And so we rejoin our heroes, now at rock bottom.
It doesn't get any lower than here… does it? Let's find out…
Nia couldn't say enough how much she hated the cloud sea.
Maybe "hate" was tooaggressivea word. In truth, the cloud sea scared her. Most people thought of the misty depths as a point of origin, the well of life from whence the peoples of Alrest, Blades, beasts, and titans were birthed. Rex followed the musings typical of salvagers, seeing the immense body as a call to adventure, mysterious fathoms to explore and treasures uncounted, waiting to be discovered.
To Nia, it was something to be feared. She didn't talk to many other water Blades, in spite of having Dromarch as a partner, she never divulged to him this particular view. So she had no idea if others of her element felt anything similar, or perhaps she was unique in this. The latter would be fitting, another tally of weakness to count against her.
Nia's awareness swam between blissful oblivion and the ebbing pressure of attempted awakening. She knew that returning to consciousness would bring unbearable agony, her mind always drawing back before that point. It left her limp, listless… vulnerable.
The cloud sea rolled, twisting her body amongst the waves. Something… something enormous was churning up the mists, a titanic surge drawing in vast quantities of the fog ocean. The grey depths darkened, a deep groan vibrating through the surf.
Utterly at the waves' mercy, she was dragged, pushed, and turned, her wracked frame offering no resistance. As the sonorous rumble began to taper off, the chaotic flow calmed some, moving evenly in a more uniform direction. Nia's motions slowed, drifting listlessly with the current.
And that was when the cloud sea truly revealed itself. Even shifting between the waking world and unconsciousness, the sudden pulling at her skin became a constant sensation. At first they were light, sporadic, tiny little nibbles that probed and prodded.
They quickly increased in volume, brazen and frenzied. Nia's inability to respond seemed to drive the mists even further, the curious touches turning invasive. She could feel the currents around her shift ever so slightly. But on her flesh, the clouds pressed and dragged, testing her structure. They were working up their strength, readying to pull her apart.
They needed to get inside.
Nia forced back the black of slumber, fighting against the natural defense of her body. The pressure in her skull was blaring, one final warning of the danger lying in wait. But the feel of her outsides being so desperately plucked pushed Nia over that final hurdle.
Through shadows, fog, and blurred vision, at first the Gormotti girl had a hard time telling if she was back in reality. But that was decided when the numbing pressure in her skull gave way to a spike of agony. She made the terrible mistake of wrenching her mouth open in an anguished scream. The liquid fog swiftly poured in.
The cloud sea was alive. Nia was more than sure of it. If she could place a source for her knowledge, it was likely the existence that was forced upon her. Her nature as a Flesh Eater had granted her considerable strength, alongside an acute sensitivity to her element. The moment her new self first touched the mist ocean, Nia felt a chill that would stay with her to the end of her days.
The cloud sea did not like to be observed, did not like to be scrutinized. And it possessed quite the long memory.
Nia could not fight back the misty fluid flooding her throat. She couldn't even begin to form ether, her only means of defense, the throbbing ache in her skull lancing down her frame, seizing her upper left side entirely. The living ocean pecked and prodded her innards.
Slowly, very slowly… she could feel the vibrations starting. She would be shaken apart at the casual pace of the millennias old ocean.
Warmth overtook her, pressing from the outside. Her sight near useless, Nia could not make out the shape that barreled into her. All the cat girl could attest was that it was warm… and surprisingly soft in places. A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders.
Heat surged throughout, washing over Nia's skin, filling her very being. The invasion ceased, the cloud sea going inert once more. All that remained was the steady draw of the current which had carried her forward.
The arm holding her tightened its grip, the figure attached kicking towards the surface.
When the breeze first touched her face, Pyra immediately sucked in a mighty heave of air. Her damp hair slapped against her cheeks as her sight swung every which way. All around, Pyra was met with a stagnant gloom and a continuous wind.
'There.'
An azure glow bloomed from nearby. In the soft light, she could make out the shape of solid ground. Clutching Nia to her side, the Aegis made for the shoreline.
Moving mostly with the current, Pyra made landfall in short order. The rocky banks and loose sand made for an awkward scramble from the cloud stream, the red head having to drag herself and Nia up to the shore with only one hand.
Ether bloomed from the crawling Blade, a burst of strength hurling herself and an unresponsive Nia up and away from the flowing mists. Pyra landed face first in a remarkably soft patch of thick grass. She allowed herself a brief moment to relax, breathing in the heavy scent of "green" all around her.
