Chapter 2: And Here I Thought We Were Being Inconspicuous
Some days, the voice in Jin's head that was probably Lora was talkative. Other days - like today - she was so quiet, it was difficult to remember that she was there.
The rampaging ardun in front of him roared, stomped, lowered its head and charged. Jin easily dodged out of the way of its attack and followed up with a number of quick retaliating slices with his nodachi to its legs. The beast moaned, tripping and tumbling over, and before it could get up, he put it out of its misery.
All around him were remains of trampled crops, flattened by the beast. At least the farmers of this particular village wouldn't have to worry about it crushing anymore of them. He tugged the nodachi free of the ardun's head and started cleaning the blade.
Hey, Jin?
He paused in his task, resisting the urge to flinch. Even when he'd thought he'd gotten used to it, he still could be startled by how sudden, how clear and how much it reminded him of his own thoughts. But it was her voice.
"Hmm?"
Well, I've just been thinking. I mean, I suppose I have a lot of time to do that now, so maybe it's not that surprising, but something's been bugging me for a while.
"What is it?"
There was a long pause, and the wind picked up, ruffling the grain of the stalks that hadn't been trampled, flattened or ripped out of the ground by the beast's rampage. He could tell from the way she rambled before that she was nervous about the topic.
What...am I, exactly?
He tilted his head at the question. The tentative way she asked it made uneasiness creep into his voice as he asked, "Where's this coming from?"
Just answer me. Please?
Jin hesitated, hearing the tinge of desperation in her voice. He thought carefully before answering. "You're Lora."
His simple answer invited silence in his mind, and for a moment, he imagined her blinking in surprise.
Well, um, yeah, I guess. But, what if I'm not, you know? Couldn't I just be a figment of your imagination you brought up to cope with my death?
He'd wondered that same thing multiple times himself in the last months, but had never voiced it. It was strange to hear her voicing that exact same concern. Almost like it had been pulled from his own head.
Crouching down, he neatly carved the horns off the rampaging ardun as proof of its defeat. He noted the location – relatively far from the main part of the village - and began heading back to the small farming village where the mercenary writ had been posted.
Jin?
"I...suppose it's possible."
Oof. That's a bit harsh, don't you think? Shouldn't you be trying to comfort me or something?
"I could lie and say I know for sure." But both of them knew he wasn't one much for secrets between them. "Neither of us really know what's happening. Besides, would you really be satisfied with an explanation like that?"
No, I guess not, but-
"Then there's no need to worry."
I guess I forgot who I'm dealing with. There was a sigh. If only everything really were that simple.
He knew their whole situation wasn't that simple, but he didn't really want to think about it. He let out a noncommittal grunt, tucking the ardun horn away in his belt and started to head back towards the village.
It was a long time before Lora spoke up again.
"That's all you know?" Jin asked, an edge of annoyance slipping into his words.
"Informama know nothing more." The pink-furred Nopon sitting across from him at a small, wooden table in a rough, country inn shrugged both her tiny arms and head wings. "Information on lost hero prince very out-of-date now. Perhaps if friend ask ten years ago, would be more willing wings to help. Excitement died down now."
"I should have expected as much." Most of the leads he'd chased so far were rumours that had gotten out of hand at best. "If you have nothing else, then don't worry about it,"
"However…" There was a shift in the Nopon's expression. A slight dilation in the eyes, a ruffling of her fur. A...wiggle to her stance? Jin narrowed his eyes.
Oh, no. She's trying to look cuter. That's never a good sign with Nopon informants. Be careful, Jin.
Jin silently agreed, and cautiously took the bait. "However…?"
"Informama might be willing to convince Voltis Trade Guild to help. Many good wings in information Bureau that can dig up just about any information all over Alrest. For right price, of course."
And there was his chokepoint. Money. Something that working as a traveling freelance mercenary didn't give a whole lot of.
"And how much would that be?"
"Informama glad friend asked!" The smile that appeared on the Nopon's face was predatory and extraordinarily at odds with the cuteness factor she was still putting off. The Nopon launched into a sales pitch, expounding about the intricacies and 'delicacies' of the labour, hours of work of who and what would be involved in such an ordeal. "So that why lowest initial asking price for deposit is fifty thousand."
