37And I have returned! Finally, I get the chance to jump into one of the side Blade quests that I've been wanting to mess around with. After all, it's the quest that everyone who has ever played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has complained about because of how freaking long it is. I'm also taking a little bit of a liberty with the whole bandit scene. Anyway, let's go!
Super hero time!
Lilith: Working in a cafe huh? Sounds like fun! i could totally be a really cute waitress!
Ren: I'm not much of a singer, but if you need someone to dance, call on me!
Lilith: Whoa, you can dance!? That's so not fair, you're way too cool!
Ren: Well, it's a little more complicated than that...
L + R: Don't forget me! Break the chains!
"The true form of the Aegis, wielder of the power of light… a 'Master Core' that exists within me… this is all too much." Lilith bemoaned as she sank to the ground, Ursula gently patting her along the back. After the strange goings on and revelations, they had all retired to their rooms to vaguely recuperate, meaning that once more, Lilith was left alone with her Blades. "So this thing is meant to be a creation from the time of Addam the hero, all those years ago…and it somehow managed to get inside me. A weapon, trapped within a mortal body."
"It sounds like something ripped right out of a story book." Kasandra remarked, swinging her legs as she sat on the bed. "Somehow, it managed to fuse us together and it was… it's so hard to describe! It's like I could feel everything about you, like you were right behind me no matter what I did and we became super strong!"
"It was kind of scary to watch. So much power coming off you… two… um, the fused you, and you acted like it was something you naturally wielded every day." Ursula added, the little ice Blade shivering at the memory. The mask casually resting on the back of Kasandra's head held a power she had no understanding about beside the immense power it held, yet it didn't even bother their fused form in the slightest. "So, um, do you think we could do the same thing too? Fuse and become stronger?"
"I mean, I guess so? If that weird thing is going to let me and Kasandra do it, then the least it could do is let us two do it as well." Lilith muttered, poking her chest as if it was going to actually do anything. "But until we learn more about this power or get put into a situation that we can't handle, then I'm not going to try it. Not when there's so much that could go wrong. You said that this strange personality took over when I blanked out, right? If fusing means that personality is going to come out again, then I don't really want to do it without caution. It was a meanie, and I don't like giving my body up to meanies!"
That last sentence had a few… unfortunate interpretations, but it didn't take much to understand her true meaning as the two Blades shared a look and nodded. Hopefully, information would come with time and the group were planning to move on from Uraya very soon. Maybe some new surroundings could unveil some mysteries behind the strange powers.
"What's this?" well, it was an oddly designed knife, almost as if it was intended to be a gun at the same time. The design was ridiculous, for their technology wouldn't allow such a thing to properly function without quite a few drawbacks, yet it was clearly of Blade origin; no one truly understood how Blade weapons managed to function the way they did beyond 'ether', so it would probably have been quite the powerful tool when it wasn't so rusted and dirty.
"Take it and head off to Indol. That dagger's owner will tell you how to get to Elysium." Cole stated after a small wistful look at the weapon. "There, you'll find the man who was once my driver."
"Your… driver?" Rex parroted; the confusion was evident on all of their faces as Cole reached for his shirt, undoing to the top buttons to reveal the oddly coloured pulsating core crystal hidden beneath. That colour couldn't be natural, for within the blue, there was a stark pink stain colouring the crystal as well, the veins around it looking far more strained than they should've. Gramps merely gave a small hum in response.
"You see, Cole is a Blade that we fought alongside back in the time of the Great Aegis War. Back then however, he was referring to himself as Minoth." The tiny Titan recalled, the mere mention of the name causing a piercing pain to stab through Lilith's skull.
BLADE DESIGNATION RECOGNISED. PROCESSING…
MINOTH RECOGNISED. DATA LOG DETECTED. PROCES-
"No!" the odd sounds filling her head suddenly ceased, the grey haired girl looking up to see all eyes turned onto her in concern. The best she could try and do was laugh the whole thing off, sticking out her tongue with a smile. "Sorry about that! Carry on!"
