"Stop scratching at it." Nia hissed as they crossed the bridge into the Ardainian district. "You'll draw attention."

Rex reluctantly moved his hand away from the sandy blonde wig, or more precisely, where the sideburns of the Gormotti-ear wig were covering one of his actual ears.

When they had sorted through the small pile of wigs Tora had pulled out, it had quickly become apparent that while Nia's concerns about ear room were unwarranted, Rex was facing the entirely opposite problem: All of the wigs were meant for a Gormotti.

Azurda had guffawed the first time Rex had put one on, the floppy ear covers bouncing as he turned to look in the mirror. As hilarious as the rest thought it to be, it was not exactly helpful in keeping him from being detected.

Fortunately, Tora had been more than able to quickly fashion a small fitting to hold the ears up in a manner that, when paired with a small felt patch to fill in the interior of the 'ears', could generously be described as 'convincing'.

Nia was reasonably sure that a Gormotti would be able to spot that he wasn't one just from the lack of regular ear movements, but conceded that so long as they only dealt with Ardainians it should be passable.

Combined with some cheap local fashion, courtesy of a quick shopping trip by Tora (well, two shopping trips, but considering that neither he nor Nia had been willing to wear the 'disguises' the Nopon had initially purchased, the first might as well not count), the pair were largely indistinguishable from the crowd leaving the lower levels of the residential district.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rex watched Nia's attempts to feign calm. Despite her jabs about him drawing attention, even a cursory look at the girl could draw suspicion.

Like him, she was wearing a wig, a deep black that reached her mid-back in contrast to the shorter blonde one he was wearing, although unlike him she didn't require any mechanical assistance to keep the ear flaps up. Unfortunately for her, the nearly invisible metal clips that fastened the flaps to her ears seemed to cause her discomfort, judging by how they kept flicking as if to dislodge something.

She had also traded out her jumpsuit for more typical local fashion, a dark brown ankle-length skirt and yellow blouse with a green cardigan over it, but was clearly not accustomed to moving around in such clothing. Every time the cardigan brushed against her side, or the skirt restricted her movement, her hands twitched as if resisting moving to correct them.

Rex would admit that, even with her obvious behavior, he wouldn't have identified her without knowing her disguise. The combination of the hair and clothing did a lot, but it was the reluctant removal of her facial markings that really sold it.

Honestly, he had half thought that the markings were part of her face until she washed them off, proving them to actually be painted on.

As they reached the end of the bridge, the girl turned to face him. "You can get to the Consulate on your own from here?" She asked.

Rex resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead merely giving a nod of confirmation. "Just up the pier, right?" He pointed off into the distance, where the bridge to the Consulate was clearly visible.

"…I guess that's kind of obvious." Nia responded, averting her eyes.

There was a brief moment of awkward silence as they tried to figure out what to say next. To Rex, whose anger from the fight had already long simmered out, the situation was more than a little frustrating.

Ever since then, there had been a sense of tension whenever they were in the same room, and he just wanted to resolve it. He could feel that Nia's own temper had subsided as well, so she would probably accept an apology if he offered it.

"Nia, I…" He frowned, trying to think of the best wording. "About the other day…"

"Let's talk later." The girl cut in. "I… there's some stuff you should probably know about that."

"After we're finished?" He asked, feeling less tense. That meant she was probably willing to explain her stance, which he considered a plus; some of her words from the other day were still bothering him. What exactly had happened with Indol to make her so jumpy?

She nodded. "Yeah. It'll probably take me longer to check the docks for a ride than it'll take you in the Consulate, so I'd recommend hitting up the Ardainian market a few levels down while you wait. We can meet up there."

"Sounds good." Rex replied, turning toward his objective. "See you then!"

He walked off, following the edge of the pier toward the next bridge, taking in the sights of the city as he went. From here, he had a good view of Torigoth Harbor, something he had missed the chance to properly appreciate during his initial, frantic visit a few days prior.

The harbor below was packed with ships, far exceeding the number of berths available for them. He assumed it was the result of the port closures, causing ships that would have gone to other destinations on the Titan to redirect to Torigoth. Still, the longshoremen were doing their best to offload cargo in an efficient manner, the shouts of their supervisors directing them were audible even from here.

Along the pier to his other side, the markets of the Ardainian district were packed with customers. Although a nervous tension could be felt in the crowd around him, which he assumed was at least in part due to the city-wide search being conducted by the Ardainians, life still continued on.

His eyes passed over the front row of shops, mostly open-air cafes taking advantage of the view over the harbor. Catching his reflection in one of the windows, he gave a quick assessment to make sure everything was still in place.

The clothes that Tora had picked out were good enough, if slightly shabby. Like Nia's, it was typical local fashion: A dark brown shirt and blue trousers with a maroon shortsleeved jacket, decorated with traditional Gormotti patterns. He hadn't expected the colors to pair with the wig, but it worked surprisingly well.

Azurda had been silent for a moment when he saw the wig Rex picked out—a sandy blond with short, messy locks. He hadn't explained why, but Rex suspected it merely reminded the Titan of something. Maybe even something from Rex's own past, considering the first time he looked in a mirror while wearing it, he felt a distant pang of melancholy.

Soon enough, he reached the bridge leading up to the Consulate. At the foot of the bridge, a small checkpoint manned by Ardainian soldiers was controlling the traffic entering. Giving his disguise one last appraisal, he settled into the back of the line.

There weren't many people ahead of him—maybe a dozen at most—so it didn't take long for him to reach the checkpoint. An Ardainian soldier, an officer from the conical helmet, looking down at him from his clipboard.

"What business do you have in the Consulate, boy?" He asked, giving Rex a look over.

"Courier duty." He replied, trying to sound as professional as possible. "Dornswell's requesting additional soldiers for a wildlife problem."

The guard groaned in annoyance. "Of all the times…!" Quickly taking a note on his clipboard, he continued. "Best head on in. The sooner they see the request, the faster they can figure out if we have the manpower for it." He narrowed his eyes. "Any weapons on you?"

"No sir." Rex replied. He had left the Aegis Sword back at Tora's house, fully aware that running around with it would result in him being quickly identified.

He wasn't concerned about being left unarmed; while Tora had stepped out to buy their disguises, Nia had given him a quick lesson on how to summon a new copy of his Blade weapon. Deconstructing it had turned out to be more difficult than he could learn in such a short amount of time, but it also would have resulted in questions from Tora he would rather not answer.

"Head on up." The guard waved him by. "You'll want the main counter in the lobby."

"Thanks!" Rex replied, hurrying up toward the building. The faster he was out of here, the better.

The Ardainian Consulate was an impressive building. Overhanging one end of Torigoth Harbor, the circular structure was constructed in Gormotti fashion rather than the colonial Ardainian style of the adjoining district. Apparently, the building was actually a pre-war structure, having housed Torigoth's Assembly prior to the conquest.

Within the building, there was a surprising frantic energy as functionaries and bureaucrats hustled about. It was a far different feeling than the town hall of Dornswell, where what few people he encountered had been almost bored. Rex, not being particularly familiar with administrative matters, could not tell if this was normal for the provincial capital or a result of the events occurring in Torigoth.

