Chapter Text
I do apologize for the long wait. Ashen Wolf has taken so much of my writing time that I completely threw Connections and Ties That Bind to the wayside. Also I've been playing Xenoblade 3 nonstop since it launched which is another reason why I haven't uploaded anything in a while. Long story short, I have not abandoned either of them and will try to get more chapters up for them on a consistent basis.
Julius was silent as he did a few practice swings while in the training hall within the Marsanes. He and T-elos have only just returned from another interception of an Ardainian transport ship headed for Indol, which was the third one in this week alone. Like the ones before, this mission had been an easy one. Sure the Ardainians had Drivers in their mix, but they were nothing compared to him and his Blade, the latter having nearly succeeded with destroying the world five hundred years ago with Malos.
And now, every single one of the core crystals within that ship were now secure within the core of the Marsanes, out of Indol's hands. The more they can sabotage the Praetorium's efforts, the better off they'll be in the future once everything is ready for the final phase of their plan.
Upon their return, T-elos immediately hit the showers, wanting to cleanse herself of the mongrels' blood that had gotten on her during the fighting. Ironically that only happened due to her own vicious and sadistic fighting style, but Julius knew better than to mention that to her. The Dark Blade had no qualms with killing her own Driver after all, despite knowing it would revert her into a core crystal. It was better for everyone if she directed her fury at the enemy rather than her comrades.
As for Julius himself, while Mikhail told him to get some rest, the leader of Torna just couldn't bring himself to sit still. Rather than just aimlessly wander around the submerged vessel, he instead decided to occupy his time training with his sword, something that reminded him of the old days, before he cut himself off from his past. He put as much effort as he could into every swing, picturing the faces of the ones he wishes to strike down the most.
"I thought I'd find you here. You haven't changed at all."
Julius paused with what he was doing to see that he was no longer alone. Standing right by the door and leaning into the frame with his arms folded across his chest was none other than the other Aegis, Malos. Sever wasn't with him, likely to help Mikhail with the relocation of the core crystals.
"Is there something wrong?" Julius said emotionlessly.
"No, I just wanted to tell you that Mythra and her allies are finally on the move," Malos replied, completely unfazed by the masked man's coldness. "Akhos believes that they're heading for Uraya."
Interesting. After their clash with the Origo Mercenaries on the ancient ship, Julius tasked Akhos with tracking down the Aegis so that they could move to capture her again, due to his Blade having the ability to disturb the ether flow. However, Mythra's signal had abruptly disappeared for about two days. And not just her, but the signals for the mercenaries' other Blades too. It was as though they had fallen off the face of Alrest itself.
Naturally this was a big concern for Julius and his group as they needed the female Aegis in order for them to continue with their plan. However, right before they could begin an investigation over the Origo Mercenaries disappearance, the signals of their Blades returned, revealing that they were back in Torigoth. The whole situation was very strange, but Julius didn't care to know what had happened after the Aegis and her friends had escaped. All that mattered was that she was still alive.
As for why Torna didn't try to go after Mythra after confirming her whereabouts, it's because they were just waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch her. According to Malos, she will most likely want to go to Elysium, the place of her birth, and where the Architect resides. It would be much easier to capture her in the wilderness than in a populated city, especially one that is occupied by the Ardainian military. It would seem that all that waiting as finally paid off. Still, why go to Uraya of all places?
As if reading his mind, Malos answered with, "My best guess is that my partner and her new friends are trying to find a lead on how to reach Elysium, what with Ophion guarding the World Tree and all. That old fossil in Fonsa Myma may be far from his prime nowadays, but he can still point her in the right direction of where to go next."
"I see. Do you think you and Akhos will be enough to capture the Aegis?"
"Of course. Mythra may have fallen in league with a decent mercenary group, but they're still no match for us. Not to mention Akhos and Obrona have that trick up their sleeve."
Ah, right. That trick should be more than enough to capture even the legendary Aegis. Perhaps there won't be a need for him to interfere, although T-elos will be mad that she won't be getting a chance to crush Kos-Mos, but that can wait for another day.
"Alright then," Julius said calmly. "I'll leave this matter in your hands. Depart as soon as you are able."
"Of course." Malos's face then softened a bit as he noticed something. "How are you feeling, by the way? Is your body still working like it should?"
