Archive of Our Own ^beta

Right place, right time

Minoth swears to himself as he sits down on a rock to empty the sand from his shoes for the fifth time that day. He’s currently travelling through the large Dannagh Desert in the middle of the Tornan Titan, hoping to reach Auresco before sunset. It’s only a little past noon, so he should be able to make it. He would be getting there faster if it weren’t for the deep sand and local wildlife slowing him down.

It's been nearly two months since Indol fell. Nearly two months since he separated from Malos. Turns out, once they’d gotten rid of Amalthus, they didn’t actually have much in common, one of those things being what to do with their newly found freedom. Malos had been convinced humans are scum that should be eliminated from Alrest. Minoth, who had never set a foot outside the Indoline Titan, had been looking forward to exploring Alrest and visiting the other Titans. So, the two of them had parted ways only days after leaving Indol.

Last he heard anything about Malos, the Aegis was apparently making quite a mess in Coeia. He doesn’t know why Malos chose that Titan in particular and can’t really bring himself to care either. Maybe the people there deserve what they have coming, maybe they don’t. Either way, it’s out of his hands, as he prefers to focus on his own journey.

So far, Minoth has visited the Titans of Gormott, Uraya and Mor Ardain, before making his way here to Torna. He has taken his time on all the Titans he’s been to, visiting cities and towns, exploring the wilderness, and found the finest sights. He has been surprised by how much he’s seen and learned.

He’d known his worldview had been very limited, because of his lack of experience and how Indol limited the amount of information he could get his hands on, but he’d never realized just how much he had been missing out on. He slowly learned that the way things worked in Indol had been quite different from the rest of Alrest. The more he sees during his travels, the more he questions things he thought were universal facts.

His experiences with non-Indoline humans has probably been the biggest shock. Before, he had mostly agreed with Malos’ view of them. That they were weak, selfish, and destructive. That they would happily stab each other in the back if it meant getting what they want. That they’re a barbaric kind that kill each other for fun, then make it worse by dragging other, non-violent humans, as well as Blades into their problems. That they all view Blades as nothing more than tools and weapons to use and discard as they see fit. Minoth had believed those things, because that had been all he’d seen from humans in Indol.

Even Amalthus had been like that. Just another human. He would smile at people and speak kind, soothing things, then turn around and slip poison in their drinks or a knife between their ribs. He had used his way with words to make people do those things for him, too. So he’d never have to take any responsibility. He had used Minoth, too. Experimented on him with no concern for his life of well-being or whether he consented to said experiments, then discarded him and declared him useless, defective.

Minoth’s new experiences, however, have forced him to re-evaluate his perception of humans. Because most of the ones he’s met have been nothing like the ones in Indol.

People in Gormott have been generally open and friendly. Urayans seem tough, but fair and honest. Ardanians have a very questionable taste in food, but are very dedicated to their country and Emperor. While Minoth has gotten a few strange looks because of his Core Crystal, none of the humans have scoffed at him or refused to sell to him when he’s been buying something at the various stores. As far as he can tell, they haven’t treated him any differently from anyone else.

The Blades he’s seen have all been considerably different from the ones he’s been used to seeing in Indol. While many are still Blades of soldiers or mercenaries, they generally seem... happy, or at least content. They smile and laugh more. They don’t flinch away from people, and some of them even initiate contact with humans or other Blades. Minoth still sometimes has to fight not to stare at them openly every time he sees something like this happen. Behaviour like this had been unthinkable in Indol, where Blades had been expected to stay in their place and not speak unless spoken to.

When travelling through Gormott, he had seen a white beast-type Blade playing with some children in a shallow pond. The children had been climbing on him and pulling at his fur, all while he had laughed and playfully splashed water on them, while purring loud enough for Minoth to hear from several steps away.

In Uraya, he had seen a Blade patiently instructing a young woman, a new Driver no doubt, on how to best handle herself in battle, as well as where to find the best vegetables and how to avoid the more aggressive wildlife. The Driver had been listening attentively, occasionally asking a question or two.

