Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Words can be a curse."

"Hurry! This way, just a little further I'm sure of it!"

Her breaths were coming out in sharp, short bursts of air. Spots dancing in her vision as her eyes throbbing painfully; Her blade pulsed from within its sheath -a sure sign danger was imminent- but there was little she could do about it right now, not when he was so close by.

All around her inhumane growls and snarls were heard, braiding in with futile battle cries and the ringing of swords. A harshness of noise that made her eardrums feel like they were bleeding, meant to signal the arrival to their journey's destination. Still, she forced her eyes to work, looking past the hordes of vile beasts.

Where they were once only a dozen or so there now seemed to hundreds- maybe even thousands. All converging in on herself and her allies, intent on blocking her way forward.

She, however, would not be denied. Without so much as a glance backward she charged drawing her sword.

One by one the demons fell as she sliced through the air with godlike force, their ethereal forms almost looked human-like amongst the disfigured green masses; their bodies fading away into the nothingness they once were

She ran forward not stopping.

"Reyna, wait!"

She barely paused when one of her friends called out to her, the urgency being the only reliable source of comfort in this dismal environment.

Even so, selfish though it maybe, Reyna secretly found herself wishing to hear another voice instead. As she found herself at the foot of one of the many staircases she was to climb she felt a stab of emotion pulsate from the amethyst core embedded in her chest.

'He's waiting for you, Reyna.' A cold detached feminine voice whispered in her ear, taunting her; pushing her further and further up the few winding staircases and jagged cliffs. 'How much longer do you intend to keep him waiting? Perhaps you've grown tired of your toy. Do you hear his cries of agony? How he calls for you knowing you have abandoned him." She wanted to snap at the cruel voice, to deny their claim.

'He'll never love you.'

Reyna grit her teeth. "Lies."

'You can't save him. You're already too late, his true place was always with me after all.'

The voice stopped, cutting off its own maniacal laughter as Reyna finally reached the end of the long arduous climb. Reyna's own biting words dying in her throat.

Being held to a slab of stone was a man; a familiar splash of black with olive skin. There was the unmistakable presence of twin orange-pointed wings on either side of him, metallic claws gripping each arm poised like statues.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

The sounds of fighting suddenly seemed so far away. The only thing that mattered at that moment was the one in front of her. The person she so painstakingly fought to get to.

Slowly, oh so slowly, did she close the distance between them. Her previously endless pool of strength draining, her energy just starting to wane when a flash of emerald green obstructed her view of him. A sword that sparkled like diamonds was aimed at the shimmering piece of amethyst that shone on her own chest -'proof of their bond' they'd called it- the increasingly familiar action spoke volumes in itself evoking a powerful surge of violet-colored light from the crystal in Reyna's chest.

"Well now, you've kept us both waiting….Reyna."

You figure everything's got to start from somewhere right?

For me, it all began when I met you.

Chapter Text

Alrest was a land filled with history; Hidden somewhere beneath the endless sea of white was untold treasure and non-scripted records of events from long ago, perhaps even from a time before Titans came into being, before even the World Tree; Reyna both loved and hated history.

She was weird like that, whereas most kids her age were busy jumping off cliffs down into the cloud sea she was satisfied curling up indoors browsing one of her dear Auntie Corrine's more weathered tomes. One particular title catching her interest, dubbed 'The Aegis War'.

She read it from cover to cover in three days tops, much to Corrine's amazement. That was back when she could barely walk and had more anxiety issues to deal with.

Perhaps that was what led to her becoming a Salvager, she reckoned? The cloud sea was no doubt full of all kinds of historical things waiting to be discovered, lost secrets and memories etched in time. Some simple things like drawings, others mechanical masterpieces.

She set out from Fonsett, finding suitable transportation on the Titan who kept a permanent residence just outside the village named Azurda, though Reyna took to calling him Gramps; His skin a kind of ashy gray with a long mane of hair the color of fresh forest grass and wizened amber-colored eyes. The two travel all over the world of Alrest together, with Reyna searching all over the Cloud Sea for treasure or even just something of interest to her.

Today however, it was neither of the two.

"It's mostly junk," Reyna said aloud with a sigh. "There are a few good condition Photonic coils though, maybe one or two gears. Dark Gray springs in this here thing-" She tossed the smashed up old-looking clock device "-and that's not even the worst of it." Reyna said, letting out an aggravated huff peering deeper into the box spotting an old splotchy looking sack in the corner figuring it must've been shifted when she brought up the crate. ' Oh hold on a minute, is this what I think it is?'

"Oh, awesome! Gramps, check it it out-Crimson Gears and Zigzag Shafts!" Reyna said smiling brightly while dumping some dirty old looking satchels out onto the ground, her gaze drifting up noticing how the grassy green hairs on Gramps' back swayed with the wind while he turned.

The old titan let out an impressed hum.

"We'll be able to fetch more than a pretty penny with a load like this, eh?" Reyna said, pushing herself up off the balls of her feet, standing upright. "Any chance you'd be willing to make the trip to Goldmouth?"

"Actually, I was hoping to get in an early nap..." he yawned, stopping himself when he saw Reyna sporting a look similar to that of a kicked puppy dog.

"Now Reyna, you know that's not going to work-"

"Please? With a choice cherry on top?" The girl said jutting her bottom lip out for maximum effect.

The old titan let out a heavy sigh. "I really have gone soft in my old age," he muttered more to himself than aloud. Reyna let out a cheer.

"Right then, full speed ahead to Goldmouth!"

Just as they prepared to depart however, a high-pitched cry drew their attention towards the west. Reyna blinked, her eyes widening a fraction of an inch seeing a colossal sized titan leaping up out of the water -it was maybe about Gramps size she reckoned- catching sight of the blue core crystal dimming on its underbelly just before it fell back beneath the cloud sea. To Reyna, it almost sounded sad.

"That was… a titan." She commented softly. Reyna looked up towards Gramps worriedly. "You don't suppose there may have been people still on it, do you Gramps?"

The titan shook his head. "Doubtful. If there were people who inhabited it, I have little doubt they were all long gone before it's life-force depleted completely."

Reyna frowned, turning back in the direction of the fallen titan. "I wonder..."

The journey to Goldmouth takes at least a whole day, which is why Reyna figured rest would do her some good. It doesn't take her long to fall asleep, after forty-eight hours straight of salvaging she has surprised herself by still being able to stand. ' It'll be worth it ,' she thought with a yawn, ' Especially when we cash in tomorrow .'

She closed her eyes and drifted off to the sounds of gently rolling waves and Gramps' humming from up above. Her dreams taking her far away from the murky waters of the cloud sea.

"-NA!"

"Wha-!?" Reyna bolted upright narrowly missing hitting her head against a low hanging pipe.

"Reyna, wake up!" Gramps called out, a hint of worry in his voice after hearing her start to shout in her sleep. "Are you alright?"

"G-Gramps?" Reyna muttered, still a bit disoriented.

"We've reached Argentum." Gramps informed.

Sure enough, as Reyna stumbled out of bed and onto the deck she was greeted by the familiar hustle and bustle that was known solely as Goldmouth: Home of the Argentum Trade Guild. It was a festival of lights and colors, smiles and mindless chatter amongst friends and colleagues. For Reyna it was the closest thing she'd known as a home outside of Fonsett Village.

She inhaled deeply, breathing in the cheery atmosphere of the floating guild as she hopped down onto the boardwalk breathing in the different aromas of spices, freshly baked nopon goods and Sea King meat wafting down from the second floor.

Gramps was nice enough to dock at one of the closer spots, with Reyna hopping off just in time to see a familiar head of spikey-blonde hair heading her way belonging to the guy in charge of the docks; Hirkham.

"Well, if it isn't little Rey-Rey!" Reyna turned, her cheeks puffing up in irritation at the aforementioned nickname secretly hating the nopon who came up with it. "How's business?"

"It's fine Hammy ," She said taking a small amount of pleasure in the way his left brow twitched just a little bit, "It's not nice, is it? Hamhog?" speaking in more of a sing-song tone now.

"Alright, alright. You've made yer point," Hirkham grumbled. "So, which one am I unloading today?"

"Just leave it be for now. I won't know for sure until after I'm done negotiating," she sighed heavily. "People have been finicky these days in terms of pricing and whatnot." She added her expression souring.

"What d'ya expect? Hate to break it to ya but there's a majority of investors who aren't gonna believe a little girl like you was able to haul up anything of value." Hirkham commented with a shake of his head.

"Look, I keep tellin ya yer better off with what little work ya been doin upstairs, helpin' out in the Rumbletum Canteen." He added, giving the 'little girl' a sympathetic look. "'Sides a girl like you is probably better off workin' somewhere ya won't get in the way of the big leagues, know what I'm saying?"

"Even though I can't cook to save my life," Reyna stated glumly, with just a hint of bitterness recalling her last blunder in the kitchen which of course lead to her being banned from touching the oven. "I'm not some useless little girl, I am a young woman, fully capable of handling her own thank you very much." She said, jabbing her thumb at herself before placing her hands on her hips and starting to walk away,

"And you wonder why you still don't have a girlfriend," she offhandedly commented hearing him sputter indignantly.

"Oi oi, you don't have to make things personal," he said, seeming a bit offended.

"Aw what's wrong? You gonna start to cry, little Hamhog?" Reyna said barely stifling her giggles at the indignant shade of red that reached all the way to the roots of his hair.

"Wha-no! I think yer confusin me with yerself!" He fired back, cutting her laughter off with a slightly more heated look. She easily matched it with her own, feeling her annoyance kick up a notch or two.

"Hamhog!" Reyna snapped back, having to push herself up on her tippy toes just to try and be more intimidating.

"Shortstack!" He threw back at her with ease, the two going back and forth like a practised routine, oblivious to the attention they were garnering. Then finally, Reyna remembered her reason for coming, backing away with a huff of self-importance.

"You know what? I was going to be nice and pay the fifteen gold per mooring, but now I think I'll pass. See ya!" And with that she took off running throwing a mocking little peace-sign as she sprinted towards the inside of the guild ignoring the shouts of protest Hirkham threw her way.

While she was running her eyes glanced a stationed black ship nearby; elegant black and gold design and no titan in sight to power or move it. ' Awesome .' She thought, only to feel her opinion falter a split second after, realizing there was something rather… ominous about this particular vessel that she couldn't quite place wondering if it was just because of the expensive ebony-black color of the exterior complete with a golden trim.

She shook it off, instead making a beeline for the central exchange.

"What? That's all you're gonna give me!"

"It's life, meh!" The nopon at the counter said, like that was enough to erase the bitter swell of ugly emotions rolling around in Reyna's gut. "It's still more than I give to non-friend," the nopon reminded Reyna and the brunette gave a begrudging nod.

'Dammit ,' Reyna thought trying her best to hide how disappointed she really was. ' And right when we could really use the cash ...'

"Fair point." Reyna admitted, looking like she'd just swallowed a spoonful of the worlds most bittersweet medicine. "Alright fine, I'll take it. Two-hundred for me and you know where to send the rest." Even Reyna knew better than to argue with a nopon over money.

"If friend really want to makes good money then me thinks she should invest in salvaging of hot item, lots of people paying good money for more military supplies these days." The nopon offered, "The ceasefire between Mor Ardain and Uraya not keep for too much longer, me thinks."

"I told you before, I'm not interested in all that stuff." Reyna said with a derisive snort.

"Meh, meh! Friend Rey-Rey needs to learn to not be so picky!" The nopon chided lightly, "It hard enough finding good work as female salvager, could earn pretty penny for hot-list item."

"I don't like getting involved with that kind of stuff." Reyna said, a rare look of rising anger on her face. This nopon was pushing her patience.

"Meh, meh! Fine, fine." The nopon relented finally. "Still, me thinks it nice how friend still send money back home. Makes me wish my own dum-dum littlepon did same."

"Well it's not like Gramps charges rent," Reyna admitted sheepishly. Otherwise she'd be in even tougher financial straits, not that anyone needed to know that. "Thanks." Reyna said with a smile.

Reyna turned to take her leave, figuring that if she were to hurry she'd still have time to maybe do another round of salvaging before the day is through, Only to see a familiar little nopon waddling towards her. Flanked by two buff-looking security men, she recognized him as the well known nopon Pupunin.

"Hello Reyna." Pupunin greeted politely.

"Pupunin, hey. Been awhile," Reyna greeted back with a smile.

"Reyna looking to be in high spirits today-no, how say? Yes, that right, peppy!" Pupunin said, rambling a bit.

"Well, I mean...I've been worse," Reyna said rubbing the back of her head in a moment of contemplation. "Did you..need something?" She asked, a bit hesitant as the two didn't really make it a habit to converse all that regularly.

"Something like that, yes." Pupunin admitted in what might have been unease...or perhaps the little nopon was just hungry, Reyna mused for a moment, batting the thought away soon after. "Ah, by the by, friend come from Fonsett village, located in Leftherian Archipelago, yes?"

Reyna blinked, looking confused. ' Why would where I'm from matter ?'

"Yeah...that's right. Why do you ask?" She asked cautiously. ' Something seems fishy here .'

"You should go straight to boardroom of Chairman then!" Pupunin announced seeing the suspicious glint entering Reyna's eyes.

"What? Why?"

"Uh, Chairman Bana asked for friend Reyna by name." Pupunin hurried to explain, jumping a little ways off the ground in his haste.

"The Chairman? He asked for ME ?"

Pupunin nodded. "Friend must hurry though, Chairman Bana hate to be kept waiting!"