It was that moment that Julius noticed that his right hand was trembling. There wasn't much feeling in it either. There hasn't been ever since that dreadful day where he lost everything. That lack of sensation made it hard for him to swing his sword, but not impossible. If anything, it was a testament of his skill that he was able to continue fighting in his current condition. It was only thanks to Malos finding him in that ditch when he did and treated him that he was still here.
The masked man forced himself to chuckle. "Can't hide anything from you, can I? No matter how you slice it, I'm basically a walking corpse. That capsule and treatment you gave me only delayed the inevitable. No matter what happens, I'll be dead by the end of this path."
The male Aegis looked frustrated, moreso at himself. "I'm sorry. If I had gotten my hands on some Judicium tech, we might have been able to give you better treatment, perhaps even extend your life by a few more years. Unfortunately that man keeps a tight lock on that technology that it's impossible for us to get it."
"Don't worry about it. The time you gave me is plenty, more than I could ever ask for. I'll use the time I have left to see your wishes realized. Both you and T-elos. I owe you that much at least."
"Didn't know you were so sentimental," a familiar voice spoke up. "But I guess tragic characters like you are what makes these tales so interesting."
A young man with raven hair strolled into the room. He was dressed in armor that was similar to Malos's, but it was blue instead of black. Strapped to his waist were a pair of short katanas, while on his face was a pair of rectangular red glasses. By his side was a female Blade that resembled a humanoid moth, which wasn't much of a surprise since the two were always together. The man was named Akhos while the Blade was called Obrona. The blue-clad Driver served as the brains of Torna, acting as their tactician.
"What are you doing here, Akhos?" Julius questioned, his tone becoming more rigid.
"Oh I just thought we'd go over the finer details of how we are to apprehend the Aegis from that boy. I already have one in mind, since I know where they're going. What do you two think of this plan?" He shared his idea with the duo, and both gave their approval. It was a surefire way of getting their hands on Mythra, and then they can proceed further with their plan.
Although, that Driver of hers. Something about that boy felt familiar to him, like a long-forgotten memory. Julius internally shook himself, dismissing the thought. Now wasn't the time to think about the past. He had no right to do so after severing himself from it the day Malos saved him. He was the leader of Torna now, and will see his goals realized, no matter who needs to be cut down in order to achieve it.
Xander felt a little uneasy when the ferry docked in the port of Fonsa Myma, the capital city of Uraya. Given the tensions between the Kingdom and the Empire after the latter annexed Gormott, it was probably not a good idea for a member of Mor Ardain's imperial line to be strolling about the capital of what could be argued was enemy territory.
But what choice did he have? According to Klaus, there was a man here that could give them a lead on how to reach the World Tree. They needed all the help they could get, especially since that monster Ophion was guarding the World Tree, preventing anyone from reaching it. At least there was a very small likelihood of him being recognized here, especially since he had been out of the public eye for years.
"You okay?" Mythra asked in concern, noticing his long silence.
It took a moment for him to answer her. "Y-yeah. I just always feel anxious whenever I come to Uraya. I don't want to cause my family anymore trouble by getting dragged into a political debacle."
The Aegis let out a chuckle. "Well if things do fall apart, I'll make sure to protect you. I am your Blade after all."
"We'll protect you," Kos-Mos corrected, though she looked extremely on-guard, as if scanning for any potential threats in the area. "As long as we're here, no harm shall befall you."
Xander couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at that. While they may occasionally argue over petty things, they always seem to agree over their Driver's safety. He couldn't really complain over it, since it was better than them constantly arguing, but it was still a little embarrassing.
The Origo Mercenaries quickly got off the boat and made their way into the city. The capital was quite busy today, with crowds coming and going. Still, there was a slight tension in the air, as if a small spark could light a whole fuse and combust. Something had changed within the Kingdom. One thing the mercenary leader immediately noticed was that there were now distribution centers to hand out rations to the citizens. Those weren't there last month when he last visited Uraya.
"They must be preparing for war with Mor Ardain," Azurda speculated while riding his nephew's shoulder, as if reading his thoughts. "While there hasn't been any armed conflict, tensions between them and Empire have escalated with the awakening of Mythra."
