The Monoceros was coming close to the Marsanes. Once the ship came close to a diving point, it descended through the clouds and into the sea. The group waited for the voyage to end in the main hall. Jin was in charge of controlling the ship. Luna impatiently swaddled from side to side, Akhos crossed his arms and tapped his fingers on his bicep, Patroka put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot, and Malos crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
The Monoceros decelerated and eventually came to a halt. The door opened up to the walkway of a steel pier. Docked close by was another ship that was much larger, more well built, and more aesthetic than the Monoceros. Patroka, Akhos, and Luna's mouths gaped open in awe. One corner of Malos' lip curled upwards in approval.
"Hello, crew!" Mikhail threw up his arms as he approached them. "My name's Mikhail. Some of you may have seen me already, and here we all are in person. How was the ride down here?"
"It was fine," Jin said.
"And for you ladies? Oh - my! I haven't seen you yet," Mikhail said as he walked towards Patroka. Akhos straightened up and gradually gravitated towards Patroka.
"Oh, for the Architect's sake," Patroka groaned. "Don't tell me I have to deal with a guy like you."
Mikhail held Patroka's hand up. "You're feistier than Lu is. I'm always up for a challenge, I'll have you know, especially for such a beauty!"
Patroka slapped him across the face and winced. "I almost threw up in my mouth…"
"That's enough dog talk," Malos said.
"Our group is certainly coming along," Luna said, scratching under the ribbon behind her head.
"All well-written organizations have a name to go by. What should our name be?" Akhos said.
"Torna," Jin said. Mikhail longfully looked at Jin, but he avoided eye contact. "Torna. No human has made any efforts to preserve the old Kingdom of Torna's ideals. The trends of humanity have always been on decline, with every undeserving chance they receive. Torna was its last hope for reform, and now… we'll bring them to the end."
Luna closed her eyes and bowed her head in solidarity.
"To the end?" Patroka asked.
"Yes."
"There is a constant waging of war among humans. They're killing each other. No one seems to have a problem with that," Luna said.
"We're giving the people what they want," Malos said with a chuckle.
"And preventing them from spreading more atrocities to new life," Luna said.
"It is true. There is a constant lust for power or stabilization among humans, and they'd go to any length for it. That includes killing each other," Akhos said. He rested a hand into his opposite elbow and pushed his glasses up the rim of his nose.
"Uh-huh." Patroka couldn't wrap her head around the idea fully, but she did understand bits and pieces of the sentiment. Akhos was in a similar situation. Mikhail, on the other hand, was already convinced that humans were naturally repulsive, despite having been one once.
"I will not let you down, Jin," Akhos said.
Jin looked at Akhos without a word. He appreciated the loyalty; regardless, he'd achieve his goals at any expense, even at the cost of faithfulness to his teammates. If it came down to such a tragedy, of course.
Jin caught Mikhail up to speed regarding the ship traveling to Indol.
"What are we going to do with all of those Core Crystals?" Mikhail asked.
"You should awaken some of them. After all, none of you can exercise your full power in public," Malos said.
Luna leaned over and nudged Malos' arm with her elbow. "And some of us can't even use our full powers at all," she said too giddily.
Malos frowned. "You're one to talk, Little Lu. Your fear prevents you from exercising your potential."
"Don't drag me down with you."
"That's a good idea," Jin said.
They all returned into the Monoceros again and observed the wall of Core Crystals.
"Can Blades and Flesh Eaters even resonate with Core Crystals?" Mikhail asked.
"They can," Malos said.
"Perfect." Mikhail was the first to select a Core Crystal. He opened a case for a rare Blade that was said to be queued for the Core Cleansing ritual. He put his hand over the crystal that glowed blue, and a controlled burst of energy expelled from it.
Before Mikhail stood a large boulderous mechon with blue ether veins running through every one of his limbs. The metallic ox had a curved horn in the front and back of his shoulder. He had a golden head guard that hugged the top portion of his head and the two horns that stuck out behind it. Tusks made of the same material of the head guard formed from the sides of his face. In the center of his chest glowed a blue core crystal. His hands were gloved with large gauntlets.
