Corryn's body was limp, bloody, bruised, broken, and exhausted.

His eyes slowly fluttered open, and he noticed his vision was still necessarily black.

"Wh—" He went to speak, but was quickly hushed by Pyra, covering his mouth.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're... well, let's just say awake. You're... not in the best condition, but slow movements shouldn't hurt." Pyra informed.

"Okay... but what's in front of my eyes?" Corryn asked weakly.

"Um... w-well, that's.... my chest." Pyra answered nervously.

"...oh." Corryn said, letting out a soft hum in thought.

"I-If you're ready to try and move, we can go look for the others." Pyra said brushing through his hair to distract herself from his previous question.

"Azurda..." Corryn said as his surge of awareness began to increase. The night came back to him, and he immediately rolled off of Pyra's lap, and onto his face.

Forcing his body up, he began to sprint through the massive forest he finally found himself in, making Pyra gasp and run after him.

Looking over a cliff he stopped at, Corryn saw Azurda, littered with metal rods fired from the black ship, breathing slowly, likely running out of time.

Not knowing another way down, Corryn waited until Pyra ran up beside him, before grabbing her arm, and jumping down.

With his fatigue, Corryn waited til they were just two feet from the ground, before catching her, and barely himself, where he fell to his knees in exhaustion.

"Azurda!" Corryn shouted, slowly standing up and limping over.

"Corryn... I'm so thankful to see you in one piece." Azurda said hoarsely.

"...This is it... isn't it?" Corryn asked, standing still as Pyra walked up to his side, covering her mouth at Azurda's wounds.

"Fear not... No parting is forever. We will surely meet again when the flow of the ether wills it..." Azurda exclaimed, his body began to convert into blue particles, the luminescent dust growing brighter with each passing moment.

"The days with you were the best I ever had. Until we meet again, Corryn..." Azurda parted, just as his body lost physical form, and dispersed into the fall of the glowing orbs.

They rained down on Corryn as he stood in silence, not uttering another word.

Because when he looked down, a much more fluffier, smaller version of Azurda was standing with his arms crossed.

"You almost got me." Corryn said wiping his left eye, which had nearly shed a tear.

"W-Well, he got me..." Pyra said covering her eyes in embarrassment.

"As smart as ever, Corryn. By maximizing cellular regeneration to retain all vital body functions, I have reverted to a larval state." Azurda explained.

"You get to heal, while I have a broken back." Corryn summarized.

"Sorry..." Pyra responded, rubbing her arms.

"Ah. It seems you aren't in as good of condition as I thought. Do we have a way to analyze his wounds?" Azurda asked, flying with his tiny wings up to Corryn's shoulder.

"Not without, well, stripping him." Pyra shrugged.

"Not here at least..." Corryn said with a shudder at the thought.

"Oh. Found Nia." Corryn continued. He was about to run, but Pyra stopped him.

She gestured to hop on her back, but Corryn gave her an annoyed stare.

"Not a cha—"

•

"Phew... that took unnecessarily long." Nia said with a long sigh, placing her two circular blade disks at her hip, Dromarch sitting on his hind legs.

Pyra slowed down her jog as she spotted Nia, and waved at her.

"It's that blade Corryn was using..." Nia whispered.

"Where's Corryn?!" Nia shouted, reaching for her blades again, but Corryn's hair made an appearance beside Pyra's face.

"I'm in shambles." Corryn said from her back.

"At least you're in one piece. You took quite the beating..." Nia laughed. "I didn't really know how to use a sword. Let alone, work as a team." Corryn said dropping off of Pyra.

"I think you did great for your first time using a Blade." Pyra said rubbing his shoulder.

"Hey, by the way. What happened to the Titan that saved us?" Nia asked.

Corryn picked up Azurda off his shoulder and held him out. "Here."

"...what."

"Long story. But. I'm in dire need of medical assistance. I'm actually only standing because I'm moving my body like a puppet." Corryn said staggering on his feet.

~•~

Corryn was lying on his back, his cloak, coat, and sweater off of his body so they could analyze whatever wounds he took on the ancient ship.

"Wow... it's almost all purple." Nia commented. "That's not good..." Dromarch said with a wince.

"My left hip and back feel numb." Corryn said softly.

"Sorry again..." Pyra said with a frown.

"You broke his back...?!" Nia asked in shock. "N-No—"

"Yes. She did. Lying's not good, Pyra." Corryn laughed with a smirk.

"Let's cauterize the wounds." Pyra said igniting her hand with a glare.

"It was a joke!"

"Let's just, get some rest for the night. We can find a town or something later."

~•~

Corryn stumbled on his feet as he landed from a flip, having slashed through the last beast on their way to the Province of Gormott.

"Great job!" Pyra praised, giving him a thumbs up.

"I guess. The sword feels so heavy without using my powers." Corryn said with a pant.

"Hmm... he still has no actual knowledge of how to use a weapon. Seems he's just swinging it." Nia critiqued.

"I am." Corryn said with a nod, making them all sigh.

"Keep in mind, psychic abilities makes things convenient... which makes me lazy. I don't have any muscles to hold this thing, let alone the capacity to learn to actually use sword." Corryn retorted, crossing his arms.

"We can work on that, though. Sure enough, we can get you in shape!" Pyra said with a smile.

"Let's get a move on. I can only take you as far as Torigoth. The biggest city in Gormott." Nia began. "After that, I'm afraid you're on your own. I'm not exactly wanted the way you'd think." Nia added, rolling her eyes.

"...Are you planning on going back to them?" Corryn asked, slowly fixing his grip on the Aegis, noticed by Pyra and Dromarch.