Nia shifted and Pyra instantly shot up. Something fat and buzzing knocked against her temple, prompting the Aegis to swat at the air as she dragged her knees in beneath her. Pyra's actions threw Nia onto her back, the red head quickly leaning down and taking the Gormotti Blade's face in both hands.
A cough rocked the cat girl's frame, condensed liquid from the cloud sea spurting through her lips. Pyra turned Nia's head to the side, placed both her hands over the girl's chest, and started driving short pumps into her center.
Pyra's arms warmed, the sensation flowing down to her palms and fingers as she pushed ether into her Driver. Nia's rosy crystal glimmered, a bit of the scarlet glow spreading out over her sternum. On Pyra's sixth compression, the Gormotti girl jolted slightly, expelling a spurt of cloud fluid from her mouth. The Aegis thrusted twice more before shifting position.
Taking Nia's head in both hands, Pyra leaned down over her. Their faces a breath apart, the red head didn't hesitate to press her lips against Nia's. Continuing her earlier methods, Pyra's throat heated as she blew air and ether into the cat girl.
She was a bit too preoccupied to notice how the grass rippled around them, as though pushed back by continuous waves. The bare spots of ground lit up with motes of turquoise, some vessel like teal lines pulsing across the earth.
Pyra kept up her efforts, alternating back to chest compressions for a short time. She kept her focus solely on Nia's face, ignorant of how the environment was reacting to her bursts of ether. As she locked her mouth to Nia's and exhaled an aura laden breath, the Gormotti Blade's eyes snapped open.
The Aegis was rocked back, both by her Driver's sudden wrenching upwards and the eruption of energy that surged from the girl's core. Nia's eyes flared amber as her silver lockes became iridescent with pure light. Her pointed ears elongated to resemble her Blade form, the radiance surrounding her building to a blinding flash.
The light fell away in an instance, a harsh gasp sounding from Nia's open maw. Her hair dimmed to its normal hue, her ears resuming their average length. The burning blaze in her eyes vanished last, revealing pinprick pupils which trembled violently, unable to focus on anything.
Pyra all but threw herself before the girl, one hand supporting her back whilst the other nestled on her left cheek. The touch seemed to help, Nia's quaking frame stilling as her erratic gaze settled on Pyra's worried visage. Tears glistened in the cat girl's eyes and the red head swiftly drew her into a tight embrace.
Nia did not cry. She was far too numb, too exhausted for the effort of wracking sobs. Her tears fell silent and still, streaking down her cheeks and pooling into Pyra's dark garb. Above her brow, the Aegis' unique core shined, soothing ether radiating through the Gormotti Blade's form. Nia's natural affinity to heal ran faster, her depleted reserves filling for the first time in several days. She allowed her eyes to close.
As Pyra whispered sweet reassurances to her wounded Driver, a rustling of leaves dragged her notice to the world around them. Her words cut off immediately at the ethereal glow that consumed their surroundings. The networking streams of bright teal that flowed across the ground now stretched for meters in every direction, dipping down into the edge of the cloud river, winding through patches of dense grass, and disappearing into the nearby line of overgrowth.
For the first time the red head took notice of the verdant wall resting opposite the cloud river. Thick leaves wider than a man's head decorated small trees, swaths of short shrubs and gnarled bramble covering the forest floor. The leafy blades of grass nearest them still billowed as Pyra exuded her potent ether, the strands themselves shining emerald. Even the distant flora of the jungle's edge seemed affected, a myriad specks of brilliant blue covering the dark foliage like glimmering dew drops.
The persistent wind began to die down.
Feeling Nia's brow brush against her front, Pyra relaxed her hold and turned her sights on the silver haired girl. The Gormotti Blade glanced curiously about the luminous environment, her face a mess of salted trails.
"Where… Where are we?"
Pyra whispered a brief, "I don't know," as she stared across the oppressive darkness lurking just beyond the treeline. The slowing breeze cut off, the world stilling for a moment… and then the gale returned, stronger than before and rushing in from the opposite direction. Pyra hunkered over Nia, their hair being blown about as the rustling of several million leaves filled the air.
The Aegis noted the odd heat carried by the breeze. It reminded her of a breath, the warmth of the body expelled with the release of air. It was already pretty much a given with land sitting beneath them, but Pyra knew for sure now that they were inside of a titan. Somewhere in the respiratory system, most likely.
