NOTE
Alright, so the basic idea here is that it's a story where Amalthus awoke Mythra instead of Malos, so the Aegis Rex awakens is Malos. I didn't want it to just be a straight up retelling of the same scenes from the game, so this action has a bunch of different consequences other than just "Mythra and Malos switch places", and it's going to change some things. I'm also going to try to make them retain their original personalities as much as possible, which means that Pyra/Mythra are going to be "bad" in a different way than Malos was bad, and Malos is going to be "good" in a different way than Pyra/Mythra were good. And yeah as far as shipping goes a major inspiration for this is giving Nia/Rex space to breathe, so there you go. I have no plans to add any OC into the story, although I reserve the right to change some personalities of less-developed characters a bit if I thought they were pretty sparse in the original game (might notice this with Dromarch in this chapter.)
One last note: While this first chapter is pretty long, and covers all the events of the first "chapter" of the game, I actually originally wrote it in 3 separate chunks, and might do shorter updates like that in the future, so each "chapter" of the story won't necessarily cover each "chapter" of the game
1.
Rex sighed, staring through a pair of binoculars at the deck of Goldmouth, headquarters of the Argentum trade guild. The place was swarming with Urayan and Ardainian soldiers, and from the commotion on deck, it looked like things were more than a little aggressive.
It was no wonder. The two nations were at war, and yet Chairman Bana insisted on doing business with the both of them. Goldmouth was one of the few locations where Urayan soldiers and Ardainian soldiers were expected to work side by side with each other. But how could that possibly work? Eating food next to each other one day, they might be called to kill each other on some battlefield the next. For all those soldiers knew, they could be sitting down next to the man that had killed their best friend in battle. And Bana was literally selling them the weapons they'd use to kill each other. He was making a big profit off of it, too. Enough, at least, to have the deck crawling with mercenaries to keep the peace. But most of the time it barely seemed like they could keep it together...
Rex sighed again, then put down the binoculars. "Alright, Gramps," he called out, looking up at the titan on whose back he rode. "We gotta dock sometime, right? Just pull in...smooth like. You know...stealthy."
"Rex," rumbled the titan, craning his neck back around. "What could you possibly be talking about? Stealthy? How in the world am I supposed to do anything stealthy? You're using me as a boat. I assume you're aware of how big I am."
"Yeah, yeah," Rex mumbled, kicking one of his boots at the stony hide beneath his feet. Gramps served as both his makeshift home, salvage station, and form of transportation. He was actually larger than most small boats himself. "I just, you know. I don't want any trouble with the Ardainians, or the Urayans. I don't want them trying to paw through my salvage again. Last time I fished up a whole crate of rabbit diodes, and the Ardainians just 'accidentally' kicked them back into the Cloud Sea!"
"I understand, my boy. But you know, Chairman Bana did personally tell that Ardainian Captain, that if something like that were to happen again, he'd, well. You know what he said. He seems quite protective of you salvagers."
Rex winced recalling the memory. Bana had let loose with a string of profanity so foul that even the hardened Urayan and Ardainian soldiers had fallen silent for a respectful moment. "Hah! More like he's protective of the profit we bring in! Alright then, Gramps. Let's just dock as stealthy as you can manage, yeah?"
"So not stealthy at all."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it."
The titan could move quickly through the Cloud Sea when he wanted. The Argentum trade guild quickly grew from a small red blob on the horizon to the imposing, multi-story haphazard warehouse and market it was up close. There was, unfortunately, absolutely no hope of any stealthy approach. He was waved in to a particular docking point by Hirkham, the dockmaster, who was being watched intently by a group of Ardainians. Even worse, there were no mercenaries, and no Urayans, in sight. Somhow this small group of soldiers had managed to catch him docking all alone with none of the competitors or peacekeepers nearby to reign them in.
"Perfect," grumbled Rex. He sighed as a small wooden ramp was leaned up against the side of Gramps, allowing him easy access to the dock itself. "Hey, Hirkham! How's things! What's the docking fee today-"
"Boy!"
Rex cringed, then slowly turned around to see a group of eight Ardainian soldiers standing at the head of the dock. "By the authority of Emperor Niall, we will be inspecting your salvage haul!"
2.
Nia stared out the window of her rented room, thoughtfully gazing out over the roiling fog of the Cloud Sea, idly running her hands through Dromach's fur. Then her stomach growled. "Ugh, I'm so damn hungry!" she cried.
"What's the matter, Nia? Miss my cooking?"
Nia looked back at the cloaked and hooded figure standing in her doorway. Behind the hooded figure stood Jin, staring at her with that half-sad, half-empty look he had for everything, face still hidden behind his mask. His face barely moved at all when he spoke. "Didn't you eat already?"
"You know what it is, it's just that all we had was some vegetable stew," Nia replied. "But look at us, we're out in the middle of the Cloud Sea! I bet you can get great seafood here. Oh, I can just smell it. I want to go down to the market and check things out."
"No," Jin said. And that was all he said. He dismissively breezed past the hallway and went into his own room, closing the door.
The hooded figure shrugged apologetically. "Jin wants us to keep a low profile. I mean, I get it for me. I would think you'd be fine, though."
"A low profile?" Nia tapped her foot thoughtfully. "OH,is THAT why you're wearing that cloak? You're not usually, you know, so modest about covering up. Uh...I mean, that is to say, uh..."
"What are you saying, Nia?" the voice from the depths of the hooded cloak was cold, smooth. "Are you saying I like to show a lot of skin?"
"Uh. Well, you know. I wouldn't say you normally leave as much to the imagination as this cloak does, Pyra."
The hooded figure threw its had back and laughed. The hood fell away, revealing a smiling, kind-looking redheaded woman. A diadem with a green crystal crossed her forehead, and emerald earrings dangled from her ears. Her eyes were a blazing, smoldering orange-red hue. "Well, you got me there," she said. "Well, tell you what, just hold on a bit. Maybe Jin would be alright with you visiting the market later on, when there's less people awake."
"Thanks." Pyra smiled at her, then went off to her room as well. Nia returned to gazing out the window, but not out at the Cloud Sea, but rather down at the commotion on the docks. It looked like some salvager had just docked, and was in the process of being bullied by some Ardainian soldiers. He looked so young, too. Nia felt a pang of sympathy. "Ach, the poor kid," she murmured, as one of the Ardainians shoved him and went straight for one of the crates he had been unloading. "He really should...NOT DO THAT!" she cried in shock, as the young man punched the Ardainian soldier from behind.
3.
Rex winced, shaking his hand from the bruising blow he had delivered straight into the Ardainian shoulder's plate mail. "Hey, I told you, stay away from my salvage!" he cried. "That's my livelihood, yeah? There's no damn weapons in there, so leave it alone! Hirkham, tell these guys I never bring in military hardware!"
"You...punched me," said the Ardainian captain in bemused shock.
"Well let's not go crazy, I'm pretty sure it hurt me more than it hurt you. I was just trying to get your attention," Rex said. "Let's just -"
And then his world exploded in stars as the butt of an Ardainian rifle crashed into the back of his skull. The next few moments were chaos. Behind him, in front of him, all around him, metal-clad Ardainian fists and boots crashed into his ribs, his nose, his face, beating and battering him. He could hear Gramps bellowing in the background, he could hear Hirkham screaming for help, and then -
The sound of a gunshot rang out through the dock. Everything stopped. The Ardainian captain, looming over Rex, looked around for the source of the sound. "Oh no," he whispered.
The Ardainian soldiers parted to reveal Chairman Bana, a nopon of imposing size, dark green, holding a smoking pistol in one of his wings. He was flanked by what seemed like a small army of mercenaries. "Hello, Rex," said the Chairman. Then he turned to the Ardainian captain. "Captain Chiragh," Bana smirked. "I believe you and me have words before about treating my salvagers poorly, yes?"
"B-by the authority of Emperor Niall-" the Captain stuttered.
"CAPTAIN Chiragh," Bana interrupted. "Look around you. You see dirty factories? You see a bunch of worthless filthy desert and rusty pipes?"
"No..."
"You know why that is?"
