Waking up someone in a Trait induced coma wasn't exactly common knowledge. 

Cull had been unconscious for several days, the only indication that he was still alive was the faint glow of orange Trait surrounding his body. It was expelling at a rapid rate, constantly being kept in check by one of the two Firestep wolves. Alternating between the two was no easy task but a Traited couldn't survive for much longer without summoning their grimoire to stabilise them. It was like a heart that couldn't beat without oxygen.

 "I take it there's a way to do that, then?" Mantis asked blunty, still holding onto Rin who was shaking in trepidation at the thought.

The Scale Shrieker thought for a moment, hesitant to venture over to Cull in case her Shadow Trait did something to his own. Hawkins had never heard of such a thing, normally leaving the drastic healing to Traited like his superiors in the Mediators. His mother had always reprimanded him for never learning how to heal grevious wounds despite how often he got into trouble but Hack knew how rare that gift truly was. He was the only one who allowed Hawkins to be who he truly was instead of a lesser copy of his father. Not for lack of trying.

 "Yes. I believe so." Odi said at last, mulling over the possibilities in her head. 

The Mediator was stunned that she knew how to do such a complex technique like it was nothing. Trait was a highly unpredictable beast of knowledge more vast than the Cerucian Sea dividing Tarragon and Neridia. The fact a dragon like Odi could navigate such a system of endless change was commendable to her years of experience and research. Being a hermit certainly had its advantages.

"Really? I didn't even know that was possible." Hawkins said, the discord in his heart slowly lessening at the delighted expression on Odi's face.

No matter what it was, Odi seemed to light up the room whenever someone wanted to learn something new. It didn't matter whether it was a theory or if it was cold, hard fact: the way Odi explained even the most mundane thing was more engaging than having meaningless conversation with his extended family.

"Since you are both of the same Core then your grimoires can be attuned to one another, kind of like a magnet. It can be done with other types but it's far harder to do." Odi said, her tail swishing about like a cat sending gusts of dusty air billowing up above.

Hack chuckled at the Scale Shrieker's happiness while Hawkins couldn't help but smile before directing his attention to the wary Fire Traited in front of him.

"You should be the one to do it, Rin. You know him best. Besides, it was your vote which decided it."

His voice was soft and kind, almost reminding him of the first time he taught Wisp how to use his Smoke Trait. A jolt of pain shocked the Mediator but he clamped his feelings down, waiting for the flustered teen to settle down. Rin was powerful but lacked confidence in herself. Even if the vote had been stacked in her favour that didn't mean the verdict didn't matter.

"Really? I wouldn't even know where to start…" the young Fire Traited spluttered, flustered by the notion of such a thing.

Rubbing her arms together to block a sudden chill caused Mantis to shy away from her, not for lack of empathy but genuine concern that she was the one making her cold with her frigid Trait. No one commented on the sudden movement of the two Traited, deciding instead to concern themselves with the conversation just like always. It was how they prevented them focusing on far less dire outcomes.

"The best place for you to try and summon Cull's grimoire is his chest. It's where the link between Trait, grimoire and in his case, Lariat would be the strongest." Odi said steadily, deciding that her knowledge could soothe the apprehensive Rin by appealing to her more logical side.

"Why?"

Odi smiled, satisfied that her attempt had worked.

"Well, Trait requires a particular mindset to use. Then, once that Trait reaches its limit it needs a grimoire to hold it together. Once it has a grimoire, the contract binds the three together and that's how you become a fully fledged Traited." Odi explained, being reminded of teaching young children and dragonlings many decades ago.

"So? That's baby stuff!"

The group winced, noting how Mantis had returned to her usual crotchety self. But the Scale Shrieker paid her no mind, choosing to ignore her and instead engage with the others her theory she had been developing long before she first became an archivist, a researcher and most importantly, an Agar.

 After all, Fidget wasn't always her partner.

"The Trait needs the mind to function properly. A grimoire needs the heart. The contract between the two is contained within each soul. One without the other can't be achieved unless you want the wrath of the Laia to smite you down." Odi said, joking while the Thyraxian began to giggle politely.

The young Agar who had spent all her energy healing everyone was now back to peak performance, whizzing about everyone's heads, turning invisible and returning to her spindly form again and again. But still Rin only gave her a wan smile, her nervousness outlasting the others laughter. 