"…Right, if you say so." Cole muttered, more than a little reluctantly after seeing the sudden pain wracking the girl. "I'm one of the cursed ones, a Flesh Eater. A Blade who's been fused with human cells in order to achieve a far 'greater' level of ability than a normal Blade. A long time ago, before the war even began, some wanted to test out the potential of Blades. I am a product of those experiments, one of the unlucky ones tainted by their folly. That is why you see me in this old, withered form."
"But why ancient people do that?" Tora questioned.
"As I said, it was believed that by combining the powers of a Blade and humans, a power perhaps equivalent to a miracle can be born. It is however, a rare occasion, most of the experiments resulted in failure and I am no exception." The Nopon mechanic withered a little at that statement. His interest as a creator and engineer was probably screaming at him to see if he could do anything with the idea, yet the thought of turning Blades into people suffering like Cole was a perfectly good deterrent. "I gained absolutely nothing from it and I'm being pushed onto my last legs as well. Lost my immortality to boot – I'm wearing a bit thin these days, I'm counting each one as my last. Before I do go however, I want to see where your path ends. That dagger will aid you. Will you do this, for me?"
"Of course! But, can I ask you to do something for me as well?" the salvager requested, receiving a slow nod. "I was wondering if it was possible… to write a play, about Vandham. His story, it's the kind of thing that could inspire a lot of people, you know? Once I find Elysium, I'll come back and see you. Show it to me then?"
"An interesting notion. Perhaps that is the least I can do." And for the briefest of moments, for the first time since Vandham's death, a smile graced Cole's lips, even if it was only a small one. "Very well, I'll put my all into it. You better make sure you come back and see it when it's done though, understand?"
"You have my word!"
Lilith slowly walked up to Iona, a gently hand reaching out to wipe away the tears that plagued the blue haired girl's eyes. A warm smile appeared on Lilith's face; Iona tried her damn hardest to mirror it on her own expression, but it was no use. The worry and stress of her grandfather's ailing being, the death of Vandham and the uncertainty of the future bore too much weight for her to so easily smile at the moment.
"Iona. Your grandpa needs you to be there for him more than ever now." The girl lightly whispered into Iona's hair, feeling the girl nod gently. "But if you want to take care of him well, that means you can't lose sight of yourself. Stay healthy, stay happy and do all you can to make this place a better world. If you do that, then you'll shine on for years to come."
Those were the last words Lilith would get to say to Iona for a good while.
Before they could think about heading off to Indol however, there was unfinished business to be settled with the people back at Garfont. After all, there leader had just died and there was no one left to man the helm. That was why they were currently all gathered beneath a tent, Yew taking his sweet time formulating his thoughts.
"You see, the boss left a message for you. If anything ever happened to him." the mercenary began , turning his head away with a weary sigh. Rex and Tora seemed completely shocked by the idea. The others? Not so much. Living the life of a mercenary was putting your life at risk on a near daily basis, leaving each day as if some huge monster was going to come and swallow you whole at the end of it. Having some sort of will or preparations to be put into action after his death was merely the thinking of a cautious man. "Now listen up you lot, 'cause this is important. 'Rex, I leave the Garfont Mercenaries in your hands.'"
…
…
…
"Um, so did he say anything else?"
"Nope, that's your lot."
THE WAY HE SAID THAT SOUNDED LIKE THAT WASN'T A BIG DEAL.
"What? That's a joke, right!?" Rex gasped in utter disbelief, a small scoff escaping Yew as he watched the boy's flabbergasted expression. The others weren't too far off; for someone they had known for so little time to just casually declare that he was handing off the entire mercenary group he had been working on to them was just a really big thing to try and adjust to!
"This is no joke kid. It's Vandham through and through, says what he wants and nothing more." Came Yew's cold hard truth. "The boss thought a lot about you, all of you. I don't think I would be far off saying you also struck a chord with the rest of us and all. Honest, straightforward, plenty of nerve… you gave us all hope. There's something about you kid and everyone here knows it."