He wandered up to the front desk, careful not to bump into any of the passersby, and quickly struck up a conversation with the secretary. "Morning! I've got a message from Dornswell."

With barely a word of acknowledgment, the secretary snatched the message from his hand and unsealed it. Her eyes narrowed as she read the contents before tightening her grip with a curse.

"Igna infestation? In Gormott!?" She cursed, coming to her feet. "I need to send this up the chain. Go wait by the wall, and I'll sort out your payment when I'm back."

She didn't give the boy a chance to reply before hurrying off, disappearing into the offices behind the desk. Figuring that it would be suspicious to just leave without payment (and not particularly wanting to skimp out—wanted or not, it was still good money), Rex leaned against the wall opposite the desk, careful to keep clear of anyone else.

As he waited, he couldn't help but listen to the people around him. Most were inconsequential, the sound of various functionaries passing quick messages between each other—but as he listened in, he could hear a faint conversation that immediately drew his attention.

"…Had us searching half the night!" The tinny sound of an Ardainian soldier speaking through his helmet echoed from around the nearby corner. "The worst part is, the captains still won't tell us what's so important!"

Subtly as he could, Rex slid along the wall to better hear what was being said.

"As if we didn't have enough on our plates!" Another voice sounded. "First the Consul steps up patrols to capture those damned thieves, and now the Special Inquisitor has us turning the city upside down for some salvager brat!"

"What's the point of even going after some kid, anyway?" The first voice complained. "What'd he even do, pull up something classified?"

"Rumor is, the kid's the Aegis' Driver." A third voice cut in. "You didn't hear it from me, though."

A pair of quiet gasps sounded from around the corner. "How d'you figure that? I thought the Aegis was supposed to be long gone or something!"

"Eoin heard a bunch 'o bounty hunters yelling about it the other night, down at the Anchortail." The third voice explained. "Supposedly there's a bounty out for 'em, all secret-like."

The second voice spoke up, sounding contemplative. "Come to think of it, Captain Padraig's been running himself ragged the last week patrolling the outskirts of the city, and not as part of the hunt for the thieves either. Do you think he's trying to find the Aegis too?"

"Can't be!" The first voice replied. "The Consul's the one that ordered him on those patrols! How would he have known about the Aegis before the Special Inquisitor? The good captain's probably just fishing for a promotion by capturing the thieves. Architect knows he's desperate for one!"

A trio of laughs echoed through the lobby as Rex slowly leaned closer to the corner. If those soldiers would just talk a little more about the investigation, he might be able to…!

"Sir?" The secretary spoke up, startling him.

Turning back to the desk, he saw her holding out a bag of coins. "If you don't have anything else, I'm going to have to ask you to depart. With how busy it is right now, having extra-"

"I got it." He interrupted, grabbing the bag. "Thank you!"

Rex hurried out of the Consulate as fast as he could, eager to leave before anyone recognized him. He was a little disappointed that he couldn't catch any more of the soldier's conversation, but he felt he had learned enough, even if some of it seemed to beg more questions than it answered.

He could think over it later, though. For now, he had to catch up with Nia.


"It's curious, how much I differ from the version of me this journal depicts." Aegaeon noted as he flipped to the next page of the book.

Brighid found herself in agreement with his statement. She had known the other Imperial Blade for years and considered his stalwart and professional demeanor to be his most defining features.

Yet, the Brighid of the Aegis War had described the Aegaeon of that era as an incorrigible flirt, particularly in regards to a Blade by the name of 'Haze'.

Although, she wasn't entirely sure how much she trusted the description her prior self had written down. The Brighid of that era had devoted several entries to her counterpart's behavior, which she was particularly fond of describing with such unflattering adjectives as 'clumsy' and 'pitiable', yet despite that, the incidents described didn't actually seem like intentional flirting to her—At worst, she would describe his behavior as 'unintentionally charming'.

Considering some of the earlier comments the Brighid of that era had made, she couldn't help but wonder if there was a degree of jealousy involved. Her predecessor's descriptions of the water Blade had become rather harsh almost as soon as Hugo had begun accompanying Prince Addam.

Mercifully, the current Aegaeon was taking it with good humor. Indeed, he too was more than happy to laugh at his prior incarnation's flirtatious behavior.

"Quite." She finally responded, tapping her pen on the notepad she was using to record the important information they had gleaned from the journal. She had hoped to find more information about the nature of the Aegis, but some of the revelations she had found were… unexpected. "I never would have expected a prior incarnation of myself to be so light-fingered, either.

Aegaeon chuckled even as his eyes scanned over the page. "I wouldn't be too surprised, Brighid. With every new awakening, we change ever so slightly—our skills, our personalities, even our appearances. It is only to be expected that versions of us from so long ago vary from us so drastically."

Looking up at her, he gave an encouraging smile. "Besides, my understanding is that your incarnations always possess talents geared toward investigating threats to the Empire. While a talent for picking locks may traditionally be considered larcenous, I have no doubt that the you who possessed it only used it for the good of Mor Ardain."

"Would I, now?" She replied, her lip quirking upward. "Perhaps you are more like your prior incarnation than you would admit."

The water Blade chuckled at the retort. "Who could say, my Lady?" His grin elicited a titter from the fire Blade.

It was rare that the Jewels of Mor Ardain had the opportunity to interact casually like this, but when the chance arose, she found it enjoyable. For all that they were devoted to their respective Drivers, the two of them could only truly relax when in the company of the only other person who could fully understand what that title meant.

"Please, let us get back to business." She replied, shaking her head fondly. They were nearly through the journal, and while she enjoyed the other Blade's company, both of them were mindful that they had responsibilities to return to.

Perhaps next time she was in Alba Cavanich, they could catch up more properly.

"Yes, I suppose so." Aegaeon said, looking back over the journal. He cleared his throat before reading the entry.

"14 September, 3566 - After a grueling overnight march, we have reached the foot of Mount Altana. Morning will soon be arriving, but Prince Addam has determined that we should take the time to rest now before entering the Holy Gate into the Titan's interior, as we will have no opportunity later. The mood is tense, but we are in high spirits for the most part.

"Prince Addam still carries concerns about our prospects, although he attempted to mask them under the guise of offering Emperor Hugo and Dame Lora a chance to depart if they so wished. Fortunately, both of them were adamant in their refusal; in Dame Lora's own words, it is our destiny to defeat Malos and put an end to his threat. None of us will shirk it.

"None mirror that sentiment more than us Blades. Aegaeon and I have both made it clear to his Majesty that we will stand with him to the end, no matter what that may be. Haze and Minoth are both more reserved in their desires, but neither is any less eager to put an end to the threat.

"It is only the last two members of our party, Jin and Mythra, that hold any reservations. Jin has been in a peculiar mood since the Battle of Auresco, even accounting for how much the war has grated against his pacifist nature. Perhaps Malos' words from our last battle have had a more profound effect on him than I had anticipated. Before we set off, I will have to approach Dame Lora with my concerns.