"I am Cressidus," the gargantuan Blade spoke with a deep voice.
"And I'm Mikhail, your Driver. Nice to meet ya," Mikhail said. "Who's next?"
"Me," Patroka said, snagging a Core Crystal.
The Blade she awoken was a tall and slender robotic man. He had two arms on his back and two at his side, each holding a weapon. White plates covered those arms and his lower body. A tattered piece of red fabric hung from his side arms. His head was crowned with the same white armor and had branch-like spikes emerging from it.
"Oooh, cool weapons," Patroka cooed. "I'm Patroka, your Driver."
"Thanks. I'm Perdido," the Blade said.
"I'll take the stage now," Akhos said.
The Blade he resonated with had took the appearance of a woman and had white armor. Her skin resembled human flesh. A large helmet shielded the back of her neck to her forehead and around her eyes. A horn came out from the top of the helmet and the bottom on both sides. She had six wings floating around her back. A blue circular core crystal sat in the middle of her chest.
"Obrona's the name," the Blade said.
"I'm Akhos, your Driver. Wow, you look like you'd be perfect for the star role in a play," Akhos said with glint in his eyes.
"Huh? A play?"
"Yes! Perhaps you'd be the damsel in distress. Or, with those wings, an angel, fallen from the heavens and ready to save the world from chaos..."
"Hmph! I'm no damsel in distress! Who do you think I am?"
"What can you do, Obrona?"
"Control Ether flow. Totally not deserving of a damsel in distress role!"
"Ah, I can see it now. You'll be the -"
"Enough with this dumb play write notion! What are you, a pansy?" Malos scolded.
"Hehe! Akhos is a pansy!" Obrona said.
"Next. Jin?" Patroka said.
"I will not awaken a Blade," Jin said.
Patroka was taken off guard, as were Akhos and Mikhail. Malos observed Jin's body language carefully, and Luna watched curiously as everything unfolded.
"Why? We'll have boosted power in numbers."
"I prefer to work on the field alone."
Jin was certain with his decision. The choice came naturally to him. He didn't appear hindered by his teammates resonating with Blades. With the exception of Mikhail, they themselves knew what being a Blade was like, and trusted them. Call it a hunch - and Jin's hunches tended to be correct.
"I won't be resonating either," Luna said.
"And your reason for that?" Akhos asked.
Luna nearly hesitated. Reluctant to admit it, she enjoyed the skirmish she had with Malos when they were first getting to know each other, and especially enjoyed their weapon-swapping synergy. She wanted to work with him, not with another Blade.
"I already have a good dynamic with Malos when it comes to fighting, and I'd like to continue pursuing combat alongside him. If it works for you," Luna forced her head to turn to Malos.
Malos blinked. Her efforts to disguise her sappiness failed; he was well aware that she was flustered by how stiffly and tensely she stood. He was a bit confused too, since he didn't expect the proposal from her. He planned on awakening a Core Crystal and replacing his current crappy weapon with something better. What better weapon was there other than the Incinero Scimitar - aside from his true one, of course. But nothing stopped him from awakening a Blade, for he could work with Luna and a Blade.
"I don't mind playing with your sword. Sounds great. But suit yourself," Malos said, approaching a Core Crystal with his hands thrown into the air.
Jin and Patroka looked at Luna. Her shoulders were sunken and her gaze was abnormally blank as she watched Malos walk.
"Do you really want to resonate with another Blade?" Jin said.
Malos' hand stopped centimeters away from crashing down onto the Core Crystal. He was irked by Jin's sudden question, feeling as if he was being accused of something.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Malos said, turning his head over his shoulder.
"Seeing you and Luna fight was a spectacle. Is it worth throwing away the power the both of you share in tandem in exchange for another Blade's life?"
"I'll still be able to fight with Luna, even if I…" Malos caught Jin's drift. It was as if Jin held up a blockade and Malos rammed into it face first. His carelessness was starting to catch up to him, which was a trait he should've learned how to deal with properly after the events of the Aegis War.