Taking a breath, the flames from within her heart burst forth into a physical form of a dark red tome stained in ash. Her grimoire. The part of her willingly shown to all by her desire to know more about the Trait she had and the chance she had been given. The chance to save Cullian, her twin brother.

"Could you take a look at it for me, Odi? I'm worried...it isn't strong enough." Rin murmured, admitting her faults aloud. 

The group hushed, Odi's eyes grew wide at the confession, stunned that a member of the Swarm, an Enforcer of all people would say such a thing to someone she barely knew. It had only been a few days since they had reluctantly banded together but they had fought, ate, laughed and shared so much with each other. Cricket's looming presence after the fight hung over them all but together they planned and learned from each other's mistakes, past and opinions. 

The Scale Shrieker closed her eyes and put all her energy into moving her legs, with a few strained breaths she stood up with her tail clamped to the ground, much like Hack when he was traversing with his cursed leg. No one dared to question her, the quiet, strained groans was all they heard as Odi took a few hesitant steps towards the Traited.

 Her wings lay awkwardly on her back, open like two large canvases scraping on the ground but Odi didn't have the strength nor the resolve to move them just yet. In a few clumsy strides the dragon towered over the young Traited, terrified that she did something wrong but once Odi opened her eyes they weren't clouded over in anger. They shone with pride. 

"You are so brave. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You are more than your Trait or your grimoire. You are a combination of both and neither, a chemical reaction that ever evolves and changes despite everything you've been through to have it stamped out. Your Trait is as wonderful and unique as you are, Rin. No matter what the rules say."

Odi rested her head against the young girl's shoulder while she cried, taking all the weight off her shoulders about what had happened that day. Rin clung to the dragon, her scales stained in dust and tears, wordlessly trying to atone for what she did. Her sentences were riddled with sobs before they slowly subsided and she tried to gather her thoughts before explaining herself. Odi simply stayed beside her patiently with no ounce of pain on her features. 

"If I was stronger I could've...could've stopped her. I didn't want her to hurt you, I just wanted her to stop you. That's all. I knew...I knew Cricket never had control over her Trait but...if my Trait was stronger...you could've...could've-"

Odi smiled despite her injuries, latching on to the young Traited and attempted to soothe her stress with words.

"Strength is only one of the Seven Principles of Trait. Understanding your own weaknesses and moving ahead despite them is more than enough to prove how strong you are, Rin. Anything that can happen, will happen with enough grit and gumption." Odi said, smiling her teeth bared a little as if trying to be supportive but was actually quite comical.

Rin snorted, turning her face away from the dragon to laugh out loud, echoing barks of genuine enjoyment before hugging Odi tight.

"You sound like Cull...." She said quietly, sniffing before her smile was joined with a look of pure determination. 

Rising to her feet, the Fire Traited took her weight off the dragon and gestured her to rest, Mantis' expression undeterred by the sudden change in demeanour. Hawkins raised an eyebrow at her but she only shrugged, her leader status temporarily evoked in favour of Rin. There was no astonishment within her eyes, only understanding and unfaltering trust.

"Alright. I'm ready to try. If that's OK with everyone." Rin addressed the group still surrounded by the long snuffed out fire pit.

Her lackadaisical stance betrayed her nervousness, arms folded a little too tight while protecting her grimoire beneath. Small, uncertain glances over to Mantis and her borrowed notebook with everything she had learned from the Mediators. But her eyes held their gazes and her decision to help, no get her brother healed without any more delay.

"No complaints here." Hack said, shifting his weight as if raring to go.

 "Good luck." Hawkins said, kindly attempting to reassure the young teen.

"Just hurry up so I can throttle the tosser." Mantis said, sneering but with a hint of pride in her voice.

Odi nodded, satisfied as she lay a little ways behind Rin to not only support her but to block the others from the heat in case things went wrong. She had faith in Rin but not as blindly as Mantis. It was her idea in the first place and Hawkins knew how careful she was when it came to strategies and her level headed mindset kept her calm.

"Good. I'll talk you through it as best I can."

Rin nodded, while Hawkins briefly went over the Trait lectures they'd had over the last few days in his head. To successfully summon someone else's grimoire into emergence the body, heart, soul needed to be in tune. Right now, Cull's body couldn't wake up thanks to his heart receiving no power from his soul. The grimoire didn't have enough Trait to sustain a manifested from let alone retain it as a power source. What Rin needed to do was reach with her Trait for his grimoire and ignite that spark again.

