Clive and Lyra rushed at Hugo. With his sword and her claws and fangs, they attacked the man relentlessly while dodging and blocking his blows. Because there were two of them, Hugo struggled with focusing on one of them. More often than not, he was forced on the defensive. He used the power of Titan to fend them off, but he could barely land a single blow.

Clive would combine the Blessing of the Phoenix with Ramuh's power and Garuda's to deliver heavy blows to Hugo. Whenever he had the man distracted from the front, Lyra would swipe her claws at his back to catch him off guard. Even semi-primed as Titan, he was no match for both of them.

Eventually, Hugo was able to knock Clive away with a swift punch and charged at Lyra with a battle cry. The wolf lunged at him, but he grabbed her by the muzzle and tossed her across the room. Her body slammed into the wall, creating a large dent. She fell to the floor and rubble rained down on her.

With his mind set on making Clive suffer, Hugo focused his attention on the wolf. He was determined to kill her in front of the man so he too knew how it felt to lose the woman he loved. He ran at her as she recovered, but he wasn't able to reach her before he was struck in the back with a power blast of lightning.

He fell to a single knee because of the powerful attack with a huff of annoyance and pain. He looked over his shoulder and glared at Clive, only to regret turning his attention away from Lyra when she batted him across the throne room with her claws.

Hugo's body rolled across the floor before colliding with the wall. Clive quickly closed the distance between himself and the man after noticing he was dazed from the attack. He got a few heavy hits in before having to back away as he recovered.

Tired of being on the losing side of the battle, Hugo screamed out as he attacked Clive. His fists collided with his sword repeatedly. Seeing their close-combat skirmish was getting them nowhere, both men jumped back from each other.

"You will die by my hand, Rosfield! My hatred for you is unending, unyielding!" Hugo's booming voice echoed throughout the throne room. "Let this palace be your grave alongside your pitiful goddess!" He slammed his fists into the floor and shattered it. The powerful attack caused the floor to crumble.

"What—?" Clive looked at the floor in surprise as it started to crumble beneath him and Lyra. Seeing the large section Hugo had lifted up to pin him under, he cursed, "Oh, shit!"

Lyra leapt over to Clive and scooped him up onto her back. He gripped the base of her neck tightly as she ran up the section of floor that threatened to squish them. She jumped into the air and he noticed Hugo was missing. Looking up, he saw the man heading straight for them.

"Lyra!" Clive shouted.

She too spotted Hugo and nimbly dodged him. Clive jumped from her back and grabbed him, using his weight to pummel him against the ground of the tomb that was located beneath the throne room.

The impact knocked Hugo out of his transformation. He lay on the ground, breathing heavily. Clive landed next to Lyra when he put some distance between himself and the man. He too was breathing heavily. The wolf nudged her muzzle against his arm and provided him with some healing. His eyes never left Hugo as he stroked the top of her head.

After the shock wore off, Hugo pushed himself off the ground into a kneeling position. He was still trying to catch his breath. Picking up a rock that fit snuggly in his palm, he stood up and started to laugh. "The world has chosen." He crushed the rock and semi-primed with Titan again. "I am in my element. The earth will always be my domain!"

Sensing the ground quaking, Lyra and Clive jumped back to avoid Hugo's attack. He used geocrush, but they were both out of range before he released his power.

Noticing his attack didn't hit, Hugo targeted Clive. While they exchanged blows, Lyra could feel the burly man gathering more aether. Knowing they would need more power, she channeled her own aether and created a large sphere of fire, water, and lightning. She hurled it toward Hugo. To her surprise, he caught it but she was more than happy when he couldn't use Titan's strength to deflect it. He was consumed by the elements and screamed.

By the time the sphere dissipated, Hugo was staggered. He was on a single knee. Clive slashed at the man and used his Eikonic abilities to nip away at the man's health.

Hugo was quick to recover. Using earthen fury, his body floated into the air as he gathered enough aether for the powerful attack. Seeing Clive wouldn't clear the attack in time, Lyra dashed forward and created a shield from vines and roots to protect them. When Hugo's attack discharged, they were unaffected and quickly got back to fighting on the offensive.

After more dodging and attacking, Lyra and Clive were victorious as they siphoned Hugo of the last portion of his health. He stumbled back as the power of Titan faded.

At the same time, Lyra was consumed by exhaustion and she was no longer able to control Cronus. She returned to her human form and fell to her knees in exhaustion. Clive saw her fall but kept his attention on Hugo when he realized he wasn't done. He was quick to block his fists the moment he charged at him.

Because of the exhaustion of battle, Clive wasn't able to block all of Hugo's attacks. He was knocked to the ground. The moment he thought he was going to attack again, he saw the brute furiously stalking toward Lyra.

"Gaia!" Hugo shouted angrily.