Ignoring the nagging sensation in her gut Reyna broke off into a sprint, heading in the direction of the Chairman's room figuring it wouldn't hurt to at least hear the guy out. Pupunin watched her disappear from sight up the stairs before letting out an audible sigh of relief."Oh...Pupunin not get paid enough for this..." The nopon muttered to himself once she was gone.

The Chairman's room was unexpectedly larger than any room Reyna had seen, much more than the room she had back in Fonsett or even the little hut of hers on Gramps' back. And seated in the center, comfortably lounging behind his desk was none other than the massive nopon himself, Chairman Bana.

"Thank you for accepting summons. I Bana, Chairman of Argentum Trade Guild."

Reyna had forgotten just how abnormally large the Chairman was, despite being a nopon which were known to be small creatures. His fur more of a teal color as opposed to Pupunin's own yellow fur or even the pink-furred nopon at the Rumbletum Canteen. His purple hair styled upwards sporting a rather weird looking mustache as well, with big glittery jewels adorning several parts of his being including each giant furry finger.

"Uh...P-pleased to make your acquaintance, sir." Reyna said nervously casting an uneasy glance around the room, her eyes meeting that of one of the attendants who in turn sneered a little, regarding her like one would a piece of trash that rolled in from outside. Not her fault they were all so good-looking and well off, Reyna barely had money for food let alone enough to give herself a half-decent wardrobe.

"Pupunin said you wanted to see me?" Reyna said, cutting right to the chase. "Yes, me hear from Pupunin that Rey-girl is salvager of some renown-"

'That doesn't really sound like something he'd say about me .' She thought.

"-that being case, I have teensy-weensy favor to ask of Rey-girl."

"Wait, hold on? You have a request for me?" Reyna said in disbelief. Her eyes becoming wide failing to hide her surprise even the slightest amount.

"Reward is one-hundred, thousand gold." The chairman informed wasting no time. Reyna's jaw dropped.

"H-how much!?" She didn't mean to be so loud, but holy hell that was a lot of cash! "A-A hundred-thousand!?"

'I could make sure everyone back home got their fair share of food AND have enough left over to buy that book I saw over at Reedirait's Bookstore .' Reyna thought excitedly. This could just be the break she was waiting for.

"Friend hear that right, actually," Bana interrupted "that just advance."

Reyna's eyes were bulging.

"Another one-hundred thousand provided upon completion of job." He explained extending his paws in grandiose fashion.

"T-Two hundred-thousand grand in total? Are you serious!" Reyna hollered. "No way, I must be dreaming..."

She bit her lip regaining her senses suddenly, unsure as to whether or not she was really the right fit for such a high-paying job.

"Um, what exactly is this job, might I ask?"

"Ah yes, Crew will explain details of job then." Bana said turning in his seat with Reyna following his gaze.

"Bring them in!"

The attendant nodded, and opened the large double doors with ease whilst stepping inside.

Reyna waited with bated breath, from beyond the threshold there were the sounds of the faint clinking of what she assumed to be some kind of metal- armor perhaps? -along with heavy footsteps. She could faintly make out the approaching silhouettes, most of which appeared to be glowing on certain parts of their bodies.

The first person to enter was a girl, just about a head or so shorter than Reyna herself and garbed in a baggy yellow jumpsuit with white gloves and a hood, small little cat-like ears sewn onto the edge with two flowing pieces of cloth. At her left hip were three sharply pointed daggers clipped onto her belt. Her footwear consisting of black and white armored leggings and red pointed boots. The cat-like features are a clear giveaway to the girls Gormotti heritage, complete with prominent white stripes on her cheeks. Her beige-colored hair barely reaching the end of her neck. She walked with more confidence than Reyna, seeming perfectly at ease by the tiger walking alongside her.

Reyna's eyes grew a little wider noticing the shining blue core crystal nuzzled in the nest of white and black fur; the armor plating on it's paws making a soft clink ! As it walked on by.

The next girl- no, definitely a young woman-was breathtakingly beautiful reminding Reyna of the one time she had glimpsed a look at Fan La Norne from the Praetorium, straightening some when those warm, garnet-colored eyes met her own. She walked with confidence and poise, her form consisting of delicate curves and a lean amount of muscle. The combination of fiery red and black mesh-like material covering her torso did well in showing off the soft pale glow of her skin, the matching thigh-high red stockings and shoes giving a more athletic feel than one might expect, at least that was how Reyna saw it.

And her Blade was equally intimidating for entirely different reasons. Taller than the redhead and bipedal, looking like a mix between a lizard and some kind of dino-looking thing sporting a rather feral looking grin on it's maw- ' Does that thing even have a face ?' Reyna thought; It's skin was black and blue in color with a battle-ready look in it's eyes making Reyna immediately avert her gaze elsewhere.

The last member of the group came out alone, and was a male. His attire silver like the fur of a volff from the regions of Tantal and piercing blue eyes visible through the grayish mask he wore. The Gormotti caught Reyna staring and let out a snort.

Reyna shot her a small glare, but otherwise chose to ignore her.

"Hello. My name is Pyra."

"Wha...oh." Reyna snapped her attention forward where she saw the redhead was now standing before her, smiling warmly. "Right, m-my name's Reyna." The girl, now identified as Pyra, nodded sincerely.

“It’s nice to meet you, Reyna.” Pyra added before stepping back to stand alongside her blade. Allowing for the male of their trio to step forward.

"So, there's something we would like to haul up." He began, his gaze unyielding. "There were some current shifts you see, and because of that it showed up in an uncharted area of the Cloud Sea. It's a rather long way down as well." He explained allowing Reyna a few seconds to digest this information. "Will you help us?"

"Uh, well the thing is, I don't really-"

"Bana offered to assemble team of veterans for this job, but this crew very picky." Bana interrupted. "They want small elite team, and only from Leftheria."

'Ah, so that's it .' Reyna thought, depressed by this new tidbit of information. ' It's because I'm from Leftheria, that's all .'

"Look I appreciate you considering me and all, but...I really don't think I'm the best candidate for the job." It hurt to admit it, but deep down Reyna knew she was still far from the top of the pack and only really just started making a name for herself. "You're better off finding someone else who can-"

"No." That same sharp, calm tone cut off Reyna's protests.

Silence fell around the room with Pyra tilting her head the smallest amount and looking up at the silver-clad individual beside her who'd cut the brunette off so abruptly.

"It has to be you, no one else. You're the only one here who is native to Leftharia after all," Reyna winced at that. She didn't like the idea of turning people away if they really needed help, but… it didn't sound like these people really needed someone who would only slow them down like she would. "We'll double the payout if that's what's needed." He added a moment later, a quiet look of contemplation passing over his features giving her being a once-over for anything that might give him an advantage in convincing her. He could tell she lacked confidence from how much she avoided eye contact, and debated capitalizing on that when he caught sight of something clipped onto the end of her belt in the form of a familiar looking auburn-colored string.

"...I just don't know." Reyna relented apprehensively. "I'll do it if there's really no one else you can turn to, but...don't get your hopes up." She added a moment later, shifting uncomfortably under their stares, Hirkham's words from earlier echoing through her head. "I mean, I'm not really the best when it comes to salvaging…".

Another scoff caught Reyna's attention, swiveling her gaze over to the Gormotti girl who had been more or less quiet this whole time. She frowned watching her start to laugh.

"Are you serious, Jin? Pyra?" The beige-haired female of the trio inquired not bothering to hide her amusement in the slightest, making Reyna bristle with annoyance. "This girl? She BARELY looks capable of defending herself, let alone salvaging anything of worth."

"Hey, you know… you look younger than me," Reyna pointed out, a part of her wanting to avoid conflict. The Gormotti glared.

"At least I wouldn't wet myself over the promise of a measly one hundred grand."

Reyna opened her mouth about to fire back an immediate retort when she caught herself, snapping her jaw shut and drawing in a deep breath. The Gormotti arched a brow, clearly expecting the other girl to take the offered bait.

"You're… right. Maybe." The words tasted like poison in her mouth truthfully, but this girl was not her friend like Hirkham, and hopefully after this job was done Reyna would never see her again. The Gormotti looked momentarily surprised, but Reyna had learned at a young age to pick and choose her battles.

" Ahem ! Reyna, was it?" The white-furred tiger began, his tone far more amicable than that of his driver. Leaving his spot at the Gormotti's side when Reyna lowered her head in quiet acceptance,"I implore you to please excuse My Lady's discourtesy." He said with a bow of his head.

The Gormotti scowls for a moment looking at Reyna like the apology was somehow her fault. "Dromarch!" His driver hissed in irritation. "What have I told you about speaking for me? Shut your-"

"Now, now Nia." The calm voice of the crimson-haired girl Pyra rose above the minor banter, fixing the irritated Gormotti with a stern, yet tender smile. Nia looked a bit put off, giving a huff while turning the other way like a child not wanting to be scolded.

“I apologize for Nia as well, please rest assured she only wishes for your safety in this.” Pyra explained after turning back towards Reyna. “The less likely chances of someone getting hurt, the better after all. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Reyna nodded, just barely catching the movement of Pyra's hand going towards her sword. Her body already moving before her mind caught up, narrowly dodging the curved edges of a fiery-red sharpened blade. ' Is that thing on fire ?'

Reyna dodged another fast swipe that would’ve knocked her down otherwise, feeling the smallest licks of embers on her cheek before she regained her footing reaching for something strapped to her belt. The hiss of flames right behind her, closing in fast. 

A slim rope of twined auburn hair stopped the blade’s forward strike, wrapping around the jagged part of the edge and jerking ti back away from Reyna’s face with a twirl. Pyra blinked, brows furrowing the slightest amount while raising an arm to fend off the oncoming kick directed at her. Pyra pushed the other girl off with ease, regarding Reyna with new interest.

The male of the trio reacting in much the same way, his glacier-blue orbs flicking between Reyna's face and her weapon she held.

"My, that's an unusual weapon," the redhead comments in a strangely fond tone of voice, or so Reyna thinks. "Most of the people we've come across tend to lean more towards using a sword or perhaps a spear, even among drivers."

"Nobody ever said I was normal." Reyna said, the small spark of irritation bellying the hurt at the truth of her own words. Even growing up back on Fonsett, few would call her 'normal'.

The redhead looked to be considering Reyna's words, making the brunette ponder what her next move would be when the Gomrotti chose to interrupt the minor standoff happening.

"Pyra, what's the point in beating on someone like her?" Nia demanded. Pyra’s face became apologetic, relaxing and sheathing her weapon. “Apologies Nia, you’re comment got me worried is all. I wanted to be certain we weren’t asking Reyna too much.” Reyna let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding once Pyra's attention left her in favor of addressing Nia.

"Still, I suppose that doesn’t fully excuse my actions." The redhead added sincerely, actually looking a tad sheepish even. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any real harm by it, you see." Pyra spared another quick glance in Reyna's direction, smiling. "I just wanted to be sure- if she were able to defend herself I would feel much more at ease."

Reyna flushed a little at the show of concern.

"I never said that I thought she couldn't," Nia rebuffed.

"Oh I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood things then." Pyra quickly amended, even offering a small bow to Reyna as an added means of apology. "It's strange though, you don't appear to be a driver. Might I ask where you learned those arts?" Pyra said, directing the question at Reyna who was still looking a little on edge.

"W-well, I… uh..." Reyna said, a bit thrown off by the others easy dismissal of the almost-confrontation.

The redhead smiled. "Well, nevertheless I do feel better knowing you’re capable of self-defense, you’ve got some fight in you too." She turned, her red cloak flowing out around her while she walked out of the boardroom. "I trust you'll do good work." Her Blade slowly followed her out, not sparring Reyna a glance. A few more seconds passed in which Reyna finally allowed herself to relax.

Turning back around Reyna nearly collided with the silver-clad male. She waited, half expecting him to say something. He didn’t, instead wordlessly turning to follow Pyra out of the room.

The last of the motley crew, the gormotti girl: Nia, let out a sigh seeming exasperated before looking back over at Reyna. She glared, upturning her nose and marching out of the room, her tiger offering a slight bowing of the head before following suite leaving Reyna all alone. Already, she was beginning to regret her decision.

"Meh, meh, meh! Friends are such rowdy bunch," Bana joked trying to add some levity to the room. He dropped a hefty bag of gold down onto the desk. "Here is advance. Use to buy whatever gear you need, then go to dock on starboard."

"Bana has arranged excellent vessel for you there." The nopon said looking quite proud of himself for some reason.

"Right," Reyna said, hoping the pit growing in her stomach went away soon. 'But first I should let Gramps know what's going on .'

With that in mind, she made her way back out towards the docks seeing the bright orange and red rays of the setting sun. To say Gramps seemed uneasy when Reyna informed him of the request was an understatement.

"You say the girl's name was… Pyra?" Gramps questioned with a curious hum, once Reyna filled him in on the job request.

"Yeah, that's right. And a Gormotti girl named Nia." Reyna reiterated, "The guy, well… I actually kind of forgot his name, it was only really mentioned in passing anyway."

"Reyna, I have a bad feeling about this job. I think it best if you decline, and besides we can make up the difference in money another way." Gramps said seriously.

Reyna sighed shaking her head. "I really don't want to, I'm not gonna lie," she confessed solemnly. "But we need the money, Corrine already mentioned how there isn't even enough food for everyone to last the next night let alone three days from now. Twelve people are sharing one room, I can't solve every problem, but shouldn't I at least try and help in any way I can right now?"

"Reyna… you are too kind," Gramps said in response looking down at the small girl he'd helped raise from such a young age. "I don't like this, but if you're that insistent on it… then, perhaps you could humor this old Titan and take along a small bit of luck." Reyna's brows furrowed together looking confused. 