"Rex." Distracted by her musings, Pyra easily let Nia slip out of her grasp. Still rather befuddled, the cat eared girl flopped onto her palms without the support. "Where's Rex," she rasped, sights turning about rapidly, "Dromarch? Gramps?"
The Aegis was over her in a second, grasping both her shoulders and hoisting the girl upright. "Calm down Nia, we'll find them. I know we'll find them." When her words didn't seem to have an effect, Pyra went with her "Hail Mary" option.
With upmost caution, the red head reached one hand towards the Gormotti Blade's scalp. Nia released a sharp breath, her body jolting as Pyra's hand ventured behind her right ear. Not waiting, the Aegis started to scratch around the base.
Nia's tension melted off of her. Not enough that she seemed truly relaxed, but a far cry from her earlier panic. Pyra settled into place, content to pet Nia for a short while.
They'd have to decide their next course of action soon… but they could spare a moment or two. They wouldn't have the luxury of falling apart after this.
Some of the rank and file dragged him between them, his knees scraping across the stone floor. He was falling in and out of consciousness all throughout the journey, waking on a particularly jerky trip up a flight of stairs as well as when a scream he thought was Kassandra's tore through the area.
Rex's handlers wouldn't let him turn his head, clubbing the back of his skull when he attempted to find the source of the screaming. He didn't hear who he thought was Kassandra again after that. He quickly became aware that there were less footsteps in their little progression.
They kept heading up, climbing a winding flight of stairs before marching through empty halls, the stone structure interrupted in several spots by invasive vines and bursts of flowering greenery. Then they would ascend another flight, trudge through some more halls, rinse – repeat.
Rex wasn't sure if the structure itself was just odd, if they were trying to disorient his sense of direction, or if they were just dragging out the process because they were dicks.
Finally they came to a darkened section of the… fourth floor, Rex believed? They were traversing a short walkway exposed to the outside, acting as a bridge between buildings. The wall in front of them extended high, the chirping sounds of night time insects and leaves in the wind calling out from the open sky above. The enormous double doors in front of him were made of some darker rock, incredibly intricate patterns and symbols carved across their surface.
Through his blurred vision, Rex made out two massive shadows lurking on either side of the wide entry. The pair stepped in, each placing one hand on their respective door, and pushed. The portal grumbled open slowly, Rex dangling between his paused escorts as the doormen pressed on, not even a grunt of effort between them.
Rex blanked out again…
…
He shot up as a splash of liquid slapped against his face. Hands swiftly seized his shoulders, yanking the young salvager back up against one of the most cushiony seats he'd ever graced.
An odd scent assailed his nose. His tongue ran involuntarily over his lips and he noted a sharp taste cut at his senses. Whatever they'd doused him in, it wasn't water.
They were in a massive space, Rex's comfortable chair facing the wide, open back of the room. Between sparsely placed pillars that held up the high structure, the boy was treated to a midday vista of an expansive jungle. Across the ocean of green, several stone ruins could be seen sprouting out of the canopy, many of a similar dark grey hue as the building he was in.
But there was one structure in the distance that sat distinguished. The pyramid like shape had notable tiers, like the ascending steps of a staircase. Unlike the other ruins, this building was visibly clear of weathering or overgrowth, its surface shining a brilliant gold even in the fading light of evening.
But what truly captured Rex's attention was the crescent shaped band balanced precariously on top of the pyramid, the opened segment pointing skyward. Hanging in place at the crescent's center, literally floating, was an ovular, black gem that gleamed like polished glass.
"Good view, isn't it?"
The jovial tone caught the boy off guard. He didn't have to turn to see the speaker, he'd been staring past him the whole time to take in the vista. Rex's comfortable seat was actually part of a circle of furniture, varying between armchairs, couches, and a single high stool. They were all arranged around a stone lined pit filled with still heated coals.
A love seat sat across the fire pit from Rex. Resting there, his frame leaned forward with elbows perched on his kneecaps, was a man in the latter half of his lifetime. His blonde hair was losing its hue, slicked back into two "wings" that spread out to either side. The man had a rather wide head, a feature given further prominence by the grin splitting his expression.
Rex couldn't help but be unnerved by that smile. It didn't reach his eyes at all, the blue orbs steady and cold. "A promise of cruelty" was the best way he could describe that expression. Rex didn't offer a response.
The man hummed at the lack of reply, as though he'd just heard something profound. He then reached down, drawing up a glass of amber liquid that clinked with bits of ice. Rex would have pegged it as alcohol if not for the weird way it caught what little light permeated the space. The old man took a quick sip of his drink.