Yikes.
"That's out of the question."
"Would be best way to guarantee information friend is looking for, yes?" She danced a little in her seat. "Cheaper options exist, down to single private investipongator. But not as reliable as larger crew. Only best come Voltis Trade Guild; even investipongator's help not come cheap."
Hmph. I think she just wants our money. I say it's time we gave her the boot.
"No deal. Sorry, but I don't deal with extortioners."
Informama's dance halted and she blinked owlishly. "Harsh words, but is choice of friend, meh." The Nopon shrugged, seemingly unoffended at Jin's barb. However, the cuteness factor from earlier completely disappeared as her head wings folded in on her body. She also didn't react with a counteroffer. "Can take or leave."
Business must have been good for the Voltis Trade Guild for the nopon to not pursue potential profit. After all, even if the fervour had died down and the reasoning had changed, it wasn't just Jin looking for the lost Tornan prince.
"Then we're done here."
"Suit self." Jin watched as the Nopon scooped the meagre gold on the table he'd paid for the initial information. The Nopon hopped off the chair, and started waddling towards the innkeeper behind the counter. "Have pleasant day."
Sighing, Jin rested his chin on top of his folded hands. Another dead end.
As it turned out, finding Addam was just as hard now as it was the last time he'd tried. For six months, Jin had looked. Following leads, tracking information, any little bit that he could find. However, just like the last time, it all led nowhere.
Well, at least we know this lead's a dead end now.
Glancing around with his eyes, Jin checked to make sure he was out of earshot of anyone around. He murmured softly, "That and the last four promising leads we've checked." He didn't say anything about the dozens of other leads - ranging from somewhat plausible to the ridiculous - they'd tried already. "It's already been half a year, Lora."
I know, but surely every lead can't be a dead end. We just have to keep looking, or think of a different way.
Jin sighed. "I just can't help but think of how similar this is to last time I tried finding Addam. Small leads, lots of rumours, no payoff. Only now, everything's been muddled by no one seeing him for ten years. If he isn't already dead, I doubt wherever he is that he's announcing himself as the lost Tornan prince either."
Well, probably not, but with a gloomy attitude like that, of course it's not going to go well. Come on, chin up! We'll think of something.
He smiled. "I suppose you're right."
But what?
The night air was crisp, if a little dry in the small port town of Petram.
Situated on the tail end of the Titan, Iraem, the town was quaint and simple. Iraem itself qualified as a mid-sized inhabitable Titan, and lay under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Uraya. In the Titan's centre, a mountain dominated the view, with only the Titan's head peeking around the rock as it orbited the World Tree.
Because Iraem was relatively small, Jin had left the Monoceros moored out of sight away from both its port towns to avoid undue attention. Small populations tended to remember unfamiliar passing faces better, especially when they were accompanied by fancy ships.
When asked at the town's gate, he'd said he was a traveling freelancer on an errand. The guard had let him pass without much hassle. Once inside the wall of the town, considering it was Uraya's domain, Jin had expected there to be more mercenaries than the few that he saw. The people living there were predominantly Urayan by their look, but he noted the odd Coeian here and there.
He soon found out that while Petram was on the dry, leeward side of the mountain, it's sister port town, Opimae - on the lush, windward side of the mountain - was much livelier and housed the majority of the Titan's mercenaries.
It made sense. More people meant more opportunities for work. So it was too bad he'd come here first, considering he was nearly broke.
Overall, Petram was a relatively sleepy place, one Jin likely wouldn't have come to on his own if he hadn't been testing out another lead on Addam's whereabouts.
Unfortunately, the lead turned out to be yet another bust. Which was why he found himself looking at the local notice board after sundown, searching for odd jobs to complete the next day.
Find twelve measures of altilium acid? Ugh, that sounds unpleasant. And it says it's in a cave, too.
"Looks like it's used in a mixture for tanning hides." His eyes flicked further down on the writ. "It says the one giving the mission owns a tannery on the outskirts of town, but they're too old to retrieve it themselves."
Hide tanning? I haven't seen any cattle in or around town. I would've thought a tannery would be in the other town.
