Where We Used To Be - Chapter 1

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"And thus, I met you"

The Titans were the very foundation which all life depended on. They have been around for centuries—long enough for mankind and wildlife to take root and make each Titan their home. Some waded through the Cloud Sea, while others flew above or swam through its depths. All of them circled around the center of Amphoreus: the World Tree.

This was simply how life has always been. No one knew where the Titans came from, or what the origins were of the giant World Tree at the center of the world. One thing they knew for certain though was this: without the Titans, there would be no life in this world humanity called “home”.

…

It was a tepid day. The sun shined brightly, and the tree leaves swayed gently in the breeze. Aglaea sat in silence on a lone bench a top a hill, her form shielded by the shade of a great tree growing right behind her. She was busy keeping watch of the knitting project in her hands—her fingers moving with practiced, meticulous precision to bring a new garment to life—when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Agy, look.”

The voice of her beloved teacher—Tribios—was both excited and yet uncharacteristically somber, drawing Aglaea’s attention. So she paused her knitting, placed her knitting needles on her lap, and raised her head to see where her teacher had been pointing. In the distance, Aglaea could make out the form of a small, nameless Titan. It was a cetacean type breaching above the Cloud Sea—barely large enough to sustain a single home and some wildlife, if any. Aglaea would have thought the sight was quite picturesque but nothing unusual, until she noticed the bright blue glimmer that shined from the Titan’s forehead. The light flashed and the Titan gave a final bellow before its body fell back into the Cloud Sea, sinking into its depths.

“Another Titan has died,” Aglaea breathed.

Tribios nodded. “A small one, but another one nonetheless.” Tribios clasped her hands together and dropped them delicately into her lap. “To see the death of one used to be a rare occurrence, but nowadays they’ve been becoming far too frequent.”

Aglaea recounts the various council meetings she had witness as an audience member per the Imperator’s recommendation. The topic as of late had all been the same: the crisis of the dying Titans and the rapidly dwindling living space because of it. With each major Titan’s fall, thousands lose their homes. Those that could not flee in time meet their doom alongside their Titan at the bottom of the Cloud Sea, and those that do manage to evacuate are left without home, food, and protection. For many, the city of Okhema—located on the Titan Kephale—was the one sanctuary left that they could turn to; the very Titan Aglaea and her teacher resided and the nation the Imperator ruled over. Yet, with the ever growing number of Titan’s dying and people losing their homes, Okhema has begun to feel the strain of being one of the remaining bastions of humanity: debates on relocation efforts, funding, refugee aid, food shortages, and more were now common place in the Imperator’s many council meetings. Aglaea had watched the Imperator handle all of them with unwavering resolve and rulership, but one could only supply for so many as demands ever grow and resources run low.

Aglaea herself was a refugee. Her original country—the Titan Mnestia—was the most recent major country to fall below the Cloud Sea within the past several years. While Aglaea’s reasons for escaping to Kephale were not quite in the same vein as other refugees, she had lost everything all the same: her family, her home, and everything else she had cared for. Aglaea had simply been lucky that Tribios had found and taken her in under her wing. Doing so gave Aglaea an opportunity to make her existence known to the Imperator, and her talents earned her a spot as a valuable asset to the Imperator and her elite regime: the Chrysos Heirs.

“Do you think there’s a reason for it?” Aglaea asked, referring to the many Titan deaths.

“A reason beyond natural cause? I don’t think so,” Tribios answered. “Titans are living beings, just like the rest of us. Their lives simply far outstretch our own. Some, like Kephale, are burdened with the task of ‘existence’ for who knows how many centuries. Many, like the one we witnessed just now, may only be destined for a few decades.” Tribios tucked a hair behind her pointed ear, a fore lorn look on her face, “Perhaps time has simply decided to catch up with many of them at the same time.”

Aglaea lets her teacher’s words marinate in her thoughts for a moment. She eventually turns her gaze back out towards the Cloud Sea, the expanse of clouds reaching out towards an endless horizon. She just barely makes out an avian shape in the distance, which Aglaea recognizes as the Titan Aquila. “It would be nice if we did not have to worry about our world collapsing beneath our feet.”

Tribios smiled at Aglaea. “Wouldn’t it just?” She then stood up, brushing the back of her dress to dust off any dirt on her clothes. “Well, I think it’s about time we should head back. You have a rare free afternoon, Agy. Do you have any plans for how you’ll spend it?”