"Fair point." Malos' hand dropped to his side. He walked over to Jin, glanced at Luna, and said quietly, "Thanks, Jin."
Jin tucked his chin in. Patroka looked at Luna. Luna appeared to be suddenly relaxed, which lightened Patroka as well.
"Now that we're all assembled," Akhos began, "allow me to tell you about our goals… we are in search of the Aegis, a Blade that holds tremendous power. The Aegis is said to have fallen asleep and has been sunken under the Cloud Sea. The problem is that we don't know where exactly she has been placed."
"That's it! She's the weirdo Blade, hmm? That must be the ether I've sensed," Obrona shouted. She waved her hand out in front of her and created a field of glowing dots, resembling constellations. "Behold! A map of every Blade on - and below, I guess - Alrest. See the strange colored red spark? It's twinkling. And a different shape."
"Impressive!" Akhos said.
"Told ya," Obrona said.
"So that's the Aegis?" Jin asked.
"Yep! These are her coordinate points…"
"Mikhail, can we investigate the area?"
"We can't go there ourselves, the sea level is too low. The Marsanes can't dive that far. However, we can send one of my cameras down there to take some pictures," Mikhail said.
"Let's start with that," Luna said.
Mikhail deployed a tiny camera that was wirelessly operable for extremely long distances. It could withstand the utmost of altitude changes and was of superb mechanical craftsmanship for the era. Mikhail prided himself for it, perhaps a bit too much for the crew, in particular Patroka. Nonetheless, everyone expressed praise for his expertise.
Everyone sat around the atrium of the Marsanes and eagerly watched the live video footage of the camera on a digital screen. Both Luna and Patroka sat cross legged, propped up on a platform together. Akhos sat in a stool on the platform across from them with Obrona floating next to him. Right in the middle of the atrium stood Malos with his arms relaxed at his side and his hip swayed out. Jin stood right next to Mikhail as he navigated the camcorder further below the Cloud Sea. The camera saw a bunch of scraps, rubble, remains, and potential treasures, all of which looked like what salvagers would fish up while on the job.
"Nearly there," Mikhail squinted.
"Can salvagers go this deep into the sea?" Luna said as she lost count of all the items the camcorder had passed.
"Not an average one, but maybe a well-equipped experienced guy," Malos said.
"One man's trash is another man's treasure. Whoever dares to travel here will be in his glory," Akhos mused.
Finally within view was a sunken ship. The ship was of old Leftherian design and was rather small in nature when compared to modern day ships.
"That's it. Can you go inside it?" Jin said.
"Yeah. There's gotta be an opening around here somewhere," Mikhail said.
The camera observed the ship from afar and circled it slowly. It wasn't long before Mikhail was able to find a large open door on the side. The camera ventured in. Plenty of subterranean creatures, such as Crustips, had inhabited the ship centuries ago. The camera was too small for them to notice.
"Man, is that design ancient. Pretty cool that it stayed in tact for all of these years," Patroka said. Luna hummed in agreement.
The camera floated through the main hall, holds, and Loading Bay, looking for any sign of the Aegis.
"Are you sure she's in here?" Mikhail asked.
"Of course it is!" Obrona said, nearly sounding offended. "Don't doubt my power. If anything, it's your camera that's bad!"
"No that's not what I -"
"Look," Malos said.
Within the Control Room, the camera came head on to a door with blue lights that appeared to be locked. Without any powerflow, the door was unable to open.
"Maybe there's a crack we can get passed…" Mikhail said.
The camera floated along, looking for the smallest defects along the metal infrastructure, but could not find one. There was a window over the door that looked impenetrable. Mikhail altered the lens of the camera to look through the window and around the room. A monster slept soundly within the room. Passed it, there was another securely locked room. The camera zoomed in on the door, and within the center was a crest.
"Addam Origo's crest," Malos said.
"Now we need to find a way to access the ship…" Luna said. Her elbow was propped up on her leg and she rested her cheek into her fist.
