"Are you sure you want to take this thing out?" Adenine asked, tapping the Core Crystal on Rex's chest. "It might come in handy."
"It doesn't feel right," he said. "It belongs to Jibril. She deserves to have it back."
"Taking it out won't kill her?" Nia asked.
"It might weaken her, with half of her core suddenly going offline," Adenine said. "But her Core Crystal is technically in resonance with Rex now, so she'll live. Though you might want to get it back to her sooner rather than later."
"Works for me," Rex said. "I was going to go find the Praetorians anyway, after we got finished up here."
"Looking to settle things?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Rex asked. "No, I'm going to go extend them the same offer I made to the Sthenosi refugees. If they need a place to stay, the Leftheria Ridge will be more than happy to offer them one."
"Even after everything they've done?" Nia asked.
"There'd be some ground rules, for sure. We wouldn't let them push us around. But so long as they're willing to behave, then we'll be more than happy to have them."
"Don't think that's going to go over too well with the Sthenosi," Adenine muttered.
"We'll figure something out," Rex said. "In any case, it's high time I got this thing out of my chest. Feels weird having one in there that isn't Pyra's."
"If you're sure," Nia said. "Adenine, are you ready?"
"Whenever you are," she replied. Rex leaned back on the table, and the two of them got to work. Slowly, Adenine pulled the Core Crystal out of his chest, using a scalpel to sever the lingering connections. And the moment she made progress, Nia would rush in with her ether to fill in the gaps, rebuild the surrounding tissue, and ensure Rex didn't experience any loss of functionality. It was a simple process, if a little tedious. Once the core was out, Nia was able to stitch up the hole rather readily, and after a little smoothing, all that remained was a small scar.
"I should've had this done ages ago," Rex muttered, pulling his shirt back on.
"Eh." Adenine shrugged. "It's not like we had many donors just lying around prior to now. And it'd be pretty weird to cut open a fresh Blade just for this."
"Yeah, I suppose." Rex swung off the table and just took a moment to breathe. With the operation finally over, he seemed to stand a little taller, and the light had returned to his eyes. Nia was glad. He deserved to be happy, after everything he'd been through.
And he wasn't the only one. The moment they opened the door, Pyra came rushing through and tackled him in a hug.
"Hey!" Adenine protested. "Watch it! That's my patient!"
"It's alright," Rex said. He returned the hug, picking Pyra up off the ground and spinning her around. The two of them laughed at each other, and for a moment, they seemed to forget that anyone else was there.
"Did you put on some muscle?" Pyra asked, reaching out to squeeze Rex's arm as he set her down.
"You noticed!" Rex beamed. "A lot of that's from the farm work. Helping Corinne around the house and all that."
"Our Rex, doing honest work?" Mythra asked, giving the two of them a wry smile from the doorway. "I never thought I'd see the day."
"Alright, great," Adenine said. "I'm sure you've got lots of catching up to do, but I'd appreciate it if you did it outside. I've still got patients in here that need their rest."
Quickly, she shuffled the two of them out of the room.
"Thank you," Pyra said, turning to look at Adenine. "Really. I never thought we'd be coming back, and yet…"
Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, and she took a moment to dry them.
"Thank you," she repeated.
"Don't mention it," Adenine said. "But if you really want to thank me, then…"
She disappeared back into the infirmary and rummaged around through her desk. After a moment, she produced the surviving half of Haze's Core Crystal and tossed it at them. Rex caught it, and after a moment, he handed it over to Mythra.
"Is this Haze's?" she asked.
"What's left of it, anyway," Adenine said. "You want to pay me back? Then fix it. I've been trying myself for a while, but I figure you'd be able to do the job better than any of us."
"We're not healers," Pyra said. "I'd love to have Haze back, but this isn't our area of expertise."
"You're the Master Blade, aren't you?" Adenine asked. "You two should know more about Core Crystals than anyone else."
"It can't be done," Mythra announced, turning the core over in her hands. "Not without the other half of the Core Crystal, anyway, and we vaporized that."
"But what about the self-repair region?" Adenine asked. "Couldn't you restart that, or—"
"It's not in there," Mythra said. "You're working with a dead crystal. I'm sorry."
Adenine stared at the floor for a moment, taking that information in.
"At least it'd explain why I haven't been able to do it," she muttered.
"Listen…" Mythra sighed. "I'm sorry. Really. Haze was a friend, so believe me, if there was a way to bring her back, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But there's not enough Core Crystal here to form a Blade. At best, all you'd get out is her powers."
"That…" Adenine went quiet for a moment. "You could actually manage that much?"
"In principle, sure. Though I'm not sure what the point would be."
"I'll be right back."
She disappeared back into the infirmary, and there was a great clamor as she rummaged around for something amidst the mess of her workshop. After a moment, she emerged with a sketch of a machine.
"What's this?" Mythra asked, taking the paper from her.
"Something I designed a while ago," Adenine said. "I based it on those amplification towers Amalthus built to extend his control."
"I'm not sure I like where this is heading," Mythra said, narrowing her eyes at Adenine.
"It's not what you think. One of our biggest problems right now is that we still rely on Drivers. But Amalthus was able to use Haze's ability to force resonance with any Blade in his range. What if we could do the same, but instead of trying to control Blades, we use it to free them? Give them something to resonate with besides a Driver, so they don't have to worry about tying their lives those of humans?"
"I…" Mythra looked between the sketch and the Core Crystal in her hand. Then she smiled to herself. "Yeah? Why not? That sounds doable."
"Are you sure?" Pyra asked. "We don't really know how the system is going to react to that. And without the Blades going through the cycle, we won't get more Titans."
"The Cloud Sea is drying up anyway," Nia said. "The less Titans we have, the longer the remaining ones will live, and the better the odds they'll survive long enough for us to find some way to replace it. And besides, Blades should be allowed to choose for themselves whether they keep on living or become Titans. This will finally give them that choice."
"I suppose, I just…"
She shrugged.
"It'll be a big change, for sure," Rex said. "But trust me. After everything that's happened in the last couple of years, I think it'll be a welcome one."
"We'll actually need to build this machine first, though," Mythra said. "And judging from the state of your plans for it, I'm guessing you haven't started yet."
"No, I haven't," Adenine said. "But I'm not exactly the world's greatest engineer. This is just a conceptual sketch."
"I'm sure that'll be more than enough for Tora to work with," Nia said.
"Is he sticking around?"
"No idea. But if you dangle a project like this in front of him, I don't think he'll be able to say no."
"He'd better be sticking around," Pyra said. She stepped back to stand next to her… Herself? Her sister? Nia didn't actually know how to quantify the relationship between Pyra and Mythra, now that they were in separate bodies. "Mòrag's already left and taken Brighid and Aegaeon with her. I'm not letting anyone else from the gang get away until we've had a chance to catch up properly."
"I'm sure Pandoria would love to swap some stories," Nia said. "Oh! And we're going to need to introduce you to Kora."
"Who's Kora?" Mythra asked.
"Pandoria's girlfriend. You'll love her."
"Did everyone hook up while we were gone?" Pyra asked. "Next you're going to tell me Mòrag got married or something."
"Not unless you count being married to her work," Rex said.
"Feeling left out?" Mythra asked, turning her teasing smile on Pyra. Pyra, for her part, crossed her arms and turned away from Mythra rather pointedly. But she didn't answer the question.
"Well, before we all sit down to catch up, I do have one last thing I need to get out of the way," Nia said. "And I'd appreciate it if the three of you could be there for it. I think having the Aegis on stage will help assuage people's concerns."
"Whatever you need," Mythra said.
Nia gave a wave to Adenine, and the four of them headed off toward the amphitheater.
"By the way," Rex said. "Can I get you two's opinion on something?"
"What?" Pyra asked.