"Either it's from imports, or they're sold by shepherds closer to the Titan's central mountain. It could be that whoever owns it is just stubborn." He tapped the reward, a number in the higher hundreds. "The pay is decent for a town this size."
Probably because it's listed as a hazardous material, recommended for a Blade. It's almost like they're expecting you to get injured.
"We've done worse. Remember that job we took right after you awakened Haze?"
Urgh. The one in the abandoned mines of Coeia, right?
"That's the one."
That's an unfair comparison. The stench from the broken ether lines there was horrible.
"Don't forget the monsters."
Don't remind me. It was probably the worst way to find out that Haze was scared of ghosts. And the cries of those monsters...they reverberated through the mines enough to get in my head. Haze described it like she was hearing dead people. At least, once she would speak to us again.
"I was worried we'd broken her."
Honestly, by the end of it, she almost had me convinced that ghosts were...real...
He heard her trail off. "Something wrong?"
No, don't worry about it. It might be gross, but it's the only job with decent pay on the board. It shouldn't be too hard to find a good way to transport it.
"Very well." Clearly, something had clearly disturbed her, and he had a good idea of what it was. Though it was somewhat of a sore subject between them, he resolved to ask her about it later, and reached up to take the writ.
A bell started tolling.
Turning toward the sound, he saw the local watchtower - the highest building in the town - its bell clanging away. Others looked up from their shops or poked their heads out of the windows of their houses. As the bell kept tolling, people started milling over closer to it, a rumble of conversation building as they gathered in a loose semicircle with a pair of Urayans at the head. Looking around, it seemed as though all the mercenaries Petram had to offer were gathered.
It was a pitiful amount.
Jin stayed at the back of the crowd, quietly observing. The larger Urayan man at the front - the leader of the town from the snatches of conversation Jin caught- clapped his hands together, shouting to get everyone's attention. The murmur of conversation slowly died down, leaving just the rustle of nervous fabrics.
"A few days ago," the man bellowed, "a titanquake struck Iraem. The scouts we sent out to check the landscape just returned. Their leader, Naddie, is here to report." He gestured to the stocky Urayan woman next to him, who crossed her arms in an almost grim fashion.
"The lay of the land," she began, "between here and Mount Centralis is mostly unchanged on the main roads. We met scouts from Opimae on the western path around Mount Centralis, and they've confirmed that it's much the same on their side."
Jin could almost feel the collective sigh of relief in the crowd. Considering the arid nature of Petram and the surrounding landscape, they probably relied much on the imports from the port and the trade from the other town.
"However," the woman continued, a hard, grim expression worming its way onto her face in a grimace, "the quake stirred up something nasty. On our way back, we spotted a monster. A big one. It's heading this way, and it's got friends. Over a hundred of 'em."
The crowd started murmuring worriedly amongst themselves, but the larger Urayan man brought order back. As the man started talking about organizing mercenary teams and town guardsmen into defensive formations, about getting the civilians to a safe place and about plans for evacuation if necessary, Jin slipped away.
Wait, where are you going?
"This town is doomed."
What?
"There weren't any Drivers and Blades in town, just regular mercenaries and guardsmen. They won't last. With a horde that size, they don't stand a chance."
So you're just going to leave them? How can you leave when these people are in danger?
"Considering Indol is still looking for me, how suspicious would it be if one man, especially a supposedly human freelancer without a Blade, started taking down monsters like it was nothing?"
Blades travel without their Drivers all the time. It wouldn't be that unusual, would it?
"In a small community like this, it would be the talk of the town for weeks. That sort of talk spreads quickly from ports. Besides, from what was said, the horde is massive. Even if I wasn't trying to stay anonymous, I can't take on that many, especially not alone."
But these people need help, and we - or at least, you - have to at least try and do something, even if it's in secret. You can't just leave these people to die, Jin.
Her request was so simple, so her, that it frustrated him. He stopped in his tracks. Could he really refuse something like that?
"...Very well. I'll chip off as many as I can before they arrive in town. But we aren't risking coming back here."
Thank you, Jin.