Aglaea, having stood up once she put her knitting tools away into her basket, nodded her head without a moment’s hesitation. There was practically a twinkle in her eye as she spoke her plans to her teacher. “I’d like to soak in a bath after this. Then, work on the new dress I’ve come up with.” Aglaea was rather excited about her latest design that she had concocted. She was eager to begin working on it, if only to show the garment to her teacher.

Tribios giggled at Aglaea’s excitement. “Oh? And what about the knitting project you’ve been working on all this time?”

“Something to keep myself practiced,” Aglaea responded. After a beat, she quickly added, “Not that this isn’t any lesser garment of some sort. It’s just as important as any other work I’ve done. It’s… It’s just not as high on the priority list.”

Tribios laughed louder this time. “Of course, Agy. I know how seriously you take your work.” Tribios affectionately patted the top of Aglaea’s head, and it was then that Aglaea realized she was being teased. She pouted only a tiny bit once she made the realization.

As the two made their way down the hill and back towards Marmoreal Palace Tribios listened dutifully as Aglaea began explaining the new design she had drafted in recent days. Aglaea would list off everything: the techniques she wanted to try, the materials she planned the use, the color coordination and their significance, and even the little accessorizing she wanted to add to the dress. Aglaea spared no expense when explaining the details of her passion project, and Tribios hung onto every word her pupil spoke. It added levity to their walk back, and in what felt like mere moments the two had already arrived back to the Marmoreal Market and nearly to their destination.

However, just as the two rounded a corner they witnessed woman being roughly pushed to the floor as a man quickly rushed by with a large bag in tow. Tribios was quick to act as she made her way to the individual who had been shoved to the floor. “Are you alright, miss?” As Tribios helped the fallen woman back up an elderly man came into view.

“Ah, someone please help! That thief has stolen my bag!”

Aglaea, having understood the situation, looked back in the direction the thief ran and turned. “Teacher, please take care of things here. I will give chase to the perpetrator.” Before Tribios could even make a retort, Aglaea had already run off leaving Tribios to shout after her in alarm. Thankfully it was not hard to follow the thief’s path. They left a mess in their wake, and it was clear that the perpetrator was amateurish at best in their thieving career. It didn’t take long for Aglaea to find the thief once more, having found them in an empty clearing a fair distance away from the marketplace.

“Whew… Okay... Should—Should be far away enough now…” The thief wheezed as they stood hunched over, their hands to their knees from exhaustion.

Aglaea stepped forward, prim and proper. “Kindly return the goods that you’ve stolen sir, and I will turn you over to the guards with less force.” The thief released a startled shout and quickly spun around towards Aglaea while protectively holding the bag behind their back.

“Wha—Who are you!?”

“Your ender, if you do not surrender soon,” Aglaea replied curtly, her green eyes darkening. “Return those belongings. I will not repeat myself again.”

The thief grit his teeth. “Like hell I will!” The thief shouted, swinging his arm out in aggression. He dropped the bag behind him before pulling out a dagger from the back of his belt. “I’ll slice you to ribbons, girlie! Then I’ll make off with my hard earned profits!”

Aglaea felt her brow twitch at the man’s audacity, before she sighed and drew her sword. “You’ve hardly earned anything, I would say,” Aglaea quipped, a mocking tone in her voice. She raised her blade and tilted her head, “I shall make this quick. For both of our sakes.”

The thief yelled out as he ran towards Aglaea, his blade aimed towards her neck. Aglaea quickly parried the attack to the side and followed through with a pommel thrust directly into the thief’s face, causing him to stumble backwards to the floor in pain as blood quickly spewed from his nose. Aglaea rushed forward for her next attack when she was caught off guard by a sudden cloud of dust as dirt was thrown into her vision. Aglaea recoiled on instinct as the irritant got into her eyes and nose, and in the moment she was staggered the thief had gotten up and lunged at her with his knife poised to stab Aglaea through her gut. The attack would never land though, as the thief was sent flying back by a powerful strike to his abdomen.

“Aglaea!” Tribios shouted, her staff clenched in both her hands as she turned her focus to Aglaea. “I keep telling you to stop being so reckless! You could’ve been badly hurt had I not come here in time!”