"As for Mythra, it is difficult to say. She too is noticeably withdrawn, although I believe it is merely a result of the fight she had with the children when we departed the capital. Personally, I do not understand why she insists on being so standoffish with those two. It is abundantly clear to everyone how much she cares for the boys; if she had just been more open with them, I do not believe the fight would have occurred in the first place!

"Alas, such are the mysteries of the Lady Aegis. At least her brother's feelings are more scrutable, if detestable.

"I can only hope that her mood lightens before our departure; it would do us no good for her to be distracted during our final showdown with Malos. The Battle of Auresco clearly demonstrated that only an Aegis can properly counter another Aegis.

"Perhaps I can enlist Aegaeon and Haze's assistance in lightening her mood? Haze in particular is good with the children, and between the four of us, I am sure we can conceive of a proper way to apologize for leaving them behind once this unpleasantness has finally been resolved.

"Unfortunately, there is little else we can do for now. Our current plan is to enter Torna's interior in the early afternoon, with an estimated travel time of two to four hours, depending on the condition of the Skygate Highway. Assuming good fortune, we should arrive at the Soaring Rostrum well before the evening.

"There is no latitude for failure in this battle; if we are unable to slay him, it is the world that will pay the price."

Brighid quickly jotted down the important information from the passage. At this point, most of it was a repeat; the fact that there were two Aegises, as well as their identities, had been made clear early on. So too had Dame Lora and her Blades, one of whom was alarmingly familiar to her.

However, some of the new information about the relationship between the female Aegis and the children that had been accompanying them was useful. The prior Brighid had mentioned that Mythra had been close to one of the boys, Milton, in particular.

The fact that a disagreement between them had been enough to distract the Aegis on the eve of her final battle was interesting, and frankly reminded her of how Morag had sulked when the then-eight-year-old Niall had refused to talk to her after she had been pulled away from the Imperial retreat on Somalta for her training as Special Inquisitor.

Looking over her additions to the notes, Brighid nodded in satisfaction. "I believe I have everything important transcribed. She told her counterpart. "Please proceed to the next page."

"Of course, my lady." Aegaeon agreed, turning the page. "I am aware we are nearing the end, but perhaps your prior incarnation took the time to… oh." He said, his face falling.

"What is it?" Brighid asked, confused about his sudden change in behavior.

"That… is the end of the journal." He said, eyes looking over the page again. "The next entry is merely a note written by Special Inquisitor Vill Ethelmar stating that he received our Core Crystals along with Emperor Hugo's remains." His expression tightened as he read it again. "It is dated to the same day as the final entry by your former self."

"I… see." She replied, taken aback. Brighid had known academically that they were killed during the fall of Torna alongside their Driver, but to read it through the journals, it seemed so… abrupt.

The her who had written that journal had been so confident that they would succeed. She had been making plans for what she would do once the war was over. And yet, in the end, all that amounted to was a dry note that she was killed the same day, with those plans left unfulfilled.

Was this how her partnership with Morag would end as well? Would her current journal too end with such a depressing note, putting her plans, her dreams, to such an abrupt end?

Those thoughts stuck with her as she exchanged platitudes with Aegaeon, promising to meet with him the next time they had the opportunity, and finally ended the call. Regardless of how unsettled she was, she had a job to do.

Slowly, she made her way out of the secluded room where she had taken the call and back to the Consul's office, where her Driver was hopefully finding just as much success in finding information on the Aegis' apparent companions.

In the hallway just outside the office, she passed Dughall, who was attempting to listen in on Morag's call without being obvious, but was doing an exceptionally poor job at both. His Blade, Dolmes, noticed her as she approached and hastily tapped his Driver on the shoulder.

The man brushed his hand away, making a rude gesture at the Blade for the effort. Suppressing a grin at the panicked look that Dolmes somehow managed to convey on his ostensibly non-emotive face, Brighid spoke up.

"Good day, Consul." She said in the most authoritative tone she could manage, enjoying how the man seemed to jump straight up at her voice. "Do you require anything of Lady Morag?"

"L-lady Brighid!" He sputtered, turning around so abruptly that he nearly struck the doorframe with is nose. "I- that is-!"

She merely raised an eyebrow as the man attempted to collect himself. "I'm afraid Lady Morag is occupied at the moment. If you require anything, please place the request with the marine detachment, and they will forward it to her."

Dughall wiped his brow, more than eager to take the opportunity to flee. "I-I will be sure to do that, Lady Brighid." He replied, before rushing away as fast as he could manage while attempting to seem calm.

His Blade followed behind him, giving the Jewel of Mor Ardain an apologetic look. Brighid felt for the other Blade; she truly did. She couldn't imagine being chained to such an incompetent oaf.

Seeing that he was gone, the fire Blade quietly slipped into the office, careful to ensure she didn't disrupt the call.

"…is afraid not have any more information." The Nopon in the communication terminal said apologetically.

"Do not apologize, investigator Niranira." Morag consoled. "The information you have provided is more than adequate for my purposes."

"That make Niranira feel better." The Nopon replied. "Please inform Rex to contact when next meet. Testimony important for Niranira's investigation of incident."

Morag gave him a polite smile that, to Brighid, was quite obviously strained. "I will attempt to do so, investigator. Thank you for your time."

"That all Niranira can ask for." He sighed. "Special Inquisitor have good day."

As the terminal went dark, Morag came to her feet, giving her Blade a pleased look. "I trust your call was as successful as mine was?"

"Indeed, Lady Morag." She replied, holding up the notepad. "I was able to get far more information out of the journal than I had anticipated, although not all of it was good."

"Exactly how bad are we talking?" Morag asked, a frown forming on her face.

Deciding to just pull the bandage off, she began. "To begin with, I was able to confirm that there were indeed two Aegises during the war, not one."

"As we suspected." Morag grimaced.

"One was named Mythra, the Aegis we are familiar with from history." She continued, looking over the notes. Mythra was exactly what she had been expecting when she began searching. Her counterpart, on the other hand… "The other, however, was Malos, the rogue Blade of the Praetor."

Her Driver's eyes widened in surprise, which Brighid had expected. Malos was a known historical figure, a former Blade of Praetor Amalthus who had broken free of his Driver's control and rampaged across the world.

The exact nature of his reign of terror, or how a Driverless Blade managed to cause so much damage, had been a hotly debated topic amongst scholars for centuries. So many records from the war had been lost that a clear picture no longer existed outside the pages of Blade journals such as Brighid's, or perhaps the archives of Indol.

Some things were known, of course; the Blade had commanded legions of strange weapons, generally believed to have been recovered from Judicium, a kindgom that had fallen as far in the past during the Aegis War as the war was now. He was often speculated to have been a Flesh Eater as well, an easy means of explaining how he could match the Architect's personal Blade in combat.

There were circles that had suggested the idea that he too was an Aegis, misusing the same divine power as his counterpart to bring ruin to the world, but that was considered a fringe theory at best. To learn that it may be the truth was a surprise, to say the least.

"That… certainly explains much." Morag said, reigning in her surprise. "Were there descriptions of them in the journals?"

Brighid nodded. "There were. Mythra's description matches the girl on the bounty sheet almost perfectly; there is no doubt that she is the one being hunted by the Consul or his paymaster." She gave Morag an inquisitive look, which was matched by a nod of confirmation.

