Ok, authors note time, a few changes we have to the main story. 1: Blades, when inflicted with a normally fatal wound, like decapitation, will return to their weapons, usually their driver, and have to recover for a while, just wanted to clear that up. 2: Ryse and Pyra do not share injuries, that is why Pyra was not completely incapacitated by the acid. The core crystal sharing has a much different effect that you may pick up on if you look closely, or not so closely I think I've been making it pretty obvious. 3: A golden affinity link is not like it is in the games, it doesn't come from simple proximity, it requires the blade and driver to be very determined and also very in sync, it's also a massive power boost for both. Anyways, thats all.
I woke in the forest, in the ground, sitting next to a campfire. Next to it sat Pyra, calmly tending to the blazing flame. I got up, wincing from acid burns. I silently cursed Rex, trust me, acid is a lot more painful than it sounds. "I hope your feeling better." Pyra said gently. I gave her a thumbs up before wincing in pain.
"I'm doing alright, just... give me a minute." We chowed down on some roast bunnit, making a bit of conversation along the way. "So, what exactly happened, why were you on that ship?" "500 hundred years ago, after the Aegis War, I was sealed down there so no one could use my power again." "Not sure how well that worked out, considering your here, now." Admitedly, I was somewhat of a special case, seeing as I feel from the sky and all that.
"How did you end up here, in Alrest?" asked Pyra "Not quite sure myself, I just kind of, appeared. All I had with me was my phone, which I brought with me from my world, although it's gotten a bit of an upgrade." I held out my glowing blue phone. Pyra looked startled, remarking "This reminds me of Ophion." The word Ophion triggered yet another flashback, this time of a giant robotic snake roaring. It startled me so bad I dropped the phone, but it just floated there.
"Definitely didn't use to do that either." I said, slightly creeped out.
After messing around with the phone for quite a while, we headed back into town.
As we walked around the town, it was weirdly quiet, there were still people everywhere, sure, but it felt dimmer, less alive than before. I asked Pyra "Do you feel anything odd?"
She nodded, her eyes darting around like she was expecting an attack any second "There's a powerful ether presence, it's obscuring everything else, but it's hidden very well, if I didn't know better, I would have assumed that the people here just weren't emitting ether."
The sound of our footsteps echoed through the town, as we nervously walked to a shop where we were planning to buy a core chip to make us stronger. Despite the ever-increasing feeling that we should turn back, we continued moving forwards. I had something in the back of my mind telling me that running would only make things worse.
As we entered the clearing a wall of blue fire incircled us, we backed away slowly, back to back, trying to anticipate where they would appear from.
A women in a combination of uniform and armor walked through the wall of fire as if it was simply a minor inconvenience, Brighid followed right behind what I could assume was her driver.
"I am Special Inquisitor Morag, under the authority of Mor Ardain, you are to be captured and restrained to prevent misuse of the Aegis's power. Surrender"
"Not happening Special Inquisitor, I made a promise and I'm planning on keeping it."
"So be it." She said, almost mournfully, as she pulled out two swords on her back which burned with a eerie blue blaze.
Unlike my other battles I did not charge forwards like a maniac, instead, I waited, both of us circling each other, silent but for crackle of the flames. I knew this was the most dangerous opponent I had ever faced, easily beating out Rex. This was a women who trained for years and years and had faced many stronger opponents than me. I was fighting an uphill battle, but I wasn't going to lose.
I threw my sword, surprising her as she dodged to the side to block it, I took my opening running forwards as I recalled the broadsword to my hand with a loud clank and sliced from the left. She blocked it with one sword and immediately put me on the defensive with a flurry of quick yet powerful blows. I was barely able to defend myself against the blur of swords that advanced on me.
"I got her." Pyra said as she appeared next to me and summoned a powerful shield, stopping Morag in her tracks and allowing me to counterstrike, diagonally slashing downwards, landing a heavy blow that threw her backwards a few steps and allowing me to continue my offensive by sweeping the leg, tripping her and than another slash downwards, blocked by Brighid.
"Your tougher than you look boy" Morag chuckled.
"And your a bit smarter than your grunts, not like that means much." I quipped
"But your still not strong enough." she finished as she struck her blade on the ground causing a line of fire to erupt towards me, singing me even as I dodged. To my shock she turned her swords into whips with a smirk, lashing them towards me, leaving large burning slash marks on my chest. I grimaced in pain, but I struggled through it, firing of a fiery slash at her distant figure, to my great annoyance it was simply blocked by her blade, who was still in a battle with Pyra, who glanced worriedly at me, but was too overwhelmed to help.
I got up, determined not to lose this battle. My sword flared brightly, as my affinity link with Pyra turning gold for the first time, I felt a rush of energy as if someone had taken out my heart and replaced it with a nuclear reactor. I ran towards Morag and I MOVED, as fast as I could blink I was on top of her, able to match her blow for blow. Every attack I anticipated, every swing had purpose, I was almost able to see the trajectory a split second before the attack. But I couldn't keep it up for long, this was incredibly draining.
I blinded Morag before knocking her onto the ground, shouting "Pyra, now!" I threw her the sword allowing her to use it as a fiery boomerang, spinning and rapidly slicing her.
"Alright!" I wheezed triumphantly, thinking the fight was over, I was wrong.
Morag got up again, wounds all over, but still able to fight.
Her whipswords burst into flame as she sliced and lashed at me.
"Pyra, I don't know how much longer I can fight for." I said worriedly
Then it struck me, the fountain, I rushed towards it, throwing my sword to Pyra "Cover me!"
I pulled out the phone and used the inventory to absorb a large amount of water, which I then turned around and fired at the wall, putting it out and allowing me and Pyra to run through before the blaze closed behind us. We ran all the way out of Torigoth, and back into the wilderness.
Well that just happened, Ryse is going to have to deal with the consequences of forming a golden affinity link with Pyra. Also, sorry about the lack of dialogue chapters, i'm just trying to get them out of immediate danger first.