A/N: Please re-read Ch 1 before advancing, I have added some more content to it.
Jin decided that the best course of action would be to rest up on land for the night before continuing the voyage to Indol. They required food and a new view wasn't a half bad idea. He took advantage of the low tide of the Cloud Sea and arrived to Gormott Province's Lower Level. The Monoceros pulled up to the shoreline and the team stepped out and onto the Marash Spring.
The Marash Spring's air was heavy with moisture. A mild fog surrounded the area. Trees spanned small cliff lines, their roots peeking out from beneath the cluster of springs. The damp kneehigh grass was of little irritance to the crew, for their boots easily countered it. They scouted for a place to set up a campfire. Even with the wet weather conditions, a fire could be conjured thanks to Luna.
"We'll set up here for tonight," Jin said as they entered a hollow tree trunk that connected to the Upper Level. There were neither monsters nor people within a large radius. Jin notably changed his appearance: he wore a mask that matched the color of his armor. Two horns pointed out above each eye, another horned edge branched over his nose. The edges were painted a red color and sat on his cheek, outlining his jawline.
"I've seen Jin fight before, although it was with his Driver," Malos began, approaching Luna slowly and elongating his neck slightly, "you said you're a healer, but I don't buy that fully."
Malos drew a dull sword - he had been using this as a replacement for his original weapon - and thrust it towards Luna. Her heart jumped due to such urgency and her eyes bulged for a moment. Even though the jab wasn't long enough to harm her, it required her to react quickly enough to his movement. She pulled her arm from the opposite side to the native side and created an arc of orange sparkling flames that stood suspended in the air. Malos' sword clashed with her shield. The clash caused dark embers from his sword to mix and diffuse into the air along with smoke from her shield. Luna felt how strong he was against her despite his rusty sword. With each step he took towards her, he swung. Luna couldn't help but walk backwards and produce more shields. Once she had a greater grasp on the situation, Luna's next block of fire pushed back against Malos' weapon. The force pushed Malos backwards a few meters; since Luna anticipated this, she used the momentum to launch herself into the air.
"I don't normally fight, no. But if you insist," Luna said, drawing an bladeless hilt while speaking. Two metal ridges shaped like wings curved upwards on each side. An orb that glowed with warmth was encased in the metal extended from the bottom. Both of her hands clasped around the base and she expelled a burst of energy, creating red fire that danced within the edges. Once she powered up the weapon, she was able to wield it with one hand. The sword measured roughly half of her body in length, but felt weightless. She continued talking, "I'll show you a trick or two!"
Jin watched their sparring. He didn't particularly enjoy fighting, even if it were only play.
Luna spun forward with her blade extended. Flames released from her sword, creating a wheel around her. She had such control over her element that nothing she touched caught fire - unless she wanted it to, of course. Malos cut through the flame wheel and landed his sword onto Luna's, followed by the both of them grunting. He caught her in a gaze between their blades and, for the first time since their meeting, Luna focused on Malos up close. His gray eyes were fierce with intensity. She felt as if he had a grasp on her that was much deeper than that of any other, as if he saw right through her. His aura wreaked untamed confidence despite his weakened state.
Malos smirked, then said playfully, "Your eyes... Are you intimidated, Little Lu?"
"Huh? I'm not scared of you," Luna's eyes widened at the odd remark. She certainly didn't feel very intimidated by him in particular. She recalled what he had said at their initial meeting: 'I'm like you.' Since she was caught off guard in her own head, he was able to push her back and nearly knock her weapon out of her hand.
Malos laughed, then charged forward. "Oh, c'mon, now she's frazzled."
Luna knew that saying something in return wouldn't accomplish anything. Instead, she lowered herself onto her knees, and waved her sword over her head, which resulted in an arc of fire similar to the one she produced with only her hands. The difference between this fire was that it was much hotter and leaning towards a yellow-orange hue. The heat felt familiar to Malos, as he recalled what it was like to be burnt alive; but this fire guided him as if he rode on a slide. He flew overhead and landed perfectly on the branch of a sturdy tree.
