The door opened, and Nal came through, carrying the dressed meat from the Cloud Sea shark she'd caught earlier that day.
"Put it on the counter," Corinne said, barely glancing up from the vegetables she was chopping. "I'll get to it in a moment."
"We need to talk," Nal said, setting the shark down.
"Can it wait until after dinner?"
"How many times are ya' gonna ask me that?"
Corinne stopped chopping. "Nal, I'm not keeping you here. If you want to leave, I can't stop you."
"That ain't the problem, Corinne. Y'ain't been yerself since we gave up fighting."
"I've got a kid to raise. I'm not a soldier anymore."
"Bullshit," Nal hissed. "You were the best damn fighter in Brionac. You were one of the few who actually gave a shit. Yer tellin' me yer really fine givin' up?"
"No," Corinne said, glaring at Nal. "I'm not fine. I'm pissed. If I ever see Walraig again, I'm cutting his balls off. But I can't abandon Mark. I can't go back to the fight knowing he might get hurt."
"This is about a lot more than yer kid, Corinne."
"It really isn't. If you want to go back to the fight, kill imperials and all that, then I won't stop you. You'd be doing the world a favor. But I can't go with you."
"I ain't no revolutionary," Nal sighed. "I fought 'em 'cause I had to, not 'cause I wanted to. It don't matter much to me whether the empire survives or not, so long as I ain't bein' chased. But even if I ain't a believer, I've got sense enough to know somethin' special's dyin' with you. Somethin' that could've changed the world."
"That dream died a long time ago," Corinne said. "It died when Walraig betrayed us. Maybe it was never alive at all."
"Mama?" Mark asked. She'd nearly forgotten he was there, still sitting at the dinner table. He was barely two years old, so he likely didn't understand what was happening. But he could tell something was bothering her.
"It's alright, sweetie," she said, smiling.
"Whatever," Nal sighed. "If yer so intent on staying here, then I'm—"
The door slammed open, and a young woman stumbled through, clutching a child against her chest. She collapsed, twisting around to keep the child safe. Immediately Corinne put down her knife and rushed to her side. The woman was covered in burns, but the child seemed unharmed. He was crying, though.
"Please…" the woman muttered. "Look after him…"
"Lady, we need to get you some help," Nal said. She bent down and checked the woman's pulse. "Or not. Shit."
Silently, Corinne took the child out of the woman's arms and cradled him in her own. Gently, she rocked him back and forth until he stopped crying. Then she set him down in a chair next to Mark.
She and Nal exchanged a single glance, and Corinne walked back to the kitchen. She opened the cupboard and pulled the shotgun out of the false back. Nal manifested her pistols, then tossed her an extra. Corinne tucked it into her apron as a backup.
Villagers were gathering near her house as the two of them walked outside. They didn't seem under attack, and Corinne didn't recognize the woman, so she was probably from another village. But if she'd managed to make it to them, her attackers probably weren't far behind.
"Willas!" Corinne shouted, catching the attention of the village elder. "Watch after Mark! Keep him and the kid safe!"
"What's going on?" Willas asked.
"We're under—" A blast of fire ripped through the gate, and Nal barely managed to put up a shield, deflecting it away from the nearby buildings. The villagers ran for cover, and Corinne shoved Willas toward her house. She and Nal spread out, guns raised, as the attackers came through the gate.
Corinne had been expecting a Blade, given the blast of fire. She hadn't been expecting seven. But they came through the village gate, one after another, forming a loose semicircle facing her and Nal. Their Driver came last. A Gormotti man with mechanical implants in his arms. He was holding a large scythe and had a manic grin on his face.
"Well," he said. "Someone's going to fight back. It's always more fun when they fight back."
"Can I kill 'em?" Nal asked.
"Be my guest," Corinne said.
"And she's a Driver," one of the Blades noted. Flames jetted out of the back of his head, and he had two banners hanging from his shoulders. He took a large swig from a ceramic jug.
"I'm not a Driver," Corinne said. "But I'm more than enough to take on idiots like you."
"I'll handle her," one of the other Blades said. A blonde boy, physically no older than fourteen, with a pair of swords on his back and a scarf of green feathers that flapped around despite the lack of any noticeable wind. As he walked forward, his steps began to leave behind glowing footprints, and slowly he floated into the air. Next to her, Nal audibly sighed.
"Take the Driver," she said. Ice crystals began to form around her, sparkling in the moonlight. A pair of shells formed out of the ice, and Corinne took them, loading them into the shotgun.
Nal rushed forward, leaving the ice cloud next to Corinne, and fired her pistols at the floating boy. He dropped, barely avoiding the shots, and she fired another round at where he landed. As it struck his leg, the compressed ether expanded, forming a large block of ice that pinned him to the ground.