As the townsfolk prepared their meagre defences, augmented slightly by the mercenary crews present, Jin quietly slipped into the night and to the dry savanna stretching in between Petram and Mount Centralis. Because of the sparse treeline, even in the dim moonlight, it wasn't long before he could easily see the dust stirred up by the approaching horde.
Well, at least we know where they are.
Jin nodded, and started trekking towards the dust cloud. Eventually, as the minutes passed and he got closer, he finally was able to catch a glimpse of the approaching horde. The amount was as much or more than what the scout had stated.
Dozens of aspar, arachno, volff, feris, mixed in with what looked like rampaging ardun. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them. At the middle, a massive gogol. Even if they were augmented with Drivers and Blades, the town would be ill prepared to defend against them.
And how much could he really do against something like that? He knew his movements were faster, his ice ether much stronger, but he'd never tested the limits. There had never been a reason.
If there was ever a reason to test your limits, now's the time. Just be careful, alright?
"I will."
Closing his eyes, he began by focusing on his breathing. The simple in and out of the air helping him block out the rumble of the approaching monsters mixed in with their desperate cries. He turned then to focusing on his internal ether flow - its ebb and flow punctuated by the beating of Lora's heart - circulating in a cycle that surged, centring on his core crystal.
He could feel the ether, the ice-element he was familiar with responding easily to his call, but there was something else. Something he'd never drawn upon. Something deeper. He carefully tugged at it.
And was overwhelmed by the surge of power that followed. As if by instinct, Jin's hand drifted to the hilt of his nodachi.
He opened his eyes.
The beasts were almost upon him. He'd been standing there much longer than it had felt. In front, a volff pack let out a howl, its leader snarling and launching itself towards him, fangs bared.
Then, he moved.
Everything around him seemed to nearly stop. The sounds of the roars of the beasts stretched, and pitched down ridiculously, almost painfully, low, and he could feel the vibrations of the individual thumping the hundreds of feet of the horde. The volff in front of him seemed to hang in mid-air, barely affected by gravity.
He moved around and his sword through, over and over and over. There was a horrible resistance to all of his movement and a building headache that accompanied the feeling.
Jin blinked, time seemed to resume, and in a moment, the volff pack fell in an array of surprised yelps. The other beasts nearby let out cries, noticing his move. Drawing on that same well of power, he turned to his ice element ether. Seconds later, a huge section of the horde was skewered by stalagmites of ice, hard as diamonds, springing up at an angle, staining the ice red.
He kept going. Time seemed to slow again and the dance of death continued. All throughout, his blood red core crystal thumped in tandem with the beat of Lora's heart. Before he knew it, the road was quiet, the dust settling over the corpses of beasts littering the path.
The night fell silent.
Holy...how did you...?
Jin shook his head, the ache in his head lingering, Lora's heart beating quickly as the feeling faded. "Minoth did say flesh eater technology was created in search of greater power."
But this? That was unbelievable. Her voice sounded haunted. They didn't even stand a chance...
No, they hadn't. And Jin wasn't sure how to feel about that. If Lora sounded troubled, the townspeople of Petram certainly would. Some might be grateful, but others would be more afraid than anything. After all, if he could do that to a horde of rampaging beasts, what chance did a Driver and Blade stand, much less an average human?
Best not to take any chances.
So, what do you think spooked them like that in the first place? Animals usually don't go ballistic like that without a trigger.
She was right, and Jin had been pondering over the same thing. The last time he'd seen this kind of chaos in the wildlife had been while Malos was raging around Torna.
"The leader of the town mentioned a titanquake that happened shortly before we arrived. That was likely the spark."
But to cause enough unrest in the local wildlife to come to this? Even a bad titanquake wouldn't have done something like this.
He knew that. Animals didn't go ballistic like that without serious outside pressure.
"Whether the cause really was the titanquake or something human made, it's none of our business. The townspeople are safe." Jin flicked his nodachi to the side, then sheathed it. "Let's move on to the other town. We'll grab supplies there and move on."
If you say so…
The journey on foot to Iraem's other port town, Opimae, took the majority of the next day. As Jin crossed on the trail that circumvented the mountain, he - and Lora in her own way - kept an eye out for anything that might indicate what had stirred up the wildlife. To Lora's dismay, they found nothing on the main trail.