Right as he looked up, Luna was already swinging herself at him with her sword. Malos shoved his hand down and dug his fingers into the bark of the tree. He threw his feet under the branch and pulled himself down, thus hanging from the branch and avoiding her attack.
Malos dropped himself from the branch. She looked down at him, observing his relaxed demeanor.
"Not too bad. Cool arts and weapon you have there," he said. Luna dropped from the branch, landing in front of him. He continued, "You better get used to fighting for what has yet to come, so keep on your toes."
Luna's weapon ceased. Unlike Malos, she wasn't too enthralled, still wanting to understand what he said about being scared. She chose to brush it away; perhaps she'll understand at some point. She said, "I don't mind a good fight, but my strength doesn't come in solo fighting solo."
"That'll change once we get our hands on Indol's Core Crystals," he said, dismissing her unsettledness.
Jin approached them. He wished to ask Luna something, although it didn't seem like the perfect time to do so for her benefit; but he knew something was on her mind, and that they'd potentially discuss it at some point. With the utmost attention, Jin asked, "Luna. What was your Driver like?"
Luna clasped both of her hands together under her cloak. She could still recall his face and all of the expressions it made depending on what emotion he felt. "My Driver… he was a model for what all humans should strive for. Chivalrous, empathetic, humble. And naive," Luna bit her lip. She continued, "He was a noble in Tantal and was naturally handed an authoritative position. His desire for power didn't stem for rule over a people; he wished to reform the manner in which the Tantalese viewed us Blades. When the remaining citizens of Torna came to Tantal, he saw it as an opportunity, since their way of living was similar to his ideology. During his last minutes, he asked me to fulfil the legacy for him, but it was too late for Tantal. They had already won over the Tornans."
Jin closed his eyes and tilted his head downwards, showing his regards to her loss. He knew all too well what it was like to have such a wholehearted person die at the hands of evil. If only he knew of her duty earlier, perhaps they could've worked together; but for what? The inevitable would happen, and he knew that. He understood that, at their core, humans were born with a wick of evil that ignites naturally. He and Luna, as well as all others, didn't deserve to live amongst those who are bound to plague them with such disgust.
Malos naturally let out a burst of cynical laughter. As if he had read Jin's mind, he said, "Those are humans for you. The majority aren't as pure as your Driver was, Luna. And yours, Jin."
Jin clenched his fist.
"What was your Driver like, Jin?" Luna asked.
"She too had a big heart. Her greatest desire was to help the helpless," Jin mumbled. "All in vain…"
"You and your friends were the ones whom I saw swapping weapons when we first fought," Malos said. "It was an interesting tactic."
"Swapping weapons when you fight? How does that work?" Luna asked.
"While fighting, a Driver and Blade move in tandem, although such action does not need to be performed with such a bond. The skill flows naturally between them. They exchange weapons in order to keep the enemy guessing. It might be better understood when you perform it yourself," Jin said.
"Can you show us?"
"You two can figure it out on your own. There's a Supercharged Alfonso around the area that we can use for tonight's meal. Practice on that."
"Mind as well figure it out now before we get our hands dirty," Malos shrugged.
Although Luna hadn't seen what such a battle technique looked like, she didn't dispute. She went off with Malos in search for the Supercharged Alfonso. Jin ventured elsewhere to gather other resources for the dinner.
The Marash Spring naturally had little sunlight due to the density of the fog and the positioning of the area on the Titan. With the day coming to an end, the place became even darker. Torches spread about aided Malos and Luna during their search.
"There it is," Luna pointed out the sole Garaffa that stood within a body of water and innocently drank from it. She activated her Incinero Scimitar, which acted as a new and very bright light source. "We'll use my weapon instead of that child's toy you have. You've watched Jin perform the weapon-swap-whatever. How do we proceed?"