"Just an old charm I've kept from one of your little 'expedition's' nothing more. It's in a satchel in the corner of your room-think me superstitious if you will, but we both know how unlucky you get when it comes to staying out of trouble…" He said, his tone taking on more of a lighthearted joking one, bellying the swell of concern.

"Ha, ha...very funny," Reyna rebutted. Like it was her fault she set that kitchen on fire, or almost accidentally stabbed a nopon or two when trying to slice into some meat. ' Well… maybe a bit of luck wouldn't hurt…' Reyna thought feeling a bead of sweat run down her brow.

"Fine, whatever…"Reluctantly she climbed onto his back figuring the sooner the better, a part of her wanting this request over and done with already. "It's in the corner near your nightstand," Gramps hollered and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes trudging into her poor excuse of a bedroom.

"Is this what he's talking about?" Reyna muttered, catching the bright glint of pure, glittering silver on the floor by her nightstand. ' It must have fallen off at one point from the nightstand, probably during last night's storm .' She thought absently while picking it up, blowing and dusting it off a bit seeing the faint lining of rust along the edges giving proof of its age.

Reyna stared down at the piece of jewelry, her eyes focused intensely on the center glittering piece of amethyst in the middle of the circling ball of fire feeling a sudden, sharp stinging pain in her head:

"You'll forget me, but the memories-times of you and me together-will always be with me. And that's more than I could ever hope for." A deep voice said, one that sounded eerily familiar to Reyna's ears though she wasn't sure why. "Here. Hold onto this for me." The person -their features blurred out of focus- deposited a glittering necklace into her palm slowly closing her fingers around it.

The sun was sinking faster behind her now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged grey, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow. Like the cruel ticking of a clock, reminding her she only had seconds left…

"But...it's not enough for you to stay, is it?" Reyna asks him, her voice sounding calm despite the underlying emotion roiling through her. She sounded more confident too.

She hears the other person give a loud exhale, and she can just barely make out what sounds like a pinch of irritation in their next words.

"Leandra, I-"

"Reyna!"

"Ah…!" Reyna gasped, clutching her head feeling the intense throbbing pain slowly fade away.

"Reyna, are you alright?" Gramps worried voice called out in alarm, forcing Reyna to push the tiniest urge to whimper away, standing up on her own two feet.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine Gramps." She called back, staring down at the acquired necklace in confusion. 'That voice… who was that just now? And why did they sound so familiar?' She shook her head heading back out onto the docks.

She would worry about it more when she came back, for now she had a job to do.

"Well, hopefully I'll see you soon gramps!"

She raced further along down the docks, making a beeline for the huge black ship at the other end.

"So they're even wheeling out the Maelstrom for this one, eh?" Reyna said aloud, taking in the sight of the massive ship docked before her, the sun dipping a bit lower on the horizon. She let out a heavy sigh, "Talk about deep pockets..."

"Gawking at a boat of all things. What are you, twelve?" A familiar, snarky voice cut in from behind her, causing Reyna to whirl around meeting the familiar amber eyes of the Gormotti, Nia. "So much for acting your own age." She adds a moment later, scoffing.

"Uh...I don't recall ever actually giving my age, so…" Reyna says perhaps a tad more awkward than necessary, Nia's eyes pinch into another burning glare that has Reyna wincing. "Did I do something that offends you?" Reyna asks, feeling the heat of the others girls apparent dislike of her.

Nia's only response is to give a tch ! of annoyance, folding her arms. "I just don't think you're really up for this, you know? You said yourself that you aren't really qualified, yeah?" There's a hint of something in the Gormotti's words -was it concern? Uncertainty?- Reyna can't be sure what though.

"I might not be the best," Reyna begins with a twinge of insecurity bubbling in her chest, "but I'm still far from the worst. Besides, if you recall it was your companion who insisted I come along." Reyna says, mostly just to spite the other girl at this point. Nia all but snarls back at her.

"Oh please, I saw you makin' googly eyes at Jin back there!" The Gormotti said, the smugness shining in her eyes is more than enough to catch Reyna off guard.

"Wha-What the hell are you talking about!? I was not making googly eyes at anyone!" Reyna rebuffed, catching the other girls doubtful look with her own watching the amber eyes searching, but for what? Reyna had no clue. "Believe me I'm not here because I want to be, get all your facts straightened out before you start accusing me of shit Little girl ."

With that Reyna turned, only to bump face-first into something hard falling back on the dock floorboard with a loud 'oomph!'

Nia bursts out laughing, much to Reyna's embarrassment.

"Oops sorry about that Reyna, didn't see ya there!" The Salvager comments jokingly offering her a helping hand up. "I just wanted to letcha know we're heading off now. There's no one seein ya off, right?" Reyna nodded while taking his hand, a bit saddened at the reminder. "You've got night watch by the way, until then feel free to rest up inside."

"Right." She said, whilst nodding again.

Without so much as a backwards glance towards the Gormotti girl, Reyna turned and headed into the ship wanting to get this job over and done with as soon as possible.

The interior of the ship was pretty alright by her standards, if not perhaps more suited for cargo than people. Then again everyone knew Bana didn't like to waste too much money on manpower these days. Her eyes did a quick sweep of the gathered people, spotting the girl Nia and her Tiger-Blade: Dromarch, a short ways off but wanting to avoid another potential argument instead going in the direction of the ship's starboard bow. She knew she should be using this time to get to know her clients, but she was really more of an introvert anyway.

"Oh, Reyna was it?"

Reyna bit back the groan of irritation that threatened to fall from her lips recognizing a familiar head of flaming red hair and radiant garnet-colored eyes.

She felt that all too familiar kick to her own confidence managing a weak sounding laugh while rubbing the back of her head. The girl's Blade throwing another feral looking smile her way that made her skin crawl. "Hey uh, Pyra right?"

"Yes, that's right." The redhead said kindly, Pyra’s gaze dropping form Reyna’s face down towards the newly acquired charm on display. "Oh, that's an interesting piece of jewelry you have there." 

"Oh um thanks," Reyna mumbled,  unused to Pyra’s level of sincerity. "It's uh, kind of a good luck charm," she added a moment later feeling a tad more soothed by Pyra’s gentle demeanor.

"You don't say..." Pyra's eyes remained fixed onto the intricate looking charm. “It looks good on you. It brings out your eyes,” the redhead said with a soft peal of warm laughter bubbling up.

“O-oh, uh t-thanks! I-I mean, you know…” Reyna left the unfinished sentence hanging awkwardly in the air. She could feel the heat rising on her cheeks, thinking of what a fool she must have looked like suddenly.

"Uh, yeah s-so anyway," Reyna began trying to shift the subject of conversation into a more professional direction. "This job, your friend mentioned hauling something up from the cloud sea. Can you maybe give me a little more detail on that?"

“Are you curious, Reyna?” Pyra inquired, sounding a bit amused. Reyna fumbled for a response, making the other laugh a little more. “It’s alright to be I suppose. I can’t tell you everything I’m afraid, only that it’s something very important that we thought was lost long ago.” 

“Is it like...some kind of family heirloom?” Reyna asked, brows scrunching together in thought.

“Hmm, you’re close, in a sense. It’s something I’ve come to cherish very much. Something irreplaceable that helped make me who I am today.” Pyra says in a more solemn tone.

"W-well...I still think bringing along someone with more experience might have been better, but I'll try my best while I'm here." Reyna tried to sound confident, she really did, only her own tone wavered towards the end. "I'll do whatever I can to help."

Pyra nodded. Looking pleased by the brunette's words.

“Thank you Reyna. People like you are hard to come by nowadays,” Pyra uttered with a tiny frown etched into her face. And Reyna can kind of understand how she feels, especially with land space running out as quickly as it is; People can be cruel.

“Likewise, I mean,” Reyna stumbled realizing her slip of tongue only after it happened. “Y-you just seem really nice is all. A lot better than some of the people at the guild, that’s for sure.” Reyna muttered, thinking back on a first few ‘rough’ encounters from when she was first starting out and how Hirkham had to step in.

“Do you perhaps not have anyone looking out for you Reyna?” Pyra asked after a moment of hesitation on her part. “I noticed when we were getting ready to depart, there was no one seeing you off.”

“Uh, w-well I-I have Gramps. H-he’s a titan though, so he can’t really walk and stuff, a-and I have-” 

Her words got lumped together in her throat for some reason. Despite her tentative friendship with Hirkham there really weren’t too many people in the guild she could say she was close to, and she hadn’t been back to Fonsett in years .

“I’m sorry. That was rude of me, wasn’t it?” Pyra said, apologetic. 

“N-no, it’s fine. I just...What about you, Pyra?” The redhead looked surprised by the question.

“Me? Well, I…” Pyra trailed off, closing her eyes in a moment of thought. “I suppose, if we’re talking close on a more than friendship level, then yes. I did have someone.”

‘More than friendship ?’ “Did…? Y-you mean…”

Pyra’s solemn face was all the confirmation Reyna needed. "Oh, I-I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to, um…!”

Some of the sadness in Pyra’s eyes disappeared, replaced by a warm fondness. “Reyna, it’s alright. You didn’t know.”

“S-still I mean, I-I’m sure he was...really great, a-and...stuff!” Reyna said, a bit too loud and nervous. Feeling like she’d made a horrible misstep of some kind.

“Thank you, Reyna. And yes, they both were-in different ways, that is.” Pyra affirmed with a mischievous little smile decorating her face.

“Oh, o-okay. That’s good then, I-wait. Both ?”

“Technically, it was really just a one-time thing with the one. Still, she had a way of putting others at ease. Showing there was still good in everyone,” Pyra lamented with a small tilt of her head, reminiscing.

“ S-she ? Y-you mean you uh, you’re into…?” Reyna’s face was tomato red by this point.

“You remind me of her to a degree. Especially around the eyes.” Pyra added, back to smiling as she walked on by a flabbergasted Reyna. Pyra’s blade cackling behind her.

Reyna walked -more like fled- clear to the other side of the ship afterwards, releasing a breath she didn't realize she was even holding in once she was a fair distance away. "What in the world have I gotten myself into…?" She muttered glumly, the creaking of the floorboards serving as the only response to her question.

She started walking towards one of the nearby ladders, remembering she needed to take her shift on the observation deck soon when a sudden flash of silver caught her attention. She turned then, surprised to find the silver-clad, lone male of the trio looking back at her. Watching her with those piercing azure-colored eyes, looking like someone trying to figure out a complicated puzzle.

"Uh….can I….help you?" She said slowly, discomfort gnawing at her from the inside seeing her own reflection in those glacier-blue eyes of his.

"That weapon you carry-"

"Y-yes, what about it? Ah...whoa!" Reyna yelped, suddenly losing her grip on the ladder and falling backwards. She was expecting a hard landing when a hand much colder than her own grasped onto her. She blinked, stopping just short of meeting the floor. 

Looking back up she found herself in the arms of the masked man. His expression eerily blank while her own face resembled a tomato. Reyna blinked rapidly for a few seconds, processing how close they were before giving out another yelp and stumbling away.

"Whoa uh, th-thanks..!" Reyna stammered out quickly, not quite able to meet his eyes anymore.  Tripping over her own two feet in an awkward attempt to put some distance between them.

"S-sorry, I uh," Reyna began in a voice that was a bit louder than intended, wincing when some of the nearby crew members threw her weird looks. "W-what did you say your name was again?"

A beat of silence passed between them, leaving Reyna to wonder if she had somehow offended him already.

"Was it...yin maybe?" She gave a nervous laugh. No response.

"Well I know it wasn't yang?" She joked poorly, 'I'm so stupid .'

"It's Jin," he finally said. "Yours is… Reyna. Correct?"

"Yeah! Oh hey, wait a second… how did you… know that?" The words fell from her mouth slowly. Only a split second later recalling how she had introduced herself following Pyra's own introduction. "Uh...nevermind," was her sheepish response.

"Where did you get that weapon from before, the one you used on Pyra earlier?" He pressed brushing aside her moment of forgetfulness with ease. "It's called a Battle-Braid, am I right?" He inquired watching the way Reyna’s eyes widened slowly.

“Well uh, y-yeah, but how did you-?Hey!” While continuing to speak her hand moved to unclip the said item from its place on her belt, only to have it snatched from her hand two seconds later. Jin was looking at it with sharp, assessing eyes.

“H-hey, give it back! It was a gift!!” Reyna hollered trying to jump but coming up just a wee bit too short.

Jin's face did… something. Reyna wasn't really sure what though, as the mask he wore made it hard to see clearly. She heard a faint mutter of ‘different somehow …’ leave his lips before tossing the object back to her "So then, someone gave it to you?" He went on to say while she caught it, cheeks puffed in a childish show of irritation.

"Yes,” She said with a bit of heat. That’s generally what a ‘gift’ is, isn’t it?" She fastened the battle braid back onto her belt not wanting him to grab it again. "Why's it matter so much to you anyway?"

"It doesn't. I was merely curious," came the curt response. "It's not the kind of weapon you would normally see someone use, especially with someone who clearly lacks the footwork."

"Excuse me?" Reyna's voice took on a more offended note.

"When you engaged Pyra earlier, it was clear you still lacked a certain level of discipline. You were more focused on running away than actually putting up any kind of resistance," his words cut through her self-esteem like a knife through butter. She sputtered a bit, immediately dropping her gaze down to the floorboards, voice barely above that of a whisper.

"I-I… w-well, not every problem has to be solved by fighting, you know? A- and besides, I wasn't expecting an attack so suddenly." Reyna can't stop her voice from cracking, showing yet another small chink in her frail armor. "Violence isn't always the answer." She insists, knowing it’s a weak defense.

