"Driver's name?"
"Rex."
"Age?"
"Fifteen."
"Place of Residence?"
"Fonsett Village, Leftherian Archipelago." Rex answered, sighing. Driver registration was… significantly more boring than he had anticipated.
When he had left the room at the inn, he had been worried that he would blow his cover somehow during the process. Nia had pretty frankly told him to temper his expectations, explaining that it was just typical paperwork, yet some part of him had still expected there to be more than… this.
"How many Blades have you bonded with?"
"Just the one."
He was registering as a Driver! You would think that they would test you or something! To see how you worked with your Blade, demonstrate your affinity link, or even make sure you knew not to mistreat your Blade! He shouldn't just be able to walk in with a larval Titan, say 'He's my Blade, trust me', and walk out with a legal identification card!
"Blade name?"
"Azurda."
"Element?"
"Light."
Yet, that seemed to be exactly what was happening. They hadn't asked him to demonstrate an affinity link, or make sure his sword had a matching weapon core, or anything! The clerk had just pulled out a sheet and started asking him basic questions.
"Appearance is…" The clerk looked at Azurda, who was posing on Rex's shoulder. "Ah… dracomorphic animal Blade, white fur, small size, diamond Core Crystal." The clerk leaned over the desk, pointing at a scale in the corner. "Could you hop on for a moment? I'll need your weight for this."
"Of course!" Azurda responded.
They didn't even make him prove who he was! He gave his name, and the clerk took it at face value! He had literally been required to provide more to register for the salvager rankings back on Argentum, and that was merely an unofficial competition Mochichi ran for fun!
"Weapon?"
"Longsword"
"Physical or ether crystal Blade?"
"Um… ether?"
It seemed incredibly easy to abuse, if you asked him. What was to stop a criminal from just waltzing in claiming to be a newbie Driver, giving the clerk a false name, and walking out with a new identity? No wonder Nia didn't have a problem giving her registration number out last night; it probably wasn't even the one she was wanted under!
The clerk nodded. "Where did you obtain the Core Crystal?"
"My Titan ship wrecked near the rear flank. The Crystal came from him."
There had to be more to the process that he wasn't seeing. Some purpose other than identifying Drivers, because as far as he could see, it was useless for that! He just couldn't figure it out.
"My condolences." The clerk said, more out of politeness than anything else, before returning to the paperwork. "Uncleansed Crystal, personal acquisition, first resonance for Blade…"
Maybe Nia had some insight that he didn't. Rex may be from a backwater town, but even he understood that a system like this wouldn't have been set up just for the sake of making more paperwork.
The clerk scribbled across a few more fields on the paperwork, not needing to ask Rex for the answers this time. After a moment of writing, the woman on the other side of the desk set her pen down.
"All right, I believe that everything is in order now." She announced, picking the sheets of paper up off the table before tapping them on the surface to make them flush.
Rex gave her a polite smile. "Thanks."
She handed the papers over to him, along with a small, handwritten card. "You will need to submit these at the Consulate in Torigoth." The woman explained. "This ID card contains your provisional Driver Registration Number, so be sure to keep it on you. Once you have submitted the paperwork, you will be provided a permanent ID and Number."
"Understood." He replied, looking over the card. It was simple, with just his name and a string of numbers and letters on it, as well as an official stamp.
The woman smiled at him. "Now that your registration has been handled, I can issue you the payment for your monster extermination yesterday."
"Huh?" He looked up, before thinking back. Oh right, that guard said they were going to try and get him and Nia paid for their rescue, didn't she?
"Guard Devyn had the issuance date for the bounties backdated to ensure there would be no delays in payment." She said, walking over to a counter in the back. "Lets see." She muttered to herself. "Small group monster extermination, priority target neutralization, plus captive rescue should be…"
Rex could hear the clinking of coins as the woman separated out the money, occasionally referring over to a sheet posted to the wall. It was surprisingly unlike his experience with Nopon handling money; Melolo normally kept payments for common transactions pre-separated to speed along the process.
"Here we are…" The woman said after a moment, returning to the front desk. She placed a pair of coin pouches on the desk before pushing them toward the boy.
"Six thousand gold total." She said as Rex grabbed the bags.
The boy blinked in surprise. "S-six thousand? Just for an extermination mission?" That was nearly on par with one of his best weeks pay salvaging.
"Not just for that." The woman replied. "The Igna extermination only accounts for a thousand on its own. But you and your friend also rescued a caravan and eliminated a priority target. The Driver Igna was worth three thousand on its own."
He contemplated the bag for a moment. Back when they first met in Goldmouth (had it really only been five days? It seemed like a lifetime ago now), Nia had taunted him about being excited at the prospect of a job netting two hundred thousand gold. At the time, he had just thought the girl was poking fun at him because he was so young, but now…
Was this kind of payout common for missions like this? Yes, fighting the Driver Igna had been a literal pain, but Rex had seen the bounty boards in Goldmouth before; priority target elimination missions didn't normally include Drivers, and he remembered seeing rewards pretty close to this before.
If this was common, no wonder Nia had laughed at his reaction. The full payout from Bana's job was substantially more than he had made during his entire career as a salvager, but even running basic monster extermination missions regularly could have a Driver earn that in about a year!
"I-" He started. "Thank you."
The woman shook her head. "I'm the one that should be thanking you." She replied. "The guards you rescued are friends of mine; most of us working for the town are. If you and your friend hadn't been there…" She trailed off, the conclusion obvious.
Rex gave her an awkward smile, tugging slightly at the neck of his new undersuit. "Well, I'm just glad we found them."