"I've been thinking about growing a goatee."
Before either of them could respond, Nia burst out laughing, and she had to stop in the hallway to compose herself.
"Hey!" Rex protested. "I haven't gone around judging your life choices! And you're dating a guy who wears belts for a shirt!"
"Sorry," Nia said. "It's just a… It's a powerful mental image, is all."
"If you don't think I can pull it off, then at least say it to my face," he muttered, pouting a little.
"I don't know…" Mythra leaned in and examined Rex's face for a moment, causing him to blush involuntarily. "I think it could work."
"Maybe," Pyra said. Then she reached up to mess up his hair. "But if you want to make it work, then you'll need to do something with this mess up here first, instead of just letting it sit around like a mop."
"That's not fair!" Rex protested. "We've been fighting a war! I haven't exactly had time to visit the stylist recently."
It was strange to see Pyra and Mythra acting so casually. Even at the best of times, the two of them had always been reserved. Detached. Pulled back, on some level. But that wasn't the case anymore. Now, Nia had trouble distinguishing them from the people who always crowded the market every week, looking for what new items or services were available for trade. Without the weight of the world on their shoulders, it finally felt like they could be themselves.
"I'll go on ahead," Nia said. "Give you three your space. Just make sure not to be late, yeah?"
Clearly, there was still a lot unsaid between the three of them. A lot of feelings they needed to work out. And Nia didn't really have any interest in babysitting them while they stumbled their way through that. In that moment, she felt a great kinship with Pandoria, and an immense respect for the woman's ability to seemingly put up with any imaginable nonsense.
"Of course," Rex said, flashing Nia a thumbs up.
She ran on ahead. And with the exception of a few wandering refugees, the streets were pretty clear. Any other day, the emptiness would've felt ominous, but not today. Today, it was energizing. It was the first, and perhaps only time that every single able-bodied resident of the Gardens would be gathered in the same place.
Strix had worked night and day with a crew of assistants to prepare the amphitheater for today. Several more rows had been added to accommodate all their new temporary residents, and above the normal stands, a series of platforms had been erected and anchored to the spines that leaned out above them, to give the Titans some more room to spread out. Though even with all the extensions, the place was practically full to bursting. And for the first time, nobody in the audience seemed there to take her to task. They all genuinely wanted to hear what she had to say.
Inside, the other Caretakers were waiting on stage. With the exception of Adenine, of course, but given the number of wounded they still had, her absence was understandable. As Nia joined them, Zeke wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in for a quick hug.
"You sure you're ready to do this?" he asked.
"No," Nia admitted. "I keep coming up with excuses to put this off. We still haven't gotten the refugees resettled, the situation with the Coalition could change at any time, and I have no idea how this is going to impact the Watchers or the Titans. But I'm a woman of my word. I made a promise to the community, and I intend to follow through."
"It'll be fine," Zeke said. Though she couldn't tell if he was trying to convince her or himself.
"We managed to scrape through a full-on war with the whole fuckin' Coalition," Nal said. "If they couldn't do this place in, then nothin' will."
"I still say this is a bad idea," Strix muttered.
"We're not going to be around to protect this place forever," Nia said. "At some point, it needs to survive without us. And after everything that's happened, I'd say they've all certainly demonstrated the capacity."
"In wartime, sure. But in a year, when we don't have the Coalition breathing down our necks anymore and some other jerkoff decides to stir up trouble? I'm not confident it'll go nearly as smoothly."
"People care about this place. So long as that remains the case, I think they'll be able to survive whatever the world throws at them."
"Yeah, well…" Strix shrugged. "If worst comes to worst, they'll at least still have me looking out for them. I'll try not to let everything go to hell while you're gone."
"Much appreciated," Nia said, giving him a small bow.
"I think nearly everyone has arrived," Dromarch said, looking out into the crowd. "Should we begin?"
"Let's wait a little longer," Nia said. "I'd like to have Rex, Pyra, and Mythra here before we get started. And there is one last change I wanted to make first."
She let out her ether and spread it out across her dress. For the last few years, the face she'd always worn had been that of a Blade. A Flesh Eater. The part of herself she'd kept suppressed for so long. And even though she didn't have to hide behind it anymore, she still felt a connection to her human identity. She'd kept the name, after all. And the future she had in mind was one where it didn't matter whether someone was a Blade or a human at all, so why not start living that reality herself?
She could clearly picture her two selves in her mind. Human and Blade. Nia and the Banshee Queen. And as the ether saturated her dress, she began to change its shape, taking the best parts of both and building something new out of them.
From behind her, Zeke let out a whistle, and she had to suppress the urge to smile. She wasn't doing this for him, but it was still nice to know that he appreciated her new look as much as her old ones.
As she finished, she saw Rex, Pyra, and Mythra enter through the gate. So with everything in place, she took a deep breath and took the plunge.
"Thank you all for coming here today," she said, stepping forward and motioning out at the crowd. "We've had a challenging few days, and now that the worst seems behind us, I'm sure everyone is eager to rest and rebuild. But before we do, I thought I would address the community one last time.
"I made a promise to all of you, that once this crisis passed, I would step down as a Caretaker permanently. But many in the community thought this wouldn't be enough. There's been a desire, for some time, for all the Caretakers to step down. To do away with leaders and authorities entirely. And while I was sympathetic, I'll admit that I had my doubts. I didn't trust this community to hold itself together without us at the helm.
"I'm happy to say that those doubts are gone, now. This community had weathered the worst that the world had to offer and survived, stronger than ever. It was brutal, and we lost good people, but nevertheless we persevered. And that wasn't something we Caretakers made happen. That was thanks to all of you stepping up to defend your homes. To defend each other, like a real community should. I want to commend everyone here for your bravery and courage these past few days. So long as you remain committed to each other, then no power in Elysium will be able to take that away from you.
"And so, it appears that this community has finally grown beyond the need for a guiding hand. You are all more than capable of shaping your own futures. So after today, there will be no Caretakers. No leaders. Just people, committed to making the world a better place.
"But before the five of us step down for good, I would like to offer one last piece of advice to everyone. The rest of the world is obsessed with dividing people into categories. Ardainian and Urayan. Human and Nopon. Driver and Blade. And while those divisions might seem meaningful on the surface, they have been the source of endless conflict. We fight each other because we are unable to recognize that the person on the other side of the divide is still a person, even if they have fur or Titan scales or metal skin or a Core Crystal.
"And I recognize that for many of us, those divisions are vitally important. They are how we define ourselves. They are a source of pride. I am not asking any of you to give that up. But we cannot let them become so important that they blind us to the basic truth. The Gardens were meant to be a sanctuary for all people. Not just Blades or Titans or any other specific group. So before you think of your neighbors as human or Nopon, Blade or Watcher or Titan, I implore you to think of them first and foremost as people. No matter our origins, no matter our appearance, we are all one people. One community. One family. So long as we continue to embody that, then I believe the future is in good hands. Thank you all for building this community with me."
Nia threw her hands up, motioning out at the crowd, and they erupted with cheers and applause. Words of praise, words of gratitude, noise and adulation beyond anything she'd imagined. It was overwhelming, and as it hit her, she found herself crying. The sheer joy she felt at the fact that the Gardens would continue to grow, even without her there to hold it together, was too much to contain.
But eventually, she was able to calm herself down, and she beckoned Pyra and Mythra onto stage. As the Aegis stepped forward, the crowd quickly quieted down, and Nia spoke up again.
"Since this is a rather substantial change, I'm sure many of you have questions. Worries or doubts about how the future will unfold. Unfortunately, for many of those, I can't provide an answer. The shape of the future is in the community's hands now. But there is one particularly pressing matter that I can provide some insight on. Without the Caretakers, who will awaken new Blades? While it is a job I am sure could fall to the Flesh Eaters and Blade Eaters who remain in our number, continuing in that responsibility would do very little to change our material circumstances. It would be almost like we never abolished the Caretakers at all.