"B-because-"
"IS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT IN MOR ARDAIN, CAPTAIN CHIRAGH, YOU IN GOLDMOUTH. AND IN GOLDMOUTH, AUTHORITY OF EMPEROR NIALL WORTH LESS THAN WHAT I FIND, ON BOTTOM OF MY BOOT!"
"H-hey," the Captain said, starting to shake a little as the mercenaries surrounding Bana leered at him. "The Emperor deserves-" and the he feel silent, and gulped, as Bana slowly lazily leveled the pistol so it was pointing at him.
"Captain Chiragh, we have words about this before. Salvaging not just poor Rex's livelihood, you know. Him salvaging MY livelihood too. When you harass my salvagers, I lose money. I think this time, I just strap you to an anchor and toss you to the bottom of the Cloud Sea."
"You can't do that!" The captain gasped. "Mor Ardain will-"
Bana laughed incredulously. "What? You think Mor Ardain miss one measily Captain? Mor Ardain want my weapons. They not care if one Captain disappear in the process. They do care, you know what I do? Give them maybe, .5% discount on next purchase. That how much you worth, Captain Chiragh. .5%."
As much fun as it was seeing the Ardainian captain squirm, Rex felt like it was probably time to stop this. After all, Bana may not have been kidding about strapping the man to an anchor. "Hey Bana," Rex said, spiting some blood away from his split lips. "Hey, Bana, it's alright. They didn't touch my salvage this time, it's all here. It's still fine."
Bana cast a dismissive eye towards him. "Rex not look fine. Rex look like, what is it? Oh yes. Raw hamburger."
"Nah, it's fine, just some nicks and bruises!" Rex winced as he stood up, as a jolt of pain shot through his chest and into his right arm. "It'll be fine."
Bana shrugged. "If Rex say so." He lowered his pistol, and turned back to the Ardainians. "Captain Chiragh, I want you and these men OFF my ship, right now. And when you get back to Mor Ardain, you tell your Emperor that thanks to you, I raising price on next three purchases by Ardainian Empire by 10 percent." He turned to the mercenaries surrounding him. "TAKE THEM AWAY!" As the mercenaries herded together the protesting soldiers and walked off, Bana turned back to Rex. "So bothersome, have to come down from my desk and organize these stupid mercenaries myself. You think they know how to watch a dock. But they so lazy, they only work properly when man who pays them is around. Hard to find good mercenaries in the middle of a war. Well. Hard to find them for cheap."
"Yeah well. Thanks all the same, Chairman," Rex said, gingerly feeling his face, wincing at the swollen bruises, and the tenderness of his nose.
"Rex clean himself up," the Chairman said airly. "Then by end of day, come see me. In my office."
"I...uh, what for?"
"Hey! I just save your butt! Don't ask questions, just come to office before end of day! I tell you then!"
And with that, Bana stormed off, huffing and sweating with every step.
"Rex, are you sure you're alright?" Gramps said, as Rex groaned and began limping over to unload his cargo.
"Well, you know. Honestly? No. They beat me pretty bloody there. But you know, it's been worse." Rex tried to shift one of his crates onto a dolly, then yelped as pain shot up his leg. "Maybe I should sit down though. For just a bit."
Before he could, though, a voice cried out, or more like hissed out, "Hey! You!"
Rex glanced around. Among the hustle and bustle of the dock, maybe ten feet from him, was what looked to be a young Gormotti girl. She had gray hair tied up in yellow ribbons, the distinctive Gormotti ears, and some sort of white tribal paint on her forehead and cheeks. Her eyes glinted yellow in the sun. She wore some sort of odd yellow one-piece suit, and a flowing white scarf attached to a hood.
"You're a real bloody idiot, you know that, kid?" she snapped at him. "Reallllly stupid."
Rex threw up his hands in frustration. "What the hell, lady? You look like as much of a kid as I do."
"What the hell did you think you were doing, picking a fight with a bunch of armed soldiers?" As she spoke, she walked forward, jabbing a finger at him in an accusatory manner. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why did you do it?"
"I mean...look, this salvage is my livelihood," Rex said, simply. "I got people back home who depend on me. I can't just let them bully me out of it, right?"
The Gormotti girl was standing a mere foot from him now, staring at him intently. "Well, you're still stupid," she said finally. "But I have to admit that was brave."
She reached out to grab his arm, and Rex recoiled instinctively, wincing in pain as he did so. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"
"Oh, stop being such a baby and hold still," she snapped irritably. "I'm trying to heal you here. Dromarch?"
Rex gasped as a large, white, tiger-like creature, but with a much larger, fluffy mane that flowed back from his chest and between his shoulders, padded silently out from the shadows of a nearby ship. "Whoa...that's a blade! And so you're it's Driver-"
"You don't close your mouth, you're gonna swallow a fly," the girl replied. She placed one hand on the big cat, presumably named Dromarch, and one hand on Rex's arm, and suddenly Rex felt a surge of energy flowing from the cat, to the girl, into him, like a gentle tide washing away the soreness and pain in his bones. He gasped as he watched some of his scrapes and cuts knit up before his very eyes. In only a matter of a minute or so, he felt as good as new.
"Wow!" Rex said, leaping to his feet, rotating his arm, stretching out his shoulders. "I feel great! Thanks, lady!"
"The name's Nia." Nia got to her feet. "You're welcome, kid," she said, managing to make it sound as if Rex hadn't already thanked her.
"The name's Rex."
"Okay well, you're welcome, Rex." She glanced around nervously. "Well, I suppose I should be getting back-"
"Well, hold on, I gotta thank you properly! Man, I feel great. Let me unload my salvage and get a price for it and then I can at least treat you to dinner or something. You like seafood?"
Nia, who had been about to walk away, froze. "You know what," she said. "I think I'll take you up on that."
4.
Nia sat on a crate, kicking her legs idly, watching Rex haggle with the little Nopon at the central exchange. She had never been around so many Nopon before, and she had always heard how shrewd they were, but she was surprised at the casual greediness of the tiny creatures. Rex eventually made his way back to her, looking crestfallen. "Man, I can't believe I only got two hundred gold out of that haul," he said, looking a bit abashed.
Nia snorted. "Is that it? Two hundred gold? You were willing to risk your life just for a little bit of money? Greedy AND stupid."
Rex glared at her. "Hey, I told you. I got people depending on me."
"You're just a kid. Who's depending on you?"
Rex frowned, then pointed back at the central exchange. "I'm no kid. And sure, they're not here, but I got people back home I send money to. Fonsett village. I mean...I'm sure they can manage without me. It's not like I can send home much. But I like to help them out."
"O-oh." Nia looked away, embarrassed. "That's actually sweet. Look, if you need the money, you don't need to get me anything-"
"Nah, it's fine. Besides, never leave a debt unpaid. That's rule seven of the salvager's code!"
Nia cocked an eyebrow at him. "Salvager's code, huh? There any parts about getting your arse kicked for pocket change?"
Rex crossed his arms. "Hey, do you want some seafood or not?"
"I do...but I feel a little bad if you can't afford it."
"Oh, that's no problem. There's this secret method I have for getting seafood for free!"
"Oh? How d'you do that?" Nia leaned forward, curious.
Rex grinned. "It's this ancient, mysterious technique that I like to call, 'Fishing.'"
"Smartarse."
Nia followed Rex as he strolled back to the small Titan that he had unloaded his cargo off of. She jumped back in surprise as it swung its massive stone head to look at the two of them.
"Back already, Rex? I thought I heard you say you were going to take this young lady to dinner."
"Hey, Gramps. Yeah, but...you know, can you believe it, I only got two hundred gold for that haul. I thought I'd catch us something."
The Titan - Gramps, apparently - rolled its eyes. "Honestly. This young woman - I'm sorry dear, I don't believe I caught your name - "
"Her name's Nia!" Rex offered, still smiling, almost like he was enjoying this lecture.
"Nia - I wanted to thank you, dear, for helping Rex out, it was very kind of you -"
"Oh, uh...it's no problem," Nia said, a little unsure of how to take all this. She hadn't spoken to a Titan like this before. "I mean, I couldn't just let Ardainian soldiers do that to someone without helping them. Even if they were really stupid."
"Yes, it was stupid, you are absolutely right - Rex, this charming young lady helps you out, fixes you up, and you're too much of a cheapskate to take her to a restaurant?"