In Mor Ardain he had seen a beautiful Blade with flaming blue hair, who had been sitting at a café with a young man Minoth had assumed to be her Driver. They had been discussing different kinds of tea, and which ones tasted better or had the better benefits in long term. It had been a friendly debate, and they had both laughed and smiled while sipping their cups of tea.

Here in Torna, in a small village, he had spotted a young red-haired woman, along with a Blade who looked very similar to her. They had been walking arm-in-arm, laughing and talking. They had also been accompanied by a tall white-haired Blade. He had rolled his eyes as the woman said something silly, but the care and affection he felt for the two others had practically been radiating from him.

Thinking back on those moments, as well as many similar ones he has seen the past two months or so, he can’t help but wonder about it. Is this what the relationship between Blades and Drivers is supposed to be like?

The easy friendships, camaraderie, support, and affection he has observed. All things he has never experienced or witnessed in his many years living in Indol.

But why? Why had it been so different from all these other places?

Maybe there was something wrong with Indol, Minoth thinks as he tries to find some kind of explanation. Maybe there was something about the place that made people bad. He knows it’s incredibly unlikely, but it’s at least some kind of theory.

“And if that really was the case,” he says out loud to himself, “then it’s a good thing it’s now gone.”

Minoth shakes his head to get rid of the thoughts, tightens his ponytail, and stands up on the rock he’s been sitting on to get a better view of his surroundings. He shades his eyes with one hand and looks in all directions. There are some desert-dwelling creatures, but none of them close enough to feel like bothering him.

Other than those, there isn’t much to be seen. Some plants and several rock-formations, some larger than other. And the sand, of course. A lot of sand. Hot, dry, and almost blinding in the bright sunlight.

Minoth lifts his gaze to the cloudless sky, then turns north, where he can see the tall tower in Auresco. At least he knows which way he’s heading.

Hopping down from the rock, he starts walking in the direction he knows the city to be. He stays in the shades as much as possible, while also staying away from any creatures that might attack if he gets too close. An Aspear hisses at him when he comes too close, and he quicky fastens his pace until the creature feels he’s far enough and lays its head down to just stare at him through half-closed eyes.

Walking in the ankle-deep sand is both tiring and time-consuming. The unyielding sunlight and dry air with little to no wind doesn’t help either. Still, he keeps going. Stopping here isn’t exactly a better option either.

Minoth hasn’t been walking long when he hears sounds of a fight nearby. The howling and snarling of Volffs, on the other side of a sand dune. He suspects it might just be a fight over territory between packs, or some such, but decides to check it out anyway. All this walking is rather boring, and he is a bit curious.

But when Minoth gets to the top of the dune, he sees the Volffs aren’t fighting another pack, but a human man.

The man is clearly an experienced fighter, Minoth notes immediately, judging by the way he holds his sword and moves, keeping all the Volff’s within his line of sight to prevent them from surrounding him. When one of the creatures jumps at him, the man cuts it down with a single, precise slice of the blade.

Minoth can’t take his eyes off the man. He can’t even move, standing on the dune as if momentarily paralyzed. He watches as the man narrowly dodges another Volff, then cuts it down with a strike to the neck.

What the man doesn’t notice, but Minoth does, is the Aspear slithering up behind him, fangs bared and ready to strike.

Minoth acts on instinct, without stopping to think. He leaps and slides down the dune, the loose sand helping him reach the bottom fast. In one movement, he kicks aside a small Volff, grabs his guns and points them both at the Aspear.

“Duck,” he tells the man before he shoots.

To the man’s credit, he doesn’t even hesitate before dropping to the ground. Minoth’s shots go right over his head and hit the Aspear in the chest, causing it to roar in pain and anger. The man turns and thrusts his sword through the creature’s chest, silencing it for good.

Minoth doesn’t have time to relax. As soon as he’s fired his shots, the Volffs turn on him as well. He dodges and slices one of them with his blade. One bites his arm and he shoots it in the head. Another one jumps on him from behind, knocking him into the sand, and he has to stab at it blindly until it goes limp on top of him.

He brushes sand from his face, grumbling over the sand now all over his hair and clothes, and moves to get back up when a hand appears in his field of vision.

