The Aegis Awakens
/Chapter Twenty-four: Theater/
While Regan was grateful that the assassins had not come back, she still had this horrible feeling in her chest. Part of her just wanted to forget about it; however, she knew that they would be back eventually. They had made such good progress in their own eyes at taking out the noble and royal families of Elvuen that it was honestly terrifying. She had yet to inform Winter about the encounter, so the ice Aegis was currently unaware of the assassins' presences in Uraya.
"Regan?" Eva asked in a soft tone, and the Elf immediately looked over at her flying companion.
"What is it?" The Elvuenian inquired as she looked over the fairy-like Blade's facial expression. The ice Blade was not wearing her usual happy smile, and she lacked her normally very cheerful demeanor. Eva stared at her bow she had grasped in her hands for a moment before she responded to her Driver.
"You killed that Blade back there," Eva stated, and Regan's eyes widened in response. Noticing her Driver's reaction, the ice Blade quickly elaborated. "I know it was to protect Rex…. I just never expected to see something like that. I mean, you don't really think about Blades dying due to their regeneration…."
Understanding her Blade's concerns, Regan smiled gently. "I never expected to see that either…. At that moment, I just wanted to keep Rex safe," The Elf explained as she looked at the Leftherian for a second. "I honestly lost my composure during that fight…. It wasn't until I saw Rex was in danger that I snapped out of it."
The ice Blade nodded at her Driver's words before she looked towards the fifteen-year-old. "I can't blame you for being upset," Eva stated softly, and she changed the topic shortly afterward. "You're a pretty great shot with my bow, you know that?"
"Yeah…. I used to love using a regular bow before I resonated with you…. Mom taught me," Regan told the Blade, her voice faltering slightly at the end. "You're so much like her, Eva. Sometimes-" Regan cut herself off as her eyes started to brim with tears a little. "Sometimes… I think she's still here."
Eva suddenly found it difficult to meet Regan's eyes. "I wish I could remember her. From what you told me, she sounded like such a wonderful person," Eva commented, and Regan nodded her head in agreement.
"It's not your fault Eva," Regan reassured her. She couldn't help but smile as the ice Blade suddenly pulled them into an embrace. "As much as I miss her, I'm grateful to have you. I'm glad I chose to reawaken you." Eva listened to her Driver's words for a moment before she pulled away from the hug and looked over at Kaevan.
"What about Kaevan? I know you planned to awaken them yourself after our visit to Argentum…. You never told me what it was about Rex that made you decide to help him," Eva questioned with a curious look on her face. The Elf did not respond for a moment while she thought of an answer.
"Honestly, he reminded me a lot of my younger self," Regan answered, while thinking back to when she had been the same age as the Leftherian. It was a long time ago, yet the Elf was able to recall that time easily. Perhaps it was because that was the time-frame in which she had broken her leg, so it stayed clear in her memory.
"I wouldn't know about that…. He's such a sweetheart though," Eva commented quietly enough to where Rex did not hear her, so Regan once again nodded her head in agreement with a sad smile on her face.
"So, this is Fonsa Myma?" Rex asked as they finally got a good view of the entrance to the city. His eyes looked over the barren field, and he let out a small sigh. "It's so beautiful here, yet the fields seem so barren." The Leftherian looked over at Vandham before speaking some more. "Why is that, Vandham?"
"Well, despite how vibrant it is, not much of the food here can be eaten properly by people. As a result, there are almost always shortages. Trading is very important for Uraya because of this. Elvuen is actually actually a pretty big trader," Vandham explained before Nia responded with her eyes glancing over at Regan.
"Elvuen is allied with Mor Ardain though, right?" The Gormotti questioned before speaking some more after Regan nodded. "Why would they be helping Uraya? Wouldn't that cause problems for their alliance with Mor Ardain?" The Elf was quiet for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest and furrowing her eyebrows in thought.
"It may seem strange…. In truth, our alliance with Mor Ardain is already strained. Despite Emperor Niall's refusal to annex Elvuen, there are many who disagree with him," Regan explained, and she let out a sigh before giving some more information. "Trading with Uraya honestly wouldn't make much of a difference to the situation. My brother insists on keeping it up."
"I see," Nia responded, and she and the rest of the group turned their attention to a small pier. There, a Titan ship was currently docked. Tora's eyes widened as he looked over the Titan in question.
"Titan ship look different than one Mor Ardain had. It looks normal," Tora commented, and the mercenary leader nodded his head.
"Yeah. We Urayans much prefer things to be and look more natural. So the Titans for our ships are normal for the most part," Vandham stated before he was surprised as Zenobia spoke up.
"Doesn't make for the best warships though, does it?" Zenobia questioned as she examined the Titan ship, and Regan let out a sigh at that. She was unsurprised at the wind Blade's question, considering just how eager Zenobia seemed to be about fighting in general. Even if she had left Malos alone for now, it was evident that she could not keep fighting off her mind.
Vandham crossed his arms over his chest before responding to Zenobia's question. "I won't deny that you have a point there. Perhaps that has something to do with the tension between Uraya and Mor Ardain," He told the wind Blade, and all of the group looked a little confused. The mercenary leader looked towards Regan and spoke to her. "I know Elvuen is similar in that regard. Of course, I know it is home to a lot more trees."
The Elf nodded her head in response, memories of all the tall trees on Elvuenian Titan flashing in her mind. Even with the heating up of the Titan, there were plenty of trees to admire and see. Regan loved the trees, although she had not climbed one in a few centuries and doubted she ever would again.
"Yeah," Regan responded; however, her voice was barely audible. The mercenary leader just changed the subject and looked back towards Rex.
"Fonsa Myma itself is another story. You want to see it for yourself?" Vandham asked while motioning to the entrance to the capital of Uraya.
"Definitely," The Leftherian answered before he, along with everyone else, followed Vandham. They gradually came closer to the archway of the entrance, allowing them to get a better view of the buildings that sat within the city. The rooftops of the various buildings were dyed dark blue, and some of them were tall enough to resemble towers.