"So I am pleased to report that we won't have to rely on the goodwill a handful of individuals to sustain ourselves. The solution is something I'm sure many of you once considered a mere pipe dream. We have found a way to sustain Blade resonance without a Driver at all."
Nia motioned at Mythra, who on cue took out Haze's Core Crystal and lifted it into the air, so the audience could see it. Nia almost launched into an explanation of their plan, but Mythra cut her off, opting to simply show the crowd instead.
She pushed ether through the core, and for a moment, every Blade in the vicinity began to resonate with it. Nia could even feel a reaction in her own core. And as the light washed over the crowd, they all instinctually understood what the feeling meant.
"It isn't ready just yet," Nia said, resuming her speech as the light faded from the core. "There's still a lot of work to do before it's sustainable permanently. But one day, hopefully soon, no Blade will have to live at the behest of someone else. Those who so choose will be able to forego having a Driver entirely. And those who wish to remain part of the cycle will be free to continue to do so as well. There will be no more masters or slaves. No more Blades or Drivers. Just people free to live how they choose. This is the last thing I can give you all before handing over the reins. From here on out, the world you make is of your own choosing, and I am greatly looking forward to seeing it."
With that, she stepped back, and they all saw themselves off the stage, leaving the amphitheater and going their separate ways. Nia had no idea how the people of the Gardens would organize themselves now, but that had been the whole point of this endeavor. To give them a chance to find that answer on their own. At this point, she'd done everything she could to set them up for success. The rest was up to the community.
"A rousing speech," Dromarch said.
"Might as well go out in style," Nia said.
"Indeed," Zeke said. "You're learning quick. But you still have a long way to go before you've truly mastered the art of flare."
To drive his point home, he struck a pose, which didn't look nearly as cool as he probably thought it did.
"If this is your idea of flare, Zeke, then unfortunately I'm not sure what there is you can teach me."
"Lies and slander!" Zeke shouted. "You haven't nearly seen the feats I'm capable of."
"Maybe not, but Pandoria has, and from what she's told me?" Nia made a face at Zeke. "I think I'm good as-is."
"You're going to eat those words once we're on the road, Furry Ears."
"I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how many towns you can get us run out of," Nia said. "Pandoria's told me your record time as well, so if you keep up this sort of energy, then I'm confident we'll be able to beat it."
"Bah!" Zeke brushed her off. "You'll be singing a different tune a week from now. I guarantee it."
"You are sure about this?" Dromarch asked. "The crisis with the Coalition has not entirely passed. Though it seems the worst is behind us, our fortunes could still change."
"I trust Mòrag to handle things on her end," Nia said. "And even if something else does happen, I trust this community to hold together without us."
"If you're certain," Dromarch said. "Just be sure to tell me all about your adventures when you get back."
"Of course." Nia reached over and ruffled the fur between his ears.
"You're not coming with us?" Zeke asked.
"As much as I desire to see to My Lady's safety myself, I have full confidence in your abilities. So, if my presence is not required, then I would rather remain here. I still have yet to rediscover who I am, and so long as I am constantly fretting over My Lady's wellbeing, I fear I never will."
"We'll be back soon," Nia said. "It should only be a few months on the road."
"You say that now," Zeke said. "But once you get a taste for life on the move, you won't want to go back."
"Really?" Nia asked. "Then how was it you managed to settle down?"
"I met you, remember?" Zeke asked. "You're about the only thing that's forced me to slow down at all in the past fifteen years. And if you're jumping on board with me, then…" He shrugged. "I'm just saying, people might want to set their expectations now, in case it's another year or two before we find the time to visit."
"I really hope it isn't that long," Nia said. "Because as much as I love you, Zeke, I think a year of having just you for company is going to drive me insane."
"I strive to exceed expectations!" Zeke beamed. "But let's be real, Furry Ears. You can't get enough of me."
She rolled her eyes at him, rather than dignify that with a reply.
"Well, however long it takes, I hope you two enjoy yourselves," Dromarch said. "You've both more than earned it."
"Thanks." She stroked his fur a few more times as they walked, taking it in while she could. This was going to be the last time they spoke for a while, and when she got back, it was possible he'd be an entirely different person. But it was what he wanted, so she wasn't going to argue.
"I'm going to head back to the room and get packing," she said. "The refugees are probably going to get moving soon, and we don't want to miss the train."
As they headed for the Caretakers' quarters, Nia spotted a man walking down the road toward them. A Sthenosi man, with large horns and a very dour expression. For a moment, she thought he was here to cause trouble, but as Zeke waved at him, he returned the gesture.
"Caretakers," he said. "Well met."
"We're not Caretakers anymore," Nia said.
"No? To whom should I be speaking, then? I had come to parlay with your leadership."
"There are no leaders anymore," Zeke said. "If you want to make an appeal to the community, you're free to call a hearing, though."
"No leaders?" The concept seemed to throw him for a loop, like it did to most people outside the Gardens.
"Not strictly," Nia said. "But if you need something, then we still have enough respect among the community that we might be able to help you."
"Offering help, after everything we've done to you…" The man's expression softened a little. "I must say, your actions perplex me. Only mere days ago, we were your enemies."
"Eh." Zeke shrugged. "A few of you attacked a few of us in Leftheria. We've forgiven people for worse. And Rex got the worst of it anyway, so if he's willing to let bygones be bygones, then so are we."
"I see…" The man nodded. "I think, after everything that has occurred, my people will be grateful to hear that we have not made another enemy. But I did not come here purely to foster good relations. Many of my people are now refugees, and I was told the Aegis Driver was offering sanctuary."
"We are too," Nia said.
"I thank you for the offer, but…" The man shook his head. "I do not believe my people would be willing to seek shelter in Temperantia. The seat of old Judicium, as it were. The Aegis Driver's offer seems much more prudent, assuming it is genuine."
"It is," Zeke said.
"I would rather ascertain that for myself. Would you be able to direct me to him?"
"Yeah," Zeke said. "But before that, there's another guy I want you to talk to first."
"Very well." The man sighed. "I suppose this is a small price to pay. Lead the way."
"Just can't help yourself, huh?" Nia asked. "We just ceded all our responsibilities, and here you are taking on more work anyway."
"Old habits," Zeke said, shrugging. "I'll be there in a second. Feel free to start packing without me, though."
"See you at the gate, then," Nia said, giving him a wave as he led the man away from them.
"I'm glad," Dromarch said. "That you've found someone you can be yourself with."
"Me too," Nia said, giving Dromarch a hug as they walked up the path to the Caretakers' quarters. Towards the start of the rest of their lives. It would be strange, not having him nearby as often. But despite that, she was strangely glad he'd made the choice to stay behind. Proud, even. He deserved the chance to spread his wings and discover who he was without having to constantly fret over her. And it felt like a sign of progress that even Blades like him, who thought so highly of their Drivers, might still choose to live for themselves.
She was always going to think of him as her Blade. She doubted that would change. But that didn't have to mean what it used to, anymore. They were free to pick and choose what parts of that relationship they wanted to keep and what parts they wanted to leave in the past. The fact that they could make that choice felt like the surest sign that the Gardens were a success. Even if it was only a small part of the world, they had changed things. They had proven that, even with all its flaws, their way worked. For now, Nia was satisfied with that.
The prison had originally been built as a stopgap solution. Somewhere they could shove Bradly and his Blades while they figured out what to do with them. The Coalition hadn't been in the position to put their name to any sort of action in Leftheria, so they hadn't wanted to take him. But they couldn't just let him go either, otherwise he would've gone right back to killing. Hence, the prison. A place that was simultaneously unwanted and irreplaceable.