Seeing the large man and having no strength, Lyra fell back on her behind and feebly scooted backward as he stomped toward her. She was too drained of aether to use any magic or summon her spear to protect herself. Her eyes widened in horror as the man reached her and raised his fists into the air.

Suddenly, Clive appeared between Lyra and Hugo. He swung his blade at the same time the man brought his fists down. He had severed both of his hands.

Horrified and in extreme pain, Hugo screamed and stared at his severed hands. He stumbled back and fell to his knees as blood spurted from his missing appendages. "My hands! My hands!"

Clive dragged his weary body toward Hugo, whose back was facing him. He was prepared to finish the job.

"Son of a whore!" Hugo shouted to the heavens.

Just as Clive went to slice off Hugo's head, he froze when he noticed a strange light emitting from the man. It took him a few seconds to realize he was absorbing a portion of Titan's power. He stumbled back as the ribbons of aether flowed into him.

Overwhelmed by the sudden absorption of a foreign power, Clive dropped his sword and fell to his hands and knees in pain. He clutched his chest as he felt the small part of Titan within him.

Hugo began screaming and slamming his handless arms against the floor. "I'll kill you...! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" He continuously smashed the floor, causing rubble to rain down. His actions caused the entire area to shake.

Lyra crawled over to Clive. She placed a hand on his back as dirt and dust stirred because of Hugo's tantrum. She helped him to a single knee, wishing she could provide him with some healing. A few small pieces of rubble hit their bodies.

When all stopped shaking, Clive looked at Hugo to see he stopped slamming his arms against the floor and was back on his feet. He could barely make out his large form in the cloud of dust and dirt.

"I'll fucking kill you..." Hugo growled, turning to the couple.

Hearing his threat, Clive put an arm around Lyra and pulled her protectively against him while he grabbed his sword with his other hand. He held her tightly at seeing Hugo take a few steps toward them. However, both he and the man were distracted as another figure appeared in the cloud of dust and dirt.

The person sauntered up to Hugo and punched him in the gut, knocking him unconscious. They easily carried him over his shoulder. "There, there. You mustn't get yourself worked up."

"Wait!" Clive shouted, glowering at the mysterious figure.

"Another time, Mythos. Keep a good eye on Gaia in the meantime," the man replied, walking away with Hugo in his grasp.

Once he was gone, Clive let go of Lyra. He managed to get to his feet and sheath his sword. He then helped her up after noticing just how pale she was. "Are you hurt?"

She feebly shook her head. "I'm all right. Though, I do feel faint... I've used too much aether."

Because of their height difference, he hooked an arm around her waist and allowed her to lean into his side. "I've got you."

"Thank you, Clive," she replied.

"Let's get out of here."

Traveling through the tunnels of the underground tomb, Clive and Lyra eventually found their way back to the surface. They passed through the doors leading to the courtyard to find a downed royalist mage was about to attack Jill and Gav when their backs were turned.

Unsheathing his sword, Clive didn't let go of Lyra as he killed the mage before he could cast his spell.

"You missed one," Clive said, drawing Gav and Jill's attention.

Jill was extremely relieved to see both of her childhood friends. "We were worried!"

Clive sheathed his sword. "So was I."

"We see ya got Lyra back," Gav commented. "And she's still in one piece. That's good."

Jill ran over and took Lyra from Clive. She helped her over to a stack of crates so they could both sit down for a little bit. Torgal wandered over and laid down by the women's feet.

"Are you all right?" Jill asked.

"I feel faint is all," Lyra answered. "What about you?"

"I..." Jill hung her head as she was still exhausted and frightened from what happened.

"I'm sorry, Jill," she sighed sorrowfully. Her plan hadn't gone exactly as she intended it, but she was still able to prevent the future she had witnessed when they arrived in Rosalith. Still, she felt guilty for causing her, Clive, and Gav such distress.

Jill smiled weakly at her. "You are not at fault for Kupka's actions. I am just so relieved to see you are safe."

Lyra managed to smile back. "And I you. Even if I did cause some trouble, everyone is safe. That is all I could ask for."

Jill then changed the subject. "Did you know Torgal had powers?"

"Ah..." Lyra recalled seeing the flashes of a transformed Torgal in her vision of the future. However, she still didn't understand how or why he was able to do such a trick. "I truly had no idea until today. There always has been something special about him, though."

"That is true."

Just then, Gav walked over to them after finishing his chat with Clive. "Hey. How're you two feeling? Ready to go home?" He asked gently.

Lyra nodded. "More than ever."

Jill and Torgal got to their feet.

Lyra stood up, only to regret it when her vision wavered. She closed her eyes and stumbled backward, her legs hitting the crate.

"Lyra?" Jill called out worriedly.

Her voice was distorted in Lyra's ears. She opened her eyes, but the blackness creeping along the edges of her vision was consuming her sight. Before she could say anything, her world turned dark and she collapsed.