"Quite." The woman said, looking around. "Where is your friend, anyway? I wanted to thank her as well."
The boy's smile faltered slightly. "She's… off shopping. Couldn't pick up everything she needed before the shops closed last night."
If the woman noticed his reaction, she was too polite to mention it. "A shame. Well, please pass along my thanks when you see her."
He gave the clerk a nod. "I'll be sure to." He replied, before they exchanged farewells.
As he walked out of the building, Azurda poked his head out of Rex's helmet, giving the boy a concerned look. "Are you still thinking about last night?" He asked.
Slowly, Rex nodded. "It's dumb," he admitted, "but…" His thoughts went back to the conversation the night before.
"You're leaving?" Rex asked.
After a brief trip to the market, Rex and Nia had gone to the inn to settle down for the night. It was a fairly small establishment, but considering how out of the way the town was, there was plenty of room for the small party.
Once they were settled, the party had gathered together to plan out their next steps. Unfortunately, it was at this point that Nia informed Rex that she and Dromarch would not be sticking around.
"Surely you understand." Nia replied, inspecting her new equipment. "Being seen with me is a risk."
Rex nodded. "Because you were with Malos and Jin?"
"Right." The girl agreed. "By now, there's no doubt that my face is known thanks to that mess of a job. If I stick around, it'll just cause us both trouble."
"You know that doesn't matter to me." Rex frowned. "I'd have been sunk a dozen times since we got here if you hadn't been around. That's more than worth any trouble."
Nia sighed before coming to her feet. "You're not thinking this through, Rex." She replied as she walked over to the boy, poking at the Core Crystal now concealed beneath his new, longer wetsuit.
"It's bad enough just to be associated with a wanted terrorist as a normal civilian. If it gets out that you're the Aegis now, too?" She said, letting the boy work out the implications on his own.
He wasn't entirely convinced. "And how exactly does 'visibly rescuing a caravan from monsters together' count as 'not associating' with you?" Rex retorted. "It's not like the guards have been quiet about it."
The girl winced slightly. "T-that's…" She muttered, trying to shore up her argument. "Fine, it probably was a dumb risk to take, but Dornswell is also a backwater. The news is less likely to spread from here, and by the time it does, we should both be off the Titan, headed our own separate ways."
"But you didn't even commit any crimes while you were with them, right?" Rex asked. "Couldn't you, you know, offer info on them for a pardon or something? Wouldn't need to run then, would you?
She scoffed at him. "Oh sure, so I'm supposed to walk into the Ardanian Consulate and go 'Oh hey, sorry about joining a group of terrorists! I'll tell you all~ about them if you let me go'? Get real, Rex. They'd lock me up and throw away the key before I was past the doors."
Rex frowned at her reply, but didn't have a good rebuttal. He just didn't know enough about how legal stuff like this worked.
After a few moments of silence, he spoke up. "What do you even plan on doing, anyway?" Rex asked. "If you're wanted here, you won't be able to hide out in Mor Ardain, and from what you've said Uraya probably has warrants out for Torna members too. Indol's obviously out, because, well…" He pointed at the Core Crystal on his chest.
"I'll figure something out." She replied. "Maybe hide out in the Nothian Isles for a while. They tend to stay out of Mor Ardain and Uraya's way, and Torna never bothered with them since they hate Indol as much as Jin does, so I probably don't have a warrant there."
"Doesn't seem like much of a life, just constantly running." Rex commented sadly.
She shrugged. "Maybe not, but it was my own choices that put me in this position. I don't really have the right to complain."
"Nia…" The boy muttered. He wished there was a way he could help after everything she had done for him. But… he understood that this wasn't something that could just be punched away, and that was really all he was good for at the moment.
Seeing his face, Nia gave him a grin. "It's not like I'm bailing right this moment. I can't exactly run off until the tide lowers, and I promised to at least help you get set up with a ship, right?"
"I guess…" He replied. He was sad to see the girl go. For all that they didn't get along at first, she'd grown on him over the past few days. Hanging around with Gramps was fine and all, but it wasn't quite the same as having someone your own… age? Comparative maturity level? (He still wasn't entirely sure how it worked with Blades) to associate with.
Azurda chuckled, snapping the boy back to the present. "There's nothing dumb about it, Rex." He said. "Even at my age, saying goodbye to friends is never easy."
Seeing Rex nod at his words, a small smile worked its way onto the Titan's face. "Unless, of course, you're thinking something else about the girl…?" He continued, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"Graaaamps…" The boy groaned, his face flushing at the implication. "It's not like that! I've not even known her for a week, for the Architech's sake!"
The diminutive Titan guffawed on his shoulder at the reaction, cluing the boy in that Azurda was merely teasing him. "I'm sorry, my boy," he said, wiping a tear from his eye, "but sometimes you make it too easy."
"Yeah, yeah." Rex grumbled, his face red.
"In truth, I've been concerned about you, Rex." Azurda said, his tone becoming more serious. "You've been a little… subdued since we got to Gormott. Tell me, Rex, how are you holding up?"
"…" Rex looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers idly. "Theres…" he started, before pausing. He wasn't entirely sure how much he wanted to share, or ever how much he could share. After all…
"…I've been trying not to think about it, honestly." He replied. He didn't feel the need to elaborate on what it was. "Things have just been happening too fast for me to really take the time to let them set in."
Azurda sighed. "Consider taking the time while we're here, Rex." He said, sliding back into the boy's helmet. "The longer you put it off, the harder it will be to work through."