Aglaea coughed to get the remaining dust out of her system and looked at Tribios with slightly bleary eyes. “I… I have the situation under control, teacher.”

Tribios gave Aglaea an exasperated look and scoffed. “Clearly.” She then turned her attention back to the thief before them, who was steadily getting back up from the blow Tribios had dealt to him. “We’ll talk about this later. For now, let’s finish this.” Tribios brandished her staff and gave Aglaea a look. “Together, okay?”

Aglaea looked at Tribios and nodded. “Together.” As Aglaea and Tribios prepared to bring an end to the scuffle, a memory of one of her combat lessons rang in her head.

“Listen well, little Golden Trout,” Hysilens said as she paced in front of Aglaea. “While the fundamentals are important in fighting, Arts are the key to winning. They can inflict effects on your opponent that are very helpful, like breaking their stance to make them susceptible to being knocked over. It’ll do you some good to learn a few.”

Aglaea gave an inquisitive look to the aquatic blade before her. “Will you be teaching me some of your own, then?”

Hysilens shrugged. “No, I’ll show you some of mine as an example, but that’s it. Arts are really just techniques people make up on their own that suit their style best.” Hysilens stopped her pacing and turned to Aglaea, “Knowing you, your first Art will probably be with those little needles you love to play with so much, Golden Trout.”

Aglaea felt her fist clench as Hysilens laughed at her.

Aglaea readjusted the grip on her sword as she made her approach to her opponent. In a flash, her sword thrusted forward and struck directly at the base of the thief’s dagger which sent the weapon flying. The forward momentum of her thrust would be powerful enough to cause the man to stumble backwards, and in the moment his stance had been broken Tribious followed through with a swfit swing of her staff to the thief’s head. The combination of attacks and force with which they were executed effectively toppled the thief and he was left immobilized and disoriented on the floor, groaning in pain.

“Nice work, Agy!” Tribios cheered as she clasped her hands onto Aglaea’s shoulders.

Aglaea brushed her hair out of her eyes as she lowered her sword. “It was thanks to your support, teacher.”

“Of course! What teacher would I be if I couldn’t help you even in good ole fight?” Tribios pulled away from Aglaea and started to make her way towards the pitiful man on the floor. “Find me some rope Agy! I’ll have this one hogtied in no time!”

Aglaea laughed softly beneath her breath as she put her weapon away. “Will do!” She then turned and quickly began searching her surroundings for anything that would suffice as a restraint.

…

“I can’t thank you two enough for helping get back my belongings!”

Aglaea and Tribios stood before the elderly man from before, who was now energetically bowing his head over and over again in thanks for the two’s assistance. Tribios smiled and waved her hand. “It was nothing. I’m just glad everything was resolved in the end.”

After they had properly apprehended the thief, Aglaea and Tribios handed the man off to the guards for his arrest. After explaining the situation the criminal was quickly hoisted off, and Aglaea and Tribios had returned the stolen belongings to their original owner.

“I must repay you, for all that you did. Please give me a moment.” The old man turned his back to them both began vigorously rummaging through the bag that was returned to him, a series of loud clinks and clangs coming from the pack as he did so. Aglaea and Tribios looked on with slightly worried expressions at the sight before them.

It would be Aglaea who spoke up first. “Excuse me, sir, but there’s really no need—“

“Aha! Found it!” With a triumphant shout, the old man had cut off Aglaea as he faced them once more. In his hand he held a bipyramid object that radiated a pretty blue glow.

“Oh my, a core crystal!” Tribios gasped, her finger tips raising to cover her mouth.

The old man nodded his head eagerly. “Not just any core crystal too. Supposedly, this one holds a rather special blade. I have no doubt that either of you have the aptitude to resonate with it.” The man then laughed, “Or I suppose you could also sell it off to make a pretty penny, if that’s more to your liking. Either way, please take it—I insist!”

“Why don’t you take it then, Agy?” Tribios suggested, nudging the younger girl’s shoulder with her own, “You were the one to take charge after that thief, after all.”

“I…” Aglaea hesitated, but after seeing the encouraging gaze from her teacher she relented. “Thank you, then. For your generosity.” Aglaea reached forward and took the smooth, blue core into her hand. It was the first time she had ever held a core crystal. Its surface was cool and smooth, save for the indent markings that designed its outer shell. However, below her finger tips Aglaea could feel what almost felt like the thrumming of life coming faintly from within the core crystal. It was… a pleasant sensation.