The other Blades moved, and Nal started firing on them. Two were slow to get out of the way, a woman in a frilly dress and a woman with a large cannon. Nal froze both on the spot. A man wearing a lopsided crown and brandishing a flaming axe closed the distance between them and swung at her, but she moved back, blasting him in the chest. Fire roiled around him, melting through the ice, and he roared. Another Blade, a woman with a large bag floating around her, struck Nal from the side while she was distracted.
As the woman's axe struck her, Nal's body shattered like glass. A moment later, it reformed behind the bag woman, and Nal fired two blasts at her, pinning her arm and her head to the ground.
"Back!" the Driver growled. Begrudgingly, the three remaining Blades backed off Nal.
"We can take her!" the banner man said.
"That's Nal the Shattered, you dimwit," the Driver said. "Which makes the woman Brionac's number two Driver, Rhogul-Eye."
"I always hated that nickname," Corinne said, leveling the shotgun at the Driver. "At least you've got the brains to recognize when you're beat."
"Oh, I ain't beat lady!" the Driver grinned. "I'm having fun! Dagas, get the others out and go to work! Perceval and I are handling this one ourselves!"
The Driver handed the scythe to his last Blade, a woman in a purple suit with a large visor over her head, and held his hand out. The banner man tossed him a katana, black fires igniting along the length.
"Fuck me," Nal sighed. "Who is this guy, some kinda thrill seeker?"
"Doesn't matter," Corinne said. "I'll deal with him. Keep the other Blades from harming the villagers."
"That won't be any fun," the Driver said. "I want you both to come at me at once!"
"Beggars can't be choosers," Corinne said. She fired the shotgun at him, and one of the black flames exploded, throwing out a series of shadowy tendrils to block the blast. Immediately, a new pair of shells manifested out of the ice around her, and she loaded them.
The Driver moved before she could fire again. He rushed forward, swinging at Nal and slicing through her torso. Her image shattered, and he immediately swung around, slamming into her real body and sending her flying. She fired two shots at him as she spun across the ground, but he blocked them both.
Knocking Nal back gave the other Blades the opportunity they needed. The bag woman tore herself out of the ice and shot forward, carried by a blast of wind toward Corinne's house. Corinne immediate shot her out of the air, but all that seemed to do was get her attention.
"Zenobia!" the Driver shouted. "She's mine!"
"Too late!" the bag woman shouted. She grinned, drawing a fist back, and Corinne drew her pistol. Before she could fire it, however, something struck the ground in front of her, and she was knocked back. She looked up to see Azurda, the old village guardian, pinning the woman to the ground with one hand.
"Zenobia," he said, rather matter-of-factly. "I see you haven't changed a bit. You always did bite off more than you can chew."
"Get off me!" she shouted. "Who the hell are you, anyway!?"
She managed to wriggle out from under the Titan's grasp, but he anticipated her. He struck her aside with his other hand, sending her flying over the side of the Titan and into the Cloud Sea. The other Blades freed themselves from the ice and charged him, but a flap of his massive wings drove most of them back.
"Many of you were honorable Blades, once," Azurda said, lumbering forward. "But do not think that means I'll go easy on you. I am this village's guardian, and if you want to harm any of my charges, you'll have to go through me!"
He lunged, striking another Blade to the ground with a swing of his tail, but the Driver and his Blade, Perceval, managed to jump over it. Nal had vanished, erasing her image, so for the time being they were focused solely on Corinne.
She stepped back, drawing her pistol up and firing another shot at the Driver. Another black flame flared, blocking the attack, and he lunged, swinging for her head. She ducked and fired again, this time into his stomach. His Blade blocked the bullet with a shield, and he tried to grab at her, forcing her to roll to the side. As she recovered, she fired again, striking him in the shoulder, and the bullet expanded into a chunk of ice.
He staggered back, and his Blade stepped in, taking the sword and swinging at Corinne. One of the black flames flared as he did, and tendrils swept out, trying to grab her. She jumped, sweeping her shotgun through the cloud of ice to load a pair of shells into it, and fired her pistol, dispersing the tendrils with a burst of ether.
The Driver tackled her as she fell, pinning her to the ground. As they struggled, he jammed a hand into her pistol's trigger guard to keep her from firing. He seemed to think he'd won after that, because the grin on his face was massive. But she had two guns, and the moment she pressed the shotgun against his elbow, his grin faltered.
She fired, shredding his arm at the elbow before his Blade could put up a shield, and he shrieked. An ice crystal immediately formed where his elbow had been, freezing the otherwise severed arm in place. He staggered back, trying to clutch at the wound, and his Blade rushed forward, stabbing Corinne through the shoulder before she could roll out of the way.