"It's quite different from Garfont," Rex commented, and he was not just referring to the size of it. Garfont didn't really have buildings since they instead had structures that resembled fairly large tents. He looked toward Regan, the curiosity getting the best of him about her home Titan. "What's the capital of Elvuen like, Reg?"
Regan's eyes widened a little and she tensed before her shoulders relaxed after she saw the look on the fifteen-year-old's face. "While it is heavily forested around the capital, the trees are far enough away that plenty of light shines down regularly. Most of the buildings are made of wood; however, the castle was constructed with stone. The castle isn't actually in Alf Elnoir itself, so it takes a small trek on a fairly large path through the forest to get there," The Elf explained, leaving a lot out to avoid digging up even more of her memories.
"I see," Rex responded, watching her expression for a moment. Deciding to back off with his questions, at least for now, the Leftherian just continued to look at the architecture of the various buildings.
As they all crossed the arches of Fonsa Myma's gate, Malos found himself not really seeing anything familiar. The architecture was similar to how it had been five hundred years ago; however, the Aegis realized just how much things had changed since he had last been here.
The stone lining the walls might look sturdy to the eye of an ordinary person, but Malos thought otherwise. It only appeared to be sturdy, yet it was flimsy. There were cracks lining every brick, lazily coated in gray paint and some sort of adhesive. The tall blue spires on nearly every building seemed imposing to hide just how fragile their support truly was.
Malos thought this to be a reflection of the nation itself. It would only take one shove to send the whole thing crumbling. It appeared every Titan he once knew had changed greatly. He had seen the differences on Gormott that five centuries had made, so he knew it was likely that every other Titan he had been to back them had changed greatly.
They passed a couple of shops after entering the city. Some were food related, while there also was a Core Chip dealer off to their left. He spotted a line of people, and he could not help but question Vandham. "What's that about?" Malos asked as he saw one of the people get handed something. The person who received the item nodded their head before walking away. Next in line, Malos could see a little girl standing alongside a cloaked figure.
"Handing out food rations," Vandham responded, his eyes flickering with recognition as he spotted the same young girl that Malos had standing next to the cloaked figure. Opening his mouth to call out to the two people, the mercenary leader was interrupted as a male Driver pushed the small child and the cloaked figure out of the way.
With the way the cloaked figure had turned after being shoved, it was evident that it was an older man. They could hear the Driver yelling something at the two people. "I deserve this! Why should regular civilians get this when I've been working all day?!" The little girl flinched at the words, and the older man pulled her behind him.
The old man attempted to speak; however, he went silent as the Driver raised a hand to presumably strike him. Malos barely had time to react to the situation before Rex and Regan were already intervening. He had not even realized they were doing so until the two of them were already arguing with the man.
"What do you think you're doing?" Regan questioned as she glared up at the Driver. The man stepped back in surprise for a moment before his eyes narrowed.
"Getting my rations. These two can wait," The Driver answered, his nostrils flaring. Regan crossed her arms over her chest, unfazed as the man stepped closer to her.
"A child and an old man, really? You really think they don't deserve that food?" The Leftherian questioned, moving closer to Regan as he noticed the hostility directed towards her.
"They aren't the ones who've been working to protect this city now are they? Why should they get food before-" Regan interrupted his rant, seemingly unaffected by the man's loud voice.
"You say you protect the city, right?" Regan questioned, and the Driver nodded with an eyebrow raised at her. She took a close look on his face, quickly noticing the darkness underneath his eyes and sweat dripping down the side of his face. "That includes the two of them, you know? How is this protecting them?" When the man opened his mouth to argue, Rex spoke up.
"Bullying a kid and older man over some food is horrible. Is waiting for your turn really too much to ask?" Rex asked, which caused the Driver's shoulders to shake a little. He reached for the Twin Rings on his belt before stopping as Regan spoke again.
"I get it, alright? You're exhausted aren't you?" The Elf asked, her voice softening as she continued to look at his face. "It's no excuse to be hurting innocent civilians, you know that? How protected do you think they felt just now? How could they feel any sense of safety when they're being abused by one of the very people supposed to defend them?"
The man almost looked about ready to attack her; however, he surprisingly stopped. Seeing where he was looking, Regan turned and saw the little girl peeking out from behind the old man's back. She offered the girl a small smile before turning back towards the Driver… or rather where he had been. She spotted the man for only a split second before he was already out of her view.
"That was quite an impressive feat, princess," Vandham called out after it was evident that the hostile Driver was gone for sure. Startled at his voice, Regan turned to face him. "I suppose you learned such tactics from being royalty, am I right?" The question caused Regan to freeze in place for a moment before she responded.
"Yeah…. Raymond's definitely the better one at such things though, and that's without speaking verbally most of the time," Regan stated, with her eyes lighting up at her mention of her brother. She gave Vandham a curious look as realization crossed over her expression. "Was calling me 'princess' really necessary?"
"What's the problem? You are a princess, aren't you?" Vandham asked rhetorically, which caused Regan to let out a huff.
"Yeah. I'd just appreciate it if you ask before calling me that," Regan explained, although it was clear she was leaving something out, before turning her attention back to the old man and little girl. She swiftly took mental note of the look of recognition on his face before she addressed the two of them.
"Are you two alright?" Regan asked as the two were relatively quiet.
"We're alright," The old man responded after a moment, and the little girl slowly moved out from behind him and looked at Vandham.
"Mister Vandham!" The girl called out somewhat cheerfully; however, there was still a hint of fear in her expression.
Vandham walked closer and offered the little girl a smile before speaking. "Iona, Cole. It's good to see you two. How are you doing, old man?" The mercenary leader asked as he looked Cole over. Rex's eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the two men.
"This must be that friend you mentioned, Vandham?" The fifteen-year-old asked, finding the situation a little coincidental that they just so happened to help the very person that Vandham had been talking about.
Vandham nodded his head before letting out a chuckle. "Used to freelance with old Cole right here! He operates a theater here now, while I run Garfont Mercenaries," The Urayan explained as he patted Cole's shoulder in an affectionate manner.
"I see. Why'd you say he could help us?" Rex asked as he looked between the two men. A look of intrigue passed over Cole's expression at the fifteen-year-old's question. The mercenary leader considered the inquiry for a moment before responding.