"Violence , as you call it, doesn't discriminate- it comes at you full force whether you're prepared for it or not." Jin rebutted calmly, his own tone never changing. "And if you're not prepared, it will cost you."

Reyna didn't have a response for him, adopting a look of quiet contemplation.

When another beat of silence passed between them, Jin merely turned and began walking away. Reyna was left with her thoughts, turning to head off to her shift on night watch. Whatever fleeting swell of confidence she had felt was already gone.

Reyna shivered looking through her pair of binoculars. Watching the lapping white waves of the cloud sea just below, looking further up and seeing the darkening clouds that hung in the skies above signaling a powerful storm heading their wa-"Huh? Isn't that…?" She trails off, spotting the same black ship she saw earlier docked at the harbor. "Is it following us or something? Weird."

"Ugh! It's freezing up here." A voice spoke from behind her. Reyna turned toward the familiar accented voice. ' Huh...I would have figured her to be the type to prefer being alone.' Reyna thought curiously.

"Hey, you're...Nia, right?" Reyna said, a bit proud at herself for remembering while Nia looked at her, surprised.

"Well now, so you remembered." Nia said sounding almost impressed for a change, her face swiftly reverting back into her usual sour expression. "Anyhow they've started boozin below decks, figured I'd go somewhere I can hear myself think. If you wanna go join 'em I can take over the lookout."

Reyna snorted. "Please tell me you're joking," she flippantly responded to the offer. She saw the corners of Nia's lips tilt up into a bemused smirk, the amber-colored eyes shone a trickle of amusement. "Not much of a drinker then?" Reyna pondered aloud, trying to visualize the cat-girl with a hangover of some kind.

Nia shrugged. "It's not that I hate it, I just really don't need the headache right now, ya know?"

"Huh. Yeah, I guess I see your point." Reyna said with a small smile, turning her eyes out towards the cloud sea. Letting the minutes slowly tick by before speaking again hearing a particularly loud crash of glass from down below, "Those idiots think just cuz they're salvagers they get to go a little crazy when it comes to drinking," Reyna muttered with a sigh.

"Really, and why's that?" Nia inquired, arching a brow.

"It's that whole Salvager's code crap, "Swim with the fishes, drink like them too" or something like that." Reyna recited, snickering a little.

"Sounds terrible. I doubt I'll be changing careers anytime soon." Nia giggled, looking out at the Cloud sea.

"It's probably for the best," Reyna turned to her. "I doubt I'd even be doing this if I didn't really need the cash right now myself," she admitted. "It's not really for everyone." She drums her fingers along the railing letting her binoculars hang from around her neck.

"So then, you're not a salvager by choice?" Nia asked, sounding surprised.

Reyna thought of her response for a moment. "Nah, it's a bit complicated really, but salvaging is a good way to earn a pretty penny quickly when you need it." She shrugged, stifling a sudden yawn. "Everyone's gotta make a living somehow, right?"

"So..." The cat-eared girl drawled, looking at her with a blank expression. "What's your name again?"

"Reyna." She responded.

"So, Reyna… What's your story then? If you don't like the job why not just quit?" Nia prodded, curious.

Reyna shrugged. "Like I said, it's a bit complicated."

The girl didn't answer for another moment or so. "Uhh… Believe it or not, I'm used to complicated..."

Reyna looked to the other girl, noting the sincere glint in her eyes.

"I… never really knew who my parents were. One day, I just washed up on the shores of my home, Fonsett. Not a thing to my name aside from whatever clothes I had on," -she rummaged in her pocket for something- " and this too for some reason." Reyna said digging out the Battle Braid she'd used earlier in her skirmish with Pyra.

Nia's expression was one of disbelief.

"There was barely enough money to feed four or six of us in a single day, let alone all twelve of us. A lot of us didn't even make it to our teens, let alone adulthood." Reyna explained.

"That's why I set out for Argentum. So I can send whatever money I make back home in hopes of helping however I can," Reyna supplied. "I know it's not much, but something's better than nothing. I think maybe whatever Titan I lived on with my parents might have already gone under; Day by day things are only getting harder, haven't you noticed? Living space is in short supply because the titans are dying out." Reyna shook her head recalling the other day when she saw one go under before her very eyes.

"There may not be a viable solution for every problem, I get that, but at the very least shouldn't we try? At the very least, if not here, then maybe it's worth looking into up there ." She said, lifting her gaze up and towards the World tree rising from the center of Alrest, it's leaves sparkling in the nighttime sky like scattered stars. "It's called Elysium for a reason, after all."

Nia outright snorted, almost choking on her own laughter. Reyna felt a pang of irritation swell in her gut, lifting a single brow.

"Seriously? ELYSIUM?" Nia chortled, not bothering to hide her mirth. "Don't tell me you honestly believe all that guff?!"

"Well then why'd you even ask?" Reyna asked, feeling herself bristle a little bit, her annoyance kicking up a notch finding it just a tad frustrating how quickly the other girl laughs in her face. "Besides, is it really so wrong to want to try and find a way for everyone to be able to live freely alongside one another?"

Nia's laughter faded, as she looked at Reyna incredulously. "It's just a legend. A myth. Something people tell their kids at night when they go to bed, and that thing there," -the cat-eared girl pointed at the massive tree in the distance.- "it's just an overgrown shrub."

"Is it so wrong, believing in something like that?" Reyna challenged.

"Haven't you ever heard the story of Addam, who ended the great war centuries ago?" Reyna's eyes lit up in excitement recalling her favorite bedtime story. "I'm sure there were plenty of people who doubted him and thought the war would never come to an end, but he proved them wrong." Reyna reminded Nia of one of the little kids she'd seen running around back in Gormott, the way her hands flew around trying to make out shapes and gestures. 

"I saw a mural of him once when I went to visit the Praetorium, it was huge! Never seen anything like it, and it was so pretty," Reyna fondly recalled, clearly remembering herself tugging wildly on her Aunt Corrine's arms wanting to get a closer look. "It must have taken up the whole wall and then some, it showed him along with that fabled Blade of his- The Aegis."

Nia's eyebrows rose up, past her bangs. "Huh, you sure know your stuff… though I think that's still somewhat of a different case really since Addam was a prince." Nia contemplated, before giving a small shrug. "Besides, a whole lot of people aren't so sure about that supposed Blade of his, I mean...I highly doubt something that powerful could actually exist, otherwise someone would've found it by now."

"That being said: I… well, I always thought people were pretty selfish by nature, but you… maybe you're not so bad after all." The Gormotti admitted, albeit a tad more begrudgingly by the look of her face.

'Was that a compliment ?' Reyna thought, astonished.

"A place of peace, eh? It certainly isn't the worst dream I've heard, though a bit corny I'll admit." Nia affirmed with a smirk.

Reyna smiled back. Glad to have made at least some positive progress in getting to know her clients. "Thanks. Nice to know you're warming up to me a little bit."

"On second thought, I take it back." Nia responded smartly with a grin.

A comfortable silence fell between them after that, in which Reyna went back to watching the cloud sea down below. 'I wonder what's down there that's so important anyway,' She thought perplexed. ' Guess I'll find out soon enough .'

Chapter Text

Reyna wakes to a man's voice blaring overhead, wincing from the volume of the speaker.

"We're in position. All personnel, report to yer stations."

She's slow to sit all the way up, nervous knots twisting in her stomach realizing it was time to go to work. In the end she hadn't been able to really get much of an idea on what exactly the object of so much gold and hired man power was, if Drivers and Blades were involved, then could it be a blade? She pondered for a moment while grabbing her gear, too deep in her thoughts to notice when she reached the deck down below.

'Guess I'll find out soon enough. ' She thought, failing to stifle a yawn. She could hear the torrential downpour of rain pounding against the outside of the ship, her shoulders sagging a bit realizing it was very obviously wet, and typically where it was wet, it was also cold. Not her favorite combination, truth be told.

"Your target is located inside a shipwreck 450 peds straight down." Reyna flinches a bit at that, never before had she gone so deep. "Searching the wreck while submerged is too high a risk for our tastes, so we'll be using floatation devices and cranes to lift the hull first." She's also never had to use so much equipment just for one payload before.

'Is this thing really worth it?' She thinks, not daring to voice such thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to be responsible for discouraging another, more capable salvager while on the job.

"Next, you'll split into teams and explore the interior. Once the target is found retrieval can commence. If that's clear, let's begin with attaching the floats. Get into position!"

Reyna turned, about to leave when—

"We're paying you lowlifes a lot, so don't screw it up!"

Reyna couldn't help the oh-so-subtle twitch of her left brow. Meeting Nia's stare with her own, giving a half-hearted glare watching Nia scoff a moment later before turning and walking off.

"Someone's on a bit of a high horse." Reyna mutters, walking off to go and join the other salvagers, pulling her goggles up and over her head. She snapped on her helmet and suit, clicking them in place along with the breathing tube.

She could hear her own heart pounding in her ears over the loud cracking of gears as the side of the ship slowly began to open, exposing them to the outside elements; Lightning lit the sky in brilliant streaks. Torrential rain pounding down on them in sheets, drenching them before they even made it into the water below. To Reyna, it was like an orchestra of nature, each sound vying to be heard over the others, beating in perfect sync with her own racing heartbeat.

'I can do this. I can do this. ' She repeated to herself stepping out onto the platform. 'I can do this!'

"And submerge!"

Steeling her fraying nerves, she forced her feet to move. Letting her body drop down into the abyss of the Cloud Sea.

All of Reyna's senses were altered; the sounds are lazy and the light, however dim, is gentle. Reyna kicks deeper, feeling the familiar pressure against her suit. She stops suddenly, her eyes become wide with wonder seeing a huge black mass in the distance. The large object takes up a large portion of the seafloor.

It was ten-thousand tons of ancient looking rusted metal and peeling paint. Something that resembled an anchor embedded into the thick layers of coral and dirt alongside it. She swam closer to what looked eerily similar to the deck of the slanted vessel, her eyes sweeping over the moldy patches of green, twisting ladders and rails, the anchor winches and blast-roof.

'Whoa...is this a ship!?' She thinks, in awe of the sheer size of the thing. ' It's massive!' She can't help herself, taking a good, long look from one side to the other.

It probably had to be the biggest ship she'd ever seen. Even more massive than the black ship she'd spotted back at the port, maybe even bigger than all of Goldmouth itself!

The rails were only half-intact with most of the hull eroded by the constant beating of waves. Moldy green going along most of the ladders and some of the doors leading to the innards of the ship. Large sheets of metal had fallen off, laying forgotten either alongside the broken apart ship or were likely getting carried off by the currents. Towards the back was a complicated mess of valves and heavy looking machinery with the outer shell area looking half-broken apart.

Is that some kind of propulsion system? The inner mechanism looked like it was capable of sparking a fire, with jagged pieces of metallic silver chipped off and scattered. Weird, does that mean it didn't use a titan?

She blinks and the scene changes, wincing at the sharp pain that tore through her skull. Gone are the moldy, damp and dimly lit outsides of the ship. In their place is a fresh stream of sunlight that came from Architect only knows where and ornate-decorated walls and floorboards-turning left and right as she tries to make sense of the sudden shift in scenery. Where did her salvaging gear go?

She hears laughter and turns, barely catching a glimpse of red -

" ...-ra! Hey, Lo-"

She blinks and she's back in front of the moldy, ancient exterior of the broken down ship. No sunlight, no warmth. And no one was around to call for her.

Now wasn't the time to be getting distracted anyway, she swam closer and closer until she reached the side of the large ship already seeing the cranes being lowered, attaching onto the ship. Taking a quick, cursory glance around at the supplies dropped down along with other divers, Reyna went for one of the closed flotation devices and with a bit of effort guided it onto an empty spot of the ship.

Once the flotation device was secured, Reyna began backing up, sending a wave to the other divers to let them know her job was done. They returned the gesture and began swimming back up towards the surface just as the flotation devices sprung open, slowly dragging the massive ship heavens bound.

Reyna broke through the surface of the cloud sea at the same time as the ship. The majority of salvagers had already latched themselves onto the main deck, watching the ship rock along the waves, creaking loudly as the top part crashed down onto the surface of the cloud sea after so many years below it. From her spot in the water Reyna could just barely make out the forms of Pyra, Jin and Nia on the deck of the ship. Once the vessel seemed clear and stable, Reyna started padding her way back onto the ship to remove her gear.

A large part of her felt relieved knowing the more tedious part of the job was at least done. Now all that was left was taking a look around. Thankfully, removing her gear always went a whole lot faster than actually putting it on, beating Nia and the others by a good few seconds aboard the newly uncovered sea vessel.

"Excellent work!" Nia said, the smallest form of what might've been a smile on her face, walking over just as Reyna finished clicking her belt into place. "You're not half bad, ya know that?"

"Uh, thanks. G-glad I could help!' Reyna chuckled, not used to being complimented. It wasn't that she was bad at her job, she just didn't know very many people who gave out praise. Or so she kept telling herself.

They turned to the rest of the salvagers as the commander started to speak. "All teams, proceed inside when ready!" He ordered. The assigned teams head out just as Pyra and Jin pass by her and Nia.

Reyna, suddenly feeling insecure, busied herself, looking anywhere but the red-haired beauty walking on by.

She was about to scurry back to the Maelstrom like a good little hired hand when her face smacked into something. Or rather, Someone .

Rubbing her nose meekly, whimpering a little. Her eyes traveled up the wall of silver in front of her, finding a set of piercing blue eyes staring down at her.

She could barely utter an apology before he spoke. "You . With us."

"M-me?" She blinked rapidly.

"Seriously?" Nia sounds a tad perplexed. "You're gonna drag the kid along?"