The Driver tried to say something, but Nal appeared in front of him, jamming a pistol in his mouth. He glared at her, and she smirked, aiming her other gun at his Blade. Immediately, the fighting elsewhere stopped. The other Blades, all collectively failing to take down Azurda, slowly backed off their target.
"I'mma tell ya' how this goes down," Nal said. "Yer gonna take yer sword outta my Driver's shoulder, and yer gonna walk the fuck away."
"Not happening," Perceval said, almost growling as he spoke. But the Driver glared at him, and he seemed to reconsider.
"I'd suggest you do as she says," Azurda said. "If you refuse to leave, I won't be so merciful."
The Driver screamed something almost incoherent, and that was enough to get through to Perceval. He stood, drawing the sword out of Corinne's shoulder, and backed up. Slowly, the others did as well, clustering by the village's gate.
"Get," Nal said, shoving the Driver away.
"This isn't the end," he said, backing up slowly. "I'm going to be back, you hear me? I'm going to wipe your backwater town off the map."
"You really think it'll work out any better next time?" Corinne asked, standing up and raising her gun.
"It's a matter of principle. I can't let you live knowing you might be better than me."
"Like I give a shit," Corinne said. "I'm barely even a Driver anymore. I just want to be left alone."
"Doesn't matter."
"As long as she's alive, y'ain't leavin' this place alone?" Nal asked.
"That about sums it up, yeah," the man said. He was angry, and he wasn't leaving. Azurda shifted his weight, preparing to lunge for the man and impale him. Nal sighed.
Before anyone could react, she whirled around and fired a shot at Corinne. It expanded into ice just before striking her, spreading out around her head so it didn't kill her. It still hit her through, throwing her to the ground and encasing her head in ice. She could more or less guess what Nal was thinking and fell limp. She watched through the ice as the Driver shouted at Nal, angry and confused as she began fading away into ether. After a moment, she returned to her Core Crystal.
The ice holding the man's arm together faded, and he screamed as the pain shot through him again. Arm clutched to his chest, and a glare fixed firmly on Azurda, he walked back to his Blades. He barked something at them, and they all began to leave.
It was only after she was sure they were gone that Corinne sat up. A moment later, Nal reappeared, dismissing the illusion of her inert Core Crystal.
"That seemed a bit extravagant," Azurda said.
"They weren't gonna leave until we were dead," she said. "So I killed us."
"Quick thinking," Corinne noted. "Though some advanced warning next time would be nice."
"I'mma follow them out, just to make sure they leave the continent for good." Nal holstered her pistols and began trudging down the path out of the village.
"I'll save some shark for you, then," Corinne said, dusting herself off. She realized she was still bleeding from her shoulder. She'd need to get that patched up before she finished making dinner.
"Don't bother," Nal said. "I ain't comin' back."
"Are you planning on following them for the rest of your life?"
"No. But I can't stay here. I ain't cut out for the quiet life, Corinne."
"Who's going to protect the village if you leave?" Corinne asked. Azurda coughed, and she sighed. "You do marvelously, of course, Azurda."
"Ya' don't need me here," Nal said. "Ya' got a kid to raise, for cryin' out loud. I'd just get in the way."
"I think I have two, now. I could use an extra pair of hands around the house."
"Are ya' kiddin' me?" Nal made a face. "I'd probably kill one of the brats sooner or later. Sorry, Corinne, but I've made my mind up. I meant to tell ya' before all this went down, but I'm goin'."
"Well…" Corinne sighed. As disappointing as this was, it didn't exactly come as a shock. At the end of the day, Nal wasn't built to stay in one place for too long. "Good luck."
"Same to you." Nal waved back at them as she crossed under the village's gate. A moment later, she disappeared in a puff of ice.
"That woman," Azurda sighed. "First she convinces you to break into the Spirit Crucible, then she vanishes into the night the moment something more interesting comes along."
"She's a free spirit," Corinne said. "Spent too long cooped up in Duthract."
"Well, you're officially a dead woman," Azurda noted. "Are you going to make use of your new lease on life?"
She had no idea. She'd been in the army for so long that the idea of settling down didn't appeal to her any more than it appealed to Nal. The only difference was she didn't have a choice. But there were two children relying on her, now. If she couldn't get away from it, she might as well lean into it.
"I think I'll open an orphanage," she decided.
"Not what I was expecting you to say."
"I've already got two kids. What's a few more?" Corinne smiled to herself. It would be a handful, but she'd been wrangling Brionac soldiers for years. Taking care of kids couldn't be much different.
"Well, best of luck to you," Azurda said, spreading his wings out. "I'm going to fly over to Rigitte, see if there are any other survivors."
As he took to the skies, Corinne limped back to her house. She'd need to add some more rooms if she was going to take on more children. But someone needed to look after them. It might as well be her.