"We can get to that part in a little while. For now," Vandham started before looking towards Cole. "You're doing a play soon today, right?" The old man nodded before he started to look over everyone. His eyes stayed on Malos' and Maddie's forms for the longest. Malos surprisingly had little reaction to the man, while Maddie's eyes widened. Cole simply nodded at her before speaking.
"It's about the Aegis War. I'm sure that'll be of interest to you," Cole addressed Malos specifically, and the Aegis sighed in response before nodding his head. The old man glanced at Regan, noticing the apprehensive look on her face. Realizing he was looking at her, the Elf met his eyes for a moment. Her face took on a more relaxed expression before she looked away.
"You have some time before it starts, so you can look around Fonsa Myma until then," Cole informed them before he, alongside Iona, walked away from them and headed up some stairs. Vandham watched them leave for a moment before looking back towards the rest of the group.
"You want to check out some of the shops?"
While everyone else seemed immediately receptive to the idea, Maddie remained frozen in place. She was torn out of her shock-like state by a familiar voice. Her eyes focused on the tanned, freckled face of Regan. The Elf was quiet for a moment, simply looking over Maddie's forlorn expression. "You recognized him didn't you, Mad?" The Elvuenian asked gently.
A barely noticeable nod by the dirty-blonde was answered by being pulled into a hug by Regan.
Quite intrigued as they inspected some of the nearby shops, Eva found herself looking over many of the people as well. There were a few Drivers amongst the crowd; however, the majority of citizens did not have a Blade in sight. The Ice Blade was well aware of how rare it was for people to become Drivers, so the small number of them was unsurprising. She also knew that Drivers had become more numerous throughout the years, even if it still was very much a rarity.
None of the shops really peaked Eva's interest enough to get her to say more than a few words. That was somewhat unusual for the Blade since she usually had the tendency to be very talkative. After flying for a good while alongside everyone else, they eventually headed up some stairs and found themselves in front of a building.
"There it is," Vandham informed them, and Eva smiled a little at this. The thought of seeing a play again reminded her of a small theater in Alf Elnoir. None of the plays she had seen had anything to do with the Aegis War, so Eva was intrigued to be able to see something like that. Not paying full attention, Eva thought she heard Ethan say something.
Looking towards the male Elf, she was surprised to see him walking away and heading towards a nearby shop. Following after him, Eva hovered behind him and looked towards the shop owner. A young Urayan woman stood there and offered Ethan a friendly smile. "Back for some more Bitter Choclit, huh?"
Ethan nodded his head before verbally answering her question, "How much do you have in stock at the moment, Isalle?" Her smile dampened a little at the question as she let out a sigh.
"I only have one bar right now," Isalle admitted, almost looking to be ashamed of that fact.
Ethan simply smiled at her before grabbing some gold out of the pouch hanging from his belt. "Here's the 90 G," The Elf told her as he handed the money to her. The Urayan seemed a little surprised, making Eva realize that Ethan was most likely a regular customer.
"Thank you," Isalle did not dwell on her own surprise for long and handed Ethan the bar of Bitter Choclit. The Elf gave the woman another smile before walking back to the rest of the group. Eva followed the man back to everyone else before suddenly she started feeling tempted to question him.
"Is that the same stuff you sent to us a few times?" The fairy-like Blade asked curiously, recalling the treats the man had sent them. It had to be stored in a special container, so it did not melt or spoil. His friendship with Regan, as well as with Raymond had allowed him access to such things.
"Yeah. I know Regan loves the stuff. Right, Regan?" Ethan called out to the other Elf, who smiled back in response.
"Of course…. It's one of the few bitter foods I like actually," The woman admitted, her face flushing red as she realized everyone was looking at her now. "Narcipear Jelly is definitely my favorite dessert though…." Rex laughed a little at that, recalling where they had first met.
"You order that almost every time we go to Argentum," Rex stated, grinning as he noticed her embarrassed expression.
"Cream Orange Parantha is definitely my favorite food. It's sold in Torigoth," Nia spoke up, and Regan smiled a little at that.
Eva sat on her Driver's right shoulder for a moment before the approach of two people drew her attention.
One of the people was an older man while the other was a female Blade. Ethan watched the two for a moment as they approached the same shop he had been at: the Shellbrow Wagon.
The Blade had long, light-blonde hair with pale skin and pastel purple eyes. A long, white, blue, and golden dress with thigh slits and thigh-high, armored leggings adorned her tall and slim figure. Blue halos surrounded her wrists, ankles, and neck.
The older man appeared to be an Ardainian, so it was somewhat strange to see him in the capital of Uraya. He was in civilian attire, so he was likely not a soldier especially considering his age. Ethan figured he was most likely the Blade's Driver if their close proximity to each other was anything to go by. "You have any Bitter Choclit available? We're visiting some family here, and I wanted to get a bar," The man asked Isalle, who offered him a sad smile.
"I'm sorry, sir…. I just sold the last one," The shop owner explained, her eyes darting to glance at where Ethan and the others still were. Neither the man nor his Blade noticed her glance towards the Elf and the rest of the group.
The man looked down at the ground for a moment before the Blade gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you anyway," The female Blade told Isalle before leading her Driver away from the shop. Ethan watched the two of them, his eyes softening as he saw the expression on the Ardainian's face.
Continuing to clutch the bar of Bitter Choclit in his hand, Ethan stepped forward before calling out to the two people. "Wait a moment you two, please?" The man and Blade turned around to face him. Ethan walked closer to them and held out the deliciosity to the Ardainian. "Here. You can have it."
"Are you sure? I'll pay for it," The man asked as he reached into the pockets of his pants. Ethan quickly shook his head in response before speaking up again.
"It's alright. Just take it," The Elf said, his lips upturning slightly when the older man finally grabbed the bar of Bitter Choclit.
"Thank you, young man," The Ardainian answered gratefully, and Ethan was barely able to hold his laughter back at 'young man.'
"It's no problem," Ethan responded as he looked the pair over for a moment. "I overheard that you were visiting some family here. How long will you be here?" The Elf asked, a look of curiosity forming on his face.