"The other," She continued somewhat hesitantly, "His description matches another bounty, a more official one." She replied. "I do not believe I need to tell you who."

Her Driver gave a look of confusion for just a brief moment before all color drained from her face. "You can't possibly mean…?" She said, tensing in alarm.

"Yes." Brighid confirmed. "The Malos believed to be one of the leaders of Torna is a close match to the description of the Aegis Malos from five hundred years ago."

Until now, it had merely been assumed that the Malos running Torna had merely adopted the name of the historical figure as an alias, a tacky move if not an original one. But if that wasn't the case? If the two were one and the same? That drastically increased the threat level for both himself and the organization he commanded.

"That is…" Morag said, trying to think of the best way to describe it, "Extremely worrying. Do you have any other evidence?"

"Regrettably, I do." She admitted. "His co-leader, Jin, matches the description of the Paragon of Torna, a Blade passed through the Royal family of Torna much like myself and Aegaeon. I believe he may have obtained Jin's Core Crystal at some point after the end of the war. I cannot say for sure who his Driver may be in that case, though.

Her own Driver was silent for a moment as she processed the information. "If that is true, then it means that Torna is a far more serious threat than previously anticipated." She said after a moment. "But if it is, then why go after the other Aegis…?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, clearing her line of thought. "We cannot afford to jump to conclusions with this matter. However, even the possibility that the leader of Torna is another Aegis means that finding the boy is of even greater importance." Looking over at Brighid, she added, "He isn't mentioned in the journals, I assume?"

Brighid shook her head. "No, he isn't. I still have no explanation for what I observed him doing, but he is definitely not one of the two Aegises."

"I see." Morag replied, a stressed frown on her face. "Regardless of how he is affiliated with this 'Mythra', it is crucial that we learn what he knows about their current dispositions."

"Of that, we are in agreement." Brighid said. "If I may suggest, he seemed willing to cooperate prior to our attempt to apprehend the Torna girl—perhaps we could…?" She trailed off, leaving the implication in the air.

Morag gave a curt nod of agreement. "Perhaps." She replied, taking a long look out the window of the office. "Before I can make that decision, however, I would like your opinion on what I learned from Investigator Niranira…"


"Where did he get off to this time?" Nia complained as she wandered through the Grodd market. She was really regretting not having specified a specific shop to meet up at, even though she hadn't remembered the names of any.

Her quest to find a ship off Gormott had gone about as well as it had in Dornswell. Because of 'heightened security concerns', all ships had to undergo extensive inspections prior to departure, including verifying the identities of everyone on the passenger manifests. She had no doubt that if they attempted to sneak out that way, they would be caught in short order.

Not even the less… above-the-board ships were willing to take the risk of sneaking through the inspections, much to her chagrin; what was the point of being a smuggler if you were unwilling to smuggle willing passengers!?

So, she had eventually given in and headed for the market, hoping to quickly find Rex and get their conversation over with, something that was proving far more difficult than anticipated. In retrospect, she probably should have realized that their disguises would make finding each other more difficult.

The market was packed, too; even knowing the color wig he was wearing, it would take all day to find him just by walking around. Although, she noted that while there were Ardainian soldiers present, there weren't any Drivers, and Rex seemed to be particularly sensitive to ether fluctuations…

As casually as she could, she slipped behind a nearby column, careful to make sure she wasn't observed. Much as Nia wasn't fond of the Ardainian colonial architecture that made up the district, making this end of the harbor look like an Alba Cavanich hewn from wood rather than wrought of iron, the plentiful columns served as a useful means to break line of sight.

She placed a hand against her chest as she focused, the slight pressure on her Core Crystal keeping her grounded as she ever-so-slightly released the grip on her Driver form for just a moment.

It wasn't enough to revert to her Blade form, not even close, but the slip did cause a ripple of ether she could feel even with her Driver form's reduced ether sensitivity.

After that, it was simply a matter of moving a short distance away and keeping an eye out for any blond Gormotti that might actually be a brunet Leftherian in disguise coming to investigate.

She didn't have to wait long, either. Only a few minutes after generating the pulse, she spotted what she was reasonably sure was the disguised Rex. He was looking around in confusion, the static ears of his wig making it especially clear that they were fake.

"Got my message, then?" She said, wandering up behind him.

He turned around, giving her a look of confusion. "That was you?" He asked. "How did you…?"

"Trade secret." She replied, enjoying the look of confused frustration her non-answer brought.

"Right…" Rex said, scratching the back of his head. "So, where should we…?"

Nia pointed vaguely flankward, along the length of the harbor. "Let's head to the end of the pier." She said. "There shouldn't be a lot of people over there."

"Sounds like a plan." Rex agreed, letting the girl lead them away from the crowd.

As they walked, Nia could see that her companion was watching both the crowd and the architecture around them. She couldn't blame him; on this side of the harbor, the realities of Ardainian rule were apparent.

The market that they had met up at was in the heart of the Ardainian settler's district. While it was smaller than the cafe row on the top level, it was still large, with the buildings clearly in good condition, better even than those in Torigoth's main square.

Further towards the harbor was a residential block, occupied mostly by settlers. Like the market, the area was in good repair, with everything constructed in Ardainian colonial style.

Beyond that, adjacent to the warehouses near the end of the pier, was a residential area devoted to the native Gormotti. While it was in better condition than those on the other side of the harbor, the houses here were clearly not as well kept as those of the settlers.

She could see the considerate look on his face as he observed a family leaving their home. What did he see when he looked at them—Gormotti dressed in Ardainian fashion, living in the shadow of the Ardainian occupation?

The expression didn't leave his face even when they left the residential area, passing the warehouses until they reached the very end of the pier. They sat down next to an abandoned salvage crane, their feet hanging off the edge above the clouds below.

In the distance, the World Tree loomed, the gathering clouds of a rainstorm slowly obscuring it from view. She wondered idly if Tora would be activating Poppi tonight, should that storm reach Gormott.

After a few minutes of silence, Rex spoke up. "So, ah…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm not really sure how to start."

Nia sighed in frustration, but she had been expecting it. "Let me then." She said, looking over at the boy.

"I want to start by saying that I still think you were super reckless the other day." The girl began, drawing a frown from Rex. "Blasting the Special Inquisitor's Blade like that was unnecessary."

Before the boy could retort, she continued. "But… I understand that you weren't aware of just how bad an idea it was; honestly, I should have warned you earlier. So… sorry for blowing up at you like that."

Rex stared at her for a moment, waiting to see if she would continue. When she didn't, he looked away, chewing on his lip for a moment.

"I guess I was pretty reckless, huh?" The boy admitted with a sigh. "It's just… I understand that it seems like everyone is after the Aegis, that I should just keep my head down, but… I don't know how to do that."

"You… don't know how to… keep your head down?" Nia asked, thoroughly confused.

Rex nodded. "I've never been able to stand back." He admitted, looking up at the clouds. "Architect knows Gramps has always been on me for it, but when someone's in trouble, or someone says something that rubs me the wrong way…"

He didn't need to finish. "I can understand that." Nia replied, crossing her arms behind her head. "There's always times when I just really want to thrash someone real good for what they've done. Being a Driver definitely helps, since it gives deniability about what you can do, but even then, people like us need to be careful."

