"Ugh... why is it so damp?" Corryn asked, trying to move his stiff body after a day's worth of recovery.

It was expected of him to pass out after that whopping.

"Mmm... stop moving so much." Pyra mumbled in his ear. Corryn shivered at how close she was, and glanced to his side.

"Why's it so dark too? Where are we?" Corryn kept asking, but Pyra, who he found was sleeping on him, wasn't waking up.

"Pyra!" Corryn shouted shaking her shoulder. She huffed, and pushed his face away, making him glare.

"Now's not the time for a nap!" He shouted again, plucking her forehead.

"Ow! Hey, what's the big idea— Corryn?! You're awake!" She said sitting up.

"You mind?" He asked, gesturing to his restricted movement. Pyra flew to her feet and pat herself down, her red face hidden by the pure darkness in the room, save for her green highlighted clothing, and Corryn's eyes.

"How the hell did we get... wherever this is?" Corryn asked, unable to fathom such a drastic change in scenery.

"I can answer that..." Nia said with a groan, seemingly waking up as well from on top of Dromarch.

"Here we go..." Azurda said, announcing his presence. "Story time!" Tora cheered, Poppi's orange lights showing she was beside him.

"So as you may know, you are obviously the leader of this little crew," Nia began.

"I... guess." Corryn nodded.

"And like Mòrag said, she aimed to take out our coordinator. She thinks that a team would fall without their leader... she was right. We didn't know what to do while you were unconscious, and being in the run didn't help for time." Nia continued.

"We got help, getting a ship from Tora's uncle, sailed towards the World Tree, but some massive serpent cut us off, chasing us away, and into the mouth of Uraya's Titan." Nia explained.

Corryn stood in silence, utterly confused on how he ended up on another Titan, and where they would even go from there.

"As you can see, we aren't the brightest bunch." Pyra chuckled nervously.

"Ugh... light source?" Corryn asked Pyra.

She snapped her fingers, and an orb of fire began to hover above him, and he nodded.

"Where do most Urayans live?" Corryn asked, back into his role. "Their back, if I remember correctly." Azurda answered.

"Then let's be on our way. To be honest, you all probably did the right thing, so don't sweat it. As long as we're okay." Corryn said with a smile, shaking his head at the thought of their thought process.

"Let's go." He said motioning them to follow. "Right!"

•

Finally reaching an external source of light, the group looked up, and saw blue dim refraction through the back of the Urayan Titan.

"The Urayan Titan has a translucent hide... It seems it's back above the Cloud Sea." Azurda commented.

"If we can make it to the source of the light, maybe we'll find a way out of here." Pyra smiled.

"Get ready." Corryn said with a glare.

"Hold it!" A gruff voice shouted at the group. A burly man with a round body leapt down from a bridge formation, a bipedal, muscular bird-beast Blade with vibrant green and orange feathers at his side.

Two other goons dropped down beside them, with more common Blades, a lance and an axe.

"Looks like a bunch of mushes I ain't see yet. You gotta have pretty damn bad luck, ending up in a Titan's guts like this." The man said with smug, but he looked at the source of green lights, and gazed at Corryn and Pyra.

"...Huh? That Blade... An emerald core crystal!" He awed, making Corryn casually take out the Aegis, and aim it at the man.

He let out a boisterous laugh and grinned. "So the rumors are true! Folks say she just woke up from a 500 year nap..." The man went on, before pointing at Corryn.

"Wouldn't have thought she'd show up with a pencil-neck shrimp like you for a Driver, though." He said with a smirk.

Silence.

"C'mon, boy. Hand her over to a grown-up. You're not Driver material." The man continued.

Pyra looked at Corryn, and then, everyone did, watching as he slowly raised his free hand towards the man mocking him.

Pyra's eyes widened seeing the look in his eye, knowing he wanted nothing more than to hurt him.

Everyone suddenly felt an immense, gut-wrenching pressure that forced them to their knees, the weight of several tons being slammed into them with each pulse of ether from Corryn.

"...Who's not Driver material?" Corryn asked with a blank stare, Aegis still aimed at the man.