"Not that much longer actually. We're visiting with my daughter, then we're heading to Mor Ardain to see my son," The older man explained before he took a quick glance at his Blade. "My name's Mason, and this is Vess." The Blade offered them a friendly smile.
"It's nice to meet you," Vess told them before looking back at her Driver. "We should be going now. Thank you for your generosity." Mabon gave them a quick goodbye before walking down the stairs with his Blade.
"That was really nice of you, Ethan," Nia commented after the Driver and Blade had left.
Ethan looked towards the Gormotti, a look of surprise forming at her statement. "You sound pretty surprised, Nia," The Elvuenian responded while running a hand through his dark-red hair. Glancing away from him, Nia almost appeared to be embarrassed.
"I'm just… surprised that you didn't ask for any money from them…. Most people would have," Nia explained, watching as the Elf's expression changed into one of realization.
"I understand why'd you be shocked…. Winter's the same, just more harsh," Ethan muttered the last part quietly to himself, even knowing full well it was still loud enough for the Gormotti to hear. Eyes widening slightly at the comment, Nia was unable to question it before Vandham led them all into the theater.
Malos found himself becoming very intrigued as he sat down in one of the seats towards the middle of the inside of the theater. Rex sat on his left while Regan had ended up sitting right next to him on his right. He had never watched a play before, so he was interested to watch such a thing for the first time.
Glancing past Regan, he could see Eva's excitement written all over her face. Regan herself appeared to be somewhat apprehensive, although less than she had been before. Seeming to notice his gaze, Regan turned to meet his eyes with her own. She surprised him by simply offering him a small smile before turning her attention to the play that was finally starting.
"I thought the end was upon us," Boomed a man's voice. Considering how dark it was in the theater, Malos could mostly only see the stage itself as well as the masked man moving his arms about dramatically as he spoke. Pieces of white cloth were rolled in a rounded motion from one end of the stage to another. Malos doubted it could be anything but the Cloud Sea.
A man walked across the stage, wearing bejeweled and crested armor. It looked like he was standing on a ship. But it was bizarre to Malos. This was supposed to be Addam? The man acting as Addam raised his arm to the sky before pleading, "Oh, Architect…." Sounds resembling crashing thunder filled the theater.
Shambling figures of darkness moved to oppose Addam. Raising a golden, spiked sword, the man leapt from the ship to confront them valiantly. Before either side could delve into combat, a figure descended from above. Taking note of the dark armor and black wing-like structures erupting from the figure's back, Malos wondered if this was supposed to be a representation of himself. "The Aegis!" The man playing as Addam called up to the figure.
Rearing an arm back, the sky bound Aegis felled and scattered the shambling, dark figures. After all of them were defeated, the Aegis landed on the stage next to Addam. After the helpful figure collapsed next to Addam, he was helped up by the other man. "And so the Aegis saved us all from destruction," The narrator stated before the sounds of people clapping filled the theater.
"That… was pretty interesting," Rex stated as they started to leave the theater. They exited out into the hallway, and the Leftherian was stopped by Nia. "What is it?" He asked as he turned to face the Gormotti.
"Don't you think you should talk to Malos?"
Placing a hand on the back of his neck, the fifteen-year-old looked around for the black-armored, tall figure. "Why? Was there something wrong?" Rex questioned as he met eyes with Nia.
"It just must be pretty odd for him, don't you think? I mean, that play was about him," Nia explained before shrugging her shoulders as she spotted Malos approaching them. "There he is now." The Leftherian turned to face the dark Aegis, eyes widening a little as he noticed Eva sitting on Malos' left shoulder.
"Hey, Malos," Rex greeted as the Blade approached him and Nia.
"Hey," The Aegis responded, his eyes looking over Rex's expression. "What is it, kid?" The fifteen-year-old stared up at the taller man for a moment, examining the dark Blade's face.
"I… was just wondering what you thought of the play…. It was about you after all," Rex explained, letting out a huff as he noticed Nia's absence. "So, what'd you think about it?"
Malos placed a hand on his amethyst Core Crystal, his eyes lighting up. "It was quite nice actually. That was the first play I've ever seen…. It was somewhat strange to see something about me, honestly," The Aegis admitted, looking away as he heard Regan call out to them.
"I've seen a few plays in the Elven Capital, none about the Aegis War though," Regan informed them, wrapping her arms around herself. Watching her, Malos wondered just what she was thinking about. "I enjoyed it as well."
The Elf smiled as she saw Eva sitting on the Aegis's shoulder. She glanced around and was unable to find Zenobia. While she was not too concerned, part of her hoped that the wind Blade was merely exploring rather than tearing something apart.
"Poppi and Masterpon did too!" Poppi exclaimed as she and Tora walked up to them. The Gormotti came back as well, this time with Dromarch right next to her. Ursula was standing behind her Driver, alongside Beary. Although the ice Blade remained quiet as usual, even she held a look of contentment on her face.
"As interesting as it was, I'm more curious about Cole. We still haven't been told how he can help us," Nia commented as she looked towards Vandham and Ethan as they were approaching with their Blades following closely.
The mercenary leader crossed his arms over his chest as he heard Nia's comment. "That's fair enough. Now that the play is over, we can have a chat with Cole," Vandham responded before leading them down the hallway and further into the theater. Eventually, they found themselves entering a room with two people standing in it.
"Hey, Cole," Vandham greeted before offering a smile to Iona.
"Hey…. So what'd you think of it?" Cole asked, addressing Malos specifically.
"It was very pleasant. As strange as it was to see something about myself, it was still very enjoyable," The dark Aegis responded, a question on the tip of his tongue. He refrained from voicing it in front of everyone else. Cole watched the taller man's expression for a moment before looking towards everyone else.
"I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it," The older man responded before looking over at Vandham. "You mentioned me being able to assist them with something. What would that be?"
"They're trying to get to Elysium," The mercenary leader explained, causing Cole's eyes to widen.
"Why would you want to go there-" Cole cut himself off, as his eyes focused on Malos. "It's because of you, isn't it?" Nodding his head, Malos was unable to speak up before Rex had already done so.
"I promised to take Malos to Elysium," The Leftherian responded, letting out a sigh as the memory of Ophion blocking their path entered his mind.