Rex actually looked a little abashed by this. He rubbed the back of his head. "I mean...I dunno, maybe you're right, Gramps."
Nia actually found herself feeling bad for him. After all, the kid did say that he had people back home he had to send money to..."No, it's alright," she said. "I'm actually a bit curious to see him catch something."
Rex smiled at her, then hopped onto the Titan's back. "See? You worry too much. I'll catch something and cook it up better than the canteen could, anyway." He offered Nia a hand, and hoisted her onto the Titan's back.
Nia glanced around while Rex began shoveling coal into a small brazier to start a fire and checking a few small buckets for bait. It was a neat little setup, the small titan's back decked out like a fishing vessel. Or salvaging vessel. "Is this where you live?" she asked, seeing the small shack built into the titan's shoulders.
"Yeah, most of the time. Sometimes when I get a good haul, I'll spring for a stay at an inn. But Gramps' back is comfy enough." Rex blew on the glowing embers in the brazier.
Nia glanced inside the shack while Rex was preparing. It was about as much of a cramped mess as she was expecting. She snorted when she noticed a calendar on the wall that had pictures of bikini-clad girls frolicking on a beach. "Nice calendar, there."
"Huh? What? Oh." Rex glanced over at her, blushing. "Uh, I mean, I didn't choose that one. I got it for free at the exchange, you know. They were giving them away."
"Right." Nia rolled her eyes. "How are you gonna fish, anyway? I don't see any poles here."
"Hah! You don't need poles. Not when you have this!" Rex held up an arm and pointed to his wrist.
"What, are you gonna catch them by hand?"
"What? No. THIS." Rex pointed again, closer, and Nia noticed that his arm had a winch attached to the wrist, with a small hook attachment. "Just watch." He fiddled with it, releasing some line, and fished a chunk of meat out of a chum bucket, attaching it to the hook. He let out more line and then tossed it over the side of the Titan, then laid on his stomach on the grassy patch, dangling the line down into the depths of the Cloud sea. "And now, we just wait."
"Uh huh. And how long will-whoa!" Nia leapt forward and grapped Rex by the shoulders as a tug on the line nearly pulled him into the clouds. Rex just laughed and flipped a small release on his wrist, causing the line to begin rapidly zipping itself back onto the reel. "Oh, why would you not use a pole for this?" she snapped, and then yelped and jumped back as with one smooth motion Rex heaved up on the line, and hauled a Crustip up onto the Titan's back.
"Watch out! Those claws can be nasty." Rex scrambled across the grass and grabbed a sword that looked like it had been welded together out of junk he had salvaged. "I made this out of junk I salvaged!" he beamed at Nia, as if he was proud.
"Right. Fantastic." Nia found herself wishing that she had bought Dromarch along. But her blade had gone back to their room to nap in the sun streaming in through the window after helping heal Rex. But it wasn't necessary. She watched in surprise as Rex handled the blade pretty competently, dispatching the Crustip with a few sharp blows, deftly dodging the snapping claws. She leaned back and crossed her arms. "Wow. You know, you aren't half bad with that thing."
Rex prodded the dead Crustip with his boot. "Yeah, Gramps taught me a few moves." He bent down and snapped off the claws from the creature. "Claws have the best meat in them. You just crack them open, stuff some butter and onion in there, and let them cook inside the shell, it's delicious."
Nia sat down, cross-legged, on the grass, watching as Rex carved open a small window in the shells of the claws to stuff the ingredients in. "I'm curious," she said after a while. "How'd you get into salvaging?"
"Oh...you know. It's a nice way to make some money. And there's always the hope of getting a big haul and making it big."
"Yeah. I bet. Especially with the Urayans and Ardainians looking for ancient weaponry down there all the time."
Rex frowned as he carved some onions. "Yeah...but I don't get myself involved in that sort of stuff. I don't like it. I mean money is great, but I didn't get into salvaging to help people kill each other. I dunno. I understand if the other salvagers do it. I just don't want to touch it myself, you know?"
"So what ARE you looking for down there?"
"Oh, all sorts of stuff. It's amazing the kind of things you can find down there. All sorts of little bits and pieces, odds and ends, from civilizations long gone. It's kind of fascinating, really. And..." to Nia's surprise, some sadness seemed to creep into Rex's optimistic exterior. "And...well, you'll probably think this is a bit stupid."
"You? Stupid? Noooooo."
Rex continued on, ignoring her. "But...well, I mean, you can't help noticing the Titans are dying. Mor Ardain is already sunk half into the sea. That's the whole reason they started this war, right? That's the whole reason they conquered Gormott, too. There's less and less space for people to live. And it's making people kill each other." He tossed the prepared claws onto the brazier, then leaned back, and stared longingly at the World Tree. "But...well, here's the stupid part, right. What if...Elysium were real?"
Nia was quiet for a moment, staring intently at Rex. Then she burst out laughing. "Elysium?" she asked, incredulously.
"Yeah," Rex said, completely serious. "What if Elysium really is up there, atop the world tree? What if we could make it there? Get everyone to live there? What if it has enough space for everyone, so...people didn't have to die in these awful wars?"
Nia was taken aback by his sincerity. "But...you know it's just a legend, right? A fairytale. You need something solid to stop these wars. Not some magical land on top of some overgrown shrub."
He shrugged, still staring off into the distance at the tree. "I mean, I'm no history expert. But so much happens that we can't explain. Nobody really knows how this world works. Is it so crazy to think Elysium might be real? Is...is it really so bad to hope for something better? A place for everyone to live?"
Nia stared at him, listening to the claws sizzle on the brazier for a moment. She thought back about what she had learned about him and felt a gnawing suspicion begin to grow in her gut. "Rex," she asked quietly. "D'you have parents?"
"No," he said simply. "They died when I was very young. I was raised in the orphanage back in Fonsett. That's why I send money back to them, yeah? One helping hand deserves another."
Nia was quiet, contemplating this. She wasn't sure what to say. "Everyone, huh," she murmured, then glanced back up, intently staring at Rex's face as he looked off at the world tree. He might be a little dumb, and more than a little naive, but he was a better person than most people she had met. "That's...not a bad hope at all. Even if it is silly. You're alright, Rex."
"Thanks. You're alright too, Nia. I mean, anyone who'd stick out their neck to heal up a stranger is alright in my book." He leapt up. "Food's ready!"
5.
Nia leaned back, patting her stomach, sighing contentedly. "Oof, alright, I gotta admit, that was pretty delicious."
"Right?" Rex kicked his feet up on a crate, leaning back into the grass next to her, chewing on a blade of grass. It had gotten dark during their dinner, though the light from the nearby guild, the moon, and the flickering fire of the brazier kept things relatively well-lit. "Glad I got a Crustip. I mean they're common, but most people don't realize just how good they taste if you cook them right."
"Right, well. I should probably be getting back."
"Where are you staying?"
"Oh. I'm actually staying with my crew, in the special guest rooms at...what was his name? Bana's? The Chairman's office."
"Woo, fancy," Rex whistled. Then suddenly he leapt to his feet. "Oh, damn! I forgot, Chairman Bana asked to meet me today."
Nia froze. "Wait. He asked to meet you? Does he normally do that?"
"I mean, no. The chairman never asked to meet me personally before. I wonder what he could want? C'mon, I can walk back with you."
Nia's mind began putting two and two together as they made their way to the Chairman's office. She knew that Pyra and Jin had wanted to hire a salvager, and had been planning on meeting one today...
They climbed the red carpeted stairs to Bana's office, getting waved in by the guard at the door. Bana, the nopon of imposing size that Jin and Pyra had mostly dealt with so far, sat behind his desk, scribbling furiously in a ledger. He looked up, glaring at Rex. "Ah. Rex. So kind of you to FINALLY answer my summons."
"Oh...heh, sorry, Chairman. I lost track of time."
"Salvagers," muttered Bana. "You lucky I not find someone else. I have very important, very lucrative job offer for hundred thousand gold in advance. Ah-oh, I see you already meet member of crew," he said, glancing at Nia. "Did she tell you about job?"
"ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND?!" Nia snorted at how excited Rex was. It was almost cute. He glanced over at Nia. "I..Huh? What?"