"The only way would be to round up salvagers. I know a guy in Argentum who could summon a team of them," Malos said. "But how is that door going to open? It doesn't appear to be connected to any power supply…"
A moment of silence sat between the crew as they tried to come up with a solution.
"Jin, when we met, you were with Addam and the Aegis," Malos said. "What kind of stunt do you think that bastard would pull?"
Jin crossed his arms, staring at the crest of the screen intensely. Malos' words echoed in his head as he tried to put himself in that man's place over 500 years ago. Addam was certainly a pious man, especially devoted to his family and to his people.
"The last I recall of him, he went back to Leftheria with her," Jin said. "Maybe our key lies there."
"Not a literal key, either. Looks like a person would have to open that," Patroka said.
"Well, what do we have to lose? Consider this our first act. We hire salvagers from the Argentum Trade Guild to reel in the ship, and we must hire at least one from Leftheria," Akhos said.
"We'll take the Monoceros to Argentum. You know a guy, Malos?" Jin said.
"Yup," Malos said.
"Let's head there tomorrow."
Once she finished preparing for the voyage to the Trade Guild, Luna strolled around the Marsanes. The ship was much more spacious than the Monoceros. She found Jin in the Control Room with his back facing the door. He was in front of a large cylindrical vial with a red-haired woman suspended within it and looked down. Luna walked into the room slowly and carefully, ensuring that minimal sound was produced from her boots. The heavy atmosphere he posed sedated her spirits and the muscles in her face relaxed.
Luna had caught sight of the preserved woman from before, but refrained from inquiring about her since they were so occupied with other events. She captured the opportunity to ask now that the day was coming to a close.
Jin was able to hear Luna's entrance and turned his head to the side towards her. "Hello," he greeted.
"I hope I'm not interrupting you too terribly, Jin," Luna said quietly.
Luna walked next to Jin, who didn't validate whether she was or wasn't a burden. She was able to see the frozen girl up close.
The girl's eyes were closed and she appeared at peace. She looked ancient, for the style of her armor was not of modern craftsmanship. Thick tiers of dark metal covered her shoulders. The material of her vambraces matched that of her shoulder pads and extended over her hand. A red rope was tied around her wrists multiple times and sat on top of her hand tied into a bow. She wore a white tunic with flowing short sleeves and two rows of ribbons in the front. Underneath was a red tiered dress. Her boots too were made of dark metal and were of awesome craft - they extended up her legs to the middle of her thighs. Her rusty red hair was messy and appeared short at a glance, but a closer look revealed a very long braid that fell down her backside.
Luna attempted to gather her thoughts. She didn't want to exert herself in a reckless manner and forcefully yank Jin from his wandering mind. Luna hadn't seen Jin this sodden since they had first met. Whoever this deceased woman was, she was meaningful to Jin. People don't normally keep the beloved ones that have departed within visible proximity. All over Alrest, they were culturally buried.
"May I ask a question?" Luna said. She couldn't think of any other way to initiate the conversation.
"About her?" Jin said.
"She's beautiful. Is she important to you?"
"She was. She was my reason for being, to fulfil her last wishes."
Could she be his Driver? Luna suddenly thought. All the more reason why she treaded carefully, although he seemed to be open to sharing his thoughts with her. "I know what that's like."
Jin intently looked at her. His eyes widened enough to show his curiosity heightening, and Luna did indeed notice. Right before either of them spoke another word, Malos sneakily made his way into the room and kept himself hidden on the side. Unlike Luna's entrance, his presence remained undetected.
"He mourned that he couldn't change the system of our home fast enough. He feared the hands that would touch my Core Crystal next. He wanted to protect me and to fight for the upcoming generation of folks so that Blades and Drivers could live in harmony. I offered him the only solution I knew of to keep his hopes high and his fears low, and he agreed."
"His dream… do you still want to fight for it?"
Luna released a snicker that wrenched her heart. "Time was fleeting at that moment. Now that I've had time to relay our final conversation and his very livelihood, I've come to realize that hidden in his last words was remorse. He was blinded by such hope and faith in humanity that it cost him his life at the hands of his own brother. Family. Blood. The people that humans are meant to be bonded to naturally, without the need for aptitude."