'Nononono!' Reyna's mind was going into panic mode. "Uh, I-I really don't think— "

"Jin has his reasons, Nia." Pyra cut in over Reyna's protests, sparing the stuttering girl a sympathetic, almost pitying glance. She smiles then and it's full of reassuring warmth as she closes the distance between herself and Reyna. "You have no reason to be afraid, any monsters that come our way we can handle, right?" She looks back over her shoulder towards Jin who slowly nods.

"There, see? If you weren't necessary, we wouldn't bother troubling you so much." Pyra smiled warmly at her.

"Necessary? Me?"

"Yes, of course." Pyra said with a small tilting of her head. "I— we —need your help for just a little longer Reyna, then you can leave."

"But the other salvagers are-"

"I know, but you're the only one from Leftheria, remember?" Realization went through Reyna's eyes. "So we need you now. No one else."

Reyna hated how her lack of confidence must have shown. "O-okay…" Reyna mumbled shyly.

Pyra nodded, pleased, then turned and walked on ahead, flanked by her blade.

Nia can't come up with a worthy enough response it seems, so she settled for shooting Reyna another small glare. "Well!? Don't just stand there! You've got your orders, haven't you?"

She turned, stalking off to join the other two with Reyna following a bit further behind.

The group didn't get far however, with Reyna herself instinctively stopping just a millisecond before everyone else, feeling some kind of shift in the air that made her skin tingle a bit.

The heavy metal doors came flying towards her a split second later, or rather the spot she would have been standing had she not stopped. The tough metal digging into the outside of the ship caused a skittering row of sparks to follow before Reyna flinched, the loud sound of metal buckling and crunching as the door bounced and smashed into the guardrail on the side.

"What the…?" Nia looked towards the approaching shadow coming out of the interior of the ship. "What's that?"

"That's...a-a Lethal Lysaat King." Reyna surmised quietly, barely even heard above the roaring winds around them. "They're only volatile when provoked or when they feel something is threatening their place of habitat."

Observing how the aqua-prone creature's antenna twitched, trying to hone in on the threat.

"A what?" Nia remarked, arching a brow towards Reyna. "How do you know that?" Suddenly feeling insecure while trying to smooth out her messy hair

"I- I read it in a book." Reyna said quickly, avoiding the other girl's probing stare. "It probably has it's family in there, typically once their eggs hatch they separate. That must not have happened yet."

The Lysaat lets out a screech, daring anyone to come closer. Pyra and Jin look unphased, but it is Nia who steps up first. An air of confidence surrounded the Gormotti as she readied her rings in each hand just as the Lysaat started to lunge for them.

"Let me show you what a Driver can do."

For a split second Reyna's fingers drift towards her battle braid clipped onto one end of her belt only to hesitate, fear taking over when Nia charges. Dromarch at her side, covering for her while the familiar blue glow of ether envelops the rings.

Nia seemed to be holding her own well enough, but she soon started to struggle. Her water-based attacks are not doing nearly enough damage. Not to mention from what Reyna read in books, she knows ring-based blades are typically used for healing , not attacking.

"She...she needs help." Reyna says, her voice quiet and uncertain. About to take a step forward, wanting to help somehow when the choice is taken out of her hands.

Pyra lunges. The redhead weaving across the battlefield with such ease and elegance, easily dodging every hit the Lysaat threw at her while drawing her sword.

Reyna felt an immediate sense of dread for the lysaat having been on the receiving end of Pyra's blade herself, already knowing how things would end. Trembling when that deadly looking, fire-breathing blade was unsheathed, the orangish-yellow flames mixed in with the green glow of pure ether as she brought it down in one fell swoop.

Easily burning apart the thick outer shell and eating away at the tender flesh underneath resulting in a horrible, god-awful cry escaping from the monster's mouth seconds before the flames spread, engulfing it's entire body. Purplish blood and guts spilled onto the deck of the ship. Reyna watched the taller girl make a single, drawn-out cut reducing the poor creature to nothing more than a pile of ash in seconds.

Ruthless. It was the only word that would come to Reyna's mind in that moment, and even that seemed far too nice a description for it.

Seeing so much unnecessary blood triggered painful memories for her, the kind she preferred not to ever think about. Her mind goes back to darker times, internally replacing the purplish blood with a more crimson colored substance. The metallic exterior of the ship melting into dense green foliage.

She started shaking like a leaf in the wind, slowly backing away.

An invisible hand clamping over her mouth. An equally ghostly hypodermic of adrenaline piercing through her heart, unloading in an instant. Reyna feels her ribs heaving as if bound by ropes, straining to inflate her own lungs. Her head becomes a carousel of fears spinning wildly out of control, each one pushing her further into the uncaring darkness.

Sounds that were near suddenly felt far away, including Nia yelling something.

She feels hands that aren't her own steady her, gripping onto her shoulders tightly. Bringing her back into the present.

"-focus on my voice, okay? Nothin else, just-"

Black dots still swam in her vision, the surrounding faces blur into focus a bit more now.

Several long moments seem to pass in which Reyna miraculously manages to stay on her own two feet. Her heart rate slowed down, and her breathing returned to normal now. The faces and colors all come back into crystal clear focus.

The first thing she registers is the clear signs of worry etched onto Nia's face that causes Reyna's own cheeks to redden slightly. Looking and seeing all eyes on her now.

"I-" Reyna began, swallowing the bile that had arisen.

Nia and the one called Jin are staring at her, one in open-mouth horror and the other in quiet interest.

"We should press on." Pyra's voice cut through the thick tension, hers is the calmest of the bunch right now, being the first to turn away from Reyna. "The sooner this is done, the sooner Reyna can get some rest."

"Hold on a minute! Maybe…" Nia trails off looking torn. Reyna can't really blame her, they weren't friends and Reyna-someone Nia had already voiced doubts about-had almost passed out just from watching someone off one measly monster.

"M'fine." Reyna said, nudging out of Nia's hold not wanting to appear any weaker than she already had. "Let's just go."

Jin followed soon after with Nia being the last one inside, but not before giving out a huff of annoyance muttering something insulting under her breath.

The sooner the job was done, the sooner Reyna could return to Gramps.

~/~

The air inside the ship was stifling with the rest of the interior more dank than Reyna imagined. She starts to feel a bit queasy, the lingering scent of charred flesh and spilled innards seeming to cling onto her as she enters, doing her best to hide the trembling in her knees. She glances towards Pyra's back, immediately looking away when garnet eyes turn to meet hers.

The name Pyra, Reyna supposed, made more sense given the redhead's obvious affinity with fire-it did make Reyna wonder if the flaming sword was Sever's though-as well as that strange looking emerald-colored crystal she'd glimpsed in the center of the blade. From what she could see on Sever, there was no sign of a green core crystal. Was Sever some kind of rare blade?

The male of the trio: Jin, had no blade though, and from what Reyna could tell he didn't really have a lot of layers on him, making her wonder. "Um, aren't you cold?" She asked, a dash of worry in her voice. The look she was given in response made her consider a part-time job as a bug, blinking for a few measly seconds before he strode further in. "Umm alright then?"

"Jin isn't really one for small talk." Nia commented from behind, arms folded. "Listen Reyna, about what happened out there-well...are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, really!" Reyna said, pouring whatever energy she could spare into a wide, fake grin. "I just, you know...I'm not used to seeing so much blood. I don't use a sword, remember?"

A flicker of doubt seemed to pass through the Gomrotti's eyes before vanishing, letting out a derisive snort instead. Nia started walking away, "ya better not go chuckin any of that yucky stuff on me, got it?"

Reyna followed along, keeping her growing headache and shaking legs to herself for the moment.

She stops, her gaze straying off towards the side for a moment. Away from the set of stairs Pyra and the others were heading towards. A sense of Deja vu washing over her, looking towards a different set of stairs leading up.

"That's the helm of the ship." Pyra spoke up seeing Reyna had stopped moving. "Or at least it was, by now it's probably filled with nothing but monsters I'd imagine."

"Don't tell me you feel like pokin' around up there? We got a job to do, in case ya forgot." Nia says shooting the salvager a pointed look.

"You mean you're not curious?" Reyna inquired of the other two, the male pausing a short distance from Pyra but remaining silent. "It's my first time being on a ship like this one…"

"You've seen one ship, you've seen 'em all." Nia shrugged indifferently.

"From the outside it didn't look like the ships back at Argentum, it looked like this one could run without a titan." Reyna added, remembering the intricate looking pieces of weathered metal and rusted fragments of valves.

"Don't be ridiculous, there's no such thing." Nia said with a scoff. " 'Sides, who knows how long these things have been rottin' at the bottom of the ocean for. It's probably just some old fashioned Urayan vessel or something. It looks big enough," the Gormotti muttered the last part off-handedly.

Reyna furrowed her brows a bit at the small tidbit of information, mulling it over internally. 'Maybe she's right, but somehow I just don't think that's the case. I'd never heard of Urayans building a ship with this kind of gear on it, I'd always heard less is more with them. '

"I wonder…" Reyna mumbled. 'Where did this thing come from?'

She blinked, a small glimmer of something familiar filtering through in her memory, like a distant dream she'd forgotten about.

"Wow, so this is a Tornan ship then? Amazing, I don't even see a titan attached to it!"

"Right!? And it gets better too, come on! Follow me up the helm, you've gotta see this amazing view!"

"Hey, hold on a minute!"

"Reyna!"

"W-what?" Reyna turned so fast she stumbled, letting out an undignified yelp as she landed on her bum. Her face now became red.

Nia sighed, shaking her head. "I said...hurry up and get a move on or else we're leaving you behind!" Nia scolded, moving to follow after the other three.

Reyna made a small noise of unease, oblivious to when they started walking again. Doing a quick double-check of her gear before sprinting a bit to catch up.

Pyra was at the head of their motley crew moving at an impressive clip. There's something oddly frightening in her eyes that makes Reyna hang a little further back than before, the way those garnet-colored eyes focus straight ahead like she sees something Reyna can't.

Reyna tries hard not to focus on the deadly determination shining in those brightly-colored eyes. Recalling how desperate the redhead sounded earlier for whatever this thing they were after was.

In her struggle to keep up Reyna stumbles some more, her foot caught on a nearby grate as they were walking. She barely has time to let out a yelp before Dromarch catches her, his mouth latching onto her sleeve giving a quick tug. The crash of the grate echoes through the empty halls of the ship and Reyna feels an immense wave of relief. She glances down and sees a swarm of smaller looking Lysaat's gathered down below, thankful she hadn't become someone's next meal.

"Thanks…." She says, trying her best to sound sincere. Dromarch gives a polite nod before returning to his Driver's side.

Continuing forward, no one really was paying her much heed. Part of Reyna is thankful for it, but another, more lonely part wishes at least Nia would talk to her more. Reyna would like to think she isn't that troublesome of a person, was she?

"Reyna, stand back a bit, will you?" Pyra requested suddenly as the small group came to a halt. Before them was another door, this one noticeably less heavy looking than the one outside, but the metal didn't look like any kind of material that was familiar to Reyna all the same.

"Hm? Uh. w-why…?" She asked slowly.

Before the redhead could offer any kind of response, the door came flying off its hinges.

Reyna recoiled, her heart leaping up into her throat for the second time that day. A thick outer shell of ashy gray and milky-white bone making up two-thirds of the attacking creature's body, with sharp looking spikes jutting out at all angles as it snapped it's giant-sized pincers with a stream of bubbles spewing from it's tentacle-covered mouth. The confrontation was brought to a close far quicker and a tad less gorish than the one outside with the Lysaat.

Pyra's strength still made Reyna shudder though, not wanting to be on the receiving end of such brutality anytime soon.

"Let us proceed." Pyra said, her tone lacking some of its usual warmth as she sidestepped the beast's broken apart, slightly charred shell without a second glance. Reyna however lingered a bit, looking sadly at the burnt creature hearing it's last pathetic cry.

"Reyna." Pyra called, stopping as she realized Reyna was not following. Noticing the other girl's hesitance to leave she turned fully, one hand over the other in a polite fashion while she made her way back over. "Is something the matter? You look sad."

"I just…" Reyna shifted nervously, not wanting to cause her employers any unnecessary trouble. She noticed Nia was beginning to look mildly annoyed by all the hold-ups while Jin's face was still stoic.

The girl could only imagine the irritation they were all probably feeling by now with her, she had that effect on people after all. "I thought it might be lonely, even though it hurts… dying alone is cruel, you know?" She mumbled, her words growing softer and her cheeks starting to burn with embarrassment.

Nia let out a snort. "You feel sorry for a monster that was just about to kill you! Are you serious?"

"Nia." Pyra said in a more chastising tone. "Reyna," Pyra began looking at the shorter girl with something akin to pity, "I understand wanting to show mercy, but do not allow it to cloud your sense of judgment entirely. Just as running is more likely to make you stumble in battle, hesitation will only serve to give those against you more openings."

Reyna's frown deepened a bit, watching Pyra turn to walk away. Recalling Jin's words from earlier on the Maelstrom, salty tears pricking at her eyes for a moment. Ducking her head a bit more, she continued trailing after them.

~/~

"This is…." Nia started to say looking around as they came to a more open area with a few abysmal glowing lights and a wall lined with ether injectors. Despite the ship having no power, Reyna stared in awe at the visible sign of how much fuel needed to be consumed for a single venture.

"It looks like a control room." Pyra surmised, glancing back towards Jin who nodded. "Which means we're getting close, what we're looking for should be all the way at the bottom."

"I don't think this door will open though…" Reyna spoke up, trying to be helpful while looking over the nearby door that was identical to the last one they saw. "Not until we're able to find some fuel to put in that still functioning ether injector there," she nodded towards the barely glowing machine all the way in the corner. "So we need to find an ether cylinder."