"I...haven't told Rex anything," Nia replied to Bana. "I didn't know he was the one you planned on hiring."
"Oh! Well. Just coincidence, hm? Well, may as well bring in other members of crew."
Nia watched nervously as one of Bana's servant girls opened the door to the guest quarters, and Pyra and Jin strolled out. She suddenly felt very awkward standing by Rex's side. Jin merely stared at her impassively. Pyra was still wearing her cloak and hood, her expression hidden mostly in the shadows, but a small smile played across her lips.
"Friends, you see...Nia, right? Member of your crew already meet salvager I plan on hiring."
"Oh. So that's the boy you ran off with today." Pyra's smile grew more amused. "Did you have fun on your date?"
"Shut up, Pyra," Nia snapped. "I ran into this lummox getting his ass handed to him by a bunch of Ardainians. THIS is the one you planned on hiring? I was expecting someone...well, older."
"Do you think he can't handle it?" Pyra asked.
Nia opened her mouth, but then looked over at Rex, at how excited he was for the money. "I...no. I think he'd be great for the job." Rex shot her a beaming smile in silent thanks, and Nia looked away, feeling embarrassed for some reason. Dromarch padded out silently while Bana described the details of the job to Rex and Nia walked over to him, running her hands through his fur. She wasn't actually too sure on what it was Pyra and Jin planned on salvaging, herself, but she was suddenly uneasy.
"...Wow, this is great! I guess I better go get prepared," Rex said, having heard all the details of the job. He offered a little wave to Nia before rushing off. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow then, eh?"
Nia waved back, watching him disappear down the stairs, before turning back to her room. Jin again merely brushed past her, saying nothing. She didn't even know if he was angry that she had been talking to Rex or not. Pyra, on the other hand...Nia turned around and there she was, standing in the doorway to her bedroom, smiling down at her. Nia sort of hated that condescending smile.
"He's cute," Pyra said simply.
"So what," Nia said. "You go ask him out if you think so."
"You know I don't have a problem with you talking to him, right? Any sort of happiness you can get from people...there's nothing wrong with getting it. Just as long as you remember the mission here."
"Yeah, yeah. It's not like you think, anyway. I saw the poor kid getting his ass kicked by some Ardainians, like I said. I just patched him up."
"And then had dinner with him. Oh, don't give me that look, it's not like I was spying on you. You know his Titan is visible from pretty much the whole market."
"Yeah well. I had nothing to hide. He got me some of that seafood I wanted. Was good, too." Nia smiled.
"That's good. I'm glad you had fun. Like I said, just remember the mission."
"Pyra?" Nia said, as Pyra began walking away. "What exactly is it we're dredging up here? Is it...some sort of weapon?"
Pyra just smiled inscrutably. "Well, I suppose you'll find out more tomorrow. Goodnight, Nia."
"Goodnight, Pyra," Nia said, softly. Dromarch looked up from the bed as Nia flopped on top of him, running her hands through his fur, lost in thought.
6.
Rex paused in the interior of the Maelstrom, Bana's humongous salvaging flagship. He had been inspecting his salvager's gear in preparation for the job, but...there had been something bothering him. It wasn't just the job, itself, which was a massive undertaking to lift an ancient ship off the bottom of the cloud sea - and he had been told precious little else. It wasn't just that he had spotted a mysterious black ship trailing them on the way out, when he was up in the crow's nest of the maelstrom. It was a nagging, anxious feeling in his gut, like something telling him he was forgetting something, something vital, that would make things go horribly wrong. Nothing he did seemed to shake the feeling. He had gone over the salvage plan multiple times, and it seemed solid, and he had checked his gear what must have been a dozen times by now.
"Nervous, Rex?"
Rex spun around, shocked. He hadn't heard anyone coming up behind him. There stood Nia's two crew members, Pyra, still wrapped in her heavy cloak and hood, nothing visible but her mysterious smile, and the white-haired, impassive Jin, looking at him with a cool, empty gaze, almost as if he weren't there at all.
"Nah...not nervous, just...look, I know you want your privacy, yeah? But I've been curious. This isn't some sort of weapon we're dragging up, is it? I don't like getting involved in that sort of thing..."
"Would you back out, now," Jin said, suddenly, "If we told you it was?"
"I..." Rex found himself unable to meet the man's gaze for long, and he looked away, rubbing the back of his head. "I suppose not. After all, I accepted the advance and made a contract, and we're already out here. No, I wouldn't back out."
To his surprise, the impassive Jin cracked a small smile. "Good man. That's what I like to hear."
Pyra reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly. Rex blushed a little. Whatever perfume she was wearing smelled surprisingly good. "Well...it is a weapon. I won't lie to you. But we're actually bringing it up to make sure it DOESN'T get used."
Rex brightened up at that. "Ohhhhh. To stop it from falling into the wrong hands, you mean. Keep it away from the Urayans and Ardainians."
The woman laughed softly. "Well. I wouldn't say it's them I'm worried about. But yes, something like that. I learned a long time ago, weapons should be used as sparingly as possible." Jin snorted, and Pyra glanced back at him. "Jin here doesn't always agree. But we do agree on THIS weapon."
"Well, I think I could get on board with that." Rex grinned up at her.
"I actually wanted to ask you something else, too. When we go in to explore the ship, I'd like you to come with us."
"Really? Me? Why?"
Pyra seemed to consider her words carefully for a moment. "Nia told us how good you were with that blade, and I think, being a salvager, you might have some experience dealing with hostile sea creatures." She paused again, as if searching for the right words. "I think you'd really help us out."
"Nia said that?" Rex laughed, embarrassed. "It's just a piece of junk, but...sure! Man, never thought I'd be fighting next to a driver."
Pyra's smile faded from her face, and she nodded slowly. "Good. We'll be glad to have you along," she said, suddenly seeming detached. "We'll catch you when you come up from the salvage. Good luck."
Rex watched as she quickly strode away, Jin trailing wordlessly behind her. He felt better knowing that whatever they were getting, it wouldn't be used to kill people. But he still couldn't shake the feeling of unease and impending doom.
7.
Nia groaned, feeling the ship shift beneath her feet, reaching out to steady herself against a crate. She glanced out a nearby port window, but wasn't able to make out much, pelted with rain as it was. Boats didn't usually make her sick, but...
"Oh, I shouldn't have eaten all those parathas," she muttered as the ship lurched again. Though it wasn't just her stomach that was bothering her. The closer they got to their objective, the more and more anxious she got. She would have put it down to jitters, but she had developed a pretty keen sense of approaching danger that had saved her more than once, and right now, although there was nothing she could point to, her body was telling her to get ready to run.
"Feeling seasick?"
Nia yelped and spun around, only to find herself face to face with Rex. Her ears flattened and she narrowed her eyes. "I'm not seasick. And don't sneak up on me like that. Shouldn't you be preparing for the salvage? We can't be far off now."
"Oh don't worry, I'm prepared." Rex crossed his arms and leaned back on the crate next to her. "Although, to be honest, my gut keeps telling me something's going to go wrong with this one. I don't know what it is."
Nia laughed at him. "Your gut is telling you, huh? Do you have a bum knee that tells you when it's going to rain, too?"
Rex frowned. "Don't make fun! You've been salvaging as long as I have, you develop a sort of sixth sense about these sorts of things."
"Why don't you just stick to the normal five, eh? I think that's probably about as much as you can handle anyway-"
Suddenly, Rex turned to her, and Nia was somewhat taken aback by the intensity of his stare. He had a real fire in his eyes that he could summon when he wanted. "Hey, Nia. Do you know what kind of weapon you guys are trying to dredge up here?"
"Weapon?" Nia crossed her arms. "We're looking for a weapon? Who told you that? I have no idea what we're trying to dredge up here."
"Pyra did."
Nia seethed inwardly. So she wasn't important enough to tell what they were trying to salvage, but this random salvager was? "Bull," she muttered.
"No really, she told me. You really didn't know? Are you the rookie of the team?" Rex's face was wearing something dangerously close to a smirk.