With their exchange completed and one last final thanks, the old man bade the two of them goodbye with a wave, and all the excitement from the earlier event had finally died down. “Well, that was quite the little side adventure,” Tribios clapped her hands together, as if to make the finality of the whole mini adventure they just had.

Aglaea nodded her head in agreement. “I certainly could really go for that bath now…” Aglaea murmured wistfully. Just the thought of soaking in the warm, soothing waters of the luxurious baths was enough to have Aglaea’s shoulders already slumping in relaxation in bliss. Maybe this time she could use the new scented oil she had procured the other day, along with a little set of snacks to enjoy at her leisure—

Aglaea’s fantasizing came to an abrupt halt when she suddenly felt a firm grip on her shoulder. “Now then Agy! A word about your behavior earlier.” Tribios soon loomed into the corner of Aglaea’s eye, and Aglaea felt cold sweat drip down the back of her neck. Tribios quickly ushered Aglaea into a more remote alleyway, her grip unrelenting as the anxiety in Algaea’s stomach grew. When Tribios ensured they were more or less in private, she removed her hand from Aglaea and placed it firmly on her hip before she pointed an accusatory finger at Aglaea’s face. “What you did earlier was dangerous! What were you thinking, running off after a criminal like that?”

Aglaea’s head dipped as the weight of her actions fell upon her. “I’m sorry, teacher.”

“Honestly…” Tribios breathed in, and then released one big sigh. “I know you were just doing the right thing in your heart, and I approve of what you did today, but don’t just go charging in all on your own without a second thought, okay? You aren’t a driver, so there’s a higher risk when you do things like that.”

A driver: an individual who has successfully resonated with a core crystal, and thus becoming bonded with a blade. Aglaea always knew that one day she would become one—she would have to be, considering her role as a member of the Chrysos Heirs. However, still being in the tail end of her youth, many had advised her to wait before attempting to finally become a driver herself. The Imperator herself has been dismissive of the topic whenever Aglaea broached the subject. The reminder of her current state made Aglaea think back to the core crystal she held in her hand, and she ran the pad of her thumb over the smooth surface.

After a moment of silence, Tribios sighed once more—albeit more softly than she had before. Seeing the downcast expression on Aglaea’s face, Tribios comforted the girl with a gentle pat on her head. “Just… be a bit more careful, please?”

Aglaea raised her head before giving a single nod. “Yes, I will.”

And with that, the stern air that Tribios had donned melted away and fondness broke out on her face once more. “Well with that settled, shall we finally make our way back? I think I could go for a good soak too, after all the extra exercise we got today.”

Upon hearing Tribios’s suggestion, Aglaea’s face visibly brightened. “Truly? Would you care to join me in the baths then, teacher?”

“Of course, Agy. I’d be delighted,” Tribios agreed. And just like that, the events of the day melted away in the back of Aglaea’s mind as she looked forward to her much needed afternoon break.

…

“So, I heard our little Golden Trout made a bit of mischief today.”

Aglaea was mid bite—poised to enjoy a slice of the meat she had cut upon her plate—when Hysilens’s voice broke her peace and made her go rigid. While nobody was looking Aglaea’s way at the table, she could feel the sudden pressure on her shoulders all the same. The conversation lulled and the only sound that filled the space was the clinking of tableware from the other three participants in the room, and Aglaea quickly realized she would not be given the opportunity to hide behind her teacher’s protection this time around. “There was simply a moment of misconduct, and I took the quickest action to seize the perpetrator,” Aglaea responded calmly.

“A rather roundabout way to say you chased a man, broke his nose, and gave him a concussion but I suppose such is your typical style, Golden Trout,” Hysilens replied nonchalantly. Aglaea felt her brow twitch. Perhaps the worst part was knowing that Hysilens was being one hundred percent sincere, rather than truly mocking.

“Ah, the concussion was probably from me actually,” Tribios interjected, raising a hand with a sheepish grin. “The broken nose was all Agy’s doing, though.”

Hysilens gave Tribios a look before nodding her head in acknowledgement. “I’m glad to hear that you’re still keeping up with your training, Red Guppy.” Tribios responded in turn with a triumphant looking thumbs up.