Malos was tempted to make his grand arrival and jump into the conversation with his usual facetious attitude. He certainly was not one for sappy exchanges, and wanted the one he was listening to to end; however, recognized that Jin and Luna were both having an important emotional moment together. They were sharing their history and what made them as strong and powerful as they were.
"That's how it should be, but mortals alike succumb to their sins," Jin said. He thought back to Lora's own father and how abusive he was to his own flesh and blood. He looked at Lora with irate determination and touched his mask subconsciously.
"Was that hers?" Luna asked, referencing the mask.
"She made it for me." Jin paused for a moment, taking the mask off. "Since you told me a piece about your past, I suppose I'll tell you a piece of mine. The last words I heard her speak. When she was at her final breaths of life, she told me how tragic the natural fate of Blades is. She didn't want to accept her death, knowing on that day, I'd forget about her very existence. Knowing that we wouldn't meet again…"
"Jin, I am so sorry to bring up these memories."
"The thoughts were already on my mind. It should be said to you instead."
Luna felt a tugging on her mind. Perhaps their situation was not identical in a number of ways, but the bond they had with their Drivers was incredibly close. Jin picked up on such a feeling as well. Through the treacherous terrain which was their past, they felt comfort in knowing that they were traveling through it together.
Luna's gaze wandered along the infrastructure of the room and fell upon Malos. It took her a moment to register that it was the outline of someone, and that it was him. Luna's demeanor went from relaxed to tense, as shown by her tightened eyebrows. "Hey, were you there this whole time?"
"No, but I've been here long enough to hear enough," Malos said. Although he believed partiality towards humans was in vain, their Drivers were clearly worthy of bonding with Blades. He had trouble finding words to reciprocate their sorrow. "Such grim ways to live and die."
"You haven't had a real Driver, have you?" Luna said.
"No. I'm glad I never truly had to subject myself to such scum. Your Drivers, though… after all these years, you still hold the ones who awoken you close."
"They serve as a reminder," Jin said, biting his tongue.
Their conversation was not cut short by Obrona, who they noticed wandering around the Marsanes bickering with Akhos.
"Let me take a peak of that scene that you're writing!" Obrona said.
"Obrona, this is more than a mere scene. This is practically a broadcast of what has yet to come for Torna," Akhos said.
Although she felt a warm bond growing between herself and Jin, Luna wished to move on from the grieving. She called out, "Obrona, do you mind showing me that display of ether all across Alrest?"
"Of course I do!" Obrona said, turning to her through one of the doorways.
Luna's eyes widened. "Huh? Oh, well, alright -"
"I'm kidding. Sheesh, learn to take a joke, will ya?" Obrona flicked Luna's forehead.
Luna forcefully chuckled. Obrona generated the heatmap of ether.
Luna pointed to a small cluster on the map. "Oh, but what about here? It's traveling on the Cloud Sea at a noticeably higher speed than the other dots."
"Looks like it's headed towards Indol from Gormott Province," Malos said.
"Maybe we can intercept it tomorrow, although that might be overzealous."
"It's possible. I'll check it out then," Jin said.
Mikhail remained in the Marsanes and continued his work. Patroka and Akhos stayed with him. Luna, Jin, and Malos boarded the Monoceros and set out for the Argentum Trade Guild.
The team on the Monoceros successfully caught up to the ship on its way to Indol from Gormott Province. Similar to last time, the ship was of Ardainian technology. As soon as Jin was about to leave to invade the ship, Luna and Malos intercepted him.
"Jin, can I tag along?" Luna asked.
Jin stared hard at the her. On Obrona's heatmap of ether, there was only a single marking on it. She couldn't detect Core Crystals, so it wasn't possible to know if this was a shipment of them or not. The ship was noticeably smaller. The only way he'd know what the people on the ship were up to was if he investigated himself. He didn't necessarily require Luna to go with him, but it wouldn't do him any harm in going together. Plus, the exchange they had last night weighed on his mind.