"Whoa!" Gav shouted in surprise, catching the woman before she fell to the ground. "Clive!"

Clive immediately turned around. Seeing Lyra's condition, he rushed over.

"She did mention she was feeling faint," Jill said.

"Guess she wasn't lying," Gav commented. "Should I...?"

"I'll carry her." Clive took Lyra from the scout and lifted her up into his arms. Her head lulled against his shoulder.

"She was in Kupka's hands for too long. Is she truly all right?" Jill asked.

Clive held Lyra tightly. He didn't know the full extent of what Hugo did to her. "I...I don't know. All I do is she exhausted herself helping me fight against him. A power I have never before seen..."

Gav crossed his arms. "Mind elaborating?"

"A beast of nature... Cronus, she called it. A grand wolf with fur as emerald as the forest."

"It seems she has gained much more than we thought from absorbing the Mothercrystal shards at Drake's Breath," Jill stated. "Perhaps we can ask her more once she has recovered. Let's go home."

Clive nodded. "Agreed."

|| The Hideaway ||
|| Central Storm Deadlands ||

Three days after the events at Rosalith, Clive was sitting at his desk in his room. After finishing building Mid's workshop, he found himself confined to his room to get some proper rest after what happened. Jill was also still resting while Lyra remained unconscious for the past three days. She lay in the bed he shared with her.

Clive lowered the current letter he was reading, his eyes drifting over to the bed. He saw the peaceful sleeping form of Lyra, the blanket slowly rising and falling with each breath she took. She was dead to the world as there was no way of waking her up with any noises. He wouldn't even dare try to wake her if he could.

Just then, a knock came from the door.

"Enter," Clive told the person.

The door opened and Gav entered the room with another letter to deliver. He handed it to Clive before looking over at Lyra. "Still sleeping, eh? Ya don't think she'll be out cold for 'nother four years, do ya?"

Clive sighed in disbelief. "Gav..."

"Ah, sorry. Guess it really isn't sometin' to joke about." The scout then looked back at Clive. For the past three days, he'd been itching to tell him the truth about Lyra's capture in Rosalith. He finally snapped and spilled his guts. "Ah, I can't take it anymore!"

Clive's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Lyra got captured on purpose!"

His eyes widen in shock. "What...?"

The scout was quick to come to the goddess' defense. "B-But don't get mad!" He placed his hands on the desk and leaned on them. He recalled the look of fear on her face before her expression immediately changed. He could never forget that petrified look in her eyes. "She saw sometin', but I don't know what. I've never seen her that scared before. It's got to do with why she allowed herself to be captured. Aye, I just know it does! Before ya give her a tongue whippin', ask her about what she saw and then take it from there."

Clive lowered his gaze. "Thank you for telling me, Gav."

"Just... Just promise to protect me when she wakes up. If she knows I told ya, she'll string me up by my toes!"

This made Clive smirk a little. "I will see what I can do."

Gav sighed. "Aye..."

The scout left the room, closing the door behind him.

Clive would have been angry, but he wasn't since Gav told him everything. He was more curious as to what prompted Lyra to throw herself willingly to the wolves. Standing up from his desk, he walked over to the bed and sat on the edge next to the woman's sleeping form. He reached down and combed a few of her golden strands out of her face. "Why did you do it...?" he whispered.

"Because..." Lyra responded, her eyes opening to reveal she was awake. "I could not lose you."

"Gav mentioned you saw something. What did you see?" he pried deeper.

"I saw the future. A vision, to be more precise," she answered. "In Rosalith, you were taken by Hugo's men. He killed you before I could reach you. I knew I had to do something to alter this outcome. I needed to get as close to him as possible. That is when I allowed his men to capture me. Giving my spear to Gav was also a part of my plan."

"The spear..." Clive remembered how the holy weapon flew past him as if it had a will of its own. However, it was simply returning to its wielder and heeding her command. "What of this Cronus, the wolf?"

"One of the four winds I absorbed. He is a Guardian Beast, one of four I sent to watch over Valisthea after its creation. I completely forgot about them until my memories of them returned at Drake's Breath. The others are Rhea, Crius, and Theia, each one representing a cardinal direction. Cronus and Theia were absorbed by Drake's Breath, but they have both returned to me. I do not know where Rhea or Crius are..." Lyra pushed herself up, tucking her legs to the side as the white gown she was dressed in followed her movements. "I knew if I could call upon Cronus, I would have been able to alter the events of the future."

Clive gazed at her in awe. "And you did..."

She lowered her head, allowing her long blonde tresses to hide her face. "Not before you and Jill were captured... I caused both of you distress. Even poor Gav was caught up in the mess I created. I hope you'll forgive me for what I've done..."

He pushed her hair over her shoulder so he could see her face. "There is nothing to forgive. From what you've told me, you saved me from death's clutches. I could never hate you for that."

