Battling the Jewel of Mor Ardain In Gormott
"Alright, the town is just over this path and that where we'll go our separate ways." Nia pointed ahead as she and Dromarch lead Rex's group to the town she spoke about.
"I just hope we'll get to eat something for breakfast, camping is fun and all, but I prefer eating inside." Rana winced a little.
"Don't worry, sweetie, I'm sure Gormott has a nice food we eat." Cattleya hoped.
"It's still pretty surprise that you're Gormotti, Nia." Rex commented.
"And you're a bone-headed for being slow to realizing things." Nia mocked.
"Hey, it's not my fault that I haven't seen more Gomotti back at the guild." Rex remarked.
"It must be nice going back home for so long, the view back up the hill was breath-taking." Pyra smiled, recalling the view that happened a few minutes ago.
"Are you sure you don't wish to accompany us more on our journey?" Cattleya asked Nia.
"I already told you I can't, being out in the open will get people to alert the soldiers." Nia explained her reason again.
"Because they're the closest thing you got to family." Rana repeated the words Nia told them.
"Yes, glad to see you're catching this on quicker than your big brother." Nia stated, earning a shout "Hey" from Rex.
"I still don't get why would you want to hang out with a bunch of bad men with them." Rana confused of Nia's life choices.
"Things are… complicated, kid. You wouldn't understand." Nia said without looking at him.
The group have made their way to Torigoth, the largest town in Gormott, they make their way to the inn where they'll have a good place to rest and where they'll have to say goodbye to Nia and Dromarch which displeases Rex and Rana. They had hope she could join them on the journey to find Elysium and maybe help Nia get over the group she was with, now that she turned traitor on them back at that old ship, plus Rex has grown quite fond of the cat girl.
As they walk through the street passing a wooden board with some written papers about a sale for fruits and some posters, mostly the wanted posters which has Jin and Malos's picture on them quickly giving the others the idea of what kind of men they are. However, what caught Nia's attention the most is something that is unforgivable as she looks closer at her wanted poster.
"What the bloody hell is this?" Nia yelled in anger, getting the group's attention to what she's looking at.
"Don't tell me this is meant to be ME?!" Nia asked.
The group walk to the board seeing the poster Nia is so angry at and most are shocked to see Nia's face on the wanted poster is more beast-like that resembles Dromarch's face replacing her actually face.
"Oh my, now that doesn't look right." Cattleya said.
I'm pretty sure Nia doesn't have a big nose." Rana pointed out.
"Well, it seems like a remarkable likeness to say the least…" Dromarch said, almost liking the poster because it's like he got his own wanted poster.
"Oi, did you say something?" Nia asked with a dangerous stare at her tiger Blade, wondering if he is making fun of his Driver.
"Ah, er, no. I fear they may have conflated our countenances, my lady." Dromarch said, feeling scared of his lady's stare and doesn't want to get on her bad side.
"I'm no art excerpt, but that is not how to capture a person's image." Rex said.
"They made you look like an old man with fur on the face." Rana described how the poster looks to him.
That didn't help Nia calm down at all, in fact what Rana said only made her angrier as she hisses like a wild cat and tear the poster in tiny pieces of paper in rage with her claws much to the others fear and shock.
Everyone made a mental note to NEVER make Nia angry like that ever again.
They move on after Nia finally calms down and continue with their walking as they see the town, then they heard a man wearing an Ardaninian soldier uniform with two others behind him shouting about the glory of the Ardainian Empire and his Majesty Emperor Niall.
"Hmm, what's the deal over there?" Rex asked curious.
"Driver recruitment." Nia answered.
"So, they're trying to find more Drivers to join the army." Cattleya guessed.
"Yep, they've been seeking Drivers from all over lately." Nia said.
"The pool of potentials is shrinking. They must have run out of candidates in the military." Dromarch figured why the soldiers are here making a big announcement.
"What do you mean "potential", I don't know follow." Rex confused of what Dromarch meant.
"Just watch." Nia said.
They see a young Gormotti boy, probably a few years older than Rex, walking to the stance and three little kids trying to stop their older brother from hurting himself which confuses Rex and Rana. An older drunk Gormotti push himself through the kids wanting to get a shot at the Core Crystal, when he touches it, he starts screaming in pain.
"Yep, he's done for." Nia said.
"Indeed." Azurda agreed.
"That's not a good sign." Cattleya worried, she wanted to cover Rex and Rana's eyes from seeing what's about to happen next, but she knew her boys need to see this at first hand.
The man continues screaming until blood squirts out of his body and fall down unconscious, shocking Pyra and Rex and Rana.
"Oho, all bark and no bite, what a shame!" The Ardainian soldier said as the two others help the cat man away.