"Not much for conversation?"
While not always the most observant person, even Rex picked up on the warning in the man's tone. Whatever he decided to do next, he knew staying quiet would be a bad move.
At the same time, he couldn't be bothered to really affect civility right now. "You've got a real funny way of inviting people over, especially if you're just looking to 'talk'."
The man's eyes crinkled shut, his grin widening. Rex didn't miss the added tension that seized the guy's frame, his drink trembling in his grasp. The man put his glass down.
"Apologies," the old man said in a tone that was not apologetic, "I might have gotten a little… over eager." He stood up, adjusting the long sleeves of his crimson shirt. The blonde started walking around the fire pit towards Rex. Before he could even feel the notion to stand up in return, those hands on his shoulders were back in force.
The guy stepped up in front of Rex. "Why don't we try this again," he presented his right hand, "my name's Arthur. I've been looking forward to meeting you."
Rex felt the conscious part of his mind retreat as he stared at the now named Arthur's hand. It was a rough, calloused thing, evidence of either hard work or hard living. The size of it spoke of great strength, something otherwise veiled by the loose length of his sleeves and the baggy fit of his blue pants. But what had Rex's undivided attention was the golden band around his middle finger.
Images of that same ring, its surface inscribed with angular runes, flashed through Rex's mind. But rather than the weathered skin of Arthur, instead it adorned a much younger man's digit. A hand reaching skyward, trembling with effort. Eyes painted a familiar shade of blue, quaking in fright. A strained boy's voice crying out, pleading for a mother who could not reach him.
And the entire scene stained in blood. Most notably, as the salvager glanced downward, across the cutting edge of the azure sword gripped within his hand…
Fingers touching his brow roused Rex back into the present. The hands holding him in place clutched with near crushing force as Arthur pushed his pointer and index fingers against the boy's forehead. A bit of a humming laugh broke through the blonde's lips, though the lack of actual humor was readily apparent.
"Got quiet there for a minute, boy. Did you trigger a memory or something?"
The way he spoke said that he already knew the answer. Rex opened his mouth as if to respond, then clamped it shut as he thought things over. Arthur clearly had full control of the conversation and anything he said could be used against him. But at the same time, the old man looked quite on edge and not saying anything was likely to set him off just as quickly.
Rex decided to start off with a safer option, "My name is-"
"Rex," Arthur grinned, lips tight, "I know. As I said, I've been looking forward to meeting you." The blonde stepped back, now fiddling with his single ring. Rex was focused intently on the motions, Arthur easily noting the attention. "Do you like this ring? It used to belong to my son."
The dark tone he used at the end marked a shift in the interaction. Rex could only balk in return, stunned between the revelation and the sudden spike of hostility. All his addled mind could lock onto was his prior efforts to maintain civility. His mouth worked a step faster than his brain, causing the boy to say probably the worst thing he could have.
"Wh-What was his name?"
Arthur stilled, as though a jolt of static had suddenly coursed through his body. To Rex, it almost seemed like a flash of lightning had streaked into the distant jungle behind the man. In the span of an instance, Arthur's face morphed into a twisted visage of unsurpassed rage and utter loathing.
But then the moment passed, the spike of hatred piercing Rex's being pulled back and schooled into order. Arthur's mirthless grin was back in place, looking like it had never left. The young salvager was honestly questioning whether or not his eyes had been playing tricks on him.
The remnants of absolute terror still ringing through him said it had been real enough.
"His name was Leopold," Arthur spoke in a mean whisper, "He was my only son, the only one I could give my late wife. And he was the strongest man I'd ever known."
Rex recalled the last violet of sunset, a battered forest, and the ache of wounds wracking his body. The desperation from back then was easy to recall, one of the first times he'd truly been on the edge of death. Yes, he could agree that Arthur's son was strong.
"And one of those who took him from me is sitting in this very room…"
This is when Rex felt the weight dangling over his gut settle firmly into the bottom of his stomach. He bit back the urge to sigh as he set his neutral gaze onto Arthur's face. In a curious move, he felt the hands holding him in place retreat, two sets of footsteps falling back a short distance.
Arthur's features were a hollow mask. The fact that his smile was still in place was all the more unnerving now, his underlying wrath a favorable alternative to the soulless gaze staring back at the boy. Rex swallowed, chiding himself for the brief display of weakness, before asking slowly, "So… where do we go from here?"