Willas nearly had a heart attack as she pushed open the door. Despite the wound on her shoulder, though, she was smiling.
"I'm home," she said. Mark beamed back at her from the table. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she belonged somewhere.
"Man, that was good," Mark said, sitting down on the couch. "It's been way too long since I had a real homecooked meal, you know?"
"Thanks," Corinne said. "Now if only I could get Rex to show some of that appreciation."
"Hey!" Rex called out, sticking his head through the door. "I'm doing the dishes, aren't I?"
"Not from there you aren't," Mark said. Rex glared at him and ducked back into the kitchen.
"The food was lovely," Beqqa said, sitting next to Mark. "I wish we could visit more often. Life seems so peaceful here."
"We have everything we need here," Corinne said. "And nothing that anyone else wants. Unless you count the scenic views."
"It actually reminds me a lot of Indol. Y'know, before."
"Does it?" Corinne asked. That wasn't a comparison she liked. She'd been to Indol once, back during her army days. The city had guards on every street corner, a labyrinth of strict laws with stricter enforcers. It might have been a quiet place to live, but it was hardly something she'd call peace.
"Well, it's not quite the same," Beqqa conceded. "You all manage this all on your own. There's something to be said for that."
"It's not something special. All it takes is a little perspective. Anywhere could be like here if they tried."
"Good luck getting that out of the capital, though," Mark said. "The whole city's been on overdrive for months now. It's honestly exhausting sometimes."
"I liked it," Rex said. "It felt exciting."
"Of course you did. You lived in Argentum for five years. I'm sure everywhere's a step up from getting accosted by four conmen a day."
"It felt like the potential for something different. Something new. I love Fonsett, don't get me wrong, but the world's never seen anything like the Coalition before."
"It doesn't feel like it, most days," Mark said.
"Don't be so pessimistic," Beqqa said. "The Praetorium's changed a lot in the last two years. With most of the magisterium gone, a lot of new ideas have entered the Choir. Compiling the new Catechesis is going to take a while, but it's going to be radically different than anything published under Amalthus or Rhadalis."
"They're changing up the doctrine?" Corinne asked.
"A lot of the old guard were against it, but the other new members of the Choir and I managed to convince Praetor Yvalle that it needed to be done. Amalthus let things grow stagnant, and a lot of people think that's one of the things that contributed to the Cataclysm."
"I hope it goes well. Most people don't take kindly to sudden changes."
"We've been thinking about that for a while too. It'd be a lot easier if the Children of Humility recognized the new Praetor, but I think we'll pull through."
"The sooner the better, too," Mark said. "If we hold off much longer, we'll have been engaged longer than we were dating."
"We've got to set an example," Beqqa said, frowning at him.
"I know. Doesn't make it any less frustrating, though."
"Are you saying I'm not worth the wait?"
"That's not—" Mark floundered, unable to form words for a moment. "Rex. Help."
"You're on your own, man," Rex said.
"Don't be in such a rush," Corinne said. "You have each other. That's what matters."
"It's the uncertainty," Mark said. "Not knowing when we'll be able to get married just keeps stressing me out."
"Patience," Beqqa said. "It's one of the six virtues for a reason, you know."
"Alright," Rex said, stepping out of the kitchen. "Dishes are done."
"Really?" Corinne asked. She looked back into the kitchen, but everything was clean and dry. There was hardly anything she could complain about.
"Finally learned how to do chores, huh?" Mark asked.
"I don't want to hear that from you," Rex said. He sat down in a chair opposite Mark and Beqqa. "Remind me, who was it that put your sorry butt through school?"
"Technically, I did," Corinne said. "I won't have you taking credit for all my hard work, now."
"Be that as it may, I still worked my ass off to stump up all that cash you refused to take."
"Salvaging's one thing," Mark said. "I just never thought I'd see the day when you'd bother cleaning up after yourself, much less other people."
"I take offense to that."
"I assume your house on Gramps's back was clean as a whistle, then?"
Rex opened his mouth, but he didn't give a reply. Instead he just glared at Mark again. After a moment, Mark started laughing, and Rex couldn't keep himself together for long either. Everyone had to wait for the two of them to calm down before the conversation could resume, which took a moment.
"Salvaging?" Beqqa asked. "I thought you were a Driver."
"I am," Rex said. "Or was. I've still got Roc, but it's not like I take jobs or anything. I'm way out of practice, at this point. I couldn't even keep pace with Nia last week."
"Did you get into a fight?" Corinne asked.
"I… Yes?" Rex winced, probably expecting some reaction from Corinne. She was startled, obviously, but she'd told herself she'd stop getting mad, so she said nothing.
"That big mess at the summit," Mark said, putting it together.