Malos stood by Luna with his arms relaxed. "I'd like to go, too."
"Sure," Jin said.
Mikhail was able to operate the Monoceros all the way from the Marsanes, regardless of how far away the ships were from each other. Such a relational development allowed for the group to be split up, yet together in tact.
They all swam out to the ship and entered through the hull. Jin recalled the architecture of the hallway, whereas Luna was more observational since it was her first time seeing such infrastructure. She didn't keep Jin up in any way. Malos has seen such a structure before. Security was skimpy, for no guard was there to greet their arrival.
Luna, Malos, and Jin traversed the first Hold, where a couple of Indoline guards were patrolling. They recognized their presence quickly. They were unable to continue through the ship without putting them to rest.
Luna drew the hilt of the Incinero Scimitar. Generating the sword would cause a commotion great enough for the guards to see. Luna jutted her head to the side toward them, as if waving Jin on to attack first. He did: he sliced through the soldiers who barely had a chance to realize their fate. As the soldiers fell, Luna lifted the hilt over her head, and through the warmth in her body, she channeled the flames of the Incinero Scimitar.
Malos and Luna ventured off to explore other parts of the ship. Jin continued on a different path. Everyone tried to avoid as many soldiers as they could in order to keep their identities hidden and not stir up a commotion. At some point, they came across a slew of closed metal doors. The guards patrolling the area fell to their swords. Jin began opening doors on one side of the hall.
A girl with a silver bob cut, yellow ribbons tied on both sides of her head, and perched white cat-like ears sat in the cell hugging her legs. She looked up at Jin with her golden eyes. Three pale white face markings pointed towards her nose: one on her forehead, and one on each cheek. She wore a yellow jumpsuit with sleeves that ballooned around her forearms. A hood, specifically crafted to fit her head and ears, draped around her shoulders. White armor that was cross hatched with gray pieces attached from below her armpits to the center of her chest, and also wrapped along the bottom of her shoulders. A string holding three beads hung under the chest piece. She wore a waist belt with weapons that hung off the side. Her large gray and white boots fanned up her calves.
Next to her was a somber tiger with thick white fur and mature blue eyes. White armor plated with gold protected his chest, shoulders, and ankles. Mounted on both sides of him were blue twin rings that had wings on both sides of the handle. The energy he emitted was that of a Blade, which was certainly what Obrona sensed.
Jin could feel the energy: yet another Flesh Eater being sent to Indol for execution. The girl's eyes were cracked open and her pupils were dilated. Her head sunk down along her shoulders. Jin reached out to her with an open hand. The tiger sat up, observing Jin warily.
The girl took Jin's hand. He helped her up. The Blade stood on all four legs and followed as the crew continued searching the ship. Eventually, Malos and Luna met up with them, and they went back to the Monoceros.
Torna was able to escape the ship unscathed, and with two new members: Nia and her Blade, Dromarch. Despite leaving without a scratch, they were indeed caught in their acts, and all of their appearances had been recorded by personnel. Torna was officially wanted in Gormott Province and Indol. It was only a matter of time before more people knew.
Nia and Dromarch were told that they were headed to Argentum Trade Guild for a mission, but aside from that, they were left in the dark. The Trade Guild wasn't too far away, so they were indeed thrown head first into their plans. Through the holographic monitor, Nia and Dromarch were introduced to the rest of Torna.
From over the edge of the deck, Nia stood on a small platform and watched the clouds quickly pass by. She searched through the fog in attempt to find any treasures that lay beneath the sea. She could've sworn she saw something! Her ears twitched and her eyes widened. Dromarch watched her shift in demeanor.
"Did you find something, My Lady?" Dromarch said.
"I thought I saw something shiny. I don't know how salvagers go under the sea and find anything more but rocks and garbage," Nia said. "What's even crazier is that people pay for it!"
"The items they find can be reforged for different purposes. People use them as they see fit. Furniture, silverware, and weapons are only some points on the long list of possibilities."