The air paused, tension hanging between them for a few silent seconds. Rex forgot about his handlers, his every sense attuned to the quiet, smiling beast standing in front of him. And even with his attention locked on the man, even with his superb instincts honed from years of training even beyond his short tenure as a Driver, he barely registered when Arthur moved.
In the blink of an eye the old blonde crossed the meter between them, his arm striking forth like a spear. Rex raised his own limbs in an attempt to guard, his efforts expertly dodged as Arthur's palm sped right past them. The blow caught Rex right along the bottom of his jaw, slipping down with the line between his thumb and pointer driving straight into his throat.
Rex's head slammed back into that precious cushion, softening the impact. But the force of the old man's blow caused his skull to sink considerably into the material, the softness almost overtaking his ears when the armchair finally tilted backwards.
Arthur rode the capsizing furniture, balanced with both feet on either side of Rex's waist and his hand bearing down on the salvager's neck. He shifted his weight forward, onto his choking hand as the luxurious sofa crashed into the stone tiles. Rex spat out a gagging cough, the last of the air he had to spare.
Strained tears pooled beneath his eyes, his blurred vision turned to the ceiling and the enraged man looming above him. Arthur had utterly abandoned his easy going demeanor, his white teeth gnashed together in a feral snarl.
"You go nowhere," the man rasped hotly, his voice scratchy and coarse. Arthur continued, "You're going to stay with us, for as long as it takes. You're our guest, after all."
Sweat shined across Rex's brow. Arthur calmed his expression only slightly before leaning in towards the boy's left ear. His hold on the young Driver's throat tightened, eliciting a few choked gasps.
Arthur spoke to the boy in a seething whisper, "I'm going to have you taste the same pain you visited on me when you killed my son." The man pressed Rex further into the strained seat fabric, the pressure on his neck closing his airway completely. "The fact that it'll align with a righteous purpose is mostly a bonus."
Snarling that last word, the old man snapped his arm back, dragging Rex with it. As though handling something light as a pillow, Arthur effortlessly flung the unarmored salvager across the space. He skipped his shoulder across the luke warm coals of the fire pit, scattering scant sparks and streaks of ash across the light grey floor. The boy bounced off the ground, crashing into the wide couch that had been Arthur's perch when they first entered. His thrown weight broke he furniture in half, one of its curved legs snapping off and sliding across the stone tiles.
A long sigh issued from Arthur, the aged blonde planting a palm over his face before sweeping it back along his scalp. The air of hatred around him seemed to have dulled, if only slightly. A mild sense of anticipation and satisfaction grew to fill the void, Arthur beginning a long trek along the outer perimeter of the circle of chairs.
"I'm torn though," the man admitted, grasping his chin in thought as he paced the room, "when I've captured 'it' as well, which of you I'm going to kill first."
For the first time since he'd awoken, something besides fear or numbness pulsed through Rex's veins. Heat, low and dangerous, flowed through him.
"It's almost admirable, this twisted loyalty you possess. A virtuous quality, to be sure. And pretty useful to our purposes."
Rex slowly sat up, his gaze set on the pacing form of Arthur. He idly took notice of the rank and file Benevolence trooper and the silver haired woman from the ambush, both standing behind the toppled armchair he'd previously occupied.
"She'll be back for you, there's no doubt about that. Her kind aren't put down so easily, which works well enough."
His senses sharpening, Rex was able to tap into some of the local ether flow. Another time, he would have marveled at the incredible volume of energy being moved through various currents. No doubt they were on a titan, a massive specimen to be sure. But something else held the boy's undivided attention, a comparatively tiny aura that he knew all too well.
Arthur turned to face the prone Driver, "Do you know what it's like to lose someone and know that it's your fault?" Rex sat up fully, rotating into a kneel. The old man's grin returned, laced in cruelty, "I think I might be just the man to teach you."
Nia was alive. She was here, on this titan. And these people were gonna use him as bait to get her.
Rex shot to his feet, the grey cloaked soldier jumping at the motion. Ingrid cocked a brow but otherwise stayed put. Arthur didn't so much as shift his balance.
The boy's mind was racing for solutions. He tentatively reached for his bond with Nia, but the connection was too weak for him to draw her sword. The main exit was past Arthur and the others, not to mention he remembered there being guards just outside. Rex's options were dwindling.
A strong gust from the outside shook up the rainforest canopy, sounding out a raucous of rustling leaves behind the boy. He'd honestly forgotten how high they'd climbed up the inside of this structure… but a rough landing might be worth it for the possible escape route.