"No kidding," Ethan commented, hovering close to Poppi on instinct, to which the artificial Blade went into protective mode and kept an eye out for anyone that might be a threat to her Driver. "I heard the rumors back in Torigoth, but I guess I didn't want to believe it. This all feels too real."
"Tell me about it," Nia agreed before whispering to her leader, "Are you sure it's safe for you to be here, Xander? If the Kingdom finds out about your connections to Mor Ardain, they might have you imprisoned under the pretense of being a spy."
So it wasn't just his Blades that were concerned over his safety. The Gormotti Driver was also worried, as were probably the rest of the mercenary company. They were all pretty loyal to him. If the worst were to come and he ordered them to flee for their own safety, he doubted that any of them would listen. They would stick by him to the bitter end.
Nia in particular was an interesting case. He took her and Dromarch in when Klaus brought them to his base in Torigoth. The Gormotti and her Blade were covered in grime and mud, the former's clothes all tattered and worn. It was clear that she had a hard life. But like with all the Origo Mercenaries, he didn't pry into her past when she clearly wasn't ready to share. Instead, he offered her sanctuary and that was about it. In fact, out of all the members of his company, she was by far the most skeptical. Ethan didn't question anything about his leader since the latter offered him a place to build Poppi, meanwhile Jin just kept to himself. But Nia, she always seemed to be analyzing his actions, as if trying to sense any ill intent from him. She would occasionally join him on missions, but that was largely to repay her debt for letting her stay at Xander's place for free (plus he needed the help since Poppi still wasn't fully built yet).
Life must have been truly hell for her to be so distrusting of others. However, over time, she started to soften up. She kept herself guarded, but she wasn't so distrusting of him as she was when they first met. She would join him on mercenary jobs, not out of obligation to pay off a debt, but because she wanted to as a member of the Origo Mercenaries. There was still much Xander didn't know about the Gormotti. The most he did know was that she shared the name of a Gormotti noble that supposedly died to illness a few years ago, but there wasn't enough evidence to conclude that they were the same person. After all, it wasn't uncommon for people to share the same name.
Regardless of who Nia really was, she was a valued member of the Origo Mercenaries. Nothing about her past would change that. Hell, he wouldn't care if she was even a former member of Torna. She would still be his friend and his teammate. He will always offer her a place to come back to, just like he would for all the Origo Mercenaries.
"I'll be fine," he muttered back to her. "I'm much less likely to be recognized here than I would in Mor Ardain. Plus, even if they did recognize me, I doubt Uraya would do anything severe enough to me that would warrant military action from Mor Ardain."
Nia still looked a little uneasy, but seemed relatively calm. "Alright, but don't come crying to me if we have to break you out of prison."
That got a chuckle out of him. "Hopefully things won't come to that. Ah!" The group came across a certain building that had a bit of a crowd going in and out. Given the posters and signs, this must be the theater that Klaus told them about. Which means the person they're looking for will be somewhere inside.
Out of curiosity, Xander approached one of the posters, which was saying what type of play is being performed today. To his surprise, it was one that he had seen before. In fact, there probably wasn't anyone in Alrest who hadn't seen it at least once. The Heroic Adventures of Addam, a tale of the legendary hero who fought in the Aegis War five hundred years ago. Possibly out of obligation due to being his descendant, he once came to Uraya with his family to see the play, though only his mother and aunt would know of how accurate the depiction was. Even with Mythra only giving brief highlights of her time with her previous Driver only gave Xander a small grasp of how his ancestor had lived. It could be worth another peek just to see if there were any inconsistencies with what he's been told.
Wait, would Mythra be okay with watching a play like this? As much as she enjoys telling funny stories about Addam, she kept the majority of her past kept close to her chest, granted there were parts of her pasts that even she couldn't fully recall, or so she claims anyway. Perhaps seeing this play would just bring back terrible memories.
"It's fine," Mythra suddenly spoke up, as if reading her Driver's mind. "I'm kinda curious about it myself. What do you all think?"
"I'm down with taking a peek," Jin acknowledged.
"I'm in too!" Ethan said in excitement. "This is one of my favorite plays ever!"
"I've read about this play in passing, but I have never seen it for myself," Dromarch added. "Not to mention that it would be a good way for us to unwind before we set out on our journey."