"It's self explanatory. Deal some blows. When that thing doesn't realize what's coming for it, which is all the time, then throw me your scimitar," Malos said.
"Sounds fun. Let's do it!"
Luna charged at the monster and took powerful yet timely thrusts at it. The Supercharged Alfonso attempted to attack her, but she dodged it with ease. The monster then let out a cry and followed up with an untimely burst of gastric acid. Luna watched the wave at the same time that she attempted to regain some of her balance, causing her to react slower. An attack of water was sure to deal some damage to her fire element.
"Little Lu! Over here!" Malos called. He was airborne, jumping towards the Alfonso from behind.
"Huh? Oh!"
Luna threw her sword like a frisbee to Malos. He noticed a bit of resistance when he caught the sword because some of the flames around it blazed outwards, as if the weapon didn't wasn't thrilled to be in new hands.
Don't fear, Luna thought, channeling peace to her weapon as she dodged the acidic attack. The sword immediately calmed itself and worked with the force of Malos' swing.
The Supercharged Alfonso yelped. It reoriented itself to face Malos and attempted to attack him, to which he countered with another strike.
"Little Lu! Go there!" Malos called again, throwing the Incinero Scimitar adjacent to the Garaffa as opposed to Luna's current position.
Luna successfully understood and dashed to the position, catching the sword. She then said with pursed lips, "Stop calling me that!"
But dealing a blow wasn't the best course of action. The Supercharged Alfonso tucked its head down and grasped the sediment beneath its hooves. A burst of electric ether energy unleashed all around it.
Using the momentum Luna already had with her dash, she pushed herself up from the ground so that she'd land in front of Malos and waved her sword in front of her creating an arc. "Fiery Imbibe!" She cried out, creating a wall of fire around her and Malos. She held her sword overhead. The flames consumed the electric ether that the Garaffa emitted. She pulled the Incinero Scimitar and her other clenched hand close to her chest. The flames wrapped around her and Malos and they both absorbed the ether, resulting in a boost of health and power.
"Ahhh," Malos said, basking in the awesome energy. The Supercharged Alfonso ran at them, preparing another attack.
"Take it," Luna said, passing her sword to Malos. They darted in opposite directions and both avoided the attack. Malos could still feel the Incinero Scimitar defy his grasp.
You can trust him, Luna argued to her weapon once more.
The scimitar became calm once more. Malos dealt the last blow to the Supercharged Alfonso, and it fell to its death.
Before they could reconvene, they were faced with the sudden arrival of a Driver and Blade. The Driver looked Gormotti, with tan-orange fur lining his skin and ears sticking out from his head. He had armor that sat on his traps and encased his neck loosely, as well as on his shoulders and along his chest. He wore loose knitted pants that were held up by a thick belt. His Blade's body and hair were completely encased in gray metal with blue streaks of ether flowing through her body.
"Halt! You ain't supposed ta slaughter the monsters unless yer harvesting them with a permit! Show your identification to me," the Driver ordered.
"Identification for what, killing a monster for food? You've got plenty to go around," Luna said.
"There are plenty of dishes available in Torigoth. The resources here must be preserved and maintained by those qualified. Not only is that the law in the Gormott Province, but you killed a Supercharged Alfonso, which is a very rare species. Regardless of your situation, you will have to suffer the repercussions of the law."
"Can't enforce 'em when you're dead!" Malos said. He charged at the Driver with the Incinero Scimitar. The Gormotti grabbed ahold of his Blade's katana, and the two weapons clashed.
"Malos, over here!" Luna said, over the head of the Driver and Blade.
"You'll have a long sentence, that's fer sure! Fissure Cut!" The Gormotti shouted. He swung his katana, powered up with the earth element, at Malos.
Malos threw the scimitar to Luna and was able to successfully dodge the attack. Luna caught it, smashing down into the Driver. The Driver yelped and fell onto his stomach.