He remembered hearing Kassandra earlier. The fact that he couldn't feel any trace of her presence was worrying, but he couldn't do anything here on his own. Get away, get to Nia, mount a rescue.
Rex may have been rather lost in thought, but there was one thing he was quite prepared for. When Arthur dashed forward, clearing the fire pit in a single bound, he was just as quick as the first time. So the man was briefly surprised when the salvager – the same one who couldn't stop him before and who seemed quite distracted at the moment – had his palm up and ready to catch the blonde's fist.
Hell, the kid's free hand was already balled up, already winding around for a wide swing.
Arthur opened his fist, meshing his palm into Rex's open hand. He interlocked his fingers with the boy's, clenching down with enough strength to bend his hand back. Then the blonde's left arm speared forth, halting the salvager's wide right and thrusting the captured fist just past the boy's cheek.
Rex froze for an instant as the strange phenomenon of flashing lightning streaked in behind Arthur. With their current proximity, he could see as during each flash, the old man's eyes turned completely white.
A foot snapped down into Rex's shin. As the boy crumpled to one knee, he managed to tear his left hand free of Arthur's grasp. The blonde's extended left dragged inwards, catching onto the back of the boy's head. Rex's right hand clamped onto the restricting arm's wrist, his left fist shooting up to snap the old man's limb.
Arthur's punch drove right through Rex's and continued on. His own knuckles skipped across his face just as his opponent's right straight plowed into the boy's left eye. Rex lost his grip on Arthur's left arm.
The man gave no reprieve. His freed hand spun down to strike the young Driver in the temple. It then swiftly jabbed into the bridge of his nose, the center of the boy's face going completely numb as he made to backpedal.
The Benevolent leader stepped in with a mighty bound. He rotated his arm back in a great swing, sailing the open palm up into the boy's ribs. The boom of thunder shook the building, the blinding light flooding the space as Rex was driven off of the ground. He could feel something being pushed through him, warping his insides in passing before bursting out of his back.
His mouth was forced open as bile erupted from his maw. Arthur stood steady as the defeated boy spilled his fluids over his crimson sleeve. A foul grimace crossed his features as the dripping mess ran off his arm and down Rex's front, splashing loudly against the floor.
Arthur shrugged the salvager to the side. He slapped listlessly against the ground, his own vomit pooling up against his face. Though his eyes were open, Rex really wasn't seeing anything right now. Arthur crouched over the downed youth.
"I'm gonna hurt you slow, make you both watch as I take my pound of flesh out of each of you in turn. Until one of you just can't take it anymore."
The man rose back to full height, the sound of his doormen entering and striding over quite apparent. Arthur finished, "Then, and only then… will I allow you to die. I can spare that much kindness, even to filth like you."
One of the Black Cloaks stabbed his lance into the coals remaining in the fire pit. Amber energy surged through the channels running down the shaft, flowing into the spear's head and instantly igniting the coals. Barely a beat behind, the other dark guard hurled the capsized armchair into the pit, the furniture lighting up like kindling.
Arthur shook his marred arm, flicking Rex's bile into the burning hole. Then the old man stripped his shirt off completely, his cut musculature on full display as he whipped the red garment into the building flames.
To the Black Cloaks, he directed, "Make sure to burn that broken couch just as thoroughly. Whatever this filth," he spat a nice sized glob at the floor bound Rex, "touched will need to be immolated."
The Black Cloaks simply went about their business with a bit more haste. Arthur nodded his approval before moving towards the open doors of the viewing/sitting room. He paused beside Ingrid.
"Would you please?"
The brawler's soft fingers, still clad in their ring collection, caressed the blonde's cheek. Blue met emerald in a lingering gaze that conveyed far too many emotions.
Ingrid broke away, snapping her fingers to prompt her trooper to follow her towards the beaten salvager.
Arthur fixed his head forwards, shut his eyes, breathed deeply, and then strode from the room.
The plan was to follow the cloud flow. Trekking off into the jungle had been voted out pretty quickly and the duo agreed soon after to move with the river's current. They weren't trying to escape the titan after all, Pyra quite certain that Rex and the others were somewhere within its body.
Nia lamented, once again, that even now she was still a ways from recovering her strength.
The back and forth gales of persistent wind continued in a predictable pattern. It didn't take the two Blades long to get to a point where the river began to narrow. In addition to this, the edges of the rainforest swiftly encroached on the tightening stream. Before long they were bushwhacking through small shrubs and vine covered trees.