Hawkins watched while Rin reached over to her brother's unconscious body, his breathing barely visible despite the glow of Trait surrounding him. The two Firestep wolves gave her the proper distance despite Blaize's insistence to want to stay near to him but Rin gave her a look which shocked even Hazard to submission. Odi cast her gaze away from the concentrating teen, her grimoire searing hot with flame and gave a curt nod to Hawkins.

"One."

The Mediator began the count nice and slow, quietly allowing the Fire Traited to gather her Trait towards the centre of her outstretched hands and spread it out wide as it gathered against her fingertips. Then she turned to Hawkins and replied in her own time.

"Trust."

A spluttering flame burst from her command, spinning wildly into coils of pure Trait while Cull's flame slowly ebbed towards it. The cylindrical curls of flame were far stronger and brighter than anything Rin had ever produced before and that was after less than a week of coaching from a trio of highly versatile Traited. Not only that but none of them were Fire Traited.

"Two." Hawkins continued, admiring how far she had come.

"Knowledge." Rin replied again, her Trait thinning out while it spun across her palms and halting at her fingertips.

Taking a deep breath, both Traited paused until Rin was positioned right above her brothers chest, kneeling to the side while her hands were placed on his chest. Cull's orange hued Trait surrounding him suddenly began to ebb towards his sister. Taking a deep breath, the flames ebbing beneath her palms matched her brother's slow heartbeat. With a nod, Hawkins began the count again.

"Three."

A hint of an ash flecked spine rose from the weight of Cull's amber hued chest, almost like a portal to nowhere. The grimoire was still wary to emerge, still laden with a heavy heart filled with countless sins. But in his sister's eyes, those sins were as great as her own yet still just as redeemable.

"Versatility."

Her voice rose and lilted like a quiet sea, still clinging to the skittish grimoire with both hands. Gently she ebbed through the doubts and insecurities within her brother's closed off mind, wary to disturb anymore. 

"Four."

Hawkins could see the fear in her eyes long before he gave the count. Rin had done well to stabilise the grimoire but now her Trait imbalance was causing her brother's grimoire to flitter out of existence. Blaize gasped in pain while Cull himself let out choked breaths of unstable air flow, Hazard struggling to support them both with a strained growl of exertion.

The Lariat tightened.

"S-strength." Rin stuttered, barely able to control her nervousness. 

Hawkins knew exactly what she was thinking. No matter how much encouragement Odi and the others gave her, what mattered was what Rin thought about herself. Right now, she was laser focused on her own self doubts and insecurities and no amount of encouragement would distract her from that.

Rin's orange tipped hands faded to black, an ominous sign of death while Odi watched on restlessly. Hawkins resisted the urge to stop the count and use his Trait to help her but a shake of Mantis' head shocked him into silence. A gentle smile crossed her face, 

softening her rough demeanour ever so slightly while her eyes were filled with confidence.

"Five!" Hawkins called out, attempting to keep the count going.

Rin started nervously peering around the abandoned clearing of dust and grime, catching the eyes of everyone who stood by her side. Hawkins couldn't help but do the same. Hack with his gruff grin, kind eyes and no nonsense attitude. Mantis who spoke her mind no matter who overheard it, paired with the unconventional Thea who laughed more than she cried. 

Hazard and Blaise, one trickster, one grump and neither two commiting to either mood when the Firestep siblings were together. Odi, the smartest, kindest dragon he had ever met even when compared to one other who remained forever close to his heart. All of them were people he'd never forget regardless of the outcome of their battles. 

 Suddenly, as if responding to his Mediator musings: a flicker of red changed the glooming aura just for a moment, a fleeting second that both Traited and Lariat instantly recognised. It was Cull. He was fighting back.

"Understanding. I...I understand." Rin said at last while clinging to her brother's grimoire with all her might.

Focusing on the dark, gaping hole in her heart Rin channeled every ounce of focus she had on the task in front of her. Hawkins eyes grew wide, flickering images began to surface from the embers and the smog. Two children inseparable yet so different, young but so strong, hardened by their time hounding the streets of ash and flames.

"Six."