The trek was simple enough, and as he approached and then passed the midpoint of the mountain, the scenery slowly changed from the drier savannah to an increasingly green and forested landscape. Once they arrived in Opimae itself, for the size of the Titan, the town was bustling, especially in comparison to Petram.
As a result, the pay from the mercenary work was higher than it had been in Petram, a few of the more complicated, dangerous or time intensive jobs reaching just over a thousand. He stayed in town for a couple of days doing mercenary work to build up enough money for supplies and tools for basic maintenance on the Monoceros.
Fortune struck as he was finishing picking up the reward from his latest job from the Nopon representative of the Pyrithium Trade Guild. As he left the small tent, he spotted a familiar shape at one of the ports. A Titan.
Wait a moment, I think I recognize that Titan. Is that...Azurda?
Sure enough. A familiar dragon-like shape was resting in the cloud sea next to one of the docks of the town. Jin made his way closer, winding his way through the small town towards the docks.
The Titan's long neck was craned to the side, talking to a Gormotti woman. Though not close enough to hear the conversation, from what he could see of the woman's body language, it didn't seem to be going well for the Titan. By the time Jin was close enough to hear, he saw the woman huff and storm away.
I wonder what that was about?
Jin silently decided it was likely none of his business, moving up the dock towards him. "Did I catch you at a bad time, Azurda?"
"Hmm?" The deep, gravelly voice of the Titan rumbled as he turned his neck to face Jin. "Oh, another face from the past. More friendly, I hope?"
"I see you haven't changed much."
"The fact that you remember me is a promising start." What passed for a smile on the Titan's mouth appeared. "It's good to see you again Jin."
"You as well."
The Titan's eyes darted about. "I trust that Lora is close by?"
"That's…" He trailed off.
"Complicated, hmm? Every relationship has its ups and downs, especially with Drivers and Blades. There's bound to be some bumps in the road. Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you'll work it out. She's a special one, that Lora."
Jin smiled, warmly. "She is."
Aww, you're both making me blush.
"I won't pry so long as you don't ask who that woman was." The Titan laughed loudly, drawing the attention of some of the dock workers. Azurda settled, shifting his wings which stirred up a little of the fluff of the cloud sea. "So what brings you here to a little Titan like Iraem?"
"I'm looking for Addam."
"Addam, you say?" The Titan cocked an eyebrow before throwing back his head. "Hah! You and the rest of the world. Feels like just yesterday that he had a warrant out for his arrest."
"That was nearly ten years ago. From what I've gathered, people have been lauding him as a hero recently."
"Really now? Fascinating." He snorted derisively. "So fickle, you humans, changing opinions on a whim like that. How's a Titan ever supposed to keep up?" Azurda let out a 'hmph'. "Ten years is just a drop in the bucket, I say."
"So do you know where he is?"
"As a matter of fact, I do know where he is. But why do you wish to find someone trying so hard not to be found, hmm?"
"Please. There's something we need to talk to him about."
The Titan closed his eyes and let out a long drawn out sigh. "Before the conversation turned sour and that dastardly woman stormed off, she told me something quite peculiar."
"Oh?"
"You see, a few nights ago after a titanquake, a huge horde of beasts started rampaging towards this Titan's other port town. Apparently gave them quite a fright. Made all sorts of preparations for evacuation. However, the horde never arrived. When they sent out scouts to see what happened, do you know what they found?"
Jin crossed his arms, knowing what was coming. "I can imagine."
Seems like news had spread quickly, just like you thought.
"Nothing but the whole horde dead, and some very interesting ice formations that weren't there before. Not a one of them melting yet, even in broad daylight. It mystified the lot of them. Among other things, some are saying it's a miracle straight from the Architect himself." Azurda leaned in close, his huge yellow eyes piercing. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"
Nothing gets past him, does it?
"That's part of what we need to talk to Addam about."
The piercing stare lingered. "I see." He broke it off, muttering something Jin couldn't catch. "There's a burgeoning village in the Leftherian Archipelago, past the cloud wall. Addam has settled there."
"Leftheria? That was one of the first places I checked when I looked for him the first time."
"He was on the move for a while before he settled there. Will you be needing a ride?"