"Riccy! Get up!" the Blade called out to her Driver, running over to pull him up.
"Do the honors!" Malos told Luna.
Luna didn't have much time to think twice. She simply acted based upon what she had instinctively thought was right. She held her sword above her head and completed a single spin on her toes. The air caught some of her cloak, lifting slightly, and her sword released a small handful of embers that danced around her. She suddenly felt profound, as an epiphany of hazy grace overcame her: it was better to erase these people now, doing a task they live to do and enjoying it, rather than later, when the going gets tough for her, her new allies, and the rest of Alrest. She drew her sword down and across and it released flames that captured Riccy's body. He screamed and his body faded into the air. The Blade let out a loud cry and returned to her Core Crystal.
Within the distance was the shuffling of feet; someone had been watching. Malos and Luna didn't notice.
"A bit overkilled," Luna rolled her shoulders forward. She picked up the still Core Crystal.
"You had some fun, reminds me of myself. You need to save some of that energy for when the going gets tough," Malos walked over to her with definitive steps and patted her on the back. He could notice her sense of wrongfulness dissipating the longer she stood and observed where the Gormotti Driver once laid and the Core Crystal she held. "That's the ambition we need, don't let that fear of yours inhibit it. It's either now or later."
"How did you know I was afraid?" Luna asked, thinking back to earlier when they sparred.
"You and your weapon share the same processor. It transfers a great deal of what you're thinking of to whomever the user is," Malos said matter of factly.
Luna furrowed her eyebrows. "While that may be true, no one could access its information unless I permitted."
"I'm an Aegis," he reminded her.
She covered up the feeling of bareness now that she knew he could read her emotions. In fact, she didn't even know herself that she was afraid. It had been a while since anyone but her had held her weapon, and even knowing that, there had only been two people in her life who ever held it. Not many had access to it and the encryption on the device was implemented well.
"Don't worry, I won't read your weapon all the time," Malos reassured. "Only if it means I can get a good laugh."
"Hmph," Luna said, crossing her arms. "And I suppose that you were able to access my thoughts when our weapons touched earlier, despite that crappy sword of yours having no ether flow whatsoever."
Malos smiled and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a natural."
The orange smoke rose out of Luna's ears again. She couldn't help but pout, even though she hadn't figured out what she herself was afraid of. Malos snickered at her reaction.
"I don't know what you're afraid of, anyway. That's something your sword can't tell me," Malos said.
"I'm sure you'd love to know," Luna said. She raised her free hand next to her head in a backwards slapping motion and turned her back to him to walk over to the deceased Supercharged Alfonso.
Typically, he never paid any mind to how others feel. Emotions are humanizing, and succumbing to them weakens a person. He was a Blade - the Aegis - and therefore was not a human, so there was no reason to stoop down to their level. He had just met her and Jin, and he made a vow to form a group with them - mind as well get to know them. And, for the first time ever, he was intrigued by someone's past. Not to mention, his confidence was strained because of the resistance he felt wielding her sword. He couldn't wield his own weapon at the moment due to his weakened state, but he should've been able to wield Luna's sword with much more ease.
"Is that a challenge?" Malos asked, trailing behind her lavender scent from a distance.
"No. I'll forget about it once we're all dead."
"We've got some time before that."
With that, he considered her challenge accepted.
Jin had been standing at the edge of the trunk for a while, already watching Malos and Luna for quite some time. A strange feeling surfaced in his chest, something he couldn't quite fathom, or rather didn't want to. When they were within a closer proximity, he said to them, "You two flow together better than I had anticipated."
Even though he had difficulty with the Incinero Scimitar, Malos did note how natural it felt to exchange weapons with Luna.
"I didn't think I had it in me, either. I only work alone," Malos shrugged, setting down the meat they had acquired onto a log.