Nia leaned forward to jab a finger into Rex's chest. "I'm no such thing. Don't you go getting ahead of yourself. You may be the person we hired to help us salvage, but I'm still the one they're bringing on the ship itself to help find-"
"Actually, Pyra asked me to help with that too." There was no doubt about it now, the boy was smirking at her. "She said you told her about how good I was with my sword and she wanted me to come along."
"I told her nothing of the sort," Nia snapped irritably. "You weren't that impressive. Just because you can smack a crab around a bit, doesn't mean you know what to do in battle. I-" Suddenly, the ship lurched again, and Nia gasped, nearly losing her balance, until Rex reached out to grab her arm. She glared up at him in response. "Stop making up stories," she hissed.
"Look, if you're feeling seasick, you should sit back there, in the back of the boat," Rex said, pointing to the salvager's locker area. "The boat moves around less in rough seas back there. That's why they keep the salvager equipment there, so it doesn't get knocked around."
"Perhaps you should take him up on the offer, my lady," Dromarch drawled. He was watching nearby, draped languidly over one of the crates, yawning. "You want to be at your best for when we go into the ship, don't you?"
"Fine," Nia snatched her arm away from Rex. "If it will make you feel better. But I'm not seasick."
She followed Rex to the back of the boat, boggling at the salvager equipment hung up on racks along the wall. Some of the suits were relatively modest, like the one Rex was wearing. Some of them were great brass monstrousities of tubing and dozen of knobs. It reminder her a bit of Ardainian technology. It was noticeably calmer here, the movements that had sent her stumbling towards the front of the boat were barely noticeable here."
Rex walked over to a wall by the lockers and casually kicked it. A small bench unfolded from the wall with a slam. "Here you go."
Nia plopped down on the bench, drawing her legs up beneath her. She watched as Rex ruffled around in his pockets, finally retrieving a minty-smelling herb, which he tossed to her. "Chew on this, it'll help settle your stomach," he suggested.
Nia looked down at the herb in her hands, pensively, then back up at Rex. "You know," she said, after a few quiet moments, "I've been getting the weird feeling that something's going to go wrong too."
Rex threw his hands up in frustration. "Then what did you give me all that guff for?"
Nia opened her mouth to snap back at him, but suddenly, the booming, authoritative voice of the salvage master echoed out across the deck. "ALL SALVAGERS, TOPSIDE! WE WILL BE ABOVE TARGET IN TEN MINUTES, DIVING WILL BEGIN IN FIFTEEN! GEAR UP AND STAND BY YOUR PAYLOAD TO AWAIT FURTHER ORDERS!"
"Ah, that's my cue," said Rex. He flipped his scuba helmet up. "See you on the boat later, yeah?" And with that, he took off running, up the stairs, to the top deck of the Malestrom, before she could reply.
Nia watched his form retreat up the stairs, then popped the herb he had given her in her mouth. It had a refreshingly minty taste, and it almost immediately sent a soothing chill down to her stomach. "Hmmmph. Be careful, you goon," she muttered under her breath.
7.
It was the biggest salvage operation Rex had ever been a part of in his life, with no fewer than eight teams of three to four salvagers each, working with the largest recovery balloons Rex had ever handled before as well. The target was a large, ancient warship nearly five hundred peds down, and the depth and the roughness of the current meant that each diver would be able to bring and attach only one recovery balloon to the ship at a time, while nearly four dozen total were calculated to be needed to bring it to the surface. The plan was to send dive teams in staggered formation, to minimize the amount of people that might get lost in the dark waters of the dive at a time.
They had bought plenty of extra recovery balloons, and it was a good thing too, because they were needed. Between the storm and the currents and the depths, nearly half of the salvagers sent down lost their balloons before they reached the target. Rex prided himself on not losing any, and participating in more dives than any other salvager.
The ship itself was huge, the largest salvage target Rex had ever bought to the surface, and of a design Rex had never seen before, above or below the cloud sea. It was oddly ornamented, with inlaid silver gilding along the dark metal side, and with a propulsion system that seemed more advanced than any Rex had ever seen before. Indeed, he wasn't even sure how the propulsion system operated, he couldn't seem to perceive any moving parts.
He had the privilege of being the salvager to attach the last recovery balloon, which meant he also got to see them trigger. On his way up, he looked back at the ship as the salvage master hit the recovery switch. The recovery balloons burst forth from their packaging, looking, from this distance, like giant, weird fungus that suddenly bloomed on the sides of the ship as they inflated. Then, with a screeching, whining groan, the ship lifted from the floor of the cloud sea, reluctantly. Rex marveled at the feat – it must have taken loads of planning, preparation, and calculations to ensure that the balloons lifted would lift the ship evenly, and not split it in two from an uneven rise, not to mention that they would be enough to get it to the surface at all. He had a newfound respect for the salvage master, he doubted few people in the world could coordinate a job like this. He watched as it surged past him on its way up, rising like some awkward sea beast, trailing clouds of accumulated silt dispersing their way back into the cloud sea in its passing.
By the time he climbed the ladder back up to the deck of the Maelstrom, tow lines and a plank had already been attached from the Maelstrom to the risen ship. Dozens of salvagers were already swarming the deck of the risen ship. Other salvage teams were already celebrating, cracking open drinks. Rex guessed that made sense. Their job was done. But for him, it was just beginning. He was almost regretting promising Pyra that he'd help out in their exploration of the ship. The dive had been exhausting, and his muscles were already feeling dead. But a promise was a promise, so he pushed his way past the bustling crowds, to run back to his locker and grab his sword.
When he came back up topside, the activity seemed to have died down somewhat. Most of the curious salvagers were gone, and only the few with a job to do were still out on deck. Jin and Pyra were easy to spot, particularly because of Jin's long white overcoat, which stood out. Pyra still wore her cloak and hood. They stood close to each other, next to the plank leading from the Maelstrom to the risen ship. Jin was staring at it with an odd expression on his face, and Pyra was holding his arm, as if comforting him, leaning in to whisper something Rex couldn't hear into his ear.
Suddenly, he felt a pinch on his arm. He yelped and spun around, only to find Nia grinning at him, with Dromarch at her side. "There, how do YOU like it," she asked. She looked out over at the risen ship, hands on her hips, and whistled. "You know, I have to admit it, this is pretty impressive. I never knew you could get something that big by salvaging."
"Well, to be honest, this is the biggest salvage I've ever done myself." Rex puffed out his chest. "But, you know. I do this for a living!"
Nia raised a bemused eyebrow at him. "Yeah, yeah. Reel it in, macho man."
"Nia! Rex!" Jin's voice was harsh, angry almost, as he called out to them. "Let's go, let's get this over with. You're up front with me." Jin glanced over at Pyra. "Pyra, you just stay in the back for now. You know what to do if we need you." And with that, Jin walked briskly down the plank from the Maelstrom to the risen ship, heading straight for the entrance to the ship.
Rex and Nia jogged over to keep up with him. But as he did, Rex couldn't help but notice that he still hadn't shaken that feeling of impending doom.
8.
The inside of the ship was cold, dark, damp, and rotted. Where the floors, walls and ceilings hadn't completely fallen apart and rotted away, they were weak, rusted and waterlogged. The ship was also, in the interior, nothing like Rex had ever seen before. Where the walls had fallen away, a complex system of pipes and thin, spidery wires was revealed. It was like no technology Rex had ever seen before. Not even Mor Ardain had anything this advanced. It was a salvager's dream. Rex wished he had just one hour to have this place to himself, but he'd have to grab what he could now, because he knew, almost certainly, that after these blades had what they wanted, the Maelstrom would be towing it back to Argentum to disassemble it and sell it for scrap.
The inside of the ship was also, unfortunately, plagued by an infestation of large, aggressive Crustips. Rex knew the creatures could get big,but this was gigantic, almost twice the size he was. And hostile, too. They came clattering out of the shadows, or would wait until you got lose to them and then lash out with their large, painful claws. Rex had never really beeen afraid of Crustips before. Sure, their claws could be damn painful. But Crustips this size? They might actually seriously hurt you with their claws.