She giggled lightly. "You claim I am the kind one, but you should check the mirror."

Clive smiled before it vanished when he remembered how Hugo treated her on the balcony at Rosalith Castle. He felt his blood beginning to boil as his rage showed on his face. He clasped his hands together and squeezed tightly. "Kupka... Did he...?"

She saw the look on his face and was quick to assuage his anger. "No. There's no need to worry, I promise."

He visibly relaxed, his hands sliding apart. "Thank the Founder..." he sighed.

Lyra smiled and kissed him on the cheek before standing up to reveal herself entirely in the sleeping gown.

She glanced down at her attire before looking toward Clive. "Are you the one who changed me?"

"No," he replied. "Tarja did. She thought you would be more comfortable sleeping with the gown."

"You've seen all of me yet had another woman change me... A shame, truly," she teased, turning away to search for her clothes.

Clive heard the familiar tone in her voice that let him know she was messing with him. However, he was honest as to why he had Tarja change her. "I only did so out of respect for you, but if that upsets you—"

"I know, Clive, and I'm not upset. You're a good—" She turned back around and found him standing directly behind her. "Boy..."

Before she knew it, she was swept off her feet and carried back to the bed where he pinned her underneath him. Her hands lay limply at her side as she stared up at him. "You do realize I was attempting to get out of bed, yes?"

"Just a little longer," Clive said just above a whisper as he gazed down at her.

"Like I haven't heard that before..." She grumbled. She lifted her hand and trailed it across the part of his chest that was exposed. When she felt him relax under her touch, she moved her hand down to place it over his heart and quickly flipped their position. She managed to use her legs to knock him over and roll onto his back to the other side of the bed. She straddled his hips with a smirk and splayed her hands against his chest. "You won't get your way this time. We can save our amorous congress for later."

Clive groaned. He threw his head back against the pillow. "You aren't making this any easier."

"Oh," she feigned a polite tone. "Forgive me, my lord, for my transgression. I shall see to my departure."

Just before she could crawl off his lap, she was held in place when his hands grabbed her hips. She gazed down at him with half-lidded eyes. "Clive..."

Realizing he had grabbed her hips unconsciously, he apologized and released her. "Forgive me. It was...habit."

She started to laugh. "We have spent many nights together, none of which I regret. I do detest refusing this time, but we must—"

The woman was interrupted by a flurry of knocks on the door.

Confused by who was eagerly knocking, Lyra climbed off of Clive and off the side of the bed. She glanced quizically at him as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "Who—?"

"Open the door, Clive!" the person knocking shouted.

She blinked in surprise when she recognized the voice. "Mid's back from Kanver?"

Clive stood up. "There are some...things I need to tell you regarding Mid and Torgal."

Just before she could ask what he needed to share, the door was flung open and a smiling Mid stormed into the room.

"M-Mid!" Lyra shouted, surprised at her rude entry. She wasn't even dressed properly. "Could you have not waited for a little while longer?"

"Not even a little!" Mid enthusiastically replied. She walked up to her and grabbed her hands. "Clive told me you've been sleeping for a while. I came to wake you up, but you're up! I've been wantin' to see you since I got back! Besides Clive, you're my favorite person here. Dad always warned me never to get on the bad side of the gods."

"Did he now...?" Lyra mumbled.

"But that's not why you're my favorite. I like ya. You're fun to talk to, and your stories are even better!"

"Well, um... In that case, I am...honored to be your favorite besides Clive."

"Now then," Mid released Lyra's hands and got a better look at her. She examined her body with a hum of approval and smiled. "You're still as lush as I remember! It's no surprise that Clive likes to keep you to himself. I bet he also can't keep his hands to himself."

"Mid," Clive sighed in disbelief.

"Oh, you know you en't hiding it from me! No man can resist those curves and that smashing face! Not to mention, you're the kindest soul I know!" Mid drew closer to Lyra. "Are ya certain you're not the goddess of life and beauty?"

"That's very flattering of you, Mid, but I assure you I am not the goddess of beauty," Lyra replied. She enjoyed the compliments, but it was becoming too much so she changed the subject. "What can we do for you, Mid?"

"Eh, there's nothin' Clive can do for me right now. He's already helped with the building of my workshop. I'm here for you," Mid smiled. "Mind if I gave ya a little brush-up?"

She smiled back. "Not even a little."

Mid then looked over at Clive. "I'll have her dolled up in no time! Mind leavin' for a spell?"

"Not at all. I need to speak with Vivian," Clive replied. He left the room, leaving both women behind.

Mid moved to stand behind Lyra and started to comb her fingers through her flowy blonde locks. "All right! I know where to begin! But first, I'm gonna need ya to change. I wouldn't want you to ruin what I've got in store for this lovely hair o' yours."

Curious as to what Mid was planning, Lyra nodded. "All right."