"I— well then. Thank you for the insight Reyna," Pyra commented with a smile. "Do you have any idea where they might be?"

Both Nia and Reyna blinked, the former guffawing a bit. "Her? Why ask her?" The Gormotti inquired.

"I…" "Reyna swallowed the lump in her throat. "I …saw something that looked like a cylinder bank further down that hallway up there." She said, pointing from the direction they just came.

Pyra simply nods, already walking back up. Her blade and the male, Jin, are quick to follow. Nia however, lingers for a moment, her golden eyes pointedly fixed onto Reyna.

"You seem kinda familiar with this place, why's that?" Nia asked, arms folded. Reyna floundered for a response.

"I-I don't think I am! I just… read a lot, a-and I'm a bit more observant is all."

"You sayin' I can't see?" Nia replied, a bit more waspish than might've been intended.

Reyna shrank a bit. "No, not at all. I just…" Reyna shrugs, struggling to find the right words. "I'm a bit of a bookworm, I don't have too many people who are willing to talk to me...back at the guild, I mean. Books were kinda my thing," Reyna adds.

The group retraces their steps accordingly, with Reyna making mention that the places with more ferocious monsters were likely to have some. "I read somewhere that just like blades, certain wildlife and smell the ether particles in the air and are drawn to it." She informs while walking feeling pleased that all those hours pouring over various tomes finally seemed to be paying off.

"This is it." Pyra announced, turning and gesturing for Reyna to come forward, placing a hand on a glowing orange cylinder propped up against a mold-covered wall. "Reyna, would you mind carrying this please?"

"Uh, s-sure." Pyra smiled, lifting the cylinder with ease and depositing it into Reyna's arms. The shorter girl let out a yelp from how heavy it was, nearly pitching forward.

"We have what we need, now we can move further in." Pyra announced, brushing past a slightly stunned Reyna. Unsure of why exactly she had to carry it, figuring it was probably because everyone else was busy dealing with any monsters.

Once they were back in the control room Reyna slid it into the open ether injector watching it click shut and slide back into place. A brilliant orangish light shot up in the column part followed by a thin stream of blue flowing ether extending out towards a nearby control panel.

"And now, in theory…" Reyna started to say, walking over and eyeing the various buttons and switches. Pushing on the bright glowing red one.

The shifting of gears coming from the door impeding the way further in.

"The door should open now?" Pyra questioned receiving a nod. The redhead smiled, looking back towards the door barring their path with a strange look of yearning Reyna didn't recall seeing before now.

Their reward for opening the next set of mechanical doors comes in the form of a ferocious looking hybrid lizard, shark-like creature standing before yet another set of doors. Almost like it's guarding something. It's skin like slimy green mucus with big yellow spots on top and a white scaled underbelly gnashing it's razor-sharp looking teeth at them.

Pyra stepped out in front, meeting it face-to-face and being greeted with what sounded like a wet roar.

"You won't let us through, will you? So be it then." Pyra says looking like she expected such a response. She unsheathed her sword like she had what seemed so many times before, only this time she goes for the blue one strapped to her backside. "Sever." She calls without breaking eye contact with the beast, tossing the blade up into the air effortlessly.

Reyna doesn't even realize she is shying away until Sever leaps up, wordlessly grabbing the unsheathed weapon before unleashing a powerful, concentrated blast in the shape of a burning green 'X' of wind causing yet another horrendous wail of agony to echo through the empty bowls of the ship before the beast fell.

Reyna paled. The creature never stood a chance, unsure of what drew her attention first; the flickering embers where chunks of flesh were laying, or the heavy splotches of weirdly green-colored blood that splattered along the ceiling and floor. The stench of charred flesh reached Reyna's nose making her almost retch.

'How awful.' The brunette thinks, wincing at the loud, icky sound of charred guts being wiped from Pyra's blade.

"Those who stand in my way will receive no mercy from my blade." The redhead declares with an icy calmness that grips at Reyna's heart in the most unsettling way. Sucking the breath from her very lungs.

It's only when her back hits against something hard that Reyna lets out a small startled cry, assuming it to be another monster, whirling around and meeting the cold, hard eyes of Jin. He simply stares at her for a moment that seems to stretch into an eternity, not saying a word. She wonders what he sees looking back at him that makes him carefully sidestep around her with a posture not quite as rigid as before.

"Lora." The name slips from her lips without even realizing it, blinking in surprise when she sees both Jin and even Pyra stiffen.

"Reyna." Pyra was the first to speak up, fixing Reyna with an inquisitive stare. "How do you know that name?"

"Huh? O-oh, well I...I just, uh-"

"Was it...someone you knew?" Jin asked. His stare seemed to go right through her.

Reyna isn't quite sure of where the name came from, an image of auburn hair and a sword-much like the one strapped to Jin's back-flashing through her mind.

"Y-yeah, uh just...the name of someone back at the guild!" Reyna lies, rubbing the back of her head and avoiding looking directly into those cold, piercing eyes. "I was just remembering how I promised to play hide and seek with her once I got back, that's all."

"Really?" Pyra murmured, looking thoughtful.

"You play hide and seek?" Jin's face did...something, just like before. He looked almost like he was in pain.

"Yeah, just with the younger kids that hang around the guild really. Um, most of them are orphans, and so they...uh...a-are you okay?" Jin wasn't looking at her anymore.

"It's nothing." He says curtly walking ahead, leaving Reyna standing with only Pyra now.

"Sorry, it's a personal matter." Pyra explains simply before turning to follow. She pauses for a moment, turning back to Reyna almost immediately. "Reyna, does the name Leandra mean anything to you?"

"Leandra?" Reyna blinks, sounding dumbfounded. "No, why?"

The glow of Pyra's eyes seem to dim a little, shaking her head. "Oh it's nothing of major significance, just...the name of someone I was acquainted with. You remind me of her, that's all."

"So, a friend then?" Reyna asks, face brightened at the thought. Pyra was certainly nice enough, even if her power was a little on the scary side.

"She was…" Pyra trails off, looking like she is struggling to find the right words all of a sudden. The redheaded driver's features softened, turning into a look of fond reminiscence "...unique."

"Unique? How so?" Reyna figured Pyra was too polite to say weird instead.

"We spoke a few times, before I met Jin and the others. She befriended and rode around on a Lysaat. She even named it Gerald."

Reyna's jaw drops at that. "She... befriended it?" Was such a thing even possible?

Pyra laughed-actually laughed!-at the memory of such a thing. "She had a tendency of making the impossible possible. Said it was one of her many talents in life, if you can believe it."

"So then, where is she now?" Reyna felt compelled to ask. "Are you still traveling together?"

Pyra's eyes dimmed, her smile turning sadder. "We didn't travel together actually, we were more like acquaintances I suppose. I...knew her for only a very short time, you could say."

"O-oh...um, s-sorry…" Reyna mumbled, sensing the sudden shift in mood. "Didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No," Pyra is quick to interject, shaking her head with a soft smile. "Some of them are...good memories. It was through her and a few others I was able to find someone like me; Someone to understand and stand alongside me."

"Like a brother?" Reyna said with a tilt of her head, drawing on some of the comments made by other kids back in the guild rather than her own personal experience.

Pyra's smile didn't waver, turning to look in the direction Jin and Nia had walked off in. "Maybe. I won't know until I see them again…" She whispers, wistful.

Reyna watches her walk on ahead at a more leisurely pace, somehow feeling lighter than before after the small 'heart-to-heart' she and Pyra just shared. She felt closer somehow. Even if it didn't completely banish her fear of Pyra's sword, Reyna was happy the other girl felt comfortable enough to open up.

'Maybe things won't turn out so bad here after all.' Reyna thought, a spark of assurance going through her.

"Come on now, no straggling behind!" Nia scolded from further ahead, turning when she realized Reyna was standing still. "Pyra says we're almost there."

The door that stood before them next is much bigger than the previous ones, with a more ornate design to it as well. In the middle, etched onto the raised circle portion that is closer to ground level, is what Reyna thinks looks like a symbol of a flame. It looked kind of familiar, but she can't think of why that would be. Like something she heard from an old story a long time ago…

"Pyra, look there." Jin says, his voice lacking the cold edge he had earlier when speaking to Reyna.

Pyra steps forward with an audible gasp, her hands folding over the area where the armor plating on her chest was. "That's it, there's no mistaking it." She says, her voice thick with an emotion Reyna can't quite place. "It's Addam's crest."

"Addam's...crest?" Reyna echoes curiously, a strange sense of foreboding washing over her. 'Do they mean the same Addam as in that mural displayed at the Praetorium?'

Reyna's brows scrunch together as the thought passes through her head… the mention of the crest piquing her interest. Like a girl possessed, Reyna walked right past the Drivers and Blades, halting in her steps once the full image of the crest came into view with her gaze dropping to the charm Gramps had given her before she left; They were the same!

"What? But how…?" The beginnings of a headache had started up again.

"Um, maybe...we shouldn't be down here?" Reyna said, turning to face the others now, trying hard to ignore the twist in her gut. The headache quickly worsened.

"No, this is exactly where we need to be." Pyra insisted.

Reyna isn't so sure, and she figures that it must show on her face since it's Jin who addresses her next, in a calmer tone. "Reyna, correct?" She's surprised the male of the group even remembers her name.

"Will you open this door for us?" He asks.

"M-me?"

"Please Reyna." Pyra didn't look the type to beg; The large, garnet-colored eyes seemed to look past the door at whatever was inside, her hands held together over her heart. "What's beyond this door-it's very precious to me."

Reyna doesn't know how to respond to that. A part of her isn't even sure she wants to try- her mind flashing back to the fight against the lizard, gulping. Pyra could be truly terrifying if someone-or thing-got on her bad side, and Reyna did think they had something of a bonding moment just a few seconds ago, so…

"A-alright...I-I'll try it then…"

The notion was a bit absurd really, that there was a door only she could open. Still, she's come this far and Pyra seems desperate enough to beg too. Part of her really wanted to know what was beyond this door.

Her fingers barely brushed against the crest before it started to glow. Something inside her chest lifted, that strange sense of Deja vu coming back, beckoning her further down the now opened pathway. Towards the next, bulky door. Oblivious to the small green sparks emanating from her feet as she walked.

'Someone's …calling me …?' Reyna thought, entranced by the foreign whisper that brushed against her conscious, guiding her forward still.

When Nia moved to follow, a sudden noise from Jin stopped her, effectively snapping Reyna from whatever trance had a hold of her. "Wait," he says, looking ahead himself.

"That one too, please." Pyra requested, eyes shining with what might have been hope. Looking like she was seconds from following Nia's example to run ahead.

Reyna can't quite explain the heavy pounding of her heart as she steps towards the next door— 'This is the last one,' her mind supplies—-feeling a sudden burning in her veins, like fire. This time her fingers don't even make it all the way to the switch, almost as though the door itself knows why she is there, even if she herself does not.

~/~

The fog that was rolling around her is now starting to dissipate before her very eyes, stepping into a large circular chamber with pipes all around and a pool of fresh, flowing ether giving the room an ethereal glow. There is a single platform in the middle with a pedestal in the center, a familiar looking sword buried deep in it; The ether lines going to the blade are green, but the ones running along the edge of the blade and handle are a beautiful, shimmering amethyst color that was brimming with raw power . The sharpened edge is lined with an intricate, ornate design of royal gold and obsidian black.

What drew her attention the most, however, wasn't the sword but the capsule- rather the person inside-

"A...man?" Somehow he looked familiar . Though, for the life of her, Reyna couldn't figure out why.

He was clothed in black armor unlike any she'd ever seen before with the occasional splash of rich, royal-gold. His skin is a flawless olive color, like that Pyra girl's. His hair the same shade of black as the sword and his armor, short and spiked. His hands neatly folded over a spot on his chest where Reyna could almost swear she saw the edges of a crystal peeking out, only …she couldn't tear her eyes from his face.

Things were moving in her mind at a thousand miles per second, a myriad of images and voices colliding together making her head feel as though it might explode, bringing a hand up to her face. She groaned, feeling like she might just collapse when a single voice pierced her thoughts …drawing her back to a different point in time where everything seemed brighter and she was suddenly outside running towards an unknown silhouette.

"Hey, hey take it easy there, would ya? You're fighting in a group, so you don't have to overexert yourself." She heard herself say in a much more confident voice, sounding a smidge too close to exasperation.

The person she was speaking to let out a scoff, giving Reyna the distinct feeling they were rolling their eyes at her. "For the last time, I'm an aegis. Why do you even care? It's not like you're my driver."

The atmosphere changed, and she was filled with a sudden sense of dread and despair. Something wet trickling down her cheeks.

"You're tired, aren't you? It's alright...you can close your eyes. You can rest now... Malos."

"M- Ma...los…" The name fell from her lips, spoken like some distant prayer. She moved her hand away from her face, not at all noticing as something wet fell onto the bare flesh of her arm, drawing her attention back down. She blinked, slowly touching her fingers to her cheek, not realizing a few tears had started to fall.

She didn't understand where this sudden sense of despair and regret came from. Was it because of this guy? Did she...know him somehow?

Something like a heartbeat pulled her from her silent musings, directing her gaze towards the sword embedded into the pedestal. The heavy pulsation of power emanating from the blade was unlike anything she'd ever seen or felt, maybe even more so than Pyra's. With a light purplish aura surrounding it as her hand went out to touch it. The violet glow reflected in her eyes, feeling something take hold of her once again, calling out to her.