Fortunately, Jin seemed more than capable of handling himself. Indeed, Rex found himself wondering why they had asked him to come along at all. Jin was fast, faster than seemed possible, and extremely alert, his sword flashing out in the murk whenever he heard a rustle or a clatter of a Crustip. He seemed to have a knack for finding their weak spots and sliding in his sword past their armor. Usually it would take only one or two sword strokes before the monsters went down. Rex found himself feeling almost bad for the things. But then again, he also found himself wishing he could take one of these gigantic Crustip home to eat.
Instead of his sword, Rex found himself using his crowbar, and his knack for opening locked crates, to pry open locked doors or rusted shut doors.
"You know," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow, after he had spent twenty minutes struggling to open a door only for Jin to glance inside, shake his head, and point to the next one, "What exactly are you looking for? Maybe I could help out if I knew..."
Pyra shook her head. She had simply been trailing the group the whole time, running her hand along the wall, seemingly almost lost in thought. "Actually...we're not quite sure what we're looking for."
"Not quite sure?" Rex glanced at Nia, but she merely raised her eyebrows and shrugged a him. "How can you be sure what you're looking for is here if you're not sure what you're looking for?
"Oh no, he's here," Pyra murmured. "I can feel his presence."
"He?" Rex propped his crowbar against the ground like a cane and leaned on it. "Who's 'he'? I thought you were looking for a weapon. I-" Suddenly, he felt the ground shift dangerously beneath him, he shouted in surprise and only just managed to leap back before the ground beneath him collapsed, revealing nothing but an inky blackness below. "Man, this place is a death trap," he muttered. "It's a good thing I-"
And then with another rumble, the ground gave way beneath him again, and Rex plummeted down into the inky darkness, landing flat on his back, forcing the air out of his lungs.
"Rex! Are you okay?"
Rex glanced up, at the hole in the ceiling of….wherever had had fallen into, seeing Pyra and Nia peering down at him. "Yeah," he groaned, "I'm alright." He struggled to his feet, and in the process, felt his hand knock against some solid object behind him. Suddenly, the room he was in lit up with a soft, green light that was running through veins in the wall, gently illuminating the space he was in.
It was a relatively large room, compared to the others in the ship, perhaps thirty feet in length, with walls blank except for the angular veins through which the green light beamed. The solid object he had backed into was a console sticking out of the center of the room. Across from that console was a large, semicircular door, perhaps ten feet high at the peak, and in the middle of it, a raised, blue, stone dome, about the size of his palm, with a carving of a drop of flame on it.
He heard Pyra laughing from above. "Wow, good job Rex. I think this is exactly what we're looking for."
Jin dropped down from the hole suddenly landing with the grace of a cat. Nia hopped on Dromarch's back and let the big cat leap her down. Pyra got down with the help of Jin.
For a long moment, Jin looked around the room, taking it all in, his face unreadable. His eyes lingered on the door, especially. Finally, he seemed to snap back to reality, and he offered Rex a small smile.
"Not bad, kid," he said simply. Then he nodded toward the door. "Go open it."
"Huh? Me? I don't really know how…." Rex strolled over to the large semicircular door, examining it. He reached out and tentatively touched it the blue crest in the middle, and as soon as he did, it bloomed blue light, and after a long rumbling and grinding start, the door began to retreat into the frame that surrounded it, revealing a long hallway, one that must have ran most of the length of the ship, and similar door at the end of it.
Pyra put a hand out to catch Nia as she dashed forward, preventing her from running into the hallway. "And that door, too, Rex, if you please."
"Well, alright." Rex took a few steps into the hallway, then looked back out into the room. Pyra, Nia and Jin weren't moving, just staring at him intently. He raised an eyebrow at this, but then shrugged and continued down the hallway. At the second door, he touched it in the same way as the first, and it opened in the same way.
The room beyond was a bit smaller, more crowded, dominated by the huge device in the middle. It was a load of circuits, pipes and machinery, into which was slotted a large glass cylinder. Inside the cylinder lay a black knight, his arms folded across his chest. He wore jet black plate armor, oddly molded to his body, and his face was hidden beneath a tight helmet that had stylized wings flaring out from the side.
"What in the world," Rex whispered. He became aware of a throbbing, purple light in the periphery of his vision, and looked down. Set into the floor before the knight was a large, dark sword, of a design Rex had never seen before, and set into its hilt was a cross-shaped, purple gem, which slowly pulsed with its own inner light. Almost without thinking, Rex reached out to touch it, and his fingers brushed against it.
"Rex, please don't!" shouted Pyra from behind him. Rex turned around to look at her, but only saw her face for a moment, before Jin filled his vision.
"Whoa, Jin, what…." suddenly, he became aware of a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down, only to see Jin's bloody blade protruding from him. "Why….?"
"Don't take it personally. It's an act of mercy." With that, Jin slid his sword from Rex's chest, and he slumped down to the floor.
"Ugh….seriously?" he muttered, but it came out as barely more than a whisper. Behind him, he could hear talking, but that faded away, and so did his vision, until he was aware of nothing but the feeling of his face on the cold, damp ground, and eventually that faded away too.
9.
Nia didn't even have time to scream when Jin had flickered, faster than her eye could follow, and stabbed Rex in the back. But now that he was walking away from the boy's prone body, she rushed forward and shoved him. "What the hell is wrong with you? What did Rex ever do to you?"
Jin merely ignored her, and continued walking away. Pyra shook her head and looked down. "We should have been more careful," she said, mournfully.
"Jin!" Nia shouted, stamping her feet. "Why did you do it?! Why did you kill him?!" She let out a growl of frustration as he simply disappeared down the hallway, then ran to Rex's body, falling to her knees beside it. "Rex was a good person," she said, furiously, then looking up at Pyra. "He was a good person. He had people who depended on him. He didn't deserve to die!"
"Does it hurt?" Pyra asked, softly. Nia didn't hear her, or didn't care. She was too busy shaking her head furiously, looking at Rex's dead body. Pyra stepped forward and took the young Gormotti girl's face in her hands. Nia's face was etched with fury, and she was fighting back the beginning of tears. "Isn't it odd," Pyra said. "You knew him for only a day, huh? And yet that was enough, that was all it took for him to make enough of a bond with him for you to be sad to see him go. Sad to say goodbye."
"What the hell are you bloody talking about, Pyra?" Nia scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand furiously. "I'm not sad because I have to say goodbye, I'm sad because Rex is DEAD."
"That's what I mean. All it took was one day for him to get close enough to hurt you."
"The only person hurting anyone here is Jin! Why did he do it? Bastard!"
Pyra sighed, and stepped away from Nia. With one wave of her hand, the tubings connecting the glass cylinder and the black knight were severed in a flash of heat. The glass cylinder itself lifted out of its slot, levitated on top of a disc of brilliant light. Pyra walked out, glass cylinder trailing behind her. She looked back over her shoulder at Nia, who still knelt by Rex's body. "I know it hurts," she said simply. "I'll give you some time to say goodbye."
Nia watched Pyra disappear, then looked down at the sad form of Rex's body. She looked at her hands, her white gloves stained red by Rex's blood, and clenched them. He didn't deserve this. He was a good person. And he was where he was, at least partially, because of her. "No," she muttered to herself. "No, no no. I'm not going to let this happen. Dromarch!"
Dromarch padded out from the shadows in which he had hidden, circling around Nia and the body. "Yes, my lady?"
"Keep an eye out for me. I'm going to heal Rex."
"Can that even be done….?"
"Well, I can bloody well try if I hurry!"
Dromarch circled around her again, his eyes large, dark, mysterious. "And say you heal him. What then? You bring him outside, where Jin kills him all over again?"
"I'll find some way to sneak him out the back. I'm not letting it happen like this."
"My lady-"
"No! No more distractions! I have to hurry!" Nia waved Dromarch away. She placed her hands on Rex's back, framing the ugly wound between his shoulder blades. "If I can pull this off, you better be grateful, you unlucky bastard," she whispered.
10.
Rex woke up to the quiet, peaceful chirping of birds, in a field of green that was as comfortable as a warm blanket. A perfect sun beamed down on him from a crystal-clear, vibrant blue sky. He tried to gather his thoughts, to remember how he got here, but they kept swimming away from him, constantly out of focus.