"You mean when the Children of Humility attacked everyone?" Beqqa asked. She stared at Rex for a moment. "That was you?"
"No," Rex said. "I had nothing to do with that. My friends and I got attacked by a weird old lady. Kind of out of nowhere. She put up a heck of a fight, but we took her down."
"I thought we talked about this," Corinne said. "You promised me you wouldn't put yourself in more danger."
"Hey, I'd rather not have fought her either, but she wasn't stopping."
"You fought an old lady?" Mark asked. "Why'd you do that?"
"I have no idea! She just attacked us. Apparently she was from Sthenos? Zeke seemed to think so, anyway. But that's literally as much as I know."
"Wow," Beqqa said. "I guess being a Driver means you run into that kind of thing."
"I really hope not," Corinne said. "You're supposed to be staying out of trouble, remember?"
"I know," Rex sighed. "It's not like I'm going looking for fights."
"Eh…" Mark stared at Rex. He looked like he was about to say something, but Rex glared at him, and he kept quiet.
They weren't telling her something. Corinne crossed her arms and stared at Mark, since Rex looked like the one who wanted the secret kept.
"What don't I know?" she asked.
"I…" Mark floundered again. Beqqa stifled a laugh. "I'm really not sure what—"
"It's fine," Rex said. "I wasn't getting around this anyway."
"What is it?" Corinne asked.
"I… Got a job offer. From the Coalition. They're planning an expedition to Morytha, and they wanted some Drivers on board, just to be safe."
"They've got their own Drivers," Corinne said. "Why do you need to go?"
"I didn't accept yet. But Tora's the one who put the whole thing together, and I'd like to back him up. And it's a salvaging expedition anyway, it's practically got my name written all over it."
"I…" Corinne sighed. She smiled at Beqqa. "Sorry, I didn't mean to start this while you were here."
"It's your house," Beqqa said. "Don't let me stop you."
"Can we talk about this later?" Rex asked.
"No," Corinne said. She walked over to the door and opened it, motioning for Rex to step through. Reluctantly, he stood and stepped onto the porch.
"We'll only be a moment," Corinne said. As she closed the door behind her, though, it was all she could do to keep from exploding. He'd agreed to settle down, and for once she'd believed him. She felt incredibly hurt that he'd go back on his word after everything that happened.
"I was going to bring this up after they left," Rex said. "I know I agreed to put down the scythes and everything, but this feels like something I have to do."
"Why?" Corinne asked. She glanced over at the field in front of the house, where the younger kids were playing with Roc. Making sure they were out of earshot. "Why do you have to do this?"
"Because. I'm a salvager, and as much as I don't act like it, I'm a Driver. I'm good at it. This is a perfect opportunity, and it won't even be too dangerous. The creatures in Morytha are easy street compared to some of the other things I've fought."
"I thought you were going to leave the fighting to other people from now on."
"I know that, I just…" Rex paused for a moment. "I need to do something, Auntie. I love you, I love this village, but I can barely sleep. I can't get them out of my head."
"Who?"
"Pyra. Mythra. They're—" Rex shook his head. "They're dead. I know that. They died so the rest of us could keep going. But I can't help but feel like maybe they're still alive. Or they could be. Remember when I went to see Nia last year?"
"Yeah."
"There's a scientist she knows. Adenine. I asked her to look at the Aegis Core, and she told me it's still active. They could come back, except…" He took his necklace off and stared at it. "They can't. Because this thing is too busy keeping me alive."
He sounded almost spiteful as he said it. She wasn't sure if he was angry at the necklace or himself. Maybe both.
"You can't keep focusing on the past."
"I know that. I know. But I keep having the same bloody dream every night. Pyra walks off and the World Tree explodes and I lose her all over again. And every night I see her, buried underneath all that rubble, unable to every cry out because I turned the thing that's supposed to keep her alive into a fucking necklace. I—"
Corinne wrapped Rex in a hug before he could keep going. He was shocked, for a moment, but then he began to cry. It was an ugly sobbing, but it was necessary. Corinne could sympathize. She'd had her world ripped apart before. Even now, she still had nightmares about Osiria.
"It's not your fault," she said.
"I know," he muttered. "It doesn't make it any easier."
"I don't think going on this trip is going to make it easier either."
"It'll at least keep me occupied," Rex said. "Keep my mind on something other than Pyra and Mythra. And I think maybe seeing the ruins would help with the dreams, at least. Knowing she isn't buried under there, somewhere."
"And what if it just makes things worse?"
"I don't see how it could get worse."
"Trust me," Corinne said. She broke the hug and put her hands on his shoulders. "I've been through this before, and it can always get worse."
"You… What do you mean?"