The grimoire was about to be solidified, half emerged out of an invisible portal, an expansive space with no name, no origin but could not be denied as anything but proof. The leering shadows seemed to ground Rin to her spot despite the rising, orange haze surrounding her. They coiled around her legs and clung like cobwebs, planting her to the ground without affecting her concentration. Hawkins didn't know whether it was Odi's Trait or his lack of food the last few hours but it was an unforgettable sight.

"Realism."

Rin's flames began to peeter out, narrowing the gap between Cull and his grimoire but not enough to cleanly unearth it and awaken him. Flecks of ash fell from the dormant pages, making Hawkins shudder in reminder. Turning his head just a fraction, he caught the slight glint of hidden detailing beneath the dust.

"Seven." He counted a little too quickly, Rin jolting in fear and surprise at the sudden announcement. 

She wasn't ready. 

Cracks began to form on the earth below, dry from the heat but deadened and rotting from other means not unlike the process they were going through. Rin looked down, terrified by what she saw while her Trait soared wildly out of control, her flames causing a wide wall between them.

"I-I can't." Rin screamed, huddling closer towards her brother despite his steadily fading heartbeat.

"Seven." 

A voice repeated again, but it wasn't Hawkins. A cool breeze washed over the frightened Fire Traited, careful not to disturb the situation and only soothe the roaring flames and Rin's rapid breathing.

"I...can't open it. I can't hold on much longer."

Even though she couldn't see them amidst the fire and the smoke, she could see Hawkins playful Trait streak across the sky in a graceful arc, a silver hawk much like the one he had summoned for Cricket providing her strength that wasn't confined to power alone. Capability. It was always the last. It proved you could do anything.

"I know you can." 

With those words, Rin grabbed the fading outline of her brother's grimoire and overturned it with her hand. A swift twist of her wrist encased in flame, a vortex emerged and the grimoire swung up and out to greet her only to be met with a surge of red hot hellflame.

"Rin!" Hawkins roared, his Smoke Trait snuffed out by the sheer strength of the inferno.

The impact of the blast sent chunks of pavement flying from all directions, the two Firestep wolves barely clinging to the barricade which was crumbling by the second. Hazard howled for his sister, still caught in the dying tornado of ash and ember but wasn't moving. It wasn't that large but the speed of the flames was dizzying. 

"Hawkins! Hold on! I have to help Hazard!" Hack yelled, barely staying upright while Mantis shielded her Agar from the heatwave. 

Her confidence had fizzled at the sight of the wreckage, barely able to fight against the oncoming winds despite her Trait. Thea clung to Mantis' chest, her spindly legs badly burnt by the scorching air but the bottle green jacket encasing her managed to protect her a little. The side of Mantis' face had an ugly gash dripping down her cheek but she had enough strength to protect her partner. That was enough for now.

Hawkins was frozen in place, hugging the stone slab of his seat while the heat raged on against the rising winds. Then, as if pulled by invisible strings, the hot air subsided and turned to a deadly chill of silence amidst the dust storm. Mantis had disappeared, suddenly moved from her spot while the others had ended up clustered together no more than a few metres apart.

Hack had been trapped within a furry clump of flailing, singing limbs of wolven teeth but somehow he had helped both Blaize and Hazard stay put despite the fiery wreckage, yelping and growling in fear and outrage. Hack simply growled back, crooked fangs bared in indignation while the two backed off and allowed the Sand Wraith through.

"Odi!" Hack yelled, stumbling to his feet despite his cursed leg slowing him down. 

The frail Scale Shrieker huddled tight within a ball, her claws tucked in below her chest, wings shielding them as best she could despite the grievous injuries searing down her back. A pair of muffled voices fought to break free from her scaly grip but it wasn't until scales met scales and Hack rested his palm against her trembling back did Odi truly believe it was safe. 

"Odiphilis...Odi, it's OK. I promise it's OK. You can let go now. You saved them. You saved them."

Hawkins hung back, not wanting to approach and reason with the now circling Firestep wolves protecting what was theirs. He could hear the tell tale scraping of Odi's claws on the ground while she struggled to push herself out of the caged, defensive position she had curled herself into. It was only natural considering the dangers of the flames.

"What happened?" Hawkins said, peering down as Odi groggily opened her eyes while the twins clambered out of the dragons grip.

"I caught her. During the blast. My wings...still don't feel right but they were enough today. They were enough to stop them getting hurt again." She exclaimed, still out of breath but delighted.