"…All right. I'll do it." It was a strong declaration, a fire entering Rex's eyes as he said so. Yew gave a bright cheer, as did a couple of the other people who had been standing around; they were more popular than they had perhaps first thought.
"Strong words, well said! Nothing less from the guy Vandham chose!" Yew declared with a pat to Rex's shoulder. "Sure, Vandham may be a guy of few words, but you've got me and Zuo to sort things out. We couldn't just ask you to deal with this lot by yourself, they're crazy. Just dole out the big ol' general orders for now and you can count on us to deal with the details. Where things go from there… well, we'll see."
Argentum, a smaller Titan mostly populated by Nopon. It was one of the most popular guilds to be used for trading and one could find a wide variety of people who managed their wares there no matter what country they came from – it was one of their pride points.
Rex was fortunate enough to be a salvager, meaning that for any guild ship rides, he would be able to travel for free. That was why they had all managed to board the boat from Uraya to Argentum for absolutely nothing and Rex had left to do the same negotiating with the Argentum Nopon, leaving them free to make their way up to the Lemour Inn and simply relax. That was why Lilith and her Blades were relaxing in the Rumbletum Canteen, good food at their table and music drifting through the air.
"It's a wonderful tune. I wonder if I can learn it…" Ursula mused as she attempted to hum along with the performing Nopon, not too far off from the sound of it.
"You really do like music, don't you?" Lilith pointed out, the ice Blade suddenly clamming up with a small blush, eliciting a chuckle from the grey haired girl. "Aw, don't stop now! You looked so happy humming along. It's apparently an open stage you know, why don't you try giving it a go?"
"A-an open stage? Me!?" Ursula was left in pieces at the mere thought, almost dropping the cup she had been drinking from into Beary's lap where she had been sitting. Even still, she kept glancing towards where the performing Nopon was now receiving a standing ovation, many of the people having been gathered purely to hear her sing.
"Look around you, all the people have gone now! If you want to sing, it'll only be the free of us and that weird guy who's getting drunk over in the corner." Lilith insisted, Ursula letting out a small giggle at the sight before she suddenly found herself being lifted out of her bear friend's lap (albeit with a fair bit of struggle), only just realising what was happening by the time she had been firmly planted on the stage. "There we go, just us and a whole stage to ourselves! Ah, I forgot the difference in human and Blade weights…"
"Ah, a new performer interested in the stage?" a woman remarked as Ursula immediately was reduced to little more than a mess of awkward stutters, only gaining some semblance of relaxation when Beary positioned himself behind his partner. "How cute! Don't be like that, I've heard some truly horrible stuff up here; from the looks of it, you've got what it takes to shine. Are there any songs you know? I'm a pretty good musician and my friends are up for anything if you want to give it a shot."
"Um… there's this song I've heard in Uraya, apparently it's called 'Lemon' and it had a beautiful tune to it… c-could you perform that?" Ursula hesitantly suggested, though only after a good nudge from Kasandra and a reassuring smile. It brought forth a similar smile onto the woman's face as she gave a quick nod, already standing with new energy.
"Don't worry about it! One of my friends trained in Uraya, she's bound to know it!" the woman declared proudly, already rushing off towards wherever her friends could be found, leaving a trembling Ursula to stare in their direction.
"Wh-what have I d-done!? There's no w-way I can do this!" Ursula moaned, curling into herself even more than she had been before. The action elicited a small sigh from Lilith, whose first response was to immediately poke her fingers into the side of the Blade and bring forth a small cross between a laugh and a protest.
"Come on, you've helped me through so much, I have to help you through this! Imagine what it would be like trying to explain this to the others; managed to survive multiple fierce monster attacks and took on the power of an Aegis, only to be beaten by the threat of singing!" Lilith pointed out with determination glinting in her eyes. Ursula just slowly nodded as a whole group of people suddenly appeared to be walking in their direction with a collection of instruments in hand. Before Ursula even knew it, they were all set up and ready to start at a moment's notice.