"You keep saying that." Rex commented, looking back at her. "But I still don't understand why. The other night you made it sound like it's Indol that we need to watch out for, but why? What exactly do they do?"

Nia sighed, pulling her legs up and hugging them as she looked out across the Cloud Sea. "To explain that, I should probably start by telling you about some of my encounters with them." She said, beginning her tale.


"Storm look promising! Should be able to wake Poppi up tonight!" Tora exclaimed with excitement as he adjusted the wiring connecting to the artificial Blade. "Was not worried since still in stormy season, but excited to get chance so soon!"

"It certainly is beneficial." Dromarch agreed, lounging near the entrance to Tora's lab. With Nia out in disguise, Dromarch had been forced to stay behind and had decided to keep the Nopon company.

Tora waddled over to the control console and began fiddling around with the dials. "Just need get personality settings right!" He said happily. "Kept all of Dadapon and Grampypon's settings, but not want mix up with Tora's!"

"Would it truly be so bad, using the settings of your father and grandfather?" Dromarch asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dadapon and Grampypon… not known for restraint." The Nopon admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Yes, let personal interests influence work too much!"

The tiger gave him a half-lidded stare. "And I suppose that the contents of the armoire beside you are not indicative of you sharing such proclivities yourself, master Tora?" He said in a dry tone.

"T-that totally different situation!" Tora defended, sweating profusely. "Just result of Tora trying to find best look for Poppi! Is totally innocent!"

Dromarch was prepared to continue ribbing the poor Nopon when he heard the sound of footsteps outside Tora's door. He turned around, nose raised to catch the scent of whoever was approaching.

"What Dromarch doing!?" Tora hissed, looking wide-eyed at the Tiger. "Need to hide in corridor!"

The tiger shot him an unamused stare. "And how, good sir, am I supposed to open it without hands?"

"Jump up to loft, then!" He pointed up frantically. "Friend just need get out of sight!"

With the sound of the incoming visitors quickly increasing, Dromarch didn't need any prodding. The tiger scampered up the ladder and backed himself as far into Tora's bedroom as he could fit.

As he did, he could hear Tora hastily closing off his lab. Honestly, at times like this, the tiger couldn't help but wonder why Tora had built his lab out in the middle of his house. If he was so invested in keeping Poppi a secret, wouldn't it have made more sense to have placed the lab inside his hidden corridor?

Just as Tora finished closing the lab off, the sound of footsteps halted, and a loud knock came from the door. The Nopon nearly leapt up to join Dromarch at the sound, rushing over to the door to answer it.

Cautiously, he cracked the door open and peered out. "Hello?" He asked, regretting that he was too short to use the peephole.

The door was suddenly flung open, knocking the Nopon backward. Above him, Dromarch tensed in anticipation for a possible fight.

Standing in the door were two familiar Blades, the criminals that Rex and his Driver had fought the other night. As they casually sauntered into the house, the tiger's lip curled in frustration. How had they found them? He didn't believe that Tora had sold them out; the way they had barged in made him think they were unaffiliated, but…

"Hello there~" The water Blade, Praxis, purred as she approached the owner of the house. "Tora, is it?"

The Nopon, who was still pushing himself to his feet, nervously looked up at the Blade. "W-who asking?" He replied, trying his best to keep his voice steady.

Ignoring his reply, the water Blade sauntered up to him. "A mutual friend of ours said you made contact with a person of interest the other day. We would like to… have a chat about them, if you will."

Behind her, Theory slowly wandered into the dining area of the house. From Dromarch's perspective, it seemed as if she was looking for clues of any sort.

He was glad that his Lady and master Rex had stowed their belongings in the hidden corridor, currently under the guard of Azurda. If any were still there, they could pose questions that he suspected the Nopon could not answer.

"M-mutual friend…?" Tora murmured, eyes wide. "Meaniepon mean Turuni, yes? Tora already told entire story! Not have anything else to give!"

Praxis merely grinned at his words. "Really? Well, we happen to have learned that some of the facts you reported to him were… how should I put it, less than accurate. Turuni was very unhappy to learn that, you understand."

The color drained from Tora's face at her words. "T-Tora not lie to Turuni! What information inaccurate!?"

"My sister and I fought the Aegis' Driver and his little friend the other night, you see." She elaborated. "But, despite your claim that he had a second Blade, we found no such thing."

"A-Aegis' Driver?" He asked in confusion. "Tora not understand."

Praxis hummed in disappointment. "So you weren't even aware, huh?"

From the dining area, Theory spoke up. "Turuni must have kept the knowledge restricted to the apprehension teams only." She speculated. "The client was paying to keep the Aegis' identity quiet."

"Right, right." The water Blade acknowledged. "In that case, let me try again. The sword the salvager boy was using? It's the Aegis' weapon. Why were you trying to claim it belonged to some non-existent animal Blade?"

Tora's wings flapped in agitation. "Animal Blade real!" He insisted. "Have Core Crystal and everything! Tora admit, not completely certain sword Blade's weapon, but saw Blade, saw weapon, and two and two together!"

Praxis stared him straight in the eye for several seconds, as if trying to determine if he was telling the truth, before relenting.

"I told you this was a waste of time." Theory remarked, seemingly satisfied that there was nothing of interest in the dining area.

"Yeah yeah." Her sister Blade waved off. "It was always a long shot, but I figured that at least-"

Both Blades suddenly went stock still, to the confusion of both Tora and the hidden Dromarch. The tiger followed their eyes as they tracked down below the table, where a soft blue light had begun to shine.

To Dromarch's quickly increasing alarm, Theory bent down under the table, only to quickly return holding a dreadfully familiar blue waterproof satchel, the source of the light shining from within.

"Hello…" Praxis commented, grabbing Tora by the shoulder and dragging him into the dining area. "What do we have here?"

Dromarch understood exactly what they had. That was Rex's bag; the boy must have forgotten to stow it away before he and Nia had left. And if he had to guess, that light would be…

Theory turned the bag inside out, dumping the contents on the table. Out of it spilled a pile of salvaging paraphernalia, personal items, and most importantly, a Core Crystal, its soft glow the source of the light that had drawn their attention.

While the Core Crystal certainly seemed of interest to the two Blades, unsurprisingly considering what they were known for, Praxis instead focused on the other contents of the bag.

"Let's see… air cylinders, emergency air supply, a dive compass… Why Tora, Turuni didn't inform me you were a salvager!" She chirped dangerously.

"T-Tora not!" The Nopon insisted. "Tora merely… grab bag from pawn shop! Was collateral being sold to recoup loss!"

"That's a surprise... some of this stuff is in pretty good shape." The water Blade commented. "And the Core Crystal… that would have sold for plenty of money on its own. Now why would a pawn shop vendor not sell it separately?"

She picked up a folded photograph, and flicked it open as she waited for the Nopon to reply. The glimmer of excitement in her eyes as she saw the contents of it made it clear to Dromarch that the girl already knew who the bag belonged to.