"That won't be necessary. Just tell me where and I'll find it."
"You don't want to keep the company of an old fool? I suppose I can't fault you for that."
"No, I have my own ship."
"I see that humour is still not your strong suit. Well, never mind then. Run along. And tell the Prince that I'll catch up before too long. I'm heading there soon myself, but I daresay you'll make it before I will."
"Thank you, Azurda."
"You're quite welcome. Give Lora my best."
"I will." Jin turned and started walking away.
Why didn't you say anything?
Because even after talking with her all this time, what if it really was all in his head? He stayed silent, and Lora didn't respond. The silence on his trip back to the Monoceros was deafening.
When the Monoceros approached the place Azurda had told him of, it caused quite a stir in the tiny village in Leftheria as it rose out of the cloud sea. As the boarding ramp extended, Jin was met with a pitiful size of a group, some curious onlookers and children, others nervously gripping farming implements. Only a handful looked like they knew how to use them as weapons.
They likely didn't see ships like this too often, and as a warship, the Monoceros was fairly intimidating. He eyed them blandly. Even if they were well trained, they wouldn't be a match for him.
Please don't kill them.
"Wait a moment. Is that…?"
Jin turned towards the sound of the familiar voice and the people parted for him. Addam. He wore a simple tunic and trousers, sturdy boots and fingerless working gloves instead of the usual armour Jin had seen him in. They were worn and dirty from work, but otherwise well maintained.
"Addam."
"I don't believe it. You're alive!" The genuine smile had been tempered by hardship and age but the enthusiasm was still there.
When Jin walked past the gathered people, Addam's face lit up with tears of joy, and he threw his arms out wide and hugged him. Welcoming him like a hero. The people around relaxed at this.
Untangling himself from him, Addam clapped a hand on his shoulder, wiping away tears with his other arm. Closer now, Jin could see more lines on his face. As Addam looked around, the look he gave him told Jin that he hadn't failed to notice Jin was alone.
Quietly, so only he could hear, Addam asked. "I heard from reliable sources that the remnants from Spessia were all wiped out."
"They were."
That wasn't a very nice thing to say, Jin. We're still alive, aren't we?
"I see. Lora was always exceptionally tough, so it stands to reason that she and her Blades would still be kicking." Addam laughed, and there was direct relief in that laugh as he stepped back and started walking, talking and beckoning Jin to come with him.
Except neither he nor Lora were really sure how alive she was, voice or not. Notwithstanding the awkward conversation about how he became a flesh eater. How did he even start?
You could start with the truth. Besides, I don't know what's happening either, but I'd like to talk to Addam too, even if it has to be through you.
Jin made a quiet grunt of acknowledgement and started following after Addam, passing by curious villagers and children gawking at the Tornan warship.
Once Jin caught up to him, the former Tornan Prince eyed him, a wary tone entering his voice. "I don't mind the visit, but how did you find me? I thought I was being rather inconspicuous."
"It was chance, really. You're a hard man to track down these days."
Addam set his hands on his hips. "I should hope so! So what…?"
"Azurda."
"Nuncle?" Addam threw his head back in laughter. "Haha! Somehow that doesn't surprise me. He's always been sentimental for old friends. One of these days it's going to get him killed. Well, come on," he waved him on, "I'll show you around our humble village!"
What went unsaid was the relief that there wasn't someone unsavoury trying to track down the hero of the Aegis War.
Addam welcomed him into the little burgeoning village, and proudly showed him around. The few houses there were simple but built with sturdy materials. He seemed particularly proud of the gromrice fields and their tiered layout.
"It was tricky setting them up here in a non-native climate, but a good challenge. A little reminder of home, you know? It rains quite a lot more here than in Aletta, so keeping the fields flooded isn't as hard, but the soil was all wrong at first. Nothing a little ingenuity, hard work and time couldn't handle!"
Seems like he hasn't changed much, has he? At least, not on the outside.
Jin nodded at Lora's comment. As Addam animatedly talked about plans for a new flour mill with an experimental grinding technique, Jin noted the weariness in the man's eyes.
"You really picked a good time to come around. My wife's got my favourite planned for tonight. I'll have to let her know to make a little extra."