"Don't worry… you can do this…" Ursula whispered to herself, eyes closing as she nodded, Lilith and Kasandra letting out a small cheer as they returned to their table close to the stage, the small ice Blade looking up to glance at Beary's supportive weight behind her. Even if she was scared, he and Lilith and Kasandra would be there to support her. She could do this.
And so, she started.
If it all were but another dream, how happy I would be,
But I still see, nearly nightly, only you consuming my dreams.
When I leave behind, something of mine, I stop to go and find,
Brushing dust from memories of you and I, put on rewind…
Learning happiness is easy spent, but cannot be returned;
You had taught me what I now see, as I look back and I learn.
With a hidden past too dark to cast away all on my own,
And without you, maybe that too, would have never turned to hope.
All the hurt and the pain I found,
Sinking into me, deeply now.
Found that nothing could hurt me more, than what I feel now.
Even all the heartache, all that crying,
Even all the hurting, like I'm dying,
I remember every second with you, and I loved it, everything.
Even now remaining is that bitter
Scent of lemon, that'll never leave.
Waiting out the rain, I can't go home until it clears away.
Even now, you're still inside, you are my light that never fades.
Tracing out the lines, your back, inside a dark so deep and blind;
Every last edge of your shape then, I can still see in my mind.
When I'm by myself and overwhelmed with what I can't accept,
Falling down fast, from my eyes at last, my tears are all that's left.
What are you even doing now?
What are you seeing all around?
Faces that I will never see, I won't know a thing
Even if you're somewhere out there, hiding,
Even if you're lonely, maybe crying,
Drowning in the pain, is it still hurting you just like its hurting me?
But I'm really hoping you forget me,
Please just forget it, everything.
From the bottom of my empty heart, I'm hoping every day,
Even now, you still remain, you are my light that never fades.
Until now I never knew,
I was so in love with you.
Since you had to go and leave,
It's been hard for me to breathe.
Like I thought, those days you stood by me,
Now they seem just like a dream,
But they're not, and hope I won't forget
That one truth, since it's all I have left
Even all the heartache, all that crying,
Even all the hurting, like I'm dying,
I remember every second with you, and I loved it, everything.
Even now remaining, is that bitter
Scent of lemon, that'll never leave.
Waiting out the rain, I can't go home until it clears away.
Like a single half of fruit, split into pieces where they lay,
Even now, you still remain, you are my light that never fades…
Applause. As the song died down, Ursula let her eyes open to find a crowd far bigger than she had ever expected surrounding her, including the rest of their group with a newly returned Rex. In mere seconds, Ursula was left a blushing, stuttering mess that was trying her downright hardest ti dissolve into the stage if it hadn't have been for her white clothing and friend that meant she stood out far more. Lilith and Kasandra were naturally at the forefront with the applause, those Lilith's gained in pride when she heard some of the whispered remarks from other listeners.
"She's got some real talent that one."
"Mommy, when I get a Blade, she's going to be just as cool as that one!"
"How cute; she could be a model with that kind of cuteness!"
"Ursula, they love you!" Kasandra cheered as she picked up Ursula, swinging her around joyfully regardless of the weak protests that came from the ice Blade. The lucky girl only put her down when she heard the sound of repeated tapping, quickly found to be Ursula bright red as she repeated tapped at her core crystal. "… What are you doing? Is it some kind of celebration ritual?"
But then they caught on to what she was whispering beneath her breath.
"How do I return to my core crystal…? How do I return to my core crystal…?
"Performance was wonderful! A moment of friends' time?" A Nopon's cry caused them all to pause, turning to where one of the creatures was happily flapping his wings as he ran towards them. "Me am Tipitapi: music producer! Some people find name too on nose, so many call me Teetapz. Pleasure to make acquaintance."
"O…K?" Lilith replied, briefly glancing to her blades. "So Tipitapi, what do you want?"
"Want? Oh, me just captivated by voice of young lady…" the Nopon sighed, swaying from side to side. "Such soft voice, such emotional song! Me feel enraptured when hear that song, could bring all of Alrest to their knees!"