Nobody in the community liked the idea of keeping people locked up against their will. It probably reminded too many Blades of the exact thing they'd come to the Gardens to get away from. But getting rid of it would mean finding an alternative solution for all the prisoners, and with people like Shieldwall… What exactly were they supposed to do? The people who found themselves here weren't exactly open to any form of rehabilitation. Keeping them locked away, where they couldn't hurt anyone else, seemed like the only solution.
But ultimately, the community couldn't stomach it. They'd decided to make it the Coalition's problem, which had probably been a mistake. It had barely taken the Coalition any time at all to turn around and press those prisoners into military service against them. And besides, a prison was a prison, no matter who was running it. Turning criminals over to the Coalition wouldn't change any of the material facts, it just put the problem out of sight. If they were really intent on getting rid of this place, then they would need to find some alternative way of dealing with the Orions and the Alverk Vaerins of the world. And Zeke had no idea what that solution might look like.
Still, that was a question for the community to answer, now. He'd just have to trust their decision. And whatever the case, he was still glad the place wouldn't be seeing more use. That felt like a win to him. But in order for the community to truly put this prison behind them, it would need to be empty first, and there was one inhabitant who stubbornly refused to leave.
Zeke knocked on the bars, startling Kalarau out of his meditation.
"You planning to spend the rest of your life in there?" he asked.
"What difference does it make?" Kalarau asked, glaring up at him. "It's over. We lost. There's nothing left but to go back to waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
"I don't know. Just waiting, I suppose."
"You know, if you keep hiding down here, then Strix is liable to seal you in when he finally decommissions the place."
"Doesn't sound so bad to me," Kalarau muttered.
"You're that eager to die, huh?"
"I'm not going to go looking for it, but… If you or Nia or Strix want to kill me, I'm not about to stop you. Considering what I did, you have every right."
"Nobody wants you dead," Zeke said.
"I don't buy that for a second," Kalarau spat. "I saw the bodies after the battle. A lot of people died because of what I did. If you have any attachment to their memory, you should be calling for my head."
"Sure, nobody's lining up to join your fan club or anything, but calling for blood isn't really our style. You should know that by now."
"Fools," Kalarau muttered.
"Really?" Zeke asked. "Because your way of doing things has worked out so well for you thus far?"
"I…" The man shook his head. "Vengeance isn't something you do because it benefits you. It's an obligation you owe to the fallen. If you have any respect for them, you'll pay whatever price you have to in order to get it."
"Those who died wouldn't want us pursuing some meaningless tripe like that."
"It doesn't matter what they would have wanted," Kalarau said. "And it doesn't matter what you want either. It's just something you do."
"Learn that from Judicium, did you?" Zeke asked.
"From Sthenos. It was one of the ironclad rules of conduct, where I grew up. It's part of what gives my people such long memories. Every insult is remembered, and paid back in kind, no matter how long it takes."
"Taking a page from the book of the people you hate the most? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me."
"I can't help it." Kalarau shrugged. "It's how I was raised. I hated a lot about that place, but that rule always made sense to me. I had been looking forward to tearing them down with their own logic."
"I'm not sure it'll be their logic for much longer," Zeke said. "Sthenos the Titan is dead, and with it, the Crones. The way I hear it, most of the refugees are scattered to the winds."
"Really?" Kalarau asked, softening his glare for the first time since Zeke had arrived. "I would've expected them to stay put and starve to death or something."
"The Sthenosi may be a stubborn people, but they're still people. They still need to eat. No cultural practice has enough sway to overcome that. The way I hear it, Duthract and Leftheria are taking in a fair number of refugees. We'll probably even get a few here ourselves, considering how close we are."
"But not all of them," Kalarau noted. "What are the rest doing?"
"Finding somewhere else to rebuild, I imagine," Zeke said.
"Then I don't see how anything has changed. If they found a new Sthenos, it'll just be one big, spiteful continuation of everything that came before them. They won't let any of this go."
"And what makes you so sure?"
"Because I know them. I am them! They will just add this to the list of insults they carry with them, until one day they find a way to extract their vengeance."
"Alright then," Zeke said, shrugging. "Why not let them? According to your own logic, they deserve to kill you just as much as we do."
"Because I was supposed to be the end of it," Kalarau said. "The final act of cruelty that would put an end to Sthenos's chain of vengeance. I can't let them kill me until it's done."
"Why don't we put that to the test?" Zeke asked, glancing back up the stairs at the man he'd brought with him. He'd told him to stay out of sight, so that Kalarau didn't catch wind of him.
"Very well," the Sthenosi man said, walking down the stairs and standing next to Zeke. "Though I am not sure you will find the results satisfactory."
Immediately, Kalarau leapt to his feet, manifesting his bow despite all the ether netting lining the walls.
"What is this?" he asked, pointing it at Zeke. Then, after a moment, he thought better of it, and pointed the weapon at the Sthenosi man instead.
"A visitor," Zeke said. "Here to ask about the asylum offer that Leftheria has extended."
"My name is Drognav," the man said. "Chieftan of Negareth. With Sthenos dead, it falls to me to lead my people."
"Alright, sure," Kalarau said. "But what the fuck are you doing here?"
"I do not know," Drognav said. "Your associate asked me to visit with you before he would introduce me to the Aegis Driver."
"So you're all going to Leftheria, then?"
"As many as I can convince. I had not anticipated they would be willing to accept our presence, but if the offer in genuine, then it seems like the best place to rebuild."
"That's it?" Kalarau asked. "You heard who I am, right?"
"Yes," Drognav said. "I did. You are one of us."
"Like hell I am," Kalarau spat. "Sthenos exiled me millennia ago. For consorting with Judicium, which is how I got this." He tapped his Core Crystal. "I'm everything you hate."
"Indeed." Drognav nodded. "And you are a Sthenosi, through and through. It was not outsiders that destroyed our way of life. It was our own customs. Knowing this… Perhaps a change is needed. We need to focus less on the past and more on the future."
"So…" Kalarau lowered his bow. "You're just going to forgive me?"
"No," Drognav said. "I doubt any living Sthenosi will ever forgive you. But you are right in one respect. The vengeance must end with you. So I will tell my people that those responsible for Sthenos's death have been slain. Justice has been delivered to the last of our enemies. Judicium is gone. Torna is gone. The Praetorium is gone. It is time to lay our hatred to rest."
For several seconds, the two men just stared at each other. Then Kalarau sighed and dismissed his bow, returning to his meditation.
"Alright then." He nodded. "I'll hold you to that."
"Finally going to leave that cell, then?" Zeke asked.
"You went through all this just to get me out of your basement?" Kalarau asked.
"Can't have you moping around indefinitely," Zeke said. "It'd spoil the mood. And besides, I know you aren't big on forgiveness, but none of us are really one to hold a grudge. There's a place for you in the community if you want it."
"No," Kalarau said. "I suppose I appreciate the offer, but I'm not sticking around. Someone's gotta keep an eye on the Sthenosi. Hold the Chieftan here to his word."
"I do not relish the thought of your presence in our new home," Drognav said. "But so long as you keep to yourself and do not disturb our efforts to rebuild, then I will hold my tongue."
"Trust me, you won't even know I'm there," Kalarau said. "I'm pretty good at keeping a low profile."
"Great," Zeke said, clapping his hands together. "Everybody's happy."
"Happy probably isn't the word I'd use," Kalarau muttered.
"We have reached an amicable arrangement," Drognav said. "But I would not describe my personal feelings the same way."
"It's like pulling teeth with you people," Zeke groaned. "Whatever. A promise is a promise. Still want to see the Aegis Driver?"
"Indeed. I would like to return to my people as soon as possible."
"Follow me, then," Zeke said. "And Kalarau?"