"I'm not sure what backwater city you come from, or what intentions you have with my friend, but say something like that again, and I'll kill you. No one... can have her." Corryn said calmly, with each pulse of ether, everyone loss feeling in their limbs.

"C-Corryn...!" Pyra shouted, feeling the least of the effect, she grabbed his hand.

"...Sorry." He said with a sigh.

The pressure went away as soon as it arrived, and the group in front of him began to pant and heave their chests in a panic.

"Listen... I'm taking her to Elysium, one way or another. No one's stopping us." Corryn said with a glare.

"Going to Elysium? I can't let that stand, though." A feminine voice said with a chuckle.

"That just won't do," a man in blue armor, similar to the style of Jin and Malos, said with a smirk, red glasses framing him arrogant stare.

"I can't have a bunch of amateurs stealing the show. The script exists for a reason," he said before scoffing. "I expected you to befriend this man... it would've made for emotional trauma." He whispered to himself, but he wasn't unheard.

"Ahkos?!" Nia asked in shock, seeing a former comrade.

"Please speak, only when you're spoken to, traitor." Ahkos said with a cold stare. His Blade, in silver and gold plating, stepped out from behind him, singing 'Traitor!' over and over again.

"Nia, you're one of the baddies now. You villain!" She laughed.

She was annoying already...

"I didn't betray anyone!" Nia retorted.

"Then why do you stand with them? You think that is where you belong?" Ahkos questioned.

"Who are these goons?" The burly man from before asked, a lot more willing to help. "Torna. The terrorists. They want Pyra, too." Corryn answered.

"Torna?!" The man yelled in shock. "Bygones, kid. The name's Vandham." He said nudging Corryn with his elbow, earning a nod.

'Seems his intentions weren't as bad as I thought...' Corryn thought, a bit embarrassed he overreacted. His wording was a bit much though.

"Ahkos, just tell us what you're here for!" Nia yelled.

"Well, the Aegis, of course." Ahkos answered with a shrug. "I just had to come see the leading lady with my own eyes."

"You've sealed your fate." Corryn said handing Pyra the Aegis, crackling fire in his palms.

"Torna... they've taken the lives of too many Drivers. Including some of my crew. Good people. Rumor says it's because they're collecting core crystals. So if he's one of them..." Vandham trailed off.

"Yew! Zuo!" He shouted to his comrades, "Go protect the village!"

The village they occupied was not too far away, and it came before his life, Corryn deduced. His understand for the man beside him grew stronger with just that order.

"You ready?" Vandham asked Corryn. "Of course. Gotta protect her." Corryn said with a glare.

"Thanks for this." Nia added. "No problem. You're with us now. We have your back." Corryn replied again.

"It'll be tough. His Blade, Obrona... she's like you. She can manipulate the ether in the air. She can counter elemental attacks with the opposite element." Nia informed. "Who do you say is stronger?" Corryn asked.

"...After earlier, you." Nia said with a smile. "All I need to hear..." Corryn smirked.

"Finally! A decent opponent for a change! Let's go!" Vandham shouted.

Corryn was of course, the first one to charge in, Pyra at his side.

With his hands out stretched, Corryn began his barrage of fire pellets, all crashing into Obrona's ether shield, that began to glow blue.

"Counter their counter with a counter!" Corryn shouted, Pyra slashing the Aegis three times for three streams of fire.

The ether shield burst into a flood, but it was evaporated, and sent back tenfold with a; "Steam Eruption!" Corryn and Pyra shouted.

Ahkos and Obrona flew back, sliding to a stop with widened eyes.

"He... knew how to counter our tactic at first glance?! Remarkable... just what kind of Driver has the Aegis adopted?" Ahkos said in disbelief, yet still held admiration for his quick thinking.

'Hey. On your left.' Corryn said, using telepathy in Ahkos' head.

"What?!" He shouted, looking left and seeing nothing.

On his right, Vandham cleaved his scythe and sent him back again. Obrona flew to his side, and Ahkos realized that with his tactic discovered, he almost held no ground to them.

"To retreat within mere moments of battle... I can't end like this!" Ahkos said with a glare.

Dromarch slashed at his side, but Obrona blocked, her ether shield growing red.

Nia landed in front of Dromarch and countered the incoming burst of flames with a spin, sending a wave at them, and causing another explosion, sending both pairs sliding back.