"I know, I know, it's just…" He trailed off, before shaking his head. "You know what? This is not the place to be discussing this stuff. I'll think it over later."
He gave Azurda a reassuring smile. "Let's go hit up the salvaging deck. There's bound to be a ship we can charter somewhere! Besides, I'd like to get a dive or two in to see how the repairs are holding up."
"Rex…" The Titan sighed. Having helped raise the boy, it was easy to see through the facade he was trying to put up. "Fine. Nia should still be in the market, so we should head that way first."
"Sounds like a plan." Rex nodded, looking around the intersection. "Um, the market level is…" He turned around uncertainty, looking for a sign.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an old woman kneeling by a bench, reaching around like she was looking for something. Almost without thought, he walked over to her and offered his assistance. "Sorry, ma'am, but do you need some help?"
As he watched his ward and the old lady talk, Azurda couldn't help but chuckle. Just like Addam, the boy couldn't help but help others when he saw them in need. It had always been a trait that annoyed Mythra during the war, but the old Titan couldn't help but think that perhaps it was those very Addam-like traits that had led the Aegis to place her trust in the boy.
"Well, there you are." Nia said, raising her eyebrow at the pile of snacks the boy was carrying. "What, did breakfast not fill you up or something?"
"Nah, just got given them." He replied. "Made a stop or two to help people on the way."
"'A stop or tw-!'" She sputtered. "Rex, you're almost three hours late! I've not only finished shopping, but gone back to the inn and packed my new gear away!"
He gave her an embarrassed grin. "Well, maybe more than a few…" The boy said, counting off his fingers. "Grandma Catrin up by the town hall needed help finding a family heirloom she dropped, and that took a bit of running around to find."
"Grandma who?" Nia asked.
"Then I helped the baker's son find his mother's necklace that he accidentally dropped off the residential level. It was found by a Crabble, but those are easy enough to beat up, so I recovered that…"
"What."
"Of course, then it turned out that the fishmonger next door was short on Crabble meat, so I went back down to the salvaging deck to grab it before it woke up. Just my luck, the damned thing had…" He continued on, not noticing the look Nia was giving him.
"Is… does he…?" She asked, trying to wrap her head around what he was saying.
Azurda chuckled. "I'm afraid so." The Titan replied. "Rex has always had a knack for helping people, but he has a bad habit of getting sidetracked at times…"
"And that still doesn't explain the snacks." She muttered.
"Oh, these?" Rex said, stopping his explanation for how he managed to collect fresh Aligo teeth for the jeweler's wife. "They're rewards for helping around. Food's a pretty common reward for doing stuff like this. I did get some coin too, though."
He paused, rummaging around in his satchel. "Speaking of which…" The boy tossed a bag of coins at her. "Here's your cut for yesterday."
"Score!" The girl cheered, grabbing the bag. "How much did we get?"
"Three thousand each." He replied, trying to pack away the food he had been given.
Nia grinned, storing the money away. "Could be more, but not bad for the work, eh?"
"I guess not." He said noncommittally, still a little conflicted over how much their excursion had been worth. "So, you didn't happen to hear anything about ships off of the Titan, did you?"
"'Fraid not." The girl replied, shaking her head. "From what I gather, there's no port in Dornswell; the only ships they send out are salvaging barges."
"Mmm…" Rex pondered. "I might be able to grab a ride off one to a Trade Guild, if they're headed there anyways."
Nia blinked in surprise. "Wait, really?"
"Yeah." He confirmed. "It's really more of a thing with guild-owned ships, but more often than not, even unaffiliated salvagers will give each other a lift if they're not picky about the destination."
"Huh. That's certainly convenient." The girl said. "Lead the way, then."
They made their way down toward the salvaging deck, not particularly in a rush. It actually required a slightly roundabout route, contrary to what Nia had expected; she had been under the impression that there would be easy access between the market and salvaging decks to facilitate the sale of the recovered parts.
As it turned out, most of the equipment salvaged in Dornswell wasn't sold locally, but shipped to either Torigoth or White Chair before being sent on to either Mor Ardain or one of the Guilds. It made a certain amount of sense to her once it was actually explained, but she couldn't help but wish there was a slightly more direct route to their destination.
Upon arriving at the salvaging deck, Nia was struck by just how different it was from the rest of the town. The upper areas had been mostly standard Gormotti architecture: Painted wood with limited metalwork mixed in to create a pleasant (to her, at least) rustic aesthetic.
Down here, however, the style was pure Ardainian. Wireframe catwalks connected platforms covered in sheetmetal buildings, with the constant sound of machinery serving as a backdrop to the hustling of salvagers and laborers moving equipment around.
Her ears flattened reflexively as she frowned at the sight. Even though there were few ethnic Ardainians present, the architecture was a sign that the empire that had conquered her adoptive homeland had influence even this far from Torigoth.
Rex, on the other hand, felt fairly at home here. While the setup was much different than what was available at Argentum, the energy of the workers around them was comfortingly familiar to the boy.
A quick chat with a local salvager taking a break was quickly able to point the group toward the piers. Thanks to the high tide, most of the focus of the workers was on the local salvaging points rather than the barges, allowing them to bypass much of the crowd.
The piers turned out to be on their own branch of the salvaging deck, located on the other side of the warehouses. It was a logical position, allowing both the local and ship-borne salvagers to easily offload their finds. It was small compared to the dockyards of Goldmouth, but considering the location of the town, that was hardly unexpected.