"What?" Kalarau asked, his perpetual glare returning. Zeke opened the door, and Kalarau crossed his arms at him. Then, without warning, Zeke punched him in the jaw, slamming him against the far wall.
"What the fuck!?" Kalarau shouted, rubbing his cheek as he leapt to his feet. "What happened to not holding a grudge?"
"That wasn't a grudge," Zeke said. "If it was, you wouldn't be getting off with one knock on the jaw. And really, I hadn't even planned on doing this much, but Pandoria made me promise to sock you one on the jaw if I ever got the chance, so…"
Zeke shrugged.
"Guess we're even now."
"Yeah…" Kalarau continued to rub at his cheek. "I guess I deserved that."
"See you around, Kalarau." Zeke gave him a wave, then started leading Drognav up the stairs.
"Zeke," Kalarau called out, right when he reached the top of the stairs.
"Yeah?"
"Tell everybody I… I hope you all succeed."
"I thought you said the Gardens were a doomed mission?" Zeke asked.
"Yeah, well, impossible odds seem to be you people's bread and butter, so I'm not too concerned anymore. You're doing a good thing here. I'm sorry it took so long for me to believe it."
"You got there in the end, right?" Zeke asked. "That's what counts."
Zeke left the prison, leading Drognav back toward the gate. Truth be told, he didn't know exactly where Rex would be. Probably off spending some time alone with Pyra and Mythra, if he had to imagine. But the refugees from Leftheria were gathering by the gate, preparing to depart back for their homes. And that included Rex, so he'd have to come by at some point.
Even if Rex wasn't here, though, a lot of other refugees were. Azurda and a couple of other Titans had volunteered to help the refugees carry back some supplies to get the rebuilding started, so everyone was hard at work loading up the carts. Corinne stood in the middle of all the work, doing her best to direct everything. Though it seemed like her conversation with Zeke's dad was eating up most of her attention at the moment.
"Ah, Zeke," his dad said, spotting them as they approached. "I see you've met Drognav."
"You two know each other?" Zeke asked.
"Not as such," his dad said. "But we were at the gate when he arrived, and after it became clear he wasn't here to cause trouble, we spoke briefly. Any luck finding the Aegis Driver?"
"He's off somewhere tending to his Aegis duties," Zeke said, shaking his head. "I figured, rather than run around trying to find him, we'd just wait for him to show up."
"He might be a while," Corinne noted. "With those two back, I imagine they have a lot of lost time to make up for."
"Yeah…" Zeke sighed. "Though, maybe we don't actually need to talk to him directly."
"Explain," Drognav said.
"You just need to know whether the offer of refuge is genuine, right?" Zeke asked. "Well, technically Leftheria doesn't have a central government. Rex might've made the offer, but it'll be the people who get final say, in the end. So why not talk to them directly?"
"I see…" Drognav frowned and looked around. "Would there be anyone willing to speak to them on my behalf, then? I imagine our attack on Leftherian soil might have soured relations between us somewhat."
"I don't think you'll really need it," Corinne said. "But I can introduce you to some people, at least. If you want to move in, then you might as well meet the neighbors, right?"
She led Drognav over to a group of refugees and began the introductions, leaving Zeke alone with his old man.
"So," Zeke said. "You're too proud to move in with your kids, but from the looks of things, moving to Fonsett doesn't seem out of the question."
"Yes, well…" His dad spared a glance over at Corinne. "Family aside, most people I know have a habit of treating me like I'm still a monarch. I suppose it's understandable, on some level. I sometimes still catch myself thinking I am one, after all. But I hadn't realized how alienating the crown was until after I put it down. At my age, it's hard enough making friends as-is, even without my status interfering with things. But Corinne is one of the few people I've met who seems incapable of being intimidated. I should want to hold onto that friendship, I think."
"Friends, huh?" Zeke asked, elbowing his dad in the side. "Is that all?"
"That front is still a work in progress," his dad said. "I have not yet been able to gauge where she stands."
"Listen, dad." He put a hand on his old man's shoulder. "Take it from me. You don't normally ask a 'friend' to pick up and move to a new country at your behest."
"Perhaps my answer was not entirely honest. The truth is, I have not been able to gauge where I stand either. I have not been with someone since…" He paused for a moment. "Since your mother's passing. I do not know if I am ready to pursue a new relationship."
"If you're coming with us to Fonsett, then it seems to me like you've made up your mind already."
"There's no guarantee I stay there," his dad said. "She only asked for my help with repairing the orphanage. Once that's done, I… Well, I haven't thought that far ahead yet."
"She has two adult sons who can help with the work just fine," Zeke said. "She doesn't need another pair of hands on deck, and frankly, I'm not sure you'd really be bringing the necessary qualifications in the first place."
"I suppose I can't argue there," his old man said, letting out a sigh.
"The reason she asked you to help is because she wants to have you around. And I'm going to assume you're smart enough to know that. So don't come at me with this 'I'm only going to help a friend' nonsense. You're going because you want to go. You want to spend some time with Corinne. Am I wrong?"
"No," his dad admitted. "You're not. But still, I…" He shook his head. "I can't shake the feeling that I'd be betraying your mother if I did."
"Mom would've wanted you to be happy," Zeke said. "If that means moving on to a new relationship, then I think she'd understand. I'm not saying you need to forget about her, but… Our family has a bad habit of clinging too tightly to the past. Wouldn't you rather look forward to the future, for a change?"
"I…" His dad shook his head slightly. Then he cracked a small smile. "You are right. And to think, only a short time ago, I was the one urging you to move on."
"Failing to take our own advice is basically a House Tantal tradition," Zeke said. "I won't hold it against you."
He clapped the old man on the shoulder, then nudged him toward Corinne, who was busy keeping an eye on Drognav while he talked with some of the other refugees.
"Good to know I have your approval as well," his dad said. "I suppose all that remains is to obtain Pandoria's blessing."
"Are you kidding me?" Zeke asked. "She'll be over the moon about it. I wouldn't be surprised if she originally dragged us out to Leftheria to make this happen in the first place."
"Still. I'd prefer to hear it from her, if at all possible. I'd hate do something to upset one of my kids."
Zeke rolled his eyes at that. The old man seemed to be taking a little too much pleasure in adopting Pandoria into the family.
"Quit coming up with excuses, will you?" Zeke asked.
"Am I that transparent?"
"Yes." Zeke crossed his arms. "Now are you going to man up, or—"
"Zeke!" Nia called out, interrupting him before he could really give his old man what for. She was with the rest of the old gang, all making their way toward the gate from the Caretakers' quarters. It seemed like they were all finished packing.
"I suppose you're off the hook this time," Zeke said, narrowing his eyes at the man. "But just remember: Pandoria and I are going to be watching you, old man. There's no worming your way out of this one."
"As always, I'm grateful to have your support," the man said, giving Zeke a small bow. Zeke couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.
"Still packing up all the supplies?" Pandoria asked as the group joined them. "I was told we needed to be ready to go."
"There have been some delays," Zeke's dad said. "We will require at least another hour or so before everything is ready to depart."
"Good," Pyra said. "Take all the time you need."
"Not eager to hit the road?" Zeke asked.
"Trust me, I'm dying to see Fonsett again. But there's something even more important we need to take care of first."
She wrapped one arm around Nia and another around Poppi.
"You all need to tell us everything that happened while we were gone. I'm not letting any of you get away until you do."
"You all go enjoy yourselves," Corinne said, glancing back over at them. "We'll let you know when everything's ready on our end."
"Just one second," Zeke said. "Drognav! You still need to see Rex!?"
The man looked up from his conversation with the refugees, and he and Rex exchanged a look. A dozen emotions played out across Rex's face in that moment, and the color seemed to drain from Drognav's face slightly.
"The Aegis Driver…" The man said, stepping forward. "I… Apologize, for my actions in Leftheria."