"Ah, that is…" Even from the loft, Dromarch could see the sweat pouring down the Nopon's brow. "He… um, c-couldn't get the bag open?"

Praxis looked back at the Nopon in her grip, a slight giggle escaping her at his obvious lie. "How misfortune." She replied, her predatory grin causing Tora to shrink in on himself. "I would certainly like to know the name of the pawn shop that couldn't even cut open a bag, just so I can avoid it in the future."

Realizing that his attempt at deception had failed, Tora merely quivered in place quietly.

With a victorious grin, the water Blade flipped the photograph around, showing its contents to the Nopon. Dromarch was too far away to see exactly what was on it, but he could make a guess.

"So, do you want to tell me how the Aegis' Driver's bag ended up in your home?" She asked with a bit more force. As she did, Theory began searching around again, this time exploring closer to the lab area.

The ice Blade was ignoring her counterpart's interrogation of the Nopon as she pulled aside the curtain into the lab. Dromarch couldn't see her anymore from his angle, but he could hear her mutter to herself as she caught sight of Poppi.

"'Not amount to much', huh?" The girl commented. "Perhaps the boss will want us to come back for this."

He kept still as she resumed searching around, looking down at Tora and Praxis. The Nopon was in clear distress, but Dromarch was hardly in a position to assist him. He could probably give Tora a chance to run, but unless his Lady and master Rex returned, he didn't appreciate his chances of winning a fight.

A creak of the ladder leading up to the loft made it clear that he probably wasn't going to have much of a choice, though. There wasn't much space up here, and while he wasn't visible from the ground, anyone who climbed up here would arrive almost face-to-face with him.

Dromarch tensed the muscles in his legs as the ice Blade's hair appeared over the lip of the loft's floor, ready to pounce the moment she climbed up.

Theory's hair was quickly followed by her eyes, which widened at the sight of a massive tiger just a hair's breadth from her face. "You're…!" She cried in alarm, drawing the attention of her sister Blade.

Before she could finish her statement, Dromarch pounced with a mighty roar, sending both Blades tumbling to the floor.


Nia's first run-in with the Praetorium's enforcers occurred two years after she buried her father.

She had left Echell shortly after the funeral had ended, headed for the far reaches of Gormott. Although she technically still owned the small property she and her father had lived in since losing the estate to repay his debts, she couldn't remain.

When he had passed, she had been a Flesh Eater for four years, and while her human body had matured slightly in that time, it had done so far slower than could be easily explained away. Not to the townsfolk, with whom she frequently interacted, nor to her relatives, who were under the impression that she was a normal girl.

That, and it hurt to stay. The small property may not have been the family estate, but it had become home over the last few years as her father sought to make true their familial bond that had once been a mere cover story. With him gone, with her sister gone, it wasn't home anymore, just an empty house filled with heartbreaking silence.

Taking what few belongings remained, she and Dromarch spent months traveling Gormott, taking bounties and odd jobs to stay afloat, before finally settling down in an idyllic little town near the Titan's rump named Mirma.

It was predominantly an agricultural settlement, the town mostly existing to provide amenities for the ranchers who drove herds of Anlood up the slopes of the Greatspine Mountains. It seemed an odd place for her to settle down, yet the constant threat of predators hunting the local herds meant that her combat skills were in high demand.

She had quickly become a well-known figure in the town, being the only Driver in the region. Any skepticism about the outsider that had moved into their small town vanished after she began turning in bounties on infamous monsters that had preyed on the herds, the town's lifeblood, for decades.

By the end of the year, it was as if she had lived there her entire life. Shopkeepers greeted her warmly when she went out for supplies. Townsfolk would stop her as she walked down the street, thanking her for saving their herds or healing an injured family member.

During the Festival of Crossings, the local lord had even introduced her to his son, rather transparently testing the waters for a potential betrothal. She still didn't know how the man had discovered her official heritage, but the fact that he introduced her by her full name made it clear he had.

It all came to an end one warm spring evening as she returned from hunting a pack of Feris that had been hunting one of the larger herds in the area. As she walked beside Dromarch, discussing what the reward money should be used for, a dozen Indoline Monks stepped out of the nearby alleyways and surrounded them.

To this day, she still had no idea how they had heard of her. She hadn't been in town long enough for her slow aging to become suspect, and she had no enemies that she knew of. Ultimately, how it happened was irrelevant, as they came for her all the same.

In the middle of the street, as a crowd of concerned onlookers gathered, the leader of the monks had read out her sentence: Execution for the crime of devouring her Driver. They didn't even allow her the opportunity to speak, much less defend herself from the accusations, before falling upon her.

She fought her hardest against them, but quickly found the monks to be more than a match for her, despite not being Drivers themselves. No doubt, they were well-equipped to handle Flesh Eaters such as her.

Outnumbered, she was forced to escape rather than fight. For all their martial skill, they had failed to take into account the environment around them, and had cornered her near a stack of boxes left over from the farmer's market the day before. Using it as a springboard, she was able to leap to the roof.

The monks pursued her relentlessly. Despite leveraging her familiarity with the local terrain in an attempt to evade them, her hunters were always just a step behind her. They chased her for days, from one end of the Titan to the other, before she made a desperate decision to seek refuge in the lower levels.

Ultimately, it was the monk's decision to follow her down that allowed her to finally slip their pursuit. She had been unable to keep track of the tidal cycle while on the run, and had only been on the lower level for a few hours when it began to rise, with both her and her pursuers far away from any safe route back.

She didn't know what happened to the monks after the first cloud wave washed over the bog she had been hiding in, but it was the last time she saw them on the Titan. What followed was a harrowing night as she and Dromarch were forced to navigate twisting animal tunnels beneath the Greatspine Mountains in the dark in a desperate race to keep ahead of the tide.

Eventually, they reached the back of Gormott once again, only a few hours outside of a small fishing village near Seigle Fell. Not wanting to wait and see if the monks had survived, she had boarded a fishing trawler willing to drop her off at a nearby minor Titan and never looked back.

She spent months running, moving from Titan to Titan, never spending more than a week or two in one place. In an attempt to blend in, she changed her look: Her waist-length hair, previously still kept in low twintails similar to her Blade form, was trimmed down to her mid-back and left in a simple braid. She discarded her old clothes, a sturdy yet fashionable traveling dress in typical Gormotti style her father had bought her, in exchange for more generic garb. She even added a hood, which she used to disguise her features.

After nearly half a year without being found, she began to relax. She was still wary, but the constant traveling had taken its toll on her mental health. In the end, she decided to settle down for a little while and actually plan for the future at the next major settlement she encountered.

That ended up being Ekthra, the capital and only city on a mid-sized avian Titan named Mynis. It was a peculiar place, inhabited by a people of similar stock to the native Tantalese, sharing their pointed ears but with a coloration more akin to the Ardainians.

Surprisingly, for a Titan of its size, Mynis had very little need for mercenary Drivers. There was little monster activity on the Titan, and while there was a sizable Tirkin population living near the tail, the birdmen were largely peaceful. Having learned the value of trade centuries before, the local Tirkin raised Taos for feathers and eggs, which they exchanged with the local humans for supplies and equipment they could not produce themselves.