"I was…" Corinne sighed. "When I was younger, I lost my whole world. Everyone and everything I had ever cared about, suddenly gone in the blink of an eye. I spent a long time angry and confused, and the longer things went, the worse I got. Things only got better once I slowed down and stopped torturing myself."
"I…" Rex looked around for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do, if not this."
"I know it's hard. But throwing yourself at the source of the trauma won't make it go away. It isn't something you can deal with through brute force. You need time to heal."
"What I need is closure, Auntie."
She sighed. There was no way he was backing down from this. She'd been through this song and dance with him enough times to tell when he'd made up his mind.
"Fine," she said. "Go on the expedition. But you need to promise me that after you get back, you'll talk to me about this. At the very least, you shouldn't be suffering through this alone."
"Thank you," he said. She pulled out a handkerchief and took a moment to dry his eyes. He couldn't go back inside looking like that, after all. As she was doing that, though, he hugged her again. Now it was her turn to be startled.
"Really," he said. "Thank you."
"It's what I'm here for," she said. "Now let's get back inside."
As she opened the door and they returned to their company, Corinne felt a little apprehensive. But also relieved. Rex had made a startling amount of progress in the last few years, thanks in no small part to Pyra, but she'd always felt like he was keeping something like this bottled up. She wanted to do everything she could to help him set down that burden he'd taken on. And right now, the best way she could do that was to support him and provide him a place to belong.
The floorboards creaked below her, waking Corinne in an instant. She'd been a light sleeper ever since her days in the army. Hardly anything could move in the house without making some kind of noise, and her room was positioned to hear all of them. Normally, it would be one of the smaller children whose curiosity kept them up past their bedtime. This noise, however, was heavy. Whoever was moving around on the floor below was fully grown. Rex and Roc were away on the expedition, and Mark was back with Beqqa in the capital. There shouldn't have been anyone in the house capable of making noise like that.
As quietly as possible, she sat up, reaching behind the headboard to grab her old shotgun. It took her another moment to find the shells—normal ones, now that Nal was gone—and load them into the barrels. After the night those bandits tried to burn the village down, she always kept a weapon in easy reach.
Slowly, she opened her door and poked her head around, straining to catch any more noises coming from below. Whoever was in the house had come through the front, and now they were currently creeping around the kitchen. The moment they entered another room, she started down the stairs, aiming the shotgun in front of her as she went.
As she made it toward the bottom of the stairs, she realized she'd need to step on a stair that would make noise. She froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, and noticed the intruder had gone quiet as well. Had they noticed her, somehow? She listened, trying to make out any sound coming from the other room. Eventually, she heard heavy breathing. The intruder wasn't moving, but they were close by. Good enough.
She lunged forward, stepping over the noisy stair and moving around the corner. Something came at her from above, and she reacted instinctively, reaching up to catch it. The edge of a bladed weapon dug into her palm, but she managed to stop it from splitting her head open. Before the intruder could do anything else, she thrust the shotgun into their stomach.
"Don't move," she growled, keeping her voice as low as possible. "Try anything, and I fire."
"Easy," the man said. His voice sounded familiar, though she couldn't quite place it. Whoever he was, he was very angry and very tired. "Let's not do anything stupid."
"You broke into my house. You already decided to be stupid."
"I just need a place to lay low. I won't harm you or your family."
"Is that why you tried to kill me?"
"You came at me, I came at you. The way I see it, we're both still alive, and I'd like to keep it that way."
"You can start by getting out of my house."
"Like I said, I need a place to lay low. It'll just be for a few hours, and then I'll be out of your life. But until then, I need—"
"I don't care. Get out of my house."
Something moved further inside the room, and Corinne leaned around the man. A large wolf-like creature stood at the other end of the room, draped in a faintly glowing green net. It took Corinne a moment to recognize the Blade.
"Akatsuki?" she asked.
"Oh no," Akatsuki said. "This can't be good."
Corinne looked from the Blade to the Driver. Now that her vision had adjusted better, she could see her assailant's features. The man looked like he'd aged thirty years since they'd last met, but she wouldn't mistake that face for anyone, gray hair or no. She stood in her living room, face to face with the last person she'd ever wanted to see again. Walraig.
Just as it dawned on the man whose house he'd broken into, Corinne swung the shotgun around, slamming the stock into Walraig's groin. It'd have to do in place of cutting them off. She wasn't as strong as she used to be. He collapsed, groaning, and she let go of his ring. Then she stepped over his body and set the gun down on a nearby table.
"Hello Corinne," Akatsuki said. "It's good to see you again."
"I can't say the same," she said. It took her a moment to find the first-aid kit and take it to the kitchen to disinfect the wound.
"Corinne?" Walraig groaned, trying to get to his feet. "You can't be serious."
"Quiet," she said. "The kids are sleeping."