“Are you alright there?”

Minoth looks from the hand to see the man looking down at him with a concerned expression. Minoth looks back at the hand, then back to the man, and finally back at the hand again.

“I’m fine,” he says, getting up without accepting the offered help. Just because people outside Indol don’t seem too bad that doesn’t mean he has to trust them or accept anything from them. “Why?”

Surely the man must have noticed he’s a Blade, and therefor wouldn’t be suffering from injuries, if he gets any.

“Looked like a pretty rough hit you took,” the man shrugs. “Just wanted to make sure you’re alright. Least I could do since you saved me from that creature and all.”

“You should pay better attention to your surroundings,” Minoth mutters while brushing sand from his clothes. “I won’t be there to watch your back next time.”

“I suppose I should,” the man chuckles. It’s a friendly, somewhat embarrassed sound, as the man rubs the back of his neck and runs his fingers through his hair. Minoth takes the opportunity to take his first good look at this human.

His hair is a light grey colour, even though he looks to be quite young, maybe around twenty-five? Minoth finds human ages a bit difficult to judge. This man is definitely a young adult, though. He’s fairly tall and strong looking with well-defined muscles, an honest face, and a wide, friendly smile. His eyes are a deep, pure golden colour that Minoth almost can’t stop staring into. Amalthus had also had golden eyes, but they were nothing like these.

“Tell me, where are you from?” the man asks him. “You look like a traveller.”

“You could say that,” Minoth says, eyeing the man wearily. Why is he interested in where Minoth is from? “I’m from Indol,” he says, deciding to give an honest answer to the question. Maybe it will give him a chance to find out a bit about this man, too.

“Ah,” the man says, his smile dropping into something a bit more sad, sympathetic. “I heard what happened to it. I’m sorry about -”

“Don’t be,” Minoth interrupts him sharply. “It was a horrible place, and I’m glad it’s gone.” He keeps his eyes on the man, daring him to say anything about it. Condolences about Indol’s destruction isn’t something he wants to listen to.

“Oh,” the man says, awkwardly looking away and shifting on his feet. “I see.” He clearly has no idea what to say. So much for the confidence he was showing earlier. Minoth crosses his arms, and the movement catches the man’s eye as he follows the movement.

“You’re a Blade, right?” he asks. Did he really just figure it out now? Minoth dips his head slightly in confirmation, but doesn’t say anything. “Is your Driver around somewhere?” the man continues while looking around, probably expecting to see another person around somewhere.

“He’s dead,” Minoth says bluntly, keeping his blue eyes focused on the man’s golden ones. If the man reacts badly, things could get tricky. “I killed him.”

“Oh,” the man says again, eyes going wide from surprise and shock. Minoth can tell he’s confused and probably has a hundred question’s he’d like to ask, but wisely stays quiet and keeps staring at Minoth. It’s a better reaction than he had feared he might get.

“I guess,” the man says slowly after a few moments, “that your Driver must not have been a very good one.” He looks at Minoth with those golden eyes, everything about him seemingly earnest and open.

“What makes you think that?” Minoth questions. He can feel himself tense up. Ready to run or fight, he’s not sure which. He doesn’t understand this man at all. This is not how he would expect a person to react when being told someone they’re talking to has murdered a person.

“Well,” the man says slowly, as if carefully considering each word, perhaps noticing Minoth’s shifting mood. “You don’t seem the kind of person who kills people for the fun of it,” he finally says, sounding surprisingly confident in his assessment.

“How can you just say that?” Minoth questions him sharply. Is this man really naïve or just stupid? “You don’t even know me.”

“I know you just saved my life,” the man says calmly. He no longer seems worried or concerned. “Even though you also ended up getting hurt. That’s not the action of someone who enjoys death or killing. And you haven’t done anything to hurt me, even though you got uncomfortable with my questions.” He pauses for a moment. “Sorry about that, by the way,” he adds sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

The man then holds out his hand to Minoth with a friendly smile.

“I’m Addam,” he says. “Nice to meet you.” Minoth looks down at the offered hand for a moment, then carefully takes it. The man’s – Addam’s – grip is firm, and his hand is so warm Minoth can feel it through his glove.

