Aegis Eater

Torched

"It doesn't seem to be common knowledge that I'm not the Aegis." Rex groaned, pulling out his sword. The flames on the two weapons blazed strongly, as they stared each other down.

"Not the Aegis, you say?" Morag asked, circling like a predator around Rex. Brighid's wall of blue flame prevented Nia or Tora from getting close to help. "Perhaps you aren't. Ardainian records state that the Aegis was not a young boy who looks no older then 16." Morag stopped circling Rex. "Explain the Aegis's Core Crystal in your chest. How did you get that?"

"Long story short, I was loaned the Aegis's powers to save this damn dying world!" Rex said.

"You think you can fool me?" Morag said. "A normal boy, a salvager, based on your apparel, suddenly has the powers of the most dangerous Blade in existence? You're a Blade Eater. You stole that crystal, and if you are not detained... a threat to Mor Ardain."

"To hell with Mor Ardain! Im trying to save everyone, not just you! Get out of our way."

"Or what? I hope you are aware I have close to ten man armed with ether nets around you. One wrong move, and well be taking you and your friends captive." Morag said.

Rex growled. "What? Not hot enough to take me on alone, Flamebringer? Need a gang to back you up?"

"Obviously not. By all accounts, boy, you are the Aegis. You are the most dangerous Blade in existence. Who would try to tackle that alone?"

"I've got a goal to achieve, and don't have time to be dealing with this. Final warning. Get out of my way."

"I'm not known for taking warnings from children." Morag said, before lashing out with her whips. They wrapped around Rex, and she threw the boy into a tent. It burnt to crisps around him, and Rex hurled the flaming sword at Morag like a javelin. She stepped to the side, letting it sail over her shoulder, before it returned to Rex's hands. Rex followed up with a slash of fire, that Morag deflected with her own. Morag rushed in and took quick swings at Rex, directly aiming for the Core Crystal in his chest. Rex felt something slam into his back. Brighid had blasted him with a fireball, and continued trying to get in at Rex from behind. Caught between a pincher attack, Rex waited for Morag to get in close. He felt the Core Crystal pulse before his vision was filled with white.

...

He was back in Elysium. Pyra stood beside him on the hill, looking over the land. The sky was not its regular blue anymore, it was rather holding a still black and white image of Morag charging ahead at Rex. "What the...?" Rex asked nobody in particular.

"Good day, Rex." Pyra spoke. "What you're looking at in the sky... is the real world. I pulled you back into my... sorry... your memories of Elysium to talk."

"Okay... what about?" Rex asked.

"Rex..." Pyra turned to him. "If you want to make it to Elysium, you need to learn how to control my power, and how to use it. You're already adept with Flame Nova, but it's only one of my four Specials. You need to learn how to perform my other three."

Rex nodded. "Okay. Let's do this." The boy was eager to learn, and he made it show. As Pyra taught him Prominence Revolt and Blazing End, she was visibly impressed at how quickly he got the hang of them. Prominence Revolt began to hit like a truck, and he threw Blazing End further then Pyra thought possible.

"Okay, I think you've done good with them, but now we need to know how to do my strongest Special, Burning Sword." Pyra said. "And we're running out of time too."

"Then let's do this!" Rex said. "I'll get the hang of it in no time."

Rex's attempts were... serviceable at best. They hit hard and were decently quick, but Pyra knew that he could do it much better.