Most of the barges appeared to be empty, the only workers around them were apparently dock staff ensuring the Titans that carried the ships were in good health. Near the back of the pier, however, one of the ships was clearly crewed.
"Hey!" Rex called out as he, Nia, and Dromarch approached the barge. "You wouldn't happen to be Guild-affiliated, would you?"
The man at the helm, an older Gormotti man with slightly graying hair, turned to look at them. "Yeah, who's asking?" He replied, giving Rex a look over.
"A Guild salvager." Rex said. "I'm looking for a ride back to one of the Guilds, if you're headed that way."
"Bad timing, boy." The man chuckled, turning back to the steering column of the craft. "None of these ships are going anywhere soon."
Rex rolled his eyes. "…Until the tide drops, yeah? I know that."
The man let out a barking laugh. "Hah! If only that were the case!" He waved off towards the harbor master's station at the far end of the pier. "Consul Dughall, in his 'infinite wisdom', had all of the ports on Gormott locked down. Something about thieves in Torigoth, or something like that. We're not going anywhere."
"Seriously?" Nia moaned in annoyance. "How does crime in Torigoth translate to shutting down ports elsewhere?"
He shrugged, not bothering to look up from the steering column. "Official word is 'making sure the thieves aren't smuggling contraband out away from the city.' Sounds like a load of shit to me, though." He shook his head. "Pompous Ardainian prick. I hear the ports in some of the cities are at least working with extra cargo screenings, but could they spare an inspector for a working town like Dornswell? Of course not!"
"That's a pain." Rex agreed. "How long've they been at it, anyway?"
"Few weeks." The man responded. "I'm surprised you're not aware."
Rex frowned. "Didn't exactly get here through normal channels, you know? Wrecked over in the swamps a few days back." He said, pointing over his shoulder at the 'Blade' currently lounging in his helmet.
The man winced, not catching the implication. "Hard luck, that. Working the Cyclus Sea during the storm season is just asking for trouble."
"It was a Guild job." The boy replied, scratching the back of his head.
"Makes sense you'd be wanting to get back, then." The older man gave him a look. "Sorry I can't give you a lift."
"Don't worry about it." Rex replied, more than a little frustrated by the circumstances. "I guess we'll just make our way over to White Chair when the tide drops."
"It'll give you a chance to think over where you want to go after this, at least." Nia said.
"Great, just what I wanted to do. More thinking." The boy grumbled, mostly to himself. Nia, unaware of his earlier conversation with Azurda, gave him a look, but didn't reply.
He probably should figure out his next steps, though. So far, his only plan had been 'return to Argentum, find way to World Tree.' He didn't even know if any ship would take him there! He hadn't ever heard of anyone approaching, even to do salvage… work...
A thought occurred to him. Looking over at the older man, he asked, "Say, you wouldn't happen to know how the prospects are closer to the World Tree, would you?"
Nia gave him a surprised glance, not expecting the boy to ask so directly. The older man snorted. "You'd have more luck diving the Temperantian abyss mid-winter. Ain't a place more dangerous to traverse, even if Indol didn't have the area restricted."
"Huh? Why's that?" Rex asked, genuinely confused. When he had started learning the trade, he had been warned to stay away from the World Tree because it was dangerous, but he had never been told the waters were restricted.
"Probably to keep young fools from trying their luck climbing it." The man said, gazing over the deck toward the clouds below. "Not that they would ever make it. Those waters are home to a terrible beast." He warned ominously.
Rex and Nia gave each other a look. "'Terrible Beast'?" Nia asked, slightly skeptical. "What, like a Lexos or a Squood?"
He shook his head. "Nothing of the sort." He said, his voice grave. "They call it the Serpent, the guardian of the World Tree."
"Oh ho." Azurda spoke up, popping his head out of Rex's helmet. "Sounds interesting. Know any more?"
The man shook his head. "Only stories, the kind captains like to share over a drink. Never seen it myself; no point in risking it. They say it'll smash any ship that approaches the tree unless they leave, though."
"Good to know." Rex said distantly, his mind focused more on the information he had just learned. He hadn't expected reaching Elysium to be easy, considering that no one had apparently done it before, but it was frustrating to learn that such a massive roadblock may exist.
Seeing how distracted Rex was, Nia sighed and disengaged them from the conversation. "We'll keep that in mind." She said, elbowing the boy next to her.
He started, before adding a hasty "Thank you." The older man merely gave the pair a knowing grin before waving them off.
They quickly walked out of hearing range of the man before Rex gave Azurda a look. "I don't suppose you know anything about this, do you?" He asked.
"I'm afraid not, my boy." The Titan answered. "This is the first I've ever heard of such a creature."
"Perhaps your next step will be to seek out information on this guardian?" Dromarch asked. Rex looked down at the Blade in surprise; having been silent the entire trip, the boy had nearly forgotten he was there.
"Probably not a bad idea." He admitted. "I'll have to ask around once I get to the Guilds."
"If you get to them." Nia remarked. "We'll probably want to hurry out as soon as we can, once the tide drops. Knowing our luck, the ports in White Chair'll be fully locked down soon."
"Do we have a time for the gates opening?" Rex asked.
"Mid afternoon's a safe bet from what I hear, but it could be earlier too." She replied. "It'll take a full day to reach the route up to the back near Melnath's Shoulder, but once we're there, it's only a few hours to the old capital."
"It is fortunate that you have replaced your traveling equipment, My Lady." Dromarch noted. "We will need to spend at least one night camping on the journey."
The girl nodded in response. "It'll be good to get that tested out before we part ways."