"Huh, they really do love you Ursula." Kasandra remarked with the brightest, if perhaps just a little bit smug, grin possible, almost as bright as Ursula's blush was starting to get. Her friends and Driver complimenting her was one thing, but this was something she hadn't experienced at all.
"Ah, friend's name Ursula! So, what friend Ursula think? How about capture hearts of world with me?" the music producer suggested, holding out a wing towards the ice Blade. Looking back and forth nervously, there wasn't a response at first from Ursula, until Lilith's hand fell upon her shoulder.
"You remember that song you showed us the first time you sang? Maybe this is your chance to get it out there and find the one who taught it to you!" the grey haired driver recalled, Ursula suddenly brightening up the longer she thought about it. That was until a sudden realisation came to the thief, her face falling slightly. "But we're going to be leaving soon…"
"Well, how about this?" Ursula hesitantly started, turning to where Tipitapi was eagerly bouncing from foot to the other. The excitement of the deal practically radiated off him, honestly making the Blade more than a little uncomfortable as she shifted upon Beary's shoulder. "Mr Tipitapi… I'll do this with you… but I have something I need to do as well, I need to help my Driver and everyone else. Let me do this at my own speed…please?"
"Of course! Me know just the thing!" Tipitapi immediately declared with a passion that made all of them jump back slightly, looking down to the small tablet like device held in his hand. "Is special gift from Teetapz, let friends enter Teetapz studios all around Alrest! When have time, enter studio and call Teetapz, will be able to talk and prepare music!"
"Wait, you mean you actually have studios all around Alrest?" Lilith gasped, taking the tablet into her hands and eagerly messing about with it. Several different markers appeared on a map of the various titans, the Nopon beaming proudly as Lilith clicked on Argentum, showing a small building away from the rest of the residential district. "That's actually really impressive."
"Teeptapz say he music producer after all! Have big network of musicians across world, so can't keep track of them all." Tipitapi explained. "All open twenty four – seven, so use any time. Teetapz always make time for best clients!"
"…Yes! I'll make sure to do it… for whoever taught me that song." Ursula breathed, looking out across the Cloud Sea. Someone who could explain how she knew the song, there had to be a person like that out there.
This was just the first step for finding them.
"I have returned from my assignment, Emperor Hugo." Morag intoned with a deep bow, her Blade matching it with a curtsey as they approached the throne of Mor Ardain the young boy stood just before it did not respond as many of the emperors of past did; no solemn look or dark visage came over his face, but a small smile that spoke of familiarity.
"Welcome back Morag. You too Brighid." Hugo greeted softly. While Brighid and the emperor's own Blade, Aegaeon, turned to the side to share small pleasantries, more important business took place as Hugo returned to his throne. "So, this Aegis is the true article… You said that its driver was a young boy?"
"Yes, one who, from his garments, appeared to be a salvager by trade. His stance definitely didn't speak of a well-trained driver by any means." Morag confirmed, the Special Inquisitor standing to attention. A hand dutifully came out when a report was placed within, sharp eyes scanning their contents rapidly. "An attack on a transport vessel?"
"Indeed, one headed for the Praetorium with a large cargo of core crystals. I'm sure you understand the implications." The blue haired emperor replied. It didn't need a proper answer, all of the evidence pointed to it being the work of Torna, with the witness data indicating a masked man being the culprit. The witness accounts were limited; there had been very few who survived to tell the tale. This is the third time this has occurred, and it's not an isolated issue either. Urayan vessels are also reporting similar incidents from what our spy network has picked up.
"I shall take full responsibility for this turn of events. We had a Tornan girl under our arrest, yet we allowed her to escape. I should've pushed for as greater amount of interrogation." Morag stated, bowing deeply as she did so. It meant she didn't see the small shake of her emperor's head as he approached, his voice little more than a gentle whisper.
"You allowed the captive to escape to freedom because you felt it necessary, correct? You need no further reason in my eyes." Hugo said. "Regardless, if this really is the responsibility of that masked man – Jin… I doubt he would've been stopped even with an army five thousand heads strong. If it weren't for your report, then I have no doubt this event would have pushed us to consider your request."