The others agreed as well, plus they had to go in anyway to meet with Cole, the man who leads this troupe of performers. They might as well check out his work while they were here.
Quietly, the group made their way inside the building and took seats near the end of the stage room. Today must have been one of those busy days as the audience section was pretty packed. Kos-Mos ended up clinging to his arm when they took their seats, claiming it was a precaution so that they wouldn't get separated after the ends. Naturally, Mythra took that act as a challenge prompting her to take hold of Xander's other arm. Must they always try to find ways to make him feel so flustered? Now he won't be able to focus on the play (though he didn't miss Ethan's comment of lucky bastard, which was hard to hear over the loud orchestra playing in the background).
Speaking of which, the play had already started, looking to be near the end. Right at the foot of the stage was a narrator, recounting the events of the past. Meanwhile, on the stage, there people dressed up in costumes, playing as the people from that dark time. It was honestly laughable to see the play's depiction of Addam. The costume looked nothing like the fourth prince of Torna and was wearing a ridiculous spiked helmet that covered his face. Xander himself had only seen a few photos of his ancestor, so he had a decent idea of what he looked like. Perhaps he should donate one to Cole so that he could update the costume.
Interestingly, there was a female actor near Addam, wearing a pure white dress and blue crystal on her chest. She even wore a pastel-blue wig. When he was a kid, those details flew over his head, but seeing this now as an adult, plus combined with the vague information Mythra gave him of her past, but could there be more to Kos-Mos than he thought? He knew that there were things that Ceres wanted to tell him when he was old enough, but she never got the chance due to her death. As for his Aunt Elise, she wouldn't talk about it, claiming that he still wasn't ready. Meanwhile Kos-Mos herself didn't remember anything from her past awakenings.
Kos-Mos was a family heirloom, the greatest treasure of the Origo family. When he had resonated with her core crystal as a child, his aunt was rightfully worried about the Light Blade falling into the wrong hands due to her being handicapped by her inexperienced Driver. She only acquiesced because the only way to revert Kos-Mos back into a core crystal was to kill Xander, and she wasn't that cold-hearted. Just a shame that he had to wait so long before it was safe for him to visit Leftheria. Elise was a highly experienced Driver, so she would have been a perfect mentor for him in those early years.
Xander's thoughts were interrupted the actress playing the Aegis descended onto the stage, all due to wires of course. Just like with Addam, the actress's costume looked nothing like Mythra at all. The costume was very white, angelic even, which wasn't at all like Mythra in terms of looks or personality. It would seem that details like that get lost over time. Well that and it was a play, so it was only natural that things would be exaggerated in order to entertain the audience.
The group watched as Addam and his Blades defeated the monsters, the play ending with Addam choosing to seal the Aegis away, vowing to make sure she is always remembered (ironically not once mentioning her real name, instead always referring to her by her title, but eh, details). A thunderous applause rose from the crowd, some participants being from Xander's friends as well.
Soon people started to clear out and leave. It was at that point that Xander noticed that Mythra hadn't said anything. There was a longing in her eyes, maybe sadness too. It hurt him to see her in that state. She looked so fragile right now, as if she would shatter from even the slightest breeze.
"Are you okay, Mythra?" he asked in concern.
The sound of his voice seemed to snap her out of her stupor, but she still looked a little uneasy. "Y-yeah," she spoke up. She smirked, but it was clearly forced, as if trying to reassure her Driver that everything was fine. "I should file a complaint with the owner over that costume. It looked nothing like me."
"Perhaps that might be for the best," Kos-Mos goaded. "After all, if people saw an accurate depiction of you, they'd probably run for the hills."
Normally Mythra would make an angry retort at that, but instead she fell unusually silent, staring down at the ground. Her eyes looked distant and contained a tinge of wetness. Was she…crying? It was clear that Kos-Mos had hit a sore spot prompting Xander to tell her to apologize, to which the android reluctantly obeyed, but Mythra didn't seem to hear her.
"E-excuse me," a new voice spoke up nervously.
The room was nearly empty, but Xander and the others were not alone, as young girl with pale skin and short aqua blue hair stood before them. She looked no older than ten. Was she here alone? Where were her parents?