Rex frowned at the comment but didn't respond. Dromarch noticed his look, however, and offered a suggestion to Nia. "My Lady, considering that we have completed all of our necessary tasks for our stay, perhaps we should avail ourselves of Dornswell's amenities?"
"I'd be down for that." Rex agreed. Compared to working through his thoughts on the last week, distracting himself by exploring town sounded like a marvelous idea.
Nia shrugged. "Why not. It's not like we have anything better to do with the rest of the day."
As a group, they made their way back up toward the marketplace to see what else it had to offer.
The fading light of the evening reflected harshly off the gleaming armor of the Ardainian Battleship ferrying the Special Inquisitor as it pulled into the harbor alongside the Torigoth Relay Base.
Under normal circumstances, she preferred to travel using her personal cutter. It was much smaller and faster, far better suited for her tasks than a capital ship, and far less wasteful as well.
Regrettably, the present unrest in Gormott, minor as it may be, necessitated a more overt approach than she preferred. The empire had too many fires to put out at the moment, and the Titan was crucial to their future. A strong message needed to be sent, and what was stronger than a visual demonstration of might?
Considering how badly the Consul was bungling his job at the moment, based on the reports Brighid had sent, the citizens of Gormott needed to see that their empire was able to allay their concerns.
She waited patiently as the boarding ramp of the vessel descended, bridging the void between the battleship and the garrison. In her mind's eye, she could imagine the consul scurrying about, preparing his men for her surprise inspection.
As amusing as the thought was, she carefully kept her expression schooled as the light poured into boarding compartment. Her position called for a certain amount of decorum, and unlike the man she was about to meet, she intended to maintain it.
The moment the ramp came to a stop, Morag quickly made her way across onto land, flanked by a small contingent of marines. On the far side, she saw the soldiers of the garrison lined up in neat rows along the path connecting the pier to the relay base. A wasteful display, in her opinion; those men would be much better used patrolling the streets, keeping watch for the elusive thieves.
Standing in the middle of the pier was the consul, Dughall. A deeply unimpressive man in her eyes. He was short and fat, dressed in bright, ostentatious clothing that stood out wildly among the military uniforms around him. While he was standing in a particular poor attempt at a military posture out of respect for her rank, the ill-disguised sneer on his face spoke of exactly how eager he was to have her there.
"Special Inquisitor Ladair!" He greeted, his unpleasant voice and exaggerated gestures causing the woman to suppress a grimace. "To what do we owe this extreme pleasure? Had we heard of your Grace's visit, we would have prepared-"
Morag cut him off, carefully keeping her voice neutral. "That will be unnecessary, Consul." She said, gazing over the assembled soldiers. "The only greeting I require is to see the province running smoothly." Her voice took on an edge. "Surely that is more than within your capabilities?"
The man's lips twitched in subtle annoyance at the barb, but his expression remained welcoming none the less. "Your Grace, you are a direct representative of his Imperial Majesty!" He proclaimed flamboyantly. "It would be the height of negligence for me to-!"
"Do not speak to me of negligence, Consul." The woman replied, a dangerous note entering her voice.
"Y-your Grace?" He replied, a bead of sweat rolling out from under his cap.
"Allow me to be frank, Consul Dughall. Word had reached the capital of the situation in Gormott." She said, spotting her loyal Blade, Brighid, waiting patiently a few paces behind the man. "Tell me, how is it that a band of common thieves has caused such disruption under your watch?"
The Consul tugged at the collar of his shirt, his face visibly paling. "P-please, your Grace." He attempted to appease her. "I will admit that the rumors that have been circulating make the situation seem dire, but I assure you I have everything under control!"
She raised an eyebrow. "Then I am to assume that the closure of Gormott's ports is mere rumor?"
"H-how did, I mean-" Dughall sputtered, before hurriedly comporting himself. "T-that is an exaggeration, your Grace!" He defended. "I have instituted cargo inspections, yes, but that is merely a cautionary measure while the good soldiers of the garrison narrow down the location of these miscreants! I assure you, they will not disrupt the flow of goods and services to Mor Ardain."
"Then I am to assume that the order to close all of the ports outside of Torigoth did not originate from you?" A strong, feminine voice sounded from behind him as Brighid finally made her presence known.
"L-lady Brighid!" Dughall cried, spinning to face her so quickly that he nearly fell over. "I wasn't aware you had graced us with your presence!"
Morag felt a certain amount of satisfaction at the sight of Dughall losing whatever color remained in his face as Brighid approached him. Sending the other woman off in the cutter a few days ahead of her had been well worth the hassle.
The fire-haired Blade ignored the Consul's comment, instead merely walking around him to address her Driver. "Lady Morag," She greeted, her expression warming significantly, "your promptness is as appreciated as ever. I trust you received my report?"
"I have, Brigid." Morag responded with a curt nod. "I would like to discuss your findings in detail."
Turning to Dughall, she stated, "I will be making use of your office for the foreseeable future, Consul. I trust that will not be an issue?"
"My office!?" He said, taken aback. "Your Grace, I can easily arrange a workspace for you that is far more tailored to your requirements-!"
"Dughall, I don't recall asking for your opinion on the matter." The woman replied.
He gritted his teeth in response, but acquiesced to her none the less. "Yes, your Grace." He ground out. "If you desire, I will escort you back to the Consulate."
Morag gave the man a level gaze. "That will be unnecessary, Consul. Please have the office prepared for my arrival."
"At once, your Grace." The man all but spat, turning on his heels and storming back towards the city.