Before the conversation could get further side tracked, the Imperator, Cerydra, garnered everyone’s attention with her commanding voice. “Dux Fatorum has already given me the gist of what had occurred, Dux Goldweaver, and of the lesson she gave you because of it. Though you are still one of our younger members, remember that your actions now reflect upon me and the Chrysos Heirs.”

Aglaea swallowed nervously as she bowed her head. “Of course, Imperator.”

Cerydra nodded her head, pleased. “Very well. Now with that settled…” Cerydra speared a bundle of leafy greens from her plate onto her fork, “What of the core crystal you were rewarded with for your deeds?”

Hysilens turned towards Aglaea once more. “I, too, am curious about that, little Golden Trout. Do you have it on you now?”

Aglaea shook her head. “No, I’ve left it in my quarters before my bath and haven’t looked at it since…”

“The man we helped had said the core crystal was a special one,” Tribios chipped in, “Though, he didn’t specify in what way.”

“Without it being one of our own core crystals that we have stored and logged, there’s no way to know for sure what kind of blade may awaken from it unless it is resonated with,” Cerydra mused. She inspected the lettuce on her fork with mild interest. “Tell me, Dux Goldweaver: do you wish to try resonating with your new gift?”

Aglaea’s eyes widened a bit in surprise, and she was not alone in her reaction. Tribios and Hysilens also mirrored her expression. “Do you think I’m finally ready to become a driver?” Aglaea asked.

Cerydra shrugged. “I believe you always have been. I simply have not determined which of the core crystals we have on hand would be best to give you.” Cerydra placed her fork down onto her plate and leaned forward on the dining table, her chin propped by her clasped hands. “You have two options, Dux Goldweaver. You could either have Dux Gladiorum and I pick out a core crystal for you, or you could take a gamble with the one you’ve received today.” Having said her piece, Cerydra leaned back in her seat. “What you decide matters little to me. Do whichever your heart desires.”

Tribios eyes were practically sparkling at the news. “Oooh, how exciting! Agy, you can finally become a driver!”

Hysilens mirrored Tribios’s sentiment. “Things will surely be more lively with another blade around. We should hold a banquet to celebrate this occasion.”

Cerydra hummed at the suggestion. “Perhaps we should.”

With the Imperator’s approval, Tribios and Hysilens began to animatedly discuss ideas for the banquet they would hold. Aglaea, meanwhile, and remained silent as she stared down at her half eaten plate of food. “Would it be alright if I gave it some thought?” Her words immediately halted Tribios and Hysilens’s jabbering, and Cerydra in turn looked at Aglaea with a quirked brow.

“Is there something you’re unsure about, Dux Goldweaver?”

“Not quite, it’s just…” Aglaea clasped her hands under the dining table and rubbed one of her knuckle bones, “I’d like to think over my options, is all. If it’s okay with you, Imperator.”

Cerydra tilted her head to the side in thought. After a moment she relented. “We’re in no rush, so I don’t see a problem in allowing you to do so.”

“I don’t see an issue either. A blade is a lifelong partner after all, so I can understand if you’re feeling a bit nervous about what to decide, Agy,” Tribios added. “Besides, this gives us more time to plan a banquet anyways!”

“As much as it pains me to have a feast be delayed, the Red Guppy makes a good point.” Hysilens turned to Aglaea with a grin, “Take your time deciding, Golden Trout. The longer you take, the more honey brew I can have prepared for festivities.”

This time Aglaea’s smiled at Hysilens’s quip. “Be careful now. I might take extra long to decide, just to spite you.”

A mirthful laugh echoed throughout the dining room, and the rest of dinner resumed without incident.

…

It was well into the night now. Most people have returned to their quarters now, Aglaea herself included. Having cleansed herself once more with a night time bath, Aglaea stood in her chambers before her study desk. On top of its surface laid the core crystal she had received early that day. She stared at the crystal intently, lost in her thoughts.

To receive one personally hand picked by the Imperator and her blade, or to choose the one I had earned through my own efforts.

Incidentally, the choice should have been obvious. A driver need not be restricted to one blade, so should Aglaea choose to receive a hand picked core crystal from Cerydra and Hysilens she very well could still resonate with the core crystal sitting a top her desk as well. There was little stopping Aglaea from having the best of both worlds in this decision, and yet…

Aglaea took the core crystal into her hand once more and held it at arms length.