"Can I help you?" Xander said slowly.
"That Blade you have with you. She looks a lot like what Grandpa described. Could she be the legendary Aegis?"
Immediately alarm bells went off in his head. Damn it, why didn't Xander have Mythra wear a cloak? Just seeing her emerald core crystal is enough to clue most people that she's the legendary Aegis. Talk about a stupid mistake.
"It's okay, Xander," Mythra spoke up, finally back to herself. "I don't think she means us any harm." She turned her attention to the little girl in front of her. "I'm Mythra. You said that I look like what your grandfather described the Aegis as. Who is he?"
The little girl smiled at that. "He's the man in charge of this troupe. Would you like to meet him?"
Oh, so her grandfather was the owner of this theater. Xander couldn't sense any ill intent from the little girl, whose name was Iona, so he chose to trust in his Blade's words. They soon explained that they were here to see Cole anyway, so this was a good opportunity. Iona led them to a small room at the back of the theater, which judging by all the books and scripts, seemed be an office of sorts.
"Grandpa!" Iona said cheerfully. "There's some people here to see you."
The man, who Xander assumed to be Cole, was sitting at his desk. He was dressed in a worn brown coat and a long scarf wrapped around his neck. There was a hood pulled over his face, but even with dim light of the ether lamp, Xander could spot the traces of old age on the man's face.
Cole glanced over his shoulder, examining the mercenary company. His eyes seemed to widen when he saw Mythra, Kos-Mos and Jin, but he managed to quickly compose himself.
"You all are mercenaries, aren't you?" he suddenly commented.
"How'd you know that?" Ethan questioned in confusion.
"None of you are wearing military uniforms for one thing, and most Drivers don't live the quiet life. I'm not judging you, by the way. I actually used to be a mercenary back in the day. Anyway, the name's Cole. Would you tell me your names and why you're here?"
Xander and his friends quickly introduced themselves and explained why they came. Once they were done, Cole nodded in understanding.
"I see. So Klaus sent you. Has the time finally come?" That last sentence seemed more to himself than to the mercenary company.
"What did you just say?" Nia asked.
"Nothing, just the ramblings of an old man. Anyway, I'm guessing you haven't tried sailing directly for the World Tree in order to reach Elysium, right?"
"Naturally," Poppi explained matter-of-factly. "With Ophion guarding it, any trips to the World Tree would be suicide without proper preparations. Klaus said that you could help us find a way to reach the World Tree."
"And why do you seek Elysium? Is it for ulterior motives or something else?"
It was Xander that answered next, placing his hand upon the green crystal on his chest. "A few weeks ago, I was killed in battle by a dangerous foe. Mythra gave me half of her lifeforce in order to resurrect me. In order to pay her back for that kindness, I chose to fulfill her request to take her to Elysium, the place where she was created. That's the main reason. The secondary one is that Alrest is dying. If Elysium is real, and is as bountiful as the legends say, then it's a place where we can all live safely. Admittedly that part's a naïve thought, but it's better than just doing nothing while waiting for the end. Those are why I seek Elysium. Does that satisfy you?"
Cole chuckled, cracking the faintest of a smile. "That's good enough for me. I'm relieved that those two have such a kind-hearted Driver. Anyway, long ago, five hundred years to be exact, there was a man who went up the tree, supposedly even met the Architect in fact. If anyone would know how to get to tree, it would be him."
"That's great!" Ethan said in excitement. "Who is it?"
The older man's face darkened as he lowered his head, as if pondering if he should share more. Xander knew from experience that whatever Cole was keeping quiet about was something he didn't like to talk about, but unfortunately they had no other leads after him. This was the only way they could find a way to reach Elysium.
"Please tell us what you know," the mercenary leader said calmly, trying to sound as understandable as possible. "We need to reach Elysium. We can't do it without your help."
Cole was silent for a few more moments before finally looking the group in the eye again. "Very well. I'll tell you, but I would like to have a word with Mythra and Jin first, if that would be possible."
That took Xander by surprise. Why would Cole want to speak with those two in private? Just who was this man? There was more to him than meets the eye and there was something about him that seemed familiar. Where has he seen that face before? Before he could get a word in, both Mythra and Jin agreed to his terms, and Cole led them to a small room where they could have their talk. All Xander could do was trust in them and hope for the best.