"Worked," Luna corrected as she set fire to some wood, neatly surrounded by rocks thanks to Jin. "Now you have us."
Malos shot his signature stare down at Luna, but couldn't come up with any sort of rebuttal. It's true: he now has people that depend on him and people to depend on. They were both hard to come to terms with, the latter being more difficult to swallow than the former.
"You took his Core Crystal," Jin noted.
"Better than it getting into the wrong hands. I don't know where he got it from. He was definitely a Gormotti, but the way he talked reminded me of how they speak in Mor Ardain," Luna said.
"Mor Ardain settled in Gormott rather recently," Malos explained. "Their Titan is dying. They're trying to refill the graves they dug themselves, so they struck a deal with Gormott for their resources. That's why we came across that Mercenary. They need all the material they can get their hands on, all while turning a blind eye to the cultivation of their new land."
While absorbing what Malos was saying, Luna watched Jin preparing fresh meat of the Garaffa while chopping the vegetables and herbs he acquired. Tantal had been an isolationist country ever since then, and she hadn't heard much news regarding other nations excluding Indol's. She had spent her time during her 'exilement' within Tantal's terrain and knew what it was like for marketplaces to be desolate with citizens fighting for the last loaf on the stand. She viewed such a situation in two manners: first, it was awful to see humans suffering due to lack of resources, but second, and most important to her, they took their arms to cause the destruction of another Titan. It turned sorrow into a gut-wrenching desire to free the humans who fell to their own sins and the Titans and Blades that had to deal with the brunt of those flaws. What good is the beauty of life when those seek to destroy the joy of it for others?
"There might be more Core Crystals in Torigoth," Luna said, breaking the cycle of her thoughts and the drawn out sound of the crackling fire.
"Yes. We do not need to focus on that right now. The aim of our plans, which include intercepting Indol, will overshadow that issue," Jin said, adding the finishing touches on the meal. "Done."
Jin, Luna, and Malos all slept outside for the evening, taking in as much fresh air and enveloping themselves in the scenery they could before they boarded the ship again. Jin was propped up against the wall of the tree trunk with his arms at his side, sleeping soundly. Malos laid on his back near the fire and snored. Luna was in fetal position near the trunk on the other side of Jin.
Before the sun rose and the others awoke, Luna's eyes fluttered open. Her eyes and ears went from Malos and his snores, past the fire and its cracking and to Jin and his evenly paced breathing. She got up and found herself on Outlook Knoll. The dew of the grass lightly coated her boots with water. Below her were verdant plains that stretched on for many kilometers. The cast of light from the sky far before dawn gave the landscape a blue tint.
From across the way, she viewed Torigoth. Something didn't seem normal, though: despite all of the sleeping wildlife around at this hour, Torigoth seemed to host some bustle. Luna squinted, making out a band of people marching down the path.
Luna peered over her shoulder. Jin and Malos were still sleeping. She looked back at the people leaving Torigoth and decided to get a closer look.
She ventured along the pathway that curved downward. The band leaving Torigoth advanced outwards as she weaved through bushes and trees. She ensured that she was hidden from the people's views.
Once Luna was closer, she was able to see them clearer. They appeared to be wearing armor, but it didn't look anything like what a Gormotti would wear.
"The lass said she saw those vermin around the Springs, which is this way," Luna heard one of them say.
"We cannot allow them to roam around unattended to," another one said.
"OK, men! Let us go forward."
Luna didn't know what an Ardainian sounded like, but she sort of knew what they looked like. From what she used to study at Tantal, their armor appeared to be a modern version of Ardainian design. Not to mention, their conversation did not sound like good news to her and her new friends.
She left her hiding spot to go back to their campsite. She had to move her friends out as soon as she could. Her nerves and boots hastened through the crunching leaves and snapping branches to her disadvantage. The soldiers had caught their eye on her hair and cloak.
"Sir! Is that her?" One said, pointing in her direction.