Cole nodded his head before letting out a sigh. "You sound as though you already tried," The older man commented, his face lighting up with recognition.
Looking down at the floor, Rex crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah…. We got pretty close but were stopped right before we could get there," The fifteen-year-old answered, and Cole nodded his head.
"I'm not surprised," Cole stated before meeting the Leftherian's eyes with his own. "With that thing guarding the way, it's no wonder you were stopped... It won't let anyone pass."
"Yeah…. You know someone who's been there before right, old man," Vandham questioned, causing the older man to let out a shaky breath.
"I do," Cole responded after a moment before looking toward Malos and Rex. "Long ago, there was a man who climbed the World Tree. He would be the best candidate to help you get there." The older man coughed before looking towards Malos. "I'd like to speak to Aegis alone." The statement caused Rex to send him a shocked look.
"Why would you want that?" The Leftherian questioned, moving to stand in front of the Aegis. Malos' eyes widened in response before he looked back towards Cole as the older man spoke.
"You're his Driver, right?" Cole asked before focusing his gaze on the x-shaped, amethyst Core Crystal sitting in the middle of Rex's chest. He then looked towards Malos' Crucifix-shaped Core Crystal, taking mental note of the missing, x-shaped segment.
"Yeah…. Why do you want to speak to him alone?" The fifteen-year-old questioned before stepping back slightly as Cole let out a laugh. "Why are you laughing…?" Rex looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with the older man.
"It's just a little funny to see a kid standing in front of a man who towers over him," Cole explained, watching as the corners of Malos' lips upturned slightly.
"It's alright, Rex," Malos reassured before moving around the Leftherian to approach Cole. While still giving another glance towards the dark Blade, Rex started to leave the room alongside everyone else. Cole quickly called out to Regan and Maddie before they had left.
"I wish to speak to the two of you as well," Cole told them, and Maddie's eyes widened in response. Placing a hand on the slightly taller woman's shoulder, Regan nodded her head to the older man.
"That's fine with me," The Elf responded, glancing towards Maddie. The Flesh Eater said nothing, looking towards Cole and finally nodding her head after a moment. Rex gave a lingering glance at all of them before he left the room alongside everyone else in the group that Cole had not requested to talk to.
Once he was sure the others were out of earshot, Cole addressed Malos. "It's been a long time hasn't it, Malos? How did you end up with a kid as your Driver?" Cole asked, as he looked up at the Dark Aegis. Malos rested a hand on his Core Crystal for a moment before responding.
"Rex touched my Monado, so we were bonded together as Driver and Blade," Malos explained before letting out a sigh as Cole spoke again.
"There's more to it though, right?" The older man motioned to the dark Aegis' Core Crystal. "The center of your core is in his chest." Malos crossed his arms over his own chest at that.
"He… was killed shortly after resonating with me. I gave him half of my life force, so he has part of my core in him now," The Aegis explained, uncrossing his arms after a little under a minute of silence.
"I see," Cole mumbled quietly to himself before changing the subject. "You want to ask me something, right? About the play?" Nodding his head in response, the Aegis looked down at Regan for a second before turning his attention back to the older man.
"You… didn't mention Snow in the play at all nor did you mention Mythra," Malos commented, watching as Cole's expression changed into one of understanding.
"I figured you'd probably ask about that," Cole started before glancing over at Regan. "You go by Regan, right?" The Elf's eyes widened a little, and she nodded.
"Yeah…. What do you know about me?" Regan questioned, her eyes scanning over the older man's face.
Cole stepped closer to her before speaking. "Probably more than you're expecting…. About nine years after the Aegis War… Addam and I were visited by a dear friend of ours." The older man paused for a moment, trying to see her reaction. "Your mother."
The Elvuenian's eyes widened at the information, and Maddie's eyes flickered with recognition. "Mom visited you after I was born?" Regan asked, and the dirty-blonde interjected.
"I offered to look after you alongside Julian while she went to Fonsett," Maddie explained, looking down at the floor when the older man tried to make eye contact with her.
"Ant explained the situation to me and Addam when she arrived. I never thought such a thing would be possible since a Core Crystal is the lifeline of a Blade," Cole explained before his eyes focused on where Winter's Core Crystal was located and currently covered. "What happened to her?"
Regan let out a sigh before she explained, "She calls herself Winter now, and she's still around…." The Elvuenian was quiet for a moment before speaking some more. "After giving me her Core Crystal, she just doesn't have a physical form anymore."
Nodding his head at the information, the older man waited to see if she was going to say anything else. When Regan was quiet, Cole stated, "Ant knew I quite enjoyed writing, and she was also aware that I wished to turn those words into live action. She expressed her fear of Winter being included in the play…. Her worry was likely about someone managing to find out about the truth of what happened to Winter, so she was worried they would find you."
Regan's eyes widened at that before she responded, "That's why you didn't mention Winter in the play…. I appreciate you doing as she asked. Thank you, Cole." The Elf bowed her head to him. He observed her action and let out a laugh. "What…?"
"You're so respectful to a being such as myself. You know who and what I am, right?" Cole questioned, and the Elf nodded her head.
"Winter has shown me your face in her memories before," Regan answered before letting out a sigh and continuing. "You really think I would think less of you because you're a Flesh Eater?" After asking the question, she glanced towards Maddie. The dirty-blonde placed a hand over her covered Core Crystal in response. "Maddie's like an older sister to me. I may not know you nearly as well, yet I can say you still deserve the same respect that I give to everyone else."
The older man let out another laugh before it turned into a cough. Regan watched him closely before he responded, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Cole coughed a few times before continuing. "You are her daughter after all." Regan smiled at that, yet it did not reach her eyes. The older man took a deep breath before speaking some more. "I heard about her death…. I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thanks," Regan answered, wrapping her arms around herself and looking down at the floor.
Watching her for a moment, Cole suddenly moved to search in the top drawer of a desk nearby. Clutching something in his hand, the older man shut the drawer before turning and walking towards Regan. "She asked me to give this to you and your brother. I've kept it on me all these years and tried to keep it in good shape," Cole informed the Elf before holding his hand out to her.