"Yeah, I guess." Nia still didn't look very convinced, but took Dromarch's word for what it was.
Nia stood on her tippy toes and leaned over the rail more. She looked past the front of the ship. Coming up quickly was their destination: the Argentum Trade Guild.
Many ships were docked around the guild with people from all over Alrest going in and out to transport their goods. The guild was built over a hill of flowing gold. The hustle and bustle could be heard from the deck of the Monoceros as it slowed to a halt.
Before they left, Jin ordered the crew to keep a low profile. They shouldn't risk their identities by making conversation with just anyone, especially now that they've been growing some traction. If one of them were to talk to someone, it would have to be quick and with a goal in mind. Such mannerisms were inherent, but with the newest addition to the team and without proper assimilation time, they needed to be mentioned once again.
A man gleefully greeted the team as they descended onto the platform. "What a boat! I haven't seen the looks of anything like that here. Are you new to the Trade Guild?" he said.
"We're here to see the Chairman," Jin said.
The man laughed at Jin's unwavering request. He pointed to the general direction of the Central Exchange. "You can't march up to the Chairman's Office all willy-nilly. You'll have to talk with Pupunin first. He's a Nopon salvager you'll see at the Central Exchange. Ya can't miss him with those two burly guards by him."
"Thank you," Luna said.
"Good luck," the man said with a seasoning of sarcasm. He went off to the next boat that had just docked.
As Torna weaved passed customers and negotiators alike, Nia couldn't stop her nose from taking in the smorgasbord board of delicacies. She could hear her stomach utter words with every breath she took.
"Mmm, I can smell the food from the vendors all the way from here," Nia said, her shoulders drooping forward.
"The cuisine here must be delightful," Dromarch said.
"When are we getting a bite to eat?" Nia asked.
"After the adults take care of business," Malos said, observing what he considered to be her melodrama. Perhaps if she wasn't such a handful, he, Jin, and Luna would be OK with letting her roam around the Trade Guild; but Jin wanted everyone to keep a low profile, and he didn't think she'd do that while unattended.
Nia huffed. "I'm not just a child, y'know. I've recovered from quite a bit of business mishaps."
Malos paid no attention to her remark. Rather, he pointed to the platform above the stairs, right on the second floor. "Look over there."
Everyone's heads tilted up at the man in Ardainian armor from head to toe who was waiting outside of the Chairman's Office. When the doors opened, the man easily entered.
"An Ardainian going into the highly-guarded Chairman's Office with ease," Luna said.
"Seems like the Chairman has business with Mor Ardain," Malos said with disdain in his voice. "They've been trying to advance their military equipment, and this is the go-to place for supplies."
"Doesn't sound coincidental."
Jin hummed in agreement with their conspiracy.
The team weaved through the moving crowds of people with haste to get to the Central Exchange. The Nopon that the man described was right on the money: he was dressed in his salvager gear and had two guards next to him.
Jin kept sizeable distance between him and the Nopon so that he wouldn't irritate the burly guards.
"You are Pupunin, correct?" Jin asked.
"Yes," the Nopon chirped, "Pupunin was informed that strangers want to meet with Chairman Bana. Who and where are strangers from?"
"We are an organization and wish to present the Chairman with a business request."
"Mysterious Strangers have not said name! Chairman Bana is busy Nopon. No time for dilly-dallying matters." Pupunin waved his arms as he spoke.
"We are known as Torna. The Chairman won't be disappointed by our proposal. Let him know that the return on value will surpass his wallet's wildest dreams."
Pupunin raised an eyebrow. "Hopefully, Chairman Bana is not that busy. Follow Pupunin."
Pupunin brought Torna up the stairs to the second floor of the Trade Guild. The door swung open, and the Ardainian captan that Malos pointed out previously walked out with his head hanging low. Another soldier, unarmed, followed behind him. The captain noticed Torna staynding behind Pupunin, and for a split second, he worried.
"Good day, Sir Pupunin. See you soon," the Ardainian captain said.
"See you," Pupunin waved. "Torna, wait here."