"Eh." Rex shrugged, returning to his usual jovial expression. "Water under the bridge. You needed something?"
"Is your offer of refuge in Leftheria genuine?" Drognav asked.
"I can only speak for myself, but yeah." Rex motioned around at the other refugees. "But if you want a more definitive answer, you might want to ask everyone else for their opinion first. I'm not exactly in a position to speak for them, as much as people might pretend otherwise."
Drognav nodded at that.
"Then I thank you for your understanding. Those in my care wish to take you up on your offer."
"It's an open invitation," Rex said. "You don't have to be so formal about it."
"Still, we appreciate the consideration," Corinne said. "I understand that many of your people are still in the area, correct?"
"That is so," Drognav said.
"Then, if you can gather everyone who wants to come with us, I think it would be better if we departed together."
"That's only going to delay things further," Zeke's dad noted.
"A small price to pay," Corinne said.
"Thank you," Drognav said. Then he bowed. First to Rex, then to Corinne. "We will endeavor to join you as swiftly as possible."
"I don't suppose we're going to help out with any of that?" Zeke asked, glancing back at the rest of the group.
"Corinne already gave us the green light to slack off," Nia said. "And personally, I feel like I've done enough running around for one day."
"Besides, I am tired of not knowing what's going on," Mythra said. "All of you, to the cafeteria, now. If we put this off any longer, I feel like my head is going to explode."
"Not used to being the one out of the loop, huh?" Zeke asked, elbowing her in the side.
"No, I'm not. It's infuriating." She motioned at her surroundings, as if that was self-explanatory. "What in the hell did you all get yourselves mixed up in while we were gone?"
"To the cafeteria, then," Pandoria said. "We'll pull a couple of tables together and tell you all about the nonsense we've been up to."
"I've got a fun one to start us off with, then," Zeke said, running ahead to join Pandoria at the front. He turned around, facing the group and walking through the halls backwards as he talked. And he paused for dramatic effect, making sure Corinne and his dad were out of earshot. "I've a feeling that Rex and I are soon to be step-brothers."
That revelation seemed to shock Pyra and Mythra, but honestly, not too many others in the group seemed surprised by it. Except Rex, anyway, who crossed his arms and frowned.
"I don't like the sound of that," he said. "What have you been up to?"
"You can't start there!" Pandoria protested. "That's a recent development. We need to take things from the top."
"Sorry," Zeke said. "I couldn't help myself. You're right, let's start at the beginning."
"No!" Pyra protested. "You can't just say something like that and then move on."
"I agree," Mythra said, frowning at Zeke. "Explain yourself."
"Rex's aunt and my dad have really hit it off," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if things ended up developing in a romantic direction in the near future."
"Alright, no," Rex said. "This is weird, we're not talking about this."
"Oh, lighten up, will you?" Zeke asked, wrapping an arm around Rex. "If we're going to be family, then we might as well get used to it."
"If you're going to tell the story this poorly, then just let me do it," Pandoria said. They reached the cafeteria, and they pulled two of the tables together, sitting around in a big circle.
"Fine," Zeke said. "Take it away."
He settled in next to Nia, who wrapped an arm around him. He leaned his head onto hers, and the two of them got comfortable as Pandoria launched into the saga of what they'd been up to since the Cataclysm.
For once, it was a story he was proud to hear her tell.
She'd hated Alba Cavanich. It was almost like a dark, twisted mockery of home. Everything good about Gormott was gone. Torn up and inverted and filled to the brim with screaming, whirring machines. The constant, droning noise of the factories, the smog choking the air day and night, the soldiers on every street corner… She could go on for hours about everything she hated about this place. But for as much as she hated being here, it was one of the last places they had to look. They wouldn't be here if they had any other choice.
"You really think she's going to be here?" Clíodhna asked, glancing over at her Driver. They'd been on a lot of these trips, now, and the compounding failures were starting to take their toll. He wasn't sleeping, he was barely eating, and he looked like he hadn't had a shower in months, even though it had only been a few days. Truth be told, she couldn't be sure how many more times the man would be able to manage this.
"My contacts will come through," Maelgwn said. He was doing his best to hide it, but he had his doubts as well. Clíodhna had lost count of how many so-called "specialists" they'd tracked down, but none of them had been able to cure Nia so far, and neither of them were very optimistic about the next candidate.
Still, there was nothing else to do. She was Maelgwn's daughter. They had to find a cure, one way or another.
The meeting point was a local pub, The Anchor Shot. Popular with salvagers, judging by the crowd of drunkards lingering by the bar still half-dressed in their diving suits. Not the kind of place she had expected to be meeting an academic, but maybe Ardainians had a different way of doing things.
"You see the doctor?" she asked, sizing the place up in the event they needed to make a hasty escape. She wasn't sure why they would, but it never hurt to be prepared.
"I see her," Maelgwn said. "Watch the door."
"For what?"
"I don't know, just…" He gestured vaguely. "Just watch it. I'll only be a minute."
"Sure," Clíodhna muttered, trudging over to the bar while Maelgwn headed for a booth toward the back. She watched the door, even though she knew there would be nothing to watch out for. Nobody was after them, and as far as she knew, nobody was after the doctor either. But she kept watch all the same. Maelgwn had asked her to, and she didn't want to let him down.
"Waiting for someone?" somebody asked, shaking Clíodhna out of her thoughts. She turned to see a woman in her late twenties, with long blonde hair and a pleasant, disarming smile. Judging by the smock she wore, and the fact that she was standing behind the counter, she must've been the bartender. And belatedly, Clíodhna realized that she hadn't ordered anything.
"Sorry," she said. "I don't really drink. I can move, if—"
"Nah," the woman said. "It's a slow night anyway."
If this was a slow night, then Clíodhna dreaded to think what this place looked like busy.
"You didn't answer my question," the woman noted.
"No," Clíodhna said. "I'm not waiting for someone. I'm just… Keeping watch."
"For what?"
"Trouble, I suppose. We're not expecting any, but when you're a foreign Driver and Blade, trouble tends to find you wherever you go."
That wasn't really true. Even if relations between Mor Ardain and Gormott weren't spectacular these days, things still weren't bad enough that people would be willing to start trouble in public like this. But it sounded cool, so she ran with the excuse anyway. It certainly beat admitting that her Driver was starting to crack under all the pressure.
"No kidding?" the woman asked. "You the Driver, or the Blade?"
"Blade," she said, tapping the crystal on her chest. She still hadn't shed her sandstorm cloak, so the woman couldn't see what she was pointing at, but the sound it made was clear enough.
"That must be something else." The woman leaned against the counter and propped her chin up with one hand. "I bet you've got all kinds of stories. Fighting off bandits and rescuing fair maidens and whatnot."
"It's not nearly so exciting as that," Clíodhna said, shrugging. "Mostly we do political work."
"Now you've got me even more intrigued," the woman said. "What sorts of things does 'political work' entail?"
"These days? Mostly gladhanding with various delegates and ministers."
"Please tell me you're working on the OCU."
"How…" Clíodhna stared at the woman for a moment. "I wouldn't really think a customs negotiation would qualify as intriguing."
"I'm a history major," the woman said. "And the Osirian Customs Union falling through would be the sort of thing that makes it into the history books. Just curious if you have any fun insights to share."
"I can't really talk about it," Clíodhna said. "Confidential information, you know? Besides, I'm just the muscle. Most of what goes on in those meetings goes over my head anyway."
"Ah well." The woman shrugged. "Can't hurt to ask."
"Besides, we're not even here for work anyway."
"Oh?" The woman raised an eyebrow.
"It's personal business. I probably shouldn't be talking about that either, come to think of it."
"Well, considering who your Driver took a seat with…" She leaned over the bar for a moment to double check her assessment. "I can't say I blame you. I hope she can help whoever it is that needs it."