It's at that very same moment Pyra and the others have caught up. Pyra's eyes do a quick sweep of the newly discovered room before muttering to herself, "this place...is like a prison ." She blinks, eyes flicking ahead, focusing on the capsule and the person inside it.

"Jin, look." Pyra whispers.

"Yes, there's no mistaking it. That's the Aegis." Jin affirms while Nia crept closer for a better look, the violet glow around Reyna growing brighter by the second.

A beat of silence passes in which Jin grips his sword, about to unsheathe it when his mind goes back to that moment a few minutes prior where Reyna had spoken her name. The image of vibrant golden eyes and auburn hair setting him off balance. His grip became slack.

"Reyna, no! Don't touch that, please!" Pyra yells, a feeling of dread spilling into her words realizing it is too late. Seeing the sparks of amethyst fly into the air when Reyna's fingers brush against the crystal embedded into the blade

Nia's eyes are wide, barely catching Pyra's movement from the corner of her eyes, faster than even Jin. The redhead's sword getting drawn, blazing to life with that powerful, all-consuming fire. She doesn't even have time to shout a warning.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as a familiar burning sword met flesh and not at all in a painless way like some might like to think.

There was pain indescribable, insurmountable pain feeling the blade get twisted deeper and deeper in the span of just a few measly seconds. Nia was saying something, but Reyna couldn't make out what. Her eyes focused on the fiery tip of a sword now protruding from where her heart was giving out it's last few, desperate beats.

"P-Pyra…? But...w-why?" She stammered, cold shock coloring her words.

"I'm sorry...but you can consider it an act of mercy." Pyra whispers and Reyna barely registers how the redhead's hand trembles on the handle of the blade, like she is desperately trying to hold herself together from within. "I-...I can't let anyone else have him. This is the only way."

The garnet eyes are wet, but shining with resolve when she speaks her next words. Except Reyna's consciousness is already fading along with the fiery glow of Pyra's sword, unable to make it out clearly. Hearing something shatter as she fell with her vision starting to tunnel.

The last echoing beats of her heart fading away.

Chapter Text

Just this once. Just this one time, he will save her. This gesture means nothing and he has no interest whatsoever in her, she means nothing to him. He tells himself this over and over but somewhere deep down there is a tiny, annoyingly familiar voice chiming that he knows better, saying how he is only lying to himself right then and there. He ignores it, he feels he must.

It takes him a moment of deep concentration following the small flicker of consciousness seeping through to him, focusing all he can on the invisible flow of ether that is still coursing through him, into and around his sword which is so far away. He pulls back immediately, sensing a far more dominating aura, mentally recoiling at the thought of seeing her again after so long-

"If Father truly is all knowing, all seeing and loving, then tell me why? Why doom the humans of this word, where the very soil they tread upon can sink down into the abyss without a moment's notice? Don't you see, you and I, we are harbingers of His divine will."

-and how despite the blinding radiance of her known element, it's colder than Jin's ice.

He pushes such thoughts away for now, focusing on the task at hand. Mythra needed to be stopped. And for that, Malos needed to wake up.

There was only one option…

~x~

Everything hurts.

The awakening was a strange one, unlike any Reyna had ever experienced if she were completely honest. She expected to see the small, reinforced walls of the hut on Gramps back. She expected to smell the strangely refreshing, almost salty scent of the Cloud sea coming in from outside, maybe even accompanied by the smell of burning Crustip as well. An endless sea of white.

Instead it was an endless sea of green.

Reyna's bed was gone and she wasn't in the small hut on Gramps' back anymore. Her salvage gear was still present though, so maybe she'd forgotten to take it off? It wouldn't be the first for her to do something of the sort.

The skies overhead are a beautiful, crystal-clear blue and the wide sea of green was dotted with the occasional patch of multicolored flowers. Everything was so incredible! The wide plains of grass seemed to have no end in sight.

With a bit of difficulty Reyna pushed herself up and off the soft grass now underneath her boots. Her golden eyes alight with wonder and awe, looking right then left, doing a slow sweep of her surroundings and struggling to take it all in.

"Where am I? And how in the world...did I get here?" She asks aloud seconds before her eyes come to a sudden halt.

Off in the distance she sees a tall, lone tree atop a 's thick bushels of leaves swaying in the wind but what truly caught her eyes was the small glimpse of the sight peeking out from just beyond the hill itself. Reyna broke into a jog, all the while hearing the ringing of a bell from somewhere close by.

A dull ache had formed in her chest, spurring her forward. Every other part of her felt lifeless and cold the more she thought to focus on it, so she pushed such thoughts away for now. Feeling a swell of surprise when her feet managed to carry her all the way to the top of the hill. There, she was greeted with the sight of what might be a town or village of some kind, complete with more than a handful of scattered houses, a nearby body of water and a large, pristine white church that must have been where the sound of a bell was coming from.

"Wow...you could fit all of Alrest in here…" Reyna said in disbelief. Her golden eyes went impossibly wider.

Reyna allowed a small budding of hope to bloom in her chest, figuring the sound of the bell meant someone must be in the church. At the very least, she wasn't alone! That thought alone filled her with immense relief, about to take her first step down-

"There's no one down there." A gruff voice drifted down to her, as if reading her thoughts. Reyna turned, feeling a slight sense of deja vu as she did. Wondering exactly who was talking.

The trees above shifted once more. Causing her to look up.

Reyna blinked, her large golden eyes meeting unfamiliar silver-grey. Looking up into the branches, seeing a young man sitting on one of the lower branches, looking down on her with an amused smile that just barely touched his lips. His black hair was short, messy and spiked, matching the strange skin-tight armor that covered him head to toe. The dark contrast making the silver of his eyes and olive skin give off a rather ethereal glow.

In the center of his armor, surrounded by an ornate gold patterned design was a shining Core Crystal. It was a stunning shade of amethyst, pulsing with power. But it was also kind of...odd in Reyna's opinion. She was no Driver by any means, though she had read about them on several different occasions and no blade in all that she read had such a vibrantly colored Core Crystal.

'Aren't they usually supposed to be blue or something?' She thought, confused.

Upon being spotted the male tilted his head a bit, staring down at the girl with unblinking eyes. It was enough to make her blush. Squirming in place under the intensity of his gaze.

"Uh, um...H-hello to you too?" Reyna says, trying to sound as friendly as possible, giving a small wave of her hand. "I-it's uh, nice to meet you." She wishes she could sound more confident, she really does. "Uhh, do you maybe know where we are? Or maybe even, like where everyone else might be?" She nervously rubs the back of her head while laughing sheepishly. "You know, since a-according to you, there's no one actually down there…?"

The mystery man doesn't immediately reply. Instead, he crosses his legs and continues merely observing Reyna making a fool of herself with an expression similar to one watching a fascinating tv show or such. "...Oh r-right! I uh, forgot to give my name, didn't I?" She says, figuring that to be the reason behind his silence. "Sorry about that but ummm, well I'm afraid...I can't quite..recall actually."

"You're Reyna." The male finally says, offering the information so casually. Reyna feels she can't really refute it, something about it just felt right after all. It also sounded pretty nice coming from his mouth like that. "And you're dead."

Wait, what!?

The first thing she feels is shock. Her? Dead? That's not possible, not when she's clearly alive. Talking and moving, clearly still breathing. Then came a cold rush of fear. Coupled with the slow realization, because...because...it would make sense, wouldn't it? Her being dead. It would explain why everything felt so heavy and cold, so lifeless. She felt the beginnings of another panic attack building, only now Nia was nowhere close by to help her through it.

Nia, the name strikes a distant chord. With it come a few others; Dromarch, Jin and worst of all Pyra.

Things snapped back into focus and Reyna just about let out a scream of pure, unrestrained horror because Pyra-sweet, kind and warm-literally killed her! Stabbing her straight through the heart, piercing a lung to boot and oh god...oh god how much it hurt!

"Oh Architect...I'm dead...Really and truly dead," Reyna said, horrified. She must have blacked out for a moment or two, not even exactly aware of when she'd started bawling like a baby. "I-I…"

Part of her wondered absently, would anyone even truly miss her now that she was gone?

The mysterious male in the trees didn't move. He made no  attempt to calm her, seeming content to simply observe Reyna's panic, watching her literally come undone at the seams and slump to the ground defeated. It's a while before he speaks again, calm and sure.

"We made contact just before it happened. You...awakened me when you touched my sword, just now." He informed Reyna who slowly looked back up, still trying to control her now frantic breaths.

"That is why Mythra chose to kill you. And why I brought you here instead," he turned his head lifting his steel eyes towards the sky, closing them as a light breeze blew across the field. Reyna couldn't feel it. "...You asked where you were, right?"

"Y-Yeah but…" Reyna meekly nodded, though it seemed somewhat trivial at this point. Still, her eyes fell back down to the lush green grass blowing in the wind, the pretty looking flowers and bright blue sky. "It's so…" She wasn't sure there was a word apt enough to describe just how breath-taking everything was.

"This is Elysium. At least that's what the legends call it, the place where long ago people lived alongside their creator; This is my home, a recreation of it anyway and it is also where 'We' were born as well." The mysterious man uncrossed his legs and hopped down from the branch he was on, seeming to float the last few inches to the ground landing with a soft tmpf before her. He carried himself with an air of confidence and a thrum of power around him, looking out towards the houses down below.

He reminded Reyna of that Pyra girl in a way, yet still different somehow. Where she seemed more open, warm and inviting, this man seemed more closed off, cool and detached. His hand rested against the bark of the tree, looking back at her over his shoulder which is when she finally noticed his lips moving, seeming a tad annoyed.

"-still as popular as it was back then?" Reyna blinked, her panic replaced by a strange flurry of emotions. Struggling to catch his words.

"W-what?" She mumbled, confused.

The male turned towards her more fully now, arching a brow and giving her a very unamused, unimpressed look all of a sudden that made Reyna shrink a bit underneath it. There was a slight tick of his jaw as he seemed to debate saying something, probably preparing to reprimand her in some way, she figured. Instead he let out a sigh of frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose while muttering something about 'humans' and their 'short attention span'.

"Whatever, it's not really important anyway. We've wasted too much time already," he said, taking a small step towards her, making the distance between them shrink more and more while causing Reyna herself to take a small, involuntary step back. Those piercing steel-grey eyes found her large golden ones again. "My name is Malos. I brought you here because I have a request."

"M-Malos?" Reyna repeated the name, letting it roll off her tongue. Her mind and mouth both catching up to what he was saying at the same time. "A-a request? S-so you mean, l-like a favor?"

Malos nodded slowly, seeming mindful of her self-induced panic attack moments ago. He turned slightly, gazing back out towards the empty settlement below once more speaking in a softer tone. "I want you...to take me to Elysium. Back to my home, back to my Father." He dropped his gaze momentarily to the lush green of the grass they were standing on, clenching his fists for a brief moment.

"There's no one else I can ask." He added when Reyna looked about ready to protest, feeling unsure of things. "Please."

"I-I...But-But I-I'm dead remember!?" Reyna said, getting a bit hysteric now. "H-How can I help you if I can't even help myself? P-plus, e-even if I were still alive, P-Pyra would-..." The words get stuck in her throat. She had no way of being absolutely sure but somehow, Reyna felt the redhead would not be pleased to find her still alive. Pyra clearly wanted her dead and gone.

It was Malos who stopped her from descending into another panic attack, laying a strong hand on her shoulder just as her body started to shake. Feeling the sting of tears welling up in her eyes, slowly spilling down onto her cheeks. Pyra scared her, she didn't want to face her alone-she couldn't! Looking up, her wet golden eyes met Malos' intense silver ones.

"Pyra won't be able to touch you, I will make sure of it. From now on, I'll protect you."

Reyna's cheeks flushed with a small amount of heat. The tears spilling over onto her cheeks slowly stopping. Malos wasn't smiling but his words helped to comfort her, they sounded so familiar yet she couldn't fathom why.

"I'll keep you safe, always…" Malos assured, lips quirked up into the smallest semblance of a soft smirk. Then in an instant it was gone, his gaze seeming to be directed at something far-off into the distance before looking back at Reyna. "There's no time, I need to bring you back right now, understand? I'll be there with you." He added, seeing the fear in her eyes again.

"Bring me...back?" Reyna muttered softly, still sounding a little dazed.

"Yes, just place your hand on my Core Crystal and I will give half of my life force to revive you."

"Half of your…? W-wait, won't that, I-I don't know...hurt you?" Reyna stammered, pulling back a bit.

Malos however, was unfazed by this. "It's necessary, besides I'll be fine..." He said with a shake of his head. "Like I said, we need to hurry." Reyna can't quite understand the urgency that fills his words.

What she does know however is that she can't do anything once dead. Elysium had always been her goal, believing if there was a way to end the fighting, the killing over resources, then surely it was worth it to take the risk right? And here, with Malos, she was given that golden opportunity. For once, she let herself take the leap of faith that had presented itself before her.

"Alright. I-I'll do it! I'll take you to Elysium, you have my word." Malos seemed to go still at what she said, expression giving way to an undefinable gleam in his eyes. His one hand gestured to the pulsing crystal embedded in his chest. "Y-you want me to um, t-touch that? Like, seriously?"

Malos nodded. His other hand slipped from her shoulder, dropping to wrap around her own more clammy palm and guiding it up towards the Amethyst Core Crystal. Reyna's face resembled a tomato suddenly, barely registering the smooth, cool surface of the crystal beneath her fingers in comparison to the warm, surprisingly soft flesh of Malos' hand. Refusing to meet his intense gaze any longer.