Reaching her hand out in return, the older man dropped something into her palm. Regan looked down, her eyes widening at what she saw. A silver ring, with a rose crest engraved into the front of it, rested in her hand. "This…. This was her ring, wasn't it?" The Elf questioned, running a finger over the hand-carved rose. The lack of dust on it piqued her interest.
Cole nodded his head, his eyes softening as he saw her becoming teary-eyed. "As I'm sure you're well aware, the crest of this ring belongs to your mother's birth family. It rightfully should be in your hands rather than mine," The older man explained, and he saw a tear slip down Regan's face. Reaching a hand up, she wiped the tear away before nodding her head at him.
"Thank you, Cole…. I knew she had one… but Ray and I were told she had lost it," Regan responded, moving to clutch the ring securely in her palm. She slipped the ring onto her right ring finger, smiling a little when it fitted. "Now…. You told us why you didn't include Winter in the play. What about Mythra?"
Letting out a sigh at the question, Cole looked towards Malos. "I… spotted her quite a long time ago in this very city. Her hair and eye color was different, but I knew it was her," The older man explained before shuddering for a couple seconds. "She met my eyes… and I saw her face full of recognition. I was… terrified."
Malos nodded his head at this before responding. "You didn't include her because you were scared she would come after you?" The dark Aegis asked, and Cole nodded.
"I can understand that," Maddie responded, avoiding eye contact as Cole looked at her. "Did she try to talk to you?"
The older man shook his head at the question. "I got out of there before she could. I doubt she would have had anything nice to say," Cole responded, and Maddie nodded her head in agreement at that.
Cole looked back towards Malos before speaking to him. "If I may ask, what do you plan to do when you get to Elysium?" The question caused the Aegis to look away, placing a hand on his Core Crystal. Nodding his head, the older man let out a cough before continuing. "I understand." After saying that, the older man abruptly went into a coughing fit.
"Grandpa!" Iona called out as everyone else reentered the room.
"Are you okay?" Rex asked, as he stared at the older man's now hunched over form.
"That's enough talking, please," Iona pleaded as she clutched at one of Cole's arms.
"I…. Okay," The Leftherian answered before once again leaving the room. Everyone else followed him out, except for Maddie: who said only one thing before leaving as well.
"I'm so sorry, Minoth."
After Vandham had led them away from the theater and to the inn in Fonsa Myma, Rex found himself sitting alone in one of the rooms they had been given. He could hear everyone else outside of the room chatting with each other in the hallway. So many questions were circling through his mind, and he wanted answers to all of them.
"Rex?" With his eyes wide, Rex's head shot up from where he was looking at the floor. His shoulders relaxed as he saw the small fairy-like Blade hovering in front of him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Eva apologized before she moved to settle down on the bed next to the Leftherian.
"It's alright. I was… just thinking," Rex answered, gripping the locket Regan had asked him to hold onto in one of his hands. The ice Blade was quiet for a moment before reaching a hand out to the hand he was clutching the necklace in. He opened his hand, allowing her to see what was in his hand. "She told me to hold onto it for her."
Eva smiled before moving his fingers until the locket was once again closed in his palm. "Her mother gave it to her. It's a very precious keepsake to her," The ice Blade informed him, the corners of her lips falling slightly.
The fifteen-year-old's eyes widened at the information he had given. "Then why would she give it to me? Wouldn't she prefer to keep something so important with her?" Rex questioned, instinctively clutching the locket tighter.
Eva fluttered her light-blue wings before responding to the Leftherian's question. "She wants to show that she trusts you, Rex… especially after what happened on Gormott," The fairy-like Blade explained, clasping her hands together.
"Still… I just wish she hadn't kept that stuff a secret from me," Rex admitted before he took a deep breath. "Eva, can I ask you something…?" His voice shook a little at the end, and Eva sent him a reassuring look.
The ice Blade nodded and offered him a smile. "Of course. What's your question?" Eva inquired, watching as the Leftherian looked up to meet her eyes.
"Why did you two join me back at Argentum? After learning about her brother, I want to know why," Rex asked, and the ice Blade let out a sigh. The Leftherian continued when Eva did not respond at first. "She said that she saw something in me."
Eva pressed a hand against her snowflake-shaped Core Crystal before she responded, "I don't know her whole reasoning about it. Especially with Rosalee and Riley being back home, her decision to stay with you surprised me."
"Who are they? I haven't heard either of you mention them before," Rex asked, and Eva's eyes widened at that.
"They…." Eva trailed off, attempting to gather her thoughts before she spoke again. "I really shouldn't be the one to tell you, Rex…. You need to ask Regan about it." The Leftherian's expression fell at that, and he looked down at the floor.
"I understand…. I'm guessing they're pretty important to her though, right?" Rex asked, and the ice Blade smiled gently at that.
"Yeah, they are." Eva answered.
As it started to get quieter in the city, Eva had been chatting with everyone else in the group about various different topics. They had all discussed their opinions about what they thought about Fonsa Myma, as well as about the Urayan Titan in general. After speaking with Rex, the fairy-like Blade had been looking around the inn. She had not found anything that piqued her interest, so she eventually headed over to Poppi.
The Artificial Blade was standing outside the inn, and she had no one standing near her. Eva's eyes widened when Poppi did not react to her presence. Looking over Poppi's face, the ice Blade tried to find something to say. "Hey, Poppi," Eva told her softly, sighing as Poppi looked up. "Are you alright?"
"Poppi fine…. Just thinking," The Artificial Blade admitted, watching as a curious look fell onto Eva's face.
"About what?"
Poppi looked down at the stone ground, taking a moment to respond. "Poppi has been thinking about what we talked about on the way here," The Artificial Blade answered, watching as Eva's expression softened.
"You mean about how a Blade is killed when their core is broken?"
Nodding her head, Poppi looked down at the orange crystal in her chest. "Poppi has been thinking about you too," The Artificial Blade admitted, and Eva stared at her for a moment.
"About me? Why?"
"Eva is normal Blade, unlike Poppi…. Poppi has… been thinking about how she will feel if something happen to you," Poppi admitted, causing the fairy-like to inhale sharply.