Driver and Blade watched the man exit the base before Morag turned to address one of the marines beside her. "Major," she said, "have your men assess the readiness of the local garrison."
"Yes, your Grace." The marine saluted. "Will you require an honor guard, ma'am?"
She shook her head. "That will not be necessary." The woman denied, before turning back to her Blade. "Come, Brighid. I will want to see that report once we arrive."
"At once, Lady Morag." The Blade replied.
The pair quickly left the Relay Base, entering the city itself. Compared to Alba Cavinach, Torigoth was almost quaint. Even after decades as a provincial capital of the empire, the city still carried the feeling of a traditional Gormotti Town.
She kept her eyes open, trying to judge the atmosphere of the city, but found that she had little to work from. The Consulate was positioned relatively close to the Relay Base, and at the current hour there was little foot traffic in the Ardainian sector of the city. What few civilians she did encounter were tense, but it was hard to determine whether that was a symptom of the ongoing crime spree, or the presence of such a high-ranking Ardainain driver.
Soon enough, she and Brighid found themselves within Dughall's office. It was slightly messy, the man obviously having hastily removed a number of effects in preparation for her arrival.
Brighid closed the door behind them with sigh. "Morag," she said, her tone softer than it had been outside. "I am pleased to see you again."
Now that they were alone, Morag allowed her stern expression to soften. Not entirely, mind; she was still on duty, after all, but enough to display her true thoughts to her loyal Blade. "The same to you, Brighid."
They stood silently for a moment, content in each other's presence. The gentle tug of the passive affinity link between them, strengthened by years of effort to a level few could ever hope to achieve, served as a comforting reminder of the bond they shared.
Yet, both women were dedicated to their duties, and the moment could not last. After the brief moment passed, Morag released a small breath and addressed her Blade.
"I have already read your initial report," the woman began, "but I would like to hear the details in person."
"Of course." Brighid nodded. "To start, I have been able to confirm that the thieves belong to the same Core Crystal smuggling ring that we have previously encountered on Mor Ardain and other Ardainian territories. In particular, the Blades involved in the thefts have been positively identified as the same individuals responsible for the Anangham heist three months ago."
"Concerning, but not unsurprising." Morag commented. "I have received reports that the same pair of Blades have been involved in several high-profile thefts in Uraya as well."
"I see." Brighid commented, before continuing. "Additionally, my investigation into any potential connections with either Torna or the Blood Lobsters has not been successful. I do not believe they are associated at this time."
"Those potential connections were always tenuous at best." The Special Inquisitor acknowledged. "Torna is far more daring in their raids, and I suspect that had the thieves been associated with the Blood Lobsters, they would have been dismantled by now." She said with a frown.
Brigid sighed. "I assume there are still no leads on identifying the vigilantes that have been targeting them?" She asked.
"Unfortunately not." Morag confirmed. "Despite our best attempts, they have proven adept at obscuring their true identities thus far." Which had been a sore point for many in the Ardainian government.
The idea that a pair of vigilantes were more effective at protecting the citizens of Mor Ardain from that criminal enterprise, minor though it may be, than the empire's own law enforcement was a dangerous blot on the regime's credibility, one that had not gone unnoticed by their many critics.
"All the more reason to capture the thieves, then." The flame-haired woman stated. "Now then, my attempts to identify any buyers for the stolen Core Crystals have failed as well, nor have I been able to discern a particular pattern in the Blades whose Core Crystals they steal."
"Curious," Morag mused, "normally, Blade smuggling targets specific Rare Blades."
"Indeed." Her Blade noted. "Which implies that the value is in the Core Crystals themselves, rather than the Blade within."
"An attempt to bypass the Praetorium, perhaps?" It was well known that not all parties were particularly happy with the stranglehold the Indoline Praetorium held over the flow of Core Crystals. While some organizations, such as Torna, openly defied the system, not everyone who opposed it was as overt.
"Or merely a means of covering their tracks." The Blade offered. "The robbery of the store in the central market was a notable deviation from their established pattern, even though the store was known to have an uncleansed Core Crystal among its inventory. It could imply that their thefts are at least in part commissioned, and the general thefts are intended to disguise their intentions."
"That may be the case," Morag replied, "but until we have more solid evidence, there is little use in speculating. Do you have a lead on where they are operating from?"
Brighid shook her head. "I'm afraid not. On that, I must admit that Consul Dughall was being honest. Nor have I been able to determine how the Core Crystals are being shipped off-Titan."
"Perhaps there is some prudence in Dughall's inspections after all, in that case." Morag mused, pacing across the office. "However, nothing that you have presented could warrant a full closure of the ports… Has there been a recent escalation?"
"Quite the opposite." Brighid stated matter-of-factly. "In the days since the robbery in the Torigoth Market, the thieves have been silent." The flame-haired Blade paused, turning to the Consul's empty desk. "However, I have reason to believe the port closures are not related to the thefts."
Morag looked over at her. "Explain."
Nodding, the Blade elaborated. "Just prior to the notice closing the ports outside of Torigoth, Dughall received an encrypted message from outside of Ardainian territory. I was able to obtain the interception report from the Relay Base's signal corps before he was able to cover his tracks, and although it did not contain a transcript, they were able to determine that the message originated from Argentum."
"Argentum, you say…" The Special Inquisitor pondered. "Correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall that Dughall was previously under scrutiny for connections to that Guild?"