"It's good to see you again, Minoth," Mythra said fondly as soon as he closed the door.
He was clearly much older now, but she could never forget that face. After all, they did fight side-by-side in the Aegis War. It was obvious that he was far from his prime, but it was good to see a familiar face, one that actually remembers what happened five hundred years ago.
The older man chuckled at the hearing of his old name, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him. "Minoth. I haven't heard that name in a long time. So how have you two been doing? Life as mercenaries treating you well?"
"We get by," Jin replied, leaning his back against the wall. "Just to be upfront about it, I do remember my time with Lorna and the others, but I think you already knew that, given that you requested to speak with me as well."
"I see nothing gets past you, Jin. It's good to see that you're the same as ever. As you thought, I know that you didn't lose your memories of your old life, likely because of the circumstances around your awakening. Klaus told me as much sometime after he found you. I am sorry to hear about what happened to Lora. I hope you harbor no ill will towards me."
"It's not like you had anything to do with her death. That blame lies squarely on someone else. In fact, you could even say that he's the reason I'm here."
That caused Mythra to raise an eyebrow. She knew that Lora, Jin's previous Driver had died sometime after the Aegis War, but the Paragon of Torna never went into detail on what exactly happened. Well it's not like she was much better, after all, she has yet to share more of her past with her new Driver.
"Do you seek revenge against that man, not that I don't blame you if you harbor such feelings."
Curiously, Jin shook his head at the idea. "As tempting as that is, it won't change anything. Besides, I know Lora wouldn't want me to do that. I'm here for a different reason, one that Klaus requested of me when he awoke me." He then shared that reason with his old friends.
"Wow, so that's why you stuck around despite not having a proper Driver," Mythra commented. "Can't say I'm not surprised though. Even without a Driver, you're still a force to be reckoned with, and I don't say that lightly."
"Indeed," Cole mused in agreement. He then turned his attention to Mythra. "I hope you didn't mind that play from earlier. I just felt that those events shouldn't be forgotten. I hope it didn't bring back any terrible memories."
Mythra was silent for a moment, collecting her thoughts. It would be a lie to say that seeing those events, while heavily dramatized, didn't cause painful memories to surface, old wounds to ache. Honestly, she had to struggle to keep herself composed, lest she breakdown into tears. She was the Aegis, a weapon created by the Architect, a weapon of destruction, she didn't have the luxury to experience such things. Also, she didn't want Xander to see her in such a state, not after promising to protect him from harm.
"It's fine. It brought back good memories too, though you could stand to update your costume design, especially for me." The trio shared a laugh at that, though it was clearly forced on Mythra's end, but neither male chose to point it out.
"Will you be using that power again?" Cole questioned.
Mythra looked away from her old friend, struggling to come up with an answer. "I won't…is what I would like to say. Had things turned out differently on Temporal Island, I might have been forced to use that power, and probably would have burned it to the ground. Thankfully, we had a powerful ally who was able to end the fight before it reached that point."
Jin nodded in agreement. "You should have seen him, Minoth. He was self-taught in swordplay but he was an excellent fighter, especially with that black sword of his. During that final clash, he seemed to be at me and Mythra's level, but it nearly got him killed in the process. I wonder how he's doing now."
Cole stroked the beard on his face. "Interesting. What was this young man's name?"
"Marth. His name is Marth. Anyway, about my power, I can't say for certain if I will be able to keep it sealed forever, especially since Malos and T-elos are still out there. Eventually I might have no choice but to use it just to protect my Driver."
The older man grimaced at the news. "I had heard the occasional rumors, but to think that those monsters are still alive. If you plan to use that power, Mythra, I won't stop you, but be careful. I don't think this world can handle it a second time."
"I know. Which is why I only plan for it to be used as a last resort."
"That's good to hear. Anyway, that man is the only one who knows how to reach Elysium. Will the two of you be okay meeting him again?"
"Of course," Mythra assured. "It's my destiny after all."
"Same for me," Jin added. "If Xander's path requires him to meet that man, then it's only natural that I go with him."
"I see. I guess I don't have much to worry about, especially regarding Xander. After all, not only does he have you two to support him, but her as well."