A soft purple light filled the air around them, sending a pulse of power that made the nearby branches of the tree he'd been on sway. The grass all blowing outward and away from the two in one direction. A tingling spread up along her arm letting her know it was working, the light converging on where the ache of her pierced heart was, easing the pain there. Malos' energy flowing into it. Reyna didn't notice the way said male suddenly winced, hiding it before she looked back up one last time.

Elysium disappeared around them. Only Reyna's whispered words were left behind.

"Thank you, Malos."

~x~

Nia feels empty inside. The deaths of people after joining the ranks of Torna wasn't exactly anything new to deal with, but up until this point they had all seemed to deserve it for one reason or another, blade or human. Even if some small part of her may have opposed, Nia never truly felt she had a say in the matter. That and from her own experience, she just knew none of them would most likely want to defend her. It just seemed so foolish to defend ones who would leave her when Jin and Pyra had willingly taken her in, welcomed her.

'Reyna wouldn't have left, would she?' The thought is enough to make her fists clench, gritting her teeth and folding her ears flat against the head. She doesn't dare look back behind her as she follows Pyra back out onto the deck. Nia would never voice it of course, but out of all the other members, Pyra was the most welcoming, the most comforting to be around. On more than one occasion it was Pyra who assured Nia when the Gormotti would falter, dissipating her fears of abandonment and such, only now...Now Nia began to wonder. To question. To doubt.

Nia knew Pyra was strong but that the redhead's strength paled in comparison to that of her other half. And when the two of them were in agreement on something, it always seemed to spell bad news for anyone standing in their way.

Nia glanced at their apparent prize, the very thing they enlisted Reyna's help for in the first place. She was surprised by the sight of the coffin at first, thinking perhaps whoever it was inside to already be dead. If he was alive then he was unresponsive to everything going on around him it appeared, what was apparent was how...possessive...Pyra suddenly became over it.

Refusing to let anyone else carry the glass case, the way the redhead's eyes flared a molten gold didn't bode well with Nia either. Did Pyra somehow...know the person inside? And if that was the case, then did her other half as well? It sure seemed that way.

So lost in her train of thought, Nia doesn't even realize she's being addressed until Dromarch nudges her hand ever so slightly. "My lady, you're being spoken to," the tiger informs and when Nia looks up, she sees the patient, deceptively warm eyes of Pyra. Nia withholds the urge to shudder, mustering all her courage to meet the taller woman's stare.

"Nia," Pyra says, her voice so utterly calming and understanding, it makes Nia's skin crawl. Pyra's hands are folded neatly atop one another, having passed the coffin to her trusted blade, Sever, for the moment. "Is the Monoceros on its way?"

Nia swallows down the bile that suddenly rises in her throat, wanting to throw some kind of scathing remark or two but it's the memories of her running that pushes the words back down, of her constant fear at being all alone. Of being back in that cell, awaiting death-

"Yeah, yeah. It's on the way," she manages to say, bitterness in every word. She really was a coward it seemed.

"Are you still troubled by it, Nia? What happened to the girl was lamentable, yes but-"

"Lamentable?" Nia repeats, taken aback by the sudden lack of care coating Pyra's words. "Are you serious? There was no reason to kill her! Reyna was just-"

"Sorry, maybe that was a stupid thing to say. You and I can hash it out later if that's what you really want but what's done is done. Instead of whining over someone you barely even knew, why don't you just do as you're told, understand?" Pyra's voice changes midway through her sentence, gaining a rougher edge to it. Nia recognizes it as a sign she is pushing Pyra's other self's patience.

The two girls are locked in some kind of stalemate for a moment and Nia grapples with the crippling fear that Pyra might just be seconds away from letting her other self take the reins. Any confidence Nia had managed to dredge up withers away like dust in the wind, she wasn't suicidal. So she bows her head, ears still folded down and relents a nod.

"Good. Now, take care of the other salvagers please." Nia wonders if this was how Reyna felt during her panic attack, because of how quickly her breath rushes out of her lungs at the redhead's words and the way her heart sinks.

"T-take care…? Y-you mean-"

Architect, her powers were for healing, not killing innocents! "But-but these people haven't done anything wrong!" Nia tries desperately to appeal to whatever dwindling humanity Pyra might have in her, only to realize it was a lost cause.

"I don't understand you Nia." Pyra says, pausing in her steps and looking down at the Gormotti in more ways than one. "You of all people? Defending a bunch of strangers, humans at that. My oh my," Pyra smiles and it's about the most frightening thing Nia has ever seen in her life. Mostly because Nia knows what's coming even before the wash of light surrounds Pyra, she's seen it only once before but it was enough.

"Nia…" Jin steps in, no doubt sensing what was coming as well and wanting to avoid such needless destruction. Only that's all he can say when the capsule Sever is holding bursts to life. Pyra is the first to react and there's a sudden look of loss reflected in her eyes seeing the columns of growing pitch-black that are encroaching across the glass, eating away at everything it touches.

"Sever, drop it!" Pyra orders. The blade nods and sends the capsule clattering a good several feet away. Jin moves, as though preparing to intercept whatever intangible force it was eating away at the coffin, Pyra stops him with a sharp look and he relents.

The ship lurches underneath them, rocking dangerously against the turbulent waters under the gathering force of the eerie black column. Nia watched the purplish-black ether-like substance grow and grow like a filled glass until finally it imploded from the gathering pressure, from the explosion of black and purple ether particles came a single a figure, leaping out of the destroyed case and landing rather gracefully on a higher-up antennae.

"Malos…" Nia wasn't sure if she was meant to hear the name that fell from Pyra's lips really, or if the redhead was even aware of the intense look in her eyes when she gazed up at the black-haired individual who moments ago Nia had thought to be dead. Nia suddenly felt like she was intruding on an oddly personal moment.

"Mythra, still got quite the temper I see," the blade called Malos drawled folding his arms, looking down on Pyra the same way she was doing to Nia moments before and the Gormotti swallows a sudden lump. The fact that he knows Pyra's other name speaks volumes to her. "And here I thought you'd be kind enough to let me sleep for maybe a few more hundred years. Too bad I'm still not interested in helping you."

"Malos, please!" Pyra pleads softly, lowering her sword in a meager effort to not come off as threatening. "We don't have to do this! We don't have to fight, we can-"

Pyra's words go unheard over the sudden disintegrating of metal in the space between her and Malos. The hull of the ship caving in almost immediately as something-rather someone-comes shooting out and up into the air. Nia swears her heart skips a beat.

"R-Reyna!?" The Gormotti cries out, unsure whether to feel relief or fear because Pyra looks anything but pleased right now.

~x~

Reyna's breath shuddered. Fear claws its way into her chest immediately at the sight of Pyra. If looks could kill, then that would've been twice Pyra killed her. Reyna's eyes lingering on that awful, burning sword of hers, faltering.

"Reyna, keep your guard up." Malos' voice is her anchor at the moment. The only thing keeping her from trying to book it, wanting to dive down into the cloud sea and never resurface again rather than face Pyra's wrath just for wanting to live.

"R-right!" She responds, maybe a little too loudly. She can't help feeling jumpy, uncertain and above all, at a severe disadvantage.

Malos was the epitome of confidence it seemed, rolling his shoulder like he was preparing for a leisurely stroll and not a death match. The rush of power flooding into her from holding the newly reconstructed sword-Malos' sword-is beyond her imagination. It feels heavier than the heat that radiates off of Pyra's own fearsome weapon.

"Pyra won't be able to touch you, I will make sure of it. From now on, I'll protect you." The echoing of Malos' words worked like a balm, chasing away Reyna's immense anxiety with ease. Her grip on the sword's handle tightening.

'Yes.' Reyna thought, feeling a newfound sense of determination coursing through her veins. 'With Malos I can do it. I can do this!' Reyna wouldn't run, she couldn't. If she ran, who would protect all the other salvagers aboard the ship?

"It's awfully low…to stab a person in the back, you know!?" Reyna said, raising her voice towards the end, making sure Pyra heard her loud and clear across the ship. "You psychopath!" She almost let out a small yelp of terror when Pyra's glare intensifies.

The redhead gave no verbal rebuttal, falling into a battle ready stance as Sever started up the ether tether between them.

"Reyna!" Malos called down below, eyes focusing on Pyra and her blade, resisting the urge to roll his eyes when his own newly revived Driver flinched at the mere sound of his voice, again. They were really going to have to work on that. "Get ready. And try not to give them an opening!"

"Uh, r-right!" Reyna responded.

She was barely given any time to blink before Pyra was in her face, Sever breaking off to deal with Malos. Pyra brought her burning sword down on Reyna's-Malos's really-with a fierce yell, causing the other girl to stagger. It's not long before Reyna looks ready to fold under Pyra's ruthless strikes, the sounds of metal scraping against metal causing an almost nauseous look to flit across Reyna's face.

It's then that Pyra starts to speak. "You should have stayed dead, Reyna, I was doing you a favor." Pyra says it in such a sickly sweet manner Reyna seriously considers vomiting on the other girl's face just to spite her. "You could never handle his power. Just give up and let me kill you again!" She says, that fire igniting in her eyes again. The sweetness gone and replaced with something far more cutthroat and cruel.

Reyna begins to wheeze, eyes darting around looking for that reassuring spot of black hair and olive skin. Her muscles straining while still trying to hold off the murderous redhead, seeing Malos locked in some kind of scuffle with Pyra's blade, Sever, who is doing a remarkable job of keeping his attention.

For now, Reyna is on her own. Against the one who killed her. 'Well, shit.' Reyna can't help but think. She really didn't want to die again...

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't suffer." Pyra says and there's the slightest hint of mockery in her words this time.

It stirs something inside of Reyna, a long buried sense of rage she can't quite comprehend. A flurry of images going through her mind-

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't suffer."

Golden eyes regard her coldly for a moment, giving an almost pitying glance before the headpiece above them starts to glow.

-then Reyna is pushing Pyra back. Much to the redhead's confusion and disbelief. Reyna wasn't very good with a sword, she knew it better than anyone but there were other ways she could turn the tables. Using all of her strength she twisted the blade interlocking it with Pyra's own fiery-red one, very nearly twisting(and possibly breaking) her own arm at a more awkward angle...then proceeded to slam her head as hard as she could against Pyra's.

The redhead let out a string of curses, her graceful footwork faltering from the unexpected blow. If Malos himself staggered a bit, then Reyna didn't notice. Too busy raising her sword for a good enough strike.

"Take this!" Reyna cried out, subconsciously avoiding anything that was hopefully too vital by going for the feet.

'If I can stop her movements, then that should work just as well!' Reyna thought with newfound determination.

Unfortunately Pyra wasn't about to give her that much of a chance. The redhead grit her teeth in a minor show of annoyance before leaping back and out of Reyna's reach with ease. "Sever!" Pyra called out, tossing the tonfa weapon up into the air.

Reyna fumbled a bit, unintentionally tripping over her own two feet when going for her Battle Braid clipped onto her belt. Still a bit dizzy from her headbutt. Watching in mounting horror as Sever leapt up and grabbed the tossed tonfa weapon with a feral grin. "You're done!"

Sever sent an X-shaped concentration of greenish-glowing ether right at Reyna. It was coming in too fast for her to dodge!

"Aaah!" Reyna cried, bracing for that same unbearable pain as when Pyra stabbed her, tears in her eyes. Only...it never came, instead when she finally risked a glance back up she saw Malos standing between her and Pyra, a glowing golden shield of ether in front of him. "M-Malos…? Th-thank yo-"

"You can thank me when this is done." Malos snapped without taking his eyes off of Pyra. "You're no good with a sword right now, give it to me." As much as Reyna wants to deny it, she knows he has a point. He glances over his shoulder for barely a second, steel-grey orbs landing on the Battle Braid still clipped onto Reyna's belt. "What about that other thing you have?"

"I-I can use it!" Reyna says, wanting to be useful somehow. It wasn't fair for Malos to have to do everything.

"Good. then here's what we'll do…"

A few moments pass before Reyna stands, taking the hand Malos offered her. Her body shifts closer, much preferring his presence at the moment in comparison to Pyra and her glare that promises nothing but more pain. She passes the blade into Malos's waiting palm, letting him shield her from the sight of burning red eyes. She really hated having to fight like this…

"M-maybe uh…" Reyna trailed off, her fingers wrapping around Malos's wrist at the last moment before initiating their plan of attack. "Maybe we can uh, t-talk it out?" Reyna offered, the words sounding like such a stupid idea even as they left her mouth.

Malos had the decency to at least look like he considered her words before flat out refusing. "She killed you, remember? And that was after you two talked and got to know each other." Malos looks a little annoyed now, exhaling through his nose and even seeming to give a small, disbelieving shake of the head. Reyna flinched a little, wondering if perhaps she should just flee with the others, it was better than her staying and slowing Malos down in their fight.

"Look," Malos fixed his intense stare back onto Pyra who seemed to already be looking for some kind of opening, "I get that you're scared or whatever but right now we need to do this. You're a driver now-my driver- so it's kind of my job now to protect you." Reyna got the feeling Malos wasn't really used to having to reassure someone, let alone someone with such fragile confidence like herself. Still, she appreciated his effort.

"They're coming." Malos said, voice low and sword at the ready.

Reyna braced herself. In the back of her mind she hears Jin's voice, his words from the Maelstrom taunting her.

"Violence, as you call it, doesn't discriminate- it comes at you full force whether you're prepared for it or not. And if you're not prepared, it will cost you."

Reyna had already died once; She wasn't much of a fighter and she wasn't entirely sure whether or not her life was worth the struggle but Malos technically did save her, surely he thought she was worth something then, right? And if that was the case, then for Malos and all the other Salvager's lives, she would fight.

Because in Reyna's opinion, they are worth it.

So, she charged.