"I believe so, Lady Morag." Brighid confirmed. "In his prior posting, he was subject to a corruption probe involving his alleged ties to Bana, the Chairman of the Guild." She hesitated for a moment, before continuing with a frown. "Regrettably, nothing came of it before his patron in the Senate managed to have the investigation closed."
"Roderich…" Morag growled, remembering exactly who the Consul's patron was.
"A Senator who is known to have worked closely with the Chairman as well." The Blade observed.
Morag was silent for a moment, processing the information. "This is proving to be more complicated than originally anticipated." She commented.
"It is." The Blade agreed. "And that is not the end of it. Since issuing the decree, I have observed one of the Consul's aides engaging in clandestine meetings with several information brokers across the city."
"He's looking for something for the Chairman." The Special Inquisitor determined immediately. "Something important enough that he cannot risk it leaving Gormott."
"Or someone." Brighid added. "Although I have been unable to confirm any relationship, the past several days there has been an influx of Drivers passing through Torigoth, several of whom are known to possess a background in bounty hunting."
Morag walked over to the window of the office, gazing out across the city. There was little to see, considering that night had already fallen, yet as she watched the guards on patrol, their torches casting deep shadows into the dark alleyways along the harbor, she couldn't help but think the sight an apt metaphor for the state of the city.
"That is concerning." The woman spoke after a moment of contemplation. "I cannot imagine that whatever scheme the Chairman has planned bodes well for us." She turned back around, giving her Blade a serious look. "Do you have anything else, Brighid?"
"I'm afraid not." The flame-haired woman replied regretfully.
Her Driver nodded in understanding. "Continue with your investigation. Focus on whatever Dughall is plotting; for the moment, the Core Crystal thieves are a secondary concern."
"And what of you, Lady Morag?" The Blade inquired.
Morag's lips twitched upward. "I believe I have a few calls to make."
"Ah~, so good!" Nia cried happily as she pushed a plate of fish bones away from her.
After spending the rest of the afternoon exploring the town, the party had retired to the inn. They had initially planned on heading out again to visit one of the restaurants they had seen in town, but after seeing that the inn was packed with diners, they decided to see what the innkeeper had to offer in the way of food.
They were not disappointed. As it turned out, the proprietor was an exceptional chef in his own right. For all members of the group, who had become used to sourcing their own meals, be it from lack of availability or due to a need to save money, it was a welcome treat.
Dromarch, who was happily munching away at his own meal, gave an eager nod of agreement. "I would not have anticipated that the meals offered at such a quaint establishment would be of such quality, my Lady."
"It is really good." Rex noted, volffing down a second plate of tartari. "I wonder if I could convince Auntie Corrine to make it when I visit home."
"You're likely to have better luck with Crossette, if you ask me." Azurda replied, lying flat on the table next to his own empty plate. "Corrine never picked up foreign recipes nearly as well."
"Really?" The boy asked. "I never would have guessed. It always seemed like she has just as many recipes as Cros does."
The Titan lazily waved an arm in the air. "Oh for sure, but Corrine has always been more interested in improvising and making her own recipes than learning from others. Made her quite the camp cook during her adventuring days, but Crossette always beats her out in an actual kitchen."
"Hah, don't let her hear that." Rex snorted. "She'll box your ears now that you're small enough to reach."
Nia gave the pair a look. "So, who is this Corrine woman, anyway? I've heard you mention her before, but I don't think you've ever explained who she is."
"She's Rex's legal guardian." Azurda noted. "She was quite the spitfire as a girl, though she mellowed out with age." He gave the Gormotti girl a look. "Truthfully, you remind me a lot of her when she was Rex's age."
"Perhaps that means I may look forward to my Lady becoming more sedate in the future?" Dromarch chuckled as he finished his food.
"Oi!" Nia hissed, turning to the Blade. "And just what's that supposed to mean!?"
Azurda laughed. "Ho ho, were it so easy! Corrine didn't settle down back in Fonsett until well into her fourties." The Titan explained. "Driver vitality, and all that."
"You'd never think she was one if Cros and Corvin didn't hang around." Rex commented.
Azurda gave the boy a lazy glance. "Not all Drivers are fighters, my boy." He replied. "There are plenty that are perfectly content to live peaceful lives with their Blades as companions, rather than comrades."
"You're saying Auntie Corrine wasn't a fighter?" Rex gave him a knowing stare. He had seen the woman fight firsthand once, when he was much younger.
"Nothing of the sort!" The Titan laughed. "She was always eager for a new challenge to face as a young woman. Honestly, that girl spent half her teenage years with Crossette fussing over her, with how many times she was tossed around in a battle."
"Sounds familiar." Nia smirked, giving Rex an amused glance. The boy made a face at her, but didn't respond otherwise.
"Oh, you don't know the half of it!" Azurda replied. "I swear, Rex is so much like her when she was younger, it's a wonder they're not actually related!"
"Well, she did raise me." The boy defended. "Besides, I'm not that much like her." He crossed his arms in fake indignation. "I'll have you know that old man Trito's always claims I'm much better behaved than Auntie was at my age!"
Azurda shrugged. "I can't deny that, but she was also willing to actually listen to me on occasion. With you, it's all in-one-ear, out-the-other unless it has to do with salvaging."
"Well maybe if you had anything worth listening to, I would now and again." The boy offered as a humorous reply. "All you ever do is complain about your age."
Azurda sighed, dropping his head back against the table. "You see what I have to deal with?" The Titan said to Dromarch in a long-suffered voice. "No respect for his elders!"
"Indeed, how terrible." Dromarch replied with a chuckle.
"Come off it, Gramps!" The boy laughed. "I'm only joking around."