"Nothing is going to happen to me, Poppi," Eva reassured, reaching out to pat the other girl's left shoulder.
The Artificial Blade met Eva's eyes with her own before suddenly reaching out to pat the fairy-like being's shoulder in return. "Poppi knows what to do," Poppi stated before continuing as Eva smiled. "Poppi will protect you. Poppi is Artificial Blade, so is much more resilient."
"You'll protect me? I… never thought you'd tell me something like that…." Eva trailed off before moving forward to wrap her arms around the Artificial Blade. "Thank you, Poppi. I appreciate it." For a moment, Poppi did not respond before she eventually returned the hug which caused Eva to smile.
Even by the time everyone else had gone to bed, Regan's thoughts had been far too jumbled up for her to do the same. She had stripped herself of her armor and under armor, leaving her in a light-green
shirt and dark-gray pants. It was the same outfit Lucy had changed her into the previous day, and it made Regan miss her closet back home.
"Are you alright?" Regan was startled out of her thoughts by Malos' voice. Her eyes widened before she relaxed as she noticed the concern on his face. The Elf wrapped her arms around herself before responding.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Regan answered, looking up at the much taller Blade. "What are you still doing up? I thought you had went to bed with everyone else," The Elvuenian asked, running her fingers through her long, reddish-brown hair.
"I could say the same about you," The Aegis commented, watching as she let out a huff at that.
"You've got a point, definitely," Regan replied, smiling as she glanced at his Core Crystal. "I know Blades in general don't need as much sleep as humans."
Malos nodded his head at that, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah. Outside of that Core Crystal in your chest, you seem to be just like any other human," Malos stated, and the Elf nodded her head in agreement.
"You're not wrong about that," Regan admitted, looking down at the ground for a moment. "Anyway, I was just going to take a walk…. After what happened with the assassins, I doubt sleep will come easily for me." She looked back up, meeting his eyes with her own.
"Can I ask you something?" Malos asked after a moment of silence between them. The Elf raised an eyebrow at him, attempting to gauge his expression.
"Sure. What is it?"
The Aegis stepped closer to her after a moment, looking down at her. "Did you ever heal like a Blade?" Regan crossed her arms over her chest before responding to his inquiry.
"Before Ethan you mean?" Regan asked before speaking some more when he nodded. "No. I've always just healed at the human rate…. This proves it." Pulling her shirt off her shoulder slightly, the Elf allowed him to see the scar that ran over her left shoulder. It stood out on her tanned skin since it almost appeared to be white in color. She moved the material of her shirt back to cover the scar after a moment.
"Anything else?"
Malos considered the question for a moment before nodding. "Yeah…. Would it be alright if we talked again in the memory space?" The Elvuenian's eyes widened a little before she responded.
"Of course that's okay…. I just thought that if you were upset at Winter, you wouldn't want to speak to me either," Regan admitted.
"Why would you think that?" Malos asked before speaking some more. "You're not her."
Regan nodded her head at that before finally responding. "I know…. Doesn't change the fact that we look very similar. I thought it might make you uncomfortable."
"As similar as you two look, it doesn't bother me enough to avoid you," Malos explained, and the Elf's face turned a little red at that.
"Anything in particular you want to talk about then?" Regan questioned, and the dark Aegis shook his head.
"Not right now…. There is something we need to do though," Malos informed her, causing the Elvuenian to raise an eyebrow at him.
"And what would that be?"
Malos motioned towards her chest, making the Elf's face turn even redder. His eyes widened slightly at her flushed face before he responded, "I know we just did this yesterday…. It'll only build up and be more painful the longer we wait to do something."
Nodding at the explanation, even with her cheeks still flushed bright red, Regan looked around for a moment before unbuttoning her shirt just enough for him to be able to see Winter's Core Crystal. She was quiet as he messed around with the Ether in the ice Aegis' core. It did not take him nearly as long as last time, and the pain was also much more tolerable this time around.
The Elf buttoned up her shirt to conceal Winter's Core Crystal. "Thanks…. Anyway, I'll talk to you later. I'll just walk for a little while to clear my thoughts," Regan informed him and when he nodded, she offered him a smile before walking away.
After walking around most of Fonsa Myma, Regan had eventually ended up heading up the stairs that led to the theater. Her right leg was throbbing at that point, and she knew it would give out on her if she kept on with her walk for too much longer. She reached down to rub at her right leg through her pants before the sound of small and quick footsteps outside the theater caught Regan's attention.
Looking around, the Elf's eyes widened as she spotted the familiar form of Iona. The little girl was hiding behind a crate, and she was looking back towards the entrance of the theater. Regan swiftly approached the young child, kneeling beside her. Opening her mouth to question Iona, the Elf stopped herself when she heard more footsteps exiting the theater.
Carefully peeking at the newcomers, Regan's eyes widened as she saw Pyra, Akhos, Sever, and Obrona leave the theater. The redhead was once again wearing her cloak, although she had the hood down. As the four exited the theater, Pyra stopped the others before her gaze fell onto the crates Iona and Regan were hiding behind.
"I know you're there. Come out," Pyra called out, causing Regan to quickly glance down at the wide-eyed expression of Iona.
"Stay hidden, Iona, until it's safe…. I'll try to draw them away," Regan whispered into the little girl's ear, and she got up before Iona could respond. Meeting eyes with Pyra, the Elf came out from behind the crates. The redhead watched her for a moment before smiling.
"We were hoping it would be you," Pyra informed somewhat cheerfully, causing the Elf's eyes to narrow. "Now, now, don't be like that. If you're going to be so hostile, we might as well take the other person you were hiding with." Regan's eyes widened at that, causing Akhos to laugh at her surprise.
"I…. That won't be necessary," Regan stated defeatedly, now ducking her head to avoid Pyra's gaze. The redhead nodded her head at that before speaking.
"I figured that would get your attention…. Now, do you know the place where Malos and the other one first awakened?" Pyra questioned, and the Elvuenian nodded after a moment. "Good. Now start walking." Letting out a shaky breath, Regan did as the redhead ordered.