"You insignificant Celestite. Your race went into hiding like cowards, so why don't you do the same. You can't play this part!" Ahkos said losing his cool, seeing that his back was against the wall so quickly.

"You came here, by yourself, expecting results... who do you think you are?" Corryn asked, hands out stretched.

Swinging one down, Ahkos was flung away from his Blade's protection, only left to his swords at his hip as he soared into the middle of the group.

Everyone rushed in with different elements. Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth, all aligned to corner him.

Before he could be attacked, Obrona swooped down for him, throwing up a spherical ether shield that began to radiate all elements necessary to counter.

"Everyone, again!" Corryn yelled.

Water burst forward along side Fire, and Wind flew along side the tremor of Earth, all clashing with their opposing elements in a blinding light, and then another shockwave.

Everyone flew back and into the nearest firm wall or ground, making them groan.

"Every Blade... has a weakness..." Corryn said with a smirk, upside down against a stone wall. "Ow..."

"Everyone okay?" Vandham asked, sitting down with his arm on his knee.

"Barely... I can't take another one of those." Nia sighed. "Tora lightheaded..." he said in Poppi's arms.

"We won't have to... They're gone." Pyra said in relief.

"Man! That was exhilarating!" Corryn said with a smile. "High-and-mighty losers are the best to put in their place." He laughed.

"Kid," Vandham began. "Elysium, huh?" He asked, his Blade, Roc landing at his side.

"Yup... I've got a lot of opposition, as you can see. Sorry about before. Never know who's the enemy with her around." Corryn joked, falling on his stomach.

Pyra crossed her arms and looked away, knowing it was in good nature but still a teensy bit hurt.

"There's this monster in the way though. I have no idea how we're getting through it..." Corryn said with a sigh, his distress and fear finally evident.

He sat up and looked down, realizing that the snag they'd hit was one that may stop their advance for good.

"I've got an old mate. In the Urayan capital. Got a feeling he might know a way through." Vandham said as everyone stood up and reconvened near Corryn.

"For something like that? Really?" Corryn asked in shock.

"Yeah. I gotta go there anyhow, so I could introduce you." Vandham said with a smile. "You've proven your worth in such a short time. Thought that maybe you could use a lesson or two, but here we are..." Vandham said with a chuckle.

"Heh. Sorry for not noticing sooner... and Thank you." Corryn said standing up, and extending his hand.

"Nah, it's destiny or something. Don't sweat it." Vandham said, shaking his hand.

~•~

"Alright. We're leaving almost as soon as we got here." Nia said with an amused hum.

"Eh. Would've been great to rest, but when there's a lead like this, we can't miss out." Corryn said, fixing a headband around his head.

It's design was white, with two black arrows pointing toward a single stripe in the middle. It was snug under his bangs, and was partially well hidden, except for the noticeable darkened shadow over his eyes now, making his eyes appear even brighter.

"If you don't mind, why did you buy that accessory, Corryn?" Dromarch asked.

"Thought it looked cool." Corryn shrugged.

"I think you look great." Pyra said lifting his bangs to see his face. Corryn smiled and nodded, making her left his hair fall.

"Can you two lovebirds get a room?" Vandham teased. "I can't lead the way like this."

Pyra froze, quickly readjusting herself to walk faster, a bit ahead of Corryn.

Nia, Dromarch, Tora, and Poppi, all looked at Pyra's now flustered attitude... and then Corryn, who was deep in thought.

"Oh." Corryn said with widened eyes, a blush starting form on his face.

His mind was running rampant with Pyra's thoughts via his telepathy, and he suddenly stopped walking.

"Rin-Rin?" Tora asked, making everyone stop as well.

"...Celestite's can read minds." Azurda informed, everyone noticing his red face.

Pyra's eyes widened, and she quickly began shaking Corryn.

"Stop! STOP!" She cried, shaking his face to snap him out of it. "STOP LOOKING!" She said, even going so far as to punch him.

"OW! Why don't you just stop thinking it, you per—" She covered his mouth, wrapping an arm around his neck, putting him in a chokehold.

"What a bunch..." Vandham said to Roc, who shook their head in exhaustion.