"Does that mean…?" before Morag could finish, Aegaeon had moved himself from his conversation with Brighid, returning with an elegant box held under great restraint – a trio of keys held by Hugo were required to remove the extensive amount of chains that covered the entire case, the lid opening before the special Inquisitor to reveal a pair of core crystals. From their beautiful shine, they were clearly ready to resonate with a new Driver.
"Morag, the Senate have attempted to independently resume the excavation of Judicium. The loss of the core crystals to Torna has no doubt made them reckless." Hugo warned, Morag pausing just in time to stop the hand that tried to reach out. For all of the self-control she exhibited in her role for the Empire, it apparently wasn't enough in the face of such intriguing crystals. "Judicium is a delicate region, it would be unwise to provoke Uraya. I hope that with this strength by your side, you'll be able to make the Senate… see reason."
"I understand your meaning. Please, allow me some space your majesty." And then the throne room was enshrouded by a blue light beyond anything any present had ever witnessed before, looking upon the two figures that formed from the crystals with a sense unbridled awe. "Greetings, you two. I am Special Inquisitor Morag, your Driver. Let us be introduced properly."
Lilith let out a happy sigh as she stepped out into the Goldmouth flight deck along with everyone else. With a small vegetable patch to the side and all the people milling about on their daily routines, it was such a calm and peaceful place.
That peace was momentarily broken by a noise of confusion from Rex, the boy reaching dep into a suddenly glowing pocket to find not the dark stone that he had placed within it before, but a fully glowing core crystal, bursting with life unlike before.
"Roc's core crystal?" Rex muttered as he gazed down at the core. "But it was inactive before…"
"Well yeah, but remember what Vandham said?" Nia inputted with her hands behind her head. "When a Blade returns to their core crystal, they don't technically 'die'. They just need a period to recover and then they can be awakened to a completely new Driver. If you wanted to resonate with it now, then you'd be able to bring Roc back again."
"A completely new Roc born to the world, one that lacks any memories of the previous Driver he had." Dromarch added, the Blade a bit more solemn about the whole situation than his Driver. It was reasonable, considering it was a fate that he and eventually all of their Blades would have to experience – probably already experienced several times.
"Taking Vandham's old partner… it just doesn't feel right, you know?" the salvager muttered, his grip around the core crystal weakening as he averted his eyes; even just looking upon the crystal was bringing up bad memories. "it's one thing to take over his mercenary group, but taking his long-time partner, letting him live without knowing about who he once was? That sounds… that's just not right."
"But perhaps he wanted you to resonate with Roc." Nia reasoned. "He left everything else with you, who else would he give up Roc to? I mean, do whatever you want, but at least remember that. Anyway, I'll go ahead and get us registered for boarding!"
"Really? Do you have to rush so much Nia?" Pyra questioned, receiving an impish grin from the cat eared Gormotti as she casually started to walk backwards.
"Of course we do! Sure, we could wait, but then we'd lose out on all of the good seats!" Nia reasoned, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "I don't know about you lot, but if I'm going to be paying what rex paid for these seats, I'm going to make sure they're good!"
But her casual movements meant that the catgirl was caught completely off guard when a sudden blur smacked into her back, sending her face first into the floor as it made a mad dash for its target. Rex did nothing to make the child, for with a size like that it could only be an unnaturally large Nopon or a child, pause in his running, for that honour went to Lilith who with a small scoff, held out her hand and leg. Before anyone knew it, the child had tumbled over himself like Nia, releasing the core crystal that had been in his hands so it could land in the small thief's grip. A firm foot upon his back prevented any attempts to flee he could've made, Rex only noticing the core crystal flying at him at the last moment, hurriedly throwing his hands out to catch it.
"Let me give some advice, make sure your targets are all unaware of what you're doing." Lilith explained with a smile as she held out a hand, the child looking at the extended appendage in confusion until with a roll of her eyes, Lilith forced the boy to take a hold and lifted him up. Now that he was still, it was clear to make out the Gormotti features, the fur and feline ears, along with an incredibly thin body and dirty clothing. Clearly his situation wasn't the best. "You were staring at us ever since we came out into the open air! Now, what do you want with a core crystal?"