Mythra raised an eyebrow at that. "Her? Do you mean Kos-Mos? You know her?"
Cole chuckled as though he had heard a joke. He chose not to clarify and simply continued with his line of thought. "He certainly resembles Addam in his youth, and if what Klaus told me is to be believed, is just as kindhearted as him."
"You know of Xander's past, don't you, Minoth."
"Yes. Klaus told me as much, years back. I would have offered to take the boy in, but Fonsa Myma isn't the ideal place to raise a runaway imperial prince. I'm just glad to see that he turned out as such a fine young man. Alright then. I'll help you out then. It's the least that I owe you."
The two Blades offered the old man their thanks and they rejoined the others. Cole spent a good minute or two scouring the room, looking for something. However, it wasn't long before he started going into a coughing fit, prompting Iona to hurry to him. He was holding his stomach and bent over. It was honestly a miracle he was still standing.
Out of consideration for the man health, Xander decided to have them visit the theater tomorrow to receive the item that Cole wanted to give them, which everyone agreed to. It was still pretty early in the afternoon. Rather than simply wander around town or camp out at the inn, the group decided to take on a mercenary job. For one, it would help to pass the time, and second, it never hurts having a little extra spending money.
The job they ended up with was investigating a strange energy effect near the Urayan Titan's blowhole. The trek would be a long one since it was on the other side of the Titan, but the pay was decent (also it lowered the risk of Xander getting recognized by the Urayans so that was another benefit), so the Origo Mercenaries decided to take that one.
As they exited the Urayan capital, the group noticed multiple warships docked by the cliff, with military personnel stationed there. There were a lot more ships than Mythra expected, especially during a supposed time of peace.
"That's a lot of warships," Ethan commented as they took in the sight.
"Indeed," Dromarch mused. "War with Mor Ardain is looking more and more likely by the day. It would seem that Uraya has expanded their military program."
"These ships look different than the ones of other nations," Poppi noted aloud.
The artificial Blade was right. Unlike the other nations, mainly Mor Ardain, the Kingdom of Uraya didn't modify their Titans that much. They deemed such things as unnecessary and only put in the bare minimum to make into vehicles and military weapons. They preferred a more natural look, the exact opposite of Mor Ardain. Now, this isn't to say that doing such things made Uraya weak, in fact it was quite the opposite. Uraya's military might was not one to be underestimated. After all, it is one of the few nations that can take on the Ardainian Empire.
"I seriously wonder if the Titans like all those modifications," Nia commented. "Doesn't all that metal and stuff hurt?"
"It's just something Titans just have to deal with when they live with humans," Azurda answered while riding his nephew's shoulder. "After all, if Xander had chosen a different path, like say a salvager, I would probably have a hut on my back and a crane stuck where the sun doesn't shine."
"Eh, not really my thing," Xander said in dismissal. "Honestly I'd be way more paranoid of drowning if I took that career path, not to mention how unreliable it can be at times if the currents are wrong. Mercenary work provides a more steady income, at least in my book."
"True, but it caused me and your aunt a lot of gray hairs when it was just you and Kos-Mos," the Titan replied. "If Klaus hadn't shown up when he did, you would have perished a long time ago. He's certainly done a lot for you and the others."
Yeah, now that Azurda mentioned it, Klaus really has had a big impact on Xander and the others. It was thanks to him that Xander survived that Gogol, that he met Nia and the others, to him even awakening Mythra herself. And yet, despite playing such a huge role in the lives of the Origo Mercenaries, none of them knew anything about him, not even Xander, who saw the man as a surrogate father.
"Just who are you, Klaus?" Mythra thought to herself. There was more to that man than he was letting on. Something about him felt familiar to her, and yet she couldn't quite identify it. Despite all these unknowns, Xander still chooses to trust in that man, so the Aegis will give him the benefit of the doubt. However, if he does become a threat to her Driver, then she won't hesitate to strike him down. This time, she will keep him safe.