Why do I feel that if I were to have a blade, it would be you?

As if responding to her thoughts, the core crystal suddenly began to glow. Aglaea’s eyes widened as she realized what had just been triggered, and before she could put the core crystal back down a bright flash of light illuminated the room—practically blinding her vision. In that moment, searing pain flowed up through Aglaea’s arm, and it took all her strength to suppress the shout that urged to claw out of her throat. Aglaea quickly braced herself and used her free hand to support her right arm as the core crystal shook in her grasp. The pain quickly traveled up through her shoulder and dispersed to the rest of her body, and this time Aglaea could not stop the sharp gasp that left her lips from the sensation.

“Aglaea!?” The door to her chambers suddenly slammed open as Tribios rushed into the room, supposedly drawn in by the noise and bright light. Aglaea could not respond to her teacher’s panicked call, though, as her mind completely focused on the core crystal still glowing blindly in her hand. Just when she thought that the pain was finally becoming too much, a burst of light flashed in the room followed by a whirlwind tempest.

A laugh echoed in Aglaea’s ears before she could open her eyes again. “Oh, so are you my new driver? You look like the rich girl type—the kind with a vault full of jewels and treasure as far as the eye can see.” When Aglaea could finally reopen her eyes, the first thing she saw was a fanged grin and the most breathtaking blue eyes she had ever seen. “Name’s Cifera, but call me Cipher. It’s sharper and swifter, just like the wind!”

Before Aglaea stood a woman draped in cloth darker than the night itself. Her face, which Aglaea could only make out from beneath the hood the woman wore thanks to the moonlight illuminating the space, was one Aglaea would akin to the many statues that sculptors would agonize hours over—all for the sake of carving a face that could only be perceived as beautiful. It was almost enough to distract Aglaea from the fact that the woman named Cipher (her blade, which Aglaea was finally beginning to register in her brain) was also equipped with a distinctive pair of fluffy feline ears and a tail to match. Frankly, Aglaea would have mistaken Cipher as a resident of Dolos, the nation of the Titan Zagreus, had the latter not have her core crystal glowing in the center of her chest just below her collar bones.

Just as Aglaea was about to speak, she felt a wave of dizziness hit her head and held a hand to her forehead as she began to stumble. Before Tribios, who had been watching everything unfold on the sidelines, could rush to Aglaea’s side a swift breeze blew by and Aglaea found herself caught by her newly awakened blade. “Woah, hey now lady keep it together,” Cipher drawled as she pulled Aglaea by her waist to get her steady on her feet. Once Aglaea could stand on her own, Cipher took a step back and crossed her arms across her chest. “Seems like resonating with my core crystal did a number on you. Sorry for being so rough,” she laughed.

“It—It’s alright,” Aglaea stuttered, still not quite recovered yet. She dropped her hand from her head, “I simply wasn’t expecting it to be so… much.”

“There is a reason why those without the right aptitude sometimes die trying to resonate with a core crystal, Aglaea.” Tribios had finally stepped into the conversation. She gave Aglaea a pointed look, one that said “we’ll talk about this later”. For now though, there were more important matters to attend to.

Cipher’s ear flicked as she looked over at Tribios. “And who’re you?”

Tribios folded her hands in front of her lap and bowed. “My name is Tribios. I’m the teacher for Aglaea here,” Tribios introduced herself.

Cipher hummed in acknowledgment, her tail curling with piqued curiosity. “So my driver’s got herself a teacher who fawns over her, hm?” Cipher raised her hand to her chin, her pointed nails gleaming like claws in the moonlight, “Seems like something only a big shot would have. Maybe you’re more than just some rich girl—royalty, maybe? You certainly look like you could be.”

The lilt of Cipher’s voice made it hard to discern whether she was joking or being serious, but Tribios responded in earnest all the same. “Well, your guess wouldn’t be entirely off the mark…” Tribios placed her hand on her cheek, “There’s going to be… a lot we’ll have to fill you in on, miss Cipher.”

At those words, Cipher’s ears and tail flopped downwards unceremoniously while she slouched over. “Ugh, just my luck… I couldn’t have awaken to some normal person, could I?” Cipher then straightened her posture back up and gave Aglaea a look over. “Maybe we could save that for another day though? The princess here looks like she’s about to faint any moment now.”