Despite the peaceful nature of the Titan, there was still a need for healers. Ekthra was not a small city, and when Nia arrived, it was contending with an outbreak of Hiln Flu.

Unlike Mirma, she did not become a well-known name among the locals, preferring to stay under the radar after how things had turned out before. Despite that, she had at least become popular in the clinic she began working in, helping the beleaguered medical staff get the outbreak in their part of the city under control in record time.

There was a certain satisfaction that Nia got from healing. She wasn't sure if it was a holdover from her origins as a Blade, or if it was just that she liked to help people, but something about the work was fulfilling in a way that hunting monsters wasn't. That wasn't to say she preferred it to fighting, but it was a different sort of enjoyment.

She had found herself getting along well with the other staff members at the clinic. Unlike Mirma, she wasn't the only Driver; the head clinician, a middle-aged Mynisian man with a common female Blade, was as well. While Nia wouldn't say that she was exactly friends with the man, they at least had a good rapport.

Eventually, the Praetorium found her. This time, she heard the whispers that they were here before they attempted to apprehend her. Indoline monks were an uncommon sight on most Titans, only being dispatched from their home on special missions, so in a city the size of Ekthra, their presence was quickly noticed.

Nia saw the writing on the wall, and made sure she had an emergency bag with her at all times so that she wouldn't be left with nothing when she was inevitably forced to flee. She had left everything behind during her escape from Mirma and didn't wish to repeat the experience.

Two days after the rumors began to circulate, Dromarch woke her in the small hours of the morning, having smelled intruders in the apartment block she was living in. Even with her preparations, Nia barely had the chance to grab her bag before her door was kicked in.

Dromarch, bless him, had been ready for them and replied to their intrusion with a Wild Roar that threw the entire group back down the stairs. It didn't distract them for long, but it was enough for her to escape out the window with the tiger in tow.

She didn't risk leaving the city, instead choosing to hide near the docks and gather information. This turned out to be a good choice, as the hunting party had stationed a team at both the main gates and the harbor, ready to capture her as she attempted to flee.

Instead, they waited until their guard dropped a few days later, when the lack of any sightings of her drove them to begin searching the smaller settlements on the Titan. With her hunters distracted, Nia and Dromarch managed to conceal themselves within a crate of luxury goods bound for the Pyrithium Trade Guild and escape undetected.

Granted, she could have done without spending a week stuck in a crate with Dromarch, but she understood the necessity of making sacrifices at times.

After her second escape, she no longer took risks in her attempts to keep beneath the Praetorium's notice. She changed her look again; her hair now cut to a more androgynous shoulder-length bob, and her fitted traveling clothes discarded in favor of the shapeless yellow jumpsuit that disguised her profile.

She stayed away from large Titans, which were more likely to have an Indoline presence, and she never stayed in the same place for more than a week at a time. When she needed money, she would take extermination missions, but always stuck to the smaller, less distinguishable jobs.

There was no time to relax, no time to rest; she was always on the road, always on the run. Whenever there was even so much as a hint of the Praetorium being active in the area, be it a diplomatic mission or a preacher visiting a local church, she would immediately run.

And it seemed to work. For two years, she evaded their notice, traveling the world without a destination in mind. There was no planning or logic to her path, no pattern that her hunters could pick up on; she merely took the first departing ship that wasn't going to a major Titan, regardless of its destination.

Despite that, she still must have become predictable, because just a few months before meeting Rex, her luck ran out and she was captured as she arrived at a new Titan.

Kubar was tiny, barely even large enough to hold the small port town of the same name that had been built atop it. Despite that, it served as an important waystation from which the Urayan Army supplied its forces based on Temperantia.

All that mattered to Nia was that it was small and out of the way, to her a perfect destination. Not that she had planned to stay for long, mind you; maybe a day or so at most.

Nia had barely slept on the trip, her paranoia having been set off by the strange tension among the crew of the ship. In retrospect, she couldn't help but wonder if they had been aware of what she was and of the trap that had been waiting for her. Were that the case, she couldn't blame them for being nervous; with the tales the Praetorium spread about Flesh Eaters, they were probably terrified she would discover the trap awaiting her and turn on them.

There was no warning when the trap was sprung. One minute, she and Dromarch were stepping off the gangplank onto dry land; the next, they had both been ensnared in ether nets. In her exhausted state, she hadn't even been able to hear the nets being fired.

It was only after it was clear they weren't going to be able to break free of the nets that the monks finally deigned to show themselves. As she struggled, desperate to escape her confines, the leader of the monks loudly announced her alleged crimes to the entire harbor.

Without further ceremony, the monks dragged her and Dromarch to a waiting ship to be sent to Indol for disposal. She continued to struggle fruitlessly the entire trip, trying not to pay attention to the looks that the inhabitants of the Titan had given her, some of scorn, others pity, but all wary of what she might do if she escaped.

She was locked in a metal cell, her only company the pulsating emitters of the ether suppression field that prevented her from escaping. She could feel that Dromarch was being kept nearby, but no amount of pounding on the walls allowed them to communicate.

There was no way to tell for sure how long she remained in that cell. Logically, it couldn't have been more than a few days, yet while inside, with nothing to determine the passage of time beyond her heartbeat, it may as well have been centuries.

Left completely without stimulus, for they didn't even provide her with meals during her incarceration, she could only reminisce on the happy times with the Driver that had become her sister. Of the days they spent wandering the gardens of the manor, or reading of far-distant Titans in her father's library, back when her healing was still able to keep up with Eirian's illness.

She was so deep in her memories that she nearly missed the first signs that the ship was under attack. In her defense, the initial jolt was subtle, enough that it could be mistaken for normal turbulence.

The alarms sounding, however, could not.

Nia had held no illusions that she would be rescued. Even as she heard the screams of the dying guards approaching her cell, she had believed that still, whoever was attacking the ship would at best leave her to rot in the cell while they completed whatever objective had brought them there.

It wasn't until the door opened, and a man in silver armor offered her his hand, that she felt a glimmer of hope at her situation. That maybe, she could find a place for herself in the world, free of fear of the Praetorium.


"That's…" Rex muttered as he processed her words. He had known the girl had baggage with the Praetorium; it was hard not to with her demeanor regarding it.

But hearing some of the details, even a clearly abbreviated version of them? He couldn't imagine how it must have been to be chased for literal years like that; just two days running from the Ardainians had already strained his nerves!

"Yeah." Nia replied, eyes lowered as she idly kicked her dangling feet. "It's a lot, I know, but…"

Her shoulders sagged in exhaustion, and certainly not the physical sort. "What happened to me? It's not unique, not for people like us. When I was on the run, I never met another Flesh Eater, but I heard the stories. There were definitely occasions when I had a near-miss with Indoline monks that weren't after me."

She looked up at the sky, which was steadily darkening with the approaching storm. "And when I joined Torna, I heard more. I told you before that everyone except Malos was a Blade-human hybrid of some type, yeah?"