"You know the doctor?" Clíodhna asked.
"Everybody on campus knows Professor Smaia," the woman said. "She's the one who got me this job in the first place."
"I didn't really figure this for a university pub."
"Looks can be deceiving," the woman said, giving Clíodhna a wink. As if that was supposed to mean something. "Still, you're coming pretty far afield for a medical consultation. I would've figured Gormott would have plenty of its own doctors."
"Yeah, well…" Clíodhna sighed. "It's my Driver's daughter. Her condition is… Rare, to say the least. Nobody back home could do anything about it. Nobody in Uraya either. Or Osiria. Or Spessia. Or the Praetorium. So now we're here."
"Well, you came to the right place," the woman said. "Professor Smaia is the best in the world. From some of the stories I've heard, you'd think she was Meldinare herself."
"Well, that's… Reassuring, I suppose."
"Sorry," the woman said. "I shouldn't keep going on. I know you're probably dealing with a lot."
"It's fine," Clíodhna said. "I don't usually get chances to just sit and chat like this."
"Alright, then," the woman said. "How about we start with introductions. I'm Ashala."
The woman offered her hand.
"Clíodhna," she said, shaking it. "If I can ask… What's a university student like you doing working as a bartender?"
"Gotta pay the bills somehow," she said. "Rent ain't free, right?"
"I suppose not."
"Anyway, our current place is a real dump. We're hoping to move into someplace better when we can scrape the money together, but my boyfriend's a construction worker, and he doesn't get paid nearly enough for the kind of stuff they put him through. I make more money than he does just from the tips."
"I would've figured they'd at least pay him decent. I've seen some of the construction projects around the city, and if I were a human, I certainly wouldn't be doing anything that dangerous for so little."
"You'd think so, right?" the woman asked, shaking her head. "I keep telling him to find another job, but with all the trade to Osiria and Gormott stalled, the city isn't exactly brimming with new opportunities. People take what they can get."
"Well, I'll see what I can do about that," Clíodhna said. "I am technically on the committee, after all."
"The committee you can't tell me anything about," the woman reminded her.
"Yeah, that one. I can't give out any specifics, but some of us are hopeful that things will be resolved with the next summit in Gormott."
"It'd certainly be nice," the woman said. "But I'm sure we'll figure something out either way. We've done it before."
For a moment, Clíodhna felt a pang of jealousy. Being Maelgwn's Blade meant that she didn't interact much with people outside his particular circles. She didn't really have any friends to speak of, and she'd certainly never been in a relationship. None of that was really in the cards for her. But for a moment, she found herself wanting that so badly. Someone she could struggle to pay bills with together.
"Clíodhna," Maelgwn said, walking up behind her and taking her by surprise. "We're leaving."
Clíodhna couldn't help but notice that the doctor had remained at her table.
"Is she meeting us at the port, then?" Clíodhna asked.
"We're leaving," he repeated, avoiding the question. Which meant that she either couldn't or wouldn't treat Nia. Another failure that they couldn't afford.
"I hate to see you go so soon," the woman said.
"We have other matters to attend to," Mawlgwn said. Then he walked away, expecting Clíodhna to follow him. She shot an apologetic expression at the woman as she followed her Driver out.
"Good luck with that stuff you can't talk about," the woman said, giving them a wave.
"Good luck with that apartment," Clíodhna replied. Then they were out the door.
"We didn't come here to make friends," Maelgwn said.
"Just passing the time," Clíodhna said. "Where to next?"
"Doctor Smaia can't help us, but she did give me a list of names for those who might be able to. We're starting with them in the morning."
"Great," Clíodhna said, falling in behind him as they headed back for their hotel. She really hoped one of those names panned out, because if they didn't… She honestly wasn't sure what they were going to do. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
As they settled in for the night, she thought back to that woman form the bar. Compared to what Maelgwn and Clíodhna were dealing with, her problems seemed so pedestrian. Quaint, even. Maybe she'd been jealous of the simplicity of the woman's life. No arguing politicians, no nonsensical trade negotiations, no looming specter of death. For a moment, Clíodhna wondered whether or not she'd be willing to trade places with the woman, if given the chance.
But she couldn't do that to Maelgwn. She had a responsibility to him, and do Nia, to see this endeavor through to the end. It was what had driven her these past few years. Her sense of purpose. The two of them were going to find a cure, come hell or high water. The struggles of one mid-twenties bartender seemed trivial, in the face of that. Barely even worth considering.
Certainly nothing to aspire to or be jealous of.
Certainly not something she wanted for herself.
It was a cold morning. Nia could feel the chill in the air as she started to rouse, nipping at the tips of her ears. Instinctually, she shuffled deeper into the covers, pulling herself in tighter next to Zeke and letting his body heat warm her. She felt so comfortable that she almost went back to sleep.
Right as she could feel herself slipping back under, however, there was a knock on the door. She tried to ignore it, but whoever it was, they were rather persistent.
"Rise and shine!" Pandoria shouted, shattering the illusion that Nia might be able to scrape together a few more minutes of sleep. "The caravan's leaving soon! If you two want to be on it, then get your butts in gear!"
"I hear you," Nia said, her voice somewhat muffled by the covers. Then, somewhat reluctantly, she dragged herself out of bed.
With all the accumulating delays, the refugees had made the decision to postpone their departure until the next morning. Which, on the bright side, had given them all a chance to catch up and spend time together before they went their separate ways. Not so bright, however, was the fact that they were departing so early in the morning.
That had never really been a problem before. She wasn't a morning person, exactly, but she'd spent most of her life on one battlefield or another, and that necessitated a certain level of alertness at all times. But now, she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and eke out a few more minutes of warmth and comfort.
"We overslept," Zeke noted, slowly pulling himself out of the covers.
"I'm blaming you," Nia said. "This never used to happen to me before."
"Finally, we've found the Banshee Queen's one weakness," Zeke said. "Warm blankets."
She was busy pulling her shirt on, but she still managed to grab a pillow and toss it toward him, in retaliation for that comment. He probably could've dodged it, but he took the hit to the face like a good sport.
"I'm not the Banshee Queen anymore, remember?" Nia asked. "I never even decided to call myself that in the first place. It's just some name the Ardainian military cooked up to hide the fact that a nobody like me managed to stove the empress's head in."
"Oh come on!" Zeke protested. "It's the most badass title in the world! Nothing even comes close, and you've going to give it up, just like that?"
"Just like that," Nia said. "Besides, I like 'Furry Ears' better. It's got a real ring to it."
Zeke floundered for a moment, caught between making fun of her and the fact that doing so would mean making fun of his own pet name for her.
"Well, I suppose I can't argue with you there," he said, conceding defeat with a smile.
"How about you?" Nia asked. "Going to come up with a new title for yourself as well, or are you sticking with 'Sword of Elysium' for a while?"
"Actually, I was thinking I'd try just being Zeke for a change. See how that works out for me."
She'd had a remark about calling him "Shellhead" all ready to go, but his response was sincere enough that she decided against it. That was usually a sign that the time for ribbing each other was past. So instead, she tossed him his jacket and opened the door.
"Well then, regular old Zeke," she said. "Ready to get this show on the road?"
"After you," he said, motioning out into the hallway. Which didn't really work, logistically, since she was the one holding the door. There was a bit of fumbling as he took over holding it, then she led them out.
Thankfully, the rest of their stuff was already packed, so all Nia had to do was lock the door, and they were ready to go.
"There you two are," Nal said, waving them over as they entered the courtyard. "For a minute, I thought y'all weren't gonna show."
"Starting to miss us already, are you?" Zeke asked.
"Hardly." She scoffed at him. "But none of us can leave until we're all here, and frankly, I'm tired to standing around."