A trio of cloaked individuals watched the Origo Mercenaries from a distance, careful to avoid drawing their attention, especially from some of their more observant members, namely the swordsman in gray. The unnamed man took the rare opportunity to get a good look at the group. A raven-haired boy who possessed an artificial Blade. A Gormotti girl who was a Driver, and there seemed to be more to her than meets the eye. A swordsman in gray whose swordsmanship was without equal. And of course, their leader, a young man with silver hair and golden eyes, dressed in blue and silver. He certainly managed to last this long on his own, no doubt thanks to pastel-blue haired Blade beside him. It was a relief to see, especially looking at his own personal history. And then…
He turned his good eye over to the blonde girl beside silver-haired Driver. There was no mistaking it. That girl was indeed the Aegis. How fitting that her new Driver was that young man. This will make this all the more fun. He could barely contain his excitement.
"Should we make our move now?" the smaller of his two partners questioned, her circular frames hiding her eyes with the light. The other one, whose cloak was barely concealing her Titanlike wings remained silent.
The man watched as the Origo Mercenaries headed out in the wilderness, likely doing a mercenary job.
"Not yet. For now, let's shadow them, then we'll make our big reveal. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees us again."
"In that case," his other partner spoke up emotionlessly. "Shouldn't we hurry after them? They're nearly out of eyesight now."
Oh crap, she was right! The group was almost gone. How did they get so far ahead already? Luckily speed wasn't an issue for him, but they should probably get moving before they lose track of them.
And with that, the most evil Driver in all of Alrest hurried after his quarry, preparing to make his big debut.
To be continued
Man this update has been a long time coming. I can't believe it took me this long to continue this story. I'm really sorry about that. I'll try to do better to update all my Xenoblade stories (especially after finally finishing Xenoblade 3, because oh God, playing that made me realize I need to dedicate more time to these stories). If you're wondering if I'll do a Xenoblade 3 story, it's in the cards, but I want to finish both Connections and Ties That Bind before then, for pretty obvious reasons of course. I also want to finish Ashen Wolf if possible before then as well. In order to make up for lost time, I think I will be focusing my next set of updates on my Xenoblade stories. It's been way past due for them to get their moments to shine. Honestly I should have done this the moment the Chrome Disaster arc of Ashen Wolf ended, but I got too engrossed with writing the Urun arc. In case you're worried if I'll forget crucial things about the Urun arc by doing this, worry not, because I made notes of the important details of what goes on in that arc as precaution. Once my Xenoblade stories reach a point I'm satisfied with, I'll continue production on Ashen Wolf. I hope you guys will be patient for me and sorry in advance!
Anyway, remember how I said that Vandham would be cut from the story. Sadly this hiatus didn't do anything to change my mind, mainly because I don't want Xander to have too many Blades, because obviously he would be the one to awaken Roc. Fun fact, when I initially started this story, I was gonna include him as a mental figure for Xander and potentially save him, but I ended up giving that role to Klaus. Ironically enough, things would have probably gone much different had I wrote this story after I decided to reboot my Dark Swordsman stories (the Temporal Island arc really pushed me into a corner, had I wrote both Connections and Ashen Wolf with the rebooted continuity in mind, mainly retconning Marth being an Aegis Eater (still can't believe I once thought that was a good idea), I probably would have just scrapped the arc entirely, which is kinda sad given that it's longest arc I've ever written). Someone once told me that it might have been better if I had withheld the Temporal Island arc at a later point, and I agree in hindsight. Originally, Xander and the others were gonna crashland in Gormott like in the game, but this gave me a good opportunity to get the arc out of the way so I wouldn't have to worry about it later on. Now while this might seem like a long rant over my poor thinking (and in a way it kinda is), I don't regret writing the Temporal Island arc. I was actually able to use it in ways that I never expected, like having Marth, Shulk and Xander meet and work together, having Mythra revive Xander so that they share a core, to even build up to future events that will take place in Ashen Wolf.
I do intend for Xander to meet Marth and Shulk again but those meetings won't be happening for a long while. Anyhow, this author's note got really long huh? Guess I just needed to get that stuff off my chest and address a few things to you guys. Okay, rant over. I am really looking forward to the next chapter because it's finally time for him to make his big debut, a character that I had cut/replaced in my original Xenoblade 2 story, and it was criminal of me to do so (although in my defense, I originally had a completely different idea with that story and just suddenly changed course a third of the way through)! But this time, he will finally be shown in all his glory. Who is this person, you might ask? Well you'll just have to wait to find out. I'll see you guys next time!