Hawkins sighed in relief, fidgeting against the smoke while Mantis slunk back over to the group, undeterred by the events as if strolling through a market. Hawkins was stunned to see her there, certain she had been on the other side of the flames but he didn't have time to reassess his actions before Cull sourly attempted to move gruffly away from his rescuer.

"Get off me you brute!" 

Cull swatted the dragon angrily, his face pale while he dug around in his pockets before producing a white ball of what looked like sticky, raw dough. In a matter of seconds his flames roared in triumph at the sight of the offering, taking him aback at the sudden surge of power before gorging on the now puffed up morsel of bread. 

"What?" He said, lounging on the hard ground without a care in the world.

He hadn't noticed the ground start to tremble. 

Hawkins glanced warily over towards the enraged Sand Wraith, unsure of whether to intervene and try to settle him down but an unlikely source soon beat him to it. Rin lashed out at her twin furiously, his newly formed grimoire attempting to protect him against the onslaught of kicks and wildly misplaced punches. 

"Odi saved us you...you ungrateful twonk!"

Hack snorted, less inclined to fire a rock in Cull's mouth but at least Rin had taken his swearing lessons to heart. He had spent the time to bolster her confidence with a few well placed insults, insisting to Odi and Mantis that his intentions were pure. At least, for a crotchety, old Sand Wraith like Hack. 

But Cull wasn't done with his tirade just yet.

"Oh shut up. You liked being smothered by that thing? If she hadn't have crashed into Cricket-"

"No!" Rin roared, her hands shaking in fury.

Cull almost choked on his snack, coughing loudly, his face redder than his hair, his wide eyes completely dumbstruck but Rin wasn't finished. Normally her brother was the hot headed one but today she was in full force rant mode and nothing could stop her from venting on a brother she had fretted about for days on end.

"Your unconscious brain couldn't comprehend what I had to go through to wake up your sorry arse and I won't let you insult the nicest dragon I've met in years because you decided to be a dumbass!"

"...a what?" 

Cull's voice rose an accusatory octave, confusion and annoyance all over his face at the sound of such an unfamiliar insult. Rin shook her head and folded her arms in disappointment while Hack fought the urge to start laughing.

"A dumbass. Hack taught me it. It basically means your stupid but that's beside the point, Cull." Rin said bluntly, a tone not dissimilar to the no nonsense one Odi used.

"Of course a damn lizard taught you to stand up for yourself! The irony of that is worse than his bloody fake limp!"

In that moment, Rin's patience snapped and with a snarl not unlike one Odi had given the Enforcers mere days ago she vaulted herself onto her lazy brother like a cat out of hell. With a yell of annoyance, the two twins tussled on the ground while wordless screams were paired with angry blows. It reminded Hawkins of the two Firestep wolves play fighting but the look in Rin's eyes was anything but.

"You apologise to them BOTH right now or so help me I will backhand you into Hellgrind itself!"

"What crawled up your ass-"

"Now!"

Rin demanded, keeping him in a headlock, her smile grim while both twins flared their Trait menacingly but neither one daring to use it. They only wanted to bicker, not actually hurt each other. Cull struggled to move out of his sitting position while clinging to his sister, trying to throw her off him. His roll had been discarded on the dust ridden ground, snapped up by a nearby Hazard.

"Alright. I'm sorry." Cull muttered, barely audible but at least sounded slightly genuine. 

Rin huffed, letting her little brother go before gingerly standing up and begrudgingly offering him a hand. The Fire Traited teen stared at it a while, his eyes narrowed only to glance over at a nearby Mantis who was making brief small talk with Odi. He hissed, slapped her hand away and sneered at the new camaraderie shown by the two groups.

"I'm sorry for calling you out on your bullshit make believe fantasy world where Traited can get along and be friends with two crippled lizards and a Mediator who can't even keep his own Agar safe!" Cull said, his words laced with malice.

Rin's eye twitched, her anger steadily rising once again but a single hand on her shoulder settled the flames within her fingertips. Cull let out a sarcastic laugh at Mantis' sudden intervention, the half elf stepping forward with a small smile on her face. The Fire Traited stood confidently against her, raising his chin as if to challenge her position as leader of the Enforcers.

Mantis raised an eyebrow, gave a scoff and punched Cull in the face.