"W-What just happened…?" Rana asked scare as he hugs on Cattleya's sides.
"All that blood…" Rex feeling grossed out from that.
"Couldn't handle the Core Crystal's power." Nia answered.
"That's what happened when someone unqualified touches a Core Crystal." Dromach explained.
"You mean… the Core Crystal decides on who should be the Driver?" Rana asked.
"Something like that." Azurda said.
The young Gormotti boy went up next as his young siblings begged him not to do it or else, he could get hurt too, but he didn't back down because he has to succeed so he and his younger siblings can live a better life together. He touches the Core Crystal and it glows like before, but unlike with the old man light shines on the boy and a battle spear appears before him, taking the weapon in his hand and turns around to see a Blade appeared too. He cheers in joy that he is now a Driver and his siblings are happy for him.
"Wow, is that how Blades are born, Mama?" Rana asked.
"Yes, the Core Crystal becomes a weapon and a Blade is born." Cattleya answered.
"But… when I touch Pyra's…" Rex confused that Pyra's awakening is different than this as she saw her go see the Blade a little closer.
"She's a special case, Pyra is the Aegis, remember?" Nia reminded the Salvage boy.
"Oh, so she follows a different rule." Rana said.
"But it's not exactly… normal with sharing her life force." Nia wondered how can something like that even be possible.
"What is the "Aegis" exactly? Malos and Jin, they called her that too." Rex asked, wondering does the Aegis even means.
"Don't know, all I know is that she's some kind of Legendary Blade." Nia mentioned all what she knows from Malos and Jin.
"You'll have to ask Pyra that, now I think we should leave to the inn." Cattleya reminded them to go.
The group nodded as they remember why came to this town, Rex gets Pyra as they began walking away from the celebration which to Nia has a boring speech and she doesn't like those kinds of things thinking they're a waste of time for her.
"I'm glad that we're not gonna run into trouble anytime soon." Rana smiled. Unknowingly jinxing himself and the group.
(Later)
"Oh, Titan foot…" Rana gulped.
The jinx started when the group got approached by some Ardainian imperial soldiers surrounding them because of Nia being from the fugitive group known as Torna, and believes her look is exactly on the wanted poster as it made her angry again like back. They even press charges to Rex and Rana for not registering themselves as Driver which makes them illegal Drivers much to the boys' shock and finding the law to be unfair.
The soldiers move in for take them in though they put up a better fight than the troops could imagined: Rex and Rana each slash at their own soldiers and kick them into each other knocking them out, Pyra knocked two soldiers away with a burning swing-kick, Cattleya swings her large sword to send a few soldiers flying, and Nia spin-slash between two soldiers while Dromarch blows three away with his sonic roar arrack.
"Their… so strong! Such strength from a measly three fighters and one of them is a little kid… They're Drives, all right!" The Troop Captain gasped seeing his men getting beaten.
"Rex, now!" Nia called out, signaling them to run.
"You got it, Rana!" Rex called out as everyone ran away, but suddenly their path is blocked by a big wall made of blue flames.
"A blue fire wall, didn't see that coming." Rana shocked.
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Rex said.
"Everyone, a strong Blade is coming." Cattleya alerted as a new figure appears.
"Such a commotion. Just when I thought I could enjoy a little peace and quiet." The Blade woman said.
The Blade appears as a beautiful young woman with long purple hair that runs past her back and is blue at the tips, and her eyes are close. She has Chinese-styled buns that are constantly ablaze in a blue flame, along with blue flaming eyebrows. She is very tall, slender, and has a very curvaceous figure, possessing large breasts, and wide hips. Her outfit consists of a purple, long dress that is opened and has black frills at the ends. Underneath she wears a slightly transparent, brown shirt. On her legs are flaming blue thigh high boots, with her arms being covered by flaming blue gloves. She has a belt on her waist that secures a dagger, along with several orange glow -sticks, further emphasizing her illuminating presence. Her core crystal is in the shape of a blue tear of flame. She also carries to swords in each hand. Breasts sizes: G-cup.
"L-Lady Brighid!" Troop Captain gasped knowing who that Blade is.
"Whoa, a Blade all by herself, she must be really strong." Rana complimented.
"Thank you, my Driver is engaged elsewhere if you must know." Brighid said.
"No… Driver?" Rex shocked.
"Lady Brighid is the "Jewel of Mor Ardain"! The strongest Blade in the Empire!" Troop Captain bagged.
"That emerald Core Crystal… could it really be true?" Brighid noticed Pyra's crystal knowing what she is.
"Captain Padraig, you are NOT to kill them. Take these ones in alive." Brighid ordered.