“Minoth,” he replies. The man’s name sounds familiar, and it takes Minoth a few moments to place it. “You mean Addam, as in, Fourth in Line to the Tornan throne, Addam Origo?” he asks incredulously. Addam drops his hand, looking almost embarrassed.

“Well, yes,” he admits. “That’s me.” He shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “Is that so weird?”

“Well,” Minoth says, “it kind of is. I wasn’t exactly expecting to find Tornan royalty out here in the desert. Or really anywhere else, for that matter. That’s not really something I planned on doing when I came here.”

“What did you come here for, anyway?” Addam asks. It doesn’t seem like he’s questioning Minoth, he just sounds curious. Minoth hesitates for a moment before answering.

“Just travelling, really,” he says, gesturing around. “I was never permitted to leave Indol, so once I was free, I decided to make the best of it.”

“And you decided to come to Torna?” Addam asks, smiling slightly.

“No,” Minoth tells him, to Addam’s clear disappointment. “I went to Gormott, then Uraya, then Mor Ardain, and then Torna.” He sighs, looking up at the sky where the sun is making its way toward the horizon. “I was hoping to make it to Auresco before night.”

Addam immediately perks up.

“I can guide you there,” he says. “I know a couple of shortcuts, so we’ll definitely be there before nightfall. We might even have time for a late dinner!”

Addam’s offer sounds tempting, but Minoth still hesitates. Even though he’s been getting more used to these friendlier humans, he hasn’t really spent any time with them, and he’s uncertain if going along with this near-stranger would be a good idea, no matter how nice and genuine Addam seems...

“Why?” he asks to buy himself some time. “Surely a Prince has better things to do than play tour guide to a stranger?”

“Not really,” Addam shrugs. “I was going to head back anyway, so it’s not like it would be a bother. Besides, having company is always nice.” He looks Minoth up and down in a way he’s not quite sure how to interpret. “I’m a curious guy, and I’d like to get to know more about you.”

Minoth, taken aback, just stares at the man. He has never considered himself to be particularly interesting, and he’s not sure why a Prince of all people would take an interest in him. Though, Addam doesn’t come of as very princely, really. He can’t really imagine this strange man in any kind of royal settings. He seems more like a person who’d be more at home adventuring or as a farmer, really.

Regardless of what this man seems like, Minoth really should be making his way to the capital and never see him again. That’s how he’s been living his whole life. Never trust someone too much, never give them anything they could use against you, never get attached.

But the way Addam is looking at him now, with a thoughtful look in his eyes and rubbing his chin with one hand, Minoth isn’t sure how to feel about this whole thing. He feels as if there’s something he’s missing, some context he hasn’t caught onto yet.

“Say, Minoth,” Addam says, in a more serious, yet also hopeful tone of voice. “Would you allow me to treat you to dinner when we get to Auresco? As an apology for making you uncomfortable earlier,” he adds, as he offers his arm to Minoth like some kind of gentleman.

“I don’t need your pity,” Minoth says, crossing his arms and giving him a stern look.

“As a thank you, then. For saving my skin,” Addam corrects with an easy smile and a more teasing tone, still offering his arm for Minoth to take.

Minoth considers his options. He believes he might finally get that missing piece of context, assuming he actually got it right. From what he’s gathered, humans sometimes treat each other to dinner and call it a Date, and that these are a way to show romantic interest and see if they are compatible.

He looks at Addam, taking in his strong build, soft-looking hair, his friendly smile and mannerisms, and those beautiful golden eyes. He has never really liked humans too much, not like that at least, never having spent much time with them. But he finds he doesn’t mind Addam’s company. The man is interesting and Minoth kind of finds himself wanting to know more about him as well.

Besides, he was going to get dinner anyway, and free food is free food.

“Alright,” he agrees, taking the offered arm. “I guess I can do that.”

He lets Addam lead him through the desert as they make their way toward the capital. He can feel Addam brimming with excitement, and finds he has to stifle an equally excited smile from breaking out on his own face. This could be the beginning of something quite unique.