The soldier squinted through the darkened lenses of his helmet. "There is no mistaking it. Men! Let us go!"
They tried to catch up with her as fast as they could, but their heavy armor and arms loaded with mechanical guns weighed down their sprint. Luna was already seconds away from the Marash Spring by the time the Ardainian soldiers started running. That's when she realized that she didn't need to flee; rather, she could simply erase them. Destroy them without a trace of their scent or flesh to be found. She didn't need to cower and escape with her friends.
After all, it was her duty. Her new official duty.
She hid behind a large log and watched the men clank in their armor and listened to their choir of worn heaves.
"C'mon, you worthless buffoons! Pick up the pace!" The head soldier yelled.
They passed her, nearing extremely close to the Outlook Knoll where Malos and Jin were, and without a single thought of her whereabouts for they were too focused on not collapsing.
Luna thoughtlessly jabbed her arms outward and sent ropes of burning bright fire forward. The two ropes branched off, continuously splitting, and grappled the Ardanian's boots as they advanced forward. Once she had a grip on each of them, and they all wailed in pain as their feet burned and realized their fate, she lifted her arms. The flames responded by climbing up their bodies. They became a cocoon of fire. The cocoon illuminated the area with such brilliance.
Malos and Jin heard the screams. Jin jumped up immediately, while Malos' eyes slowly fluttered open. Jin followed the bright light, viewing the Ardainian soldiers screeching through the flames.
Luna's hands closed into fists. "Begotten by the fiery spirit, and foredoomed by their disposition," she said. And the cocoon spiralled inwards, then dispersed outwards into pixelated smoke.
Across the fog, cleared by the soft breeze that tickled her face, Luna and Jin saw each other. Jin's arms drooped down at his sides as he attempted to wrap his head around what had happened through his mask. He not only witnessed the death of those soldiers, but perhaps the emancipation of Luna's true emotion. It did not stray far off from his own; and with that, he found comfort in such similarity.
"I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see that," Luna couldn't help herself from apologizing. She couldn't fully understand her emotions. There was relief, retribution, and a feeling of long awaited safety, yet anguish lingered.
"It's OK. Is this your first time ending someone's life?" Jin asked.
Luna thought back to when she had plenty of opportunities to kill her Driver's traitor, but never did so. She was held back by her Driver. At the time, she was perfectly content following her Driver's wish not to kill such a rotten person. She could almost feel the unease in her body, her deceased Driver's resentment towards her present day actions. If given the opportunity, she would gently explain to him the harsh reality of how she truly felt, he would surely understand. He is gone now. While his impact still remains within Luna, she knew that this fate of hers was inevitable. That was enough for her.
The deaths of these soldiers, what felt like a senseless murders, were certainly not going to be the last she saw or committed.
"Yes. I've never brought myself to kill a person, no matter how much malice they brought to life. These men had no clue what was coming. They were ignorantly serving their own nation. Oh, how deceiving they can be," Luna said. She lengthened out her neck to the side and tucked her chin in slightly, swaying her bodyweight to one leg.
Malos soon stepped into view behind Jin, rubbing his eyes.
"Indeed. Drivers or not, we are viewed by all of them similarly. They compose a force that cannot be trusted, so pitiful to watch from afar. The suffering has an end in sight. Think of it as our liberation," Jin said in an attempt to soothe her clouded head. She had the puzzle assembled and now she was bonding the delicate pieces with glue.
Malos and Luna allowed his words to sit in their heads for a moment. Malos' hatred towards humans merely deepened. It was clear to him that these Blades were deeply wounded, an expense of human gain.
"Those men must have been from the Ardainian militia. They were searching for us after our meeting with the mercenary. Once they realize the men they've sent out are dead, they'll send more. We need to get going," Luna said, walking towards them and the direction of the Monoceros.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if any character sounds OOC (with the exception of Luna). For any updates, feel free to follow me on Twitter ( nox_aureaa) or join my Discord.