"Kids!?" Walraig shouted. She glared at him, and immediately he shut up. "You have kids?"
"Mark's my only child by birth. The rest are adopted."
"But you had a kid."
"I hadn't even been gone a month when the first bout of morning sickness hit. Nal and I moved to Leftheria after the pregnancy became noticeable."
"So…" Walraig seemed shaken. She smiled to herself. The bastard deserved to sweat a little. "Is he… I mean… Is he mine?"
"Congratulations," Corinne said, smiling. "You're a father."
"Titan's reach…" Walraig slumped into a nearby chair. Corinne winced, fully expecting the old thing to collapse beneath him, but it managed to hold. "I've got a kid…"
"He's half-Leftherian, of course. If that kind of thing still bothers you."
"It never—I never—Corinne, you know I always—"
"Don't. The excuses stopped working a long time ago."
He hung his head for a moment.
"Can I… Can I see him, at least?"
Corinne pretended to give it some thought. "No."
"No? Corinne, he's my—"
"I put up with a lot while we were together, Walraig, but I was used to it. Living in the empire for fifteen years, I had to be used to it to survive. But I won't expose my children to that hatred. I want you out of the house before they wake up."
Walraig clenched and unclenched his hands several times, trying to find words to say. She wondered for a moment if he'd do anything. But she knew there was very little chance of that. He was a coward, sure, but he wasn't low enough to attack kids. At least, he hadn't been when she'd left Brionac. There was no telling how he'd changed since then.
"I just want to see my son, Corinne. Is that too much to ask?"
"You made your choice."
"I made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes."
"Oh?" Corinne was taken aback, a little. His tunnel vision had destroyed Brionac's chances at doing anything truly revolutionary almost the moment they got started, and he only doubled down every time things got worse. She'd given up on him ever admitting to his mistakes a long time ago.
"I was tired, Corinne. We could barely feed our troops, much less put up any kind of resistance. I wanted better for them, and I didn't realize what I was doing until it was too late. If I could go back and refuse Lindwurm's money, I would, but I can't. The only thing I can do is keep moving forward."
"There is another option, you know."
"What? Give up? Is that what you did?"
"I never gave up. The pregnancy just forced me to slow down a little, and when I did, I realized the world we were fighting to make was already here. Fonsett has no war, no suffering, barely any disease. Everyone's free to live how they want, with no military or nobility or guild to tell them what to do. And I do my best to make sure it stays that way."
"It's one village," Walraig said. "This might be a nice place to retire, but that does nothing for the citizens of Mor Ardain."
"I can't help Mor Ardain. No one person can. That was the reason we founded Brionac, remember? Lady Avetha tried to change things by herself, and it got her killed. If you hadn't sold us to Lindwurm, we could have made a real difference, but that's just a dream now. I'm doing what I can with what I've got."
"We can still make a difference!" Walraig insisted. "We've got a plan in the works. It should take down the whole Coalition government in one fell swoop, give Mor Ardain a chance to—"
He stopped as Corinne glared at him.
"I swear…" she sighed. "I have no idea how I put up with you for that long."
"Isn't that what you always wanted?" he asked. "A fresh start for everyone?"
"It used to be. But not if you're leading the charge. You can't see past the end of your nose."
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
"Right." And just like that, he was back to his usual self. She had to stop herself from laughing at his sheer audacity.
"You make me sick," Akatsuki said. He slid a letter across the floor using one of his paws. Rex's invitation to the summit. She must've left it lying around. "All the flowery language is nice, but you're in contact with the emperor. You're a traitor to the cause, as far as I'm concerned."
"One of my kids knows him," Corinne said, picking the letter up. "Rex. Maybe you've heard of him?"
"You can't be…" Akatsuki physically recoiled from her. "I knew the Aegis Driver was Leftherian, but he's one of yours?"
"I've looked after him since before he could walk. The Emperor wrote to him a couple of months ago asking if Fonsett would ever consider joining the Coalition. He declined the offer at the summit last month. You're lucky he did, too, or else you wouldn't have gotten off with one blow to the groin."
"Well." Akatsuki laughed to himself, though there was no humor in it. "At least we know where he gets his stubbornness."
"Fuck me," Walraig muttered. "Damnit, Corinne, why'd you have to tell me that?"
"Scared he'll come back and kick you out?"
"You don't understand. The people I work with now, they're not huge fans of the Aegis Driver. Killing him is one of the first steps of the plan. I…" He slumped forward, holding his head in his hands. "Why do I always have to choose between hurting my people and hurting you?"
"Are you going to kill my son?"
She glanced over at the gun. It wasn't far away, but Akatsuki had put himself between her and the table it was on. She'd need to get through him first.