Malos had gone to bed not long after Regan had headed off on her walk. He had stayed in his own memory space, so he was currently listening to the sound of the bell ringing from afar in Elysium. Staring at the green grass and blue sky, the dark Aegis was quiet.
"Malos…."
Turning around at the familiar voice, the Blade sighed as he saw the familiar form of Snow standing there. He said nothing before attempting to walk away from her. The other Aegis called out to him, this time sounding more desperate. "Please, Malos, I know you don't want to talk to me right now," Winter stated, and Malos was quiet for a moment before hesitantly turning around to face her.
"What's wrong…?" The dark Aegis asked when he saw the tears running down her cheeks.
"It's… really bad, Malos," Winter started before reaching up to wipe some of her tears away then continuing. "Pyra, Akhos, and their Blades are in Fonsa Myma." The man nodded his head at that, and he watched as the ice Aegis wrapped her arms around herself. "They've got Regan." Malos' eyes widened at that, and Snow looked down at the ground.
"How?"
"She just told me that she saw Iona hiding outside of the theater…. Regan said she went with them so they would leave Iona alone," Winter explained, looking up at Malos as he stepped closer to her. Opening his mouth to question her further, Malos was interrupted.
"I guess I should've expected to see you here. I knew you were still around," Mythra stated with her arms crossed over her chest. The golden-blonde leaned against a tree, staring at the two other Aegises standing near each other.
"How did you get in here?" Malos questioned, causing the light Aegis to let out a laugh.
"It was pretty easy actually. After all, you didn't think to lock the door."
Malos glared at her before responding. "What do you want?" The dark Aegis questioned.
Moving away from the tree, Mythra uncrossed her arms and walked closer to the other two. "Meet us at the place where the two of you awakened…. You still remember it, right?" The golden-blonde questioned. When Malos nodded his head, Mythra continued. "Good… oh, and come alone…. And, uh, you should probably hurry. Humans are so fragile." Mythra disappeared before either Malos or Winter could respond.
"Be careful, please, Malos," Snow told him softly, and he nodded. He just barely had enough time to witness a couple tears come out of her eyes before he left the memory space.
"What's going on?" Rex questioned as he alongside everyone else were drawn outside by the frantic voice of Cole in the hallway. Looking around, the Leftherian's eyes widened slightly as he realized neither Regan nor Malos were there. Iona was hovering closely to Cole, and she was looking around at all of them.
"They have Regan," Cole informed them, and the fifteen-year-old shook his head and his shoulders shook.
"Who took her?" Rex questioned, stepping closer to the older man.
"Four people came to my theater. One of them looked just like Mythra, and she introduced herself as Pyra." Cole's words were stricken down by a sudden coughing fit.
He held up an arm, preventing anyone from fussing over him, instead merely laboriously breathing for a moment before continuing his explanation. "I didn't realize Iona had heard the whole thing until she ran back into the theater to me…. She said that Regan told her to stay hidden until they were all gone."
"How…? Why is this happening again…?" Maddie questioned quietly to herself, burying her face in her hands.
Not witnessing Maddie's distress, Rex asked Cole another question. "What about Malos? Have you seen him?" The older man shook his head, looking towards the dirty-blonde for a moment before turning his attention back to Rex.
"No, but… it's likely that Mythra is using Regan as bait to lure him somewhere."
"Where would she lure him too?" Nia questioned, watching the older man's expression.
Cole was quiet for a moment before realization fell over his expression. "There's one place that would have significance for both of them in this city. It's the place where Malos first awakened five centuries ago, Olethro Ruins."
"How do we get there, old man?" Vandham asked before anyone else could.
"Just keep going up. The gate that leads up to Olethro is normally closed. I wouldn't put it past Mythra to find a way to open it," Cole explained, sighing as Iona hugged his side.
"Thank you, Cole," Rex responded before looking towards everyone else in the group. "Come on, we need to hurry."
Elvuen, 21 years ago
Standing outside the entrance to Raymond's room, Regan's hands were shaking as she attempted to open the door. Barely managing to hold back her sobs, the Elf finally steadied her right hand enough to turn the doorknob. When there was no resistance, Regan took a deep breath before pushing the door open all the way.
Looking around the room, she saw Raymond sitting on his bed with a book in his hands. Despite not being able to hear her, the man still looked up when she entered the room. Shutting the book, a history one from what Regan could tell, he signed to her. 'What's wrong?'
Regan sighed at that before moving to sit next to Raymond as he patted the bed right beside him. 'I just need to tell you something,' Regan signed back before letting out a sigh as she saw the concerned expression he was wearing.
'What is it?' Raymond asked, watching as she hung her head and looked down at the floor. His eyes widened as her shoulders shook and tears began to stream down her face. 'Regan, what's wrong?' She reached up to wipe her tears away with her sleeve before finally signing a response back to him.
'I'm pregnant.'
Regan was unable to prevent the constant flow of tears from running down her face. Her brother's eyes remained wide for a moment before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He moved her until she was pressed against his side, gently running his fingers through her hair. "It will be alright, Regan," Raymond told her reassuringly, trying to resist the urge to get upset. She did not respond to that, instead moving to rest her head on his chest.
Letting out a deep breath as Regan's sobbing stopped, Raymond realized she had fallen asleep. The Elf was quiet for a moment before moving until he was able to lift her into his arms. He got off his bed quietly and slowly and then moved to the door.
Raymond carefully managed to open the door to the other Elf's room. He walked in and immediately headed to her bed. Moving the blanket, Raymond laid her down in the bed before tucking her in. Once again stroking a hand through her hair, he let out a sigh before moving to the chair at her desk.
Staring down at all the papers strewn across the wooden surface, Raymond picked one of them up that drew his attention. He ran his fingers across the dried ink on the paper, a couple tears slipping out as he read what was on it.
'Drew never saw me as anything but a game. To him, I was merely a pawn in a box of other pawns. What happened to Mom is all my fault, and I can never forgive myself for it…. The worst part is knowing that I'm pregnant… and how I'll ever be able to tell Ray about it…. Even if he doesn't say it, he should blame me for what happened to Mom. He's been through so much, and I just wish… that I could take it all back.'
The page was torn at the bottom.