence from within that memory fade as she stirred. She smelled sweet pea blooms; Floren, of course. When she had first bonded with him all of those years ago, she had been delighted to learn that his scent changed with the seasons. At the time of his awakening all those years ago she had asked to study him and received a brisk telling-off.

Years ago.

"Luci, you passed out from exhaustion on the walk here. Why didn't you tell me you weren't eating?" Floren bombarded her with questions. She made a motion to swipe her hair off of her face and realized she couldn't move her hand. Did the others restrain her? No, she realized, Floren was simply holding tight to her hand. It was asleep, that was all.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Garfront Village, you idiot! Did you forget already? Did you hit your head? Why can't I feel that something is wrong with you?"

"I'm the same as always," she insisted. "Where are they? The blonde and the boy?"

"You mean the Aegis and her Driver." A soft chuckle crooned from a dark corner of the tent. Azami stepped out of the shadows. The crack on her porcelain chest was gone; she had repaired herself swiftly. "Do you really want to consort with someone who has the power to erase you with a flick of her finger, Lucille? Why, if she were to grow suspicious of you for any reason…"

Floren's violet eyes flashed with anger. "You led us into a battle with them in the first place! You lied to us and nearly got us killed, Azami!"

"If sweet Luci had died, we would have been picked up by the Driver of the Aegis. Wouldn't that have been something?" Azami chuckled. She brushed her fingers against her painted lips as she grinned. "I think we deserve to belong to a Driver who loves us back. Look at the lengths she has taken to steal a precious heirloom from the royal family. She has put your memories at risk too, Floren."

Floren opened his mouth to object, but the heavy fabric of the tent flap was pushed aside and three women entered unceremoniously. One was the Aegis herself, her radiant splendor seeming to bring light into the dim room. The other two were instantly recognizable to Lucille and her Blades; they were a tidy brunette Ardanian in a clean suit and a fiery Blade with flowing locks as blue and brilliant as the Urayan Titan's waterfalls. Special Inquisitor Morag Ladair and the Ardanian Ruby: Lady Brighid.

"Sorry for barging in. I heard you shuffling and thought I'd better speak up before before you try something stupid again." Mythra explained. "I think Morag here might be the person you're looking for." She cut her golden eyes over to the soldier and gave a sarcastic smile, almost as if she could sense Lucille's fear and greatly enjoyed it. It felt like a bit of payback for the disrespect at the Eight-Rock Skip. Of course, Mythra was unharmed, but that was clearly not the point.

"Please, let me explain. It was entirely a misunderstanding because of Azami!" Floren spoke up quickly. "We did not intend to hurt anyone."

"Oh, that's incorrect," Azami interjected. "We were certainly hunting down someone with the intent to kill them."

Floren was completely flabbergasted with the doll's words. He stood in front of Lucille with his arms out, as if she were being physically attacked. "You've got it wrong! We thought our Emperor had been assassinated! Murdered!"

"The events of that day were not released to the public…" Brighid mused thoughtfully. "Are you some sort of spy?"

"That's enough Floren," Lucille uttered as she sat properly upright and moved her feet from the cot to the floor. Her ribs ached from their earlier fall and she applied pressure to the spot with her palm to ease the throb.

"You attacked Rex and Mythra because you believed they injured Emperor Niall, correct?" Morag glared at the other woman. Floren seemed to wince under her scrutinizing gaze, but Luci only lowered her head and nodded.

"We thought that he had killed the Emperor and stolen his Blade!" Floren tried to explain, but Lucille interrupted him before he could further explain himself.

"A few months ago, I requested to be assigned to Temperantia. While there, the garrison received news that Emperor Niall had been murdered. I requested that my Blade look into the situation and I followed her lead with no hesitation."

"News from where?" Morag asked. Lucille shifted her eyes to Azami before falling silent.

"A reliable source."

"She wanted to steal that lovely Jewel for herself." Azami added.

"Azami!" Floren began to panic. He turned his wide eyes to the Ardanians to plead with them. "Please do not listen to Azami. Yes, it's true that if Emperor Niall was dead, we wanted to take Aegaeon back from thieves, but we are his close friends. I promise! Just ask him!"

"Well, to be fair, you aren't the only person after Rex and I. It's almost a relief that you turned out to be pushovers." Mythra scoffed as she pushed her golden locks back from her shoulder. She folded one leg over the other and leveled her gaze on Lucille. "Would have sucked to kill someone for a misunderstanding, even if you had it coming."

"If you feel the need to punish me, I understand."

"You did conspire to steal a precious heirloom of the royal family, even though you did it under the impression that you would be retrieving it from murderers. I cannot, with good conscious, allow you to call yourself a member of the Ardanian army."

Lucille lowered her head. She had expected to hear those words, but she had also been prepared for worse--much worse.

"That… aside…" Morag cleared her throat. "Aegaeon is resting in his damaged core. It will be some time before he is reborn, and he will know nothing of the past. Are there any further questions?"

"Damaged core? But I thought Emperor Niall was alive! I thought--" Lucille started to rise to her feet, but Brighid quickly stepped in front of Morag and raised her weapon to the researcher. The whip-sword's tip floated threateningly at Lucille's throat and she was smart enough to quickly sit back down.

"The Blade you knew is long gone. Becoming emotional about the situation will not bring him back. This is the fate of all Blades," uttered Brighid.

Lucille said nothing as her chest silently rose and fell and her eyes churned with a bevy of emotions: rage, pain, defiance, sadness, heartbreak. Why did she want to say more, why did she want to explain herself? The Aegis was right. It did not matter. Her wild chase, her hunger for retaliation, her shred of hope that perhaps Azami had been wrong-- not a bit of it mattered. No words would change the outcome.

It was a scientific fact, an indisputable one. It was her job to accept such things as the law of the world.

And let it be.

"Rex has given you permission to remain here amongst the Garfont Mercenaries for as long as you need."

"The boy that we attacked? But why would he do such a thing? We intentionally tried to hurt him."

"He's nosy." Mythra shrugged as she folded her arms over her chest. He'll want to know everything. Why you attacked us, what your sob story is, things like that. Kid thinks every simpleton is just a friend he hasn't fixed yet."

"That's foolish…" Lucille meant for her voice to be stony, but it cracked with emotion regardless. Floren quickly spoke over her.

"What she means is thank you."