Aglaea pursed her lips at Cipher’s words. “My name is Aglaea, and I’ll have you know I’m fine—” However, as Aglaea made an effort to step forward on her own she nearly stumbled. She would have fallen had Tribios not already been poised to grab Aglaea.

While that happened, Cipher leaped away from Aglaea and landed beside the large window of her bedroom with a cackle. “What did I tell you? You’re falling over already!” Before anyone could protest, Cipher had already unlatched the window and made her way onto the ledge. Her figure remained crouched, like a cat ready to pounce at any moment, as she threw a wink over her shoulder at the two. “You take a nap princess. I’m gonna run around and check out my new stomping grounds. See ya~!” With a final wave Cipher leapt off of the window ledge with a laugh and disappeared into the night, despite the fact that Aglaea’s bedroom was several floors high.

Tribios released a startled shout as she ran to the window in hopes of catching sight of Cipher’s sudden departure. Although Aglaea wanted to follow after her teacher, she found that she truly was off worse than she thought she was just as Cipher noted. She could hardly get the name of her teacher out before she began to fall backwards towards the floor and her vision blurred.

Everything went dark.

…

The next time Aglaea woke up it was day time once more. She opened her eyes slowly, and soon the familiar ceiling of her bedroom filled her vision. The first thing Aglaea did was blink, and then blink again. As the rest of her body began to wake up as well she shifted in her spot and raised a hand to her face to rub the sleep from her eyes.

“Mornin’ princess.”

The voice that greeted her had Aglaea’s hazy consciousness immediately awake, and Aglaea quickly shot up from her bed. Aglaea looked to the side where the voice had came from, and there she saw Cipher lazily stretched across the chaise lounge within her bedroom peering up at a coin she held above her head. When Cipher caught Aglaea in the corner of her eye she twisted her fingers and the coin somehow vanished into thin air. Cipher then swung herself up into a sitting position with her legs crossed before propping her chin up with her knuckles. “Enjoy your beauty rest?”

“What happened after I passed out?” Aglaea asked as she rubbed her eyes.

“Oh, nothin’ much,” Cipher waved her hand in the air nonchalantly, “I did a full lap of the this Titan just to see what's up. Oh, and when I got back this morning your teacher gave me the run down of the situation. You really do got a lot on your plate, princess.”

Aglaea frowned at the repeated use of the nickname that Cipher had settled on for her. “I have a name, you know.”

“Of course I know! You’re my driver after all,” Cipher stated, tail flicking across the lounge cushion. “Anyways princess, better get ready. I was told we gotta meet with this Imperator of yours as soon as you were up again. Important official stuff from what I could tell.”

Right, it would only make sense that Cerydra would want to meet with Aglaea as soon as possible. Deciding to let Cipher’s continued disregard for not using her name slide, Aglaea simply nodded her head. “I’ll freshen up then,” Aglaea said as she pulled the sheets away from her legs and turned her body to get out of bed. What caught Aglaea slightly off guard was Cipher’s presence suddenly beside her as she was getting up, the feline blade holding out a hand to her as she remained at the edge of her bed.

“Wouldn’t want you falling over if you’re still a bit unsteady,” Cipher reasoned when Aglaea simply stared at her open palm. When Aglaea still didn’t take her hand, Cipher pouted, “Oh come on, I’m not the type of blade to let her driver struggle all on her own, you know. We’re driver and blade now—bonded until the day you die. If I don’t take care of you, I’ll be back in my core crystal before I know it.”

Aglaea mulled over Cipher’s words. She was right after all: from this day forth, she and Aglaea would be partners for the remainder of Aglaea’s life. “Thank you, then, for your help,” Aglaea replied as she put her hand into Cipher’s gloved one. With Cipher’s help Aglaea stood up to her full height, and although she did briefly wobble for a bit from the movement Aglaea had quickly adjusted and was well enough to stand on her own.

“It’s no problem.” Cipher turned and began making her way out the door, stretching her arms high above her head as she did so. Aglaea grimaced as she heard the various pops and cracks that came from Cipher’s spine in the process. “I’ll be waiting for you outside then. See you soon, princess~” When the door closed shut behind Cipher’s figure, Aglaea released the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

In the span of twenty four hours, so much of her life had changed. Just how much would things change further with Cipher in her life now? Aglaea shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Only time would tell what fate had in store.

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