Aegis Eater

Coming Home

Everyone gathered at the Indoline ship, where Fan was waiting for them. Morag and Brighid were there as well, giving orders to a few soldiers nearby. As Morag was occupied with her work, Brighid walked up to the group. "Good morning, are you already leaving?"

"Yeah. We've got to go to Indol, and drop off Iona and Roc in Leftheria still." Nia said as Rex talked with Fan. The woman nodded, and Rex breathed a sigh of relief before saying something to Fan and running up to the group.

"So, good news. Hey Brighid." Rex said to the fire Blade, who simply smiled and raised an eyebrow at the boys casual greeting. "We're gonna have to stop at Leftheria before we can make it to Indol, so we can drop Iona and Roc off there no problem."

"That's a relief." Roc said. "That actually is probably the best way things could've played out for us."

Rex nodded. His name was called by Fan, standing beside Morag. He trotted over to the two women.

"Rex, Morag has a request for us. I've already given my approval, but she would like your say as well." Fan said, before turning to leave the two to talk as she walked up onto her ship.

"Okay, what's up, Morag?"

"Well, I made my report on the issue with Bana and Torna to Emperor Niall, my brother, and he says he would like me to get permission from you and Fan to go to the Praetorium with you. He wants me to observe you to get a more definitive answer to whether or not the Aegis is a threat to Mor Ardain. I said I would as long as you and Fan la Norne approved. I've seen enough to know you mean my people no harm, but my brother likes to be safe rather then sorry."

"Okay... yeah I don't see why not. Always a pleasure to have you around, Flamebringer." Rex said, holding out his hand for a shake.

Morag chuckled at Rex's simple way of handling this. As she shook his hand, she couldn't help but wish that all motions of alliance were as simple as they are with Rex. The boy was a bit naive to the deeper ways of how the world works, but in no way was his naivety due to being oblivious. It was because the boy wanted to believe that there was good everywhere in the world.

Morag couldn't help but see similarities between Rex and Niall when he was younger, even though both boys were roughly the same age now, Rex maybe even a little older. It made her wish Niall wasn't forced to mature so fast. How similar would he be to Rex if he wasn't thrusted into the position of Emperor so soon in his life? Shaking thoughts of Niall out of her head, she looked at Rex again. "Right, I forgot to ask, but those two in the factory. The blond male and black haired woman, they were from Torna, yes?"

"Yeah, why?" Rex asked.

"Well, a soldier named Nairen, who was stationed on a Core Crystal delivery Titan to Indol came to me a couple days before you arrived. Apparently, they were raided by a man wearing all white with a katana, and he slaughtered almost all the guards and Drivers, stealing all the Core Crystals on the transport as well. Nairen escaped with a single Core Crystal, and was found drifting on the Cloud Sea by an Argentum cargo ship." Morag said. "Nairen claimed that the man left on a black ship like the one those two Tornans did back in the factory. Do you have any idea who that could be?"

Rex sighed. "That sounds like Jin to me. Nia will know more then I will, though I have had a rather... bad experience with Jin myself." Rex said, turning so his right side faced Morag, and with his sword in his left hand, pretended to plunge it through his back when all he really did was slide the sword between his arm and his left side. Morag hissed softly. "Ah... I see."

"Yeah. Yet another moment where Nia had saved my sorry ass. I don't know what I'd do without her." Rex said, turning to the Gormotti. She noticed his gaze and gave a quick wave, which he returned. Morag raised an amused eyebrow as Rex and Nia spent a moment just looking at each other.