"If I don't, someone else will. He and the Flamebringer are symbols of the Coalition's power. As long as they're alive, the Coalition will have something to rally behind."
"I don't want excuses, Walraig, I want an answer. Are you going to kill my son?"
He looked up at her, and she stared down at him. Neither of them said anything. Akatsuki began stalking toward Corinne, his fur glowing slightly beneath the ether net, but she didn't back down.
"Mom?" a voice asked, cutting through the tension in an instant. Akatsuki backed off, and Walraig slumped back in the chair. Corinne's face instantly changed from an angry glare to her usually motherly expression as she glanced up at the stairs.
"Kazuna," she said. "What are you doing up so late?"
"I heard voices, and you weren't in your room. I got scared."
"It's alright," she said, holding out her hand. She took a step forward, and Kazuna rushed down the stairs to wrap her in a hug. "I was just talking with some old friends."
"Friends?" Kazuna asked.
"That's right." She motioned at Walraig. "He and I used to work together, back when I was Rex's age."
"He's a Driver," Kazuna noted.
"That I am," Walraig said. "I'm—" Corinne glared at him, and he fumbled for a moment while he thought up a fake name. "Vill. This is my Blade, Ethelmar." Akatsuki rolled his eyes. "And who might you be, young lady?"
"Kazuna," she said. She was still clinging to Corinne.
"It's nice to meet you, Kazuna."
"Come on now," Corinne said, taking Kazuna by the hand. "We've got lots of boring grown-up talk to get to, and you should be in bed."
Kazuna stared at Walraig and Akatsuki for another moment. "Okay."
Corinne led her back upstairs to her room. Akatsuki kept an eye on her as long as he could, but he didn't follow her upstairs. He at least had the sense not to upset the kids and risk waking the whole village.
"Don't worry sweetie," Corinne whispered, tucking Kazuna into bed. "Everything's fine."
"You sounded mad," Kazuna said. "Why were you mad?"
"Vill has very poor manners, but don't worry. I'm going to straighten him out. Now you, young lady, need to get your sleep."
"Night, mom."
"Good night, sweetie."
Corinne closed the door as softly as she could, then slowly she locked it. No matter what happened next, she didn't want them getting hurt. When she was sure they were all safe, she rushed to her room and tore through the closet. She'd need weapons if she was going to stand a chance. Her old steam rifle, Nal's spare revolvers, and as much ammo as she could cram into it all. With everything secure, she headed back downstairs, a gun in each hand. When she came down, however, Walraig and Akatsuki were gone.
The back door was ajar, though, and Emperor Niall's letter was sitting on the kitchen counter. There was a note, hastily scrawled on the back in Walraig's unmistakably terrible handwriting: I'm sorry. Goodbye.
She didn't even have time to sit down before the front door opened again, and someone else crept into the house, moving as quietly as they could. Quieter than Walraig had, even, but she could track them all the same. She hefted her rifle and aimed for the hallway, waiting for them to cross the doorway. The moment someone's head came into view, she pressed the barrel against it.
"Stop," she muttered. It was a Blade, with dark skin and a long white ponytail. She had a lance, and very slowly she aimed it in Corinne's direction.
"Do you live here?" the Blade asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah. Who're you?"
"Perun. I'm with the Coalition's Restoration Department."
"I've heard of you. What does a Coalition hit squad want with me?"
"We're not—" Perun shook her head. She probably didn't have time to argue the point. "We've been tracking a dangerous terrorist. Walraig, former leader of Brionac. His trail led to this house."
"Oh, him." Corinne lowered her gun and stepped aside, motioning at the door behind her. "He went out the back."
"He came through here?"
"He tried to hide here, I showed him the door, he threatened my son. Standard stuff. He left a minute or so ago. Do me a favor and kick his ass for me, will you?"
Perun lowered her lance and studied Corinne for a moment. "Who are you?"
"I'm nobody," Corinne sighed. "Just an old woman trying to protect her family."
"I'm sorry about all this, then. Have a good day."
Without another word, Perun slipped out the back. Corinne could hear other people outside the house move in the same direction. Probably the rest of her squad.
Corinne closed the door and collapsed into a chair. She hadn't had this much excitement in one night in a long time. Probably since those bandits came to burn the village down all those years ago. Honestly, it was a little much. Still, at least her family was safe. For the moment anyway.
She'd need to be prepared, though. If people were after Rex, then sooner or later they'd figure out where he was living. Those other bandits already had, and she couldn't rely on his friends to bail him out every time. Without Azurda around, it was her responsibility to act as the village guardian. More than that, though, she was Rex's guardian. She thought of him as her son, even if he didn't exactly feel the same way. She'd failed him once already, years ago. She wasn't going to fail him again. This time, she was going to keep him safe.