Their reluctance to traverse the forest was somewhat mitigated by an… odd trait of the plantlife. As the pair strode amongst the foliage, the various bits of greenery looked to come alive with ethereal light. Hues of pristine emerald, shining teal, and deep azure bloomed at their passing, fading back to shade a ways behind them.
Pyra in particular elicited a very potent response, the flora lit aglow like festival light whenever she ventured near. She hadn't even felt the need to burn her way through any of the brush ahead of them, their path forward oddly uninhibited even when the overgrowth looked dense at a distance. It was almost as though the jungle itself was giving them a path through.
Nia stuck as close as she could to the Aegis, done with tripping over bramble every three steps. Fucking pervy forest favoring the girl with big jugs…
Crashing waves echoed in the distance, bouncing through the ever thickening confines of the rainforest. Nia's ears perked as the Gormotti Blade overtook Pyra's lead, snatching up the red head's hand and tugging her along.
"Nia," Pyra cried out in surprise, "hang on, slow down!" The cat girl was moving through the brush almost faster than the forest glow could follow, barreling through foliage before it could "lean" out of the way. Something a bit more lively let out a screech as they passed before taking off deeper into the trees, no glow making its path.
Pyra kept her gaze ahead, watching Nia to follow her movements. When she juked left, the Aegis followed suit. Pyra could feel the ether bond weakly flowing between them, aided by their clasped hands. She jumped almost in sync with Nia as they cleared a short gap.
A gap with water running through it.
The pair cleared a veil of leaves, scaring a gaggle of lanky flamils into a panicked flight. The bioluminescence that shadowed them through the dark jungle suddenly didn't seem so impressive. Not when the scenery before them was aglow with various blooms of blue, green, and violet.
They'd found the cloud river again. The slope in the land wasn't in any way severe enough to form a proper waterfall. Rather the bumpy decline tossed and turned the cloud flow into a wide field of rapids. And from within the raging currents, a pearlescent gleam filled the churning mists.
"What a magnificent view," Pyra spoke softly, panning across the open vista. Nia stepped away, crouching on a slick rock just beside the broadened stream. Her saffron orbs were intent on the surging clouds, the scant ether she could summon reaching tentatively towards the violent flow.
"It's condensing the cloud sea," Nia murmured. Pyra's head shot towards her Driver, the Aegis quickly taking a crouched post beside her. Following the cat girl's stare, Pyra focused her sight on where the rapids were the most tumultuous.
And she saw that Nia was right, the misty inflow was being converted into water. Pyra followed the current further downstream, the waterway broadening, running off into smaller tributaries that then vanished into a veil of mangroves.
A curious sight to Nia was a tall, moss covered spire resting in the midst of the downflow. Perhaps the most noticeable thing was that the encompassing greenery did not glow, standing out as a dark spot amongst the radiant surroundings. It was also not the only such structure amongst the rapids, at least a dozen others jutting sporadically across the open waterway. But this one being the closest had Nia's attention, the girl studying the grime covered structure.
As Pyra turned to see what Nia was up to, the Gormotti girl bounced back away from the river's edge. The red head herself was a heartbeat away from tossing up an ether barrier at the droning pulse that surged over them. Nia's pointed ears were perked, zeroed in on that nearest spire.
The dull moss coating glistened, coming alight like a bed of stunning emeralds. But the sections not marred by the soft loam were where the outcropping really shined, a literal golden glow flaring brilliantly even amongst the vibrant forest. The pair of Blades had to look away from the sudden brightness.
Nia may have been a bit too winded still to notice, but Pyra certainly felt the way her core grew radiant as the spire came to life.
Downstream, another structure beamed emerald/gold. And then another… and then another. This open section of the shaded wilderness was practically experiencing daylight by the time all of them were lit. Nia, her eyes adjusted, couldn't decide where to lay her gaze.
"Some show, right?"
Nia and Pyra turned on the voice quickly, the cat girl falling on her ass after twisting too harshly. Pyra held up one hand, her flaming aura oriented on the stranger as the local flora went crazy from the energy output.
The man they saw was well built, dense musculature denoting someone acquainted with combat. The many puce colored scars, a criss-crossing mesh of slash wounds, marking the charcoal skin of his arms and abdomen argued the point further.