He sat up and looked around. The green field faded into forest in the distance, but the trees were blurred, out of focus, indistinct. In the other direction, the green traveled up a gentle slope to meet the sky, and at the top of the hill was a tree, and...a single figure, in black, stuck out against the horizon, like a stain on an idyllic painting.
Rex struggled to his feet, and began stumbling towards the figure. As he traveled up the hill, in the distance, a bell began tolling, long, low, mournful peals ringing out across the land.
As he got closer to the figure, he was able to make out more details. It was a knight of some sort, in a sort of sleek, moulded black armor, his head covered completely by a smooth black helmet with wings flaring out from the side. He was looking away, out towards the far distance, but as Rex got closer….
"Hello, Rex." The knight didn't turn around to look at him. His voice was...amused?
"Uh...how do you know my name?" When the knight didn't answer, Rex drew closer. "Where...am I?"
"Elysium. Or my memories of it, anyway."
"This….is Elysium?" Rex boggled, looking around. He drew next to the knight. Off in the distance, there was a beautiful town of white buildings nestled between a forest and a lake. The bells tolled louder. "Oh man….it's perfect!"
"As it was. I told you, this is just my memory of it."
"Your memory? Who are you?"
The knight reached up and removed his helmet, revealing a face that was at once handsome, amused, and cruel. Intense gray eyes felt as if they were burning a hole into Rex, beneath a mop of thick black hair. "I'm Malos." He jabbed a sharp, gauntleted finger towards his chest, where a cross-shaped, dark crystal lay embedded in his armor. "The blade you just resonated with."
"Blade….?" Rex shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't remember that. How did I end up in your memories…?"
"You were killed." A small smile played across Malos' face, as if he thought the idea was kind of funny.
"Killed….?" Suddenly, Rex's memories came flooding back to him. Jin flickering behind him, seeing his own blood on Jin's sword as it jutted out of his chest…"That BASTARD! I ought to kick his ass up and down Argentum!"
Malos laughed. "Well, I like your attitude, boy." He crossed his arms and leaned back against the tree. "So, what do you plan on doing?"
Rex sat back in the grass, looking up at the sky. "Well. I mean, there's not much I can do if I'm dead, is there? I guess I'm just glad I got to see Elysium before I died. I mean, what's going to happen to me? Do I die again here? Wh-"
"Shut up." Malos shook his head. "I can feel it, movements in the ether. You picked a lucky place to die, kid. Someone's plucking you back. I could have saved you myself, but I actually prefer it this way."
"Bringing me back…? Is that possible?"
"Never mind that." The bell began tolling louder, subtly. Malos narrowed his eyes. "We don't have much time. I need your oath, kid."
"My oath?" Rex shook his head again. "What do you mean? What for?"
Malos growled in frustration, impatient. "You're my driver now. But I'm not like your average blade. I get to reject drivers, if I want. And I won't let you be mine unless you swear to me an oath. Swear to me, that you will take me to Elysium. In the real world, not in my memories. Atop the World Tree."
Rex winced as the tolling bell grew even louder. "I mean, of course! I always wanted to go to Elysium, so this is kind of an easy choice for me."
"And why did you want to go there?"
Rex gestured around himself. "I mean, look at this place. All this green, and so much space. Everyone could live here without having to worry. People could live in peace. So yeah, I'll take your oath."
Malos strode forward and grabbed Rex's shirt with one clawed gauntlet. "An oath is not something to take lightly, kid. Duty and loyalty are everything. EVERYTHING. It's not going to be an easy path to Elysium. And I have powerful enemies. You will suffer. Nothing comes without it. Are you really ready for all that?"
Rex looked up at the knight, eyes blazing with sudden intensity. Those eyes. Malos had seen those eyes before. "I'm ready. I've always thought Elysium was the only way the world could survive."
Malos stared down at Rex for a long moment, Rex staring defiantly up at him. The bell grew to a deafening roar. The world began to shake, turn white at the edges. "Well," Malos said softly, "You'll have to do."
And the world faded to white.
11.
Rex blinked slowly, as his vision faded back. He was surrounded by a warm, gentle light. His vision was fuzzy, slowly focusing in. Someone was leaning over him, their features still indistinct. It was...Nia? But she looked...different. He still couldn't see her completely. "Nia…?" he groaned.
She disappeared from his view, and slowly his vision came into sharper focus. He was staring up at the ceiling of the room in the ship. The knight, and his cylinder, were gone. He sat up, rubbing his head, to see Nia sitting in the corner of the room, looking the same as she ever did, peering intently at him, with Dromarch by her side.
"Thank the Architect that worked," Nia said. "How are you feeling?"
Rex looked down at his chest. There was a small hole in his suit, and dried blood, and a nasty scar. He touched it, but there was no pain. "I feel...great, actually," he said. "Did you do this…? How could you possibly….? I was dead!"
"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Nia laughed nervously. "You weren't dead. Jin...must have missed your heart. I mean it was nasty, but nothing I couldn't heal."
"But...Malos told me…."
"Who's Malos? Look, we got to-AH!" Nia gasped suddenly as Rex grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. "W-what are you doing, you oaf?!"
"Whatever I was, thank you, Nia. I don't know how I can ever repay you."
"Let me GO!" Nia gasped, pushing him off her. She breathed heavily as Rex scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I mean….okay, y-you're welcome. I'll send you a bill, yeah? But right now we gotta find a way to sneak you out of here. Jin and Pyra are still around, and-"
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave. I have to go get my blade from them."
"Your….blade? You can't mean that fellow locked up in the cylinder?" Nia shook her head. "You'd think Jin had stabbed your melon head, instead. You're doing no such thing. We're going to sneak you out, and then-HEY!" Nia grabbed Rex's arm as he began walking away. "What d'you think you're doing?" she cried. "You go up there, and Jin is going to kill you again!"
Rex shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any choice. I made a promise to him. He's my blade now."
Nia hissed, then spit at the floor. "THAT'S what I think of your fool promise, you idiot. What about the salvager's code, eh? 'Never leave a debt unpaid'? Well I think you owe me a pretty big debt, yeah? I didn't just heal you so you could run off and get yourself killed again thirty seconds later. Now come on," she said, tugging insistently at his arm, only getting more angry when he refused to move. "Please,"she said, finally, a bit of despair creeping into her voice. "Don't go up there."
"My lady," Dromarch rumbled quietly, padding to her side, nudging her. "If this...Malos….really is this boy's blade, now….you know what that means. You know how it feels."
Nia finally let Rex's arm drop. "Yeah. Yeah, I know how it feels. I'd never leave you behind either, Dromarch." She glanced at Rex and sighed heavily. "But look at him, he doesn't even have a weapon."
But at the mention of the word 'weapon', an image crystallized in Rex's mind. A sword of dark metal, bleeding dark fire, a sigil on its hilt….
And suddenly, it wasn't in his mind, but in his hands.
"Hooooooooookay then," said Nia, eyes widening.
12.
Pyra walked out, quietly, to the top deck of the risen ship, Malos still floating in his prison beside her. Jin was standing wordlessly in the storm, looking out at the roiling ocean. The salvagers all seemed to have retreated to the Malestrom already. A few of them stood on the deck of the guild ship, looking out at them curiously. "I've called the Monoceros," he said, quietly, as she approached.
"How are you feeling?"
"I...need to rest," Jin admitted.
Pyra nodded, then stood by him, looking out over the ocean as well. "That was poorly done, Jin," she said quietly.
Jin sighed in frustration, then crossed his arms. "It's not as if I enjoyed killing him. I actually liked the boy. But you know what he did. You saw what was happening."
"Maybe it wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world to let it happen."
Jin looked at her wordlessly. The only sound was the patter of rain on the deck.
Pyra shook her head. "I mean, maybe we could have tried talking some sense into him."
Jin laughed harshly. "When have you ever known Malos to be open to sense?"
"It's just….there's no need to cause so much pain. Ever. You know how I feel about that."
"It's necessary sometimes, Pyra." Jin looked down. "I'm sorry."
"You could have said something to Nia, at the very least. You know she spent all yesterday with the boy. This is even worse for her."
Jin kept his face down, simply watching the pattern of rain pelting onto the deck by his feet. "You're right. I should have." Suddenly, he looked up, sharply. "Where….IS Nia?"