"That's not necessary. I wouldn't want to impose."
"Nonsense!" Addam clapped him on the back. "What good would I be if I didn't at least treat an old friend I haven't seen in over a decade to dinner?"
Nothing he said would convince Addam otherwise, and he lead Jin to a modest home on the edge of town next to the gromrice fields. Lora noted a thriving garden plot next to the house. She also squealed delightedly when she saw Addam's kids.
Once Addam introduced him, two of the children, both daughters, came up to greet Jin. The oldest couldn't have been more than nine or ten, the next one around five or six. Shortly after Jin arrived, the children began asking him a barrage of endless questions.
Jin entertained them with simple stories of his and Lora's mercenary days, much to their delight. A third child, their only son who seemed barely old enough to walk, was clutched in the crook of Addam's wife's arm. The child babbled at Jin, and Lora cooed at him in his head, insisting Jin should play with him.
Jin declined. Though he did help Addam's wife, who introduced herself as Evelyn, with the cooking.
Eventually, after a meal of Pan-Fried Tartari, Addam led Jin into a small, crowded room which seemed to be a mishmash for different needs. There were myriad bookcases, a workbench piled with bits of salvaged materials in a project Jin couldn't tell the use for. A desk sat in one corner, piled high with notes.
"Excuse the mess. Evelyn has been getting on me to clean it up for a while. There should be a couple of chairs here somewhere...ah!" Addam proudly pulled out two simple wooden chairs, and set them down across from each other.
Just him and Addam.
And me.
...And the disembodied voice in his head that might be Lora.
"So." Addam leaned forward in his chair. "Did Lora send you here?"
Yes.
"No."
You shouldn't lie, Jin.
Addam's hand went to his chin in a thoughtfully scrutinizing position. "Pardon me if this sounds rude, but you don't seem the type to separate from your Driver, especially after the tragedy that befell Torna."
"Lora is…" He could almost feel her egging him on. He settled on, "gone."
Addam's eyebrow rose. "Gone?"
Her heart seemed to beat angrily in his chest.
Just tell him, Jin.
"I'm sure you heard what happened in Spessia."
Addam sighed. "An attack. Yes. I heard all the grizzly details in time. Even if I understood the reasoning behind why Indol attacked, it's still just…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "But I'm sure you don't need me to remind you of that." He folded his hands under his chin, leaning on them, elbows on his knees. "But when you said 'gone', you meant…?"
Tell him.
"It may be easier to show you."
"Show me what?"
In answer, Jin placed a hand on his mask, and took it off. The pure red crystal's glow seemed to flare for a moment as the mask passed by it. He set it down on his lap.
He saw Addam frown as he peered closer. "A flesh eater? So you and she parted ways?"
Jin swallowed a lump in his throat. "No. She was fatally wounded, and I…" His hand clenched, moving to hover over her beating heart. "Her heart was the catalyst."
"Her heart?" Addam's eyes widened, disbelieving. "Architect. Then Lora really is…?"
"Yes."
The man closed his eyes, looking away. Pain seeped his expression, seeming to deepen the lines in his face. "As soon as I heard of the attack, I feared the worst. I never had any confirmation of what happened to Lora and her Blades, so I always held on to hope that all of you had survived, but…" He trailed off, voice choking with emotion.
"I'm sorry to open that wound afresh."
Bringing out a handkerchief from his pocket, Addam wiped his eyes. "Sorry, old friend. But you know how I am. Even though I've already grieved, it's just…" He trailed off.
Jin, you need to tell him.
Would Addam believe him?
Just do it, Jin. Please.
"There's...something else."
He saw Addam take a deep stabilizing breath. "Yes, I should have figured you wouldn't have gone through the trouble of tracking me down just for this."
"Am I that predictable?" Jin asked.
A weak smile curled at the corners of Addam's mouth. "Travel with someone long enough, and you pick up some things, especially as comrades in arms."
He's got you pinned down, doesn't he? Well, go on.
Jin nodded absently. "More than half a year ago, I started hearing...a voice."
A/N: But will he believe him?
I spent too much time thinking up the background of Iraem. Latin for the names of its towns and mountain. Iraem's shape is based off a humpbacked camel.