"Be careful, it'll take all we got to stand a chance against her." Cattleya tightened her grip on her sword.
"Then let see how you'll handle against two?" A voice asked sarcastically, and a lightning bolt strike the ground behind the group.
"What the…?" Nia gasped.
A figure reveals herself as a beauty and dangerous woman with a blue lightning bolt-shaped Core Crystal above middle of her breasts. She has long violent hair and matching eyes. She wears golden armor with black under-pieces, with a long split white cape with red on the inside. She has a long, large sword though not as large as Cattleya's sword that is black and gold with three diamond jewels on the side. Breasts sizes: H-cup.
"Claudette, I didn't expect to see you here." Brighid greeted her friend.
"My Driver and I were just here for a little break until I notice a commotion going on and now, I see you here about to beat up a couple of kids." Claudette said, looking at the group with curious look.
"(Great, another strong Blade we have to worry about.)" Nia thought grunted.
"One of them is a member of Torna and the Blade with the red hair has an emerald Core Crystal, we must bring them in." Brighid explained.
"I see, then let me assist you on this." Claudette offered, pointing her sword at them.
"There's no need, I can handle this myself." Brighid declined with a confident smile.
(Music-Xenoblade Chronicles Battle Theme OST)
"Umm, very well, I'll just be on the side watching." Claudette said as she sits on the stone wall to watch the fight.
"At least we don't have to worry about fighting her." Rana sighed in relief.
"Let's go!" Rex charged with Rana behind her.
Rex swings his sword at Brighigh as she easily blocks it with one sword, Rana leap to the blue woman's right side and attacks with a rapid trust strikes though she blocks each blows with her other sword and goes for an opening only for Rex to parry it away then the brothers starts attacking her with combine strikes, but Brighid easily blocks them.
"(Hmm, they have good teamwork, I'll give them that.)" Brighid thought complimented them before pushing them away.
"Damn it!" Nia grunted as she hops on Dromarch's back charging at Brighid.
Nia swings her duel ring-blades and Brighid blocks deflects it, the white tighter Blade fires a sonic roar at Brighid as she blocks it with her forcefield and spring at them with incredible speed to slash at the car girl, but she jumps off Dromarch just in time and spins herself fast to attack her only to be blocked and push away.
Pyra fires a few fireballs at Brighid as she slashes them away into nothing, but that was only a distraction when the real attacker is Cattleya as she appears on Brighid's right and swing her Giant Slayer at her opponent, Brighid blocks the attack. However, the force behind the attack still pushes her back about 20 feet away but the mother Blade was not done when she jumps high and swings down her sword toward Brighid, she was able to block it though was forced down on one knee. She quickly moves the big sword aside letting it hit the ground and jump away.
"My word, you certainly have more strength than mine own. That blow wouldn't hurt me more if I hadn't avoided that." Brighid complimented.
"Thank you, it's a mother's duty to protect her boys!" Cattleya smiled from the compliment.
"Mother?" Brighid confused.
"She's raised me and Rex when I was just a baby after I activate her Core Crystal. I think I was a few months old at the time." Rana explained, Brighid became shock of hear this and Claudette too.
"(Awakening a Blade at barely year-old is unheard of, how is that possible?)" Claudette thought asked herself.
Everyone attacks her together though the blue flame-wielding Blade prove to be more of a challenge than they realizes even with Cattleya outmatching her in pure strength, Brighid can still parry the heavy hitter's strikes with her forcefield as she notice how Cattleya can swing her sword like it's a smaller sword than regular.
Rex fires a flame blast at Brighid as she fires her own and the two fire blasts collide into a strong explosion that cancelled each other out.
"Wha…? She-she repelled our attack!" Rex shocked.
"She's so… strong!" Pyra admitted.
"And this is without her Driver." Azurda said.
"Makes you wonder what the other is like." Cattleya glared at Claudette for a moment and look back at Brighid.
"I'm surprise these brats can last this long against Brighid, but I'm afraid this is where it all ends." Claudette stated the fact that Rex's group have lost this battle.
Nia and Dromarch jumps up heading to Brighid to keep fighting, but they ended up caught right into a trap when the troops fired nets and trapping them.
"Nia! Dromarch!" Rex worried shock.
"This is the end of the line for you." Brighid said serious.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Uh oh, Rex and Rana's party are in a pickle with their backs against the wall and two of their friends are trapped as this seems to be the end for them. Or is it? One thing is for sure, our heroes won't go down so easily as they will get an unexpected help from someone could become their alley in the next chapter.
Hope you like the battle I made with everyone against Brighid and the Claudette Vance from Queen's Blade Unlimited making her appearance as a Blade as you'll see who's her Driver soon.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!