"This is what you get for being an early riser," Nia said. "Maybe take a page out of our book next time and sleep in a little."
"For as long as I've known her, she's never been capable of it," Corinne said. "I can't imagine she'll start now."
"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Nal said. "Until then, there's things to do. Speaking of, I'm going to go recheck the carriages. Keep myself busy until y'all are ready to stop fussing around and get this thing going."
"Keep up the good work!" Zeke beamed as Nal walked away.
"Please don't antagonize her," Corinne said. "I can't imagine how awful the ride back is going to be if she's in a mood the whole time."
"But that's half the fun!" Zeke protested.
"We're going to her home," Nia reminded him. "Let's defer to her judgement, here."
"Fine," Zeke muttered, shaking his head. "Who are we riding with?"
"Azurda saved you two some seats," Corinne said. "He's up at the front, if you want to get settled in."
"Thanks," Nia said. The two of them gave her a wave as they headed for the front, while she returned to taking a headcount of all the refugees. On the way, Nia could see a group of people loitering near the gate. Pandoria, Dromarch, and a lot of the others who weren't coming with them. Friends they wouldn't be seeing for a while.
"You promise not to get into too much trouble, yeah?" Pandoria asked, looking between the two of them.
"Only the fun kind," Zeke said, giving her a wry smile. She punched him in the arm.
"We'll be fine," Nia said. "You all make sure this place doesn't burn down without us, yeah?"
"I doubt they will much need our help for that," Dromarch said. "By the time you return, I suspect the community will be flourishing more than ever."
"I should hope so," Zeke said. "After all the work we put in, they'd better."
"This feels weird," Pandoria noted. "But… I guess this is goodbye?"
"You don't have to sound so final about it," Zeke said. "We're taking a trip. We'll see you all when we get back."
"Yeah," Pandoria said. "See you then."
She pulled her Driver in for a hug, and after a moment, Nia did the same with Dromarch. It was weird, on a level. With any luck, Adenine's machine would take over resonating for all the Gardens citizens, so this was probably the last time they would ever see each other as Driver and Blade. From this point on, those labels wouldn't apply.
It was sad, in a way. That relationship had been important to Nia for a long time. But she was also hopeful. Being unbound from each other wouldn't mean destroying that relationship, only changing it a little. Hopefully for the better.
"See you around," she muttered, stroking Dromarch's head.
"Likewise, My Lady." He bowed slightly, then nudged her on her way. "Enjoy your journey. And make sure to tell us all about it when you return."
"Will do," she said, waving at them. Zeke still had a fair few goodbyes to say. Electra, Mabon, Vess, Kora, Nim, and Obrona were all here to wish him well. But Nia didn't really like protracted goodbyes, so with her piece said to Droamrch, she ducked out, strolling along the caravan to find their seats.
But before she made it to Azurda, she ran into just about the last person she'd been expecting. Agate.
"Nia," Agate said, giving her a small wave as she approached. "Good. I was hoping to catch you before you left."
"You need something?" Nia asked.
"I…" Agate fumbled for words for a moment, then shook her head. "No. I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done. Pulling this place together and giving everyone here somewhere they can be free. The Gardens wouldn't exist without you, and I think maybe I haven't expressed my gratitude to you for that as much as I should have."
"I didn't make this place by myself," Nia said. "The Gardens wouldn't exist without all the people who live here. And that includes you especially. I doubt the Caretakers would've stepped down if you hadn't pushed so hard for it."
"Yes, and yet…" Agate stared off at somewhere just past Nia. "I pushed so hard for this, and now that it's happened, I can't help but feel like we've made a mistake. The Caretakers protected us from the Coalition. You all fought harder than anyone else. We shouldn't be pushing you out."
"You're not," Nia said. "Zeke and I are leaving because we want to. We've been planning this for a while. Stepping down just gives us a good excuse to pull the trigger."
"Still, it doesn't—"
"Change always feels scary," Nia said, cutting her off before she could protest more. "But this one will be for the better. I can feel it. The community is what makes this place special, and so long as you all are still here, then you've got nothing to worry about."
"I wish I shared your confidence," Agate said. "But I suppose we'll do our best to live up to it."
"That's the spirit." Nia clapped her on the shoulder. "See you around, Agate."
Nia walked past her, but as she did, Agate called out again.
"Do you think…" She paused for a moment. "Do you think, if circumstances had been different, that we might have been friends?"
"What are you talking about?" Nia asked. "Aren't we friends already?"
"I…" Agate smiled at that, and it seemed like a weight lifted from her shoulders. "I guess we are. See you around, Nia."
The two went their separate ways, and Nia finally managed to reach Azurda. She hauled herself onto his back, sitting up by where his carriage harness was attached. Rex was sitting just behind her, with Pyra and Mythra.
"Said all your goodbyes?" Azurda asked.
"I haven't seen Strix around," Nia said. "But he was never one for goodbyes anyway, so that doesn't surprise me."
"We're just waiting on Zeke, then," Rex said. "I suppose we'd all better get comfortable."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Zeke asked, pulling himself up into Azurda's back.
"Done already?" Rex asked. "I figured, with all the people here to see you off, it'd be another hour of weird goodbye rituals."
"Who exactly do you take me for?" Zeke asked.
"So you're telling me Electra didn't put you through some complicated farewell scheme?" Nia asked.
"Complicated, perhaps, but not overly time-consuming. Electric Blades know how to go fast when it counts."
"Hopefully you can go slow when it counts, too," Rex said, shooting Zeke a look. Mythra slapped him on the back of the head.
"Where's Tora?" Nia asked. "Wasn't he going to join us too?"
"He's too wrapped up with that machine Adenine concocted," Mythra said. "He's already got a whole workshop set up to start tinkering with prototypes. I doubt anyone is going to be seeing much from him for a long while."
"I suppose that means he'll have the whole problem done and dusted by the time we get back, then," Zeke said. "Honestly, the rate at which he works scares me sometimes."
"It'll certainly be something to see," Mythra said. "A world without Drivers or Blades."
"Not entirely," Nia said. "But at the very least, it'll be a world where Blades are free to choose their futures."
"Jin would've loved to see that."
The mention of Jin brought the mood down a little, and everybody went quiet until Corinne finally announced that it was time to move out. Then, slowly, Azurda began moving, dragging the carriage of supplies behind him.
"So Zeke," Nia said, picking up their conversation from earlier. "You're normal man with a normal name, now. You really ready for that?"
"Well, I wouldn't go quite that far," he said. "There's a difference between going anonymous and being normal."
"I suppose…"
"Unless…" Zeke studied her for a moment. "Unless that's what you're after."
"I've never exactly been normal, before," Nia said. "My whole life, I've been like an outsider looking in. Running from one crisis to the next with no time to breathe. And now that I finally have a life of my own, I…" She took a deep breath. "I'm not letting this go for anything. So yes, I think I'd like to take a shot at just being me. No cause to fight for, no heroics to perform, no burdens to shoulder. Just normal old Nia."
"Alright then," Zeke said. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in a bit closer, and she leaned her head on his in turn. "If that's what you're after, then I'm behind you a hundred percent."
"Everybody strap in!" Azurda called out. "We're getting underway!"
With that, he took to the air, and the caravan took off toward Leftheria. As she watched the scenery roll by beneath them, Nia couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her work. Plants were starting to sprout all across Temperantia's back, and she could hear the call of birds in the distance, which would've been unthinkable only a year ago.
They'd changed this place so much. They'd changed everything, over the past few years. Despite all the setbacks and frustrations, this project of theirs had succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. The Titans had found refuge. The Blades were creating their own future. And even if it was slow, the humans were moving on a path to lasting peace.
Now, for the first time she could remember, Nia felt like she could truly live her own life. And from now on, she intended to make the most of it.