"…"
"Silence huh? You can tell me. After all, I was in the same situation as you." Resorting to thievery while trying to become a driver so she could actually fight; it was a pretty clear match for her own situation and while this kid might've been directly trying to grab a core crystal compared to how Lilith had been fortunate to just accidentally chance upon them, it was close enough. No matter how long the kid tried to look into Lilith's eyes, he struggled to find any sort of animosity for what he had done – could there really be somewhat just that unbothered by what he had tried to do?
"…Bandits..."
"Bandits?" Lilith parroted, watching as the boy's fist suddenly began to tighten, trembling as his anger grew until there was simply no way for him to hold back, a sudden scream filling the air.
"…We need it! We're gonna avenge our village and we can't do it without a core crystal!" a hand shot out, Lilith moving the crystal back only the smallest amount, just out of the reach of the child as he desperately clawed and tried to attack Lilith for all he was worth. By now, they had already started to attract a small crowd, a couple of people already moving in to try and stop the whole thing if it weren't for how Nia stopped them. "It was just a small peaceful village! Just because we had water they… they… Cordell village wasn't even a big place. It was a tiny thing off the outskirts of Gormott and they decided no one'd care if they attacked. Torigoth didn't care enough to do anything, so I'll do it myself!"
"And have you already bonded with a core crystal?" at the boy's negative response, Pyra let a frown appear on her face, the aegis stepping forward and lowering herself slightly so she could properly meet his eyes. "You do know then that you have no clue what trying to bond with the crystal could do to you right? If you try and resonate, you could end up killing yourself…"
"I don't care, you don't know until you try!" came the fierce response.
"Well why don't you try this; do you know where those bandits are right now?" Lilith suggested, the boy calming his anger to ponder the question for a moment. That was good, that meant he was actually willing to pay attention to her offer.
"There's a small cave, between Twin trunk Hills. The bandits are gathering there." Came the muttered reply. Twin trunks Hill, that was pretty off the beaten path… but if there was enough reason for the government and thus, the defences to believe there was a threat, then they'd travel anywhere in a heartbeat. "They don't believe me when I say that they're there, and I'm not strong enough to fight them by myself…"
"Then why don't you tell them something that will get them out there and well-armed? Go back to the Ardainian soldiers and tell that the people responsible for ruining the water tower are hiding there. That'll get them running like their butts are on fire!"
"Ah, I see. If they think that we're hiding there, then they'll assume that Pyra would be there as well." Gramps muttered approvingly, though not too loud. While there was no issue with having people know about the bandits, Pyra's true designation was probably better off being unknown at the moment by the public. "With all of the hubbub around the appearance of the Aegis, then they're bound to be willing to travel that far."
"The'll probably also bring the amount of forces one would need in order to deal with a super powerful Blade, there's no way the bandits would be able to beat that!" Lilith joyfully concluded, turning back to the boy with a wink. "So, are you willing to give it a try? I'm sure that you can get someone to you there if you ask nicely... hopefully, cause I don't have any money..."
"Leave it to me! I can't hear a sob story like this and just do nothing after all! Gormotti myself!" one of the nearby airship owners declared, rolling his shoulder with a grin. As soon as he came into sight, the boy have a small gasp, a wise nod coming from the airship owner. "That's right kid, come from Cordell village myself. if there's anyone who's got a hand in this, it's me. Don't worry folks, I've got it from here."
"Bye bye! That was easier than I expected, now to Mor Ardain!"
Yep, rushed the ending, but now we're free to carry on moving forward! Ursula's Blade quest... I naturally can't have her keep disappearing on Merc Missions all the time seeing as she's kind of a main character, but I still wanted to use the story line. Thus, I ended up making a side character way more successful than he probably was. Hopefully that wasn't too out of left field.
Super hero time! See you next time!