The Titan crossed his arms as he rolled over onto his side, facing away from the boy in an attempt to look upset that was ruined by a wide grin. "Children these days! Why, a few centuries ago, such behavior would have been inconceivable! In fact, I…" Azurda ranted to a laughing Rex.
Nia snickered at the byplay between the two. There was a certain amount of nostalgia in watching the good-natured teasing between the two.
Even as she thought about it, her ears picked up footsteps approaching their table. It was hard to discern them, considering how loud the dining area was, but years of paranoia had sharpened her listening skills to a fine edge.
"… And another thing! How long are you going to…!" Azurda continued, only to stop upon seeing Nia raise a hand in his direction. Before she could turn to see who it was, she heard a voice that was familiar.
"Rex, Nia!" The voice called out cheerfully. "Having a good night, I hope?"
"Oh, hey… Devyn, right?" Rex greeted the speaker a wave. Turning her head, Nia saw that it was, indeed, one of the guards they had rescued. "Yeah, we're fine enough."
"Good, good." The guard commented, pulling up a chair. "Good choice on sticking around to eat. Old Sior's a mean chef, even if he doesn't advertise it."
"I'll say. It's been a while since I had a good meal like that!" Nia said with a content grin.
The guard chuckled. "Well, I'll be sure to pass that along. The old man always appreciates the compliments."
Rex nodded, giving the man a look. "So, what brings you here, Devyn? Not that we don't appreciate the visit, but I figured you'd be busy still."
"Right to business, then?" He commented, sitting up straight. Both Nia and Rex straightened as well, the former suddenly feeling slightly apprehensive.
"Tell me, which way are you two headed next?" Devyn asked. "I'm assuming Torigoth, right?"
"Actually," Rex corrected, "we were considering White Chair."
The man looked surprised. "Why's that?" He asked. "Don't you have paperwork to submit at the Consulate?"
"We've heard about the lockdowns and want to get off Gormott while we can. I'm still technically on the clock on a Guild job, after all, so I'd rather leave before the ports close entirely." Rex shrugged. "I'll figure out how to submit my registration once I get there."
"Ah, you've not heard, then." Devyn crossed his arms. "You're a bit late for that."
"Seriously!?" Nia cried, flopping her arms on the table.
"'Fraid so. Word came in about the same time we got to town last night; Consul Dughall's closed all ports outside of Torigoth. I guess the criminals they've been dealing with have escalated their activities up on the back."
"How misfortunate." Dromarch commented. "I shudder to think of how depraved these miscreants must be to warrant such drastic measures."
"Depraved?" The guard snorted. "Not to my knowledge. They're just really good at their work and it's making the Consul look bad."
"What are they even stealing?" Rex asked. "Gold? Supplies? Weapons?"
Devyn shook his head. "Core Crystals, if you'll believe it. Apparently they like jumping Drivers and shaking them down for cores they've not resonated with."
"That's a dangerous occupation." Nia said, raising an eyebrow. "Drivers aren't exactly an easy mark for a mugging."
"Can't say I know the details myself." The guard admitted with a shrug. "But apparently they've managed well enough to become a major pain in the Consul's backside."
Rex frowned as he worked out their route in his head. "So, what does that mean for us? We'll have to continue on from White Chair to Torigoth, then?"
"Not necessarily." The guard stated. "Unless you've got other business in the old capital, you'd be better off taking the Duskbranch trail up to Coolley Lake."
"Huh, I didn't think that was still open." Nia admitted, pushing herself back upright against the table.
"It doesn't get much use anymore." The guard admitted. "It was always too steep for caravans, even before that big bastard of a Gogol collapsed a Grandarbor on it a few decades back. Nowadays, it's mostly used as a courier route, which brings us back to what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Let me guess," Rex said, "you'll let us use it if we run a message up to Torigoth for you?"
Devyn gave him a grin. "More or less. Well, you're free to use the trail regardless, but since you need to drop by the Consulate anyway…"
"So it is an official correspondence, then?" Dromarch inquired.
"Aye. A request for more manpower to deal with our little Igna problem." He said, scratching his head with a sigh. "Although, with the situation on the back being what it is, I fear they might not have anyone to spare."
Rex and Nia gave each other a pensive look. Going to Torigoth was already a risk with Nia around, considering her wanted status. Visiting the Consulate, the very heart of Ardainian power on Gormott?
"You'll be paid for the work." The guard assured. "But if you're not interested…"
Nia sighed. "No, no, it's… it's not a bad idea. I'm perfectly willing to if Rex is." She said, trying to play off her apprehension.
"Sounds like a plan to me." The boy added, giving Nia a concerned glance.
"Brilliant!" Devyn smiled, standing up. "Well, just drop by the town hall in the morning to pick up the message. Torigoth's a lot closer than White Chair using the Duskbranch trail, so you should be in town by sunset so long as we get the gates open before noon." He said before walking off. "Have a good night!"
The group watched him walk off before Nia turned to look at Rex. "Needless to say, you're going to be the one doing the actual delivery." She said. "I have no intention of getting within a damned titanped of the Consulate if I can help it."
Rex sighed. "Yeah, I figured that."
Author's Notes
And the award for 'Most rewritten section of a chapter to date' goes to Rex and Azurda bantering, which was rewritten seven(!) times from scratch. Honorable mention goes to the entire Brighid-Dughall-Morag scene, which was 'only' completely rewritten three times.
Rex, as an RPG protagonist, is entirely incapable of avoiding sidequests. At least they rewarded him with snacks.