"They're the closest thing I have to family." Nia avoidedthe question, yet implied she still held them in mind.

Corryn's eyes went cold as he took a step forward, but Pyra held him back quickly.

"Let's go," Nia said walking further into the large plains that met the city.

Corryn's gaze on Nia was only skepticism and distrust now that she voiced her loyalty. Pyra shook her head as Corryn placed the Aegis on his back, the three following after her.

•

The group arrived at the entrance of Torigoth, and Pyra looked around in amusement. Otherwise, Nia was silent in thought, and Corryn was staring into space doing the same.

"Nia?" Pyra asked.

"It's nothing," she said quickly. "Okay, then. I'll show you to an inn, and then I'm out of here." Nia said with a nod, looking more and more distant.

"Woah, it's your wanted poster." Corryn said with a chuckle.

Nia, Pyra, Azurda and Dromarch looked over his shoulders and saw a... human with a tiger's face. Almost like it was pasted up there.

"What the bloody hell is this?! This is supposed to be me?!" Nia shouted. "Remarkable likeness..." Dromarch joked under his breath.

"You say something?" Nia asked with a glare.

"Uh, no! No. I fear they may have conflated our countenances, my lady." Dromarch recovered. "Guess they got lazy making posters." Corryn said with a smile.

Nia snatched the poster from Corryn, and began scratching it up, tearing it into shreds, before throwing them into the air.

"Very inconspicuous of you." Corryn sighed.

•

"Fie! Who has the courage to heed the Empire's call? Your strong heart today, will build a strong Mor Ardain tomorrow!" A soldier cheered, wearing brown leather and steel armor, a gas mask and a rounded helmet with a bird-like crown on the top.

"Of course, you get more than a salary! Pension and benefits are included!" He informed the growing crowd around the main square. "Distinguish yourself and you could even join the nobility!"

"For the glory of the Ardainian Empire," he began, and his two comrades followed, "And His Majesty Emperor Niall!" They chanted.

Corryn blatantly ignored this, walking away as the others stayed to watch. He was gonna keep going and wander aimlessly, but he sighed and trudged back.

"What's the matter?" Corryn asked with a sigh.

"You don't find this educational?" Nia asked. "Aren't you a beginner?"

"While I've never been a Driver, I know a bit about Blades. I know not everyone's fit for it, and can potentially die," Corryn said with a shrug. "Like him." He said throwing his thumb back to the soldiers.

A man screamed in agony, before falling to the floor with a spark of ether, dead. Just as he said, the man wasn't fit to be a Driver, via the dim of the core crystal he touched.

"Damn, public execution— anyway," Corryn went to leave again, but Pyra grabbed his hand, keeping her eyes on the spectacle.

Corryn looked back, tired and confused, but saw she was still intrigued to see how things would play out if someone tried again.

Corryn stepped closer to her and shook his head, letting their hands fall, but not part.

A young man, maybe even as young as Corryn, slowly crept up despite his younger 'siblings' wishes, and braved the  thought of dying.

He placed his hand on the core crystal, and ether began to leak out of it, pulsing into the air and him, making him scream as well, but feel little pain.

The young Gormotti man's body began to glow, and a weapon began to shine in front of him, where a Blade's body appeared to life behind him.

It was a standard looking, almost mass produced style blade, with very simple looking colors and a the build of a muscular bipedal, with a more geometrical head, with horns on both sides.

The boy looked at his feat, and held the crafted lance into the air with a triumphant shout, making the crowd for and cheer for him.

Pyra's eyes widened and her curiosity made her walk forward, taking Corryn with her. She smiled brightly seeing the young boy now able to support his friends and family.

Corryn's lip began to curl upward too, but only because she was happy. It was a sight for the sorest eyes to see her grin as brightly as she was.

"Come on, you two. No point stinking around for the boring stuff. Let's go." Nia said glancing at the two with her own smirk.

•

Corryn was walking beside Dromarch and Pyra as Nia led the way under and overpass, and it seems the group stayed their welcome for far too long.

Mor Ardain Soldiers began to run after them, and several stopped in front of them.

"Halt! Nobody move!" One with a much longer helmet shouted, trotting up with a rifle at his side.

Corryn immediately placed his hand on the Aegis, and Pyra turned to have his back as Nia and Dromarch stanced up as well.

"Oh dear... imperial troops." Azurda sighed, fluttering higher into the air.

"Problem, officers?" Corryn asked as politely as possible while trying to hold down a glare.

"That fugitive in your company is an enemy of the state! A member of Torna!" The captain yelled.

"Is that so? I can't say she looks the wanted poster." Corryn said with a smirk, making the captain scoff.

"It's her alright. Gormotti Driver, white beast-form Blade. She looks exactly like the wanted poster!" The captain joked back.

"Now as for you..." The captain said crossing his arms. "You look like a Driver, too. Registration number?" He asked sternly.

"...1234." Corryn said with a shrug.

"Knock it off, you fool. All Drivers must register with Indol! No number means you must be an illegal, unregistered Driver!" The captain exclaimed.

"The only thing illegal here, is gonna be this ass whooping. Literally." Corryn said breaking the innocent look and taking the Aegis off his back.

"On three. You two go left, me and Pyra right. Got it?" Corryn asked. "...Got it." Nia said unsure of whether he should stick with them.

"You're going to resist?! Seriously?" The captain said in shock and a bit of fear. "Alright, men! We've got them out numbered, move in and—"

"THREE!" Corryn shouted rushing forward, straight for the captain.