Rex tried to recall if she had. "I… think so?" He replied uncertainly. "I know Gramps talked about Jin being a Flesh Eater, and you mentioned that everyone in Torna had problems with Indol…"

"Right." Nia confirmed. "So, besides myself, Jin, and Malos, there were three other members of Torna. Two of them, Akhos and Patroka, are also Flesh Eaters."

"What are they like?"

"Frustrating." Nia replied. "Akhos is an arrogant jerk who likes to act like everything is one of his terribly-written plays. Patroka is a neurotic combat junkie who acts like everyone has personally offended her."

Rex blinked at the description. "That, uh… sounds rough."

"I… didn't exactly always get along with the other members." Nia admitted. "But the important part is that their experiences were just like mine." She sighed. "Patroka wasn't the type to talk about stuff like that, but Akhos was. He had… a lot to say about their situation, but ultimately their experience was pretty much the same as mine, down to being rescued by Jin."

"'Situation', singular?" He asked. "So, they were caught together?"

Nia nodded. "I guess you wouldn't know, but they're… siblings, kind of?" She tilted her head. "Or at least, that's how Akhos always liked to phrase it; Patroka couldn't give less of a damn. I don't really know the story behind it, but it meant that they stuck together before Jin found them."

"I see."

"And as for Mikhail, the last member," she said, "he's like you. A Blade Eater, I mean."

Rex gave her a surprised look. "Really?" He had learned a fair bit about Flesh Eaters thanks to Gramps, but because of their rarity even the old Titan knew little about Blade Eaters. As such, he was interested to learn that Nia had actually known one.

"Yeah." She confirmed. "I know even less about his background, beyond what he is, but I know he's had just as much trouble with the Praetorium as any of the rest of us."

The boy frowned at the knowledge, but was unsurprised considering what he had heard. "So his story was the same as the others, then? Captured by the Praetorium and rescued by Jin?"

"I… don't actually know." Nia admitted. "I know that he was hunted for at least some time, but he's apparently been with Jin and Malos for so long that-"

She suddenly stopped talking, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What was… Dromarch?"

Rex leaned up, giving the girl a concerned look. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"I-I don't know." She muttered, standing up. "Dromarch… I can feel something over our bond."

"Is he in trouble?" Rex asked, coming to his feet as well. "Maybe we should head back."

She gave a slow nod of agreement. "I don't like this. I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it."

They quickly departed the end of the pier, heading for the nearest bridge across the harbor. As they walked, the first raindrops of the approaching storm struck the ground around them, giving them an excuse to move faster without drawing attention.

As they reached the bridge, Nia went stiff, her eyes widened. Rex noticed her behavior, and gave her a look of concern. Before he could ask, however, the girl hissed in alarm.

"He's fighting." She said, breaking into a run as she crossed the harbor. "I can feel the ether cycling through the passive affinity link! There's no other reason he'd be using this much ether right now!"

They both abandoned any pretense of subtlety as they sprinted across the bridge and down into the lower levels of the residential block, pushing their way through the crowds of Gormotti natives returning home to hide from the oncoming storm.

Even without using ether to bolster their speed, they were able to keep a steady pace, yet the maze-like streets of the multilevel district made navigation difficult for the pair, one of whom was new to Torigoth and the other whose internal map was years out of date.

It didn't help that Tora's house was at the very bottom of the district, sequestered off in a corner. The isolation was useful for hiding, but it quickly became apparent that the secrecy came with a cost.

Finally, after wasting precious time backtracking after taking wrong turns, they reached the bridge connecting the district to the condemned building that Tora had claimed for himself. They raced down the corridor to the front door and found it open—not a promising sign.

Inside, the situation was worse. The front section of the house was in disarray, tables knocked over and their contents scattered across the floor. The curtain to Tora's lab was thrown open, and while Poppi was mostly undisturbed, that was more than could be said for everything else in the lab. It looked like a bomb had gone off, with the surfaces closest to the door covered in soot.

Half of the dining area was filled with ice, a miniature glacier sprouting from a corner of the room obstructing the hidden door to the escape corridor. Half-buried in the ice was Dromarch, who looked like he had been caught mid-pounce.

"Dromarch!" Nia called, rushing up to her Blade. "What happened here!?"

"My Lady." The tiger replied regretfully. "I must apologize for my failure."

Rex caught up to her, placing his hands against the ice and immediately pushing light ether into it. The ice around the tiger began to melt as the light reflected through the internal structure, but it was slow going.

He was kind of wishing he could use fire ether right about now. That certainly would have been useful.

"Don't apologize." The girl rebuked, summoning a new pair of Twin Rings. "This ice, was it those two Blade criminals again?"

The tiger twitched his head, the ice preventing him from actually nodding. "They came to question master Tora about his report to the broker." He explained. "He deflected them as much as possible, but they found master Rex's bag, and…"

"Titan's foot!" The boy spat, an apologetic look on his face. "I forgot to store it away!"

Nia closed her eyes in frustration, muttering something under her breath, but the boy was unable to catch it. "What about Tora? Did he escape?" She asked, taking an experimental swing at the ice with her weapons.

"He did not." Dromarch replied with a downcast expression. "Those Blades, Praxis and Theory, bound him and took him with them. They… they left a note pinned to the back of the door."

Curious, Rex glanced over to the front door, where he could see an icicle stabbed into the wood. Nia, less involved in the task of actually freeing her Blade, walked over and pulled the slip of paper attached to it off.

"'Driver of the Aegis,'" she read, "'We have your Nopon friend. If you want to see him alive again, meet us at Zeno's Deadbole at midnight. Come alone, or the Nopon gets it.'"


Author's Notes

Remember how the female party members in Torna kept joking about Aegaeon being a natural ladykiller? Well, I certainly do! He's not particularly well fleshed-out in base game 2, so I've leaned a lot on his characterization from the prequel.

Figuring out exactly what modern Alrest knows about the events of the Aegis War is a pain due to the conflicting information, but I've tried my best to hack together an explanation that is workable.

From in-game dialogue, we know three things:

1) - In the modern day it isn't commonly known that there were two Aegises, and because of that the Titans Malos sank are attributed to Mythra. (This is probably to keep the player from learning about Malos being an Aegis early on, but does mean that Morag and Brighid, who have access to possibly one of the most accurate records of the era, are unaware that Malos is an Aegis as well.)

2) - Malos is a known historical figure from the era, but isn't considered to be the Malos that is a member of Torna, despite the later having a bounty. (During the ruler's summit post-Temperantia, Queen Raqura recognizes Malos' name in a historical context, but is surprised to learn he is associated with Torna.)

3) - Amalthus is publicly known to be the historical Malos' Driver. (Amalthus himself makes this claim during the ruler's summit, and while I would't put it past him to lie about it, he's also smart enough not to make such an easily-disproven lie to the faces of the rulers of Alrest's two most powerful nations.)

So, I tried to rectify these as best I could: Malos is known to be Amalthus' rogue Blade that fought Mythra, but his Aegis status and the exact details of who did what are lost to most sources. Brighid could have learned this, but the sheer number of journals she had from her centuries of serving as a Jewel of Mor Ardain meant that she hadn't had the chance to read the one specific journal from hundreds of years ago that contains the knowledge until it became relevant.

It isn't the most elegant solution, but hopefully it works well enough.