The dark man had a rounded chin and an easy smile, his crimson orbs peeking out from squinted eyelids. Mostly black hair burst from his scalp, the dangling lockes never going past his jaw. Some streaks of smokey scarlet were spread throughout and…
Pyra's first hint to the newcomer's nature had been the fact that, like them, the plants glowed at his approach. Her second tip had been the red horns poking out of his skull, the one on his left twice as long as the one on his right.
Mainly though, the gem resting high on his chest should have said enough. But the fact that the core crystal sat as dark as ebony, in spite of the Blade attached being very much alive, was throwing the Aegis for a loop.
Nia rolled onto her haunches, adopting a very beast like combat stance. The stranger offered a long "whoa!" as he backpedaled slightly. The movement was rather awkward, the strange Blade being slouched down by something large he was carrying on his back. Something white and black that immediately got Nia's attention.
"Dromarch," she cried in recognition.
"You know this one," inquired the black Blade, rolling his shoulders to indicate the mostly unconscious tiger on his back. Mostly unconscious, the motion causing the big cat to growl in protest. "Picked him up further down in the marshlands, just as I was poking my head out of the circulation ducts."
Nia bounded towards her partner. She basically ignored the one carrying him, hustling about to get a view of Dromarch from every angle. To her relief, he seemed mostly recovered, saved by his status as a healing Blade.
But even that hadn't fully erased the trio of deep gouges punched into his flank, the flesh still tender and visible through parted sections of his fur.
"He was awake when I found him," the rather friendly brunette continued, "said he could feel his Driver somewhere upstream. Guess your Flesh Eater friend is this 'Lady' I've heard so much about?"
Nia wasn't really paying attention, but Pyra offered a giggle or two. The red head promptly bowed to the newcomer, "Yes, thank you for helping our friend." The man winked and clicked his tongue twice, earning another giggle. "His name is Dromarch, in case you didn't know. I'm Pyra and the girl invading your personal space is Nia."
Still not really following the conversation, the Gormotti Blade nonetheless gave the Aegis a single finger salute, not looking away from her silent partner. The horned man hummed in approval.
Then, bowing as deeply as he could whilst fireman carrying a limp tiger, the strange Blade made his own introduction.
"My name is Mana. So, how do you guys feel about a prison break?"
And so we come to our main setting for this story, a titan which has no name as of now. Yeah, The Benevolence have an entire titan as a home base. My theme here is for this place to evoke "lost world" themes, endless jungles dotted with strange ruins and the like. A bit of Avatar inspiration with the bioluminescence. I hope this makes for a fun adventure field!
When I read over the opening sequence with Nia again I realized just how… particular this sort of attack sounded. That actually made me go a little bit harder with it: it's meant to be a scene that evokes a sense of pure invasion and the inability to resist. We know by the end of the game that the cloud sea is a phenomenon made up of artificial microbials ("Nanomachines, son!") that are constantly breaking down and then restructuring whatever is left inert within its depths. For this story – and for Nia in particular – the cloud sea does possess a level of "awareness." And, as made clear here, it's not a fan of the Gormotti Blade.
The bit where Pyra pets Nia is based on a similar scene between Draxx and Rocket at the end of the first Guardians movie. Just a heartfelt moment that I wanted to include, a bit of comfort before the hardship to come.
Arthur meets Rex for the first time. They are immediately not friends. Kind of to be expected when one party ends up killing the other's child. Leopold gets named here and I'm still debating how much I want to go into the actual circumstances of his death. Specifically if I want to do a proper flashback or just kind of have these little snippets so that we never truly learn the extent of "fault" Rex had in the young man's death.
Regardless of just how guilty the boy may be, Arthur has taken it all, understandably, very personally. This wasn't just his son, Leopold was also the only thing left of the man's late wife. A final promise to her that has now been broken. You have to wonder how much of the hatred Arthur directs towards Rex is not also a projection of the loathing he feels for himself, having lead his son down the road of a "righteous crusader."
We see that Arthur is an accomplished martial artist. I like to liken his physique to Bumi from The Last Airbender, albeit several decades younger. The flashes of lightning that accompany his strikes are mostly a reference to the character he's primarily based upon.
Pyra and Nia get a far more jovial meeting in Mana, a strange Blade with a black core crystal. And someone who spent a good deal of time skulking about air ducts, where have we seen that recently…? And of course, what first meeting is complete without the proposal of a prison break?
But where oh where are Kassandra and Azurda?
Next time: the bad guys have discussions, new faces are introduced, and some sideki – I mean sideki – I mean friendships are established. Maybe...