"I left her with the boy, so she'd have a chance to say goodbye."
"Damn it, no," whispered Jin, eyes widening.
Pyra glanced at him in alarm. "What's wrong?"
"Didn't you know why I recruited her? Feel that in the ether? She's-"
Suddenly, the cylinder next to Pyra crashed to the ground. She spun around in shock. Dark flames were spreading across the surface of it. As she watched, a gauntleted black fist punched upward, shattering the glass, then ripping the door off its hinged, flinging it away into the ocean.
"No," Pyra said, despair thick in her voice. "No, no no no. Not like this."
"Oh yes," came Malos' voice from the ruins of the cylinder, and he rose, black flames dripping from him, faceless behind his helmet, but Pyra could feel the contempt behind it all the same. "Very much like this." He kicked the cylinder aside with contempt, and it slid across the deck with an awful screech, falling into the ocean.
Jin stepped forward, grabbing his sword, then gasped and winced, hand going to his side.
"Stay back, Jin," Pyra snapped at him. "Don't push yourself. I'll handle this." She threw back her hood, revealing her red hair, and a defiant glare.
"Mythra, Mythra, Mythra," Malos walked forward, arms wide, in a mockery of welcome. "It's been too long." And then he threw a vicious punch, aiming for her face.
Pyra nimbly dashed backwards. "I don't want to have to hurt you, Malos."
"What fresh lunacy is this?" Malos' incredulous laughter stabbed through her. "Destroyer of nations, mass-murderer, killer of MILLIONS, and now you're saying you don't want to hurt anyone?" He crossed his arms, tapping his foot. "And what's with the tacky red hair, Mythra?"
"It's been...a long time. Lots of things have changed. I'VE changed. And it's Pyra now."
"Oh. You've changed, have you? Did a little soul searching? Had a little personal growth?" Malos was nodding his head in mock sympathy now, and held up a hand. "One: Bullshit. The first thing I see you doing after all this time is murdering a kid. Two: I don't care, Pyra. You could be a saint now. And I'd still kill you. For all the suffering you caused."
Suddenly, there came shouting from the deck of the Maelstrom. Pyra looked back , to see salvagers running about wildly on deck. They had probably sighted the Monoceros in the distance. As she watched, the guild ship pulled away from the risen ship and began fleeing the scene. And then stars shot through her head as Malos took the opportunity to deliver a vicious haymaker to the side of her head. Peals of his vicious laughter echoed around her as she stumbled backwards.
Pyra winced. "Maybe...I would deserve it. Maybe I deserve to die." she murmured. She summoned her blade, to her hand, and Malos stepped back warily. "But I have a mission now." And suddenly, she was wreathed in flame, burning her cloak away. Beneath that, she wore revealing red armor the color of her hair.
Malos stepped backward as she advanced towards him, leaving fiery footprints in her wake, her sword held out and at the ready. "Come with me, Malos," she said. "I just want to talk."
"MALOS!"
Both Malos and Pyra looked back, towards the entrance of the ship. There stood Rex and Nia. Rex was holding Malos' blade.
"Nia, you traitor," Jin called out, his voice ice cold, and Nia shivered to see the hollow rage in his eyes. "Do you have any idea what you've done here today?"
With a mighty heave, Rex tossed the sword through the air. Malos caught it in one hand, and immediately bought it down in one smooth arc, striking where Pyra was standing. Sparks flew as Pyra bought her blade up to block it.
Jin stalked around the edge of the two dueling blades, edging closer to Nia and Rex. They both had their eyes on him, weapons drawn, and kept circling to keep the dueling Pyra and Malos between them and him. Jin felt weak, and was feeling weaker by the moment, but all he had to do was get close enough to get a strike in at Rex, and this disaster could be undone…
Suddenly, he flickered forward, dashing across the deck. It was straining him, taxing his power, and he felt pain course through his body, but it would take one strike, just one -
And he growled in frustration as his blade bounced harmlessly off a shield projected by Nia and Dromarch. "You!" he snapped at the Gormotti girl glaring at him.
"Just stop, Jin, please," Nia whispered.
Jin found himself taken aback by the sadness in her eyes. But that didn't stop him from reaching out and grabbing her by the scruff of her shirt, lifting her bodily off of Dromarch. "Why did you do it?" he asked her, as she struggled to free herself from his vice-like grip.
"Because….he didn't….deserve to die," Nia gasped.
"Jin, watch out!" Pyra cried. Jin glanced behind him, to see...the salvager boy holding Malos' sword. He dropped Nia and just barely managed to dodge out of the way in time, into Pyra's arms. He was breathing heavily, now.
"I told you not to push yourself, Jin! Damn it," Pyra snapped. She looked up. Malos was bearing down on her, wielding the sword once again.
"What did she do to you, Jin?" he asked. He swung his sword at Pyra's head, and Pyra only just managed to bring her sword up in time to block it. He began raining wild blows down upon her, striking her blade like a hammer. "What did this mass-murdering-" WHAM "-lying-" WHAM "-sick-" WHAM "-monster, DO TO YOU?"
Pyra winced beneath each blow, then looked up. Malos was focused on her, but the Monoceros had pulled up alongside them. Its guns swiveled, locking on to...the salvager and Nia, who stood back closer to the deck. "Nia, watch out!" she cried.
Nia looked behind her and gasped, and only just managed to get Dromarch to put up a shield before the Monoceros opened fire on her. She couldn't withstand the assault for long though. Rex watched in horror as the barrage of explosions shattered the shield, and she was tossed from Dromarch's back, sent flying through the air.
Rex leapt up, his eyes locked on her, dashing across the deck. She was headed to be sent flying clear over the other side. He dove over the side, firing his grappling hook into the railing of the deck, catching her moments before she landed in the cloud sea, and was left dangling off the side of the ship, holding her prone form beneath his arm. "Well, shit," he muttered.
Back up on deck, Malos turned around and glared balefully at the Monoceros, summoning his own shield, which shuddered under yet another withering barrage by the ship. "Well, shit," he muttered. He glanced behind him. Pyra had already used the opportunity to retreat to a safe distance with Jin. This was bad. He might be an Aegis, but he couldn't withstand an artillery barrage by a warship, not in his current condition.
Suddenly, a large shadow swooped overhead, followed by a bellowing roar, and flames engulfed the deck of the Monoceros. Malos looked up to see a familiar Titan soaring through the skies, looping back around for another assault on the ship. The ships's cannons seemed to swivel back and forth for a moment, as if whoever was operating them was indecisive, and then locked on to the Titan.
"Gramps!" Rex cried, still dangling helplessly on the side of the ship, as the titan swooped in low for another pass.
"Hop on, Rex. Quickly now!" the Titan bellowed, as explosions ripped through the air just behind him. Rex gave his winch a tug, detaching it from the ship's railing, as Gramps passed by beneath him, and dropped onto the Titan's back, still holding Nia. As Gramps circled around the front of the ship, Malos and Dromarch leapt over the railing and onto his back as well.
"We better get out of here as fast as possible," snapped Malos. "I don't think that warship-"
Suddenly, everyone shouted as one of the warship's cannons connected with the side of the Titan, and Gramps bellowed in pain and tumbled through the air. Rex just closed his eyes and held on for dear life. But the Titan recovered, and despite the explosions shattering the night sky all around him, headed out into the storm, rapidly disappearing from view, fading into the storm.
Pyra and Jin watched impassively from the deck of the ship as the Monoceros sent barrage after fruitless barrage after the shrinking form of the Titan. Finally the cannons quieted, having decided it was hopeless to hit them from this range.
Jin leaned heavily into Pyra. She looked at his face. It was empty and imperceptible as ever. And then, unexpectedly, completely seriously, Jin said, "Well, that could have gone better." Pyra laughed, and Jin glanced over at her, and cracked a small smile despite himself. "Well. You know. It could have."
"You seem less upset than I expected."
Jin gave a small sigh. "Well, you know. He's just a kid, right? At least we know Malos is awake. I'll have Akhos go after them."
"Alright."
As Pyra helped Jin back to the ship, he glanced at her once more. "It's...not tacky, you know. I don't think so."
Pyra gave a small smile. "Thanks, Jin."