Luna bit her lip. She hoped that the Ardainians didn't hear Pupunin say the name of their organization. If the Ardainians recognized them - which, luckily for them, it seemed like they didn't - and they heard their name, Torna could be in knee-high bog to say the least.
Pupunin slid into the office. Inaudible shouting emerged through the closed door.
"It's getting quite rowdy in there," Nia said.
Luna shifted to the side uncomfortably.
"He's got no patience, just like someone else I know," Malos smirked at Nia.
"You're one to talk."
"Now, now, My Lady," Dromarch nudged Nia's arm.
"Nia! Shut your cat-trap before I do it for you!" Malos said.
Both of their tones sounded irritated rather than the tone of average banter. The second floor of the Trade Guild was rather quiet in comparison to the floor, so their argument sounded much louder than usual to those going about their business there.
"Stop drawing attention to ourselves without good reason. We're moments away from negotiating with the Chairman for a very important mission," Luna said.
Nia and Malos crossed their arms at nearly the same time. Luna and Dromarch shot a smile at each other, as if they did a mini high-five. Jin felt relieved that their bickering subsided.
The hums of chatter on the second floor of the Trade Guild filled the silence between all of them for a short while, until the door to the Chairman's Office opened. Pupunin beckoned for them to step into the office.
On the throne behind the desk with a dancer beside sat the Chairman Bana himself. He was double the size of Pupunin and wore a feathery hat and a monocle. On his desk was a glass orb, similar to a fortune telling ball.
Torna walked onto the red carpeting of the room. Pupunin shut the door behind them.
"Welcome to Bana's Trade Guild, biggest money-maker in all of Alrest! Bana hears there is request with money involved, hops on immediately," Bana said with a glow of self righteousness in his voice.
Nia had her arms crossed and leaned towards, but not onto, Dromarch. Luna held a hand up to her chest; she could immediately sense the yearn for self gain in Bana's voice.
Jin stepped forward and said, "Yes. What we are looking for will be of great value to, not only us, but you."
"Bana is interested. Keep talking, Masked Man…" Bana said, twirling the tip of his purple mustache with his huge finger.
"We are looking for a Blade known as the Aegis. The Aegis is a one-of-a-kind Blade that is capable of incredible strengths. Many superpowers would want their hands on this weapon, especially with the current climate of tension."
"Ohoho," Bana exclaimed, sitting up and leaning forward, "Bana likes this way of thinking. Many nations would fall to Bana's feet with plea for help after - ah… would be of great profit! Where is a blade located?"
The team, Malos especially, picked up on his sudden stumble. There was no reason to give him the benefit of the doubt in any case, and Malos knew that especially. Nopons were known for their lust for money, and Bana was the most infamous case for such a statement.
"We suspect it's to be in an ancient ship located under the Cloud Sea. It would require a team of only the most talented salvagers to haul up and excavate it. We are looking for one of the salvagers to be of Leftherian origin as well," Jin explained.
"Easy! That is all?" Bana nearly licked his lips.
Malos took a step forward next to Jin and said, "We've noticed some increased interaction between the Trade Guild and Mor Ardain during such a tumultuous time. And not just doing business out on the floor… you've been taking on some private clients from the Empire."
Pupunin tried to hide his sweat. He looked back and forth between Malos and Bana with bug eyes.
"Bana has no idea what Torna member is talking about," Bana said.
Malos crossed his arms. "Don't play stupid."
Bana slammed his hands onto the desk and leaned towards Pupunin. "Impossible! Has Pupunin said anything dumb to make others think of such irrationality!?"
"W-What? No, Pupunin has been good!" Pupunin jumped.
That was all the confirmation that Malos needed.
"We can figure out what else we need later. The retrieval of the weapon is what matters," Jin said.
"Fine. Feel free to stay at Lemour Inn. Bana will provide discounts to guests. Veteran salvager team will be assembled as soon as possible!"
A/N: Hope you enjoyed. We're starting to dive into the main story now! Plus, we learned a bit more about Luna here. I would love to hear your thoughts about the story so far. I'd love to discuss it with you.